Okay so I live about 50 Km north of Ouaga in a village of about 4500 people. I am loving my village and my house and the people. My house is little but I am excited to make it my home for the next two years. My neighbor Adissa...she owns the house...planted two trees for me...I really couldn't ask for anything better. Also some of the people I work with refer to her as my mother. It is really cute. But MOM don't worry I won't replace you :)
So night now I am doing what is called the Etude du Milieu...and it will last about 3 months until our next training session. During the Etude, I will be integrating into the community, working on language, looking at reports, and trying to figure out what the community needs/wants.
My courtyard.
Okay so Ramadan ended a few weeks ago here and everyone has parties to celebrate that fact that they can eat again. My major (the head nurse at the CSPS and my official counterpart) invited me over to his house. We ate and ate and ate and then I went to another nurses house and ate again. I finally returned home only to be given more food... I took a small repose and then I get this knock on my courtyard door.
Someone... I didn't remember him at the time...wanted to give me a coke at a local 'bar' across the road. I thought this was really odd then he came over and I have no idea what he is try to day because he only speaks moore. He gets someone to walk over a coke to my house. It was really weird at the time but really nice.
Long story short.. I met him through my neighbor Becky in a neighboring village at the marche. He is super nice and NOW I remember him. :)
I have small boutiques in village where I can buy food and soap and other needs. My village also makes great local bread...SO because my neighbor Adissa gave me eggs I had some egg sandwiches for breakfast ... SO tasty!
Language is difficult but everyone is so supportive. They all say "petite by petite." It is encouraging. They want me to succeed and so when I am having a bad day...I just remember that. And it is true... you need to be able to laugh at yourself if you want to survive. Because mistakes happen and it's funny.
Your final paragraph put a lump in my throat. What more could we ever need than to be surrounded by those who want us to succeed? That you are able to express that sentiment is extraordinary for you're doing so under some challenging circumstances, certainly more so than the rest of us will ever know. You've embodied the precise attitude for survival: if you don't learn to laugh, you cry. So to "get" that, is exceptional; but to "get" it at your tender age is remarkable. Kudos, Lindsay!
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