African Birthday

Today is what those of you in the States commonly refer to as my “Golden Birthday.” I turn 23 on the 23^rd of July, and what a place to do so! I think I’ll celebrate by eating the whole bag of Snickers that my mom sent me, and perhaps I’ll go out with the other trainees for a cold Brakina after class.

Site visit was pretty great. Thyou (pronounced “tee-oo”) is kind of in the middle of nowhere—not unlike Urbana-Champaign (though I wont be expecting a snow day this January). It’s a small town, surrounded by smaller villages. Students from these villages will come to my school to learn important things. The school is right out the door from my house, where I have a nice courtyard, room for a small garden, a kitchen, bedroom, living room, and hole to poop in. Since I’m taking over for a volunteer who is leaving in August, I’ll be inheriting a few things, such as a hammock, a stove, a desk, a car battery to power my desk light, and perhaps a neighbor child who likes to hang out in my courtyard. I’m weighing whether or not I want to get a pet (other than the kid). Having a dog is not unheard of here, though when my two years is up, I wouldn’t know who to give him/her to. We’ll see.

From Thyou, the closest town with internet access looks to be Koudougou. I can bike the topographically flat 40km between them in less than two hours, or catch a bush taxi (a U-Haul sized bus) into town for pretty cheap. I’d have to devote the day downtown. Looks like life won’t be much different from living 50 miles outside of Chicago. There are a couple volunteers living in town, with whom I could stay overnight if I find the ride back some evening to be unappealing.

Thyou’s got a convenience store, gas station, and a few shops where I’ll be able to get any necessities. The market in my town is allegedly preferable to that of Koudougou, so I suppose I’ll be learning how to cook (am I a catch, or what?). The volunteer I’m replacing is convinced that Thyou makes the best bread of anywhere in Burkina Faso. I will test this theory. I’ll spend the next few weeks brainstorming how I’ll decorate and modify my first bachelor pad. Anyone interested in flying out to paint a mural with me is more than welcome.

Model School starts this week! Today I sat in on a math class taught by a Burkinabe teacher. I had trouble staying awake. It seems some dilemmas are international. I’ll start teaching next monday. For the first two weeks, I’ve happily chosen to teach physics—a somehow unpopular subject among the other trainees. Later, I’ll probably switch to Biology, and sit in on some math classes, as I’ll likely be asked to teach these classes in Thyou. With this new phase in training, many of us education volunteers feel a refreshing sense of purpose…

French is going well. Last week, I tested in at the level required for teaching volunteers. This means I can spend the rest of training over-achieving. I’ll continue studying French, and I’ll also have weekly sessions of Moore—the local language spoken in Thyou. I find that in French, I can understand pretty much everything when listening to someone in person (as opposed to on television or radio), but I need still the vocabulary and colloquialisms necessary for non-robotic responses. Petit à petit.

What more to say? After site visit, we got to stay at the volunteer house in the capital (Ouagadougou). It was like vacation. I got to have pizza, ice cream, tacos, hamburgers, draught beer, bacon, ice cream, waffles, ice cream, onion rings, banana bread, ice cream, legitimately brewed (not instant) coffee, and ice cream. Don’t judge me. We all have vices. While incredible, these delicacies cost a pretty penny. And while a penny is worth more here than in the States, volunteers aren’t paid like diplomats. Ouaga is only about an hour or so from Thyou—there’s a bush taxi that goes direct 6 days a week. Not a raw deal.

The rest of training will be pretty nine-to-five. I’ll be teaching and learning language. Beyond that, occasional drinks with other trainees, a little bit of exercise, occasional nutritional indulgences, and trying to get a tan without sweating cannonballs. My host parents’ house feels like home (I was relieved to return after site visit). Now I’ve accumulated two weeks worth of laundry, which I’ll have the pleasure of washing by hand this Sunday. The felonies I’d commit for a laundromat…

In the next episode of “They Don’t Play Hockey In Burkina Faso,” Jon tells news about how his future students fare, and gives tips for keeping the class brat in line.

Miss you like ice cream, birthday cake, Chinese food, and live rock’n’roll.

-J