My Burkina Journal: Back on track

It is always good to get feedback on my blog. Because of last week's posting, someone asked where I got fresh produce, which I neglected to mention. Right outside of Bingo Market and Sonacof there are always a couple of regular vendors that have stalls and work together to sell whatever is in season, or readily available. Potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini squash, green and hot peppers, and lettuce are usually available. Mangoes, papayas, limes, oranges, grapefruit, and bananas might be more seasonal, and now is the pineapple season and, most definitely, the very short strawberry season. There are even apples, but I do not know where they come from--maybe South Africa or Kenya. The same things can be bought in the large Dassasgho Market (on the way to the bakery). I often feel uncomfortable taking photographs of people close up, especially when walking by myself, which is why there are few photos.

Selling pineapples

I did buy some fresh pineapple yesterday, and the nice thing is that they cut off the spikey top, the skin on the sides, then slice it up for me in large chunks and put it in a plastic bag. Completely non-messy and very juicy!

Selling vegetables along the side of the road

The Dassasgho Market area

Well things may be heating up a little--finally--but I'm still not holding my breath. I just received permission to put the library's holdings on the ResourceMate server--a possibility I had been seriously investigating, when Paul Solomiac, SIL-Burkina Faso's former Director of Academic Affairs and now the Director of Language Programs for the West Africa Region (we've reoganized) made a revelation that could just possibly change this plan. He informed me that Lukas Neukom, the SIL linguist who has also functioned as webmaster for the old, now defunct website, has recently resurrected the once-abandoned "new" SIL-Burkina Faso website, and has plans to put the library's holdings there. This site is still being revised. The question of the hour is when is the projected date for this to go "live"? If it is going to be another year (this is Africa, after all, and everything is SLOW), I would prefer to go ahead and have ResourceMate host the library's online catalog, just to test the waters. I have been trying to get this done for nearly five YEARS now...

If all goes well, it will look something like this:

In looking more closely at the site I can see that this was written before the reorganization, and so... I think I need to continue exploring the ResourceMate option... but then, I am still going to need a website to host it on... ?? Catch 22.

I just shot him and email, and Lukas has reassured me that he estimates just a couple of months...

The library is in the upper level of this building

Steps to the library (or how I get my exercise)

I have also been thinking that I would like to visit the town of Kaya where FAVL has a Mediathèque and their regional headquarters. A mediathèque means that it is more like what we would consider a public library as it will include different forms of media, and probably have computers, or at least be set up to accommodate them. We'll see.

JeDene has injured her arm in a bike mishap and isn't up to driving so I investigated taking a bus for the two-hour ride. It is about 100 km or 60 miles north of Ouagadougou. Fina took me to the TSR (Transport Sana Rasmané) bus station to check on buses, only for me to discover that it was the wrong one... Apparently the station that I would need to leave from is on the other side of town so even getting there would be an ordeal in itself. Bus terminals have never been in the most attractive areas of town, and are usually pretty depressing places. This particular one was no exception. After having a look at the dismal place, Fina decided that she might be able to drive me after all--she'll have to check her schedule, which will be determined by when her "new" car is registered and ready for her to drive. And JeDene is very interested in coming along...

Fina told me that the car she is buying came from someone in Togo. Apparently it is easier to have one imported by a "buyer" than actually purchasing one here in Burkina Faso. The vehicle in question has been checked out by a couple of guys here that work at the SIL Center for problems, and apparently the trunk door lock needs to be fixed or replaced, but that is considered minor. Another one she was interested in did not pass the test... I just hope the A/C works as it has been hovering around 100 degrees F.

Fina's "new" vehicle

With Fina back, her "Saturday kid's club" is again in session on her patio, and she has added a few more donated books to her "library." I was introduced today as "Auntie Pam" as well as someone who was "a real librarian" who used to work in a "big, big library in the United States."