Our first days in Ouagadougou

What we have been doing? 

The first day we went to the big market nearby.  Narrow passageways between endless little shops under corrugated roofs.  People everywhere, passing us gracefully in the tight spaces.  Merchants urging us to buy their cloth or their shirts or their peanuts.  For us it felt familiar - because of our time in Ghana 11 years ago.  For Jillian it was a little overwhelming because she was our translator - trying to understand the local French accent.  It is wonderful to have our 16 year old grand daughter with us! 

Friday, October 26, was Tabesky - that is the biggest Muslim celebration of the year - like Christmas in Canada!  People feast and get new clothes and give each other gifts of food.  Endless numbers of sheep are slaughtered for the feasting.  During the night before we heard gunshots and wondered if there was danger, no, it was the beginning of the celebrations!  We were invited for supper to the home of Emmanuel, who worked with Sharyn in the Bumnu transalation with Sharyn. 

We have heard about Emmanuel often, so it was a pleasure to meet him.  He has a beautiful wife, Louise, who made us a great meal, which included "TOH" - pronounced TOE.   It's the basic local dish food made with corn flour (or .  Jillian describes it "like perogies, minus the insides"  and Ken says its like dollops of firm cream of wheat, cooled off.  It's kind of tasteless but there is a flavourful sauce to make the TOH enjoyable!  We ate around coffee tables and talked - with Emmanuel practicing his limited English, or giving up and having translation.  He has 2 of the cutest little kids!  In 2006  Emmanuel joined the Buamu project to do the scripture exegesis.   He already was an ordained minister with a degree in theology.   He took over as project leader when Sharyn returned to Canada to continue her studies in linguistics.  Emmanuel is now in training to be a translation consultant.  It's fun to watch the easy camaraderie between Sharyn and Emmanuel.  In Sharyn's village family they are cousins!  In Emmanuel's opinion Sharyn "goes to Canada to visit!"