November 2007
Address
I have one! And if your card or packages makes it across the border, it is very safe. That being said, there aren’t many problems with mail. Just don’t send me a new digital camera (recently one was held ransom for 270 000 CFA at a border). Many people have said that they use DHL to send things here.
Jean-Philippe Michel
VSO Maroua
BP 1004, Maroua
Extrême Nord
Cameroon
This is the VSO office in the bigger city of Maroua, and volunteers all ask for their mail to be delivered here. Unfortunately, there is no mail-service that goes directly to my little boukarou in my village.
Lack of posts
Why haven’t I written in over a month? Is it because nothing has happened? Is it because I am lazy? Lack of access to the internet? Although these could be good reasons, I don’t think they explain my lack of posts properly. When I arrived in Cameroon, I was very excited to share stories of my adventure. It was exciting, and I was happy to be here. But I think eventually I realized that I am not on a trip, and that I am not coming home soon. I am here for 6 months, and that can be a VERY long time. This is my reality now. Facing the fact that I will be here for so long has been tough. Sometimes, posting on my blog makes me miss home, and I try to stay away from that as much as I can. Because the more connected I feel to home, the more I miss it. Therefore, instead of staying plugged into Canada, I have tried to accept Cameroon as my new reality. It is better to do it this way as I will fully appreciate my experience. The downside is that I have less energy and motivation to do things like post on my blog. Despite this reluctance, here I am typing again. Many people have requested that I post more often, and because you are my friends and family, I feel like you deserve to know what I am doing. Donc, voila! Even though I am trying to cope with my new reality by focusing on Cameroon, please keep sending news from home. I love to get messages from people, even if they are small.
Sickness
On Sunday night, I felt terribly exhausted. My stomach was killing me. I had diarrhea. My muscles were sore. I didn’t want to move. The next day I went to get tested; I had to give a stool sample in a plastic cup. Exciting! The analysis showed that I had amoebas and yeast in my stomach. Nice… They give me a whole bunch of pills that I had to take over the course of two weeks. I think the pills were tougher on my body than the amoebas. Regardless, I had to take them to get better.
Later on, I found out that I might have contracted something called “jardia,” since I was regularly having burps that brought the smell of sulphur from my stomach. Oh, and your welcome for these delightful details.
I think the next time I am in Maroua I will get tested again, maybe at the hospital this time.
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2 commentaires:
Hey JP. Good to hear that you're having fun but it sucks that you're getting sick. There's tons of pathogens in equatorial/subsaharan areas like Cameroon. If you're getting giardia, I'd watch your drinking water because it's otherwise known as beaver fever (eg. a parasite from animal crap) and make sure all of your food is fully cooked before eating. Be careful out there--some of those parasites can become permanent residents. Send me a message if you have any med questions :-).
Hi!! Wow, I have finally taken the time to read your website and hear about your travels, what the experience!! You're probably learning so much. I really admire what you're doing out there, it's not easy. International Development is definitely something I'm also interested in, and education is so important. Anywho, keep your head up, you'll see, time actually flies when your not thinking about it! So stop thinking about it :P Take care JP, & I hope you don't get sick again and that you're feeling better. A Bientot (no lies! it'll be sooner than you know!) :-) Linds
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