Yovo Factor

Being a white woman in Benin, I stand out. That is a fact. It also means that there are a lot of presumptions about me, for example I probably have a lot of money, and also I probably don't know how anything works in Africa. Hence the fact that when you go into a market, women will point at their produce and shout at you “Yovo, Orange – Yovo, Orange.” Yes thank you, I did know that is an orange, and no I still don't want to buy it.

Being different, especially in a way that makes you visually stand out, in a culture that is completely not your own, sometimes leads to funny scenarios where either A. You are accidentally making a spectacle of yourself; or B. Someone is accidentally making a spectacle of you (because they don't live with the Yovo factor in their own lives)

Sometimes you just want to be invisible – and count the days to America where you can blend in again without people watching your every move.

***

This week I made a spectacle of myself (as usual) but I thought this would be a funny story to tell. If it is just funny to me, I am sorry. I have been living here too long.

A few weeks ago my fan broke, a certain orange cat was involved, not naming any names.

It is the hot season right now, so after about a week and a half of “I'm not buying another fan, I rarely use it unless I have company and I have less than a year left.” - I broke down and asked my friendly neighborhood electronics salesman how much his fans were. He had 2 and they were both around 20 dollars (estimated equivalence). I told him “Thank you my friend, I will be back tomorrow to buy it,” and he told me “Goodbye, God bless you, See you tomorrow.” He is Nigerian, so I can actually quote him in English for you, which is probably the only reason I just did that.

Anyway, little known to me, the power had gone out in the whole region about an hour before said conversation. Meaning Porto, Misserete, and as far north as Adjohoun (probably further). So I go home relax get ready for the meeting I had in Adjohoun the next day – which didn't really happen either due to the fact that the power was out – or we misunderstood and were really having a meeting about a meeting in the first place.

After lunch, I was thinking to myself, well I told him I would come back today. Seems kind of silly to buy a fan when the power is out, but the power will be back and then I will have a fan.

So, as if to add to the spectacle (that I really should have realized I was about to create), I put on a yovotome clothes (long khaki shorts, and a t-shirt --- I almost always wear tissu dresses but I knew i'd be walking across village with a fan) and walk over to the market to buy my fan. I buy my fan (which happens to be bright red) and proceed to walk the (5 minutes normally) walk back to my house from the market.

First my bread lady stops me, “You need to take a moto” (mostly in hand gestures and local language) - I responded by pointing at my head and lifting the fan up and down. “No helmet, Not heavy.” – She says ok and I go on my way.

Then I am stopped by my fried food lady. “Where are you going with a fan?” – “Home,” I reply. To which she kindly informs me, “You can not use it there is no electricity!” I tell her I know but I just bought the fan and I have to get it home. She gets excited that it is brand new and asks how much I spent on it, I tell her and she is impressed because she bought a similar fan for more. Yovo has redeemed herself in this otherwise ridiculous fan walking scenario. Then of course she tells me to take a moto and the same head pointing and fan lifting ensues. I buy some donuts and keep walking.

This is less than a minute into the normal walk.

The rest of the way I was stopped 10 times buy strangers. “Yovo! there is no electricity you can't use the fan!!” – followed by explanations and “You should really take a moto!” – and so on. *I just want to add that this would not happen to a normal villager who (obviously) knows the power is out - and it would not be assumed they have money for a moto. 

I get home – and 10 minutes later the power comes back on.

This was Tuesday. During the week, I have had multiple friends in village (who didn't see me that day) ask me why on earth I was WALKING through village with a fan. – And I have had strangers come up to me and ask how my fan is doing. -- So yea, people are talking about it.

This place.

Other things that happened to me this week: Being given a soda and asked to go with a friend to a doctors appointment (sitting in the corner of the office drinking a soda – while the doctor keeps giving me funny looks and no one is talking to me), Almost getting trampled to death by a swarm of Marche Mama's (women selling things on their heads in the market) who were running from the police – it reminded me – very literally – of when small creatures scatter in the forest (because something bad is coming) in old cartoons, I had to reschedule a trip to the tailor – because I wasn't dressed quite properly to be changing in an open room, and OF COURSE being left alone with my bread ladies baby in the middle of the market – while she went to get more bread - aka lots of people staring wondering why this white woman is standing and awkwardly holding a 2 month old screaming African baby. 

Sometimes, you just have to laugh at yourself.
Z

Wemexwe

This past week has been all up and down the spectrum.

I have had good interactions and horrible interactions..

Examples of what I mean:

Just to brush the surface, the week started off with a 10 hour bus ride back from last weeks training – I had a woman tell me that she believes that all children in America carry guns (due to the things that she has seen on TV) – and me and my friends had a man lecture us on being racist (because we refused to give him food).

On the other end I met some of my close-mates work partners who seem to be genuinely great people (which you need an occasional dose of) – had a much needed girls lunch and market day, and I made friends with a woman who dyes her own fabrics in Porto Novo (and I am super excited to go see her shop soon!)

Even if sometimes our day to day interactions as Peace Corps Volunteers can be challenging, it is important to remember why we are here. We are here because we want to make a difference. One of the most important differences that we can make is changing the negative opinions (that an unfortunate number of people have) pertaining to Americans and American culture. Every week we hear things that are hard to hear, and see things that are hard to see. It is difficult to live in a culture so incredible different, but we were told that coming in.

So I had a rough week BUT – it ended with a party!
All is well that ends well, right?

***

Wemexwe is the annual fete of the valley.

Weme (aka Oueme) is the valley region that I live in, and Wemexwe is your equivalent of your typical County Fair. Only in Benin.

The fete took place in the village of Adjohoun. I went with two other volunteers. We were a little uncertain going in because we were not able to get our hand on any of the fete tissu – it sold out very fast – but once we got there and saw that we really weren't the only ones – the “our we properly dressed” concerns quickly faded.

The fete was huge – giant tents were set up where people had brought their own chair, blankets, and food (basically family picnics). The event was a four days the biggest day being Sunday (the day we went). The morning started with a mass (that we opted out of) and then the festivities continued with dancers, performers, musicians, vodun fetishes, super friendly vendors and lots of food and drink. People were forced to park their cars and walk about a half mile to the party, because it was just that crowded. What an amazing day full of cultural experiences and awesome people.

Multiple people have told me today that they saw me and my friends at the fete –
I guess we stand out or something.

Z

The Third Goal

During my visit home, I spent a day at a local high school talking to students (mostly French Language and Social Studies) about living in Benin, Beninese Culture and Peace Corps. I meant to post about this before (but my vacation home was just so jam packed full of craziness that I didn't get even one chance to update you.) Talking to students at home was incredible and I think that everyone visiting home during their service should take a day to set up a program with a local high school.

I really enjoyed the presentations that I gave, mostly because the students asked AWESOME questions. I unfortunately can't remember most of them now – but they ranged from “Describe your typical day?” to “How do you wash your clothes?” to "What do you eat?" and of course “How do you join Peace Corps?” Of course since most of the classes were French classes, there were also a lot of questions about language! It is always interesting to explain the ways that Beninese French differs from Parisian French, and to talk about how many different languages are found throughout Benin. The teacher who helped by setting up the program for me to come in (a teacher of mine from High School!) took some awesome pictures from the day -- I don't want to post pictures of the students (obviously) but here is a great one of me helping a teacher model traditional clothing.

I would love a chance to give more presentations like this when I get back to the states!

***

Here in Benin my week was spent mostly meeting with people so that we can get back to work (which sometimes involves having a meeting to discuss when you are going to have a meeting to discuss the possibilities of getting back to work). I went to the market and restocked on things like laundry soap and toilet paper – and of course fabric. Basically just trying to get back to normal, and trying to stay out of the heat. (and cleaning up after yet another flood!) Hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to tell you about some cool projects!!!

Z

Loving Hut Benin

I can't believe it took me 6 months of looking at signs for “Loving Hut Vegetalien 100%”  (vegetalien is french for vegan) before I actually had the chance to go and eat here myself. I finally went over the weekend, and it is now my new favorite place to eat in all of Benin.

For those of you who know Loving Hut, I want to start by saying that I believe Loving Hut Benin IS related (at least in theory) to the Loving Hut family of restaurants. Our lunch was accompanied by a small television screen showing Supreme Master videos and there were vegan advocacy posters and booklets available to those who chose to read them. I was a little uncertain going in – since generally Loving Hut (as a  chain) serves fast food and Asian food... and this is West Africa.

I don't know how to express how amazing Loving Hut Benin is. I don't know how to describe how ecstatic we all were at finding this gem tucked away in Porto Novo.. it is really just that amazing. Kind of unreal.


This little restaurant completely embraces the idea of Vegan dining and seamlessly translates it into Beninese cuisine. At first glance, this beautiful hidden away maquis could be any other Beninese restaurant. The prices are comparable, the menu is (visibly) the same, and while a little cleaner and perhaps even a little fancier, the atmosphere can compare to most higher class local eateries (thankfully minus the blasting loud music and drunk men). I admire the way that Sumason (the brains behind the operation) really made his vision happen.

They serve spaghetti, cous cous, Beninese sauces (with pate), salads, french fries, brochettes, legumes.. all of the standard Beninese fare. They produce their own gluten based proteins as a meat substitute, and they have used it to veganize all of the ethnic cuisine. When I ate here with my friends the other day, we were not sure what to expect. Two of us ordered the cous cous dish, and another one of my friends ordered the salad with protein. We ordered a plate of brochettes (normally street-meat kebabs) as an appetizer and split a large pineapple for desert. Now that we know how amazing all of the food is, we are ALL looking forward to going back and trying their vegan take on some of the more classic Beninese dishes.

Sumason, the owner of this restaurant, is a vegan advocate in his own right. He has a small book that he has published (in french) on eating a vegan diet and why it is important – he cites many famous vegan sources and calls it “Le sêcret de la bonne santè et de longue vie toute la verite de la science à la spiritualité” He is a firm believer in the health benefits of eating a vegan diet and has traveled and studied to learn more about this way of life which he strongly believes in. He told us that he really hopes to help bring the vegan culture to Benin and educate the people of his country on the great health benefits that can be found in the vegan diet.

Some will say that perhaps I have a slightly slanted view in saying that this is the best meal that I have had in Benin – but it really was the best meal I have had in Benin. The food was spectacular, the prices were more than fair, the atmosphere was relaxing, and the staff was friendly and informed. I will definitely eat here many more times while I am living in Benin and I really hope that this restaurant succeeds.

Its not every day that I am so impressed by something in this country.

It is also not every day that I can say I have eaten so well.

Here's to good food.
Z

Phone Etiquette

In America.. we are a little crazy about our “phone privacy” so to say. We can see who is calling.. if we don't know the number it is possible to look it up online before calling it back (especially if they didn't leave a message).. we can leave a message!! We are generally picky as to who we give our personal number out to.. business numbers are more public but we still regulate to the best of our ability.

In the US.. I personally am a huge stickler about what calls I answer. If I don't know your number, I will not answer. I even make a point to tell people when I give them my number. If I don't know your number, and you don't leave a message, I will not call back.

When we make phone calls, except for an occasional long call to a close friend or family member, we keep our talks short and simple. We aren't big on formalities. These days many people will just send a text and avoid the conversation all together. Why waste time on the phone when you can just send out a text “Restaurant 5 o'clock” and be done with it.

This leads me to the point of this post. In this country greeting and talking with acquaintances is a huge part of the culture, and as some of you know from trying to call me, voice mail does not exist. Someone might call 10 times, but since you don't have an answering device, you don't know why they called, and most often it is for no reason at all except that at 1 am they decided they just HAD TO call and say hi.

I don't really consider this a bad thing. It is really nice that people call to just say hi and ask how your family is and how work is going. It is a concept that has become almost completely lost to us in the US.

On the other side of this.. there are some things that (as an American) drive me up the wall.

As an American.. I do not appreciate you calling.. because you got my number from someone or somewhere, and since I may or may not know someone you know (and since as an American I stick out like a sore thumb/ most people who have ever known an American think that they know me too). If you don't know me. Don't call me. DO NOT call me and when I say “Hi, Who is this?” Respond with “What is your name?”... if you don't know my name.. why are you calling me. Also, you are speaking way to fast and I'm probably going to hang up. If you do know me, I'm sorry, but then again, you wouldn't be asking for my name.  **This also goes for Beninese men who think that they might be able to get me to go out on a date with them... or help them get to America.. just because they know I'm an American and they got my number from somewhere. Do not call me.

As an American.. I do not appreciate the beep. Since there is no messaging system, and since you  “pay as you go” and have to go out and buy phone credit every time you run out.. people beep you. Basically, it is when you have enough credit on your phone to make a call, but not enough to actually talk. SO you call, let it ring once and hang up.. and often you do this repeatedly. The reason this is infuriating (as an American) is that some people will just do this because they don't want to spend their own money talking to you. However, they have no real reason that they are calling other than just to say Hi. – As I mentioned above this has become a foreign concept to the American.. and quite frankly.. we feel that if you just want to say Hi.. call with your own money. That might come across a bit insensitive.. but when someone beeps me 10 times in a row. As an American, I assume something is wrong. If I stop what I am doing, go out and buy credit, and call you back and its nothing, I will be friendly as a peach on the phone, but I am secretly boiling up inside.

As an American.. I don't understand why you called three times last week just to say Hi.. but can't be bothered to call and tell me the meeting is canceled.

As an American.. If you call me super early in the morning or super late at night, just know I'm probably not going to answer. That being said, I also might forget to call you back in a timely manner.. since I was half asleep when you called.

As an American.. I don't understand why you can't just send me a text.

Z

While you're here..

 you might as well dance.

For those of you who don't already know this.

I started taking Traditional African Dance classes at the Ouadada Cultural Center in Porto Novo a little over a month ago. Every week I go with a really awesome group of JICA volunteers and we dance our little hearts out. It is easily the number one thing that gets me through the weeks here. Then again (for those of you who don't know) I have been dancing my whole life.. so that really isn't that surprising.

The very first class that I went to was definitely one of those “Who am I and what am I doing here?” moments that we have every so often as Peace Corps Volunteers. Most of the girls don't speak English. So there I was one evening in a dance class (that my friend had invited me to go to) with a group of Japanese volunteers and a very enthusiastic Beninese dance teacher.. in a power outage.. dancing outside.. to live drumming.. with the only common language among the lot of us being very very broken french. It was spectacular to say the least. Of course I had to go back for more.

After only 2 or 3 classes I was informed that we were having a PERFORMANCE in 3 weeks. What?

This week I appeared in my very first West African Spectac.
Costumed up and all.

It was a really great experience.
The performance went great and we had an awesome turnout :)
I have lots of really supportive and just amazing friends here in Benin who came to see me dance.

This was supposed to be a photo post.. but I don't have the internet for that right now..
I will add the pictures to this post as soon as I have the internet capability!
Photos Thanks to Amber P!

Sorry about the half posting thing.
Z

Je me fais recenser!

Today I was censused by a Beninese census taker.

The Beninese census started earlier this month.

Between being in Cotonou and the fact that at night fall I close up the house (and it probably looks like there is no one home to outsiders).. it is possible that the past few days the census taker missed me and probably would have continued missing me if I wasn't in the living room doing some typing for my neighbor (Even when typing in French I type faster than the average Beninese – well as long as I change the keyboard recognition thing-a-ma-jig to EN).

It was pretty late and I was sitting typing out a document I could barely read about agriculture and enhanced rice.. and some guy comes to my door “ko ko ko-ing” I say “Oui” and he just does his ko ko ko again.. I say “C'est qui!!” and I get another ko ko ko. At this point I'm annoyed because I am hard at work.. and anyone who (as far as I'm concerned) has any right to be stopping by my house after sunset would have probably just walked in.. and now I'm going to have to get up and go to the door!

So I get up to see who it is. Here is this kid (late teens early twenties) looking really official. He has a brief case. He is carrying a stack of papers. Has a census themed t-shirt on.. and an identification card with the rules of who needs to be censused on it. He proceeds to explain to me that he is here to take the census... to which I respond ok.. but I'm American.. (and if sarcasm existed in this country he would be thinking “No, really? I thought you were Beninese!?”) He picks up his little ID card thing and starts reading me a blurb about how everyone who currently lives in the country needs to be included in the census.

He asked if he could sit down about 5 times, even though I made it clear that I was fine with taking his census if it made his life easier, at least it would be an interesting experience. After insisting I verbally say “Yes! You may sit in the chair!” I kind of felt like he was a chair vampire or something.

Anyway the census was funny.

It was very short, and unlike at home where you get your census in the mail fill it out and send it in, he had to read me the questions and fill it out himself. This is probably to avoid embarrassing anyone who can't read or write, but it lead to a bit of confusion with things like spelling my name.. and me just not knowing certain french words. I can only imagine what its like for foreigners in the US who fill out the census on their own :-/ – I'm really not surprised that some people just don't do it.. between the length and just being culturally confused.

I gave him the basics - my name, when I was born, what country I was born in.. he couldn't spell Etats-Unis and my accent is really bad for spelling.. so he gave up and wrote USA for that and for my nationality. I told him I was married out of habit.. oops. He didn't believe me when I told him how little I make. He was shocked that I don't own a television and asked if I needed his help finding/getting one. There were questions about how I cook my food and how I get my news. His list asked if I had a bed (could you imagine if that was a question on the US Census).. and then asked if I had something else which he described as for sleeping. I think it was a mattress.. so I said yes, but he was really confused when I said I had both and went back to the original questions to make sure I understood when he had asked if I was the only one living in the house. So I'm not really sure what I told him I had.

He didn't care for any information about my “husband” or parents, since they don't live in Benin... but like all Beninese he was shocked that I have no children. When (as always) I told him not until I go back home – he went into the typical “No you will stay and have a family in Benin” speech that every HCN memorizes at some point in their childhood.

Overall it was a very interesting experience.. filling out a census as a foreigner.

I know I made a few mistakes but I am sure I would have made even more if I had been filling it out on my own, and it was great to see this strangers facial expressions as I answered his questions. Mostly I think he was just happy to get out of the rain for a bit.. and I'm sure he deals with a lot of hostility from people who don't want to fill out the census.

Hopefully I didn't screw it up too much!

Z

Boy In Benin Part 3

Erik left to go back to the States on Friday.. I have been insanely lonely since then. It will be good to get back to work tomorrow and back to normal. 

Anyway he agreed to write a post wrapping up his thoughts on his visit here in Benin.

***

For 24 hours I have been back in the United States. I am clean, comfortable and well-fed. Now that I've gotten those first steps out of the way, I have had a chance to look back and review the past few weeks spent in Benin. I greatly enjoyed my visit, spending time with Zoe, and seeing another part of the world.

I could tell you about all the cool things we did, but I decided that instead of recapping the events of my journey, it would be more meaningful to share a few of my personal reflections. In all my travels, Benin has proven to be one of the most thought-provoking places I have ever been. Their way of life - their culture, their world-view - is in many ways drastically different than our own. Ultimately, as human beings, we all have the same basic wants and needs: food, shelter, and a good life for our family. However, there is great variety in the means by which we achieve these basic goals. I am grateful to have been able to visit Benin and for the opportunity to reflect on their way of life.

In general, I found the people of Benin to be very warm and friendly, welcoming us to their home, excited to share their beautiful country with us. During my time in Zoe's village, I found the community quite charming. Everyone says, "hello, how are you? Welcome." People spend most of the day sitting outside enjoying each others company. Even in the market, women will sit side by side selling the same thing as friends, not competitors. Although they have very little relative to Americans, what these people lack in possessions and technology they make up for with a connectedness that does not exist in most "American villages." It's like a giant family - everyone is looking out for each other. I would often walk alone through the village just to feel like a part of it.

I enjoyed the village life a lot, and it was cool walking amongst goats, sheep, cows and chickens everywhere we went, but the main thing I disliked about the village was EVERYONE'S incessant need to point out that I am white. Almost everyone we passed would call out to us "Yovo Yovo!" At first I kind of liked it. It was like being a celebrity; but by the end of the trip I became frustrated and really just wanted to pull some people out of their ignorance and explain that we are the same and what they're doing is rude. I tried to remind myself that I am to them what a purple person would be to me. I chalked their heckling up to curiosity more than anything else.

The food was also very different, but I liked most of what I tried. The religions were very different as well, Voodoo in particular, and it was sometimes difficult to take certain beliefs seriously (specifically those regarding sorcery), but I suppose fervently believing in something completely irrational is part of all religions, ours included. Benin would be a great place to conduct an ethnography, particularly one linguistic in nature. There are so many interesting languages spoken, and it would be neat to look further into how the local dialects reflect the peoples' perspective and outlook. Even though I could understand next-to-nothing, I enjoyed listening nonetheless.

One interesting thing that struck me is that the Beninese are insanely comfortable being uncomfortable. They seem to love prolonged stares and awkward silences. In the "Tro" taxis (cargo vans gutted and fitted with benches to fit 30 people), you are tightly sandwiched between 5 other people, your feet almost instantly lose circulation, everyone is sweating on each other, 10 people are screaming on their phones or to each other, and I was the only person on the bus that seemed to mind at all. As a side note, I must say, those taxis have to be the world's most uncomfortable mode of transportation, but I doubt that anyone in the country is aware. 

[Note from Zoe: I made a point to ensure Erik had only the most comfortable taxi rides possible – It can get way worse than that]

In a nut-shell, Benin is a country rich with natural beauty, pleasant people, and interesting culture. I am definitely not going to take as much for granted now that I'm back, and I am truly grateful for all that I have - hot showers, food variety, air conditioning, education, healthcare, etc. Still, I find myself wondering just how good some of our amenities are for the soul. Although the more impoverished citizens of Benin will pester tourists for money and food, they still seem happy with their lot. Without the common stresses of first-world life (9-5's, car payments, schedule juggling), people can focus more on those basic wants and needs mentioned earlier. They can wake up with the sun, cook a fresh, plastic-free non-processed meal, and work on the farm or at the loom, using their hands to create their livelihood. They're not connected to the ramblings of their peers on social media, or the depressing stories in the news. They work a little, the eat a little, they relax a little, and they are content. This lifestyle may seem almost lazy to a college-educated American worker, but lazy would not be the right word for it; I think 'easy' would be a better word for it. And while (when applied to work) that word carries negative connotations in our culture, there, taking it easy on the job is viewed in a positive light - and they be the right ones after all.

We desperately seek to impose our western sentiment that "development" ought to be the chief goal of any given society, and that societies should strive for progress through hard work and innovation, but the more I see of the rest of the world, the less convinced I find myself of the merits of this philosophy. The people in Benin are happy, they're healthy, and they appreciate the time they get to spend with one another. Likewise, I appreciate the time I spent with them. Being in Benin has reinforced within me some deep realizations that can only be achieved by traveling around the world, and I would enjoy spending more time there some day if the opportunity arises. A la prochiane! - Erik

***

Oh.. I also wanted to mention. Erik seems to have made more friends here in two weeks than I have made in the past 10 months (no surprise there we all know he is the social half of this whole). All day today – while I just felt like sitting around in my pajamas.. eating chocolate.. watching Remember the Titans.. and being left alone. People kept showing up at my house asking to see Erik. Not to mention the number of people who called to make sure he made it home safe. He is pretty awesome like that.. <3

Lots of Love and Happy Mothers Day!

Z

Boy In Benin Part 2

Erik and I devoted this week to seeing my village and the surrounding areas – this included experiencing the frustrating life of a peace corps volunteer (where work plans are currently being postponed, shuffled around, or just plain canceled).. He experienced the disappointment of watching a school garden die because the water pump is broken, the strange excitement of children (and adults) as they constantly shout at the foreigner walking by, and he got to meet lots of my friends both Host Country Nationals and Peace Corps.

Early in the week we went to Ouando where he got to experience the sites and sounds of a large West African market. We went tissu shopping (and he even bought some fabric from my regular tissu lady).. I showed him lots of different foods.. we walked through the animal section (which is super depressing but necessary to see)... I know from experience that the market can be really overwhelming the first time you see it, so I am hoping that if we go again next week he will be able to take more in..

On Monday we made a point to see Porto Novo's Botanical Gardens.. I had not been here before, but now that I have seen it I highly recommend going. Just as a note! ** The gardens are in fact not open on Monday. Some random guy who may or may not have been associated with the gardens in anyway let us in... and it was really great.. but I can't promise this would happen for everyone. The gardens house what is left of Porto Novo's Sacred Forest and is also the home to a very curious and friendly family of small monkeys (we think they are Mona Monkeys)

Between rain (and failed attempts to bring him with me to do actual work) we went over to Songhai so that Erik could take a tour of Songhai while I had my local language lesson... due to this being West Africa.. the tour didn't start until well after my class was over so I joined him (the tour was only 500cfa a person – not bad) the tour guide was really great. Although I am obviously a little over-dosed on Songhai.. I think that Erik really enjoyed the tour.

We have visited a lot of my neighborhood friends – and even made some new ones. Erik really enjoyed hanging out with my Supervisor, where we ate Igname Frites and helped feed his rabbits. We had a really great time at my landlords house one afternoon talking with their family, taking pictures and he even got some free reflexology from one of their friends (no that isn't normal).. And of course he has gotten to know my tailor, local bread lady, and bar and cafeteria owners.

As far as food is concerned we have done a lot of eating in because.. that is what I am used to doing.. but I have made a point for him to get to taste as much local fair as possible. We went to two restaurants in Porto Novo that are popular with Peace Corps Volunteers. Java Promo is a nice restaurant located near The National Assembly (and the gardens) and Erik tried Igname Pile (with Peanut Sauce) a Benin specialty found more frequently in the North. We enjoyed vegetarian chwarma at a restaurant near Ouando called Esperence Maquis (1500cfa for a chwarma plus soda). Erik enjoyed his meal here so much we even went back a second time. At Songhai we stopped for drinks and sampled locally made soy milk and my personal favorite baobab juice and snacked on (another personal favorite) Voandzu from the Bean lady across the street. We have had all sorts of beignets and fried foods.. Erik now understands my ridiculous addiction to bissap (a popular hibiscus drink). He has sampled sodabe... enjoyed a Peace Corps style taco feast.. tried most of the local beers.. and has eaten spaghetti omelets at my neighboring cafe.

I can't believe how fast his visit here is passing by.

Next week we are going to try to make a few day trips to see more of Benin.

Lots of Love

Z 

Answers for April "C'est quoi ça?" post are now available HERE (at the bottom of the post).. and Erik will be bringing home a tub of All Natural Shea Butter for fcrum!!!  - - Thank You Everyone for participating <3

Boy In Benin

These past two months have been crazy for me... and after a whole week back at post (working very hard I might add).. I went to Cotonou to pick Erik up in the airport!!

At this point I don't know how much time he has had to process Benin – He has seen the craziness of Cotonou and met a few of my neighbors. I still thought it might be fun to give you some of his first impressions :)

***

This is a country of energy. My introduction to Benin was my first night in Cotonou. As my plane was descending into Cotonou, I saw a city spread out as far as I could see. There were no tall buildings, just a massive horizontal expanse blanketing the earth along the shores. The heat and humidity were stifling. Cotonou airport was abuzz. We were shuttled from the tarmac to the baggage claim and madness ensued. Everyone was fighting for their bags and eagerly offering to help with mine (for a price of course).The security guards were yelling at me to open my bags, but I could not understand their language. They finally got so frustrated they just told me to go through. I was relieved to see Zoe in the crowd, and this was closely followed by my first Zem (moto-taxi) interaction.

Negotiating a taxi ride is an exercise in haggling, with the drivers and Zoe yelling out conflicting franc amounts and calling each other crazy. I've come to learn that this is entirely normal, and she is very good at it! The drivers themselves are impressive, as well. I've seen them carrying 100lbs of luggage and a passenger; they carry livestock, building materials, basically anything you want, and they are EVERYWHERE. I've never seen so many motorcycles in my life. After a quick stop at the hotel, we took a short walk to meet her friend Amber for some felafel at a local restaurant, then returned to our room for some long awaited rest.

The next day, we got up early and I saw much more of the city. The tropical trees and interesting architecture make for a beautiful locale. People line the streets offering various goods multiple times, regardless of your reply. It is a very loud place, and drivers of all kinds LOVE to use their horns. We went food shopping at a Lebanese grocery store, had lunch at a veggie shwarma place (Karim 24), I took a nice long nap on the beach near Erevan (a giant Target like expat store), and toured the artisans market. There we found several huts in a park selling hand made souvenirs: masks, drums, sculptures, etc. In the evening we had a lovely dinner at Tandoori Nights, a local Indian restaurant (a treat from my Aunt Cindy), and wine with a fruit salad for dessert at a restaurant called New Livingstones just a block away. We both went to bed exhausted. The heat definitely takes its toll on my sensitive western body. Zoe has gotten used to it and is less affected.

The next morning I awoke very sick. I'll spare you the gory details, but my digestive system is having a lot of trouble adjusting. I've spent the entire second day in mild agony, finding it difficult to eat, drink, move, and think. This made for a less than bearable taxi ride to her village, about an hour outside of Cotonou, near the city of Porto Novo. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but I am happy now that I'm here and can see how my other half lives. The village is a maze of dirt roads lined by vegetation, goats, and curious children. The people here are clearly not accustomed to seeing white people. We march through a chorus of chants, “Yovo, Yovo, Yovo!” (It basically means whitey). At first I found this amusing, but it does make me a bit uneasy knowing just how much we stand out, that everyone sees us, that everyone is watching us.

Zoe's home is quite nice, relative to most. She lives in a concrete house behind the walls of a small compound, home to about 4 other families. Everyone is happy to see me and eager to speak. I wish we could understand each other. My conversations with the locals have consisted of “Hello. I don't speak French. Thank you, goodbye.” I'm getting frustrated because I'm used to being social and friendly and I can't do that here. We traversed her local market and Zoe introduced me to several of her friends, and I met the older women from whom she buys her food. They all seemed very nice and happy to meet me. Even though our cultures are drastically different, I get the sense that there are indeed people here who really care about Zoe and would like to make her fe

el comfortable and welcome. This is very encouraging.

Anyway, I'm still feeling a little sick but I'm starting to recover. I just hope this clears up by tomorrow so we can get out and explore! To everyone at home, I love and miss you all and I look forward to sharing my stories and pictures with you in a few weeks! Au revoir!

***

Hope you enjoyed that – I sure enjoyed a break from writing this week and I'm enjoying having Erik here to spend time with me :-D 

Love

Z

A Successful Week

I normally find just “summarizing” my week.. really boring. Maybe that's just me... that being said THIS week was just one of those weeks where I kept thinking “Why isn't every week this awesome?!”

Then again, if every week was this successful then I really wouldn't appreciate it nearly as much. :)

This week: I ate, I danced, I greeted, I rested, I worked.

A few weeks back I received sample seeds from Songhai for my gardening groups to try out and give feedback on. We decided to use these seeds to make an educational plot in each groups field were we can grow new vegetables and test out natural insecticides and what not. That way the women can see how things work before they do them in their own garden plots. (aka if anything fails on the first try it won't really affect their livelihood)

This week I worked with the two farming groups in Blewan and we started planting three different varieties of tomatoes, some radishes, a couple types of carrots, cucumbers and okra. In two weeks I am going to do the same with the groups who work at the next farm over (and by end of April we will be transplanting seedlings and building trellises). There is even discussion of field tripping some of the women farmers over to the other fields so they can see what is and isn't working for each other. After months of doing what felt like nothing – I am really excited to see that some of the preliminary work is starting to pay off. There was even an intern with us who took some pictures!! I am going to have to try and get them.

Of course in Africa its a give or take.. because while all of these great things were happening with the farming groups in Blewan.. things were dieing in my school garden. The tomato and peppers seem to be sprouting well, but we had to re-start a whole seed bed of African greens (it is possible they weren't watered over the weekend – sigh) and we are also having some fungus problems.. (ew.)

The BEST part of my week however fell into the cultural aspect of the work that I do here (and did not contribute quite as much to my constant sunburn).. I went fete-ing with Mama!!

This month is Women Awareness Month. Mama is an important political woman in the Porto Novo area, and she was hosting the “Fete de Femmes” for the women who are in her region of Porto. There were lots of really important people there. She had an awesome dress made for me (in the same fancy tissue that all of the women in the group and all of the special guests were wearing). It started with important people getting up and giving speeches (and me just sitting there looking lost) everything was in local language so I just smiled an clapped when other people clapped. My Mama gave a speech too. They had a doctor come and give a talk on how to self examine for breast cancer, which I thought was interesting because that is something that, in the US, would always be part of a “Jour de Femme”.. but it is not something I have seen talked about a lot here. Some skits were also preformed (that is really popular here).

Once everyone was finished talking it was time to eat and dance! My Mama had prepared a vegetarian dish for me and one of her friends brought out the dish to me shortly before everyone else was given the go ahead to get up and get their food from the buffet tables (they were serving fish). I (of course) felt super awkward that I was the only one eating and that I was being served special food... but I really appreciated it, and when I tried to wait, I was told to start eating while it was still hot. I really am lucky to have such a caring and understanding family here in Porto Novo, I feel like some families in America wouldn't go out of their way like that. We finished with some dancing and then pictures.. at that point I was exhausted but it was great to spend the day with my host family, eat some good food and have a great cultural experience.

Some of the important people in the area overlap with my commune as well and I know I have seen them at multiple events. I really need to start learning who they are.

Lots of Love

Z

Some Things Grow On Trees

Moringa.

Known to some as “The Miracle Tree”

Known to skeptics as “too good to be true” -- Time will be the judge. 

Moringa is a tree that grows easily in the tropics.. and surprisingly.. in all parts of the world where malnutrition is a real issue. AND the reason this tree is known as the miracle tree is that has the potential ability to combat and eventually rid the world of malnutrition. Native to the Himilayas.. Moringa Oleifera can now be found growing throughout most of the developing world. Trees for Life, a non-profit that works with Moringa has a map on their website (here) showing how closely the places where Moringa grows and the countries that are malnourished coincide.

The leaves, seeds, seed oil, and roots can all be eaten and all have high nutritional value. While the leaves can be eaten raw or lightly cooked, most often I see leaves sold in a powdered form here in Benin. Moringa is known to be rich in A, B, and C Vitamins, Calcium, Protein, and Potassium as well as providing other vitamins and minerals (depending on what part of the plant you are eating). 

image from treesforlife.org

Aside from just being a food source, the cultivation of Moringa can aid the economy, the trees are grow very fast, they have been noted to (however it is not yet proven) enrich the soil, and also show potential in water purification as well. They are not the greatest shade trees.. but they are great for making living fences (especially for protecting gardens from roaming goats and cows).

Most of the locals that I am currently working with are aware of, and have access to Moringa already. However, within the next few months I am looking forward to receiving training on both the cultivating of Moringa, and on how to teach the nutritional benefits more effectively (especially in a country where most leafy greens get cooked until there is no nutritional benefit at all). I am also looking forward to learning more about building living fences (I think that would be really great for a school garden where the Moringa leaves could then be used by the women who make lunch!).

***

Completely Unrelated to Moringa :

While we are on the subject of things that grow in Africa.. there is this fruit. This strange orange fruit with big black seeds. That my close-mate and I have dubbed sticky fruit. I would love to tell you what it is called. BUT quite frankly I don't know.

A few weeks ago my close-mate showed up one afternoon on her way home from the market. With these weird fruits that we had been seeing everywhere and decided it was time for us to try them. (I had already tried them once and found them somewhat frightening but figured I would give it a second go) Anyway this fruit basically tastes like a warhead... if there was an apricot flavored warhead. By the way.. I mean the warheads from when I was a kid.. not the tamed downed ones that you buy in the candy stores these days. THE REALLY SOUR ONES. When you are finished eating said fruit, your lips feel like you just had a bubble gum mishap (there really is no other way to describe it). We joked over the way they made our mouth feel.. and compared our facial expressions to the babies eating lemons video that was big on youtube a few years back.

Yesterday, I was visiting the host fam, and my mama gave me one of these fruits to eat. Apparently if you know how to pick out a ripe one they are actually a little bit sweet. She showed me the proper way to eat them.. but she only knew what they were called in local language not in french. I now know however that the best part of the fruit is stuck to the seed (something we had previously been discarding). After eating the fruit she made a point to tell me that the final step in properly eating this weird African fruit -- is washing your lips.. since it makes your lips feel funny. Glad to know that wasn't just an American thing.

Later my close-mate informed me that the local language name for this fruit translates to “Hurt-Baby” – so basically we were spot on with our description -- and I have decided the local villagers would probably get a kick out of watching babies eat lemons.

Love and Sticky Lips

Z

People Are Strange - When You're a Stranger

Doors.

Doors are stressful.

In Benin, if you are home you keep your door open. If you close your door.. well there is a whole list of reasons why your door might be closed.. none of them are particularly good. As an American volunteer this makes for many stressful scenarios.

If you are at home with your door closed.. it means you are mean and anti-social... or you or sick.. or it is the night and you are sleeping.. or it may mean that you have someone in your house that you shouldn't. -wink wink- Which is all well and good when you have multiple people living in your house, and someone is there to greet guests at all times.

It also doesn't help that as an American volunteer I am being watched very closely by all of my neighbors.. so if I don't open my door at the same time as the day before.. people really do start to worry. 

My personal opinion is that this “open door policy” stems from a history of living in houses that don't have doors. Now that many people live in more modern houses.. everyone has doors even the mud huts.. their ideas behind using these doors in much different than ours. Everyone has a curtain in their doorway. This curtain serves the purpose of a door more so than the actual door does. A door is for locking up your household belongings when no one is home. The curtain is for the rest of the day. In America we use doors for privacy, and for keeping people out.

Beninese people don't knock on doors. People say “ko ko ko” which is a verbal knocking to which you reply “mae mae mae” signifying yes I am here. I haven't yet understood the reason for having such a response.. since without the response the person stopping by will still just walk in the house anyway. Or sometimes they walk in.. and then say ko ko ko.

Maybe we are anti-social. However, these cultural ideas about having your door open or closed create problems for the volunteer. In America we believe in Privacy.

As a volunteer, who lives alone, I need to shut my door.. way more often then my neighbors would like. I shut my door when I am sleeping (at night or during the day), when I am showering (because believe it or not I don't want people entering my house while I am naked), when I am in the back doing laundry or washing dishes, when I exercise.. and sometimes when I am in fact feeling anti-social.

I try my best to keep my door open as often as possible in order to be culturally sensitive.. but I find this stressful both when it is shut and when it is open. For example, when I want to take a nap in the middle of the afternoon, I have trouble sleeping, because I know that if my neighbors come home they are going to think that I am sick and start to worry about me. On the other hand, if I am in my kitchen in the back of my house, cooking my lunch or dinner, it is not uncommon to then find my 4 year old neighbor (who in her own right is not malicious and is an absolute doll baby) sitting on my couch playing with my things (I did start keeping some kid friendly things out in the front room to counter this.. until adults with kids thought that it was ok to then take these things). Or I might end up with visitors expecting me to feed them because they stopped by.. and then I am a “horrible person” because I didn't anticipate said surprise visit and cook for 5, and yes you do get verbally called a horrible person for this. So where do you draw the line?

We are told to be careful about who we let in our house.. and yet we live in a culture where people think it is ok to enter freely without “really” asking. So how to you get them to leave without being super offensive?

It bothers me when a person assumes its ok to walk into my house, when I am not letting them in, if I am in the bathroom or the kitchen I can't always hear the whispered ko ko kos. I make a point not to let anyone come in past my living room, but some people think they are entitled. It bothers me even more when someone comes in my house, and starts cleaning, or going through my things in order to then claim them (this was a huge problem with American food items before I got my shelves in the kitchen and had things stacked up on my living room floor). Unfortunately, for me I guess, it bothers me the most when my neighbors are worried about my health or think that I am avoiding them.

Another culturally interesting thing about doors that I noticed is that at 7am neighbors think it is ok to tap on my door to ask me something and then later in the day complain that I didn't answer (well that is because I was asleep you you don't know how to properly knock) and yet when it gets dark and I close my door, because it is dark out and there are bugs and I don't really want people coming in my house at night (a lot of volunteers do this).. no one will knock because they all assume I am asleep.. at 8pm.. even thought my living room lights are on. I have even been told by people that they drove over to visit me in the evening.. but my door was closed so they assumed I was asleep.

For now I have just settled with the fact that my neighbors think I sleep A LOT. I shut my door during the afternoon “repose” to wash dishes.. exercise.. and shower. I shut my door when it gets dark, because that is the smart thing to do. I also don't open my door in the morning until after I have washed my clothes, and gotten ready for the day. Occasionally, if I go out for the day and no one actually sees me leave (which is rare), I come home to worried neighbors who thought I was sick and locked up in my house all day.. which is also what sometimes happens if I keep my door shut for too long in the afternoon.

What I really need to do is get some porch furniture made (right now I have to bring my living room chairs in and out), and spend more of my day sitting on the front porch, maybe then people won't feel the need to walk into my house just because my door is open (even though they are the ones who told me to keep it open).

Honestly though.

Sometimes you just need to be left alone.

Z 

National Day of Vodun

January 10^th was the National Day of Vodun (Voodoo).

Benin is the birthplace of the religion that we know as Voodoo, believed to be one of the oldest religions in the world.. the Voodoo here is not like the Voodoo that we generally think of in the states when someone mentions it. There are no “voodoo dolls” and no curses.

During our pre-service training, a Vodun Priestess came to speak to us for a culture session. She explained that when people were shipped to America and the Caribbean as slaves.. they brought their Voodoo with them. However, because of the distance from its heart (here in Benin) and because of the bad things that happened during the voyage and life in America.. the religion went sour. Hence the fact that is no longer the same religion as it was when it left the continent. In Benin Voodoo (locally called Vodun) is a religion of good and good things. It is acknowledged hat bad magic does exist, however, this is not Vodun. The bad magic often misrepresented as Vodun is sorcery or witchcraft. Being called a sorcerer or a practitioner of witchcraft is a very very bad thing. (This may have happened to some friends and I at a buvette a few weeks ago.. there was yelling and screaming.. and we got out of there ASAP when we realized that the fighting was being “caused” because of our “sorcery”) Voudun is meant to protect you against bad things and evil spirits. If you would like to read more about the Voodoo of Benin you can do that on wikipedia.

Vodun is the most widely practiced religion in Benin. Most people practice Vodun, even those who claim their first religion as Muslim or Catholic. Vodun is very much a part of culture and way of life in Benin. When a person tells you they don't “believe” in Vodun.. most likely they believe it very much, they just are trying to tell you that they do not practice it. For most of the 1900s the practice of Vodun was banned (mostly under communist regime). With democracy came freedom to practice Vodun as was as other animist religions in the north of the country. In the 1990s the people of Benin were granted Vodun Day as a National holiday in honor of their religion and to honor the rich culture of what was once the kingdom of Dahomey.. and also as a feteing equivalent to the national holidays allowed for Catholic and Muslim citizens.

***

To be completely honest – when I was invited to a fete for Vodun Day – I was excited for the cultural opportunity BUT very nervous about the various potential animal sacrifices I might have to sit through (or cry through). Knowing that chicken sacrifice is a big part of the Vodun Day fete.. and that our local Vodun priest has absolutely no aversion to the animal sacrifices I thought this might just be a sure thing. But that is half of why I'm here right? For the cultural experience? Luckily we made it through the whole day without the loss of any small animals (to my knowledge). Sigh of relief.

Early in the morning (Zoe early not real world early) we headed over to the home of the man who invited us (a local Vodun Priest). We were given our first beers of the day – yay breakfast – and then waited for the rest of his crew to show up. At which point we all loaded up on to the moto entourage and went to the local President of Vodun's house. This is where we sat around in a large room and watched the ceremonies that were taken place in Ouidah on a very small television screen until it was time to head over to the fete. Which by the way turned out to be taking place only a 5 minute walk away from chez moi. Oh well.. we got to show up with the VIP party.. I guess I can deal with getting up early for that.

When we got to the fete, taking place on the front lawn of the mayor's office... we were sat on the stage with all of the honored guests... a King.. Village Chiefs.. Vodun priests.. the whole lot. So now I can say I have sat on a stage with a king. Cool.

The actual fete reminded me of what it must be like to sit on the judging table at the end of a parade. Group of worshipers for different gods came up to the front of the stage and sang songs.. danced dances.. many of them had their deity with them to dance along. There were Zangbetos and other Vodun characters (for lack of a better word) wandering around the fete throughout the day. My favorite was the Vodun dressed in an outfit made entirely of neckties. After lots of singing and dancing there was a pause in the festivities so that all of the important people could get a chance to speak to the audience. And then the dancing and singing continued. At one point a group of men who had preformed the singing (and dancing) of the national anthem noticed the yovo's sitting on the stage and started singing yovo yovo until we got up and danced... the whole crowd was cheering for us.. thank you Africa. This whole event lasted about 4 hours. (My camera died about half way through – Africa has gotten to it – it no longer charges correctly.)

Once the public fete was over we went BACK to the Presidents house to have some pate for dinner.. and more drinks.. the mandatory photo opp for everyone to have a picture with the yovos... and then we headed home before it got dark.

We were all invited back for the second day of Vodun Fete... no fete actually lasts the prescribed number of days in this county. I think it was New Years Day for a whole week after the New Year. Unfortunately, we all had programs for Friday. I am sure it would have been a lot of fun (and they were going to give us t-shirts for day 2 too). We can do that next year now that we know!

Just Another Surreal Day,
Z

If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say...

There is a famous quote in the Peace Corps. It is a quote by JFK in reference to the 1961 dropped postcard incident (you can read about it here if you would like) which almost ended Peace Corps before we even got on our feet.

“Keep in touch... but not by postcard!”

The understanding in Peace Corps is that there is letter talk and there is postcard talk. Letters are closed off and are meant for the eyes of the recipient.. but nothing can stop anyone from reading the back of your postcard while it is in transit. Because of technology and access to information it is more important than ever for Peace Corps Volunteers who are viewed as Ambassadors in their country of service to be careful what they say and where they say it. You never know who will be checking up on you. Google translates everything. In place of letters most volunteers send e-mails.. in place of postcards we have blogs. Not only do we send out the postcard to friends and family back home. We are openly offering for it to be read by anyone who so chooses to do so.

On a positive note this be careful what you say rule – makes me sound like a very cheery person most of the time.

A few things have happened recently that reminded me why this is important:

Firstly, Someone I know in Benin Googled me on their smart phone. Yes, if you have the money you can do that here too.. but it is very slow. I mean, I know people have Googled me at home. Friends, prospective employers, strangers... For some reason, in Africa, you just feel a little more separated and safe from being Googled. I guess not. I know what happens when I Google myself.. so at least I know there is nothing negative to come of it.

The second thing, and more culturally shocking: At the office I had someone start sounding out the notes I had written in English in my notebook.. he was reading my notebook from the other side of the room (literally). While I know to use sense when writing my blog posts.. for many reasons. I was kind of thrown back by the fact that I was having my personal notes read by someone who wasn't even sitting near me!! Of course it wasn't anything bad.. but it was good to know that it was happening.

I have also had people I know pick up personal letters on my table in my living room.. and start sounding out the words. I understand that they don't know what it says.. and that for them it is just a way for practicing their English. To me it is a major breech of privacy. Especially since they then expect me to provide them with a translation. Just one of the many cultural differences I face here in Benin. Privacy, private time, this is not yours it is mine -- these are not concepts here. 

Mostly I am just rambling because I don't have anything nice to say this week -- 

It's all good -- I survived!

Z

PS -- I had said back in September I would revisit my TOP 10 things I miss about Benin post when I finished my integration period. I personally feel like that makes for a very boring blog post. However, I made a link thingy on the right of the page. That is where those updates will go from now on. It was kind of funny how some of the things that left the Top 10 in September made it back for the January review. If you want you can check that out here. 

Happy New Year!!!

All through the night on New Years Eve there was drumming in the villages... bands playing.. and gun shots as people rang in 2013. That being said, the real fete was today not last night... and besides the drumming happens on most nights whether it is a holiday or not. So while everyone at home was partying it up everyone here was taking it easy and preparing for today's celebrations.

Here in Benin the BIG holiday is not the Eve of the New Year.. it is New Years Day!

The only party that I was invited to was in Cotonou and I didn't want to do all of that traveling on New Years day.. or be in a big city on the holiday. I also didn't want to have to spend a night away from my post. I wanted to experience New Years in a village. Unfortunately, as I just said, I wasn't invited to any local parties :-/ SO I went to the village of one of my close-mates and feted with her and her concession family.

On New Years day in Benin everyone cooks food, and shares it with their neighbors. It is kind of like a neighborhood pot luck. I made a curried lentil and cous cous dish, and the volunteer I was visiting made a macaroni and cheese. We sat down with her concession family and it was a really great cultural exchange... the local villagers were not a fan of our American foods but they did their best to pretend. When they served us their dishes it became apparent to us that the family was discussing that we preferred our food to theirs (something we had also been discussing about them). When we asked them what we were laughing at.. they tried to play it off that they were laughing about something else.. but they didn't cover it up very well.

Normally Beninese people think it is strange that we don't absolutely love Beninese food. However, by eating our food first, I think that they made a comparison -- realizing that they didn't like our food either, and that it is really just a cultural difference. We shared some of America with them, and they gained understanding of cultural differences. (Now I am blogging about it to you in America and have therefore hit 2 of my 3 PC goals – on a holiday!)

Over all, the New Years Fete seems to be pretty laid back. Lots of people sitting around, eating, and enjoying the company of family and neighbors. Nothing like the crazy New Years parties we have at home. 

***

In 2012 I started off the year working at Adventure Aquarium – with all of the awesome people there. I was Invited to serve in the Peace Corps. I moved to West Africa. I successfully completed Peace Corps Pre-Service Training (thank goodness that's over) and my first In-Service Training. I learned to speak french (and started learning Goun). AND I met many many amazing people in Benin both fellow volunteers and also host country nationals.

This new year marks what is going to be my only full calendar year (can you believe that) working here in Benin. Which means it is really time for me to start getting things done! I am practically a quarter way through my service.. and I really hope that by the time training comes around in April I finally feel like I have something to show for it.

As I think and reflect it is truly crazy how many changes have happened in this past year.. lots of successes.. almost as many failures. All experiences the good and the bad were definitely learning experiences – which makes me grateful for everything that has happened this year – and excited to see what Benin is planning to bring me in 2013.

I wish everyone a happy and successful New Year!

Kudo Hwe,

Z