mamfe and the internet - not a good couple

all,

gas prices in Mamfe are 500 CFA Francs per liter on the black market and 600 CFA Francs at the station. this is based on a 420 CFAF per $1. we are close to Nigeria so the petrol comes up on river boats and is traded underneath the steel bridge and then brought to town and is sold on the road. I would send photos but our only internet access point is not only slow but only works when the electricity is on (which is becoming more consistent as our time continues). I would also do the math, but that would take up even more time - so that is the quiz question for the day - how much does a gallon of gas cost in the English speaking provences of Cameroon?

Chance, James, Loan and I are good - we are fed three times a day, we shower at least every other day, we are moving on our projects (through the ambiguity, organization and time issues), and we are provided bottled water (which I flavor with my koolaid).

i am sure more updates will come (maybe once a week, or every other week) to you. Cameroon tied Tanzania in soccer on Saturday and lost to Chad. We have been watching (or at least I have been making us watch) a lot of football here - the EuroCup. It is my one joy, besides running in the morning, reading in after breakfast, listening to one (at least) album a day, playing soccer in the afternoon and then playing cards and watching the EuroCup. when it ends at the end of June, I will be stuck in the rainiest month in these parts and read, read read read read. actually, i have now been heading into the villages to meet the "presidents of the streetfootball network" and talk about the soccer jamboree we will host in july. i am also hoping to learn more about the Community Sports for Development Program to be able to complete a description of the program, a manual, and to get more training support sent this way.

other themes that i wrote about and can now not paste into here, so this will be quick, are: i am dirty, i play soccer almost every day and i have been running and since the environment is so humid (like home) and hot, nothing drys, but i am finding ways to dry my sweaty clothes like my fan (which is now broken) and James showed me to set things on the roof in the sun, et cetera; i am loved - people here just love you and call out "white man" at every turn and call you over and want to be your friend - though some of this is them looking for opportunities, a majority of it is the genuine care of these people.

again thanks for those who donated to Kicks for Kids in Cameroon - the funds totaled at over $4000, 23 sets of uniforms and many many many more other soccer equipment and gear. i will be posting a final count of all of this for you all to see once I arrive to a town where the internet is faster. we have already put some of the money towards developing the new mini sports complex in Mamfe (which all of the volunteers helped me out with one day, carrying bricks - picture to come soon, if possible). we have bought new balls to train with and will buy more to bring to the villages to pass out when we pass out the jersey sets. we are also buying farming equipment for the villages to help with the cooperative farming aspect of the program - these will be coming with Mr. Orock in his next trip up here on Sunday. and we will buy cleats (or boots) to pass out to those of the youth who do not have any, i just hope we can give cleats to all of them.

all in all, things are good, my two danish friends - Berit and Sofie - have left Mamfe for good but I had an awesome week with them and will get to spend several days in Copenhagen with them during my time in Europe. check my Facebook profiles for photo updates that they will be sure to tag soon.

cameroon is beautiful, and the Settlers of Cameroon game we are building will show you all some memories that we have made here.

goodbye