And the weiner is...

Sorry to disappoint every one at home, but you're low on my Friend Totum Pole right now. Oh yes, there's major competition: Tessa and Annie are in the BF. Oh quit your whining and excuses... I kid because I love. No, you're still cool, man. I swear. But you gotta give these two ladies props for really showin' the love. We'll be visiting SuperCool places like Ghana, Mali and MyVillage (Bourzanga). So far, in one day they've had the "exotic" experiences of: falling in the mud, getting harassed by many strange men at one time, waiting seemingly forever in a line and hanging out with me. Aren't you jealous?

In older news, I went to a really fun Christmas In July In August Party hosted by Josh Yardley in the beautiful town of Bomborokuy. (See http://stephinbf.blogspot.com/2006/08/aside-from-starting-out-week-with-case.html for fun details including an amusing KaraStory.) I also worked my last week with the cool kids in Ouahigouya. They were teaching the whole time and I played the know-it-all volunteer who taught for only a year. It was good times and good eating (meaty chickens and egg salad-avocado sandwiches ahoy!)

So tomorrow we're heading up to Bourzanga to experience village life. Bye bye electricity. Hello flies. You probably won't hear from me in awhile. I'll be having too much fun doing fun things with fun people. Yes!

P.S. Yes, Evil Dead in French is awesome (especially at dusk with bats flying all around -- creepy!)

Oops!

Heh, heh... Sorry. I feel like a putz. Here I was feelin' all "guess I'll go eat worms" sorry for myself. I thought "No one's left a comment for me in a looooong time! Does no one like me?!" But of course, being so technologically astute, I'd put my settings for "moderate all comments" so they were just all stored up. So here they are. Sorry if that confused those of you who put in multiple comments and saw no satisfactory results of your cyberhugs. The glitch has been repaired and now you can give me all the love and waste no time to see it! Yay!

Life's been good in the BF. Busy, but good. Last week, I was in Djibo doing a girls' camp. I tell you, I haven't been around estrogen that thick in awhile. But it was a great experience. And if nothing else, it got 19 lucky girls out of fetching water, cooking and sweeping their houses for 5 whole days and let them have some fun as well as speak their minds. They got to show off their (often hilariously over-the-top) acting and singing skills, too. Of course, nothing is complete here without a ridiculous adventure and this installation involved a sandstorm descending upon me and a few friends mid-beer. I don't think I've ever been so dirty in my life! And then we lost (and eventually recovered) a tent in the wind! Good times....

And speaking of good times, let 'em roll as the rains have finally started in my village. They came late but as of this past weekend, our millet and corn are well on their way. Thank god. Seriously. Too bad my road has to suffer because of it. I nearly bit my tongue off on the way home from Djibo. But I didn't, so it's good.

And so this evening I'm quite excited that I'll be going to the movies for the first time here. I was walking past the cinema earlier today with a friend and what movie poster is hanging there? No, not the usual horrible action film or Indian musical. EVIL DEAD!!! Yeah!!! (We totally freaked out right there.) I wonder if it'll be in French or English. Either would be cool by me. What a classic.