Week 11: Neighborly doings

Saturday I experienced my first visits to the Centre Climatique’s celebrated pool and Dschang’s very own center for aquatic sport on the municipal lake. I got some great exercise swimming laps and learned first hand the difficulties inherent in kayaking’s famous barrel roll. The morning’s activity was highly satisfying, wrapping up with just the right amount of sunburn on my back and water up my nose.

Upon retiring with Antoine for lunch at a neighboring restaurant I found that my peace corp neighbor Kat was back at last and we made plans to meet up for drinks later that evening. The current batch of peace corp trainees had just graduated to volunteers, and Dschang was swarming with Americans. I finally met the other Dschang volunteer, Matt, a phd grad in chemistry and professor at the University, as well as a number of newly minted volunteers working here in the west. That evening we toasted their recent graduation to the enjoyment of all parties; French, American and Cameroonian included.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…

Five days later, I’ve finally arranged to have a technician come and repair the Biology department’s incubator; at last reached positive turn in my interminable visa drama; installed a super sweet pull-up bar in my kitchen for less than 2 dollars; found a fantastic French press in a grocery store 2 blocks away after months of far more geographically diverse but nonetheless fruitless searching; lost a devastating series of Rummy 500 games to my newly returned neighbor, to the average tune of 100 points or more; witnessed a horrific moto accident involving convulsing bodies and torn scrotums; and have expanded my Cameroonian menu to include homemade egg rolls and faux-fettuccini alfredo under the impetus of collective effort.

It's been a good week.