Training Continues

Yet another week has flown by: Saturday we had class until noon then did some yoga (would anyone like to send me a yoga mat??) That evening all 50 of us stagieres had dinner at one of the mamas restaurants. Sunday I went to the Presbyterian church with grandmere and Blanche (who slept through most of it). Afterwards Sophie and I took a moto into Bafia to visit more of our family. Sidenote: Moto riding is fun and the breeze is great, but the extreme potholes in the dirt roads are terrifying! Anyway we visited Papas other house where I met his third wife, who was very welcoming. Polygamy is very common here, its very much a sign of wealth particularly because Papas wives have their own houses. I went into town with Sophie and my aunt to visit the market and to buy a dress. After life in the village downtown Bafia was certainly overwhelming: motos, horns honking, chickens, people. I bought a pret-a-porter dress which was quite an ordeal as you have to negotiate the price for just about everything here.

The other afternoon us health stagieres visited various community groups around Bafia. I visited a womens collective in Nyamsong II, which is a town parallel to my Nyamsong. It was a great experience to talk to these women who were motivated to begin this organization on their own. The way I understand it is that they agree to work in a communal plot of land and use the proceeds to purchase tools like a wheelbarrow which they share on their private fields. It was just a great opportunity to get an idea of what sort of work I could be doing once at post.

Yesterday afternoon we were issued bikes, which I'd been really looking forward too! The ride home to the village was fun, but just like with motos the uneven dirt roads were treacherous! Hopefully my post will be in a place that isn't too muddy and isn't too hilly so that I can really use my bike. As I've probably mentioned I'll be finding out m post next Thursday-- which is very exciting and yet I'm also a bit anxious to find out where I'll be living for the next two years!