May 6, 2009
I’m kind of conflicted. Now that the majority of my work is finished, I actually scheduled the writing of one blog per week in my agenda. It’s something that has started to get neglected as of late and I wanted to make it a bigger priority. What I’m conflicted about is what to write. I think the biggest reason that my blog has been successful is that I’m brutally honest and my entries tend to be more in essay form than in here’s-what-I-did-today form. I try to choose interesting subjects that I’ve been reflecting on for a while because of the situation I’m in. My perspective is one that very few of my readers have ever had yet the themes affect everyone, even if only because some of your tax dollars are coming to this corner of the world. So in forcing myself to write one blog a week, I’m hoping that I don’t turn it into a weekly log of my activities, but that I can find enough interesting topics to keep you all engaged. I’ll leave the here’s-what-I-did-today stuff to the Twitter users. (Is that actually popular in the States? I still don’t believe it.)
That being said, that I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself to keep up the quality, I want your help too. Being stuck in my own perspective and having been outside the US for 2 years now, I can easily forget what might be interesting to someone living in the western world. Please write comments. Please ask questions. My responses to my mom’s book club turned into a great blog. It’s because they asked about all the things that I forget to write about. I’ve made this request before and gotten almost no response whatsoever. I know you’re out there! I have a counter on the blog that gives me all kinds of interesting statistics – what city you’re in, what site you came from, what terms you put into the search engine to find my site, how long you stayed, etc. (yes, I sometimes feel like a stalker looking at them all) So please give me some feedback. It’s really easy to make comments; you can even do it anonymously. It also motivates me to write more and better entries.
Until next week,
Tim
About Me
- Tim Hartman - Cameroon
- I left June 6, 2007 for a two year adventure in Cameroon with the Peace Corps. After 3 months of training in country, I was posted in Nkongsamba in the Littoral provence. My plan is to write a journal-type entry every week and post it on the blog. This is a pretty big commitment for me, so if you want to read something every week, keep your fingers crossed. I will do my best...I promise. Tim Hartman, thartman2pccam@yahoo.com C/O US Embassy, US Peace Corps - Corps de la Paix, B.P. 215, Yaoundé - Cameroon
3 comments:
Sounds like you misunderstand Twitter - Twitter is not all about "what I did today".
Think of it as assembling a panel. I work in Cameroon and it is of huge value. Find people to follow who can genuinely help - NGO workers, fundraisers, people with knowledge of working in Africa etc.
Then use them as a sounding board - ask their advice, follow their own "tweets" - click the links they provide to interesting material - provide your own links to.
When I asked on Twitter if anyone might like to help with some design work I received three or four offers to design a logo for us. For free.
It's not about navel gazing it's about sharing expertise and opinions.
However - the what I did today stuff - I also agree doesn't make the best use of blogs either.
Tim,
Well this is the second time I have typed this in. Hopefully it will take this time.
I enjoy hearing about your health issues and how they are handled. This is so different than in the States.
Also tweeter is the rage in US. I have not used, nor has mom, but she still enjoys facebook.
Just knowing what you have learned though your 2+ years in Africa is always of interest and will aid you as you come back to the US. What an experience you have and I know it will help you as you come back and get readjusted in America.
Grandma, Grandpa and Pam are down for a few days and all say hi and looking forward to seeing you when you get back.
Love Dad
I have been reading your blog and others posted online. And I can say is that I appreciate the effort you guys go through since it is not easy for you guys. Being a Cameroonian leaving now in the US, the one thing I notice here that really put me off is Depression. I mean I never seen anybody being depressed in Cameroon even though we don’t have it there easy. I mean life. But may be not seeing depression around was just due o the fact that I was used to that environment. While I see that every around me everyday and I don’t quite understand it. So do you think I’m right about Depression not being common in Cameroon. And if indeed I am, how do you explain that people are more depressed in the US with all the facilities to life they have?
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