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Markus: "When we go back to the States, we're going to be so sexy. We're not going to be bloated, not have giardia, no diarrhea. We're not going to be sweaty; we're going to smell good. I'm going to say damn, Jill, you are fine. And you will say the same thing to me."

Hi, party people. So, like, Titao's not really into this whole internet thing seeing as there's no electricity. As you might have noticed, I can only communicate with the outside world once every two weeks or so. But, as always, I have tons to say! I love writing letters almost as much as I love getting letters, so if receiving letters covered ( Read more... )

Having a birthday in Africa does things to you. Your taste in presents changes. Last year (and the year before that, and the year before that . . .) I wanted books and music. This year I wanted PJ pants made out of a loud Burkinabé fabric I bought in the marché last week and junk food from America--Chips Ahoy, gummy worms, and Cheese Wiz. ( Read more... )

A lot of people have asked me about the quality of health care we receive in the Peace Corps. We're taken care of by two nice ladies, Karen and Sylvie. Karen used to work at the cancer center in Houston, and we've had a few conversations about that SUV-ridden swamp, which I'm surprised to find I miss a little (it's probably just the Tex-Mex). ( Read more... )

Hey, all. There's a popular song here where three dudes dressed in Burkina Faso soccer jerseys do a fun side to side dance and sing, "Burkina Faso, Yah!" and sing in Mooré about how Burkina Faso is great. How's that for pride in your country ( Read more... )

This morning, I was listening to that one Joggers song where he sings, "I haven't seen you for a year." I looked at my watch and realized that it's Julia's birthday, which also means that it's been about a year since I left all my Tacoma friends behind. Happy birthday, Julia! And to the rest of you--write a letter, send an email, or even ship a ( Read more... )

We're moving out of our apartment today, but, unlike when we moved out of our place in Tacoma and I spent more time saying, "I'm going to miss my big red couch!" and "Goodbye, my lovely fish!" than actually moving, I'm not weepy or sappy at all. For some reason, saying "I'm going to miss that uncomfortable futon!" and "Goodbye, hollering ( Read more... )

In a week, Markus and I are saying goodbye to everyone and flying to D.C. We're getting there two days before Staging begins because we just couldn't resist how perfect it would be to spend some time in the U.S. capital before becoming government employees. We're also going to get to visit Chris before we go, which will be a little slice of home ( Read more... )

Peanuts, that is. (Oh, I'm so clever.)

I recently found a nonprofit organization called The Full Belly Project. It was started by a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa after he noticed that the women in Mali, which is north of Burkina Faso, spent most of their time shelling peanuts for food. Since shelling peanuts is such a hassle, ( Read more... )