May 2013
4 posts
A Money Issue
As much as my Peace Corps service has been an emotional rollercoaster it has similarly been a financial one. For those of you who do not know, we get paid once a month, our monthly salary wired from headquarters in D.C. to our bank accounts here in Cameroon towards the end of the month. The date never seems to be the same. This money includes the expected expenditures for monthly rent, life,...
No Shave Evacuation
Alright, fair and friendly blog-o-sphere, I am here to briefly address the issue of facial hair. Not that I feel like I need to explain myself for my “sudden” change in appearance. But I am at a loss of what to write about these days because SOMEONE refuses to supply me with ideas and questions for which to base my posts. Please refer to “The Gift that Keeps on Giving,” posted on the 22nd of July...
April 2013
1 post
Evacuation: My Most Important Blog Post Ever
Of all the things that you could be thinking about at this current second, I am almost positive that the thought that pops to the front of your mind first is “Best. Day. Ever. Shane posted on his blog.” Warning: the initial sentiments of excitement and joy may or may not shift towards feelings of rage and confusion. Allow me to explain myself. You heard it here first, this will be...
February 2013
2 posts
What the Cluck?
At first, the prospect of raising chickens was something that excited me in ways I usually reserve for my private life. The irresistible thought of having edible pets intrigued me to the point of purchasing four well-established chicks back in November. But now, as I am sitting, 86 days later, teary eyed, sipping an overpriced Heineken and listening to OneRepublic’s “It’s Too Late to Apologize”...
In Sickness and in Health
I take my health very seriously: fitness, exercise, nutrition, cleanliness – everything. I mean besides some cuts, scrapes, burns, and bruises in 2012, I had a rather healthy year. A nice rebound from my malaria ruined December of 2011 mind you.
Well, maybe it was the clear bill of health I received at mid-service from the Peace Corps medical office or maybe it was the (slight) bragging I did...
January 2013
6 posts
Robert’s Rules of Disorder
I often find myself drawing on the experiences I had in student government. In all reality, haggling in the marketplace isn’t much different than reaching a compromise between two disputing sides and standing up in front of a classroom of a handful of unruly Cameroonian children equates to an auditorium of a few hundred tranquil American families. From communication to patience and from...
Bargain Shopper
You could have used many words to describe my shopping methodology in the states: frugal, cheap, resourceful. I am happy to report that streak runs true even here in Cameroon. The added perk, however, is that here in the marketplaces one haggles for what they want. Prices are not always fixed. Imagine the feeling you get when you find out the pair of Old Navy pants you are about to buy cost...
November 2012
6 posts
My Leading Ladies
You probably thought, after reading the title to this post, that I was going to write about the 5 biggest female music stars, albeit borrowed from America, in Cameroon: Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Celine Dion, and Dolly Parton. Odd group, I know. Still, you got to appreciate the diversity.
Nope, this post is all about my new compound-mates: Gladys, Dorothy, Erma, and Blanche. I know...
This Time Last Year…
Can you believe that I’ve been here in Cameroon for 15 months? Madness. Perhaps even more crazy is this time last year I was preparing to swear-in as a Peace Corps volunteer. That’s right. I am halfway through my service.
And in times like this, when it is practical to take a moment, stop, and reflect, I am reminded of just how far I have come over the course of this past year. Here is a...
It’s Like Riding a Bike
People say that it is important to face your fears. Go bungee jumping to get over a fear of heights, drape a boa constrictor over your shoulders to remedy your fear of snakes, go to sleep without your nightlight to finally become a grown-up. Well, if that’s the case, then I face one of my biggest fears three to four times a week. I ride a bike.
Now, in many cultures, and especially with in the...
October 2012
7 posts
My Inner Toddler
I should start this blog post by informing you that when I did what I am about to tell you, I was in a dark place. It was hot, I was sweaty, it had been a long day, and I just so happened to chance a peak at myself while passing a mirror. That’s the pretext to this story. What I saw looking back at me in that piece of shiny glass was enough to bring the inner toddler out in anyone.
The...
Correction
I would like to edit the title of one of my previous posts entitled “The Most Difficult Classroom.” In the past 4 days, I’ve found the actual most difficult classroom and it is not a small, quaint gathering of a loving family. It was with a group of 90 students, ranging in ages from pre-teen to early-twenties, who were attending the first meeting of our high school’s environmental club. I,...
Oh the crazy things I’ve seen: Part Motorcycle
Someone texting while driving a motorcycle…
Someone driving a motorcycle at night without a headlight…
A motorcycle carrying sacks of onions, 3 feet tall, with two people, not including the driver, sitting on top of them…
A motorcycle carrying sacks of onions, 3 feet tall, with the driver sitting on them, steering with his feet…
3 people riding one bicycle (the earliest model of...
The Most Difficult Classroom
Close your eyes. Wait, that won’t work. Keep your eyes open and imagine this. You want to learn Finnish because, as everyone knows, Finnish is the key to a successful life full of possibilities. Because of the language’s appeal, you are not alone in your desire to learn its guttural vernacular. The entire family wants to learn – mom, dad, and all of your brothers in sisters. So you track...
The Way I Use Water
Growing up, I used to take notoriously long, hot showers. Or, at least they were “notoriously long” according to my parents. Strange enough it seemed to work out that I would turn on the faucet and at the same time, I would hear a yell from upstairs from someone telling me to wrap things up. After I went to college I listened to an environmental science professor tell us that due to where we...
September 2012
2 posts
I'm Sorry
So we have been without electricity and internet for the past few weeks, hence the lack of blog posts. More to come, I promise.
August 2012
3 posts
My Anniversary
It was day two my French immersion program, over a year ago, and I had no idea what was going on. My stern faced teacher had just asked the four of us in the class when our “anniversary” was.
“That’s strange”, my geeky, by-the-rules inner voice said, “Why are we talking about our anniversaries on the second day of French class? Better question, why is this chick assuming I am in a relationship...
The End of the Line
Very few times in life do we get the chance to witness the life-cycle of an item from start to finish. Doubt me? Just look around your house, the room you’re sitting in, the desk in front of you. Most of the things around you have lived a full life of processing, manufacturing, and assembling before even arriving in your humble abode and, hopefully, they will continue to lead longer lives at...
Unusual Combinations: I am a Vegetarian and I Eat...
Consider this entry a sequel to my “Where’s the Meat” blog post – the one where I conclude with “I am open to the idea of eating meat upon my return to the States. Open to the idea, not a definitive yes (or no). But I have to say. I have re-tasted hamburger…and I like it.”
Well allow me to say, that is not going to happen. Yes, a definitive no. You may be asking yourself, “But Shane, I saw...
July 2012
3 posts
The Gift that Keeps on Giving
Sorry to disappoint, the title of this blog post is not in reference to a stick of deodorant (side note: that was NOT a hint; please do not send me antiperspirants). What I am instead referring to is an idea I had whilst reflecting on my time in the states. Everyone, minus a few duds (constructive criticism?), had such good questions about Cameroon, my life as a Peace Corps volunteer, my...
It’s not Right but it’s Okay.
Every now and again I like to do these little social experiments. Gotta keep things interesting, right? My latest stunt – wearing a traditional Cameroonian bubu on my travels home. Just to clarify, a bubu is basically a pair of pajama pants worn with a mid-calf length dress, same color, mine happened to be baby blue. Topped off with a checkered scarf and leather shoes. Super chic (the chicest...
A Dream within a Dream
Whenever I heard the words “Peace Corps” growing up, for one reason or another, I always pictured some hippie-kissed American standing in front of a mud hut in the middle of some village surrounded by small children. You have to admit, those two words put an image into your head – I’m sure it has to be different for every person. But what we can all agree upon is, at some level, Peace Corps...
June 2012
6 posts
I'M COMING HOME!
I have been seriously slacking on the posts, as of late; however, I will make it up to each and everyone of you by spending June 25th to July 18th in the United States of America. You are welcome. I promise to get back to this upon my return to Cameroon. Maybe if you are lucky I will even get some photos up before that happens.
Book Worm
I am not sure whether or not it is appropriate to classify the abundance of free time we have as Peace Corps volunteers as an occupational hazard, but I will say that I do enjoy having time to read.
Here is a list of my favorite Cameroonian reads, thus far:
Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven
To be honest, I was skeptical when I first picked up this book. Flashbacks of a cheesy,...
Say My Name, Say My Name.
Shane is not a difficult name to say. If it was a linguistic challenge, Hollywood would have never made a movie of which my name is the title (Google it, doubters). Regardless, the name has always given me some issues; or should I say, has given some other people issues. Thanks to the similarities between the names, I answer to the name Shawn nine times of ten.
I really liked the way that...
I’m Walking on…Sand?
Yeah, sunshine would sound better. But that would be both a lie and a physical inaccuracy. I digress. I am in the North! It was all safe travels via the buses, trains, and motorcycles that led me to my new post and I am happily “moved in” to my new house and getting acquainted with my new community. Where to begin?
The differences between the North and South of Cameroon are countless. It...
May 2012
5 posts
Life on the Move
My apologies for the lack of blog posts. I wish that I could say that I have been busy with this or that, but that would be a lie. Truth is, I am going through a post change. No, that is not some sort of midlife crisis. I am moving my Peace Corps service from Njombe, my current place of residence, elsewhere, to a town named Gaschiga, in the North of Cameroon…roughly 32 hours away from one...
April 2012
6 posts
One Thing You Should Know After 237 Days
From a reality TV standpoint, you could say that I am entering my seventh season of Survivor as a six-time winner. I am appreciative of your congratulations. But, after such a long period of time, and six million imaginary dollars, I am embarrassed that there are so many things you don’t know, things I have failed to share. I’d apologize, but you’re partly to blame…you never asked. Blame aside,...
Mom, Dad, I’m Pregnant
What is a foreigner? Easy answer, right? Wrong. It would be simple to say that a foreigner is someone who is not of the nationality of the country for which he or she is living. Right? Not quite. Me? Yeah, okay, but there is more.
Spending time in a foreign country is something I have wanted to do since I was a little kid. College intensified that drive. I had met and interacted with...
