Choir, taco and mountain-trip

When I haven't written on the blog for quite a long time, it's not because little has happened. It's actually opposite. So much have happened, that I haven't had time to write. But now follows a little update of the last 10 days.

Last Sunday I preformed with the choir Gospel Singers for the first time. Then we sang in a church, called Bethlehem church, and that Sunday they celebrated Thanksgiving there. That means that the service lasted for 5 hours, with singing and dancing, while giving money and vegetables to the church!
 
When the choir sing, they use to wear African dresses (girls) or trousers and T-shirts (boys) made of the same fabric. So we also got African dresses to wear during the performance. And I think it was really nice to participate, but I was also quite tired when we were finished after 5 hours! Then the whole choir was invited to eat dinner in some one's house. We got pasta, rise, fried bananas, fish and meat with sauce! They gave us Norwegians a dish each and cutlery  to eat with, the rest ate with their hands from the same, big dishes, which the food was served on... I guess they didn't have enough dishes to everyone...


Wednesday we grilled in the evening, by the swimming pool! There were the two Norwegian missionary families, the Ethiopian missionary family, some of the Norwegian nurse-students (taking some of their practise in the hospital here), Runar and Kristian (the "NMS one-year-volunteers") and Johanne and me. We had a nice time eating hamburgers and hot dogs. Actually there's a hearth by the swimming pool, so after eating we sat by the hearth, singing songs and talking ;-)

Computer teaching at Centre Socio

Friday evening, after teaching at Centre Socio Ménager, Runar, Kristian, Johanne and me had "taco-kveld" (taco-evening)! Johanne had brought some Norwegian taco-spice. And after Centre Socio Ménanger, we went to the market to bye the vegetables. That was really fun! The sellers always tell us a higher price because we're "nascarra" (white people). Therefore we just went to the other sellers, checked their prices and used the cheapest one. Then the pther sellers laughed at us, and said that "nascarra sont pauvres" ("the white people are poor")...

When we walk in the market, there's always a lot of people shouting "nascarra, nascarra!" when they see us. But last Friday Kristian wore a  tunic/dress and hat, similar to those the men wear here (both Muslims and Christians). What was fun, was that then people shouted "Alladin" after him, instead of "nascarra"... As you may understand we don't go to the marked unseen, we always draw  a lot of attention, even though it's not our intention...


So, after having bought vegetables, we made "pitabrød", Guacamola and Salza sauce. And then we had a delicious meal, and a "filmkveld" (movie-night). But some of us were too tired to keep our eyes open during the films...

Taco! This is how the picture was when I tried "selvutløser", (and the boys were too impatient about the food that we could try again... ;-) )

The mountain that we climbed

Saturday morning Kristian, Johanne and me went on a mountain-trip. That's part of a birthday to some friends of us here. We walked for around half an hour, and then we were on the top. From there we could see the city of Ngaoundéré! We played games, ate and took pictures, which is always very popular. Among other things, we ate popcorn with sugar, because here they use sugar in stead of salt on popcorn... In the evening Runar, Johanne and me were at the nurse's house. There we had a nice evening, eating sweets and talking.

Just reached the top. Eating popcorn and drinking soda

Playing card-games in the shadow of a big stone

Sunday we ate at a restaurant in town, Coffee Shop, as we normally do on Sundays, when our cook has free. After that I went to the swimming pool here, sun bathing while reading, and then swimming. (The reason why there's a swimming pool here, is so that  the Norwegian missionary children may learn to swim).

Monday was my second time to work at Rainbow Orphanage. There we are having English teaching and playing with the children. It makes an impression on me working here, listening to stories from some children's life and watching the children taking care of each other. The orphanage is their home, and they're like a big family. There are some workers there, but they also have to make the food.

Therefore, at least this is how it seems to me, it' often the older children who look after and raise the younger ones. I feel sad for these children, but at the same time it looks like their having fun. After all, this is the life they know. To them, just us being there, is really fun. That we watch them throwing their paper-planes, or joining them playing... Being with them, who enjoy so much for so simple things, as a paper-plane, also make me happy inside.

Okay, this was some of my impressions and experiences the last time...


J'espére que vous allez bien!

Thanksgiving!

This Sunday I experienced something new! I learnt that the event of Thanksgiving is very important in Cameroon, and I participated in the celebration in church. The people in church, divided in groups, had saved money for a long time. And on Sunday they brought an envelope with these money to the pastor. The money is going to be used in the work of the church. Actually the gifts given this day, stand for more than half of the income of the year!

When they delivered the envelope, they walked from outside church, on a passage through the people seated in church, to the altar where the pastor was standing. They brought a dish with the envelope with the money, and the dish was decorated with leaves from plants, flowers and some also with vegetables. The money is given to thank God for all He has given and done. While they brought their gifts to the pastor, they danced and sang of joy, giving thanks to God. It was really beautiful to watch! The missionaries (including us) were also one group, so then I participated trying to dance through the church together with the other Norwegians, bringing our envelope. I also joined when the youth choir I'm singing in, Gospel Singers, danced through church, bringing their gifts.

It was both fun to join and touching to see how much money people gave (the numbers of the contribution of each group were actually published on power point in church, so everybody could read...). I also think it was nice seeing some people who danced, waving with leaves in their hands. Here you can look at some pictures, but I recommend you to read more and look at pictures on this link to Familien Bischlers blog. 

People bringing their dish with the envelope

People dancing while bringing their contribution

The choir; Gospel Singers, singing at Thanksgiving

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Becoming a (French-speaking?) teacher

My new Cameroonian dress (or skirt+t-shirt)

Now it's two weeks since I started working, and I want to tell you about one of my working places and my experiences there (I know the pictures don't match the text, but I haven't taken any pictures at work yet. Therefore I just added some pictures); Today was my third time being a teacher at Centre Socio Ménanger, which is a "housewife school" (husmorskole). It's run by the church EELC (Eglise Evangelique Luthérienne au Cameroun), but most of the students are Muslims. There are 50 girls/women between 13-21 years old, attending the school. Even though they are so young, attending this school, is for many of them, their possibility not to have to go into an arranged marriage. In the school they learn how to sew and cook, they have sport and Bible classes and learn English and computer skills, in addition to other subjects. This is so that they get some education, that hopefully also will make them able to earn money by themselves when they have finished school. For example they can earn money by sewing.

At this school Johanne and me are responsible for the English and informatics/computer teaching. But since our students don't know any English, we have to speak in French...And for me, struggling with French, I can assure it is quite a challenge! In the first lesson I had I managed to mix the words to forget (oublier) and to remember (se rappeler) in French, so I ended up emphasizing that the students shoud try to forget what they had learnt to the next lesson, and then that I would check that they had forgotten it ;) Hehe... Fun to think of! 

"Makkala", which we ate yesterday. You can guess why there are so few left in the photo... ;-)

The two first times there Johanne and me have had the classes together. But now we have divided the classes between us, and I'm going to have the first year students. They are 20 girls between 13-18 years old, most of them are 15-16 years old. I'm going to work at Centre Socio Ménanger on Wednesdays and Fridays, teaching the first year students both English and computer skills. On beforehand, I have to admit, I was a little nervous because I'm not that good at speaking English, and I haven't got any experience in being a teacher. Therefore the first lessons, where I got to know the level of the students, were a relief to me. Then I figured that my students don't even know how to say: "My name is...", and they have never written on a computer before, so that's were I start. I hope I will manage to learn them some more during this year.

However, I was a little bit unsure about that, after having a lesson with the second and third year students. They have had English for at least one year. Despite of that it was really difficult for them to present themselves in English. That was even after I had written; "My name is....", "I am...years old", "I have...sisters and...brothers" and "I like to ...(sew)" on the blackboard, repeated it a lot of times and got them to repeat it after me...

Consert with the choir "Gospel Singers" last Saturday. Fun to watch them sing and dance!

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to continue with the teaching there! I'm actually glad they didn't know much English, because then I think I'm capable of teaching them, and I can start with the basics. I learnt the students the song "Head and shoulders", and I think it was very fun, because they really enjoy singing!


But the first lessons I had were very exhausting. The reason is that the students were not that quiet all the time. (And I don't like to be strict. But I have found out that I really have to train myself in that this year, as the students are used to the strict teaching style.)  That I had to think about all the French words and grammar I know, before making a sentence, also made it hard... In spite of the difficulties, being a teacher is much more fun that what I had expected! I love it! And I think I will learn a lot of French this way, as I have to prepare what to say before each lesson. I have to figure out how to teach them English and computer skills in French...

I also think it's so nice and fun that all the people here manage to say and remember my whole name. That's because Sara-Jeanette is a French name. In addition, they even pronounce it the same way as me, with the beautiful "skarre-r"! I think it's so lovely! And it's also quite fun when some of my students call me "Madame Sara-Jeanette"!

Visit from some friends in their school uniforms (they came to visit on their way home from school) :)

Today I had my first lesson alone with the first year students. After this lesson, I'm more optimistic about teaching. In the end of the lesson, the students actually managed to present themselves in English and count to 20! And the students were more quiet when they should be quiet, and active when they should be active. So I was very satisfied :) I think I got more respect from them this time, and I think I will adjust more and more into the role as a teacher after some time. 

Je me réjois à continuer être un professeur! Bonne soirée à tous!

In this time grasshoppers are everywhere, even on the tables in the finest restaurants...

Two weeks have passed, lots of things have happened

One of the cute lizards outside our apartment.
We had (or have...?) one in the kitchen also :-)

Already I've been here for more than two weeks! And I'm really enjoying each day! Now I've been so lucky that I've tasted something called "banje" or "makkala", in the local language fulani. "Makkala" are small rolls that are sold all over here, and it's really, really good. Once you start eating it, you can't stop.

I also have to mention all the great insects here! Outside (and sometimes inside...) there are lot of lizards, but they are nice and don't bother us. The grasshoppers are worse. They are outside (and always also inside!), today I even found one climbing in my net against mosquitoes...Now when the rain season are ending, there will be some weeks with lots of the grasshoppers. They are big, and really good jumpers I can assure you! It happens that I kill them by stamping on them (even though it's not my intension...). That's because they jump (around one metre) and land under my foot just before I finish my step. For once I think it's okay to say that: "It's not my fault...!" :-)

An ugly grasshopper

 On Fridays we have used to join a Sport Club for the children on the Mission Station, because there are also many Cameroonians living in the Mission Station. The Sport Club is run by a Cameroonian boy and the "NMS one-year-volunteers", but it's fun to join.

The seller and me in the fabric store.  

Last Saturday I finally got to do something I've really wanted to do. I bought fabric to a Cameroonian dress! There were so many different fabrics to choose between, but finally I manage to pick out one with a really nice pattern. Someone is going to sew the dress for me, and I'm really looking forward to it's finished and I can wear it. The seller in the store asked me if I had a husband. When I answered: "No," he was quick to make this photo of us together...Funny!

It seems like everything lasts for a long time here in Ngaoundéré. When we join the choir "The Gospel Singers" on Tuesdays, we always end up standing, singing and dancing for nearly three hours without any breaks. (There's also practise on Sundays, but then it only use to last for one hour!)When we went to the Millennium church for the first time last Sunday, it also lasted for three hours, and when we attended the volleyball training Monday, it lasted for two hours. Anyway the choir and the volleyball training are really fun, and there are a lot of nice people there! The service in the church wasn't that fun because I didn't understand much of the French. All I understood was that the service was about "la vie éternel", eternal life. But then who actually decides what's long time? Maybe things rather last for a short time in Norway...Anyway I think I will train my patience during my stay here, and that's good.

Our French teacher in our classroom

We haven't started to work yet, because these two first weeks, we have attended a French course from 8-12 o'clock every day. On Tuesday we visited the hospital and the high school Collège Protestant. Both of them are just outside the Norwegian Mission Station (where we live), and they are run by the church, l'Eglise Evangélique Lutheriénne au Cameroun (or EELC).

Visiting the hospital and the high school was part of the French class, and it was very interesting. Of course I've heard before that in other countries the classes are really big, and that that makes it difficult to learn at school. But now I think I understood this better. I saw the big classes, with around 70 students in each class. The teacher had written something on the board, but for those who sat behind it was very difficult, almost impossible to read. At the same time the sun was shining on the blackboard through the windows, and making it even more difficult to read. That's because they don't have curtains in the classroom.

Collège Protestant

When I saw this, I thought that I should really be more grateful for the material standard of the schools in Norway. It's too easy to find something to complain about, even though we have so much to thank for. While many students in Norway use their time at school playing games or being on Facebook on their computers, here in Ngaoundéré people are very grateful when they can afford to go to school. I think that is because it is really expensive going to school here, so people don't take the school for granted. But they are happy that they can go to school, even though they risk ending up behind in the classroom, not seeing what's written on the blackboard. This is something I think us Norwegians can learn a lot from!

We get more and more friends here. Last Sunday we were invited home to a really nice girl here. There we were served fish grilled with skin, and it was really good :) And we had a really great time, as well as with taking a lot of pictures of the family, together with all her little sisters and little brothers. They really enjoyed being taken pictures of, so that was really fun!

The main road, where we use to go to the shops. The traffic consists

 of some taxis (cars), but mainly of motorcycles.

"Injam" sold along the road, the green, long roots in both sides of the photo

Thursday we went to the marked in town for the first time! That's part of the French course, because we were trying to speak French while we were on the marked, and after the trip we talked about what we have seen and experienced. It's really interesting! There were so many people in the marked in the middle of the day, selling all kinds of things. They sold a lot of different kinds of nuts, fruits and vegetables, for example a root called "injam", which we have tasted in several visits. They also sold used (and some new) clothes and shoes.

Prepared "injam", ready for eating

I have also payed attention to that everybody greets each other here when they pass one another. Often they also stop and ask "Ca va?", which means "How are you?" I like that! People live very close to each other, and I think that it's why everybody knows each other here . The Cameroonians are glad people, and I really like that they laugh a lot. Many people want to get to know us, and that's really nice! And they are really trying to understand our French, which I appreciate.

Now the two weeks of intensive French course are finished, and we will start with some of the work this week. But luckily we will continue having eight hours with French course per week for a while. I'm looking forward to start to work here, and to find out what will be our new routine! Tomorrow we have pratice with the choir again in the evening, and I have just found out that the choir is going to have a consert this Saturday...

Anyway, as you may have understood, I'm really enjoying my stay here so far! (For further information of what Johanne and me have done these two weeks, also look at Johannes blogg).

À plus tard!

What's that sound?

"It's just the Muslims praying." "Ah...!" I've never actually heard it before...But now I hear that sound many times a day. When I sit in the classroom learning French, I suddenly hear something that sounds like shooting. I react at once. Then our teacher tells us that it's just the military training. The "one-year-volunteers" also tell me that they found out that the military has shooting training in the "mango forest", as we call it, where the boys are jogging regularly. One day they saw many soldiers training... So we should be careful when we go into the forest.

There are many different sounds here. Suddenly I hear someone outside whistling for me or saying "bonjour". I open the door, just to find our parrot sitting in his cage, expectantly awaiting a pat on the head. Then when we are driving in the town there's a lot of honking. No one follows the traffic rules, so it's just to make people watch out. Honk when you want people to be aware of the situation. That's every time you pass a motorcycle or pass people walking along the road, in other words; almost all the time!

Right now I hear the sound of the grasshoppers just outside, and the wild dogs barking from far away!

"New sounds in another country are always a wonder!" (Quote: Johanne Teresie)

Salut du Cameroun!

Now Johanne and me have been in Ngaoundéré for four days, and we have already experience a lot. On Oct. 5th it was really sad saying good bye to my family for six months, and some days earlier saying good bye to my friends at Hald. But since then much good have happened. When Johanne and me arrived at the airport in the capital of Cameroon, Yaoundé, we met our contact person Amos. He's really nice, and speaks Norwegian very well because he has also attended Hald. Together with him we drove to a hotel, where we stayed one night. The next day Amos showed us around in the city of Yaoundé, before we went together by train to Ngaoundéré.

Breakfast in the hotel in Yaoundé. "Nam, nam!"

Youndé, view from the hotel

In the city of Yaoundé. All the yellow cars are taxis ;)

That trip was a really new and special experience for me! I have never had a trip by train like this earlier. One minute after the train started, it stopped. We got to know that there was a problem. Then the train started again, struggling and making a lot of sounds, but still starting. During the 14 hours long journey by train we learnt that this was a regular event, the train stopping, starting and struggling further on, because of technical problems. Still we had a really nice time in the train. We could even by fruits and vegetables through open windows: mangoes, bananas, oranges, mandarins, pineapples, avocados, roots etc. That was very new for me! All the way it was also lightning, without thunder...it was beautiful to watch!

We went further and further away from the city and more and more into the village until we arrived in Ngaoundéré at 9 o'clock on Oct. 7th. Here we got a nice apartment, and a funny, speaking parrot just outside. We also got two really nice Norwegian boys as neighbours. They are "one-year-volunteers", or in Norwegian "ettåringer", for NMS. There are also other Norwegians here, and many Cameroonians here who speak Norwegian. Ten of them have actually attended Hald. The first day here we got to know the place a little bit, and we really got to know that it is still rain season here!! But it is soon finished according to what we have heard...But the rain doesn't stop the Cameroonian boys from playing football. They just take off their t-shirts and continue having fun : )

Our apartment

Our parrot "Aco"

The Cameroonian people are really nice. Every day new people come to greet and welcome us. It's difficult to communicate because I don't speak French very well, but I think it will be easier after a while. Today I actually noticed an improvement from yesterday! Probably the French course I started attending today, helped a little bit. I am not starting to work until two weeks, because in this time I attend the French course, and I think I need that..Yesterday my most exciting experience was definitively to taste "couscous" for the first time. It is the most eaten food here in Cameroon, and people eat it with their hands, so we did too!

"Couscous"

Today I have been to a local store for the second time. There are holes in the roads and motorcycles driving all over, so we have to watch out. But until now Johanne and me have not driven the car, so the "ettåringer" have to do that, and so far, so good ;)

 This evening Johanne and me attended the Gospel Choir in the church here for the first. I have not attended a choir since I was a child, but today I did. We practiced from 18-21 o'clock, without a break, standing all the time. Or maybe it is better to say dancing, because we actually danced more than we sang. Dancing in Cameroonian way while singing songs I do not know in French was really a challenge, and I think it would have been funny to watch myself while doing this! What I also think was really funny, was that there were more boys than girls in the choir. That's different from in Norway, at least from what I know about choirs in Norway.

So far I really enjoy the stay here, I have got so many impressions and I think the Cameroonians are really nice, hospitable, smiling and sharing what they have. I really admire their good attitude! And I'm really looking forward to get to know people better!

À bien tôt!