Peace Corps Training Days

Pictures of a Peace Corps Trainee's life in Bafia, Cameroun:

The postal service vans of Cameroun - festive!

My host mom making kous kous

Shantal and her lovely family that I visit from time to time

My host mom in the traditional kitchen in the backyard

Bike rides in Bafia keep me sane!

One of the awesome kids that sells delicious beignets

The June 2010 Small Enterprise Development Peace Corps Trainees

Bike Ride in Bafia, Cameroon

J'ai Passé Mon Examen de Français

Je suis trés contente! Aujourd'hui j'ai passé mon examen de Francais!

I'm very happy! After speaking in French today about my life in Cameroon and why traveling is important, I passed my exam, thus bringing me one step closer (a big step!) to officially becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer!

Over and out,
Krys
Peace Corps Trainee (hoping to be a volunteer soon!)

Life as a Peace Corps Trainee

It’s Sunday today, or as the Cameroonians like to write: Bafia, le dimanche, 25 juillet 2010 (that could still be wrong though as my Francais is still just a bit…or rather…really, really, weak).

Life as a Peace Corps Trainee in Cameroon consists of eleven weeks of technical, cultural, medical, and language training. I’m up at 6:45AM and in the Peace Corps training center until 4:30PM. Though the evenings are free, it seems that I’m always busy doing something. Here’s a glimpse into reality:

-Small Enterprise Development: I’m currently consulting a cyber café in the center of town. He’s a full-time teacher looking for ways to better manage his business. Thus far, I’ve had him implement a new accounting method (in other words, he didn’t have one before!) and we’ve figured out a few ways to lower his monthly expenses. We speak French, English, and “Franglais” and somehow we make it work!

-Local Language and Culture: It’s necessary to know French, but if you attempt to speak the local language of Bafia and even just say hello (pronounced “Y-um-bay”), they will love you! Did it at the market and received eight tomatoes instead of five for 100CFA – equivalent to about $0.20US. Everything is negotiable here.

-Kids: They love us! Whether I walk home at 4:30PM or 7PM, there’s a seven-year-old that always keeps a look out and accompanies me back to my house. She’s only about three-and-a-half feet tall, but it’s nice having a miniature body guard.

-Current Happenings: I was living in Manhattan and wearing a cocktail dress a few weeks ago…and I need a night out…and thus, I am organizing a discotheque night for the crew. No worries though! I am working hard (see Small Enterprise Development section above).

-Happiness: Watching “Family Matters” in French while reading the magazine “Planete Enfants” has become one of my new favorite activities with my host family.

The most difficult part is the language barrier…and the fact that I really, really miss greasy American food. As we’re only Peace Corps Trainees at the moment, we hope to achieve the honorable status of “Peace Corps Volunteer” soon! On se voit!

Pictures Galore

I already have hundreds, but here are some quick pics and a video of life as a Peace Corps Trainee in Cameroon:

The oxen that block my path home everyday around 5PM

Being Camerounaise with a traditional pagne

On the way to meet the U.S. Ambassador i.e. one of the only times
I've worn makeup or gotten dressed up

My washing machine

Meeting my community host, Haouwou, and her baby!

On the way to Beka, a village outside of Ngaoundere

With two Cameroonians from a Village Savings & Loan Association
I could potentially work with

The Cameroonian landscape on the way to the Adamoua - gorgeous!

Orange County News Article

There are some factual mistakes, but this article provides a quick background on my future work with the Peace Corps:

http://www.ocregister.com/news/business-257329-nguyen-peace.html

Why Is My Blog in Polish?

Throughout my travels, I have frequently updated my blog on a day-to-day basis (or in reality, I've updated months later, but it's still a daily log of my adventures none-the-less!).

With this new Peace Corps experience, I've been at a lost for words (for once in my life). Where do I begin? Everything seems so normal though life is completely different. And also, for some reason, my blog settings have been changed to Polish words, and unfortunately, until I figure out Polish, I can't change anything to English or French. Luckily, I have free internet for the moment!

Pictures will be the next post - I promise!

Ngaoundéré, Cameroon - My New Home!

We are currently spending a week at our posts a.k.a. where we will be working for the next two years. My placement: Ngaoundere, Cameroon!

Things That Surprise Me About Bafia, Cameroon

1- Toothpaste is more expensive here than in the States even taking into consideration the exchange rate. A travel size Colgate is $1 in the U.S. and $1.25 here. What?

2- The humidity is crazy hot and it feels like 90F, yet I enjoy wearing long skirts and pants. Why? Damn mosquitoes.

3- I do not understand how I ever lived life without a pocket knife or a bucket.

4- People yell LA BLANCHE at me! If anybody has lighter skin than them, they are called white; thus, I am a white person here!

The Peace Corps Whirlwind!

WOW. It has been a little over two weeks and life in Cameroon has thus far been a complete whirlwind. I easily lose track of days and life is now here in Bafia, a large town by Cameroonian standards and a village by American standards. Pictures to come, but here is a quick glance at life right now:

-I live with a host family of five and am fully immersed into the culture. Water is taken from a well or forage when the water gets cut off.
-I have my own kerosene lamp when we lose power - already at three times this week!
-The Peace Corps Trainees lanced ourselves in the finger to make a malaria slide. And yes, it hurts.
-We met the U.S. Ambassador in the capital city of Yaounde and had dinner with her. Pretty sweet.
-An African Bassa dance group traveled over 800 miles to perform just for the PCTs. It is amazing the admiration and respect the Peace Corps name holds over here.
-The locals love us - I have two marriage proposals and counting.

The internet clock is winding down at this cafe - hope to post pictures soon! And if anyone wants to send me hand sanitizer, I will love you!

The First Day and Last Day

Today marked the first day of service with the Peace Corps and thus, the last day of being in the U.S.

After arrival the night before, my roommate, Crystal Leanza, and I headed out to explore a bit of Philadelphia with another trainee. Located in the center of town, the hotel allowed us to easily walk to City Hall and Reading Terminal Market where Crystal picked up seeds for her soon-to-be-planted garden.

In front of City Hall - notice the Peace Corps swag!

I asked him to take a a picture...and instead of grabbing my camera,
he jumped in and smiled!

At what Peace Corps calls "Staging," trainees are welcomed into the PC family, paperwork is finished up, and introductions are made for the first time. Though having any large group where no one knows each other can become quite awkward (ice breakers and drawing on posters!), the 43 of us arrive with a common purpose: to serve in the U.S. Peace Corps! We'll spend the next three months with each other in Cameroon to receive language, cultural, and technical training.

Our aspirations and anxieties...including hippo attacks!

Rise and shine at 6AM tomorrow to get yellow fever vaccinations and then off to JFK to leave for Cameroon!

The Night Before Life Goes On

As I finished up my packing (yes, Santa hat included!) and made the final copies of contact information for my parents, I took a moment to enjoy the last Orange County sunset I may possibly see for the next two years. No matter where I go and what kind of adventure I have had, my heart will always belong with home.

Semisonic's "Closing Time" states "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" and though I've left California numerous times since the start of this travel blog, this ending marks a new journey in the adventure of life.

And contrary to the theme of Carrie Underwood's popular song (and same name as this post), je suis prête! Off to Peace Corps Staging in Philadelphia!

One of Many Reasons

According to the Millennium Project, a report commissioned by the United Nations Secretary-General, a billion people live on less than a dollar a day*. According to the World Bank, over three billion people (in other words half the world) live on less than $2.50 a day.

*Taken as of the end of 2006

Though arguments can be made regarding cost of living, exchange rates, etc., poverty is poverty. Poor is poor. Below is a beautifully directed video by Sara McLachlan entitled "World on Fire." Though I can't single-handedly change the world, I can make an impact. Let this be one of the many reasons I'm joining the Peace Corps and let it be one of the many reasons we live our lives for others.

Pre-Peace Corps Prepations

During this process, I have scoured through several Peace Corps blogs for a wealth of information. It seems that each volunteer felt overwhelmed with nervousness and excitement during their final weeks before jumping on that airplane. Though I am right there with them, I find my thoughts are much more unconventional from the norm.

Thoughts during my last week:

1) If packing had an Oscars, I'd be Jack Nicholson

After logging over 75,000+ miles since 2007, I've got packing down to a beautiful art form. After a test round, the next two years of my life can be put together in just 80lbs (see picture below).

Everything I'm taking with me!

Keep in mind that there is a full-size sleeping bag, a quarter ream of paper, and a plastic bowling kit in there. I told you. I'm good.

2) I really wish I had a donkey

There are three types of transportation a Peace Corps Trainee/Volunteer can receive: a mountain bike, a canoe, or a donkey. Unfortunately, I am receiving a mountain bike. After being fitted at a local bike shop, I am a size 13 - woohoo! I wonder what size canoe I would have received?

All bicycle-riding PC members must also wear a helmet at all times, otherwise, they will become "administratively separated." As I hate hat hair, I really wish I had a donkey.

3) I love my Swiss army knife!

Swiss army knives today can be trendy and chic. Mine is flat like a credit card, perfect for any girl to slip into a purse. Finally I have a reason to own a Swiss army knife and am pretty stoked about it. Next up will be to own my own machete.

Useful, light, and chic - perfect for any PC female!

4) Should I pack my Santa hat?

Having a petite head, it was always difficult to find a Santa hat with a good fit. While studying in France, I found the most fitting hat with snowmen decorated on it. As I will unfortunately be missing Christmas in the States this year, should I pack my Santa hat? Or is this too ridiculous to bring?

To bring Santa hat or not to bring Santa hat?

As one can see, I have some things to figure out.

Peace Corps Basics

As I prepare for life in Cameroon, I find that I frequently get asked a multitude of questions regarding my future Peace Corps service. Though most are aware of the organization, allow me to address the questions I hear most often:

So what exactly is the Peace Corps?
Created by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the Peace Corps Act states that it's purpose is “To promote world peace and friendship through a Peace Corps, which shall make available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United States qualified for service abroad and willing to serve, under conditions of hardship if necessary, to help the peoples of such countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained manpower.”

Almost 200,000 participants to date have provided their service and built mutual cross-cultural understanding in 100+ developing countries.

How long do Volunteers serve?
27 months. Three months training and two years at post working on your project(s).

What does Small Enterprise Development (SED) consist of?
Cameroon's SED program centers around two goals:

1. Promoting the development and sharing of resources available to businesses and entrepreneurs
2. Strengthening community members' management and business skills through training and consulting

Just think microfinance and international business development for my primary project. Secondary projects could include youth development and/or HIV and AIDS education.

Where is Cameroon?












Courtesy of the Peace Corps website

Do you get paid?
Though I will (hopefully!) officially be known as a Volunteer once training is completed, I will receive a stipend and essentially have no expenses. No rent or house bills, no student loan payments as they are deferred, medical and dental benefits fully covered, a stipend that covers food, entertainment, cell phone, etc. As long as I complete training, I'll be set for the next two years.

Do you get vacation days?
As it's a job, of course! Two vacation days each month = 24 vacation days a year.

Will you have Internet access?
Maybe, maybe not. As I'm in SED in Cameroon, it's assumed that I'll have internet access; however, I shouldn't be surprised if I don't. Thus, I can write ridiculously romantic Nicholas Spark-esque letters like in "The Notebook" or "Dear John."

Can I visit?
Yes! And you should! Sato Travel (1-800-698-2554) can work with friends and family to arrange travel to visit a Volunteer. Peace Corps also specifically addresses this matter online. Now doesn't that make it easy for you to come and see me?

The Day in Dallas

It is only fitting that before leaving for Cameroon, I pay homage to the creator of Peace Corps himself, none other than President John F. Kennedy.

At Dealy Plaza, one can visit The Sixth Floor Museum, an exhibition of JFK's inspirational life, young presidency, and tragic assassination. Since it's opening in 1989, the museum has attracted over six million visitors who walk the same spot where Lee Harvey Oswald shot the former President.

Though no photography is allowed, I was able to take mental images of pictures such as Kennedy and his wife happily waving to the American public from their motorcade. The highlight though was seeing and reading the handful of Peace Corps references throughout the museum.

Little could the President have known that fifty years later, almost 200,000 Americans will have answered his call to service. I'm honored to be one of them.

The JFK Memorial, Dallas, TX

Longhorns at Pioneer Plaza at Young Street

Dallas's City Hall designed by world class architect, I.M. Pei

Tubing Time in Texas!

Happy May Day!

Today was spent partaking in one of the truest Texan traditions: tubing! Commonly referred to as "floating down the river," participants sit in inner tubes as the water flow gently glides them down the river for a few hours.

What do you do on the river? Chat, relax, drink, laugh, and be merry!

Hundreds of tubers can be found floating down the Comal on any sunny day

Sitting on my inner tube (thank goodness mine had a bottom, otherwise I would have fallen through!)

Though the Comal River sits as the shortest river in the world at 2.5 miles, it sits at a warm 70-72 degrees. As it is spring-fed, the river is ideal for relaxing tubing. Be warned though! Early on, there is a tube shoot that can trap any novice tuber if they get caught in the current (speaking from experience!).

Tip: Putting a ziplock bag inside another ziplock bag does wonders for your digital camera and other belongings. And be sure to hold up your drinks and sunglasses at the tube shoot if you want a chance to enjoy both for the remainder of the river!

Along the way, I had the pleasure of meeting some French students that helped me practice my Français. Interestingly, one of them worked in Business Development and praised me on joining the Peace Corps. It is safe to assume that most Americans know the Peace Corps, but it's a real treat when foreigners recognize it. High five!

With our French friend after the day's success!

Back on the UT-Austin campus, we discovered the Graduation Longhorn! Though there will be no mention of an upsetting college football game from 2005, the following picture shows that USC Trojans and Texas Longhorns can co-exist harmoniously.

Forever and always, fight on!

For dinner, we met with Alec Swafford for another mini-Europe reunion (see all Rome posts in September 2008). The night air was cool and breezy as we shared tacos on the deck of Cuatros.

Reunion at Cuatros

As Austin is known for being the "live music capital of the world," Chris Wu and I headed off to the Elephant Room and listened to some Latin jazz before heading of to Malaia, Downtown's newest nightclub.

Thanks, Austin! I will miss you!

A Taste of Austin

After a quick night out in Dallas's Lower Greenville, Chris Wu and I headed off to Austin! As he is a amateur chef and hearty "foodie" (matched by the fact that I will eat anything and everything), we made a detour to the small town of Taylor, Texas. There, we would bask in the deliciousness of Louie Mueller Barbecue!

Voted the "Official Best Barbecue in Texas" in 2008, Louie Mueller represents a meat lover's heaven! Slow-cooked brisket, hand-rubbed pork, and marbled rib-eye steak are just some of the choices for a mouth-watering meal.

Brisket, rib-eye steak, sausages, and more! Mmm...

Be warned though! The spiciness can provide an intense experience!

Steps from the University of Texas at Austin sits the Texas Capitol at over 300 feet tall. The Capitol's architecture is of the Renaissance Revival-style, resembling much like the California Capitol in Sacramento!

Visiting the Texas State Capitol

Tip: Swing by the Visitor's Center for a free map of downtown and to learn everything about the good ole' Lone Star State.

At a local happy hour at Cain and Abel, we were reunited with my backpacking buddy and Austin host, Lillie De Alba (see Greece and Italy posts in September 2008). After catching up, it was soon time to head off to the number one attraction in Austin: bat watching!

On our boat cruise waiting for the bats!

Every evening at sunset, up to 1.5 million bats fly out from under the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. As the largest urban bat colony in North America, it's a sight to watch!

Downtown Austin

The little bats were actually kind of adorable in this traveler's opinion! And according to our tour guide, the endangered Mexican free-tailed bats feed on migrating cotton bollworm moths, thus reducing our need to utilize pesticides harmful to the environment. Though no current program is set up for the Congress Avenue Bridge, one can still adopt a Mexican free-tailed bat.

I apologize for the poor cinematography, but if you look closely, you can see the bats!

After cooking our lovely host a pasta dinner, we headed off to Austin's 6th Street. Interestingly enough, 6th Street highly resembles Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Thus, further proving my belief that the world is more alike than we believe.

We spent the night hopping from Spill to Shakespeare's to Maggie Mae's to the Library. With plenty to do, Austin sure provides a fun time for any traveler!

Official Peace Corps Acceptance

"I, Krystina Nguyen, am accepting my invitation to serve as a Small Business Advisor Peace Corps Volunteer in Cameroon, departing June 2, 2010.

I hereby certify that I have read the Volunteer Assignment Description, Online Welcome Book, and Core Expectations and agree to abide by the policies therein."

Woohoo!

Snowboarding Time!

While visiting Canada, I knew I would have to try snowboarding! Thus, after borrowing copious amounts of winter wear from my lovely hosts, we headed off to Blue Mountain, the largest ski resort in Ontario.

Unfortunately for Sheena Archie and me, the bunny slopes were not that bunny, but rather a bit steep for novices to learn how to snowboard. Sheena and I had opposite problems - she could control, but couldn't balance; I had great balance, but couldn't stop! By the afternoon, we simply decided to fly down the mountain and enjoy ourselves. Since I couldn't stop, I would just fall down to slow myself down. Numerous people told me that I would fall tremendously my first time, but does it count if you do it on purpose? Still fun nonetheless!

Snowboarding (or at least attempting to!) at Blue Mountain

Castles, Hot Chocolate, and Casinos!

As we slept in and Victoria was able to grab snowboarding equipment for me from a friend, we had a later start today. Thus, we raced to the Castle Casa Loma to get inside before closing time. Upon arrival, all we could see were hundreds of kids!

At the parking lot, the attendant stated that though the castle was open for at least another half hour, they stopped selling tickets about five minutes ago. Wanting to make it inside, we parked the car and tried our luck. Interestingly enough, perhaps because of the literally hundreds of young children, there was chaos and no ticket taker at the door, so...off to explore the castle we went!

Finished in 1914, the castle was constructed with a Gothic Revival-style and originally served as the home for Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a Canadian soldier and financer who brought hydro-electricity to Toronto.  The castle was simple with basic rooms any castle (or even house) would have. We discovered the hundreds of children were apart of the Girl Guides of Canada (equivalent to the Girl Scouts of America). It was adorable as each Girl Guide wanted to tell each of us how many patches they had and what they were awarded - too cute!

Mary's Sitting Room at the Castle Loma

We drove down to the Distillery District, a great date spot, and had hot chocolate at Soma. Their Mayan Hot Chocolate mixed Venezuelan chocolate, cinnamon, Australian ginger, orange peels, Madagascan Vanilla, and Soma's secret blend of spices - delicious!

The Distillery District

On a last-minute whim, we decided to drive the hour-and-a-half down to Niagara Falls! A fan of waterfalls, I could only describe it as an enormous, gorgeous hold-in-the ground waterfall (in the best possible way)! Being that it was cold and we only wanted a few quick pics, we parked the car, ran out to snap some photos, and jumped back in after seeing the most powerful waterfall in North America. The sight was one to see with the lights reflecting in the water; the air was one to smell with the cool, fresh scent!

Niagara Falls - gorgeous!

The rest of the night was spent in the casino with about three full hours spent playing Casino War. No one walked away with any major winnings, but it was good stuff nonetheless!

All Around This Town!

We headed off to the city of Markham for what Victoria and Amy To call "mainland" dim sum at Ding Tai Fung. Unlike Cantonese-type dim sum with its push-carts and point-at-what-you-want-style, Shanghai-type dim sum is ordered straight from a menu. Additionally, dim sum pieces can also have soup inside of its pieces.

Shanghai-style dim sum at Ding Tai Fung

The girls and then I headed off to Honest Ed's Discount Store, a discount treasure at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. Since 1948, the showy store serves as a landmark in Toronto with over 23,000 lights for its store front and dozens of witty signs hung inside. Thick winter coats? $3! Leather boots? $20! Good stuff!

Honest Ed's! More than a discount store - it's a landmark!

We then headed off to the famous The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), one of the "world’s leading museums of natural history and of world cultures." In this traveler's opinion, the museum impressively lived up to its expectations! The architecture of the building was creatively planned with multiple expansions while the inside exhibits features over six million pieces in over forty galleries.

Royal Ontario Museum. Creative architecture, no?

The Gemstone Collection had to be the girls' favorite with the Children's Playzone winning the runner-up position. What can I say? You're never too old for interactive museum exhibits involving dinosaurs and dress-up!

Later that night, we went to Smoke's Poutinerie for a poutine dinner. With the girls ridiculously shocked that I had never eaten poutine in my life, I tried the gravy-covered French fries and cheese curd with some chili! Delicious, but definitely not for one on a diet!

Chili poutine...mmm!

The relaxing night ended with live jazz at Rex Jazz & Blues Bar. The band consisted of four fifty-year-olds that could play and rock like they were in their twenties. Good stuff!

Touring Toronto

As I was traveling by bus from Buffalo to Toronto, there was unfortunately no stamp to be had on my passport, but the double-decker Megabus proved an efficient journey! I made my way to Toronto's bus terminal to meet up with my lovely hosts, Victoria Nguyen and Rachel Taguicana. Through CouchSurfing, they were originally my guests in Los Angeles.

Tip: When traveling from the U.S. to Canada (or vice-versa), it is much cheaper to fly domestically to say, Buffalo Airport, and take a bus over the border than to fly internationally.

One of Greater Vancouver's signature restaurants

Right away, we dropped my backpack in the trunk and headed out to explore downtown. We had a savory Italian dinner at Milestones which overlooked Dundas Square, a mini-version of New York's Times Square. After catching up, the girls were nice enough to give me a quick walking tour of Downtown.

Toronto's Old City Hall - nice shot, Victoria!

We found ourselves in front of Wanda's to taste some of Toronto's finest Belgian waffles. The "hole-in-the-wall" shop provided a delicious mix of caramel, ice cream, whipped cream and powdered sugar all on top of the waffle. A must stop for any local or tourist!

Classic Belgian Waffles with whipped cream? Don't mind if I do!

To my surprise, we stayed at Rachel's parent's house since that was closer to Toronto than their university. What a nice surprise! We spent a good half an hour catching up with them before bed and told them of the sites we had planned to see the next day, including the Casa Loma castle.

"Oh, I used to live in the Castle Loma," Rachel's dad commented. "But then I moved out because the government taxes were too high!"

Ice Sculptures and Dueling Pianos!

The highlight from the week's training came tonight with a discount! Simply known as "Ice!", the two-million pound art display was imported to the Gaylord National Resort from China. Hand-crafted by 40 Chinese artisans, the ten-scene ice sculpture puts one in awe.

The tour begins by putting on an over-sized blue coat to keep goers warm inside the -9ºF tent. Upbeat holiday music plays right from the entrance. From there, one enters a wonderland of sleds, bridges, Christmas trees, and even giant penguins all made entirely of ice!

Some of the many impressive ice displays!

The highpoint of ice exhibition would be the two-story slide! Climbing up the stairs covered by a red carpet, one can choose four various chutes to slide down. Be careful at the top though! As I checked myself when an employee warned to have the parka cover the thighs, I slipped and down the chute I went!

Racing a four-year-old down the two-story slide!

Candid look at the main room

A good friend, Cyndy Hernandez, came out to see the Bright Star Fountain Show before we headed out to watch dueling pianos at Bobby McKee's (conveniently located across the street from the Gaylord ). Through smiling and making friends with the bartender, we somehow received 50% off our food and drinks as we chatted away and listened to the piano showdown. Cyndy finished off the night by requesting her favorite song, "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John.

Dueling pianos at Bobby McKee's

As it was the last night of training, theconference attendees headed to the hotel's rooftop bar and nightclub, Pose Ultra Lounge. There, the co-workers and I met up with one of our colleagues to celebrate her 50th birthday. Woohoo!

Holiday at the Harbor

A recent business trip to Oxon Hill, Maryland brought me to the newly constructed Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center (across from Washington D.C. on the shore of the Potomac River) . Just opened in April 2008, the 2000 room hotel features an 18-story glass atrium and a rooftop nightclub. Being December, the resort also exhibits nightly snowfall, indoor and outdoor light shows, a Peeps scavenger hunt, and a two million pound ice exhibition from China. Not too shabby!

View of the Gaylord National Resort from the Potomac River

Thus, after training days, it was nice to have dinner with the co-workers in nearby Alexandra, Virginia and then relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season. Thumbs up for the Gaylord!

The National Harbor Christmas Tree Light Show! Watch for the stars!

Gaylord's Bright Star Fountain Show - almost Bellagio-esque!