Moving to Bamenda

Bamenda

Peace Corps decided to move me out of my site for security. I knew that it was the best thing to do but I also knew that I would miss Menji, my projects, and the friends that I had made. I was taken to my village by Peace Corps in order to pack up my house. I expressed to the logistician that I was sad to be moving, that I had projects and work that I felt that I was abandoning by leaving. He told me that safety is paramount, how much can I expect to do for a community if I am always nervous and on edge? I knew that this was true and hearing this made me feel better about moving. He and the driver helped me get through packing up my house and saying goodbye to all of my work partners and friends.

               Within four hours of arriving in my village my house was packed up, I had said goodbye to everyone, and we were on the road to Bamenda. We arrived at my new house just after dark. We got my stuff in the house and said goodbye. It rained but at least the power stayed on! (I don’t know why but almost every time I arrive at a new place the power is out. (China-2009, Nevada-2011, Yaoundé-2013, Menji-2013, Angelique’s site-2014).

               My stuff was scattered all over the living room, or as they call it here, the parlor, and I did not feel like sorting it all out that same night. So, I set up my bed and went to sleep. The next day I started organizing everything and trying to put things in their proper places.

Bamenda  from above.

               I arrived in Bamenda the last night of Ramadan. So, the next day I got to see some pretty impressive motorcycle and car riding in “Old Town”, a mostly Muslim section of Bamenda. I also saw a motorcycle crash, no one was hurt thankfully. Everyone was running around yelling and the people driving were swerving all over. T was very interesting. I had to prepare my house though, so I hope to be able to see more of this celebration next year.

               I have been in Bamenda since the end of July. I have basically got my house completely arranged now. I have all of my furniture and everything that I need. The only thing I need is some work done that I need a technician for; a few things are still not working around the house.

               I really liked my village although I have to admit that being in Bamenda has its benefits. I am a ten minute cab ride from the bank and the main markets and the main super markets and only a five minute walk from any daily needs. It is nice and bad at the same time to be in a city because it is expensive to live in a city, especially on a Peace Corps budget. I am learning to adjust though. I think I will soon be used to it.

Dancing with a Mama in the market!

               I am hoping that being in a city has some advantages in being able to get some good work done. I am excited to see what I can do with so many resources being consistently available and easily accessible. My new host organization is called SIRDEP (Society for Initiatives in Rural Development and Environmental Protection). The office is only about a five minute walk from my house, so it is very convenient. My new counterpart is Elvis although I work closely with Emmerencia as well. Everyone at SIRDEP is so nice! They seem really great! I could not have asked for a nicer group of people to work with. Emmerencia’s daughter just had a baby so I crocheted a baby blanket. She really liked it and appreciated it and now several of the women from the office want me to teach them how to crochet! Now I am working with SIRDEP, looking at projects that they are working on or are trying to start to see how to move forward. It is like having a bunch of homework because there is a lot to read but I am excited to get started.

Kitten-

               While I was in the United States I left my cat with another volunteer who is a friend of mine, Angelique. My cat is still rather young and is sometimes poorly behaved. I am lucky because while I was gone my friend trained her up a bit. She is much better now. She still often misbehaves but it is not nearly as often or as badly as it was before. My friend though says that she does not want to have to watch my cat for that long again! I understand though because I know that my cat can be a handful. And it turns out that my cat who I thought was a girl might actually be a boy! I will be taking my cat to the vet soon to get an expert opinion.

                                            My kitten not long after I got it.

               Sometimes my cat is a hassle but I am also very glad that I have her. She is company when there is no one else, she keeps the number of insects in my house down, and I hope that if there were ever mice or rats (knock on wood) that she would take care of those too.

               She was supposedly born in July but I am not sure that she is fully grown yet. She is still very small, but then many Cameroonian cats are very small. I am hoping that she will calm down as she grows up. I do not mind frenzied out bursts sometimes but three times a day is too much. At least that is how often it was before I left for the States. Now it is more like once a day or once every few days.

               And I guess it is actually a boy. The cat that I have had for almost a year I am just finding out is probably a boy… and he has a girl’s name, gah!