Finally a Volunteer

    August 18th was my Swear-In date.  All forty three of my stage mates and I raised our right hands as we took oath before coming a volunteer.  After that, I treked up to the north with others.  I had so much stuff: two big suit cases, walter filter, bike, metal trunk, and two big boxes of inconvenience that arrived just before the end.  I arrived in Ngoundere and met my post-mate.  We stayed for a few days and then took the bus to Belel on the route en terre.  It was raining, and since Cameroon is a bit backwards, the bus was stuck in the red mud. We had to get out of the bus and wait under a tree and I went to pee in a bush.  After 20 minutes, they finally got the bus out.  We then continued our 6 hour long ride.  It is funny because it is said Belel is only 120km from Negoundere (about an hour and half away).  However, things here tend to take twice as long. 
  Arriving in Belel I had boys carry my excessie baggage in pousse-pousses.  (Think of big wooden crates on wheels).  We walked the 10 minutes to almost the top of the hill where my  house is.  I come to a pretty little house, with goat poop on the porch...
   The best thing is, I inherited two house boys that did a lot of work for the previous volunteer.  They helped me unpack my things and tidy the house.  They eradicated mice and other crawling things such as cockroaches before I arrived.  So much to do!  I had some furniture made, and ate dinner with my post-mate. 
    Belel is a beautiful town.  However my feet will be perpetually red from the soil.  Actually, the colors of the Cameroonian flag bear some signifigance.  The colors: yellow, red, and green signify: yellow= the savannah look during dry season, green= the green in the country, and finally,  red for the red soil, and you have a lot of that in Belel! 
   I am forced to not only speak French, but also, eventually learn the local dialect Fulfilde.  I think that will be a great learning experience and challenge in itself.  I ran into a student at the lycee (high school) carry wood on his head and a machete in his hand while reading the bulletin board.  He explained to me he had  work in order to afford his school fees.  He is in Terminale (equivalent of high school senior).  The cost is 10,000 CFA (approx $20).  I was shaken with reality I had not known before of Cameroon.  I start teaching September 6th.  I meet with the Principcal (Proviseur) this week to discuss teaching.
   On a closing note: you know you are in Africa when you take a dump in your latrine ( a room with a poop hole) and there are two cockroaches running freely on the walls next to you.

Andrea