We’re halfway there! Whoaaaaaa! (…think bon jovi tune) One year down, one to go.

I’ve spent a little over a year here in Cameroon and what a year that has been. I’ve had so many experiences that I can’t decide if it feels as though I arrived in country just last week or that I’ve already spent five years here. Somehow the two options exist simultaneously in this life we live as Peace Corps Volunteers. Living in a small village in Africa has taught me many skills, some of which I will never have need for again. I would like to share with you a few of the lessons I have picked up over the year.

• Cleanliness is just a difference of opinion. My neighbors think I am dirty because I don’t sweep the rocks in front of my house. I think they are dirty because they don’t wash their hands with soap. Just opinions.
• Having only an outdoor bucket bathing area is actually quite liberating and enjoyable. Except when the weather decides to be rainy, windy and/or cold. Then I decide that a shower is not necessary that day.
• My cooking has improved ridiculously. It’s amazing how creative one can be with the village staples of rice, onions, mangoes and Maggie cubes. One day I will post some of the recipes I cook.
• If a meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m., the meeting won’t start until 3 p.m. on a good day. And that pretty much goes for any event scheduled with a time.
• Nassara! Nassara! No, those people are not yelling my name with a little accent twist to it. It just means ‘white person’ in the local language. It is hard to be always reminded of your skin color when that is what we are taught to ignore in the states.
• Just because it is an American-based company, does not mean the people who work for it are competent. Case in point: Sonel (AES), the electric company.
• Duct tape is the best invention ever. Not only does it fix pretty much everything but can also be rolled up into a ball for a fun game for the classroom.
• I can make anyone smile here by breaking out in dance. My white girl dancing is amusing to all Cameroonians. Sometimes they smile approvingly and other times they are just straight out laughing at me.

That’s just a few of my observations from the year. And I’m eager for all of the lessons and surprises this next year in Cameroon will bring and I can continuing sharing with you all. Thanks for the support!