My life in Bafia

Yvannah and Louismichel dancing

The surname of the family with whom I live is MBAH NGAH.  My Cameroonian father, Francois, is a German teacher at a local school.  My Cameroonian mother, Pascaline is trained in the field of social work, but functions at the moment as a stay-at-home mom for Yvanna, who is 4.5 years old, and Louismichel, who is 3.  She stays very busy and has another one on the way, due around September!  The family is kind to me and patient with me as I try to learn French.  Also, they are very Catholic!

Louismichel's 3rd Birthday Party!  I contributed the juice and soda.

Bafia

On an excursion 

I have learned quite a bit, including how to take a bucket shower and how to flush with a bucket (the water in Bafia is a problem –in quantity and cleanliness - some houses have toilets and shower systems, but they do not actually function).  I am lucky to have a well right outside my house to get water for these activities.  However, my drinking water thus far has been brought home by Francois, as the forage, which is the source for water suitable to be put in my enormous water filter, is apparently pretty far away, and I apparently don’t get up early enough to make that trip so that I can find out where the dang thing is.  I dread my showers because the water is so cold and I dread my walks because the days are so hot!

Procrastinating doing my laundry is a much bigger deal here.  I have to do it all by hand in two buckets, one w detergent and the other with clean water.  Every time the water gets too dirty, I have to go fetch another bucket from the well.

The African sun ain't no joke!  I've got sandal tattoos!!