Quick quick update!

OMG y'all it's happening! I swore in on Tuesday, bought things for my house yesterday (in Ouaga) and got to Tenkodogo today! There are four new volunteers in my region, so the first two were dropped off this morning in a Peace Corps car, and Kelby and I were going to be picked up in the morning. BUT THEN! we were walking down the street and we saw the car and our awesome driver, Moussa!!!

He picked us up, drove us (in the air conditioned car) around to a couple places for some bigger items,  and even helped Kelby not overpay for a bed! AND when we got back to our hotel, he helped me fix the flat tire on my bike.

Now, Kelby and I are at a hotel (not our own) mooching our last bit of internet time! Tomorrow morning, Moussa (and Kelby) will drop me off at my new house and then they abandon me all by myself…! Needless to say, I'm a little intimidated, but looking forward to it nonetheless.

The first three months of service are called "Etude de Milieu," which means that we have to learn a whole lot about our villages and write up a report about it by the time our In-Service Training (IST) rolls around at the beginning of December. The idea is that asking all those questions will help us integrate into our communities, and having the answers will help us develop good projects in the future.

During Etude, we're supposed to stay at our villages as much as possible - both to be able to get to know it, but also so our communities don’t think we're not really interested in being there. SO what that actually means for anyone following this blog: I think I'll be fairly out of touch for a while. :(

But don't worry about my radio silence! I'll be fine!

The good news is that after I get my solar panel set up (probably in a few weeks), I'll be able to charge my computer so I can type out all sorts of updates - on the last few exciting things of Stage (there were several), and on Etude - and post them when I get a chance!

Hope all is well on the home front - love y'all!

xo, chlo

PS - here's a link to the story on our swearing in! http://burkina24.com/2014/08/19/usa-burkina-prestation-de-serment-de-30-nouveaux-volontaires-du-corps-de-la-paix-americain/

Pics from the end of stage

My host family and my class at model school!

End of Model School.. :/

Model school is coming to an end, so here is a summary of my class (5eme B) in numbers:

13 kids (I know, model school has been spoiling me)

8 last names

5 girls

4 weeks

2 tests (called devoirs)

3 new boyfriends

Monday: Devoir Day

Last week, I had told the class that the test would be really easy because we hadn't had any time to review. Obviously, after they took it, I wanted to confirm that they agreed.

After the test, there were little batches of students milling about in the grassy area between the classroom and our bikes.

I leave the classroom and three of the girls are right outside. "Facile, oui?" I get a somewhat shy "Oui, Madame" in response. Success.

Next, the (five or six) little troublemakers hanging out under the tree. I get "A demain Madame!" with some frantic waves as I get closer. "A demain! Facile?" I get a few excited "TRES FACILE!!"s and arms raised in victory, so I return the enthusiasm with arms up and a "TRES BIEN!" This seems to amuse them, and a couple of them come running up, one for a high five and the other for a fist bump. I continue on my way after "Bonne journee"s all around, but I only make it a little bit past them before I hear another "Madame! Madame!" 

I turn.

Ibrahim is holding something out between both hands. Hmm, it resembles a bracelet, stretched out so I can put my hand in it. I do so, and he is delighted. I look more closely, and it's a rubber puma (the brand) bracelet, still wet from when he washed it off at the pump. That explains what he was doing over there...Boyfriend #1.

Tuesday: Test Return Day - aka Last Day of Class

Autumn and I go over the test (she taught zoology, I taught botany, and we gave a split test).

Armel is the LCF observing today, and at the end he asks if we want to take pictures! What a good idea, Armel. The kiddos agree and I'm glad Armel is there directing the endeavor because the photo op makes them very rambunctious and I can only understand about every other word. After the big group photo, Alimata begs me to take a picture with her and her friend (whose name I forget...). I find this both sweet and amusing because she gave me serious sass the first few days. The boys photobomb us, and then Ibrahim and Nicaise want a separate picture too. Boyfriend #2.

Tuesday: Post-Photo Op

Okay, so there are two notebooks for each class: the cahier de texte and the cahier d'absences. In the cahier de texte, you write down what you did that day, and as you might guess, in the cahier d'absences, you write down who was absent.

One of the students will usually remind me if it looks like I'm going to forget, and today it was Romaric. He stood next to me and told me who was absent and then I needed the date, so I pulled out my phone. He then pulls out HIS phone and says all innocent-like, "Madame! Ton numero?" And he looks at me as though this is normal and I'm like "PSH!!! Noooooo!" (except it's more like the French non, so it sounds more like "nawwww!" haha) and we laugh and he pulls this fake disappointed face even though he knew what I was going to say from the beginning. Boyfriend #3.

Wednesday: Grade Calculation and a Confirmation of Love

I'm about three bike-minutes away from the lycée (school) when it becomes really hard to pedal and I hear a strange sound from my bike. Uh oh... Yes. A flat. Joy. Time to walk.

As I'm crossing the field in front of the lycée, one of my students (Romaric) sees me and comes running up to take my bike. I show him the problem, and he makes all the appropriate sounds of dismay. He seems surprised when I flip the bike over to take the back tire off.

I brought the tire to the lycée (we park them a ways away) and as soon as I started fixing the flat, I attracted a horde of helpers - who then insisted on doing it themselves. 

So I guess the moral of the story is that I'm going to miss those little snots... Don't worry, I brought them candy today.

xo, c