It's official

I just want to preface this blog entry by saying the first part I wrote about two weeks ago, but never had time to post until now.  I thought about now posting it, but I didn't feel like writing another entry with all the details in another tense. So bear with me.

A Time of Rain

                Finally there are moments in the day when I am not sweating.  Burkina has just entered into the rainy season and I am SO grateful.  The rains have made it more humid but it has significantly cooled down.  I even find myself a little bit chilled late at night and in the early morning.  Unfortunately, the rainy season brought along the end of mangoes.  When I first got to Burkina I could find mangoes every quarter mile along the road and now there are none to be found.  In the United States I was used to eating any fruit at I wanted at any time of year.  Now I can only find fruits and vegetables seasonally and it really makes me realize how many fruits and vegetables are imported in the United States.  Eating seasonally is going to be hard at times because at times I am going to have very limited options, but it also makes me feel like I am eating more naturally (except for when my food is cooked to mush or drenched or in oil). It’s comforting to know that I am buying my food from the person who grew it and that it did not travel thousands of miles to get to me. I really like how local everything is in Burkina and relationships with vendors is something that is cherished.  For example, buying onions from one woman, even though there are better onions in the market, because you have formed a personal relationship with her over time.  Relationships are highly valued in Burkina culture and I am glad to say that I have formed relationships with the people who I have interacted with on a regular basis.

                Now when I ride down the street there is an occasional child shouting Tantie Christen instead of nassara or la blanc.  When I hear a child calling after me with my actual name it makes my day.  I feel like I have become part of this community, in a way.  This past Thursday I celebrated the Assumption of Mary with my family.  We got up early and biked out of the town and up a “mountain”.  It wasn’t so much a mountain as a small hill, but it’s a lot more than I have seen so far in Burkina.  When we got to the top of the mountain mass was held in front of a shrine for Mary.  During the mass there was a lot of music and dancing.  It truly was a celebration.  After mass I had a picnic with my family and enjoyed some more dancing.  All over the place people were enjoying meat brochettes and dolo (the local beer) as they spent time enjoying the company of those around them.  It was a blast and I had great time spending this time with my family.  I am not looking forward to leaving them.  They have already invited me back for Christmas and there is a good possibility I am going to take them up on that offer.

Now that I have gotten comfortable in one place it is time to pick up and move onto the next.  This Sunday, 8/18, I will leaving my training location and going to the capital for swear in.  After two and a half months of training I will officially be a Peace Corps volunteer.  Then I will be moving and settling into my home for the next two years. I am pretty nervous about the challenges that living on my own will bring.  I have never lived by myself in the United States, so living on my own for the first time in a foreign country might be a bit tricky.  I am not looking forward to having to prepare my own food. I am not the biggest fan of cooking but hopefully this will change during the two years.  Maybe cooking will be one of my hobbies to fill all of the free time I am going to have.  I think I am going to find myself doing new and odd things as a way to keep myself entertained.

Sana, Hawa- My first week in village

                In one of my other blog posts I mentioned that my village had named me Mariam before my arrival at site.  Apparently Mariam is not a name that suits me because almost immediately I was renamed Hawa and given the last name of Sana because that is the family that I live with.  The village has been very welcoming and has made sure that I everything I need.  Even with their help this past week has been quite the adjustment.

Things that have changed since moving to site:

1.       My name

2.       Access to electricity- now I have none

3.       The simplicity of getting water- instead of turning on a spout in my courtyard I have to take containers to a pump and fill it.  This has been quite the struggle and my village is amused by my efforts every time. 

4.       Ability to communicate with people- very few people here speak French, so my Moore is going to be pretty good after two years.

5.       Increased number in farming invitations- Everyone farms in my village and there are pretty much only farms in my village.

6.       Personal time- I am either out talking with people or someone is stopping by to say hello.

7.       Ability to laugh at myself and laugh at myself along with others

8.       Realization that this is my home for the next two years- My village has been so welcoming  that I already feel like they have included me in the village family.