Blogs from Centre, Burkina Faso, Africa - page 11

Hi everyone Well, I'm pleased to finally make the appropriate introductions. As many of my faithful readership already know, I've been gradually expropriating the cat that hangs around my friend's house here, and I finally succeeded in bringing him home. Brad got shipped off to Mali for an undetermined amount of time, so we agreed that my place would be the best place for the little kitty. I finally have custody of my baby!!!! :) *I realize I'm one of those crazy Cat Ladies now, so we can all shake our heads in unison* So, please allow me to present the newest member of the family: Bernie. He's about a year old (we think) and he's a very sweet boy. He loves cuddles and has a very soft coat. He even comes when you call him, ... read more

Hey everybody! I hope you're all doing well and enjoying this lovely long weekend. I wanted to share a very special Canadian moment I just had here. It can be summed up in three letters: BLT. That's right; I found a place that makes a REAL North American BLT!!!! YAY!!!!! Apparently the Chicken Club they make is also good... This new discovery came about in a rather interesting way... Yesterday while I was taking a short afternoon run (all cardio has been officially shot during malaria) I came across some Peace Corps volunteers at the local corner bar. So when I was finished I went over to get a bottle of water and had a bit of a chat with them. Turns out they're all super nice and they invited me out with them that night ... read more

Hello everyone Not too much to report this time. I'm over the hump in terms of malaria recovery, and back at the office of course. My colleagues here were a bit worried I'd jump back in the saddle too soon, so it was decreed that if I tried to set foot in the office before Tuesday I was to be hog-tied and locked in my room! Luckily, I was smart enough to comply and stayed home until yesterday. Looking forward to the trip up Kilimanjaro. I've been reading through all the papers that the travel folks sent me about arrivals and that sort of thing. The only thing left to buy are some iodine water purification tablets, and then I'm set. It's only 8 days away now until I leave. Can't wait! :) So work is ... read more

Heya everyone Well, that song last time must have done it cuz the SCOTTISH LADIES WERE TRIUMPHANT!!!! :) In a score of (what sources tell me) 22-17, they defeated the very sneaky Ottawa Irish to become Russell League Champs. I look forward to the match report! Well done ladies!!!!!! In other news (although not nearly as exciting) things in Ouagadougou are going fine. Been training hard for my climb up Kilimanjaro in 2 weeks!!!! Actually, 3 weeks exactly from today I will be standing at the summit of the highest walkable mountain in the world, and the hightest mountain in Africa. The training has been tough, and I've been barely able to move for a few days do to an over-zealous workout on Monday. I decided it would be a good idea to workout the climbing ... read more

Nous sommes ici en Burkina Faso avec les plus bizarre keyboards et mon pathetic francais. Thanks Almitra for the french spelling help - where are your silky french skills when I need them? We finally actually received one of the texts you sent Suze and Gia. Sounds like a lovely night. As for us, we're in a large, fumey, sweaty, rainy city. We got our first healthy dose of french practice in the taxi from Bolgatango, when we shared with an older Parisian couple. I decided to warm up with them; They were very courteous, I must say, speaking clearly and slowly, as well as accepting my ugly butchery of their elegant language. Our driver was a lovely chap with the deepest voice you can imagine, a thumb missing from his left hand, and the most ... read more