The Americans Are Coming!!! And Boys Camp

So we will do things in reverse order than what I actually typed in a the title. Why? Because in order to learn about the Americans, you have to read about boys camp (Les Hommes de Force) first.

I started my boys camp last week and so far I personally feel that it has been a big success. We started the first session with a lesson on what the roles of men are, continuing the next day with the roles of woemn. My goal was not to press my cultural views onto them (though I may have done it once or twice) but rather get them to think about what is the difference between sex and gender. I defined sex for them as the difference between men and women naturally, and gender as what society and culture makes them to be. For example, I asked when I asked them about roles, it was generally agreed upon that men make the money and women take care of the house. When I later asked them if the roles could be switched, they all agreed yes, of course, why not. It got them thinking about why things are as they are, which is what I wanted.

The third day my PCV neighbor Kirstin did a condom demonstration and a discussion about HIV/AIDS. The 4th day we discussed diets and nutrition and how to eat well with what we have here in Burkina Faso. After the hour talks we play a few games and then I lead them outside to play soccer for an hour and a half (which they love). So I feel mission accomplished, I used soccer as a way to draw 9-10 boys into discussions about health and society. Photos to come next time!

Next week we are changing the mode to education. The first day we will be discussing how and what to study, second day will be computers and why they are important, third day is undecided, and the fourth day we will do a review of everything that we learned. For the second half we will be doing basketball assuming I can find a ball.

And that is when the Americans come!!! Chris, my neighbor and great friend from DC, will be flying in Thursday night for a month long visit, later shared with my parents for three and a half weeks. We will be touring all of Burkina, as well as making a trip to Dogon Country in Mali. I am very excited!!!

Dogon Country in Mali, Going Soon!!

Land of the Black Stars

The biggest question plaguing Ghana right now is not who can match Ghana in the World Cup, but rather who will they play in the Finals. While they are completely delusional in the idea that Ghana stands a chance against a powerhouse like Germany, the country's energy right now is palpable.

And I thought people were excited in Burkina.

Ghana is an Africa powerhouse but still behind other formidable foes like Nigeria and Cameroon. The kids play ball all day in whatever limited open space they can find. The power of football here in Africa is just amazing and being a part of the enthusiam is even better. During our trip we were sure to remind everyone that Australia is not a pushover in world football. Of course the Ghanains were proud to immediatly counter with "Do you remember 2006 when Ghana beat the USA 2-0?" Errrr.........

Well it's fun, and the time to be in Africa is now. It does not matter where you are, the World Cup in South Africa is every African's World Cup, and nowhere else in the world can match the energy that this event has brought to this continent. I am of course thrilled for the games to start in 6 days and besides the USA, I'm cheering for an African team to win the cup. With the exception of Algeria, because we, USA, need to beat them to go to the next round.

But enough about the greatest event known to man, it's time to talk about a Ghana vacation. And well, why not start with a little photo highlighting the super challenging trip.



My oh my, how life can be difficult sometimes. Beer, hammock, beach, ocean, but damn, no food in this particular photo. What gives?

Our trip started with the bus ride from hell (as much as I love being here, I cannot stand the transport). It took us 24 hours to get to Takoradi, the third largest city in Ghana, including an overnight stay at the Kumasi bus station. Sleeping on benches, wow what a blast!

But finally, we arrived, and it was straight to Busua, a small beach resort town in Western Ghana. OHHHHHHH MY was my first reaction. This beach was incredible complete with even the stereotypical island resting adrift in the ocean. Best bodysurfing I've ever had the pleasure to experience, plus incredible food, excellent live music, and plenty of nature and castles to explore. One day we walked 3k to the neighboring fishing village, where the ruins of an old German castle still oversee the ocean cove.

Freshly cooked Lobster

Ruins of a German Castle, it's my Indiana Jones shot.

After 3 nights in Busua, we were off to the Green Turtle Lodge, a staple travel destination for all West African PCVs. While I personally was not as crazy about the place as others, it certainly was well worth the visit. It is absolutely gorgeous, a small hotel 12k from any major town and 2k from a tiny fishing village. Palm trees line the beach as far as the eye can see and a Mangrove forest protects the inland jungle from the encroaching salt water.

Stunning place. My only problem was lack of food selection (you were stuck with what they had, not expensive but not cheap either). And Green Turtle was where the fun began--Dylan ran out of cash!

Now some backstory to this is important. Before I left for Guinea I closed my ATM card to all except three cities in the world, Conakry, Dakar, and Johannesburg. Now with me out of Guinea and the World Cup 3000 dollars away, my ATM Card is essentially useless. So I could not even contact the bank to open the card because, HAHA, I have no money on my Skype account. (I'm still hoping for a trip to Senegal, fingers crossed)

So that's the backstory. While I would never admit it at the time to my travelling mates, I was seriously worried about returning to Burkina and how I would eat for 5 days.

But of course that's why we have friends right? My companions, Josh and Rob, were perfectly comfortable in loaning me money for the rest of the trip. So yay, Ghana was no disaster after all.

When all was said and done we left the beach for Ghana's second largest city, Kumasi. Kumasi is notably famous for having the largest open air market in Africa (largest in the world coincedentally is in Bangkok, Thailand, and yes I have been there too). You can find whatever you want in the Kumasi market, and we had quite a day getting lost and immersed in the Kumasi beast.

Kumasi market, with a mega church in the background

The other thing in Kumasi: food. We had the pleasure of eating pizza comparable to pizza in the USA. Of course nothing will beat US delivery, but after not eating good pizza for 11 months, I was very happy.

So that's that. 12 day vacation in the books and now three weeks until my buddy Chris will be joining me in Burkina Faso.

The Three Amigos, Joshua Gwinn, Dylan Butler, and Robert Fournier (left to right)

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."

Rain, Rain, Don't Go Away, Come Again Another Day

RAIN.

How I love you so. It's like my love for good internet, cable tv, grocery stores, ATMs, and oh all the other things that we take for granted in life. And for the first time since I came to Burkina Faso way back on November 4th, I saw my first droplets of rain.

And boy oh boy did it rain: thunder, lightning, the whole works. And while my little doggie Bob was freaking out because for him it was the first rainstorm, I was crying-literally. I was so incredibly happy that rain came that I started crying; I was so overwhelmed. Of course that prompted Bob to freak out even more. Poor little guy, already scared by the huge storm, he now has to deal with his owner looking upset. Too bad that animals can't sense happiness from tears of joys like we do.

And then the rain stopped, and we went another few days with nothing. Except one day, where a fake storm of thunder and lightning came, with no rain. I was sitting in my typical "please rain on me clothes (standing outside in my boxers)" when my neighbor walks by and sees me. I'm pretty sure that he was wierded out, but not enough to come over and say good evening.

But then Thursday came, and it rained so hard again that the temperature in my house dropped 20 degrees, from a horrendous 105 + humidity to a very comfortable 85-no humidity.

So folks back home, please package up your rain in a hypothetical box and send it via Mother Nature Express to Tenkodogo, Burkina Faso.

I await your gifts wearing only the finest pair of "please rain on me clothes." Boxers.

Skype

So another one, short and sweet. Not to much to report this week, but in trying to keep up with a weekly blog I feel I must at least type something.

My Japanese friend and I started the week off by practicing our English and Japanese, respectively. It amazed me how much I actually retained from a wasted year of Japanese as a freshman at college, so it was actually pretty fun. I still got the Hiragana down.

This was a terrific week for me, despite having to stay up til 2AM grading 104 math papers (my fault of course for waiting til the last minute) and having 7AM class the next morning. I finally got my 8GB USB key that I have been fighting for months to get. It's not my key, we used the money made by the computer lab (each student must pay 600franc CFA to use) to buy the key. With it I can now begin installing larger programs onto the now 11 computers that we employ and I can leave it after I have left Tenkodogo for the administration to use. Plus, the school is on page with my plans for next year with the formation of a new, and RESPONSIBLE, student committee to take charge next year of the computer lab.

The main reason for this little blog update is that I changed my Skype name. I could not remember my old account and password and obtaining the info proved to be futile since my old acount was registered under a now defunct dhbutler@uvm.edu email address.

So bad news is you all must locate my new account at dylanhbutler, good news is I have Skype!