Pollock-like Photo?

The new plan for delivery of the local paper went into effect on Sunday.  Initial apprehension about the limited home delivery dissolved when the change seems to have been handled well by the paper.

There has had to be a slight adjustment to the morning schedule, but the varying options for reading the electronic version on the days when a physical paper is not delivered have proven to be surprising.

It was while reading the Sunday paper that a photograph was noticed in the Stars section that is reminiscent of a Jackson Pollock painting.   The photo was taken in New York City at a sample sale where discounted leftover designer merchandise can be found.   See if you agree.

Here is the photo:

Here is a Jackson Pollock:

What do you think?

Mission Alfresco

The origins of the Idea can be traced back to the year 1988 in Paris.  Back then, the flash-mob-style pop-up dinner party was called Diner en Blanc.   It was so-called because those in attendance wore white.  Due to trademark issues, the Rescue Mission fundraiser had to find another name.

We were informed of the event a few months prior when the Soda Ash 6 was hired as one of the 4 musical entities scheduled to entertain. The three others were a flamenco guitarist, steel drum player and solo saxophone.  We were provided a schedule and map delineating the event at the Everson Plaza, located behind the museum in downtown Syracuse.  Instead of white, all in attendance were asked to wear red.

Upon arrival, the parking lot attendant recognized me as one of the performer, thanks to my red shirt.  I found a parking space near the plaza and took my horns out of their cases then ambled over to the near corner of the plaza where the event coordinator had set up white folding chairs for our use.  There were red lights around the perimeter of the plaza and numerous red balloons, that had interior lights that added to the visual experience of the themed even.

The schedule provided showed that we were to begin performing at 6: 30 p.m.   We began playing a few minutes earlier as we noticed the ominous dark clouds in the western sky beyond the Axa Equitable building and the Civic Center.  Although we were scheduled to perform in that spot for a half hour before rotating to the left as the 3 other musical entities were to do the same, we cut our third number short as the wind began to make its presence known.  As we headed across the plaza toward the partial protection of the cantilevered portion of the museum, we were pelted with enormous drops of rain.  We managed to reach shelter before the deluge and waited to see how long the rain would last.

Many of the folks who formed the sea of red and were sitting at the center of the plaza around long rectangular tables covered with red tablecloths had come to the event prepared.  As we stood beneath the concrete soffit of the building, we noticed umbrellas popping up amid the diners as they refused to allow the weather to dampen their experience.  Those who had not come prepared for the rain could be seen carrying their tables to the same place where we waited to get out of the rain.

After the wind died down a bit, it appeared that perhaps the storm might be short-lived.  The rain persisted, however and the decision was made by the Soda Ash 6 to set up under the overhang and resume playing, mush to the apparent delight of the participants who sat in close quarters and completed their meals.

Why Not? (My First Reunion)

Ken walked back and forth in the banquet hall with a wireless microphone in his hand while 87 of his classmates and their guests listened to his words:

“I moved away after we graduated.  Two months later, I was down in Arizona.  I went to college for a year then ran out of money.  I moved to Texas and started working down there. As time passed, I thought you had forgotten about me.  You forgot about me, right? . . . I started making some phone calls.  I think I called Gary Szczeny, Mike Cammarano.  I got a hold of Wayne Alexander in Japan.  I got a hold of Joe Licatta, Rick Schrader.  Everyone I talked to said, ‘No, we are not having a reunion.  We haven’t had one yet.’  So why not, you know?”

Why not.  Those two words proved to be the seed that grew into a reality that brought 88 classmates from 27 states back to the Buffalo area to reconnect.

Since this was my first reunion, I had no idea what to expect.  The first event I was able to attend was the pre-reunion party at Magruder’s Restaurant on Broadway on the evening before the reunion.  When I arrived with my wife and son we noticed a sign near the entrance directing us to the room that had been reserved for the occasion.  Seated at one of the five or six tables were men and women I did not recognize.  There was a moment of uncertainty as we searched the faces for some sort of recognition.  The moment ended after I announced my name and the introductions began.

As classmates continued to trickle into the room, the sound of the chatter of so many conversations built to a steady level that was sustained for several hours.  There was a curious dynamic.  When I was in high school, I developed close friendships with 2 other guys.  We spent a lot of time together.  One teacher had labeled us the three musketeers back in the day.  Neither one was able to make this get-together, leaving me to interact with guys I had known but in a passing way.  Most of those in the room, I had not known at all, other than perhaps passing in the hall between classes. There was camaraderie with these guys, in spite of that, with the common thread of interaction being having graduated from the same class all those years ago.  At the same time, there were others from specific groups who were reminiscing all the old stories from the high school days.

I had asked my 22-year-old son to tag along at the pre-reunion get-together with some reservations.  He told me later that he was glad he was able to attend so he could see the future.  It also enabled me to see my reunion classmates through my son’s eyes.

The next evening was a more formal event attended by many more classmates.  With my wife next to me, we stepped up to the greeting table to obtain our nametags and a collection of biographies written by many of the attendees.  Inside the banquet hall was an open bar, circular tables with ten place settings each, two buffet tables festooned with flowers and the “Buffalo” foods.  Memorabilia had been set up behind the dais on two long tables and framed by the American flag on the left and the Hutch Tech flag on the right.

As we headed across the room toward the memorabilia center, I saw Ralph and his wife.  Two out of three musketeers are better than none. We caught up with each other, filling in what had happened in our lives during the intervening years. Family, home, work, play, health and whatever incidental stories that related or not. This was interspersed with memories and all the stories that were triggered by being together again.

After dinner, the guys who organized the event, Ken Brown from Texas and Joe Licata from Maryland, presented the program that consisted of an introduction describing how the idea had begun, faltered a bit, then experienced a resurgence as more guys expressed interest through the efforts of Dan Cronk.  We shared a moment of silence for the deceased members of our class.  There was a noticeable consensus of shock over the number of fallen classmates.

One classmate had planned on attending but was unable to.  He had become the most recent addition to the list of fallen classmates.  He had succumbed to Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known to most as Lou Gehrig's Disease.  Raffle tickets were sold and money was raised to advance the research to find a cure.

The class president shared some remarks.  This was followed by topical jokes, a PowerPoint take-off of Jimmy Fallon’s Thank-you Notes and a comparison of prices and songs of today versus those of the year we graduated.   There was a presentation of a gag special achievement award and the singing of the alma mater.

Some faculty members were invited to the reunion.  Of those able to attend, I had only had an association with one.  That was my cross-country coach.  I made a point to say hello and introduced him to my wife.  We talked about how great the team was the year I ran.  He was also the basketball coach so I made sure to mention my daughter’s stellar college basketball career.

During the social hour after the formal program, the group assembled for a class photo.

Looking back on the event, I have to say it was all about what I would have expected. I did not anticipate the emotions that have resulted from the experience.  I am still in the process of sorting through them all and do not yet know what to make of them.  Perhaps there is nothing that needs to be made of them.  Perhaps the feelings have resulted from reconnecting and rekindling whatever I was experiencing back then.

One important aspect I had forgotten or have minimized through the years is how special that school was and is.  It is a technical school located in downtown Buffalo, New York.  The school requires passing an entrance exam and offered a program of studies that differed from those of other Buffalo high schools.  These areas of study included Industrial Chemistry, Machine Design, Engineering College Preparatory, Electrical Engineering, and Building Design and Construction.   One of my classmates took a moment at that pre-reunion get-together to let my son know that he was in a room filled with a group of some of the brightest people he may ever have the opportunity to be associated with at one time.  These were guys who, according to their biographies, had achievements in the following careers: bioengineering, petrochemical engineering, mechanical engineering, entertainment, computer programming, business, architecture, music, the automobile industry, education, telecommunication, government, healthcare, research, technical writing, social work, air traffic control, construction, corrections, law enforcement, financial services, military, sales, manufacturing, U.S. Postal Service, building inspection and medicine.

After absorbing all their accomplishments I have to say I was a bit humbled.  At the same time I am proud of my own accomplishments. Although a fellow classmate reminded me that my high school achievements were not too shabby, I find it curious that I am left feeling as if I have unrealized potential, in spite of all I have achieved so far in life.  Perhaps these are the feelings that lead to my own personal drive.  In any case, I am proud to have been associated with all those amazing people and feel fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to reconnect with them.

"Beyond" Excited

National Public Radio was reporting on the Olympics.  One of the American swimmers had won a gold medal.  The reporter said the swimmer was “beyond” excited.  I wondered if that is possible.  

I imagine if a person is chagrined, they could be “beyond” chagrined. They could be irked.  They could be bothered.  They could be annoyed. 

If a person is agitated, it may be possible to be “beyond” agitated. They could be disturbed. They could be tense.  They could be troubled. They could be distraught. They could be frantic.  

If a person is forlorn, they could be “beyond” forlorn. They could be dejected, despondent, hopeless or even desperate.  

But how in the world can a person be “beyond” excited?  Would thrilled be considered “beyond” excited?  It seems to me that exited would trump thrilled any day.  After some thought, I have concluded that being excited is a peak emotion and any further modifications are mere hyperbole.  

I wonder what Strunk and White would have to say about this. 

A Successful Multiple-Prime Contract Project

It was a 12.3 million dollar multiple-contract capital project that included an 800-seat auditorium addition to an existing building. The project included a two-story multi-use addition, new field house structures, extensive sitework and miscellaneous renovations at five other buildings.  The steam heating system at one building was removed and replaced with a hot water system following asbestos abatement.   As the project architect, I was responsible to ensure that the efforts of landscape architects, civil, structural, plumbing, HVAC and electrical engineers were coordinated and construction cost estimates and milestone dates for the work were provided to meet the expectations of the owner.

One of the challenges to the project was the schedule.  The multiple contractors were tasked with completing all the work during the summer with minimum impact on the owner’s fall schedule for the building.  At two buildings, some of the work of several prime contracts could not begin until the work of the asbestos abatement contractor was complete. It was important that the asbestos contractor follow a prescribed phasing plan to allow the other prime contractors access to portions of the work as early as possible.  

Since separate prime contracts are mandated for certain projects in New York State, one of the unfortunate disadvantages is that it takes the control of a building construction project away from a single source and divides it among several with sometimes opposing needs. That creates a situation where there is little or no leverage to compel one contractor to complete his work soon enough to allow the other prime contractors to complete their work.

Instead of phasing the abatement work as required by the contract, the asbestos removal contractor performed each “phase” of his work continuously. Although it was finished ahead of the required overall completion date, some parts of the work scheduled to be finished earlier did not get completed until it was too late for the HVAC contractor to begin his scope of work at the building which shortened their window of opportunity. 

The HVAC scope of work was substantial and there was a state requirement that the heating system for the building be functioning by a certain date in the fall. 

The other building with asbestos removal is a three-story structure with a basement. The existing equipment and piping had to be removed before the new system could be installed. It was a challenge that was met with due diligence by the clerk of the works and the HVAC contractor with success.  We emphasized the importance of completing the HVAC system at every project meeting and worked with the prime contractors to achieve the desired result.

The schematic design of the auditorium addition began at the opposite end of the building. We were able to persuade the owner that it must be located closer to the existing band room after meeting with the departments affected by the project to discover their needs.  The primary use of the auditorium would be band and chorus.  Both activities are located at the southeast end of the building.  There was a challenge to designing the addition where it would be most efficient. An existing through-road would be blocked by the new construction.  We were able to convince the owner that the auditorium must be in that location.  The high water table at the back of the building helped convince them. We worked with the landscape architect consultant to create a turn-around to aid in the flow of traffic had utilized that through road for years.  The addition also eliminated one of the tennis courts. 

The scope of work at the existing smaller auditorium remained in flux until late in the design process. That scope developed into a large instruction space with perimeter storage spaces, a display cove, guidance offices and a lounge.  The existing stage was transformed into a chorus rehearsal space and offices.

Work at several buildings included coating the existing built-up roofing with an aluminized roofing product to extend the expected life.  One building had a foam roof that was recoated with foam.  We were surprised to learn from the owner’s buildings and grounds manager that the foam roof is preferred over the built-up and single ply membrane roofs because it is easier to maintain.

During construction document production, the concerns of the code official were identified and incorporated into the plans..  

After the bidding period, it was decided to pursue the additional funds necessary to include all the alternates with the work.  The initial bids would have prohibited the construction of the auditorium and a new turf field.  The turf specification was difficult to write to satisfy the three-manufacturer requirement.  We were able to satisfy that requirement by bidding each manufacturer as a separate alternate.  The three products were not equal in several aspects.  It was clear which manufacturer was preferred but the decision could not be solidified until the real cost numbers were known.  The preferred manufacturer provided the lowest bid. That meant which system to use became an easy decision.

The General Contractor for the original bid was not the preferred contractor.  Through the vetting process and the time lapse between the original bid and the subsequent bids received after obtaining the additional funds, the owner was able to approve the award of the contract to the preferred General Contractor who did an excellent job constructing the project on schedule and under budget.

A Vestibule Roof Doomed From The Start

Several years ago, I designed a deck and gazebo addition to our two-story cape on the west side of Syracuse, New York.  It was a fun design-build project that consumed most of my "free" time for the better part of a year.  Working with the most demanding client, my wife, each scheme that was presented to her was met with the response, "It's not big enough!"

After several redesigns to incorporate the desires of the client, it was time to take delivery of the required materials from the Home Depot.  The interval of time required to arrive home from work to meet the driver is much more desirable than the cable guy.  Their eighteen wheeler delivery trucks are equipped with a forklift that enables them to place the materials that have been strapped together just about anywhere you desire on your property.

Once the materials were stacked and the invoice was paid, it was time to rent the auger and electric cement mixer made of lightweight plastic.  The equipment that is available for use by the do-it-yourself homeowner has come a long way in the last twenty years.  When I built my garage, I remember getting a trailer hitch installed on the back of my car to allow me to transport the heavy-duty construction grade mortar mixer to my house so I could lay the concrete block foundation.

Back to the deck, with my batter boards and layout lines in place, i went to work installing the numerous concrete piers that would be the foundation for the deck and gazebo.  After fighting with the rocks with the post hole digger after achieving the proper depth of each hole below frost with the auger I placed the sonotubes in each excavation and contacted the local code official for his blessing.  I had already met with him to go over the plans and paid the required fee.

The progress of my efforts took me from the late fall through the following winter.  I left the roof of the vestibule and the gazebo until the spring.  The gazebo roof has the appropriate slope to allow the installation of asphalt shingles.  The vestibule roof is another story.

There were numerous discussions with my "client" concerning the vestibule.  The original rear entrance of the house was to the side near what looks like a rear porch in the original plans.  When the appraiser looked at that "porch" which was built with  full exterior walls including windows, the appraisal form had no place for such a space.  It is an over-sized transition space with a second basement stair near the rear door and a short stair making the transition from the grade entrance to the first floor level off the same landing as that basement stair.

The phased renovation plan calls for the elimination of the wall separating that transition space and the kitchen. that will widen the kitchen and remove the oversized vestibule that we have used that transition space for since moving in years ago.

the controversy over the vestibule between the designer (me) and the client (my wife) arose from her seeing a blotch on the plan that took up so much of her deck space.  That was the primary force between the constant "it's not big enough" comments.  The designer won the argument.

After the deck was complete and the designer/builder asked the critical client what she thought, the response this time was, "WOW - this is big!" I am not making this up (apologies to Dave Barry).

When I detailed the roof of the vestibule, a decision was made to take a chance and provide a low-slope from with a single-ply modified bitumen roofing material instead of removing the the roof of the existing enclosed "porch " and  installing a gable roof with the appropriate slope.  There was not enough space to provide the proper flashing but the designer figured if a problem occurred it could be dealt with.

The problem surfaced during the second winter after completing the vestibule.  The expected ice dam caused a leak when the conditions right for such an occurrence.  The roof did not leak long but the damage was done.

When faced with what to do and considering the amount of work to build the gable roof over the back of the house, this designer decided to try a different approach.

When the rear door that would lead out onto the deck was installed during the siding projects several years before building the deck, some of the existing header had to be chiseled away to allow for the door height.  After the leak occurred, it was clear that some of the problem was caused by the deflection produced from the weight of the ice damn.  The first part of the solution was to provide the proper structural support to make up for the header material that had been sacrificed for the rear door.  A 2 x 8  ripped to fit and lagged to the existing header provided an additional inch to the original depth of the structural member and would ensure that no further deflection would occur.

The second part of the solution was the installation of an ice melting system across the existing roof edge and gutter above the vestibule.  This required installing a new circuit breaker in the panel and running romex from the full basement through the crawl space under the "transition" space and up to the underside of the rear cornice. This provided the power to an exterior GFI receptacle into which the ice melting system could be plugged.  The control of that receptacle is required by code to be a lighted switch.  After some study, it was decided that the logical place for that switch was in the kitchen where the red light is visible every time we leave the house or return.

Since this work was completed before the last winter, it could be reasoned that the measures proved successful.  The winter of 2011 - 2012 was so mild, that it remains to be seen if these measures will perform as expected.

There is always the roof demolition to allow for that gable roof.  I shudder to think of the effort that will be required to make that a reality.

Faucet Replacement - 2nd Bath

Being a home owner is a never ending series of projects of different sizes. Two weeks ago a dripping bathtub faucet monopolized three weekend days over the course of two weeks. This last weekend brought yet another project that absorbed more time that expected.

I sit here content in the knowledge that, though the sequence of events surrounding the replacement of the dripping vanity faucet encompassed more time that I would have liked, the project has been completed with success.

My last experience taught me that it could prove difficult to remove the plastid nuts that secure the faucet to the basin. I began the project by researching suggested ways to get the job done. That brought me to the hardware store to purchase something called a basin wrench.

My use of the new tools was met with limited success. The nut on the hot side loosened as it was supposed to. The cold side nut would no budge. I remembered the other method suggested to remove a stuck nut was to remove the vanity top , turn it upside -down and loosen the nut that way, where there is not limited access as there is when the basin is in place.

I wedged the pry bar between the wood and the basin top and pushed down.

As I drove to the Home Depot, I marveled at how fast I had managed to break the old vanity top in two. THere was a bit of a challenge a=in the bathroom aisle as the only vanity top that was the size i needed was on a shelf that was over my head. I asked for help and the nice lady called for someone who could give me a hand. As I waited I figured out a way to pull myself up, using the display rack as a ladder and managed to pull the box down by myself. I was disappointed when I was told that the item was available in white only.

After a quick trip down the plumbing accessories aisles a few rows down, I grabbed a fresh container of plumber's putty to replace the old one I had that developed a split in the side sometime in the last fifteen years.

I cashed out and headed home. I discovered the backsplash was two inches lower than the old one so I had to scrape the silicone caulk off the ceramic tile with a putty knife before installing the new unit. I read the instructions that said to install the faucet before installing the bowl. I thought that was a good idea and did what it said.

Next I shimmed the vanity to make it level then installed the vanity top with a bead of caulk all around. The new top fit against the wall better than the old one and there was a smaller joint between the right edge and the ceramic tile wall.

I had to install the drain twice because I did not use enough plumber;s putty on the top flange. I had to shorten the horizontal rod for the drain plug because the drain hole of the basin was too close to the rear wall. I removed the burrs with a metal file.

This time, after re-installing the drain, the bucket I set below the drain remained dry. Somehow, through the years, I have been able to master the dry fitting system of the P-trap and got the new faucet system to function as designed.

 wonder what the next project will be.

Ouhigouya Call 8-2-09

Disclaimer: The contents of this page, and all links appearing on this page, do not represent the positions, views or intents of the U.S. Government, or the United States Peace Corps.

Stephanie said her job so far with the Peace Corps is fine. She has been teaching practice classes since Monday. She said the last class she taught went better. Her previous classes found her with her face buried in the paper she used to prepare for the class. Her uncertainty with the French language caused her to be tentative and disconnected from the kids in the class. After consulting with her Peace Corps trainers, she adjusted and started writing the lessons on the board to interact with the class. She said the kids like that more too. That way she was able to focus on getting the kids to understand and stopped worrying about her grasp of the language. She consulted with another Peace Corps Trainee who is fluent in French and realized it is no big deal to flub the words.

She said she had a creepy prophetic dream about her dad but convinced herself that her dreams do not usually predict what is going to happen so she calmed herself down and realized it was only a dream.  

There is still no answer about getting reimbursed for the extra charge she had to pay the airline for the weight of her suitcase but she is optimistic now that she found someone with the Peace Corps who is working to resolve the issue in her favor.

Some of the members of her host family are away on a trip and it made her sad to think that when she gets to site she will be living in a house alone for two years. We told her she will make new friends and when she was living at home she spent a lot of time alone in her room. She will make friends in her village and will be able to spend time with them during the day.  

Stephanie told a story that happened while her host mom was braiding her hair while they were sitting under the hangar. A man walked thru the gate and started talking to them. Stephanie said she was a bit uncomfortable thru the exchange especially because he was touching her arm in a manner that was way too familiar and inappropriate. She said he had the smell of alcohol on his breath and afterward her host mom said he was not well and to be careful. It taught her a lesson about being certain to keep her guard up and to not feel obligated to be overly nice. She said there have been Peace Corps training classes that stressed that and pointed out that any serious crime, though rare, usually occurs within the first 6 months in country when volunteers are perhaps too trusting when they try not to appear cold and may go overboard with friendliness.

Once at site, she has concluded, that there is no reason to ever invite any men into her house. That way she will not have to deal with the “it is getting dark, what to do” issue.  

She said she went to the tailor to get some fabric to have more clothing made. She is looking forward to wearing the clothing.

There is a book she is reading that is making her miss the people back home a bit.  

She is adapting to the climate. She said when the temperature drops to around 80 degrees, it feels cool to her now.  Sleeping is ok. The room where she sleeps has a window on one wall and a door on the opposite wall so the air flows thru to keep the temperature bearable. The rainy season is upon them so the temperatures are much cooler than when she first arrived in Burkina Faso. When it is too warm, she has slept out doors with her mosquito netting. She said it seems weird to get into bed at night and find the sheets warm to the touch compared to the cool feel of the sheets back home in the states.

She also feels she is adjusting more to the culture and feels more “African” every day.

Ouahigouya Letter 5 dated July 21, 2009

Disclaimer: The contents of this page, and all links appearing on this page, do not represent the positions, views or intents of the U.S. Government, or the United States Peace Corps. The Letters From Africa have had their content modified but the message remains intact.

Hello All,

It's time for a major update.

So, site visit was this past week. I had a big adventure. I will deliberately leave out my sites name, so this can be posted online for others to read. A large group of us left Wednesday morning at 6:15 to head to Ouaga with our counterparts. We lucked out and had our own STMB bus. Then I continued on to Bobo with my counterpart who by the way is pretty great. Our bus stopped halfway to Bobo and we got out and stretched our legs. I used the bathroom. At that stop it was fine, but it was nothing like the bathroom at the station in Ouaga. It was the most disgusting experience of my life. The smell alone was enough. I hid my nose in my shirt the entire time. And the maggots crawling on the floor were freaking me out. But I survived. It was a bit more hardcore, so Áa va aller. 

I bought some Dafani juice that was delicious and got back on the bus. My homologue bought some bread and chicken in a bag. If you haven't heard about chicken in a bag, shame on you. It's amazing and when you don't eat a whole lot of meat here, you really appreciate it. He shared that with me and I love him for that. The rest of the trip went by uneventful. I didn't talk much. I know, weird and new for me, but when you don't have a great grasp of the language that's what you're stuck doing. It's probably good for me. Once in Bobo, we met 2 PC staff members. We dropped one man off at the bureau in Bobo, I used the facilities - indoor toilet with running water and an actual toilet seat, so I was living the life for about 5-10 minutes there. Then the PC driver took my homologue and me all the way to our village. It was a very bumpy ride and I'm glad I was strapped in. I saw the 25K I planned on biking and my jaw dropped. The hills are ridiculous and I mean that. Not only are they long and some a bit steep, but they're majorly rocky. (I know majorly isn't an actual word, but I like to use it. :)) 

We finally arrived to my future village and the first place I saw was my future home. It's this little tiny house with a wavy tin roof. I have two little rooms, one with two windows and the other with one. I have my own walled-in courtyard that should have a door or gate to close it by the time I return. My W.C. is new and has doors that lock on the inside and the outside. My courtyard is huge in comparison to my house. I will have a hanger too. 

The house needs to be warmed up with some paint and it just needs to be moved in, but I know it'll work just fine. I plan on making it my own. I have a mattress, a seau (a pretty colored bucket used for bathing (bucket baths), washing, and other things), a little cup to assist with my bucket baths, a container to hold water, and there was a big thing filled with water, but I don't think that's mine to keep. My homologue paid for all of those things. Crazy and nice. I still wonder if I'm supposed to pay him back . . . 

Then we went to his house and hung out there, saying hellos to people along the way. He made dinner. First he fried plantains. Then he had two small tin cans. I asked what they were. Sardines. Oh... Then he proceeded to open each can and dump it over the fried plantains. What did you just do, I wondered? I worried because I heard that sardines in the states were really salty and I'm not a fan of salt. I tried it anyways and was pleasantly surprised to find it tasted good. The sardines tasted like the canned trout Lib and I love to eat from Trader Joes. 

We hung out a bit, then he had two young men get me some water and the 4 of us walked back to my house in the dark. I had my trusty non-battery twisty flashlight on hand and was focusing on the path ahead of me, when I looked up. Holy cow. The stars were the most amazing I had ever seen them. They covered the sky, infinitely more than I had ever seen and more vivid, too. It was so beautifully breathtaking. The rest of my walk "home" I seemed to be in a drunken stupor, because I kept trying to stare up at the sky and walk at the same time - not so simple.

I took a really quick bucket bath under the stars and locked myself in my future home. I became accustomed to the song of the crickets because my house had a bunch of them. It was hot that first night and I couldn't seem to cool down. I knew I should have gotten my hair wet... 

I left the following morning at 7:30 after taking another bucket bath and packing my bags for the day. So, I met the entire village that day. We walked around all over the place multiple times. I saw the CSPS and met the 2nd in command, I met the Prefet and saw his house and bureau, I met the surveillant (he takes care of discipline at school) who lives next door to my homologue; my homologue lives about a 60 second walk from the school. 

It is very important to say hello to people in this culture. Even if you are passing by and don't have time to stop and chat, you need to say hello briefly. If you don't, the person will think you're mean and/or will be offended and then the next time may not talk to you. It's so important for integrating into the community. So, even if I feel completely awkward and uncomfortable and weird, I should at least say hello, because then everyone will be happy. 

Oh, I also had to sit through a long meeting to welcome the new econome (bursar). Then I had to sit through a somewhat painful lunch listening to three men try to convince me to marry one or two of them. "It's not possible", I said, "I already have a husband." 
"Is he BurkinabÈ?"
"No."
"Well then you need a BurkinabÈ husband."
"Nope, no I don't." 
"Have you ever heard of polygamy?" "Yes, but it's not for me. One is enough. Just the two of us."
"Well after a year, I'll call up your husband and say you're finished and I have your heart in my hand" (this was said in English). 
"Nope, not possible." 
"Well, don't you want to marry him? He's handsome."
"Doesn't he already have a wife?"
"No."

Then I shook my left hand indicating that he had a ring on his finger and they all laughed. Men! Ridiculous! I guess this is something I have to get used to, but I'm already sick of it after one shot. I've heard some stories about how other women deal with it here. One asked if he knew English. And that no one speaks it in the States, so you have to learn it or you can't go. Another says that her father wants something like twelve goats, five cows, three donkeys, etc. etc. from the man who wants to marry his daughter and that gets a laugh and gets people to stop asking . . . Ideas, ideas.

That night I ate dinner again with my homologue and this time he said since he had cooked the previous night (yeah he "cooked"), that I had to cook tonight. O . . . K. So I boiled spaghetti. Then he gave me the ingredients to make the sauce. I started by adding onions and green peppers with some light seasoning to fish oil from sardines. Then I added two more cans of sardines including their oil, a chunk of tomato paste, and a small maggi cube (basically chicken bouillion). I was worried about how this was going to taste. And again was pleasantly surprised to find it tasted good. And I got to finish it the following morning for breakfast - yum.

The following morning I saw where the mayor works and briefly experienced the marche. I sat down for a bit with a group of men including the chief for my baptism. A baptism here, at least in my case, is when you are given a name. My ride came early and while we were sitting there and I was sitting in a sea of sounds and speaking that I didn't understand. So a name was said and I thought, is that it? Then my homologue spoke it loudly in each ear and then the president of the APE rubbed my head. Gnide. (Pronounced Neenday) It's Jula and means third young lady or third daughter, because I'm the third volunteer they've had at this village. Sweet, so I have a name. They called me it a few times and scolded me in a nice way for not responding - sheesh, lol, I just learned it and I'm not used to it yet!

I spend the rest of the day in a nearby city about 25K away. It's a bigger city and I plan on biking there every week to get veggies and such from the marche. I stayed with a current PCV there and met a married couple that had also been serving for a year at this point. The next day I met Leah's mango ladies and sat with them a bit after having a bike tour of the city and key places: post office, marche, boutique, quincaillerie (hardware store), internet cafes. I helped cut up some dried mangos and enjoyed time with these women who were very sweet and welcoming. They didn't want to call me by my new name and liked Stephanie better. That works for me. They let me try some of the dried mango - delicious! Here they don't add unnecessary sugar to things that are already sweet, so it was great. Then they sent me away with a big bag filled with cut up dried mango. So nice!

I traveled to Bobo with another volunteer and spend the night there. Went to Ouaga the next day. I opted to try and bike to the PC house instead of taking taxis. There were some really nice men who helped me along my way when I asked them directions. One man at the bus station led me and my bike out of the station and turned onto the next street where he and another man there helped give me directions to a main street I needed to find. Then I got to the street they led me to and talked to two more men who helped me. I managed to maneuver my way to the street I was trying to find and thought it was right. I was unsure, but finally I saw a bizarre landmark we were told about, a certain statue, and was so happy. I knew I could find the house from there and I was right! Score one for me. :)

I was one of the last to arrive at the PC house because most of my fellow PCT's arrived the day before. One of them told me that the energy level went up about 50% when I got there. That was very sweet. I enjoyed the next day relaxing and staying in an American bubble of comfort. The house was filled with books we could borrow, electricity, wireless internet, and fellow American PCT's and PCV's. Then that evening, an APCD and his wife who both served in the PC invited us into their home for Mexican dinner ? delicious; heaven. We had mango salsa, meat, guacamole, chips, beans and corn . . . so good. Then we biked to Marina Market the next morning to experience an actual super market in Burkina set up like a store in the states - the first I've seen of it's kind. I bought cheese and it was totally worth it. And I bought ice cream. I wouldn't buy the ice cream again, because I'm cheap . . . Then I hopped on a bus back home that afternoon, was crammed into the corner sitting with someone else's suitcase under me for the first half of the ride. I got on the bus after much confusion and frustration, I was a bit tired and definitely hot, so I decided to buy a coke that was somewhat cold or at the very least cool. I took a sip of it and felt like I should be in a coke commercial, because I was content!

Until next time. :)

Ouahigouya Letter 3 dated 7-2-09

Disclaimer: The contents of this page, and all links appearing on this page, do not represent the positions, views or intents of the U.S. Government, or the United States Peace Corps.

Hello Everyone,

So, I've been here for close to 3 weeks and I can't believe it. I feel like I've said this before, but time is passing by quickly. It's already Thursday. I feel like if I blink or close my eyes for too long I'll be at my site finished with training and then at the year mark and then thinking about coming home for real. I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but if time continues to pass like this, that's not far from the reality.

So, things are still going well. I worry that I'm falling into a comfort zone here and that I'm not pushing myself outside of the little box I found. I am comfortable with the few places I know how to bike to, the few places I eat lunch at or buy things at, and I tend not to go much farther from any of those places. I tried to find an internet cafe the other day because it's supposed to be a bit cheaper than the current one I go to, but maybe not as reliable. I ended up biking to a different area I hadn't seen before and definitely got those anxiety nerves in my belly. That's when I realized that maybe I'm allowing myself to remain in a newly formed comfort zone. It's just something to be aware of.

I feel like I'm fitting in more with my family and I definitely feel more comfortable with them, more at ease which is nice, even if my language still has a long way to go. I do feel like I'm learning more and understanding more and improving, even if it isn't as quickly as I'd like (I think what I'd like is completely unrealistic!). I am in love with my little 9-year old brother. He is so freaking cute. He giggles and smiles and seems to have taken to me, which is great. My 14-year old sister continues to be a great help to me and is patient and always helps slow things down and explain things as many times as needed for me to understand.

I started running every morning with a few friends. My little brother ran with us yesterday morning, in flipping flip flops! Talk about hardcoreness. And he ran in pants that weren't staying up well, so he had to stop and readjust a lot. He was so cute. While he was running with us to the field where we meet everyone else, he said Stephanie, do you know the greeting in Mooré (in French of course)? So, I said Ne y yebeoogo to the next woman we ran past... It's a great way to start the morning. And since I go to bed by 9:30 every night, unless I get a phone call, it's a lot easier to get up before 6! 3 days in-a-row so far. We'll see. I hope to keep it up and I might take a break on Sundays and sleep in.

The food is still pretty good, but I do miss American food. We found a place that serves burgers! They're delicious. And they have sorbet and maybe even cheese. Crazy and amazing, I know. It is expensive though, so that'll be a rare treat for me. I hope to receive some sugar-free and salt-free (basically organic) nut/dried fruit mixes in the future. I love that stuff, especially from Trader Joes. Plus it would serve as a great snack. We'll see what else. If anyone can figure out how to send cheese and make it last, I would love them forever! Otherwise I'll stick to my vache qui rit and continue to enjoy that. For Nadège it's the vache qui pleur and when she says he pleurs (cries) for me, I say, no, il souhrit pour moi. (He smiles for me). Delicious. I have it on my break every morning we actually have it available at my house.

Let's see, what else. I'm going to my first wedding this morning. It's another volunteer who has been here for 3 years, named Brian, and he's marrying a Burkinabé woman. And then maybe they're going back to the US, but I'm not so sure.

We have a huge 4th of July celebration on Saturday which will be fun: burgers, salad, frites, and maybe cheese sauce (made by yours truly) and chili to go with the fries. We'll see...

I had my first experience getting ripped off as a Nasaara in the marché. Oh, well, I did get to purchase 2 pagnes, even though I should have paid up to 1600 less for them :( But then Maman went with me to her tailor, so I know I got a good price for the clothes I'm having made, so that should be fun.

All in all, I'm doing well. Missing some people at home, but surviving just fine. I like it here. And the rain has helped cool things off. It comes at least once if not twice a week, so I love that, even with the mud.

Love you. Hope you're all doing well.

Steph

Ouahigouya Letter 2 dated 6-23-09

Hello Everyone,

Since my parents are forwarding this on, I figured I'd address it to everyone. I hope everyone is well and I welcome emails and letters! :)

Okay, so I've been here a little under 2 weeks and as I've said before it feels like so much time has passed. Maybe that's because so much has happened, so much has changed, and I have learned so much. I'm getting more comfortable here and with my family. This place is becoming more and more familiar and the language is coming slowly but surely. My language classes are taught by a woman named Zara and I take these classes with one other young woman named Carolyn. She and I were talking today and she said she notices improvements every day and I agree. I am able to understand more when Zara and others speak and I'm beginning to talk more and increase my vocabulary. My end seems to be crawling toward improvement, but it's something. It'll be interesting to see where I am in 2 weeks or in 4 weeks. I am currently in week II according to our schedule and I'm supposed to start teaching a 5 week class during week VI, so we'll see.

The food is much better than I was expecting. I have more variety and I'm getting fruits and vegetables on a regular basis which is nice. I'm trying new things and learning what I do and do not like. As of now there are very few foods I don't like. I need to also learn which foods agree with me and which don't. I will not be eating those that don't for obvious reasons!

I started SE (secondary education) classes this week. We read about a form of teaching that's called the 4MAT program which discusses how to teach to a group of different types of learners. It tries to incorporate a cycle of experience, reflection, conceptualization, and action in order to cover why, what, how, and if questions. All of these are necessary to truly learn and retain something and not just memorize information like the kids do very well here. It'll be something I need to focus on and be aware of. I'll have to find ways of getting my kids to think outside the box and think beyond simply memorizing facts. For example, if I'm teaching an equation in math or physics, after giving them the equation and its applications, I can give them the answer and have them solve for another variable in the equation. If I teach them how to solve for density, which equals mass divided by volume, I can give them the density and mass and have them solve for volume. This will force them beyond route memorization and push them more towards actual learning.

Today we covered lesson plans and had to write our own lesson plans following a specific format. The format includes review, new information including objectives, and practice/evaluation to get the kids involved. We'll see how that goes. I have model school in 4 weeks, so I hope my language and comprehension is good enough by then.

Hmmm.. What else? Quoi d'autre? I washed my clothes for the first time here on Sunday. And no, they don't have washing machines here - not even where I live. So this was my washing experience. You get two big plastic bowls and one plastic bucket. You go out to the back of the house where the hose is and fill the plastic bucket full with water. Then you bring it to the bowls and pour some in each bowl so they're half full. The bucket will be a quarter to half full by this point. Then you grab a few items of clothing and throw the into the first bowl of water. You soak them. Then you grab your bar of soap (aka Burkinabé detergent - they use this soap to wash everything I believe) and you scrub your item of clothing with the bar of soap. Then you stretch a small area of it between your hands and scrub one side on the inside of your wrist and then the other on your other wrist. You do this with all parts of your item of clothing. Then you ring it out and drop it in the next bowl. Then you repeat, using less soap and probably not spending as much time on it. You ring it out and drop it into the bucket. The bucket is the rinse cycle. You rinse out your clothing and ring it out again. Then you shake out your item, turn it inside out if necessary and hang it on the line. They even have plastic clips for the windier days. Then you repeat with the rest of your clothes, possibly emptying out your rinse water into a bowl, if you want less soap-filled water for rinsing. I'm not sure if I got all the soap out, but I'm wearing an entire outfit today of my Burkinabé-washed clothes and I'm not having any issues. And they smell clean. The only thing is that some were a little stiff after drying, but no biggie. Oh, another thing, all clothing including bras can be hung on the line, but your underwear cannot - that you leave to dry in your room. I found a nice little someone hidden spot on the bottom shelf of my table because it was a wire checkered shelf. Oh, also, my khaki capris were filthy. They were covered in dirt/sand and had taken on a darker tan color and the bottoms had dirt all over them. ?So, Nadesh (my sister who actually helped wash all my clothes, except my underpants - she might have helped with those, too, but I didn't want her to) pulled out the wash board and a large scrub brush and went to town on my capris. She did a fantastic job and got everything out!. They look just like new. I wonder if I'll be able to do as good a job as she. Well we'll see. I think I may do laundry ever other week, because I'm cheap (don't want to buy soap every week) and I don't think I need to wash my clothing more than that.

So, I'm more comfortable now and I'm coming into my own. I still need to spend a lot of time on my language, but I think I'll try to spend some extra time on it each night or something like that.

I hope you're all doing well. I miss you. I do miss home and a lot of the food because I just love US food. So, you can send chocolate, nut mix, candy, anything yummy to snack on, tuna/salmon in a bag, organic drink mix to add to water (Lib, you know what it is :)), breakfast bars (especially the peanut nature valley or the ones with yogurt, or anything organic) I'll let you know more later. Maybe I'll try mac and cheese out of a box once I'm at site....

Stephanie

Ouahigouya Call

We called Stephanie on Saturday after extensive research into international phone cards. It seems these are many different plans that appear to be designed to be as complicated as possible to make it difficult to compare. This, I suspect, is yet another shining example of creative marketing. There are plans designed for calling Burkina Faso line phones and different ones for calling cell phones. The obvious card issue is the per minute charge. Looking beyond the obvious there are other charges. Some cards carry an annual fee. There are some with monthly charges and some with weekly charges. We looked at one-minute rounding, two-minute rounding . three-minute rounding and even four-minute rounding. This rounding concept is not really explained anywhere. They must assume it to be fairly straight-forward but I think they should tell you anyway. They do not. We found cards with PIN numbers and some without. Then there are other hidden fees and surcharges than need to be evaluated.

We settled on the nobelcom.com plan which seems to be the best deal for our projected usage To put this into perspective, we have the Time Warner all-in-one plan for our home phone for domestic calls just about for free after you factor in the costs of cable and the internet. The rate they quoted to add international calling, when I inquired, would be six times the cost of the nobelcom card for three hundred minutes.

Once the international phone card decision was made, we waited for one of the times Stephanie had said would be available to take our call. After some confusion over which number to dial (the 800 number is more expensive than the local number we were provided with), we punched in the 31-digit sequence required to reach her Peace Corps-issued cell phone and counted the rings until she picked up.

She said her host family is doing better than some others in that they have a house with a shower inside. She lives in a small bedroom in a single-story house. The bed fits in her room with a few feet to spare on either side.

In addition to the family of four, there are several other people who Stephanie suspects may be cousins living with them in the clay house. She ran down the names and it sounded like there may be as many as 10 people living under one roof.

Emma is the trainee living with a host family across the street. Kathy mentioned how that was her grandmother’s name.

The host family is catholic. Stephanie has not been to mass with them yet but is looking forward to going to see how mass in French compares to mass in English. One of Kathy’s co-workers thought it might be faster to learn Mooré if she attends mass in that language.

Some of the training takes place in classrooms at ECLA which is a non-governmental organization or NGO that is an acronym for Etre Comme Les Autres or “to be like others”. ECLA has a "care and support" medical center and several schools that teach skills like cabinetmaking, carpentry, sewing and handicrafts. Its activities range from ARV treatment (Antiretroviral treatment) to emergency assistance. One of the primary activities of this organization is to work with PLHA or Persons Living with HIV/AIDS. ECLA works to satisfy that group’s needs with an integrated and global approach. Having learned this, it seems logical that the Peace Corps would coordinate the training of each generation of volunteers with such an organization.

The Burkinabe in Ouahigouya speak French and Mooré. They smile a lot and laugh a lot. Stephanie and Carolyn, another Peace Corps Trainee are working with a Burkina woman to become more fluent in French. Nadesh, the 14-year-old daughter of the host family is also helping with her French.

There are outdoor shelters called hangars that the Peace Corps uses for some of the training. The trainees can be outside where the temperatures are more comfortable than they would be indoors. The hangars have slim wooden columns supporting a structural frame with a thatch roof overhead to provide shade for the concrete benches below. Language, medical and cultural training begins at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday with 2 language sessions on Saturday. Lunch lasts an hour and half before the afternoon sessions begin.

The food in Burkina Faso is very good. One of the recent meals she ate included fish, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes. She eats green vegetables once a day.

The Peace Corps provided the trainees with filters for water. Stephanie has been careful not to drink any unfiltered water and has not experienced any unpleasant side-effects as a result. She said others have not been as lucky.

The first night in Ouahigouya, the trainees were invited to dinner at a local physician’s house. The host gave a speech in which he mentioned the avocations of some of the visitors from across the ocean. At one point he said, “There is a beekeeper among you and also a basketball player”, referring to Stephanie. When he mentioned that she was from Syracuse, a cheer was heard from another trainee toward the rear of the room. Stephanie found out later that the person cheering was a young lady named Jennifer, also from Syracuse.

Stephanie was disappointed to learn that the information about jewelry she was given while preparing for her trip was not accurate. She said she could have taken some of her favorite jewelry with her after all. Her host mother let her borrow a pair of earrings. She is preparing a list of items that we may wish to ship to her that will include specific items of jewelry.

Stephanie said she gets to bed by 10 or 11 p.m.

We plan on calling again in a week to catch up.

Stephanie's Trip

The day finally arrived. We have known about this for quite some time.

Our daughter is passionate about life. She told us she wants to make a difference. She wants to immerse herself in a different culture. She became a Peace Corps volunteer or will be in three months. The path to this point involved all the paperwork, finding sponsors, interviews and waiting.

Her original expectation would have had her leaving in the fall or 2008. That would have been only four short months after she graduated from William Smith College. Things changed. There were delays. Then the invitation letter came and her excitement grew.

As I write this, she sits on a plane in the Philadelphia airport that is readying for takeoff. Its destination: Paris, France. Then, following a brief layover, on to Ouagadougou Airport in Burkina Faso, Africa by way of Niamey, the Capital of Niger.

We drove to Hancock airport in Syracuse yesterday morning a little after 8 a.m. in two cars. After checking in, Stephanie met the rest of us on the second floor and we waited. I walked over to the flight schedule board to check on the status of her flight. Under status it said "DLYD/ATC" with no time specified. I thought that

could mean delayed by air traffic controllers but I was not certain. Going back downstairs to see what that meant, she discovered that they had switched her to an earlier (also delayed) flight without telling her. A flight which had not left yet

but was about to. She had to hurry.

As luck would have it, airport security asked her to move to the side for more in-depth inspection of her things. Her mom

switched into full worry mode as we waited for security to finish with her.

About five minutes after we watched her disappear from sight as she made her way to the gate, we received a text message

from Stephanie that said "I'm on the plane - luggage actually fits this one . . . Love you all. Miss you already" and just like that, worry mode ended.

With that, I headed to the office and Kathy took Matt, Carolyn and Libby to get something to eat.

I tracked the flight on the computer from the office until it landed then texted Kathy to let her know only to find out I was conveying old news. Stephanie had called a few minutes earlier from the plane that was taxiing toward the terminal.

The rest of her day in Philadelphia involved training then dinner with our friends Bob and Tracy at an Italian restaurant that Kathy had been to on a recent business trip.

Today began early for her. After checking out of the hotel around 6:30 a.m., they were off to the clinic for the required innoculations. There are 30 people with her headed for Burkino Faso.

She had lunch at the Reading Terminal Market then tried to shop for a power converter or transformer that she learned would be needed for her surge protector when she is in Africa.

The bus left to take them to the airport around 1 p.m. to allow enough time for the party to check in for the flight and make it through customs.

Stephanie called just as I left work and filled me in on the additional charges Delta hit her with because her carry-on exceeded the weight limit.

And now she has begun the next leg of her 27-month adventure. Once she arrives in Ouahigouya, Burkina Faso, she will meet her host family and begin the three-month training period before being sworn in as an official Peace Corps volunteer. Until then, she is a Peace Corps Invitee.

Fragile Tim

The following is an actual conversation that took place during luch:

Karen: “What is that smell?”

Larry: “Lasagna”

Karen: “Lasagna?”

Larry:  “Lasagna”

Karen: “Eew that’s nasty”

Larry:  “Hey Tim, Karen thinks your food smells nasty”

Tim:  "OK, I'll eat this in the conference room."

Karen: “That’s Tim’s?  I thought it was your food”

Larry:  “Nope;  Tim’s”

Karen: “Now I feel bad”

Larry:  “Why is it ok to say things about MY food but you feel bad if you say the same things about Tim’s food?”

Tom:    “Maybe Tim is fragile.”

Larry:  ”Hey Tim.  Are you fragile?”

Tim:    “Yes.  Fragile.  Definitely fragile.”