Grandma's chex mix

I've gotten a fair number of care packages here and, as much as I like mashed potato packets, m&ms and computer games, this might have been the best one.  I had just finished a weekend in Ouagadougou doing a planning weekend for a student science camp and my mid service conference.  Halfway through service we all go to the capital to get a battery of medical and dental exams.  I got to poop in a nice tupperware container, but let's not get too much into that.  By the way, all my medical stuff went great and I got a new filling in a molar.  I know, riveting.

So I get back to Bobo-dioulasso July 13ish to relax a little before starting the leadership camp in Banfora and there it is, waiting for me at the post office:

A gigantic tupperware container of grandma's chex mix (we call it snax) was waiting for me.  Still fresh after like 2 months in the mail.  

So I take 2 days, an air conditioned room (one of the few available) and my computer.  I sit there for the majority of 48 hours and I eat snax and I watch movies.  It was a nice little break, but that's not all.

How many parents are always complaining about kids getting presents and just playing with the boxes?  As much fun as I had eating the snax, I didn't realize until I had spent a bit of time in BF that this kind of tupperware container is worth it's weight in diamonds.  So many things can stay fresh now.

What is that over there...omg hippos!!!

Peekaboo

I went and saw some hippos with friends and it was awesome.  We payed the equivalent of like 10 bucks and we got within 30 feet of hippos that have actually killed people.

They were very majestic and seemed nervous around us.  There's not really much else to say about it.  They were awesome.

Tell me that's not a trex head.

Pepper plants

These are the peppers of choice 'round these parts.  They taste kind of like habaneros.

Happy belated mothers day and jeffs birthday

Finally got internet uninterrupted by power outages.  As my gift to all the mom's, grandmom's and my brother jeff's birthday, here are some crocodiles.

I hope everyone's doing great.  Summer is about to start and the kids here really do go work in the fields during summer break.  Explaining how American's get the 3 months off without needing to work is always an interesting conversation.

Rains are coming

Rainy season is just about upon us.  There have already been a couple of big storms, but the flood gates will really open soon, and stay open, till September.  This is actually water pumped up from a river, but I thought it looked pretty cool.  School is out in a couple of weeks so I won't have much to do.  Maybe I'll go out into the fields and help plant some crops.  That's what 90% of my village will be doing from dawn until dusk for the entire summer.  Here they actually need to take the 4 months off from school so the kids can go to work.

Cinco de Mayo in Banfora

We got together in Banfora and made a Cinco de Mayo dinner complete with (clockwise) tortillas, refried white beans with velveeta cheese mixed in, pringles for dipping, sangria, guacamole and salsa.  Words cannot describe the deliciousness of this meal.  I almost puked from eating too much and felt more satisfied than I have in a very long time, stomach-wise that is.  It was pretty easy too.  All of the tomatoes, onions peppers and avacados are high quality and always available in the Banfora market, and cheap.  Life can be pretty delicious here.

Sending little things can help a bunch

Mom sent some dictionaries for the school and they wanted to say thank you.  This will help alot for their upcoming SAT style test to get into the upper high school level.  Surprisingly, dictionaries are hard to come by here and my school didn't already have any.  Thanks Mom!

If anyone wants to send anything let me know.