Moi? Je viens de Cameroon (September 8)

First morning really living in Cameroon. The girls started to warm up to me, the strange white girl in their house. We walked around the backyard and chased the chickens (and the roosters that are my new 5 am alarm clocks), two super cute kittens and the “guard dog” Julie who is actually the sweetest. Then I went out with Maman to do errands. The roads here are all filled with vendors and markets and the roads are madness with absolutely no rules. We took an enormous bag of peanuts to a guy who grinded them up, mixed them with rice and turned the combination into a powder we later made into balls of doughy stuff. It was quite the scene to observe while we waited with a vendor in front of us salting tons of sheep skins. Maman took the scraps off the ground (complete with hair) to cook for the dog and for our live-in maid who likes the meat from the pieces. After we were done Maman dropped me at the office for my language placement test. After the test I attempted to walk home and found the street very easily but for the life of me could not find the right gate. I walked for an hour up and down the street looking like a complete fool. It was a little scary because guys kept walking with me and telling me how “exquisite” I was. Trying to realize that this is just the culture and they do this to Cameroonian girls too but didn’t feel very comfortable with it happening while I was alone. But FINALLY I found my house! Such a relief. Watched French television with Maman for a while then made some dinner but in the middle of eating the power went off which is apparently very common. But pas de probleme! Dinner by lantern and off to bed. Overall great first day being Cameroonian, despite the challenges.

A picture of the whole group!