A little bit of 2006 for those of you in the mix!I figured it was about time I sent out an update of my status here in Burkina Faso. Sorry, I’ve been a little busy, actually doing work--- of all things. Only 4 more months to go and I’m outta here in September. Hip-Hip Hooray!!!

I decided to use this blog format, because I can put photos up to and it’s more attractive than a boring old email.

Since it’s been so long, I’ve gotta a lot to say. I’ll break it up monthly. Here goes:

January

* After much indecision, I spent New Year’s Eve in Bobo with friends. I tried to explain the new dances I learned back home and play some new music too, thanks Michelle. Shake that Laffy Taffy. I have only vague memories of the count down to 2006 and me making people take shots of duty free Cuervo.

* Back to Sindou, eased back into village life and life in Burkina after my fabulous visit home that included stops in Atlanta, San Antonio, and New York.

* Left village for a LOST marathon MLK weekend. What’s in that hatch?

February

* Went up to Ouaga for our yearly training, learned a bit about projects and a lot about the mass exodus of volunteers leaving in the coming months.

HOT season + deciding you’ve had enough of PC = ET (early termination) time to go.

* Talked to lots of people about shea butter and helping the women that make it in my village.

March

* Mixed business with pleasure by going to Ouaga to talk to shea butter people and going to a COS (close of service) party for a group of volunteer about to go. Also, accompanied some of my friends to the airport, not to say au revoir, but à bientôt & après, I hope.

April

* Was a mess trying to get funding and trainers for a shea butter marketing workshop in Sindou. Ended up paying for the workshop myself and will hopefully be reimbursed by a PC fund. The first of two workshops went well and the ladies in my region agreed to form a union of shea butter producers to better organize their marketing efforts.

* Easter weekend I was très occupe with my best friends wedding and baptism. My friends, Mariam and Herman, with whom I spend way too much time, finally decided to make it legit and tied the knot Easter saturday. On Easter, Mariam and her daughter were baptized. It was a busy 48 hours, right in the middle of the hot season, but it didn’t seem to faze anyone. The weekend has capped off by a party at the local dancing bar, complete with DJ, in their honor. Everyone seemed shocked to find out that I do occasionally dress up and dance(just not in village, what’s the point).

* Oh happy day. Amber, my sister, bought her ticket to come visit me in June. Yeah, I get a visitor.

May

* Waiting on funding so I can go ahead with part 2 of the shea butter workshop with a concentration on marketing principles.

* Trying to organize my tourism projects before I go, like editing the brochures and tours info, translating them into English, and compiling the results of the questionnaires I have been giving out to tourists.

* Hallelujah! Found out I am going to be an English teaching assistant in France. Not just anywhere in France, but Nice, the freaking French Riviera. What a change from Burkina that will be. I applied to be an assistant in France back in January. I’ll be going there straight from Burkina and stay for a little less than a year. I’m so excited about it, I can’t think about anything else, except….

* …Planning Amber’s visit. I’m very excited about that too. I figure we’ll do a week here in Burkina and a week in Ghana. Oh yeah, a beach and good food, I’m going to go crazy down there.

* Mango season… I’m still haven’t eaten my share yet.

* My birthday is coming up at the end of the month, I think I’ll just stay in village and celebrate with my friends there.

Well, there you have it. If you want to contact me you can email me or post comments.