Work and RIP Pauline - anyone seen Paulette ?

Last time I wrote was on my first day (last week monday - getting used to a chair and desk). Since then I had the experience of 3 full working days.

2 days I've spent with colleagues and mayors in Koudougou (last week thursday and friday), working on the strategic plan and budget of 2011 - this year. A very good way of starting to understand the work involved with this organization - as well as a start of understanding how decisions are made in this country.

The third day of work was yesterday: arriving at work while there's a power cut, and finding a colleague waiting patiently at his computer for that power to come back, in order to finish the strategic plan and budget - which must be printed and diffused for the meeting of the 'Assemblée Generale' next week monday. Since I have a laptop and draft versions were available on a memory stick, we worked together on finishing these documents. Until the battery of my laptop was completely drained. Luckily, somewhere in the afternoon there were sparks of electricity, and in the evening we finished these documents, as well as a powerpoint version. My role during that day was no more than 1. helping to find ways of cutting back the proposed budget from last week to a reasonable amount, and 2. do the typing myself - somehow people should be aware of the fact keys on a keyboard do not randomly change, so there's no need for checking them every time.

Though my deepest respect for the courage my colleagues have and the effort they put into their work seen the tremendous challenges - and minimal resources they have to work with.

Then, Pauline and Paulette: 2 chickens I got from a market nearby. One white (Pauline), the other gray/black (Paulette). We made an agreement: we would give them food, water and a nice garden to find some extra worms, and they would provide eggs.

After being here for 3 days, Pauline made some awkward noises while I was having my morning drink on the terrace. 2 seconds later she fell down. Dead. Didn't go for breakfast that morning. That evening I came home after dark, so I assumed Paulette was having a sleep in the lemon tree. I could assume alot more from there, but fact is: she disappeared. And is still missing.

Don't think I'm in the right country to start hanging up flyers for a missing chicken.