Favorite things so far

It’s hard to believe I’m more than halfway through my stay here in Cameroon. Since I’ve been here, there have been some things that I have grown to appreciate.

1) “Ashia” – this is a phrase in pidgin English that is said to mean “I’m sorry” usually relating to some sort of hardship or misfortune. If I end up staying in the hospital working later than normal, for example, people come up and say to me “Ashia, doctor” to mean I’m sorry that you still have work to do. Or, if you trip and fall or if you’re carrying something visibly heavy, people may say to you “Ashia.”

2) “You are welcome” – I have heard this countless times since I’ve been here. Usually people say it not in response to “thank you” but to actually express a welcoming attitude since they know you are a foreigner. It’s just a really nice thing to hear and sometimes even random strangers on the street will say it.

3) Greetings – Greetings are very important here. Everyone says “good morning,” “good afternoon,” or “good evening.” At first, I thought it sounded so formal, but I have since gotten used to it. Also, when you see someone you know like an acquaintance or a friend, you always greet them with a nice firm handshake. I’ve probably shook more hands here in the past 3 weeks than I have in my entire life.

4) Going to school in the morning – Because we have taken numerous early morning drives to nearby towns, we often see many school children walking to school in the morning. All schools have uniforms and you can usually tell what kind of school they go to depending on their uniform color (in this picture, the blue color signifies a Baptist school). You literally see dozens of kids of all ages walking to school by themselves – some no more than 3 or 4 years old at the most. If they see you driving by, they often wave with the occasional “white man!” shouted.

5) Tree – I don’t know why, but I really like this tree. It’s on my walk from the hospital to the “town” area.

6) The Market – Every 8^th day, there is a big market where various vendors sell anything from fruit/vegetables to fabric. Often people yell at you to come into their stall and take a look, but usually a “no, thank you” will suffice.

7) Our house ladies – As I mentioned before, there are 3 Cameroonian women who take care of the rest house I am staying at. They basically are there 6 days a week and they keep the place clean, cook meals, etc. All 3 have been taking care of this rest house for many years and are very motherly to anyone staying here. Just today, one of them insisted I take a snack with me to work. They’re also all very concerned that I am lonely and bored (since Kohta and Lee have both left), but I reassure them I’m fine!

Things I could live without:

1) Dust! – I arrived right in the transition period between rainy season and dry (a.k.a. dust) season and it’s amazing how much red dust there is EVERYWHERE. Now I understand what my parents were talking about when they said they don’t like to eat outdoors. That is frequently not a good option here. It’s also amazing to me that the nurses’ uniforms are always perfectly white despite the dust.

2)

Power outages – I have become well-acquainted with my flashlight. Electrical outages happen probably at least once daily and can last anywhere from a few minutes to an hour or two. Luckily since I am staying at the hospital, there is a backup generator so power usually comes back on.

3) “The Bush Experience” – This is just a nice way of saying peeing in the bushes, which is often necessary on long drives. I never leave home without a roll of toilet paper.