September Newsletter

Here is a September update of what's been going on in Ouagadougou!

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How do you find a Hardware store in Ouagadougou?

Living in another culture means learning to see and do things differently. What your brain tells you to look for from your own cultural perspective may mean you miss out on finding what you're looking for. Learning to read new visual and cultural cues is important. Here are some examples:

1. A loud hissing sound from someone as you pass by means they want you to stop so you can talk. Although this sounds rude, if you don't stop, you may be snubbing a friend without knowing it, and you will be the rude one in Burkinabé eyes. Even worse, the person may be hissing at you to tell you to stop because you just dropped your cellphone or wallet.
2. Not pushing yourself to the front of any line means you don't want to go next.
3. Greeting someone and asking about the family, the children, the person's health, is important. The first time through, a person will likely say that all is going well. If you immediately repeat this routine a second time with the same person, you will get the real answer.
4. In casual conversation with strangers, if someone asks you to do something that you don't want to do and you say “demain” (tomorrow), everyone saves face while the stranger understands that you don't want to.
5. A woman approaching you with twin babies needs money. She hardly has to ask.
6. Take one of the little plastic kettles filled with water into the public outhouses if you don't just need to relieve yourself by the wall. Toilet paper hasn't caught on here – the kettle of water serves that purpose (don't think about it too much!). Bring your own toilet paper, but take the water anyways to avoid strange looks when coming out of the outhouse!
7. If you are looking for a hardware store, look high! There are usually long tubes stored vertically in front of most of them. There are few big signs high on the street side that let you know what business is coming up while you're driving in your car. You have to learn to look for other cues!

In all of this, it is important to save what you think is “Normal” for when you are in the privacy (hopefully) of your home. Small efforts to do like the Romans are much appreciated.