African Adventure 7

01-02-08

This morning I got ready to bike to Sabou to take a taxi brousse over to Koudougou. Georges had offered to accompany me on the bike ride and we met in Thyou at 6:30 to begin the 15K ride, which took just over an hour. After we checked for transport which wasn't leaving anytime soon, we found an omelette place in Sabou for breakfast. We had waited a long time for a bush taxi, when we saw that a camion was loading up and we considered that option, but I can't stand in the back. Georges struck a deal with the driver that for 1200 francs he would take all my stuff, bike and me (sitting up front). I bid my friend goodbye and it was nice to have a companion on the morning bike ride. The trip was uneventful across to KDG, for which I was thankful.

I stopped by the little store where I had left the brand new notepads on the counter, and after much explanation, they gave me two more. I loaded up on fruit, avocado and bread to make meals with and headed for the seminaire. The sister that handles the lodging was happy to see that I had returned after spending a week here in December. I tried to nap after a long hot shower (what a treat!) and then I biked to the cybercafe to use the internet. I had 57 msgs in my email, and spent a couple hours sorting through them. About that time the site crashed, so I returned to my chambre and typed on my laptop as long as my eyes lasted. There was a big conference with many people also at the petit seminaire, Notre Dame D' Afrique. I could hear them as I read my book into the evening, but things quieted down around 10, so I could easily sleep.

The next day Nakeisha texted me and we made a date to meet at the new marche' in the center of town to shop and from there go to lunch. When we did meet it was a warm reunion, Nakeisha is a wonderful young woman, so outgoing. Keisha and Melissa love to shop, and they showed me where to get the best (pate d' arachide) peanut butter. We found African gifts there, jewelry and carved animals to send home for gifts. Melissa was hunting for supplies for her home in KDG and Nakeisha wanted a CD player with a speaker. Of course the shopkeeper tried to sell her a big boom box, but with no luck. Nakeisha holds her own when it comes to bargaining in French!

We did lunch at a nearby conference center, where we enjoyed salads and trench fries in a private, outdoor setting under many big trees. We talked and talked to catch up on things since our training time together in OHG. We chatted about life in village. Keisha shared she has seen three babies born, and been to the primary school to meet the staff and students. She wants to start an English club after school. By chance her language tutor happened by, and he is the headmaster at her local school. Everyone in Peace Corps is encouraged to get a language tutor in village right away to help with their French, but also to learn the local tribal language. We are reimbursed up to 10 mil francs a month.

I met up with my friend Achille, who works at his brother's sign painting business downtown. He showed me around the shop. Then we biked a ways to his family compound because he said his father insists that I meet his grand soeur (big sister) and his grand frere again. Seraphin greeted me warmly and showed me his silk screening process he does on the computer. He was getting a big order of tee shirts ready and gave me a sample one with his logo on it.

At his parent's home, Achille carried his ailing father from his bed into the front room so we could visit. Maxime has a degenerating disease of the nerve system that wastes his muscles too. He enjoyed viewing the pictures I had on my camera showing what we did the previous weekend during Achille's visit with me at my village. He smiled proudly seeing his son in the photos. Cecile, his mother is also a sweet person and I insisted on a couple photos of Achille and her before I left. After that we spent some time at the internet, where he watched me post photos and answer emails.

03-02-08

I was outside this Sunday morning waiting for Achille, who came walking down the lane to the seminaire with his pedal in hand. We walked over to the church where the public was arriving and taking up pews, both front and center aisles were filled with the boys from the seminaire school. Soon 5 priests and 4 altar boys processed down the aisle and that wonderful singing led by their choral director commenced. Organ music and drumming was in the background. The mass was in French with a sermon that elicited laughter. The boys were neat and clean and sang beautifully. Much of mass was sung, very much like a high mass. After breakfast Achille and I went to the internet so I could post my blog, him walking and me riding my bike. Achille went off to fix his bike. When he returned I showed him the portfolio of Amade's relative, Haroun, who had an acrylic art display in Tuscon late February. When Haroun contacted my cousin Faye, they met for dinner and a mutual cultural experience. Several of my other cousins were there visiting too, and all thoroughly enjoyed his visit.

Achille accompanied me to the taxi brousse gare, for an transport that left 30 minutes ahead of schedule, so we waited two more hours for a car to Sabou. There I had to catch another transport to my village for an additional 750 francs. I was glad though that I hadn't tried to ride home in the dark. The driver left me off at the Sala boutique, and to my house then was a short way. Minata and family were glad to see me and she danced when I gave her the pommade de karite' for her skin. Turns out that this product is one of the top five exports from Burkina Faso. It sure works on my feet well!

04-02-08

When I went to the CSPS clinic this day the major told me about the semi-annual COGES meeting with the community which was at the school yesterday. He said it was well attended. Gansonre was working on the goals and objectives for the MicroPlan for Sala. He gave me the health plan to look at. I sat in the waiting room at the clinic as the five beds filled up with people sick with malaria and pneumonia. The major told me the maladies are often related. I watched as a small girl did not cry or even wince as Gansonre hooked up an IV to her right hand. Later I brought her a toy, ball and jacks, which I showed her big brother how to play. Her mother smiled approvingly as I motioned for permission for the child to take them with her free hand.

After my language class that day I went over to Gansonre's to watch the soccer match between Egypt and Cameroon (1-2) on black and white TV. There were others there very excited about the game too. Gansonre's wife, fixed dinner for all of us, spaghetti and salad. I got bread and drinks at the bavette to contribute to the meal. It was dark when we walked back home.

05-02-08

The major was already seeing many patients when I arrived at the clinic. He flushed out a little girl's ear until the debris came out with the water. They went outside for a better look into her canal as he showed her father and explained about the prescription for antibiotic and pain I think. (There is no electricity in village hence no indoor lighting either.) A listless baby was brought in, and checked for enlarged spleen/liver, then Gilbert carefully found a vein for the IV drip. Two Muslim women came in, one with obvious pain in the skeleton/muscle system. Another woman holding her infant came in with a young man. She uncovered an earlobe that hung below her jawbone, Elephantiasis is the name of this condition (not contagious, but no treatment the major told me). It was a very busy morning there.

For lunch, I went to the marche' and bought barbecued pork and bread for a sandwich. I found produce I needed, i.e. bananas, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, onions, and coconut. My neighbors led me to their hangar where one of the primary school teachers from Sala wondered why I was not at the COGES meeting last weekend. She brought over a man who could converse in English and translate for us. We walked over to the hangar my friends from church had and socialized with a variety of people I knew. I stopped by Garrett's place on the way home to see how his Ouaga trip had been to watch the Super Bowl Game on Sunday, at 11pm our time! He said it had an exciting finish.

After French lesson, we played a very long game of Uno with Abdoulaye. They love that game here. I text Shawn to wish him happy birthday before the day was done.

06-02-08 Ash Wednesday

I called the PC bureau in Ouaga about some of my medications and about my glasses this morning. I went to the little boutique in Sala to let the shopkeeper know Peace Corps would send those things there by transport today or tomorrow. When I went to the clinic I found Gilbert handling all the medical problems, as the major was gone to KDG and Gansonre was gone to the district for a meeting. Gilbert had a baby and two women on IV drips, with others waiting to be seen.

After an afternoon of French homework and my lesson, Minata told me my pkg had arrived at the boutique, so I went to get it. The morning was cooler, but then the hot wind began blowing and the day turned very hot, and it is only February. I was sweating! As darkness fell, the children in my compound were playing very hard and loving it, as it is too hot to sleep yet. Abdoulaye said my unit is cooler than theirs because of the windows and cross ventilation. They often sleep on mats in the yard.

I read in the evening, and I can hardly put the “Kite Runner” down, a story of an Afghanistan man with very deep emotions. I cry more often than not when I read this book. Across cultures the core things about family life have a similar ring to them.

07-02-08

Pierette, the accoucheuse had a total of 20 women with their infants at the Maternite' this morning as baby weighing began. She let me help. I weighed over half of the babies there. A scale suspends from the doorway frame and the baby sits in a soft plastic seat, registering their weight. I recorded the numbers in the register where she tracks it. This baby weighing is a fun task.

I practiced in a new reader, in both Moore and French today. Then we listened to two soccer games back to back on the radio; Ghana and Egypt, also Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroun. Abdoulaye borrowed scissors and tape to work on his model while we sat listening to the games. Zanabou came too, and we read her French primer. Shawn called and told me on his birthday Jodi surprised him with dinner at his favorite Indian restaurant with a few friends. I'm sure it was fun to have their new baby son at the party.

08-02-08

I woke up reading the Kite Runner, so many things in life are bittersweet! Come to Africa and face memories in America!

Grilled cheese sandwich is one of my favorite breakfasts here: slice the baguette, spread “Laughing Cow” cheese on the crust side, butter the fresh bread side, and put it in the fry pan. With a piece of fruit and a cup of coffee, I start my day! I was in the waiting room, when the major invited me to observe. He tested a man for high blood pressure and gave him Lasilix. Next he saw a 5 month old baby for Palu, with no weight record to be found. He said “Rate Gross”- pneumonia, and prescribed oral medication. Then he saw a man around 30, with Ancien Malade (old injury) for which he gets an antibiotic shot and pills.

I had my French lesson before noon today due to my teacher leading Stations of the Cross at church every Friday during lent at 4pm, the usual time of my lesson. Georges had conjugated avoir and etre in four tenses with the rules governing them for me to study. He also wrote out a dialogue about a fire in the field for us to practice in both French and Moore'. It proved interesting.

During this time, one of the PC program directors called to invite me to participate in a diversity workshop for managers, under the direction of Andrea, an Eng speaking Senegalese with the Western African PC Program. Six-eight recent volunteers were invited it turns out, from different ethnic backgrounds. I fit into that category being the only senior volunteer in the West Africa area. I agreed that on February 20 I would come to the capitol to join the group.

In the afternoon and before the service at church “Chemin de Croix”, we went to the marche' in Thyou. It was very slow, as during lent (Careme) there is no dolo on Fridays, hence the lack of business. I shopped for my veggies, and we got bread and fried fish to make a sandwich. As we sat on a log and made our lunch, we were visited by several beggars, which still catches me by surprise, as they are persistent. The carpenter, Gerard came by too, and promised to bring my bookcase on Sunday to my house. He bikes it on top of his head he tells me.

We also stopped at Garrett's place was on the way to church. We stopped there for water refill and short visit. The crowd gathered in the hangar at church, and processed along the dirt driveway stopping ever so often for prayers and chanting at one X on the ground symbolizing a station of the cross. Georges led the group in the songs, one particularly beautiful Moore' chant “Jesus ya Toogo” he taught me on our bike ride back. He text his brother Maxime and called his femme in KDG, where he is going tomorrow for the weekend to visit his wife and baby.

On Saturday I thought I might check out the clinic on the weekend to see how busy they are. First I went to buy more cellular units. On the way I stopped at a quartier across from the school and chatted with everyone there. One young woman, Zanabou, said her teacher Garrett was having his students do an exercise on AIDS, and advised those living in Sala to talk to me for more health info. She spoke fair English, as she is taking that class from Garrett. She wrote down her question so I could talk with Garrett next time I saw him to get the details. Eventually I loaned her some written materials in French that she could use in her assignment.

At the CSPS was Gilbert working with a handful of people. Not too much action, plus it was very hot. Every day this month has reached 100 degrees, and luckily cools off at night. I must be getting acclimated as last October when I arrived in BF that temp bothered me. Not so much now. I went home and began studying my “Etude de Mileau”, but it is hard to concentrate in the heat. I sat outside with Minata under the hangar, and hand stitched my pintard valances for the two windows in my big room.


On Sunday I got ready early and pedaled 3 K to the church, where Jean Baptiste led the service (no priest again). Songs and prayers, but no Mass. On the way home I decided to find the cabaret so I could return bottles, but I was not in the right section of Thyou. As I wandered around the area, suddenly a woman came by and said Marie and Besile are over here, as she led me to their home. Sure enough there she was along with four of their children, her mother, and numerous neighbor kids. Marie was one of the first friends I had made at church, and obviously she shared that info with her friends and neighbors. Marie offered me water and as I took a couple photos, all the children wanted in them too. It was great fun!

Soon I left there and as I passed the community center in Thyou, I could hear what sounded like a revival going on. My curiosity took me inside, where the youth were dancing. The young boys were on the stage moving rhythmically to the boom box music. The many teen girls were stage right and also dancing to the sounds. I managed to get a good picture of the boys, but when I tried for the girls, kids swarmed in front of my camera. (See photos.) I so enjoyed seeing the good fun the youth were engaged in.

Late in the afternoon after sitting outside with the women of my compound, Abdoulaye and I walked around inside the area of the quartiers and corrected my map. There are about two dozen living units therein and I listed the inhabitants so I can get the names and faces linked in my mind. Then we listened to a playoff game on the radio, until I got a call from Angie. I talked with Lindsay about her recent birthday. It is so good to talk to family at home. This generation of PCVs have it so good in respect to modern communication, cell phone and email.

11-02-08

When I arrived at CSPS the major was training a nurse, named Philippe, He is a new addition allocated due to the work volume. I was happy to hear some pretty good English from him, which he said he learned in school. He is a big, well built man with a gentle nature. Gilbert was doing IV and injections and consulting as well.

Today I wanted to get to the marche' early as the major told me that's when there is still fruit. I also had better directions to find the cabaret, so in fact I did that first. Marie and Besile found me at the marche', and also my friend Atia from Zoa tried to take me away for dolo, but that had to wait. We got cooked pork for sandwiches and were sitting there eating in the dolo hangar, when a blind man named Victor began singing and playing his stringed instrument. (See photo.)

I found two small canaries with chips which I got for a good price, and want to plant flowers in for my porch. My neighbor children got wound up playing outside after dark, as all children everywhere do. It was too hot to be inside. I took a brief walk on the moonlit path by my house and then sat on the wall encasing the compost bin. Abdoulaye and I visited until Georges rode up on his bike just back from KDG and apologized for no lesson today. He said his baby is sick with pneumonia and is on two antibiotics, so Georges said he will return to KDG on Saturday. He said he visited his brother Maxime, at the seminaire in KDG. He is working on formation services for another town nearby.

When I went to the clinic the next morning, Gansonre was there with the new nurse looking on, so was Gilbert. I sat in the waiting room playing with a baby, as two other babies were on IVs. (See photo) I watched as the new nurse changed a dressing on a man with bad leg and arm scrapes from a moto accident. These kind of injuries are all too often in Burkina Faso, as moto is the leading vehicle after bicycles here. I visited the construction workers, who are building the major's new house by the CSPS. Then I went home to get two magazines to share with them about Sports and cities in America. The workers will return to Ouaga when their job is done, but everyone has questions about America. Luckily a friend sent me magazines I could loan them.

I texted Bintou in Bobo, a green large city in southern BF, where she is teaching businessmen French. She extended greetings to Minata, the major and Gansonre and me here in Sala. Often people ask after her.

13-02-08 PCV Robert visits from 90K south..

I met Rob getting off the taxi brousse at Sala's boutique, and after we got his flat bike tire repaired, we walked over to the CSPS, and met all the staff. We talked a long time to the new nurse about how poor Burkina Faso is and what our work here will be. He seemed intrigued at our choice to be here.

Before lunch we took a bike ride around the barrage, where I showed off Minata's garden along with the others. When we got back to my place Garrett and Georges met us there for a lunch of salad and grilled cheese sandwiches. We all chatted quite awhile until it was time for my language lesson. While we were busy, Garrett showed Rob where to catch the taxi brousse to Ouaga tomorrow morning in Thyou.

In the late afternoon we started Uno and when Abdoulaye got home from school, I had him take my hand, while I fixed dinner. (See photo.) We had stir fry over rice. Garrett came back, bringing home made warm brownies with no leavening. He recently put together a Dutch Oven. Dessert is a big treat here and they were gone in no time. The Uno game went on until 9pm when I called it. It was delightful to hear Rob and Garrett and Georges and Abdoulaye joke in French as they played Uno, they enjoyed each other's company so. Rob offered that I need to keep learning French so I can talk to my peers. I can get someone local to talk Moore to the villagers but in order to leave things sustaining themselves, I need to organize not do the work.

14-02-08

In the morning I made breakfast while Rob bathed. He liked bathing inside with no wind/cold.. I am lucky to have an indoor douche. He tied all his stuff on his bike to go catch the transport in Thyou.. Rob and I tried to take a picture of the pintards flying enmasse out of the big tree as dawn came, but the time lapse wouldn't allow for good pictures. We ate p&j sandwiches before Rob left.

When I arrived at the maternite' women and infants were assembled. We hung the scales in the doorway suspended from a hook. We weighed six babies then Pierette showed me how to fill in the main book register. While she saw a few women for pregnancy visits, I continued weighing babies and recording that information. I loved it. We finished around 11am and I came home to get ready for market. In this culture everyone goes to market.

First I went to the barbecue place to buy pork for sandwiches, but then Marie and Besile invited me over under a tree near the north end of the market, as a bunch of her family was gathered there. I met her petite soeur (sister), and her sons, who were selling fresh fish they caught. Then Basile rode by, and I went to greet him. Soon we met his father and a brother too. After we socialized over a dolo or two, we headed to the marche' for fresh veggies, bread and coconut. We found a place to sit and make the pork sandwiches, and Georges introduced me to his father and sister who came by. Marie went searching for bananas for me. Marie and Basile want very much to play Uno again, so we made plans when I return from Ouaga to do that.

After I went back home, and finished my language lesson, my new teen friends, whom Garrett teaches, came by, Zanabou and Salinata. They visited awhile and I gave them some written material on AIDS for a paper they had to turn in. My lantern ran out of wick, so I sent the neighbor kid to the local boutique and they had a replacement wick. He also came home with my jacket---I couldn't believe it. The taxi brousse chauffeur left it at the boutique for me. We fried up the fresh fish for dinner along with a salad and French bread. It was good eating!

15-02-08

We had French lesson early today because of Lent I went to maternite' and told the accoucheuse Pierette how much I enjoyed weighing babies and she was glad. She showed me the list of training sessions the PCV did last year with the young mothers at maternite'. It included things like “making enriched porridge, prevention of malaria, benefits of vaccination, prevention of diarrhea, and the advantages of having an attended delivery”.

While at clinic I checked in with the major on my request to attend the mosque with him today, to which he had agreed. We planned to meet there before the noon service. Attired in a skirt, long sleeved shirt and head wrap, I arrived on time at the Thyou mosque and was promptly greeted by Lizetta, a neighbor from my compound. Then I spotted the major El Hadj all decked out in a beautiful boubou and his red and white checkered scarf. After we greeted, the major indicated that the women pray in the building directly behind the mosque. Lizetta led the way, we removed our sandals, and walked into the room of prayer rugs and praying women. They made room for me in the front row. Lizetta added a veil to my head wrap.

She also modeled what posture I should take as the chanting and praying was microphoned in from the main building. I was to raise my hands to my face at times, then down and out of sight. We also adopted positions of kneeling, standing and bowing. She removed my glasses and I was to look down at that time. At the end of the service we greeted people with “Wendga Weise” as we departed. The major came over and asked if I wanted to meet the high priest. I did meet a group of men all with the red and white head scarves, the sign they have been to Mecca. The major asked about my Koran, which I had not brought along. (See picture of the group.)

I took a couple hours in the afternoon for lunch and journaling, then I pedaled to my church and although I was very early for stations of the cross, I was in the company of many other women. The catechist began the service. His wife, Marie along with Georges led the singing. The procession with stops and kneeling along the path lasted over an hour. The Burkinabe's devotion to their faith and rituals is quite moving across all the religions.

When I returned home near dusk, Gerard delivered my bookcase, which I was happy with. It is nice to get my books out of boxes and more accessible.

Vaccination Week

16-02-08 I pedaled the 15 K to Zao, getting there by 9am. I went to the school and left some things, but there was no school today so I did not talk to anyone. The major arrived at Zao shortly after that, and opened the little square CSPS building. The women started coming with their infants. We had two helpers, Beli ASC and another person Patrice, AA (Aucien Agent de Zoa). My friend Atia is in Sabou this weekend, so I did not connect with her in village. The pregnant women and the infants received their appropriate vaccinations and by noon we had seen the majority of those coming.

At noon the major took me over to the hangar of Bertine for benga and mui avec pima (beans and rice with hot pepper). I had eaten here before with my friend Atia, so was glad to see Bertine again. I took pictures of her plus others. (See photos) Then Patrice took me to a dolo place and we socialized with the villagers who were there.

In the afternoon as I rode back to Sala I took pictures of the stacks of wood alongside the road. The big camion trucks come at night and pick up the wood, load it well over the sides of the truck bed, tie it down and drive rapidly back towards the capitol. Sometimes there is a second trailer attached. Reminds me of the semis at home trucking down the freeways at night.

When I reached home, it was late afternoon and the children were out playing, so I passed out lollipops, to them and their mothers who came out for a treat too. I read for awhile and finished my book, “The Kite Runner” and since I had cried through a lot of it, especially the ending, I was a basket case! I had prepared vegetables for dinner and Lizetta came by and requested a donation of food. She was taking it all to CSPS for families there. When the women saw the stir fry veggies, they wanted to eat it themselves, but I asked that they take it to the families of the sick at the clinic.

I took my bucket bath before retiring. I love the coolness of the bucket bath. It is a reprieve from the heat. It is so hot, and doesn't cool down until after 2am most nights.

17-02-08

This morning I left home at 8:30 for Dayolo and my odometer started working. I was listening to my MP3 player music, when halfway there the nurse, Gansonre and trainee, Kassoum passed me on their way to vaccinations. I kept going past Dana onto Dayolo and stopped short of the right village. There was a big group of people there who came to meet me.

I soon discovered my mistake and went on past the dike and over a small bridge to the correct place under a hangar in the center of the market place at Dayolo. A brother of one of the helpers from last month, Adama was there to assist. Gansonre was supervising the nurse trainee, Kassoum giving shots to children. One mother of twins was instructed by Gansonre to take her boy twin to the CREN in Sabou because he is malnourished. I walked over to her and asked if she was going directly to Sabou and she made a gesture of eating. I gave her 100 francs. We will see if that helped get them there. After the people who wanted immunizations were treated, it was near 11am.

We headed back towards Dana, where the two ASC Babou and Bitiou were there helping out. Bitiou was passing out pills to children and women. He had a measuring height stick, color coded and gave the designated number of pills the color coding indicated. We worked there a couple hours with the villagers receiving vaccinations and medicines until the crowd was treated. Then Babou took me across the road to the restaurant for a lunch of meat in broth. After hanging out at the marche' awhile in Dana, I headed back home to Sala 10K and an hour away. It was so hot, I napped as soon as I could. My friend Zanabou didn't show up for our discussion on her homework AIDS assignment. But soon another young person, Alassane, who studies in Koudougou came by to visit. He speaks English and wants to practice with me. He also wants to learn the internet, so we made a plan for the next time I am in KDG to call him when I go to the cybercafe'.

In the evening as Minata came home from her garden at the barrage, she saw an accident on the road between a motobike and a donkey cart. A young person was injured and taken to CSPS. Minata had blood on her hands from helping out.

18-02-08

I got ready for the ride to Salo, 8K away and the path commenced behind the CSPS buildings. It is a gradual ascent for 5-6K, then somewhat flat the last 2K. A woman also on a bike was going my way and I found her to be very helpful to my staying on the correct route. When I arrived at Salo I went through the marche' until on the other side I found the big tree, under which the vaccinations are done. Three men were passing out pills to the population just like in Dana yesterday, and using the same measuring devise. The pills are for paludisme/elephantiasis, a disease which causes enlarged body parts.

The nurse Gilbert and trainee Alexis were getting things ready for vaccinations when Gilbert mentioned Georges coming back home. I said he is in KDG and may return today. He then said that Georges baby died in KDG on the weekend, and that both his wife and baby had respiratory illness, and the baby didn't make it. My heart sank and I teared up. Health in BF is often on a thin line between life and death.

I saw several young mothers I had met at the CSPS, one with a very ill (pneumonia) baby, who was here for immunizations and her infant was doing very well now. Her baby was born in September, the month my newest grandchild Cash came. That contrasted with Georges baby reminded me of the fragility of life for the very young.

Many of the older women taking the pills being passed out, were having trouble swallowing them outright, so I offered them my water. Kids were gagging on them too, so we passed out all the water I had and sent someone to the well for more.

Before school let out at noon, I went to visit there and Daniel, the fourth level teacher, came out to greet me. He was happy with the alphabet and numbers to hang up in his room, and his students greeted me warmly. Soon the headmaster Ky came along and he too enjoyed the gift, as did the two women teachers. I didn't have any more to pass out to the two lower classes, but Daniel insisted that I say hi to the classes at the very least. The first graders had already adjourned, but they were lingering and watching my activity. When they saw me going towards their classroom, they all ran back inside so I would visit them. They were adorable. I asked them “Were you chanting?” earlier. And they sang me a song. I promised to return with more things, pencils, crayons, paper, etc. Daniel took me to his class and they also sang me a song, which was on the board in French so I could follow along.

When I got back to the vaccination site, Gilbert, Alexis and I walked to the marche' and found the woman who makes rice and vegetables. Gilbert also got some meat, which looked like chicken, but was rabbit. We all tried some and it was tasty. After socializing with some of the locals at the marche' a woman came over and indicated I needed to retrieve my bike from under the tree where we were all morning, as they were finished there. I got on my bike and rode home by myself, crying all the way.

When I got home Gerard was there doing a few carpentry things for me along with Minata, Lizetta and another friend of theirs. They asked what was wrong and I said Georges baby died at KDG on the weekend and it is so unfair. Minata hugged me and led me to my bedroom and said “No, don't cry.” Gerard said “When babies are sick with malady here, it is best they are with God.” They all said that is life and move on. I am learning another cultural difference and this one is difficult for me.

Late in the afternoon I was reading French primer with two of my neighbor girls, when my language teacher arrived for our lesson. I offered condolences and after the girls left, I listened to Georges describe his son, Jean Marc, last day. Their baby had an injection/transfusion at the hospital to continue treating his respiratory illness. And at home in the early morning hours the baby quit breathing. They tried to reach Georges by phone, but he was already en route to KDG to visit them. He said that upon his arrival they interred the baby at the cemetery. He said it took a lot of courage to view their son's body before his burial. He finished with “Jesus has said “whoever wants to follow me, will carry his cross.” He drew a sketch of the tombstone he's having made, a heart with the inscription and a cross behind it. Their faith supports them during this difficult time.

My neighbors came to offer condolences before Georges left.

19-02-08

Today we traveled to Bolo for vaccinations. I asked the new RN if I could follow him there. I pedaled to the barrage where the trail forks toward Bolo and waited. The motos came by and I saw the direction they went plus I had my compass, so I followed and in an hour I was there too. I also asked along the way to make sure I was on the right path.

The CSPS staff was set up at the far side of the marche' and two local helpers were passing out the pills for elephantiasis to the population. I greeted many people and took some pictures, one of the woman who was preparing lunch of spaghetti and lapine (rabbit). After eating lunch and chatting with some of the young men at the marche', I headed home. Along the way I photographed some million year old rock formations with trees growing out of them in their crevasses.

I started packing while there was still daylight for my trip to Ouaga the next morning. When it was my lesson time, I studied future tense verbs from the French textbook. Georges was an hour overdue, and apologized, but had company all day giving condolences My house was hot so we sat on the porch and reviewed our last dialogue in both French and Moore', corrected sentences, and I read from the primer. We visited a while. He texted his seminarian brother Maxime who is coming Wednesday to be with Georges and his two girls. Georges is close to his younger brother and so proud he is becoming a priest.

The next morning I left on a taxi brousse at 7:30am for Ouaga and sat with Madame Kiemde and her daughter, Jedidiah, age 2, who was afraid of me. Spearmint gum changed her mind. She fell asleep on her mother's lap on the way to the capitol. Ms Kiemde and I made plans to visit in Thyou in the near future. We were practicing my French on the way.

It was good to see my friends at the Transit House when I got there via a taxi cab. Stephanie A, Natalie, Matt, Courtney, Josh and Kevin and Helen were also there. I went to the PC bureau to pay Jean Luc for the batteries he sent to village for me, but he wouldn't hear of it. We talked about the artisans at the end of Charles de Gaulle Blvd., because I want to visit the place where BF holds the International Art Festival every two years in Oct. About that time Lorraine called for the first time from America, and I went outside to chat with her until her card ran out. That hour whizzed by. She has a wonderful ear for listening and I told her about my teacher's baby dying. She had predicted before I came, that some things would make my heart heavy.

Peace Corps had put us on Alert today because of civil unrest in two other major cities. The PCVs who were invited to be a part of the Diversity Conference therefore gathered at the bureau for a dinner catered in rather than eating out. When we met with Andrea, from Senegal, who is the West African Regional Specialist for PC, she went over the plan for tomorrow and how we would be used in a “fishbowl” exercise. Basically we six sitting in a circle would have a discussion about our beginning PC experience and the management attending the diversity training would watch the exercise from the outer circumference.

Back at the Transit House I chatted awhile with Stephanie and Natalie about life in village the last two months. Natalie sketched Stephanie as we talked. It's amazing to see an art major in action capturing the personality of her subject in awesome detail in less than half an hour.

02-21-08

Natalie fixed me a morning cup of coffee adorned with a cinnamon stick. Some volunteers were sitting around the 8 foot table eating cereal, which felt like America to me. Later I went around the corner to get an omelette with onions sandwich. Helen looked at the problem I'm having with my digital camera card and copied some pix from it to the internal memory in my camera. Now I should be able to get at them to put on my flash drive and onto the internet. I am so happy these “younguns” know how to do all this high tech stuff.

Mid afternoon at the Diversity session we six discussed topics ranging from religion and marriage in Burkina culture, to being American and living among Burkinabe', to being an older person (me) in the PC, to sexuality and lifestyles. Our conversation lasted an hour or so. We headed back to the transit house, where Josh prepared a huge green salad with help from others chopping veggies and making dressing. With a good bottle of wine and some French bread we were all ready to eat.

Chris called me and we chatted a long time about how things were going both here and there. I am thankful every day for my cell phone and the technology that allows me to have a regular conversation with my loved ones. It makes me glad I am here now, rather than 45 years ago when PC began. Of course letters from home are always treasured and reread numbers of times.

22-02-08

Last night we were all told that we would be going back to village today due to political unrest in the country. I arose early, wrote postcards, got a pkg ready to go with a volunteer to America. I needed to go to bureau to have a couple minor repairs on my bike, use the internet and get my mail with 3 boxes from home. What luck to get a ride home via PC car with all my stuff and 3 boxes. I stopped on my way back to transit house to purchase fruit and avocados to take to village. On the way out of town Idrissa the driver stopped so I could get eggs and liquid detergent at the boutique by the transit house. He drove me out of Ouaga and back to village. I was safely at home by noon. I settled back into my home, which had a layer of dust from the wind since I left two days ago. I visited in the afternoon with Garrett about the Stand Fast Alert the PC had us on and how we would be in village until it was lifted. That evening I played checkers and Uno with my neighbors until nearly 10, and we had such fun with it.

On Saturday the Franciscan priest, named Casmere, was saying Mass in Villa, 7K away from Thyou in a small chapel there. Casmere is Polish descent, comes from Italy and lives with the group of Franciscan missionaries at St. Luc's Parcisse in Sabou. Georges and I pedaled the slight incline to Villa to attend Mass (first one this month) as did other villagers we knew. We sat in the back of the chapel on a bench, and there were benches outside the entrance with many people on them. Fr. Casmere put his vestments on by the front altar, then the choir began the service led by a young woman. Father said the Mass in Moore'. There was a baptism of a baby at this mass. As I tried to take a picture of that, the electronics in my camera interrupted the sound system set up by the back door (and next to us). Oops! I put camera away but not before everyone turned around to see what was happening.

Towards the end of the Mass the lay minister said the priest requests a few words from the guest, to which I said “Oh my!” I asked Georges to come with me up to the microphone and translate into Moore' for the congregation. I thanked them for their attention to me, and explained I was a PC volunteer living here for two years to work with health issues. Georges said they want my name and I was able to say that in Moore', which pleased them. He told them I was working with the major and health staff at CSPS in Sala. When he finished translating that, I said one more thing: “My religion is very close to my heart and it makes me feel at home to come to Mass, in Africa as in America and I am happy about that.” They clapped and were so warm and friendly.

Everyone greets each other after mass, just as in America. I found the parents of the newly baptized baby and requested to take their picture. They were delighted so we gathered by the altar and Fr. Casmere kindly stepped into the picture too. (See photo)

There was an “Alphabetisation” class being taught under a big tree near where the dolo bar was set up. Some villagers were learning mathematics. We walked past that to a fire where they cooked a dog, who had gotten the chickens. I tasted it and it was like the brown meat of chicken. It was good actually. We found the churchmen and priest in a nearby covered area so we could say Goodbye. They asked us to join them in their meal of arachide sauce over rice, with greens of onions on the side. Afterwards the priest offered to take four of us and our bikes in his mini truck back to Thyou to the marche'. The people in the bed of the truck were ducking every time we went under a tree on the path going back. Father stopped and gave two more women a ride too. No one got brushed out of the back.

After shopping a bit at the marche' and socializing with familiar friends, Georges' father, Harry invited me over to his family compound to meet his wife and Georges older sister, Elise, and her child. A longtime neighbor of theirs came over for a visit soon after we arrived. As we visited, his mother Veronique brought out benga (beans) with sauce. Like him, Georges family is very friendly and warm to people. I took a few pictures of them both inside their house and outside. Then Angie called me and Georges took a picture of me on the phone with her. Angie said her girls teachers want their classes to write to students in Africa as pen pals. When it was time to go home, I expressed my gratitude, and his family said they were delighted to meet me and I am welcome anytime.

25-02-08

On Monday I was anxious to go to CSPS as it had been awhile. There was not much going on, only a couple people there to be seen. Gansonre was working on statistics. He showed me the chart he made for Sala and the satellite villages for 2007. The maternite' brought the curve down for the area. The women in outlying areas, esp Sune and Zoa, don't often come in for delivery and then there are complications. An example in the maternite' recovery room today was a family who's baby had died at delivery.

In the late afternoon I was listening to Moore' on my MP3 player, and working on my chart of my quartier, when my teacher came for my daily lesson. He was sweating and no wonder—it was 105 degrees out. We rehearsed the dialogue in both languages and I read from the primer and we discussed verbs. The day was a quiet one all in all.

Tuesday was much the same, except that only Philippe and the two infirmier stagieres were at CSPS to handle things, a woman and young boy on IVs, and a new baby in maternite'. I visited. them and greeted their visitors. Then I decided to go to school and give out the alphabets and numbers I had for them. The headmaster and another teacher were gone to marche', but the four remaining teachers were delighted. I promised to return with more things later. After the repose (12-3pm) began I also went to the marche', got my favorite lunch, pork and local bread for sandwich. I met Georges and his father and uncle socializing near the barbecue place. As we came out of that area, we met three white French women staying in Sabou. In chatting with them, we shared that we were visiting the CREN (Centre Rehabilitation Enfants Nutrionelle) in Sabou on Wednesday. They expressed interest in that, so we made a date to take them along.

So the next day we met early to pedal to Sabou to the CREN. I stopped first to get a receipt from the taxi brousse driver for my last trip, so I could get reimbursed. The chauffeur wasn't understanding my French, and along came one of the Sala teachers, who helped me pose the question again to him. Voila!

In about an hour my tutor and I arrived at Sabou in time to find an omelette sandwich and Nescafe'. We went looking for Bintou's brother's restaurant “Zood Neere”, where I ate with her the day I moved to Sala. As we were talking to a man there, the three French women walked out of the boutique. They were lodging at this same complex. When they joined us out front, we all five rode to the Catholic Church together. We were invited in by Fr. Jacques via Georges connections with St Luc's parish. The priest served us grenadine water. Soon Sister Mary (from France) joined us and she would guide our visit to the CREN. As we exited the parish house into the courtyard, I thought this is a beautiful setting. (See pictures.) Georges shared with Fr. Jacques, who had baptized Jean Marc, of the death of his baby.

Sr. Mary drove the rest of us over to the new laboratory and hospital under construction south of Sabou . Sr. Margaret (from New York) another young nun joined us and translated for me as Sr. Mary gave us the tour. It is a grand design. In the octagon-shaped center of the new CREN is a courtyard where they are erecting a swing set, where they want to teach the parents how to play with their children. Housing for the parents is inside the CREN itself. We toured a number of the buildings where the laboratories will be. We returned to the Catholic Church, where the existing CREN is and toured that. It was overfilled with malnourished infants and their mothers. A number of the infants were twins, who often have difficulty surviving in this land. Mothers stay with babies stay in CREN on average 30 days until babies are gaining and mothers have been trained in nutrition. We saw the examination rooms, where they weigh and measure the babies. We went to another area where a staff was giving an enriched Brouille (porridge) and soup demonstration. There were over 50 mothers and many crying babies there. They each received a container of the brouille.

With the help of my tutor, I inquired about the mother and twins from Dayolo, whom Gansonre had sent here. They brought a woman and her twins to me, but it wasn't them. I asked if there was anyone from Sala here and they said not now. There were young interns working at the CREN, who knew Marco, a PCV from a village further south from mine.

We returned to the area of our bikes and toured St. Luc's church. Several catechists were conversing near the altar. Everyone is preparing for the pilgrimage next Sunday at the edge of the barrage in Thyou. All the Franciscan priests who live at this parish house will be there. We invited the French women to it, and they in turn invited us to tour the artists' studio and school adjacent to their chambres this afternoon. The art and fabric school would intrigue my children. I ordered a bag from them.

We found Dominique's son's place for lunch. His wife serves benga and mui (beans and rice) with pima (hot spice). We visited the marche' district of Sabou and visited there awhile.

It was late afternoon when we traveled back down the road to Thyou and Sabou, our homes.

28-02-08

Today is Thursday which means baby weighing at the maternite'. I stopped by the clinic first to talk about our tour of the old and new CREN yesterday in Sabou to Gilbert, the new nurse, Philippe, and the two interns, Kassoum and Alexis, who both put effort into communicating with me. I helped weigh 4-6 babies, who were there. Several pregnant women were there for prenatal visits too. When I went into the recovery room in the maternite', there was a woman there with no baby, but lots of family. Her baby died during birth.

By midday I went home and fixed a cheese sandwich and cut up a mango for lunch, then studied a while. I walked outside to visit with some of the women in my quartier and work on my map of it. Abdoulaye helped me some. After my language lesson in the late afternoon, we all played a couple games of Uno.

29-02-08 Leap Year

I spent time getting out some of my PC training materials on both KAP and Etude de Milieu and reviewed it. I need to prepare and decide how to study the health of the communities around Sala. Our In Service Training is in two weeks and I need to bring some of that info with me then.

When I got to the CSPS today, I watched what was happening, there was a flurry of patients for over an hour. The young RN trainees were handling things. I was to have an early language lesson today, but because an older respected woman died last night in Thyou, there was a big service Georges was leading the singing for, right after “Chemin de Croix” (stations of the cross). I took my neighbor girl Zanabou to the afternoon service at our church, and she was to meet up with Minata, her grandmother, afterwards at the home of the deceased.

When we got there there were cars arriving and lots of people around. I recognized women from church and from village. One woman offered to take us into the deceased woman's home, but about that time things started happening. People filled her yard until we were hemmed in. Gerard was finishing the coffin he had been working on all day. Family gathered around and some family brought her body out. One could hear Gerard tap the nails into the lid of the coffin. Our catechist Jean Baptiste began the Catholic burial service and Georges led the singing with drumming in the background. It went on over an hour in Moore'.

When darkness set in, the procession to the cemetery occurred. Across fields and paths, Georges led the chant and the people. At the graveside there was a fluorescent light strung up and then more prayers, drumming and singing. Georges led a solo and the choir responded with the chorus. It was elegant and moving. There were many songs and hymns. After a long graveside service, all the people walked back to the decedent's home. Georges found us and offered his flashlight to guide us there.

His brother Maxime and two other priests had been at a meeting in Sabou that day and stopped to briefly visit with Georges before he and the priests had to leave by car. Zanabou and I got a drink of water before we rode home. As we turned in for the night we could hear the music of the dancing that went on all night and is typical of most funeral celebrations in village, especially important people.

African Adventure 6

12-26-07 The Day I go to my Village, Sala!

After assuring my packing was done, I went to the Peace Corps Bureau and there in the lobby was Bintou smiling and chatting with Pierre, another language teacher. Idrissa, a PC transporter told me he was set to drive Bintou, me and my stuff, whenever I was ready. After a couple errands, drawing francs from la Poste, getting two royal blue plastic chairs from the corner boutique, and retrieving the last of my things from the Transit House, we were on our way south. The SUV was crammed, ie my foam mattress, my bike, and all the baggage, lipico and small table. I mentioned my propane tank before we were very far down the road, which resulted in stops in three places to complete the purchase. Turns out you have to have a used tank to trade in, when you want to buy one full of gas. Also I needed the connectors, so I could hook it all up to my gas stove top. I was happy to know I would be cooking soon.

We drove two hours south of the capitol to Sabou and stopped at a restaurant, “Zood Neere”, of a friend of Bintou's for a meal of spaghetti, barbecued chicken, and French bread with drinks. He wouldn't accept payment for the meal. Bintou referred to him as her brother, Lassane', because he lived with her family part of his youth. He was now a successful businessman, and had started several schools for educating local youth, improving lives where he could. Nearby were some interesting monkeys tied under trees. (See pictures.)

At Sala, we met the major's son, Zachariah, who showed us the path to Minata's house, my host land lady. Minata has 3 grown children, and 2 children at home, plus some grandchildren staying. She was very welcoming and happy to meet us. The infirmier (RN) Gansonre joined us presently, meanwhile many children were gathered out front, watching the unfolding activity. Everyone helped unload the SUV. My cute little place had a twin metal bed frame, and that was it! But for that I was thankful. Zachariah and Gansonre set about skinning 4 poles to make the bedposts latched on with rubber straps for the mosquito net. Then they put my tank and gas stove together. Voila!

My half of the duplex stucco house has a large room with a corner enclosed douche (shower) and a small adjoining room that was somewhat cooler, so I requested that the bed go in there under the window. The big room has three windows on the outside walls, so that a breeze comes through. The front porch/patio is cement and has a waist high wall surrounding it. (See picture.) We sat there afterwards talking to Abdulaye, Minata's 13 year old son, who speaks French, and is learning English from the PCV Garrett, in his school. He showed me to the boutique in Sala, and after Bintou borrowed a lantern from Minata, we played Crazy 8's until bedtime.

The next morning we texted Gansonre, who called back, saying he and the major (the head of the health clinic) were coming over in an hour. I showered and was showing Bintou my curtain material when we heard the car arrive. I ran into the bedroom to finish combing my hair. The major and RN had entered and Minata brought more chairs, soon we were meeting. Other visitors came by. The major says he likes either name, El Hadj (meaning he's been to Mecca). He sent someone over to see if we could meet the chief of the village, Ouedraogo, Adama. We all four walked across the field to some trees near the chef's compound, where benches were lined up for us. We waited a bit for him. I learned that he had accepted his position as cultural leader and chef, after his father died. When the chef (naaba) came he welcomed me and I recited my prepared statement to him. I was grateful that JZ had suggested I prepare it for meeting the chef. The chef assured me he was ready to aid me in any way possible. People came by to greet us.

In the afternoon the major drove Bintou and I to the next village Thyou, 2K away to their boutique and we were able to get many staples, foods and other items for setting up my home. The shopkeeper, Adama, was helpful as we made our purchases.(See picture.)

After I inquired about the location of the Catholic church, the major drove us to a huge hangar in a field, next to a place where the foundation for a new church had been poured. A Mass had just begun at that time and a woman came forward welcoming us to join as she led me to the front benches. Bintou and the major sat in the back area through the rest of the Mass. The priest greeted me warmly, as did some of the other parishioners. An older gentleman approached graciously as the major came and greeted him and the priest. Later Bintou remarked how much she respected the major for waiting while mass was on. She said that showed a respect and tolerance for other religions.

12-28-07

On Friday after we got ready for the day, we called about a ride to the Thyou marche' (market) and the major sent his son, Zachi' to drive us. He dropped us off for an hour to wander around the huge marche'. One hour because the major takes elder men to the mosque on Fridays by noon. I loaded up on plastics, a bucket, bowls, cups, and plates etc. We also found some vegetables. When we returned home, I took a nap while Bintou made us Riz Gras. A neighbor boy went to the local garden after tomatoes for us. I rode to the Sala boutique for tomato sauce. There I spoke to Kadre' (he was next door at the restaurant) about needing a tutor. After my nap we ate delicious Riz Gras. I studied several French lessons while Bintou napped. Then Bintou helped me correct my lesson.

We had planned that in the later afternoon Minata would show us to the garden. She was already there working, so Abdoulaye led me there. He and I rode our bikes, while Bintou and his friend walked. We went far on a rough path when we came to the barrage, a sort of lake. We walked past rows of tomatoes and squash before coming to where a man was working. After exchanging greetings, he showed me egg plants, and I bought 6 and then he gave me 6 more. On the return trip we saw two huge camion (trucks) pass by, loaded with wood poles headed for Ouaga for cooking fires.

I passed out candy (bonbons) to the children and mothers in the courtyard. They numbered in the dozens. In the evening we played cards, and Bintou showed me a game called “Witchcraft”. Pretty soon there was a knock at the door and there was Gansonre and Simpore', the education inspector to talk to me about my need for a tutor. It was a long conversation. He offered to find one who can attend meetings with me and tutor in conversation and pronunciation daily, etc. We made plans for visiting the CSPS clinic in the morning to meet everyone. I feel somewhat frustrated at the communication gap, and I'm sure the RN is impatient with it. Bintou asked them to speak slowly and be patient with me. We agreed to write things down and Gansonre agreed to help me. He wants Bintou to stay one month.

12-29-07

After a power bar breakfast, I was doing my exercises when Garrett (my closest PCV) knocked on the door. He was so welcome, and Bintou invited him to go with us to tour the clinic where I will be hanging out to learn the medical protocol here in Sala. We walked across a field to CSPS (clinic) and found the nurse dressing a small girl's leg wound, after which her father rode her back home on his bike. Gansonre, the nurse, gave us a tour of the clinic and the Maternite' in a separate building and the pharmacy, which has 60 drugs on hand. In this culture that is a lot. Gansonre mentioned the great need for sensibilization on health issues with the community, ie. immunization, malaria, and family planning. Those are things PC has trained us on doing. He told us that a woman delivered a baby last night in the Maternite' and there is another in labor now. We noted that the rooms for labor, delivery and recovery are pretty simple, without amenities.

We walked back to my house for lunch, and Garrett and I visited about my village and his, Thyou. He is in the secondary school there, teaching classes in mathematics and English. He said the education inspector advised him to use more English than French in his class to challenge the students more. Expectations of students are very high in this culture.

After an afternoon lesson of French pronouns, Bintou and I were invited to a welcoming and traditional dinner with the chef, the major, his elder brother, Gansonre, and other fonctionaires at the local Buvette, where they hold social functions. The meal consisted of cous cous and sauce, chicken and drinks. The major left at sundown for prayer, and Gansonre got called for the delivery at Maternite'. We hung out for a while chatting with those left.

12-30-07

Today I will remember as my first faux pas. We had some leftover rice that was going bad, so I threw it outside in the field for the chickens. Minata was hollering at me “Give it to the children!” Bintou added that one can't insult the children by feeding the chickens. Minata took the pan and scooped handfuls and gave to each child watching. She told me if it is on the ground the children will pick it up and eat it. She softened that by saying “The previous PCV did the same thing.” But I started worrying that the children would get sick, which to my knowledge did not occur.

The major transported me to church that Sunday morning and I was directed up front to a bench and between some older gentlemen. The outside hangar where this congregation gathers makes a strong first impression. The children were sitting on pole benches in front of us and facing the left side of the altar. The mass was done in the local Moore' language, the priest had written his sermon in Moore' as well. The vestments, chalices and holy books were removed from a nearby trunk. The lay minister had an active role in the service as did his wife, a lead vocalist together with the choral director, who led two choral groups from the right front of the church. Young men were drumming on their instruments accompanying the singing.

Near the end of mass, the lay minister was speaking to the people in Moore' when I heard “Nasaara” (white person). He was welcoming me to the church community. Soon he called the tall, handsome choral director up front to repeat the words in French for me. After which he asked if I wanted to say something and I expressed my thanks and that my language is pretty limited. I asked him to share with the people that I am here with the Peace Corps and hope to work with and for the people here. They heard him translate that to Moore' and applauded. I think I was turning a little pink by then. After mass many people warmly greeted me. I asked the choral director if he would write down what he said so I could share it with my French teacher, Bintou. As he was doing that I told him of my need for a French and Moore' tutor. He told me that he is a language teacher for both, so I asked him to consider it. He told me his name, Kiemtore', Georges.

When the major came back to pick me up from church, he said he knew Georges and that he is a good man. I was so excited about the prospect of finding a language teacher, that it felt like a gift from God. I came home to share my find with Bintou, who said Gansonre is also working on this. And she was wondering how this would all go.

In the afternoon Bintou started making Riz Gras again for dinner that evening as we had invited a number of people over. Garrett brought local made French bread from his village and he and I went down to the barrage gardens to get tomatoes for the sauce. About this time, Gerard stopped by. He is Minata's brother and a carpenter. He measured for my counter top and for my bookcase. Bintou was negotiating with him to make sure I got what I wanted. And he was teasing her about me giving her to him for a second wife. He said to her “the mother of the house can give away her children”. By the time Gerard was done, Gansonre arrived with two men, one was Isodore, PCV Garrett's Moore' teacher and the other was the choral director from church. Isadore said Georges has more time and can teach both French and Moore'. The people present started bartering the price and it went from 2 mil to 1 mil an hour for five days a week. The plan was to start tomorrow, which I then found out is when Bintou is leaving. She was pleased that everything worked out to everyone's satisfaction and my language tutor was selected before her departure.

By 6pm we were all eating the wonderful Riz Gras meal by lamplight. (See pictures.) I had her write me the recipe for later. After the guests left Bintou, Garrett and I reviewed the evening's events and were satisfied. Bintou and I played Crazy 8's and talked about how welcoming the people of Sala are. Bintou said “I would like to live in Sala, especially with the Muslim major being so tolerant of the Catholic religion.

The next morning Gerard came with sketches of the bookcase that he will make for me at the end of the month, as the cupboard is all I can afford for this month. Minata came over to visit at the same time. She was very encouraging, saying she will do everything for me for the asking. She offered her son, Abdulaye to help she and I communicate, as he is taking English in school and already knows French and Moore' (her language). Minata said not to worry about my things when I leave my house as she will watch over me and my things.

Bintou got a message from the Peace Corps to return to the capitol, Ouaga, on the taxi brousse the next day. She made arrangements for Gansonre to take her via his moto to Sabou in the late afternoon. We spent a couple hours shopping at the marche' in Thyou,where we met up with Garrett and he showed us where to get the good local French bread. One of the sellers was Marie, who I had met at the church and she was selling “dolo” made by the church women. The marche has a series of small hangars where the people sit on logs and chat while having “local biere”. It tasted very good, not bitter, and comes from millet that the women pulverize in the mortier (mortar). We enjoyed the local brew with a few others there.

When it was time for Bintou to leave later in the afternoon, we both got a bit teary and said how fun our week together had been. Gansonre showed up and away they went (see picture).

My new French teacher arrived at the same time and we began our lesson. He brought a French primer and the alphabet written out for me. He also articulated sounds for me and drew pictures. By the end of the hour lesson, the daylight had faded and it became difficult for me to see. We lit the kerosene lamp and agreed to switch our time to earlier for visibility. Then I sat outside awhile as the sky filled with stars. The neighbor kids came over and hung out too. Minata brought over rice and to', a staple of the BF diet, made from millet too.

Although I retired early on this New Year's Eve, the video going on full blast in Sala and some activity in Thyou, kept waking me up. Burkinabe' celebrate too on this date, although I only heard one firework!

The next morning I rode my bike to church for the service and greeted many of my new found friends there, the pretre (priest), the catechiste Jean Baptiste, his wife, Marie, and of course the choral director, (and my new language teacher) Georges. On my way back home, I found Garrett's house and paid him a visit. He was working on lesson plans for his class, which resumes Friday after the holiday break. He showed me several carpentry items he had built since he came to Thyou. As I continued my bike ride home, the RN came by on his moto and invited me to his home for dinner. We set a time and he pointed out his maison as the one with the antennae. When Abdulaye and I arrived we were served refreshments, drinks and hors-d'oeuvres, then a salad and the main meal, chicken with rice. We talked about family and work. Naturally I met his wife, Mimouna and little girl, Sheri. Gansonre asked to observe my French lesson. So in fact my teacher had stopped by while I was gone to dinner, but returned later with several friends, and we all went inside for my lesson. The visitors chuckled at my accent. Georges helped with my pronunciation and after a brief time everyone left. We set a time to go to the clinic the following morning.

I got a call from my family and learned about their recent time at the coast for the holiday gathering during a winter storm. The grandchildren enjoyed extended time together, and sharing the new baby in the family, Cash Patrick Landis. Heather recapped her trip to Cancun for Xmas.

02-01-08

After a morning Fr lesson, my tutor and I went to the CSPS village clinic, where the major was seeing patients. We observed briefly, when the nurse told me the midwife was returning tomorrow from her holiday break. In the afternoon I sat outside where the women were conversing in Moore' and the girls were working on each other's hair. They were taking braids out, combing hair in preparation for washing it. They use small bands and long strands of plastic cording to augment their plaits.

Abdulaye's older brother, Madi, was home on a visit and came over after dinner and we all worked on my French. Madi reviewed my written work and we practiced a few sentences together. It was fun. Their uncle Issaka came over for tea and conversation.

The next morning Minata and I walked to the maison behind ours to greet her sister-in-law. We also watched a young man pour clay into brick forms nearby. Youngsters were stacking dried bricks, others were carrying water to the mound where he was making the clay consistency to his liking. Interesting process and everyone helps out.

At my French lesson, I learned from my teacher that his wife and nine month old baby have been sick since Christmas and are staying in Koudougou with relatives for proximity to medical care. The baby has had diarrhea. He said his two daughters are in primary and secondary school and home with him in the next village. He bikes the 40 K to visit the wife and baby on the weekends. I told him that I plan to go there for the internet also on the weekend, but I will get transport from the main road, at Sabou,15 K away.

On Friday when I went to the CSPS in the morning, I copied the Sala map indicating the nine satellite villages also served by this clinic. Mostly the outlying people come in to the clinic, but there is also outreach, where medical staff go to the small villages for vaccinations, etc. Always when I arrive at the clinic the major stops what he is doing to greet me. The nurse showed me the population statistics and other data he collects for the clinic as part of the health ministry for BF. The accoucheuse had returned but was gone to a small village to give prenatal care.

My afternoons are generally at home, market or visiting. This day I joined a group of women outside talking. Salimata engaged me with names of everyone and some Moore' words. It is obvious they want me to know their language. While a number of men speak French, the women only speak Moore', a very tonal language with nasal and rhythmic sounds abounding. Again the neighbor girls were doing hair. Salimata did mine. The African females use extensions in the hair and all kinds of decoration. I have noticed all variations of black, brown and weaves done, plus all designs of rows of braids (some extremely artistic on the head). Like in America there are a few people who sport unusual colors, red, orange, purple extensions too.

After my French lesson this day, I invited my teacher to accompany me to meet the accoucheuse. Part of the deal I made when we hired him, was that he would go to meetings and other things where I could use some help communicating. The RN came with us to her house. Pierrette has magnificent dimples and a ready smile. It is delightful to know there is a female presence amongst the medical staff. Gansonre told me he is beginning to understand my accent, as we spent time articulating some French words.

On Saturday I strapped my overnight bag onto my bike and took off for Sabou, where I would catch a taxi brousse over to Koudougou, the main town in my region. It was quiet as the sun came up and the birds flew around. The landscape is dry ground with deciduous trees in a thin forest. There was an occasional biker, moto or truck on the road, but mostly it was me and the African morning.

The older guy that drove the mini truck across the 40K was careful. I noted the drop off point in town so I could find it in two days for the return trip. I made my way to the mission, got a room and took a nap. I text my friend, Achille and we met for dinner at a conference center. We agreed to meet the next morning for mass at the cathedral in town.

When we arrived at church the first mass was still going, so we waited outside for it to finish. My French teacher exited the church, and came over to chat with us. We discovered that the next mass was in an hour, so Georges invited us to come meet his wife and baby about 1K away from church. It was obvious they had been sick. I noticed the baby had difficulty breathing and had weeping behind the ears, much like my son did as a baby.

After the French mass with singing that was awesome, esp the trilling that women occasionally do during a hymn, we rode over to the Achille's family home to meet them. His father, Maxime is old and has a disease of the nerve and muscle system, which is wasting his body away. His legs are like toothpicks as he lay on the chaise during our visit. We went next door where his older brother's family lives, and visited. Seraphin does silk screening on tee shirts, using the computer to generate the picture, and this is how he advertises his sign company business. Achille works for him. When we returned to Achille's family home, his mother, Cecile had made rice and sauce for us. It was an enjoyable time together, and we planned that Achille would come to Sala in a month and visit me.

I worked on my blog that night and the next morning. At the dining room, I met a French couple who had ferried across from Gibraltar on the Mediterranean, and drove across West Africa (French) on their way to Ghana. They patiently listened to me and my French. They told me Obama won in Iowa, and that they like Hiliary. They were "comme ci, comme ca" about their new president..

Finally I went to the internet to post my blog and head for the return transport home to Sala, a memorable ride to be sure! The young driver hot wired the car for starters, then stopped a short distance out of town I assumed to pick up a passenger (a man with an obvious flat bike tire wanting a lift), but-- no the driver got out, took off the radiator cap, fetched the water can to fill the radiator, threw the cap onto the dash, and away we went, leaving the hitchhiker in the dust. He repeated this exercise a couple more times too. He drove so fast over the washboard road that we were only a big ball of red dust moving along and got there in 30 minutes. I was glad I had my book in my backpack, as it served as a diversion because I couldn't bear to look out the front window. I biked back from Sabou to Sala.

On return from an errand to the boutique in village, I noticed the chef sitting at the cabaret out back of the buvette. I sat and chatted with him a bit, as we drank a beer. He called his son and granddaughter to interpret a time or two, but he speaks a few words of English and a fair amount of French, so it was not bad. A happy, thin man I guess to be 60ish.

09-01-08

This morning I went to the clinic early, and the major had me sit in on a couple consultations. He took blood pressure readings and temperatures of a several people, then spoke to them in Moore' getting their first hand account of the problem, then he wrote out a prescription to be filled by the pharmacist, Adama. The patients return with Rx in hand as their medical practitioner explains how they are to take it. I could understand the Moore' beoogo (morning) windga (afternoon) and zaabre (evening) as he said it, meaning 3x day. The major had me take notes for the schedule of monthly vaccination visits to the satellite villages, where I can ride my bike to the nearer ones four of the days next week.

In the maternite' building was a mother, new baby and her family. Meanwhile at the clinic Gansonre started an IV drip on a little thin boy. He added vitamins and nutrients along with antibiotics to the IV. The child's father cleaned him up when he vomited. The drip takes a couple hours.

I asked to visit the primary school in Sala, and Gansonre accompanied me there to meet the headmaster and the six teachers. One class, a large first grade was sitting outside under a hangar. The teacher has a branch in hand, more as a threat I suppose to control the over sized class just beginning their formal education. Garrett told me later that they are not allowed to do that after the first couple grades. The other outdoor class was the second grade and I was happy to see they use the same French primer I have. As we visited each class, I spoke in my limited way. The class and I practiced “Bonjour classe! Ca va? Bien.” (Good morning, how are you? I am fine.) The director had my neighbor kids raise their hands, so I could pick them out easier. I promised to return in a few weeks with some supplies from America.

That day when my language teacher came, he expressed that he really wants me to learn Moore', which I have resisted until I get better at French. We went over the sentences I wrote, and I read two lessons from my primer. We laughed about my return taxi brousse ride from Kdg, and I told him about the vaccination schedule. He wanted to accompany me, but I told him I couldn't pay for the travel time, and would defer that question to my supervisor, Dr. Claude. He kept saying “Pas de proble'me!” Georges told me he saw the accoucheuse in Kdg, and called her the matron of CSPS. Georges said he hopes to go back to Koudougou in two weeks to bring his family home.

The major was seeing patients the next morning, which is when I typically hang out at the clinic. There was a child on an IV drip, and an older woman came in mentally out of it. The major told me that the malaria (palu) does that to some people. Next he saw a woman who had her face covered with her pagne, because the sunlight hurt her eyes. The major got out a book about medical problems and treatment and confirmed “Lesion Ouverte” (eye) and wrote her a Rx. Next a young girl and her dad followed the major over to the maternite' where the gas run refrigerator is located, to get her a tetanus shot, because her foot injury was caused when she had stepped on something.

In the spirit of continuing to meet the local important people, Gansonre and I walked over and met the Forestry Coordinator, Mohammed and later the permit supervisor, Urbain. When we returned the midwife was doing 2007 stats, and let me know that the baby weighing happens every Thursday. I assured her I would be here tomorrow for that.

On this marche' day, I bought barbecued pork and sat down on a log to make my sandwich with my small leatherman knife to slice the French bread and remove fat from the meat. A crowd started gathering interested in watching me make a sandwich. After this self initiated demo, I got up, sandwich in hand and ate on the move. After a few produce purchases, I found Marie and we went for a calabasse of dolo. In BF the socializing happens all the time, catching up on the news etc, but one of the main social venues is the marche' and the locals gather to chat over the local beer.

After my lesson, Abdulaye came over to play cards until it was dark. When a bat flew in through my front door, he knew immediately what it was. That proved helpful later that night when one flew in through the rafters. I had my screen door to my bedroom open, so in it came. Bats flutter and fly fast. I knew that it had perfect vision in the dark and that I didn't, so I decided to cover up until the bat found it's way back out. It wasn't long and silence reigned. A good reminder to close my bedroom screen door at night.

11-01-08

I spent most of the morning with the accoucheuse Pierrette weighing babies. She sent one baby over to the clinic to be checked by Gansonre, who said the four month old baby has pneumonia. They live 8 K away in the petite village Salo, so the mom would return tomorrow with the money for the prescription. The RN said that is the reality here. There was another child on IV for malaria, all others from yesterday had gone home after their drips finished.

In the afternoon I went home and hemmed my kitchen curtain. Becky text me that I have a lot of mail at the bureau. I am so waiting for batteries, I'm nearly out. Then I heard that they may be removed as an item on the Haz Met security list by Customs.

12-01-08

The major had gone to the district health office, so Gansonre was very busy caring for patients. He was treating two people with malaria in the lobby area where five cots serve as hospital beds. He had several more walk ins. The nurse told me the chef of the village was very sick. Gansonre said he went to his home last night to care for him. He took me with him at noon to go look in on the chef again. He changed his IV, adding a number of meds to it, antibiotics, vitamins, and hydrocortisone. The next day the chef was at the clinic for a booster IV. This is the time of year for the more serious illnesses for everyone.

On Saturday I went to the clinic to see how busy they are on the weekends there. Two people were on IV drips. A family was there with food eating and chatting with their older patient. A small boy returned for a checkup with bumps all over his skin, dermatitis rash from the medicine he received in the IV drip earlier that week perhaps. He checked a woman who was in danger of miscarriage and gave her an injection. Another couple came in for pregnancy test that proved positive. I don't know what that conversation was like, due to my language. It was a busy morning at the clinic.

Soon a group of us from the CSPS went to the home of the treasurer of the COGES (health board) to pay condolences because his wife died Thursday. All the houses/huts had many men sitting together at this important family time. There are typical Moore' words to express sympathy that were said.

In the late afternoon, I sat out front of the boutique in Thyou and chatted with a young nurse, who is from a petite village 7K west of there. He expressed his philosophy of the difficulty the people of Burkina Faso experience rising above poverty. He likened the cycle of the big old tree across the road there, to that of the animals and the people. Everything struggles and the influences are sometimes unseen and unpredictable. Interesting!

That day Abdolaye washed my dirt red bike and the white and turquoise reappeared. Belle velo! I finished my second book, “Looking for Lovedu” by Ann Jones, a gifted witty writer. She describes a road trip across the length and breadth of Africa from Morocco to Capetown.

On Sunday I learned first hand how the congregation at church manages when there is no priest. Church leaders surface and lead the people in prayer, song, readings, the rosary, etc. On my bike ride home from there, I came upon two girls who didn't hear me behind them due to the oncoming transport. I hit the brakes and went down, scraping one knee. That took the wind out of my sails for awhile, but wasn't serious. There is a Moore' greeting “Laafi Bala”, everything is OK, things could always be worse.

That day I decided to map out my compound (quartier) so I could get a handle on where all my neighbors live and organize a way of remembering names and faces. Abdoulaye walked with me in the two big quartiers, each with 8-10 huts/dwellings. There are many children per compound. And we have a rough draft now.

When Chris and Shelly called me that evening, Tabor talked to gramma for a couple minutes on the phone, and “showed me his box” in his hand. I remember this stage in the two year old's life. My sisters phoned the same day, having figured out how to make a phone card work all the way to Africa. What a treat to hear from loved ones!

Vaccination Week 14-01-08 to 20-01-08

Every month a nurse and second person go to the smaller, surrounding villages to give immunizations. I made a dry run to Zao on Monday, because I was confused by the configuration of the African calendar, which leads with Monday. I was met by some friendly local villagers, who said I was 3 days early. We chuckled about that. They took me over to the primary school to meet the staff and children, so the trip was productive. On Wednesday I went to Salo (8K away) with with my French teacher and Gilbert, the nurse for the vaccinations to be given out. It all took place under a big tree near the marche'. The RN commenced TB injections with the pregnant women, and then onto the infant immunizations in the premiere year. I saw the young mom and 4 month old infant with pneumonia I had seen at the clinic last week. The baby was recovering nicely. She had let others know I was coming there.

On this trip we also visited the school, whose headmaster was a friend of Georges. Again I spoke to the classes of students in my own way and promised to return.

On the correct date, I with my language teacher returned to Zao for their vaccination day. The same friendly people found us right away. (See picture.) Soon the major, his head wrapped in his checkered scarf, arrived on his moto, happy to see us there. Then the women started arriving, some pregnant for shots and some with babies for shots. This lasted through late morning and again in the early afternoon. Two local villagers typically help the major with the process. We had lunch at the marche'.

On the return trip home as we neared my village, we heard chanting and dancing. There was a marriage feast going on. We stopped to watch for awhile, and the people are always excited when we show interest in their activities.

On Friday I biked 15K to Dana and another 2K to Dayolo, and repeated the same vaccination program as in the other villages. Gilbert was the RN today set up at a table in the simple marche' there. Again two local villagers helped out. The young woman Delphine liked my Timex watch. I let her know the young man at the station where I charge my cellular phone wants it too, and I told him he has to wait two years.

After an hour we traveled back to Dana where the bigger population is and spent several hours there. Pregnant women, babies all got attention. But some folks were told they were either too early or too late, after their paperwork was checked. The two helpers chatted with me over lunch that day.

Usually in the evening Abdulaye comes over to play cards, and he often trounces me, then laughs wildly. This night after we played awhile, I received a visit from Georges' younger brother who was in town briefly from the seminary where he is in training to become a priest. He lives in Fara now on assignment until he goes to Bobo for two years of theology and philosophy. He also is extremely polite, friendly and handsome. Plus he speaks English, Dutch, Moore' and French well. It is obvious his brother has told him about his new American language student. As Maxime leaves he wishes me “Wend na Kond Nidaare!” God be with you until next time.

On Sunday I was to go to a village Bolo, on an ill-defined dirt path behind the barrage 8K away. I realized that I could easily get lost so I asked locals some questions, but they spoke yet another tribal language and we weren't having any luck. Except to say that one old man was demonstrating his aching back, and I can get the language for arthritis! So I turned around to head back to my house to get Abdulaye for a guide, but about that time a man who did understand sent a 10 year old boy to lead me to Bolo. En route we passed a field of huge boulders that were thousands of years old. Trees grow up out of some of the crevices. (See picture.)

The major had gone to a smaller village beyond Bolo, and soon after I arrived he came motoing in with his checkered scarf and sunglasses on. He carried the cooler of immunization meds and his briefcase with the medical logs too. We set up under a hangar, me sitting in a reed chair the villagers brought, and the major on an antler shaped old section of a tree, shiny from wear, which made a great perch. The people came for an hour or so for injections. After we ate some fried arachide (peanut) dough balls, I asked the major for another guide. An older gentleman was going my way and my speed, so I was pleased to follow him.

That concluded my first week doing the vaccination program.

01-21-08

I went to the maternite' this morning to see if the women who were given prenatal slips at the satellite villages would show up there today for prenatal visits. Sure enough a couple young women from Salo came, including the young mother who had her baby in for pneumonia last week. Now her baby has diarrhea. The grandmother was along too and they wanted me to try their clabbered milk, which tasted like yogurt. I hung out at the prenatal visits a couple hours while the women waited their turn to be seen by the accoucheuse, take their prescription to the pharmacy, and return so the midwife could explain the dosage and schedule for taking Rx, and then they were on their way back home.

It was market day, so I went there to get vegetables, bread and barbecued pork for sandwiches. After several other errands and visiting with friends from church, I headed home. The neighbor kid and I listened to the African Soccer game on the radio and Cote d'Ivoire won 1-0 over Nigeria. It was exciting and even tho the Burkinabe' aren't playing, they have a keen interest in who wins. Many of the men from the village go to Cote d'Ivoire, where there is work.

The next day I straightened my home as I was expecting company, Stephanie S. from Gao. She was riding up to my maison when I was ready to go over to the clinic. We visited a bit, then went to CSPS to renew her friendship with the major, who was so glad to see her. Gansonre and the major started talking about the Meningitis Campaign that was starting Wednesday to Sunday for this disease. They will have three teams to vaccinate. They put me on the Sala team for Wed and Thursday. Midday they had a meeting with all the helpers. After that Stephanie met Garrett at my house and we made lunch, tuna sandwiches and marinated cucumbers. We sat around the house in the afternoon, visiting. At 4pm my tutor came for my lesson, and Stephanie chatted with Georges in Moore'. At 5pm she went down to the roadside to wait for taxi brousse, which didn't come for several more hours. After my lesson, we joined Stephanie as she waited for her ride. We talked about her trip home for the holidays and Marcos's Early Termination,because his gramma is ill.

Stephanie, who is a second year PCV suggested that I let the COGES know what I want and to keep trying French with them and to have them write things down. She noted that understanding will come as I am practiced with using the proper words to convey my intent to my listener.

We finished the day off with listening to a soccer game between Egypt and Cameroon. played cards and it was so hard for Abdulaye to loose. He can give the evil eye to me, then we laugh.

01-23-08

The Meningitis Campaign starts this day, and when I arrived at CSPS in village, they were set up under the big tree in front. The major, the accoucheuse, two women marking the tally and opening the needle pkgs, two men for crowd control, plus there was the primary teachers with their classes in lines. Both lines were almost out to the street. (See pictures.) I sat down to help record, but soon decided I would rather help at the front of the lines with securing arms and sleeves, etc. The target population was ages two to thirty, so we questioned ages and pregnancy of people. Some folks had their WHO health cards, which would show us their ages. The major and accoucheuse mixed the 3 strand meningitis vaccine with sterile water and then gave a quick shot per person. This assembly line worked well. National officials came by during the day briefly to check the status of the campaign.

One of the nurses returned from a small village where he gave the meningitis vaccinations. He was making a chart to outline the day's data. I shared with him that when I read the meningitis information brochure, I comprehended most of it, but when he talked to all of us helping the day before, I did not understand. So written French is a good option for me at this time. I only had a short list of medical vocabulary words to look up. By early afternoon (2pm) the first campaign day was over and it was satisfying to think of how many people would be protected from the disease that had taken three local lives last year.

01-24-08

My propane tank is empty! So Minata boiled my coffee water on her open fire in her cuisine. I wore my athletic shoes for my foot comfort today. When I got to the clinic at 8am they were already starting the meningitis vaccinations with the few people in line, but they kept streaming in steadily, many from the next village Thyou. I talked with the major about my propane, and he said “Pas de probleme!” and sent his son later that day to pick up my tank, drive the moto to Sabou and get me a full one. All of those were things I would be hard pressed to do on my own.

When I went to the marche' in the afternoon, I found people from my church there, Marie and her husband Basile, who will come to my house tomorrow for a visit, my French teacher who was talking to his brother, Cyrille, and Gerard, my carpenter, who gave me an update on my bookshelf. Many people inquired about the meningitis vaccinations, as info travels amazingly fast by word of mouth in village. We moved to another dolo place, and there Georges introduced me to his father, Harry. I told him what a great language teacher his son is, and his broad smile told me he was proud.

After my French lesson that afternoon, we played cards with Abdulaye, and he won today!

01-25-08

This morning I decided to French braid my hair after my bath. I know it will take practice, so why not begin? I called the bureau to have my mail and prescriptions brought when Dr. Jean Luc comes for the medical visit next Monday. I talked with the country director who asked me how things were going at site and did I like it. She observed that if I am helping with vaccinations then I am doing well. Marily's term is over next month, so I thanked her for her help behind the scenes with my placement in Burkina Faso, which I know she had a hand in.

When I showed up at the CSPS,the major was seeing a few patients, and said I could watch. He said he was happy to look through the National Geographic with the stories on open heart surgery, even though it wasn't in French. One old crippled woman arrived on the back of the bicycle of her two grandchildren. She had a bad cough and the major wanted her to come to the injection room for an antibiotic shot. I took her hand and guided her into the room. She walked on two very distorted legs. That made her seem very short, about to my waist. She exited the same way.

There was young man about 30 sitting in the waiting room with his hand swollen twice its normal size, and he was in severe pain. The two puncture wounds in his thumb suggested to me something had penetrated it. The major said “No, It is Panaris, infection du ponce.” He put on sterile gloves and injected lidocaine into the thumb area, as the man moaned in agony. The injection fluid oozed out of the punctures, and then the major took a razor and cut between the two points, splaying the thumb. He put the ruby benodine on gauze to dress the wound and then wrapped the entire hand. The man got a big shot of antibiotic and some pain pills, before his friend rode him home on a moto.

After my French lesson, we listened to the soccer game on the radio (Cote d' Ivoire-4, Togo-1) and ate sandwiches. Georges asked for an advance for his Koudougou trip to see his wife and baby on the weekend. Abdulaye and I played his card game twice and I went to bed early as my knee hurt, and besides tomorrow my friend Achille comes and I want to be rested.

I did my knee exercises in the morning to strengthen them. Achille texted me that he was en route, but he didn't arrive until afternoon because his motobike broke down and he got parts at the ville on the way. Then he texted again when he got to Sala, and I went to meet him at the boutique, a point of reference in all the small villages. He was happy to have arrived after his 40K trip from Koudougou, evidenced by his smiling face. We went to my place, and I introduced him to everyone, before we went on a tour of the barrage and gardens, with Abdulaye as our guide. He hung out with us all day. We visited a lower area of the reservoire filled with crocodiles and birds, before getting to the far side and Minata's garden. There were many crates of bright red tomatoes harvested for transport to Cote d'Ivoire. (See pictures.)

I took Achille to the clinic to meet the major and Gansonre. The major talked to him about the mosque in KDG next to where Achille works. And he checked out the family name, Nana, for common friends, etc. Gansonre invited us to his home to watch football, Egypt vs Sudan tonight. This soccer competition is a national obsession, esp as it nears the finals.

After practicing the Riz Gras recipe Bintou left me, we had dinner. C'est Bon! We walked to Gansonre's house and there were three of the major's sons there too watching the match, Zacharias, Abdulaye and Saidou, who runs a boutique in Thyou. It was fun, and Egypt won. With no moon out, we walked home in the pitch black darkness. There is a phenomenon about how the Africans see in this blackness, which my western eyes don't come close to. Achille slept in the main room on the lipico, with a pagne and small pillow, which he was fine with. It was so good to spend time with him. His family had asked after me, and were happy for him to visit me. Everyone he met in Sala loved talking to Achille, he is so respectful. He observed that the health job in Africa is very important, and he too wanted a meningitis vaccination if possible.

27-01-08

I rallied around 7am, made coffee and introduced Achille to peanut butter and banana sandwiches for breakfast. We visited the clinic this morning where many people were and also the maternite', where Gansonre was making another village map. He needed green color to highlight the barrages, and I was able to give him crayons from my resource box. After awhile we went home to play “Uno” with four of us. This game works so well here, as there is no language involved, it's all symbols. Since it was marche' day in Thyou, we visited that before Achille filled his moto with gas and headed back to Koudougou.

I found my friends Marie and Basile at the marche'. They are coming for lunch later this week and to play Uno. After I got home and relaxed, the major came by with a man, who is the husband of Mariam, the schoolteacher in Zao. While we visited some, I showed the major my foulard that I bought to cover my head when I go to mosque with him Friday midday. I also got out the Koran I am reading, and the major read the cover which is in Arabic straight away. He inquired about the PC doctor visit I am scheduled for tomorrow in village. I assured him I would bring Dr. Luc to the clinic.

I spoke to my kids in Seattle, with news they were sick this winter and the baby ended up needing oxygen, so they all spent a few days at the Children's Hospital. Jodi says Cash weighs 15 lbs and is in 90% for height. I would be far more lonesome without cell phones and email!

28-01-08

The major sent Adama, the pharmacist to fetch me to watch as another patient with a swollen hand was there for treatment. Gilbert, the RN was redressing the man's wound with benodine and advised him to return in 3 days to remove his stitches. It was exciting that I was invited over.

The driver brought PC Dr. Jean Luc around 10 that morning for my medical site visit and we had tea and sat and chatted while he completed a questionnaire. He asked me questions about my health both physical and mental, about my diet and safety, about available resources, water, latrine, and douche. He inquired about how I liked my placement and how it was going here. He had moved his family here from Cameroon and they too have faced adjustment challenges. When I surfaced the issue about not getting batteries from America, he pondered whether batteries were on a Hazmet list at the customs point. He offered to get some in Ouaga and send them to me by bush taxi.

Soon we went to the CSPS and met with the major. They got along famously. Dr. Luc was very impressed with the pharmacy there, which has over 60 medications on hand, compared to his 12 when he was in Cameroon. Dr. Luc agreed with me that language is an issue, but my major says I will speak it well soon.

Later in the day I had no language lesson, so I invited Zanabou,10, over to read some French from my primer. She is so ripe for learning. Zanabou is a granddaughter to Minata and there is no money to send her to school. Then Abdulaye and I listened to a football game- Ghana 2- Morocco-0.

29-01-08

The clinic was slow this morning, so I walked across the dirt road out front to the boutique for a couple things. Then I visited the two ladies who sell food in little places on the opposite side of the road. La femme let me taste “kor” (potatoe), I liked it, so got one, added oil and salt. It was tasty. Next to her the other woman was preparing vegetables and meat in a broth over the open fire in a big round kettle.

When I returned to my house to study, Garrett came over and we enjoyed some stories his students had written. One was titled “Who killed the teacher?” and the other was “Who stole the chef's crown?” They were witty and fun. I can tell his class enjoys his teaching style and ideas for them. Garrett says he will go to Ouaga next Monday so he took my language bills to turn in, plus he will get my boxes. that came in the mail. Angie called me in the afternoon and we talked about lots of things, Cash being in the hospital a few days with his parents by his side, the boxes Lorraine and Sally are getting ready, my diet, esp protein, and I had received a small check from consignment furniture store.

Today I started reading “Kite Runner”. Later in the afternoon my language teacher Georges arrived and we studied French and Moore'. As I boiled cabbage, carrots, onions and potatoe with a little Lipton's soup mix, we also listened to the football game, Nigeria-2 , Benin-0. Abdulaye came over and ate too, then we three played a very long game of Uno.

30-01-08

My upset stomach of two days showed itself, I ran out to the latrine. When I got to the clinic this morning it was not very busy. However the major El Hadj was treating my neighbor, Issaka, who was home from Cote d'Ivoire, for palu and he was on an IV. I was so surprised by that, esp since he was back home noon and looking fine. When I was chatting with the major he told me that the fruit at the marche' goes very quickly in the morning. That sure explains why by the time I usually go it is afternoon and there is no fruit I visited with Gansonre who was still busy doing statistics for his upcoming meeting at the district

That afternoon when I got to the marche', Marie found me and took me around to buy bread, potatoe and lettuce and pork. Because the pork was sold out at the churches booth, I looked for another source, which wasn't as good, but at least we could make a sandwich for lunch. We wandered over to the churches dolo bar and Mary, Jean Baptiste's wife, bought me local beer. Georges was there and soon a vendor selling guinea birds was convincing him he needed two of them. They are stiff and skinned, ready to cook.

I had my French lesson in the late afternoon and fried the guinea bird after George cut it up. I made Alfredo pasta to go with the bird. Again we played Uno with Abdulaye. He is getting so good at the game, he is starting to cheat. We all laugh a lot together. I paid Georges 20 mil for my first month of lessons.

31-01-08

On this day when I got to the CSPS the accoucheuse was gone to KDG, so no baby weighing today. The major was consulting with a woman who had a temperature and a cough. He listened to her lungs and treated her for pneumonia. Gilbert, an assistant prepared the IV drip, setting aside his perusal of the newsheet I suspect regarding the soccer games. More women tried to talk with me and it makes it clear there is a place for me here, if only I could speak Moore'..

I prepared some food ahead of time for my company today, Basile and Marie, who are coming for lunch and to play Uno. They arrived around 1:30pm and then I discovered Basile has a sister, Sampoko, in my quartier. Basile and I read my French primer for a bit, as he is encouraging my learning of the language. Then I finished preparing the tomato sandwiches and we ate lunch. As we waited for their friend and mine, Georges to arrive, Abdulaye came from next door to play his card game with us. Soon I heard a moto pull up and there was Georges and his brother, Maxime, who entered with apologies for lateness. Maxime was home from seminary for a brief family visit.

The six of us started playing Uno, which lasted for two hours and they all loved it. Basile became savvy enough to try to sneak a peak at my hand and we all had a big laugh over that. This Uno game works well here because it is all symbols and no language.

At 4pm and after the guests departed my French lesson happened as usual. I turned in early that night after getting things together for a weekend in Koudougou at the mission and to visit the internet.

African Adventure 5

12-03-07

Syr, the transporter, had gone to several trainees host homes to pick up their luggage, because the other five trainees were biking to OHG, and couldn't carry everything as they moved out of Somyaga. Then he came after me, and all my belongings. The SUV was loaded to the brim. By the time we arrived at ECLA the tech class was half over. The technical training was on the “bridge to post”, meaning from here (training) to there (our placement).

In the late morning, we were each scheduled to be interviewed by Thierry, the PC training program director. When it was my turn I brought my program evaluation on the classes and teachers, but it wasn't done and he just said OK. Then he started giving me my evaluation, which took me by surprise. He said I did excellent in everything, but in language I am not at the mid-intermediate level yet (one step below). He went on to say that the staff had made a recommendation and the Country Director agreed that I could be sworn in with everyone else on Friday.

I started crying! I had prepared myself that I would swear in after I reached level, but “Oh my!” I signed my evaluation and left. As soon as I saw Linda, I cried again. Then I saw the other trainees from my village and yes, I cried again. They all hugged me and said they knew I would get to be in the ceremony Friday, to which I replied “I didn't know that.” They said I was the only one who didn't know it then. They added everyone knows it isn't from lack of effort! I went to my room and had a big cry. Dr. Claude called me on the phone and asked to see me. When I sat down with her she said Thierry spoke to her, and I recapped the meeting for her. She wisely asked me “Were they tears of joy or sadness?”

In the afternoon session Dr. Claude met with all of the health sector and gave us her expectations for the first three months in village along with the forms for quarterly reports, etc.

I was on the phone with Angie at dusk by the front gate, when my host family sisters all showed up from their boarding school in OHG to my training center, ECLA. We walked across the street to the tailor for a fitting of my swear-in dress. The teen sisters loved the two piece turquoise and white dress with a pintade pattern. It needs some altering but I am happy with it, especially the neckline of hand stitched pintades.

12-04-07

The first block was language with JZ and after introductory sentences were exchanged, we did Passe' Compose' (past tense verbs). Then we studied reflexive. In French they add a word before the verb to show it is an action the person took themselves.

The next session was led by the Administrative Officer, Sheila, who explained how we would be paid, get a checking account, moving-in money, etc. She also talked about the logistics of the move next Friday to villages.

In the afternoon Dr. Jean Luc gave a session on medical information every volunteer must know for their own personal health. We retook a test and self corrected it as a group.

That was followed by a class Marily, the Country Director herself led on the PCV handbook with all the do's and don't (s). The cold sodas she distributed helped that all go down easier. There are really three big rules you get sent home for breaking: 1) riding a motorbike without clearance 2) not wearing a helmet when riding your bicycle and 3) leaving the country without permission. Another obvious thing is to stay neutral on politics.

Marily spoke to Melissa and me after class about her consent that we would get to swear in Friday with everyone else. We will be given a test after another week of French and that will determine when we each go to our village. Her parting advise was to practice speaking in French as much as possible.

12-05-07

We had a vaccination campaign in the village of Kitou, a bit north of the turnoff for Somyaga. When Syr drove the six of us there, Jean Francais was already there with another RN plus his assistant. Women with infants were lined up in the village center under a tree getting shots. A short time later we all walked aways to the primary school, where two classes with their teachers and the principal came out. I identified with the tall professional female teacher, who was dressed in BF dress and heels for her job, located in the country with red earth everywhere.

One trainee wrote the date and type of vaccination on the yellow card. I put myself next to the children, helping them with sleeves, etc. When the child cries or winces about the shots, the adults scold them, everyone parents the children here. We took a couple pictures of the group of us. (See photos.) Then we walked to the village marche', where I found a dust mask made of fabric, which I really wanted.

I walked across the street from ECLA to the tailor's and picked up my dress, fit very nicely by the lady tailor. I found turquoise flip flops to match. After an afternoon of language class, we all were very excited that our tee shirts had arrived, artwork done by the two art majors in our group of stagierres.

The next day at French class, JZ and I reviewed the two exercises using “Qu' est ce que” and “Est-ce que”. They are two forms of starting a sentence that is a question in French. He let me off for the afternoon to study privately and also get packed for two days in Ouaga for the swearing in ceremony, which is Friday. The second day is set aside for shopping for large items we need to ship to our village sites, when our big luggage goes there in a week or so.

12-07-07 Swearing In Day to become Peace Corps Volunteers

As we pulled away from OHG, our training center for the past two months and headed for the big event in Ouaga, we 34 trainees were all very excited, reflected by the noise level. I was tapped on the shoulder next to where my MP3 player was in my ear, to a comment “We asked the bus driver to turn down the radio and now we hear you singing!” to which everyone started laughing around me.

After the two hour ride we hailed a taxi and went to the Nazemse hotel, nice but simple. We paired up for rooms and went to lunch. Becky and I went to the post office, which doubles for a bank. I got to watch as Becky wrote a check for the moving-in allowance PC set up for us. The PO is on a big main route in the capitol, and in front are lots of little boutiques. There I found wood carved-an African mask for Luke and a petite family of elephants for Kellen, both my grandsons have birthdays this month.

I also found carmelita stone earrings to match the ring Bob gave me seven years ago. They will go great with my African dress tonight. Becky found BF colors in a beaded necklace and bracelet she liked. We lounged a bit in the afternoon, and I put my bangs in bobby pins for a new look, as we began readying for the ceremony. By four in the afternoon we were all ready and began showing off our African attire to each other. Excitement was in the air!

Peace Corps had arranged for cars to drive us to the American Ambassador's home, where her back yard was set up for the ceremony under several large leafy trees and next to the pool. An African group was drumming and playing stringed instruments next to the small stage. We took many pictures at the rather grand entrance to the compound, as the well kept grounds were a great backdrop for our colorful attire. The eight male volunteers were equally brilliant in their tailored African clothing. But the women, all 26 of us were outstanding! See photos.

When the last of the invited dignitaries arrived, we trainees filled the first rows of chairs in front of the stage on either side. There were words of praise and encouragement from Thierry, the head of the training program and Marily, the PC Country Director. Then eight members of our class gave small speeches in French and seven tribal languages they had recently learned. Laughter erupted from the BF audience at times, as they are very happy with our effort to speak their tongues! This was followed by words from Jeanine Jackson, the American Ambassador and also from the Minister of Health of Burkina Faso.

Then our group was presented, we stood and repeated the oath, swearing in to the Peace Corps of the United States of America! It was exhilarating and the culmination of much work. You could feel the tension dissipate as we cheered and clapped. The refreshments were elegant: three grand cakes, each with a flag, US, BF and PC; and a bar in the back corner of the yard, which stayed busy all evening, and best of all the hors-d'oeuvres were being passed on huge trays by servers milling through the crowd.

Presently there was a tap on my shoulder, I was summoned to personally meet the Minister of Health. My reputation of senior volunteer, preceded me. I have found that age is very respected in this country. It was an exciting moment. Syr congratulated me, as did many of the language training staff, JZ, Theo, Bintou, and Patrice. I found Dr. Claude and Sylvie, RN, both at the top of our health program. A big group picture was taken, followed by one of the two groups and their respective managers, Small Enterprise Development and Health (Santee). See photos.

A short distance from our hotel was the bowling alley, where we had the party afterwards. It was a 5 lane alley, with electric pin setters, that worked about 75% of the time, and a dance floor and refreshment area, where a keg and snacks were. We all were giddy, we were so happy. Natalie was dancing with Rob and asked if I knew “the Swing” and I said “Sure!” Next thing I knew I was dancing with Rob and the youngsters thought that was cool. I grew up in the 50s and that's what we did then!

Soon two guy PCVs, Jed and Rene', were chatting with me and asked if I wanted to get into a group to bowl. I thought I better throw a practice ball to see if I could do this given when the last time I bowled was and my arthritic knees. Jed had a PCV give me her second ball to throw, and I picked up her spare to everyone's amazement (none more than mine). I played a line with them and ended up in the middle of the pack. I nearly made 100. At midnight seven of us walked home happily.

Saturday was filled with shopping for our homes in village. I bought my propane stove top, my cutting board, my thick foam mattress and a canteen box to store food in, out of reach of critters and insects. I found a chair to sit down at the store part of the time, as my body was feeling the effects of the previous night's jubilation. That night I went to a Lebanese restaurant for excellent schwarma and hummus wraps. The seating was outdoors, and at some tables people appeared to be smoking from hash pipes. My education is not all occurring in the classroom.

When I met a bunch of new PCVs going out dancing, I declined their invitation, saying one night was a lot for this gramma and I was hitting the hay. The next day we boarded the bus at noon and returned to OHG for a full week of training with our Counterparts from each of our villages.

Beginning Monday we had full days of classes, two blocks of prep work for the Counterpart Workshop Wed and Thurs, and two blocks of French with JZ. We reviewed my last French homework, and covered the present tense of the er and ir verbs, plus the verb “faire”, to do/make. My favorite new expression is “French is difficile (pronounced difficeeel)!”

Monday evening I waited at the front gate for my host sisters. I walked over to the seamstress boutique across the street and visited there awhile. All of a sudden they came, Fatimata, Ramata, Stephanie, Mary Angela and Minata. We went to my room and visited and they looked at photos of themselves on my laptop. Becky came by to greet them. I gave Fatimata the information paper on the Moringa Tree to give to Amade, their father. It was delightful to see them all. As I walked them out to the front gate, we made a plan to meet again Tues after classes, and they would show me their school.

12-11-07 BF Independence Day

In the first block of the morning schedule, JZ and I went over some adverbs and time phrases. Because I had inquired about prepositions, we focused on a', which has lots of uses in French language. The next block was Vini, Solomon and Siaka talking to us about the history of Burkina Faso and why today is celebrated by so many people. It was interesting and informative.

Then we broke into small groups and worked out our assigned parts to present the Peace Corps and its three goals to our counterparts at the upcoming workshop. In my group Laura and Matthew took the lead and divided the discussion into short presentations by each of us when our turn comes the next day. I spent over an hour at the internet. When I returned, there was Fatimata and Mary Angela waiting for me as promised. I got my flashlight and followed them south out of OHG on the main road to a lycee (secondary school). The girls showed me their classrooms and also Ramata's. The janitor kindly turned on the power and the lights came on so I could see dozens of three seat desks and blackboards full of chalk writings. I took a few pictures. See Facebook.

In a small area of the school grounds, women were in a kitchen preparing the evening meal for the boys who board at the school. Groups of boys tried their English out on me. They wanted me to stay and eat with them, but since I was the guest of my host sisters and they weren't included in the invitation, I declined. We did walk over to a separate area, where the dining was about to commence, and in typical fashion boys were swarming the serving counter. The noise level matched their eagerness for food.

We got on our bikes in the dark by then, and my host sisters insisted on riding clear back to ECLA with me, who had a flashlight and they who had no light. I swear Africans have 20-20 night vision. They literally see in the dark!

Wednesday & Thursday- Counterpart Workshop

We spent two days working and eating together. Each health volunteer had a person from their assigned village present. They came from all over Burkina Faso and were lodged in a nearby hotel. Vini did an excellent job leading this conference with diplomacy and a sense of humor. He was very handsome in his suits both days. It came time to do our little presentation, and after I gave the intro for our group, everyone clapped. I suspect my struggle with the language prompted that.
Next we did a familiar warm up exercise. We interviewed each other and presented our counterpart to the whole group. I almost forgot to say Gansonre, Moussa was a certified nurse, but slipped it in at the end. Gansonre appears to be a serious perhaps shy 28 year old, who says he likes talking with people and he likes honesty. His expectation is good collaboration. Our program manager, Dr. Claude was here for the entire two day workshop, and she is very well liked and received by everyone. She truly bridges the gap.

All of the counterparts are part of their village's health system in some role. Some of the guys there were so funny and real leaders, esp a short witty guy, who had everyone laughing and another handsome guy, who was drafted to lead a clapping, clicking routine; a salute pointing his thumbs rapidly in different directions and clapping in between. Then the audience tried it. It was a riot.

Some time during the morning session of the last day they sandwiched in my final test with Theo. My level stayed the same, so I was slated for an additional week of French. As we finished our workshop Gansonre asked Vini something about communication and my limited French and Vini responded that I would come later, after more language. (I was embarrassed.)

The training program director, Thierry, gave me three options: stay in Ouaga with a host family for a week, stay at a hotel, or go to stay at a mission at Koudougou, which will be my regional capitol eventually and I chose the latter. All the choices of course came with a tutor. Thierry said I could pick my teacher, but I deferred to his judgment on that. Later that afternoon JZ talked to me and said he would be my teacher and it would be an honor to do it. I almost cried as he is the director of the PC language program in BF. When I spotted Becky I did start crying from the pent up stress. I was also trying that day to get my blog and pictures into the flash drive, but struggled with it. Rob came by my room that evening and helped me. I went back and started packing up for our 6:30am departure for Ouaga in a bus Thierry had ordered for us and our Counterparts, as most of the pairs were then going to site together. When we arrived at Ouaga, to my surprise, Gansonre helped me with all my luggage, carrying it to the PC SUV and wiping the dust off my bags. He genuinely was helpful and we agreed I'd see him in a week or two.

Many people were at the transit house en route to somewhere else. It was near the holidays after all. Some PCVs were waiting for relatives coming to visit from the states, some were going home for Xmas, and some were done with service and going home for good. I went to the PC bureau for free use of the internet. Then a bunch of us got a taxi and went to the American Embassy Club for lunch. They have a reputation of the best chocolate shakes in Ouaga, and that proved true. The chimichanga was also very good.

At the bureau were two boxes for me, one from Lorraine and one from Angie. I opened them at the transit house, and what a treat! All the things I had asked for and then some. Clothes, vacuumed packed food, a bath towel, school supplies and hair things for the kids here, the quilt Sal made for me to give to a new baby and then I found the letter from Lexi and one from the instructor of Senior Sneakers. What a roller coaster ride my emotions have been on this month! The PCVs who were present loved seeing me open my boxes from home. Especially the homemade baby quilt from Sal.

On Saturday I took a taxi to town to go to the bank, get my glasses adjusted and mail some letters. I hung out at a French patisserie for coffee and croissants while working on my journal. It was so relaxing that I stayed until 2pm when they were closing for the weekend.

A cab stopped by the street to pick me up. Later it was clear that my first mistake was not setting the price initially. There was a woman in the front and two other passengers besides me in the back. He dropped them off somewhere, and picked up two other men from Cote' d'Ivorie. I spoke with them awhile, then the driver was headed for my section of town, Zone du Bois. I asked the price, knowing with a bike it is more, and he said one mil, two hundred francs. I said “No, that is too much!” We haggled over the rate. When we got close to my drop off point, the chauffeur refused the three hundred francs I offered him. I put it on the trunk, and he wouldn't touch it. Instead he grabbed for my backpack. The two men in the back seat got out and told me I should just pay him, that it wasn't going well. I had by then figured that out too. They mediated somewhat, and I gave him another 500 francs and he sped off! We were both angry. Luckily it was on a busy street corner in plain view of lots of other people.

12-16-07

JZ called me to say “Be down at the bus station before 1pm for the bus to take us to Koudougou.” I repacked all my things, taking just enough to get by a week in the regional capitol near where I would be placed. I enlisted the aid of a worker at the transit house to help me get my bags and bike up to the Charles de Gaul Blvd. I told the driver where I was to go, set the price, and gladly gave him his money upon delivery. The only problem turned out to be that there are several Gares with buses going to Koudougou. I was at one, and JZ ended up at another. By the time we figured that out, my stuff was loaded, the bus was loading, and the driver dropped down middle seats all down the aisle between the two stationary seats and I sat there two seats from the front. However by the time all the stand up passengers boarded along the way out of town, there was no view of the front window, much less what was beyond it. We were two thirds the way there when the puppy in the box on a woman's lap near the window woke from his nap, and let out a yip. I had to laugh as she shushed him. A cute pet for someone.

I text messaged Melissa, PCV stationed at Koudougou, who met me and helped me tie my stuff onto my bike with flat rubber straps, and away we went on the ride to “Petite Seminaire Notre Dame d' Afrique”, run by French nuns. The place is probably 50 years old and quiet, serene and serves three purposes: a seminary school for boys ages 10-20; a retreat center for groups of people; and a mineral springs water nutrients business. It was set on a big piece of property near the river and with plenty of lovely old trees harboring birds, singing and flitting from one branch to another. JZ arrived in another hour and soon went to visit his mother, who resides in this town. I ate in the common dining room and tried my French on whoever came in for the meal while I was there that week.

First thing Monday morning JZ and I set my learning schedule, with a formal lesson in the morning and afternoon and an informal one too. We would go to town and interact with merchants, etc. so I could practice speaking and then I would have personal study time as well. So Monday late morning we went to town, found the new Marche' in the center of town. I priced a lot of things I will need for my home. It was fun. At lunchtime we rode to a conference center set back off the main road by the lake. I ordered arachide (peanut) sauce over rice, it was excellent.

In the afternoon, JZ brought a tape with an interview of a trainee with pretty good French. Speaking it and writing it is not the same as hearing French. So it was good to practice listening and replaying it when I didn't get it. That evening when JZ went to his mother's for dinner, I ventured into town for a restaurant. I didn't find one readily, so I asked a young couple along side the road for directions. Achille in his mid twenties showed me the way to one on the main road down by the bridge. He stayed long enough for me to order and be understood. So I ordered him a coke, and he flashed his gorgeous smile as we tried to communicate. I went home happy to have made a new friend.

On Tuesday JZ and I made questions in French that I could ask at Melissa's work site, “Santee Pour Tous L'association”. (Health for All) We rode to her site mid morning, and JZ left me to interview the managers on my own. The two young women responded to my inquiries and gave me a tour as well. There were about six other younger women in the main room, working at sewing machines and cutting fabric at a big table. They showed me lovely linens embroidered with African scenes. I bought some things for my kids. Melissa returned to work shortly, and when JZ also returned, the three of us went back to the conference center for another delicious lunch of salad, and Riz Gras (rice with tomato sauce). In the afternoon we worked on the tape some and then I studied alone, doing sentences.

12-19-07 la Fete de Tabaski (50 days after Ramadan)

This morning there was an air of festivity about the town, as this is a significant Muslim day. On the way to town I noticed evidence of mutton near several compounds being prepared for the feast this day. JZ had me prepare a paragraph for the village chef at Sala when I arrive and am introduced to him.

JZ had arranged that Melissa and he and I would go to his mother's home for lunch this day. It was far west of town past the cathedral and hospital. Melissa and I rode our bikes, while JZ rode his moto. His mother had prepared Riz Gras, chicken and pima (pepper) sauce and watermelon. We met several of his younger brothers, close in age to 30. There were other relatives there restoring an older home on the back of the lot. The workers drew their water from the well in the center of the courtyard for the masonary of homemade bricks. His mother sells bricks out front by the street to support herself and family. Although her children are grown and gone, there are grandchildren and others living there. JZ said his own family will enjoy returning to his mother's home for Xmas.

During the afternoon session, JZ said that working with me this week showed him where I struggle with the language. He asked me what I thought worked best for my learning style, and also which teaching traits helped me. He genuinely wanted to know so that as director of the language program, he can incorporate what works for seniors. He told me he instructed his staff to use patience liberally, and we noted that repetition and word association work for me. When he commented on my effort, and said “I can see you have a way of getting your communication understood, even when all the words don't come automatically”, I knew he understood. Practicing speaking French in my village will bring it along too. Peace Corps is expecting many more seniors to join he said.

After the afternoon class, I met my new friend Achille and his friend at the restaurant and we visited. It turns out the meat sandwich I ate that evening was bad. I was on the BRAT diet the next day.

We had class Thursday morning but in the afternoon, JZ had to go to town, locate the Gare from which we would leave Fri, and purchase our bus tickets. We settled our account at the mission, which has a policy of reducing the price for volunteers to stay here.

Every evening the seminarians were practicing for Christmas services, and the fullness of the hundreds of young male voices was indescribably beautiful. Several muscicians on a keyboard and on African drums accompanied the vocal symphony. I swear their voices rose right up to heaven! I was so drawn to this music, that one night I stepped into the back of the church and watched the choral director pull in the younger voices, and the deeper voices and then the entire group of singers, who were moving to the music with body and soul. What a sight!

On Friday we left the mission by five in the morning with our headlights on heading for downtown Koudougou. The streets were being cleaned by dozens of women using wisk brooms. I was impressed with how clean it looked as they moved along down the streets, puffs of dust following them.

We were loaded onto the bus and on the road by seven, and two hours later we pulled into the Gare in downtown Ouaga. After getting my gear back to the transit house and some breakfast, I went to the PC bureau where Theo gave me another test. My level remained the same, low intermediate. Thierry told me that I could choose to stay in Ouaga another week or go to my placement site with a tutor (JZ's suggestion) which would make meeting people easier for both me and them. I chose that option. Thierry also said that I would be transported the day after Xmas, as most staff were already off for the holiday.

I spent the next four days at the transit house watching movies, shopping, using the internet, and visiting with others who were coming and going for the holidays. Beth and I watched a CD Christmas movie on her laptop, a new experience for me. Beth came into Ouaga to meet her sister at the airport the next day, then they would go to her site up NW in Burkina Faso. Jeremy was meeting his sister and his parents who flew in from the states with too much luggage, which he had them pare down and leave a good share at the transit house. Jeremy lives way up north and had plans to take them hiking.

He was kind enough to go to a little store with me before dinner and practice my French there, after which he gave me tips on repeating phrases used. People here often say the correct phrase after you attempt it, so repeating it right away helps him, he said. I picked up a small fish to make for dinner along with some fresh beets. I had inventoried the kitchen and found enough ingredients to make piloff to go with it. Reminded me of other cooking challenges over the years with my big family.

On Monday Becky and Robert, also new volunteers arrived and we chatted a lot. I made an apple pie that afternoon, which the few of us at the transit house gobbled down warm. Monday I repacked my things in preparation for my move to site. I also added some things to my pile. I bought a lipico and small side table which the men strung with colored twine in a beautiful bright pattern. I got two blue plastic chairs, and some food staples. I also made a dry run to St. Francis d' Assise church six blocks away, up on Charles de Galle Blvd.

12-25-07 Christmas Day

I was early out the door, as most holidays have churches brimming over with the faithful and the occasional. I walked the six blocks and entered a church which was set in a semicircle, with musicians in the left front corner, near the crib scene and before the main altar. There were singers in uniform from a nearby school outside who filed in and filled the front section of the church, where several microphones were set up for use by soloists as well as the choral director. The mass was in French, and the songs were also sung in French. The voices of the congregation were very wonderful to add to the rich Xmas hymns. It was a lovely service and a real connection to home for me.

Afterwards I enjoyed the quiet walk to Sheila's home near the PC bureau for brunch with some staff in town and all the volunteers who happened to be at the Transit House for the day, about 6 of us. Some past volunteers, who were now married to Burkinabe' and living close attended with their families. It had a welcome “home away from home” feeling to the morning. Baby Cash and Shawn called me on Christmas, and Jodi took a few snapshots of their end of the conversation, pretty cute. I got to talk to Angie, Cliff and all 3 kids for quite awhile that evening. In fact Bintou was trying to call me at the time, and finally called on the transit house regular phone line, to discuss our trip together to Sala tomorrow. I was so happy to know she would go with me to site for a week as I settle in to my village.