December 27

On my way to a meeting some folks in Mr. John’s bar stop me. Meetings never really start on time so I figure it’s a good way to meet some new folks. Halfway though my Fanta someone offers me a chicken for Christmas. He tells me to be around on Christmas day so one of his children can bring it over, kill, and clean it for me. Merry Christmas! At first it seemed like a good idea to ignore the holiday and pretend it was July. Though instead I decided to try and embrace it. This being listening to Xmas music non-stop, baking/delivering sugar cookies around, attending the hospital Christmas party, and going to mass on the big day.

Most of it was wonderful and a good experience. The hospital party was a hoot! Let me tell you. We basically had a “Secret Santa” dance party, this being you draw the name of someone and buy them a present. Instead of handing the recipient a gift you dance around the room with it and fake people out by making them think you are giving it to them. Just a side note, many people gave chickens out. So this meant people dancing around with well, live chickens. Sister Emma gave me a traditional purse with roasted peanuts (groundnuts as they are called here) inside. I experienced a Christmas miracle: The water in my house stayed on the whole time while I had a houseful of guests. When it goes out I pay kids to fetch water from down the hill, which still feels weird to do - but the children want to earn the money and it seems socially acceptable here. It was a nice holiday overall but being away from family and friends was much more difficult than I ever imagined.

Things are good though. Each day is so different but these activities are quite common: working on Pidgin, running from mice, cooking elaborate meals (because I have the time), greeting almost everyone I walk past (Afternoon! How? I be fine. How fo yu, ho fu skin?), reading (I’m averaging 2 books a week – yea!), and really just trying to find my place here. Work now has become life, which is fine by me. Some of my most successful needs assessments are sitting, chatting, and figuring out how I can help here. I’m looking forward to the new year in Africa and what it may bring.

Cheers to a happy, healthy, and beautiful New Year!

December 19

White man! Auntie Kate! Sister Kate! These are just some common greetings I hear as I walk around my new village. Half the time I assume people just think I’m Kate R., the volunteer who I replaced. I gave up on the Katherine name change and have since embraced Kate. It works and half the time it’s a joke, this village is the place for Kates. It makes things easy and I feel awfully welcomed when people automatically know my name.

Overall the past few days have been good. Surprisingly busy but I welcome it. I find I am much happier when I am out doing things and meeting new people. For the first few days when I didn’t really know anyone or what to do I thought, “Oh sheesh, this is going to be a long 2 years”. Though I have already made some friends in village to pass the time with. Prescaline who is a member of the Compassion Campaign assisted me with greeting the Fon down in Bafut. This meant waiting for a good two hours in one of his wives homes and drinking palm wine, a rather strong drink around these parts. It’s seen as a cultural faux pau to refuse drinks and food. Needless to say by around 2 pm we used each other’s support to walk back to our part of village. She cracks me up, especially when we run out of things to talk about and she sighs out a long-winded “wow”.

Along with palm wine, religion plays a rather large role in the village. About 1.5 hours into mass I began to drift on Sunday. I blame this on trying to get used to the length of church around here and the fact mass is spoken in Pidgin, a language I am in the midst of learning. Though in the bit of Pidgin I hear Kate R.’s village name, Manika being said. Before I know it I’m being ushered up to the podium, where Father instructs me to tell everyone my name. As I step up and turn I look out on to the girls from the private boarding school, all dressed in beautiful white dresses. I then realize about 350 people are waiting me to say my name and introduce myself. “I am called Kate”, I say. Applause and smiles soon follow and I have never felt so welcomed before. After mass I stood outside and greeted most of the congregation. Even though going to church was not a large part of my life before coming here it definitely will be here. It really gives you the ability to connect with people and get your face out in the community. Will I have perfect attendance for 2.5 hour-long masses? I highly doubt it.

It seems I’m not the only one struggling with mice, just to keep you all updated. My friend Kim who is also in the NW province lost a decent loaf of bread to those pesky critters. Seth sent me some moral support last night via text: “Hope all your mice are dead. One just ran across my foot”. Mr. Jesiah my gracious counterpart came over earlier today to declare “Operation catch the mice”, though mice traps are a bit different here. They consist of super sticky glue on cardboard, which unfortunately have the ability to catch other things such as lizards. I guess will have to count those 2 as casualties, sorry guys.

As for work I have been quite busy. Met with school principles today to talk about my hopes to start a girls health club and introducing this strange sport called Frisbee. Went to a Compassion Campaign group meeting last week, which was pretty productive. Defining work in the first few months or sort of difficult but in time it will work itself out. As volunteers now our real job is to get situated into our new homes, make friends, and really figure out the needs and how to do our part. Though in the 2 short weeks I have been here things are starting to come together. I’m starting to find my way around and I have found this truly is the place for me.

December 7 PCV

December 7, 2007

Today I made it to post, as a volunteer. Goodness gracious, goodbye to being a trainee. The Northwest gang boarded a bus headed for Bamenda. We made it safe and sound with aside from a breakdown along the way. Once we got into Bamenda Kim and I opened new bank accounts and hit the “white man store”, basically a place where you can get imported foods from Europe. We went out for a nice dinner and turned in early because it had been a long day. A contractor who works for the hospital, Mr.C picked me up this morning. Once I got into village I was welcomed with open arms and rushed into my new home. I spent all afternoon cleaning the kitchen. Mostly killing cockroaches and sweeping out mice poop. I have a message for the mice:

“Don’t come into my new house or prepare to die.”

Sure I’m a peace-loving gal but when it comes to those gosh darn rodents I can’t take it. One of the Sisters came over tonight to check on me. She reassured me the mice were gone; they caught 3 after Kate left. Fantastic, they’re gone. After Sister left I decide to do some more unpacking. Hangers, ok those go in the closest. I open it up only to find a mouse sitting on the rod starting at me. Good god. Not only do I have mice but acrobatic ones at that. First thing on my list tomorrow: Mouse poison that the nurses can mix up in the hospital. I’d much rather find a dead mouse than one eating my food.

I lucked out though; besides the mice my new home is wonderful. It is totally furnished and ready to be lived in. Most people in the group are opening new posts which means they’ll move into empty houses. Nura’s most recent text message pretty much sums it up:

“I’m currently in my house with no furniture and the power’s out. I’m lying on my thermarest which is on my bed frame. It’s actually pretty hilarious and actually blissfully wonderful.” Love it, Nura.

It’s quite strange being out of Bangante. I said goodbye to the host family and the rest of the volunteers. Getting used to being away from so many Americans will take awhile. Just adjusting to village life is going to be a task aside from starting work. I just have to be patient with things and how life is lived around here. Training isn’t really set up for smooth transitions: Say goodbye to everyone and everything in Oregon, Culture/language/etc shock plus a ton of Americans, say goodbye to things you’ve built in roughly 3 months/curfew and totally scheduled days, get wisked off to a village with no Americans and more freedom you’ve had since stateside, along with more time you’ve had in your entire life. EEK! Yeah eek is right.

Jumping right into work with the water project and getting things settled will get good for the first month or so. All I really want to do now is chat with people and figure out what is really going on here. Though Kate did her best to fill me in I have so much to learn, especially in terms of the water project. Other than that I plan on reading, running, and recruiting some kiddos for the health/Frisbee club. Life in Africa as a PCV is not what I expected, though I’m not entirely sure what I truly expected. Just know that I am fine and learning to live in my new world here.

**Side note. I have deleted my phone number and address on the blog. This is due to advice of the Peace Corps and my realization its quite silly to post such private info. If you’d like either just shoot me an email at: wrightk21@gmail.com

Also, another tip in sending packages. Use RED electrical or duct tape to seal the edges. Red and Africans don’t go well together so they’ll be less likely to look through my things.