Saturday, February 5, 2011

Trent meets le serpent, and kills it... kinda.

So for you that haven't figured it out, serpent in french means snake. So I am watching Parks and Recreation (A fabulous show that everyone should watch) when I hear someone banging on a metal door. At first I ignore it, but then I'm like what the hell...

So I go outside and I walk down two houses in my courtyard and hear my gendarm (army) neighbor banging on his door. I am confused until I look down and see a snake on his stoop. Now my first thought is really, its a one foot long snake. Its skinny and is maybe a gardner snake or the african equivelent. My second thought is but what if its not...

So I go back to my house and throw on some jeans and my black shoes and grab my half a broom... I will describe why I have half of a broom in a moment.

So I walk down to his house and walk up on his stoop and just kinda brush the snake off of the porch and into the courtyard. I tell the gendarm that its ok to come out and he says very panicky, ou est le serpent!! Ou est le serpent!! (where is the snake! Where is the Snake!). I tell him in the courtyard. He comes out and sees it and I ask him what we do now. I was thinking maybe he had some serpent knowledge, but then I remembered Burkinabe are scared to death of snakes and there is only one answer. Kill it.

So I walk to my house and grab my big kitchen knife that is a little dull, but I figure with enough force the head should come off pretty easily. I walk back and ask the gendarm if he killed it yet and he said no, then throws a big rock at it... That is the system for him to kill a snake... throw rocks at it. I am thinking about walking up and just chopping its head off real quick and this man won't get within a 3 foot distance of the snake. After we did some substantial damage with the rock, he crushed its head with a big stick over and over and we swept it outside. I just always love situations where I can play the butch male figure. Not only was I the one who had to sweep the snake away, but I also was going to be the one to just chop its head off. Thats right, when you think of men, think of me.

Ok, so now about the broken broom, so earlier this week I was burning trash and sweeping up my courtyard and I had a couple of big piles of like gravel dust mixture. I am moving these over to a mini-burn pile that I am make and while I an sweeping, my broom breaks and half and the top part of the broom and my fist hit me in the face. It almost knocks my jaw off. Needless to say I was alright, but my pride took a hit. Oh who are we kidding, how much pride do I have left to lose?

I am posting this entry from Ouagadougou, I am going to be enjoying a relaxing day away from site. Wish me well, I'm wishing you well.

Love, peace, and chicken grease,
Trent

P.s. That makes the count.. 4 scorpions, 1 scorpion carrier, and 1 snake for those playing the game at home.

2 comments:

  1. Oh Trent, sigh. You are my hero. sigh You are so brave. sigh again LOL I am like your neighbor I hate snakes and am scared of them.
    OH yes it seems as though you are always having to get dressed before performing your heroic acts. Do you always go outside undressed? Dont try that in the US. Your Granny loves you no matter what.

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  2. Trent Grandpa says you are like your dad....awkward as a three legged cow.

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