Posts Tagged ‘Peace Corps’

Naturally, the day I need to prepare for my first exam in over 2 years was a gorgeous sunny day in London. Luckily, this exam doesn’t actually count for anything, more just an assessment and provide feedback. Yet for some reason, everyone in the program is taking it mighty seriously. I suppose I’ve advanced from the Little League to the Big People’s World. Just as well, I need a fake exam to get me back into the habit of studying/cramming and realize how the old habit of procrastination didn’t die and I need to find a way to fight it!

Amidst of my notes and trying to relearn basic statistics that I’ve learned years ago (how infuriating to remember nothing of what I once spent so much time to cram into my little brain), I received an email from Cristina, my Peace Corps replacement who sent over the 2nd phase of my Books For Cameroon project to look over and edit, and a picture of Billy, my neighbor boy whom I called last week via Skype.

Billy talking to me on the Phone

What a joy to see his picture and see him so happy to hear my voice. I’m so blessed to have an amazing replacement who is constantly updating me with the progress of my project and her life there in our village. The need to carve one’s own experience in the Peace Corps is vital, and no one wants to live under the shadow of your predecessor. And for that, I’m so grateful and appreciate being kept informed. I miss that little world. London is obviously amazing, but I must admit the flurry of activities happening day and night are all a bit overwhelming. Petit à petit, I will be the modern cosmopolitan woman that I once were.

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Lately, I’ve felt a bit like a bag lady – always packing my life into a bag, or two, or living out of one, or two. Now, I’m once again squeezing everything into two suitcases. Roughly two years ago, I was doing the same thing, heading to Cameroon. This time, I’m doing it to move also across the pond, but to a more urban setting of London. I met Emma last week – a girl from St. Louis University, my alma mater, who will also head to Cameroon with the Peace Corps. What a small world! The strange thing is that she is leaving the day that I am off for London. Talking to her and passing on my knowledge & wisdom on PC Cameroon feels strange. Was it really two years ago that I was in her shoes?

At first, I thought that packing for London would be a breeze compare to prepping for life in an unknown area of Cameroon. After all, I’ve lived in that city. I know the city quite well and being the capital of the UK, there is virtually nothing that I can’t just buy. Now, here is the newsflash: the real world is complicated and has expectations out of wazoo!! I can’t wear the same outfit 3 days in a row, and they have to be clean, and fashionable. People WILL judge me, unlike village mamas. Being the RPCV (Returned PC Volunteer) & a poor student that I now am, I want to avoid re-buying everything. That situation combines with having little recollection of what is required to live in a modern society, I am backing my bags to the brim (or the stingy weight limit set by the evil airlines).

I am one of those really weird people who LOVES to pack. There is something about trying to fit everything tightly into a box/bag that is really fun for me – sort of like putting a puzzle together. That skill becomes extremely frustrating when the weight limit is at a mere 50lbs these days. Last night, I somehow managed to fit 70lbs of things into suitcase a and realized it’s a no go! ugh. I am also reaching an age where I’d like nice things to make my space mine, and having to leave artwork and other decors behind is making me rethink the prospect of uprooting my life every two years.

As much as I love to travel and globetrot, I am really not the type to backpack around the world and live out of a bag. They called me Posh Corps for a reason, and I’ve came to terms with that. To each its own, and for me, I’ve gotta somehow find a career that will support my Posh Corps ways.

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I am excited to have finally moved this blog to a self-hosted address! This new change will allow me to have more freedom in the layout and design. Web design is still a completely new area for me. But slowly, I am learning to tweak a thing or two to my taste and who knows, maybe one day I will actually acquire the necessary skills. There is something very satisfying to web design – that is, when the end result turns out the way you imagined.

Over the next few months, I hope to add in a Stepping Back series to highlight my previous travel while I finish my current adventure in Cameroon as a Peace Corps volunteer. This blog will get more interesting as I move away from Round II: Cameroon to finally documenting all of my crazy experiences here!

Stayed Tuned! And thank you for reading!

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My heart has been heavy since I learned the news of the tragic earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th. The next day, I happened to be in the provincial capital of Bafoussam running various errands. While in the supermarket, news coverage on France24 about the tragic event plastered the display of televisions on sale. The images were shocking.

Immediately, my thoughts wandered back to the time when I learned that my family had to sleep in a park due to a similar event. In 1999, a same magnitude of earthquake hit the island of Taiwan. I was already in the U.S. by this time, but my parents and my sister were still on the island. I was reminded of the stories told by my family from that day. It was my sister’s birthday. My parents described the terror of the moment when the quake hit, hiding in the bathroom, holding onto one another while the quake pasts. And the following week of camping out in a park with the community, in case of after waves.

Reports on Haiti reflect the stark difference between these two events due to the level of infrastructure. Certainly, there are many other factors as to how the aftermath of these two earthquake of similar magnitude differs. Yet, it’s not difficult to see how the island of Taiwan, while small in size, was equipped with the infrastructure to quickly recover and mobilize necessary aid. Haiti, a country that had little to begin with, is not so lucky.

With a heavy heart, I wanted to do what little I could to help. So, even with my measly Peace Corps salary, I donated $20 to the Red Cross relief fund. I am stuck in Cameroon helping the people here, so all I can do is give what little money I have. If I can make that bit of contribution, then I am most certain that you can as well. It is unfortunate that there are heartless scammers out there who are exploiting this tragedy. To ensure that your contribution is well-utilized, consider the few reputable organizations below. There are many other well-intended organizations out there, but do take some time to do the research!

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Happy New Year to all! 2009 was a fulfilling year for me where I spent the entire calendar year in Cameroon with the Peace Corps. 2010 is the year that I will depart. When I received my invitation to the Peace Corps that read August 2008 – August 2010, the year 2010 felt really far away, but within a blink of an eye, here we are!

2009 was also the year that I began to really delve into the fascinating world of social media, and I must admit, I’ve been hooked! So much so that lately I have been thinking about a career in journalism.

As a kid, I loved to read and write, but once moving to the US and having to read and write in English, the tasks became less nature and I lost my confidence in my abilities. But since 2008, I have thoroughly enjoyed keeping a blog in sharing my experience in the Peace Corps with the world. In 2010, I hope to continue use this blog as a tool to discover my next step in the world whiles share bits of random musing with you.

It is an exciting time to be a 20-something; bountiful of opportunities and easy information exchange from one end of the world to the other. What an awful shame if one does not take this opportunity to discover the possibilities and create an one-of-a kind adventure?! Don’t just dream it, live it.

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