KINDNESS, HEAT, RED DUST, BENGA, AND SLOW CUEING =)

Those are the words that best summarize my first impressions of Ouagadougou (or Ouaga in short). This place is amazing.

I actually can’t believe how kind people are. It might say more about the coldness of people in the country I’m from but really… I have been riding on the back on I don’t know how many mopeds already. People offer to give you a ride any time of the day. If you ask someone where to find whatever you’re looking for you can expect to be guided there personally! And it’s free too. Crazy to me at least.

The first day in this new unknown city has been so full of new impressions I don’t know where to start. The sun is so bright it’s white! Looking at my pale arms in this light is something between painful and scary. It just looks wrong.
Amongst other things I also spent 1,5 hours in a line of four cueing people to exchange money. In the street I was prompted to buy a book about LA LUTTE AFRICAINE (the African struggle) and as I walked home I was accompanied by a guy talking about the revolution and Thomas Sankara (the former president who was assassinated by the current one in a coup d’état in 1987. He still has the status of a hero and is referred to as the Che Guevara of Africa). It turned out this guy was a rapper and painter. As I had nothing better to do I agreed to have lunch and followed him as he guided me through small streets past playing children yelling NAZAARA (whitey) after me with big smiles on their faces and waving. When he opened the door to what I supposed to be a restaurant I was a little surprised to realise I found myself in his house and was invited to sit down in his living room. It was a small house with no lock on the door (Trust is key!) and citations on the walls saying “HOPE” “LOVE” “LUCK” and other empowering words painted in pink. Before I knew it he had already been out buying food on the street and came back with a bowl of BENGA (rice and beens) and spaghetti, which we shared while he told all about his painting and rapping. There was a portrait of Sankara on the wall that he had just finished. He showed me his cv and told me about an association he had started, doing art and music projects with children. I was impressed and happily exchanged numbers when he asked if I wanted to help out, even though I didn’t have a clue of why he thought I’d be of any help. A few minutes later when he clutched my hand and looked deep into my eyes saying he wanted to kiss me I thought it was time to go home and regretted giving out my number so easily.
I hurried home to be greeted by the lovely people at my hostel. They made me RIZ GRAS SENEGALAIS for dinner which was absolutely mouthdrippingly YUMMY.

I had completely forgot we were invited to a party the same night and when I was reminded we should already be on our way. Without any time to rest we were soon headed to the inauguration of the Swedish embassy, which was combined with the celebration of ST LUCIA - an Italian saint that the Swedes for some reason have picked up on and celebrate every year on December 13. (It is a beautiful ceremony and one of my favourite traditions.) The place was full of ambassadors and foreign aid workers arriving in polished city jeeps, some with private drivers. The dry heat had turned into a cool summer evening and the air was filled with small talk about water sprinklers and good tailors mixed with the sounds of Shakira and Sean Paul. I started talking to a man who presented himself “Hi my name is Bruce, like Bruce Willis or Bruce Lee”. He turned out to be the American ambassador. Traditional Swedish Christmas snacks were served and wasn’t it for the unusual combination of Christmas food and summer weather I could just as well have been in Sweden.

Confused and completely overwhelmed with all the contradicting impressions on my first day, that night I fell asleep like a rock.