snafus: mind, body, and posts

I've been having a hard time getting posts published...mainly because I was trying to write the HTML on my own before caving into blogspot's (sigh) generic templates that make you want to pull your hair out as you try to work the details. But the blog is here to stay over Xanga, so spread the good word. Or, expect to hear from my mom who became the advertising manager for the last one.

I've been here in Ouaga for additional training and not too long ago, some long running problem with my wrist started acting up again. I talked to the Medical Officer (PCMO, if you will) and since the x-rays show that there are no broken bones, I've kept in wrapped in an Ace bandage to give it a bit of support. If I had known that going around Ouaga posing as an invalid would mean no more bargaining for taxis with drivers that always try to quadruple prices for foreigners, people always approaching you to carry your groceries or anything heavy, or just being extra efficient in a country where one often wonders if such a concept exists, I would have seriously talked to the PCMO about this much sooner. And would have told other PCVs to join the bandwagon.

While here in Ouaga for Peer Support Network training (how to give hugs to other PCVs), I got an email from an old friend I knew back in high school. We'll call her Melissa. I was good friends with her back in the day and kept in touch with her pretty regularly throughout college but through the Africa Factor, the communication sort of cut out. After about a year of not hearing from her, I sent her an email asking her how everything is going, how our mutual friends are, and what she's been up to lately. Melissa is now done with her first year of law school at a school most of us would give our first born son to get into. Is engaged to a med student. Is looking great, because oh that's right...she does modelling on the side of contracts and torts. And is spending the summer in Italy brushing up on her Italian, with weekend getaways to the Balearic & Grecian Isles, because that's where her latest month long shooting is and that's where she's planning the wedding. A wedding I'm invited to.

Seriously...damn. I couldn't help but feel just a bit insignificant, given that a good day for me sometimes consists of taking a hot shower in Ouaga and eating pizza. I mean, my French doesn't sound as cool as the people in Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain , and sometimes I find myself just smiling and nodding, which is probably why people think I'm fluent. Though thanks to a concerted effort to learn Fulfulde, I can now say that I speak the local language of the people living in Timbuktu. And I did learn that I can sound witty by saying plebian things like "La vie est une maladie mortelle sexuellement transmissible." Ah, sweet success.

Anyway, not sure what the point of this post was...but...go Melissa!


Days until one year in Burkina: 35
Next anticipated travel destination: Togo & Benin
Current listening to: MOBY - South Side