Jam waalli yimbe am (good morning)

It’s been a little while since I posted something so I’ll offer a little update because in honestly I haven’t really written many journal entries lately. In fact, I find my life here becoming normal and habitual, if not unexceptional. I work, I visit with friends, I relax at home (now that the weather is finally bearable), I make dinner, etc. It’s different but it’s the same.

Ramadan is finally over, and my village really went to town with a big weeklong party. I find it hard to enjoy the village nightlife myself. It’s not exactly like a night on the town in Atlanta. One would basically flock to the loud speakers where people are undoubtedly dancing to African Pop (which is actually more annoying than American pop because all of the beats are made on an old Casio keyboard). I like to dance but the beats are just too different for me, plus the men only dance with men, which is just something I’ll never come around to. On top of that, I’m not yet conversational in the local language so who am I gonna talk to? Did I mention no beer for the Muslims? I go to sleep at 8 pm, even on party nights.

I didn’t even notice that one of my favorite holidays passed: Halloween.

School is getting into full swing. Things are looking up for me. I’ve been trying different things and deciding what works and slowly but surely my classes are learning. I haven’t had any problems with discipline. I found that giving the students their due respect goes along way towards keeping the classroom running smoothly. I’ve got a lot of smart kids which is really encouraging. The frustrating thing is that in this French based (rote learning) educational system, critical thinking is marginalized in the curriculum. If I ask a question that uses the words “why” or “how”, I almost always get no response.

We got 2 supplementary part time teachers and 2 more admin members so the school is no longer irresponsibly understaffed. My counterpart is in good with the prefect and thus got his hands on a solar panel. If I can find a battery somewhere I can open up a night time study hall at the school. Despite my reluctance to take out my camera in Bani (due to the attention it draws), I really want to post some pictures of the school and the students, so expect that soon.

I just finished my 9th French novel. I can notice the progress.

I’m planning my vacation to Mali for Christmas. I’ve heard Dogon Country is a West Africa must see. Something to look forward to. (Ryan, its gonna be cool)

People are starting to garden again now that the harvest is over. I’ve never been so happy to see a head of cabbage. I don’t even like cabbage.

Elections are this weekend. The campaigns were very simple compared to the American process. The president passed out a t-shirt and ball cap with his face to almost every villager in Burkina. As a representative of the US government and a guest in this country, I feel it prudent not to publish my opinions on the subject in detail. It is enough to say that the African democracy is not the same thing as the American democracy.

I no longer tell people in Africa that I’m a volunteer. The conversation has never gone the way I had hoped. The $8 per diem that I consider to be nothing, zip, pro-bono, is far more money than my university educated colleagues pull in, and certainly more than the average village farmer will probably ever see. I have just started saying that “I work for George Bush”, which always gets a laugh.

I guess that’ll do it for now. I’ll spare the reader any profound reflections on injustice and responsibility and just say that I’m healthy and doing fine here. If you think about it, feel free to send a letter or a picture, they are always gratefully received.

Adam.