Flies

Okay. This may be sad, but it's true. I know what would make me ET. ET stands for early termination, and it basically means quitting. Let's run through some things that could (but probably won't) push me over the limit:

Ebola? I only eat meat that is very clearly chicken, so no chance of accidentally eating bat. And I certainly don't spend time w any sick people, so even if at some point there are cases in Burkina (there haven't been any so far), I'm unlikely to come into contact w it.

Malaria? I take my doxy (my chosen malaria prophylaxis) pretty well so even if I were to get malaria, it wouldn't be that bad.

No electricity? I'm getting a solar panel today actually, but a month without power really hasn't been too bad.

No running water? I only have to go to the pump about every 2-3 days, and its not far anyway. And! if any of the neighbor kids are there, they insist on pumping it for me - and sometimes also on walking it back to my house for me!

No furniture? I don't like living my life on the floor, but luckily my homologue is back in town and I think he'll be able to help me find someone to make me some. (My earlier inquiries have not been successful.)

Language barrier? You'd be surprised at the depth of conversations I've had with some women who don't know French. Ursula was right, don't underestimate the power of body language! Haha

Cultural differences? Is it frustrating that people passing by the pump while I'm doing my laundry there will stop stare at me for a while, and sometimes, give me 'pointers' on how I should be scrubbing? Yes. This is when I take deep breaths and tell myself, "She means well. She means well. She means well."
Once I even asked a girl if she was going to watch me wash ALL my clothes. She laughed and didn't take the hint, so after a few more minutes (she'd already been there, staring at me, for 15), I sat down and told her that if she was going to just sit and look at me, I was going to just sit and look at her too. We both laughed and finally she left. Sheesh.

All that...I think I can handle it. The thing I sometimes don't think I can handle...the flies. I don't remember them being this bad during site visit, and they're definitely worse outside my courtyard so I think it might be because of all the grass and weeds surrounding the corn fields.

When I leave my courtyard (especially earlier in the morning), flies gravitate towards me and land and hang out. Seriously, there will be about ten on my person, and another three or four buzzing about driving me insane. At first I thought they must be attracted to my soap or the soap I use to wash my clothes, but yesterday I saw them swarm and settle on the neighbor kid who had insisted on walking my water back to my house for me.

I don't know why they bother me so much but they really do drive me nuts. So there's that update! Next time a fly is harassing you (although I don't remember there being such obnoxiously persistent flies - and with such a pack mentality! - in America), you can think of me!