Hey Everyone!

So I've been in country for about 3 weeks now and everything is great! I live in this tennie-tiny little village in the western province of Cameroon called Bamena. I'm pretty sure you won't find it on a map. I think the closest mapable place is Bagante, which is where all the agro volunteers in my staging class live.

So there's so much i want to say, but i have to be quick, so i think the best way to explain my situation is to give you a day in the life of me.

I wake up at 5:30 every morning to the sound of my host father and host mother yelling at my host sister and host brother. Not in a bad way more in a "i just want to be extra sure you hear me kind of way" After that i go to the fire to warm up some water, wait pour it in a bucket and then head off to take a bucket bath. Side note, i brush my teeth in the backyard and when I look out i can see the entire valley below us. It's so beautiful, some days i can't even believe i'm really here.

After i get dressed and cleaned up i head up to the restraunt my family owns (the only one in the town) and grab a quick bite to eat. I make a little small talk in french ( literally a little) and then I go to school. I think the walk to school is one of my favorite parts of living in Bamena. Everybody says hello to each other and people actually stop to ask how you are and where you're going and how your family is. It's refreshing to meet busy people, who aren't to busy to say hello :)

Once I get to school, i spend from 7:30 till 4:30 going back and forth between french classes and technical classes. All my teacher's are awesome. Theo, the tecnical health trainer is great. He really knows his stuff and he's always up beat, and he has the best laugh ever. It's one of those laughs that makes you laugh even if you don't know what we're laughing about. My french teacher is equally awesome. Her name is Djanabo, and she's got to be one of most patient Camerounains i've met so far, which is good beacsue ome days my french is pretty rough but she is always encouraging and that is certainly making things easier.

After school is over all the trainees go to one of the local bars to hang out and unwind from the day. Normally we hangout playing cards until about 6 and then we disperse for home. When i get home I help my mom with dinner and then we all eat together on the front porch. I do have to say thought that I always eat dinner with my fork in one hand, my plate on my lap and my french dictionary in my other hand. It makes for pretty entertaing table talk ;)

After dinner I do home work for a little while, sometimes i write a letter (keep an eye out for them) and then go to sleep. It's a pretty simple life, but I love it :)

Peace,
Kate