Jan 23

Did you hear the Cameroon football Lions (soccer) did not win against Egypt yesterday? We all watched it (or a bit of it) on TV, and when we scored you could almost hear the entire city erupt. International news comes from Europe, BBC, etc. It is from a bit different viewpoint. No real time to watch right now. We could also, of course, get news on-line from CNN or FOX or whatever.

But we're quite busy in classes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then dinner at 6, then clean-up by 7, then showers, then laundry, then homework, then wrestle each other for the ONE internet plug-in at this training annex, then we’re tired.

This dinner is a bowl of rice and yogurt, koki starch, fried plantains (look like bananas) and folong leaves (like spinach). The food can be small amounts but stick to your ribs a while. Remember too, during meal prep and clean-up, we are learning HOW to prep and cook the local foods, so it’s very valuable to our size-maintenance.

And did I say it's hot? Not soooo hot lately, 75 degrees. But the 75% humidity changes the effect. Then at night we hear neighborhood drummers and giant bullfrogs, incessant crickets and birds of all kinds. All lovely and interesting, but makes getting to sleep—with windows, of course, WIDE open—difficult.

Had Malaria class yesterday and did thick and thin blood slides from ourselves, to test if we get sick, especially out in villages, which will occur in a few weeks.

Communication is fine VERBALLY. We speak with ESL (English second Language) or Francophones (French speaking). The interesting challenge for us, early on, is understanding their African culture and manner of interacting. It’s often opposite of American. In the USA we are more direct, faster paced, to the point, get-r-done, and less relational, which all takes a back seat to relationships here.

Sorry for the confusion about yogurt. “I'll never pay 50-cents again,” because we make our own quickly and easily, every day, then “doctor” it many ways, with fruit, jam, chocolate...rough life. I'm amazed at how few bugs...that I have SEEN: three big ants, lots of teeny-tiny ones, and two colorful geckos.

[Read past notes and see photos, beginning at the BOTTOM of this page.]