So some things.
My invitation said that staging would be September 15/16 and depart for Cameroon on the 17th.
Word on the street is that it will be moved back to September 21/22 and be in country the 23rd. There is a group of about 10 volunteers leaving in August to begin intensive French language training and the rest of the group will come in late September. I will keep everyone posted as to whether or not this is INDEED fact, when I hear from the country desk! For now I must focus on financial deferment papers for my student loans, getting my Yellow Fever vaccination, and brushing up on my French wouldn't be a bad day. If we do leave a week later I think I'll be both relieved and angsty at the same time. I have been waiting for this for so long, the application process alone took over a year, and then a 4-5 month gap between invitation and staging. It has been a good cushion with a number of events occurring: graduating and moving and needing to make money and wanting to experience and do things and see friends and family before leaving.
I wanted to mention some of my preferred French films (for anyone looking for entertainment or to practice) I feel like film is a great medium to learn a language because it's both pleasure and educational. :)
(in no specific order):
1. Amelie
2. Le Papillon
3. 8 Femmes
4. Le Placard
5. Persepolis
6. Monsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
i open at the close
i know that everyone feels that harry potter is overrated.... or that it is god's gift to this earth. i'll agree with the latter.
can't wait for tonight!
can't wait for tonight!
Monday, July 4, 2011
cuisiner
recipe for gallo pinto:
Gallo pinto is a traditional dish of Costa Rican and Nicaraguan cuisine. Though many variations exist, the dish at its most basic is composed of pre-cooked rice and beans fried together. It is considered the national dish of these two countries, and is eaten as a part of any meal, although mostly for breakfast.
Cook the beans, reserve 1/2c of the bean juice, then sautee some onion and pepper with a smidge of garlic, then add in the beans and cook them for about 5 or 10 minutes, then add in cooked rice
it's REAL simple! all you need is a a few tablespoons of oil to fry.
This will bring me back to the Nica days, ate that every day multiple times a day. It got old, but it was delicious and I definitely crave it. Can't wait to try it out! :)
I was researching Cameroonian cuisine a bit. Food, like (it seems) everything else in the country is varied and quite diverse, one of the most in Africa.
Merci "Wikipedia":
The national dish of Cameroon is ndolé, a stew consisting of fish or beef, nuts and bitter greens.[1] Staple foods in Cameroon include cassava, yam, rice, plantain, potato, maize, beans, and millet. The French introduced French bread and Italian pasta, which are not as widely consumed, however, due to their price. The main source of protein for most inhabitants is fish, with poultry and meat being too expensive for anything other than special occasions. Bush meat, however, is commonly consumed, some of the most sought after species being the pangolin, the porcupine and the giant rat. There is also a thriving trade in such exotic bush meat species as chimpanzee and gorilla."
Bushmeat... that alone will be an adventure!
There is very fertile soil throughout Cameroon so that means gardening will hopefully be successful (unlike my peppers and squash here- damn heat... this is WI!). There is a large variety of vegetables and fruits.
"Wiki" encore:
Among Cameroonian specialties are brochettes (a kind of barbecued kebab made from either chicken, beef, or goat), sangah (a mixture of maize, cassava leaf and palmnut juice) and ndolé (a spicy stew containing bitterleaf greens, meat, shrimp, pork rind, and peanut paste).
I've read vaguely about the Peace Corps diet and although everyone tends to lose weight during training; males lose weight throughout service and female volunteers tend to gain. Can anyone speak truth to this and if so, why does this phenomenon occur?
Gallo pinto is a traditional dish of Costa Rican and Nicaraguan cuisine. Though many variations exist, the dish at its most basic is composed of pre-cooked rice and beans fried together. It is considered the national dish of these two countries, and is eaten as a part of any meal, although mostly for breakfast.
Cook the beans, reserve 1/2c of the bean juice, then sautee some onion and pepper with a smidge of garlic, then add in the beans and cook them for about 5 or 10 minutes, then add in cooked rice
it's REAL simple! all you need is a a few tablespoons of oil to fry.
This will bring me back to the Nica days, ate that every day multiple times a day. It got old, but it was delicious and I definitely crave it. Can't wait to try it out! :)
I was researching Cameroonian cuisine a bit. Food, like (it seems) everything else in the country is varied and quite diverse, one of the most in Africa.
Merci "Wikipedia":
The national dish of Cameroon is ndolé, a stew consisting of fish or beef, nuts and bitter greens.[1] Staple foods in Cameroon include cassava, yam, rice, plantain, potato, maize, beans, and millet. The French introduced French bread and Italian pasta, which are not as widely consumed, however, due to their price. The main source of protein for most inhabitants is fish, with poultry and meat being too expensive for anything other than special occasions. Bush meat, however, is commonly consumed, some of the most sought after species being the pangolin, the porcupine and the giant rat. There is also a thriving trade in such exotic bush meat species as chimpanzee and gorilla."
Bushmeat... that alone will be an adventure!
There is very fertile soil throughout Cameroon so that means gardening will hopefully be successful (unlike my peppers and squash here- damn heat... this is WI!). There is a large variety of vegetables and fruits.
"Wiki" encore:
Among Cameroonian specialties are brochettes (a kind of barbecued kebab made from either chicken, beef, or goat), sangah (a mixture of maize, cassava leaf and palmnut juice) and ndolé (a spicy stew containing bitterleaf greens, meat, shrimp, pork rind, and peanut paste).
I've read vaguely about the Peace Corps diet and although everyone tends to lose weight during training; males lose weight throughout service and female volunteers tend to gain. Can anyone speak truth to this and if so, why does this phenomenon occur?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
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! :)
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
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
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
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
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
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 :)
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 :)
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