Sunday, April 15, 2012
Hiking for Honeywine, My Career as a Runway Model, & More
Written by
Chad
First Anecdote: Our buddy San dragged us on a day trip up to the quaint community of Koro, the picturesque birthplace of his girlfriend Sya. Only a few hours away from our own stomping grounds, we couldn’t help but notice striking differences in local tradition, way of life, and industry. For instance, while residents of our site specialize in sugar production, Koro residents quarry stone to pave the entire country’s highway system.It's no casual hike to get up there, since it's couched atop an especially bouldery mountain chain. After our twenty-minute trek through the silent wilderness, we reached the summit and were suddenly face to face with the bustling clamor of children running around, fathers getting drunk in the shade, and mothers preparing lunch. There’s a continual conga line of women climbing up and down the mountain to fetch water in their headbowls from the one water pump at the base of the cliffs. This strenuous labor has always been necessary, and their entire population hinges on that one faucet.
At an auntie’s house with a valley viewshed, we kicked up our boots and paid for the house special—honeywine, also called mead. This is a rarity I hadn’t yet encountered anywhere else on this continent, and it tastes like it could be a soda product. We chatted about the ceremonial masque festival (where dancers dress in monster costumes and wreak havoc) that would start in mere hours. We also chatted about the corrupt police who would probably ask a bribe to re-enter the city later.
After two goblets of honeywine, we worked our way down to a hangar with a green tarp that serves as the village commons. It was evidently naptime, so we were spared from the otherwise invariable stares of these rural dwellers who hardly ever see a foreigner. When we left Koro late afternoon, we were stopped by the police at the checkpoint (see the picture below). Instead of the six-dollar bribe we had anticipated, our driver was only forced to dish out 2 dollars.
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Second Anecdote: Yesterday, Anne's association of tailor apprentices called ATTA hosted a carnival for the graduation of its students. So that means that Tana, Lindsy, Evan, Anne, and I got to be runway models for their chic stylish formal wear. I figured it was only a matter of time before I was "discovered" by some fashion talent scout, but thanks to Anne I've skipped that step and somehow achieved my life's dream anyway. I believe that Scott snapped some high-quality pictures that he'll give me at some point, but for the meantime, here's some pictures from my phone:
It was magic. The cameras loved us. The paparazzi ate it up. I made three ladies faint. Evan and I were met with cheers from the crowds when strutted out and struck our dashing poses. We upstaged a local girl in a full wedding dress, or at least that's what I tell myself. My newfound fame went straight to my head, and I shouted at a seven-year-old to bring me coffee, then promptly fired him for not understanding English. Numerous magazines have contacted me to be a cover model, but I'm holding out for Time (person of the year issue).
I mean, just look at how beautiful we are. Good thing we weren't in Paris, or our beauty would have melted all the paint off the walls at the Louvre.
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Third Anecdote: My neighbor found a baby monkey out in the bush and brought it home. She's accepting suggestions for names.
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Fourth Anecdote: Here's a plug for Scott's blog. He did some dazzling photography recently at the national masque festival in Dedougou with all its wacky costumes. Some of them look like what Dr. Seuss might regurgitate. Some of them look like Sesame Street on an acid trip. But even those most nightmarish ones are captivating. The masques are truly one of the most fascinating aspects of Burkina culture.
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Fifth Anecdote: Thank you so much to everyone who has donated and helped raise awareness for the amphitheater campaign. You have helped raise 75 % of the goal! We're very excited that it's coming together so quickly, and there have been so many anonymous donations. Thank you, anonymous. We've been busy preparing promotional materials, such as the official logo, which we'll post as soon as possible. Oumar has had multiple meetings with the local land chiefs and as soon as the total is reached, we're going to hit the ground running with organizing the transport of construction materials. The only factor that may delay construction is rainy season (June-August), but everything is otherwise lining up perfectly.
We're going to set the date soon for a "grand opening" promotional event at which Oumar can present the plans and the funds to local stakeholders (hotel owners, financiers, government bigwigs, and tourism entrepreneurs). This event will also help excite the community to buy into the benefits of its new educational space. We'll keep you updated on this blog and on the facebook page all the news and photos generated by this event.
Thanks again for helping us with the final push! We appreciate you referring your friends and family to the donation page:
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