the pagne.

Pagnes. What can I say. A pagne (pahn yuh) is the single most useful thing in the world, because it is the most versatile. A pagne is basically a length of fabric (I think three meters by one meter?), generally brightly patterned, that one can buy at the marche. There are market booths with dozens of pagnes hanging on the walls, covering every inch of space with headache-inducing patterns.
Uses:
Clothing. That's the one you might expect. There are tailors everywhere here, of varying quality, who will take your pagne and turn it into whatever garment strikes your fancy. There are traditional dress patterns that you can use, or you can bring in a picture from a magazine or a drawing and get something... pretty close. Usually with a little Burkina flavor. I got two dresses made before swear-in, and they didn't turn out anything like what the tailor and I had agreed upon, but they're okay. For the pagne masquerade party, for the volunteers who are leaving soon, I just made my own. (I have a lot of time on my hands in village. I may have mentioned this.)
Towel. Works like a charm. Oh, this also goes into clothing, because you can just wear the pagne like a towel and it's an acceptable form of clothing in your house and courtyard. And an un-tailored pagne can simply be wrapped around your waist and worn as a skirt, and that's acceptable everywhere. Just make sure you wrap it tight.
Other uses (most of which I have tried): Sheet, curtain, tablecloth, potholder, cleaning cloth, sieve, cheesecloth, wall hanging, head wrap, raincoat, dog bed, dropcloth. And so much more.
I just wanted to explain pagnes because they're so ubiquitous here. From where I'm sitting here on the porch of the transit house, I can see four. Something I already know I'll miss back in the states.

internet overload

Okay, I really have too much internet access this weekend for my own good. Or for anyone's good, really, because I'm going to blog about whatever random stuff pops into my head, because I have internet so I feel like I should blog.
Today is the last day of Ramadan, which means it's a fete day! It's the end of the period of fasting during the day, so there's going to be some serious village parties today and I think tomorrow, too. It also means that there are very few buses today, so it looks like I'll be staying in Ouaga for an extra night. My neighbors are looking after my animals, so it shouldn't be a problem. More time to eat cheeseburgers! (The count's at three so far.)
Coming up: random posts on a variety of subjects. Remember this in the future if I don't blog for a month at a time.

mini vacation... from my vacation

Oh my gosh look how adorable that is. That is my bad cat, Jack, using the top of my mosquito net as a hammock. He's suspended a couple of feet over the bed. It's about the cutest thing I've ever seen.
And look at me updating within a week of the last post! Don't get used to it. I'm in Ouaga for the weekend for a meeting- and also, coincidentally, a party. Amazing how that worked out. And I have to say, it's pretty great to see friends after three weeks at site. They've been some long weeks. I think I just need something to break up my weird limbo-like existence in Bagre, where I have zero schedule and not a whole lot to do.
Once I get back on Monday it'll be time to start planning lessons and generally getting prepared for school to start- two weeks!! I still don't know exactly which classes I'll be teaching, but I have a general idea so it won't hurt to start planning out lessons for a couple of my more definite classes. I'll probably be doing 6eme math (kind of like sixth grade) and 4eme PC, Physics et Chimie (kind of like eighth or ninth grade physics and chemistry.) There's a couple of math classes still in question and if no biology teacher shows up I could potentially end up adding that.
I was initially concerned about teaching math- as in, I told the education coordinator that I wouldn't do it- but there really is a need here, and it's certainly at a low enough level that I will have no problem explaining the concepts, and apparently it's the easiest subject to teach. I just hope that I can make it exciting for the students. I'm going to try to find a way to be passionate about the subject and make creative lessons- that's my challenge for myself with math this year. Wish me luck.

the domestic life

I think that's the longest I've gone without internet since its creation. Almost literally. Is that incredibly sad?
I've moved in completely, and while I still have some organizing to do I've moved on to more exciting parts of life. I can now cook, and I bought a large pot so I could make a dutch oven and now I can bake, too! I've been experimenting quite a bit, and while there have been a lot of failures (I blame the non-refrigerated yellow goop which passes for butter here) I made zucchini (okay, cucumber) bread yesterday and it was the most amazing thing I've ever eaten. I'm making it again tomorrow. And possibly, every day. Or every other, since I can probably limit myself to eating half a loaf a day. Maybe.
I also painted the main room of my house!! It's a really lovely blue color, and was an absurd ordeal to do. I ran out of paint twice (I still have a third of a wall to finish) and the paint roller I bought broke, and since those don't exist in village my neighbor gave me a foam mattress pad that I cut into sponges and used to paint two walls. And the paint is latex, which doesn't really come off of the floor, or clothes, or skin, or the kitchen implements I touched with my blue hands. So I feel like I'm in (bear with me) Arrested Development, with blue handprints all over my house. I get a kick out of it.
I've been trying to get out of the house and explore my village. I've done a couple of biking adventures, going to the dam and around the countryside. I've gone a few times to the big market that happens every three days in the smaller village that's about 7k away from my house. The main goal is usually to buy eggs (of the guinea fowl variety, no chicken eggs here) for my baking endeavors, but the market is just a very busy, exciting change of pace for my quiet life here, and I can usually get a free bissap drink from a lady I know there.
And after one particularly disastrous day when my sick dog followed me to the smaller market in town and walked over the produce- that was a bad, bad, day- I was brave enough to go back and now I'm friends with the women there and try out my pathetic moore language skills (mam data tomatoe. yaa wan wana? mam data pisi tomatoe. y barka: I want tomatoes. How much do they cost? I want a hundred francs worth of tomatoes. Thank you!) Also, they think that I'm obsessed with tomatoes.

tenkodogo (-go)

Today, I am in Tenkodogo. That is my regional capital- the closest city near my site. It's only an hour by bush taxi, and the ride's quite scenic. Plus, you have the exciting danger element every time you ride in a bush taxi. I am here today because I need to buy a gas tank for my stove so that I can cook so that I can eat. And feed my pets.
Yeah, so, I moved into my house! It's really wonderful. I've been thinking of it so much for the past couple of months that it actually feels like home already. Liz left me all sorts of wonderful things in the house, too- a huge bed, bookshelves, magazines, kitchen supplies, chairs, tables, pets.... I'm not nearly done decorating or even organizing, but I'm going to have plenty of time to work on that, there's no rush. Seriously, none. I have a month until school starts. I have plenty to fill my time, and have been trying to work out a little schedule. It's something like, Tuesday: gardening (if it doesn't rain and if the neighbor boy comes over to help and if he has gardening implements or if I can find said implements at the hardware store in town if there is a hardware store in town and if someone can tell me what the plants in my garden actually are and it's not too hot out.) Wednesday: bike to the big marché (if I'm right about the schedule and it's marché day on Wednesday and if my bike tire isn't flat or if it is if I can buy a bike pump in village or should I buy that today in Tenkodogo and if I have enough small change to buy things at the market and if not then where to break the large bills the bank gives me that are basically useless in village.) Thursday: too far ahead for me to even think about right now.

So like I said, I have some free time. No real schedule whatsoever. And not too many people to talk to. My neighbors are super nice, and I've started meeting people around town, but I don't really know anyone yet. And while I feel fine about that right now, I've heard some sad things about the first month being alone at site. So, feel free to call me! Anytime. I promise to come up with something interesting to tell you. And since I won't have much access to internet or mail for the next month, it's the best way to stay in touch! So if you're sitting on your wrap-around porch in a rocking chair some fall afternoon, the leaves falling around you, wearing a cozy sweater and drinking a pumpkin spice latté and eating apple pie, and you happen to think to yourself, I wonder how many gallons of sweat Carolyn has produced today, and if she has yet mastered the art of picking rocks out of rice... you can find out! I will answer as honestly and with as much detail as possible.

volunterrific

Group photo!!
Me and Lorena, another future teacher.


I'm a volunteer!! Finally. The ceremony was really nice- everyone got super pretty and we went to the ambassador's house. We were outside in the garden, all seated in rows like a graduation, and several of us (not me) gave speeches in local languages and french. The acting ambassador gave a really wonderful talk, and our country director, Doug, gave a speech, and so did a government minister, then we all took this oath to uphold the Constitution and we were volunteers!

Then we ate and drank and later we went dancing. It was genuinely a really enjoyable and kind of inspiring ceremony, and it was great to hang out all together for one last night in Ouaga.

And now... I'm still in Ouaga. Krystle (my nearest neighbor) and I don't get moved until tomorrow morning. Which is actually pretty nice- we've been able to do some relaxed shopping in town, hang out with other volunteers, and eat cheeseburgers for almost every meal. Seriously, every day, sometimes twice a day. And sometimes, instead of a side of fries, I get a side of chawarma. Or a side of pizza.

ouagadougouagadougouagadougou

Oh my gosh I'm in Ouaga and life is amazing. I ate pineapple chicken at a chinese restaurant for lunch, then I had chocolate ice cream, then I went to the hotel and took a hot shower and watched tv and now I'm sitting in the air conditioned lobby using the wireless internet. And tonight I think we're going to drink wine and, I'm just guessing here, eat more.
Tuesday is swear-in, when I become a volunteer and actually start living here for real. I got a dress made for the occasion, and apparently they cover the ceremony on the national news. It's kind of a big deal. But of course the thing I'm most excited about is that it's at the American embassy, where they also have cheeseburgers and onion rings and milkshakes.
My schedule for moving to site is pretty good- I'll be staying in Ouaga until Friday morning, then the Peace Corps takes me and all the stuff I buy to my house in Bagre. So I should have plenty of time to shop, and maybe even the opportunity to make Skype dates with interested parties on Wednesday and Thursday. (i.e. let me know if you want to talk!!)
Hey, time to eat again! I'll post soon. It'll probably be more about food.