I'm back... in Cameroon that is

It’s just your usual Sunday night in Cameroon; the thunderstorms which welcomed me home from California have been quite persistent.  “Yes, mother nature I understand that it is the wet season here in Cameroon.”  She is not pleased that I ventured off to California to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, and once again I am reminded of her fury.  Thunder and lightning have become my nighttime lullaby.  Wasn’t it just a few months ago I was praying for rain? Its funny how the things you want more than anything come back to bite you.  I will remember that next dry season.  I am learning (slowly) to enjoy the present.  Hard for someone who used to be a planner?

Anyways, I am slowly getting back to a routine here in Cameroon.  Although, the time change really took a number on my body.  I seem to be sore and aching for more sleep when I wake each morning, which leads to me sleeping into the mid-afternoon.  Yikes, I guess I need to be a little more forceful with myself.  The 30 hours of travel to get here were not pleasant - an upgrade to first class, is that so hard to ask for Air France… come on, throw a girl a bone. 

Tuesday, I found myself at the airport in Douala, overcome by humidity, when I received a pleasant call from a fellow volunteer surprising me at the airport.  I mean, I asked a few if they would be available but was unable to check my email to confirm with anyone.  This definitely was such an amazing surprise because Douala airport is not so forgiving.  Thanking my lucky stars, we made it out of the city with my bags in tack before dark!  Success… but this Cameroon, come on“Surely you have some crazy story about the unforgivable city” you may be asking and wait “why yes, I do”.  I bumped into yet another fellow volunteer in the airport who was also flying in and we were able to get into her private car which took us to location where my lifesaver and I hunted down another car to take up back to village life.   This private car is like finding a needle in a haystack.  Seriously, it really never happens and when it does, boy do you feel like you’ve just won the lottery.  Once we got to our desired location, we were swarmed by Cameroonians pestering us about everything and anything.  One gentleman approached us speaking in English that he was not from here and looking for a ride to our destination but was didn’t know the pricing.  He tried to persuade us to go with him to find a car, but I was caught off guard by another bystander yelling at us in French that he was a thief and was planning on robbing us.  We were immediately surrounded by angry men and women who were pushing the men away.Cameroonians willing to stand up for foreigners, it’s a pleasant and rare sight.  Also a nice welcome home gift, we left with our pride in tacked.It’s always an adventure, right?

The rest of the week seemed to fly by.  I was welcomed back with such warmth from my villagers who LOVED my gifts of photographs taken prior to my trip and printed in the states.  I have never seen happier faces and heard such fits of giggles.  They must of laughed for an hour.  I was reacquainted with my counterpart Justin who could disarm anyone with his kindness.  He truly is such a remarkable, fatherly figure in my life here.  Smiling from ear to ear, Justin accepted his gifts and our conversations flowed as if I hadn’t spent three weeks at home speaking only English.  The weekend came, and I was off to celebrate my home coming with my post mate.  We treated ourselves to the usual Marie Poulet, the one and really only restaurant in Nkongsamba.  We have become regulars.  Overcome once again by Mother Nature, we had to become resilient and find a car.  Motos were not going to cut it in the tropical storm we seemed to be caught in.  You could feel the uneasiness in our eyes, but thankfully a good Cameroonian Samaritan walked through the doors picking up his freshly slaughtered and deep fried chicken to go and offered us his services. 

Well, now  it’s been a whole week since I left California and I am sitting, musing on my laptop, whilst relaxing under my “oh so romantic” mosquito net thanking my lucky stars that I put it up a few weeks past because of the growing graveyard of creepy crawlies pleasantly spread above me like the night stars.   The mosquito net has been treated if you are asking yourself why there’s a graveyard.  I have come accustom to sharing my room with my little roommates, I give them their space and they give me mine, sometimes.  I always dislike waking up to a few new bites, wondering just how they managed to get under my nifty net tucking job the night before.  The mice, cockroaches and other crawlies don’t bother me much, but the eight legged spawns of Satan make me uneasy, especially the steroid sized ones that have taken to my bright blue walls. Being away for three weeks meant that they no longer had to share, and I was very unpleasantly welcomed home.   I don’t think 2 years in Africa will overcome my distain for spiders. 

Even with the humidity, creepy crawlies, the constant stares and the fact I am like 5000 miles away from my family, I cannot help my smile.  The adventure and constant, endless challenges of everyday life make me grateful for everything I have in life.  It was sure hard leaving the comforts of home in California and my brother’s beautiful baby girl who was born two days before my departure back to my Cameroonian life, but I am thankful I pushed through.  Once back in Cameroon, I became at ease again with my decision to do the Peace Corps and regain focus on my goals and projects here in village.  Now that my nice little vacation back to the states is over and I have already passed my 8 month mark in service, I am anxiously awaiting the next year and a half. 

C’est mon vie en Afrique.

As always, until next time; thank you for your constant support and love.  I love you all.

Joie de Vivre - Please donate!

Happy Mothers Day family and friends, I, along with 6 other Peace Corps Volunteers, are facilitating a 10 day Life-Skills summer camp, Joie de Vivre (Joy of Life), at an Orphanage in our region in June 2012. We are doing our own fund raising and trying to raise funds here in Cameroon and abroad. Our budget is about $2,000 and this is needed to maximize the fun and learning during these 10 days for 50 campers. It cost $40 to sponsor one camper and we know these campers will not be able to pay. There is no pressure but if you would like to sponsor a child.

Check out the link to my postmates blog with photos of last years camp.
http://tessincameroon.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

All donations matter even if its $25 USD.  Help provide love and support to these orphans but sending in a small gift today.

The adventures of an American girl in a foreign world.

March came and went, and rapidly April is fading away as my countdown dwindles.   I will be home with my family in less than two weeks, which gives me goosebumps to think about. All the Thai food and margaritas I can get my hands on. Anyways, here is a recap of the past two months in village.

MARCH:

Well March started out with all the volunteers throughout the Littoral coming together for our very first ever regional meeting.  It was Peace Corps business as usual, which included an exciting trip to the Ekom waterfalls and a few nights of fun games and cold beers in Nkongsamba.   In total, there are 7 volunteers in the Littoral, which is pretty small compared to all the other regions but we make a well rounded bunch.  There is 3 Agroforestry, 1 Health, 2 Business and 1 Education volunteer and hopefully more to add to this after the next stage.  We even had some volunteers from the west and one from the south crash the party. 

With all these volunteers in the area, Poola (my village) got its fair share of visitors to my counterparts excitement as well as mine.  It’s really starting to feel like home with all the new furniture I got made and photos cluttering the walls.  I even hung my mosquito net, finally.  Took being eaten up a few nights in a row to realise I was being a complete idiot. As rainy season approaches I have a strong feeling I will be looking like I have chicken pocks. Mosquito's seem to love my blood, as well as the damn moot moots.  I am taking extra precaution because A. Malaria is not on my bucket list and B. I really don't want anymore damn scars. 

Following the meeting and my new pad updates, I was off to Yaounde for a few days to fill out some lingering paperwork and hang out with my lovely Agro girls, which means shopping at Casino and Hilton Happy Hour! Yaounde just can’t get enough of me.  Thankfully the city will have to wait til my next visit, in July when I get to go for training as a PSN (Peer Support Network) Volunteer. 

Next on the agenda was March 8th, or to everyone else in the world (except us Americans) International Women’s Day.  Having gone to the International Youth Day in Nkongsamba in February, I was a little terrified of what I might encounter.  Youth Day was by far the scariest day I have experienced in Nsamba.  Kids were running around, taking over the city and without any chaperons which relates to me getting the hell out of there as fast as I could.  However, Women’s Day I prayed would be different and have some sense of structure, and thankfully it was.  It was nice to see all the women, dressed in women's day matching pagne and hats, parading around the city as if they owned the place. I unfortunately didn't have enough time to get an outfit made out of the fabric until after the fete, and therefore was harassed by numerous men asking where my women's day pride was.  I offered as delicate as physically possible for me "Where the f is your women's day pride and pagne?" followed by an evil glare which made all the women cheer.  It is sad to think that women only feel empowered one day of the year here but that’s another story I don’t want to get into. There was an assortment of delicious surprises at every corner and so much happiness filling the streets, one couldn't be anything but happy.  The day of festivities was followed by an evening of dancing and drinking at a fellow volunteers post.  We went out and celebrated with all the women in her village till the wee hours of the morning, only to wake to a ghost town.   A true sign of a good night here in Cameroon.  The entire fete redeemed the frightful Youth Day, and left me excited for the next.

Exhausted from all the fun and excitement in Cameroon, there was not much more I could do with March by the means of working, as IST (in-service training) was just around the corner.  From the moment we swore in as volunteers, we were all excited for the next opportunity our stage would all be together again and IST could not come sooner.  IST was held in Bamenda, which meant a whole 10 days speaking English, well an interesting version of English.  We had such an amazing time, with hot showers, catered meals and the nights to enjoy with friends we hadn’t seen in 3 months. Unfortunately our group of 19 Agro volunteers turned into 13, which meant I had to face reality that 6 of my close friends from stage were gone.  After 3 months of PST being constantly together with these agro cats, it was a breath of fresh air to be able to spend time together again as well as rekindle friendships .  I made it back to post following IST for a sole evening, only to cart myself off to paradise and continue the celebration and postpone the evident lingering goodbyes.  We set off for Kribi… absolute nirvana.  I mean I have always thought Cameroon was beautiful, but my oh my Kribi was unbelievable with seafood caught daily, fresh water chutes that flow directly into the ocean and our amazing hotel, which by the way was on the beach (costing 10 USD a night, what a steal J).  It was an amazing and relaxing vacation but I had to get back to reality and post. Being surrounded by Americans all of March gave me a few setbacks in the language sector as well as my integration into village life. The first day back in my village, I began speaking Spanish to my counterpart. Oops.  However it feels good to be home again and back to being productive.  So long March, it's been swell…

APRIL:

Why hello April… The month approached faster than I could catch up and before I knew it, Emily and her friend from the states were at my door.  I remember in stage talking with Em about her friends visit and all of a sudden it was here and gone.  Matt's visit was great because it let me experience Cameroon through a new set of eyes again...it was invigorating and made me enthusiastic about what I am doing here. 

They went on their way to enjoy the rest of Cameroon, which meant one thing for me; all the fun and games were over with, and I found myself working at the farm every day.  My days were now packed with trainings on elevage (animal raising), feeding all the animals, giving them medicine, creating demostration plots (which I then used the new techniques I learned at IST), planting 100 moringa trees, building two nurseries, seeding over 500 acacia trees, and finally creating a budget for the Youth Development and Resource Center we are planning on building in Poola.  Having a packed schedule again really had me regretting not working out the past few months and sleeping in till 9 every day.  The first week kind of kicked my butt, bruises, sunburns and cuts to show for it. Battle wounds, I like to call them.  They are a badge of honor here in Cameroon.  I am no longer looked at as just an American girl, they see me now as the American girl with pig shit on her pants, mud under nails and in serious need of a shower. 

All this physical labor made me loose track of time and before I knew it, it was Easter.  I had to ask a little girl holding a palm leaf what day it was a week before (thinking I had missed the holiday) which was pretty amusing for the little girl.  It was palm sunday, not Easter... opps.  Which was good though because it gave me time to make plans for Easter.  I had a friend come and visit from the west, and my postmate joined in the festivities.  We made delicious pancakes and smoothies for breakfast and Mexican food for dinner.  I ate like a queen that day, better than my normal routine of beans and beignets or parle-g’s.  It’s nice to have people to cook for every once in a while.  However the dishes were murderous, especially when you don't have a sink.  Oh the life of a PCV.  I at least have running water and electricity pretty consistantly.  I'm living by the posh corps standard of living, and I am not complaining.

The following weekend I got invited to a fete by some neighbors, which was exciting for me since it was my first formal invitation from a Cameroonian in village.  It was at a church in Nkongsamba on a Saturday and I was happy to be attending because it was for a local boy in our community who was being promoted within the government.  I made it to the church right at 9 and could see a car full of delicious delicacies which they were about to set up.  I figured I was probably early since in Cameroon nothing really starts on time.  The fete was to commence at 9am… As to be expected it didn’t and instead we had to attend church which didn’t break till 1:30pm. Longest mass I have ever been to.  I was dying inside of boredom since everything was in French and there was no way of constantly translating in my brain, so I zoned out.  Not before they asked me to stand up in front of everyone and proceeded to tell the entire party about an American girl who found god in that very church, wish you could have seen my face during this.  It was a mix of confusion, denial and anger…this after being humiliated by being placed in the children’s bible study.  I of course made Justin and his wife sit with me as we were surrounded by 15 kids varying in age from 4 to probably 17.  I guess that part was pretty amusing.  I wasn’t the only one during mass having a hard time focusing; Justin my counterpart passed out and had to be woken up by the pastor himself.  I am going to be more cautious next time I get an invite or make sure I eat a LARGE breakfast before.  I was starved by the time we did eat at 2pm, but I did try canerat for the first time. Not to shabby.

Finally, this past weekend came.  I got to attend a march in Douala.  The forbidden city in PC Cameroon.  The city we as peace corps volunteers have to get approval to visit.  Well thankfully, it was a PC approved function and I got to help "Knock Out Malaria".  There was an 8 mile walk followed by a concert from 3-4 popular bands in Cameroon.  I got some great video and photos of the event.  I think it was the first time in Cameroon that I have seen an event run smoothly and efficiently.  It was a job well done in my eyes.  Until next week Douala, we shall meet again when I get to fly home to the states. 

It was a great March and April to say the least, but I have a feeling May is going to be even better with me being stateside for my sister’s wedding, niece’s birth, trip to Tahoe and Seattle and getting to see everyone I love.   Also means I will get to finally post some photos on here. 

Best regards,

Katie

Yaounde, Giardia and Chewing gum... oh my!

Happy New Year family and friends… better late than never, am I right? It’s February already and the weather here seems to get drier and drier each day.  It’s really feeling like Africa with the strong Sahel dust and hot gloomy afternoons.  I really can’t wait till raining season approaches.  I have a feeling I will be regretting that wish here in the next two months. 

All is well with me at the moment.  Went through what I like to call the true African experience with worms, giardia and unknown illnesses.  Of course everyone knew I would get sick, but me being stubborn… I tried to trick myself into thinking I was healthy and the life cycles I seemed to be experiencing were a figment of my imagination.  However, my body decided otherwise and off to Yaoundé (the capital) I traveled to see the PCMO (Peace Corps Medical Officer). I received some medication and after one HORRIBLE week, my body decided to kick the illnesses and I treated myself to endless amounts of delicious pizza, popcorn, ice cream… and oh did I mention margaritas.  Oh Yaoundé, you little minks, you.  I hope I don’t have to see you for a very, very long time. 

One good thing that came from my trip to Yaoundé (besides the AMMAAZZZING food and drinks) was all the time I got to Skype my loved ones.  It was so nice to see all my beautiful family and friend’s faces.  It made me super excited for my visit home in May.  That’s right ladies and gentlemen; I will be back in the sunny state of California for three whole weeks.   I will be attending my beautiful sister’s wedding, visiting family and friends and hopefully seeing the birth of my first niece.  She is due the day before I am to return back to my home here in Cameroon.  I am secretly (well not so secret now) hoping she comes a week early.  That way I get to see her!

The time away from my post made me realize how attached I already was becoming.  I felt extremely guilty being away for as long as I was and when I came back, was greeted so warmly by everyone.  I truly missed my village and my counterpart.

Speaking of my counterpart, I had the most interesting conversation with him the other day about gum.  He tells me that by chewing gum you are making yourself smarter, it somehow builds your intellect because it stimulates the mind.  I know that it can increase stimuli and concentration.  He told me he read it in a magazine once.  Note to self: Cameroonians seem to believe everything as long as they have read it somewhere printed or it has an official stamp.   This is true, which is why I am having an official stamp made with my name on it!!

After we finished our conversation about gum and beers, we made our schedule for the week.   I decided to tackle the disastrous darkness Justin (my counterpart) likes to call his bureau (office).  I had wanted to help him with his organizational skills but I didn’t really know what I was getting into until I was knee high in papers from the 1980’s.  That’s right, my counterpart is a hoarder.  I found papers and articles in his bureau from before I was born.  Some papers where you couldn’t even read what it said because of aging and then a billion phone numbers, he insisted on writing each down.  I think he is sick of me asking if and when he will ever look at this paper again, and then telling him to trash it.  Successfully he has thrown away some stuff, with praise by me of course, which I believe is to his delight.  Every time he finds something to throw away, he makes sure to rip it up in front of me so that he can get a celebratory smile or clap from me.   After 6 hours of constant struggle, we were able to finish his desk and a book shelf.  We still have the library to do.  I think I will take that one slowly. 

It’s been really nice being back in village.  I have had a chance to meet more important people, each eager to start projects with me and having me promise to involve them in my plans.  I tell them as volunteers for the Peace Corps, the first three months are for analyzing and assessing the needs of the community.  We are not to begin any projects.   But that doesn’t stop them from telling me about their individual problems or dreams.  You got to love the enthusiasm though.    My time here in Cameroon has been so rewarding already.  I can’t wait to see what the next two years will have in store for me.   

It’s going to be an exciting year for all of us.  Wish I could be in two places at once.  I miss you all dearly and wish you well.

By the way, thank you all for you letters and packages. 

Kate

Officially a Peace Corps Volunteer :)

Leaving Bafia and the family I have built there was surprisingly difficult.  The impact that my family had on my life has changed me forever.  I mean I have only know these people for three months, but the fact that they opened their doors to a complete stranger, aided in all aspects of this foreign life and provided emotional support makes me grateful to know that there are genuinely good people in the world.  They will forever have a place in my heart and I wish them true happiness and health in the years to come.  Plus, I am going to miss coming home every day to my host brothers running down the muddied path to greet me with hugs and salutations or waking up to Cameroonian music blasting throughout the house.  I mean who wouldn’t miss getting tackled by four little brothers and or getting shocked out of sleep by another language blaring at 6am.  All in all, my stay in Bafia had to come to an end and it was time to begin the next chapter in my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon.  That’s right J I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer… no longer a trainee!

So Poola, here we are.  Just you and me this time.  Making the journey here was swift and easy, unlike what I envisioned of traveling with two years’ worth of stuff on Cameroonian public transportation would be like.   I have this theory that everything always tends to work out and therefore there is no point to stress, but like any normal human being, I stressed.  Of course I stressed… I mean my language is far from where it needs to be and I have still no idea what the hell I am doing here, and I think neither does my counterpart at the moment but as will the seeds that I plant, my understanding will grow too.  It’s been an interesting ride so far.  Having my own place and the independence that I soooo need in my life has refreshed me in this experience.  I am excited and anxious to get things started… my first step is making my home, my home.  I was fortunate to take over a post, which the PCV before me left furniture with all the amenities I would need to live.  But as you know, nesting is one of my favorite things and I can’t wait to let my creativity flow.    I will post photos when I get the chance… I bet you are all waiting anxiously to see.  In due time… you too will experience ma vie en Afrique. 

Anyways, next week is Christmas and then New Years.  Can it really be 2012… wow.  It’s crazy to think that I will be here for 2 more years.  Never worry family and friends… I won’t be alone for Christmas.  We are planning a little Christmas fete in Bafut, which is in the Northwest region and when I say we…I mean 9 of my closest friends in country and I.  We have the menu set and let me tell you… it is really going to feel like Christmas, especially with Ashleigh and Betsy cooking!!  All of the amazing people I have met here have become like family to me and knowing that we will be together to celebrate makes being away from loved ones back home not so unbearable.    

If you are planning on sending anything family and friends… here is my new address. 

Katelyn Witz

Volontaire Corps de la Paix

B.P. 15 Nkongsamba

Cameroun, Africa

Par Avion

I love you all and miss you dearly.  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year…

Finally... a post :)

Wow it’s been so long since I have had a chance to update anything.  My apologies family and friends, I have been so busy with stage that I haven’t had an opportunity to write.  First things first, I am happy, healthy and loving life.  It’s been over a month now since I have arrived in Cameroon and time is flying by extremely fast.  I find out my post next week and then site visit the week after.  So crazy J I am beyond excited to find out where I will be living for the next two years. 

I haven’t really been missing the amenities of home, which makes adapting to this new life style allot easier.  I am used to bucket showers and no flush toilets however I have to get water from the well and I have gotten some pretty bad infections in some of my bug bites.  Sounds gross and it is. I now bleach my water before bathing.  There are way too many parasites and bacteria in the water not to.  If you want to send me anything…. Send me liquid band aids and heavy duty band aids.  Here the moisture in the air makes them fall off too easily so my infections have been taking over two weeks to heal.  Only one other bump in the road so far, I got a spider bite that must have been poisonous because I get really sick for a few days… couldn’t really move my neck and had a fever of 102… thankfully it went away and I am all better. 

On to the fun stuff… I got to go on a field trip last weekend to the west.  It was sooooo much fun and made me so excited to be an Agroforestry volunteer.  We arrived in the west on Friday and got to see contour barriers, nurseries, grafting, marcotting, transplanting, alleycropping, gas dryers, food preservation, organic composting and a watershed.  It was all AMAZING!! I have never been so excited about nature and vegetation propagation in my life… to be honest I had no idea what any of it was before I came to Cameroon.  My tech sessions are so informative and rewarding…. I only wish I had a background in Chemistry so I can understand all the craziness that goes on with soil fertility etc. but I am picking it up quickly.  After arriving in Feutap, we went straight to the APADERwhere we were given a tour of the grounds, which are absolutely stunning.   We got to walk through a swampy jungle which was not my favorite part, as I nearly fell face first into the mud.  Not my finest moment.  When we first entered the jungle a huge black snake fell on top of our tech trainers head… pretty crazy experience. 

Après, we checked into our hotel and went out to grab dinner.  All of us girls and a SED volunteer went to the night market, where we got braised fish from a street vendor.  Seriously the most amazing fish I have ever had… and yes you eat with your hands.  The next day however was my favorite. We got to a small village, Bandrefam and meet with volunteers who were working with a group of ladies to create tofu and soymilk which they would sell as an income generating activity.  Unfortunately, it poured like crazy and since there were no paved roads, the trip home was one that I will never forget… nor will any of my other stagemates.  We had to drive two cars to take all 22 of us to the city… the van carrying half of my stagemates tipped over from the mud. Nobody got hurt thankfully, and Therese (our program assistant) paid some local boys to push the van out of the mud a few times ;)  I will post photos when I get a chance.  I really wish you could see how beautiful it is here. 

Some of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I have had so far in Cameroon were on my fieldtrip last weekend.  I am so thankful for all the amazing people on this trip who are dedicating 2 years of their lives to do development work.  It is a hard sacrifice to be away from loved ones but we are all in it together and I have built some wonderful bonds already..  I won’t be able to post for a while since I will be in the Northwest this weekend and following week at post.  I hope you all are doing well.  I think about you all often.  Please send me love… a card or letter would make my day.  It lets me know you are thinking of me too.  I will try to write when I get a chance. 

Katelyn Witz, Peace Corps Volunteer

Corps de la paix

B.P. 215 Yaoundé Cameroon

P.s. thank you Alley for my letter… I love you dearly. 

First post in Africa :)

When in Africa, do as the Africans do. Well this is my first official blog entry in Africa... and boy where do I begin. 

I guess I will rewind it a bit.... and begin with staging.  I left Sacramento around 8:25am (9/20) en route to Philly... the plane ride was long, longer than I expected since my excitement was at an all time high.  In a new city, with new friends... we set to explore for the little time we had.  The first night was really nice, we had pizza and beer.  My birthday, which was the next day was amazing!!!! My new friends and I went out to dinner at the hardrock where they sang happy birthday to me :) A great treat!!.  It was so wonderful to be surrounded by people who could understand your reasons for joining the PC.  My fellow peace corps trainees are some of the most talented, unqiue and wonderful people I have ever met.

(9/22-9/23) are a blurr of airport, to airport, to check-in, to security clearances, to check-ins, to busses... to more travel......... We were greeted by the PC staff and our welcoming PCVs, Mary and Carlos upon landing.  Time seemed to fly by really fast during the first few days... as we had something planned for pretty much ever hour of our days.  Felt similar to college orientation or that of international study abroad programs... we began our malaria medicine and did a ton of socializing!  I even lost my voice!!! Mary and Carlos were amazing!! They truly are aspirations for each of us.  They both have only been here a year and are already pretty fluent in francais!  Pretty awesome to see what the progress will be for our future (hopefully) :)  During our stay in Yaounde, we got to go to a live television show and eat dinner at our country directors house with the U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon... pretty freaking cool!

After our stay in Yaounde we were carted off to Bafia... our new home for the next 3 months.  This is where I met my family :)  I have the pleasure of living with the Jean St. Paul family who have four sons and one daughter.  Ma mere est tres gentil et belle.  She has been so accommodating!!  It's a surreal feeling living with a family in another country.  All my brothers and my sister sleep in one room... I feel a bit like I am intruding but they are so patient with my francais.  My route to school is AMAZING! I get to walk through the jungle :)  It's about a 8-10 minute walk from my home.  The first few days my mom and brothers walked me to and from school... but know I feel comfortable walking on my own.  Yesterday, my sister took me to the market to buy pagne (fabric) for a dress I am having made... I cannot wait :). Yesterday,  I took my first moto taxi... it was a crazy experience!!! Don't worry mom and dad... Peace Corps Volunteers MUST always wear helmets.   Thats all for now.

Well off to practice my francais!!

Love you all and think about you all everyday :)