Jum Wylie (good day in fulfuldi)

Have entered a new phase in my Peace Corp experience, I think. I just got into Koudougou and I have realized that I actually prefer my tiny village to the big city even despite the attractions of a pool and pasteries! Yes I am more than a little alarmed at this epiphany.

In the two weeks since Thanksgiving I have learned how to make tô, given a sensibilization at the school for world AIDS day, and traveled once again en brousse.

Tiogo has come to life recently because the farmers have all finished the fall recolt. I have asked them what they are up to now and they always reply, "Rein." So, it seems that the entire village has nothing to do for the next three months. That makes me feel a lot less lonely.

I am in koudougou today preparing for a sensibilization that the threater troop is doing this Sunday. It is the big monthly market this Sunday so the troop has decided to put on a play regarding condom negotiation and AIDS prevention. I am really excited about it.

Everyone is also preparing for Christmas. My village is mainly Catholic so it promises to be a big event. It is hard to think of it as Christmas, however, with such hot weather. Yesterday the two village midwives, in a drunken stupor, cornered me at our market and invited me to celebrate Christmas with them. I was actually pretty excited about it. Also, the theater troop is preparing a big New Years Party. I am glad there is stuff going on in my village and think both events are going to be really fun but sad at the same time because this means I will not be celebrating with the other Peace Corp volunteers. I do plan to go to Ouaga on the 2nd, however, in order to watch all the big college football games.

I guess that is about it for now. Enjoy your holiday preparations and drink some eggnog for me.