Weighing in

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.

Netflix and other things I'll miss

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.

Food

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.