I Make 6 Figures a Month

I was going to go to the internet cafe yesterday but a friend had the ingenious idea to type my blog first on my computer and just transfer it onto the net, saving money and sanity from trying to type on a french keyboard. After recovering from a minor illness (thank you immodium) I've been doing really well. A lot has happened and I cant possibly recount it all but here are the highlights:
I met my host family for the first time Thursday night (I actually had to think if it had been 4 days or 11 here in Begante. They are great, they cook for me and help me clean my clothes and shoes (clean shoes are very important here). Thanks to them and my teacher Arlette my French has gotten a million times better. The family is huge, which I didnt realize until Sunday when 3 more girls came back to the house from staying with relatives, bringing the sibling numbers to 5 girls and 2 boys. A few of the girls think its fun to watch me do things like wash my clothes which I'm not good at and help prepare dinner which is usually something only women do, but when I want to relax I can always go in my room (like now).
Some of you probably are wondering what the worst part of being in Africa is. No, its not missing your family and friends, its the bugs. Huge. Cockroaches. Everywhere. Even if you dont see one for a day you spend the day thinking there will be one under the box you pick up or that one is going to fly into you while your on your way to the bathroom. Last night I thought I saw one on my chest and freaked out and went into the living room to be laughed at by my family only to later realize it was mostly likely a Larium hallucination. I suppose its better then getting Malaria.
To let you in on my daily routine: I wake up around 6 (tomorrow Im planning on going for a run, and I must have because otherwise I would have deleted this parentheses before I uploaded it) and study French, eat breakfast (omlette, pain avec chocolat et pain) and go to school around 8. Schools been mostly language with some education classes and meetings thrown in. I have rice and beans for lunch at the SED house (where we all meet), hang out or study, and then go back to school until 420. At 420 I take what I can get and go get a beer with the other volunteers (1 22ozer max) and go home for dinner. After dinner I watch some French tv with the fam and go into my room around 9, I read or study for a little bit and go to sleep.
Our only day off is Sunday, and last Sunday I went to church which was really interesting but almost 2 hrs long and then met with the Peace Corps Director for all of Peace Corps, the Director for Africa, and the Director for Cameroon which was a good time but not restful. I'm looking forward to next Sunday. I'm also looking forward to the Peace Corps soccer game on Thursday, ready to break out the sambas and obviously the skills. Im just glad we play each other and not Cameroonians, theyre as good as you think they would be.
I know theres stuff I'm leaving out I'll try and keep better track of my stories and update again soon, especially since I don't have to type it all out on the French keyboard. A bientot.

I wrote that on Monday night, a lot has happened since then. I had a great day on Thursday. After class I worked out some stuff with my teacher and Ill be switching classes on Monday. We played soccer after class and it turned out we play with the Cameroonian trainers who are very good but arent always team players (not that I blame them). The best parts were when I would get really into the game and then suddenly realize where I was and how rediculous it was. After the game I broke out the light up frisbee and my little host siblings couldnt get enough of it.
Last night was another adventure. Since Ive been going to bed by 10 every night and I had class at 8 today I was only a little excited to go to end of semester (my host fathers a teacher) soiree that started at 8. I was less excited when we didnt leave til 930 and we were some of the first people there. I was relieved to see some fellow trainees there which made it more enjoyable since I couldnt understand the comedians or anyone else who talked. The food was worth waiting for (I drank Castal in the meantime). Chili, spegetti, and a really good roll were the highlights. The DJ played Imagine by John Lennon in french and some Tracy Chapman and Celin Dion (both big here) during dinner. After dinner (at this point 2am) we danced for a couple songs which was really fun but we had to head home. I woke up at 745 for my class.
Our class today consisted of me and another trainee going to the market and bargaining down for 3 things we needed. After our alloted half hour, all we managed was some overpriced garlic. Heres how it played out. We went up to the table and said How much for the garlic? She responded cinqante (50) francs; but we heard cinq cent (500), so my friend immediately said Thats too expensive, 100 francs. She said No, 50 (to us 500) francs. I didnt need the whole bunch so I then offered 200 francs for about half the bunch, looking for a deal. We ended up leaving with half the bunch for 50. Hopefully I can do better next time.

Im having trouble uploading pictures so it might be a while before that happens but Ill try again next time.

Last Night In the Hotel

Yaounde, Cameroon - The last couple days have been mostly medical and cultural training, with good meals and beers in the evening. My language test went okay, my watched stopped before it so I told him it was 515 when it was 730 but he didnt correct me, part of the reason I'm novice-low (or novel's as were dubbed). We have to get to intermediate-mid in the next 8 weeks. The medication I'm taking is messing with my sleep but other then that cant complain. I have a cell phone now, the number is 94187793, which means you call 011-237-94187793. (I can also get texts(Also remember Im 5 hrs ahead)). Incoming calls are free for me so dont worry about it. Tomorrow were going to Buhhsomething where our training and host familys are. I dont have much time again because theres 3 computers for 39 of us but Sunday hopefully Ill find an internet cafe. Oh it was exciting I saw a white civic hatchback yesterday on the street, it had a sunroof but otherwise identical to the ferdrod. Anyway hopefully Ill have a picture of my host family and other things soon. Au revoir, Brad

They have 2 ply in Cameroon

Yaonde, Cameroon - I have arrived and everything is going well. In 4 days we are going to another city and meeting our host family. Until then were doing various safety training, etc. Thisll be it because Im running out of time and theres not much to tell, but Im here and safe.

Pre-Training Training

Philadelphia, PA - I arrived here yesterday. After a few weeks of tough goodbyes, I was ready to start training. Its okay, its mostly about safety and conduct when we get to Cameroon as well as filling out forms and having our questions answered. There are a couple rules involving blogs I didnt know. 1) I cant disclose where I am or where any of me or fellow PCVs (peace corps volunteers) are or will be. That one makes sense because I could imagine someone sending my mom an email saying "mom im stranded in so-in-so and you need to send money". No doubt they would have twice the amount they asked for in a few minutes. The second part is that I need to be culturally sensitive which shouldn't be a problem but I need to find out if my reactions (in my head, Ill try to keep it together in front of whoever I'm with) to certain customs could be considered insensitive.

Anyway the training is boring but rest assured Ill be as safe as possible (they send you home for things like not wearing your bike helmet) and Ill move onto my packing list. I'm allowed 80 lbs., and when I weighed them at home I was at 76 but at the airport it came out to 87. Not sure what I'm doing about that yet. Anyway heres what I have:

Clothes:
5 button down shirts (1 flanel...the big red one...couldnt give it up for 2 years)
1 sweater
2 prs dress pants
1 pr cargo pants
1 pr jeans
2 prs mesh shorts
1 pr boots
1 pr running shoes
1 pr sambas
2 prs sandals (1 flipflop, 1 walking)
1 rain jacket (moving right into the rainy season in Cameroon)
8 prs boxers
2 prs tighty whities (who knows)
7 t shirts
14 prs socks (white, dress, wool)
1 bathing suit
2 ties
2 bandanas

Electronics:
digital camera, 8gB in memory cards
usb adapter for memory cards
1 surge protector
plug adapters
ipod accesories
short-wave radio (apparently invaluable)
computer (im giving it 6 months)

Others:
2 camelback bladders
pens (blue only, Cameroonians dont like any other colors)
bottle opener
Lebowski poster
swiss army knife
cooking knife
various toiletries (no sunscreen...I hope they werent lying about providing us with it)
chess board/pieces
Teenage mutant ninja turtles door hang
solar/handcrank lantern
headlamp
small lightup frisbee
shammy towel
cheap watch
cheap sunglasses
hacky sack
cards
travel wallet
cigars (apparently Cameroon makes nice ones though)

Books:
Cats Cradle
On Bullshit
Cosmos
Head and Heart (My professors book)
Perfect Symmetry (physics book)
Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming
The Dharma Bums
Civil Disobedience

Theres probably some things I missed but thats most of it, I'm not sure whats not gonna go. Anyway I have to get back to training. Tomorrow is shots, pills, and then the flight (about 20 hours total). My next entry will be from Cameroon!