It is a Rainy Day...

So, usually when someone says it’s a rainy day, they say it with a sense of melodrama, sadness, and melancholy; like it’s a bad thing.  We even make songs about sadness in terms of rain, “it’s a rainy night in Georgia, a rainy night in Georgia…” or childhood songs asking for this sad/bad thing leave like, “Rain, rain go away, come again another day…”  I am sure that just reading the title of my blog it evoked some since of immediate sadness, that maybe Aisha is sad, or not feeling well, or having a hard time.  And well depending on the perspective and cultural context, your assumption is correct.  However, here, while I am in western Africa and more specifically in Burkina Faso, a rainy day is a joyous occasion.

I guess I will explain a bit about the seasons here in Burkina Faso.  There are two major seasons in Burkina, the dry season and the rainy season.  The rainy season starts towards the end of June/early July and goes through mid October (roughly 4 months).  It usually rains about 2 times a week and very hard rain.  You usually can tell the rain is coming because it is really hot and then all of a sudden clouds come out of nowhere the next day or that night there is a down pour.  I would say that it is about in the 90s and then after the rain the temperature cools off for a day or so.  Everything everywhere is green and plush and looks like a beautiful portrait. Then from the end of October through late January is a dry cold season (about 3 months).  During the day it is in about the 70s and 80s, but at night it can get to the 50s and 60s.  it might not seem cold to you, but if you live in a house without a heating system and no insulation, 50s is a hard chill to shake off…think about the last time you purposely put your thermostat on 50 degrees or when your furnace stopped working and the temperature dropped below 60 in your house…it was cold! There is also a dry wind during this time in December.  From March to May, but mainly April is the dry HOT season!  I mean it is hot!  Most people cannot sleep inside of their house during the hot season at night time if you don’t have a fan or air conditioner (air conditioners are rare) because the house has heated so much from the sun’s rays all day that it feels like an oven inside of the house.  It’s hot during the day and it is hot at night.  I would say around 4am is when it starts to feel semi-cool, but by time it feels like that, it is nearly time to wake up all over again.  It is definitely in the 100s during the day and I would say at night it is in the 90s, but it almost feels like the earth under you is releasing the heat that it has been trapping all day so even though you feel relief from the sun beaming on you, it is still pretty hot.  During both dry seasons everything looks pretty brown and deserted.   

If you are following well, then you know right now is the rainy season.  It is actually toward the end of the rainy season because the rains are becoming sparser.  It was really hot yesterday and earlier today and well…now it is raining.  There is so much going on that makes me feel like everything will be alright, just based on the fact that it rained.  I am nervous/excited because the girls who are coming to live in the boarding house will be moving in tomorrow because school starts on Monday, October 3 (happy birthday Quinton).  My sister called me and then my dad called me a couple of hours later.  About 5 minutes after my dad called the sky started to turn dark and rain clouds moved in.  It has now been pouring outside for about 45 minutes and I am sure it will continue for some time.  According to the culture I am in, the rain is a sign of God’s blessing for the crops and prosperity.  If you arrive from a trip and it rains, it is a sign that you are a blessing to the location.  And so, the rainy day is a celebration and a sort of high five from God that you are here.  Considering the rain today and the feeling I had when I talked to my dad and sister, I must say that I agree that this rain is a sign of the many blessings that my family and God is showering upon me.  I am taking it as a sign that my work will be a blessing to the people of my town and me.  So counter to the popular American culture, I will rejoice and with a big smiley face say, “IT’S A RAINY DAY :-)!!”

(written October 1)

Happy Birthday Peace Corps!

All over the world Peace Corps volunteers, their host country national co-workers and families in the USA people are celebrating the legacy of the amazing organization that Kennedy put into place.  Thank you for your vision, and your belief that we all have something to share and to learn, and that development is all about empowerment.  I am a firm believer and hopeful optimistic in the core values of Peace Corps.  I bet you can tell, since this is my second time around…  It means a lot to me to be here, as a Peace Corps Response volunteer in the country I served in originally during the 50^th anniversary year.  It is the perfect return.   So let the festivities begin!

September 22, 2011 was the opening ceremony and swearing in of the new 47 Peace Corps Volunteers for the education sector as well as agriculture.  They arrived in country in June and swore in at an amazing reception where the primary minister of Burkina Faso spoke and welcomed them into the country.  Our current US Ambassador swore them in and then we began a weekend long fair!  Peace Corps volunteers from all over the country left their posts with their Burkinabe counterparts and had awareness building talks on various topics including hygiene, family planning, nutrition, deforestation, and more.  There were artisans associations selling locally made goods, educational/informational booths on just about any topic you can think of, a fashion show, games including a dunking booth, music, food folks and fun.   The fair went through Sept 24^th and the closing ceremony was graced by the presence of the first lady of Burkina Faso, Chantel Compaore.  There was a photographer who took my picture while shaking her hand, once I get it I will share J. 

The highlight of the closing ceremony for me, however, was Floby, a local singer who is making a name for himself internationally.  He wrote a song to thank Peace Corps.  It is so beautiful and sent chills down my spine as he sang it for the first time publically at our ceremony.  He has had a unique relationship with Peace Corps volunteers and also with everyone he comes in contact with.  He is a very simple person and his fame has never gone to his head.  I can think of more than one occasion of him just being around and hanging out with people.  I assume that this record will be around for many years to come.  I am not sure how long this link will work, but click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUO2ZPiwMRM

It was an amazing time of celebration and I am proud to be included amongst the names of some of the most interesting American citizens.  Returned Peace Corps Volunteers are everywhere and doing various things.  They are doctors, lawyers, housewives, non-profit founders, teachers, CEOs, softball coaches, mentors, students, researchers, sisters, brothers, neighbors, and more.  No matter what they are doing, and where they are now, I am connected to them, in a kinship that I cannot describe in words that one would understand, but I love them, and am proud of them.  They have an interesting perspective about life, its challenges, and the possibilities that life holds.  So congratulations to every current and returned Peace Corps Volunteer.  You are my (s)heroes! 

Also, thank you to every country that has openly accepted and worked with each of us.  Our adjustments were at times hard, and our perspectives were sometimes off the mark, but you are and were patient through our process of learning and growing.  And we have all benefited from your teaching, and our hope is that each country has benefited from our exchange.  And I hope the exchange continues beyond the time that Peace Corps volunteers are needed in each country.  The hope is that through mutual understanding and respect, positive relationships and peace will be spread throughout the world.  Finally, to those of you who have ever considered being a part of this organization, I firmly suggest that you look it up, and start the application process, you will be amazed by the growth that you will experience, and the things you will be able to share with your hosting communities.  And if you cannot leave the country and serve somewhere else, the Peace Corps’ guiding goals can be applied to whatever communities you work in.  Let’s spread peace all over the world! 

For more information about Peace Corps go to: www.peacecorps.gov and for info about Peace Corps in Burkina Faso: http://pcburkina.org

Childlike Imaginations Always = FUN!

So, I am trying to be somewhat patient about the weeds growing up in my yard.  My neighbors have even tried to come up with a plan on how to trick my landlord into doing it quicker.  One day I called and let him know that I would be home alllllll day so he can send people to get them up.  That didn’t work.  I thought about just paying for it myself, but someone else told me that the landlord won’t pay me back so just be patient and let him do it.  What can I say…I am still waiting.

In the meantime, the neighborhood kids came over so they could show me how to read the water counter at my house.  For every drop of water that I use there is a little counter outside that tells how much I have used.  It might sound like I have never had running water at my house, but honestly, at home in America if the utility bill didn’t come in the mail to say how much water was consumed and how much I need to pay for the month, I would have no idea.  And sadly, I can’t even verify if it is right.  I kinda like being able to go outside and check to see exactly how much water I am using and be able to verify when the bill comes at the end of the month that they have not miscalculated.  Enough of the aside; getting back to the story.

The kids came over to show me where to read the water usage, and while they were there they decided to help me out by getting up some of the weeds by my outdoor water spigot.  That turned into a whole world of fun!!  A bunch of them started a game where they ripped them out of the ground and then threw them over the wall.  Next thing you know like 6 boys in the neighborhood and my favorite little girl were throwing the stuff over the tall wall of my yard.  And like most kids, they exerted too much energy and got tired so their minds and imaginations started wondering and they found something else to do.  The ring leader was my next door neighbor’s kid.  He is a twin and he is pretty cocky, but seems to figure out a way to do the least amount of work possible.  So as you can imagine he was the first to chill out on the hard labor of getting rid of the weeds in my yard.  I have no complaints because it was a nice gesture for them to look out for their “Tanti” (this is a pet name like auntie that they call me) and get the weeds up anyway.   Using his childhood imagination and all the random things one can find in my yard, he started picking up nails and pieces of wood.  I was curious as to what he would do when he searched intently and then found a rock and started pounding away…

Slowly, one by one the work crew died down and everyone had pieces of wood and searching for nails and good rocks to use as hammers.  “Qu’est que c’est?”  I ask them what it is that they are making.  It looks like little crosses so I was not sure if they were religious or what…nope, they were making swords for their sword fight!  It was hilarious.  It was like all of the movies they have ever seen.  You know how when kids make the “ching, ching” noise when the swords hit and then they fake a death and fall on the ground.  They stuck the swords in their pants like sword holsters.  It was great!  It was hard to get an action shot of them actually sword fighting because they wanted to make their mean sword faces and pose for the camera, but nonetheless, it was a great ending to my evening.  I absolutely love kids and the freedom of their imaginations.  They inspire me to look around at what seems to be leftover junk from constructing my house and envision masterpieces.  I hope to take their childlike imaginations into every aspect of my life.  I also challenge you to do the same.  What seems like broken and fragmented pieces can come together, you just have to look for it.

(written Sept 19)

Extreme Home Makeover Part 2

I knew something else crazy would happen!  Today 3 little boys came to my house and asked if they could let 4 cows come into my yard.  “Pourquoi?!” (that means why), I asked them.  You will never guess why…I have a bunch of weeds growing up to high heaven in my yard and the cows could use something to eat.  I know, it is quite ridiculous!  The guy is supposed to come and get rid of them this week so I am not too worried about my yard becoming the cow lunch hang out, but it is sure helpful for them to mow it down a little with their cows.  Who would have thought!  Hahaha…I guess that is how things go in rural towns.  If a cow needs something to eat, he better find some high grass.  Thanks cows for getting the show on the road because Lord knows the weeds are growing pretty high now…

(written Sept 14)