So this is Africa...

So... I made it!! Did you expect me to write "what the hell was I thinking??"
To tell you the truth, I thought I might say that once I got here, but I am honestly thrilled with everything!! It has been a very hectic and busy week but VERY exciting! I'm really happy with my decision to come here and I have not yet had a moment of severe fear or even apprehension- and definitely no regret..

I was in staging/orientation in Philly last Sunday through Tuesday (3/13-3/15), and then headed out to Paris Tues night (for a layover) and was finally in Burkina Faso Wed night, where it was a cool 96 degrees at 9 pm... yes, people, it is hot! But not humid so it is actually pretty bearable. From what I understand it's unusually hot for this time of year (lucky us) and we came just in time for the REALLY hot season, and the good vegetables just stopped being harvested. So food consists of mostly rice, spaghetti, couscous, some kind of soup dish, some kind of potato stew, or occassionally some veggies like green beans or carrots. Atkins diet this is not. But it isn't really too bad. I'm looking forward to some variety though. I hear the best mangoes around will soon be in season!!

So back to the timeline... we were greeted at the airport in Ouagadougou by about 30 PC Volunteers currently serving, and some other PC staff. They came with cookies and cold, bottled water!! We stayed that night in Ouaga, but left the next morning for our training site, which was a 2 hr ride to the northwest. Training is intense, but the Burkinabe and PC staff members are wonderful - all extremely knowledgeable and great at their jobs. So I have had some classes on medical info to know, cultural adhustments, foods, language, etc... it's like college all over again... um wait... no not really.

The other volunteers are very cool to be with. I am part of a group of 15 math and science teachers from allll over the US. It was a really weird first few days together because we obviously didn't know each other and it was just an awkawrd situation. But it has definitely become more comfortable and relaxed the more we go through together (like travel to Africa!!). We have had 5 shots so far for immunizations, blood drawn, and have started our malaria prophelaxies (spellcheck). That's big fun. I think we get shots like 2 or 3 times a week during this 11 wk training period.

In the village, we are stared at like we are on display, but it's fun for now. People are very friendly and once you talk to them they are very open to holding a conversation about cultures and why we are here and all. This village for the next 11 wks in particular is new to hosting Americans because this is the first time the PC set up training in this site. So we are definitely a novelty.

Thankfully for me my French is better than I thought because I have held many conversations in French in the last few days and this morning I was even placed in a class to begin learning some greetings in the local language called Moore.

The only thing that scares me right now is this type of spider I have heard about... it is huge and transports scorpions on its back.... um, if I see one I am seriously going to have a kanipshit. Why one of my Burkinabe trainers decided to tell me about them I do not know. But I will freak if one is ever in my room.

I will leave out details about the latrines and those sorts of things because I don't know who will read this and I am fairly sure it would disgust some of you! But for now, we are in a "hotel" with running water & electricity (unreliable) but we go to live with host families Thursday, and tomorrow we meet the village chief... seriously. and that's big here, so we are very privileged.

OK, I am sweaty and this keyboard sucks, so I will go shower, and I think the group is going out to dinner and maybe a local buvette (bar) in a few minutes.

I'll be sure to update again soon when I have better stories - for now it's a lot of training and just culture observation. And FYI, women have the short end of the stick in every possible way here in this culture -- just like America!!! ;-) just kidding - don't attack me with anti-feminist emails please.

Love to you all!!!

p.s. Send me some hugs because those are inappropriate actions for women here, so I will be hug-deprived for the next 2 yrs -- I hope I don't lose the magic!!!!