Thursday, November 10, 2011

Heading back to the land of mout mouts, crazy southerners who yellow whhhaaaiiitttee a lot, and, of course, Manioc

Yo Everyone,

Barka D'asalla, which means Bonne Fete, which means Happy Holidays. We just finished up a seriously insane Fete de Mouton party in Mandama where I tressed my hair, put lalley (henna) all over my body, and ate massive amounts of MEAT. I love being a carnivore...it doesn't happen that often out in Mandama land.  Anyway, I'm en route down to good ol' Baf Baf (Bafia) to help with the new batch of health and agroforestry volunteers. I'm currently in Ngoundary waiting for my buddy to take me to a gym....yes a real gym!  Apparently, there's one right across the corner from the Peace Corps office here, so I'm going to go get swoll...and then eat delicious chicken or street fish or something. I can't believe I'm a second year volunteer already. I'm so wise now. It'll be really interesting to head back to Bafia where I also completed my stage and suffered through nights of endless dried fish and manioc gorging and mout mout attacks.  But I am super excited to see my host families...ya know, you remember Papa Bo Bo and Margurite etc. I'm going to shower them in Northern gifts of cliche (dried meat that's kinda like beef jerkey), dates, and bakouru (fried peanut butter sticks).  I mean, don't these treats all sound magically delicious? I think so...but then again my taste buds are kinda wild right now. Get ready family because I'm going to load your stockings up with this kinda crap for Christmas this year.

I know it's been awhile since I've written and it's now 7 am, so my friend Gaston should be here any minute, but I'll try to fill everyone in on what I've been doing for the last several months when I get back. I've become super duper villageoise and basically never leave post. I love chilling in the village and doing stuff like staring at goats and then taking their videos when my neighbors slit their necks....ya know, normal stuff.  Cities are too big and scary for me at this point, but they are fun. Last night after maybe the most hellish bus ride yet (there were six people in my row, which is supposed to be for four and all of them were massive well fed southerners for some reason even though I'm the skinny malnourished north), my friend and I ate the best street fish I've had yet. It was so fresh and I just tore that thing apart with my hands and teeth....oop anyway, more later. My ride is here...aka little Italian vespa to go the gym. I can't wait to listen to my Euro beats and pump some lead. More later!