So, today was a day of Fidel action. not only this, but Francious came along, as did the still sick Donat. Several days ago, Patrick and i had passed on a list of flora we would like to have collected from around Francious’ place. I think he was able to get all of the essentials. The main essentials was the grasses, and a relatively fresh cutting of the Kooka bark. The grasses looked similar from a distance, but were all unique in a closer inspection, as well as by touch and strength in shear. The Kooka bark was needed for emphasis on the discolouration of water, if soaked for a short amount of time (preferably in the sun).
With Donat feeling, well, too unwell to go through large amounts of thinking (still teaching today), Fidel and I were trying to speak French together, and the more complicated words would be those that Donat would add his two bit to. I think Fidel was also not feeling too well, with the downing of Aspirins being the start and end of his visit for the day. Conversation was about the more person role, and religious role, of a successful Sugri-doogo. While we were dealing with the religious aspects of the structure, Donat went about looking for top quality clay, from a trusted place. On his return, we were able to see what the same clay looked like, but with a little bit of moisture variation. Fidel Quality Assured the product. One batch was great quality, whereas the other was a little too moist, and required proper exposure for drying by the time we needed to use it.
To take advantage of the situaiton, Canazui got me to jump on the donkey that was used to drag the supply of soil. Ah, the thrill in being on a small lumbering animal with such great strength. By 11am, which came around relatively quickly, Fidel, Francious and Donat had their own plans for the day. With their leaving, I was able to ask Donat for permission to go on to Ouahagouya with Yvonne.
While I was on the phone to update Yvonne, and getting things ready for lunch, Canazui had been able to get the lady from the liquor store to come on over, I think her name was Maree. The issue with this one, well, she had wanted me to visit her and for us to go out dancing. The plans I made at first for us to go dancing ( near a couple of weeks ago) was stopped due to her exhaustion after work, then the following plans had been spoilt with me doing something with Miriam’s cousin instead (whoops). This had caused a little bit of difficulties, but Canazui did not want us to give up. The other problem being my desire to actually get some work done as well. So, this time when Maree came, she actually came along and saw that I had been on the computer. Actually I may have been checking email, or booking flights.
Canazui grabbed photos of us, then as the thoughts had been about my intense working nature, she left. Sorry, but then Canazui promised about giving her copies of all photos. Bloody hell Canazui, this meant the list was growing, and colour printing was not a cheap task to get done.
I basically wanted her to leave, so as to grab a bite to eat and take Canazui’s pushbike to Yvonne’s place, before it rained. We ate lunch, then, it began to rain. This was not several hours, only a couple, but it made me look like the culprit for being late to the pre-planned meeting. For one reason, or another, I was unable to contact Yvonne, and just went about on a whim to hope she was home, also to get the right directions. Canazui had managed to also get a TV set up and was watching a bit of football, soccer, while the rain was preventing his outdoor projects.
The rain did not immediately stop, but I was now growing a little impatient. This was also due to the phones being down and not being able to contact people to see what the surrounding weather was like (Internet was also down). There was not much more rain to encounter, maybe only another 5 minutes worth on the bike and it had stopped causing misery. Twas not only the rain that was causing mischief, but the humidity. I was totally enclosed in clothing, including my backpack, but this also was able to enclose the body heat I was producing with the pedaling. Finally getting to Yvonne’s sector, the bumpy road was more like a new water way, river like paths formed helter skelter of each other and where the narrow ones were able to have some speed behind them, it was the wider ones that, even if slow, was able to create some hard work getting through.
Finally walking into the housing region of where Yvonne lived, I had to ask one of the people of the precise location. Even though pointing, they ended up calling out to Yvonne, who appeared within 20 seconds, or so. Saying hellos to each other, the first thing on the agenda was to get me out of the sweat sodden clothes clinging onto my back. You can see from the photos what the result of this was, even though it was a unisex top, I could definitely feel the places stretching had taken effect.
A little walk around the place allowed for some introductions to be inevitable. This area was like the market visited the previous day: Not many Nasaras would be seen in the area. This especially became evident with a nephew of Yvonne’s breaking out in tears and running to his mum every time he saw me, or if he thought I hadn’t seen him, to even just hide behind his mother’s dress. So, if I had not lost my journal a week before typing this, I would have been able to reiterate to you the names of majority of those I had been introduced to. The photos taken was not to show off the people I had seen, but only of the moments I thought were extra special. The perfect example of this was with Yvonne’s cousin taking the time to make a special, dessert like product that was great to fight against the humidity. It was ice, yoghurt and another product or two. This was a reasonably successful business of hers too, even down the reasonably back street. Most of her clients were, obviously, those from around the suburbs, with an estimated average of one person every 3-5 minutes (To me a success). These estimates come from me keeping minor track over three different sessions, for at least 10 minutes and up to maybe 40 minutes, per interval.
Yvonne lived with one sister, her cousin would come down for a few days at a time and stay with them each time. Also in the region, Yvonne had several cousins, uncles & aunts, nephews & nieces, and a great ‘family’ community. Everyone seemed to know everyone, and this would have been due to several things, in my eyes, the close proximity of everyones’ living arrangements, certain shared amenities, sharing of valuables (eg 50% living quarters had TV), church was an invaluable experience for them all (it seemed) and many of the people seemed to have a skill that could help others in the area (or obtain material).
Talking about a churchly experience, Yvonne and her sister took me to the community church. Referring to my picture page (I hope I have the picture uploaded), you can see how vast the area is between the church and the gates. This is not to prevent missiles to be thrown, but to allow for the community to sufficiently fit into the area if the religious figure were to have a renowned ceremony from the steps of the structure. Closer to the church one would get, the more compact the ground was and also immune to flooding, which could not be equally stated for the ground surrounding the fence line, in particular the main entrance. To allow for all day prayer and meditation, there was a section with an archway setup of chairs surrounding a statue of Jesus’ mother. It was here we had about 10 minutes of peace, to pray.
Whilst leaving, it was also seen that the church grounds was also a minor thoroughfare, with donkeys drawing carts, both laden and unladen, and boys occasionally tapping them on various sides of their rump. Across from the church grounds was a further education institute. Getting back to the living area, it was now time to meet more friends, watch a hair platting process (I think the lady said a 3 hour job) to a young girl, and grab some rice with meat stew.
The heat makes it near impossible to have a large appetite, but this was good, as we then had time to see the neighbour who would lend his bike to Yvonne to visit me, I went over to say thanks to him, to which we were bombarded with a decent quantity of peanuts to share with them. The guy’s child was great, with an ability to freely dance and have all his joints seem loose. This was then followed to talk to another neighbour, who lived by himself, and to ask if I could stay with him for the night, to which he was freely acceptable of the situation. This brought me to imagining if I asked my neighbours in Geelong to borrow their car, even pushbike, or to sleep on their couch even, let alone share their bed. Hmm… is the thing we need the most another Great Depression? These people were happy beyond happy, especially when not in my proximity, but I could observe them, it was inspiring. They might be in a country that is frequently in the bottom 5, but if they have enough care with food, health and family, should we inflict them with our… luxuries? What is the need to try to create an entire world that is apparently developed. This developed nature is also a means of physical isolation and lacking in certain values that is obviously seen from a country that has a GDP not worth even typing about. A yearly wage of this country is like an average working Australians’ three or four daily wage, but yet, how often do you see people hanging out in the streets and interacting with people they live in the same street with. When I mention this, I am not being specific with age, either, people of all agese interact, from 3 years to over 60 years. A mother would know their child is nearby, but not need to worry as within the hour she would be able to see a neighbour down the road walking with her child, or even changing the child’s dirtied pants. To iterate one word: Inspiring.
Anyhow, this topic could be an epic in itself, but I am here to… brag, I mean, record my doings. So, after having a bed to sleep in for the night, Yvonne thought she would go about giving me a desert with very standard ingredients that would be able to bring about a very non standard flavour to ones taste-buds. Sliced banana that had been encased with suger, thrown on some hot oil, and then slightly salted, or very similar to those methods, was the entirety of the making process. Oh, the best banana is one that is borderline rotting, so fairly squishy, and this is to be cooked until a slightly burnt look is seen amongst majority of those pieces on the pan. Strangely enough, this was extraordinary, and my wish was that we had at least half a dozen bananas, but we had to make do with the three bananas, greedy fat white Westerner eh?
With the neighbour, who I was bedding with, having dinner at a mates place (maybe in Bobodilasou, spelt wrong, but the second largest city in Burkina Faso), we hung out to enjoy some crazy TV. I think it was Spanish, well, it was very emotional and this person had done that thing to the other persons thingy causing a major disturbance in the relationship of another couple… very intense. The thing that I did not realise was the fact that, well for possibly 12 years of my life I had had a TV that could easily be my surrender to brain power, but with this easily available luxury at hand, I never thought it as an important factor (and would rather do anything other then watch TV that was not a decent movie). Sitting here, I had more entertainment watching the intensity of Yvonne’s own desire to watch TV, it kind of had me perplexed, but she was literally off in the world of passionate, Hispanic, drama.
Earth was landed upon after the credits began to roll, and several deep blinks proved how much depth had been taken to absorb all of it in. She tried to give a brief run down of the show, which I understood, but really if it ain’t happening then it ain’t worth remembering. To keep this in mind, I also think reality TV is not worth retaining the information too.
Talking and having people coming in and out, just to say hello and briefly chat, it somehow happened that time disappeared from us. The guy came back at about 11pm, which just happend to be the time we had wanted to hit the sack. So, he took me to his amazing setting. I know it is common in many places that have such issues as Malaria and Yellow Fever, but to be able to experience the Mosquito Net sleeping arrangements was like a dream come true, literally this is one of my sick little pleasures that I had dreamt about partaking in for some years now (since reading some book in Primary School, ie 15 years ago).
We were talking and then suddenly, with the heat having such detrimental effect throughout the day, I awoke to the 4.45am alarm
