BF Journal: 8/14/2014 - 2 days until I depart

This is to be my fist post specifically regarding my upcoming research trip.  First up, logistics:

On Saturday (8/16/2014) I will take a plane from Boston to Paris and have a couple of hours to find my next flight to Ouagadougou and arrive on Sunday.

A man traveling with us, Zacaria, will be in Ouagadougou already and wait there for Jeff to arrive Sunday mid afternoon. If all  goes well he'll meet Jeff and they'll head to the airport.  We'll take a bus back to Bobo on Monday (5.5 hours) since my boss (Jeff) has to be in Bobo on the 19th.

I was really looking forward to seeing some crocodiles on the way to Bobo (this was the original plan), but I was informed that I will get to check out the crocodiles in Sabou some other time :-( .  I admit that I was morbidly curious to see animals that can rip people's hands off (especially sea captains who hate children and fun).  I mean, I have seen black bears, but black bears are kind of wussy.  I legitimately chased one once.  But crocs are apparently aggressive when they are not just sitting there and are very aggressive when making clock sounds.  Also, they can run as fast as a person.  I am pretty sure this defies physics somehow because they have baby legs. 

Anyways, I will apparently be staying at a swanky hotel in Ouaga before heading to home base.  According to my last communication with my boss (Jeff):

"We'll probably be staying at the Hotel Zembatik downtown. We'll book an A/C room for you. The place is a dump, what can I say? But it's pretty safe and they do a good job keeping mosquitoes out of the rooms."

That is quite the advertisement.

Enough logistics.

This evening, I said final goodbyes to the Dartmouth professors who completely changed my life's trajectory.  Dave Peterson's Ling 1 class drew me in.  I took many other classes with him: all of them were worth it.  He is also very generous with his time when he is available.  I will miss getting drinks with him.

Jim was my adviser and the person who mentored me.  He is also the nicest human being on planet Earth.  I took every possible class with him that I could.  I am sure he is sick of me but he is too nice to say it.  When I return I am buying him some apple-tinis, even if he is now a scotch drinker (pats self on back).  I owe him everything and more.

I also said "see you later" to my new friend and sort-of future colleague Laura.  She will arrive in Burkina Faso in December to kick asses and chew bubble gum for a few weeks.  I don't actually know what she will do.  I am sure it involves levels of productivity that are not actually humanly possible.  Again thank you for hooking me up with this sweet job!  Enjoy those Reece's Puffs.  I worked hard making them for you.

It probably goes without saying that I am pretty excited about this trip.  It has been almost a decade since I have traveled outside the U.S. and the last time wasn't exactly a vacation (Iraq: January 2005).  This is not a vacation either, but I presume that I will get to do a little sight-seeing.  I will certainly be immersed in another cultural paradigm.  I will upload pictures and stuff as I do that.  I will also upload boring photos.  Consider this blog a textual and pictographic Russian roulette.  More to follow.