End of Training

The last week of training is winding down quite successfully. I’ve had a nice mix of spending time with my host family, hanging out with my fellow trainees, and sitting through intellectually stimulating administrative sessions. It’s been a very relaxing way to end a crazy three months.

I want to start out with a story for the folks back home in Wisconsin. (Hi Grandma!) I have a couple of friends here who share parallel or reciprocal lives with me. Caroline grew up in Wisconsin then went to college in California; Lara grew up in California- and had my former roommate’s mom as a high school math teacher- and went to college in Wisconsin. Yes, I know I’m not technically from Wisconsin, but I think that knowing the words to “On Wisconsin!” at age three gives me some room for creative liberties. Caroline somehow came across a movie called “The Godfather of Green Bay”, and we decided that the three of us had to watch it. We went in with absolutely no expectations of grand cinematography or stellar acting, and were therefore not disappointed. The movie follows two comedians from Los Angeles as they make their way to Green Bay, WI to perform in a comedy club. To a horribly wonderful extent, it exaggerates every small town northern Wisconsin stereotype- deer hunting, mullets, bar fights, Packer fans, and of course, Chicago Bears hatred. It was hilariously awful, but it reminded us all of home, so we loved it.

Last Sunday my youngest host brother took me to meet his extended family. The family has two properties a short walk from our house in Ouahigouya. As we neared the first complex, my brother started pointing out his relatives on the streets. Just about everyone was somehow related. It turns out that the family is much more complicated that I originally thought. My host mother is the oldest (I think) of 12 children, ranging in age from roughly 35 to about 10. I now think both of the young girls who lived with us the past three months are actually my host mom’s youngest sisters, not her daughters. It’s confusing because if I’m right her children are older than her siblings.

Most of the family lives in a large housing complex together. They have a huge courtyard surrounded by a very tall fence. The house itself resembles a row of single-story apartments or condos, with maybe five or six separate small units. Across the street is the house of the family patriarch and his (I think only) wife. Their courtyard is huge, and with the tallest hangar I’ve seen, it feels very much like a warehouse shipping yard. My host grandfather was busy praying when we arrived, so we waited a few minutes with his wife in the circle of chairs they had setup for us. He came outside shortly and bounded over to us, greeting me warmly and asked about my health and family. He wanted me to thank my family for allowing me to come to Burkina. He echoed many people’s sentiments in saying that they are truly grateful for our help and eager to improve certain aspects of their quality of life. He offered me the following advice for a successful stay in Burkina: respect, diligence, and love. He promised that by practicing these three things my time here would be happy and fulfilling. I think that advice can be broadened to life in general.

The actual work we’ve had to do this week has been pleasantly minimal. We’ve had several administrative sessions, and I now proudly know how to request vacation time, receive my paycheck (oops…living allowance), and travel to my site. I’ve also been reminded several times that my actions as a Volunteer reflect not only on myself, but also on the entire Peace Corps and more generally on the United States of America…so don’t screw up. I don’t know if I can handle all the pressure. I wonder if President George ever received this lecture. Somehow I doubt it. I also doubt that anything I say or do here could manage to have more of a negative impact on our international standing than what he has done in the last six years. But that’s a story for another day. (For the record, I am free to discuss American politics, courtesy of the First Amendment; Burkina politics, however, are strictly off limits.)

Now I’m just enjoying my last few days with electricity and running water. And trying to pack up all the stuff the Peace Corps has managed to give me the past three months. Tomorrow is the swear-in ceremony!

I think it’s time for lunch; an avocado sandwich sounds delicious. All the best!