Well, I admit that I cannot speak French or Lokpa fluently BUT I understand more than I ever have before just by looking ‘round. I’ve come the conclusion that when your ability to speak your mind is compromised, by a huge brick wall of a language/cultural barrier, your sense for observing is heightened. I have been keeping what I call an “Observation Journal” where I write down weird things, funny things, frightening things, awkward things, random things, and other things that occur in my daily life here in Africa. I see no better way to describe my life here than by sharing some excerpts from this Journal. You can reach your own conclusions…
6 October
-Every other car that drives by is labeled by an NGO.
-I had guava AND grapefruit today. Where’d they come from?
7 October
-Seeing little Beninese kids bathing in the rain is both hilarious and water conscious.
-I have to pay 25 francs ($0.05) every time I fill up my bucket of water from the pump.
-The calls to prayer from the Mosque 5 times a day are surprisingly moving even though I am neither Muslim nor understand Arabic and they often wake me up at 5:30 am.
8 October
-The market is intimidating. Good thing its only once a week; baby steps with that place.
-Why can’t all names be as easy as Florence and Veronica? Instead, I have to remember names like Bariya, Ahemidie, Habirou, and Madjidou every day. I’m afraid I’ll never get the names down.
9 October
-There are some things that I thought were human nature but it turns out they are actually just American.
-Do spider webs always form in the same place? At least I always know where I have to knock ‘em down every morning.
-Are dogs racist? Are they more likely to bite me cause I’m white?
10 October
-Beninese people love to make others eat, especially a white girl who they are worried isn’t eating because she doesn’t eat the way they do…for example today while sitting with a Mama for a few hours I was given 2 pieces of meat, about a half of papaya, 3 bananas…it also doesn’t help that EVERY time they eat they say “Manges-On!” which really means come eat!
-Today I saw a lot of white people; some Germans in the buvette (bar) and some others goin’ north who stopped off the bus to eat. Every time a white person gets off the bus everyone looks and me as if to say “Hey you should go say hi to those white people, you know them right?” I would like to respond by saying, “yes all white people traveling in West Africa are actually my friends and family J.”
-People literally spend all day doing chores…guess that’s what happens when you don’t have electricity and modern appliances.
-Because Beninese kids don’t have actual toys, they occupy their time by rolling tires down the street, chewing on discarded batteries, or hitting each other with sticks.
-No one here knows his or her age or his or her birthday.
-Children could run this country; in fact, I think they already do…while everyone else is napping.
16 October
-BBC radio will definitely help me get through the next 2 years of being “disconnected” by “connecting” me to world out there.
-Chinese influence in Africa. China = $110 billion in trade with Africa in 2010. Google it.
-I’m so happy I taught the kids in my concession how to play “war” with playing cards.
17 October
-I’m so mad that I taught the kids in my concession how to play war.
19 October
-Beninese Mamas really know how to yell. Beninese kids can scream even louder.
-Books I’ve read so far:
The Alchemist
Jurassic Park
Girl with a Dragon Tatoo
Girl Who Played with Fire
Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
Water for Elephants
-I had a discussion about suffering today with a Beninese guy. I explained that there is suffering in the US too; he responded by saying, “yeah I heard that kids go to school and then they go straight to work without a repo (naptime)!” No naptime, yep that is suffering my friend, geez. Heaven forbid you have to go a day without a 4- hour break in the middle of the day, sir.
20 October
-I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade today, watched Temple of Doom yesterday.
-Finished Life of Pi.
22 October
-Crazy Old man called me selfish today (in English too) because I wouldn’t give him money. I’d really like to give him a piece of my mind, to say the least.
-A person truly can get used to anything even the sounds of people’s various bodily functions in the grassy area behind my house. Bathrooms are a thing of the future here.
-Bought meat from the butcher today. It was goat and it was delicious. Was it delicious because it was actually delicious or was it delicious because it was the first meat I’ve had in weeks? I’ll probably never know.
-I found out the hard way that the Beninese do not use diapers. Luckily it was only number 1 and that it is considered a good omen that my first child will be a boy.
23 October
-Saw a chamelion today. Boy are they weird. Even the African kids were lookin at it in awe.
24 October
-Finished Girl with a Pearl Earring today.
25 October
-Read Robinson Crusoe (in honor of you Dad).
-In a society where showing your knees is taboo, I sure have seen a disturbing number of African boobs.
26 October
-”Big Mama” asked me if there was sun in America today.
-Along those same lines, people think I’ll turn black here because of the sun. Try explaining that topic to an uneducated African villager.
27 October
-Watched the Lion King today. And no, Benin does not look like that.
-Finished Let the Great World Spin.
28 October
-The Giants are in the World Series?!? BBC didn’t tell me that, luckily Chanun did!
-Worked in the health center today doing prenatal examinations. No privacy laws allowed me to measure pregnant bellies, feel for the baby’s head, and listen for the heartbeat through a funnel-like contraption. Everytime I’m at the health center it feels like I am stepping into an early 1900’s hospital.
29 October
-T-Shirts with English sayings just crack me up because they do not understand what the shirt says. Today I saw a shirt with “I am helper, Asian helper” on it.
30 October
-I will always remember today because today is the first day I saw horses in Benin!!! Even got to pet them. As I was traveling north to Natitingou in a taxi, I stopped in a city called Djougou to switch cabs. My driver stopped on the side of the street to find more passengers. As we were waiting I heard drums and the kids in the area started yelling. This guy on the road asked me if I have a camera because I was going to want to take a picture of what was coming. Pretty soon our cab was surrounded by a parade of horses with guys in colorful costumes. Turns out it was a funeral parade and we were parked where they kept the horses. I wouldn’t call it a stable but it was where they bathe and feed them. The guy asked me if I wanted to ride one and of course I said yes! And then I came to my senses and said I’d settle just to pet them. So there is was, walking around this little compound in the middle of town surrounded by about 50 African kids watching this strange white girl walk from horse to horse just petting them. It was perhaps the strangest and most special thing that has happened to me thus far.
Well, that about sums up the past month. Hope these observations have shed some light on what I am experiencing here across the world.
Love to you all.
PS: Here is a list of things that would sure be swell to get in a package J
-Dried fruit
-Nuts
-Any American junk food
-Magazines, especially news!
-Seasoning packets for food
-Drink mixes (water gets pretty old)
Address again:
Lauren Smith, PCV
Corps de la Paix
BP 168
Natitingou, Benin
Afrique de l’Ouest
Phone number too in case you feel the need to hear my voice haha: (+229) 97 79 49 76!
Kokali ke sosom (Thanks a lot in Lokpa!)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Almost at the 3 month mark!
September’s gone…
So here is a little breakdown of what I’ve been up to the last month…
Well, I’m an official Peace Corps Volunteer! September 17 was our swear-in at the US Ambassador’s house in Cotonou. All the Peace Corps staff, our host families, the Ambassador, every TV station in Benin, some current volunteers, and any other “important” white person currently in Benin was invited to the occasion. It was totally surreal because we got to be “back in America” for a few hours and sit on comfy couches J. After the ceremony we all headed back to Porto-Novo to start preparing to make the move to post.
[September 28, 2010] POST
I’ve been here at post for a week already! After unpacking the surprisingly few bags I had and settling in to my house I realized that I’m in for a whole new round of culture shock. Village life is quite different than the “big city;” think American small-town where everybody knows everybody…and when you’re the only white person living in a village, you become somewhat of a celebrity. This may be a good or bad thing for me. The village kids are very curious about me and are constantly coming and standing in my doorway to watch me, even if I’m just sitting there reading. My days go somewhat like this…I wake-up around 6ish when the kids start yelling, the roosters start crowing, and the women start sweeping; I open my door and everyone in my concession comes to greet me (in Lokpa, the local language); I make breakfast (usually oatmeal or bread and nutella) and head out on my bike on the dirtroad by my house towards the farms and forest. I run into many people on the road, many of whom are struck to see a white-girl riding a bike through the countryside; I return back and hangout a bit in my house then usually go to my homologue’s 2nd wife’s tailoring shop where I sit for at least 2 hours and hangout. Sitting (mainly in silence) is a pastime here in Benin…you can literally spend hours just looking out from your bench. It’s great since I can’t really communicate past simple salutations and chit-chat in Lokpa and the villagers can’t say much in French.
I’ll be honest, post is a pretty big adjustment from the busy days of training in Porto-Novo; for example, the constant interaction with Americans to speaking little or no English everyday, moving from having no choice in what I eat to relying on my Beninese cooking skills, and basically having hours each day to do anything/nothing/whatever I want. Oh, and no electricity or running water is thrown into the mix too. The downtime is a blessing and a curse! For the first 3 months at post we are not expected to start any big projects or do major work so that puts the pressure on to “integrate” into our communities. By integration I mean getting to know people’s daily activities, sitting with Mamas, learning about what is grown around my village and what is brought in from surrounding villages to sell at the market, and just getting a feel for what kind of projects I can do in the future and who will be reliable work partners. My homologue takes me to surrounding neighborhoods sometimes to greet people and we are going to start having “fieldtrips” to see what kind of “products” are being produced in my village. By products I mean honey, gari (which is similar to breadcrumbs but it’s made from a potato-like tuber, not bread), bread, soy cheese, wagashi (the other kind of cheese here), tree nurseries, and peanuts. I’m slowing learning the pace of life in my village and people are also slowing getting used to seeing me everyday, which alleviates some of the initial staring I received when I first ventured out of my silly little house. On the subject of my house, I have a little bit of renovating to do like paint my gray walls, get a screen-door put on so I can control the people who come in and out, and get some more furniture made. Little by little its coming together and in no time it will feel more like home.
October 2, 2010
Right now I am in Natitingou, a city about 4 hours north of Prekete, at the Peace Corps workstation, which is actually a “little America” specifically for Peace Corps Volunteers. We had a meeting yesterday for our region and all the volunteers) about 25 of us) on this side of the country met to discuss “things.” Its great to be around friends and hear stories about people’s posts…some sound great and some sound less-than-great to be honest. The workstation feels like summer camp, with bunkbeds and people just hanging out and relaxing. It’s crazy because you can forget that you are in Africa for a second…until you walk outside the walls of the workstation. It’s nice to get a break for a while and be refreshed when I go back to post to start doing some small projects here and there.
I thought I would be able to post pictures this weekend while I was here but of course the wifi isn’t working in the workstation…I will try to post a few and hopefully soon I will be able to show you guys more! Let me tell you, some things are just easier to explain with a picture.
And here is my new address too:
Lauren Smith, Peace Corps Volunteer
Corps de la Paix
BP 168
Natitingou, Benin
Afrique de l’Ouest
Just some hints about packages…padded envelopes often get here faster, put ALL food in Ziploc bags to help keep out the creatures, it also “helps” if you write “Dieu te regarde” or “Dieu est grand” on the box to deter people from going through the package J
I’d love to hear from everybody so send me some letters!
PS I cut off about 5 inches of my hair…The bucket showers just weren’t working for the massive amounts of hair I had!
So here is a little breakdown of what I’ve been up to the last month…
Well, I’m an official Peace Corps Volunteer! September 17 was our swear-in at the US Ambassador’s house in Cotonou. All the Peace Corps staff, our host families, the Ambassador, every TV station in Benin, some current volunteers, and any other “important” white person currently in Benin was invited to the occasion. It was totally surreal because we got to be “back in America” for a few hours and sit on comfy couches J. After the ceremony we all headed back to Porto-Novo to start preparing to make the move to post.
[September 28, 2010] POST
I’ve been here at post for a week already! After unpacking the surprisingly few bags I had and settling in to my house I realized that I’m in for a whole new round of culture shock. Village life is quite different than the “big city;” think American small-town where everybody knows everybody…and when you’re the only white person living in a village, you become somewhat of a celebrity. This may be a good or bad thing for me. The village kids are very curious about me and are constantly coming and standing in my doorway to watch me, even if I’m just sitting there reading. My days go somewhat like this…I wake-up around 6ish when the kids start yelling, the roosters start crowing, and the women start sweeping; I open my door and everyone in my concession comes to greet me (in Lokpa, the local language); I make breakfast (usually oatmeal or bread and nutella) and head out on my bike on the dirtroad by my house towards the farms and forest. I run into many people on the road, many of whom are struck to see a white-girl riding a bike through the countryside; I return back and hangout a bit in my house then usually go to my homologue’s 2nd wife’s tailoring shop where I sit for at least 2 hours and hangout. Sitting (mainly in silence) is a pastime here in Benin…you can literally spend hours just looking out from your bench. It’s great since I can’t really communicate past simple salutations and chit-chat in Lokpa and the villagers can’t say much in French.
I’ll be honest, post is a pretty big adjustment from the busy days of training in Porto-Novo; for example, the constant interaction with Americans to speaking little or no English everyday, moving from having no choice in what I eat to relying on my Beninese cooking skills, and basically having hours each day to do anything/nothing/whatever I want. Oh, and no electricity or running water is thrown into the mix too. The downtime is a blessing and a curse! For the first 3 months at post we are not expected to start any big projects or do major work so that puts the pressure on to “integrate” into our communities. By integration I mean getting to know people’s daily activities, sitting with Mamas, learning about what is grown around my village and what is brought in from surrounding villages to sell at the market, and just getting a feel for what kind of projects I can do in the future and who will be reliable work partners. My homologue takes me to surrounding neighborhoods sometimes to greet people and we are going to start having “fieldtrips” to see what kind of “products” are being produced in my village. By products I mean honey, gari (which is similar to breadcrumbs but it’s made from a potato-like tuber, not bread), bread, soy cheese, wagashi (the other kind of cheese here), tree nurseries, and peanuts. I’m slowing learning the pace of life in my village and people are also slowing getting used to seeing me everyday, which alleviates some of the initial staring I received when I first ventured out of my silly little house. On the subject of my house, I have a little bit of renovating to do like paint my gray walls, get a screen-door put on so I can control the people who come in and out, and get some more furniture made. Little by little its coming together and in no time it will feel more like home.
October 2, 2010
Right now I am in Natitingou, a city about 4 hours north of Prekete, at the Peace Corps workstation, which is actually a “little America” specifically for Peace Corps Volunteers. We had a meeting yesterday for our region and all the volunteers) about 25 of us) on this side of the country met to discuss “things.” Its great to be around friends and hear stories about people’s posts…some sound great and some sound less-than-great to be honest. The workstation feels like summer camp, with bunkbeds and people just hanging out and relaxing. It’s crazy because you can forget that you are in Africa for a second…until you walk outside the walls of the workstation. It’s nice to get a break for a while and be refreshed when I go back to post to start doing some small projects here and there.
I thought I would be able to post pictures this weekend while I was here but of course the wifi isn’t working in the workstation…I will try to post a few and hopefully soon I will be able to show you guys more! Let me tell you, some things are just easier to explain with a picture.
And here is my new address too:
Lauren Smith, Peace Corps Volunteer
Corps de la Paix
BP 168
Natitingou, Benin
Afrique de l’Ouest
Just some hints about packages…padded envelopes often get here faster, put ALL food in Ziploc bags to help keep out the creatures, it also “helps” if you write “Dieu te regarde” or “Dieu est grand” on the box to deter people from going through the package J
I’d love to hear from everybody so send me some letters!
PS I cut off about 5 inches of my hair…The bucket showers just weren’t working for the massive amounts of hair I had!
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