Advertisement
Published: December 5th 2007
Edit Blog Post
My office
This is where I go everyday! It's the central office of my organization Hi everyone!
Wow, really i'm ashamed of myself! I haven't written on that blog forever. I was just always discourage cause I had so much to say and it would have been so long to write!
A lot have happened since the last blog entry.
I had another quebec volunteer (Josee) coming to live with me and work in my organization. She works for the city of Montreal as an archivist. She came to my NGO to get them organize and create an archival system. She was really nice and had a good time with her. It got me back my quebec accent (which is good cause my mom said I speak like a french girl now), we had nice dinners and ate food I could not afford before. So really, it was a treat for my stomach! 😊
But apart from the stomach, she was really cool. We laughed a lot and had good conversation. I was happy she was not like those other white people who can seem to want to integrate themselves. She was not afraid to get to know the culture, which brought us closer. Her arrival also had a big impact on
Veggies!
This is next to the water "barrage" close to where I live. my work relationships. In the office, I didnt really know people cause they dont really have anything to do with my work. But her job required her to interact with everyone, so she got to know everyone pretty quickly and thus, made the link between the employees and I. I like going to work a lot more now, cause I keep on having fun with everyone and we know eachother better. One girl from work even invited us for dinner before Josee left he country. It was cool and the food was really good!
I also got to be friends with a guy that comes often to work. We often hang out and go out to bars. He brings me to that dancing bar he hang outs at. Everytime I go, I'm the only white girl in there. The first time I went there, my friend Judy introduced me to the DJ. I made the huge mistake to tell the guy my name.. OH GOSH! 10 minutes later, he was singing me a song and saying Nathalie all the time. My friend said not to worry cause no one knew my name in the bar.. UNTIL.. the DJ said
The "Barrage"
This is one of the water sources around the city. It's at 2 minutes next to where I live "White girl" in the local language.... I was so mad! I didnt want to get all the attention, but whether I like it or not, it's always like that here anyway. It's pretty funny though. I still didnt go dance yet, cause I know everyone will look at me when they'll see the white girl going on the dancefloor. But I also want to wait cause there are some songs you have to dance in a specific way.. so I just observe and later will go dance.
I also got a chance to go up North a bit to Ouahigouya. My organization has a college and schools around there and as they were going up there one day, they asked me and Josee to come, so that Josee would see a bit more of the country. It was nice to do this road trip. Really, i never travelled abroad in a car and it seriously felt like home, just with a different decor. It was also nice to get out of the city. It's really just when you get out and come back that you realise how poor and dirty the city is. God! I love nature and the
Me and my moped
I never do the tourist and never take pictures! But thanks to Josee you all get to see now! savannah!
Really, I am enjoying it a lot more now! I got up that culture shock curve I think. But I also think that now that Belko is out of life, it's bringing a lot more positive things. Even my friends told me that everything he showed me or talked to me about Africa was not real. He was showing the bad sides. Now i really start to appreciate the culture. I had friends coming to visit on Sunday and had them for dinner. My whole sunday was packed with being with people visiting me. WHich is amazing!
I also had to work hard on my University research in the last week as it was due today. I finally decided my topic. I will research how gender inequality in West Africa is impacting the isolation and oppression of African Lesbians and will also analyse how the expanding African "coming out" and the HIV/AIDS pandemic are impacting the marginalization of African lesbians through a gender imbalance.
So yeah.. I realised on placement that I am a feminist! Everyone keeps on telling me at work. It's something I never realised before in Canada. I also really enjoy having friendly
debates with people around me about gender issues and women's rights.. ahaha guys make me laugh here.. but I do understand their side of the story though, which they always appreciate. Cause really, we cant implement gender equality in Africa right away. it tooks us so long to arrive their on our side, imagine them with their culture. It cant happen in one day!
Anyway.. I need to go get my VISA, cause my other one is expiring soon.. So really, it means that it's been almost 3 months.. Well 2 and a half. And I dont want to go back to Canada yet. When Josee left the country, I wouldn't have seen myself leaving. I'm not ready. I still have more to do here and more to learn. I enjoy life here really. Everything is more natural and simple! It's a big change in my life. I do realize and understand why at first, 3 or 4 years ago, I wanted to study International Developement. I understand when I was saying I wanted to work abroad. Once you're here.. you always want to stay. I forgot about all this cause it had been so long I didnt travel.
Women
These are 2 women that came in the office. Josee took a picture to see the kids on their backs But really... Africa.. I'm loving it! (OH god.. I so want a McDonald's big Mac!!! hummmm..) Ok, sorry, yes it happens something that I get those kinds of cravings! ahhaa 😊 McDonalds didnt make it to Burkina yet apparently!! 😊
But yeah, enjoy the pictures.. have so many now and wont be able to put them all, but I would love to show you all!
Enjoy the cold! It's cold here too.. I'm freezing.. it's 20 degrees! at night! 29 during the day! I was on my moped this morning and regretted not to have put on my sweater. At night, i close all my windows, sleep under 2 sheets with my sweater on! Yeah.. I'm really getting used to the heat I guess!! Imagine if I would come back to Canada now. I would be like an iced African in the snow! ahaha 😊
Take care everyone!
Love you all!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.077s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 12; qc: 52; dbt: 0.0407s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Danielle
non-member comment
hmmmmm...
An Iced African....o.0 ... Doesn't sound bad to me =P I miss you alot!!! <3