mbaaa

It's been a little over a month now in country.  One more month of training and then off to site, on the northwestern-ish part of Burkina, in a valley just a few km from the border of Mali, in Jula nation.  My site sounds amazing, and  although I have no training-mates living near by, I will have 11 other Peace Corps volunteers living in my neighborhood.  My French has progressed and I'm starting to learn Jula, a local language spoken throughout West Africa.  I'm going to be working with a young farmer's association, and possibly a women's association and probably the elementary school, I'll be living next to.  I'm really looking forward to see what's beyond this Sapone horizon and getting to see more of the country.  That's it for now, I have soo much to tell and stories but, not enough time/patience/battery power to tell, but if you write or call and can tell you more stuff.

have a happy Thanksgiving!

l'arbre de reflexion

I still wake up some mornings in my bug hut wondering where exactly I am, and suddenly remember I'm in Africa.  Depending on where Orion's belt is in the sky I can tell the time; it's at eleven o'clock it must be 4am time for the early morning latern trip.  The stars at night are amazing here, you can even see the satellites orbiting.  Staring at the stars, in a way makes me feel a connection with everyone back home, they're a common denominator, something we can all share.  I remember looking up at Orion's belt on those clear and brisk November nights. 

It's amazes me just how fast I've adjusted in these past few weeks; poopin' in a hole, got that down to a science, bucket baths, got those down to the last drop, local foods, I can stomach most of them now, adoption into an African family, need me to fetch the water mom?  It's definitely been intense though, enough so that some people from my stage have terminated early and are back home now.  It's exhausting to say the least, but each day I find something that leaves me in disbelief/amazement/awe.  Sometimes it's the small victories like a cold Fanta/Coke/water at the end of the day, or watching the sunset at the "reflection tree", or simply riding my bike down the dirt road with my little host bro sitting in the back enjoying the breeze.