Twenty Eleven

February 18, 2011

Writing two thousand and eleven still makes me weirded out. I was born in the late nineteen eighties. 1988 and now it's the year of the future. We all thought there'd be flying cars, microchips inserted in us for credit, robots... It kind of stuns me to think of the technology we've created thus far. And here I am living as it's well, whenever it was before electricity (I should know that, shouldn't I?! gah, I graduate from college... duhhh). So we'll say I'm living as if it were a time when candles and flame lanterns were used widely and on a daily basis...

Anyway - not the point of this entry whatsoever - I just simply wanted to say how much I detest it when someone (a Burkinabé) tells me I've gained weight. I'm pretty sure I know and I don't need to be told that I've gained these damn pounds because of the diet here. Ah. That being said - I haven't really changed my habits: i.e. eating like a fat kid in a race. Speaking of races!! I need to jump on the workout/training bus again... the marathon is gonna bite me in the ass if I don't.

Soup Fever

Wednesday = Mercredi

05 Janvier 2011

Things I Love About This Country:

Dancing while riding my bike with no hands and listening to my iPod. People get such a kick out of it. Hell, I would get a kick out of it if I saw someone do it back in the States.

Things I Hate About This Country:

All the carbs. Carb. After carb. After carb. Can I get some kind of variety in my diet, please? How about an ENTIRE meal make out of protein, fruit and veggies? Is that possible? No. Not likely.

To counter balance my TIHATC, I decided to have a marvelous veggie soup for dinner.

Here goes:

• 1/2 squash
• 1/2 head of cabbage
• 6-7 baby tomatoes
• 1 bundle of fresh green beans
• 1 small carrot
• 1 large onion
• 2 small green peppers
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 can of tomato paste
• chicken bouillon
• basil
• salt & pepper

Chop/slice onion, mince garlic and add to hot oil in large pot. Let simmer until translucent. Add chopped green peppers (sans seeds). Cover pot - allow to cook 3-4 minutes (stirring occasionally). Add pepper to veggies - cover again. While cooking, wash tomatoes, squash and green beens. Snap ends off green beans and chop both tomatoes and squash. Add diced tomatoes to pot and about 1 liter of water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 cube chicken bouillon, 1/2 can (small) of tomato paste and 3 pinches (large) of salt. Stir. Add in green beans (chopped to bite size) and chopped carrot. Once soup is boiling for a couple minutes lower heat and bring to a simmer. Add basil. Taste & add whatever spices you may think are needed. Simmer for 5 - 7 minutes. Add squash and sliced/chopped cabbage. Stir in. Allow to cook for 10 - 15 minutes. Once green beans and core of cabbage are still firm but soft enough to eat, your veggie soup is finished! Scoop into bowl. Caution!! HOT! And Bon Appetit!

I had two heaping bowls and there's still plenty for lunch and possibly dinner tomorrow! I'm really proud of myself for making that up. So good and healthy. If only I could eat like that all the time... that way I wouldn't have to be concerned with all the carbs I'm consuming and then, invariably, storing in my belly. I swear - the one thing I was most (may be exaggerating here) frightened of was gaining weight in this country. Men lose weight. Women gain it. That's just because of the way we metabolize the food here & probably because women are expected to not do much physical labor (at least foreigners). I'm trying to battle fate by working out - but I can't seem to cut my portions. I LOVE TO EAT. Damn fat kid syndrome.

Aside from that, I got 54 km in on the bike today! And got a nice sunburn on my back where I couldn't reach. Overall. A good day.

Bells Are Ringing

Tuesday, Decembre 7, 2010

It’s official: Everyone in my village (that I consistantly talk to) believes I’ll be marrying Adam in 2014 or 2016. They think this because I have pictures of him and tell them that he is my best friend, along with Ashley (but of course they wouldn’t think I would marry her, oh no, not this country). So, I guess I should let him know so he can start planning.

But then again, Alisone said I should marry Frank Arriaga (yes, the Frank from TCI) simply because he thought he was handsome. Silly stuff. He also told me, as we were going though pictures on my computer, that I had too many men: Frank, Adam, Chris and (Adam, you’ll love this one) Jeremy. Ha. These accusations are conjured up simply because of random pictures of the above gentlemen and me. I guess the people in my village shouldn’t know about the other relationships… whoops?

Worked out once again today!! Second day and counting. I really hope to keep this routine going strong. Really trying to get my butt into liking running again. I remember loving my early morning runs when I was in CC. Gotta get that back, I think I really need that in my life right now.

Bad News: we may not be going to Togo for New Years after all. Engagements happened, money needs to be saved, and now we’re thinking vacation days need to be saved for hot season. I guess it isn’t such a blow – but I am actually pretty bummed.

More details to come.

100 Days in Village

Decembre 6, 2010 Lundi

Nothing extraordinary happened other than men beating some sorghum and singing while they do it. It’s times like these that I wish I had a camera that also took video. Damn Canon xSi!! But I did bring out my camera and took a few snapshots of the men at work and then again of the women.

One man called me la blanche and I quickly called him le noir and told him that my name is Lauren. I hate it when people call me la blanche. He didn’t at first understand my point by calling him le noir. He said, yes, but you’re blanc. And I told him that I don’t go around calling people le noir here and I also told him I don’t like being called that. So he understood and apologized – which is nice. What isn’t nice is when a functionaire calls you la blanche while conversing about you (in front of you) to another nurse. Yeah. I about died. This new nurse knows my name, but she still chose to use the derogatory term la blanche when speaking about me RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I looked up and said “la blanche huh?” and Agathe said to her “She doesn’t like that, her name is Lauren,” but then the new nurse (Mariam) didn’t seem to understand. I called her la noir and she said “Yes, I am black” but then I said “Yes, but you also have a name.” It was pointless arguing with her… so I just shook my head and continued with my work, very pissed off.

Aside from that: Meningites vaccination campaign is today through the 15^th & our village’s day is Wednesday! Hopefully I’ll be conducting another PACA tool on Friday – speaking with the Peuhl women. I’m really excited to be getting so much work done before IST. Let’s hope I can finish it all before the training comes around.

Also – worked out today. I hope to shed a few pounds before we vacation in Togo. Damn birth control made me gain a little within that horrid month && I know cameras, bathing suits and the beach will be included in our little New Years vacation to the coast.

Taste the Rainbow

14 Octobre 2010

Helped with another birth today. Held the woman's hand while she was walking around and then through the delivery. I was trying to keep her in high spirits - I'm not sure if I helped - but I'd like to think I did. She continued to say she wasn't strong and asking me why does she have to give birth? I just held her hand tight and tried universal language and body language.

She gave birth to a baby girl. When a baby is born, the nurse plops it down on the mama's stomach and tells the woman to hold it while she clamps and cuts the umbilical cord...well, with this woman was under the same rules and regulations (naturally) - but she refused to touch her newborn and was repeating that she was scared of the infant. So, I had to rush and put gloves on in order to hold the baby on the mama's stomach while the nurse clamped/cut the cord. I've never seen or thought a mother would be scared of her child! wow.

The mama was cleaned up, as well as the newborn girl and I got to carry the baby wrapped up in cloth to the recovery room! I can't see how the nurse just tosses the babies around - I'm so gentle with the babies. I always think I'm gonna break something: they're all so little and look so fragile!

After the birth I ate dinner with the major and some men, then the nurse and two women who are friends with the mama I helped out. Dinner consisted of rice with a oily tomatoey sauce with few veggies and more bones than meat...and a chicken fried in oil, but not breaded. But I did thoroughly enjoy a cold Fanta that my major had put in the CSPS' fridge. Yum!

I went to go say goodbye / goodnight to the new mother and asked what she'd named the baby girl and she stated she wanted to give me that responsibility because I helped her through the birth. I'm so honored and so taken aback! I want to give her a good, solid name - but I also want to give her a name of someone who's strong and independent as well as influential in all aspects of the definition. There are a few name bouncing around in my head. But one stood out: Kim. I like it and it seems like they'd be able to pronounce it alright.

So tomorrow marks my second day of running - really, my third, but I biked 50 km the second day. I hope my legs don't fall off. They're still sore - and my back hurts a lot.

I'm eating more though - so my body is telling me it's working and needs more food. I mustn't appease it. But I don't want to gain weight either. no. no. no.

... as I stuff my face with skittles.

Happy Birthday Devon! You're TWENTY-FIVE!!

Saturday, 24 July 2010

The past few days have been a little rough...we moved in with our host family: mom, dad, three daughters and a son. The family is Muslim - but the father only chooses to have one wife. His reasoning: one woman is enough trouble for him - you add more women and jealousy flourishes and problems arise. So true. The family is very nice - so accommodating and welcoming and non-intrusive! Which is all explained by the father having worked for the Peace Corps in the past. It definitely has an effect on how he treats us. The PC does a really good job at "preparing," "training" and "briefing" the host families and employees here about Americans and what we value: independence, time, individuality, space, etc. And our host family is doing a wonderful job at respecting those things.

So why have the past few days been a little rough? The only thing frustrating is language - I know. I know it will come. I'm just being very impatient! It's so frustrating to not be able to communicate with my host family - and it's really embarrassing and insulting when my roommate is having in-depth conversations in French (her first language) with our host father and then I struggle to talk about my cats we had (when I was younger) back home giving birth all at the same time. I guess I just have to laugh at myself. I'm also trying to learn more words in Moore...problem with that: my terrible, terrible memory. It's ridiculous and so...what's the word?...frustrating! It happens with both French and Moore. gah.

Ca vas aller

Ca vas aller

It will go

It will go

It Will Go

It know it will - but it's also so intimidating.

On another note - I got a new battery for my phone and was able to talk to my mom today for the first time since she's been back from visiting Bean in Kyrgyzstan! I asked her all about it: she said it was weird for her to be back in the States! Just after 2 weeks she felt that way - imagine 2 years! But she also said it was really hard - she couldn't communicate with anyone and the living quarters seems like the same as what I've got here - concrete houses, bucket baths, latrines (maybe) I don't know if Bean has electricity or not...I know she doesn't have running water. Mom said her time was a little fun, but "fun" was going to a place with running water. ha. Sounds like here.

I really can sympathize with Bean and the language - I feel her anxiety and frustration - she was learning the local language and BAM she was yanked out of there and is now put in a situation where she has to learn a whole new language! She practically had to start all over again. I can only imagine how frustrating that would be. Good luck Beannie! and I really do hope she does good things at her new site!

I worked out today

and it felt G R E A T!

I am so weak though!!! Not great. I hope to start a routine and continually work out - I don't want to just lose weight here and lose all my muscle - I'd rather gain some muscle! Cha!

Break a Sweat!

Pump that Iron!

Beak would be Proud!!