Vive le Dash

Mbakaou is the site of a giant dam.  At first I thought my regular electricity was due to it since it is run by the electric company.  Turns out they use it to control the water flow for one of their dams downstream.  All they same; they have to keep it running and that means they keep me running.  Thanks guys! This is the monster from the lake side.  Picture doesn't really do it credit. That's one of our lovely fishermen out on the river.  It's probably the biggest thing I've seen in country. Here is the river side from the top.  You can see my village off to the right.  Or some of the shiny metal roofs.

She had been watching me through the crack in the courtyard door for some time.  What is this strange, pale creature?  It looks to be a man, but unlike any man before seen.  An older child enters and takes her by the hand to the back of the courtyard where the rest of the family lives.  I stop my reading on the porch and sit inside by the window to work. Eventually she wanders back around front.  Alone and brave.  Curious to see where I had gone, she edges closer to my door.  Poor thing never sees my eyes peering out the window.  I press against the wall by the door and wait.  She cautiously steps over the threshold… I pounce in front of her on all fours letting out a low howl.  Screaming, she falls backwards.  Scrambles on all fours crying. I laugh at our little game.  And so do the other children who now comfort her.  But she's not like to forgive me any time soon.

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention it again: it can be quite hard to figure out what exactly you are supposed to do as a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Our mandate is vague to say the least.  Future volunteers should know that before signing up.  I was excited and enthusiastic about the freedom, but a lot of the time I find myself wishing I had more structure and support.  Having projects is a lot about luck; I fell into most of my projects in Bogo and I've had the good luck of falling into them here too.  (I think agricultural volunteers have the worst of it since they have to contend with planting seasons and weather on top of luck.  People at least have the decency to stay relatively unhealthy year round for us health folk.) First thing a PCV is supposed to do is protocol.  That is to say, you have to introduce yourself to all the important people in the neighborhood.  Cameroonians tend to take protocol pretty seriously in general and it can be a bit of a sligh

How about the town?   Well, what have I told you?   Apparently nothing.   I have a slight tendency to get who I've told what confused.   Responding to emails and even phone calls all get a little blurred as they really are all the same conversations about me and what the hell I'm doing.   From my point of view, the sad thing is that I only really care about what YOU are up to.   Next to English, the thing I miss most about being Stateside is a lack of information.   Ok, next to English and food.   And possibly the company of women.   ANYWAY. Mbakaou is a village by American standards.   There are about 4000 people running about, which was the size of my undergraduate class at UNC.   I never thought of Chapel Hill as more than a town.   But here, Mbakaou is a town.   Also in my purview, or that of the health center's where I work, are another 13 villages amounting to about another 4000 folks.   Two of them have 700 each and it dwindles town until you are literally talking

Well, what do I think of the place?   Been here slightly over two weeks and I can tell you it has flown by.   I'm ever so slightly feeling settled in.   A lot faster than in Bogo I might add.   Part of that has to do with my French level, part of it has to do with the fact that I have a decent idea what I'm looking for when it comes to work and people, and the major part is all luck.   I'm pretty comfortable with luck; it's gotten me this far in life. Today we'll start with the home.   It's a good home.   I'd like to say solid, but it's sort of made out of mud.   Not like a mud hut with thatch roof you'd see on TV, but it ain't concrete.   More like some mud brick sort of situation.   It sort of crumbles when I put nails in it.   The nails stay though, so I can't complain too much and all the houses are made of it.   It's not the prettiest material to work with, but it seems strong enough.   Plus mine is painted blue and pink, so that

That's right ladies and gentlemen, it's time to gather up all those packets of easy to make sauce and throw in some cookie/brownie mix.   You've been wondering what to do with those back issues of National Geographic laying around the house?   Send 'em my way!   Toss in some candy and drink mixes to make me smile. Dale Wahl Corps de la Paix B.P. 11 Tibati Cameroon Your support will never go unnoticed.   Unless you don't tell me you sent anything and it never arrives for some reason.   Though, as of the moment (baring that exact circumstance), I have received every package coming my way.   With some minor losses to mice.   Plastic bag the delicious bits, people!   They've literally eaten entire packages of Easy Mac noodles and all.