First Impressions

Last night, I had flashbacks of my home stay experience in Rosso, Mauritania. As I lay in my stuffy, hot room, I watched a cockroach fly on top of my mosquito net and crawl around. Immediately, I remembered all the lizard-cockroach battles that took place on the same net back in 2008, memories I tried to suppress since then. At least this time around, I have electricity…so I slept with the light on because I was too afraid to get out of my mosquito net and turn off the light.

PC really pushes me to define what I’m capable of. Not just in terms of work projects or ability to culturally integrate. I’ve learned what I cannot stand, and cockroaches are right on that border. I’ll never forget the +20 cockroach killing/screaming spree in Morocco and the sense of deflated accomplishment, but apparently I am still queasy over one or two cockroaches.

When I signed up for this PC Response position in a capital city, I didn’t expect to have to relive those cockroach days in Rosso. I also thought I’d have a different job assignment. My initial impressions of the city, its joie de vivre, the food, and my work make me grateful for my times in RIM, ROC, and USA. This experience just builds off of those, and I’m lucky to take advantage of it all.

The one thing about BF that surpasses any other country I’ve visited on this continent is the people. From Ouaga’s laidback baggage claim to market experiences to biking here to the office today, I am so thankful at how kind/non-judgmental/non-pushy/non-touchy people have been to me. When my bike chain broke on my first bike ride, a little girl (yes, girl) jumped off her bike, fixed my chain, and jumped back on her bike before I could even say thank you. No means no to the sellers and hawkers at the grand marche, supposedly the place of the most pushiest Burkinabe. People say hello; no rocks are thrown. That being said, theft is huge here. Another PCV got her bag literally torn off of her a few days ago in the neighborhood with the PC bureau and PCV transit house.

I’m still new here, so I don’t want to jump to any conclusions. Promise to self: keep an open mind, stay alert, and stick it* out. I’m not an expat; I’m a PCV. PC training ends tomorrow; my first work day (aka PC will no longer baby me) is on Wednesday. Life will really get interesting then.

*it=learning to bike ride, making do with my house’s other critters, figuring out how to get vegetables to my house, living without a fridge/sink, long-distance relationships, spotty internet/electricity…