April heat.

Despite the crazy April heat, since I live here in the Southwest of Burkina Faso, temperatures have been relatively cooler and there have even been a few days of rain! Which can only mean one thing: rainy season is coming!! Meaning cooler temperatures and greenery everywhere.

Jon biked over one day and being the climber that he is, he climbed a couple of the huge trees near my house. Ali followed suit and they both ended up taking pictures, especially this cool aerial shot of me and my house. More pictures of my house to come when it gets greener down here!

Ali!

Jon the Fearless Climber!

Aerial view of me and my house. What up, world?!

And some pictures for your viewing pleasure that helps describe 'a day in the life...'.

Madame Ouattara and some kids, pounding away some corn. Mmmmm.

Madame Constance and one of the cutest babies ever, Grace-Victoire.

Me taking a stab at pounding the corn. Talk about exhausting labor after doing it for a while. That's Clemence in the background, Madame Ouattara's niece.

A photo of the sky the other day. Look at how ominous the clouds look. While I love the rain, I absolutely hate the bomb-like thunder that comes with it. Which explains why I ran over to my neighbor's house that night because I was scared shitless/shaking from the thunder. Insane!! But thank God for amazing neighbors.

It's insane to think it's almost the end of April (Happy Early Birthday, Dad!) and in a month or two, the end of the school year! I've been selected as a PCVFP (Peace Corps Volunteer Facilitator Permanent) for the upcoming training (PST = Pre-Service Training) for our new set of Peace Corps Trainees come June. I'll be helping to formulate the training content, getting them acclimated to life here in Burkina Faso and just being a part of their support group. Exciting stuff! Since the students will be on vacation, this falls perfectly. And to think, I was in their place a year ago!

I swear -- and I'll say this this time and time again -- the days feel like they take an eternity but the weeks and months fly by! There have been so many instances where I think, 'Wow, you've been living here in Africa for almost a year!' If you look at the Michael back in September 2009 when I first arrived at site to the Michael right now in April 2010, you'd notice a considerable difference.

Fêtes galore...COS party, Easter, oh my!!

I feel like I haven’t blogged in a while but it’s because I’ve been all over the place these past couple of weeks!

At the end of March, I had my VAC meeting and finally got to meet our new Country Director, Shannon. She’s done years of work in international development and everyone loves her! Since it’s Easter Break; I got the chance to do some in-country travelling; visiting other volunteers and heading to Ouaga too. We had the annual COS (Close of Service) party which is one of the few events where all volunteers can get together and have a good time. The the,e this year? Rubix Cube party. Genius! It’s a way to say farewell to the next group of volunteers that are near the end of their 2 years of service. Crazy to think that’ll be me in a year!

Colette and I at the Rubix Cube party. We miss you, Devin!

April’s been off to a good start as well. Despite the sweltering heat (they say April is the hottest month of the year), mango season has officially begun! Gwen came over to my site and spent Easter weekend with me.

First mango of the season!

Gwen cracking a coconut. Loves it!

Doing laundry!

Easter morning, I headed to my church and after mass, ended up talking with a lot of my friends in the community. At lunch, the Ouattaras invited me over and I had the best couscous dish. I can’t quite explain the sauce except that it had a lot of onions, tomatoes and such and even had some goat meat. Delicious! Add in a little bissap and ginger juice plus good company and consider it a great Easter. Gwen came later and she ended up being our ‘family photographer.’ It was great! I took so many pictures with the Ouattaras…here are a few:

My tailor, Mathieu and I. Sporting our US/Burkina Faso shirts. He made them!

Madame Ouattara and I eating her delicious couscous dish.

Rachid, Ali and I. These two are like two more crazy little brothers.

Clemence, Aicha, Farida and I.

Otherwise, the months ahead look to be really busy! April and May constitute the last trimester of the school year. Aside from the normal alphabet/literacy and math activities with the younger kids, I still have the Reading Club going and finally got a Girls’ Club up and running with the CM1 girls (equivalent is 4^th grade). More details on that as it progresses…first meeting so far has been a success with a combination of activities in class and soccer in the end. Ali even helped me out! Baby weighings have been good as well, and I feel like the number of mothers that come in fluctuate from week to week. Jon and I even discovered a small class that teaches the blind how to read Braille…and it’s literally just past the school where I work, which could make for another interesting secondary project.

My family here in Burkina Faso.

Alphabet & literacy project = complete and a success!

After several weeks, I've finally completed the alphabet and literacy project with the CP2 students. I can't wait to replicate it in other schools next school year! On the last day, I told the kids I would bring my camera and take pictures. They went absolutely ballistic/jumped for joy that it took the teacher almost 10 minutes to calm them down completely. I really enjoyed working with this specific class and am now thinking of doing math exercises with them to reinforce their math capacities. Maybe even doing little competitions between the girls and the boys? We'll see!

In any case, I know that you all love pictures so what better way to end this short and simple blog post than with a few pictures. Keep the comments coming, please!!

The kids showing their letters.

I love it!

New haircut: the faux-hawk has just arrived in Burkina Faso

Ahhh yes! After months of growing out my hair, I've decided to cut it once again. Partially because all my friends back home are telling me to cut it, partially because it's getting hot and having long hair is becoming harder to maintain, and partially because I'm all for change.

One of my friends here, Gwen, has graciously offered to cut my hair. For those of you that know me, hair is very important to me. It sounds superficial but we all have our things. Mine just happens to be hair. So we blasted music (Lady Gaga's 'Telephone,' anyone?) and had a good time. I'll let the pictures tell the story. Enjoy!

The BEFORE picture. With old photos of me to give Gwen an idea.

Mid-cut. I love it!

Sweeping up the mess. I have so much hair, it's insane.

With the wonderful stylist herself. Mind you, she did this with a pair of scissors. No electric shaver or anything. She's genius!

International Women's Day!

I feel backed up in terms of blog entries, especially since I feel like a lot has been going on in my life ever since my last blog entry.

International Women's Day (March 8th) is one of the biggest celebrations here in Burkina Faso and fits perfectly with my sector (Girls' Education and Empowerment). I decided to spend it at Jon's and he did the multiple-day event that encompassed girls playing soccer against each other (a sport that you only see boys playing), theatre presentations on the importance of enrolling girls in school, etc. Very interesting and I was so proud of Jon for all the effort he put into making the event a success. It's motivating me to do something similar at my site next year! On the actual International Women's Day, they had a big celebration in the city centre that involved speeches for the village authorities and traditional Lobi dancing. Sweet!

Jon and his homologue/counterpart watching the theatre presentations.

The girls during the theatre presentations.

The march of women wearing the fabric specifically made for International Women's Day this year. I bought some of that fabric and now have a tee shirt made!

Traditional Lobi dancing with the balafons. I love the sound it makes!

Frustrations...and also being reminded that no matter what, I'm still an American.

What a week! To start, I get back to site after a weekend in Gaoua (the Internet connection has been down for some reason and I needed to send some e-mails so I stayed longer than expected). I'm using this here blog as a venting board, so here it goes:

I turn on my laptop on Monday and...nothing. NOTHING! Nothing shows up on the screen, but I can hear the fan under the laptop slowly 'wheezing.' Ugh! So frustrating and I had a feeling this would happen. It's especially frustrating because I do work on this more than I expected (quarterly reports, things for projects/activities, etc.) and the fact that it could be broken upsets me. But Kyle's going to take a look at it so hopefully it'll be okay.

The heat is also getting ridiculous and I'm sweating like crazy. I think I might be getting heat rash on my forearms and hands which is kind of expected since I'm not used to this kind of heat. But damn is it itchy! Stomach problems during training and now this. Oyy!

A tell-tale sign that I've been living here for a little bit: my clothes and sandals are definitely showing it. I'm starting to see all these tears in my clothes, although I will say that was expected. My Rainbow sandals (most comfortable footwear ever!) are starting to tear (the strap on the left sandal) and it makes me sad because I wear these everywhere!

Work-wise, I started my Reading Club with the CE1 students (US equivalent is 2nd Grade). The teacher helped me divide up the class into 9 groups of about 6-7 students, each group with a chef (student leader) who can read well at grade level. Talked with the class as a whole beforehand and told them that after I met with all the groups, we'd do a big class competition to see which group understood the most, with a big grand prize at the end. They all seem motivated and excited!

I met with the first group on Wednesday and of course, they come late. But I was excited to work nonetheless and used the children's books I got in Ouaga. The two books I'm using are about manners/being polite in school and a book on a boy that loves soccer (the most popular sport here in Burkina Faso). I read aloud first and then each student took their turn reading a page aloud. I'd correct them on pronunciation and ask a couple comprehension questions after each page, awarding stickers to those that got the questions right.

I knew that there would be kids that couldn't read at grade level but I noticed one girl who couldn't read at all. I mean, I could hear the group leader whispering the words in her ear as she was 'reading' aloud. It was insane, but it's something I want to target now so they don't fall behind in school later. It's no easy task, and my first group meeting was exhausting but I'm here to help as much as I can.

Some of the Peulh kids on my porch after school. Look at the little boy (Hussein) with the white shoes. So cute! He was initially scared of me but I think we're all good now!

But the optimist in me is determined to not let these frustrations get to me!

This week, I was also reminded of how much of an American I am. No matter how integrated you are in a culture, you still carry traits/parts of you from your original culture. Here's a quick list of mine this week:

• I wanted to get this Reading Club up and running a while ago but it's been hard trying to get in contact with the teacher. In the Burkinabè culture, whenever you want to start a project/activity, it's customary to consult with many people, particularly authorities, even if the project could be done by yourself immediately. While I could've easily gathered all the students, discussed logistics and run everything myself, I still needed to consult with the teacher.
  
• The Ouattaras always mention 'time is money' (I guess it's a saying that they got from the American movies they watch and they always joke how Americans say it all the time). But it's true! It was getting dark one evening and I was talking with Rachid and a few friends. But I wanted to rush out and get bread for dinner before it got too dark/late because I hate biking at night. I grab my bike and as I leave, Rachid says: 'Wow, you always seem to be in a hurry.' Which I guess I didn't really realize until he said it. I wonder if his conception of 'being in a hurry' is my conception of 'doing things at normal speed,' if that makes any sense.
  
• My laptop. It reminded me of the convenience we have back in the US. Whenever something like a laptop is broken, you can just drive to Best Buy and have it fixed in a day. No problem. Here in Burkina Faso, not so much...
• One afternoon, one of my neighbors was washing his moto and he asked if back in the US, I wash my car every week. It was such a random question but it reminded me so much of how much I missed riding in my car. And with my friends! I blame all those years of college in LA, driving everywhere! Haha.
• Personal space. The concept doesn't really exist here...usually I'm pretty open with people but after living next to the school and having 20 kids peep through your windows and door all the time, it can get exhausting. Like a fish in a fishbowl. But I'm getting a wall soon! haha
  
• One of my neighbors is a teacher and she recently had a baby. And now her mother-in-law cares for the baby as my neighbor goes to work. Seeing the grandma reminds me so much of my Grandma back home and reminded me of the accesibility to family back in the U.S. And even if I was far away, all it took was a simple phone call or a drive back home for the weekend.
  
• Thinking ahead/the future. A couple of people (like Ali) have already asked me what I'd be doing after the Peace Corps and if I'd be extending for a third year. But I haven't even reached the halfway mark of my service yet! Anyway, it's got me thinking...

And that's that! I apologize if this seemed more like a bitch (excuse the language)/rant list...Heading to Ouaga again next week for a VAC meeting and I get to meet our new Country Director. Holla!

Mission accomplished: I set Burkina on fire!

After traveling to Ouaga how many times in the past few weeks (for Devin’s farewell and to go to the dentist to get my tooth crown fixed), it’s definitely nice to be back at site. I made sure to stop by Gaoua to visit Kyle and Jon…and to pick up mail from friends and family. I’m just overwhelmed by the packages and letters I’ve received so THANK YOU so much. It’s like a little piece of the U.S./home which is definitely needed here in Burkina Faso every once in a while. After; I stayed the night at Jon’s before heading back to my site.

Getting a package from Patrici and Gina! Thanks, homies!

17 days. More than half a month I hadn’t seen Jon which is bizarre because we live so close and see each other at least once a week! So it was back to old times again, cooking good food, talking about current/future work projects and just laughing about anything and everything. In the Lobi culture, they say that for men, they are first warriors, which explains why using a bow and arrow is such a traditional Lobi thing. So Jon got Kyle and I our own bows and arrows! More pictures to come when we actually practice with a target (I’m thinking after the school year is over and the weather isn’t so hot).

Jon's gonna kill me for posting this. But look at his face! Priceless.

Barack Obama came for a visit!

Look at the bottom righthand corner. It definitely says 123F! It is SO DAMN HOT.

Dorian and Seuss, my favorite kids at Jon's site.

Finally getting back to site last week was such a relief. I feel so welcome now (more than before) and it’s great to have such amazing neighbors. I can’t speak any higher of the Ouattara family! They really just took me in as one of their own, and more and more everyday, I find myself over at their place when I’m not occupied with something at the house, at the school or at the CSPS (village medical center). I’m excited to celebrate Easter with them come the beginning of April! Ali and Rachid are like my little brothers now and Farida, Aïcha and Clémence are like the little sisters I’ve never had. What’s even better is that Madame Ouattara is my Jula/Dioula tutor and has excellent teaching skills. I’ve only had a few lessons so far but they’ve been really good and I’m hoping I can speak Jula before I leave in 2011. It’ll help if I want to work with people that can’t speak much French (proper nutrition for women and their babies, activities with the women’s association, etc.). Jula is spoken throughout Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as Mali, eastern Senegal and parts of the Gambia (although the vocabulary varies a little) – which, to me, is absolutely incredible. Hèèrè dòròn (it’s very good)!

The bat that lives in my house. Any suggestions for names?

'Nelson Mandela' aka Ali makes an appearance on the blog again.

Helping Clémence with her sugared peanuts business.

Word!

Work wise, the alphabet project is extremely successful and next school year; I want to replicate it with other primary schools in the region. The kids go nuts for the stickers as little prizes (thanks to all of you who sent me stickers!) and it’s just a creative approach to learning. Baby weighings at the CSPS are going well. Pretty much a Thursday morning routine. Last time, I helped with over 100 baby weighings! Despite the fact that the babies pee everywhere and the incessant crying, it’s nice to be out there in the community. Hopefully my Jula lessons will help me work with the mothers before I leave. I talked to the CE1 teacher (equivalent is 2^nd grade) and I’ll be starting a Reading Club next week, meeting with groups of 5 students after school for an hour. I bought a bunch of French children’s books from Ouaga so I’ll have the kids read aloud, then ask comprehension questions to ensure they actually understand what they’re reading! More projects on the way as March and April approach…

Peace!

February = month of sickness, lots of dust and the beginning of HOT season

Oh February. Damn, damn February.

Sickness. After Devin left, I headed back to site and all of a sudden, started to feel really congested. It started with a sore throat, followed by what seemed like a cold/progressive fever. I'd wake up every night in a sweat and wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. Add that to a build-up of mucus and then it hit me...

The weather! It's starting to get hot, hot, hot. This might be too much information but I'll say it anyway since it's my blog (haha). When I sleep, I usually wear nothing except for my underwear. But at night nowadays, I can barely sleep because there's absolutely no breeze plus the heat is just stifling. Ughh.

Back to sickness, I noticed even my students were coughing up a storm when I came in to do the alphabet project. Seriously, it's like I couldn't even get anything done because they were all coughing away, ten at a time! Apparently if you couple the Harmattan winds + dust EVERYWHERE (no joke) + the beginning of hot season...well, it's almost like a recipe for disaster and sickness. Take for example yesterday. After my dentist appointment, I was in downtown Ouaga and there was a sign that said the temperature. Mind you, it was a little after 5pm when the sun is setting...and no joke, it was 39 degrees C or 102 degrees F. Whew!

It's funny because during training, all anyone would mention is that the end of February to early May (especially April) are the worst months for heat. The Burkinabe even say, "Nous souffrons aussi" meaning "we also suffer" when it comes to the heat. Which can't be good because they LIVE here! Oyy vey.

In any case, let's see...a couple of nights ago, Pascal came by and was kind enough to cook dinner. He's a kid in 6eme (the equivalent being 6th grade at the middle school), his dad is the school director of one of the primary schools and boy, is he smart! I help him out with English and he has a genuine passion to learn the language which is always good for me to see.

Pascal cooking some spaghetti chez moi. Good kid!

Madame Ouattara also just came back from Bobo-Dioulasso (the second biggest city in BF) from an almost week-long language tutor training hosted by the Peace Corps. She enjoyed it so much and said she learned more about the Peace Corps than she would've ever from Anne, Clay or myself (me plus the two other volunteers before me) because they went into such detail about what the Peace Corps is about around the world!

I'm excited to say that I'm starting to learn one of the local languages now: Jula/Dioula! It's a language primarily spoken in Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire but the beauty is that it's a close cousin to Bambara, one of the main languages in Mali. It's a language of commerce/trade so many people in West Africa are bound to understand some of it! This is super exciting because I hope to be able to be somewhat proficient in Jula before I head back to the US in 2011!

Also, a few days ago, I felt like a reach a new level of comfortability at my site. I talked to one of my closest friends back home, Sable, about it last night. It's just a refreshing feeling and I feel like it's not one that's short-lived. I went to church on Sunday and was overwhelmed by the recognition by students and their parents and people I either work or interact with on an almost daily basis. Even with Ali and Rachid, they're seriously like my little brothers -- we joke around all the time and man, it just feels good to be this comfortable. I'd rather be back at site than being here at Ouaga (by the way, I'm here in Ouaga because the crown on my tooth came off as I was eating something back at site...really bizarre so I had to come back to Ouaga to get it fixed).

Well, that's all for now. Catch you all on the flipside, folks!

Farewell to a really good friend.

I don't even know how to start this blog entry but I think the title pretty much says it all. One of my absolute closest friends in the Peace Corps, Devin, left to go back to the US last Tuesday. It's really bittersweet -- while I'm really sad that she's not in Burkina Faso anymore, I completely respect and support her decision to leave when you know it's the best decision for yourself. Due to health and family stuff, she's decided that it's better to be in the US and for that, I respect her for it!

Rachel, Carolyn, Devin, Charley and I outside the Ouagadougou Airport, wishing Devin farewell! Love how Devin is prepared for colder weather back in the US. =)

I'll never forget when we first met in person (we met through our blogs online a month or two prior to staging in Philadelphia in June 2009) and instantly clicked while in line at Air France in Philadelphia. Who would've thought we'd be so close after a mere eight months of knowing each other?

I say this time and time again, but the Peace Corps is such a trip! You're sent to a foreign country with other American volunteers from all over the US, you've never met any one of them before, you're placed in three months of intensive training and pretty much with each other 24/7 and after your swear-in ceremony, are sent to live by yourselves at your respective sites for 2 years. Yet within all of that craziness, you cultivate some of the most interesting friendships in your life. People you'd never meet because you're from different parts of the US but just happen to meet through an experience like the Peace Corps halfway across the world.

Devin -- I feel so fortunate to have gotten to know you during this relatively short period of time (PST, Ghana and all the random, hilarious moments in between!) and can't wait for the time when we reunite back in the US...road trip to California?! Ou bien? Either way girl, you're officially family! Love you!

Devin and I at her airport send-off. Not only do we love each other but we love the color orange on our shirts and bags from Africa. Huzzah!

Strawberries in January!

I tell you, Burkina Faso is one random country. Particularly in Ouaga (the capital), you find things that you'd think you'd never find. Like strawberries. In January?! Whaat?! Unbeknownst to me , it's strawberry season here in Burkina Faso and they are some of the sweetest strawberries I've had in my life! Just thought I'd share a couple of pictures with some of my favorite people...enjoy!

Devin's future career = modeling delicious strawberries such as these. Mmm!

Colette enjoying that sweet goodness. In January, good woman!

Damn good!