2006 came in with a plop, lots of 'em

Happy New Year’s, belated at least. Despite getting a bad case of "food poisoning" and a cold, I had a nice time in Djibo with yet more new volunteers (I’m really started to get to know a few of ‘em). We made a big Mexican feast (on the first, after I'd recovered) and all slept in close quarters in Ami’s little house. It was rather cozy.

The weather here’s getting kinda cool, hoodie weather even. It’s dipped down to a frigid 62 degrees a few mornings, which here warrants parkas, scarfs and being an hour late to class, if you’re one of my students.

Last week, I went on a "field trip" to the gold-mining village 7km from my town. What a depressing place! My neighbor works on the machinery there, so he gave me the VIP tour. It’s extremely dirty work and there’s kids working there that are 7 years old. I don’t know, it’s not good but the people depend on the work for money, so they refuse to use the machines available. It’s frustrating to see and hard to communicate…. Much like the book I just finished, The Grapes of Wrath. Between that book and that visit, last week was pretty emotionally draining.

In village news, Bourzanga’s bumpin’ with the tastiest green beans ever. It’s my village’s main cash crop that they export all the way to France for the Frenchies to eat. I’ve been eating them two meals a day, except for the days when I take advantage of my new "benga lady" for lunch. "Benga" is black-eyed peas and rice with oil, salt and chili peppers and it’s oh-so-tasty! I’ve been complaining for the last 9 months that my village has no "benga lady" on the side of the road like every other town in the country and now my prayers have been answered! Life is good… And also on the food line of thought, I’ve been experimenting with stove-top baking because I refuse to make a dutch oven (heh heh…. Dutch oven…) because it’ll make my house 2 million degrees if I use it. So anyhoosy, I made my director some peanut butter cookies, which turned out surprisingly well, and now he won’t shut up with the word "cookie". I now address him as Cookie Monster, even at school.

At school, our first semester comes to a close on the 31st. I’m really behind schedule in my science class, but I’m doing okay in my math classes. (I can’t bear to make any kind of schedule for my English class because I started so late.) Our biology teacher quit at the winter break, but we luckily found a new one to pick up where he left. I was really quite concerned our kids wouldn’t have biology at all for a while.

That’s about it. I’ve been enjoying a little more communication lately because I can get cell phone reception on a hill in my town. So Chris actually got some warning before I came in this weekend, which I think is a nice thing. And now he’s super happy because we caught the mouse that’s been haunting his abode and pooping on everything in his house.

Guess that’s it for this time. Thanks to everyone who’s sent me letters lately. I’ve gotten a ton in the past month , most notably one from my cousin Joe who I literally hadn’t heard from in probably 6 years! Thanks dude!