Why would I even want to hate Africa? Well, I've been in Douala, Cameroon for 10 days so far and oh do I have my reasons. Browsing through the blogs this morning (trying to find my Zen) I stumbled upon a blog post entitled, "How To Positively Change Your Mindset", by because i'm addicted blog. In her post, the writer changed negative situations into positive ones by simply changing her focus.
In this article, I share 3 things I hate about Africa and how I changed my focus to turn these loathsome things into positive ones. Do not forget to SUBSCRIBE to Tea End Blog to be automatically entered in Tea End Blog Give-Aways. Already subscribed? Tell a friend
Everything Around Me Seems To Be Unclean to There's Little Industry Which Makes For Stunning Views
I am a clean freak. I love when things are neat and straight and in order. In fact, before I start or finish a project, I may need to clean my entire house first just to clear my mind. Cleanliness puts me in a good mood and relieves my stress. So you can imagine what goes through my mind when I see things like this:
You would think the workers that handle trash pick-up would have taken care of this by now. I learned that the workers do not get paid so they refuse to pick up the garbage and therefore the trash just sits there! In the meantime, the stench is unbearable and the disorder kills me so I must change this into a positive. I think I will focus on the terrain. Since there's little industry here in Cameroon the terrain goes untouched and it makes for simple and natural views such as this:
There's Practically No WiFi So I Can't Write As Freely to I Have More Quiet Time To Read
This may be one of the most frustrating things about Cameroon, the lack of internet connection! I express myself better when I write and it's also a way for me to relieve stress. There are so many short articles that I have wanted to post about this trip but this post that you are reading alone took me 3 hours (and counting, I began writing at 7:20AM and its already 9:40 AM...yeah) to write due to lags, connection interruptions and exceptionally long upload times.
Happily for me, reading is also another way for me to relax and clear my mind. Not having WiFi makes for perfect reading conditions. I am more than half way finished with "In The Company Of Women" by Grace Bonney and it is a very inspiring and encouraging read.
I Can't Find Camelia Sinensis Or A Good Book Anywhere to I Have Plenty Of Lemongrass Tea
I am a blogger of tea and literature. TEA AND LITERATURE! Here in Cameroon there aren't any book shops, well there are some, but they sell only scholarly books for grade school students. Tea is hard to find, which is amazing because Cameroon has the largest tea plantation in Africa. I don't want to tell you too much of this story because the irony will be recorded in a short documentary that I am working on but yeah...you can only imagine how frustrating this is. I am so happy that I brought my own books!
I may not have any good loose-leaf tea but there is plenty of fresh lemongrass tea to sip. It is delicious and soothing in its own way. The locals call it Tisane or Citronelle and I've been sipping it everywhere I go with Cameroonian honey.
As you can see, I have tried my best to stay positive about my trip to Douala, Cameroon. It is not easy but I am trying to hang in there. By the way, I am finishing this article at 10:46 AM...(sigh)
Have You Ever Had To Change A Negative Situation Into A Positive One Just To Get Through It? Explain.