World, Meet Colonel Mustard

Friday: 07 Janvier 2011

Note to self: don't procrastinate when in West Africa and laundry need to be done. Need to start doing laundry at least once, maybe twice a week - wash as you dirty. That's the key.

This morning - early, early this morning, I heard a blood curdling cry from a cat near by. I thought maybe a male was harassing a female (quite common here, among every species) but then I thought about the kittens that were just born here in my courtyard and started worrying about spiders, scorpions and snakes. So I look at my watch (3:26), switch on my lantern and get out of my tent. I was preparing for the worst because the cries were getting weaker and weaker - but they were still there, faint, but there. I walk towards the sound and I see a tiny kitten crouched by itself - I cautiously approach it (I don't know if it likes people, or it whatever it was crying about is still around) and I checked my surroundings... seemed safe. I picked up a stick and examined it from afar. I notice blood trickling down the right side of it's neck. Oh no. Is it deep? What was it that caused the wound? I get closer and the kitten whimpers. I don't know what to do. I wonder why no one else has come outside to see what all the commotion is about. But no one does. I walk back to my patio area - but the kitten starts crying again. I swear it's going to die. Why is it in my courtyard?! I go back after a few minutes and pet it again (with the stick) and it starts purring. Oh god. I have to take it in. It's sweet. It's little and if I don't, I know it will surely die! So I pick it up and bring it inside - I get some water and try to clean it's wound. I'm scared. I am not sure at all of what I'm doing. I give up cleaning it. I give it water and get my pagne (fabric for making clothes) to wrap it up in. I put it in the corner of my patio just outside of my tent and I get in my tent to go to sleep. I tell myself not to get attached. I say it might just pass through the night. I sit down and it starts crying and going around my tent to find me. Damn. Okay. I get it, wrap it in my pagne again and bring it into my tent. Put it near my feet and let it settle down. I go to sleep. I wake up because I forgot to cover something in my house - don't want a mouse to get in that. Go inside. Come back out and get in my tent and check on the kitten. Shit. It's not there! Then I feel something under my thigh! Oh gosh. Sorry!! I life up - it cries. But settles quickly. I give up trying to keep it in my pagne. I settle. Finally I am able to go to sleep. I wake up in the morning and it's right beside me. It's cold. I cover it up more.

At 8:00 I get up. It wakes up with me and we go inside. I heat up some water because I want to thoroughly clean what I can - with antiseptic and put a bandage on it. He (I think it's a he) seems to understand that I'm not gonna hurt him. He must be hungry - oatmeal? Sure. I make some plain oatmeal and put it down for him. He doesn't seem to like it. At this time I've named him Mustard. That's both male and female, right? And dubbed him Colonel Mustard (like the game clue?) Well - he's been with me - practically all day. Really vocal. Gets pretty annoying sometimes, but cute & friendly. He likes to climb up onto my lap when he wants attention : which is ALWAYS! Only problem. I have no idea what to feed him. I bought rice and chicken from the marché today and he ate the chicken but not really the rice. I tried feeding him my soup I made and he stuck his nose up at it. I asked my neighbors to give me some tô because that's what ALL the animals eat here - but they didn't. I don't know why. So I'm at a loss as to how to feed him.

I have to remind myself not to get attached.

Don't do it.

This is the beginning of the second chapter... It begins with a heartbeat

Thursday: 06 Janvier 2011

I'm ready to fly. I think I'm able to do so - but to fly across this ocean between us may be too much for me. I want to. Maybe you and the love that resonates from you can give me the strength I need to finish this journey.

One more week until IST and I finally got to talk with Alisone and he's going to try to organize the men so I can talk to each of the three ethnic groups BEFORE I go to Ouaga. That would be superb! I'll also be talking with the CoGes on the 15th about what they expect from me and what they believe the village needs = put their priorities out there so I can know. February will be here in no time & I believe I want to start "working" by March or April. I know that's the hot season, and it will be really difficult to find motivated individuals (hell, I may not be motivated either) because of the heat - but I've got to try. I want to do the following projects so far:

• World Map Project
• Health Murals
• Coaching for Hope
• Summer Camp (for girls or boys)

How and when I'll do this is beyond me. I would also like to (possibly) do some soap formations (workshops) with women here and start a savings and credit club. Also, I'd like to start a garden and introduce Moringa here in my village. I think I'm off to a good start - not too original with my ideas, but I think more creative/advanced projects would be better for 2nd or 3rd generation volunteers at my site.

April 2011: Health Murals

July 2011: Summer camp

September 2011: Garden

October/November 2011: Coaching for Hope

February 2012: World Map Project

April 2012: Soap Formation

July 2012: Summer Camp

Bringing Up Girls in Bohemia

No originality ever exists. We inhabit a certain kind of great exchange, a great intertext. Ideas circulate; language likewise. Meanwhile, the only thing we can do, and get into the habit of, is combining them. But there is one idea not yet created after all: it is here, like a sort of major market in a major economy. Thoughts circulate and only at a certain moment are stopped and sorted out, and are then edited, probably as when making a film, and that produces a work."

- Roland Barthes; Michal Viewegh

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.

Sénégal Fast Food :: Amadou & Mariam

Tuesday = Mardi

January 4, 2011 = 04 Janvier 2011

A night with absolutely no moon - the stars are shining brightly by themselves - apparently the moon is on vacation (at least for a day or two).

Today has been pretty uneventful: woke up late due to the fact that my head was aching, my neck was stiff and I felt as if I had only slept for a few hours... so late would mean 9:00... people here wake up around 4:30 - 5:30 (at the latest!!). So, Got up & out of my tent (I'm sleeping outside again - under my brand new hanger :] ) and went inside and realized I'm very low on water and have way too many dishes to clean and very little motivation to wash them, myself or to get water at the pump in order to complete these tasks. So, I eat a Special K (vanilla, thanks Ma) cereal bar and sit on my floor. As I'm sitting and looking around I find my house to be the dirtiest it's ever been in these past four months of occupying it... The floors need sweeping, the dishes need washing, the books need organizing, the trash needs burning; you should get the point by now, it needed to be cleaned! So finally around 10:00 I gather dishes and wash them outside: 4 bowls, too many spoons and forks, cutting board, pan, marmite, casserole dish, 2 very sharp knives and empty tomato paste cans. What's next? SWEEPING! By the time I finish sweeping my "one-size-fits-all" room, I've got a mound of dirt, dust and debris by my screen door. Yuck! I then decide to "wash" my floor by pouring water on the cement and running a rag over it - seems to work, and it's what everyone else does in village to wash their floors or patios. Then I heat a little bit of water so I can then wash myself. Washed my hair and body (perks of having short hair = less water). Clipped my nails. Put sunscreen on. Examined this new rash on my chest that sprung up out of nowhere in the past two days & then get dressed. Yesterday I discovered that I am now able to braid the front part of my hair again... which is... U L T I M A T E L Y the most exciting thing that's happened to me since I cut my hair. Okay, exaggeration, but it's still really neat. By this time it's 11:30 and I head out to the CSPS to make a phone call the PCMO about my "rash" and to see what Beak wanted two days ago when he texted "call me!" The PCMO tells me to apply some cream on my chest and keep her informed. Beak didn't answer - so I assume everything is fine. Since Ma is in Kentucky I don't expect a phone call from her - so I causer (chat, hang around) with the Major (Congo) and the Pharmacist (Agathe) for a few minutes and head off to the marché to find Alisone. I need to finish 3 PACA tools in less than two weeks and it took four weeks to finish the first three. He can't be found. Damn. Oh well, I buy cabbage, tomatoes and baignets at the marché along with my 4th anklet.

I eat lunch. Read more of my new book and fall asleep midday. Wake up around 15:45 and decide I REALLY need to get some water. Go to the pump two times and on the third round I detour to the CSPS to causer a little more and check my phone. Adam says he just wanted me to tell him "Happy New Year" and that's all. I talked with Agathe some and was invited to have dinner with her. Went home. Sat around for 2 hours - had a snack: triscuts, easy cheese and sliced tomatoes (thanks Ma for the yummy treats). The easy cheese was substitute for real, sliced cheese: think swiss, provolone, sharp cheddar, or smoked gouda! Mmmmm. And I read my book while I was munching. Ate dinner and now I'm here in my tent. I was completely frightened by a dog on the way back from the CSPS. With no moon and a shitty headlamp and ridiculously bad night vision I am always spooked easily when walking around village at night. So I hear a growling noise up ahead of me while walking and I immediately tense up. I think about Cujo and freak out a little. I say - well at least I could throw my Nalgene at it - that might spook it and could make it run away? But out-loud I just yell "Hey!" and hope it runs away - it doesn't. It growls more and then starts barking. I stop walking. A group of men are to my left and finally pay attention. One yells. Another throws something. And another says my name "Lauriene!" He walks me a bit of the way, past the mean dog and goes on his way. That was about the only "exciting" thing that occurred today. Well, actually, come to think of it - I'm wrong: I got to talk with Adam today before dinner. I thought I'd try to give him a ring to check up and wish him a Happy New Year (finally). It was a good convo. I miss that man so much. Tomorrow I've got to go to Sapouy to buy some onions, send mail and see if my key is FINALLY ready. And, of course, I'm not expecting anything yet, but I'll check to see if my package(s) is(are) here.

New Years Dance Party & Visitors are FUN

Monday: January 03, 2011

Let me recap on what happened in the past few days... we'll start on the 31st of December. Oh yeah, get ready for a really long blog entry. (sorry it's so late)

Left for Taré at around 8:15 to catch a bus to Léo to celebrate the upcoming new year with a few fellow PCVs: Hugo, Rhoda, Katie and Rob. There was supposed to be three to four more people, but they all went their seperate ways - either to Yako, Gawa or Bobo. Anyway - get to the Hotel Sissili (a really really fancy NEW hotel that tricks it's guests into thinking their in Americaland) and it is gorgeous! We go the cheapest rooms available: 21.500 CFA (two rooms, split five ways). We were lucky enough to have a younger woman working there at the time of check-in who sympathized with our situation and said she was just like us when she was our age & promptly pulled some strings and allowed three of us to one room. We all then took hot showers (lovely) and then laid out by the pool. Yes, pool. Everyone had drinks except me - instead I enjoyed an extra large bottle of ice cold Laafi water with ICE! Next came the food. Salads for me and katie and then Rob and hugo ordered, according to them: "real food" which would be spaghetti and some Senegalise dish. Rhoda refrained from stuffing her face, unfortunately. The salad was delicious - beyond delicious. so so so good. And the spaghetti, get this, had real cheese on it! Real. Gratted. Cheese. What? Yes, you heard me. Cheese isn't readily available in this country - and it was there. We took tons of pictures at the pool.

After that we decided we needed to rest: so we took naps, lounged and used the internet a wee bit before the festivities of the night began. I went out for a run and it was, by far, the most terrible run I have ever had. The wind was blowing against me, my throat hurt and I was running uphill. 3 miles should be 30 minutes, but I'm not sure how long this took me... it seems to last forever. After getting back I jumped in the shower and was greeted by a large glass of champagne when I got out... apparently when I went running the boys went for a drink run and bought us 4 bottles of champagne and 2 boxes of wine. Wonderful. The shower was great by the way... mhmmm.

Now, let the festivities begin! Somehow or another the first step is to obtain a faux-hawk. I soberly allowed Katie to fix my hair for the night, and that was the result. Got to skype with my Beak for a wee bit - sadly, the signal was too weak for video on both ends so we switched back and forth. The gang enjoyed talking with him too - he seemed thoroughly confused. Mohawk = Done. Dressed = Done. Make-up = Check. We wanted to order food from the hotel, the same two dishes the boys had during lunch... but, of course, the hotel wanted to break our hearts and told us the two dishes were "finis" (done for the day). So we gathered our troops and went out on the town to the cheap, but delicious (not to compare it with the spaghetti at the hotel, or my Dad's for that point) spaghetti and liver that Rob and I shared. I carried a bottle of bottle of champagne with us to dinner - we (four of us, Rhoda parted ways) shared the bottle and then went back to the hotel. There we had our own little "dance party" before heading out to the club which was, conveniently located on the same grounds as the hotel. We probably spend about 3 to 4 hours in our room listening to music, being British, cannibalizing our hands (Rob and I) and taking way too many pictures and a 30 minute video that I need to edit one day.

Off to the club: we danced to ridiculous Burkinabé music and the four of us shared a bottle of whiskey, classy huh? I got to talk with Adam some more when midnight struck and also Devon and my mom. Dev called me out on "drunk dialing" her - nonsense! but okay, I guess she was right. All in all... it was a pretty good night. Went to sleep with my New Years kiss from Katie (on the cheek, mind you) and I then the world was spinning beneath me.

Woke up the next day around 8:30 but didn't get up until 9:00. Realized all my things were in the other room and had to wake up Rob and Katie from their slumber. Took a shower and decided to lay by the pool until we needed to check-out. Had breakfast and some detox tea I brought with me... delicious? My neck was killing me - and I'm pretty sure I was a wee bit hung over (for the first time, ever) but only a little. Had another large bottle of Lafi (water) and continued to be British with Rob. Went inside around 11:30 to pick up the hotel room - it was a complete MESS and then packed up my bags to check out.

Downloaded Adam's new song that he sent me - so so so good! I now have the intro and the outro of their new CD (in-progress) and he tells me I can't hear anything else until it's 100% complete. Damn. I hope they finish the EP quickly. *for new readers* His band is "A Formal Affair" which is based in Austin, TX but formed in Wichita Falls, TX! Check 'em out.

Then I get online for a wee bit more before we leave so I can post a very brief update of our New Years in picture form on Facebook. Then Rob, Rhoda and I go out for lunch (after we checked out) and I have a salad while they scarf down salad and atcheki. The salad was really good, but I was having weird - do I want two plates of salad or do I not even want to finish one - feelings. I wouldn't say I was naseaus, but I definitely was bipolar about my desire to eat or not eat. I did, however, drink a butt load of water. The rest of the day we (Rob and Katie decided to grace me with their presence at my site) traveled from Léo to Taré and then off to my village - having to stop once on the dirt path for a potty break... ahhh, the glory of peeing in the open air - while you fear a snake will bit you or tick pick you as it's next host. Then we finished our bike ride to my village. We get settled and take turns going to the pump to get water. For dinner we had fideo in memory of Rob's first visit to my village a while ago. We had the regular ingrediants: vermacelli noodles, tomato paste, cumino, garlic powder, caldo de pollo (chicken bouillon) and then we added onions, tomatoes, cabbage and a nice taste of Americaland: a bag of ready to heat black beans in a mexican style sauce. Oh gosh - it was delicous! I wish I had two bowls, but there was barely enough for all three of us... but of course Rob was a mega fatty and had a bowl and a half! We had more Americaland by popping some Jiffy Pop... Thanks Mel! mmm. So good. I had forgotten how good and delicious simple popcorn is. Then we went off to bed. They slept inside and I slept in my tent outside. Thought I was gonna die from the cold, but actually was good. My neck ached - my nose was all kinds of stuffed up and my throat hurt - but I slept okay.

We wake up around 8:00 and start our day by eating overcooked rice with sugar, butter, nido and cinnamen and a dash of granola (thanks Mel), craisons, raisons and brown sugar (thanks Ma)! Then we take bucket baths, light my trash on fire, be locked in my house because the nem finally begin finishing my hanger (YAY) and walk around town. We eat at a place that sells rice, maccaroni and chicken (a BIG surprise to me). After that we sit around at my house and they figure out when they'd like to leave. They end up going around 14:00 and I finish the day by napping. My neck has been killing me since New Years and I figure I could use some rest. I sleep until 17:30 and decide to fix dinner even though I'm not that hungry. I fix fideo-esque type food. Used the last of the cabbage, one onion and make the fideo minus the garlic && it actually turned out wonderfully! I didn't expect to get fideo without garlic, but I did. They things you learn! Went to bed after writting a letter to Adam and reading the new book my mom sent me: "The Elephant Vanishes" stories by Haruki Murakami. Good so far.

Today I woke up early because I was uncomfortable but went to bed because I felt horrid. I've felt pretty under the weather all day - so I've stayed home, thoroughly washed my feet because my toe nail finally gave and fell off/I cut off what was already not attached. I also cleansed my feet because I got a cut on my foot on the way back through the bush to my village and it looked a little inflamed.... damn cuts on toes - always actin' up! Aside from that I haven't done much. Just finished writing/finishing letters to Adam, Melanie, Elyse and am about to write Ashley and my parents.

Discovered I can braid the front part of my hair!

That's really exciting.

Cleaning up a bit

Will go out & about in the village tomorrow!

Gotta finish my PACA

1 & 1/2 weeks left.

Mail Demons vs. Fairies

Thursday, 30 December 2010

I feel like a kid in a candy shop!

Went to Sapouy today not expecting anything in the mail - maybe the key to the box would FINALLY be ready (fingers crossed, but being realistic) and then I would take money out of my account (yes, the post office is also my bank account here... weird, I know). So I ask the man behind the desk and BAM! there are not one, not two, but 3 packages in the mail for me. Two from my mama and one very unexpected surprise from Melanie Grizzel! I was expecting the third to be from Ashley or Adam, but to my pleasant surprise my old boss sent me some much needed love! This means I'll be expecting at least two more packages - within the next two or three weeks: Adam & Ashley's packages!! Damn that moleskin!! I still haven't received it and I'm pretty sure Ash sent it over a month ago! Where could it be? Singapore again? Maybe it's in Russia this time? Oh goodness, I just can't wait to get it.

Gotta get to bed soon - going to Leo tomorrow for New Years and I might have Skype capabilities! Wohoo.