Karibu Kenya

Greetings from Mombasa. After spending three days in the bustle of Nairobi, I'm now in Mombasa, on my way to the beaches of the Indian Ocean. Cars, tall buildings, people, matatus, and surprisingly few (in fact, barely any) motos...Kenya has already started to grow on me. If only it weren't so cold.

I got my first taste of the cold in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. My flight had an overnight layover, so the airlines put me up in a hotel. Nice. But my room's windows were all open, and there was no heater. I had to turn on the hot shower for ten minutes to let the steam heat up the room. Then I huddled under the blankets to sleep. It was probably 65 degrees.

I got to Nairobi around noon on Thursday. The lodge I'm staying at sent a taxi for me, and I met the driver after going through customs. The ride to the lodge was probably less than 15 miles, but it took just over an hour because of...traffic! Nairobi has mad amounts of cars. I couldn't believe it. And narrow, windy streets made it impossible to move at times. Also, they drive on the left side of the road (which threw me off while crossing the street on more than one occasion). But the craziest thing is that there are no motorcycles. We're not in Ouaga anymore.

Friday morning I went over to the National Museum. They had several neat exhibits, but my favorite was the hall of mammals. A stuffed elephant, zebra, and giraffe were the main display. All around them the animals were grouped by eating habits. They had everything from a lion to a flying squirrel, all nicely annotated and explained. And the bathrooms were crazy clean. I spent the rest of Friday afternoon wandering around central Nairobi. I saw the House of Parliment, the National Arhives, the Vice President's office. I just could not get over the number of people, all well-dressed and rushing around on their lunch break.

Saturday I hung out with Patrick, a friend of my brother Nick's. Patrick works with a group that helps AIDS-affected children stay in school, and on Saturdays they have group activities. I spent the afternoon reading books, playing frisbee, and tossing a football. Lots of fun. We then had a birthday party for one of his co-workers. Grilled goat...yum! Just like Burkina.

And now I'm in Mombasa. I took a seven-hour ride on one of the "not so nice" buses yesterday. It was actually pretty nice. No AC, but we got Kenyan music videos for about half of the trip, and the rest stop at the halfway point was clean and had several restaurants with no hawkers. It's pretty clear that tourism is an important part of the Kenyan economy.

Hope all is well. Pictures soon...hopefully. Viva Espana!

Niger

For the first leg of my COS (Close of Service) trip, my friend Elsa and I spent five days in Niamey, the capital city of Niger. Niger is Burkina's neighbor to the east, and we immediately noticed both the differences and the similarities between people, culture, and resources in the two countries. See the pictures here.

Our first day was spent traveling. I got on the bus in Ouaga at 6am, and we got off the bus in Niamey around 7pm. Good times. But the taxi driver didn't rip us off too badly, and we made it to the PC's Niamey hostel sap sap. Food. Showers. Sleep. Best part: their hostel has a huge roof, perfect for sleeping. And that was good because, it was quite hot, despite this being the rainy season. And since it was the rainy season, I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised to be woken up at 2am to a thunder storm. Back inside with the mattress. At least the temperature was pretty moderate the rest of the trip.

We spent most of our first day exploring Niamey. Got to check out the grand mosque and the grander marche. Both were quite impressive. The mosque was built courtesy of a 500 million CFA donation from Libya. Located away from the heart of town, its matching green-topped minaret and dome were pretty snazzy. We then checked out the grand marche downtown, and spent sufficient time wandering around, getting lost, asking directions, and being led to the "best place for..." (fill in the blank with just about anything you can think of). Niamey is noticeably smaller than Ouaga, the people speak much less French, and there is a stronger Arabic influence, but all in all, Niamey definitely has the same feel as Ouaga.

The next day we decided to check out the Niger National Zoo. First stop: two giant hyenas behind some iron bars that seemed much too weak to do the job. I never knew how huge hyenas were. And we were only a couple feet away. We also saw a hippo (very fat), some baboons, an ostrich, and five lions! All within touching distance; a little scary. Interesting: one of the Niger PCVs works at the zoo. I asked her about feeding the lions. She said that they cut up animals and throw the pieces at the cage bars; the lions reach out and swipe in the meat. The tricky part is that the zoo worker doing the feeding is standing right next to the cage as well. Better hope the dead donkey looks more appetizing than you.

The highlight of the entire trip was definitely the giraffes. Niger is home to the last herd of wild giraffes, and the government has done an impressively good job of preserving their environment while still allowing tourist access. We rented a car to get us out to Koure, about 50km from Niamey, where we picked up a guide. Within five minutes, our guide had us in the midst of a family of four or five giraffes. And we just followed them around on foot for about an hour. They're completely harmless and seemed just as curious about us as we were about them. Did you know giraffes aren't yellow and black? They were brown and light brown. Also, they immediately reminded me of long-legged goats: similar eating habits, same environment, and movements. Turns out they are distantly related to the mountain goat. Cool.

Aside from a quick pirogue ride on the Niger river, that pretty much does it for our trip. A couple of PCVs invited us out to their sites, but that involved another 14 hour bus ride to the east- opposite the direction to Ouaga- so we had to decline. Someday I want to go back, though. Check out the rest of the country. And if security ever improves in the north, I have heard Agadez- home of Tuaregs, camels, and the gateway to the Sahara- is well-worth a visit.

Happy Fourth of July!

Lists

Being the organizationally-excitable person that I am (and acting on the advice of my mom), I’ve decided to keep a couple of lists while I am in Burkina. Enjoy.

Books I have read (any recommendations?):
66. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
65. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
64. Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis
63. The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson
62. The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad
61. Beloved by Toni Morrison
60. Contact by Carl Sagan
59. Davy Crockett by Lee Bishop
58. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
57. The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton
56. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
55. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
54. The Mission Song by John le Carre
53. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
52. Supreme Conflict by Jan Crawford Greenburg
51. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
50. The Final Days by Alex Chance
49. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
48. Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen
47. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
46. Memories of my Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
45. The Golden Age by Gore Vidal
44. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
43. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
42. Broken Prey by John Sandford
41. Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama
40. Sankara le Rebelle by Sennen Andriamirado
39. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
38. Un, Deux, Trois by Agatha Christie
37. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
36. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
35. Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
34. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
33. Hary Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
32. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
31. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
30. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
29. The Simple Truth by David Baldacci
28. Wicked by Gregory Maguire
27. You Shall Know our Velocity by Dave Eggers
26. The Innocent Man by John Grisham
25. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter and the Sourcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
23. White Fang by Jack London
22. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
21. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
20. The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
19. Youth by Joseph Conrad
18. Glory Road by Don Haskins and Dan Wetzel
17. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
16. Timequake by Kurt Vonnegut
15. The Rainmaker by John Grisham
14. The Famished Road by Ben Okri
13. Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally
12. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
11. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
10. The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
9. Holidays in Hell by P.J. O’Rourke
8. The Kennedys: Dynasty and Disaster 1848-1984 by John H. Davis
7. Hiroshima by John Hessey
6. Paradise“by Toni Morrison
5. The Street Lawyer by John Grisham
4. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
3. The Shining by Stephen King
2. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

Things I have seen people carry on their bike/moto:
-five skinned goats
-ten live chickens (tied upside down to the handle bars)
-20L jug of cooking oil
-groceries
-dead (but not skinned) sheep
-car tire
-full-sized mattress
-one small child
-two small children
-family of three
-goat in lap
-goat in cage
-sacks of various leaves
-wheelbarrow
-full-grown pig, dead, wrapped in burlap sacks, headed towards the slaughterhouse

Things I have seen people carry/sell on their head:
-my new refrigerator (don’t get too excited, it’s just a cannery)
-notebooks, pencils, protractors
-clothes
-food
-water (30L basin)
-Fruit: mangoes, bananas, apples, avocados
-firewood
-peanuts
-laundry baskets with mirrors, combs, and toothbrushes
-kitchen table
-kitchen chair
-sack of rice/millet
-50kg bag of dry cement (this didn’t make it very far)

...On the Move!

My final day as a Peace Corps Volunteer has arrived! It has been a fantastic ride, but I'm excited for a change. But before I decide what that change entails, I'm going on the move. A friend and I are doing a quick trip to Niger over the weekend, then I have a week or so bumming around Burkina- I can't leave without seeing my host family in Ouahigouya. And then the big trip...East Africa! I have five weeks to explore Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania. I can't wait! Animals, beaches, mountains, new foods, new people. Never fear (for those few of you still with me who are not my gandmother): there will be blogs and pictures. I arrive back in the US in mid-August.

Happy summer!

Forever-ever

I ate all my food, went to my last market day, said my goodbyes...and just like that three years in Tcheriba were over. I'm not sure where the time went, but I loved my job and life there. Someday I hope to be back, and even though my students will be grown up, new boutiques will be built, and the road will be paved (OK, that may be pushing it...), I hope it will still feel at least a little like the home it has become.

My last ten days in village were absolutely wonderful. I had plenty of time to do all my "lasts" and see all my friends. I visited two of my students in their village about 15km from Tcheriba; their village is off the main road and one of the smallest villages I've been to. It's also very green this time of year and quite nice. The following day I went out en brousse to visit one of my students in the field. As there hadn't been much rain yet, I found him hanging out under a tree "watching the fields". A little like watching paint dry. Hopefully the rains will come soon. We took a little bike trip together along my favorite path- there are lots of trees for shade, and the path passes through my favorite village. Good memories. I also got to do my last market day- pictures with the old guys, last time at my friend's mom's restaurant, one more visit to my favorite gateau lady. And of course, I played many last rounds of the card game whose rules seem to change on a minute-by-minute basis.

My last full day in village was spent going through all the stuff that has accumulated in my house. I've tried to be good, but I have a habit of amassing large quantities of crap. Luckily, two students spent most of the day with me. My crap turned into their treasure- especially popular were a big blue plastic poncho, a singing Halloween ghost toy, and blow-up punching balloons. I'm not exaggerating, we literally spent all day in my house digging through stuff. At least I know it's being put to good use. That evening the school administration and staff threw me a little party. Speeches, gifts, and chicken and beer- the traditional Burkinabe school function dinner. Delicious. I'm going to miss it.

When the day to leave finally came...man, it was tough. I had a committee of about 15 or 20 students who came over to the house around 6:30am. I know I'm not supposed to have "favorites", but I was glad that all my favorite students were able to be there. What I want more than anything is to hear from some of them. One year, five years, twenty years. I just want to know what happens to them, what they go on to do in life. I'm gong to miss them a ton.

Somehow- gifts, mainly- the two bags that I had managed to cram all of my stuff into ballooned into four bags, two boxes, branches of fruit, bags of peanuts, and a live chicken. So I was glad I had help getting to the bus station. I gave my keys to my landlord, and suddenly, way to quickly, the bus appeared chugging down the road. And that was it. A few tears, the last handshakes, and I was off.

Life in village was not luxurious. It was not comfortable. It was not convenient. It didn't come packaged in shiny plastic or served in ready-to-eat boxes. It was dusty. It was lonely. It was full of friends. It was hot. It was busy but there was always time to chat with the neighbors. It was morning classes, afternoon soccer matches, and weekend study sessions. It was Uno, Dominoes, and Connect Four. Solitary bike rides; crowded classrooms. Sunrises. Goats. Students. It was beautiful. And I wouldn't have wanted to change a day.

Got Books?

Quick update on the library situation. Our money from the Peace Corps Partnership came in, and I've purchased almost 200 books for our new library. The three French teachers at our school came up with a list with titles ranging from "Le Petit Prince" (come on, you've heard of that, right?) to "Candide" (that too, right?). Ouaga has two nice bookstores- think Barnes and Noble, but the scale of a 7/11. The more interesting of the two is located next to the large National Cathedral and is, appropriately enough, run by nuns. The have an enormous selection of religious titles...but also plenty of other books. One of the sisters helped me out with my order, and a couple of hours later I walked away with two big boxes of books. Though we did purchase a some foreign works, the vast majority of the books are African novels, and mostly West African at that! A partial title list is below.

Though school is out for the summer, all the students have been informed about the library, and they are very excited to be able to read books beginning in the fall.

Thank you, thank you, thank you again for supporting our library. It can't yet compete with the Library of Congress, but I have every confidence that we have started something that will continue well into the future.

Titles purchased include:

-Les contes d'Amadou Komba by Birago Dirop

-Maimouna by Abdoulaye Sadji

-Le monde s'effondre by Chinua Achibe

-Sous l'orage by Seydou Badian

-L'enfant de la guerre

-L'etranger by Albert Camus

PS No, the picture above has nothing to do with the library...but I forgot my camera at the house, and this is the most interesting picture I could find at the moment. And I know you like pictures.

Koudougou Computer Camp

Pictures of the weekend are here!

As my final secondary project in Tcheriba, I decided to do something a little challenging and out of the normal. After talking to my school headmaster and Vincent, a PCV friend who teaches IT in Koudougou, I invited 16 of our best 8th grade students to a weekend computer camp at the high school in Koudougou. I was a little nervous about bringing so many students so far from home, but I was confident that we had chosen the best students and that after three years in Burkina, I would have the skills and resources to make the trip a success. And what a trip it was!

To set the stage: Of the 16 students, at least 12 had never been outside the immediate vicinity of our village: no paved roads, no bus rides, no running water, no electricity, no large markets, no rows upon rows of boutiques. They had never seen the river about 30km away, and ours was the biggest school they had ever seen. When we asked them what a computer is, the answers ranged from "something like a TV" to "a calculator that folds up". What I'm trying to say is that the excitement level was beyond belief. The morning we left the first kid showed up at my house over an hour early worried that we were already late for the bus. The boys had all shaved their heads, and the girls were in their best clothes. Several of the students from surrounding villages left their bikes in my house. I knew it would be an interesting weekend when one of them asked me to show him how my gas stovetop worked.

Once we got to the bus station, however, the complications began to arise. Quickly. The night before, a large lorry had been traveling on our road. His load was so large that he collapsed the tiny bridge over the creek about 20km from us. Consequence: no transportion that day. None. OK, plan B: the bus station chef in village would call the bus company to see if they were taking another route that would still run them past us. Problem: two of the three cell phone companies in Burkina had failed to renew their government operation licenses by midnight the previous day. As of Friday morning (our travel day) all phones on those services, including all the mobile numbers of all transport workers on all four of the transport companies on our road, were inoperable. So we couldn't talk to anyone. Plan C: Call someone with a bush taxi in Boromo and have them come up to get us. Nope: that guy was traveling. Plan D: I ended up calling Vincent in Koudougou and sending him to find us a bush taxi in Koudougou. Despite being deathly ill, Vincent made it into town, negotiated us a bush taxi, and saw the driver off. Score! Two hours and a plate of meat for 17 people later, the bush taxi showed up in Tcheriba. Half an hour later, after arguing over the already clearly agreed upon price, we were off. No windows on one side, three tries to get the door to stay shut, and lots of dust. But we were off. Images of my Mom shoveling the driveway at 5am after an all-night snow storm the day we were supposed to leave for Orlando flashed through my head. We WOULD make it to Koudougou.

From that point on, however, the trip was wonderful. We got to Koudougou in time for dinner and a quick tour of the market. We had two classrooms for sleeping at school (I was nextdoor in the computer lab), and we stayed up the rest of the evening playing cards and lounging around. Really not doing much. Everyone was pretty tired after a day of waiting by the side of the road for transport. Saturday morning was spent in the classroom. We talked about what exactly a computer is, what it can do, how people use them. We also discussed how people tell a computer what to do: via the mouse and keyboard. All this stuff was completely new to them. It took me a bit to get used to the fact that I had to explain EVERYTHING, but luckily Vincent's IT experience made for a productive and informative class.

The students were dying to use the computers, though, so Saturday afternoon was the much-anticipated moment. First thing: learning to move the mouse by drawing pictures in MS Paint. We started with squiggles and lines, and progressed to complicated shapes like circles. Several kids actually emitted squeals of excitement when they learned how to fill in shapes with colors. We also had a contest to see who could draw the best Burkinabe flag. Several were quite good, though there were many interesting interpretations of the tricky gold star in the middle of the flag. After they got the mouse down, we did some basic typing lessons with BlocNote. No one quite got to the point of typing 100 words a minute with their eyes closed, but they at least all figured out how to write in capital letters. Saturday night was dinner in town and movies on the computers at schoo- another new experience! (Though I couldn't get them to branch out from their Jackie Chan, kung-fu genre movie preferences.)

We had a similar schedule on Sunday, though this time we were ONLINE! The tough thing about teaching the internet was getting them to understand that they could find absolutely ANYTHING online. And once they got their heads around that idea, they had a little trouble coming up with useful things to look for. I vaguely remember that feeling from the first time I tried to figure out the internet: I remember thinking, "OK, so what's the point? I don't need information about everything in the world." I came up with some questions- kind of a scavenger hunt, and that seemed to work much better. Sunday afternoon we taught them how to use e-mail. I had given all the students my e-mail address, so they were eager to be able to keep in touch with me next year. (Nevermind that there's no internet in Tcheriba.)

Sunday evening I invited everyone out for Cokes and Fantas at a nearby restaurant. I can't even begin to explain how high their moods were. They were absolutely on cloud nine. Joking about learning how to drink out of glass glasses (a rarity in village), how they should wait for the drinks to warm up, telling a few city students that we were from "down the road, in the little corner of America where Barack Obama grew up". It was just fantastic. Sunday night we sat up watching more bad kung-fu movies until the wee hours of the morning. And Monday we went back home (they had repaired the bridge by felling a few trees to drive over so there was transport now).

Fantastic trip, and an excellent way to end my service.