CFA francs

It’s easy to be a millionaire here! 🙂  It’s approximately 500 francs to the US $. 

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A fair chance…

I must admit that the first 2 days I was here, I could only compare C.D. to Kenya and it came up lacking every time!  However, I am now realizing I did not give it a fair chance!   

The few people that I have been able to meet and spend time with, I have enjoyed thoroughly!  Gerard is a guy at the office who is quite jovial and a great French teacher!  (It has amazed me how much French is actually coming back to me from my Freshman year of college!) Gerard also brought me a grilled plantain and ground nuts yesterday so I could try some of the national food!  It was VERY good!   I loved that it came wrapped in a child’s homework page – from English class no less!  

Last night, Tim & Janet had invited another couple over for dinner.  Ann is from Canada and is married to Jean from Cote D’Ivoire.  They were wonderful and I hope to see them more while I am here!  They also work with SIM.

This morning I got up early (now that I am over my jetlag I usually wake up at 6:30 or so b/c it is so light outside!) and went for a walk with Janet.  It was wonderful to get out and exercise, but even better to be out of the neighborhood and into the community!  It seems so much different than Kenya.  I don’t get a lot of people staring at the funny mzungu (I haven’t learned the French word for white person yet) who was out walking for EXERCISE!  The Kenyan people walk everywhere they go, but not at all for the reason of exercise.   The idea is absurd to them.  However, here in C.D., I saw many of the nationals out walking or running or even having gym class outside on the dirt roads!  From several conversations, I have found out that many people here have health issues such as high cholesterol and are now trying to exercise, drink more water during the day, and eat less oil!  

Another difference I have seen is in dress.  Most Kenyans in our area wore modern western clothing probably purchased from outdoor used clothing markets.  However, here in Cote D’Ivoire, there seems to be much more pride in the African traditional clothing!  Many have the full African costumes, and others use the African fabrics incorporated into their western-style clothing!  I really love it!  

This afternoon I will be going with Janet to a birthday party for a little girl and then possibly to a market!  This evening I will be moving over to the home of a Congolese woman named Mowa.

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