So where to start? So much has happened since the last time I posted. I suppose the beginning is a good place.
I left for Ouaga the 14th of December. I closed my windows, and threw a sheet over my bookshelves in hopes of keeping the dust away. I said goodbye to my neighbors and started the hike to the bus station. Some people on the street thought that I was gone for good, and I had to stop to explain that I would return in January.
The mood at the transit house in Ouaga was great. Volunteers who haven't seen each other for 3 months were reunited. Every time the gate opened there was a "HEY! How are you! It's been so long!". I would compare it to watching people at an airport reunited with their families after a long trip. We all went out to dinner to celebrate the reunion.
Training started the next day. We had four days of it altogether. Training.
The first day we were in the conference room for 11 hours.
I used the lunches to scramble over to the Ghanaian embassy to work out my travel visa.
Training.
Training ended on Friday. We stopped early, perhaps to make up for the more grueling sessions earlier in the week. There was lots of time set aside for things like "group discussion and reflection". We decided unanimously that we could discuss and reflect over beers that evening if we felt so inclined. Several of us did.
Fast forward through 3 days of perfect, perfect, relaxing nothing and I was at the bus station. The bus was air conditioned, and the 24 hour ride was rather uneventful save for a woman who actually shook the back of my seat when I tried to lean back about 18 hours in to the trip. I calmly stated in my best "tired after 18 hours on a bus French" that it was the middle of the night, I had paid for my seat, and would do whatever I damn well please with it. I left out the part about, "if you pulled that on Greyhound...".
We arrived in Accra in the early morning hours, and caught yet another bus to Takoradi (about 6 hours). From there we took a cab (1 hour) to beautiful Busua Beach. I realized that I had forgotten my shorts in Ouaga, so I made some cut offs out of a pair of khakis. The sea welcomed me with open arms.
Our stay in Busua was perfect, save for the fact that it was far too short. Leslie Otto, a fellow volunteer asked me how long I'd like to stay the next time I go. I told her, "Two, maybe three years". The cost of living in Ghana is incredibly low, despite the level of development. Burkina is landlocked, so everything has to be shipped overland in to Ouaga, and then redistributed thereafter. This drives the cost of goods through the roof.
The place was touristy to the point that I really felt I was on vacation. Though not so much that it became tacky. Most other people there were young volunteers from various countries, with the occasional odd German couple riding their tricked out BMW motorcycles across the continent.
We left Busua feeling refreshed, and pushed on. We had planned to take a ferry from the village of Akosombo up Lake Volta, thus cutting the bus trip in half. When we arrived in Akosombo however, we found that the ferry doesn't run during the holidays. We found a cheap, yet clean and very comfortable hostel, and stayed the night.
Akosombo didn't feel like Africa in the least, at least what I've come to know of it. Here we've got a small community situated in a rolling jungle, next to an enormous lake. There were streets with 4 or 5 ranch style houses with driveways, garages, and even lawns. We're not in Kansas anymore.
We rose at around 4am to catch a tro-tro (small bus stuffed full of people) to Kumasi. We arrived in Kumasi just in time to not catch the bus that wasn't leaving for Ouaga that day. Good thing we got up so early. Thankfully we were able to find a bus that departed that evening, saving us a nights stay in Kumasi. We were thoroughly exhausted at this point and slept at the bus station. We did get to explore the market a bit in Kumasi, though we were so tired that elbowing our way through the narrow market streets became a bit much.
We did finally make it back to Ouaga, and without one nervous breakdown (if you ever want a solid travel companion, look no further than the Peace Corps). Though I did find myself getting a bit short with the cab drivers at the bus station. As usual, I was given a ridiculous price (to be fair, my baggage and tan screamed tourist). Eventually we found someone slightly less ridiculous. We were just happy to be done with all the cars, tro-tros, and busses.
I wish I had more photos to post, but I had difficulty charging my camera as Ghana has UK style outlets, and the adapter I have is French. C'est la vie. Go to Busua.
Which leads me on to NYE. A good time was had by all. We bounced around Ouaga, drank a bit much, and ended up at a small kiosk drinking beer and listening to blues music (yes, blues music)until the sun came up.
This has been a monster of a post. I wish everyone health and prosperity in 2010!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Six Months
As of today I have been here in Burkina for 6 months. That's half a year. It seems that it has gone by very quickly, though there have been weeks that have seemed to drag on and on. It's funny how time works that way. Stagé (our initial 3 months training) seemed to last forever, as it was a grueling process. The past 3 months in Dori have flown by though. I'm finally feeling very much at ease in my community.
I was at a Bar with some friends following a day long exposition put on by JICA (Japanese volunteers). Half of Dori seemed to be there. It took me a good 15 minutes to get from my table to the restroom and back because people kept stopping me to say hello. Maybe it was the beer, but something about that made me feel very good. Upon sitting back down, my friend Issouf said to me, "You know everybody here! You are bien integré". I had to laugh at this because Peace Corps really stresses integration in to our communities, though not necessarily our local bars.
Sidenote: I get stopped in the market, on the street, and at restaurants too.
The aforementioned exposition went very well. I showed up at 7am and got my booth set up. I had information on GEE as well as PC in general. Big thanks to Kait Brown for providing me with materials. Many of the attendees were children, though I was able to meet many adults who were more or less in the dark about what PC is and what we do in Burkina and around the world. It was really nice to be able to explain our work to people. What I found most valuable though, was the opportunity to exchange information with the other organizations in attendance. There are so many community organizations here that it is tough to keep them straight. Through talking to people, and exchanging brochures, I now have a catalouge of people with whom I can potentially collaborate. We wrapped things up around 5:30pm. Needless to say I was exhausted. We are in the "cold" season here, though it is still hot between 10-4. Sitting in the heat all day and talking non-stop really wore me out. Though it was really nice to go home knowing that I had put in a full days work; something I haven't done in 3 months.
I'll be leaving tommorow for Ouaga for another round of training. I'll leave tommorow morning and sessions will start on Tuesday morning and run until Friday. Following this I'll have a few days in Ouaga to relax before heading to Ghana for Christmas. I've heard wonderful things about Ghana. All the volunteers who have visited say it is a trip worth taking. We will depart the 22nd by bus. The trip lasts around 20 hours and I'm not looking forward to it, though I will be in good company. Thankfully bus services to Ghana are climatiseé (air conditioned). We have rooms in a small hostel near the beach, and I am really looking forward to spending Christmas by the ocean.
I'm very excited to see everyone from our GEE group in Ouaga tommorow. I've seen many of them since we got to our sites though there is a handful I haven't heard anything from.
Other stuff...
I went to Bobo Dioulasso (2nd largest city in Burkina) for Thanksgiving round 2. It is about 11 hours away from me and located in the south-west. It is beautiful. Bobo has tree lined streets, hills, and plenty of restaurants and night spots, without the chaos of Ouaga. The food was incredible (traditional Thanksgiving fare). We even had pecan pie. WOW. Everyone ate until they were stuffed and then we went out dancing. I paid mille francs cover to get into one of the dingiest clubs I've ever been in. The place was seriously gross, and this is saying alot. My tolerance for grossness is sky-high after 6 months. We all had a great time though, and once we got to dancing we forgot about the smell. We returned to the apartment we had rented to crash out in the early morning hours. The place was very nice. It was well furnished, with tile floors, beds, and two bathrooms. My head had just barely touched the pillow when I hear a very loud FFFSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!! coming from the room next door. Someone had gone into the bathroom to wash up before bed and a pipe burst, spraying extremely hot steam all over the place. The entire bathroom was filled with steam, and you couldn't see 2 feet in front of you. I decided to take action and got low, and searched for the shut off. I came out soaking wet, having obtained nothing except a mildly burned arm. We eventually called the house guard and he stood outside the door, which was still billowing steam. He looked at it for several minutes before giving a shrug that said, "whaddaya gonna do"? He went outside and shut off the water, and everyone calmed down and slept. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't take a hot shower in the morning. I suppose it is only right that the pipe burst, it just wouldn't feel like Burkina without some small mishap.
Much love to the volunteers in the south west and cascades who made it all possible.
I was at a Bar with some friends following a day long exposition put on by JICA (Japanese volunteers). Half of Dori seemed to be there. It took me a good 15 minutes to get from my table to the restroom and back because people kept stopping me to say hello. Maybe it was the beer, but something about that made me feel very good. Upon sitting back down, my friend Issouf said to me, "You know everybody here! You are bien integré". I had to laugh at this because Peace Corps really stresses integration in to our communities, though not necessarily our local bars.
Sidenote: I get stopped in the market, on the street, and at restaurants too.
The aforementioned exposition went very well. I showed up at 7am and got my booth set up. I had information on GEE as well as PC in general. Big thanks to Kait Brown for providing me with materials. Many of the attendees were children, though I was able to meet many adults who were more or less in the dark about what PC is and what we do in Burkina and around the world. It was really nice to be able to explain our work to people. What I found most valuable though, was the opportunity to exchange information with the other organizations in attendance. There are so many community organizations here that it is tough to keep them straight. Through talking to people, and exchanging brochures, I now have a catalouge of people with whom I can potentially collaborate. We wrapped things up around 5:30pm. Needless to say I was exhausted. We are in the "cold" season here, though it is still hot between 10-4. Sitting in the heat all day and talking non-stop really wore me out. Though it was really nice to go home knowing that I had put in a full days work; something I haven't done in 3 months.
I'll be leaving tommorow for Ouaga for another round of training. I'll leave tommorow morning and sessions will start on Tuesday morning and run until Friday. Following this I'll have a few days in Ouaga to relax before heading to Ghana for Christmas. I've heard wonderful things about Ghana. All the volunteers who have visited say it is a trip worth taking. We will depart the 22nd by bus. The trip lasts around 20 hours and I'm not looking forward to it, though I will be in good company. Thankfully bus services to Ghana are climatiseé (air conditioned). We have rooms in a small hostel near the beach, and I am really looking forward to spending Christmas by the ocean.
I'm very excited to see everyone from our GEE group in Ouaga tommorow. I've seen many of them since we got to our sites though there is a handful I haven't heard anything from.
Other stuff...
I went to Bobo Dioulasso (2nd largest city in Burkina) for Thanksgiving round 2. It is about 11 hours away from me and located in the south-west. It is beautiful. Bobo has tree lined streets, hills, and plenty of restaurants and night spots, without the chaos of Ouaga. The food was incredible (traditional Thanksgiving fare). We even had pecan pie. WOW. Everyone ate until they were stuffed and then we went out dancing. I paid mille francs cover to get into one of the dingiest clubs I've ever been in. The place was seriously gross, and this is saying alot. My tolerance for grossness is sky-high after 6 months. We all had a great time though, and once we got to dancing we forgot about the smell. We returned to the apartment we had rented to crash out in the early morning hours. The place was very nice. It was well furnished, with tile floors, beds, and two bathrooms. My head had just barely touched the pillow when I hear a very loud FFFSSHHHHHHHHHH!!!! coming from the room next door. Someone had gone into the bathroom to wash up before bed and a pipe burst, spraying extremely hot steam all over the place. The entire bathroom was filled with steam, and you couldn't see 2 feet in front of you. I decided to take action and got low, and searched for the shut off. I came out soaking wet, having obtained nothing except a mildly burned arm. We eventually called the house guard and he stood outside the door, which was still billowing steam. He looked at it for several minutes before giving a shrug that said, "whaddaya gonna do"? He went outside and shut off the water, and everyone calmed down and slept. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't take a hot shower in the morning. I suppose it is only right that the pipe burst, it just wouldn't feel like Burkina without some small mishap.
Much love to the volunteers in the south west and cascades who made it all possible.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
So while I thought my Giardia had subsided, I was terribly wrong. Sometime last week I came down with a fever. I also experienced some other not so pleasant symptoms that I'll leave to the imagination.
Like most sequels, this one was far worse than the original. It was the same story as the first, only moreso. It's the classic Hollywood formula: "They liked the killer robot in the first movie, so in the sequel, we'll give them TWO killer robots!" However, this sequel made up for it's lack of originality with more explosions and profanity. After several nights of sprinting to my latrine at some horrible hour I finally gave in and had a kid run to the pharmacy and buy me some anti-biotics. It is incredible how quick my recovery was. For an entire week I was sluggish, feverish, and just plain grumpy; and now I feel like a new person.
I also received several care packages, four to be exact. One of which contained an Italian Salami and a wheel of Fontina Cheese. Does life get any better? I submit that it does not. Big thanks to Mrs. Marocco for that. Also among the care packages were bags of M&Ms, mixed nuts, and Mary Jane candy, which I am now healthy enough to enjoy!
On to Thanksgiving...
I made the 50k trip to Bani in a white windowless van that seemed to exist outside of the time-space continuum. As soon as the back door closed the driver hit the gas, gunned it to 88mph, and had me to Bani in what seemed like an instant. I swear the guy had a flux-capacitor hidden somewhere in there.
Upon arriving in Bani, I found Reneé, a former volunteer, sitting in front of a perfectly delicious looking Turkey (then uncooked), nursing a cut hand. He explained to me that his colleague, James, had bought a Turkey in a village west of Ouagadougou. They put the thing, alive, in Reneés bathroom for the night. Sensing it's imminent demise, the turkey freaked out and trashed the bathroom. Apparently the thing wasn't toilet trained. The next morning, James arrived and strapped the Turkey to his motorcycle for the 4 hour ride to Bani. By the time they arrived, they were more than happy to show it the chopping block.
Reneé, having little (zero) experience in killing turkeys, managed to botch the job. He slightly injured the already cranky turkey, and in the process sliced his thumb open. The turkey wrestled itself free from his bloody grasp and ran to the other edge of the courtyard where it paced, and stared back grimly. Reneé sat down and returned the glare. This looks like a job for...SOMEONE ELSE! Namely some Burkinabé kids. They killed, defeatherd, and gutted they turkey in no time.
We built a sort of oven out of a giant iron pot surrounded by mud brick. We lit charcoal around the base and let it heat up. A bit of salt, vinegar, water, and spices in the bottom of the pot and we were cooking. After several hours the bird was ready. It turned out incredibly well.
I contributed some mashed potatos, and we even had pumpkin pie for dessert. It wasn't easy, but then again, nothing here is. All in all a very satisfying Thanksgiving.
Like most sequels, this one was far worse than the original. It was the same story as the first, only moreso. It's the classic Hollywood formula: "They liked the killer robot in the first movie, so in the sequel, we'll give them TWO killer robots!" However, this sequel made up for it's lack of originality with more explosions and profanity. After several nights of sprinting to my latrine at some horrible hour I finally gave in and had a kid run to the pharmacy and buy me some anti-biotics. It is incredible how quick my recovery was. For an entire week I was sluggish, feverish, and just plain grumpy; and now I feel like a new person.
I also received several care packages, four to be exact. One of which contained an Italian Salami and a wheel of Fontina Cheese. Does life get any better? I submit that it does not. Big thanks to Mrs. Marocco for that. Also among the care packages were bags of M&Ms, mixed nuts, and Mary Jane candy, which I am now healthy enough to enjoy!
On to Thanksgiving...
I made the 50k trip to Bani in a white windowless van that seemed to exist outside of the time-space continuum. As soon as the back door closed the driver hit the gas, gunned it to 88mph, and had me to Bani in what seemed like an instant. I swear the guy had a flux-capacitor hidden somewhere in there.
Upon arriving in Bani, I found Reneé, a former volunteer, sitting in front of a perfectly delicious looking Turkey (then uncooked), nursing a cut hand. He explained to me that his colleague, James, had bought a Turkey in a village west of Ouagadougou. They put the thing, alive, in Reneés bathroom for the night. Sensing it's imminent demise, the turkey freaked out and trashed the bathroom. Apparently the thing wasn't toilet trained. The next morning, James arrived and strapped the Turkey to his motorcycle for the 4 hour ride to Bani. By the time they arrived, they were more than happy to show it the chopping block.
Reneé, having little (zero) experience in killing turkeys, managed to botch the job. He slightly injured the already cranky turkey, and in the process sliced his thumb open. The turkey wrestled itself free from his bloody grasp and ran to the other edge of the courtyard where it paced, and stared back grimly. Reneé sat down and returned the glare. This looks like a job for...SOMEONE ELSE! Namely some Burkinabé kids. They killed, defeatherd, and gutted they turkey in no time.
We built a sort of oven out of a giant iron pot surrounded by mud brick. We lit charcoal around the base and let it heat up. A bit of salt, vinegar, water, and spices in the bottom of the pot and we were cooking. After several hours the bird was ready. It turned out incredibly well.
I contributed some mashed potatos, and we even had pumpkin pie for dessert. It wasn't easy, but then again, nothing here is. All in all a very satisfying Thanksgiving.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Raison D'Etre.
Okay let's give this another shot!
I began observing classes this week at my primary school. I live right next door, and am awoken each morning by the noise of several hundred 6-14 year olds. My presence in the classroom has made it much easier for me to get through the day without kids screaming 'LE BLANC!! DONNEZ-MOI UN CADEAUX' (HEY WHITE GUY GIVE ME A PRESENT!). I am now associated with the teaching staff and therefore not someone to be messed with. More and more I find kids calling me Monsieur Johnson and giving me a polite 'bonjour' or 'bonsoir'. It is nice, and I feel that I am becoming more accepted in the community.
My second day observing, amid the general chaos associated with a class of 80 students, I saw a much older boy wind up and smack a younger girl. The teachers didn't seem to notice, but it was a knee jerk reaction for me to get up and stomp towards the young man. This froze most of the students; but the teacher continued with her lesson. I took the kid outside by the arm and layed in to him. His excuse: "But she was bothering me". Fair enough. I explained to him that as long as I am in the classroom he will respect everyone around him, especially girls half his size. I'm used to a bit of playful violence between students here, especially the young boys. Kids are a lot tougher here than in the U.S., and a certain amount of 'toughening up' is part of youth. The older kids smack around the younger ones. This kind of behavior is not at all absent in American schools, however it is more accepted as a part of childhood here.
However, I saw this incident as outside of that and decided to deal with it. The kid was taken off guard completely. He honestly didn't expect any consequences. I spoke with the teacher afterwards, and apologized in case I had disturbed her class at all. The school director was present during this exchange and told me that what I did was right, and that in Africa, it is the responsibility of everyone to raise a child. I was relieved at this, as I acted on instinct. There are certain things about me that simply arent going to change for the sake of "cultural integration". It's not right to hit your classmates, especially when they are too young to defend themselves.
Other news:
It has been off and on with electricity chez-moi. For four days now I've had electricity between 10pm and midnight only. The midday heat still is uncomfortable despite the supposed cold season that I am in the midst of. Thankfully there is electricity in downtown Dori, so I can still get internet access.
I'll be meeting tommorow with representatives from 10-15 NGOs here in Dori (depending on who actually shows up). The meeting is being organized by Japanese volunteers with JICA, another volunteer organization similar to Peace Corps. We are meeting to plan an exposition in early December. The theme of the expo is "Sustainable Societies". I'll be presenting some general info on PC as well as more specific information pertaining to my work with the GEE program here.
I'm just about finished with Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. I've enjoyed it immensely; though I can't believe that I've gone the past 4 years or so doing minimal (if any) reading for pleasure. Reading has become an enormous part of my life, as I have tons of time to do it. I also read Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs. The man is hilarious; and I plan on tackling Running With Scissors next.
I started a bit of a workout plan. I'm doing pushups and ab-work outs each morning in addition to riding my bike all over hell and back. Though this has been a bit difficult with the nutrition here. I don't recover nearly as quickly as I used to. I did 50 pushups one morning and was aching for 4 days following. I had to get kids to pump my water because I physically couldn't do it. Now that I mention it, I'm going to find a kid to get water every day; it makes life so much easier.
Kait, my neighbor, gave me an espresso maker. You put water in the bottom and fill this little disc with coffee and the steam rises into another container with a spout, a caféterra I think is the right word. Anyhow the caféterra and I are now involved in a very serious relationship, and are talking about getting a place together when I move back to the states. It's all moving very quickly; but it is very exciting and just feels right. Anyone who has been in love will know what I'm talking about.
It is still hot, I'm still covered in sand most of the time, and I still fantasize about food all day long; but things get easier and easier everyday.
Thanks for reading! Wend Na Kond Nidaaré!
I began observing classes this week at my primary school. I live right next door, and am awoken each morning by the noise of several hundred 6-14 year olds. My presence in the classroom has made it much easier for me to get through the day without kids screaming 'LE BLANC!! DONNEZ-MOI UN CADEAUX' (HEY WHITE GUY GIVE ME A PRESENT!). I am now associated with the teaching staff and therefore not someone to be messed with. More and more I find kids calling me Monsieur Johnson and giving me a polite 'bonjour' or 'bonsoir'. It is nice, and I feel that I am becoming more accepted in the community.
My second day observing, amid the general chaos associated with a class of 80 students, I saw a much older boy wind up and smack a younger girl. The teachers didn't seem to notice, but it was a knee jerk reaction for me to get up and stomp towards the young man. This froze most of the students; but the teacher continued with her lesson. I took the kid outside by the arm and layed in to him. His excuse: "But she was bothering me". Fair enough. I explained to him that as long as I am in the classroom he will respect everyone around him, especially girls half his size. I'm used to a bit of playful violence between students here, especially the young boys. Kids are a lot tougher here than in the U.S., and a certain amount of 'toughening up' is part of youth. The older kids smack around the younger ones. This kind of behavior is not at all absent in American schools, however it is more accepted as a part of childhood here.
However, I saw this incident as outside of that and decided to deal with it. The kid was taken off guard completely. He honestly didn't expect any consequences. I spoke with the teacher afterwards, and apologized in case I had disturbed her class at all. The school director was present during this exchange and told me that what I did was right, and that in Africa, it is the responsibility of everyone to raise a child. I was relieved at this, as I acted on instinct. There are certain things about me that simply arent going to change for the sake of "cultural integration". It's not right to hit your classmates, especially when they are too young to defend themselves.
Other news:
It has been off and on with electricity chez-moi. For four days now I've had electricity between 10pm and midnight only. The midday heat still is uncomfortable despite the supposed cold season that I am in the midst of. Thankfully there is electricity in downtown Dori, so I can still get internet access.
I'll be meeting tommorow with representatives from 10-15 NGOs here in Dori (depending on who actually shows up). The meeting is being organized by Japanese volunteers with JICA, another volunteer organization similar to Peace Corps. We are meeting to plan an exposition in early December. The theme of the expo is "Sustainable Societies". I'll be presenting some general info on PC as well as more specific information pertaining to my work with the GEE program here.
I'm just about finished with Isaac Asimov's Foundation series. I've enjoyed it immensely; though I can't believe that I've gone the past 4 years or so doing minimal (if any) reading for pleasure. Reading has become an enormous part of my life, as I have tons of time to do it. I also read Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs. The man is hilarious; and I plan on tackling Running With Scissors next.
I started a bit of a workout plan. I'm doing pushups and ab-work outs each morning in addition to riding my bike all over hell and back. Though this has been a bit difficult with the nutrition here. I don't recover nearly as quickly as I used to. I did 50 pushups one morning and was aching for 4 days following. I had to get kids to pump my water because I physically couldn't do it. Now that I mention it, I'm going to find a kid to get water every day; it makes life so much easier.
Kait, my neighbor, gave me an espresso maker. You put water in the bottom and fill this little disc with coffee and the steam rises into another container with a spout, a caféterra I think is the right word. Anyhow the caféterra and I are now involved in a very serious relationship, and are talking about getting a place together when I move back to the states. It's all moving very quickly; but it is very exciting and just feels right. Anyone who has been in love will know what I'm talking about.
It is still hot, I'm still covered in sand most of the time, and I still fantasize about food all day long; but things get easier and easier everyday.
Thanks for reading! Wend Na Kond Nidaaré!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
SAVE OFTEN
I just wrote out a loooooong post and then LOST IT ALL! Not happy. Heres the abstract.
PCV Evan Johnson excited with windfall of activity lately. Between observing classes, disciplining students, putting on math help room, and preparing for expo planning commitee the days are rather packed. Spoke with woman who has 10 sisters and 1 brother. Her brother's name is Barka Wend Ye, Thank you God in Mooré. I don't have the patience to write it all out again. You'll just have to wait until next time!
PCV Evan Johnson excited with windfall of activity lately. Between observing classes, disciplining students, putting on math help room, and preparing for expo planning commitee the days are rather packed. Spoke with woman who has 10 sisters and 1 brother. Her brother's name is Barka Wend Ye, Thank you God in Mooré. I don't have the patience to write it all out again. You'll just have to wait until next time!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Desert Just Got Funkier
My desert home is now also home to The J.Bs, George Clinton, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, and many many others thanks to some nifty Ipod speakers. I think that I am currently in the running for "most comfortable digs" among PCVs thanks to this addition. Though there are some (not naming names) with wi-fi, running water, and ceiling fans.
I returned from Ouaga last night. I was lucky enough to be accompanied by three other volunteers who are currently on their way further north to visit the dunes and do some camping. They asked me to go along but after being away I was glad to be home. Travel here takes a lot out of you, even if you are going with a major bus line. It is a little over four hours in between Ouaga and Dori and then another hour by bush taxi to get to Gorom-Gorom. Upon boarding a bus I find myself trying to figure out where the sun is going to be so I can choose which side to sit on. Then there is the debate of window (cool wind) or aisle (room for legs). Of course all of this consideration only offers marginal comfort, and doesn't matter if the bus fills up. In which case you are going to be crammed wherever there is room, hopefully not next to a baby.
Before Ouaga I spend a night in Bani. Bani is 55k south of Dori and known for it's mosques. While walking toward the mosques we came across several "guides" sitting in front of a tourists bureau. Guide is a four letter word for volunteers generally. We ignored their calls and walked around some hills until we found a trail leading up to the mosques. The view was really cool, but it was sad to see many of these beautiful buildings in disrepair. The minaret of the Grande Mosqueé fell down during the past rainy season, so the building is a lot less impressive now.
Ouaga was a great time as usual. I ate a lot of cheeseburgers, and hung out with some volunteers that are leaving in a few weeks. I stayed in one night while I was there and watched Casablanca and ate some care-package chocolate chip cookies (thanks Mom!).
It is certainly nice to be back though, and I am really looking forward to getting into all of the new books I've acquired. Also, a special thanks to Karen and Claudio for their care package; I'll be making some falafel and tzatziki with the dill you sent me tonight!
I returned from Ouaga last night. I was lucky enough to be accompanied by three other volunteers who are currently on their way further north to visit the dunes and do some camping. They asked me to go along but after being away I was glad to be home. Travel here takes a lot out of you, even if you are going with a major bus line. It is a little over four hours in between Ouaga and Dori and then another hour by bush taxi to get to Gorom-Gorom. Upon boarding a bus I find myself trying to figure out where the sun is going to be so I can choose which side to sit on. Then there is the debate of window (cool wind) or aisle (room for legs). Of course all of this consideration only offers marginal comfort, and doesn't matter if the bus fills up. In which case you are going to be crammed wherever there is room, hopefully not next to a baby.
Before Ouaga I spend a night in Bani. Bani is 55k south of Dori and known for it's mosques. While walking toward the mosques we came across several "guides" sitting in front of a tourists bureau. Guide is a four letter word for volunteers generally. We ignored their calls and walked around some hills until we found a trail leading up to the mosques. The view was really cool, but it was sad to see many of these beautiful buildings in disrepair. The minaret of the Grande Mosqueé fell down during the past rainy season, so the building is a lot less impressive now.
Ouaga was a great time as usual. I ate a lot of cheeseburgers, and hung out with some volunteers that are leaving in a few weeks. I stayed in one night while I was there and watched Casablanca and ate some care-package chocolate chip cookies (thanks Mom!).
It is certainly nice to be back though, and I am really looking forward to getting into all of the new books I've acquired. Also, a special thanks to Karen and Claudio for their care package; I'll be making some falafel and tzatziki with the dill you sent me tonight!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Salaam Alaikum
And jam nyaali to all...
Alright I know what you are going to say: "Food again? That's all you talk about is food!"
So maybe it's true. I do talk about food often. It is on my mind a lot. However, I'm taking a different angle this time. Instead of fantasizing about ossobucca and risotto I'm going to get a little hippy dippy.
Each day I walk or bike to my marché. I buy vegetables, bread, and sometimes meat to prepare food for the day. The people, or the families of the people that grew, made, or raised and slaughtered the food are generally the ones that sell it. For these people, the connection between food and the earth is undeniable. Furthermore, things like grazing, rainfall, and wind can have an adverse effect on a family's ability to support itself. These are issues that the world faces on a day to day; and that we as Americans have become somewhat disconnected from. I can hear the groans from some people. "Oh man Evan goes off to Africa and all of a sudden he's some big hippy thats going to lay on guilt when I go to McDonalds". Not so, I would give a lot for a double cheeseburger at this point. I'm not asking anyone to change their day to day habits; simply pointing out a very obvious difference between America and developing nations.
In the U.S. we spend lots and lots of money shipping food across the country. We have all types of produce year-round. It is an extreme luxury that has become the norm. We also consume a ludicrious amount of meat. Not only is beef expensive to raise, but our eating habits bog down our health system with astounding numbers of people with heart disease. I suppose what I'm saying is that dinner isn't just dinner. There are thousands of factors at work that bring the various components of your meals to you, and global effects associated with eating trends. We remain mostly oblivious to this. Agriculture has had the single largest effect on our environment in this history of man, this is a fact.
I'm going to cut myself short and say that I've been doing a bit of research on urban farming lately. I like the idea a lot. It offers people the ability to reconnect with the food that they eat. These are people living in an urban setting that have most likely never set foot on a farm. It also builds pride in a community, and has the potential for generating money, and improving community health. Detroit seems like a prime candidate for programs like this. It occupies a huge footprint, and the population is dwindling, resulting in large vacant spaces. Much of this land is inexpensive, and there is an ample community minded student population in and outside the city. I don't believe that I need to mention the advantages of eating local food.
Soo in conclusion. Instead of going to the big supermarket this weekend, make a trip to a farmers market, and buy what is in season. Prepare what you can with what is available. Talk to the people that grow your food. It's really not that hard. Plant an herb garden, you can even do it inside. It will serve as a reminder that your meals are more than just meals, and that you are undeniably connected to the ground you walk on.
Thats all for now thanks for reading, and shouts to Mike Fresh and growerr.com - I'm looking forward to it man.
Alright I know what you are going to say: "Food again? That's all you talk about is food!"
So maybe it's true. I do talk about food often. It is on my mind a lot. However, I'm taking a different angle this time. Instead of fantasizing about ossobucca and risotto I'm going to get a little hippy dippy.
Each day I walk or bike to my marché. I buy vegetables, bread, and sometimes meat to prepare food for the day. The people, or the families of the people that grew, made, or raised and slaughtered the food are generally the ones that sell it. For these people, the connection between food and the earth is undeniable. Furthermore, things like grazing, rainfall, and wind can have an adverse effect on a family's ability to support itself. These are issues that the world faces on a day to day; and that we as Americans have become somewhat disconnected from. I can hear the groans from some people. "Oh man Evan goes off to Africa and all of a sudden he's some big hippy thats going to lay on guilt when I go to McDonalds". Not so, I would give a lot for a double cheeseburger at this point. I'm not asking anyone to change their day to day habits; simply pointing out a very obvious difference between America and developing nations.
In the U.S. we spend lots and lots of money shipping food across the country. We have all types of produce year-round. It is an extreme luxury that has become the norm. We also consume a ludicrious amount of meat. Not only is beef expensive to raise, but our eating habits bog down our health system with astounding numbers of people with heart disease. I suppose what I'm saying is that dinner isn't just dinner. There are thousands of factors at work that bring the various components of your meals to you, and global effects associated with eating trends. We remain mostly oblivious to this. Agriculture has had the single largest effect on our environment in this history of man, this is a fact.
I'm going to cut myself short and say that I've been doing a bit of research on urban farming lately. I like the idea a lot. It offers people the ability to reconnect with the food that they eat. These are people living in an urban setting that have most likely never set foot on a farm. It also builds pride in a community, and has the potential for generating money, and improving community health. Detroit seems like a prime candidate for programs like this. It occupies a huge footprint, and the population is dwindling, resulting in large vacant spaces. Much of this land is inexpensive, and there is an ample community minded student population in and outside the city. I don't believe that I need to mention the advantages of eating local food.
Soo in conclusion. Instead of going to the big supermarket this weekend, make a trip to a farmers market, and buy what is in season. Prepare what you can with what is available. Talk to the people that grow your food. It's really not that hard. Plant an herb garden, you can even do it inside. It will serve as a reminder that your meals are more than just meals, and that you are undeniably connected to the ground you walk on.
Thats all for now thanks for reading, and shouts to Mike Fresh and growerr.com - I'm looking forward to it man.
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