Travel Plans and 24th Birthdays

So I am finished. Yeah that's right, school is done, grades are finished, computer lab is closed for the time being, and I am peacing out. Not that it's a bad thing, I've been working really hard lately and I'm ready for a break. Not having much to do for awhile could be nice, until after a couple months when I go insane with having nothing to do...again.

To celebrate the end of the year, I am going to Ghana next week with two friends to do some hiking and relaxing beach side. I'll be gone from the 19th to the 31st, so don't expect to hear much from me in the coming weeks until June. And to lay out future plans, World Cup starts in a month, Chris comes here the 24th of June, parents come the 12th, and then after all is said and done I have nothing to do until October, WHEEEEEEEEE. I love vacation.

So as most people know (thanks Facebook), last Wednesday was my birthday. I spent my birthday drinking wine and hanging with my best Burkina friend, but the real celebration was Saturday when 2 Peace Corps buddies came to town and we celebrated my birthday and the arrival of a new Japanese Volunteer in Tenkodogo! We drank margaritas (my first since my 23rd birthday), ate tacos, and sushi. I even dipped sushi in cheese--because it was there and I could! Sushi and cheese is blashphemous I know but screw you, I got to take advantage of things when I get them.

So that's that, I'm 24 now. Not a whole lot has changed.

Photos from the West, Togo, and Generally Around Town

Kids playing kick the plastic bag ball game.

Earth Day activity, me and my class picked up garbage in an attempt to clean the park. I then offered a lesson on proper waste disposal here. Don't think it stuck.

Group of boys after they filled a garbage bag.

You will see this photo everywhere, probably because it's my favorite.

Togolese fisherman

Living the life of luxury in Togo, but I was not allowed to be on the boat.

The highest point on the Domes of Fabedougou.

The Domes

The (only) waterfall in Burkina Faso-

-And me in it!

This is just a preview of recent photos. You can check the slideshow right, or simply click on it to continue to my Picasa account.

The Mystery of the Stolen Bicycle

This is a story of exactly what not to do in the Peace Corps.

I have come to trust everyone in my neighborhood. For better or for worse, being the only white person gives you a lot of advantages, including a safety net that until the other day I thought untouchable. I consistenly leave my things out in my yard, whether it be speakers, matresses, chairs, or a bike because I trust that the only people entering my compound would never steal anything I own, especially a bike that is so genuinely American that you cannot find it anywhere in Tenkodogo.

So when I tried to go meet my friends one night (using my bike as transportation of course) I saw that my bike was nowhere to be found. What the hell am I supposed to do in this situation?
I was exposed for the first time and my sense of security rocked.

I called my nieghbor and he immediatly came to help me. This affects him almost as much as it affects me simpy due to the fact that we share a compound. My things are his things, and vice versa. So if their stuff is stolen, my stuff is stolen. So what do we do? We call the principal, because he has no idea either. He knows that this bike is my lifeline here and more importantly Peace Corps property, so I'm screwed without it.

So after deciding that we would go to the police the following day, they told me to relax. "Nobody in Tenkodogo owns a bike like this," he says. "It will be easy to find." The second sentence was said in a hope for the best but expect the worst tone.

Of course this is where things became an embarrasement. My neighbor's wife comes over to me laughing hysterically. I, like the forgetful person I can be, left it at the restaurant across the street where they had been gaurding it expecting me to come back at any moment to pick it up.

This stupid little incident has now been the laugh of the week. My neighbor's wife is blackmailing me into playing soccer with the little boy or else she will tell people I cried about the bike (not true by the way!) and everyone else asks me everyday where my bike is. It's been quite a laugh for everyone, including me, but still extremely embarrasing none the less.

But it got me thinking, "what if someone had stolen the bike?" I will no longer leave it outside or unattended in my yard. Coincidentally Bob had escaped during the hour that the bike was "stolen," and even if he had been there, all the thieves would have to do is offer him a plate of spaghetti to distract him. I do not have a relationship with the police, other than the guys who work at the prison near by. I know Peace Corps wants to maintain a seperation, but we are still required to at least have our presence known by local authorities. My town is a large trading town with many trucks going by making the prospect of stealing my bike and boarding a truck to Ouaga tempting.

So what I take out of this whole thing is simple and something that all Volunteers should remember at all times. Do not rely on your being different to be an adequate security system, thieves exist everywhere and they don't take breaks. Lock things up when you are not home and take the time to say hi to local authorities, you never know when you may need them. On the plus side, I did notice how quickly my community responded. It meant a lot to me to know that they have my back when something goes wrong.

Bike returned and no mystery after all. I guess I should call this story "The Mystery of Dylan's Sometimes Empty Brain."