Fulfulde and Future Accommodation
on The Road Less Travelled (Cameroon), 12/Nov/2009 17:19, 34 days ago
Before I begin, I would like to ask people who send me emails not to forward large attachments or large pictures for now since at the cafes it can sometimes take a while to download (unless of course they are really pertinent). Once I have internet at my house I will have more time to get larger files.Fulfulde is the language spoken in this area of Cameroon and it can be found in other Central African countries as well. I received a small bit of training in it during this week’s orientation. I thought I would share some of what I have learned.Hello: Djam na? This essentially means Good? And the response is Djam!How are you: Djam Bandu na? I am fine: Djam KoodumeQuite often in the morning people say: A walli djam na? Which means did you sleep well. The response if you did is Mi walli djam.Thank you: Useko Please: UseniThere appears to be an opportunity to continue learning Fulfulde every Wednesday in the early evening at the VSO office. I hope to participate in those classes since people seem quite happy when you try to use Fulfulde with them or at least know what they are saying to you.On Wednesday evening I was able to visit my future house. It is quite nice and much bigger than I had imagined. I have put up a few pictures. Essentially I have a large metal gate which opens into a little sand courtyard which has a nice big tree. My house has a big size living room and dining room (although currently it is quite sparse, a short term volunteer has been there so didn’t invest in any furniture). There is a hallway and on the right are two bedrooms although one is completely empty and doesn’t have an electrical socket which makes it relatively useless. I hope to turn it into a second bedroom so I can have visitors (ie. Visiting VSO volunteers from the villages on weekends or friends from Canada etc). On the left of the hallway I have a kitchen which is two rooms, a small one with a fridge and a larger one with a counter which has a sink, a stove top and a water filter. I would like to get some cupboards for this room once I move in because right now there is no place to put any food or pots etc. Also on the left of the hallway further down is a bathroom. The bathroom definitely needs some TLC and raid as it has a bit of an ant problem right now and could definitely use some sprucing up and maybe even a small shelf.Once I move I am going to try to find a carpenter, a plumber and an electrician to come in to fix some of the broken things. Ideally I will be able to get some reimbursed by the landlord or VSO, but I have been told not to hold my breath. I would rather have a working toilet than worry about and pay for it myself than worry about not having one and fighting with people for money.