As I begin packing for my three weeks in the States, I figured I would check in with all of you (as I'm shortly going to be doing for a ton of flights).
I'm very excited for this "vacation" since I've been quite busy with work and could use a breather...say, in another country, on an entirely different continent!
I am looking forward to seeing as many of you as is humanly possible, given timing and location and all of those other logistics.
I will begin my travels on Thursday from Fundong to Bamenda and then to Douala, arriving Friday EARLY morning. I will, luckily, get to hang out with another volunteer returning from the US that evening, before I head off on my flight sequence from Douala to Paris to Amsterdam to NEWARK, arriving on Saturday late afternoon (around 4:30 pm).
I will not have my old cell phone number, or any cell phone of my own actually.
Below are "contact numbers" if you are wanting to reach me.
Sat, July 31 - Sun, Aug 1
732-310-1638 (Angela)
Sun, Aug 1 - Fri, Aug 6
973-687-3501 (Stef - the beautiful bride TO BE)
Sat, Aug 7 - Fri, Aug 13
412-681-6685 (Mom Home) or 412-779-9732 (Mom Cell)
Fri, Aug 13 - Fri, Aug 20 (I leave SF in the late morning)
202-669-5196 (Dad Cell) or 415-725-2497 (Jolie Cell)
Try not to abuse the numbers (for the sake of the owners), but I look forward to talking to whomever would like to be in touch!
Au Revoir Cameroon!
Bonjour Etats Unis!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Fundong - In All Of Its Glory
Bonjour!
Since I'm in Yaounde for a meeting, I figured I should greet you in French. It's been great over the past few days to be praciticing my French, full on.
I hope the 4th of July was great for all of you. Here in Yaounde we were invited to the US Embassy for an afternoon of "Americanness." The Embassy is equipped with a nice-sized pool (only for Embassy employees) and there's a golf course for the neighborhood, directly behind---a surreal neighborhood of WEALTH, only minutes away from the typical, somewhat downtrodden surroundings of this country. We sang the national anthem (interestingly a bit of nostalgia washed over me) and ate cheeseburgers, Doritos, and Oreos, OH MY!
Slowly but surely I'm trying to introduce you to my life in Fundong. You have seen pictures of people I live/work with, my house, and now some sights in Fundong town:
This is the center of town, hence the grandstand (painted in Cameroon's colors) on the left. On the right is the sculpture dedicated to the recent celebration of 50 years of independence.
Just wanted to add this in to show you the keen sense of income generation: many women selling the EXACT same items, side by side. Competition much?
Some more sights and stores in Fundong. I think I took this picture to help give a sense of the beautiful scenery that surrounds me on a daily basis.
The MC2 on the right is the Micro Credit Institution, but in the far distance is the Fundong District Hospital and this is the direction heading out of Fundong, towards Bamenda.
This is a crossroads in the center of Fundong. Up this road is my NGO and another village called Fujua. If you were to continue up this road and then turn right, you'd begin heading to my house.
Our Bread Store that doesn't really sell that nice of a variety of bread products. Baguette (mmm) is nonexistent in Fundong, it's only square white bread that's nothing to call home about.
"The Road" on Market Day. In my division, market days are every 8 days. Luckily though, in Fundong there is a nice variety of food stuffs everyday - market days just make for larger quantities of the same items and MASS CHAOS!
More of "the road". Slightly beyond here is called "the end of tar" - meaning that the paved road ends. Paved roads make for MUCH easier travel in this country.
Right behind the "benskin" (the local word for moto) is Simon's wife's blanket store. Usually she has many of them hanging out front on display, but since it was raining, she had previously brought them inside.
This is the road to Ngwainkuma, Simon's village. Three steep hills later, you arrive at his house.
I'm heading back to post tomorrow, after my meeting, and will be as productive as possible before LEAVING FOR THE UNITED STATES on July 30th!
Hope all is well with you and you're enjoying these summer months!
Until next time,
Stef
Since I'm in Yaounde for a meeting, I figured I should greet you in French. It's been great over the past few days to be praciticing my French, full on.
I hope the 4th of July was great for all of you. Here in Yaounde we were invited to the US Embassy for an afternoon of "Americanness." The Embassy is equipped with a nice-sized pool (only for Embassy employees) and there's a golf course for the neighborhood, directly behind---a surreal neighborhood of WEALTH, only minutes away from the typical, somewhat downtrodden surroundings of this country. We sang the national anthem (interestingly a bit of nostalgia washed over me) and ate cheeseburgers, Doritos, and Oreos, OH MY!
Slowly but surely I'm trying to introduce you to my life in Fundong. You have seen pictures of people I live/work with, my house, and now some sights in Fundong town:
This is the center of town, hence the grandstand (painted in Cameroon's colors) on the left. On the right is the sculpture dedicated to the recent celebration of 50 years of independence.
Just wanted to add this in to show you the keen sense of income generation: many women selling the EXACT same items, side by side. Competition much?
Some more sights and stores in Fundong. I think I took this picture to help give a sense of the beautiful scenery that surrounds me on a daily basis.
The MC2 on the right is the Micro Credit Institution, but in the far distance is the Fundong District Hospital and this is the direction heading out of Fundong, towards Bamenda.
This is a crossroads in the center of Fundong. Up this road is my NGO and another village called Fujua. If you were to continue up this road and then turn right, you'd begin heading to my house.
Our Bread Store that doesn't really sell that nice of a variety of bread products. Baguette (mmm) is nonexistent in Fundong, it's only square white bread that's nothing to call home about.
"The Road" on Market Day. In my division, market days are every 8 days. Luckily though, in Fundong there is a nice variety of food stuffs everyday - market days just make for larger quantities of the same items and MASS CHAOS!
More of "the road". Slightly beyond here is called "the end of tar" - meaning that the paved road ends. Paved roads make for MUCH easier travel in this country.
Right behind the "benskin" (the local word for moto) is Simon's wife's blanket store. Usually she has many of them hanging out front on display, but since it was raining, she had previously brought them inside.
This is the road to Ngwainkuma, Simon's village. Three steep hills later, you arrive at his house.
I'm heading back to post tomorrow, after my meeting, and will be as productive as possible before LEAVING FOR THE UNITED STATES on July 30th!
Hope all is well with you and you're enjoying these summer months!
Until next time,
Stef
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