TP or TP?

It's been a while... I've been a bit busy in my village finishing up the school year (nothing like grading 400 tests, filling in 400 report cards and then 400 grade books).

Today we journey where few blogs have gone before... nature is calling and you have to go to the bathroom in Burkina Faso... what no flush toilets? there's not even plumbing? what are you to do?

It's time to to take a trip to your closest latrine. What we would consider as "real" bathrooms in the US are few and far between here. Latrines typically are a hole in the ground with walls built around it. They usually serve as a shower area as well if they are for a home. The shower area may be separate (like it is chez moi) or it might be one walled off area.

But if you are a poor villager in Burkina, you probably don't have enough money to buy toilet paper (our "TP"). So what to do? That's where the Burkina "TP" comes in. It's a plastic teapot. You fill it with water, and you wash with the water instead of wiping. Sorry to get graphic, but people have been asking. People usually keep a plastic teapot filled with water by their front door or in the courtyard area just to wash their hands, or if they're Muslim, to wash hands, feet and face before praying.

I personally am not a huge fan of the teapot and prefer to buy my american tp at the boutique. Do my neighbors think I'm dirty for not bringing the teapot with me everytime I go to the latrine...probably, but I could already have it out there right?

I hope that answers some of your questions. People really have been asking me about this stuff.

Lastly, shoutout to the new group of trainees who will be coming to country in a couple weeks. Yeah, joining the Peace Corps is scary...it was like that for all of us. Don't worry. You'll figure it out. Just have faith. Make the effort to learn French with your trainers. And don't worry too much about packing. As long as you have underwear and a toothbrush you'll survive :)