We were told we were filthy...

...by madame Kabre, our new cleaner.  Part of the trimmings and trappings of expat life is employing people.  Both to make life easier and to offer someone a decent wage-seems as you are comparatively raking it in.  Madame Kabre is of stout build, perfection of dress, and takes the job seriously.  She has a reputation that proceeds her of being top notch but rather bossy.  During our brief negotiations, in my interesting French, we quickly established what I was willing to pay.  She had bossed her previous employer, the outgoing art teacher, into a corner and was on about 3x the salary.  We had a brief 'take it or leave it' stand off before settling.  Finer details are being sorted through school and this is how I found out 'we were filthy'.  Fair enough.

Luke's birthday has come and gone.  The first part of the evening was spent in an indoor bar.  Nice company, nice chats, nice drinks.  The second part kicked off on the way home.  It was too busy for our friend to drive back and so we decided to let the traffic die down.  She is married to a Burkinabe and has a huge interweaving of connections throughout Ouagadougou.  One such connection was a nearby street bar.  So nice to be sat out locally watching the world go by.  The owner was rolling drunk but an absolute hoot.  Bob Marley and local hits were toe tappingly blasting out and, we will be back.  He phoned her the next morning to say, I think we all had a good time and I think I liked your friends.  

The museum is still on my mind.  It explained a lot to me in connection to the patterns that have evolved in this region.  The visiting exhibition was a collection of West African dolls.  Traditionally a doll is given to a young girl.  the better she cares for it, the better a mother she will be.  Some of the dolls were pretty developed and curvy, as this would be the young woman that the girl would grow into.  

  

I love a bit of tourist tac.  Scratch a little deeper and you will find that African contemporary art will probably be the next big thing globally(yeah, by Western Art standards.  I know, the pit falls of bias, and am waiting for the rotten tomatoes.  I didn't set the scene here...).  Both for my own interest and as part of my job I am starting to make connections.  A student, who is producing a lot of 'folk art' based stuff at present, showed me images from a female artist who her mum knows.  Her stuff was incredible.  The student had worked with this artist but totally failed to understand the breadth and depth.  The students' stylisation really was the basket carrying silhouette against a sunset.  Sigh.

Getting bitten by mozzies big time.  Chloe used to be the target when we were in Sudan and I am now next best thing.  Luke does this bizarre mozzie scare off dance if we are in the pool latish and they appear.  A series of quick turns and flamenco dancer claps.  Followed by a brief tidal wave.  It was driving me crazy as I was trying to sedately move up and down the pool.  Then I got bitten and he didn't, so maybe something in it! 

We joined in with Ultimate Frisbee this morning.  A sort of open invitation from the American Embassy and Marines.  Actually, I can't catch or throw and am scared of the frisbee, so I just walked the perimeter.  Luke did well though, but was firmly on the losing side, 10-0.  Apparently, this has never happened before...

We shopped at the local market today.  The produce was obviously fresh in from the countryside, incredibly good and way cheaper than we are getting ripped off for in town.  We had to haggle as we intend to go back and needed to let a few stall holders know what we were willing to pay.  We went with another British teacher, Janet.  Janet loves a charity shop and has way better French. She gets the desire for a bargain and with an age advantage on her side, can be quite brilliantly cheeky!   I know it sounds mean, but getting overcharged constantly pisses you off!  I also had a good look at the fabric stall where I shall go and buy bundles of fabric soon.  A mixture of printed and wax resit stuff.  Just gorgeous.  I may try a live link up with my girls as they are sewing now and might want to choose.  It would be difficult to dress anywhere near garish out here.  The dress sense is just to die for at times!  I saw someone on a bike recently in wax resist goldfish print trousers and matching top.  Nice!  Local staff at school just look stunning some days.