Who'd have thought you could fit two years of stuff onto one bed?
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Getting Started
With t-minus 6 days to departure, I figured it was about time to get this blog up and running! Since I've still got some packing to do, I figured I'd keep this first post short and sweet. And when I say short and sweet I mean it's short and sweet for me to write, since my plan is to more or less just copy and paste the letter that the Peace Corps sent me to distribute to family and friends. Well, consider this my distribution! I promise (I hope) the posts will get more interesting as time goes on; but in the meantime, feel free to read up on how to contact me while I'm in Cameroon!
General Communication Tips
The mail service in Cameroon is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take from three to four weeks for mail coming from Cameroon to arrive in the United States via the Cameroonian mail system. From a Volunteer’s community, mail might take up to one to two months to reach the United States depending upon how far the Volunteer is from the capital city, Yaoundé.
We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer to give an estimate of how long it takes for him or her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he or she missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes.
Volunteers often enjoy telling their “war” stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is often good reading material, it can often be misinterpreted on by family and friends. Please do not assume that if your loved one gets sick that he or she has not been attended to. The city of Yaoundé has medical and dental facilities, and there are Peace Corps Medical Officers there as well. Most Volunteers can reach the office in less than one day’s time. Volunteers also have cell phones so that they can call our medical office. In the event of a serious illness the Volunteer is sent to Yaoundé and is cared for by our Medical Unit. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Cameroon, he/she will be medically evacuated to a location that does. Fortunately, such circumstances are very rare.
Tl;dr: Expect the mail service to be slow and unreliable. Number your letters and indicate when the letter was sent in order to get a rough estimate of how long mail takes to get to me. Don't assume the worst if you don't hear from me, or if you hear terrible stories. No news is good news.
Telephone calls
The mail service in Cameroon is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take from three to four weeks for mail coming from Cameroon to arrive in the United States via the Cameroonian mail system. From a Volunteer’s community, mail might take up to one to two months to reach the United States depending upon how far the Volunteer is from the capital city, Yaoundé.
We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer to give an estimate of how long it takes for him or her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he or she missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes.
Volunteers often enjoy telling their “war” stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is often good reading material, it can often be misinterpreted on by family and friends. Please do not assume that if your loved one gets sick that he or she has not been attended to. The city of Yaoundé has medical and dental facilities, and there are Peace Corps Medical Officers there as well. Most Volunteers can reach the office in less than one day’s time. Volunteers also have cell phones so that they can call our medical office. In the event of a serious illness the Volunteer is sent to Yaoundé and is cared for by our Medical Unit. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Cameroon, he/she will be medically evacuated to a location that does. Fortunately, such circumstances are very rare.
Tl;dr: Expect the mail service to be slow and unreliable. Number your letters and indicate when the letter was sent in order to get a rough estimate of how long mail takes to get to me. Don't assume the worst if you don't hear from me, or if you hear terrible stories. No news is good news.
Telephone calls
The telephone system in Cameroon has fairly reliable service to the United States. In the interior of the country,
where most of our Volunteers are located, the network can be less reliable.
When dialing direct to Cameroon from the U.S., dial 011 (the international access code) + 237 (the country code) + the number. Volunteers generally set up phone calls with people in the U.S. in advance, and have the distant party call them, which is less expensive than calling the U.S. from Cameroon. Almost all volunteers purchase cell phones once they arrive in Cameroon, but they may not always have regular reception at their site. You should communicate with your friend/family member to set up a calling schedule.
Tl;dr: Download Skype.
Sending packages
It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as Volunteers are asked to pay taxes on
large packages they receive and boxes are taxed more frequently (typically between $2-$8). That being said, many
people find the flat rate boxes the most cost efficient to send from the US (a current Volunteer said it costs around
$50 per package from the US). Once your Volunteer moves to his or her permanent site, he/she will send you their
new address.
Tl;dr: Don't send expensive things through the mail. Boxed packages cost more money for me to receive, but less money for you to send. Send letters and packages to the address above only for the first ten weeks -- I will post my new address once I know it. Write Bible or Quran quotes or symbols on your letters and packages.
Traveling to Cameroon
When dialing direct to Cameroon from the U.S., dial 011 (the international access code) + 237 (the country code) + the number. Volunteers generally set up phone calls with people in the U.S. in advance, and have the distant party call them, which is less expensive than calling the U.S. from Cameroon. Almost all volunteers purchase cell phones once they arrive in Cameroon, but they may not always have regular reception at their site. You should communicate with your friend/family member to set up a calling schedule.
Tl;dr: Download Skype.
Sending packages
Parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages
can be a frustrating experience for all involved due the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. You may
want to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not
recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. During training (first ten weeks in Cameroon)
you may use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member:
Becca Wood
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 215
Yaoundé
Cameroon
Becca Wood
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 215
Yaoundé
Cameroon
Tl;dr: Don't send expensive things through the mail. Boxed packages cost more money for me to receive, but less money for you to send. Send letters and packages to the address above only for the first ten weeks -- I will post my new address once I know it. Write Bible or Quran quotes or symbols on your letters and packages.
Traveling to Cameroon
It is becoming more and more common for family members to travel to Cameroon to visit. If you are considering
this, please visit the PC/Cameroon website for more information that is directed to you for this purpose. For
planning purposes, please make sure that the timing of your visit is convenient for the Volunteer you are visiting; A
Volunteer’s primary obligation is to his/her job assignment, so be sure that your visit will not disrupt any work
plans. We recommend visits at some point during the second year of the Volunteer’s service, keeping in mind that a
Volunteer is not allowed to take vacation during the first six months in country as well as the last three.
Tl;dr: If you're planning on visiting me, don't do it within the first six months or the last three. Let me know well in advance if you are planning on visiting me, so that I can adjust my schedule and vacation days accordingly. Don't try to surprise me by visiting unless you want to spend a lot of time doing your own thing in Cameroon while I'm at work.
Other Connections
PC Web Site Family & Friends: http://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/faf/
PC Family & Friends Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509963132481253/
PC/Cameroon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cameroon.PeaceCorps
PC/Cameroon Web Site: http://cameroon.peacecorps.gov/
Tl;dr: Look, if a list of websites is too long for you to read through, then there's really nothing I can do for you.
A final note from me: if you would like me to send you letters, send me an email with your address (or post it in the comments, if you're in the mood to get some creepy visitors). If you're not sure if I have your address or not, send it anyway, because I have this horrible tendency to delete information that I later find I need or want. If you need my email, shoot me a text before May 25th, ask my parents, or send me a Facebook message and know it may take me a while to get back to you.
Tl;dr: If you're planning on visiting me, don't do it within the first six months or the last three. Let me know well in advance if you are planning on visiting me, so that I can adjust my schedule and vacation days accordingly. Don't try to surprise me by visiting unless you want to spend a lot of time doing your own thing in Cameroon while I'm at work.
Other Connections
PC Web Site Family & Friends: http://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/faf/
PC Family & Friends Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509963132481253/
PC/Cameroon Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cameroon.PeaceCorps
PC/Cameroon Web Site: http://cameroon.peacecorps.gov/
Tl;dr: Look, if a list of websites is too long for you to read through, then there's really nothing I can do for you.
A final note from me: if you would like me to send you letters, send me an email with your address (or post it in the comments, if you're in the mood to get some creepy visitors). If you're not sure if I have your address or not, send it anyway, because I have this horrible tendency to delete information that I later find I need or want. If you need my email, shoot me a text before May 25th, ask my parents, or send me a Facebook message and know it may take me a while to get back to you.
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