Monkeys and Sculptures

Last week our group had the chance to go on an excursion outside of Yaoundé. We visited a beautiful fine arts school where I took lots of pictures for my future classroom. (Side note for Hope friends- I have been having Art for Teachers flashbacks all week: visiting the visual arts school, learning to play Cameroonian drums and do a traditional Cameroonian dance, not to mention using theatre tongue twisters as entertainment on the bus. Who knew that “articulatory agility” would come up in Africa?) Anyways, I’m now prepared to supplement any unit dealing with traditional art, African history, or any other topic that I can use as an excuse to share this experience with my students.

This might be my favorite. Can you see why?

Sorry, but I can't figure out how to turn the picture!

Love this one!

There was lots of beautiful ceramic work.

After the art school we traveled to a gorilla sanctuary. The whole place was lush and very tropical. Unfortunately, the pictures make it look like all the animals are in little cages which just isn’t true. They are behind wire fences, but that is mostly because gorillas like to throw things (rocks) at visitors. Inside the fences are huge enclosures and all of the animals have lots of room to roam within natural vegetation. It’s also important to note that the animals here were not brought in from the wild. They were all rescued from illegal capture where they were either kept as pets or intended to be sold for meat. The organization is actually planning to release a large group of chimpanzees back to the wild as soon as they receive government approval for the location.

Hard to see, but this guy was way up in a tree.

He's not smiling. Showing teeth is a sign of aggression.

Hopefully you enjoyed the pictures. I’m heading to another city in Cameroon this weekend and I think internet access will be a little sketchy there so the blog might slow down a bit, but I’ll be back in Yaoundé towards the end of February. Thanks for all of the e-mails, comments, and prayers.

Let's Be Honest

I have to admit that lately I’ve been feeling a little bit phony. Every time I post on the blog or talk to someone at home I sound like I am drowning in majestic opportunities and worldly exposure. Which is true, but I feel like I have failed to acknowledge that there is another dimension to this adventure. 

Most of the time I love it, but there is definitely an element of discomfort when you plunge yourself into another culture, another community, another family. For instance, learning how to share one bathroom (which doesn’t always have water) with seven other people has been challenging. Same with balancing my time between homework, family chores, sleep, school, etc. Beyond the trivial things like that is the energy it takes to actively listen and converse in another language all day long. Or the loneliness that comes when you say everything’s “très bien!” and no one understands the body language that tells the real story.

In truth, I believe there are always uncomfortable moments but at home they are balanced with warm-fuzzies like inside jokes, sheets that are fresh from the dryer, long hot showers, and great conversations. The hard part of studying abroad is that there you have to invest a great deal more time and energy towards finding those things that can create a sense of belonging.

I think what I am coming to realize is that through discomfort comes understanding and appreciation; it’s just harder to see that on days when what I really want is 5 minutes to lounge in the comfort of home. But that’s what Girl Scout cookies, peanut butter and super modern internet cafés are for.

In the end, please don’t take this the wrong way. I wrote this entry because I wanted to be honest, I wanted to say what I think a lot of my fellow students are thinking, and because writing has become one of my favorite ways of dealing with yuck duck days. And even in the midst of discomfort, I would choose this semester again and again.

My youngest host brother who can cheer me up any day.