The first two weeks at site = (one of the) hardest/most challenging.

It was (and still is somewhat) difficult. Plainly put. As much as I’d like to paint a rosy, cheery picture of my first week, it’s best to be real. Not surprisingly, it was also expected, too. Thinking about my first week at site while I was still in the US or even during training, I knew it was going to be a challenge but really thought nothing of it. This definitely has to be one of the top 5 most difficult things I’ve had to do in my 22 years of living!

The day after the Swearing-In Ceremony, I took a bus to Gaoua (my regional capital) and spent the night at a hotel while a PC vehicle brought down all my stuff, as well as the belongings of other new PCVs in my region. The next day, I did some quick shopping for the basics, then headed to my site with Kyle (another PCV who’s in my area). Driving down was even more beautiful than I remember. When I got to my house, Ali and Armel (2 teenage neighbors of mine) helped me unload all my belongings into my house. I was so ready to make my house my own/get to cleaning that I didn’t even really notice the PC vehicle leave (unlike what I expected/heard). I mean, I did see the white Peace Corps vehicle drive off from my elevated balcony, but the moment was very short lived. Ali, Armel, and I cleaned everything – sweeping the floor, wiping clear the tables, removing the cobwebs on the ceiling, re-arranging the things that Clay left behind, etc. It was great to finally make this house comfortable for me to live in for the next 2 years!

It wasn’t until the third day that the novelty of living in a new place wore off…fast. It’s different for everyone (so I’ve heard) but for me, that feeling consumed me so quickly. I started getting antsy and for one of the first times while here in BF, questioned what I’d do in this new place, my reasons for doing the Peace Corps, and felt the loneliness/depression start to hit. Which is why I slipped into an immediate coping mechanism: eat a whole damn lot. I ate most of the candy in the care package I got from my parents a while ago, and binged on the majority of snacks I got at Marina Market. No doubt, a really hard day for me and I have even more respect (if that’s even possible) for those who move to a place completely different from their own and have to adapt to the new culture and language immediately – people like my Mom and Dad, Tito Vic and Tita Imelda, who all immigrated individually to the US in the early 80’s. I got a call from Mom and a surprise call from Mahmoudou (my host dad) which helped a little.

I woke up the next morning not feeling so well (emotionally) but forced myself to get out of the house and go to the church I heard was relatively close to my house…which, spiritually, helped me center myself immensely. Plus, I was getting my face out there despite all the stares and giggles. After, I needed to get more water and for the first time in 3 days of arriving at site, I finally met some young girls and women at the pump (not too far from my house, right next to the school). Little side note: a lot of the people that hang around me have been Ali’s friends – all teenage boys – so I definitely got excited to meet new people! I ended up walking en ville (kind of like downtown)/to the goudron (paved road) with Ali to buy bread, onions, bananas, and other food but also to again get my face out there instead of hiding within the confines of my house. Of course, there were the stares and yelling of ‘Chinois’ or ‘Japonais’ but I explained to a lot of them who I was, where I actually came from, that I’m an American volunteer for the Peace Corps, etc. Walking back home, I even saw a guy I met when I was on my site visit a couple months ago who helped me with my bike. Finally, a familiar face! In all honesty, a complete 180 from the day before.

Lesson learned: when I’m in a situation like this again, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! Get over the initial fear of being seen as a stranger and force yourself to meet people. Give yourself a reason to get out: Buy some food at the market. Go to church. Introduce yourself when people stare. Speak/greet in the local language despite the laughter. Yeah, it’s awkward but hell, this is your home for the next 2 years so you might as well get over all of the awkwardness now!

To go from a completely structured schedule with fellow Americans for 3 months to being dropped off at your site with no set structure (by yourself) is a sudden and dramatic change. So my strategy was to balance being at home and going out into the community. At home, I tried new things to cook and decorated my walls with pagnes (colorful African-patterned fabric) to add some color to my house. I’ve been having lots of dreams of my family and close friends recently, so I made a little picture thing on the wall above my desk. I texted fellow new PC volunteers to see how everyone was doing (and plan the next time some of us would reunite!). I finally finished reading “Three Cups of Tea,” a gift from my friend Leslie and started reading Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart,” a farewell gift from my Uncle Stan. In the community, I went to the Grand Marché (big market day) every Tuesday, pumped more water and met more people just by introducing myself in French or local language. Even just reading outside on my porch invites people over to causer (chat/talk). One example was when I was helping Ali take the weeds out of my courtyard and the lady cultivating in the field next to my house came over, was entertained of the sight of a foreigner doing manual labor, and began speaking to me in Mooré. I used the little that I knew and it seemed to completely change her view of me. Another instance was when I was washing my dishes on the porch and my neighbors invited me to a Burkinabè tradition: drinking tea and causer.

Last Saturday, I biked to visit my closest PC neighbor, Jon, who lives less than 20 km north of me. Riding on the bike, despite the little hills, made me appreciate more where I live. It was a good day trip/break from my site. While we talked about our 2 friends back home meeting for the first time (thanks to us!) and just about PC life thus far, there were 2 highlights. One was seeing the cutest line of puppies imaginable pass through Jon’s porch. I asked the kids if they were for sale and he said yes…so I think I’m pretty set on getting a dog instead of a cat. Yeah, they’re more dependent on you and take longer to train but if I’m going to be living here for 2 years, I want to be really happy! SO hopefully in the next few weeks, you’ll see pictures of me with my new friend/housemate! Second, Jon was telling me a story about something and mentioned the song “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and it instantly reminded me of the last road I took with my friends since high school – Patrici, Mari and Gina – to Las Vegas and I just straight up laughed out loud. Amazing how a song can elicit such funny memories!

My second week at site so far has been really good and I’m slowly (but surely) meeting people and finding my niche. At the last Grand Marché on Tuesday, I heard several people call out my name which is a sign that I’m progressing little by little with community integration! Even while biking along the paved road, I’ll hear a couple of “Michaels” instead of the equivalent of foreigner/stranger/white person/Chinese/Japanese. Coincidentally, I met the chef du village (village chief) who invited me over for tea and causer (talk/chat) in his courtyard. He’s Muslim so was fasting for Ramadan – and also invited me to join him and his family to break the fast that evening! I felt like such an honored guest, and the fact that I’m the first American he’s actually exchanged ideas with and genuinely talked to makes me even happier! On Tuesday, a few of us PCVs in our region met up in Gaoua (our regional capital) for a little day trip -- eating good food and shopping for things we can't necessarily get at our sites. It was just nice to speak English for a little bit and share our experiences. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, I got to check out the famed Lobi Museum, and even established our own PO Box (so you all can send me things to this address instead and I can check it on a weekly basis since it's only a short bus ride away!).

If there’s anything I could take from these first 2 weeks at site, it’s to really just force myself to break free from my timidity, and just get out and meet people! To really cherish the small accomplishments of meeting a new person, learning a new word in French or the local language, etc. While I haven’t started any projects with the school (and won’t until January), it’s reassuring to know that the moment I arrived, I already started my ‘work’ – of changing people’s perceptions of Americans by simply living among the Burkinabè for 2 years of my life.

Currently, I’m in Ouagadougou for the next couple of days for a VAC committee meeting…running water for showering, a toilet, electricity, Internet access. It’s living the privileged life for a couple of days before I return back to site. So I’m happy I’m able to post all these blogs I’ve been backed up with/been storing on my USB drive.

I’ll end with what the Burkinabè always say, regardless of a good or bad situation: Ça va aller! (It’ll be all right!/That’s the way it goes!)…perhaps another mantra for my life?

"Congratulations, you are officially Peace Corps Volunteers!"

Who would’ve thought this day would finally come?! And so soon! We arrived in Ouaga this past Sunday and are now staying in a hotel with air conditioning, a toilet and a shower! Ah yes, the simple luxuries of life. Our last few days of training consisted of evaluations, final medical and technical training sessions, and taking our final Language Proficiency Interview/Exam (PS: I moved up a level to Advanced Low in French! Granted, it’s all relative but hey, it’s [at the very least] an ego-booster!).

In the days leading up to Ouaga, I had 3 things I had to do: get Chinese food (wonton soup, especially), shop at Marina Market, and go out for drinks (hard liquor, folks – none of this beer stuff, haha!). Almost immediately after arriving, half of our training group went out for Chinese food. Devin, Colette and I tried the other Chinese restaurant the last time we were in Ouaga but heard the one in centre-ville (downtown) was better. All told, I had wonton soup and lemon chicken…and I was pretty much on cloud nine until we all decided to get ice-cream at this really nice restaurant. At this same restaurant for the next couple of days, I got a legit cheeseburger with fries, a chocolate banana split and a shrimp scampi-like pizza (CPK, anyone?). Holy crap – amazing!!

Now the second thing on my checklist was going to Marina Market. These are only found in Ouaga and Bobo (the 2 biggest cities in BF) and it’s literally like a slice of America. They’re like your typical grocery stores back in the US but in a country like BF, they seem completely out of place. I literally stocked up on everything I could find once we received our Settling-In Allowance – toilet paper, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, corned beef, spices, canned tuna, etc. etc. They even had Vietnamese pho soup mixes! Basically anything I can’t get at site, I got it at Marina Market. Of course, the price of everything there was ridiculously overpriced (probably tantamount to US prices) so while I went ‘crazy,’ I still had to budget a little. I bet everyone thought us Americans were insane for buying everything in excess.

The day of Swearing-In Ceremony, all of us trainees were scheduled to have a tour of the US Embassy in Ouaga. It reminded me a lot of the US Embassy in the Philippines when we were stuck in the Philippines and had to get David’s passport renewed. My absolute favorite part was when we met the Chargé d’Affaires (2nd in charge after the Ambassador) and he started talking to us about a career with the Department of State/the Foreign Service – the ultra-competitive Foreign Service Exam, changing posts/countries every few years, 5 career tracks to choose from (political, consular, economic, etc.), meet and work with many different people, and represent the US in diplomacy. Basically, a really lucrative career that I thought about following a long time ago and now am really considering it, especially after the Peace Corps and grad school! So send me those Foreign Service Exam prep books and copies of ‘The Economist’ – I got to get studying these next 2 years, haha! He also talked a lot about International Development and USAID, and that got me thinking more about careers in the international/global realm. And with the UN, too! Endless, I tell you…

…but back to the situation at-hand, Swearing-In Ceremony was later that evening at the US Ambassador’s Residence. Such a beautiful event – all of us were dressed so nice, most of us wearing traditional African/Burkinabè attire that we had custom-made at the tailor. Burkinabè government officials/ministers, US Embassy dignitaries, Peace Corps staff, current volunteers, and the media were all there. Some of us gave thank you speeches in local languages and in French, and we were made to do an official oath as representatives of the US – and to make us official Peace Corps Volunteers! And we are the 2nd consecutive group of BF trainees to enter as 32 and swear-in as 32 official PC volunteers! There was wine, plates of hors d’oeuvres, cake, beer on tap, and lots of photos taken!

What I call the 'Original Three.' Story goes like this: When I got my invitation to serve in the Peace Corps/Burkina Faso in January 2009, I posted it on my blog. PeaceCorpsJournals.com found my blog and added it to their database. A few days after that, I received 2 Facebook friend requests: from Molly and Chris. From that point on until Staging in June, we chatted with each other on FB, etc. Great way to prep for leaving!

Emily and I. Bringing the traditional Mikey peace sign to Burkina Faso/Africa!

Steph and I in our traditional Burkinabe complets/outfits. This is the only one I could find where it shows my whole outfit...if you look at the bottom of the picture, I'm wearing these black, fake-leather sandals I found at the market. My actual outfit is called a 'boubou' which is traditional Burkinabè ensemble for men. It's usually much longer and looser but I asked that it be a little slimmer and shorter since I'm so thin!

Ahh yes...Colette, Devin and I with Zach, a PCVF (PCV that helps with training). I love us! (What's new, right?)

After the ceremony, a lot of us chilled at the hotel pool, and then headed to get some food in downtown Ouaga. I kid you not, there were at least 50-80 PC volunteers there – the longest table imaginable. And a few of us even went dancing!

I’ll probably say this time and again, but it’s completely true when they say the days seem like forever but the weeks and months fly by. It’s amazing to think we started as 32 people from all over the US, extremely different in personality and schooling/careers and now we’re at this point. Who would’ve thought some of us would get so close as friends; I can only imagine how these next 2 years (and beyond) will play out…

The homestretch (of training/PST).

In less than 3 weeks, we all officially become Peace Corps Volunteers and will soon be sent to our sites all around Burkina Faso! To be completely honest, training has been drawn-out and long ever since we returned from our site visits...it really is the homestretch, and boy am I feeling it! And on top of that, it is damn hot. Hot, hot, hot! With flies everywhere...I hate those damn flies so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Trust me, it was necessary to have that many exclamation points.) It's supposedly the rainy season, so temperatures have been a little cooler but apparently not enough. I guess this year, it hasn't rained much so for a country which depends mostly on subsistence farming, that's not a good sign at all.

We've all started on learning our local languages now, and I think I'm starting to get a little confused. Whenever all of us trainees get together, we speak English. During our technical sessions, sometimes with our families, and if we go food shopping, we speak French. When we're greeting fellow Burkinabè or even in our families, we speak Mooré. My family is Peulh (another ethnic group in BF) so they speak Fulfulde (even if I can only understand a word or two). Since I'm heading to the Southwest of BF, I'm learning Dioula and will also be learning basic phrases for another language called Lobiri. Insane!! And none of these languages sound the same at all...by no means do I think I'll be completely fluent in the last ones I listed, but all of them are starting to mix in my head a bit!

Back to training being the homestretch, we'll be conducting Life Skills sessions (decision-making, HIV/AIDS sensibilizations, etc.) at Model School next week and it's a little nerve-wracking but I'm still excited for it. We just got some practice doing radio shows and actually recorded our own radio program at the local station here in Ouahigouya. So hilarious! Doing a radio show is a possible secondary activity at site to sensibilize people on issues relevant to the community. We're also talking more and more about the potential activities we can do at site from English clubs or girls' camps to building school gardens...literally, the list is endless!! On a more personal note, we're all really excited to break the confines of a rigid schedule every day and live on our own terms while at site, most especially, cooking for ourselves. We got a cookbook of things to make with limited ingredients/resources and I'm excited to get started ASAP! I've been a little more pensive now and take my time on those bike rides back to village, soaking in the African landscape of northern Burkina.

As I mentioned before, in less than 3 weeks we become official Peace Corps Volunteers...our Swear-In Ceremony is set for August 25th at the US Ambassador's Residence in Ouagadougou and it's supposed to be this extravagant celebration with ministers from the Burkinabè government, dignitaries, PC staff and other PC Volunteers! A lot of us are getting complets (outfits) made -- including me! I've had a fabric and outfit in mind and am hoping it turns out the way I want it. I went to the marché to buy the dark blue, shiny fabric, went to the tailor to get my measurements and voilà! My blog entry on Swear-In will definitely have pictures.

On another note, it'll definitely be bittersweet leaving my host family. I'm trying to spend as much time in village as possible to enjoy my experience. It's interesting being plopped into a completely different culture and living with a host family. They've helped me in ways that are indescribable and am already thinking of possible gifts as a token of my appreciation. One really good example was when I did laundry after coming back from training one day and ended up having to hang my clothes outside overnight...unfortunately, the winds started to pick up and it was supposed to rain so I had to cram all my wet clothes inside my hut. The next morning, my host dad asks for my clothes to hang while I'm gone for the day...I come back home later that afternoon to find a row of my underwear hanging on a line in the middle of our family compound!

Abdulaziz and I with my line of underwear. Loves it.

Plus, I was thinking of bringing food from Ouahigouya one day and making a meal! My Mom and Dad sent me a pretty big package filled with goodies (chocolate, snacks [Goldfishes and Cheez-Its!!], and other necessities) from the US so I feel a little spoiled every time I eat some of them. But I figured it would be a good gift to give to my host family. Man, I'm going to miss them!

And on a completely unrelated note, I heard that on the show 'Jon and Kate Plus 8,' they split up...whaaat?! Kate is living with the kids and Jon is living in a bachelor's pad in NYC. MAN.

Site announcement and trip to Ouagadougou!

On Thursday (July 9th), after waiting for almost a month now…the moment has finally arrived. Our site announcement a.k.a. where we’ll be living for the next two years after training!

Seriously, the days and hours leading up to it felt like getting ready to open up presents on Christmas. I couldn’t help but feel all these knots in my stomach but the wait was well worth it.

The PC staff created a huge map on the floor of Burkina Faso outside of our training center. Our LCF (language instructors) blindfolded us and guided us to our site location on the map. We took off our blindfolds and saw our site name below us but also saw who we’d be relatively close to (a.k.a. our lifelines when things get rough). We headed inside and were given little paper stick figures of ourselves to place on a map on the wall. We’re pretty much scattered all over the country!

A view of the map of Burkina Faso on the floor (with our sites).

Blindfolded and making our way to our sites on the map of Burkina Faso on the floor. 

For me, I’m the furthest stagiaire (trainee) in our stage (training group or another word for training) south. I’m essentially in the Southwest, bordering Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana! I’m replacing a volunteer who is ending his service by the end of July. I’m actually really happy about my site because I’m not too far south of Gaoua (one of the regional capitals like Ouahigouya), will be living near a paved road, am not too far from fellow volunteers, and will have a market where I can have a variety of food (more fruits and vegetables!). Access to transport that heads to Ouaga and Bobo-Dioulasso (the two biggest cities in Burkina) isn’t bad at all (so I’ve heard). And since I’m in the South, the weather is a little cooler, there are hills and greenery, and there’s just a lot to see (heard there were cascades and some archeological ruins in the area, too…probably far from me but not as far if I lived up in the North). French is widely spoken in my village but I’ll also be learning Dioula and possibly, Lobiri. Dioula is a regional trade language (lingua franca) that’s not only used in Burkina Faso but also in parts of Mali and Guinea, too. Excited to learn another language. Niiiiice!

A lot of us went out for dinner later that night and coincidentally, the guy that I’ll be replacing was in town (at our same restaurant!) because he came up to Ouahigouya to visit his girlfriend (also a fellow PCV). He basically gave me the low-down on everything and said that the house I’ll be moving into (his house) is actually a fonctionnaire (civil servant) house with a living room and two bedrooms. There’s a latrine outside and also an outdoor kitchen area which makes where I live sound huge. He said that he planted some flowers and made a little garden to make it a little homey, and will be leaving a lot of his old furniture and stuff for me!

Overall, things are looking good but I want to read up more on the Southwest, particularly the region where I’ll be in. I think two of my biggest fears are having everyone compare me to the past volunteer and not being seen as ‘American’ (what’s new, haha)…but after talking with the current volunteer, it seems that won’t be as bad to adjust! We’ll see…ça va aller!

Now in Ouagadougou, the capital...

Fast forward to yesterday, we were in Ouagadougou (the capital city…called ‘Ouaga’ for short) on Friday and Saturday. We took the public transport buses (coach) for the first time (our main mode of traveling everywhere) and those were packed. And because I felt a fever coming, it was one interesting ride…we finally arrived at Ouagadougou after a couple of hours and headed straight to the Peace Corps Burkina Faso headquarters. Literally, everything was there…the director, other PC staff, our mail, the medical units, computers and a mini library for the volunteers, etc. etc. Fortunately, I got checked out by one of the medical officers and they gave me the right meds needed to get me back in check!

We headed to the Transit House in Ouaga. If I’m not mistaken, every country with Peace Corps Volunteers has at least one Transit House which is solely for volunteers. Basically, it’s a house that volunteers can go to a few days a month if they want to get away from site for a little bit or need to get business done in the capital city…filled with couches, a kitchen, bathrooms with toilets and showers, shelves of books, rooms, mattresses in a screened porch area, etc.

Ouaga has SO many ethnic restaurants, and Devin, Colette, Marita, and I were on a quest to get Chinese food for lunch. We finally found one called “L’Orient” and I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to be in a Chinese restaurant. Legitimate Chinese food…all I could think of was wonton soup and I ordered so much of it, I was beyond happy. The only thing is that food in Ouaga is expensive (compared to everywhere else in BF) so I’ll have to be sure to splurge whenever I’m in Ouaga. We had dinner at one of the Associate Peace Corps Directors’ house and we had Mexican food! So damn good, with guacamole and sour cream. I felt like I was in heaven…Chinese for lunch and Mexican for dinner.

The next day, we ate at this restaurant that had an endless supply of American food and I was beyond happy (again). Having this much variety in food was enough for my little heart to handle! While we left to take the bus back, it was the funniest ride ever sitting next to Colette and Devin. We had a random child under our seat who kept kicking us with her feet…the most random thing ever! That said, I can’t wait for more adventures in Ouaga. With a city that big in BF (and so central to all the volunteers), I’m sure we’ll all be meeting up as many times as possible during our 2 years of service. SO EXCITED!!

So I live in a village...

It's so surreal to finally say that I live in a village in Africa! Say whaaaat?!

Several days ago, we each moved in with our host families...the Secondary Education trainees all had places to stay in the city (Ouahigouya) while the Girls' Education and Empowerment (GEE) (me!!) volunteers were sent off to three separate villages (ranging from 4-10 people in each). The people that tested highest in French language proficiency were sent off to the farthest village and since I had some French background, off I was with 3 others to the farthest village (maybe about 10-12 km) from Ouahigouya.

The adoption ceremony was funny, inspiring but also extremely awkward. The PC truck dropped 4 of us off at our village (due to PC security reasons, I can't give out my village name so I'll be referring to it as 'K' from now on) and we had this welcome ceremony with the village chief in front, along with the male village elders, followed by the women and hundreds of children!). After, our host families grabbed all of our belongings and we made our own individual treks to our family compounds within the village...

In true organized Mikey fashion, I've broken up different categories (it helps me remember most of what I want to say and I figure it helps you all pick and choose what you want to read, haha):

• Food/Drink: You better believe I've been fed well! Food here consists of a lot of carbs...pasta noodles, rice with sauce, potatoes and yams, etc. They also have brochettes (meat on a stick) and other meat varieties. Not many vegetables except for onions, tomatoes and a few others. They have your normal fruits like bananas and apples but also have mangoes since they're in season!!!!! They're not as sweet as Philippine mangoes but they're still just as good on a hot day. As for drinks, PC provided us with water filters but we still have to put bleach in it to kill all the bacteria. It pretty much tastes like warm swimming pool water but I need to stay hydrated so it'll do. Because I'm sweating so much, I drink at least 3-5 liters a day (no joke). It's insane! They also sell bissap juice (hibiscus), ginger juice, and various other juice drinks in plastic sachets that you can drink out of. The best part: they're COLD and beat our lukewarm, bleach drinking water ANY day!


• Health: I've been doing well for the most part...I think my stomach is still getting acclimated to the food but for the most part, I'm okay. Let's hope it stays that way! Again, the PC provided us with a very thorough Medical Kit so it's all good over here.


• Transportation: I BIKE EVERYWHERE. No joke; I've never biked so much in my life. Or sweat so much either! The mountain bikes the PC provides us are being used to the max. Biking in the heat from Ouahigouya to 'K' (my village) was so exhausting! 10-12 km one way is no joke either but I need to get used to it. Fortunately, we try to bike earlier in the morning when the sun is still rising or in the afternoon before it gets dark, so the weather is a little cooler. We bike together but I think I'm gathering my bearings so I will be able to bike on my own soon. My worst fear is getting a flat tire but they've given us the tools to fix that. Also, I have a greater appreciation for paved roads and detest (but am gradually getting used to) the gravel/unpaved roads...especially the ones leading to 'K'...those are killer! The plus side is that I'll be getting toned legs/calves LOL.


• Language: Those years of French sure have come in handy! I just need to expand my French vocab and speak more with the instructor...since I was fortunate enough to place higher on the language proficiency test, I'm starting to learn one of the local languages (Mooré) which will be especially useful in village. It's so tonal and relatively hard to grasp...but lots of fun to practice with the locals! They get a kick out of it. And since greetings are SO important here in BF, it helps.


• Weather: HOT. Even if it is the rainy season. It rained yesterday so it was a lot cooler but it's back to that heat again! Sitting in the shade is glorious. That is all.


• Where I live (my hut & compound): Cozy and amazing! When I get to taking pictures, I'll start posting. My family's compound is located on a little hill, composed of about 7-8 other huts for my host parents, host brothers, host grandfather, etc. etc. They also have a prayer area (they're Muslim), a place to store their millet, and other things. I have my own mud/clay hut with a straw roof...it retains a lot of heat so I try to be outside as much as possible. Inside, I have my bed with a mosquito net, a clothesline, 2 windows with screens, and all my clothes. Can't wait to decorate and put up the map and pictures on the walls! They also built me a covered courtyard with a big straw gate around it so I can keep my bike inside! I chill here most of the time to write in my journal, eat, talk with my family, etc. I LOVE IT. We also have a lot of goats, sheep, roosters, etc. which serve as my very own alarm clock. I'm not gonna lie though...it smells a little like an animal farm, but I'm already used to it. My toilet (latrine, which is essentially a hole in the ground) and bucket bath area are side-by-side. Bucket baths are a God-send when I get back home and you only really need one bucket of water to bathe! I've been able to bathe with a view of the African sunset or the night sky, and love it...


• My host family: Let's just say they barely speak any French and only speak Fulfulde and Mooré (two of the bigger local languages). So you better believe there is a lot of awkward laughing, charade-like actions, and what I call 'French vomit' (where I say as many things I can in French and they pick up the few French words they understand). My host dad, Mahmoudou, is the guy who interacts with me the most and he is so COOL! There are a lot of men in my family and sadly, only 2 or 3 little kids. As relegated by society, the women do most of the domestic tasks but the men in my family help out, too. Since so many people come and say hi to me, I don't really know if they're part of the family or not so it gets kinda confusing from time to time. They call me Michaël in Mooré (pronounced mee-kai-yell) and my last name is Diallo (my host family's last name). I don't know what else to say but will say more later when I think of it.


• Training itself: SO mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting. The days and training sessions are long (especially in the heat) but I'm learning so much. Two days ago, we talked about the education system in Burkina Faso and it was so interesting! Training is extremely structured and getting through training itself is an obstacle to overcome (and for good reason), but so far, I like it.


• The people (the Burkinabè): Strong (both mentally and physically) and extremely friendly. As I've mentioned before, greeting EVERYONE is absolutely essential in BF...even if you don't know them, it's customary to greet with the usual "Good morning, how are you, how's the family/work/etc.?". So a 10-minute walk can easily turn into a 30-minute walk (kind of like LMU lol)!

• Fellow PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees): Like I've said before, we all come from different places, have different personalities and so forth, but our common thread is to do the Peace Corps and effectuate change through education. I'm getting to know everyone slowly and am finding my niche (as is everyone) so it feels kind of like college all over again.


• Being viewed as an 'American': One of my worst fears was not being viewed as an American because I didn't fit the standard perception. When I first got to my village, my host dad asked if I was American and I explained that while I was born in California, my parents were born in the Philippines. He seemed very receptive, smiled, and from that point on, that very fear was dispelled right away! After 20 seconds of slight awkwardness, he mentioned Barack Obama's name and we all laughed in joy! Hopefully the same will happen at my placement site.


• Reminders of home: Two things: 1) Yesterday, we had a walking tour of my village where we met the chief again and saw where we each lived. When my fellow PCTs came to my village, I showed them the photo album Camille gave me for graduation a year ago. I added more of my own pictures too and I felt so good sharing this with others; and 2) Burkina Faso reminds me a lot of the Philippines, especially the province where my dad is from. That's probably why I feel so at home in many places!

I haven't taken many pictures yet (especially at my village) because I don't want to immediately be labeled as the wealthy American...but in due time, I'll be sure to take more and post them.
Again, keep those comments coming and follow my blog. They're exciting for me to read.  =)

Inspiration at the Bay Area Peace Corps Bon Voyage.

I love meeting new people but hesitated a little to go to the Bay Area Peace Corps Bon Voyage Celebration – partially because I was tired from work and partially because I didn’t want to take MUNI all the way to the Marina. But boy, I’m sure glad I did! Here’s a summary of what happened (and info that could help future PCVs/inquiring minds):

Language Training:
Two former Peace Corps language instructors from West Africa (one was from Cameroon) talked about how language learning is much different in the Peace Corps. With three months of training, they focus on all aspects – reading, writing and listening – simultaneously, for hours each day. As well, their teaching methods are different. Getting called out for making a mistake while learning a language is frustrating; I know firsthand because my French teacher freshman year of high school would ALWAYS call me out on my mistakes in front of everyone, inhibiting my desire to learn French. Apparently (and I’m guessing it depends on each instructor), they’ll make note of your mistakes during class and let you know about them after class when it’s one-on-one to avoid embarrassment in front of your fellow trainees. I think that approach is more conducive to learning a language faster, you know?

Cross-Cultural Workshop:
Joe Lurie, RPCV and Director of the International House at UC Berkeley, conducted a really interesting workshop on cross-cultural experiences and related it to his experiences as an RPCV in Kenya during the late 1960’s and as current Director of the International House.

He kept reiterating a (I think…) Moroccan proverb: “The stranger only sees what he/she knows” (or maybe it’s, “The stranger only knows what he/she sees”) and used it as the "refrain" for his workshop.

I’ll bullet point some of his super interesting cross-cultural experiences (in Kenya and the International House) to give you a better idea of what he said:

• Individual vs. community: When he was in Kenya, a lot of Kenyans would come by his house and visit constantly. After several visits, he realized they never invited him to their own homes and asked them about it one night…many of his new Kenyan friends said there was no need to invite him because he was ALWAYS invited to their homes, without any verbal invitation. It just goes to show you how community-focused many African countries (and other countries, for that matter) are and how individually-focused our American society is.

• “Manners”: One thing that initially bugged him was the way many Kenyans would release their snot after coughing or if they had a runny nose – by simply releasing it wherever they were for all to see. One of his Kenyan friends explained it made more sense than what us Americans do: blow our snot into some tissue and put that germ-ridden thing back into our pockets.

• Greetings: In many African countries, greetings are exponentially more important than saying “please” or “thank you.” A simple gesture of the usual “hello, how are you, how’s your family” is expected for every person you encounter, even if you saw them ten minutes earlier. One of the former language instructors said that there was a break during one of his training classes and his students wanted to run to the post office and drop off their postcards. An hour later, they came back infuriated because the guy refused to give them stamps but served the other people in line. Turns out the class never greeted the guy and thus, they were unable to get stamps.

• Respect: Personally, respect is something that’s very much prevalent in my family. Respect for your elders is paramount, and the same goes for various African countries. Being called “auntie” or “uncle” is a sign of respect and being called “grandma” or “grandpa” is a huge honor because older age is considered “higher up on the totem pole.”

• Safe journey to guests: At the International House at UC Berkeley, a Ghanaian student and an American student took the same class, and they decided one morning to meet up before a test to study. The American student lives on the 8th floor while the Ghanaian student lives on the 2nd floor, so the American student decided to head down to the Ghanaian student’s room. After the study session was complete and she said farewell, the American student proceeded up the stairs back to her apartment, only to feel the presence of someone following her. It turns out that the Ghanaian student was, as a host, ensuring the safe return of her guest back to her home. In Ghana (and much of Africa), it’s customary to walk your guest halfway or all the way home to ensure their safe arrival. Imagine that!

A lot of people seemed so shocked by what was said, and I was a little bit, too…until I thought about it a bit more and realized that the African way makes just as much sense as the American way of living. In fact, I probably related more to the African way because Filipino culture tends to also revolve around community, family, hospitality (particularly food sharing), and respect for your elders. Thanks, immigrant parents! =)

After, I met two fellow PCVs – one that’s completed all of his paperwork and is waiting for an invitation and the other who was training in Kenya but is soon going to be transferred to Niger because her skills better match a program there. Since Niger and Burkina Faso are next to each other, hopefully we’ll try and meet up. Niiiiiice. So Jonathan and Lisa, if you’re reading this: what up!! Hahaha!