...and that is all!Thursday, May 27, 2010
I love ya tomorrow!!!
My belly is full of three and a half hamburgers from Chez Carlos, there are stage friends of mine all around the transit house watching 30 Rock on Bovard's laptop, and MY PARENTS ARE ARRIVING TOMORROW! Here is a 5:30am photo of me and my excitment!
...and that is all!
...and that is all!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
it goes
I'm happiest when things are going on around me. When the cuisinaire girls are dancing as they work, when Robert drives up with a car full of thing to unpack, when students are chatting and washing their clothes.
I like to walk down to Lioudougou. Leave my bike up by my house, wander down the rocky hill, meander across the paths, lose my way and enjoy the encounters that happen because of it.
Sixty six point seven of the Peace Corps goals have nothing to do with development. I overheard a friend giving another friend that consolation once and was reminded of it by someone the other day. Chatting with a friend about development and comparing the American school system with the Burkinabè one. Following Sister Elisabeth around as she goes about her many tasks. Showing students photos of themselves as well as of my town and family back home.
I was not too happy yesterday. I spent some time helping to 3eme girls practice English before lunch, but remained pretty solo otherwise, cleaning my house and such. Feeling stuck in a day is rough, when the time feels like it is just something to get through. When the dusty wind that comes before the sprinkling of rain makes it difficult to walk down the hill. When encountering a gaggle of loyal kid-followers is a bit daunting. When the initial reserve of effort needed to walk over and be a part of things is running low. Today is a better day…I have a bunch of little tasks to do, a teacher meeting to attend, things to prepare before this weekend. Cake to bake.
The day before yesterday I spent a good amount of time with some Lioudougou ladies. Soon-to-be neighbors. Talked, followed, had a nice time.
My move down to my new house is going to go well. Congo is coming here on Monday to check it out and after that I can start fixing it up. When I live down there, people will be able to come to me. It won’t always be me going to them. I’ll be able to pop over to visit for a spell, knowing that I can repose and take a bit of refuge in my house that is just there next to the well. I have ideas…I have lots of optimism…I am so happy that this first school year is over, that a change is underway, that the rain is going to fall, that my environment is going to shift, that my confidence is a bit augmented and my resolve has been strengthened.
This was a learning year. A learning nine-months. Isn’t it all?
Immerse, immerse.
I don’t think two years is enough.
But we’ll see.
I like to walk down to Lioudougou. Leave my bike up by my house, wander down the rocky hill, meander across the paths, lose my way and enjoy the encounters that happen because of it.
Sixty six point seven of the Peace Corps goals have nothing to do with development. I overheard a friend giving another friend that consolation once and was reminded of it by someone the other day. Chatting with a friend about development and comparing the American school system with the Burkinabè one. Following Sister Elisabeth around as she goes about her many tasks. Showing students photos of themselves as well as of my town and family back home.
I was not too happy yesterday. I spent some time helping to 3eme girls practice English before lunch, but remained pretty solo otherwise, cleaning my house and such. Feeling stuck in a day is rough, when the time feels like it is just something to get through. When the dusty wind that comes before the sprinkling of rain makes it difficult to walk down the hill. When encountering a gaggle of loyal kid-followers is a bit daunting. When the initial reserve of effort needed to walk over and be a part of things is running low. Today is a better day…I have a bunch of little tasks to do, a teacher meeting to attend, things to prepare before this weekend. Cake to bake.
The day before yesterday I spent a good amount of time with some Lioudougou ladies. Soon-to-be neighbors. Talked, followed, had a nice time.
My move down to my new house is going to go well. Congo is coming here on Monday to check it out and after that I can start fixing it up. When I live down there, people will be able to come to me. It won’t always be me going to them. I’ll be able to pop over to visit for a spell, knowing that I can repose and take a bit of refuge in my house that is just there next to the well. I have ideas…I have lots of optimism…I am so happy that this first school year is over, that a change is underway, that the rain is going to fall, that my environment is going to shift, that my confidence is a bit augmented and my resolve has been strengthened.
This was a learning year. A learning nine-months. Isn’t it all?
Immerse, immerse.
I don’t think two years is enough.
But we’ll see.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Adventures in Hometownland
This past weekend was a weekend full of sights and scenes. A day in town with friend and neighbor Thomas brought us eventually to Lake Bam, the largest lake in Burkina, which is situated nicely in my town (though it continues up into others) and is owed a large amount of thanks for the almost-year-round production of tomatos and other such things with which we here are blessed. Our wanderings often take us towards this bit of the town, I think in part because the foliage becomes so gosh darned attractive as you approach. Dry hot and dusty turns to somewhat humid green and grassy, with fields in various stages of growth and a somewhat different feel to everything. And then bam!(ha) ...a lake.
As the water came into sight, I saw to my plesant surprise that the lake was full of jumping, splashing kids. We drew nearer. Momentarily setting aside fears of shisto, we bared our feet, waded in to around mid-calf level and walked slowly and carefully through the goopy, poop-like (I'm assuming) muck of the lake floor. Of course we were immediately approached by a steadily-growing crowd of drenched youngsters beckoning us to come in further...as their pleas became more insistant we both realized that it was time to perhaps increase the distance between the swimmers and ourselves. Rinsing out feet off as best we could, we set off walking.
Much of where the lake was (and will be again come rainy season) is currently dry, cracked, thirsty ground. Enthusiastic swimmers left safely over there, we decided to venture across the dried perimiter, newly purchased pairs of sandals on both pairs of feet.
Close one!
...and sometimes you try to leap but your new shoe gets stuck in the muck upon landing and you smash into the ground:
...bruised and scratch-ed knees that later required a team effort during the adminstration of hydrogen peroxide! Ouchie. Further wandering was rendered slightly less care-free, but the day was nevertheless quite good. A lovely adventure, a walk in the sun...this is not a bad place to be.
As the water came into sight, I saw to my plesant surprise that the lake was full of jumping, splashing kids. We drew nearer. Momentarily setting aside fears of shisto, we bared our feet, waded in to around mid-calf level and walked slowly and carefully through the goopy, poop-like (I'm assuming) muck of the lake floor. Of course we were immediately approached by a steadily-growing crowd of drenched youngsters beckoning us to come in further...as their pleas became more insistant we both realized that it was time to perhaps increase the distance between the swimmers and ourselves. Rinsing out feet off as best we could, we set off walking.
...taken from a safe distance, after rounding a bit of a curve:
Much of where the lake was (and will be again come rainy season) is currently dry, cracked, thirsty ground. Enthusiastic swimmers left safely over there, we decided to venture across the dried perimiter, newly purchased pairs of sandals on both pairs of feet.
In many places, irrigation ditches have been dug to draw water from the lake towards fields where the delcious tomatos and such are grown. Some of these ditches were easily stepped/hopped over. Some required a bit of preparation on the part of the lady in the tight skirt:
Close one!
Some trenches we hopped over, some we traversed with calculated leaps, and some required circumnavigation, forging through a deep ditch or two.
...and sometimes you try to leap but your new shoe gets stuck in the muck upon landing and you smash into the ground:
...bruised and scratch-ed knees that later required a team effort during the adminstration of hydrogen peroxide! Ouchie. Further wandering was rendered slightly less care-free, but the day was nevertheless quite good. A lovely adventure, a walk in the sun...this is not a bad place to be.
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