A couple of weeks ago I left for Ouaga to go to Nazinga, an animal reserve in the north east of Burkina. I went with other Canadian volunteers Benoit and his adorable little son Remy, Jean-Francois, and a Burkinabe friend Natasha. On the Thursday night I met up with Nath and we went to the Moulin Rouge (again. And I ate the exact same thing as the two last times…) then went out dancing with some friends. Friday I finally visited the Village Artisanale, and were I rich, I would have bought everything. That night I had dinner with Antoine and Geraldine, two other Canadian volunteers, and my tastebuds were in heaven…lasagna, potato salad, and mango cake! And then, when we got back to Benoit’s house…strawberry pie for a bedtime snack! Ok, for those of you who are reading this and are thinking that I am extremely food obsessed, you would be too if you lived in my village for the past 7 months and ate rice and sauce all the time…
So the next morning we head off for Nazinga, and the first thing we saw when we got there was a herd of elephants taking a midday swim! I’ve never seen anything like it! We were so close, and there were so many of them. While we were eating lunch they came out of the water and we were warned to stay inside because they came up right beside the restaurant and into the parking lot, a first for the camp! That afternoon and the next morning we went out sitting on top of the 4x4 and saw lots of antelope, multicoloured birds, warthogs, and of course, lots and lots of elephants. We were very lucky, and at one point we were no more than 10 feet away from one, and had to make a run for it because it was about to charge.
It was a really nice trip, very relaxing and a nice change of scenery. On our way back we stopped in a little village famous for its animist culture and houses painted with animist symbols.
Now, the real highlight of my trip…I stayed with Benoit Sunday night, and he made a chocolate cake and thai stir fry. Monday morning, homemade yoghurt and leftover strawberry pie. For lunch Jean-Francois took me to the American club, where we had the best burger of my life, taco nachos, French fries, onion rings and strawberry milkshakes. He also lives in a village, so we honestly were the two happiest people on the planet. That night, we went out to a really nice restaurant for Geraldine’s birthday. Again, if I tend to go on about food, bear with me…it’s become an obsession.
I spent Monday at the CECI office, got to use the internet, and had a meeting with Angele. Tuesday I went and had some tests done to get to the bottom of some strange stomach pains, only to find out that I have E. coli. Yes…the thing is here, it’s not a big deal at all. I started treatment last week, (getting an injection in my bum everyday for a week) and tomorrow is the last day, alhamdulillah! My poor behind. I now know all the doctors personally, and they’re all very proud that I was able to support the ordeal all week long.
Last week I also had a major breakdown at work, due to some cultural misunderstandings and miscommunications. After I decided I wanted to quit, and that I was going to lock myself up in my house for the remainder of my stay here, I spent some time thinking, and decided to turn the situation around and try to use it as a catalyst for some positive change. It actually made things much better at work, and now I get along much better with everyone, and our work dynamics have definitely changed for the better.
We have two new interns, two Belgian university students studying occupational therapy, who have come with Medicus Mundi and who are based here at REVS+. One is working with me with the kids, and it will be neat to see what kind of an intervention she’ll come up with. We’re hoping to do something with our uneducated girl OEVS or with our little kids, since the others are already kept busy with our theatre and dance activities and our homework and reading club. We’re also trying to start a focus group where kids can come and talk, and be listened to. It’s nice to have someone else on the team, and to have some more company in the office.
I’ve decided to keep the remainder of my vacation time until the end of my mandate, and go to Ghana to visit Courtney and to Mali with my mom at the end of April. May I’ll spend in Houndé working on my thesis (looking at factors of vulnerability among our kids, trying to get to the bottom of what really makes them vulnerable and why), and then we’ll see from there. I can’t believe how time flies! On verra!
So, that’s it for now! A la prochaine!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Ehe...
Um, a tad overdue…but here it is! Another blog entry!
So, I don’t even know where to start. I even shocked myself when I went on to my blog to see where I had left off, only to realize that it’s been the same blog since November! I express my apologies, and hope to make it up to everyone by posting an UBER LONG ENTRY! Party city!
So yes, I think that last time I wrote I was getting ready to go to Karangasso-Sambla, a little village 50km from Bobo, where I was invited to the AGM of ASKS, a woman’s association that supports women in their everyday lives. I was really excited to go, since it’s also where Emanuelle did her research, so I had heard lots about it! It was a really neat experience; village life has a whole different feel to it. Before leaving people told me I wouldn’t be able to survive in a real village, which I found rather insulting, and much to their surprise I absolutely loved it! It was neat to be cut off for an entire weekend, with no running water (not that that was anything new), no electricity, no phone signal, and no French for the weekend. The morning of the meeting all the women got together to prepare the mountains of food needed for all the guests. I helped prepare a sauce, and I stirred some to, but I drew the line at plucking chickens. There are some lines I just can’t cross…The meeting was really neat; it was under a mango tree, and all the village elders were there. After every speech, a traditional music group would play, and everyone would get up and dance. If only all meetings could be so entertaining! The one moment of terror was when the man beside me announced that my speech was next…I was totally uninformed and unaware, and after a small panic attack, had to get up and wing some random speech. I don’t even know what I said, but it’s probably better that way. Ehe…That night there was a huge party, and we danced until the wee hours of the morning. The music was great…djembe and balafon, and the freezing temperatures were soon forgotten.
The rest of November was taken up with preparations for a show I organised with my kids, the first children’s talent show in Houndé, ever. Their energy was completely infectious, and I don’t know who was more excited, me or the kids. We prepared a play on HIV stigma, did a whole bunch of playbacks and choreographed 2 dances. With the kids in Boni we also did a play on the treatment of orphans, and it was nice for them because even though they’re not in Houndé, they got to participate. I had lots of help from my favourite colleague, Pamtaba, and a friend of mine who works at L’Action Social. The show basically became our lives for 2 months, and it was really nice because we started seeing a lot more support and solidarity between the kids; they started spending more time together outside of our activities, and started organising events themselves. For me this was a huge success, since the most important thing is to make them more active and responsible.
On the 15 my mom and siblings arrived. We met in Ouaga, went to eat at the ‘Moulin Rouge’ (I ate PIZZA!!!) and the next day left for Houndé. I was in the middle of preparations for the show, and my family was very patient and very supportive. They adapted quickly to the different conditions, including the toilet hole, and got used to having an endless flow of people in the house, what with all the people who came to meet them, all the kids hanging out here, and all the young girls who wanted Adam’s attention. Teehee.
December 19th we celebrated Eid, and we went all out and did it the Burkina way. We bought a big lamb and the day of, Pamtaba came over and took care of the cutting up of said lamb, while I avoided the general area and helped Korotimi and Delphine prepare the rice, beans, salad and potatoes. At lunch we had a bunch of people come over, and throughout the rest of the afternoon people dropped by and were always offered something to eat.
The 22nd we finally had our show, and it was a huge success! Besides a whole bunch of last minute stresses, we managed to pull it off wonderfully. The High Commissioner (who apparently never comes to any events) was the patron of our show, and added a lot of credibility to the day. My mom was coerced into being the ‘marraine’ against her will and had to make a speech in front of tons of people. Representatives from NGOs, associations, the hospital, and other services all came to support us, and the kids did such a wonderful job I almost cried numerous times. After all the preparations and all the little things that we didn’t think would go right, it was such a relief to watch the kids do their very best, and they had such a great time. Now the problem is that they all want to organise another one, but this one was so much work I don’t know if I have it in me. That night I invited my team out dancing to celebrate, and Adam came! That’s right…little Buckley went dancing! Too cute!
After our week in Houndé, we left for a trip up north in the Sahel. We went with a crazy guide and the nicest chauffeur, and had a really nice time. One night we spent in Oursi and we were the only people for miles. We were right in the dunes, and slept outside on these wooden beds in the sand. The stars were amazing, and though it was freezing cold, it was such a neat experience! The next day we went hiking through the dunes, and Adam had his unfortunate dune jumping episode…ehe. That night we went to Gandefabou, a camp not far from the Malian border, and slept in traditional peulh houses. It was really fascinating to see how everything changed…the people, the dress, the landscape…it was much flatter with more grasses and sand. People dressed completely different, and everyone rode donkeys and camels. It was neat to be driving down the road and see a group of people going to market on camels. Speaking of camels…we rode 12km on camelback, and let me tell you, it looks easier than it actually is. The next 2 days I could barely walk! All in all it was a very peaceful, refreshing trip, and a much needed vacation. The 30th we went back to Ouaga and my family left that night. I spent the next few days in Ouaga going from friend’s house to friend’s house, and it was great to be in the city for a few days and to do some catching up with people I hadn’t seen in ages. It was also nice to see other Canadians, since it was a chance to debrief a little bit, share some cultural experiences, and just share some Canadian humour.
I came back on the 4th, and it seemed like I hadn’t been home in ages! It wasn’t easy coming back to Houndé, but it was nice to be back in my own home. Just after I got home, Nath and Courtney (two friends from school who are also on placement) stopped in Houndé for the weekend on their way back from Mali. I decided to show them Houndé by night, so we went to the one ‘happening’ nighstop, l’Auberge. It was pretty pathetic because the place was like a ghost town, and I was like, right, this is my town…where nothing happens…ehe…but then my dancing buddies came and we started the ball. As soon as we started dancing people started warming up to the dance floor. Three female ‘toubabous’ in my town at one time dancing is not something that happens everyday.
Of course, after they left I had to get sick almost right away, with a weird combination of amoebic dysentery, malaria and a cold. Not pleasant, and I spent all of last week in bed. I finally got better, and presently I’m just battling with my dysentery, but ca va aller.
Work is picking up again, and on the weekend I started a reading circle. Kids don’t have any opportunities to read for fun, and so with all the books my mom brought, we started little activities. I wanted to start a library, but didn’t know where to start, so my mom did some research and found an American NGO that builds libraries in African villages. She contacted them, and it turns out that they work in Burkina Faso. We then found out that their 5 libraries are in the Houndé region, and that their regional coordinator teaches at a school right beside my house! I met up with him today and on Thursday we’re going to a village to visit a library there, to inspire me and show me how they run things. Talk about a small world!
At work we’re also going to be starting focus groups, and begin rehearsals again, since someone who was at our show on the 22nd asked us to perform our play for a big event coming up in February.
For now I have lots to keep me busy, including a thesis research ethics proposal that is much overdue, and a trip to Nazinga, an animal reserve next weekend. I’m also trying to squeeze a trip to Ghana in to go visit Courtney in February.
So, there you have it…Sara’s life is once again up to date for all to read about! I hope you’ve all been patient enough to get to the end of this long entry…I apologize for its length, but I really had no choice.
Lots of love and bisous to everyone!
So, I don’t even know where to start. I even shocked myself when I went on to my blog to see where I had left off, only to realize that it’s been the same blog since November! I express my apologies, and hope to make it up to everyone by posting an UBER LONG ENTRY! Party city!
So yes, I think that last time I wrote I was getting ready to go to Karangasso-Sambla, a little village 50km from Bobo, where I was invited to the AGM of ASKS, a woman’s association that supports women in their everyday lives. I was really excited to go, since it’s also where Emanuelle did her research, so I had heard lots about it! It was a really neat experience; village life has a whole different feel to it. Before leaving people told me I wouldn’t be able to survive in a real village, which I found rather insulting, and much to their surprise I absolutely loved it! It was neat to be cut off for an entire weekend, with no running water (not that that was anything new), no electricity, no phone signal, and no French for the weekend. The morning of the meeting all the women got together to prepare the mountains of food needed for all the guests. I helped prepare a sauce, and I stirred some to, but I drew the line at plucking chickens. There are some lines I just can’t cross…The meeting was really neat; it was under a mango tree, and all the village elders were there. After every speech, a traditional music group would play, and everyone would get up and dance. If only all meetings could be so entertaining! The one moment of terror was when the man beside me announced that my speech was next…I was totally uninformed and unaware, and after a small panic attack, had to get up and wing some random speech. I don’t even know what I said, but it’s probably better that way. Ehe…That night there was a huge party, and we danced until the wee hours of the morning. The music was great…djembe and balafon, and the freezing temperatures were soon forgotten.
The rest of November was taken up with preparations for a show I organised with my kids, the first children’s talent show in Houndé, ever. Their energy was completely infectious, and I don’t know who was more excited, me or the kids. We prepared a play on HIV stigma, did a whole bunch of playbacks and choreographed 2 dances. With the kids in Boni we also did a play on the treatment of orphans, and it was nice for them because even though they’re not in Houndé, they got to participate. I had lots of help from my favourite colleague, Pamtaba, and a friend of mine who works at L’Action Social. The show basically became our lives for 2 months, and it was really nice because we started seeing a lot more support and solidarity between the kids; they started spending more time together outside of our activities, and started organising events themselves. For me this was a huge success, since the most important thing is to make them more active and responsible.
On the 15 my mom and siblings arrived. We met in Ouaga, went to eat at the ‘Moulin Rouge’ (I ate PIZZA!!!) and the next day left for Houndé. I was in the middle of preparations for the show, and my family was very patient and very supportive. They adapted quickly to the different conditions, including the toilet hole, and got used to having an endless flow of people in the house, what with all the people who came to meet them, all the kids hanging out here, and all the young girls who wanted Adam’s attention. Teehee.
December 19th we celebrated Eid, and we went all out and did it the Burkina way. We bought a big lamb and the day of, Pamtaba came over and took care of the cutting up of said lamb, while I avoided the general area and helped Korotimi and Delphine prepare the rice, beans, salad and potatoes. At lunch we had a bunch of people come over, and throughout the rest of the afternoon people dropped by and were always offered something to eat.
The 22nd we finally had our show, and it was a huge success! Besides a whole bunch of last minute stresses, we managed to pull it off wonderfully. The High Commissioner (who apparently never comes to any events) was the patron of our show, and added a lot of credibility to the day. My mom was coerced into being the ‘marraine’ against her will and had to make a speech in front of tons of people. Representatives from NGOs, associations, the hospital, and other services all came to support us, and the kids did such a wonderful job I almost cried numerous times. After all the preparations and all the little things that we didn’t think would go right, it was such a relief to watch the kids do their very best, and they had such a great time. Now the problem is that they all want to organise another one, but this one was so much work I don’t know if I have it in me. That night I invited my team out dancing to celebrate, and Adam came! That’s right…little Buckley went dancing! Too cute!
After our week in Houndé, we left for a trip up north in the Sahel. We went with a crazy guide and the nicest chauffeur, and had a really nice time. One night we spent in Oursi and we were the only people for miles. We were right in the dunes, and slept outside on these wooden beds in the sand. The stars were amazing, and though it was freezing cold, it was such a neat experience! The next day we went hiking through the dunes, and Adam had his unfortunate dune jumping episode…ehe. That night we went to Gandefabou, a camp not far from the Malian border, and slept in traditional peulh houses. It was really fascinating to see how everything changed…the people, the dress, the landscape…it was much flatter with more grasses and sand. People dressed completely different, and everyone rode donkeys and camels. It was neat to be driving down the road and see a group of people going to market on camels. Speaking of camels…we rode 12km on camelback, and let me tell you, it looks easier than it actually is. The next 2 days I could barely walk! All in all it was a very peaceful, refreshing trip, and a much needed vacation. The 30th we went back to Ouaga and my family left that night. I spent the next few days in Ouaga going from friend’s house to friend’s house, and it was great to be in the city for a few days and to do some catching up with people I hadn’t seen in ages. It was also nice to see other Canadians, since it was a chance to debrief a little bit, share some cultural experiences, and just share some Canadian humour.
I came back on the 4th, and it seemed like I hadn’t been home in ages! It wasn’t easy coming back to Houndé, but it was nice to be back in my own home. Just after I got home, Nath and Courtney (two friends from school who are also on placement) stopped in Houndé for the weekend on their way back from Mali. I decided to show them Houndé by night, so we went to the one ‘happening’ nighstop, l’Auberge. It was pretty pathetic because the place was like a ghost town, and I was like, right, this is my town…where nothing happens…ehe…but then my dancing buddies came and we started the ball. As soon as we started dancing people started warming up to the dance floor. Three female ‘toubabous’ in my town at one time dancing is not something that happens everyday.
Of course, after they left I had to get sick almost right away, with a weird combination of amoebic dysentery, malaria and a cold. Not pleasant, and I spent all of last week in bed. I finally got better, and presently I’m just battling with my dysentery, but ca va aller.
Work is picking up again, and on the weekend I started a reading circle. Kids don’t have any opportunities to read for fun, and so with all the books my mom brought, we started little activities. I wanted to start a library, but didn’t know where to start, so my mom did some research and found an American NGO that builds libraries in African villages. She contacted them, and it turns out that they work in Burkina Faso. We then found out that their 5 libraries are in the Houndé region, and that their regional coordinator teaches at a school right beside my house! I met up with him today and on Thursday we’re going to a village to visit a library there, to inspire me and show me how they run things. Talk about a small world!
At work we’re also going to be starting focus groups, and begin rehearsals again, since someone who was at our show on the 22nd asked us to perform our play for a big event coming up in February.
For now I have lots to keep me busy, including a thesis research ethics proposal that is much overdue, and a trip to Nazinga, an animal reserve next weekend. I’m also trying to squeeze a trip to Ghana in to go visit Courtney in February.
So, there you have it…Sara’s life is once again up to date for all to read about! I hope you’ve all been patient enough to get to the end of this long entry…I apologize for its length, but I really had no choice.
Lots of love and bisous to everyone!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
News
Ini kibari!
I have neglected my blog for quite some time, so it’s time for an update. It’s funny, the more time I spend here, the more I become normalized to everything around me, and I find I can’t think of any news to post on my blog!
Let me think…last time I wrote, I just got back from Bobo, and was pathetically sick. I had some germ/parasite and another bout of malaria, which then affected my overall mental state, meaning I got super depressed and wanted to come home. I got so sick/depressed I couldn’t stay at home alone, and went to stay with some Spanish friends at their NGO for some moral support. The fact that there are toilets there as well was definitely a pull factor, since it made my life much easier. Everyone in Houndé knew I was sick…it’s incredible how fast news travels. I even got calls and messages from people in Ouaga and Bobo…don’t ask me how they knew. The fact that I left my house made everyone think that I was deathly ill, and so the whole office came to visit, and it was a really special boost to know that people care so much about the wellbeing of others, and take the time to make sure you’re alright.
After I got better work started up again, and I had lots of catching up to do. We’re working on a project to get milk for HIV-positive mothers to give their children, training our kids to become group leaders in their meetings, setting up microcredits for our girls who don’t go to school, and lots of other exciting little projects. We received money to pay school fees for our kids who couldn’t pay, so it was really neat because I got to go into all the surrounding villages and visit the schools there. Most of these villages are really in the bush, and a lot of the kids had never seen a toubabou (white person) before. At one of the schools I was sitting outside waiting for my colleague, and a whole bunch of little kids were hanging out windows watching my every move. At one point I took some bread out of my bag and started eating, and the kids started screaming ‘elle mange!!’ (she’s eating!) and calling their friends. I was like, just because my skin is lighter than yours does it mean that I don’t eat??? Quite the experience…
At another school, one of the teachers brought me to each class to show me to the kids because he said they had never seen a foreigner before, besides on TV. It was kind of weird…I felt like some kind of artefact bring brought around and displayed, but the kids were really cute. The teacher asked the kids to describe what I was like, and one little boy got up and said, ‘elle est jolie!’ Teehee.
Right now we’re organising an Eid/Christmas/New Year’s party with our kids, and it is too much fun. They’re doing little plays, and my girls are doing one on the importance of female education. They’re choreographing dances, writing a rap piece, and it is just the cutest thing.
This weekend I’m invited to the AGM of a women’s association in a little village called Karangasso-Sambla. It’s where my friend Emanuele did her research, so I’m excited to meet her people and discover another little corner of Burkina.
My mom and siblings finally booked their plane tickets, and arrive the 15th of December! Craissy pahty! We’ll spend Eid here in Houndé, and then go up north to go came trekking through the Sahelian Dunes! Pretty cool, huh?
I’ve gotten so caught up in my little world here that I forgot that I’m still a university student, and have a thesis to write next year. Imagine my panic and dismay when I received an email reminding me that my 20-page research proposal is due in 2 weeks. Right…like that will ever happen. One thing is sure and that is that nothing is getting sent off to UofT before the second week of January. I have no idea how I’m going to manage a research project when I get internet access once a month…
So yes, I guess I did find some news to tell you! I hope everyone is well, and please send me some news from home! Even if my internet access is limited, it always makes me happy to have lots of emails waiting for me.
Lots of love!
Sara
I have neglected my blog for quite some time, so it’s time for an update. It’s funny, the more time I spend here, the more I become normalized to everything around me, and I find I can’t think of any news to post on my blog!
Let me think…last time I wrote, I just got back from Bobo, and was pathetically sick. I had some germ/parasite and another bout of malaria, which then affected my overall mental state, meaning I got super depressed and wanted to come home. I got so sick/depressed I couldn’t stay at home alone, and went to stay with some Spanish friends at their NGO for some moral support. The fact that there are toilets there as well was definitely a pull factor, since it made my life much easier. Everyone in Houndé knew I was sick…it’s incredible how fast news travels. I even got calls and messages from people in Ouaga and Bobo…don’t ask me how they knew. The fact that I left my house made everyone think that I was deathly ill, and so the whole office came to visit, and it was a really special boost to know that people care so much about the wellbeing of others, and take the time to make sure you’re alright.
After I got better work started up again, and I had lots of catching up to do. We’re working on a project to get milk for HIV-positive mothers to give their children, training our kids to become group leaders in their meetings, setting up microcredits for our girls who don’t go to school, and lots of other exciting little projects. We received money to pay school fees for our kids who couldn’t pay, so it was really neat because I got to go into all the surrounding villages and visit the schools there. Most of these villages are really in the bush, and a lot of the kids had never seen a toubabou (white person) before. At one of the schools I was sitting outside waiting for my colleague, and a whole bunch of little kids were hanging out windows watching my every move. At one point I took some bread out of my bag and started eating, and the kids started screaming ‘elle mange!!’ (she’s eating!) and calling their friends. I was like, just because my skin is lighter than yours does it mean that I don’t eat??? Quite the experience…
At another school, one of the teachers brought me to each class to show me to the kids because he said they had never seen a foreigner before, besides on TV. It was kind of weird…I felt like some kind of artefact bring brought around and displayed, but the kids were really cute. The teacher asked the kids to describe what I was like, and one little boy got up and said, ‘elle est jolie!’ Teehee.
Right now we’re organising an Eid/Christmas/New Year’s party with our kids, and it is too much fun. They’re doing little plays, and my girls are doing one on the importance of female education. They’re choreographing dances, writing a rap piece, and it is just the cutest thing.
This weekend I’m invited to the AGM of a women’s association in a little village called Karangasso-Sambla. It’s where my friend Emanuele did her research, so I’m excited to meet her people and discover another little corner of Burkina.
My mom and siblings finally booked their plane tickets, and arrive the 15th of December! Craissy pahty! We’ll spend Eid here in Houndé, and then go up north to go came trekking through the Sahelian Dunes! Pretty cool, huh?
I’ve gotten so caught up in my little world here that I forgot that I’m still a university student, and have a thesis to write next year. Imagine my panic and dismay when I received an email reminding me that my 20-page research proposal is due in 2 weeks. Right…like that will ever happen. One thing is sure and that is that nothing is getting sent off to UofT before the second week of January. I have no idea how I’m going to manage a research project when I get internet access once a month…
So yes, I guess I did find some news to tell you! I hope everyone is well, and please send me some news from home! Even if my internet access is limited, it always makes me happy to have lots of emails waiting for me.
Lots of love!
Sara
Friday, October 26, 2007
Fun in Bobo
Ani sogoma!
Here's a little entry with the latest updates! I got back from Morocco safe and sound (with my 30kg of supplies...ehe...), and got to stay with Nathalie before heading back home to Houndé. When I was arrived REVS+ was in the middle of a campaign to offer 1000 free HIV tests in Houndé's surrounding villages. I accompanied the group out to 2 villages, and it was super interesting! We had hundreds of people come to get tested, and it neat to do the pretest counseling, and then deliver the results. I also got to experience the harder side of our work, when we had to tell one man that he was HIV positive. I was amazed at how he took it...calmly and seriously, and I can only pray that he doesn't get discouraged, but that he realizes that it's not the end and that he can live a normal and rewarding life.
Just as I started to settle into Houndé life again, I was sent off to Bobo for the annual Uniterra meeting for the HIV/AIDS sector. We spent the last two days collaborating with other partners and discussing our work. I think that it will really help us continue our work, since now my role within my organization and within Uniterra is much clearer for everyone. I also got to spend some time with the other volunteers, including Nathalie, and I've been the official Bobo guide for the weekend. I also get a whole lot of sympathy from everyone, since they all come from Ouaga, and think that I'm really living the extreme in Houndé. But I also realize that my experience is very different from theirs, and I really don't think there's too much I can be scared of after this. By the way, I don't know if this is too much information, but if we're talking about adapting to new and different situations, I should mention that I don't use toilet paper anymore. Ok, don't panic or let your imagination get ahead of you...first of all, there's no toilet paper in Houndé. I found one roll, once, and I'm probably the only person who ever bought it. So, short of not going to the bathroom, I had to explore my options. Since everyone here uses a little plastic kettle-like thing, and they all seem to be breathing and still living, I figured it couldn't be the end of the world. When I told my Ouaga people that, I thought that I had caused a collective cardiac arrest. But it's a matter of getting used to something.
So, back to the present. We've been having lots of fun in Bobo, and I've been getting spoiled. We're staying in Bobo's finest hotel, but which, according to our standards, is super tacky (think orange and brown carpeting on the walls), but it has a pool, is comfortable, and oh, it has toilet paper.It's been fun to be with some crazy Canadians...I even got thrown into a swimming pool fully clothed, had to hide from the hotel staff, then walk through the lobby dripping wet pretending that nothing happened...
Today is the celebration for the 10th anniversary of REVS+, so we're here for the day, and tomorrow's the official ceremony with the First Lady of Burkina Faso, and I get to wear my new outfit I got made! Jubilation!
Well, this one was short and sweet. A la prochaine!
Sara
Here's a little entry with the latest updates! I got back from Morocco safe and sound (with my 30kg of supplies...ehe...), and got to stay with Nathalie before heading back home to Houndé. When I was arrived REVS+ was in the middle of a campaign to offer 1000 free HIV tests in Houndé's surrounding villages. I accompanied the group out to 2 villages, and it was super interesting! We had hundreds of people come to get tested, and it neat to do the pretest counseling, and then deliver the results. I also got to experience the harder side of our work, when we had to tell one man that he was HIV positive. I was amazed at how he took it...calmly and seriously, and I can only pray that he doesn't get discouraged, but that he realizes that it's not the end and that he can live a normal and rewarding life.
Just as I started to settle into Houndé life again, I was sent off to Bobo for the annual Uniterra meeting for the HIV/AIDS sector. We spent the last two days collaborating with other partners and discussing our work. I think that it will really help us continue our work, since now my role within my organization and within Uniterra is much clearer for everyone. I also got to spend some time with the other volunteers, including Nathalie, and I've been the official Bobo guide for the weekend. I also get a whole lot of sympathy from everyone, since they all come from Ouaga, and think that I'm really living the extreme in Houndé. But I also realize that my experience is very different from theirs, and I really don't think there's too much I can be scared of after this. By the way, I don't know if this is too much information, but if we're talking about adapting to new and different situations, I should mention that I don't use toilet paper anymore. Ok, don't panic or let your imagination get ahead of you...first of all, there's no toilet paper in Houndé. I found one roll, once, and I'm probably the only person who ever bought it. So, short of not going to the bathroom, I had to explore my options. Since everyone here uses a little plastic kettle-like thing, and they all seem to be breathing and still living, I figured it couldn't be the end of the world. When I told my Ouaga people that, I thought that I had caused a collective cardiac arrest. But it's a matter of getting used to something.
So, back to the present. We've been having lots of fun in Bobo, and I've been getting spoiled. We're staying in Bobo's finest hotel, but which, according to our standards, is super tacky (think orange and brown carpeting on the walls), but it has a pool, is comfortable, and oh, it has toilet paper.It's been fun to be with some crazy Canadians...I even got thrown into a swimming pool fully clothed, had to hide from the hotel staff, then walk through the lobby dripping wet pretending that nothing happened...
Today is the celebration for the 10th anniversary of REVS+, so we're here for the day, and tomorrow's the official ceremony with the First Lady of Burkina Faso, and I get to wear my new outfit I got made! Jubilation!
Well, this one was short and sweet. A la prochaine!
Sara
Monday, October 15, 2007
Mon séjour au Maroc
Assalamu alaikum!
I'm here in Morocco being utterly spoiled, and I also have unlimited internet access! Party city!! So I decided to take advantage of this luxury and post another entry. I wish I could add some pictures, but my camera is being annoying.
So, as you know, I decided to come and celebrate Eid with my relatives in Casablanca, which was honestly one of the best decisions of my life. Before leaving, I spent a few days at Nathalie's beautiful house in Ouaga, which also did me some good since we got lots of time to catch up and share lots of stories. I got to the airport at 1am on Tuesday night, which was an interesting experience. Lots of flirty but harmless men can be found at the airport, and it's funny because as soon as you give them some attitude, they kind of begin to respect you and be friendly. While I was waiting for my plane, Val called me (yay!!!!) and we had to cram 3 months of news into 20 minutes, but it was better than nothing and made me super happy! Yay best friends!
Right after we hung up, I received a random love declaration from an airport worker who claimed he was really nervous, since apparently it was the first time he had ever been moved to approach a girl and compliment her. Right...
So yes, I arrived in Morocco and got picked up by the family. It is such a different world...I feel like I'm halfway between Africa and Europe. Come to think of it, I am...ehe...but I mean in terms of lifestyle and infrastructure and culture. The food is unbelievable, and it's so nice to be with family and to be taken care of.
Last time I came here I didn't like Casablanca, but this time around I'm appreciating the city more. Maybe I was more desperate for a change, but regardless of the reason, I'm finding the city bright, alive and comfortable, with lots of cafes, trees, music, and oh, random men who say "assalamu alaikum" in a really seductive way when you pass by...ah, Moroccan flirting. Teehee.
And I thought Ouaga traffic was bad...I'm convinced I almost died numerous times, but fortunately I am still in one piece.I went to the market with my honourary mother (who has proclaimed me her daughter and is determined to marry me to one of her remaining single sons) and I almost cried when I saw all the vegetables and fruits...it was like they were mocking me, reminding me that in Houndé there is nothing that can compare.
I have eaten like a queen here...Moroccan food is undoubtedly the best food in the world. We've eaten tajines, couscous, crepes, a ton of fresh fruit, moroccan pastries, soups, salads, fresh juices, you name it. How am I going to go back to rice and tomato paste and maggi cubes!! HOW???!!! Bo.
It was lovely to finish Ramadan here as well, since I felt a bit more at home and fasting was much easier. One night we went for evening prayer in the famous Hassan II mosque right beside the water, and it was so full (with 60.000 people) that we joined those who were praying outside on the courtyard beside the ocean. It was absolutely beautiful.
The night before Eid, Nadia and I went to a hammam, the traditional Moroccan baths. It was super chic, and we had someone do gommage, meaning you lie on a table and someone scrubs you down with an exfoliating glove. I was nice and red afterwards, but probably 5 pounds lighter without all the dirt, grime and dust that she had scrubbed out of me. That night, at 1am, my aunt told me she wanted to do henna. We sat in the living room and she did traditional henna on my hands and feet. I desperately needed to sleep, so we wrapped me up in old cloths and the next morning my henna was still intact!
On Eid day the whole family was here, and I helped prepare a giant plate of couscous, which can only be described as perfect. I decided to eat it Moroccan style and make the little couscous balls in my hand, but it is not easy. I ended up having a little mountain of couscous piled up in front of me, but it didn't matter...I was in the world of delightful taste sensations, and nothing could take away the joy. Hehehe. If you think I exaggerate, you have never tried homemade moroccan couscous.
I also got to talk to my family in a video conversation on Eid day, and it was so nice since I haven't seen them since I left. Adam is taller than I am now!!!
Yesterday Nadia, Ayoub and I went for a walk along the beach, watched the sunset and went for ICE CREAM (hallelujah!) at the best glacier in Morocco. Another delightful taste sensation.
We then got picked up by Younes, crammed way too many people into a very small car, and drove out of the city to a restaurant where you choose your meat at the butcher stall, then have it prepared for you. You eat it with traditional bread and mint tea. I ate heart for the firs ttime in my life, and though it tasted good, I was having a psychological issues eating it. Oh well!! One must always try something new, I suppose. I was so stuffed I could hardly breathe.
Ok...I just realized that the majority of this blog entry is focussed around food. Oh well!
I go back to BF tomorrow night, get back to work on Thursday, then next week I have to go to Bobo for a Uniterra meeting, where I have to present the work we've done so far to all the BF Uniterra workers and volunteers. In French. Blast.
So, I hope this entry wasn't too tedious, not even for my brother. Lots of love from Morocco!
Sara
I'm here in Morocco being utterly spoiled, and I also have unlimited internet access! Party city!! So I decided to take advantage of this luxury and post another entry. I wish I could add some pictures, but my camera is being annoying.
So, as you know, I decided to come and celebrate Eid with my relatives in Casablanca, which was honestly one of the best decisions of my life. Before leaving, I spent a few days at Nathalie's beautiful house in Ouaga, which also did me some good since we got lots of time to catch up and share lots of stories. I got to the airport at 1am on Tuesday night, which was an interesting experience. Lots of flirty but harmless men can be found at the airport, and it's funny because as soon as you give them some attitude, they kind of begin to respect you and be friendly. While I was waiting for my plane, Val called me (yay!!!!) and we had to cram 3 months of news into 20 minutes, but it was better than nothing and made me super happy! Yay best friends!
Right after we hung up, I received a random love declaration from an airport worker who claimed he was really nervous, since apparently it was the first time he had ever been moved to approach a girl and compliment her. Right...
So yes, I arrived in Morocco and got picked up by the family. It is such a different world...I feel like I'm halfway between Africa and Europe. Come to think of it, I am...ehe...but I mean in terms of lifestyle and infrastructure and culture. The food is unbelievable, and it's so nice to be with family and to be taken care of.
Last time I came here I didn't like Casablanca, but this time around I'm appreciating the city more. Maybe I was more desperate for a change, but regardless of the reason, I'm finding the city bright, alive and comfortable, with lots of cafes, trees, music, and oh, random men who say "assalamu alaikum" in a really seductive way when you pass by...ah, Moroccan flirting. Teehee.
And I thought Ouaga traffic was bad...I'm convinced I almost died numerous times, but fortunately I am still in one piece.I went to the market with my honourary mother (who has proclaimed me her daughter and is determined to marry me to one of her remaining single sons) and I almost cried when I saw all the vegetables and fruits...it was like they were mocking me, reminding me that in Houndé there is nothing that can compare.
I have eaten like a queen here...Moroccan food is undoubtedly the best food in the world. We've eaten tajines, couscous, crepes, a ton of fresh fruit, moroccan pastries, soups, salads, fresh juices, you name it. How am I going to go back to rice and tomato paste and maggi cubes!! HOW???!!! Bo.
It was lovely to finish Ramadan here as well, since I felt a bit more at home and fasting was much easier. One night we went for evening prayer in the famous Hassan II mosque right beside the water, and it was so full (with 60.000 people) that we joined those who were praying outside on the courtyard beside the ocean. It was absolutely beautiful.
The night before Eid, Nadia and I went to a hammam, the traditional Moroccan baths. It was super chic, and we had someone do gommage, meaning you lie on a table and someone scrubs you down with an exfoliating glove. I was nice and red afterwards, but probably 5 pounds lighter without all the dirt, grime and dust that she had scrubbed out of me. That night, at 1am, my aunt told me she wanted to do henna. We sat in the living room and she did traditional henna on my hands and feet. I desperately needed to sleep, so we wrapped me up in old cloths and the next morning my henna was still intact!
On Eid day the whole family was here, and I helped prepare a giant plate of couscous, which can only be described as perfect. I decided to eat it Moroccan style and make the little couscous balls in my hand, but it is not easy. I ended up having a little mountain of couscous piled up in front of me, but it didn't matter...I was in the world of delightful taste sensations, and nothing could take away the joy. Hehehe. If you think I exaggerate, you have never tried homemade moroccan couscous.
I also got to talk to my family in a video conversation on Eid day, and it was so nice since I haven't seen them since I left. Adam is taller than I am now!!!
Yesterday Nadia, Ayoub and I went for a walk along the beach, watched the sunset and went for ICE CREAM (hallelujah!) at the best glacier in Morocco. Another delightful taste sensation.
We then got picked up by Younes, crammed way too many people into a very small car, and drove out of the city to a restaurant where you choose your meat at the butcher stall, then have it prepared for you. You eat it with traditional bread and mint tea. I ate heart for the firs ttime in my life, and though it tasted good, I was having a psychological issues eating it. Oh well!! One must always try something new, I suppose. I was so stuffed I could hardly breathe.
Ok...I just realized that the majority of this blog entry is focussed around food. Oh well!
I go back to BF tomorrow night, get back to work on Thursday, then next week I have to go to Bobo for a Uniterra meeting, where I have to present the work we've done so far to all the BF Uniterra workers and volunteers. In French. Blast.
So, I hope this entry wasn't too tedious, not even for my brother. Lots of love from Morocco!
Sara
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Life in general
So…don’t hate me, but here it is…another super long blog entry. Jubilation! I would also like to announce that I am typing this on my laptop, which is a cause for much rejoicing, since it has been broken and out of order for a number of months. But finally I was able to find a mechanic who actually knew what he was doing and he did a great job. Except now everything is in French…but ca va aller! I’m currently in bed, staring down a large insect that of course, has to be huge and really ugly, and plant itself right beside my head. Thank heavens for my mosquito net, which puts a bit of distance between myself and this hideous creation.
So…where to start. Since I came back from Ouaga, I’ve been keeping busy with things in Houndé, not wandering far from home. Work has been really interesting, since we finally started going out to visit children, to start getting to know them and their families, and learning about their realities. The majority are AIDS orphans or children living with a positive parent. I am falling more and more in love with these children. Before starting someone told me to be careful, to not get too attached to them, because their lives aren’t easy, I’ll want to help them all. What they should have said is that I’ll want to bring them all home with me, do everything I possibly can to make them happy, and bring them all to Canada with me, because that would have been more accurate. I hear stories that break my heart everyday; the poverty, the maltreatment of orphans, the experiences of abandoned children, but these children also warm my heart when they start to share their stories with me. I’m learning how wonderful it feels to gain someone’s trust, and these children are just too wonderful. We have really exciting projects in mind for the kids…we want to build a library, start a community garden, create a theatre forum and cine-debate club, do visits to villages, and start a homework club. There’s too much, but if any of these ideas can become a reality I will be so happy. All we need is a little motivation and we’re set. And I have reason to be encouraged, because parents are really grateful for what we’re doing…I think a lot of them feel a bit isolated and forgotten, and to see that people are interested in I’ve also started helping with the distribution of food rations, and even though it’s not in my responsibilities, I really enjoy it. All our members come, and it’s a nice way to get to know them, and since a lot of them are the parents of our OEVs, it helps build trust and familiarity. Every time I leave the activity I’m covered in dust from head to toe, but it’s a satisfying kind of dust, if that makes any sense at all. I don’t think it does, so we shall pretend I never said it. Dust? What dust? Huh? Right…
I’m going to start dioula lessons (yes…finally!). Vraiment, moi-même c’est pas la peine…ça fait 3 mois que je suis ici et je comprend que les salutations. But I shall speak dioula before I leave. I’m beginning to understand key words, so if someone starts talking, sometimes I can put together the general idea, and once in a while I’ll scare someone a bit, if they were talking about me and thought that I was completely clueless. Hehehe…how I love those moments.
I hit a bit of a down point for a while, and I think it was a combination of things…I got an amoeba which was really unpleasant, and being sick made everything else worse. At the same time I learned firsthand how much people talk in this small town; people really have a lot of time on their hands, and since I’m one of the only Westerners here, my every move is public knowledge, and that’s before the exaggerations and interpretations enter the picture. It got to the point where someone spoke to my colleagues about things I never did, which I found really upsetting. At first it really got to me…I decided I would never leave my house, and basically become a nun. Meanwhile I was getting quite annoyed with men in general, since there’s a lot of attention sent my way, but most often it’s to try to get a visa to come to Canada (apparently I represent the Government of Canada and have the power to influence immigration laws and to hand out visas to n’importe qui). Then Ramadan started, which made me miss home, then it was my birthday, so all together, I was quite homesick. But, a good friend of mine at work, who most graciously listens to me and my complaints on a regular basis, reminded me that people are going to talk even if I become a nun and never leave my house, so d’ecouter ce que les gens disent c’est pas la peine. En tout cas! As Pamtaba says, ‘il faut tout multiplier par zero’ which I’m realizing is crucial, because otherwise it really gets you down. So, things are now going much better. Work is picking up a bit, meaning that people are approaching me more and more, we’re using our time more wisely, and there’s more communication between people in the office, making for a better work environment. I’m really lucky to have landed wonderful colleagues, but I have a bit of trouble working within their pace and level of motivation. I want to do things, to get things going, and no matter how much people warned us before leaving for placement that we shouldn’t expect to make a huge difference at work, I still think I can do a lot here, and I say that because there is so much potential; it’s going to take is a bit of energy and motivation to mobilise the people in the office to really get our act together, but it’s not impossible. The harder they see me work, the more they get involved, so it’s really encouraging, despite being frustrating at times.
One last element that was really affecting my happiness level was the food. My family knows not to mention the word ‘food’ on the phone because I might start crying…no jokes) but really in Houndé it is really difficult to eat varied meals. If it isn’t rice, it’s spaghetti, and if it isn’t spaghetti, it’s to. Everything is served with a sauce, made with a base of stock and tomato paste. There are other local sauces, made with various leaves, but I can’t eat them on a daily basis. My favourite sauce is made with pate d’arachides (peanut butter), but it’s also heavy and not edible on a daily basis. Ramadan has made my life easier, since it cuts my meals down to one a day, meaning I don’t feel weighed down by starch as many times a day.
At the point where I was nearing depression because of the food, I spent a day in Bobo with my friend Juliette, et on a profiter pour manger à mon restaurant préferé. It’s funny because I never realized how much food affects my overall mood, but after our meal, I was in a really, really good mood for days.
So…overall, as you all must realize by now, I feel like a change of scenery would do me a bit of good. So, if all goes well, I plan to celebrate Eid with my family in Morocco. I’ll be there for 6 days, and even if it’s short, it will be nice to change the air a bit, to be with some family, to eat MOROCCAN FOOD, and to be able to walk down the street and not stand out. Je vous jure, ca va faire du bien.
But, enough of the negative. Though things are frustrating at times, I’m falling more into a rhythm, starting to establish really nice relationships with those people I trust, and starting to get to know my Houndé more and more. As I start to feel more comfortable, I start to feel more at home. I also realize that it has a lot to do with establishing limits, something that’s hard at the very beginning. I think this is the point where I start to be more culturally savvy. It’s neat because I’ve never been somewhere for more than 3 months, especially not somewhere so incredibly different from home, so I’ve never experienced this process of really having to adapt and accept, and navigate within very specific social norms while still being true to my opinions and my way of thinking and seeing and interpreting. Overall, I’m happy, and everyday there are new challenges and lots of little successes. Also, I am in love with my mobylette. It’s the best mode of transportation ever, and I don’t know how I’m going to deal with cars again. It took some time to get used to the roads here, and if you don’t know to anticipate the holes and the animals and the puddles and the jutting rocks, you really are getting yourself into trouble. We had too many problems with the moto at the beginning, but now it’s much better. I finally had the courage to go out at night with my moto by myself, and at the end of the evening I drove home on my own. I nearly hit a donkey, but besides that, all passed sans problème J Speaking of donkeys…I have never heard such an awful racket come out of a living being. They make SO much noise! It’s really incredible, and it’s the most disturbing noise I’ve ever had the misfortune to hear. It’s like a horrible wheezing sound followed by this huge explosion of noise. Really unpleasant, especially because they start at about 4 in the morning. When I get up to eat before fasting it’s really hard to get back to sleep. While we’re on the topic of animals, I’ve been having major chicken problems…my friend Said planted me a garden, and these ridiculous chickens keep coming into my yard and yanking up all my plants. Ça m’énnerve, quoi. There is also a family of pigs who have installed themselves in my yard, since Delphine planted corn beside the house, and they enjoy the shade. En tout cas!
I spent the weekend in Bobo with my friend Aziz, which was a pleasure usual. It’s always nice because chez lui, je peux oublier les frustrations de Hounde, et me decompresser un peu. And he helps me run my million errands. And I eat really well…his mom is an excellent cook. On Monday night I was going to come home, but the organization RAJS (Reseau Africain Jeunesse et Sante) put on a talent show for youth. The theme was ‘how to prevent undesired pregnancies, and Aziz had his OEVs create a little skit and present it. It was really neat…I have never seen kids aged 10-15 discuss sexuality and sexual behaviour so seriously, as though they were talking about what they had for dinner. They talk about how to properly put on a condom without laughing or being embarrassed. I realize that this is a result of living a different reality…one where their parents are infected and they are constantly being reminded of the importance of responsible sexual behaviour. The evening was a huge success! The turnout was wonderful, Aziz’s kids came in second, and got to be hostess, which involved seating all the really important people, and accompanying the guests to the stage. This included the la monseigneur of Bobo (a very important religious leader), Christine Kafando, the Minister of Women and health, and Dhenje, a young Burkinabe hip hop artist, who wrote the most beautiful words. I must find his CD’s.
I must add…after the show, I got a phone call from an unknown number, so I answer and it turns out it’s Dhenje’s manager (don’t ask how he got my number…it seems to be the most widely distributed piece of information…bo). Anyway, Dhenje then took the phone and told me that he had noticed me, blah blah blah, and told me whenever I’m ready he’ll bring me to Ouaga to visit him. That’s right…Sara’s mingling with the stars! He called me again today from his studio to remind me of his invitation. Mamma mia
Nathalie arrived in Ouagadougou!! On my way to Morocco I’ll leave a few days early for Ouaga and do some catching up with her. Ca fera du bien. We spoke on the phone and it was neat because I realized that I have learned lots during my time here, since as I comforted Nathalie and told her everything would be ok, I realized that I have really dealt with a lot, and become quite comfortable and confident.
I have a million things to do before I leave, since I want to catch up on everything and leave with a clear mind. There are so many little things to do…and it’s made more complicated by the fact that the espece electrical company keeps cutting the electricity, so the computer at the office keeps turning off, and people who are starting to get used to the computer (and insist on typing everything themselves…which is really nice, because as I teach them, it shows me they’re getting more confident, but believe me, when you want to type a document in 5 minutes, and it takes someone else 2 hours to write, it’s slightly frustrating…ehe…). Tomorrow Pamtaba and I are going to do the grand tour of Houndé and visit all the children we haven’t yet had the chance to visit. After this come visits to the villages, and I can’t wait. After Ramadan though...petit a petit. Friday is a meeting with my OEV team, to discuss the visits to villages, and to decide when to start our homework club for the kids.
There are a million more details, but they would fill a book, and I don’t want to scare people away from my blog. As my brother says, he reads the first few lines of my entries and then is like, ‘ok, this is lame’, so though I try not to take him too seriously, I shall bring this entry to a close.
Lots and lots of love to everyone at home!
Bisous,
Sara
So…where to start. Since I came back from Ouaga, I’ve been keeping busy with things in Houndé, not wandering far from home. Work has been really interesting, since we finally started going out to visit children, to start getting to know them and their families, and learning about their realities. The majority are AIDS orphans or children living with a positive parent. I am falling more and more in love with these children. Before starting someone told me to be careful, to not get too attached to them, because their lives aren’t easy, I’ll want to help them all. What they should have said is that I’ll want to bring them all home with me, do everything I possibly can to make them happy, and bring them all to Canada with me, because that would have been more accurate. I hear stories that break my heart everyday; the poverty, the maltreatment of orphans, the experiences of abandoned children, but these children also warm my heart when they start to share their stories with me. I’m learning how wonderful it feels to gain someone’s trust, and these children are just too wonderful. We have really exciting projects in mind for the kids…we want to build a library, start a community garden, create a theatre forum and cine-debate club, do visits to villages, and start a homework club. There’s too much, but if any of these ideas can become a reality I will be so happy. All we need is a little motivation and we’re set. And I have reason to be encouraged, because parents are really grateful for what we’re doing…I think a lot of them feel a bit isolated and forgotten, and to see that people are interested in I’ve also started helping with the distribution of food rations, and even though it’s not in my responsibilities, I really enjoy it. All our members come, and it’s a nice way to get to know them, and since a lot of them are the parents of our OEVs, it helps build trust and familiarity. Every time I leave the activity I’m covered in dust from head to toe, but it’s a satisfying kind of dust, if that makes any sense at all. I don’t think it does, so we shall pretend I never said it. Dust? What dust? Huh? Right…
I’m going to start dioula lessons (yes…finally!). Vraiment, moi-même c’est pas la peine…ça fait 3 mois que je suis ici et je comprend que les salutations. But I shall speak dioula before I leave. I’m beginning to understand key words, so if someone starts talking, sometimes I can put together the general idea, and once in a while I’ll scare someone a bit, if they were talking about me and thought that I was completely clueless. Hehehe…how I love those moments.
I hit a bit of a down point for a while, and I think it was a combination of things…I got an amoeba which was really unpleasant, and being sick made everything else worse. At the same time I learned firsthand how much people talk in this small town; people really have a lot of time on their hands, and since I’m one of the only Westerners here, my every move is public knowledge, and that’s before the exaggerations and interpretations enter the picture. It got to the point where someone spoke to my colleagues about things I never did, which I found really upsetting. At first it really got to me…I decided I would never leave my house, and basically become a nun. Meanwhile I was getting quite annoyed with men in general, since there’s a lot of attention sent my way, but most often it’s to try to get a visa to come to Canada (apparently I represent the Government of Canada and have the power to influence immigration laws and to hand out visas to n’importe qui). Then Ramadan started, which made me miss home, then it was my birthday, so all together, I was quite homesick. But, a good friend of mine at work, who most graciously listens to me and my complaints on a regular basis, reminded me that people are going to talk even if I become a nun and never leave my house, so d’ecouter ce que les gens disent c’est pas la peine. En tout cas! As Pamtaba says, ‘il faut tout multiplier par zero’ which I’m realizing is crucial, because otherwise it really gets you down. So, things are now going much better. Work is picking up a bit, meaning that people are approaching me more and more, we’re using our time more wisely, and there’s more communication between people in the office, making for a better work environment. I’m really lucky to have landed wonderful colleagues, but I have a bit of trouble working within their pace and level of motivation. I want to do things, to get things going, and no matter how much people warned us before leaving for placement that we shouldn’t expect to make a huge difference at work, I still think I can do a lot here, and I say that because there is so much potential; it’s going to take is a bit of energy and motivation to mobilise the people in the office to really get our act together, but it’s not impossible. The harder they see me work, the more they get involved, so it’s really encouraging, despite being frustrating at times.
One last element that was really affecting my happiness level was the food. My family knows not to mention the word ‘food’ on the phone because I might start crying…no jokes) but really in Houndé it is really difficult to eat varied meals. If it isn’t rice, it’s spaghetti, and if it isn’t spaghetti, it’s to. Everything is served with a sauce, made with a base of stock and tomato paste. There are other local sauces, made with various leaves, but I can’t eat them on a daily basis. My favourite sauce is made with pate d’arachides (peanut butter), but it’s also heavy and not edible on a daily basis. Ramadan has made my life easier, since it cuts my meals down to one a day, meaning I don’t feel weighed down by starch as many times a day.
At the point where I was nearing depression because of the food, I spent a day in Bobo with my friend Juliette, et on a profiter pour manger à mon restaurant préferé. It’s funny because I never realized how much food affects my overall mood, but after our meal, I was in a really, really good mood for days.
So…overall, as you all must realize by now, I feel like a change of scenery would do me a bit of good. So, if all goes well, I plan to celebrate Eid with my family in Morocco. I’ll be there for 6 days, and even if it’s short, it will be nice to change the air a bit, to be with some family, to eat MOROCCAN FOOD, and to be able to walk down the street and not stand out. Je vous jure, ca va faire du bien.
But, enough of the negative. Though things are frustrating at times, I’m falling more into a rhythm, starting to establish really nice relationships with those people I trust, and starting to get to know my Houndé more and more. As I start to feel more comfortable, I start to feel more at home. I also realize that it has a lot to do with establishing limits, something that’s hard at the very beginning. I think this is the point where I start to be more culturally savvy. It’s neat because I’ve never been somewhere for more than 3 months, especially not somewhere so incredibly different from home, so I’ve never experienced this process of really having to adapt and accept, and navigate within very specific social norms while still being true to my opinions and my way of thinking and seeing and interpreting. Overall, I’m happy, and everyday there are new challenges and lots of little successes. Also, I am in love with my mobylette. It’s the best mode of transportation ever, and I don’t know how I’m going to deal with cars again. It took some time to get used to the roads here, and if you don’t know to anticipate the holes and the animals and the puddles and the jutting rocks, you really are getting yourself into trouble. We had too many problems with the moto at the beginning, but now it’s much better. I finally had the courage to go out at night with my moto by myself, and at the end of the evening I drove home on my own. I nearly hit a donkey, but besides that, all passed sans problème J Speaking of donkeys…I have never heard such an awful racket come out of a living being. They make SO much noise! It’s really incredible, and it’s the most disturbing noise I’ve ever had the misfortune to hear. It’s like a horrible wheezing sound followed by this huge explosion of noise. Really unpleasant, especially because they start at about 4 in the morning. When I get up to eat before fasting it’s really hard to get back to sleep. While we’re on the topic of animals, I’ve been having major chicken problems…my friend Said planted me a garden, and these ridiculous chickens keep coming into my yard and yanking up all my plants. Ça m’énnerve, quoi. There is also a family of pigs who have installed themselves in my yard, since Delphine planted corn beside the house, and they enjoy the shade. En tout cas!
I spent the weekend in Bobo with my friend Aziz, which was a pleasure usual. It’s always nice because chez lui, je peux oublier les frustrations de Hounde, et me decompresser un peu. And he helps me run my million errands. And I eat really well…his mom is an excellent cook. On Monday night I was going to come home, but the organization RAJS (Reseau Africain Jeunesse et Sante) put on a talent show for youth. The theme was ‘how to prevent undesired pregnancies, and Aziz had his OEVs create a little skit and present it. It was really neat…I have never seen kids aged 10-15 discuss sexuality and sexual behaviour so seriously, as though they were talking about what they had for dinner. They talk about how to properly put on a condom without laughing or being embarrassed. I realize that this is a result of living a different reality…one where their parents are infected and they are constantly being reminded of the importance of responsible sexual behaviour. The evening was a huge success! The turnout was wonderful, Aziz’s kids came in second, and got to be hostess, which involved seating all the really important people, and accompanying the guests to the stage. This included the la monseigneur of Bobo (a very important religious leader), Christine Kafando, the Minister of Women and health, and Dhenje, a young Burkinabe hip hop artist, who wrote the most beautiful words. I must find his CD’s.
I must add…after the show, I got a phone call from an unknown number, so I answer and it turns out it’s Dhenje’s manager (don’t ask how he got my number…it seems to be the most widely distributed piece of information…bo). Anyway, Dhenje then took the phone and told me that he had noticed me, blah blah blah, and told me whenever I’m ready he’ll bring me to Ouaga to visit him. That’s right…Sara’s mingling with the stars! He called me again today from his studio to remind me of his invitation. Mamma mia
Nathalie arrived in Ouagadougou!! On my way to Morocco I’ll leave a few days early for Ouaga and do some catching up with her. Ca fera du bien. We spoke on the phone and it was neat because I realized that I have learned lots during my time here, since as I comforted Nathalie and told her everything would be ok, I realized that I have really dealt with a lot, and become quite comfortable and confident.
I have a million things to do before I leave, since I want to catch up on everything and leave with a clear mind. There are so many little things to do…and it’s made more complicated by the fact that the espece electrical company keeps cutting the electricity, so the computer at the office keeps turning off, and people who are starting to get used to the computer (and insist on typing everything themselves…which is really nice, because as I teach them, it shows me they’re getting more confident, but believe me, when you want to type a document in 5 minutes, and it takes someone else 2 hours to write, it’s slightly frustrating…ehe…). Tomorrow Pamtaba and I are going to do the grand tour of Houndé and visit all the children we haven’t yet had the chance to visit. After this come visits to the villages, and I can’t wait. After Ramadan though...petit a petit. Friday is a meeting with my OEV team, to discuss the visits to villages, and to decide when to start our homework club for the kids.
There are a million more details, but they would fill a book, and I don’t want to scare people away from my blog. As my brother says, he reads the first few lines of my entries and then is like, ‘ok, this is lame’, so though I try not to take him too seriously, I shall bring this entry to a close.
Lots and lots of love to everyone at home!
Bisous,
Sara
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The longest entry ever!
Hello everyone,
I know it’s been far too long since I was last able to write, but I have found myself in a sleepy little town the internet hasn’t quite reached. Hmm…I don’t even know where to start. Last time I posted something was just before my big move to Houndé. In the end, I survived the nightmare trip on the bus with a million pieces of massive luggage (I took up 3 trunks under the bus), and managed to fend off the ticket man who insisted I continue on to Ouaga with him. I was greeted by everyone from the office when I arrived, and they were all very helpful in helping me get settled in, not to mention a bit curious to see what sorts of things the toubabu had packed. They even organized a welcome dinner for me.
My house is lovely. It’s right beside the office, and I share a courtyard with a young woman who works at the bank, and a mother who lives with her daughter. They are really wonderful, and have definitely helped me settle in. Their houses are always full of people coming and going, and they’re constantly inviting me over to try something new in Burkinabé cuisine, to watch the latest Burkinabé music video (which, I must say, are extremely amusing), to go to the market, to meet their friends, or watch Maria del Barrio, the Spanish soap opera that is incredibly popular here (and, naturally, extremely dramatic and complicated).
Just as I started to settle into Houndé life, I was sent off to Bobo again, this time with 37 children, to accompany them on a little field trip. For many of the children, it was their first time in a city, since a lot of them have never left Houndé, and come from villages in the surrounding area. It was an interesting trip, filled with multiple dramas, but the children were too cute! They loved playing with my hair, since they’d never seen hair like it. They all thought I was wearing a wig, since here, almost every girl has a wig of some sorts, and either wears it like a normal wig, or cuts it up and makes braids and fancy hairdos with it.
We visited the airport (which they loved…most of them had never seen a plane before), the train station (again…most had never seen a train before), the big market, the government buildings, the industrial zone, and other places I can’t remember.
We slept in an old school building, and it was my first time sleeping on a floor that hard…we had a little mat, which is basically as thin as a piece of paper, and serves only to separate you from the floor, but really, provides no comfort whatsoever. Delphine came with us, and the poor girl was in charge of cooking for 45 people twice a day. No easy task. Actually, make that 44 people, since I managed to get sick and couldn’t eat for the better part of the week. My pants got too big around the waist, and all I craved was Lipton’s chicken noodle soup. But, alas, that was nowhere to be found. I couldn’t keep anything down except for some bread dipped in condensed milk. Bo!
We spent a lot of time at the REVS+ office in Bobo, where the children got to meet the children there, and do some social activities. They had a blast on our last afternoon there, where someone put some music on and made all the kids dance. The man leading the activity then took out a microphone, and blasted over the entire compound that Sara had to report to the dance floor. Ay! So yes, I had to join in the dancing, and people commented on how I’m not like other white people, who don’t know how to move. Hehehe.
I left Bobo with 37 children, new curtains for my house, a parasite in my stomach, and two love declarations from men at the office (slightly awkward). An eventful 4 days!
So, after moving in, things started to roll…slowly. I think one of the things I needed to accept was that things happen slowly, and there’s no rushing them. This was a bit of a shock when it came to work; here, to say that the atmosphere is laidback would be an understatement. Unless there’s something planned for that day, or there’s something immediate which needs to be done, everyone sits in the office and socializes in front of the TV. It’s nice in a way to be somewhere where I really have the freedom to make my own schedule, since it also allows for some mornings off to go to the market, to do some things around the house, but at the same time, I’m finding it hard to even motivate myself, let alone the team I’m working with to start looking at some long term projects, and to get into the habit of documenting what they do, to meet regularly, etc. It’s interesting to experience a different work and office dynamic. Because it’s so relaxed, people are always getting along and laughing, so I can’t complain!
After a few days, I sat down with my team and discussed why I’m here, and what everyone expects out of my placement. I am working with an incredible group of people. They are all dedicated to what they do, and they do it very well. Where I come in is to see where we can expand, and how we can improve what already exists. I wouldn’t do anything to change the quality of work; like I said, people are very good at what they do. What I can do however, and what I’ve been starting to do is look at how they can better organize themselves to be more efficient. I had a meeting with the team of people I’ll be working closely with, and we discussed all sorts of exciting ideas and projects to get things started. The programming for children is pretty much non-existent right now, except for a social activity once a month. We’re going to start visiting each child at home on a regular basis, and start doing follow up. I’ve been creating documents to be used for this, since I’m the only one who knows how to use a computer, but trying to make sure that people are involved in every step. It was a little but tough trying to get people together almost everyday to discuss things and work together, since it’s not something they do normally, but I really felt it necessary to not do anything on my own. The work I was doing got interrupted this week so that I could help write a project proposal for an income generating project. Since I was the only person who had written a project before (well, sort of…it was that one assignment from Project Management…but that despised Results Based Management did come in handy after all!) I was put in charge of the project, and it was quite fun. I worked with 3 other people, and we basically didn’t stop for 4 days straight. Of course, it didn’t help that we were given almost no details, and every time we would show someone what we had done, they would conveniently pull out a document they had forgotten to give us, full of useful information. Oh well! It was a learning process, and it was approved!!!! I feel really good about it, because if the first project I did was a failure, ca ne sera pas interessant…ou bien?
On the homefront, things are coming along. People have started saying that my house is starting to look une maison d’une femme, like a woman’s house, as we’ve started to organize things a bit. I still don’t have enough furniture to make it comfortable when people are over, but I bought a little gas stove, which will make my life a lot easier, since right now we’re cooking on a little thing that uses coal. But the bottle with the gas still hasn’t arrived. The guy at the station has told me that there aren’t any within a 150 km radius, so I guess I just have to be patient. Like I said, things happen slowly, and as Pamtaba, my friend at the office always says, things will come to those who wait. Very appropriate.
Delphine has proved to be a blessing…we get along really well, and she’s been so helpful. As much as I was against the idea of hiring someone to help with the house, I see now that it is completely necessary. I would never have been able to find everything I need, get water from the pump, cook on that blasted coal thing, etc. without someone who knew what they were doing. She’s been keeping me busy helping her make bissap and yamakugi, two local drinks that people make and then sell in the street. Bissap is made from a pink flower, and yamakugi is made from ginger and tamarind. Both are really good, and I’ve been drinking way too much. We usually have a group of girls come over and help, since after we make the drinks, we have to put them in little bags and freeze them, which can take a while.
She also brought me to her tailor, and I am now officially une femme africaine. I got my hair braided last night, and it looked really neat except that it all came out in the night, so I have to go again after not washing my hair for a few days.
We went to visit her family on Thursday; she lives in the outskirts of Houndé, and it was really interesting to see the difference. We had to drive through rice and corn fields, and it was beautiful…very green and peaceful. Her uncle and aunt gave me a bowl of fruit picked from the shea tree, and they caught me a chicken, which is one of the highest forms of respect. I was really touched, although I have to admit, carrying home a live chicken destined for my stomach was a bit odd. I felt sorry for the blasted thing all night, and so the next morning I decided that if we were ever going to eat the chicken, it had to be sooner rather than later, or else I would end up keeping it as a pet. Here, women can’t kill chickens…I don’t know why exactly, but it’s a cultural thing. So, on Saturday morning, I had a house full of children again, since they all came for an activity at REVS+. A few of the boys offered to help with the chicken, so they killed it, plucked it, cut it into pieces, and then roasted the intestines and liver on little sticks for themselves. This reminded me of my impressions of these children when we were in Bobo…these kids are like young children and adults at the same time. They are capable of doing anything, but at the same time can amuse themselves for hours just with each other’s company. They’re so loveable, and not embarrassed to show affection. Little boys here hold hands all the time, which I think is the cutest thing.
Right now we’re working on a little play on stigma to be presented to the parents before school starts in October. We had our first rehearsal last night, and afterwards we had a little dance party at my house…too cute!
Monday was a national holiday for Burkina’s Independence Day. You wouldn’t know it was anything special, since no one celebrates, but we made to, since you can’t get much more Burkinabé than that, and I spent the afternoon with my neighbours making the some of the richest desserts I’ve ever eaten. We made crepes which we filled with my nutella (big hit!) and a cake that was basically solidified cream and sugar. Tasty, but after a few bites, I had to stop. Wednesday was another national holiday since it’s a Catholic celebration, and everyone celebrates everyone else’s holidays, no matter what your religion. So, I we got all dressed up, went to mass (which included much jubilant singing), then we celebrated all afternoon with the neighbours.
For the past few weekends, I’ve been invited to Medicus Mundi, a Spanish organization working in public health here in Houndé. Right now there are 2 people working there, Raquel, the coordinator, and Felipe, there to help her with the million projects she has on the go. When he invites me for dinner, it’s one invitation I can’ refuse. They have everything there! Kitchen appliances, filtered tap water, a stove, an oven, and a toilet!!! I go there and I forget where I am. So far I’ve eaten a Spanish omelette and chicken paella there. I don’t want to complain too much, but the food I eat here has absolutely no variety, and it’s starting to drive me slightly insane. It’s either rice, spaghetti or to, with the odd bean thrown in. You can try to mix up the sauces a bit, but basically; it all starts to taste the same.
I find the food really heavy, so I’ve started buying cabbages, cucumbers and tomatoes and making salads, and eating that with some white rice, hold the sauce. Delphine thinks I’m crazy, and can’t understand how I can eat rice without any sauce, and it took some convincing to get her to make it. This past weekend I was in Bobo, and stayed with my friend Aziz and his family. I got a bit of malaria, but I’m on treatment and I feel a lot better. On Saturday night I even felt good enough to go dancing , which proved to be the best cure of all… *I felt smuch better afterwards J’m going to go to Bobo to visit some friends and to do some hardcore grocery shopping. Tomorrow Delphine and I leave for Ouaga, to visit my neighbour Salome and got to her sister’s wedding.
That’s all for now…I’ll write with more stories the next time I come across an internet connection. A la prochaine!
I know it’s been far too long since I was last able to write, but I have found myself in a sleepy little town the internet hasn’t quite reached. Hmm…I don’t even know where to start. Last time I posted something was just before my big move to Houndé. In the end, I survived the nightmare trip on the bus with a million pieces of massive luggage (I took up 3 trunks under the bus), and managed to fend off the ticket man who insisted I continue on to Ouaga with him. I was greeted by everyone from the office when I arrived, and they were all very helpful in helping me get settled in, not to mention a bit curious to see what sorts of things the toubabu had packed. They even organized a welcome dinner for me.
My house is lovely. It’s right beside the office, and I share a courtyard with a young woman who works at the bank, and a mother who lives with her daughter. They are really wonderful, and have definitely helped me settle in. Their houses are always full of people coming and going, and they’re constantly inviting me over to try something new in Burkinabé cuisine, to watch the latest Burkinabé music video (which, I must say, are extremely amusing), to go to the market, to meet their friends, or watch Maria del Barrio, the Spanish soap opera that is incredibly popular here (and, naturally, extremely dramatic and complicated).
Just as I started to settle into Houndé life, I was sent off to Bobo again, this time with 37 children, to accompany them on a little field trip. For many of the children, it was their first time in a city, since a lot of them have never left Houndé, and come from villages in the surrounding area. It was an interesting trip, filled with multiple dramas, but the children were too cute! They loved playing with my hair, since they’d never seen hair like it. They all thought I was wearing a wig, since here, almost every girl has a wig of some sorts, and either wears it like a normal wig, or cuts it up and makes braids and fancy hairdos with it.
We visited the airport (which they loved…most of them had never seen a plane before), the train station (again…most had never seen a train before), the big market, the government buildings, the industrial zone, and other places I can’t remember.
We slept in an old school building, and it was my first time sleeping on a floor that hard…we had a little mat, which is basically as thin as a piece of paper, and serves only to separate you from the floor, but really, provides no comfort whatsoever. Delphine came with us, and the poor girl was in charge of cooking for 45 people twice a day. No easy task. Actually, make that 44 people, since I managed to get sick and couldn’t eat for the better part of the week. My pants got too big around the waist, and all I craved was Lipton’s chicken noodle soup. But, alas, that was nowhere to be found. I couldn’t keep anything down except for some bread dipped in condensed milk. Bo!
We spent a lot of time at the REVS+ office in Bobo, where the children got to meet the children there, and do some social activities. They had a blast on our last afternoon there, where someone put some music on and made all the kids dance. The man leading the activity then took out a microphone, and blasted over the entire compound that Sara had to report to the dance floor. Ay! So yes, I had to join in the dancing, and people commented on how I’m not like other white people, who don’t know how to move. Hehehe.
I left Bobo with 37 children, new curtains for my house, a parasite in my stomach, and two love declarations from men at the office (slightly awkward). An eventful 4 days!
So, after moving in, things started to roll…slowly. I think one of the things I needed to accept was that things happen slowly, and there’s no rushing them. This was a bit of a shock when it came to work; here, to say that the atmosphere is laidback would be an understatement. Unless there’s something planned for that day, or there’s something immediate which needs to be done, everyone sits in the office and socializes in front of the TV. It’s nice in a way to be somewhere where I really have the freedom to make my own schedule, since it also allows for some mornings off to go to the market, to do some things around the house, but at the same time, I’m finding it hard to even motivate myself, let alone the team I’m working with to start looking at some long term projects, and to get into the habit of documenting what they do, to meet regularly, etc. It’s interesting to experience a different work and office dynamic. Because it’s so relaxed, people are always getting along and laughing, so I can’t complain!
After a few days, I sat down with my team and discussed why I’m here, and what everyone expects out of my placement. I am working with an incredible group of people. They are all dedicated to what they do, and they do it very well. Where I come in is to see where we can expand, and how we can improve what already exists. I wouldn’t do anything to change the quality of work; like I said, people are very good at what they do. What I can do however, and what I’ve been starting to do is look at how they can better organize themselves to be more efficient. I had a meeting with the team of people I’ll be working closely with, and we discussed all sorts of exciting ideas and projects to get things started. The programming for children is pretty much non-existent right now, except for a social activity once a month. We’re going to start visiting each child at home on a regular basis, and start doing follow up. I’ve been creating documents to be used for this, since I’m the only one who knows how to use a computer, but trying to make sure that people are involved in every step. It was a little but tough trying to get people together almost everyday to discuss things and work together, since it’s not something they do normally, but I really felt it necessary to not do anything on my own. The work I was doing got interrupted this week so that I could help write a project proposal for an income generating project. Since I was the only person who had written a project before (well, sort of…it was that one assignment from Project Management…but that despised Results Based Management did come in handy after all!) I was put in charge of the project, and it was quite fun. I worked with 3 other people, and we basically didn’t stop for 4 days straight. Of course, it didn’t help that we were given almost no details, and every time we would show someone what we had done, they would conveniently pull out a document they had forgotten to give us, full of useful information. Oh well! It was a learning process, and it was approved!!!! I feel really good about it, because if the first project I did was a failure, ca ne sera pas interessant…ou bien?
On the homefront, things are coming along. People have started saying that my house is starting to look une maison d’une femme, like a woman’s house, as we’ve started to organize things a bit. I still don’t have enough furniture to make it comfortable when people are over, but I bought a little gas stove, which will make my life a lot easier, since right now we’re cooking on a little thing that uses coal. But the bottle with the gas still hasn’t arrived. The guy at the station has told me that there aren’t any within a 150 km radius, so I guess I just have to be patient. Like I said, things happen slowly, and as Pamtaba, my friend at the office always says, things will come to those who wait. Very appropriate.
Delphine has proved to be a blessing…we get along really well, and she’s been so helpful. As much as I was against the idea of hiring someone to help with the house, I see now that it is completely necessary. I would never have been able to find everything I need, get water from the pump, cook on that blasted coal thing, etc. without someone who knew what they were doing. She’s been keeping me busy helping her make bissap and yamakugi, two local drinks that people make and then sell in the street. Bissap is made from a pink flower, and yamakugi is made from ginger and tamarind. Both are really good, and I’ve been drinking way too much. We usually have a group of girls come over and help, since after we make the drinks, we have to put them in little bags and freeze them, which can take a while.
She also brought me to her tailor, and I am now officially une femme africaine. I got my hair braided last night, and it looked really neat except that it all came out in the night, so I have to go again after not washing my hair for a few days.
We went to visit her family on Thursday; she lives in the outskirts of Houndé, and it was really interesting to see the difference. We had to drive through rice and corn fields, and it was beautiful…very green and peaceful. Her uncle and aunt gave me a bowl of fruit picked from the shea tree, and they caught me a chicken, which is one of the highest forms of respect. I was really touched, although I have to admit, carrying home a live chicken destined for my stomach was a bit odd. I felt sorry for the blasted thing all night, and so the next morning I decided that if we were ever going to eat the chicken, it had to be sooner rather than later, or else I would end up keeping it as a pet. Here, women can’t kill chickens…I don’t know why exactly, but it’s a cultural thing. So, on Saturday morning, I had a house full of children again, since they all came for an activity at REVS+. A few of the boys offered to help with the chicken, so they killed it, plucked it, cut it into pieces, and then roasted the intestines and liver on little sticks for themselves. This reminded me of my impressions of these children when we were in Bobo…these kids are like young children and adults at the same time. They are capable of doing anything, but at the same time can amuse themselves for hours just with each other’s company. They’re so loveable, and not embarrassed to show affection. Little boys here hold hands all the time, which I think is the cutest thing.
Right now we’re working on a little play on stigma to be presented to the parents before school starts in October. We had our first rehearsal last night, and afterwards we had a little dance party at my house…too cute!
Monday was a national holiday for Burkina’s Independence Day. You wouldn’t know it was anything special, since no one celebrates, but we made to, since you can’t get much more Burkinabé than that, and I spent the afternoon with my neighbours making the some of the richest desserts I’ve ever eaten. We made crepes which we filled with my nutella (big hit!) and a cake that was basically solidified cream and sugar. Tasty, but after a few bites, I had to stop. Wednesday was another national holiday since it’s a Catholic celebration, and everyone celebrates everyone else’s holidays, no matter what your religion. So, I we got all dressed up, went to mass (which included much jubilant singing), then we celebrated all afternoon with the neighbours.
For the past few weekends, I’ve been invited to Medicus Mundi, a Spanish organization working in public health here in Houndé. Right now there are 2 people working there, Raquel, the coordinator, and Felipe, there to help her with the million projects she has on the go. When he invites me for dinner, it’s one invitation I can’ refuse. They have everything there! Kitchen appliances, filtered tap water, a stove, an oven, and a toilet!!! I go there and I forget where I am. So far I’ve eaten a Spanish omelette and chicken paella there. I don’t want to complain too much, but the food I eat here has absolutely no variety, and it’s starting to drive me slightly insane. It’s either rice, spaghetti or to, with the odd bean thrown in. You can try to mix up the sauces a bit, but basically; it all starts to taste the same.
I find the food really heavy, so I’ve started buying cabbages, cucumbers and tomatoes and making salads, and eating that with some white rice, hold the sauce. Delphine thinks I’m crazy, and can’t understand how I can eat rice without any sauce, and it took some convincing to get her to make it. This past weekend I was in Bobo, and stayed with my friend Aziz and his family. I got a bit of malaria, but I’m on treatment and I feel a lot better. On Saturday night I even felt good enough to go dancing , which proved to be the best cure of all… *I felt smuch better afterwards J’m going to go to Bobo to visit some friends and to do some hardcore grocery shopping. Tomorrow Delphine and I leave for Ouaga, to visit my neighbour Salome and got to her sister’s wedding.
That’s all for now…I’ll write with more stories the next time I come across an internet connection. A la prochaine!
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