Life in Ouaga

Okay…so I realize that this isn’t a good start to a blog when already after 3 posts I’ve slacked off. But I’m back :)

I’ve now been here almost a month and feeling pretty settled in. It is amazing how when you work you get into a kind of ‘routine’ and even thousands of miles from home, life seems pretty normal! I bike the 15-20 minutes to work everyday, saying my hellos to all the ‘regulars’ that I pass every morning, arriving sometime between 8 and 8:30. Full work day of research, writing, translating, correction, reading, meetings etc etc until about 4:30-5:00 and then I head the 15-20 minutes back home. If I stop to go to the bank or do groceries along the way and leave my beautiful pink bike with the friendly ‘bike parking’ guys that are on almost every corner. You leave your bike with them and get a little ticket so that you can get it back when you are done. It costs 50 FCFA which is about…a quarter of a quarter?!? Not too shabby!

I usually have an hour or two at home to myself before Emeline comes home and even more before Sarah comes home (remind me not to work for the UNDP…she works insane hours!). Evenings are spent going to the tailor with Emeline (soon for me too… although I’m trying to be good and not go crazy having things made too quickly!)… going to the neighbourhood ‘maquis,’ which you could call a bar but it’s more a street-side pub/hang out. Some of them have dance floors. You can get a whole deliciously roasted chicken for about $4 and a beer for $2. Perfect meal right there!

Tuesday and Thursday nights I’ve signed up to go to a salsa class! Sarah is supposed to go as well but given how much she is working she doesn’t get to all that often. Its fun! The prof is really fantastic but kind of overwhelming and a little arrogant. But everyone in the class is really great and we are a few beginners so it works out to some laughs!

There are also all kinds of theaters/plays/concerts going on all the time. There is a community theater near our house that has African Storytelling every last Wednesday of the month for free. That’ll be tonight so quite exciting! In a couple of weeks Ouaga Hip-Hop festival starts and Hanna’s boyfriend (Hanna is the other intern) has made a bit of a name for himself as the new DJ in town (yes, after only one month! He moves fast!). So he’ll be in a few of the concerts DJing around town.

Saturdays (if we aren’t sleeping in after a late Friday night :p ) Sarah, Emeline, Hanna and I go to an African Dance class that one of Sarah’s friends organizes. It is really great actually. There are two professors and a guy who plays the djembe. They are really good! Emeline and I actually saw them perform in a theater/dance show last Friday where the Minister of Culture came to watch. It is really a lot of fun and a HUGE work out! If you have never tried crouching for an hour and a half while lifting your legs over and over and swinging your arms…Do! It’s FUN :)

Normally I think a weekend would include a trip to a pool somewhere. One of my colleagues has generously offered unlimited use of his swimming pool and there are a number of hotels around as well. If only there was a beach! I can’t stress how much I miss that. I am really enjoying Burkina but…man…even my Burkinabe friends complain about the lack of ocean!

This past weekend, however, was pretty much just lying in bed after catching some kind of bug in my stomach. Actually I don’t know what it was but just that I was in a lot of pain and nauseous. I’m blaming the slightly uncooked egg sandwich I ate Friday afternoon because all weekend the thought of that sandwich made me cringe even more! Usually the sign of a culprit! It is all over now and, although I don’t think I will order that egg sandwich again, I am ready to go back to the corner kiosk that sold it to me and try something new!

So that is life up until now. Work is going really well too and I’m keeping busy. It is a pretty flexible work place so Hanna and I can help out essentially anyone who needs it. That is really great because it means there is always something to do and we really get to see all the different aspects of the Embassy work.

I promise I will try to take some pictures to share a little of what Ouaga looks like. And by “I will take pictures” I mean “when Emeline’s sister comes back (they went to Togo for a week) I will take all the photos she has taken of Ouaga and post them for you all to see” :)

Cheers and love!