Yaounde

BONJOUR!! Ca Va! (hello. how are you?)

So day one as a trainee is over. First off; excuse the strange typing... this is a strange keybord. Second; yes people really do carry things around on their heads in West Africa. I saw a boy today carrying a single shoe on his head. *

The PC office is really nice. Thus far everyone - staff and trainees seem really awesome. I have had some good food in Cameroon and some very excellent peanuts! The beer here is decent too - although I am still bummed that I am missing Oktoberfest.

Vaccine count - typhoid and yellow fever (I had already had hepatitus A). Yellow fever wasn't so bad but yellow fever hurts fairly badly a few hours later!

I have officially begun my French learning. Thus far I have mastered the phrase "what is that" in French and not much else. Although with my Rosetta Stone vocab I can name all the clothes a person is wearing. This skill is found quite entertaining by others.

Yaounde has a good temperature - it is cool during the evening and warm during the day. I accually need a light sweater at night. I have been told to enjoy this because it is not the case in the North where I am headed. By Thursday I will be in the North and Thursday night I will be sleeping in the house with my host family. *

I should have a phone soon! Once I do I will post the number - complete with how to dial it.

I am taking Larium as my anti-malarial - this is the PC norm. So far no crazy dreams or anything. I shall keep ya'll posted on how they progress though. I have been assured that this drug is in NO way similiar to Chloriquine which some of you might remember made me insane. As my grandpa would have said "we shall see".

Saddest news though... I think my most favorite bracelett - the one mom and Court got me in Spain - is gone. I was wearing it all day and to dinner and I was playing with the clasp and it must have fallen off someplace. Of course this is the only piece of jewerly I brought that I remotely care about. I knew better than to bring it. But still I am sad. I might find it or get it returned - but I am not counting on it. I am very sad about it.

But my French is growing slowly but surely. I am really anxious for language training to start and really get to improve with classes and living with a Cameroonian host family. Wish me luck with that since we all know that foreign language and spelling are two of my biggest weaknesses.

In Yaounde we qre staying at a hotel that can see the soccer (football here) stadium from the window. We are not really allowed out in Yaounde right now but I took pictures out of the window. I am getting excited for the train ride up to Garoua (pronounced ga roo a) which might be a 16 hour trip but should be really beautiful. I promise pictures as soon as I find a connection that can upload them!

Au Revoir!!!!