life outside medicine

I've added 2 more Groundbreaking ceremony photos, taken by my friend Allison (Dana's husband). The first is the 4 of us, plus four of our 'bosses' from BIPAI; Nancy Calles (in the pink shirt), and in the back row, Mark Kline, Mike Mizwa and Gordon Schutze. The second photo is us 4 pediatric AIDS Corps doctors at the future COE site.

Over the last little while, I've been trying to do more social things outside of work. Its easy to do nothing on weekends and evenings except play on the computer, watch DVDs, etc. This weekend, I've been doing lots of knitting which I am finding really relaxing and its nice to be producing something. I listen to CBC podcasts of Dispatches and As It Happens.

Also this week, Suzanne & I went to the Fete de l'Eau - the water festival, which is a sort of new years festival. We went to one of the "quartier populaires" called Balamakote, and wandered the streets a little (there are rarely tubabous who venture into that area, so we attracted quite a crowd of kids at times). The young girls (before they've had a baby) were dressed up for the dancing - they have a tall headdress, sometimes 2 feet high that is covered in shiny, sparkly garlands, and a bra (no kidding), and a very very short skirt, barely covering the underwear (in a place where skirts showing the knees are incredibly risque!). In fact, we didn't stay for the dancing, because there isn't a set time... it can happen any time between 9pm and 2am and happens at the whim of the Griots - a caste (that is present in most West African cultures) of performers. Half the fun was just watching the kids chase each other around, and see what night life looks like in les quartiers populaires. There are few women out, other than the girls who are dancing. Mostly, its the men who are cruising around.

Saturday night we went to a movie screening at the house of a friend. A French couple is staying there for a week who were here for 8 months last year, and the woman, Sophie, worked with HIV prevention projects including one group that has a big screen and DVD projector who hosts HIV prevention films in a number of villages. We watched a French animated film called "Kirikou" that is set in Africa, and features a very smart, tiny kid who saves his village. Its a cute movie. There were probably 75 people there, many of our HIV-association contacts, a few of the doctors from the hospital, etc. There was a big meal of rice and sauce, with meat. It was lots of fun.

Today was another big day - got a haircut! (don't worry, just a little trim). There is a woman who knows how to cut toubab hair who comes to Bobo once every few months, so Suzanne, Leah, & I all went to Nanette's where we each had our hair cut (as did Nanette and her kids) and had tea and visited. It was nice (and I'm glad to be able to get a comb through my hair again).

Take care & please keep in touch - I can't tell you how much I treasure the emails from friends & family.

Love

Laura