happy canadian independence day

the first week at the UNDP office is over! i do not have a specific assignment yet, so i have been manufacturing things to do. i have interviewed a few people in the UNDP office, as well as someone with UNAIDS. i also sit in on some meetings, which is not easy because they are in french. i get the idea of what is going on, though. these photos are of my favorite place in the house. its a screened-in veranda on the second floor. as you can see, its like a tiny resort or something. the view is alright. Cameroon is actually quite beautiful, but the gorgeous hills and forests are blemished by rundown houses and buildings. when i drive through the city, i imagine what it was like before the colonialists arrived. it would have been paradise. thats the way it went, though. last night i had dinner and watched a futbol match with, get this, the ex-prime minister of Senegal and a top French economist. they were at the UNDP doing consultation. they were so friendly and had so many stories. it was a great night. so thats about it for now. i am going to relax this weekend, read and watch movies. try to shake this jet lag.