Radio Celeb

Sorry for the ten day lapse, I’ve been in the thick and heavy of research and it is going SO well. One, the independence of ISP is just wonderful. I figured without the structured time and fullness of our group, in a foreign country nonetheless, that I might be bored or too much out of my element but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The freedom has been so refreshing and has let me get to know the country without someone ‘holding my hand’. And I wouldn’t necessarily say SIT holds our hands in anyway, quite the contrary really; but during ISP you’re not waiting for a field trip, student night, or doing a homework assignment with your homestay family. I’ve been all around this city talking to this person and that person, delegates, teachers, students , NGOs, neighbors, etc. I have a little recorder, I write interview transcriptions, I frantically am writing down notes or new realizations throughout my days, not to mention my beach visits. I’m living such a weird life, but I absolutely love it. And it’s going to be over, well at least this chapter, shockingly soon. One week, ISP is done. Then off to Mt. Cameroon, and then only one more week spent in Yaounde. So. Wild.

Anyway before I start getting all worked up about leaving and the simultaneous sadness and excitement that comes along with it, I’ll share a few highlights from my past ten days.

1. I was on the radio today! I feel like a Cameroonian celebrity. This radio DJ person found out about my research and wanted to interview me on air. So Veronique (host mom extraordinaire and head of the NGO I’m working with) and a friend Carole who also as an NGO, talked on the radio for about 45 minutes about my research, my time in Cameroon, and my suggestions about helping young girls stay in school and out of the streets, etc. I certainly don’t feel like an expert on this issue but I’ve learned so much in my past three weeks that I actually could feel my progress while explaining to the DJ man. Anyway, point is I feel famous and it was a lot of fun, and better yet if people actually listen to Kribi FM 95.5 then maybe people learned some things?

2. I had a Women Writing for a Change writing circle yesterday with a group of ‘filles/femmes libres’ or free women /some of them would consider themselves prostitutes. For those of you who know what WWfaC is, it was a really rewarding experience doing it with these women for so many reasons. (For those of you who don't, www.womenwriting.org, WWfaC is a writing school/community that I'ven been a part of for a few years and where I learned how to lead creative writing circles, and thus did one with this group of women here.) Veronique really doubted it working, because a lot of the time filles libres aren’t very educated (hence my research) and it’s very un-Cameroonian to do a creative anything really. Not that Cameroonians are uncreative, but they just like to follow life by the books and writing circles for women do not fit into their books. But I decided to do it anyway because I felt like it couldn’t hurt and it turned out so well. The women shared what they wrote and despite the fact that the whole thing happened in French in a boiling little room in Cameroon the presence of WWafC was clearly there.

3. Veronique is wonderful, as I’ve mentioned. Well I met her husband for the first time this week (he’s a marine biologist and has been travelling for work) and it makes sense that they’re married. He’s very chatty, loves to eat but is on a strict diet (which apparently allows for stealing and eating my french toast), and plays tennis every night in the whitest outfit you’ve ever send with pants that stop above his ankles. So my nightlife at home has become that much more lively.

Ah okay, enough for one post. Hope that you all are doing well, and special shout out to Katie Grimm, Maddie Katz, Liz Smith, and Catreena Besb for the lovely mail.

Love from Cameroon,
Cootenay Booster (how the DJ referred to me the entire show)

Kribi is my Jam

Well, I must say that I'm living the good life. ISP (independent study project) is turning out to be really amazing, which I never doubted, but I'm more in love than I thought I might be. I wake up early in the mornings under my mosquito net with a whole list of things to accomplish. In the United States, this might cause some stress but here I feel absolutely no weight of anxiety. I walk down to the beach which is a mere 2 minutes from my homestay, take my journal, book, and watch the local fisherman bring in the mornings catch in these wooden canoes that litterally look like hollowed out trees misplaced in the ocean. I come back after an hour and eat some bread, eggs, jam, coffee etc. and gear up for a day of research. At the internet cafe I wait frustrating hours as the connection is often slow or non-existent and the power is always touch and go. But I've learned to be more patient then I thought possible, I now often transcribe interviews by hand, and get in quality reading time during these times of waiting. When I'm not doing secondary research, I'm walking around the small city finding the delegations/ delegates, NGOs, and randoms who I can interview for their perspectives on why young girls leave school to become prostitues in Kribi. My evenings are spent relaxing with Laura, another SIT-er who is sharing the same homestay with me (she's studying fisherman) talking about wide varieties of things that could range from religion to delevopment to our love for coffee; last night we indulged with chocolate and wine and candles as the power was out, again. Veronique, our host mom and my project advisor, is often there at night too and so we'll end up talking in French the whole night- last night it was marriage, her woes on gaining weight, and pygmy kids in school. She's an unbelievable woman who has such a passion for helping others, I feel so lucky to be learning from her. Before bed I normally take a shower, always cold (have still only taken one hot shower in my 11 weeks) but that is for the best because the cold water helps bring my core temp down so I can sleep- the heat here is unlike any other place I've been. I am always drifting off a little too hot for comfort but also always undeniably happy.

More updates to come. Hope all is well with everyoneeee!

Firsts of the Decade

So I'm about to bus off to Kribi to begin my month of independent research. I have made some modifications to my original ideas and it looks like I'm going to be studying the relationship between secondary education (high school) and prostitution. I have no idea what this month will bring but I'll be sure to keep the blog updated with how everything is going. Before I leave though, I wanted to talk about three important milestones/ firsts I have experienced since the last time I wrote:

1. Multi-cultural seder.... My friend Abi really wanted to host a seder for everyone in the group while we were in Ngaoundere. I had never been to a seder before and this one I have a feeling is slighly atypical and yet will probably be one of the most memorable Jewish holidays I'll have the honor of experiencing. The evening started off with all of us arriving at Abi's homestay, the only polygamous family in our group. We helped prepare the meal and then when that was under control, we all sat in the living room on the rug covered floor and began the prayers, which Abi and some of the other Jewish students led in Hebrew. As we were repeating the first set of prayers, the evening call to prayer came blasting out of the Grand Mosque (biggest in the city) right next door. So there we were, a bunch of mostly Christian Americans, a few Jews, and a few Muslims celebrating together in the polygamous family living room. Absolutely wonderful.

2. My first safari... On Thursday, we drove 11 more hours North into the "L'extreme Nord" to Park Waza, Cameroon's version of a national park. We drove through oven like temperatures to get there and arrived in a completely different Cameroon. We woke up at 530 on Friday and spent the entire day in the park on top of our bus and some of us in the back of a truck. Immediately we saw monkeys, antelope, gazelle, and a family of giraffes having breakfast. Let me tell you, seeing a giraffe gallop across a flat savanna-esqe landscape is an unreal experience. Despite the fact that it was 22 hours out of our way, the trip to Waza was unbelievable.

3. And finally, I experienced my first bout of sickness while in Cameroon. For those of you who know me pretty well, you know I haven't thrown up since May Fete 2000. Well, my ten year record of a strong stomach was broken in the train traversing the Cameroonian landscape. I'm still not 100 percent, but am sure I'll be better soon. At least it was a pretty cool place to throw up, right?

Okay, off to Kribi. I think I'll have skype!
Miss you all, happy spring, happy passover, happy easter. And lots of love from Cam.
Courtney