6/12

This blog post is unique for a number of reasons;

a) It is the first post, since my arrival, which is not being written at the Hotel Miramare in the Limbe Botanical Gardens.  I am sitting on the floor of my bedroom as I write this ... the internet was being stupid today. 

b) This post represents my 1/2 checkpoint.  This Saturday September 1 marks the end of my 6th week here in Limbe of exactly 12. 

c) This one is perhaps the most important, exciting, and my personal favourite.  It may not be posted on the date, but it is being written on my father's birthday.  I have never had any kind of internet following before so I am excited to use this one to wish my father the happiest of birthdays and mention that I can not wait to see him and the rest of my family upon my return.  Happy Birthday Dad! 

This week has been pretty interesting.  I spent most of this week looking forward to today because of the afore mentioned reasons, and thus it went by fairly slowly.  The way I see it, a slow week just means that I got to savour all the moments in it!  That double edged sword provided me with some lovely moments to remember and some tough ones to swallow.  The memorable moments were for the most part captured either by my memory or my camera and the tough ones were, as they all have been thus far, something I tried to learn from and take in as all part of this kind of experience. 

With regard to my ambition to work with some local schools, I went to the Delegation of Sport and Physical Education to speak with the Delegate about how I could not afford to pay the money that I was told was required to run the kind of program I was proposing.  I then proceeded to explain to the delegate and one of her associates some of the games and activities I was planning on using and they loved them so much they offered to let me "observe" a school during Physical Education period and offer any input and participate in some games as well.  This was all I wanted to do in the first place.  Except this time it's for free.  Game. Set. Match. 

This momentous Saturday also marked the start of Week 2 for the newest AVFAL volunteer, John.  Being with John throughout his first week brought back a lot of memories from my adjustment period here and some were good because I am proud of how far I have come and others were painful because lets face it, the first week was pretty rough.  But here he is in week 2 and here I am now on the cusp of week 7!  I learned some valuable lessons there in playing a new role for John as well as self reflection on how I handled some of my own frustrations here. 

Andy and I are gearing up, literally, for our ascent up Mount Cameroon.  We leave Limbe at 7am on Tuesday September 4 and return to Limbe in the evening on Wednesday September 5.  We climb up the mountain on Tuesday to what is called 'Hut 2' at approximately 9000 Ft.  We are staying the night there in their luxurious cabin complete with a tin roof and wooden floor and nothing else.  It's ok, sleep was starting to annoy me anyway.  Once we wake up, or more likely just notice that the sun is starting to come out, we begin the final ascent to the Summit of the mountain at just over 13000 Ft.  We will spend some time up there, snap a few photos, and hopefully get a cloudless view from above.  The view from above part is kind of up in the air, literally, since in the 6 weeks that I have been here there has not been a cloudless moment that was not rudely interrupted by rain within 10 minutes.  So ... I'll get back to you on that one.  All I can really hope for is a safe trip there, up, and back, a decent nights sleep, and the experience of eating cooked beans out of a can in front of a fire like a cowboy or one of those Hobos that carries all of his possessions in a bandanna tied around a stick.  Joking aside, beans really are awesome.  Beans aside, I am very excited about this mini adventure within my adventure! 

As the rainy season here comes to an end it is starting to rain more and more.  I know most of you are thinking that I am attempting humour or cleverness here but I am not.  Because that is the truth.  I was looking forward to the end of August and beginning of September resulting in me running out of sun block in 36 hours, but instead my rain jacket is getting its best use since July!  It is ridiculous!  Andy and I are actually a little worried about our early trip up the mountain, because we all remember what canoe trips were like when it rained.  Well imagine a canoe trip, except instead of a canoe you have a guide and a porter and a mountain in Cameroon, and instead of a tent you have 'Hut 2' (see picture), and instead of a hilarious, fun filled, organized-down-to-the-hour excursion you get a once in a lifetime 2-day trip up a MOUNTAIN IN CAMEROON.  I think I made my point.  But just in case missed it because you were getting yourself a sandwich, here it is again; I AM GOING TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN IN CAMEROON AND IT IS GOING TO BE AWESOME. 

Some of the players were at the apartment today and I love it when they visit because they are hilarious.  They love my music and I find it amusing to watch them dance to Foo Fighters or Led Zeppelin or Lenny Kravitz like I've really put on whatever it is that they listen to here ... Hip Hop I think they call it?  Not too sure.  The point is, it makes me think that they don't even listen.  For example, Junior was cha-cha-ing to 'The Crunge' by Led Zeppelin earlier tonight.  He threw in a little Michael Jackson, but that is too be expected.  Actually, now that I think about it, I am ok with all of it. 

Last night Andy and I joined Alex and his lady friend at a Cabaret in New Town.  This Cabaret had some very amusing entertainment.  They were playing music and serving drinks and people were talking and dancing as if they were in a place I would be used to BUT the in-house entertainment was just someone on a stage with a fake microphone who was dancing and lip syncing to whatever song they played.  And people gave them money and it was very good and entertaining.  I even joined a guy named GodGive (totally not joking) on stage to dance and lip sync to Bob Marley's 'Buffalo Soldier'.  I learned a very important lesson on that stage; that I do not know the words to that song.  It did not matter because we got cut off about 49 seconds into it.  But it was a very enjoyable 49 seconds.  ...

My 6 weeks here have provided enough ups and downs to last me a while but there has been one solid consistency; reflection.  From week 1 to week 6 reflecting on what I left behind in Toronto, what I have to look forward to here in Limbe, what was frustrating here in Limbe, how much more comfortable I am now in Limbe, and being blown away by how fast or slow time seems to move here have all been topics of conversation throughout my time.  I can sit here and reflect all I want but at the end of the day I just need to enjoy it.  I’m here and I have had 6 great weeks coaching and I can’t wait for the next 6 weeks! 

Please stay tuned for pictures and by the end of this week a Mount Cameroon account.

Much love,

Josh