It is now common knowledge that during the two years of your service you will experience really high highs and really low lows…this is very true during stage which I have realized I have to come to feel. The past two weeks have been low…it was a combination of being sick, hormones, the results of my language interview and BEING IN AFRICA…I think that everything on top of everything just made me feel off and weird. Fortunately I was able to lean on the friends I have made here to vent and complain about my current conditions. Also on the plus side I have made it through 6 weeks in Benin and get to go to post visit this week…actually tomorrow Wednesday September 1! Now I will talk about my high that I am experiencing right now.
This week is post visit and our homologues (our bosses who pay our rent) have come in to town and we are supposed to spend Monday and Tuesday with them to get to know them then travel to post with them and visit our workplace, house, and community. I was super excited until everyone started saying how awkward it is because you basically do about 30 minutes of small talk then just sit in silence for the rest of the day then you get to travel 13 hours in a bus together then 4 days at post….so I had no way not to start to get stressed and dread post visit! Well we were told to prepare a skit to show our homologues what we have done over the past 6 weeks in stage, because apparently it’s the “American” way to teach things in skit form. (Just FYI the Peace Corps loves skits and acronyms) I was lucky to be in a group with all my close friends…we had to do our host families and safety and security. We decided to poke fun at the Beninese people a little and showcase our cultural differences in our host families. Long story short it was hilarious and all the homologues that it was really funny. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time!!! It was an abdominal work out! I also really like my homologue, His name is Philippe and he is 29, very smart and obsessed with BEF, The Benin Education Fund, the NGO I will be working for. We talked for an hour about what BEF does, religions, population, local languages, and marché days and for the most part it wasn’t too awkward. The volunteer I am replacing in Natitingou, Alicia, will be in Nati when I visit so I will get to see her and go around with both of them to meet everyone and get to know Nati. It was really great to see everyone with their homologues and hear a little about what they will be doing! I am also going to meet my post mate Johnnie, literally everyone who I meet says exactly “OMG You are going to be in Nati with Johnnie, HE IS AWESOME”!! I am really excited to meet him…I’ve seen a picture he is super skinny with really big hair! Should be an interesting guy!
Sunday I went with my Mama to the tailor to drop of my tissue…I am very curious to see if the outfits actually come out like I described them. It’s a completely knew concept of buying clothing…you first go to the marché and buy the tissue you like then go to the tailor and tell them what you want, a skirt or shirt or dress then hope they make it the way you want it. I am getting a skirt and shirt made for the SED tissue for swear in; then a dress with another tissue I picked out, and then finally a modelle which is a traditional Beninese women’s outfit. It’s a long skirt with a ¾ sleeve shirt that’s kinda loose. I specified that I would like shorter sleeves because it is way to hot here for ¾ sleeves. Tonight at dinner my Mama closed the windows and put on a sweater while I was sweating eating…..they think its cold here and I assure you it’s a nice 78 degrees! I will definitely post pictures of my house and my tissue!
Oh how could I forget to mention I received 3 packages!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I am so grateful for the birthday packages they seriously made me so freaking happy! Thank you to my AWESOME SISTER MRS. YARA GOLDEN AND FRIENDS ASHLEY VAUGHAN, ASHLEY PRASSE-FREEMAN, CASEY KONERZA, ADRIENNE DOMINGO, TINA FLORIDIA, and last but not least KRISTEN WILBANKS!!! Also special thanks to The Floridia Family and Mike Northern! I seriously got some of the worst looks from the other volunteers but luckily I am a good sharer so I shared my candy and magazines with them and they forgave me for receiving 3 packages! (FYI I did not share the twizzlers or the dots and I am hording the trail mix, gum, mac & cheese and starbursts for when I am at post and lonely!!!) You guys are so amazing! I tend not to think too much about home but this last week receiving all the packages definitely made me a little homesick! If y’all haven’t seen my nephew go check him out he is so handsome it hurts!
Well I hope everyone is doing well…sorry I haven’t responded to emails in like 2 weeks…like I said before its been a weird 2 weeks and this week I am traveling to my post so it’s a hectic time. I promise to post pictures of my post and update everyone! Oh and wait to send any other packages to Natitingou I will get the address so it will go straight to me and not sit in Cotonou for a long time!
Thanks for the love everyone I have rationed myself to 3 twizzlers a day…lets see how long I last! LOVE FROM AFRICA!
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