Goodbye for Now, Yaounde

Hello, blogosphere! I hope that you are all doing so well wherever you are. Tomorrow, I will be leaving Yaounde (the capital city) to go to Dschang (in the Western Region). This has been a crazy three weeks of adjusting to a new country where they speak other languages. Here are some of the things that I have done in the last week:

• On Saturday, we went to a gorilla sanctuary where they bring rescued monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees. It was really amazing to see the animals so close! I would also like to add the disclaimer that it was a park. There are not primates just roaming the streets of Yaounde. Just so you know. 
• I went to mass with my sister on Sunday. I did not understand all of it, or most of it, but it was still a really great experience. I stood when the people around me stood, and tried to say the words back when I was supposed to. It is not as easy as it looks, folks!
• We visited the University of Yaounde I on Wednesday and met some students. It was really great to be back on a college campus after taking classes in the SIT office. Their campus is definitely bigger than Butler's. Some fun facts for those of you viewing from home: it is the largest and oldest university in Yaounde. A bachelor's degree is called a licence because a bacc is the equivalent of a high school diploma. It takes three years to get a licence, two years for a masters, and three years for a doctorate. Now that you are properly informed, I shall move on :)
• My first essay is due today. Don't worry. I already finished it. I am not that bad at procrastinating when I'm in Cameroon. 
• Also! I did my laundry for the first time in Cameroon this week. Let me tell you, it is a work out! I am so good and wringing out clothes now. So, if any of you need help when I get back, I am your girl. 

I will try to post again when we are in Dschang. Until next time, people of the interwebs. 

Here is a panorama of Yaounde that I took. Enjoy!

So This is Cameroon

Hello, everyone! I hope that America or wherever you are at is doing well! Know that I miss and love you all so much. So I haven't taken very many pictures because it is not necessarily safe to just take my camera out in public. Also, I try not to look too touristy when I am here because I am not a tourist...So alas, there are not very many pictures. But I wanted all of you to know that I am safe. To prove that, my friend took a picture of me with my fearless bulldog mascot cutout. There are also pictures of the mountains and my classroom here in Yaounde. 

Now, for the update! I moved in with my host family in Yaounde a week ago today. I have a Mama and a Papa, a grandma, and six siblings, so it gets pretty chaotic sometimes. I will try to take some pictures soon for you all to see. Both of my parents are teachers, which is great because that is basically my life at home. Thanks Josh and Matt for that :) I have eaten a lot of fish and beef and rice and plantains, which have literally all been the best meals! Pictures will follow! If you have any questions for me, let me know, preferably via the Facebooks! God bless, friends! 

Until next time, 

Beccah 

For those of you following from home, there is no need to fear. I am definitely alive and safe in Yaoundé! It has been a whirlwind so far. From the minute I stepped off the plane, I have not had a moment where I wasn’t learning something new. We had a few days of orientation while we stayed at a monastery (Le monastère du Mont Fébé). We learned about culture and rules and academics and food and other essentials.

On Wednesday, the culmination of this stage of orientation was a drop-off. This is basically an activity where you are dropped off at a random place in Yaoundé with 5000 Francs CFA ($10 dollars for you curious folks) and given a list of tasks to complete. These included using a cyber café, going to the University of Yaoundé I, and finding the neighborhood of the SIT offices. It was definitely an experience! Before anyone becomes too worried (including you, Mom), we were dropped off in pairs. The two of us walked off in our semi-confidence, prepared as we could be, to conquer our list. We were off to a bit of a rough start when we tried to put minutes on our cell phones. We did not understand the woman, and she clearly did not understand us. Finally, we just left and said we would deal with it later. Then we went to a cyber café. This was less tragic than the first adventure. The main problem was that I had no idea how to use the French keyboard. The letters were in different places. Instead of typing Yaoundé, I would type Yqoumd2. It was definitely a learning experience! Then we took our first taxi ride. A word to the wise: do not ever drive in Cameroon unless you grew up here. All driving rules here are like speed limits back home: they are merely suggestions. We made it to the University of Yaoundé I without any problems, and a nice man helped us hail a taxi to get us to the Institut Francais. Another interesting tidbit, most taxi rides cost 200 Francs CFA here. For you math-minded people and the generally curious, that is just under $0.50. We made it to the Institut Francais and moved on to find a textile shop. We were pointed in every direction, but we eventually succeeded! It was definitely a joyous occasion. My new goal is to buy fabric from that store and get a dress or skirt made. It is going to happen. Just wait America! A fashion intervention via Beccah is headed your way! Finally, we went to a supermarket in Bastos (the neighborhood where the SIT office is). It was great to see the city. It was nerve-wracking and very difficult, but I now have full confidence in my ability to get wherever I need to go.

On Thursday, we met our host families. I am very excited to get to know them and see how they live. So far, they have been amazing! I can’t wait to see what this semester holds.

Until next time, my friends,

Beccah