Moving Along

One morning I grabbed my bucket and walked out to the well to get some water for my shower. It was early and I was still a little groggy. Perhaps this is why I did not notice the snake that was in the second bucket I drew from the well. I dumped him into my shower bucket and then noticed him. I jumped back and felt a burst of excitment and fear. But the snake wasn't moving, so I picked him up and tossed him out. I thought he had drowned, but as it turns out he was still alive and slithered off, albeit slowly and almost drunkenly. What a lovely start to a day. Everything is out of the ordinary here.

The past few weeks have gone by quickly. During training we are taught about different agricultural topics such as seeds, fallow, soil, crop types, as well as hands on work in our own nursey and a group demo plot. We have weeded and planted seeds in our nursery and demo plot. In our nursery the trees are planted and grown for only a few weeks and then transplanted to a much larger nursery (ours is 1 x 1 meters). Basically we are learning different agricultural techniques that will leave the soils better off and richer than they were before. A lot of farming practises in Cameroon can be detrimental to soil health and my job will be to create demonstration plots and convince farmers to use healthier farming techniques. The rest of training is French lessons, usually two or three hours a day.

I now have a bike to get around. It is a decent Trek mountain bike which will be my primary mode of transportation at post. The roads are full of pot holes and bumps so riding them is dangerous but fun. To get around the country itself I will use bush taxis and motos. In my spare time I play a lot of soccer or teach softball or american football to the Cameroonian kids. The rest of my time is spent at the bar hanging out with other trainees until curfew when it gets dark.

Training is almost half done and later this week I will find out my post. Before I know it I will be on my own in the country.

My cell phone number is 75.90.48.61 but you have to dial the international code and then the country code which is 011 and then 237. Use calling cards or buy credit on skype to call me (or perhaps you have cheap international rates?). Just remember the five hour time difference between the East Coast and here, as well as that I might be busy or have my phone off. You can text anytime, but you probably will want to email me to set up a time to call.