Howdy

Hey guys, hope all is well in the land of democratically run congress. As you can assume, I'm quite content about the results of the recent elections. All I can say is, "it's about damn time."
Anyhoo, this blog isn't supposed to be political, but it's been soooo long since something positive has happened, I just needed to mention it.
Anyway, Burkina. Yeah.
It's still here, still hot and due to the beginning of the dry season, really dusty. I have a constant sore throat and nasal congestion due to all the dust in the air. It's not quite allergies, but it's close.
So I'm in ouaga for mid-service training and it just finished. My impression of most of the training given to me by the PeaceCorps is pretty negative, and this last bit didn't change my opinion.
There is probably one thing I need to explain about the administration here and their dealings with my class in general. Supposedly, by coincidence, the previous country director set up our particular training in a new and never tried before format, in hopes of being seen as necessary for the event and thus allowed to stay with her job. PC didn't see it that way so she was replaced just before our arrival. Because of this, there was no continuity in the groundwork and final planning of our arrival and/or coordination of host villages. Resulting in most of the logistics, training and coordination for our particular class being incomplete. As a result much of our initial 3 months dealt with a constantly changing syllabus and schedule to make up for the mistake of putting most of us in homes that didn't speak French(Thus making it more difficult to learn french throughout training). Also our syllabuses were made up without prior coordinations of local services, so much of our training was theory and no practical application. Essentially we arrived in our assigned villages with just barely enough French to get by and no technical or practical experience under our belts(This last week was the first time I was given any official information or statistics regarding Malaria). I say this because it's true and not because I'm bitter. Also as a result of our misguided class, before the end of training, a third of trainees had alreay quit. Those type of number usually occur over the entire 27months, not in the first 3. So, yeah, in brief, our training sucked.

So why am I expounded on this now? Well, I guess to see the silver lining. Because, our training was sooooo screwed up, and the administration realized this, they went to the extreme to make the next classes better. And they did, from what I understand. In the following two groups of new trainees, I believe only about 2 people out of all them have quit. They have a stable environment and are extremely motivated by all the good quality training and organization of the bureau. I'm happy that these new guys are better prepared for their villages than we were, it may explain why I felt inadequate upon arriving at village. I felt, "where do I get off telling these people anything, I'm just going by common sense". Well, now, that I'm at the half way mark how do I percieve the slight given to our class by this bureau? I'm over it. I'm lucky to be in the class I'm in because of everyone who is still here has earned their stripes to be here. So, I can't regret the friends or the good times I've made. All, I can do is be thankful, that PeaceCorps can be better that what they showed us, at least to the classes after us, and that they too can learn from their mistakes.

That's it for now. Hopefully I'll post again in a couple weeks. Happy Holidays

Letter to Jayne & Steve 10/10/06

Dear Jayne & Steve & Dogs

Hey, guys, how's it going? Hopefully well for you both and dogs. First, before I thank you for the awesome package, I want to say, "Way to go Bridget!" "Good Dog! I'd pet you if I could!" (Go PEE PEE!) Okay, now that that's out fo the way, I feel somewhat vindicated having to hear Jayne pour soda over ice on the phone. That was almost as bad as getting a chocolate chip cookie scented candle. Grrr :)
But I am really, really grateful for the time & thought you put into that package. All I can say is free backrubs for the rest of your lives or whenever I visit (Probably the latter).

How's the bike doing? You probably have it tucked away already for the winter, but I hope you've enjoyed it. When I sw the pictures of it suspended, besides shock, I was really homesick for it. THat morotcycle will always be in my heart. Odd, but it'definitely sentimentality. If you could, post one of the photos of the bike suspended, they're hilarious.



(Editor's note from Jayne, Laura entrusted us with the care of her motorcycle while she's gone & it needed a new tire, but Steve brought it home in the back of our truck instead of riding it home. Luckily with our trusty John Deere we were able to perform an motorcycle-ectomy from the truck. I sent Laura a whole series of pictures of her baby's first flight!)

Back to the letter...
So, what's going on now? Well, now is the harvesting season for most of the crops. People are in the middle of harvesting their corn, peanuts, beans, somsa (another legume), and millet. There's also a lot of cotton here, but that won't be harvested until Jan or February. School has stared again & seemingly all the children sent off for the rainy season are back and annoying (that's another reason I like the rainy season, no kids). I do plan on working a little bit with the schools this year, thinking about a girls soccer team with the primary school & maybe a intro to micro-credit with the high school kids. Still plan to do sensibilizations on the general health issues, but this year I really need to target the satellite villages. Hopefully I'll be busy enough with all that but we'll see. Currently the days feel longer than usually, but that may mean I'm just being lazy and need to get my butt in gear. There are still a few ideas bubbling in my head on some potential projects, but since this is the final year I better get them started or just leave 'em.

There are days where I can't wait to get back & I know the exact # of days to go. But, thankfully there are days, that unexpectedly, bring a positive step forward and I feel like I've earned my pay that day or for that month in that on instance. It usually , no always happens when I'm doing discussions AFTER sensibilizations. That's when I discover if what I said really prenetrated or not. Sometimes it doesn't and I"m okay with that, cause these people have to open to new ideas & I can't force them to listen. But when people are open & willing to learn an use that knowledge, it's awesom. That' is what keeps me going & hopefully will for the nest year. Little by Little.

Well, that's it for now. Hopefully thsi finds you well & I'm looking forward to seeing you guys new October.
Take care.

Always,
Laura

Letter to Steve & Jayne 9/28/06

It's been a while since we've talked, but I hope to hear that you guys are doing okay. Hope to hear that the dogs are doing well too!

I've written few letters recently and it's not due to loss of feelings, but more due to a lack of events that would be considered notable. My blog already has the surprise fall of my home, but more can't be really said about that until the end of October, upon which I'll find out if I'll be staying in the same village or not.

A change of venue would be nice in the regards of a fresh start & hopefully better people to work with, but the little ground work that I have accomplished here would be completely for naught if I do leave. The exciting program I'm beginning to garner interest for would die off & extinguish while trying to do the same thing in a new village may happen the same way if I had to leave a year later also. It's difficult to tell.

I already know a good # of the false types here but going to a new village, they would have to be figured out all over again. I think over all I would like to stay in my village and see some projects through, but in the end it may not be up to me.

Between the two dominant season of Burkina, I'd have to say that the rainy season's my favorite. Despite the deteriorated roads due to flooding & lack of maintenance. The fresh air & breezy nights are more comfortable by far to live in. The incredible growth of corn & millet that now towers over every home and pathway makes a regular walk into a maze of crossing lines. Changes the terrain so greatly I often misplace a courtyard or house due to it's camouflage exterior of corn & millet stalks growing up around it.

Where the ground is viable, whether it be inside or outside the courtyard, they plant crops to maximize their harvests. So often you'll see a patch of corn growing inside the fallen down walls of a house that fell last season. There are some areas in the bush that are left to fallow as they practice crop & ground rotation, but they like the US are constantly pushing the borders of sustainable living in their environment. Here the borders are that much more defined and closer to home. No good harvest, means no food for the rest of the year. It's pretty cut & dry & serious.

In my region it should be a good harvest but up north, they haven't been getting enough rain & there's fear of famine again. 2 years ago, they had a bad/or no harvest & the WHO had to come down & determine the amount of aid they would give. They determined it wasn't a famine because the cattle weren't eaten or dying yet. Thus not as much food was given. Pehl (???) people who raise the cattle, would rather allow their family to starve than to kill their cattle for food. In the end, Pehls died & so did some of their cattle. The rest lived to see this year's upcoming famine. Life on the boarders of habitable locations is like that. Feast or famine to the extremes and in time for the 6 o'clock news.

I just read a book called "Collapse" by Jared Diamond. He wrote "Guns, Germs & Steele". His second book is a study on how societies, due to several potential reasons, collapse, diminish or change to adapt to new pressures. Very interesting in it's present implications and how we can see the future of the world potentially pan out. Scary, informative, and wrought with perspectives of how to be responsible for the worlds continual sustainable existence. I enjoyed it and figured it should be sent to George Bush to wake his ass up to his self-defeating practices.

Anyway, to finish my previous though, I like the rainy season because it reminds me of the states. Everything becomes flush with life in a lush green that pops up seemingly out of nothing. A veritable desert turns into this full bodied forest and country side with flowers and insects. Animals dormant during the dry season become active and burrow up from the ground to grow, multiply & prepare for the next dormancy. - FYI, Dormir is the verb in French for "to sleep". - In the evening the clouds are full bodied mushroom anvils & elephants of color that reflect the sunset like mirrors that shed a collage of color onto the evening plants. Coloring everything a new shade. Some nights pink & purple, others yellow & orange. It's a really pretty time of day, however fleeting it is.

Unfortunately now is becoming the end of the rainy season. I can feel the raw heat that builds up during the day w/o respite of clouds or oncoming storm. The dusk is beginning to float & fly more due to the lack of moisture. The ground again, becomes hard & rock like. The stalks of corn & millet are being cut & the country is becoming open & barren of growth once more. The brown of the dirt is spreading into the leaves & stalks telling up upcoming harvest & death. This change helps tell the passing of time and reminds me I'll get to see it once more if I'm lucky. I need to enjoy it as best I can.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the little bit of Burkina as I find now I do. I should stop this marathon letter. Hopefully you'll be able to decipher all my scrawls. I'll leave you til nest time. Take care & miss you much.

Always,
Laura

Letter to Jayne & Steve 8/18/06

Jayne's note...I got her Aug & Sept letters close together, then two weeks later her Oct letter.

August 18, 2006

Dear Jayne & Steve
Hey Guys, how's it going? It's been a while since we talked, but I hope you guys are doing okay. How are the dogs? My dog Raven, if she'd been born in the states & didn't hate (seemingly) every dog in existence, would be perfect for your flyball team. She'd outrun Ruby, I'm sure the way she chases down goats & sheep, well it's impressive, and funny. She really just likes to fuck w/ 'em.

She'll speed up to them and scatter a herd of sheep just to see if any of them will give chase. If not she'll toy with one of the billy's until he attempts to ram her. Then she trots happily off to join me again on my walk.

She began a habit of scratching on my wooden gate, so as to knock. Sometimes she'll try pushing it open to enter and others she'll just wait patiently until I open it for her. She'll come in, not expecting food or a pet, find a comfy spot under my hangor(???) in the shade to sleep. She stays an hour, maybe 3, just chillin' & when she wants to go, if the gate isn't open, she'll scratch it again.

When she is here chillin, she does an incredible job of guarding my house from all children. I almost laughed my butt off my chair when a kid about 4, snuck up to my house to watch me. Raven saw him, growled deeply & immediately gave chase. That kid cried bloody-murder and ran for his life. It was hilarious. The kid's mom was laughing too. Raven stopped after about 10 yards & returned to lay in my courtyard as if nothing happened. Supposedly he used to do that a lot for the previous volunteer.

She's also intuitive as any animal should be. When I found out one of my aunt's died, I was pretty upset. When I started crying, she just came over and crawled under my chair and laid partially on my feet & leaned against my legs. Very quietly & patiently, she laid there until I was done & my mood improved. She hung out with me for most of that day. She's currently laying in the sun, napping outside my door. It's nice to know she's there, although she never sleeps the night here. Through the day, she tends to follow me wherever I go & stays under whatever chair I happen to be sitting in, whether it be in someone else's courtyard or besides the road. She doesn't follow me through the market, where she'd receive too many kicks by other humans to be worthwhile. But I'll usually see her at my house upon my return. She's a nice companion, all around. I though you guys would appreciate a little more information regarding my best companion here.

Hope this finds you well, take care & be safe.
Always,
Laura

Malaria

Dear Mom a d Dad, 28-9-06
Things ae goin okay here.My work is progressing at a regular Burkina rate and the farmers are getting ready to harvest.
Unfortunately, a friend or mine is very sick with malaria and I'm quite concerned how she'll turn out. My friend is Aminata, the same woman whose wdding I attended and wrote about. I found out she was ill as I arrived back from OUAGA YODAY. i IMMEDIATELY WENT TO VISIT HER AT THE SLINIC. sHE DID NOT LOOK LIKE THE GIRL, NOW WOMAN, i KNEW. hER JAW WAS COCKED AT AT AN ODD ANGLE DUE TO PAIN, HER FACE WAS PALE AS i HAVE EVER SEEN A bURKINABE. hE EYES WERE CLOUDY AND ROLLING. sHE WAS IN BAD SHAPE. sHE HAD SLIGHT TREMORS, FROM WHICH i UNDERSTAND HADSUBSIDED QUITE a lot. (sorry about my typing, jc) The tremors are a sign of severe shock due to malaria. Meaning this case is life threatening.. Most often cases of malaria are mild and if caught can be controlled and remedied. Severe cases are caused most often by lack of action.i.e. not going to the clinic for medicine or care.
I was told she began taking medicine yesterday,but it may have been too little too late. Now she's in IV's with a direct injection of quinine and ampicillin to battle shat's running rampant inside. I'm concerned for her and I know I would be hit hard if she dies, thus I did something I never do. I gave her husband money to pay for the treatment. They may or may not have enough money for her treatment, I didn't care. I let them know the money was for her health and if she needed to be transferred to the regional hospital, do it with my money. I don't know if y money would be the difference between he life or death, but ingood conscience, I couldn't allow the latter without doing something.
By giving the money, I've effectively claimed her as my charge and hve become he "Tante" or great-aunt. Someone of influence and charge that has taken responsibility for her care. I guess that's okay as long as they realize the money is for her and not the entire family. We'll see what the repercussions will be. I'm a little nervous about going back. I really hops her husband didn't tell them allabout mydonation. It might have been achoice too quickly made, but I don't think I'll regret it in the long run. I hope not.
Tomorrow I'll check up on her, she might hve been transferred already and I won't know for a couple of days. Miss you and take care. Love, Laura

Oct. 15 Dear Mom and Dad,
How is it going? Not too bad here. Right now its 87 in the shade and at least 95 in the sun. The weather has turned hot and dry and dry season is starting to change the plants and nights. The harvestin has started and the nights are becoming hot and dry enough to be dehydrated in the morning. I'm begining towonder if the US could have the same work schedule without air conditioning. I'm betting , during the summer, people would revolt.
I find myself scurrying to get out of the direct sunlight, rushing fromone shade to another, like jumpingfrom one piece of furniture to another, trying not to touch the floor. The mere concept of sun bathing is so ridiculous to me here, that I mentally roll my eyes at tanning salons and beach goers basting themseelves under therays.
My daily habit of puttinon #45 facialsunscreen 2 or 3 times a day, and #60 for my arms just barely keeps my face and arms a light brown. Days that I happen to forget or am too lazy to pu on the second or third coat, I burn and have to endure the following weeks sensitively. I spend almost all of the daylight hours outdoors. amostly, in the shade. But, the ambient light reflected off all surfaces is enough to damage. As you cantell, I've gotten really concerned about my skin during my sojourn.
What fascinates me is the utter lack or care the localshave or their skin in the sun. They're skin is often the color and reflection of black or dark brown velvet. Their genetic fortitude allows them free reign throughout the day to work under the direct sun rays , shirtless and hatless. Despite this exposure, their facial skin is clear and as soft as fresh snow. No blemishes mark the faces here as acne often does to me. There's np "wonder" facial treatment that the locals follow that I have yet tocrack. Theyare just genetically better prepared to deal with the intense sun rays than I. I compensated by wearing stifling long ssleeves and long pants, along with layers of cream. Long brimmed hats and sunglasses to help combat the glare. None of which seem to bother the locals or their eyes. How's like a fish our of water am I!
Would they suffer in the cold or just pur on another layer of thermals to compensate for the lack of body fat that so easily rests on us? Would their high metabloism work against them in the energy sapping arctic? It would be interestin to note. My slower metabolism allows weight gain easily in the face of all this work and sweat. Watching how biological differences have develope over history, its easy to discount myself as at the height of human evolution.
That's it fornow, sorry for that ramble.. Love, Laura