First Class in Two Months!

Yes that is exactly right. Monday was the first time I had a math class since February 17. In between my last class and my first class of April the world has seen the fall of Gaddafi’s government in Libya, an astronomical earthquake in Japan, and the escalation of the crisis in the Ivory Coast (but authorities have arrested Laurent Gbagbo so hopefully we will see that situation end). Amazing really how our singular planet can change so match in such relatively little time.

If you have noticed (or have not), I have not mentioned at all on my blog why I have not been teaching since February. Burkina Faso too has seen its fair share of…change? After the softball tournament I was forced to stay in the Peace Corps medical unit and the day I returned was the first day of student led strikes in an effort to support a fellow student who was mistreated by authorities but the cause was blamed on something different (I won’t go into details but I encourage everyone to read up on it). Since those strikes started there has been a whirlwind of activity.

Schools were closed nationwide for weeks with marches flaring up in every major town throughout the country. Tenkodogo was relatively untouched by the demonstrations for weeks until last week.

The last week of March signaled my close of service conference, or the conference for those volunteers who will be finishing in a short period of time (my official day is July 29). During the conference, tempers in Tenkodogo flared up and as a I result I stayed in Ouaga for an extra week.

During the week in Ouaga other Volunteers and I decided to at least make the most of our situation by doing something in Ouaga. We visited an orphanage, helped our medical team with inventory, and planted moringa trees. Volunteers who are stuck in Ouaga often choose to stay very inactive. There is always work to do in Burkina Faso, no matter where you are, and the four of us (coined the M-Team for our medical inventory work) made the most of our respective situations.

Country wide situations have calmed, and finally we are back in school. Students are very happy to be back, especially those who have major tests at the end of the year. Teachers as well are happy to be back because now we have something to do again! Tenkodogo as a whole is calm and life is returning to normal.

So what has happened the last 7-8 weeks? I’m not really sure. I don’t wish to disclose any more than I have. There is clearly much more that has happened, but I tried to write the dullest, detail-lacking blog entry as possible for two reasons: 1) to encourage you to read up on what has passed here and 2) to let people know that I have not been a ghost the last month. Things happened out of my control and my blog suffered for it

So Many Colors in the Rainbow

Oh so many colors...

Negativity and selfishness have defined my life in the past few weeks. A combination of heat and events outside my control have limited much of my ability to do work. I have tried, with little success, to create activities and opportunities to occupy the extraordinary amount of time recently made available to me. A library project and a youth conference discussing public health and water sanitation have both been delayed until further notice (effectively canceled). I've been trying, but with situations as they are it is proving to be a very difficult time.

Some of the basketball team painting and participating in the Rainbow Project.

The problem with all of this is that I have allowed the boredom and lack of motivation to take over. So many activities, so many cancellations, what am I to do? Frankly, I have not been occupying the time as well as I could be doing, no fault can be blamed on anyone but me for that. Yes things are difficult right now, but I need to stay motivated or all of this becomes a dull existence.

Today, as I am wallowing in a state of purgatory, I see a blind child with the largest smile on his face. He is singing along to the radio, and singing loud for all to hear. Other children and adults giggle to themselves, but I am inspired. Here is a child, blind perhaps since birth, taking pride in the spirit of music. He does not notice those around cracking jokes at his expense, the child is simply enjoying himself.

My Japanese friend Akiko instructing us on what to do. The Rainbow Project is an art project using paint as a platform for discussing diversity created by JICA.

How can I be so selfish and negative? How can I think life is so awful because I have not been allowed to work lately? I am an able bodied 24 year old male, in terrific overall shape and with an education not afforded to those that I work with to no fault of their own. Yet, I whine and moan that my life is so terrible.

This child, pending unforeseen medical advances, will never be able to distinguish the beautiful colors of the rainbow. If he is one day to have children of his own he will never be able to see them with his own eyes. I can't imagine such a fate.

I live in a land where my problems are laughable. My petty needs, seeming so grave to me, would be problems desired by most of the world. I have a job. I have healthcare. I can pay for myself to eat, to drink a cold beer, to travel and see friends whenever I feel.

The finished project, before connecting them to form "the rainbow."

I pay for medicine with my own money knowing that I will be reimbursed. That is not the case for most of the world. Burkinabe health clinics do not have the money for sterile latex gloves, it is the people that must buy them for the doctors. Why would you pay for a pair of gloves knowing that if you do there will be no food for your family that evening? I certainly would rather risk unsanitary treatment over not feeding my family.

Then we see the devastation of Japan. An astronomical earthquake of 9.0 wipes out an entire part of a country leaving thousands of people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced. I received an email from my dear friend Yoshie telling me about the situation. She cannot find some of her friends. I know that fear, all of us Americans do. It's a fear that nobody ever wants-remember September 11^th 2001, and then Hurricane Katrina, August 2005. Man made disaster or natural, both are equally devastating. My buddy Kaego is returning to Japan Sunday after finishing two years of JICA volunteer service in Burkina Faso only to return to the most horrible natural disaster to ever hit Japan. I cannot imagine the fear and anxiety that is plaguing my Japanese friends here in Burkina, the feeling of helplessness that I know so many of them feel.

After finishing the first assingment the kids started painting whatever they felt. Students are very creative, they just need encouragement and the means.

Then there is Cote d'Ivoire. The devastation of a failed government on the verge of war has preyed on the mind of many of my friends here in Burkina Faso. Almost every Burkinabe has a friend or a family member in what was once the most successful and stable country in West Africa. Many of my friends live in fear that everyday one of their own will fall victim to the deteriorating situation in Cote d'Ivoire.

Nevertheless, these people are surviving. I am truly inspired by the spirit of those around me, and disgusted with my own attitude. My friend Akiko asked me to organize a group of students to participate in the Rainbow Project. While I did not know the project, I agreed to help when she explained it as an art project designed to discuss diversity and acceptance. Here is a Japanese woman, not directly affected by the earthquake but certainly still affected, moving on and trying to do what she can despite tragedy. Boys and girls who came to participate are still in high spirits despite difficult situations outside of their control throughout West Africa.

Still unsure how writing in Japanese encouraged this student to write in English. On the left is "I love you," on the right is his name in Japanese.

The idea of the project is to mix colors in ways to demonstrate that while each color is distinct, each one is also a mix, a platform to discuss the topic of diversity. Even though Burkinabe, Japanese, and Americans are all from different backgrounds, religions, and cultures, it's amazing the things that we share in common. We must embrace our differences and celebrate our similarities, it's the only way people will make it in this world.

I have family and friends that love me, a wonderful girlfriend who reminds everyday that this world is a beautiful place, an African community that has welcomed me and taken care of me, and of course my health. I try to take none of it for granted.

Things that Go Bump in the Night

This "little" guy is the real reason why I use a mosquito net at night. Heard him hit my screen door with a large *thud* last night while I was getting ready for bed.

Malaria is a scary thing, but there is no way I want to be waking up with that guy in my bed (I've already woken up to a bat flapping around inside my mosquito net). This beetle thing happens to be the same size as a medium sized bar of soap. Scary huh?

A Very Bizarre Two Weeks

Peace Corps is known for being an experience where no day is like any other, and Burkina Faso is certainly a country that has the ability to give the gift of surprise each and every day. Given my interesting experiences in the weeks passing since the infamous softball tournament (which I am now known for as being the coach who led his team to an 0-3 record!), I can certainly verify the truth in each day being different from the last.

Even the desert has flowers

It all started actually 2 months ago in the USA after a soccer match with my buddy Chris and his family. After returning home from the friendly match I began to complain of abdominal pain. Various people can attest to this fact. I simply figured the pain was sport induced so I did nothing about it. It continued to bother me for a few days, than I decided it was time to do some of my own research online. I discovered that the only problem most related to what I was feeling was a failure to pass gas...

During the last two weeks I visited a family that makes ceramic pots for a living

Sure enough, the pain went away. And then it came back. But then it went away again. And then it returned. Can you see the pattern? Every time I thought it was time to see the doc, the pain went away and I decided against it. Then came the softball tournament.

When I last blogged, I had done so in the state of good health-about two hours before my body began to fall apart. I went to bed that night with intense abdominal pain centered in the oblique section of my body. This was it, I was already in Ouaga, and it was time to go see the doctors. At first the answer seemed simple. It was ruled an oblique muscular strain, an injury often sustained in baseball or softball. Treatment was easy, I needed to do something that frankly I am simply not good at-rest and no physical activity. In order to force me into a regime of no sports, I had to stay in Ouaga for 3 more days after the softball tourney.

Finally Thursday rolled around, doctors gave me the OK, and I went to site. I was not happy that I had already missed a week of school, but health always comes first. That's when Burkina decided to give a surprise.

I went back to site only to find all doors to school locked tight. No students have been allowed in the school grounds since Friday, February 25^th. So I have been sitting around twiddling my thumbs, watching Dexter and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and reading The Help, among others.

That's when my stomach concluded that is was time to say hello again, and this time it decided to bring with him an ankle injury. Taking advantage of the no-school situation (every cloud has a silver lining right?), I went to Ouagadougou again for further examination on both injuries. Turns out that by neglecting to treat my stomach early I allowed an infection manifest. Treatment is simple, just some antibiotics, but it's quite a relief to no longer feel the cramping that accompanied my stomach for months. I suffered a rolled ankle, whose treatment requires that I wear an Ace Bandage for several weeks. But what kind of story would this be if I didn't have something else go wrong? I had to get a mole removed and as I type this I have 3 stitches in my back where a mole used to be.

My body is finally recovering, and I believe that Burkina is returning back to normal-all good things. This past weekend, Ouagadougou played host to the biannual FESPACO film festival. I had the privilege to see two films, one from Egypt and another about Chinese business in Africa, and specifically Zambia. The preceding was very entertaining, and the latter was extremely interesting. Though I wish I had seen more (apparently the winner was a Burkina made kung fu movie), I was very happy that I was able to be a part of the moment.

Look at all those ceramic pots, afterwards they gave me one

But best of all, last night I saw the legendary Malienne singer Salif Kaeta in concert. The set was horribly done, acoustics were worse than my high school dances, and the opening act lip-sang. Thank goodness Mr. Kaeta is such an excellent musician. Despite all the negatives, Mr. Kaeta delivered a beautiful performance and I encourage anyone interested in music from West Africa to listen to Mr. Kaeta.

After a very bizarre two weeks (or maybe this is normal now?), I am back in Tenkodogo preparing for a return to school tomorrow. I remain highly skeptical, especially considering that Tuesday is International Women's Day, a federally observed holiday here in Burkina. Nevertheless, I will be there, hopefully giving my first math lesson in over two weeks to a group of students that I hope will be excited to have class again. Best of all, my health seems to be returning too!

GRE and SOFANWET (Update)

Last weekend, if you can recall from my previous entry, I took the GRE in Ouagadougou. In preparing to take the next step in life after Peace Corps, I have begun making early preparation for graduate school. While the GRE is only a small step, it is a first step into a process that may take the latter part of this year to complete. My target is fall 2012, assuming the world does not end. While I won't go into too much detail about post Peace Corps plans since mainly there are no details yet, for the first time in my life I feel ready and excited to go back to school, and unlike undergrad, I'm going in with an objective.

This weekend is the exciting international softball tournament of Ouagadougou. It's called SOFANWET. Why? I have no idea. Along with several Peace Corps staff members and other volunteers, we have assembled a formidable team this year. Before leaving the United States my dad gave me a set of DVD's entitled 'Baseball.' Ken Burn's insightful series, almost 24 hours in length, takes an in depth look at the history of baseball and it seems to emulate the history of America. This series has got me so hooked on baseball again that I have picked up an old glove and begun throwing the ball against a wall in my yard. Let's hope this rediscovered love for the game I grew up with translates into a good performance on the field. This Friday, we will find out!

*Softball Update

The tournament took place at the International School of Ouagadougou, which is like little America. It's probably the only place in Burkina Faso with grass. Inside the walls everyone speaks English and it's very possible to forget where you are. It's a very surreal place, and honestly it makes me uncomfortable.

Like any good Peace Corps Team we lost-all three games. Two of the teams that we lost to were from high school, embarrassing. But hey, we at least played JICA, the Japanese Peace Corps, pretty well. The tournament was really fun overall, and nobody enjoyed the hot dogs and snow cones better than us. One thing about the ex-pat lifestyle, those folks just don't appreciate things the little things like Peace Corps Volunteers. Plus, nobody had better fans than we did. Even down 10 runs in the last game our fans continued to cheer us on. Let's go Team Peace!

Here are some photos, courtesy of Scott Worthington:

My baseball card shot, notice the 'stache.

Becky, Tim, and Brittney having a good time.

One of my hits. (2 above) Al and Mike having fun (above)

Andrew and Diana (below) Team meeting (2 below)

In perhaps the most descriptive photo of all, voila:

We are the visitors by the way, go Peace Corps!

Cue the Jaws Theme Music

It's Coming

Cold season in Burkina is purely fantastic. Yes there is the problem of the dust filled wind where ever breath you take feels like you are breathing pure exhaust. The sky is a gloomy color of grey. The wind makes it very difficult to pedal your bicycle 10 feet. But it's not hot.

It's Coming...

In cold season it does not get past 90 in the day, and nights drop down to a comfortable 70. No fan, no problem! Often I found myself taking warm bucket baths and wearing a hoodie to bed. The weather was indeed so nice that you actually feel cold sometimes.

It's Coming...

The fan is being turned on in the day; sometimes in the night. No more sweater, no more jeans. Cold drinks are becoming a neccesity again. The cold shower becomes your only shelter. Sweat begins to drip down your body all hours of the day-and night.

It's Coming...

In the hot month of October, there is one relief-that cold season is coming. In the back of your mind you know that you only need to tolerate the heat for one month before the cold scours the land. In February, there is no such relief.

It's Coming...

The outlook is grim. It does not get any colder. Sleeping outside becomes the norm because the home feels like a sauna. The days of 120 degree heat and 100 degree nights are near. The hot season is coming folks, be afraid, be very afraid.

The Grim Reaper of Education (GRE)

In an effort to practice my writing at the encouragement of my aunt, I wrote this story. Hope you enjoy. Warning: this story has nothing to do with Burkina except a tiny blurb at the end.

Once upon a time, in a place greatly different than our own, an organization was formed to standardize the university application process. Based in the backwards land of New Jersey, this tax-exempt organization held a gathering of highly elite members of society to find a way to cash in on its citizens by offering a useless, but labeled as imperative, program for innocent people wishing to go to school. What they developed was so horrible, so scary, that mid-twenty somethings dare speak its name for fear of exile from friends. The Elite Totalitarians of Society (ETS) unleashed this beast from the depths of New Jersey upon all the world Gaia; it was called the Grim Reaper of Education (GRE). The GRE has forced thousands of poor civilians to pay a grandiose sum of 200 dollars to take an archaic exam so that he or she may receive an education. Where does this money go? Only the GRE knows. Members of ETS have been allowed to operate under a discrete cover of tax-exemption for years.

Of course, institutions of higher learning, desperate to strip people of their individual qualifications to simplify the application process were easily seduced by the will of the GRE. This beast of New Jersey consumed others through money and greed. Making profit off of innocent students is a practice as old time, the GRE is simply a reincarnation of another horrid creature, the Savage Android Terminator (SAT) released upon millions of idealistic and innocent high school minds to win yet even more cash.

Even though citizens view the GRE with a disdaining eye, only until recently has there been a change of principals by universities to return to its roots of accepting based upon their individual qualifications, not upon the vicious GRE. Can we fully blame the university? Perhaps, but failure to accept the dreaded GRE may have lead to other beasts being released upon the land, including the dark creatures of the consumer driven ideals of “Jersey Shore” and the money and sleaze pit known as Atlantic City.

Where are the Robin Hoods, the John Connors, the Luke Skywalkers, destined to fight the ongoing invasion of the GRE? Educational centers, paying little attention to the needs of its young minds, have allowed the GRE to continue gauging the land of precious green. Combined with the eye-popping costs of graduate university, the poor student is left with debt and interests rates that take years to pay off.

Slowly, but surely, the stain of the GRE is being removed from society. Many institutions no longer value the beasts pointless antonyms, synonyms, and 7^th grade math choosing instead to regard the personal qualities of its applicants. Some have even abandoned the beast altogether. The GRE is morphing to adhere to the stringent demands of a 2011, but it may be too late. The rise of quality international education is rendering monopolizing beasts like the GRE useless.

Therein, we have found our hero: the evolving demands of a 21^st century. Unfortunately even with the arrival of our hero, the GRE has consumed yet another victim. I will be succumbing, resentfully, to its will this Saturday in the far away land of Burkina Faso.

Wish me luck!