So today I have finally met my supervisor from SECAM (the organization I will work for in Koupela) they are partners with CCFC. His name is Sebastien and I think we will work well together, I am told he works very hard, sometimes through the night and he took his time to talk to me slowly so I think we will get along fine. He also warned me about the native language I will have to learn which is called Morin so I am a little nervous. On Saturday I will leave Ouagadougou to Koupela where I will spend the rest of my time. I now have everything I need for my new home; bed, mat, buckets, table and lamps. I even picked up a cell phone today so the office can get a hole of me, they are really cheap here and it seems as though everyone owns 2 or 3. It finally cooled down a bit today so it is bearable to be outside, this afternoon I get to see some tourist areas which should be interesting and spend my last few nights at the Cathedral. I am excited to start working but also sad to leave Ouaga, everyone here has been amazing and very helpful in helping me to adjust. Here are some links to pictures from the centre of the city in Ouagadougou.
Archive for September, 2007
Week one in Ouagadougou
So far I have spent 5 days here in Burkina and it has been an amazing experience. Ever since I departed the plane I have been in a completely different world. The strees here in Ouaga are filled with people, there are merchants and people selling things on every street. It is amazing…. I have not yet mastered the bargaining techniques so I let everyone from CCFC take care of that. So far I have spent much of my time at the Monastery where I am staying for this week and at CCFC’s head office here. I have also been in the streets and markets to shop for everything to put in my house…my bed, pillows, chairs, table etc.
So far I have managed to improve my french drastically and it gets easier everyday. Today I even understood some of the jokes people were making at lunch. Speaking of lunch…the food has been good so far. Lot’s of rice and sauces with some meat in it…I am not sure exactly what kins of meat and I don’t ask. The temperature here is very high…it is really hard to be outside for a long time but I am sure I will adjust. It is still the rainy season so the quick rains that come help cool everything off. There are still a lot of green trees and plants here in the city, but by January they are gone and dried up.
So I am spending my last couple of days here meeting the director of SEACAM (the group I will work for in Koupela) and at the office with CCFC. I am excited to see the new village I will live in for 9 months…and really hoping I can make some friends fast, the nights I spend all by myself.
