Bill & Trixy

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T15:30:00.000+01:00

Happy New Year!! I hope the holiday season was good for you.

Trixy and I have now completed 2 years of service here in Buea Cameroon. This time of year is always a challenge for me. For me the holiday season runs from American Thanksgiving to the New Year's celebrations. It is a time for the gathering of friends and family. It is time to reflect on that for which we are thankful; to be reminded that we are all living on this little sphere.

This year I am missing - greatly - being with my family - being with my parents or at my brother Tim's. I have already been wishing to go snowshoeing and skiing. I want to run in the snow with Jordan. I desire to drive through the Winding Brook neighborhood to see the lights of Christmas. I want to enjoy 1st night in Boston walking hand in hand with Trixy.

I have a fun family here in Buea -- I appreciate them immensely. Yet I am feeling blue. I find myself simply feeling exhausted. I am craving creativity but that part of my mind seems to be cut off.

So I will just take a deep breath…

Part of the seasonal celebration are the lights, glitter, music… the traditions with which I grew up. Even more than the traditions are the brisk weather, snow flurries, and wondering if we might have a white Christmas. The normal cues are missing here in tropical Buea. Though this year the city has put up two Christmas trees at the entrance to the University of Buea AND on periodic street lights they have hung various types of holiday lights. The Baptists have put up festive lights around their new church and in a nearby tree. Other lights are also now strung up by individuals and companies. The guy across the street is playing more Christmas music, both the sacred and the secular.

These are indeed just cues. Love - a love without condition - is really what it is all about for me. I personally believe that this type of love is the natural state of the Universe. This season reminds me that love can be extended without reciprocity. That we can ease the struggle of others - not that we have to meet their expectations, but that we find ways to ease one another's burdens, to lighten the loads.

Whether or not we agree about divine beings, I believe that your life, your story and mine are part of a much larger narrative. Tomorrow becomes today and today becomes history. I tend to live in tomorrow. But it is what I do with today that enters history. It is the actions of today that ripple through the lives of those who share today with me. The actions of the day will contribute to building up of love, joy, and peace, or to fear, anger, and hatred. The actions of the day begin with our thinking.

It is my hope and prayer this year that our thinking will be clear, that we will crave after right and good things, that our actions will be the by-products of love, joy, and peace.

BLEEDING

2011-09-11T13:28:00.000+01:00

"Doctor, I don't know if you will see her?" my nurse, Christiane began. "She says she is bleeding a lot."

It is late in the afternoon and I have already finished consulting and am working on an order for our pharmacy medications. "Bleeding a lot" does not sound good though!

"She's one of our pregnant patients." Christiane says.

The situation does not sound good. I ask Christiane to go back and begin taking the patients vital signs and getting a little more of the story.

"I'm coming," I tell Christiane.

When I get down to the clinic, I see that our patient is a 30 year old lady with an expected due date next month. Her first child was delivered via cesarean but her next two children were born naturally. Up till now, her pregnancy has been uneventful. She has come to a couple antenatal (prenatal) check ups and everything has seemed fine.

Christiane has our patient lying down on the waiting room bench. She is readjusting our automatic blood pressure cuff. The patient is behaving in the typical Cameroonian "sick role". When a person is sick, they are very expressive! Moans, occasionally loud exclamations of "O, my God!", and complete generalized weakness is the norm. This kind of drama is attended by caring family members who support the sick person, usually one person on each side of him or her, and who give her great empathy and soothing words.

"She has no blood," Christiane clucks her tongue in dismay as she removes the blood pressure cuff without it registering a value.

"Bring her into my office," I tell Christiane.

Between the two of us, we manage to get our patient on the exam table. It is no easy task as she is moaning and staggering in both mental and physical agony.
Once on the table, I try to ascertain a little bit more about what happened.

"When I get up from bed this morning, I just see blood," Eva, our patient, says.

"What time did you get up?" I ask.

"Seven." she replies.

"How much blood come out?"

"A lot of blood, doctor."

"Did any water come out?" I inquire. I want to know whether her amniotic membranes that surround the baby inside the womb and cushion the infant by encasing him in a sac of water, have ruptured. (aka, water broke).

"Yes. Water come out then blood," Eva confirms.
"What happened since this morning? Why did you wait until this afternoon?" I inquire.

Eva just lets out several moans as she has another obvious contraction. I finally give up my questioning. I suspect she really doesn't have an answer as to why she has waited all day. I am pretty sure she has delayed coming until things got painful enough that she was finally compelled to come. She is not a wealthy woman and money is a big concern for her and the family.

call for Christiane to bring in the ultrasound machine. While she gets the machine, I examine our patient. Her conjunctiva are white, a sign of severe anemia or blood loss. She has a steady but fast pulse. Her blood pressure was too low to register on our automatic blood pressure cuff.

Christiane returns with the ultrasound machine. As I place the probe on her abdomen, I do not see the reassuring movement of the infant heart. In fact, there is not movement whatsoever. The fetus is eerily motionless. Given her bleeding, I try to determine the exact position of the placenta. Is the placenta covering up the cervix (the exit door of the womb) giving a condition called placenta previa? I am not certain. I think so, but honestly, I've never diagnosed a previa under these less than ideal conditions. I wish desperately that I had more training in ultrasounds! Finally, I do a careful speculum exam and note a little placental tissue peaking out of the cervix.

I go out into the waiting room. There is the young man, a relative, who accompanied her.

"You need to take Eva to the general hospital. She needs a blood transfusion and surgery. The baby is not doing well. You need to go there right away." I try to stress the urgency of the situation. I'm afraid the family might go home first otherwise.

Already, there has been a delay of at least 9 hours since things first started going wrong. Further delay could easily lead to Eva's death. I watch them leave in a taxi and head up the road to the general hospital where there are blood transfusion facilities and an operating room. It is only a mile up to the hospital.

I say a prayer for Eva and her family. I know the baby is dead and it will be a sad delivery. I can only hope that the mother will survive to care for her other three children. I don't sleep well that night wondering and worrying about what happened.

The next day, after work, I pay a visit to the general hospital. I know a few of the doctors that work up there. I finally find one of the gynecologists. He gives me the rest of the story. When Eva arrived, she was diagnosed with marginal placenta previa. The placenta was at the edge of the cervix. She did not have money for a cesarean. Since she was not bleeding too much, she eventually gave birth vaginally. She was still waiting for a blood transfusion, since again, there was no money. But, she was alive! I am praying God will comfort her through the loss of the baby and give her strength to recover.

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."
2 Corinthians 1:3,4

Buea Hospital

2011-07-23T03:25:00.000+01:00

Loose Vaginas and Other Worries

2011-07-07T22:09:00.000+01:00

“My vagina is loose,” she complained. The young lady sitting across the consulting table was serious. Here was a beautifully manicured, Cameroonian student, age 22, complaining that her ‘vagina was loose’!

Ms. Quinta (not her real name) was the icon of style. Here hair was plaited in locks of crimped yet fluffy black curls that added 2 inches to her already tall frame. She wore a light blue dress with a bejeweled, wide belt that accented her curvy hips. Her flashy necklaces balanced the upper portion of her figure. With her shiny lip-gloss, color-coordinated eye shadow, high heels, and pearly white smile, she was the picture of fashion. I swear the fashion industry is really missing out when I look at all the examples of slender but curvaceous and healthy figures parading around the university on a daily basis.

When Ms. Quinta stated her complaint, I must admit that I was a little shocked. As a physician, I have seen and heard many things – as you might imagine. This was the first time I’ve had anyone complain about their female anatomy using these words. Trying to maintain my professional demeanor but not really succeeding, I said, “What? Can you explain that again? I’m not sure I understand you.”

“You’re a gynecologist, right?” she queried.

“Yes,” I replied. [Here in Africa with my Family Medicine specialization, I can be a pediatrician or a gynecologist or a gerontologist depending on who asks!]

Apparently satisfied with my affirmation as a female anatomy expert, she continued her explanation. “Recently, doctor, I’ve been noticing that my vagina is loose. I want to know if there is some medicine I can take that can tighten it. You know, maybe some cream that I can rub there?” she trailed off.

“Well – “, I paused. “There are different reasons for a loose vagina. Tell me what you mean by a loose vagina. Why is it a problem for you?” I was really stalling for time. I was a bit stumped by what to tell her about loose vaginas.

“Are you having other problems down there?” I queried.

“I used to have ‘sugar sugar’ [This is Pidgin for Candidiasis vulvovaginitis. It is a condition where yeast cells proliferate beyond normal levels and cause characteristic itching and discharge]. The pharmacist gave me some cream that is helping.”

“Oh, I see,” I say. “ So you had some vaginal itching and discharge that is better now? No more itching?”

“No more itching,” she affirmed. “I also have problems with my menses. They are irregular.”

“How are they irregular?” I asked. I jumped at this opportunity to turn the topic of conversation to a medical diagnosis I had actually studied about in medical school! “Can you tell me the dates of your last menses for June, May, and April?”

Ms. Quinta popped out her cellular phone from her large, fashionable purse. She started pressing buttons. As she looked at her cellular calendar, my high-tech patient rattled off the dates of her last few periods. “June 28, April 30, March 26…Oh, I forgot May. May 26.”

“Excellent!” I congratulated her on her organizational skills. “So, it looks like your having a period every month but it doesn’t always come on the same day every month. Is that correct?”

“Uh-huh,” she nods.

“I see,” I answer. Actually I really don’t see. She has a period every month. Generally they are coming around the same time of the month. I think I’m missing something. What is her real worry? My instinct is that she is rather naïve in certain areas. A lot of women worry that if their menstruation does not come monthly at the exact, predicted day, they have fertility problems. Some younger girls start complaining about irregular menses when they really mean a missed menstrual period and the potential of a pregnancy.

I delve into the details of this young lady’s worries. I try to find the clues for the real reason she paid to see a gynecologist. I ask a lot more questions and she reveals to me more hidden messages in her various answers. Gradually we come to understand each other. I try to educate her about quite a few topics in the gynecologic realm. I am able to give her advice about contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and other need-to-know topics for a girl that’s got at least one boyfriend. She leaves my office seemingly satisfied. She has a prescription for birth control. She has the assurance of a reputable health professional about what is normal or not normal in regards to female anatomy and monthly cycles. She knows how sexually transmitted infections including HIV are transmitted and prevented. Her true reason for coming to the doctor was for trusted advice and the means to control her menstrual cycle and prevent unwanted pregnancy.

After her departure, I can’t help laughing at the interesting complaints patients have in Africa! Who would imagine that I would need to know about ‘loose vaginas’ in addition to tropical ulcers, malaria, typhoid, and diabetes management! The possibilities of patient problems here in Buea are endless. Here there are rich and poor, educated and uneducated, foreigners and locals, naïve and experienced. Ms. Quinta reminded me of an underlying principle taught throughout medical school and residency. The real test of a physician’s medical acumen is not just in compiling symptoms into a diagnosis; but in searching out the underlying reason his or her patient has sought medical advice.

The Panacea

2011-07-03T21:59:00.003+01:00

Panacea – noun

a remedy for all disease or ills; cure-all. OR 2. an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/panacea

Are we not all looking for a panacea – an answer to all our problems and difficulties? Personally, I find chocolate to be the closest thing! Maybe it’s not the healthiest remedy but when I think of something that can be counted on to raise my endorphin levels, chocolate comes to mind!

Recently, some friends came to visit us. They took a trip on the public bus to Bamenda. The trip averages around 6 hours in duration depending on road conditions. During those six hours, there tends to be a “captive audience” on the bus. Frequently, a hawker, will hop on the bus at one stop and jump off at the next. He has a ready audience that is typically bored and ready to listen to almost anything. Probably everyone is so tired that even a hawker can be entertaining.

Hawkers can sell just about anything! They are enthusiastic and guarantee their product with such emphasis that even the most doubtful person can’t fail to be convinced! I doubt most of them have ever heard of the placebo effect, but, if they had, they certainly use it to it’s fullest potential.

“Ee go heal every problem!” he shouted in loud Pidgin. “If you drink dis medicine, you get fit for all your skin!” The hawker goes on to list the numerous common illnesses that his German Liniment can cure: general body pains, nerves problems, rheumatic pains, head ache, sinuses, respiratory infections, filaria, eye itches, lumbago, eczema, ringworm, fungi! The list covers just about everything one can imagine!

Most of the people on the bus stared blankly. Jammed into the bus like a herd of sheep, they manifest a patient fortitude on this bumpy, long journey. It’s a perseverance that is perfected over years of practice. Although most Cameroonians complain about waiting, they are well-practiced in this essential ‘art’. Funerals, weddings, business meetings, buses, meals, scholastic opportunities, church services; the list is endless, are spent in waiting. These waits provide opportunities for communication and interactions. At this time, it is providing a chance for an entrepreneurial hawker to sell his wares.

“Ee go cure all your skin!” he claims. “No be big money. No be dear (it is not expensive),” he repeats throughout the bus.

Some of the passengers on the bus decide to purchase their cure-all. Maybe they figure that even if it doesn’t cure half of what it claims, the stuff might help a little. Culturally, people don’t save up money and usually only have small amounts at a time. People live “hand to mouth” as the saying goes. When they have, they feast. When they have not, they starve. Here is a chance for a quick cure that is within their financial means. Why not try it?

My friends decide to purchase a bottle of this magical liniment out of curiosity. Interestingly, the stuff smells like paint thinner or nail polish remover, depending on who sniffs the bottle! The applications are numerous. “for rheumatism, put 3 drops in ½ glass of water and drink. Massage all over body to ease pains. Inhale through the nostrils for eye infection, catarrh, and sinuses. For cough put a drop on cube of sugar.”

When I think about people drinking turpentine to cure their ailments I am less surprised by the sheer number of stomachaches that I treat on a daily basis. “My belly bites,” is among the top 10 chief complaints. So many sick people, so many cures. Not all of them are effective or even safe. This particular panacea is just one among many I have seen or heard about. Other ‘guaranteed cures” include quail eggs eaten raw, juice made from mushrooms, ginseng root, various teas and poultices, papaya leaf enemas, and others that I cannot remember right now. In fairness, I am not opposed to herbal remedies and natural treatments. When one ingredient claims to cure everything, I am a bit suspicious. God created our bodies with amazing innate healing properties. He has given man medical knowledge on how to take care of his or her body to assist in healing. This can be physical as well as emotional or Spiritual healing. My prayer is that I can help patients find the healing that they need. I do not have the loud hype and ‘guaranteed cure’ for every ailment. But, I do collaborate with the greatest Physician of them all though, Jesus Christ. He is more than a panacea. He helps people to heal from the inside out. Sometimes, he brings physical healing through proper medications. At other times, I believe God brings peace to the troubled soul that brings a healing greater than the physical. It is a healing that calms the anxious heart, brings joy to sad and desperate people, and gives hope to those who live in despair. God pours His love into us as we serve the sick. That love helps people to heal. It is free and it is non-toxic!

“And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:5

Of Lamborghini's and Soul

2011-01-12T19:44:00.000+01:00

A thought came to me, I'm not sure now how, but would I, if I could, buy a Lamborghini. On one hand the easy answer is "duh, of course!" I have admired Lamborghini cars since the mid 1970s. On the other hand the answer is much more complicated and it revolves around "stewardship". Not a word I enjoy or even frequently use. None-the-less there it is. If I earned enough money that it was like dropping $200 or maybe even $2000 then sure I probably would. As I continued to mull over just how much I would have to earn to do that I drifted away from stewardship - largely because I was passing a Gallardo on Interstate 10 just west of Loma Linda. I realized that at the age of 13 I would have sold my mother to the Tusken Raiders of Tatooine to have a Countach, but a mere "few" years later I simply was appreciating the car as art - the finest of automotive art. The kind of art that I can appreciate in the Lourve or that a friend or foe may own. Not something I need to possess. Not something that would even be a status symbol if I owned it myself.

I started thinking about art. Where is it? Certainly it is in "Oil and Canvas". We can say "Music" as well. Certainly we can debate the "good or bad - ness" of art - and if we do I'll bring up about 90% of automotive design of the 70s. But for now skipping judgement and interpretation of the quality of art, I began to see that art is all around. I enjoy roasting coffee. The people selecting the beans from around the world and providing tips are engaged in art. The manner in which I roast is an art. Automobile design is art, not just the design of the body, but the mechanics and engineering is an art and the blending of the bits and pieces is art. On our honeymoon we stayed four nights at Colton House which the guide book suggests asking the owner about his home brewed beers and I began to get an idea of the art of beer. We toured the Deschutes Brewery in Bend and I was reminded to appreciate the variety and depth of artistic endeavor in the creation and brewing of beer. We toured the Tillamook Cheese factory and, later the Rogue River Cheese factory (still hand-turned) and found (unsurprisingly) just how artistic cheese making really is. We visited a chocolate maker who offers up his own artistry. We dropped into Bath and Body Works and as I write this am enjoying some scent Trixy sprayed onto a card. There is an art to scent making. Auto-mechanics of Cameroon (at the very least) are artistic. And medicine is said to be a marriage of "art and science".

My point here isn't art AND/OR science but that all IS art AND science. All of this got me thinking that because of our biases, distractions, perspectives, values, and baggage, more often than not we seem to miss the artistry that is presented to us every day. Dinner out involves the chefs, waiters, and others: the look, aroma, taste, and ambiance are integrated into an artistic whole. Whether you drive a Lamborghini or Kia Soul creative effort was invested. Whether a movie, a photograph, a song, a poem, or a painting has any commercial appeal becomes irrelevant to the artistic expression. Yet we so often judge success based on consumer reception. We judge based on our tastes and biases. We warm to an artist or not. Others may or may not agree with our assessment. So whether you are e.e. cummings or Paul Neil Milne Johnstone, Ansel Adams or the average Joe Snapper it is important to remember this isn't about judging qualities between our perspective and the creator's. As an individual I can like or dislike something and that has nothing to do with the artistry of the creator. Vogons and Ferraris are both invested with a creator's artistry whether or not I appreciate them.

And on a drive during Annual Leave, I was thinking about all the people who feel like cogs in the gears of systems in which they have no input. Whether or not they have the opportunity to add to the creative output of their respective widgets, the manner in which each approaches their work is an artistic endeavor. We enter into the artistic endeavors of job performance, dialogue, marriage & relationship building, and people empowerment.

All of this brings me back to stewardship. We are who we are: skills, experiences, biases, temperament, and cultivated tendencies. We are stewards of ourselves. Our thoughts and actions influence events around us and we can come to realize the shared stewardship we have towards one another and all that we know of as "life". If I may put forward that "good" stewardship is investing our best artistry in all we do. This thought brings me back to my father's words: "Do what you love and do your best doing it." That itself is an artistic endeavor.

Life with Soul or 4550

2011-01-11T19:22:00.000+01:00

Our 2010 Kia Soul in Loma Linda, CA

Kia Soul that is, the Hampsta car. We drove into the Budget Rental lot and saw a bunch of cars. I figured we'd be getting the Nissan Sentra. While nice, the Sentra is your standard econo-car. Just down the row sat two Kia Souls, one green and one black. I said something to Trixy about how cool it would be if we got upgraded and could get a Soul. But we had reserved the cheapest car we could find and the Sentra sat there waiting. When we walked up to the counter and gave our names we were asked "Green or black?". "Green" was Trixy's reply. We were upgraded because I was tall. Sweet deal!

Trixy with Soul at Henry Coe State Park

At just over $16,000 the Kia Soul is not cheap. It plays in the same sandbox as the Honda Fit, Scion Xb, Nissan Cube, and an ever growing field of competitors. There is much to like about the Kia Soul. But before getting there, let me surface what I don't think is so hot.

Soul in Bend (near REI)

1) Blindspots

I noticed these while in Bend OR and only when parking diagonally. Otherwise the windows are big and useful.

2) Mileage

Yes it isn't really that bad, but I am used to my Honda Civic that would get 32 mpg at a steady 85 mph. Or 43 when driving 55-60 mph. Instead the best I got was 32.5 when driving 55-60. When driving a pretty steady 80 I was about 25.5 mpg. The engine is something like 147 hp while my Civic was 127 hp, some differences but enough? I'm not sure.

The rear pillar makes backing up a challenge

3) automatic transmission

A general bias. I might have liked a manual more. But tromp down on the accelerator and the little hamstas take a few moments to get the message.

4) I could never figure out how to play music through the USB connector with my iPod Touch or mini connected.

Dog (and luggage) friendly Soul

What is to like? Everything else. We took the Soul with 5585 miles and returned it with 10135. The elapsed time counter showed 92 hrs and 40 minutes when we returned it which was actually some 30 minutes less than actual (due to figuring out the system about a half hour down the highway). Our trip MPG was 25.86. We traveled to within miles of the Mexican border and into Canada (although the Soul stayed in America).

Soul in South Bend WA

The Soul can easily accommodate four six-footers and have room for each one to have a 22" duffle AND see out the back window. The climate control dials are large and easy to reach and adjust. I found the gauges to be well placed and very readable. The driving position was very good and never felt awkward even after hours of continuous driving.

The steering was responsive and tight. Twisty roads are fun, but don't mistake this for a sports car (though admittedly I never did push the Soul to its limits). You will want to be careful on less than smooth corners to be sure. The Soul will just sort of skip sideways.

Soul & Horse Tail Falls

The unkindest thing I can say about the ride is that on the choppy LA freeways left much to be desired. Otherwise very nice. One other thing I need to mention. We encountered some very blustery winds. The Soul held its ground and I rarely felt a tug on the steering wheel. I don't know how the engineers did it. Our 2001 Accord didn't manage as well.

Kia is working hard to design and build stylish cars and I would not hesitate to put this one in my driveway but for the gas mileage.

Soul over the Columbia River

As I write this I wonder, if I were a car what someone could write about me Or what if I were to write about someone else? From my worldview we all have the same designer. We have different purposes to fulfill, we have differing strengths, weaknesses, skills, and abilities. Would the reviewer take that into consideration? In a human being is refinement built-in or developed? From my worldview "Love" is a foundational principle and the most powerful "force" in the universe. But how does that fit in to a car-type review? Would it be the engine? the fuel? In any case I continue to reflect on my own life. Is it possible I am being transformed from a Diablo into a Soul?

Bill with Soul in South Bend WA

Seasons Greetings

2011-01-10T14:51:00.001+01:00

[NOTE: This was originally written on December 15, 2010)

In America it seems like the holiday season starts on Labor day. Here in Cameroon it will be yet another week (even then it takes a little bit of adjustment to hear "happy xmas"). In America we have changing leaves and harvest which leads us into Thanksgiving and hopefully into reflection. The holiday season brings much reflection for me. There are a variety of celebrations, some are ancient and some are new. The celebrations come from our various faith and national traditions. But America (at least) calls this the holiday season.

There is the Festival of Lights, First of Muharram, Bodhi Day, Day of Ashura, various traditional celebrations of the winter Solstice (Yule, Tohji-taisai, Christmas), Death of Zarathustra, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, Ghambar Maidyarem, and the Gregorian New Year.

We will likely honor one more than the others, we may not. We may wish our friends of other faiths well on their holy day(s) celebration(s) or not. We may or may not agree with the historical accounts or beginnings of celebrations and holy days - yet here we are.

As a Christian raised in America I enjoy the celebration of Christmas, first in recognition of Jesus' birth (though I do not accept it as the literal day) and in the traditions in which I was raised (Yule celebrations without the Pagan meanings).

We may be old friends or ancient foes; new acquaintances or misunderstood strangers. Though you may not know me, you might either hate me or love me. Friend, foe, or neutral, this is my hope, my prayer for you: May love, peace and joy be yours throughout the season and in the coming year. May you be blessed beyond expectation or hope. May the impulse of Love carry us beyond our personal perspectives into a purposed understanding of one another.

http://billcolwell.com/2010/xmas/

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-01-10T14:50:00.000+01:00

[NOTE: This was originally written on November 25, 2010]

My life is filled with many ups and downs, joys and frustrations, successes and failures. Yet I reflect on the past year and I find it has been quite full. Full of friends and family; full of laughter and good times and full of challenges and mind-numbing frustrations.

I am thankful for Trixy and many incredible friends: in the USA and in Cameroon. These are the salt and pepper of life. I am thankful for my still kickin' parents and in-laws. These friends and family engage themselves with me in life.

I am thankful that Love is not dead and that Peace is not just a concept. I am thankful for each person who has not inhibited the impulse of love or peace towards me. I am doing my best to pay it forward.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Birthday Reflections

2011-01-10T14:45:00.005+01:00

Yes, it is today, 17 September, on which I celebrate my own life and that of my father. I was born on his 38th birthday and I like to say that I am the present that kept on taking. However "receiving" may be a better word than "taking". I have been contemplating my life in comparison to my father's since I turned 38 - er - 29 for the 9th time. Today he is celebrating his 56th 29th birthday - though I swear he isn't a day over 25.

I cannot do justice to my father's influence on my life in this space. (Keep in mind that this is my personal reflection and does not necessarily constitute objective reality or truth.)

It has been said that every boy's journey to becoming a man must be guided by a man. While I have a few excellent male role models, the most prominent is my father.

First let me be a myth buster... (Sorry Dad) as much as it pains me to say it, I don't have a perfect father. I am sure there are many stories to this end, but that isn't the point now, is it? Rather let me explore the positive.

"Do what you love and do your best doing it."

"Believe something and live it."

"Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do."

These are the three most common principles I have taken - sorry -received - from my father. He has been my moral compass.

November 1983, on Mt Jefferson in New Hampshire

He made every effort to provide us a loving home environment where his children knew they were loved. He gave us hugs until we no longer wanted them and received them willingly when we were ready to give them.

Though he didn't see combat, WWII loomed in front of him while at Luke AFB in 1944. He was 20 years old when he married my 18 year-old future mother. He stopped smoking - cold turkey as I understand it - at around age 34 or 35 when my eldest brother started playing with his cigarettes. He went camping for the first time at the age of 40 in part to connect us to nature. At the age of 46 or 47 he went to Ecuador for business. He worked to instill in us the value of money, saving, and investing. I remember being given an allowance for trips with the freedom to spend it on anything at any time, but I would receive no more money for the trip. Ingenious really. What a way to shut the kids up from begging for more while getting us to experience choices and the consequences of those choices.

Paul K Guillow Inc.

As I recall I was an expressive child and rather abstract. I could (and still do) entertain myself while apparently doing nothing. Dreams do not need any sense of reality - all things are possible. So when his namesake and darling youngest child stated his plan to have a flying sled business my father didn't say "What are you nuts?! Sleds don't fly" or in any other way suggest or imply that I was stupid, naive, or crazy. No. Instead he simply asked me to come up with how much I wanted to pay my employees and how much I would charge my clients.

His purchases nearly always reflected practical values. I grew up with station wagons and a van. When he became the President of PK Guillow's the story goes that he received many calls - one from a car salesman who, in trying to get him to purchase an expensive car, but meeting a wall, inquired, "What was the last car you purchased?" To which my father replied (with great joy I believe), "A Chevy Chevette." That was the car in which I learned to drive.

The homestead and our modes of travel

I purchased my first car and my father and I drove it across the country to Oregon. Regardless of which of us drove we made good time (and I KNOW I drove well over the speed limit). I do recall it was on that trip that I woke to him tailgating a semi truck at 70 something mph. "ACK! What are you doing?" I shrieked. "Getting great gas mileage." I don't think I ever exceeded the mileage of that tankful. It was also the last time I easily slept in a moving vehicle.

Canoeing and Camping adventures

In many camping trips, hikes, canoe trips, dreams explored and left behind, adventures in the city and country he has been a willing participant. Perhaps more than that, he engaged willingly in my explorations of the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. We have spent many an hour discussing politics, religion, values, culture, Americana, and so on. Agreeing on the details wasn't the point - it was the process itself and the conclusion of maybe only slightly better understanding the other that was more important.

Camping, mud, & hot drinks

I have been ugly and unpleasent. I have hurt others because I left the principles by the wayside. I have not always lived by the principles instilled by my father. But his imprint is firm and strong. The three principles stand as guardians of my thoughts and actions. I have no excuse when I ignore them. The lessons of childhood are ever close. I am renewed in my spirit with wilderness encounters. Dad, from the bottom of my heart I thank you.

In my travels around the globe I have come to realize I have - thus far - lived a relatively charmed life. I have explored many countries, hiked hundreds of miles of trails, backpacked and canoed through incredible country. I have shared my life with incredibly wonderful people - all shapes, sizes, beliefs, conceptions, and abilities. The appreciation I have of the richness of the human tapestry was fostered by your welcoming others even when you didn't understand them or their choices.

Dad, happy birthday to you. I appreciate and thank you for expressing your love in action. Indeed what I am trying to say is I love you too.

Married Oct 1945

Rains

2011-01-10T14:40:00.001+01:00

[NOTE: This was originally written August 11, 2010]

Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we've no place to go, Let It Rain! Let It Rain! Let It Rain!

It doesn't show signs of stopping, And I've bought some corn for popping, The lights are turned way down low, Let It Rain! Let It Rain! Let It Rain!

What I love about Buea Cameroon during the rainy season:

little to no smell of anything burning - at all - any time of day/night or day of the week!
a lot less dust
taking off cold wet clothes and getting warm and dry
long drives in an air conditioned (i.e. dehumidified) Nissan Terrano
a meal at Chella's watching the Gorilla's watch me (I am dry and they are not)
watching Milo try to dodge the rain (she really thinks she can)
watching Jordan release pent up energy even when it is still raining (she is loosing her rain snobbishness though she doesn't romp in it like she did with snow)
the sound of rain (even though we have to turn on the English subtitles of our movies in order to know what is going on)
that in a matter of weeks the gradual process of less rain will begin.

Transitions

2011-01-10T14:38:00.000+01:00

[NOTE: This was originally written August 7, 2010]

Transition:

• passage: the act of passing from one state or place to the next
• conversion: an event that results in a transformation
• a change from one place or state or subject or stage to another
• cause to convert or undergo a transition; "the company had to transition the old practices to modern technology"
• a musical passage moving from one key to another
• make or undergo a transition (from one state or system to another); "The airline transitioned to more fuel-efficient jets"; "The adagio transitioned into an allegro"
• a passage that connects a topic to one that follows

So says the first entry of "define:transition" in Google. I am sitting in Atlanta's international terminal food court. I hear many non English languages and I have a sense of transition. It is actually comforting. I am transitioning from one state to another and in doing so I am transitioning through many states.

Transitions are continual. I never fully arrive at the final destination. I transition -- and I transition again. In fact I am fully aware that I do not know the final destination.

Today I am transitioning from the USA to Cameroon. I am comforted by the others here who are also transitioning. Though we share a transition of travel and locations - and even if I should end up in Cameroon with someone here, we are transitioning from and to different final destinations. We share space, a helping hand at Lobé Falls, we may even share a row on a plane, but we are not on the same journey. I share my life with Trixy and we share the destination of a life long marriage but our transitions are as varied as our individual journey.

I can't help but think about the patterns which emerge from chaos. How randomness finds order. I think about humanity. We are predicable yet not. Chaotic yet not. You and I are the same yet different. We see the world through eyes, we hear the world through ears - all our senses engaged in processing reality and the multiple transitions in which we find ourselves. We process through essentially similar neural networks and arrive at different conclusions.

Our underlying assumptions, the places we start -- provide a scaffolding by which we process voluminous input of information. We trust our scaffold implicitly.

The transitions of life, our personal journey to some future destination is enhanced by the transitions and personal journey of others intersecting with our own. Whether we agree with others or not - and perhaps by the "nots" - we learn and grow and adjust our underlying assumptions.

We may come to see the fallacy of assumed foundational premises. We may not. Depending on the question we may see the glass as half full or half empty. The point is that all the bits and pieces that make life chaotic, dancing to the beat of different drummers, when viewed at a distance paint a unique and beautiful picture. Like it or not, we are those bits and pieces. We dance together in chaotic fits and starts. We are in relationship with one another even when we don't know we are. We influence others whether we know it or not.

I have an underlying assumption that everyone is a leader: in relationship and influencing others. I have another underlying assumption: unconditional love is the most powerful "force" in the universe.

Perhaps the last assumption is this: the more I learn the more I know I don't know everything - and I am increasingly becoming more comfortable with that.

Back in the USA

2011-01-10T14:34:00.000+01:00

[NOTE: This was written July 29, 2010]

So I have been in the USA for about 10 days now. The questions come fast and furious about Cameroon or being back in the US. So without further ado and perhaps much ado about nothing:

What I LOVE about being back in the USA:
Cheddar (and now in no particular order)
Blueberries
Cherries
Fireflies
dry air (even in the "humidity" of South Bend)
Highways
really fast internet
Lula's coffee house; Elia's (in a new location); papa joe's
deep conversations!
The open landscape of Michiana
more privacy
not being stopped by the police and asked for my papers
no "gratuities" to governing authorities
Life feels easy here, I just don't know how else to describe it.

It was wonderful to drop in to SoCal visiting with a few friends and family; to see the mountains, but I don't really miss living in California. Indiana really has felt like home. I have missed our friends who have moved away. But have completely enjoyed those who are still around. I found myself musing that if South Bend had mountains it would be close to ideal. That is quite a change from when we were looking at residency options.

Yet I do miss Cameroon. Perhaps the saying is true: home is where the heart is. My heart is with Trixy and "the kids". I also miss my home-roasted coffee and Beno's pain au chocolate. I miss seeing Mt Cameroon. I miss bananas that have flavor. I miss awesome avocados and pineapples. But when I return to Buea all will not be the same. Some friends will have moved on to the next chapter of their lives and new friends will be made. Change is constant.

"Youth is wasted on the young" is a memorable line from "Its a Wonderful Life." I have a sense of my own mortality. I will not be here forever. Like George Bailey I wonder if my life has had any real and lasting impact. And then I think that it really doesn't matter if I have a legacy or even what it will be.

We share our time ever so briefly. Even if we get three score and five years together (as my parents are celebrating this year), it is still too brief. Remind me - please - that I believe I should treat others as I want to be treated. Not because I expect them to treat me that way. But because I choose to love even when they hate. I will choose to bless even when I am cursed. Remind me of this when I am cursed. Remind me of this when I am ugly and angry. Remind me of this in gentleness and with compassion. Remind me so I can learn and grow.

Life isn't easy on any continent. Life can be deceptive. We can be focused on the ball and miss the gorilla. We can be focused on the gorilla and miss the people dropping out of our lives.

Reality isn't just what we think we see or what we think we know. Our perspectives are all clouded, our understanding of reality is limited. There is no single algorithm or logic to explain everything. If science has taught us anything it has taught us that we really don't know much about anything. Science shows us that our perceptions cannot be trusted. Sciences teaches us that our bias influences our reality.

Who are the thought police? Are we free to choose what we believe? Do we really have to ridicule those who believe differently? Does what we believe make us better people? Do the things we value make more trustworthy? or do we just consume them? When our values bump into different values are we able to respect each other? Remind me again, that I choose to respect you even if you don't respect me.

I don't have all the answers. Thankfully no one I know does and I'm pretty sure no one else on the planet does either - even when they to think they do.

This I do know: Life is to be lived; to be savored. Like the effect on the taste buds of a good coffee or extra sharp cheddar, my life can be a savory delight, not just for myself, but for those with whom I interact. Please remind me when I am as unsavory and tasteless as an American banana.

2011

2011-01-10T10:49:00.002+01:00

Can it really be 2011? Where has the time gone? We have items to post that will catch you up on the happenings of our lives since "Road to Kribi" posting in July. We have updated the look of our blog as well. Perhaps you noticed. But if you are reading this via the RSS feed you won't see it. We invite you back to take a look.

Most of all we wish you a blessed year - full of joy, peace, and love.

The Road to Kribi

2010-07-15T12:56:00.000+01:00

You never really know how much stress you are feeling until you find a place to be quiet and relax. This was my experience in going to Kribi.

Kribi is a beach resort town in the South Region of Cameroon - attracting people from Douala and Yaounde with the easy drive and quiet pace. The population is estimated at 60,000 (based on 2007 figures). One of the first things I noticed on arriving in town is that there were large rubber trash receptacles place every few hundred feet along the road. Because of this the town has relatively little (almost no) street side litter. The entire time were were in Kribi I also never smelled the burning of anything except the sweet savor of food cooking.

The next thing I really noticed was the the beaches are almost completely trash free as well. This is no small feat. Kribi has a port of sorts, but I'm pretty sure its survival depends on tourism. Kribi is essentially at the road's end. It is known for its "white" sand beaches and Lobé Falls. Lobé Falls is one of several waterfalls around the world that fall directly into the ocean. They are not spectacular in the sense of height and grandeur. They are spectacular simply for what they are.

The daily stress one is under pales in comparison to (or perhaps is magnified by) the bump and grind through Bonaberi, and worse yet, the road just beyond the Douala Airport. From Buea to Kribi is about 150 miles and it takes about 3.5 hrs to drive. I look forward to the Douala Bypass. I don't think it is planned or anything. I think I will come back to Cameroon just to drive it though.

Just after the town of Edea you turn right on to the N7 (from the N3). Street signs are essentially non-existant (we did see some in Yaounde). Often you will see a sign that shows roads with town names. But to Kribi, we saw nothing. I turned right at what seemed right place. Just down the road a piece was a large sign (in French) saying something about Kribi. I also noticed a little stone Km marker a bit further along noting 95 Km to Kribi. Whew. The correct road.

The beauty of the N7 is that it only has traffic bound for Kribi. This, being the off season meant traffic was light. The road is in good repair and truck traffic was minimal. So I was able to hit speeds of 73 mph. I was passed only by a couple of cars!! About 3/4 of the way to Kribi, you cross a river and into the South Region.

As this was all new to us we went slowly through town trying to follow the directions of the 2004 guidebook. Funny thing about guidebooks: they are not able to tell you about current road conditions or construction. We finally found the detour around the work blocking our way. And by noon had reached Hotel Ilomba. We were told they were full up so we went back to the next hotel. The Hotel Residence des Fluers saved us 25,000 cfa per night. The accommodations where nice and clean. The mattress felt new and the pillows very nice. The only thing that seemed less than "normal" was that there was no toilet seat. While unusual for us, this is indeed quite normal here.

We went to Lobé falls after checking in, walked out on the rocks and snapped some photos. This began the "de-stressing" process. We lunched at Ilomba. Beyond telling us "don't panic" the guidebook says this restaurant is "good". "Good" is an understatement. I ordered Fillet au Paris or something like that. The waiter returned and asked "How would you like that cooked?" I couldn't believe my ears!! "Medium well" was my reply knowing I would be happy with whatever returned. And what came to the table was a nice lean steak that was ever so lightly pink. It was "melt in your mouth delicious!"

Dinner was at our hotel. While the accommodations were respectable, the restaurant is not. Where lunch was easily the best meal I had eaten in Cameroon, dinner was the worst. The service was average at best and the bill incorrect. We left there and walked back to Ilomba for dessert of ice cream (a couple of scoops of mint and a couple of coconut with a dollop of whipped cream) and a chocolate mousse. Without hesitation we went back to Ilomba for breakfast. I had the 6000 cfa breakfast buffet - easily the best tasting and most filling meal I have had in the country. We did stop on the way out of town at a place for lunch and had a very tasty meal too.

When one willingly stops being the "hamster on the wheel" the awareness of the stress comes flooding to the top. Life in Africa, and Cameroon in particular, is at once a slower yet incredibly intense pace. Everything seems to take much more effort to accomplish so much less. The noise of the everyday can often drown out the still small voice calling us to be wise, loving, humble, and peacemakers. The noise of the everyday can often blind us to unique solutions, and actually diminish relationships. There is nothing magical about Kribi - just opportunity. Resting on the beach after a wonderful meal I began to think about these things. I have no answers. There are things you know and yet sometimes forget in the experience. I love Trixy and I choose her daily. Yet here I was finally relaxing disconnected from our "everyday". Walking hand in hand on the beach or along a dirt track, laughing and actually enjoying one another, without all the added, daily stress and strain. We certainly didn't become "stress free" but it was dialed back. It was just what the doctor ordered.

The Fourth and Fireworks

2010-07-09T20:38:00.001+01:00

My childhood memories of American Independence day are of family and friends at parades and picnics and later fireworks over the lake. As I grew up and moved around I have enjoyed memorable Independence day celebrations around the country. Each celebration has its own uniqueness whether it was with particular friends, fireworks displays, music, or what-have-you. Some of the standouts: Boston, standing on the bridge over the Charles River listening to the Pops perform the 1812 Overture; Washington DC on the Mall; Selway-Bitteroot Wilderness in Idaho after two days of rain our "fireworks" were a gorgeous sunset and a roaring fire. In 2002 I spent my first independence day celebration with Trixy. We went to San Francisco enjoyed exploring the city during the day and were on the wharf for dueling barges sending up the fireworks.

This year I have just celebrated my first 4th of July Independence day celebration outside of the United States. It was a very different experience. For one thing, we are around very few Americans. In Buea we know of five (including Trixy and me). So there is little focus on the day. But what I also realized is that social networking tools such as Facebook provide a touch of that awareness. I get to share in the events of the day with my friends and relatives again - though much more retrospectively and certainly not in first person.

I think the term "retrospective" is fully appropriate to describe my experience this year. I have been reviewing what the day means to me and the many and varied ways I have spent the day and all of the various people with whom I have celebrated (the list is LONG and IMHO distinguished).

Reading the American Declaration of Independence still gives me goose bumps. It is, along with the American Bill of Rights, among the worlds greatest documents. It declares independence from abuse and outlines appropriate boundaries by revealing grievances. The authors didn't seek to burn bridges but understood that the "other party" might not agree and they may make forceful effort to forbid such. The document sets the foundation for a national identity. As the nation grew and matured (and continues to grow and mature) we realized that many attitudes the various citizens have held through the years have had to grow and mature as well. I hope we have not yet stopped growing and maturing.

This year we had no fireworks (except for those expressed by me when I couldn't find my Cameroon National ID card - which Trixy was able to find). Instead Trixy and I, with Peace Corps friend Kami drove to Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. From our home it is about 200 miles to the American Embassy. Leaving our house at 9:15 am we stopped at Beno's Bakery and later in Bonaberi for fuel and to top off the tyres (here you say "fill-up" which sounds like "flop"). In Buea you pay about 100 cfa for each tyre. At Tradex they fill up the air for free. From there it was a Sunday's drive through Douala (meaning much less traffic).

I have only driven to the airport in Douala. So every kilometer after the airport was new to my personal driving experience. Near Edea we were stopped by the police. He looked at the stickers on the windshield (all current and correct) and sent us on our way. No IDs or vehicle documents requested. The entire trip this ended up being the only time we were stopped. And no one wished us a happy 4th of July.

I had reviewed Google Earth before leaving home and had a pretty good idea of where I needed to go. We planned to stop at the SDA headquarters in Yaounde, followed by the Guest House and then the Embassy. We arrived at the Embassy, after our stops at 2:30 pm about half way through the three hour party. Sadly we missed the National Anthem which was played at 1:30. Still it was wonderful to be greeted with "Welcome to America!"

We were guided to the pool area where tents were set up over tables and chairs (this is the rainy season after all). We paid 7,500 cfa for lunch (about $15 for a cheeseburger, hotdog, two ice creams, cupcake and cracker jacks). Included were any drinks in the coolers and the sandwich accompaniments (pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mustard, ketchup, potato salad, etc). The area was decorated with red, white, and blue balloons, streamers, etc.

While the clouds looked threatening, it did not rain! In fact the sun came out and was a tad bit warm. Trixy and Kami went swimming while I visited with friends. There are many Americans living and working in Cameroon. We met up with SIL Missionaries and Peace Corps folk we've met before (and made some new friends too). We spent the evening with the Kapteyn's, the SIL Missionary family we know in town and with whom we visited at the pool party. We hadn't had a chance to really visit since we saw them in April 2009.

I am reminded that I am an ambassador for all the things I am and profess. I am a citizen of the US of A. Everything I say and do reflects on America. I am a professed follower of "the way" (of Jesus of Nazareth) and thus consider myself a citizen of a government "not of this world", a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, I am a student of "Leadership", promoter of technology and the geo-dispursed knowledge contributor. What I say and do matters as it reflects on what I profess.

The American Colonies' written declaration of independence reminds me of the incredible responsibility I have in participating in my government processes. I am reminded of the awesome responsibility of refusing to be abused while desiring peace with those who might seek to abuse me; and of not abusing others with force, fear, intimidation, or manipulation but rather to stand with courage and - in a conviction of love - serve. The declaration of independence and the bill of rights are designed to protect the rights of all members of the citizenry: the powerful and the weak; the victims and the victimizers; the majority of "whatever" as well as the minority "whatever". At the beginning of the united States of America the signers of the declaration pledged their lives and fortunes to one another - come what may. I wonder where we are today.

***

When the government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson

Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
William Pitt the Younger

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.
Abraham Lincoln

History affords us many instances of the ruin of states, by the prosecution of measures ill suited to the temper and genius of their people. The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy... These measures never fail to create great and violent jealousies and animosities between the people favored and the people oppressed; whence a total separation of affections, interests, political obligations, and all manner of connections, by which the whole state is weakened.
Benjamin Franklin, Emblematical Representations, Circa 1774

Road to Kumba

2010-06-24T20:41:00.001+01:00

As our friend Carl was wrapping up his two week visit with us we wanted to do something different than the usual weekend activities. We had planned to go to Kribi, a resort beach town in the South Region. But for a number of reasons we decided it would be better to stay a bit closer to home and make a single day trip to Kumba.

From our place in Buea you head down to Mile 17 (about 3 miles down the hill). Mile 17 is a round-a-bout and one of the fastest growing areas in Buea. To go to Kumba you exit left. From there you pass Muea (also a rapidly growing community and home to one of the oldest markets in the greater Buea area).

From Muea you travel about 50 miles to Kumba. As the road leaves Muea, there are few towns and villages (Bolifamba, Ekona and Muyuka are the other major communities on the road to Kumba). The scenery is spectacular coming away from Buea. There is one place where the road drops at an 8 to 10% rate and you can see rolling hills for many miles. The ups and downs and twists and turns of this year old upgraded road are interrupted with periodic speed bumps and three or four police/military check points.

From a round-a-bout in Kumba, it is about 2 miles to the turn off to Lake Barambi Kotto - a crater lake. The last bit of this road - after the government offices - is a relatively graded dirt road. The little road to the lake is more of a "track". It was once paved or at least in parts. From the turn off, the last track is just about a half mile. That last half mile took us 10 minutes and 15 seconds to drive.

I am now very happy we purchased a four-wheel drive (4WD). I had not tested the 4WD system until this point. Putting the Terrano into 4H we started down the track, through a very soft and muddy 15 feet and up the other side.

Dropping down a gentle grade we were faced with a very steep uphill grade with some pretty good (bad) ruts. I put it into 4-low and picked my path. No tire slippage at all as the torque of the engine pretty much pulled us up the hill. From that point I just left it in 4-low to the lake's edge as the road was very muddy and rough.

The lake area is lush. It sits at an elevation of about 980 feet. We were blessed with a mostly sunny day. Of course that meant more heat than we are used to in Buea (elev 2400'). Where the road meets the lake you can hire a boat to take you across the lake to a village. We opted out of the boat rental and decided to just walk about. We walked for a while on a jungle path along the lake. When the growth got real thick and tall we turned around and headed back.

On the drive back along the track we gave a lift to two village ladies headed to the Kumba market. Their plantains had been taken out by moto and they were walking the track. We dropped them at track's end so they could be sure to arrange for the plantains to make the rest of the trip to market.

In Kumba we decided to check out the market as well. It is fairly large with well defined dirt walkways. Fortunately the dirt was more dry than wet and mud was minimal. Lunch was at Kanton Hotel/Cafe. The World Cup was on the television. There were four of us and we had intended to face each other around our table, but instead they brought another table up so that all of us could watch the game. Did I mention the World Cup is BIG here? Sadly, however, the Cameroon National team has been eliminated.

The drive back was uneventful: no hassles at checkpoints being most noteworthy.

Learning to Drive (again)

2010-05-11T13:25:00.000+01:00

BUEA Cameroon - The last time I drove was something like November 30, 2009. Granted it was just after driving our little Honda Civic across the country but still - its been over five months since getting behind the wheel of a car.

That is what makes my most recent Douala visit an adventure. I drove. I was there to check out a Nissan Torrano II (the details: 2004 w/70,000 kms, diesel, 2+3+2 seating, 4 doors, 4x4, white. looks like a mild fender bender up front, a pounded out drivers door. Overall for Cameroon in very good shape.)

I was handed the key and got in. I forgot it was a manual transmission and quietly wondered to myself why it wouldn't start, when I remembered the clutch (I like to think it was a quick brain fart). Shifting was smooth, the clutch felt right, the engine responsive. Nothing to worry about - right? Pulling out on to the street was easy as it was a quiet side street. Following the directions of the backseat driver, I turned left, right, and left again. It was the second left with a right following when it hit home that I was in Douala. A large Mercedes boldly pulled up on my left and cut me off to the right.

My Boston born and bred brain clicked on. I tromped on the accelerator and went into the flow of traffic cutting of the Mercedes. :-) I was now in the left lane and there was some discussion in the backseat about which way we were planning to turn at the next cross road. "Go right" and I bust into the right lane. "No, no we are going left". There were two painted lanes going our direction and four lanes of vehicles. And I pushed the car left and cut in as the backseat drivers said, "no, no, go further up and then cut in!" And, as the light turned red "Go, go, go - FASTER, this is Cameroon!" The opposing traffic didn't seem phased that I was the last of four or five cars that clearly ran the red.

Down past a place where there were more white people than I have seen in five months as well (apparently a quality international school), turned around when through the mass of white people again (with all newer larger cars by the way), to a nice quiet street where we could more closely examine the car. The mechanic who came with my friend and I took the car for a quick spin and it looked like the alignment was pretty good (at least not horrible).

Back in the drivers seat we eased right where the cars were coming quickly and the merge very short, complicated by some serious pot-holes. Back safely - nothing would be worse in my opinion than to take a car out for a test drive and get into an accident! Did I mention that the only license I have is from Indiana? Yes, and it was in Buea.

We are now working on a wire transfer. If the owners are patient we will be the new owners. If not, we'll keep looking.

Weighing in

2010-04-29T21:24:00.001+01:00

BUEA Cameroon - So, over the years I have been ever so gradually putting on extra weight. Some of it started when I put on some muscle mass riding my bike a lot. Still I wish I could say it was all muscle - but far from it!!

During the pre-embarkation month, where we went from coast to coast visiting family and friends, I must have put on another 10 lbs. I could barely get to the first hole in my belt!! Arriving in Cameroon I weighed myself (with shoes) tipping the scales at 100 kgs! For my USA friends thats essentially 220 lbs. My BMI had also tipped over the healthy "25".

Food here is much less refined. You can of course purchase refined foods but they are generally much more expensive. Dinning out in Buea isn't at all like South Bend where we could fill every meal in a week with a favorite place and not repeat. In Buea there are few that welcome you in the same manner as we are accustomed. While prices are probably about the same, we earn much less. Thus in relative terms we are looking at almost five times the price (another way in the USA we might spend 1 out of every $275 earned, here we spend 1 out of $57 earned or $4.82 for every $275). So we go out much less.

Cheese, my major food addiction is SO expensive that, rather than cheese at every meal, I try to make a .25 kg (8.8 oz for about $6.81) block last a month or more. For breakfast I make my own hash browns from - gasp - real potatoes. I do have some spices, but generally find that onion, garlic, and a bit of green pepper goes a long way for taste.

I snack on frozen bananas. Seriously they are almost as good as ice cream and a LOT fewer calories. Tropical bananas are really tasty. I don't know that I'll be able to eat bananas in the States. Anyhow, Trixy has taken to grinding up roasted peanuts and rolling the fresh bananas in the mix before placing them in the freezer. Wow! In all other ways we have experimented with cooking and found some things we like. Friends send us spices which are incredibly helpful for more complex dishes and for variety.

I know other missionary friends who hire a cook - in some places it is expected. Not here. In Buea we do our own cooking. Honestly, I think I like it this way - though I do look forward to the day we open a cafeteria (at least for lunch).

Buea is also NOT like South Bend in that no matter where you walk you will go up AND down a hill. So walking Jordan is much more energy consuming.

I can now fasten my belt to the fourth hole, but very comfortably the third. So, on arrival I was 100 kgs. The first of January I weighed myself again: 90 kgs. A 22 lb loss in a month!! I had mild panic. But decided to see how things would go. The first of February I was right around 87 and at the first of March 85. As we close in on the first of May, I weighed in at 84. I am glad I have slowed down. I will be happy if my African lifestyle will get me to 80 kgs. I am patient. No need to rush. Instead, I am trying to find foods I fully enjoy, that are easy to make, and relish going out for a good meal at OIC, Capitol or Arne in Limbe. In fact there are a few other places in Limbe I need to try - Bird Watcher's I hear is great and Arne's unit in the Wildlife Centre is due to offer pizza.

Yesterday Today Tomorrow

2010-04-19T17:43:00.002+01:00

BUEA Cameroon - One year ago Trixy and I were in Buea Cameroon, deciding our future. That future is now, can you believe it?! We have been in Cameroon going on 21 weeks. That is about four times longer than I have ever been out of the country before. (Of course Trixy spent six months in Tanzania before she went to med school).

A year ago on the 15th we were in Paris. Now, thanks to a volcano in Iceland, Europe - or at least most of Europe - is not reachable by plane. Getting to the USA, now means finding alternative routes. One never quite knows what the future will bring.

We live on an active volcano. It is said to be one of the largest and most active volcanos in Africa, last erupting in 2000. Of course generally, I understand, earthquakes precede an eruption and we have had no earthquakes -- yet.

In light of Haiti we wonder about the construction of our hospital, let alone all the other buildings now and in the future. We certainly hope our single story home and clinic - built nearly 40 years ago - are sturdier than modern construction.

While the threat of earthquakes, eruptions, and lava flows remains and is higher than most other places in Africa, we are more likely to be ravaged by infectious diseases. (Sadly I can't seem to find that link at this time). There was a case of Yellow fever right here in Buea last fall. Though the most recent cases were in the West Region (we are in the South West Region). Second to infections diseases is the concern over food security. This doesn't mean so much about locking food up and having it in storage, as it means uninterrupted access to food. This takes into account the ability of the region's population to grow or purchase food without the threat of interruptions due to drought, civil unrest, or economic conditions.

We are unaware of any local, regional or national disaster preparedness. We have not yet developed our own plan (Public Health students - any takers? I will happily do what I can on this end to answer questions. If you want to make a journey here we'd be happy to put you up for a visit).

Living in Cameroon confirms what I suspected. "Control" is a nice word and pleasant belief and hope we have - but not a reality. Plan? Sure, but who really knows what the future will bring? About the best we can do is live today. That is a huge struggle for me - an avowed futurist who dreams of potentials and possibilities.

Car accident UPDATED

2010-04-01T11:34:00.003+01:00

BUEA Cameroon - Wow, poor Winner's Pharmacy. No damage to property, but as I (Bill) was headed up town to the radio station to purchase advert spots for the health centre, saw an over-turned and heavily damaged SUV right in front of Winner's. I don't know the extent of injuries for driver, passengers, or pedestrians. Trixy, Jordan, and I walk this way regularly and it is an eye-opening experience to see that even folk on the other side of the deep rain drain are at risk.

UPDATE: I went by to take a closer look and there was extensive damage to the front wall of the courtyard to Winner's Pharmacy as well as glass all over the place. It looks like it was pretty bad. I hope no one was killed!

Robbery at Winners Pharmacy

2010-03-26T10:18:00.003+01:00

Buea Cameroon - Details are sketchy at this time. However, we understand that there was an armed robbery at Winners Pharmacy on March 25, 2010 at 7 pm. Winner's Pharmacy is located in the Great Soppo quarter of Buea, near 1st Trust and the Jupiter Complex.

Mobility

2010-03-24T13:23:00.000+01:00

Mobility can mean a lot of different things to people. I am accustomed to having mobility and being mobile. Since I was 20 years old I have owned at least one car. My first car was a brand new 1984 Honda CRX. It had six miles on the odometer when I first drove it. In four years I put on 143,000+ miles. I drove it across the nation, coast to coast and from LA to Chicago and back. But most of the miles were within 700 miles of home (or about 1126 km). We had a first love type of relationship - and a lot of Eros with the top of line aftermarket suspension from Jackson Racing.

My second "car" was a 1988 Isuzu Trooper. With 114 miles on the odo at delivery, it was a short wheel base model imported only one year. I owned the CRX for a few months and often found myself conflicted about which one to drive to work. However on many weekends, there was no contest as the Trooper took me off the beaten path. Together we enjoyed many a back and desert track. 10 years and 198,000+ miles and we parted. We had a love/hate relationship.

A 1996 Honda Civic was my 3rd car - at delivery it had 12 miles on the odometer. Quite obviously this overlapped for a couple of years with my Trooper. Understated reliability and easy to live with I committed to the long term with this one. It didn't get coast to coast in a single trip until the end. Yet it saw more states than the other two cars combined. It was more powerful than the CRX and was more efficient. It was purchased in Loma Linda and sold 14 years later in Riverside. It was a workhorse and ever a fun car to drive (except on balding tires in rain or snow - which was rare). Sold it with over 213,000 miles after making its sole (soul) cross country journey (with bald tires in rain and snow).

I think I am a Honda guy. We picked up my parents 2001 Accord with 87,000 miles on it. My first drive with it was 2000 miles to South Bend. It had an easy life and was a joy to drive. More dog room in the back and more lugged space, it made taking our 20' long 3-room tent and all our other stuff car camping around the Michiana area. It had a little over 100,000 miles when we sold it.

Mobility. I have had a car since I was 20. That is until we sold the Civic in November of 2009. When I have wanted to go somewhere a trusty steed was always available (except for the "hate" part of the Trooper - which was short lived).

I now live in Cameroon. Cameroonians are VERY mobile. At least the ones I know. They go to Limbe, Douala, Bamenda, and dozens of other places regularly via the available methods of mobility.

Now, Trixy and I do a lot of walking around our quarter and nearby quarters (neighborhoods). We will walk to Beno Bakery (a tad over a mile each way), or to the Post office (2 miles each way). We easily hop in a taxi and go to Molyko or Muea to meet up with friends or to shop. Or go "up town" to the Capitol Hotel for a dinner out (it is near the Post Office). We are able to go by ourselves to Limbe, Douala, or even Yaounde - when needed.

By extension there is really no reason we cannot be as mobile as our local friends. Still I miss the imprint I have of the freedom a car of my own brings. Without a car, it is much more difficult to take Jordan anywhere outside of Buea. It is more complicated to pick up friends at the airport or have a quick trip anywhere.

We are still exploring and having fun doing so. I'm just venting one major thing I miss.

March 22

2010-03-22T19:24:00.000+01:00

As I came to realize that today is March 22, I decided to play "March 22" on my iPod (by Clarence & the neon iguanas). I have known this song for many, MANY years. I know the gents who brought it to life. All of that beauty is not the point of my writing today.

Storms of life come and go. The sea of change ebbs and flows. As I experience life here in Cameroon, a few thoughts swirl through my head:

"perfect love casts out fear"
"love does not harm a neighbor"
"encourage one another, build each other up"
"take the log out of your own eye before trying to remove the speck out of your neighbor's"
"love your enemies"
"bless and do not curse those who hate you"
"rejoice with those who rejoice, and mourn with those who mourn"
"love others as you love yourself"

I clearly have much to learn at the feet of Love. In my innermost being I want to love with a very perfect love. I want to love in thought and in action. I want to love myself better, I want to love others better. I want to love those who hate and mistreat me.

"Want" is weak. Rather I choose to love. As I learn and grow, I believe that Love does not disappoint any one who has chosen it. Mistakes may indeed be made, but Love holds no record of the wrong. Clearly Love does not rejoice in the wrong, but Love protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres so that it is over-joyed when Truth is acknowledged. In this way Love shows patience and kindness. Love also does not know envy or pride.

Love has much work to do in my life. "March 22" says that no matter the storms that pound my life, I can stand firm in Love. When my life falls apart Love is there. Love calls me to be the physical manifestation towards others of Love. It is Love itself that empowers me to fulfill this calling. I believe Love provides the impulse of action to this kind of love. It is then my choice as to how I will respond.

Love is not limited to any particular religious system or even limited by the rejection of religious systems. Love is limited only by our response to it.

Workhorses

2010-02-20T22:06:00.001+01:00

Have you ever considered your "workhorses"? What do you rely on daily?

Daily I rely on my Berkey water filter. It gets filled at least once but often two or three times per day. While I have the far less expensive Sawyer filter as a back up, the Berkey looks very good on the counter top.

The Berkey is handy to be sure. But without water to the tap, it'd be a slog to fetch water. While most Mission compounds I have been to have water, I am not sure all have it pumped to the house. In Buea, water is not distributed to most homes. Rather community pumps serve most people. Water to the tap (and a 2000 liter storage container) have given us continuous water access since we arrived. That also means showers. (For reasons still unclear to me water pressure wanes after 8 pm.) Water to the tap also means flush rather than pit toilets!

Showers remind me that I also have hot showers. In our new bathroom hot water is within a couple of minutes and in the other bathroom, you need to remember a couple of hours ahead to turn on the hot water heater.

Hot showers remind me that electricity is used throughout the day. Electricity is to more homes than water. Both water and electricity do "fail". In the dry season water can be "off" a day at a time. Where as power outages during the dry season seem to last between 30 minutes to an hour. But during rains, the power can be off hours at a time.

Electricity reminds me that my laptop is used daily. I am working on forms, brochures, emails, photographs, facebook; igoogle, etc.

Which brings me to the internet. As slow and as expensive as it is we use it daily. We really noticed it the other weekend when lightning fried our MODEM. (The MODEM has been replaced and Camtel installed a line surge protector). Also with electricity we have a frigid refrigerator. But when the power goes off for hours at a time, it doesn't seem to hold the cold as well as I'd hope for. No electricity - lights, no hot water, no internet, and a warming fridge.

The stove operates without electricity, but you do have to remember to purchase new bottles gas every now and then. We use it daily.

Many of these things, if not all, provide similar comforts to how we lived in the USA. Life would be different without them. Though not impossible. After all that is what people used to do many years ago (all over the world I might add).

So much on my mind

2010-02-18T17:02:00.001+01:00

There is so much on my mind. Where do I start? Do I tell you that I was dreaming about being in Paris and interacting in relatively French? Or about our needs at the Health Centre? Or my great disappointment that "Amazing Grace" is not in our church hymnals?

Do I continue my thoughts on being a "Missionary"? Or that I really wish people to be converted to Agape more than any dogma or creed? Do I relate more observations about busses, motos, and taxis? Or perhaps about how everything I look at is organizational culture; behavior or policy related since I am focusing right now on these topics in my leadership program?

Or do I relate the simple joys: Jordan's silly grin and increased energy when the temps are cooler; recognizing people - in the market or just walking along the street - exchanging warm greetings; or that song # 93 in SDA Hymnal ("All Things Bright and Beautiful") brings happy tears to my eyes (I am SUCH a sap); that we are finding new, quieter places to walk with Jordan; and that I actually enjoy mapping the places I go with my GPS?

Or do I share my our food discoveries; our recipes; cooking for Jordan and grinding up egg shells for calcium enrichment?

There is so much on my mind, where do I start? What would you like to know more about?

Thoughts on being a "Missionary"

2010-01-17T13:59:00.001+01:00

I am sent by my religious faith system/denomination to be a "Missionary". Admittedly this word hasn't set well with me. Needless to say - I AM sent by my denomination and accepted as a missionary in Cameroon.

One can think a missionary is sent to convert others to their particular doctrines/dogma/religion/what-have-you. One can think of one sent on a charitable mission somewhere. Wikipedia has a definition that says "one who is sent to witness across cultures."

Am I out to convert people to my personally held doctrines/dogma/religion? Am I here to be charitable? To witness across cultures? Witness to "what" exactly?

We find our faiths in a variety of ways. We are born into families with certain values and we may not depart far from them. We convert. One of the easiest ways for me to think about who I am and what I am doing is to put it in terms of nationalities. I was born in the USA; imprinted with the climate and scenery of New England.

I think my country is beautiful and diverse. My country was founded with particular values. I cannot help it - I get goose bumps when I read or hear the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Equally, the music of our national anthem is meaningful, and the words of America the Beautiful stir me.

I was not born with those feelings. I discovered them as I grew up and experienced life. I tested the values against other values to see if they rang true. And to my perspective, the America we have to day is the same but also very different from the one I value in my heart and that I believe was intended at our inception.

We do not always represent those values well. We say one thing and often do another. Still other Americans have differing perspectives from mine - differing opinions of the intent of the founding fathers. This neither makes them or me right or wrong. That is one of our values.

When I travel the world, away from my country, I am a "missionary", an Ambassador if you will. For those who meet me have their own ideas of what America is and what Americans are like. I cannot own their perspectives - they are what they are. I am who I am.

I represent just 1/300 millionth of what America is and I only offer myself as a single perspective. I remember being in Hong Kong, waiting in a hotel for my ride to the boat to Macau. I could hear a "Texan" bellowing through the halls. I tried to hide. I was riding a bus in London. We slowed near a club and there was an American swearing is head off that he was NOT going to remove his tie to go in the club.

I am sure at some point, that I too, have been an ugly American - loud and obnoxious. Though I try to be mindful of such, I am a witness to others about America by how I live and conduct myself. I do not do so from a "legal" basis. I do not live burdened by the obligation. I succeed and I fail. That too is part of being American. Oh, and just because I am American doesn't mean I agree with everything the leaders of America say or do.

I am not out trying to convert others to be American. I would rather see them be excellent citizens of their respective countries. However if one should be unhappy with their country, and I think you might be a good citizen of mine, I may wonder aloud, about the person becoming an American. Should they become an American citizen, I would hope they would value our history. That being an American isn't, in itself the American dream. Being American isn't a surety of success (or failure). Being American doesn't automatically make one an infidel (though I don't doubt there are some among us).

Rather than assuming the best or worst of me, because I am American, I would prefer people to talk with me and explore what it means for me to be American. I too want to understand what it means for you to be a citizen of your country. I get excited when you love your country and can point out the beauty of its values as well as its physical beauty. Don't expect me to convert -- though I hope I can deeply appreciate what it means to be a citizen of your country.

Perhaps together we can break down the walls of misunderstanding and mistrust. Perhaps together we can build each other up through loving acts of kindness, demonstrating the best values of our respective countries. Perhaps together we can make the world a better place.

Missing

2010-01-10T14:14:00.000+01:00

The power is out while I write this (January 7). What a good time to catch up on my thoughts:

I'm starting to miss fast food. Yep. Maybe it was the power of suggestion, I don't know. But Derrick posted a pic from Niger where he had a thick (presumably) beefy sandwich with cheese (and he made it himself, clearly I am falling behind in the "game"). Then I watch a movie ripped from Tivo and there was a McDonald's commercial and IN the movie there was a scene where they were eating mexican fast food.

We have been in Cameroon over a month now. It is finally beginning to sink in that we aren't going away anytime soon. While previously I have been out of the USA for up to five weeks at a time, we have now passed that. Trixy has been gone for as long as six months before, so some of this isn't new to her. From my perspective though she is also missing some of our usual foods and snacks.

So, the cravings have started. I am craving Del Taco's chili cheese fries and breakfast burritos. I am craving Taco bell menu items. I am craving a Culvers' Butter Burger and flavor-of-the-day ice cream. While Trixy has made excellent banana pancakes, I am craving the Bibbler and/or Le Peeps experience. I miss Don Pablos (even though they left before we did). I miss bottomless chips & salsa. I miss cilantro (I swear I saw it here in April, but can't locate any now).

We are still getting to know the people here. But lets face it, American English is different from other "English". While the same words may be spoken, cultural meaning can't be overlooked. We miss our friends. We miss the easy manner of conversation. We miss the spiritual insights, we miss the humor.

Still as I reflect, we are getting to know Buea gradually. We did the same with South Bend. We are just doing it very differently.

I miss jumping into one of our two cars and going for a drive, camping, sightseeing, exploring - WITH the dog. I missing having EVERYTHING in Google Maps. Want a restaurant? Look it up on Google. Want a church? Look it up on Google. Want to service your car? Look it up on Google. Want a certain type of store or product? Look it up on Google.

You didn't need to know anyone, just Google. Here, Google is of little use and people know people; people know places to go and things to do.

So, I saw a kid eating what looked like ice cream "Hey where'd you get that?" "Out front". I was in a shop having some letters printed. No one was out front, but a woman called out from inside, "The man with the cart!" Looking left and then right - ah there he is. For 100 cfa an iced cream-of-some-sort-of-flavor (I've never had before) in a cone. It was cold and sweet.

Flight Reflections

2009-12-22T12:14:00.003+01:00

Our flight:

We are both experienced international travelers. However for our flight moving us to Cameroon, we were also taking our dog. With great fortune, we were booked on Air France with a single layover in Paris.

We were quoted $200 USD for the dog. We were also checking in five boxes. Air France allows international travelers to check in two items up to 50 lbs for no additional fee. We did our best to maximize the weight distribution. At the airport the Air France staff allowed us to open our boxes and shift weight around to fully maximize our space and weight allowances. This reduced one box from just over 70 lbs (to 70 lbs) and another from just over 50 lbs (to an even 50). With current rates at $100 USD for being over 50 lbs but under 70 lbs, we needed to pay $100. For the extra check-in, a 70 lb box there was a fee of $200 (extra bag) + $100 for being over 50 lbs.

The Air France staff again were helpful in doing the math to see if they could play the numbers. Every calculation came out the same: $400 for the bags + $200 for the dog. Interestingly, in Paris they were quoting €200 Euros for each extra bag. One last note about the helpfulness of the staff. On the phone we were told we'd have to collect all our bags and the dog. But a supervisor came by and checked three bags all the way through to Douala. Very helpful...

We departed from Dulles International. Our scheduled departure time was 8:55 pm. They planned to start boarding at 8:05 pm. Both were on time.

We were there to check-in three hours early. We arrived at 6 pm and it took us about 45 minutes to check-in. They held onto Jordan's crate and we walked her to the end of the terminal, to a pet walk area. Trixy had already given Jordan her some sort of doggy valium, it was beginning to show. Her forward gait was good, though she tended to drift. However, sitting down or standing up seemed a bit more problematic - as did any other side to side movement.

We took her to the check in counter at 7:35. They put her crate on a dolly as we walked her to the end of the terminal where security went through her crate. She walked in quietly and lay down - looking resigned.

Trixy and I then went through security and proceeded to our gate. We were there with time to spare so we walked to "5 Guys" for a bite to eat. Google had provided free internet in association with Boingo, so we checked email and Facebook. We got back to our gate just as our section was boarding. So yes, my last American meal was a little cheese burger & fries from 5 Guys.

The flight to Paris was uneventful. Thankfully this was a modern plane and we each had our own entertainment screen. I started to watch "Julie & Julia" but it was a bit slow moving for me. So I switched to "Love Actually". I SO enjoy this movie - even after several times seeing it. Dinner was during the movie and afterwards I did my best to sleep for a couple of hours.

The flight to Paris is about 7 hrs and there is a six hour time change. We landed pretty much on time at 11 am. We went through passport control to baggage claim and retrieved our two boxes. Jordan was in her crate at the other end, by the exit. We had two baggage carts and wheeled them from Terminal 2E to 2C. Its a pretty good (read LONG) walk.

Once there we had to check-in again. Fortunately no more fees as we had paid those at our departure airport. But it was far more chaotic and we were watching our time tick away. We finally go some one to check us through, waiting for staff to come and get Jordan. Once they did, we proceeded through security and do our boarding gate. Our flight was scheduled at 1:50 pm. We went down the jetway about 1:40 - to a bus, which took us across the tarmac to the plane.

Once on the plane I began to relax. It was still quite some time before we took off. I think we left about an hour late. The flight to Douala was also uneventful. I watched "Star Trek". The flight is about 6.5 hours. We landed about an hour late and the AC was pumping out of the plane's system as we walked up the jetway. Once inside the terminal we were hit with the heat and humidity.

Ah, yes, welcome to Douala Cameroon!!

We were met at Passport control by Pastor Nlend, who stayed close to us all the way through the chaos of baggage claim and customs control. To my great relief Jordan finally emerged - and our boxes also began to appear.

Pastor Nlend had a driver and a Prado. We stuffed the boxes and bags through the back door and tied the dog's crate to the roof and so began the drive to Buea. I think we arrived pretty close to midnight.

Updated photo header

2009-12-16T15:10:00.000+01:00

The image of the hippo is one I took while in Malawi (May 2008). It is easily one of my favorite images from that trip. But it isn't representative of the "now". Given the location of Buea, on the lower slope of Mt Cameroon, I thought it fitting that the first update should be of Mt Cameroon. This image was taken in the morning, from our back yard.

Moving in

2009-12-14T13:05:00.000+01:00

Well, we moved into our home in Buea last Friday. We spent the morning and early afternoon in Douala - an adventure itself - and upon return moved from the Pavilion Hotel.

Since images take a bit to upload, I'll try to describe the interior of our home. From the living room / parlor wall to the other end of the far bedroom walls is about 46 feet. The living room is 26 feet long and 14 feet wide (the 14 comes out of the 46 feet). Inside the front doors, to the left is a fireplace. At the far end is a wall of windows. The windows end of the room is the dinning area (currently sans table and chairs). Actually the table and chairs are at the top of the "lift" landing, which has become my favorite place to perch (N 04º 09.236' E 009º 15.588'). From there I have a wonderful view of Mt Cameroon. In the morning we get interesting cloud displays as the sun rises. In the evening, the sun sets just to the left of the big mountain, more or less of the smaller peak. Again, mother nature treats us to some really neat lighting effects.

The hallway to the kitchen and bedrooms cuts the parlor almost in half. The kitchen is the first door to the right. It is bright with windows across the far wall, a glass door on the far right corner (just beyond the refrigerator) and windows opposite (above the sink). From the door, almost directly in front a table is to be placed (the refrigerator is just beyond). It is out being repainted. We have the dog bowl there right now. Cabinets are above. To the left of the door is a pantry cabinet. A five burner gas stove is on the left wall with the sinks just beyond.

The next door on the right is the main bathroom. When were here in April this was the only bathroom. It is sizable containing a sink, shower, and toilet. There is a hot water heater, but so far it as produced only less cold water than the cold water knob. However, I am told to turn it on two hours head of use and it will be good and hot. I haven't thought that far ahead yet...

The last doors on the right and on the left are bedrooms. When we where here in April the first door on the right was a walk in pantry/storage room. It was suggested to turn that into a bathroom and we agreed. On our arrival, that first door had been sealed over and the current first door (of two) is to the master bedroom. The size is the about the same as the other two bedrooms. The difference is that it connects to the new bathroom. When I first walked in to the new bathroom I was surprised by just how big a room it really was. Secondly, it is very tastefully done. Very attractive blue tiles line the walls. Immediately inside the door on the far wall is the sink, to the right on the near wall is the toilet and, in front of that, is an open shower. The shower head is mounted up nice and high, while connected to a hose so it can be unhooked and moved around. On the far wall, under the window is a full size, western style bathtub. There is a second shower head with connected hose, mounted lower over the foot of the tub. The brand new hot water heater is mounted between the open shower and tub. This heater produces hot water within minutes of use, no external switch.

We have used the new bathroom, but we continue to have a leak in the sink. Also the shower head cord (the one in the tub area) got pinched and sliced by the metal coiling around the tube, so we'll be looking to replace that one with a tube that doesn't have metal rings around it.

A note about plumbing: It seems to be a problem here. I'm not sure where the "problem" lies. The least expensive parts, I am told, come from China. The locals can most afford these materials, but seem to loathe them as well. So they may replace the item, or more likely use "duct tape" type solutions in order to live it the problems. Where a European part would perform well for a long time, it is much more costly.

I should also note that, like most other mission type homes I have been in, this one too has very high ceilings, making the rooms feel much bigger than they really are. We have emptied our five boxes in one bedroom. We have two holiday decorations up - our two stockings, mounted by the fireplace with care.

Buea

2009-12-08T19:46:00.000+01:00

Buea is an interesting town. Trixy and I both remarked that we knew we were living in a city. While Buea town proper is smaller than South Bend, we live on the main street, it is VERY busy. There is a lot of noise: music of all sorts and car horns are probably the most common. We live just - and I mean JUST - down the street from the Great Soppo market. Market days (Tuesdays and Saturdays) are the busiest (nosiest) time. Sunday is probably the quietest as most places are closes (except the churches). Every morning we are greeted by the rooster. There is a time in the morning when birds are the dominate sound and that is quite pleasing.

The discos/clubs go late into the night and the music wafts across town. We have an apostolic church across the street, which produces a more pleasing music. Friday evening we enjoyed praise and worship music from our perch. On Sunday there is church music wafting across the hillside. Directly across the street there is a shop. I'm not sure what he sells, I will have to stop in, but he has speakers out front that are HUGE and the music is loud. We knew he was there when we visited in April, but our first few days here we didn't hear him. But he started up Sunday night...

In town, taxis are the most common form of transport (other than walking and maybe motos). The cost is a reasonable 100 - 150 CFAs (Central African Francs), or about 25-38 US cents at current exchange rates. This is per person. So far they have not charged for the dog as she sits on our lap. Though the drivers don't seem to mind, other passengers tend to freak a bit about having a dog in the car. Did I mention taxis are shared? You can arrange for private trips, but they tend to be much more expensive. The motor noise of the taxis is nothing compared to the horn beeping. The horns are beeped for warnings, to see if you want a ride, and, after you state where you want to go they'll beep twice in quick succession if you miss their subtle head tilt. If the taxi isn't going in your general direction there will be a subtle head shake and they'll just drive off. In Buea, this hasn't been too much of a problem as we stop along the main street. On the other hand Douala is an entirely different story.

In Buea there are no sidewalks to speak of, save the few feet of gravel just off the pavement, or the narrow space on the other side of the drainage ditches. The first night we were walking Jordan, she didn't see the ditch. She doesn't miss them now.

You can read a brief history of Buea at Wikipedia. Trixy and I call old Buea "Up town". Where the hospital is located is more "mid town". The university we call "down town". These do NOT correlate to normal designations. The old town is much higher up the hill from us, closer to 3000' in elevation where we are about 2400'. We'll be sweating in sunshine and they'll be in fog. Lower down the hill is the University of Buea, the only English language university in Cameroon.

Of the six African countries I have visited, Rwanda was the cleanest I have seen, followed closely by Malawi. Granted, where you are (city or rural) can make a difference. And trash is a problem not just in Africa. Locally, Great Soppo Market is constantly "trashy". I am told when the rains come, the trash washes away. Woo-hoo! But watch out Limbe.

But lets look closer to home. I was walking Jordan around the grounds of the hospital. I wondered aloud to myself (and later to Trixy), if what I saw was 38 years of garbage disposal. To be sure some of it gets tossed over the wall from neighbors, but not all of it - not that much.

So is it all darkness and complaints? Well, I don't know yet. When I first moved to South Bend all I could do was compare it (negatively) to Loma Linda. Just three and a half short years later, I realized I had been converted and could hardly see myself living in Loma Linda.

Pre-Embarkation month

2009-12-06T13:40:00.000+01:00

Our trip:
A word I have heard used to describe one's departure location is "Launch". We launched from two places really: South Bend, where all our stuff was loaded onto a container and shipped; and Trixy's parents home in Virginia.

What follows is [mildly] rambling recap...

Pre-embarkation:
In the Seventh-day Adventist missionary system, each missionary family has a pre-embarkation month. This is the time where the family says their good-byes. Our month started with packing our container.

We spent time first in Virginia with Trixy's parents. I gave the sermon, November 7, at the home church of Trixy's parents. November 12 we were on the road, driving to Louisville Kentucky for the Global Mission Health Conference. The rolling hills of Virginia gave way to the mountains and gorges of West Virginia and finally to the hills of Kentucky. At GMHC we enjoyed several speakers and breakout sessions as well as visiting one last time with some of our South Bend friends.

As we left Louisville on Nov 14, even before entering Indiana on our drive to Topeka that night, Michael W Smith's song, "Friends" played randomly on our iPod. It seemed fitting to have that song as we said good-bye to Laura (who will be serving as a Missionary doctor in the Congo next year, through World Medical Missions).

We were driving our Honda Civic EX coupe. I have owned that since it was brand new in July of 1996. With the bridge over the Ohio River from Kentucky to Indiana in sight we turned 211,000 miles. By trip's end we would have over 213,000 miles.

As we past the interchange of I-64 and 57 in Illinois we phoned friend Ted, to say "hi". Ted, his wife, and dog were living just 23 miles south (they have since moved to AZ). As we were trying to make Topeka by the end of the day we didn't stop. However we did stop just west of St Louis MO for dinner and drove the 2nd half of our drive in the dark, making Topeka by 9 pm or so.

From there we drove to Denver. Our weather had been very rainy only during our drive in Virginia eventually becoming sunny and warm through Kansas City. From there it was drizzle. The morning we left Topeka, it was a heavy drizzle to outright rain. The temps were much cooler and snow was forecast. About 100 miles from the Colorado state line, it began to snow. It got, what I call "sloshy". Slushy, but worse. We had strong winds and the snow was heavy / thick from time to time. By the time we came to Colorado the worst had past. The roads got much better as we closed in on Denver. It was when we came close to our friends' home that the snow got deeper on the sides of the road and we encountered a patch of ice.

We enjoyed our visit with Dan and Kristi. This visit also included dinner with friends Joe and Desiree, and Stori & Scott. We had thought we would go to a Cheesecake Factory, but Stori suggested we come to California Cafe where Scott worked. It wasn't until I saw the menu that I came to know that Scott is the Executive Chef. The food was great, exceeded only by the fellowship.

Our drive to Cedar City was uneventful. As always the drive to Grand Junction is simply stellar. Then it gets a tad boring until you close in on the Green River area. In the morning, on our way out of town, we went to Zion National Park. This was Trixy's first visit. We left there to have lunch in St George, before heading to Riverside CA.

The drive from St George is pretty until you leave the Virgin River Gorge. From there to Victorville CA is pretty much mind numbing. I honestly don't know how I used to drive through there. I guess the past 3+ years of mid-west trees have imprinted themselves.

Our time in the Loma Linda area was jam packed: Thursday, a trip to the Apple store at Victoria Gardens and REI nearby; a quick visit with Dr Richard Hart, bumping into Tony Zuccharelli, followed by dinner with Dr Hart's wife Judy and my brother David at Mu's Thai in Redlands; Friday we stopped in to see Andrew Haglund (and were guided to his office by Gail Heinrich), met with Jerry Daly at the warehouse, lunch with Dave and Anna Gisldorf and his parents at Deli Palace, dinner at Jose's followed by Trixy and I presenting at a vesper program at LLU; we had a quiet Sabbath morning/afternoon with Carl and Jenny Christman/Kao (our hosts) for breakfast and a walk around Mt Rubidoux and Fairmont Park. An evening going away party with friends; Sunday morning we sold the Civic just before lunch with my cousin Bob and his wife Marta at Victoria Gardens; Monday we (Trixy, my parents and I) had an afternoon tour of the Centennial Complex with my brother David as host. We bumped into many people we knew (the PDX folk: Nancy, Kathy, Becky; Paul McMillian; old Media services pals Mary and Jeremy), dinner at OSF in Riverside with Carl, Jenny, and Gaby. Tuesday we returned our rental car and headed off to Fresno with David and our parents having dinner at the OSF there.

Wednesday morning, after some shopping, we headed off to Sonora. Thanksgiving at my brother Tim's is something of a tradition. I think we have only been once in the six years we have been married. But before that I had been going up there for most of the previous 18 years. So this was a real treat. All the immediate Colwell family was there. After a quick off road foray we had Thanksgiving dinner. Friend Claire came over from Sacramento on Friday for several hours. Sabbath was church, lunch and then we headed for the Modesto City/County airport and returned to VA.

Trixy's parents met us at the airport. After a short nap we got up to visit with Kevin's gal pal Kim before she headed back to AZ. We wrapped up our packing, vet visit, etc. All too quickly on Tuesday it was time to head to the airport for our flight out.

Global Mission Health Conference

2009-11-13T21:42:00.002+01:00

Lots of food for thought just in the first day. We have picked up contact info for a lot of people. I also picked up a Sawyer water filter and some bug repellent. Oh yes, and a community development book. More later.

Netflix and other things I'll miss

2009-10-26T12:49:00.005+01:00

So, okay, when Trixy asked me to rank her options for Residency, South Bend was always at the bottom of the list. This was frustrating for her I think, because it was her #1. All her other options had mountains right outside the door - or at least visible outside the door. She was selecting a program, I was selecting a location.

But South Bend is seductive. While not nearly as flat as, say, Nebraska, hiking trails are more sauntering paths. But the natives are friendly, diverse, and more like California than pretty much anywhere else in Indiana (save Bloomington). Winter can be cold, but we were almost 20 degrees warmer than our Rochester MN friends. We seemed to have five days of sub zero temps during the winter and about five days of 90+ temps in the summer.

South Bend has a real autumn season and this one has been the best since we moved here in 2006. Did I mention Autumn is my favorite season - probably has something to do with the New England imprint.

Yesterday we had breakfast at the "Original Pancake House" known around here as "Bibblers". Not a mile from our house we have made this a frequent Sunday morning experience. I was struck yesterday, by the feeling that we were known many of the staff. The other place that is a favorite is Elia's, very yummy Lebanese food - taking me back years to Badia Issa's cooking.

There are of course other places around town that we have come to know and enjoy: Macri's; Le Peeps; Papa Joe's; just to name a few. We found a great church family, and weekday evening bible study group.

Netflix was a stabilizing experience. Our queue continued without interruption in moving from CA to IN. We gained the streaming experience. I wanted to put our account on hold for five years, but alas, there was not option for that. So canceling our membership was almost like telling a good friend, "So long and thanks for all the fish." To make the break up harder is that there was no option to say that I loved the service, but was moving out of the country. Well I guess I can console myself it that it isn't personal, its just business.

So, now I'm leaving much behind in South Bend. But I am gaining a big mountain.

Moving potluck/party

2009-10-25T20:27:00.005+01:00

We had a very enjoyable evening yesterday. The decaf provided was a mixture of a two roasts of the same Mexican bean: a very dark and a medium roast. We brewed about 36 cups (according to the lines on the machine)

While the evening started a bit slow, by the time the Notre Dame football game ended, we had a houseful of people and food. As the people left so did much of available furniture and stuff. So we give a hearty THANK-YOU to everyone who came by. We so appreciate your gift of friendship, time, and funds.

It is with mixed feelings (sadness at leaving, joy in our friendship) that we pray blessings for you: that your homes know peace, food to fill your plates, and hearts overflowing with love.

Airline tickets purchased

2009-10-20T22:15:00.002+01:00

We now have tickets to Cameroon. Looks like Jordan will be joining us as we have a single stop in Paris. Besides Jordan, we still need to decide what will be traveling with us. In the meantime, backing boxes continues...

Long stay permitted

2009-10-08T20:18:00.002+01:00

We just received word that we have been authorized to request visas for a long stay in Cameroon. So, the next step in the process is to send in the Visa application and related materials. Woo-hoo!

Ready to leave

2009-10-06T21:26:00.003+01:00

Ready to leave? Yes and no! I am ready to move on to the next chapter. Trixy is wrapping up her 3-month stint with her residency program this month. We are ready to move out of our house November 2. We are ready to be "pre-embarkation" for the month of November. Ready to be in Buea the first week of December. We are REALLY ready to sell our house!

At the same time "not ready". In some ways this is how I envision pending fatherhood... 9 months to prepare, but not ready. So many personal questions of preparedness. Questions of the "reality" we will encounter. Wondering if we have "everything" and knowing we don't but not sure what matters and what doesn't. Knowing it will all work out, but not ready to face it - probably...

Still waiting to hear about the work permits. It'll be a major bummer if with the extra time we are delayed. Originally we were being rapidly facilitated through the process so we could depart right after Mission Institute. More things to think about...

Food

2009-10-02T21:37:00.002+01:00

Have you ever considered what you eat? Not only what you eat, but what will and won't be available in a new location?

While I like to try out a variety of things, I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to my food. For breakfast I enjoy an omelet with peppers, mushrooms, and cheese; hash-browns; and Stripples (a veggie version of bacon); fruit; and of course some sort of home roasted-fresh brewed coffee. Lunch is some sort of pasta with veggies, tuna or salmon; and fruit. Dinner is more flexible; but similar to lunch, possibly soup and salad or going out to eat with Trixy. For snacks I enjoy Triscuts and cheese; tortilla chips and salsa; and/or popcorn.

Now, on our quick visit to Cameroon, there are plenty of eggs (but not the pre-made egg substitute I like to use for my omelets); vegetables; and fruit. Rice replaces pasta (which is available in Douala and for a price). Potatoes are available, but more likely sweet potatoes. However pre made hash-browns in the big city and for a price. Most of my typical fruit will need to be replaced. I like pears and a variety of apples. While I will probably find these, the most widely available will be typical tropical selections.

Cheese - I AM a cheese-aholic. I anticipate this to be the major challenge for me. Not only will it be expensive, but not on par with Vermont Cheddar (IMHO). I didn't see tortilla chips, but all the ingredients for salsa are available. There are other cracker/biscuit selections available - though I do wonder if there will be similar product to Triscuts.

We will live in a coffee and tea growing region. But the most common sort of coffee is instant. And I do drink tea, but usually opt for coffee. This too could be a challenging area for me. Milo does a fair job replacing Ovaltine (though it is available for a price).

Well, suffice to say, I will be curious (as might you) as to how I will adapt my food choices.

Getting ready

2009-09-24T15:14:00.002+01:00

I keep wanting to post reflections on IWM (Institute of World Missions) 2009 and just can't seem to find the time to specifically - well - reflect!! So what is happening with us?

Our home is on the market; we are selling off furniture; we have packed up and moved stuff we want to keep (and come home to); we continue to organize in preparation for the shipper to pick up what is going to Cameroon; and Trixy is working, I am studying.

Current plans have us "pre-embarkation" for the month of November. We plan to visit both sets of parents/families as well as attend the Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville KY. If you plan to be there give us a shout.

Some time the week of November 29 we are planning to depart for Cameroon. Naturally this can change. We are still awaiting word on our visas and work permits.

2009-07-17T20:51:00.000+01:00

Currently, my husband, Bill and I are at the Institute for World Missions at Andrew's University. We are planning on relocating to Buea, Cameroon, to build up a hospital there. At present, the "hospital" is really a day-clinic. We plan on arriving early December 2009.

With this in mind, I'm experimenting with blogging as a way for people to share in the journey.