Bobo Christmas and a Ghana New Years

I know I’m about a month late, but here’s my first of two updates of my current life.

For Christmas, I travelled down to the South of Burkina (about an eight hour bus ride) to meet up with some other volunteers in the city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Bobo is Burkina’s second largest city and is often preferred over Ouaga by PCVs. There may be more faux-types (guides/annoying Burkinabe waiting to prey on hapless tourists), but it has a slower pace of life and is much greener than Ouaga.

The 10 other volunteers and I rented two apartments and ensconced ourselves in American-ness for two full days. Several PCVs had received Christmas decorations from home, so we decorated the apartments to the nines. The decorations made it seem almost Christmasy and were completed with the two-foot high fake tree sent to Julie. Christmas Eve we had a candle-light ceremony complete with hymns accompanied by Colette on the flute. The next morning we awoke to cinnamon buns and exchanged secret Santa stockings. We spent the day cooking an inordinate amount of food and then stuffed ourselves silly. Overall I have to say it was a good Christmas, if one has to spend the holiday away from home.

After Bobo I travelled with Sabrina to Ghana (!!!) for New Years. I was under the impression that all of West Africa is the same, just like Burkina. Boy was I wrong. Now I know why volunteers call Ghana “Americaland.” Even small villages have paved roads, sidewalks, and believe it or not, streetlights! Hard-boiled eggs with sweet Ghana bread, along with fried rice with chicken, can be found on every street corner. It was a dream come true.

Sabrina and I travelled the 24+ hours from Ouaga to make it to the beach to spend four days in utter relaxation. Those days consisted of swim, eat, sleep, swim, eat, sleep. I was not complaining. On New Year’s Eve, a local dance troupe came to perform and we roasted a pig. I stuffed myself silly, again, but again, not complaining. After the calming days at the beach, Sabrina and I went to Cape Coast to visit the slave castle and then onto Kakum Monkey Preserve to do the canopy walk. After that we moved up to Koumasi, Ghana’s second biggest city. The big tourist attraction in Koumasi is the market, so of course Sabrina and I made our way there. I thought I knew markets, but I have never seen Africans move so fast. Everybody was go go go, with something to do! Although Sabrina and I were a little perplexed at first by all of the moment, we prevailed and found beautiful Ghana fabric to bring back home to Burkina.

Sabrina and I were scheduled to take the 5pm bus back to Ouagadougou and were informed at 530pm that the bus would be 7 hours late. Usually, this would not be a problem, as we’ve become habituated to things being late and not running on time, but this time this was a slight problem. My mom was flying into Ouagadougou the next afternoon and I wanted to meet her at the airport! I went up and asked what time the bus (16 hour ride) would be getting into Ouaga and was told it would arrive at 12noon the next day. This did not make any sense to me. And of course, we did not get in until 5pm the following day, with the bus having broken down twice on the way, after the seven-hour delay. Boy was I glad to finally get off the bus and thankfully, some friends of mine went and picked up my mother at the airport. So everything worked out, as it always does!

I want to apologize for the lack of pictures; the internet connection is to slow to upload anything at the moment. Please look on facebook for photos.

Falling for Fall

I think I'm in love...with the weather these days. It's officially "cold" season, where it doesn't get above 100F during the day and drops to the low 80s at night. You don't realize how much the heat takes it out of you until the heat is gone and you can actually be productive between the hours of 12 and 15 without just wanting to lie there, fanning yourself, while dripping with sweat. I still sleep outside (the Burkinabe think I'm crazy), but only in order to use a comforter when it drops below 85F. So every night I sweep my porch, bring a mat outside, drag my mattress out, then my bug hut and finally my blankets. Then I heat water for a shower, take a shower that gives me goosebumps, and crawl into bed under the starlight. I do not have much to complain about at the moment.

School is going well and it's almost already the end of the first trimester. I have only two tests left to give. Technically the trimester does not end until December 23, but the last day to give tests is December 5. After the 5th, teachers spend the majority of the trimester doing grades. Also December is a funky month, in that lots of strikes generally take place. December 6th is predicted to be ferie due to students striking about a student death at the hands of a solider that occurred a few years ago. The 11th is the 50th anniversary of Burkina's independence from France, while December 13th commemorates the death of a journalist and more striking is predicted to occur. So in actuality I will most likely be done teaching next week.

In addition to teaching, lesson planning, and grading tests, I have been busy with a girl's soccer club, teaching English to my nuns, working at Tougouri's malnutrition center, and beginning the process of doing a World Map Project. All in all the time has been flying, although of course some afternoons still drag by. I just finished reading book number 100. My goal is 200, although I am not sure that I'm going to make it with all my current work.

November 16 was Tabaski, a Muslim fete, which was celebrated with a lot of gust in Tougouri. It started at 6am when all the women started cooking food. I bought 3 chickens to be added to the food already being made in my courtyard: meat, riz gras, popcorn, crudite. We finished making the food around 13 and then ate a little bit and proceeded to give away the rest of our food to the neighbors. Then kids started arriving with food to give us from our neighbors. It seemed that we gave away all of our food just to receive the same exact food from our neighbors. People flowed through all afternoon and we gave everyone who came by a plate of food. I also went and visited people, eating a lot of food. Children also came by asking for candy or some coins, while giving us raw meat from the animals that their families had slaughtered for the occasion. All in all, Tabaski was like a mix between Halloween (although no fun costumes) and Thanksgiving with a lot of work for the women while the men just sat around drinking beers and talking all day. Typical.

Burkina elections were held last weekend, with the incumbent President winning again. The elections went off without a hitch and no violence occurred. Cote d'Ivoire's elections are supposed to be today, and we'll see what's going to happen.

Three weeks ago a 6eme student in my village got hit by a gendarme driving too fast through Tougouri. The student was very badly injured, having been thrown at least 6 feet in the air. Fortunately, he is making a good recovery. And of course, no consequences are going to befall the gendarme who hit him.

Last week I was working at the CREN (center for malnutrition) and saw a baby die. I’ve never actually seen someone die and it was disconcerting to say the least. It made me feel helpless and almost ineffectual. This child was sick in the first place due to malnutrition and poor sanitation and was brought to the center too late to really do anything. I wish I could do something about this, but I know it’s very common here and I’m doing the best I can by educating and sharing my knowledge.

I'm in Ouaga for the weekend. I came in early to celebrate Thanksgiving with other PCVs and bureau staff. I ate wayyy too much food, including 2 slices of apple pie (my first in over a year!). My stomach was so unused to the rich food that I got sick Thanksgiving night, but don't worry, it did not spoil the day for me. The rest of the weekend will be spent preparing the budget and project writeup for Camp GLOW (girls leading our world). Camp GLOW is a well-known girls camp in 22 other PC countries but is not yet in Burkina. Another volunteer, Lorena, and I are working to bring Camp GLOW to Burkina. It's going to be a lot of work, but definitely worth it!

I hope that everyone back home had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend and enjoyed being with friends and family! Miss you!

Gorgeous vegetables!

They never lied about the size of insects in Africa- they're big.

Mariam, Salmad, and me

My little boy, Said, all dressed up for Tabaski

Summer 2010

Hello there! Long time no see. So I've been very busy during the past few months. I'm just going to recap a little bit. During the month of August I taught English in Ouagadougou at the American Language Center. My class consisted of 15 bright Ouagalais students. Teaching in Ouaga was a very different experience than teaching in village. First of all, the class size was much smaller- 15 students as compared to 100 students. We also had supplies, like tv, paper, markers, and glue! In addition to teaching English, we did a lot of American camp-like activities. It was fun, especially to see another aspect of life here in Burkina, however it didn't really feel real, as if I was almost living in a dream world, because it wasn't the Burkina I know.

Me and my class at the American Language Center

On September 5th, I left Ouaga for Po, a city in the south of Burkina, to kick off the bike tour. From the 6th to the 23rd, I, along with other volunteers, pedaled around Burkina on my bike to raise awareness about Peace Corps (and its 50th anniversary) and to raise money for gender and development projects. I had a fantastic time seeing much of Burkina, learning about this country I'm serving in, and becoming closer friends with my fellow volunteers.

After the bike tour, I went back to site, after being away for a long time. It felt so good to be back and everyone was so welcoming. The first night back in Tougs I stayed up until midnight talking with my neighbors, which is very late, considering I'm usually in bed by 8pm in village. School started October 1st, but still some teachers have not arrived yet from vacation. I've already been teaching for a week and it's so much better than last year- in all aspects! I already know what I'm doing this year, have the French down (for the most part...), understand the school system, etc. I have already started planning secondary activities, so this year is looking good!

I hope you're all doing well at home, loving the cooler fall weather!

Enjoy the photos!

Ready to start!

Driving across a flooded barrage

Broken down in the dark, in the middle of nowhere

Who knew there were hills in Burkina?

Cutting a watermelon, of course with a machete

Soccer game in a volunteer's village

Getting the car un-stuck

Welcome to Takeledougou!

Marita riding off into the sunrise

Bike Tour on Three

one, two, three....BIKE TOUR. HUZZAH!

I'm currently participating in a bike tour around Burkina Faso to raise money for gender and development activities in addition to raising awareness of Peace Corps around Burkina and to celebrate Peace Corps' 50th anniversary. Check out the blog at:

http://www.burkinabiketour.blogspot.com/

Take care!!

Rains Down in Africa

Usually when you think of summer, you think of hot, sweltering heat, right? Well summer here in Burkina is a little different. Yes, it is hot and sweltering (as usual), but there is the relief of rain. Clouds are constantly on the horizon, bringing the hope of relief of the heat. Hot season is over and now it’s rainy season. Before coming to Burkina, I thought that “rainy season” meant monsoons, with rain every day, or at least every other day. Instead, it rains about once a week in my village, and more often in the south. Despite the fact that there are no monsoon-like rains, the rain is still very welcome and cools down the earth to a more manageable temperature. So, thank god for the rains.

Since getting back from the U.S., I have been busy. I stayed in Ouaga for a few days after I arrived to get some things done, such as dentist, etc. Then I went to Tougouri for a few days. It was a little odd being back in village because the village seemed dead! The villagers were all out in the fields cultivating and the functionaries had all gone back to Ouaga or their home villages. So my courtyard was empty, which was a little disconcerting being alone after being with people for so long. The one time I want people in my courtyard, they’re all gone!

The next week I came back to Ouaga to participate in Coaching for Hope, a program to teach coaches how to coach and how to teach about HIV/AIDS through soccer. Overall, I think the formation went well and the Burkinabe counterparts, which each volunteer brought from their village, learned a lot. However, there were some difficulties due to cultural differences, such as the Burkinabe love to argue and talk on and on and on and Americans do not. When we’re done with a session and we’ve covered all of the topics, just let us go, instead of talking about something not related for an extra hour. Or, we don’t like pushing in line when the food comes. And, saying “give me food now” is not nice! But, the goals of the formation were covered (for the most part) and we all left feeling better for having done it. Although I must admit that I was very happy when it was over.

Last week I went down to Gaoua, a town in Southern Burkina Faso, for a wedding between a volunteer, Jillian, and a Burkinabe, Ibe. It was amazing to see the mix of American and Burkinabe cultures that were incorporated at the wedding. Jillian did a GREAT job of putting it all together and I’m sure that Gaoua had never seen anything like it before. Jillian and Ibe had already technically gotten married at a Muslim wedding a few weeks before, but this was the civil wedding that made the marriage “official” in the eyes of the government. This civil wedding was at the Marie (mayor’s office) and Jillian had to fight to have the wedding outdoors, but she succeeded! The Burkinabe did not want the wedding to be outside because they did not Americans to see pictures from the wedding and think that Burkina cannot afford a building for the mayor- shows what they know about American weddings!

The ceremony was beautiful, as Jillian had designed a pretty tent to be under. The mayor fought that as well, stating that he needed to sit at his big desk and his big desk would not fit under the small tent. I asked why he had to sit at this particular desk and why not bring a smaller desk outside. I was told that the mayor does not sit at small desks. Anyway, everything went smoothly and the wedding went off without a hitch. Except during the ceremony, the mayor went over the rules of marriage in Burkina and started saying things such as “All decisions must be made together, but if there is a disagreement the man decides” or “If you move to the U.S., you must do it together, but if both parties do not want to move, the man decides where you will live.” At one point during this Jillian leans over to Ibe and says “Ce n’est pas vrai” (It’s not true). Go Jillian!

After the civil ceremony, everyone moved to a restaurant for the reception. I got there early to check on decorations and make sure that everything was in order. Then the guests started showing up. I believe that over 400 people came into that small restaurant, of which 30 were fellow volunteers. The restaurant sure got crowded! After drinks, food, and the giving of the gifts, the dancing started and continued on into the night. I had a great time and hope Jillian and Ibe did too! Best of luck to them!

After the wedding I came back to Ouaga and have been working at the American Language Center, planning for English classes that will begin next week.

Coaching for Hope

My counterpart, Konate, and I

Obviously professional soccer players

Marita, Kim, and I excited about soccer

Jillian and Ibe

Civil Wedding Ceremony

All of the "nasaras" at Jillian and Ibe's wedding

I've found my new husband! (Doesn't he dress nice?)

Americaland

America: it’s like a theme park.

In late June I took a trip home to the United States! On the way, I spent a week in France with my friend Cate. We met up in Paris, saw all the sights, and basically just enjoyed once again being together after a year apart. Then we spent a few days in St. Malo, a port city located in Brittany. St. Malo was gorgeous and I realized how much I missed seeing water every day. Cate and I also had a wonderful dinner out at a fancy seafood restaurant (thanks Mary!) where we stuffed ourselves silly. Then it was time to fly home. I flew into Washington, DC and was met by my high school friend Stephanie. I spent a few days visiting my grandmother and hanging out with friends. From there I went on to Alabama to see the family. At home I relaxed, enjoyed being with family, ate A LOT of wonderful food, and slept a lot in my very comfortable bed. When it was time to leave, of course I was sad and knew that I still had another year away. However, this past year has gone relatively fast and I know next year will go even faster. It was great to get home and reconnect with those stateside, and of course, get some Papa hugs.

Miss you all!

Cate and I at Mont Saint-Michel

Me with Mama and Papa (notice their African clothes)

Karl and I. I still cannot believe that he is now taller than me!

School's Out for the Summer!

I am officially done with my first year of teaching! However the past few weeks have been a little bit crazy. Since the beginning of May I have filled out report cards (bulletins), helped the Professor Principals (counselor teacher for each class) fill out the Livret Scholaires (student grade books), attended 6 soccer games, went to two fetes, and attended the final 6 hour long teacher’s meeting which was followed by chicken and beer, thankfully.

Last week I took two girls from my village, Alima and Jacqueline, to a girl’s conference in the regional capital of Kongossi. Ten volunteers attended the conference, each bringing two girls. During the conference, two men from L’Action Sociale, a government ministry, spoke about family planning, sexuality, and women’s rights. Having Burkinabe speak was good, but I did not particularly like their method. Every morning was lectures, which got a little boring. We tried to intersperse the lectures with motivating activities. At one point the Burkinabe wanted to correct the girls’ French, which I thought was not appropriate as this was not school. And if anything, my French should be corrected, not the girls’! I did learn some interesting things, though, such as the Burkinabe consider polygamy as a method of family planning and to be Burkina’s president, you need to be 35 years old and have 20 million CFA (about $40,000). In the afternoons we volunteers did fun activities with the girls, such as games, condom demonstrations, etc. One afternoon a panel of motivated women, such as nurses, teachers, came and spoke to the girls. It was really neat to see the girls’ transformation throughout the formation. At the beginning, they were scared and timid but by the end the girls were all talking and had lots of fun at our dance party on the last night.

This past weekend I have been in Ouaga for a Youth Development Committee meeting. It sounds like we’re beginning to figure out our goals. We are hoping to put on a youth leadership/citizenship conference this fall/winter for local youth. The first goal is to find funding, which is the plan for today. Also, Saturday I watched two volunteers participate in the Ouaga marathon. They both finished with good times, but were a little sore afterwards. The marathon is basically a straight shot out of Ouaga along a road with no shade whatsoever and the runners were running next to cars, motos, bikes, and donkey carts. But, it did start at 6am, instead of 8:30 like last year, and there was enough water, though warm. It was also amazing to see many of the runners running in sandals or dress shoes. I don’t know how they did it!

That’s about it in my life right now. I am looking forward to my trip to Paris and home in less than 3 weeks!

They love Obama here!

The girls at the end of the conference

Some of us volunteers

Girls in the water

Alima, Jacqueline, and me

The girls completing the "bridge model" to demonstrate overcoming obstacles in their lives

Alima reading

Condom demonstration

Camel riding in Bani (see last blog)