View from the Monastery in Yaounde

Ching-Chang-Dschang (Chong)

I’ve now used up my time in Yaoundé for the moment and head west to Dschang. We rode in a plush bus for 5 hours through some absolutely gorgeous scenery. I was mesmerized by the paysage that speeded past my window. To sum it up in one word: green. I have never seen such a massive abundance of greenery that had a tendency to roll gently over les grands montagnes. It shrouded small homes made with mud bricks and aluminum roofing, a scene that sounds much more depressing on paper than in person. Many of the people appeared to be perfectly content as they were.

I’ve been noticing more and more, having been in Dschang for a few days now, how much more simple, pleasant and calm things are. I guess it’s the same in any town that is more country than city but I also question whether it’s possibly because there is simply more general agricultural wealth here than in Yaoundé. To put it simply: people can eat and eat well. In comparing to Yaoundé, a general, healthy lunch would cost us about 1500 CFA (about $3) but in Dschang, a similar meal would cost 500 CFA (about a $1) and often with much more fresh produce.

I also discovered how important eating healthy can be for one’s productivity in school. In Yaoundé, it took me awhile to get used to the extremely small (compared to my usual of eggs and toast or a few bowls of cereal) breakfast of white bread. This breakfast is not unusual for many households and Yaoundé, but I discovered quickly that my appétit made concentrating in the morning difficult sometimes. After awhile, I began to often supplement it with an orange or banana bought from a roadside vendor on my way to school, so it worked out. I have to admit though, when my host mother in Dschang came out with an omelette with tomatoes and peppers inside my first morning here, I about clicked my heels together in giddiness. 

Dancing Monkeys

I have officially gotten through my first week in Cameroon! I feel terrible that I haven’t been able to post pictures to show you all lovely Cameroon but I’m having problems figuring out my camera. Alors, you’ll have to settle for my linguistic depictions.

This past weekend was phenomenal. On Friday, we had an amazing African dance class that really helped to bring in the weekend (video to come hopefully). It was heart pumping, oh-so-much fun and helped to kick the fatigue that had plagued us all the first week. There were tons of elements from jazz and so much contraction (thank you Dr. Vaughn-Stoddard); my abs were definitely in pain the next day.

Saturday was full of monkeys! We visited a primate sanctuary just outside of Yaoundé with chimpanzees and gorillas that were almost close enough to touch (but luckily still separated by a fence). Gorillas and especially chimpanzees are so incredibly human-like, it’s hard to imagine someone poaching them and creating the need for such a sanctuary. The way their hands and eyes appeared was so eerily dexterous and intelligent. And how they reacted to us! Everything we did was perceived and reacted to, as we utilized body language and even vocal cues to converse. Amazing. Absolutely amazing. 

That night, we also went to La Cultural Centre Francaise to see a concert. And this is where I can hear Mark Lampen saying “Katie, you are going to the motherland of dance. Love it!”. We were watching this incredible traditional style band called Takem-deux (spelling?) when this random guy from the audience awkwardly danced onstage waving a 500 CFA bill. Everyone in my class was wondering what the hell this dopey looking guy was doing (where was security? Or at least the funny extra long cane that pulled people offstage in cartoons?). The guy, then, stuck the bill on the singer’s body, who was, bien sûr, bare-chested but for a few strands of beads. I really started to wonder what kind of show this was exactly. Suddenly, a woman appeared onstage, then another man until a whole group  was dancing to the percussive rhythm. Us white people even began to tap our feet in time.

Gradually, as each song progressed, more people would appear onstage, including a few from our group. The band had reached a positively contagious beat that made our row of “Les Blancs” get up and just dance (Gaga would’ve been proud). Of course, nearly everyone in the audience turned around to look at the silly nasarres. To make it even better, one of the dancers from onstage came down with his traditional spear/staff and led us onstage.  Lots of cameras also began filming us, a true minority there.

And so, we danced. We danced crazy, we danced fast and we had fun. Why aren’t all concerts like that?

Je Suis Arrive!

When the plane began to descend just outside of Douala (we had a quick stopover), I was ecstatic to see red clay roads. I knew it meant we had really arrived at a place that I still couldn't believe I was really going to, until that moment.This is my third day in Yaounde and I can't believe how absolutely beautiful it is here! There is greenery everywhere and I am fascinated by all the different species we've been able to see. The birds make the most intricate sounds and nature is everywhere despite being in the huge city of Yaounde.

We stayed in a monastery the first two nights as we participated in an orientation meant to ease us into our new way of life for the next three months. Unfortunately, il n'y a pas une facile chemin a apprendre le culture Camerouniase. Everything is incredibly different here from family life where women are still viewed as only able to domesticate a house, to consistently speaking French to how meal times are pretty nonexistent (though you are still expected to eat with the family). It's been a little stressful getting used to it all to say the least. I'll update more with pictures soon!

My Address

For any of you interested in actually writing letters (but please no packages):


Katie Kirsch
c/o School for International Training
BP 33241
Yaoundé, Cameroon


Hope my absentee ballot makes it in time!

Pre-departure thoughts

The big flight is still a few good weeks away, but I thought I would map out to any loyal followers what I hope to  realize by going to the country of Cameroon.
This may sound somewhat silly, coming from a small-town woman in her twenties with far more possibilities than many others in the world. I have everything any American could ever want at the tips of my fingers, from electric can-openers to a private college education. So why in the world would I ever want to travel far and away from the home I love? Particularly to a place like AFRICA?
(And here is where she whines about her elitism like every bourgeois youth in the history of the world) 


And here's the simple truth, I want to learn. About myself, about the world, about anything I can get my hands on. I want to learn from people who live more differently than I can imagine. Not to ogle at them with the ever-exoticizing view of a camera, but to learn their skills, ideologies and goals. I refuse to be an observer of a spectacle (though I imagine I will see many wonderful things) and prefer to participate. Which also means I'll have to figure out my limits quick!
Meeting myriads of new and interesting people will probably be the most fascinating portion of my trip and  I will soon replace the vague pronoun of "their" with the actual name of a homo sapiens. Building relationships with someone from across the globe will be far more valuable than any history or French grammar I will learn.

Most of my entries will be excerpts from my travel journal. I cannot promise they will be the most interesting thing you've ever read, but I'll try to put in the more intriguing bits. I'm also not confident on how often I will be able to update (or keep in contact through the internet in general) but I will definitely do it as often as possible. Wish me luck!