Calm down, deep breaths, get yourself dressed, instead of running around and pulling on your threads and breaking yourself up
If it’s a broken part replace it, if it’s a broken arm then brace it, if it’s a broken heart then face it. And hold your own, know your name and go your own way. Hold your own, know your name and go your own way and everything will be fine.
Hang on, help is on the way. Stay strong, I’m doing everything. Hold your own, know your name and go your own way. Hold your own, know your name and go your own way and everything, everything will be fine, everything.
Are the details in the fabric? Are the things that make you panic, are the thoughts results of static cling? Are the things that make you blow and the reason go on and scream. If you’re shocked it’s just a fault of faulty manufacturing. Everything will be fine, everything, no time at all, everything.
Hold your own, know your name, go your own way. Hold your own, know your name, and go your own way. Everything will be fine. Everything in no time at all, hearts will hold.
- Details in the Fabric, by Jason Mraz
“Head under water and they tell me to breathe easy for a while. " Sarah ...
If it’s a broken part replace it, if it’s a broken arm then brace it, if it’s a broken heart then face it. And hold your own, know your name and go your own way. Hold your own, know your name and go your own way and everything will be fine.
Hang on, help is on the way. Stay strong, I’m doing everything. Hold your own, know your name and go your own way. Hold your own, know your name and go your own way and everything, everything will be fine, everything.
Are the details in the fabric? Are the things that make you panic, are the thoughts results of static cling? Are the things that make you blow and the reason go on and scream. If you’re shocked it’s just a fault of faulty manufacturing. Everything will be fine, everything, no time at all, everything.
Hold your own, know your name, go your own way. Hold your own, know your name, and go your own way. Everything will be fine. Everything in no time at all, hearts will hold.
- Details in the Fabric, by Jason Mraz
“Head under water and they tell me to breathe easy for a while. " Sarah ...
I’m taking Jason Mraz’s words to heart these days and Sarah’s lyric line is a perfect example of Peace Corps pre-service training. Every day is slightly more challenging than the one before. Language is still coming extremely slow. I was told today that I will have language training by myself next week. This is pretty much the parallel of riding the short bus in the Peace Corps world (at least that is how I see it). I’m staying positive and if riding the short bus will help my French, sign me up!
The SED trainees received our businesses on Monday that we will work with over the next six weeks. My business is a Beaureatique Cyber Café. The business has three computers that people use for the internet. The other two computers are used for assisting people with computer project or teaching sessions. The business also sells paper and other supplies and will make copies for its clients. I was extremely thankful when I realized that my lady spoke English! She would like me to do some marketing and increase her client base. This should be an interesting task! When I went with her on Monday to see the store and we were discussing when I would be back, she quickly said, “Oh, I expect you every day for at least 30 minutes”. I about fell over! We are only required to go once a week and that time is scheduled into our day. I quickly made it clear that I am extremely busy and would come as much as possible. I went back on Wednesday and will probably pop my head in tomorrow. It should be great experience for what I can expect when I get to post.
Spain and the US played on Wednesday night and we were allowed an extended curfew to hang out and watch at Chez Pierre. Almost the entire group was there, plus the PCV’s that were visiting (Kate, Nick, Elise and Jim). We all had a good time, even when the drunken Cameroonian came in and told us that we were too loud. The PCV’s were in shock, Cameroonians never think someone is too loud. They tend to party into the wee hours of the night with no thought to how loud they are being to their neighbors. The US won 2-0 and the next day David told us that the Cameroonians were upset with us for not celebrating our win with more jubilee! I have to add that I got home right around 10 and the house was completely dark and the gate locked! I had to ring the bell, which is loud as a siren, and then Jim starting beating on the gate when they didn’t immediately respond. Finally my brother came and let me in. I felt so bad but then again they knew when to expect me! This living with a family and not being able to communicate is a pain in the ass!
As I’ve stated before, Cameroonian’s love soccer (au football). A week ago B-town had their 2nd game in the tournament against Yaoundé. I thought the first game was crazy and after seeing this one, that was a gross understatement. The crowd had almost doubled and they now had a full out band on one side and then a group of men on another side with African drums. People were running around waving the B-town flag and some even went as far as to paint themselves. The gendarmes had doubled, if not tripled in number! B-town ended up winning 4-0 (an extremely high scoring game)! Yaoundé just couldn’t seem to get it together. Unfortunately, the next game in the tournament is not in B-town so we will miss it but I am hoping fervently that they will continue to win!
Later that evening I went on a promenade with my home stay mother, Berline. I didn’t quite understand what this term meant. I thought we were just going for a quick little walk. Oh hell no! We stopped by her cousins’ store, then her aunt’s bar, then her other cousin’s bar, where she pimped me out by giving my number to some man named Francis who didn’t speak a lick of English. God, I pray he doesn’t call, that would be a disaster! After that short stop there (where I got a grapefruit Top and some peanuts), we moved on to a bigger bar where we sat with B-town’s goalie’s parents. They were decked out in the yellow/green B-town gear and were in extremely high spirits, which was being aided by large bottles of Cameroonian beer. All in all it was an extremely educational evening; I was hugged and kissed more than any one event in my life!
This week in training we had Gender and Youth Development and HIV/AIDS sessions. Two people living with HIV came and spoke to us. It was unbelievable and so heart wrenching! They discussed how they got it (if they knew), what they are doing to fight it, and how their families were affected. The main problem with AIDS/HIV in Africa is lack of education. People here still think that you can get the virus from just being near an infected person. They also believe a good many other myths that I won’t get into at this time. For example, the man had been a principal at a school and fell extremely sick. The founder of the school had him tested for HIV/AIDS and when he received the results told all his colleagues. He was then sent a letter letting him know he had been terminated. This situation ended up making national news, where the headlines read something to the affect of, “Principal infects at least 200”. Absolutely unbelievable! There are no words. As Peace Corps volunteers (not medical), they ask that we just befriend any HIV infected be come across and just show people that by speaking or shaking someone’s hand the virus is not transmitted.
The SED trainees received our businesses on Monday that we will work with over the next six weeks. My business is a Beaureatique Cyber Café. The business has three computers that people use for the internet. The other two computers are used for assisting people with computer project or teaching sessions. The business also sells paper and other supplies and will make copies for its clients. I was extremely thankful when I realized that my lady spoke English! She would like me to do some marketing and increase her client base. This should be an interesting task! When I went with her on Monday to see the store and we were discussing when I would be back, she quickly said, “Oh, I expect you every day for at least 30 minutes”. I about fell over! We are only required to go once a week and that time is scheduled into our day. I quickly made it clear that I am extremely busy and would come as much as possible. I went back on Wednesday and will probably pop my head in tomorrow. It should be great experience for what I can expect when I get to post.
Spain and the US played on Wednesday night and we were allowed an extended curfew to hang out and watch at Chez Pierre. Almost the entire group was there, plus the PCV’s that were visiting (Kate, Nick, Elise and Jim). We all had a good time, even when the drunken Cameroonian came in and told us that we were too loud. The PCV’s were in shock, Cameroonians never think someone is too loud. They tend to party into the wee hours of the night with no thought to how loud they are being to their neighbors. The US won 2-0 and the next day David told us that the Cameroonians were upset with us for not celebrating our win with more jubilee! I have to add that I got home right around 10 and the house was completely dark and the gate locked! I had to ring the bell, which is loud as a siren, and then Jim starting beating on the gate when they didn’t immediately respond. Finally my brother came and let me in. I felt so bad but then again they knew when to expect me! This living with a family and not being able to communicate is a pain in the ass!
As I’ve stated before, Cameroonian’s love soccer (au football). A week ago B-town had their 2nd game in the tournament against Yaoundé. I thought the first game was crazy and after seeing this one, that was a gross understatement. The crowd had almost doubled and they now had a full out band on one side and then a group of men on another side with African drums. People were running around waving the B-town flag and some even went as far as to paint themselves. The gendarmes had doubled, if not tripled in number! B-town ended up winning 4-0 (an extremely high scoring game)! Yaoundé just couldn’t seem to get it together. Unfortunately, the next game in the tournament is not in B-town so we will miss it but I am hoping fervently that they will continue to win!
Later that evening I went on a promenade with my home stay mother, Berline. I didn’t quite understand what this term meant. I thought we were just going for a quick little walk. Oh hell no! We stopped by her cousins’ store, then her aunt’s bar, then her other cousin’s bar, where she pimped me out by giving my number to some man named Francis who didn’t speak a lick of English. God, I pray he doesn’t call, that would be a disaster! After that short stop there (where I got a grapefruit Top and some peanuts), we moved on to a bigger bar where we sat with B-town’s goalie’s parents. They were decked out in the yellow/green B-town gear and were in extremely high spirits, which was being aided by large bottles of Cameroonian beer. All in all it was an extremely educational evening; I was hugged and kissed more than any one event in my life!
This week in training we had Gender and Youth Development and HIV/AIDS sessions. Two people living with HIV came and spoke to us. It was unbelievable and so heart wrenching! They discussed how they got it (if they knew), what they are doing to fight it, and how their families were affected. The main problem with AIDS/HIV in Africa is lack of education. People here still think that you can get the virus from just being near an infected person. They also believe a good many other myths that I won’t get into at this time. For example, the man had been a principal at a school and fell extremely sick. The founder of the school had him tested for HIV/AIDS and when he received the results told all his colleagues. He was then sent a letter letting him know he had been terminated. This situation ended up making national news, where the headlines read something to the affect of, “Principal infects at least 200”. Absolutely unbelievable! There are no words. As Peace Corps volunteers (not medical), they ask that we just befriend any HIV infected be come across and just show people that by speaking or shaking someone’s hand the virus is not transmitted.
I absolutely love this...Keep 'em coming!
ReplyDelete