Carepackages Galore

This blog might be boring for some people but not for me. I also want to express my undying thanks to the people that put together these packages and spent all the money of postage. THANK YOU. Care packages make my week and I can sometimes spend hours unwrapping the boxes and going through everything. I eat better during weeks that I get care packages. Due to the lack of regulation and food standards care packages are the only way I get protein and meat while I am at site. I really do not want to get a tape worm or other disease from eating the meat here.

Tape worms aside care packages are my link to the outside world, allowing me a piece of Americana here in Burkina Faso. THANK YOU

December 27, 2009: The first thing I did when I was alone in my house was to open this care package from my Aunt Dee and Uncle Mike. It was my first Christmas package and I was through the roof with all of the fun things they sent me. I have watched the film Out of Africa twice since then. Man Robert Redford was a fox when he was younger, haha.

January 20,2009: Christmas did come a month later. This is me in the transit house in Ouagadougou after I picked up the three packages that were waiting for me at Peace Corps headquaters. It was a task carrying these things for over a mile.

WARNING: The next 5 packages you see are the packages that were robbed from my house at the end of January. Luckily only the food was stolen!!

January 20,2009: My Best Friend Toby knows me too well. Since he now lives in Tennessee he sent me over some corn bread mixes, a little bit of the American south all the way over here in Africa. The Fig Newtons had no chance and I had to restrain myself after polishing off 15 fig newtons in one day. Toby was also worried I was becoming stinky over here hence the soap, haha. I don’t think I smell that bad and they do have soap over here in Burkina Faso, in fact many women sell soap as income generating activities. All of the tuna and salmon were wonderful. Sadly I was never able to enjoy any of the food.

January 20,2009: Jen, my sister sent over this random assortment of goodies. Yes that is an entire box of granola bars and candy. Tons of hankerchiefs, I now have enough for each day of the week. A gift from Jen is not complete without a wooden fish that is now on display in my house. I have also put up all the Christmas decorations, there is no shame in having Christmas decorations up year round here in Burkina. Love the tabloid, some light entertainment.

January 20, 2009: Jen pulled my name this year in our Family lottery and she sent me over a care package with wrapped goodies. I waited till I was back at site to open up my presents. But I can already see some yummy goodies: Homemade Beef Jerky (yes Jen it was salty but I did not mind) and Tasty Cakes. The photos of my family’s house at Christmas this year are on display in my house now.

January 20, 2009: The unveiling of Jennifer’s Christmas present for me. I of course set up my Christmas tree so all of the gifts could be laid out underneath. Jen knows me well Taco seasoning, crystal light drink mixes and Tuna/Chicken packets. But the icing on the cake was Season 3 of How I Met Your Mother. I was ecstatic and so happy it was not stolen. The dresses were a hit and since wearing them I have had 4 separate women ask me to give them the dress. I normally just laugh and say that after my two years they can have the dresses. They smile and continue to ask the next time they see me. Thanks Jen, SMILE!!!

January 26, 2009: This package had it all, thank you Mom, Dad, and Jen. The photo collages I made prior to coming to BF so I could hang them on my wall. Some fun markers which have been so much fun playing with. Dried fruit galore and yes that is some shrink wrapped meat in the bottom left. They one thing I regret not eating the most is the fun yogurt cranberry high fiber cereal from Target. Ohh I lament over the pad thai and all those lovely drink mixes. The most ingenious product is the ziplock bag of ketchup packets. They did not cost my family a cent and they are so encential to add flavor to bland dishes here in Burkina Faso. Also I dare you find some good Heinz ketchup anywhere on this continent, which is killing the Pittsburgh girl in me.

January 26, 2009: I snap a photo of my final Christmas package before I tear everything open and go wild. After opening these last two packages on the 26th I sat down and wrote a letter home for over three hours.

January 26, 2009: Complete Joy. I could not help myself so I dug right in to the Ghirardelli Peppermint chocolate. I know what you are think, Gwen you don’t like chocolate. Well I love PEPPERMINT and you would be surprised what you eat when you have no variety. I find myself eating chocolate and liking it because it is something different. Ohhh this was good. I would kill for a candy cane right now.

January 26, 2009: The previous package unfolded and beautiful on my petit bois “coffee” table. Ohh the guilt and regret wash over me as I see that real cheese, Italian bread crumbs, and fig newtons in this photo. The Burt Bee’s lotion and pumice is amazing and allow me to pamper myself every so often. I laughed at the 2 bottles of anti-diharria pills, Nice Touch!! Hopefully I will not have to use them.

February 17, 2009: Annie’s care package came just in time and look at all of the lovely protein. Yes, that is Chicken, YIPPEE. Ann also sent much needed drink mixes to make the hot water bariable to drink and a World Map to decorate my house. It has already been nailed into the wall. It is great for teaching!! There are so many Cds I do not know where to begin and tons of new artists to be introduced to. A little bit of everything even some Burt’s Bees pampering packs. I felt like a princess going to bed every night for a week as I gave myself facials and wore socks and gloves to bed to lock in the lotion, oh la la. The package was not complete with out the two bags full of sauces and restaurant/fast food condiments. Not a single Chick Fille Polynesian Sauce made it though across the pond. Over 6 containers exploded and got over everything. I spent a good 30 minutes cleaning all of the condiment packages, SOO WORTH IT!!

February 19, 2009: Now this was a pleasant surprise on my 2nd month anniversary of being a PCV. A surprise package from my good friend Sami and James. As you can see I ripped open the fig newtons right away and scarfed some down. The big shock of the package was the incredibly good dried cherries from Target. I have never had dried cherries before and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you go out and try them. The easy mac has been getting me through lunches especially when some nice tuna is added for extra protein. Ohhh how I miss asian food/pad thai, which is non-exsistant here in Burkina Faso. The pumice on a robe is used every night during my bucket bath helping remove dirt and dead skin daily. Ohhh the lovely magazines, I loved the Entertainment Weekly, THANK YOU SAMI AND JAMES. So incredibly thoughtful.

February 19, 2009: What a smorgesbord of fun things to keep me busy. My family sent me out this care package of entertaining goodies. The best thing in this package though was the DVD Ann and Jen made me of our house in PA with all of the ice and snow. I laughed and laughed as I watched them take me around. It felt like I was back home and cold for a hot second. Jen was also so nice to send over one pack of gushers and a really great smelling candle that comes in handy when the electricity goes out. Yummy summer sausage and beef jerky and more condiments. The magazines (even a British magazine I bet from Gig) and book will distract me and keep me busy. The one thing that still perplexes me is the plastic sporks, haha.

February 26, 2009: As a PCV you kinda assume the only care package you will get will be from family therefore when a care package comes from a friend back in the states it makes that packages so much more special. It means that as a volunteer you are really reaching a broader audience. I also find that you can find out who your friends are because they take interest in your life and try to stay in contact while you are away either studying abroad or working abroad. This massive care package is from a former colleague and friend of mine Andrew Hardgrove. He himself a former PCV in Uzbekistan, he was one of my mentors during my application process and it was so thoughtful of him to send me a package. It was filled with wonderful imaginative goodies though the letter was my favorite part because he told me about his surprise plans to purpose to his girl friend in Taiwan. By now they should be engaged!!! YEAH. He sent things that I had never thought about before and had funny reasons for sending them i.e. he was craving the same things when we went shopping himself. I am amazed the most by the queso and tortilla chips. I cannot believe they made it over here. Chips let alone Tortilla chips are nonexistent here. Ohhhh Queso. Some other wonderful orginal things like wasabi green peas, Milano cookies, amazing granola, and some Kashmir spinach from tasty bites capped off this package. Thank you Andrew!!

February Etude

Written February 26, 2009

This is the life. I can understand why former Peace Corps Volunteers are jealous and think fondly of the life as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The reason is that you are kinda your own boss, and you set your own hours. Starting in April I will actually begin projects and from what I understand I will be making my own schedule. I will embrace this freedom and revel in all my free time. Unlike my fellow volunteers that come right out of college I have worked for the past couple years. Therefore, I am embracing all this free time with no ramifications or deadlines to worry about. It is like college but with nothing due and no tests to study for.

This past month my host NGO ASUDEC actually allowed me to live my etude. For the entire month I have been in Diebougou and have only gone out to village once. I also only have meetings for 1-2 hours two times a week. The rest of the time is mine.

What does a normal day entail? I normally get up with the sun or the animals depending on which one wakes me first. I then get ready for the day and depending on what time it is I head out for my daily walk around town. During my walk I normally pick up what I might need to eat for the day. Since there is no refrigeration or way to preserve food I normally have to buy everything that day. I head to center ville first where most of the alimentations are and stop in and say hi to all the boutique owners. I then wind my way back through the marche were I pick up my vegetables and bread for the day. My tour of the village normally takes about an hour sometimes more. I only head to the post office once a week.

When I get back to my house I open all my windows and doors and try to get the breeze to come into my house. There are number of activities that I can keep myself busy with:

1) Write Letters to Friends or Family (I normally send 3-4 letters out every week).
2) Write in my journal (This takes anywhere from 1-2 hours a day)
3) Read a Book
4) Watch Movies/TV Shows (My closest neighbor Linda (23 KM away) left her external hard drive with me since she cannot use it at her house, she has no electricity. It has been my saving grace this past month after the robbery. Slumdog Millionaire is an amazing film by the way).
5) Teach myself French
6) Write a blog entry or respond to emails that I have copied onto a junk drive
7) Have text conversations with friends in Burkina Faso on my cell phone
8) Take a nap
9) Wash my laundry and do my dishes by hand. (This normally takes about 3-4 hours. Makes me very thankful for machines now).

Those are the 7 things I do to pass the time here at my site. I vary it up daily. One day I might do one activity all day the next day I will do another. I normally always spend 1-2 hours writing in my journal everyday. The main point of these activities is to stay still and not sweat too much. I normally do everything on the floor because it is the coolest spot. I lay out a mat on the concrete and write, read, or take a nap. When a care package comes with magazines, I will devote hours reading the “latest” news in The Economist, People, or Entertainment Weekly from cover to cover. Normally, the “latest” is a month late, but it is better then nothing. Another ingenious thing that I do is listen to Podcasts. When I was last in Ouaga I downloaded the latest podcasts for NPR so I could listen to them back here at my house. As I am preparing lunch or dinner I normally put on Wait … Wait Don’t Tell Me.. . and listen as I prepare my food.

I really need to purchase a radio so I can listen to the BBC every night at 6pm. That is what a lot of my fellow volunteers do. I am putting it on my shopping list for this weekend. That will create something new to do in my daily routine.

When it reaches 5pm I normally go outside and relax on a mat or take another tour of village. If I feel like treating myself I head into center ville and buy myself some ice cold Fanta Apple Soda and Sparkling Water and then walk back to my house. I mix the two beverages at home and enjoy the crisp sparkling sensation in my mouth as it cools me down.

I have had to move my nightly exercise routine from 5pm to later when it is pitch dark outside. I was attracting peeping toms while the sun was still out. Either children or women would look through my straw fence while I did my pilates/excercises. It really upset me so I moved inside for a week but it is a lot hotter indoors with no air circulation. So this week I turn off all the lights in my house and go out and exercise in the dark around 7pm each night and no longer worry about people spying on me; everything is dark.

With all of this free time I do feel guilty every once in a while because I feel so inefficient. But then I look out my back window and all my neighbors are laying on mats under their mango trees taking naps or listening to the radio. Life is just different over here, and they embrace their repose time. Therefore, I would say 90% of me has given into this life style, 10% feels the guilt. I need to embrace it now because I know in 5 years when I have that 8am-6pm job again I will be jealous of all this repose time I have now. In the United States I would be considered lazy but here with the heat and the lack of amenities personal reading/writing is an efficient use of my time.

February Highlights:

A) The first week in February I felt like I ran a hotel, I had a different Peace Corps volunteer come through and stay at my house every night. Strangers become good friends in a matter of minutes over the common bond that we are all PCVs in Burkina Faso. My house is like the transit house of my area of Burkina Faso. It is nice to have company but makes me enjoy my privacy and alone time even more. Having company also lets me go out into Diebougou at night. I normally do not leave my house after 6pm because I do not feel safe. There are no street lamps and I am a women so I stay close to home. Therefore, it was great to go out at night when PCV Clay came and visited me. Diebougou looks completely different at night and has a different vibe, I am definitely glad I stay indoors when alone.

B) My counterpart Lagou and his wife came over on February 14th for dinner. Valentine’s Day is just another day over here, nothing special but it was nice to make spaghetti and banana bread for my guests. We talked in French about life here in Burkina Faso compared to the United States late into the night.

C) As I tried to sleep during the early morning hours of February 17th the wind picked up and it sounded and felt like a hurricane was ripping through my house. I felt like my roof, which is just a bunch of corrugated steel, was going to be blown off my house. Then the rain came and it poured down on my house, which is deafening but I was so happy because it cooled the air. I even did not mind that some rain came in through the window. Windows here are metal slats and there is no glass so when it rains, water just comes inside your house. It was overcast for the next couple days and cooler than it had been. I was so happy and wore my gore tex mountain shoes because it was muddy everywhere. There is no irrigation or drainpipes here, mud everywhere, horrible roads. The Burkinabe were so surprised because it normally does not rain till June, people acted like it was the worst thing ever. Imagine if Florida got 5 feet of snow. Kids actually thought they would not have school because it rained. Quite funny but I enjoyed a couple more days of reasonable temperatures and looked forward to the rainy season (actually monsoon season), though I will have to get used to the noise in my house.

D) This month I also had my first whole evening without electricity. I lived like a true villager. The electricity goes out normally 5-7 times a week, most of the time during the day. It even turned off once during the writing of this blog. It really does not bother me, because I try not to use my electricity that much, and most of the electricity outages are during the day when it is light out. In January when the electricity would go out at night it would be just for a couple minutes and then come back on. Well on February 24th the electricity went out at 7pm and never came back on. I was so thankful my family sent me a nice smelling candle from the States (Thanks!). I just lit the candle and wrote in my journal, with my face inches from the page squinting at my writing. I also took my mat outside and laid on the ground looking up at the stairs. With no electricity to veil the sky with light, the stars here held undisputed dominion over the night. The amount of stars is breathtaking and a great advantage of village life without electricity. I took my bucket bath in pitch black and went to bed early. I read my book by flashlight and enjoyed the quietness.

Many of my PCV counterparts live like this everyday and it makes me VERY VERY THANKFUL that I have electricity. Some village PCVs do buy car batteries or solar panels to use at night to power lights but most PCVs use candles or kerosene lamps and go to bed very early.

This past week I have conducted meetings with the other NGOs and associations here in DBG for potential opportunities to collaborate during the next two years. For example I met with Women groups, Organizations for AIDS/HIV.

I think the organization I will most likely work with will be the Handicap Association, they are my neighbors and I really liked the lady working there. Since they are right next door I can easily visit the association and help any way I can. I was shocked that they did not even have a ramp for wheel chairs, a project I can hopefully work on. I will say that this issue has affected me the most since I arrived in Burkina four months ago. I cannot believe how many Burkinabe are handicapped. I found out that 1 in 5 people in developing countries are handicapped and it is heartbreaking because it makes their lives that much more difficult. I am so excited to make a difference even if it is just getting some cement to make a ramp for their building!

As February comes to a close I am amazed at how fast it went by and that I never left my site once. Now that I am settled I can see how these two years will just fly by.

Please excuse me now as I go dunk my head in a bucket of water!!