Friday, November 25, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone has a happy thanksgiving. Please eat some cranberry sauce for me.

I came into Ouaga for thanksgiving as did a lot of other volunteers. We had a pot luck supper with prime ribs, mashed potatoes, and cream gravy. I even convinced some one to make peach cobbler!

I am currently researching funding possibilities for the regional bike a thon that my theater troop is planning. A few weeks ago they came to me and told me that they were short some funds and asked if I would help with a grant. When I asked how short they were they said they needed everything but a couple boxes of condoms! Needless to say I am a little overwhelmed but am glad to be starting on a projet.

My greatest accomplishment has been making chicken fried steak, cream gravy and masked potatoes en village. Am a good texan or what? Also, I found a catholic mission in Koudougou that lets out rooms for cheap. It is so peaceful and clean. It is a real saving grace when I need a real shower! Never thought I would come to a point in my life where I thought staying in a monastery was living the life of luxery.

So here are some recent stats on my life here:

# of kms biked in one day - 78
# of bike falls - no longer counting but is decreasing
# of lbs lost - 23
Languages spoken on daily basis - english, french, leile, moore and fulfuldi
# of things living in house - 3 (2 bats and a parttime daughter)
# of scorpions seen - 1
favorite drink in village - scary clear moonshine and locally brewed beer (dolo)
African names - Edwouma Kanko (leile) and Sofiata (moore)

Monday, November 14, 2005

Still going strong (dje wene koko)

Thanks to Mom and Emily for getting the pictures up. It is actually my first time seeing them. Strange to think of life in Gourcey as it feels so long ago.

I am settling into village life and finally feel as though I am actually doing something and not just wondering around aimlessly. This last week was especially good.

I have been interviewing various community leaders and getting to know my surroundings. This week the board of directors came over and built me a courtyard so now I have some privacy. It is nice but a little loney. I plan on planting bouganvillas in there and the board said that they are going to build me a porch out of wood and a thatched roof. That will make it really nice but will cut into my tree sitting time with my "dad." The kids of my family have been coming over to play cards about twice a week. They help me a lot with my leile and french. I am proud of myself for actually knowing all their names.

My best day this week was when I went en brushe (in the fields) with my family. They were so excited when I showed up that they all let out and Indian/Arab like yell. I helped the old men arrange the mil and helped the women cut the mil. Then they decided that I needed to just take the mil from the field to the donkey cart to be loaded for the trip home. They insisted that I carry the mil in a bowl on my head. I was actually pretty good at it and could even balance it without using my hands!

We also had Ramadan. The family of my daughter (who came back by the way and now is on her best behavior; she stays two night a week only now which works really well.) is Muslim so I got invited to their house two nights in a row for a celebration. Each night there was a dance party that lasted until 6 a.m. They were all pumped when the whitey got up to dance. I also ate lunch with all the teachers in the village. I was so full that I was sich. Just like our holidays back home. Never thought that I would be so full in Africa that I managed to make myself sick. I guess gluttony follows you around wherever you go.

I started my french lessons. It has helped my french as well as going around and just talking to people. I also started Leile lessons. My theater group met this week and there are big plans for a bike a thon on AIDS as well as a sensibilization on International AIDS day, December 1.

I guess that is all for now. Will write more when I am in Ouaga for Thanksgiving.

Friday, November 04, 2005

Good News

To all of you who know our good family friend, Miss Ever, thanks for your prayers and her news was good this morning.
No other signs of cancer, and they will treat the lumpectomy site with radiation.
from Kelly's mom

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

African people


African landscapes


still more




village - zaka life

even more photos




Traditional dress and a baobab tree (as in Little Prince book)

more photos




Kelly's hut in her training village is the one with people sitting in front. The other is a granary next door.

photos





With Kelly's friend Emily's help - I am posting photos a few at a time.
Those of you on my group e-mail have already seen these.
Please send me your e-mail address if you would like to be added to that group - I give updates as I get them from her.
Kelly's mom