most striking moments

When I wake up in the morning, I always take a few moments to breath and prepare myself for the day ahead. If I’m ready and open, it seems that nearly every moment here offers some sort of opportunity to learn or experience something new. A new song, idea, point of view, smell, work of art, French phrase, way of talking. My internet time is pretty limited, so for now, I’m just going to include a list of the top five most striking moments, experiences and observations so far:

1. My walk to school in the morning has started to become routine, but it still is so fun, envigorating and beautiful. I leave the house and start down a red dirt road that is usually very muddy from the rains. It is always teaming with school kids in blue uniforms, chickens and speeding motorbikes. I walk on it around the lake, to a stone causeway that stretches across the water. From there, its up a hill and and across a plateau that offers a beautiful view of the mountains. This walk is a great way to start the day and remember how lucky I am to be here.

2. Yesterday my host sister took me to her church deep in the heart of down town Dschang. I had never been to a Jehovah's Witnesses service before. Everyone in the congregation; women, children and men alike had the chance to make comments about the weekly lesson. Several people afterwords encouraged me to come back and asked if I knew about the message of the church. I don't know much about this religion, but I'd be interested to learn, especially as it seemed to attract many young Cameroonians.

3. My host family's sense of hospitallity continues to blow me away. Although they don't usually have breakfast, they know most Americans do, and offer me bread with hot milk and sugar every morning. I get at least three hugs when I walk in the door. If I mention something that I like, it usually shows up on the table in the next few days. Even though they usually speak Bassa, they speak French when I'm around so I can learn and practice. They are so kind and I'm so lucky to be with them.

4. Many Cameroonians will state the obvious in order to start conversations. For example, if you arrive home, someone may ask or say "you've arrived home?". If you are eating, they may say, "are you having your breakfast?" Tydane, the seven-year-old girl in the family, is particularly fond of doing this with me. Its like having a consistent second-person life narration. Still takes a little getting used to, probably due to my deeply ingrained east-coast cynism.

5. I've met so many incredibly educated young people who cannot find jobs. People in their twenties with masters in Italien, Sociology, Education, Economics who can't find work in part due to problems with corruption. This certainly challenges American stereotypes that say that all Africans are uneducated.

Okay, thats five things. There is so much more to say, but it will have to wait till later. Hope all of you are well.