Two and a half weeks down in my Peace Corps Training.  Six and a half to go.  Our French immersion started and it is très difficile.  We are only allowed to speak French at the Training Center, which is usually my respite from my awkward French conversations.  I'm sure it will make a difference though, and hopefully my homestay interactions will get better.  I've gotten to see a Cameroonian wedding, a Cameroon school, and many Cameroonian insects.  Overall, it has been interesting and fun, but quite overwhelming too.  There were a lot of people staying with my host family this past weekend, which made for a busy long weekend.  All Peace Corps Trainees (PCT’s) were on lockdown Saturday to Tuesday in our homes due to elections, so there were a lot of awkward half English/half French conversations and long naps.  

I have had a lot of firsts, despite being almost 27 years old.  I’ll try to include them all, but I’m sure I will forget some.  I have experienced/seen my first…

• ·    Entire fish meal (head, tail, skin, bones, etc.)
• ·      Allergic reaction to something (fish!)
• ·      Mouse roommate (who will pass away soon!)
• ·      Bucket “shower”
• ·      Praying mantis
• ·      Hunted and killed multiple 3" cockroaches with a headlamp on
• ·      Attended a Cameroonian wedding
• ·      Got a dress made with the same fabric as my host family
• ·      Did my laundry in two buckets (although my host sister re-scrubbed everything since I have wussy American hands)
• ·      Gotten multiple buckets of water from the well (It takes a few tries to fill the bucket full but I think my technique is getting better.  I’m pretty sure my muscles are bulging but the other day my host dad said to me, “you carry little water.") 
• ·      Ate some “meat” after finding a small tongue on my plate (Note to my brother-in-law Brad:  I’m trying not to offend anyone by refusing food and trying hard to hide my facial expressions but there’s been times…)
• ·      Ate cacao straight off the tree (it is an odd fruit – I tried breaking it open then my sister did it for me, I sucked one of the white pockets off the middle and chomped down to find some odd purple-y crunchies.  Then, I found out you should only suck on them and spit it out.  It is pretty sweet and looks kind of like a marshmallow with a crunchy center)
• ·      Sat through a Cameroonian French science class for kids about high school age

My host family is very kind and welcoming.  Communication is difficult because my French is very poor and, unfortunately, I am sure I have made many faux pas. 

The training is going well, a lot of information to take in.  The long weekend was a good break from training but it provided a lot of time to miss my loved ones too.  My sister and mom asked me if it is what I expected, and honestly I don't know what I expected since it was the complete unknown.  Even though there's been many moments of "What am I doing here?", "Why am I here?", and "Why am I not at home with my loved ones?"  Meaghan told me she had a dream that I came home and she was mortified because I didn't fulfill my dream and she wanted me to get on the first plane back to Cameroon.  I do miss all of you and hope things back home are going well.  I have made a lot of new friends here who are in the same boat, which makes commiserating easy.  I am trying to maintain a certain level of positivity but at times it is très difficile.  While I am trying to integrate, there is a lot of comfort in time spent with my fellow American PCT’s.  My Buddhism book stays inside my mosquito net with me so I can read it every night and keep myself “centered.”  If anyone feels like sending mail, it will be much appreciated and keep me positive too.