birthday and trimester 2

So trimester two got off to a pretty good start I have to say. For my birthday I got together with my friend zackaria to prepare perhaps the greatest meat roast off this decade. It started with the standard ingredients of mutton, onions and tomatoes and then on top of it I put some southwestern green-beans that I prepared separately. Each part was quite savory, but the totality of the feast was truly something more than the sum of it's parts. I then invited about 9 of my friends to take part in the meal's ingestion. By the end of it we were all quite sated- Not to mention my directeur fronted two cases of beer for the party which was quite the addition.

A part from that I've been a lot more ambitious with my schedule than last trimester. I've split 5ème into 10 groups for individual attention in addition to there allotted time. I've realized that If i want to give them a halfway decent take on the scientific method I have to add more hours to 5ème's schedule. A part from that, I've gone about the business of forming an art club at lanfiera where the kids will have a chance each Saturday to come and do a variety of art projects with me. The first week was origami and it was more of a preliminary thing, while this Saturday will be the first official meeting. We'll be working on drawing in general, and perceptive in particular. They love drawing straight lines with their rulers so I think this will be a natural progression for them.

Besides that I've also taken a little more ownership of what exactly I teach them. As the confidence with my french has improved (and I've acquired more tools) I'm now able to stray a little bit more from the prescribed lessons and teach them material I deem to be important. Obviously if I were teaching 3ème (an examination year) I wouldn't have much flexibility but as it stands I basically can do whatever I want.

The best christmas evvvaaaarrr

So presently I write from the glorious burkinabe capital of Ouagadougou, where I enjoy constant electronic stimulation and steak sandwiches. I'm here to take part in some rather boring training meant to reinvigorate my interest in teaching critical thinking and establishing secondary projects. Defiantly the highlight of this trip has been receiving the buildup of packages at the peace corps bureau. I think this might have been the first official time that my birthday and christmas were officially combined for one super holiday. The presents were magnificent. I got a wonderful mix of pragmatic and purely pleasurable gifts which included a nice collection of audio books and a french text from my mom along with some music and whatnot. My Aunt sent two boxes filled with the most wondrous treats and practical tools imaginable also. The eulbergs and woodbecks also sent things that were just beyond awesome, thus making this Christmas the best ever. I thought opening presents had lost some of their appeal from their childhood heyday, but this Christmas totally turned things around.
I might also add that in the typical Nick Rossi tradition I also bought a present for myself. I purchased le petit robert french dictionary, which is basically the foremost frenchy french dictionary that exists on this planet. I spent an insulting sum on it. As one method of comparison I could say that I could buy450 meals in village for the price of the dictionary (and if anything that's and understatement- If i bought medication for villagers with the money I probably could have saved someones life). But I could also say that it was cheaper than the lion's share of books I bought in college, and I'm sure I'll use it more so I have no regrets.

But yes again I must thank everyone that sent me things (im forgetting as I write this but I really do enjoy everything I got and I thank you for taking the time to send it) . I know that I'm supposed to be moving beyond consumerism, but American things are just so great- it just wonderful to have tools to do your job and fun things to enjoy your free time. I will also be giving a lot of this stuff to my community when I leave, so I can kinda justify it right? (no i can't).

In any case New Years at the big L was also a blast. I partied at the house of my prefect with the other functionaries in my village. I must say that no one at my site dances like the teacher crew (myself included). Some losers started going home at 2am but me and my bros stayed and danced until at least 5am. We are also more talented- I would like to add that. The food was also great- It was grilled mutton on a bed of vegetables which included tomatoes and green beans which recently came into season. Also the bread never ran out which is a rare thing at events like that.
I'm planning to pick up some good things here in ouaga to cook back at site. I think i might do something with apples as they can be found here (apple crisp or an apple tart perhaps).

Last night a group of peace corps folks prepared a Mexican feast here at the transit house where I currently reside. It was just beyond everything. It's funny that when Americans think about food they miss from the states they don't think of American food, they think of Mexican food.

Well in any case I'll be leaving again for village this saturday. I've got big plans for my classes, my extra-circulars and my personal studying so I'm quite ready to get back to it.