After two months of research I still have to say: I do not understand one bit of this country! How on earth do people survive under these conditions?! In the villages where I am doing research, temperatures rise up to 40 degrees around noontime and they drop under 20 during the night: truly desert climate here. Everybody has a cold, because of the constant wind that blows and brings diseases and dust clouds that covers everything in dust and sand all the time. I sometimes cannot leave my house because the wind is so strong that I cannot stop coughing, my nose is bleeding all the time because of the dust, and sand blows into my eyes constantly. In the village daily life continues just as usual. Only five more weeks to go and I have still so much to do! But I have made a scheme and hopefully everything will work out just fine. Now I must be going to the villages again! Béogo! (= Bye)
Monday, February 27, 2006
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Back to Nimpouya
Hi everyone,
Half of my research period is already over, and: so far so good. I have been in Nimpouya for a week to collect more material; but I haven't finished yet; so I'm going back this week one more time. By then I hope I have gathered enough information on Nimpouya in relation to water resources and will continue my research in March in Risci; a village not far from Nimpouya. Went to Ouagadougou for a day last week (capital of Burkina Faso). It was an interesting experience. While I have lived in this city four years ago for four months, so I know my way around pretty well. It was nice to see 'my house' and neighbourhood again, the supermarket; the cinema, the great Mosque... all sorts of things that I do not have in far away Ouahigouya! Bought some Dutch cheese and chocolate, hooray! Both are already finished of course... :-)
Everything is fine. Not much else to mention, so I'll just leave it up here. Bye for now. Rosien
PS I've tried to send some photos again; but everytime the computer gets stuck!
Half of my research period is already over, and: so far so good. I have been in Nimpouya for a week to collect more material; but I haven't finished yet; so I'm going back this week one more time. By then I hope I have gathered enough information on Nimpouya in relation to water resources and will continue my research in March in Risci; a village not far from Nimpouya. Went to Ouagadougou for a day last week (capital of Burkina Faso). It was an interesting experience. While I have lived in this city four years ago for four months, so I know my way around pretty well. It was nice to see 'my house' and neighbourhood again, the supermarket; the cinema, the great Mosque... all sorts of things that I do not have in far away Ouahigouya! Bought some Dutch cheese and chocolate, hooray! Both are already finished of course... :-)
Everything is fine. Not much else to mention, so I'll just leave it up here. Bye for now. Rosien
PS I've tried to send some photos again; but everytime the computer gets stuck!
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Happy Birthday to ME!!!
Hey everyone,
Last Saturday was my birthday! Did not really do anything special, but went to see a cave in a village near by with a friend. I expected to see a cave such as the ones I know from France and Belgium: but this turned out to be only a small underground space which someone built himself. There were millions of bats in side so I was scared to death; but still went along with the guide. There was an underground Mosque.
On Sunday we had an name initiation ritual of a child that was born last week in Nimpouya. The mother had given birht to a daughter while the whole village was partying for the man whom returned from the Hadj to Mecca last week: she was all along in her hut; crying for help; but no one could hear her. So she gave birth to the child all alone... Pretty impressive that she and her child are in good health. Especially because it now becomes clear to me that many people die: last Friday an old man in Nimpouya died; his younger sister who was ill, died on Sunday. And yesterday the younger sister of the woman who gave birth to the daughter on the party; she died while giving birth to her second child: the child was 8 months old and already dead. Very sad stories today, I m sorry. But that is life that I discover here now today.
Bye for now
Rob en Rita / Suus / Aaron : super cool dat jullie gebeld hebben!!!
De rest: bedankt voor de mails maar heb nog geen tijd gehad ze allemaal te lezen.
Keep in touch
Rosien
Last Saturday was my birthday! Did not really do anything special, but went to see a cave in a village near by with a friend. I expected to see a cave such as the ones I know from France and Belgium: but this turned out to be only a small underground space which someone built himself. There were millions of bats in side so I was scared to death; but still went along with the guide. There was an underground Mosque.
On Sunday we had an name initiation ritual of a child that was born last week in Nimpouya. The mother had given birht to a daughter while the whole village was partying for the man whom returned from the Hadj to Mecca last week: she was all along in her hut; crying for help; but no one could hear her. So she gave birth to the child all alone... Pretty impressive that she and her child are in good health. Especially because it now becomes clear to me that many people die: last Friday an old man in Nimpouya died; his younger sister who was ill, died on Sunday. And yesterday the younger sister of the woman who gave birth to the daughter on the party; she died while giving birth to her second child: the child was 8 months old and already dead. Very sad stories today, I m sorry. But that is life that I discover here now today.
Bye for now
Rob en Rita / Suus / Aaron : super cool dat jullie gebeld hebben!!!
De rest: bedankt voor de mails maar heb nog geen tijd gehad ze allemaal te lezen.
Keep in touch
Rosien
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