I welcome you back to another installment of the blog that keeps on blogging.

August 24, 2005, 23 new Peace Corps Volunteers (myself included) were sworn in to serve in the beautiful country of Cameroon. The day after being sworn in we were whisked to our various posts throughout the country. I left with several other volunteers, and, after dropping a handful in Nkongsamba, 4 of us headed through the bush to Kumba. Halfway there, though, the bus broke down and we were stranded on the side of the road while the driver headed to the next town to look for the part. Over two hours later an amicable Frenchman with a pickup stopped, loaded all of our stuff in the back, and took us onward. After reaching my home (pictures soon hopefully) and discovering there were no beds, we decided to stay in a nearby hotel. The next morning, we were helped by my new neighbor, Sona, to find a car that would take two of the volunteers to their remaining posts.

That night, due to my living situation, Sona and his mother, Madame Jhon, fixed me food and allowed me to stay the night. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by their generousity and cooking skills. Evidently, Jhon owns a nearby restaurant, Sweet Fingers, and knows how to prepare some great cuisine. Yesterday, I had her Irish potatoes with a tomato-based sauce with green beans, carrots, and a side of white beans with the same sauce. She offerred me meat, but after an earlier visit to the butcher's I'm trying to steer clear of the stuff. Not to say that I've gone vegetarian. Heck, I'm not that crazy (That one's for you Christina. Love you baby!).

I met with my counterpart at CamCCUL, Konang, this morning, and should start work around the middle of September. I also had the oppotunity to meet several of the local credit union presidents. The work sounds very interesting and mutually beneficial.

For now, the work on my house continues one bottle of bleach at a time. The roaches continue to turn up dead (sorry PETA) so I must be doing something right.