Training: Week Two

Yesterday was my two week anniversary of starting PC training. YAY! Two weeks out of 27 months isn't bad right? The best thing about training is definitely our bicycles. The PC gave us each Trek bikes complete with repair kit, and instructions on how to repair everything. I was not a serious biker before I came here, in fact I had to practice riding one before I came so I wouldn't fall off. I really love my bike. I cannot emphasize how much I love my bike. It's such a great mode of transportation.

The other night there was a big rainstorm here. When it storms here there will be a strong gust of wind, at which point all of the locals immediately run inside, with good reason. The gust then gets even stronger, and dust blows everywhere; I couldn't even keep it from getting through the shutters in my room. Then the downpour starts. This went on for about an hour, with the rain beating on all sides of the house. And then suddenly, it stopped. It reminded me of the storms that they get during the summer time in Wisconsin. When you hear the crack of thunder, you know it's time to get inside.

My goal for the next few weeks is to find some traditional Burkinabe clothing. Women here typically wear a long wrap skirt called a pagne. People use them for other things too, for instance as towels. It seems tricky to keep them on though, but women seem to have a special strategy for tucking them so they don't come loose. Perhaps my host mom would know...