arrivals and yellow fever

departure is creeping ever closer.
which means that i have been shopping/ ordering and the best part.... receiving a ton of goodies i will be using while serving in cameroon.

today:

Suisse Sport Adult Adventurer Mummy Ultra-Compactable Sleeping Bag (Assorted Colors)
by Suisse Sport

Amazon.com Product Description
The Suisse Sport Adventure extra-small sleeping bag is ideal for long treks when a few inches or pounds can make the difference between a pleasant hike and an unbearable slog. The mummy bag is ultra-compact, compressing down to 12 by 7 by 7 inches when in the stuff sack. How small is that? Well, it's petite enough to hold in the palm of your hand. That means you can easily fit the bag in your hiking pack without using up a third of your pack space. At the same time, the bag is warm and comfortable, with a 100-percent polyester ripstop outer and inner lining, a double-layer construction, and a 700-gram Micro Tekk.7 high-performance microfiber insulation. The construction materials ad up to a 30-degree F temperature rating, making the bag a good choice for summer, spring, and fall camping trips. Other details include a full chest baffle, a draft tube, and a utility pocket. The Adventure sleeping bag measures 29.5 by 84.5 inches (W x L) when open and weighs 2.9 pounds in the stuff sack. The bag is also machine-washable for easy cleaning. (Cost: $37.91)

Cheri by Colette: (Dual-Language book)
Read this piece in my French Lit class last semester and loved it.
(Cost: $10.15)

Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex 1 TB USB 2.0 Ultra-Portable External Hard Drive STAA1000100 (Black)
I decided to just do the "go big or go home route" and purchased a 1 TB drive. I know a little extravagant but it was a good deal and I will be loading tons of music, movies, and tv shows onto it. Anyone have any suggestions or wishes??
(Cost: $89.99)

Black Diamond Cosmo Headlamp
Amazon.com Product Description
One DoublePower LED and 2 SinglePower LEDs provide 55 Lumens (max setting)
Ultra-compact design uses 3 AAA batteries to allow up to 100 hours on the DoublePower or 140 hours on the SinglePower LED settings
IPX 4 water resistance rating
Single power switch toggles between long range single DoublePower LED mode, proximity dual SinglePower LED mode
(Cost: $26.63)


I posted the prices of some of the stuff just to give other applicants/ invitees/ persons of interest an idea as to what I am spending and what they can expect when preparing for service.



I have opted out of purchasing a watch (may rethink this), hiking boots, and a kindle (potential xmas gift though?). and how important is having a solar charger, that may be something i get sent over.



I also purchased a solar power/ crank radio found at:
http://www.prepare-now.com/902.html

and an idea for the ladies out there: The Diva Cup...
http://www.divacup.com/

I'm not sure what that will be like, but from what i have read i rather just forgo the trash, mess, and awkward encounters with locals at the drugstore.... discreet and environmentally friendly it is!



Recently received an email stating that the Cameroonian government is not issuing visas until receiving proof of yellow fever vaccination, so just a reminder to myself and other cameroon invitees, get your vaccine! :)

swax

this is my plug for scapegoat wax. i have been listening to "okeeblow" since i was a little girl, and i love them as an adult

hello. bonjour.

"As a result, the Peace Corps provides testing for some of the rarest language varieties in the world..." I just read that from a language manual the Peace Corps published.


That fact alone makes me so beyond excited to start my service in Cameroon! :) How amazing, to be a part of that small percentage of people who can speak the language, to communicate and educate and share ideas. No one else would know what these people thought, they wouldn't come to understand us either if we didn't learn. I think that language comprehension will be one of the biggest factors as to if I will really enjoy my service, and yet maybe i will learn to appreciate other ways of communication/ perception.

all in all I'm very excited to start training.

btw:

Cameroon has over 230 languages.
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=cameroon


i'll focus on 1: french 2: pidgin 3: various other languages

i love summer
and floating down rivers
and feeling the hot rays after a looooong and dreadful winter

the heat is pretty bad here in Wi.... but I know it's only gonna get hotter, so trying to prepare for that :)

i love cooking out and eating fresh ingredients
and spending time with friends.



it's been a great first few weeks of 'vacation'.
next weekend, i will go visit my friends in eau claire

i have missed everyone very much.

ps: can NOT wait to get my hiking pack in the mail. I ordered a North Face Terra 55 pack in silver, and although slightly smaller than the Kelty I looked at, I think I'll be satisfied with the results. Now on to finding that headlamp.... think I'll have to go with a Black Diamond piece on that one :)