present, patient peace & freedom

wum to yaounde was my last Peace & Freedom journal (PFJ) entry... i made it to Yaounde, then Kribi (where i saw many of my stage-mates at IST) and passed my journal on to Traci. it then went to Kay and ended with Natalie. her last entry in my PFJ is on May 13th, 2003.

to recap... my PFJ was a story within a story of sorts. moving much more quickly then my own personal journal b/c there was an entry per week, as opposed one every day or so. so we fast-forwarded through my second year, ending just shy of 2003.

what comes next? here's a preview: IST in Kribi, my trip to Egypt to visit family, and then a return to my last semester at the failing GTTC Wum and, what would ultimately be my last 4 months at post. happy and healthy? not always. in fact, there are 2 medevacs involved.

i'd like to say a few words about my tone in the PFJ entries... particularly, how it gradually becomes more - what to say? - bitter. that's a strong word. it's slightly bitter, somewhat jaded and much more matter of fact.

read the difference between the entries circa 9/4/2001 and those closer to 11/12/2002, if you didn't notice the difference. i probably turned the corner on this change in my second year of peace corps. which is always a milestone, no doubt. there are personal and professional reasons behind this, too.

it's not that i'm unhappy... just struggling. with being in wum. at the GTTC. and away from home for that much longer. on mediocre days, i'm just coasting... "on the long straightaway home." on bad days, i'm thinking "i can't quit now." on good days, i get glimpses of presence.

we'll be going back to early 2002 now... to pick up where we left off. my mother was about to leave after her first visit. we're in wum. i was asking wussai peace and freedom dey? patience and presence tells me it dey in the day to day. and the little things that kept me there.

wum to yaounde

will write little but probably sleep less. leaving Wum for Yaounde in a few hours. gotta pack. grades not completely finished. will do so in Yaounde. Admin of School wants our 3rd Year students’ marks only next term... i want just to be finished. in Yaounde, insha’Allah.

i’m going to do some Medical stuff. pick up a parcel or 2. run some “errands.” in Yaoudne, that’s funny! and by my tickets for Cairo. then off to Kribi on Sunday for IST. see some of you there. PEACE.

aho!
Mohamad
12/11/2002
WUM

NWP

Ramadan Feast

i cannot see the moon. new moon, that is. but, as i’ve already fasted 30 days, i can fast no longer. tomorrow is the feast. the day we celebrate and break our fast.

some folks broke their fast yesterday. w/Nigeria. i’m sure some will only break their fast day after tomorrow. it’s always like that... keeps it interesting, i guess!

anywho... tonight is the 1st night in a month that i won’t have long evening prayers. i’m sure i’ll miss them, but i also need to start sleeping regularly again. my schedule was shot. especially these past few days. i’ve got papers to mark and things to wrap up within less than a week.

hmmm... what to say? all is well. i hope to be on the beach within 2 weeks. and in Egypt with my family within 3. hope all is well with wuna. especially the married/soon-to-be-married... all the best! CONGRATS! PEACE.

aho!
Mohamad
12/4/2002
WUM/NWP

busier better

i’m up late again. got work. fasting really changes my schedule around. i’m busy. classes. teaching practice. clubs at school. all is well though. the busier the better. Feast of Ramadan is around the corner. next week! then i cruise into my most deserved holiday in my PC experience as of yet.

alliswellasihopeitiswithwunaPEACE.

aho!
Mohamad
11/27/2002
dusty Wum!

schisto positive

i’m not sure why i’m still up??? it’s 10 past midnight. no longer even Tuesday. tomorrow will be a long day. today was a long day.

i’ll have long days for the next 1 and ½. we’re on teaching practice [practicum for our students, primary school teachers in training]. that plus regular classes, plus fasting... right, why am i still up??? i was writing letters. should’ve been planning a lesson. priorities.

anywho... another question: why do i still have this my own Peace and Freedom journal? will i ever exchange it? haven’t seen ya’ll in a LONG time. i pray all is well. i’m happy and healthy.

hey! i heard Tonya’s getting married this December... GET OUT! GOOD FOR HER! that was news to me. looking forward to seeing her and all of you. soon, insha’Allah.

speaking of December. it’s right around the corner. AND so is the 1st term holiday. 1st one i’ll feel like i really, truly deserve since i’ve been here. i’m going to Egypt to see my family, insha’Allah. after IST in Kribi.

Oh... BTW, i tested schisto positive. nice, n’est-ce pas? our PCMO [Peace Corps Medical Officer] called the other day while i was marking student lesson notes. i was like “Ok, i’ll see when i can get into Yaounde by... maybe the end of the month?” priorities.

all right... PEACE.

aho!
Mohamad

11/20/2002

WUM

NWP

thank God for teaching

hey... you know what?! site visit with our APCD went well. really well! can you believe that? i still almost cannot. i asked everything i wanted to ask. got answers. sufficient ones, at least. i said everything i wanted to say. he listened. even wrote a few things down! all-in-all, again, a very satisfactory site visit. who would’ve thought?

anywho... i’m in week 2 of fasting. and i must say, i’ve been hungry. not a bad hungry. but hungry. which is fine. that’s how i’m supposed to feel. hungry. school’s all right. teaching getting good. administration a mess. totally. in shambles.

if i didn’t enjoy teaching i can’t imagine i’d still be here. things just aren’t right at that school. if it wasn’t my second year here i can’t imagine i’d still be at this school. that bad. and if i worked at a place like this in the States... i know i wouldn’t be at the place for very long.

BUT, and there’s always a but...

• i’m NOT in the States. i’m here.
• this IS my second year. i’m staying.
• i DO enjoy teaching. thank God!

it’s just funny that as soon as i think school can’t get any worse. it does. but no matter... i laugh a bit and move on. i imagine most of you feel the same way about professional frustrations now. i pray you can do the same with the personal frustrations also. i pray all is well with all of you... PEACE.

aho!
Mohamad
11/12/2002
Wum

losing it, losing weight

this’ll be a little more on the sane side and short [i'm referring here to the entry just before this one in my peace & freedom journal that i'm too embarrassed to publish here... "wacky-vac" worthy!].

no worries. all is well... no matter what the previous entry might reflect. i’m happy and healthy. day 4 of Ramadan. fasting. i will be losing weight. i know it. not good. just can’t eat enough.

anywho... our APCD is coming to visit tomorrow. good 4 me! no, really... i do need to talk to him about a few things. COS [close of service], replacement here and the GTTC. hope that goes well... you know how talking to him can be.

i don’t foresee myself switching this book with anyone soon. i’m staying put here until the end of the month. maybe?! hope i can get a few of you to write in here again before too long. i pray all is well with wunna... PEACE.

aho!
Mohamad
11/8/2002
Wum