quick post-

So we've officially been here for two weeks, which really isn't very long at all but I feel pretty settled and many of the things that once overwhelmed are no problem and now just part of my daily activity. During the week I wake up at 6:45 am -- make the bed, gett dressed, gather anything I want to bring to the apartement (book to read, camera etc.) and then I have breakfast of bread with nutella or cheese and coffee. It's instant coffee but I love it, I don't know if I could go five months without caffine. At 7:25 ish, I leave to walk to Claire and Anna's who live about fifteen minutes away but still in my neighborhood of Mendong. From there, we all catch a taxi to the Dickinson Center where we have an hour to just chill before everyone else comes for our 9 o'clock class.

Then "Intensive" French from 9 am to noon. We're divided into four groups according to our fluency (or, lack of) level. While I am shockingly able to remember most of the grammar from high school, the review is much needed and it's great to have a prof who teaches me and just two other students. Even my French has improved from horribly miserable to just miserable so that's really reassuring considering how short a time we've been here.

After French, then we all go out for lunch, maybe explore a neighborhood or head back to the apartment to relax -- reading and checking email (one computer w internet for the ten of us, so to write this I type it up on my laptop and then use a flashdrive -- v. high tech for moi). Then around 4 or 5, we all head home for dinner. Next week though, we start classes which bring us to a grand total of 12 hours in class. In March though, we start our internships so we'll see how this fit into the schedule.

Beyond, our time spent at the Dickinson Center and around the area of Shell Nsimeyong where we live, I've really gotten to know my host family. I love learning to cook w my host mom and feel like such a champ when I catch on quick. On Friday, I helped prepare Eru which is basically leaves that you then cut up making this weird spinach looking-thing and is VERY spicy. I helped cut up the eru which really impressed Big Mami who, in pidgin, said "She's Cameroonian!" YES.

Also, some highlights --
* During one of my conversations w my host sibs, I discovered the great stereotype that "white people like snakes." Um, what? When I said I was terrified of them, Helen was like "noo, White people love to wear them, like around their neck." [Thank you Britney Spears for bring that, and many other misrepresenations of Americans, to the world].
*Discovering that I can buy avacado at the market for 100 francs which is only 25 cents!
* Listening to the song "I don see my wife" (which is pidgin, means 'I see my wife' so the singer is saying he sees a woman he wishes to marry). It's a Nigerian pop song and I think its fantastic.
*Finding the NY Times at Score. I won't even complain that it was a week old and cost 2,000 francs.