Happy 4th of July from Burkina Faso!
In honor of independence day I want to write a little tribute to my country. I would have never described myself as patriotic before coming to Burkina, but I think that living abroad gives one a new appreciation for their homeland.
Of course, I probably romanticize it a bit (okay, a lot) and there are obviously things that irk me about my country, but living here I've realized that there are quite a few things that America just gets right. Here are a few, in no particular order...
lines
fixed prices
fast food
putting ice in already-cold drinks
debit cards
driving
cool weather
being anonymous
good beer
television
movie theaters
sandwiches
cheap delivery pizza
Dr. Pepper
ENGLISH
air conditioning
good pillows
grocery stores
ketchup always available
chicken pumped with hormones
Mexican food
soda fountains
2+ story buildings
privacy
being able to show my legs
feeling clean
hot showers
shopping malls
people saying what they really think
can-do attitude
not being treated like an idiot because I'm a female
non-forced marriages
real coffee
individualism
being on time
following road rules (most of the time)
umbrellas
educating girls and boys
seedless watermelon
sarcasm
jeans
actually having everything thats on the menu
babysitting/childcare
And now, a few things that Burkina has got going for it...
super cheap maternal health care
free child labor (need sugar or water or a box of matches? just tell that small child to go get it for you!)
palm wine and millet beer
bush taxis (for all the safety concerns, its still really cheap and convenient to throw all your stuff on top)
street vendors (want sesame cakes, cold water, or cashews? just give this woman your money through the window when you stop at customs... African drive-through)
water conservation (when you're pumping all of it yourself, you tend to use it sparingly)
village markets
pay as you go phone credit
sweetened condensed milk in coffee
pagne skirts (just wrap this $3 piece of fabric around your waist and voila- a skirt!
Have a great independence day everyone!
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