Away for a while, but still around

I guess I sorta didn't realize what a negative impact on my blogging the essential closing of the internet cafe in Edea would cause. I now only have access when I go to either Douala or Yaounde. Since I've been quite busy recently, its been a struggle just to keep up with the 'work-related' emails. sadly, its my blog that has suffered through all of this. Bad, bad blog writer...

Ok, so my parents are coming in a few days and I'm doing my best to nail everything down before they arrive. Its not easy when there's really no such thing as a reservation in this country. Luckily its not high season for anything, so I'm pretty convinced we'll be able to walk into about any hotel or any restaurant and get what we need. That's the theory anyway. The 'rents will be here for a little over two weeks. In that time, we're going on a full-blown safari, visiting friends all over, visiting the family in Banjoun, and relaxing on the beach. I figure that should cover it. All the while I have a feeling my father will be taking hundreds of photos- this being his first trip to sub-saharan africa. My next update will be after the completion of their visit, so it should be full of great stories.

As for things that have happened in the last month or so since my last update... My classes have finally ended for the year. The last day of class, I decided to make it an 'American Game Day'. So, I brought fun things for them to try (they had never seen any of them before in person). I brought with me (largely thanks to the Charlotte Providence Day School) a yo-yo, silly putty, slinky, and bubble wands. I also had matchbox cars and a water gun. Lets just say that they REALLY had fun for the last hour. One student was actually able to make the yo-yo come almost all the way back up, much to her amazement. Thanks again to the students in Charlotte for sending that stuff up. Next year before I go, I will be giving away all the toys sent to me, so then they'll really have a blast!

My older kids (equivalent of fifth grade) had to take a big state test to graduate from elementary school. They were a little nervous about it, especially since there was an english component to it. I prepped them as best I could, gave them practice exams and so on, and then the big day came. I wasn't there, but afterwards I asked them how it went. All of them said the english part was "easy" for them, and I can't tell you how proud of them I felt. A happy day.

At the bank, things seem to be moving along little by little. We've actually started looking at real estate in the center of town so we can have a more visible location. We're also planning on joining a nationwide network of money-transfers to improve our traffic and revenues. I'm optimistic, and hope we can accomplish this in the next couple of months.

I've recently begun helping a woman who started and still runs a nursery school which is almost next to the bank. She has realized that her money management skills are lacking and wants help. I'm working with her to hire a full time manager and put in some cash controls and budgeting techniques that will allow her and her employees to benefit. I'm hoping it'll trickle down to the little kids as well. Hopefully there will be lots more exciting updates in this story.

On June 5th, I and all those who arrived from Philadelphia with me, marked our first anniversary in country. It seems like so long ago, but time continues to speed up and I feel like I'll be home in no time. On the same day, the newest group of education and business volunteers arrived in country. I've been working with a great team of current volunteers to prepare for their arrival and to develop their training program for the nine weeks of their training. After almost four weeks, it seems our planning has been working out and is providing a solid training experience for them. I have already presented two sessions, and will be presenting two more before my parents arrive. I'm sure my college accounting professor would be on the floor with laughter if she knew I was teaching a session on basic accounting. I've almost got this whole assets and liabilities thing worked out...

Been reading again...

Recently read books:

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by JK Rowling fell into my hands purely by chance just after completing Year 4. Now, I am completely caught up, but still don't feel like a Harry addict. I am, however, anxious to see the movie of Year 3 that was recently released. Overall, there was a dark pallor which covered the year and didn't allow for any of the light, happy times seen in other years. As such, it was not my favo(u)rite (Year 4 remains the one to beat). It just doesn't provide the light, pleasurable reading I look for in Harry Potter when he's constantly on the run, looking over his shoulder and preparing for what seems like an inevitable early death. At almost 900 pages, I would only recommend it for die-hard fans and those with too much time to kill.

I figured it was time to return to 'serious' literature, so I read "Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson. 'Cedars' was recommended to me years ago, shortly after it came out, by my good friend Ditas, but never took the time to read it until I found it in the Peace Corps Cameroon 'library'. Its too bad it took me so long. I know they made a movie out of this one too (I haven't seen it), and its a good thing. I like books like this one with multiple layers of meaning, stories within stories and so well written that you feel as though you can understand what multiple characters are going through. On one level a murder mystery; another level a man's search for meaning in his life; another, a morality tale of racial injustice and biggotry; and more, many more levels. Highly recommended and a must read.

"Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary" by Simon Winchester was next up. This one had been sitting on my shelf since I arrived, having been inherited from the previous volunteers in Edéa. Its intriguing title, and the fact that it was re-released and positively reviewed in 'Newsweek' (and its short length) caused me to breeze through it. Its a well-researched history of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary over the 70 years it took to complete told largely through the relationship of its most important editor and its largest contributor. With almost 500,000 entries in 21 volumes at its completion, WC Minor alone contributed somewhere around 14,000 of these. The story is fascinating and strictly adheres to facts (virtually no conjecture or fabricated conversations are included) and causes one to have a huge appreciation for the dictionary we now take for granted.

What better time in life to read, "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac, than in the middle of Peace Corps service? The ultimate tale of wandering American youth and their search for some direction in life. Somehow, I can relate, and its one of those books that I'm almost embarrassed it took me 31 years to finally read. I'm similarly embarrassed that I never really understood what the "beat generation" was before reading it. Ah to be footloose and fancy free, leaving women and children behind only to steal cars and find more women and make more children... Maybe the carefree nature of youth truly has left me with the cynicism of middle age setting in, but try as I did to relate to the characters -maybe just one- I found it difficult. Its still an 'important' book which provides an 'inside the mind' viewpoint of a lost generation of youth who returned from WWII with no jobs, no wives or children and no clue what to do next. You should probably read it at some point, if you haven't already.

Currently in progress: "Prozac Nation" by Elizabeth Wurtzel.