Koki

So, last week my host mom decided to teach me the art of cooking koki, a dish that her village is known for. As soon as all the kids saw I was cooking, they demanded my camera so they could take pictures of me. (Yes, I know my outfit doesn't match at all, I wasn't planning on being photographed) They said it was so my family in America could see what I was doing, so here goes:

The first step is to grind up a ton of cow peas. Usually, you would use a grinder, but the electricity was out, so we did it the old fashioned way (on the grinding rock). About half way through, you grind some pimente (hot peppers). The cow peas are a pale tan, but as soon as my host mom added the peppers, you got an outstandingly brilliant red-orange color. I tried to get a photo, but she was too fast to get a good one it before it was all smashed together.


I am not very good at grinding, my host mom kept correcting my technique, as shown here.


You line the wine boxes with oil (to prevent sticking) and then fill it up part of the way with the Koki mixture. After that, you add it to a large pot with water in the bottom (this simulates an oven).


After we put the Koki on the fire, we had to peel unripe bananas. They then cook these to form a side dish of sorts. There is a special technique for peeling the bananas so that the peel comes off easily. This is harder than it seems when the bananas are unripe.


Finished with everything

Site Visit

Ok, it has been a few weeks since I actually went on site visit, but model school has kept me too busy to wait for photos to upload. However, model school is now finished! Now I just have to grade the exams of 50 students and calculate final grades.
My site, as I mentioned in a previous post, is Mbatu. It is 4km from Bamenda, the capital of the Northwest region, so I will basically have all the amenities that Cameroon has to offer. Also, I definitely do not have a hut in a desert. More like a mansion in a rain forest.

My house:

It is on the top of a hill, so it looks very imposing. There is good security with all those walls and gates though! The owner of the house lives in Germany, so they rent it out. So far, I am only the second person to have lived in it. The first was the Peace Corps volunteer that I am replacing.

It is actually a duplex, though no one lives in the other half. Either way, I have plenty of room, and definitely not what I was expecting.

The view from my front porch:



My school is about 1 mile up the road, an easy walk, but there is also a van that drives up and down the road picking up teachers.

I was not able to see my computer lab, because my Principal was on vacation, but I was told there are about 20 working computers. There are two other computer teachers, and they are hoping to get an additional one before school starts. However, I am told it is very hard to get teachers, so it isn't very likely.

Less than 2 weeks before I leave for post! It is bittersweet. It is exciting to finally get out on my own, and regain a measure of privacy, but I will not see many of my fellow stagiares for 3 more months. I think most people are more than ready to get out on their own though. Best of luck to all of us!