What a whirlwind of work. I’ve been thrown right into the thick of things and can’t believe I’ve only been here a week. It feels like months. I have way more responsibility than I think most 22 year old, new graduates are given, but it is making me learn and make decisions at a rapid pace. Already I’ve had to deal with angry parents (so far just people that usually come in and complain), registering students, figuring out an electronic accounting system for the school (while also teaching the administrators how to use a computer), creating two websites (one in English and one in French), a brochure for potential donors, and researching possible donors in Cameroon…Oh yeah, and school starts in a week and a half and I haven’t started my lesson plans yet. Still don’t know what my schedule is going to be once school starts; all I know is I’m in charge of the computer science classes…but possibly English and French too? I’m leaving it for next week with everything else going on. I’ll let you all know when I’ve finished the websites. I’d love opinions, advice, and suggestions cause I’m on my own in terms of what should be on it. And this way you can see what this school is all about (really just a private elementary school).
As for social life here: I again have come upon an extremely kind and generous family. Not as well off as my family in Senegal, but they are just as hospitable if not more. There are 5 girls (starting at 14 yrs) and the youngest is a 3-year-old boy. It goes: Candice (14), Daryl (yes, girl, 12), twins Sabrina & Iness (9), Christiana (7), and Aharian (3). For the moment we also have another older boy (Arnold, 14 yrs) who is the son of a friend, 2 little boys who are some relation, and the ~18ish yr old mason (we call him Frankie) living with us. Maman Solange is still young, only 35 (with 6 kids I find this to be quite the feat)! And while David is considered my boss, we get along very well and he seems very open to my suggestions for the school. He’s really easy-going. We have already had some pretty deep conversations about life here; each of them giving me further insight into Cameroonian culture and mentality.
Mealtimes are different than in the US or in Senegal. Here the only real meal is once you return home from work/school around 4:00 PM. My family doesn’t typically eat breakfast, they have a little something around 10:00 AM. Then in the early afternoon you go grab a snack, like a couple grilled plantains and “prunes” (these are not what we eat in the US, they’re pretty bitter and I’m not sure what they really are). When I get home from work Maman has some big thing cooked up; typically a starch (potatoes, manioc, or rice) and sauce similar to Senegal. Sometimes we have had chicken, fish, and guinea fowl in the sauce. I was a little freaked out when I was driving with David the other day and passed by a man selling bush rats…we stopped to ask the price and were about to buy them for our dinner, but they ended up being too expensive. Hahaha, I almost ate rat for dinner!
We had an AIESEC party last Saturday night (now one week ago) to send off one of the interns from this past summer. I met a bunch of AIESECers and two other interns, the one leaving, from Holland, and one who will be around for another month, from Germany. I was so impressed by how much each of the AIESECers took a turn at coming over and talking to me. I felt very welcomed. I’m excited for our first meeting this weekend. I’ve been asked how Cameroonian young people are in comparison to my friends in Senegal. I feel like this is hard to tell. From my first impression, they seem to have a greater understanding of “Western” expectations and culture. After having had so many students come they’re more aware of how things appear to someone from a developed country. The girls were also a lot more open than in Senegal. Again, this could be because that is part of what it means to be in AIESEC, you do your best to include international students. The openness also extended into the realm of conversation. I’ve had some conversations with my friends Arneaut and Guy about things that are more taboo in Senegal, i.e. HIV/AIDS problems, sex/promiscuity, etc. A lot of people are Christian, so this adds another element: you often see people sitting at a café drinking a HUGE beer (think 40s).
Obviously I could keep making observances but I need to move on to my next blog and update from this past weekend (I started this at the beginning of last week and never got around to finishing it).
Until the next!
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