Home stay in a village

Home stay in a village (April 11– 14)

I spent this weekend with a family in a village near Bobo-Dioulasso.

My host father

the family's kids

It was a nice experience to have even though I had small difficulties. It was crazy hot. After sunset, it was a bit better but still the heat is always inside of house and it was very hard to sleep because I was sweating just being in a room without doing anything. Besides, no fresh cool water in villages. So I realized how much I am rich and how much water and electricity to keep cool drinks are important... Although, local people were very kind and I was treated very well : eating with other male family members which means treated well in a family, this made me a bit uncomfortable but well what I could do ? I am very stranger here.

Also I realized the importance of family relationships and greetings in burkinabè culture. On the way to somewhere or on the way back to home, people pass by at relatives houses and have some chat. We need to think 1-3 hours more before arriving at the final destination.

I was lucky to see an annual traditional ceremony: Masque. It is a funeral ceremony when people who are initiated to put traditional masks dance with them to honor some well known ancestors’ death. It is a tradition of people Bobo. It lasts 3 days and poeple drink local beer (dolo) made with red sorghum. Passing by at each house, all most all families offered the beer and « tô » which the daily meal for people in village (during my stay, except 1st two morning, all meals were tô while some other volunteers got rice, spaghetti, juice etc…). That is the normal village family’s food.

Pot de make dolo

I liked the tô although certain volunteers couldn’t eat it because of its strong smell or its taste. I guess the taste is different at each family and I was maybe lucky. The tô is made with maïz (corn) or millet flour. Put it in boiled water and mix them until it get sticky like mochi (Japanese) or pudding. Eat it with okra and green veggies sauce and sometimes with porc or chiken.

making of Tô

Tô that we had at training center

My Birthday

April 6th : my 24th birthday.

It was already that day in Japan and here in Burkina, it was still 5th at 8 p.m.

My volunteers friends organized a surprising party for me !

I was going to have some beers or something with them on 6th but I didn’t expect something one day before so I was so surprised and also so happy !

Plus, they gave me a very cute message card and a summer hat that they had bought at market with negotiating the price ! It will be so practical for me because I am going to use bicycle all the time wherever I go when I start working in Bobo. And to avoid strong sunshine, I will need a hat with its wide brim ! Plus, the hat has a string not o loose it with wind while biking so it is a perfect one ! Besides, they made a video greeting message for me. It was very funny as well !

By the way, there is a couple (Danish-Norwegian) with their 6 month cute, cute baby (Maika) at this training center till April 13th. The Danish guy studies Dioula for his PhD research in Côte d’Ivoire and his girl friend studies French. Then even they gave me a very cute necklace with beads.

Marlin, Jasper and Maika

I don’t remember when I had last time such birthday party with so many people. It was exceptional and I was so much happy to have all of them for my birthday. I will never forget this night.

－My 24th year resolutions－
1. To master Dioula (local language of this area)
2. Not to get sick
3. To make many, many friends！

Well, I will do my best. This year is my year, the Year of Moust in Chinese astrology so this is already something special !
And also I’d like to thank you all who gave me birthday greetings in various ways !

Training in Bobo-Dioulasso

10 days have passed already since I came to Burkina Faso. I was in the capital till March 31st with taking many orientations at JICA office everyday. It was very tiring but at JOCV dorm, there are AC and even a swimming pool! So I used already my swimsuits I brought from Japan.

However, temperature raises everyday till 40-45℃, with red sand dust and polluted air(by cars and bikes) outside so it doesn’t seem comfortable, does it ? Also, as it is so hot, rich people use AC like us and probably the electricity consumption in this city surpasses its capacity. As result, we have so often blackouts everyday.
　

Guys putting sands on a truck in front of our dorm

In April 1st, the Burkina group (12 volunteers) traveled from Ouaga to Bobo-Dioulasso where local language training center is located and actually I am going to work for 2 years. It took 5 hours by bus. I was worried about “bus” in Burkina because usually no reserved seats and people get on it as many as possible (of course more than the number of seats) but the bus was luxurious ! Seats are all reserved under AC well actually, we were not supposed to open windows.

What is great at the training center is that I have my own room with own washroom, fan on the ceilings and a double bed!
　　

This week I had French classes with a teacher 1 to 1, discussing about modern Islamic marriage process, African traditional societies, Bobo surroundings history, politics and economy. 5 hours everyday. From next week, I’m going to learn this region’s local (commercial) language (among Cote-d’Ivoire, Mali and Burkina), Dioula which people with how I will work probably speak as well. I am very looking forward to it !
　

My classroom

First dinner at the center: Salad・Spaghetti・Banana

Many mango trees at the center’s yard！Can’t wait till they get ready☆ although I eat everyday a mango because it is the time, the happiest time!

Arrival in Burkina

March 25th, I arrived in Burkina Faso, in the capital, Ouagadougou (Ouaga in short)！！！　

But！！！

An accident happened！！！

This is the third time to come to this country but I don’t know really, maybe I was so excited or something to get out of the plane as soon as possible when I arrived at the airport… I did a so stupid thing yes very unexpected thing.

I FORGOT MY CAMERA ON MY SEAT IN THR PLANE… !!!

I know how stupid I was…

But I don’t know why I did this… Now that none of other 11 volunteers rely on me even though I know this country more than them… which is very normal I guess !

So no photos with me that I took at the airport and at Sheraton Hotel in Paris where we stayed one night. Probably by now some Burkinabé have seen my photos or even deleted them and sold the camera… When I arrived at JOCV dormitory, I realized it and I asked JICA stuff to call Air France to look for it but it was too late. Next morning the company called and they found nothing.

I was going to take many cool photos with it next 2 years during my work and life in general! I was very shocked but nothing I can do now. In fact, it was completely my fault so I can’t complain about it. So now, I try not to think about it anymore and to manage with my video camera although its photo quality is not so great.