I had an amazing experience visiting Mara in Burkina Faso.  We spent 10 days in Bilonga with her family and the villagers.  I figured out the Gimalchime greetings the day before we left, learned how to say thank you and friend, small and where is it.  I also learned from Mara the most fabulous way [...]

So I made it into Ouaga today, after laying over in Fada last night with some of my closest friends here in Peace Corps. We had a great time hanging out but at the end of the night were more than reminded we still live in Burkina. After drinking and eating and enjoying each other’s prescence we got up [...]

Zidane was over in my courtyard the other day. Often when I have a few minutes I sit in my doorway and we color with the chalk on my patio. This particular day I’d decided to work on addition with him. That wasn’t getting anywhere because my gumalchamae skills are still non-existent. So after much confusion on his part [...]

So pictures are all in Bilanga, mostly of my family, house, courtyard. The little boy looking at the camera is zidane, one of my favorites, him and his sister Natalie, and the little baby on Sibiri’s back. In a lot of ways Sibiri, the mom in my courtyard is like Aissa in my new village, not the loud, take [...]

So my thanksgiving was memorable and I feel obliged to tell you all about it, Woke up, held a large gobbeling turkey, and then watched it get gorged. It was crazy that none of us recognized it as the food that we ate every year growing up until it was plucked, cleaned and the head and feet were missing. [...]

I’m in Fada, my regional capital right now to get drugs for my dog. My friend (a close by volunteer) and I biked over 50 miles yesterday through rain and mud because the medications for my dog are not available in my village. School just started last week, I work at the junior high, but there is another volunteer 5k [...]

So they moved some people around, I happen to be needing to make this move at the same time the new group of volunteers is coming in, so it was possible to do. My thoughts were that I’d reached a good stopping point, but if the Peace Corps determined that I could stay I would, I would have too [...]

I still have no idea where I’m going to be going or what I’m going to be doing. The Peace Corps is not telling me anything and I’m finding out things from other volunteers which is not cool. There is a possibility that I may just be coming home. Which would be sad, but I think the decision has [...]

ok, so I’m exhausted right now, but I’m forwarding this to selected random folks, who knows to what corners of the universe this might fly, but there are some pics here that I think you might enjoy/find humorous. For me, the best part is what my dad calls “artifacts” I call Dabba aka the sticks I use to cultivate [...]

So, I’m feeling better, just went back to village for a couple of quick nights. It was probably my best visit in village. I hung out and watched the world cup, and am actually very disappointed I won’t be there when the US plays Ghana, I think it would be the most fun. I was watching the game yesterday, [...]