Life in the Peace Corps
Chronicles life in Cameroon as Small Enterprise Developer in 2008-2010
Reverse Culture Shock: one year later.
I left Cameroon just a little over a year ago. This year went by in a blur. Swoosh! and it was gone. As I reflect upon this past year, I begin to realize the impact that reverse culture shock had on me. People always say that it’s easier going into a new experience than coming back. I never really had too much difficulty with past international moves, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. And then it hit me. It didn’t take me too long to get over the potato chips incident, or getting used to the luxuries of modern society. Yet the other aspects of reintegration affected me in ways that I didn’t allow myself to recognize. I hate nothing more than people...
Read More27 months of Peace Corps Cameroon
Tomorrow on March 1st, Peace Corps will celebrate its 50th anniversary. What a milestone! There have been a flurry of activities to share experiences. It’s really incredible when you hear stories of the men and women that served in the early 1960′s. Peace Corps Cameroon has had its own share of activities. One of the RPCVs created an email list to reconnect volunteers who may not be as up with the technology. In just a few days, there are over 200 volunteers who share their PC experience in Cameroon, and that number is still growing. I love being a part of the Peace Corps family! I’ve been back for 7 months now. The more I try to move on to the new...
Read MoreLiteracy for All
Last year’s International Literacy Day helped me spread an important message and bolstered support for the Books For Cameroon project. I received lots of positive responses on my post as to why I started the project and why I value literacy. Here we are one year later, and the project lives on. I could not be more proud of my replacement Cristina and the efforts of RIDEV and other Peace Corps volunteers for keeping it strong. As you probably could tell from recent posts, I already really miss Cameroon and my time there. I have been reflecting a great deal and today I thought about the what felt like an insane project at the time. We built or improved upon over 30...
Read MoreAmerica, the Land of Plenty
It’s hard to fathom that only 4 days ago, I was still in Cameroon. Despite how much I am trying to hold onto it, that life is quickly fading away into a surreal dream. I’m saddened and scared by that. Over the two years, that life in village has became my comfort zone, and for some reason having to leave that behind is posing more difficulty than I imagined. Only few days in, I already miss Cameroon, and miss that life that I’ll never get back. Despite of it all, it’s good to be home and to be pampered by my parents. The pampering is guilt-free since I already have the next step lined up and my parents are happy to spoil me knowing...
Read MorePeace Corps Loves
In less than 3 hours, I’ll be on my way to the airport and begin the long journey back to the U.S.A.! This is the moment that I’ve waited for for two years, and as strange and sureal as it is, I am ready to begin the next chapter of my life! This last week was wonderful. I spent it in Yaounde with the last group of the 2008-2010 SED/ED volunteers. As it stands, Laura and I are the last two still hanging around in the transit house. Last night, we said a big batch of goodbyes. The end of one’s Peace Corps service is one of the strangest moments in life. It’s incredibly difficult to describe, but I was glad to have 8 other wonderful loves here to...
Read MoreLast Day au village
I woke up after a restful sleep around 8am, without an alarm, of course, and put on my running shoes for one last jog down my favorite path. The crisp air made for a comfortable jog. I took noticed of each house that I ran by and took in each rolling hill that I passed. I will unlikely to have a regular running path this beautiful for years to come. I waved at villagers along the way that I often see; likely the last time I would see those faces again. Returned home and heated water in the small marmite for one final bucket bath in my latrine. I remember my very first bucket bath – in the same latrine, during site visit two years ago. Back then, I found it to be a...
Read MorePassing On the Torch
Tomorrow is my last full day in village. I am nervous and am not sure that I am ready to leave. Though I am realizing that perhaps one is never ready to leave a situation as this. I just simply gotta “pull the band-aid off” so to speak. So many emotions. It has been a wild ride. Try as I may, words are simply insufficient in describing how I feel. Last week, I hosted several volunteers who came through on site visit, one of them was my replacement. Showing them around made me see even more clearly the beauty of my village and life here in general. I’ve been waiting to meet my replacement and show her around throughout the better part of my service. So...
Read MoreSounds of Cameroon
The great thing about having to uproot your life every few years is that you take things for granted less, and the departure always make you take notice on insignificant details of daily life. The other day, my fellow PCVs were discussing how we wish we can record the sounds of this country. Here are some of mine: • the neighbor’s chickens that come to my back yard to eat scrap food • old clunky cars and busses that struggle to make it up the hill • the RFI (Radio France International) sound bite that announces time • sound of Batié, pidgin, and Cameroonian English • merchants yelling prices of different things in the market...
Read MoreAbout Me
Globetrotting twentysomething finding her place in the world, across cultures and languages. Following her heart to live on six continents and to speak six languages. Always striving to live in the present moment, and in pursuit of happiness. Top Posts & Pages
On the Bookshelf
