Journal 4
I know its been a while...
June 7th
Quite a bit has happened since my last entry. I finished my homestay and traning, took my oath, got a few slaps on the back, went to the roof party, and voila, I’m an official peace corps volunteer. I’m on day 3 in lovely Bani. I’ve heard the first 3 months of village life are the very hardest. Things right now aren’t bad, but I certainly don’t want them to get any worse. I’ve been well received by the villagers. They actually seem relatively unimpressed by my presence here, which is a rare luxury. I don’t get too many glaring stares, I guess I have the former PCV to thank for that. I get the feeling he was well liked here, and he told me only good things of the people here.
Despite being covered in dust (from the frequent storms) my new pad is in good order. Unlike my neighboring volunteers. I really have no needs that must be immediately addressed. The house came with a stocked kitchen, furniture, and a “comfortable” hangar. I feel like I even have pre-made friends here. The posse that hangs out in front of chez moi, they all seem pretty cool, easy to talk to (one guy even speaks English). I’ve decided my first impression for these people should be “Adam(a) the professional volunteer”, when I feel more comfortable here, I will probably relax a bit, but I don’t want to be nice to the wrong people.
I realized that the first experience I’ve ever had living alone is in the middle of Africa. The daily responsibilities of a bachelor far surpass the tasks I had to do in the states. Since the nearest McDonalsds is likely 10 000 km away, I have to prepare my own meals. So far I’ve been cheating and dropping by Boly’s place around dinnertime, when he’s obliged to feed me according to custom (his wife can cook). This can only go on for so long. I’ve actually invited Boly, his wife, and Kindrebeogo (the director for the school) to my place tonight for spaghetti (sauce from an American packet). I figure I can pull that off. I have yet to really figure out my water situation. The pump is pretty close to my house, but my jug has no cap, and I have to buy a strap for my bike. Ideally, I woulde like to have someone do the chores like this ( washing, cleaning, water), but Boly says to just make my students do it for me. We’ll see.
I can say things aren’t as hard as I had predicted that would be, but I do sometimes find myself wondering what I’m doing here. It’s normal though. I’d say the hardes things to deal with are the lack of communication, staring eyes, and the isolation. However, my French skills are improving and I’ve already had 2 classes in Fulfulde. I’m not yet at a teaching level, but I I continue to study, things may not be as hopeless as they seem. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking in French, no shit. I wish I did have a telecentre in town, but at least it gives me an excuse to travel and visit (as if I needed one). But I already feel out of touch with my friends here. Well, Patrice is only 20 km away.
Its really hard to find perspective here. I think mainly because I haven’t even started to try to accomplish any of the idealistic goals I had before I arrived. I think my purpose here will become more clear when school starts. I’ll definitely be busy.
June15th
Its been almost 2 weeks here at site. While the days seem to pass painfully slowly, life in Bani is easy enough. My days are relaxing. I wake up with the sun, spend the entire morning at Boly’s talking and leaning a little Fulfulde, eat some lunch, then part for chez moi where I just sit in front of my boutique and read. At night I make myself a delicious (everything is relative) tuna sandwich, have a cup of coffee at the café, and turn in pretty early. Once in a while, if its not too hot, I’ll go on a cleaning spree. I also invented a makeshift shower out of a watering can, 2 sticks, a piece of cloth, and a bit of wire. I showed it to a few people, and the liked it. I have to admit that it works much better than I had expected, and I’m quite pleased with it. Here little victories go a long way. I’m going to make ita point to find creative ways to make my life easier. It feels like a giant game of Odyssey of the Mind, or a 2 year long episode of McGuyver. Maybe I should start thinking about installing a sink in the kitchen. Better yet, figure out a way to outsmart the flies, because if I think I can win, I will unleash the dogs of war.
I was rather relieved to discover that there is an educated population here in Bani, and that I will have the opportunity to have enlightening discussions with the people here, given that I first reach a certain level in my French. Right now everybody speaks to me very slowly, as if I fell off the stupid truck. But I’m pretty sure I’ve made a good impression on some people here. Boly seems to enjoy my company, and Mssr. Baa, who speaks some English, told me that I am mature/ripe to understand life here in Africa. He claimed he used his “psychology” on me. Well true or not, I’m not one to refute a compliment.
I can’t say I’m terribly excited to be here, but I’m not unhappy. Life is a bit difficult right now, I’m not yet well adjusted. But people let me live in peace, without bothering me with stares, questions, or demands. I’m definitely isolated still. But who knows, maybe I’m the kind of person who likes it like that way, but never had the chance to find out. I suppose I’m a bit lonely, but not much more than I’ve always been. I really miss being able to tell jokes, or better put, just being funny. I enjoyed pointing out the ironies of the world, that were always surrounding me on all sides. Life in Africa is sadly not very ironic. And even if it were, my sense of humor doesn’t translate well. This is not to say the people don’t laugh, thank god they do. In fact they laugh a lot. Hearing laughter will keep me sane, will keep me content enough. Things will get better, I can feel it. I’m still health anyways, so I got that. Bassi Waala (no problems).
June 21st
I just ate the best candy bar I’ve ever eaten. I licked every atom of chocolate off the silvery wrapper and for 2 minutes I understood real gratitude. Thanks ma. In my efforts to be as villagois as possible, I’ve done my best to avoid luxuries, especially in public. In two weeks I’ve only bought 2 sodas which I drank at home. I’ve lived sans electricity and am in no hurry to run out and buy a batter ( though I will in the future). At first I bought my dinner on the street and ate it like I’d seen everyone else do. My philosophy has been so far to do NOTHING I haven’t seen someone do before. But Yerwa (the boutiquier) told me that because I’m white and rich it wasn’t good to eat the rice like them. I still don’t really understand the principle behind this but I do as I’m told for the sake of acceptance. My first meal was as close to inedible as you can get in Africa. It was that spaghetti sauce from the packet, but I managed to fuck it up bad somehow. But not only did I shove it down (you don’t throw food away), but I served it to my revered guests. It was a little discouraging. But my second try, a pasta salad with homemade dressing (made from condiments) was actually not bad. So there you go another small victory.
My integration is going pretty well. I took of the tea African with many new people this week. I’ve chatted with the 3 mosque guides, a good student from the High school in Dori, Issouf the café man, and the teachers from the primary school. I feel like I’m becoming well liked here. It takes me a good hour to walk down the street in the morning, gotta say hi to everyone. But I haven’t done any damage by pacing myself and keeping my mouth shut.
I’ve been getting a little bored but not too much. If I’m feeling useless I can always pick up my French books and gain some vocab, or break out my Fulfulde notebook, the natives love helping me with their language. But best yet I’ve hit upon an idea for a development project during one of my many daydreams. I think I might be able to teach a class after normal hours at the CEG on small enterprise development. Its worth looking into. There are no signs of industry here in Burkina Faso, especially in Bani. I find it odd that while there is a relative abundance of milk, all cheese and butter products are imported from Europe. If I’m not mistaken cheese and butter technology has been around far longer than the industrial revolution. Anyways, I ran the idea by the director and he seems game to give my idea a shot. The next step is to do the research at the office, to really see if my idea is a pipe dream. God knows I don’t know the first thing about cheese making, but hell, all you need are cows right? Right? I hope so because that’s all we got here in Bani.
Ok, so now you know a little about my life. for those of you who care, sorry for taking so long.
Peace,
Adam.
June 7th
Quite a bit has happened since my last entry. I finished my homestay and traning, took my oath, got a few slaps on the back, went to the roof party, and voila, I’m an official peace corps volunteer. I’m on day 3 in lovely Bani. I’ve heard the first 3 months of village life are the very hardest. Things right now aren’t bad, but I certainly don’t want them to get any worse. I’ve been well received by the villagers. They actually seem relatively unimpressed by my presence here, which is a rare luxury. I don’t get too many glaring stares, I guess I have the former PCV to thank for that. I get the feeling he was well liked here, and he told me only good things of the people here.
Despite being covered in dust (from the frequent storms) my new pad is in good order. Unlike my neighboring volunteers. I really have no needs that must be immediately addressed. The house came with a stocked kitchen, furniture, and a “comfortable” hangar. I feel like I even have pre-made friends here. The posse that hangs out in front of chez moi, they all seem pretty cool, easy to talk to (one guy even speaks English). I’ve decided my first impression for these people should be “Adam(a) the professional volunteer”, when I feel more comfortable here, I will probably relax a bit, but I don’t want to be nice to the wrong people.
I realized that the first experience I’ve ever had living alone is in the middle of Africa. The daily responsibilities of a bachelor far surpass the tasks I had to do in the states. Since the nearest McDonalsds is likely 10 000 km away, I have to prepare my own meals. So far I’ve been cheating and dropping by Boly’s place around dinnertime, when he’s obliged to feed me according to custom (his wife can cook). This can only go on for so long. I’ve actually invited Boly, his wife, and Kindrebeogo (the director for the school) to my place tonight for spaghetti (sauce from an American packet). I figure I can pull that off. I have yet to really figure out my water situation. The pump is pretty close to my house, but my jug has no cap, and I have to buy a strap for my bike. Ideally, I woulde like to have someone do the chores like this ( washing, cleaning, water), but Boly says to just make my students do it for me. We’ll see.
I can say things aren’t as hard as I had predicted that would be, but I do sometimes find myself wondering what I’m doing here. It’s normal though. I’d say the hardes things to deal with are the lack of communication, staring eyes, and the isolation. However, my French skills are improving and I’ve already had 2 classes in Fulfulde. I’m not yet at a teaching level, but I I continue to study, things may not be as hopeless as they seem. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking in French, no shit. I wish I did have a telecentre in town, but at least it gives me an excuse to travel and visit (as if I needed one). But I already feel out of touch with my friends here. Well, Patrice is only 20 km away.
Its really hard to find perspective here. I think mainly because I haven’t even started to try to accomplish any of the idealistic goals I had before I arrived. I think my purpose here will become more clear when school starts. I’ll definitely be busy.
June15th
Its been almost 2 weeks here at site. While the days seem to pass painfully slowly, life in Bani is easy enough. My days are relaxing. I wake up with the sun, spend the entire morning at Boly’s talking and leaning a little Fulfulde, eat some lunch, then part for chez moi where I just sit in front of my boutique and read. At night I make myself a delicious (everything is relative) tuna sandwich, have a cup of coffee at the café, and turn in pretty early. Once in a while, if its not too hot, I’ll go on a cleaning spree. I also invented a makeshift shower out of a watering can, 2 sticks, a piece of cloth, and a bit of wire. I showed it to a few people, and the liked it. I have to admit that it works much better than I had expected, and I’m quite pleased with it. Here little victories go a long way. I’m going to make ita point to find creative ways to make my life easier. It feels like a giant game of Odyssey of the Mind, or a 2 year long episode of McGuyver. Maybe I should start thinking about installing a sink in the kitchen. Better yet, figure out a way to outsmart the flies, because if I think I can win, I will unleash the dogs of war.
I was rather relieved to discover that there is an educated population here in Bani, and that I will have the opportunity to have enlightening discussions with the people here, given that I first reach a certain level in my French. Right now everybody speaks to me very slowly, as if I fell off the stupid truck. But I’m pretty sure I’ve made a good impression on some people here. Boly seems to enjoy my company, and Mssr. Baa, who speaks some English, told me that I am mature/ripe to understand life here in Africa. He claimed he used his “psychology” on me. Well true or not, I’m not one to refute a compliment.
I can’t say I’m terribly excited to be here, but I’m not unhappy. Life is a bit difficult right now, I’m not yet well adjusted. But people let me live in peace, without bothering me with stares, questions, or demands. I’m definitely isolated still. But who knows, maybe I’m the kind of person who likes it like that way, but never had the chance to find out. I suppose I’m a bit lonely, but not much more than I’ve always been. I really miss being able to tell jokes, or better put, just being funny. I enjoyed pointing out the ironies of the world, that were always surrounding me on all sides. Life in Africa is sadly not very ironic. And even if it were, my sense of humor doesn’t translate well. This is not to say the people don’t laugh, thank god they do. In fact they laugh a lot. Hearing laughter will keep me sane, will keep me content enough. Things will get better, I can feel it. I’m still health anyways, so I got that. Bassi Waala (no problems).
June 21st
I just ate the best candy bar I’ve ever eaten. I licked every atom of chocolate off the silvery wrapper and for 2 minutes I understood real gratitude. Thanks ma. In my efforts to be as villagois as possible, I’ve done my best to avoid luxuries, especially in public. In two weeks I’ve only bought 2 sodas which I drank at home. I’ve lived sans electricity and am in no hurry to run out and buy a batter ( though I will in the future). At first I bought my dinner on the street and ate it like I’d seen everyone else do. My philosophy has been so far to do NOTHING I haven’t seen someone do before. But Yerwa (the boutiquier) told me that because I’m white and rich it wasn’t good to eat the rice like them. I still don’t really understand the principle behind this but I do as I’m told for the sake of acceptance. My first meal was as close to inedible as you can get in Africa. It was that spaghetti sauce from the packet, but I managed to fuck it up bad somehow. But not only did I shove it down (you don’t throw food away), but I served it to my revered guests. It was a little discouraging. But my second try, a pasta salad with homemade dressing (made from condiments) was actually not bad. So there you go another small victory.
My integration is going pretty well. I took of the tea African with many new people this week. I’ve chatted with the 3 mosque guides, a good student from the High school in Dori, Issouf the café man, and the teachers from the primary school. I feel like I’m becoming well liked here. It takes me a good hour to walk down the street in the morning, gotta say hi to everyone. But I haven’t done any damage by pacing myself and keeping my mouth shut.
I’ve been getting a little bored but not too much. If I’m feeling useless I can always pick up my French books and gain some vocab, or break out my Fulfulde notebook, the natives love helping me with their language. But best yet I’ve hit upon an idea for a development project during one of my many daydreams. I think I might be able to teach a class after normal hours at the CEG on small enterprise development. Its worth looking into. There are no signs of industry here in Burkina Faso, especially in Bani. I find it odd that while there is a relative abundance of milk, all cheese and butter products are imported from Europe. If I’m not mistaken cheese and butter technology has been around far longer than the industrial revolution. Anyways, I ran the idea by the director and he seems game to give my idea a shot. The next step is to do the research at the office, to really see if my idea is a pipe dream. God knows I don’t know the first thing about cheese making, but hell, all you need are cows right? Right? I hope so because that’s all we got here in Bani.
Ok, so now you know a little about my life. for those of you who care, sorry for taking so long.
Peace,
Adam.
posted by Adam Cohen at 6/22/2005
6 Comments:
Adam I am going to order you a cheese making kit and a power cord for your lap top. I will send these to you as soon as they arrive. I will send the "stuff" I already have for you this weekend.
Love you
mom
ADAM!
I'm so impressed by what I've been reading here... who'd have thought it'd be such a bizarre and interesting experience!?! I'm in Boulder, CO now - Ryan and I are conspiring to get you a care package like no other on its way there within the week. My thoughts are with you man!
Take care
Dave B.
The Basics of Making Cheese
The process of cheesemaking is an ancient craft that dates back thousands of years. By today's standards of industrial technology, the process of cheesemaking is still a complicated one which combines both "Art" and "Science" together. The subject of cheese has been extensively investigated by many research groups in many countries, and in-depth information has been reported, for example, by Kosikowski (1982), Scott (1986), Robinson (1993) and Fox (1993). Nevertheless, the primary stages of cheesemaking are shown in Figure 2.1, and in brief the constituents of milk can be described as follows.
Figure 2.1: The Basic Stages of Cheesemaking
Blog does not accept graphics:
Milk>> Soft Curd>> (Removal of Whey)==Frim CUrd>>Salting>> MOulding and Pressing>> Fresh Hard-Prssed CUrd>>Bandaging>>RIpening/Maturation
http://www.ebs.hw.ac.uk/SDA/cheese2.html
The Basics of Making Cheese
The process of cheesemaking is an ancient craft that dates back thousands of years. By to
Adam,
You can't take too long man. Take pride in knowing that I usually laugh several times when reading your posts and imagining you over there. I can just picture you making a joke and no one laughing becuase they can't understand you. Traslation can't help either. Good luck over there man. You idea sounds good and I hope the locals have success. Keep up the posts. Take care.
Charlie D.
Adam,
Thanks for the updates. Sounds like you are adjusting well. Take care..Michelle's Mom
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