Summer Update

Hello everyone

Its been a while since we last blogged so there is a lot to catch you up on.

May was the last month for regular classes. Our school wanted grades turned in by the 15 which the kids loved. Tim helped an English teacher at out school with the last month of class. He got to listen to their final projects. The students were given topics in the beginning of the year to research and write a final paper on in English. Tim had quite a few students visiting our house because they needed help translating their papers.

In the beginning there was some confusion on the students parts because they thought that if they wrote the paper in French Tim would translate it all into English. He broke their hearts when he would send them home and make them work on translating it. Translating the papers was quite interesting to be sure. There were times when both of us would be working on translating one sentence because it used an idiomatic phrase. The students didn't quite understand why a translation just can't be word for word. Tim explained to them about fluidity and that word for word translation doesn't have that. They seemed to understand that idea but didn't know exactly how to execute it in English.

I also helped one group translate there paper. Lets just say I was completely floored when they handed me print-offs from the Internet and had circled paragraphs and numbered them for order. When I question them what was this, they said well this is our paper. Here is the first paragraph then the second is on this article and so on. I was dumbfounded and didn't know how to explain to a bunch of sophomores that you can't do that. Trying to explain academic integrity was an interesting feat. They didn't understand that they couldn't use whatever article they found off the internet as their own. They told me that they had found it so it was their work. It was a long day explaining to them that they couldn't do that. I was able to get them to redo their introduction and first paragraph correctly with original writing, paraphrasing and quotes. When those two rewrites took them 3 hours to complete they told me that they were done with my way of writing because it took way to long. So they returned to their direct translation for their paper.


As for my class, well it was pretty interesting to say the least. After I gave the class a final exam, which only a third of all the kids passed, we had a game week. I brought in a bunch of activities for the kids: word search, suduko, geometry bingo, Izzy, I Spy jigsaw puzzle. The kids had a blast. They all really loved bingo. It took them a few times to caught on, but once they learned that if they got a bingo they won a sticker and got to be a caller, the game was on :)

During the last couple of days for class, I would go into class and have a general chatting session. The kids really got into this. They started asking really interesting questions. One student wanted to know how agriculture worked in the U.S. They couldn't believe the way we do ours versus their way. Here everyone does subsistence farming. They also got really interested in the way the U.S. Government works. Congress was really an interesting subject to then and the process that is used to get a new law in the U.S. They also loved learning about the interesting things that some of our Presidents did. Of course Barak Obama is still their favorite, but they also really liked Abe Lincoln too. They thought George Washington was a pretty interesting guy too, but they think his hair is funny.


At the end of the school year, there is a teacher party. Ours started at 7 a.m. With a soccer match. Tim participated in the match. He didn't do half bad either. He was instructed to attack the ball and not the person. Tim just apologized and said that he was used to American football not European football. The game ended with Tim's team wining. He was pretty stoked about wining his first soccer game in Africa.

After the match, all the teachers went to the orphanage in Boulsa. Every teacher had donated 1000cfa to buy soap for the kids. After everyone gave money, we were able to buy 2 entire boxes full of soap for the orphanage. As you can imagine they were very grateful. We received a tour of the orphanage. It was a pretty surreal experience for me seeing an African orphanage. I can't really explain what made it so unreal. It was like I was watching a movie back in the U.S., but I was there. When you watch a movie that depicts a third world orphanage, they do a pretty good job of it. The metal cribs all in a row was probably the most striking thing I saw there. It was a really good experience to go and see the orphanage and meet the people who run it.

After the orphanage, all the teachers and spouses went to the school for lunch. While all the women, including me, were busy preparing the lunch, all the men were having tea and playing games. Cooking lunch with the Burkinabé women was pretty interesting. They got pretty rowdy and started joking around which made the time pass pretty quickly. They of course all made fun of me for how I cut up onions and tomatoes. They tried to imitate my cutting style, but that just ended up with them cutting themselves. The riz gras was finally ready to serve around 2 and boy were the guys excited to have something to eat.

After lunch everyone went home to sleep and get ready for the big party that night. We were told the party started at 8 so we showed up at 8. Everyone else kinda
trickled in for the party. I believe our principal finally got there a little before 10! Dinner wasn't served until midnight. We were not informed of this late dinner so we were both famished and exhausted by the time the food got there. We quickly ate our food, took a spin around the dance floor and called it a night. WOW! It was a long day :)


After school was finished, Tim spent most of his free time studying for his CCNA exam. As for me, I was lazy and relaxed. I read a couple of good books and hung out. Tim and I took a mini vacation May 28-30 in Ouaga. We used this time to just relax in an a/c room and watch a couple of movies. We also did some souvenir shopping.
May 31-June 5 we were up north for training of trainers. Both Tim and I are so excited to be trainers for the new volunteers that are here. We had a blast at the training event. A lot of our friends are trainers too so that made for an awesome time.

When we got back to site, it was a whirlwind. I was so busy getting everything prepared for our vacation home. There was so much to do and I had only 5 days to do it before I had to be back in Ouaga for VAC. Luckily Tim and I got everything done that we need done for the trip just in time. I headed to Ouaga and Tim followed me 1 days later.


June 15 was an exciting day. Tim, Emma and I were on the same plane. Once we got on the plane it was like stepping forward in time 50 years. The trip home was absolutely amazing. We ran pretty much none-stop the entire time we were home. Tim played a lot of golf. We did some shopping. We ate a ton of food. Each of our families had reunions, so it was great to get to see so many people. We got to visit with friends too. I had a couple of bridal showers to go to too. Oh we also participated in a golf outing on our 2 year anniversary. Tim won the bull's eye trophy and I won woman’s longest drive. Tim also got his CCNA certification! Going home was wonderful. Its pretty hard being several thousand miles away, but coming home made everything worth it.


Now we are back in country and continuing on with our second year. Tim is currently helping out at stage and I'm in site. He's having to work hard each day from 7:30-5:30. Me on the other hand, I am whiling away the time in village. I have been busy reading books (3 thus far), cross stitching (just finished the second bib), taking Surreal for lots of walks (trying to get her leash trained), and visiting with all our friends. They really love hearing about everything we did back home. They are particularly interested in golf and how that all works.

Well until next time. We miss you all and hope everything is going well.

Congratulations to Chance & Mary C.
Brian & JoJo
Curtis & Julie