Demystification (aka: Visiting a current PCVs site)

This is a post I had written but couldn't get the interent to upload it until now. Since I originally wrote this- I have learned my placement site! I'll be in northern Burkina and am really excited with the description.... more info in the next post! Also, no photos are able to be uploaded at the moment.... maybe next time??

Last weekend my language class, which is me and three other girls, Brittany, Donna and Christina, and our teacher, Armel, went to visit the site of a current PCV. The purpose of Demyst is to help trainees get to experience what life is like as a volunteer, meet the people s/he works with, and observe some of the projects done.

The experience began with my very first taste of transport sans the comfy, air conditioned vans the Peace Corps has for us: bush taxis. Ay! What an experience. I think it was SO wise to incorporate familiarizing us to transport into our weekend; without this initial experience with Armel to guide us, I would be so, SO lost the first time I tried to do it on my own. We got to the stop two hours early, and the bus was two hours late, so a total of four hours just hanging around this jumble of a bus stop where there were no signs for the place we were wanting to go. Then we and all sorts of possessions are crammed into the van to fill it as max as possible: goats tied to the roof, chickens under our feet, children passed to strangers to make an extra seat. Whew. And so much sweat and dust. With all that said, you just find your spot, zone out, look at the scenery, and then you have arrived!

Photo from inside the bush taxi- the little boy is drinking a sache of water; instead of bottles, these little baggies are often how you buy water when out and about

I think of the whole weekend… getting to cook was my favorite part. So man y aspects of food are out of my control. Only a few stores to buy snacks from, a  handful of  restaurants that all sell some sort of rice with one sauce or another, and then dinner is given to me by my host family. Being able to pick the vegetables, help prepare, and eat something somewhat familiar was so good!

And-oh my goodness- Emily planned to make banana pancakes for us one morning, tasty, tasty.

Zongo, the nurse in Emily’s town was very welcoming and kind. He had us over for dinner the evening before we left, and Armel roasted some peanuts for us.

The trip to leave was another reminder how necessary flexibility will be when attempting a journey here. The bush taxi that was supposed to come to our town was actually not running that day because of a holiday. So we woke up at 5:30, which is actually pretty normal, got on our bikes by 6:30 and biked 18km to the next town to wave down a bush taxi. Before we left though, Zongo gave us a parting gift of ice-cold Fanta and Coca-Cola for the ride. I never thought a Fanta at 6:30am could hit the spot so much.

Over all Demyst was really informative and reconfirmed that I can do it. PeaceCorps gives you so much freedom to interpret your job description as you want and make your job, and your two years, what you want it to be.  I am excited to paint my house, make meals for myself, work at the clinic and school, go to the market, find my favorite shady tree to read, and just make my experience here my own. Staging is fine, and is often fun, but the vast majority of our days are fully scheduled. It will be nice to get sworn in, settled and form my own routine here.