Old but posting it anyways

*Disclaimer* This was typed the on 9/14 and was supposed to be uploaded then but the internet didn’t work so please forgive me…I figured I would post it anyways!

So I have good news! This is my last week of stage!!! I get to swear in as a volunteer on Friday!!! I am so freaking happy I could scream! I still can’t believe that it’s been 63 days since I left Houston, Texas and came to Benin (it still seems unreal to be here with the Peace Corps)….its gone by so fast but super slow sometimes. These last few days have been so bitter sweet. I am ready to live in my own and take care of myself and do everything that I want on my own time but at the same time I am sad to leave the other stageriers. We have spent just about 14 hours a day 6 days a week for over 2 months together and know we are going to go almost 3 months without seeing each other. I am really lucky that one of my close friends is going to be just 3 hours north of me and another only 3 hours south so I will get to see them about 2 days a month but other than that it’s going to be a real change. I have learned so many things about the Peace Corps and Africa and all other things in between.

Friday we are swearing in at the US Ambassadors house and apparently it’s going to be televised!!!!! We are basically celebrities here in Benin! Just kidding…but really  My host family was invited and they are super excited to go since I am the first volunteer they have hosted ( I hope I’m not their last, they really have been great…side note: Every time I do something Beninese my Papa calls me Veronica Araba which is their last name and he always says I am his daughter…he also jokes and says he is going to cut of my leg when I scrapped it or when my stomach hurts he says he’s going to cut it off, and just today he said he is going to cut off my neck and shoulders because of my rash I have…he thinks its hilarious, I usually do some nervous laugh/smile thing and explain to him I will die if I don’t have that limb/organ/body part) After we swear-in we are having a swear in party at some hotel in Porto Novo so it should be really fun! I am excited to have one last night with my friends before we go to post! Saturday we are allowed to go to Cotonou and shop for things for our house! I need a new mattress, broom, light bulbs, bleach, scrub brush, nails, big mirror, and yarn to make a clothes line….I am also considering buying a mini fridge. I know it is not necessary but I don’t need to buy really anything for my post because I inherited so much furniture so why not buy a fridge and use it when I need it…apparently it makes your electricity bill jump from 800cfas to 13,000cfas so I might have it but not use it all the time!

Oh I can’t believe I made y’all read so far down before telling the best news of all!!!!!!!!! I got my language interview results (PAY ATTENTION MOM) and I am Advanced LOW!!! I still don’t think its 100% accurate but I’ll take it! I was very happy and proud of myself! Yesterday we learned local language…Benin has around 60 different local languages. In Natitingou there is about 6 main local languages and the one the Peace Corps wants me to learn is Ditamari. Half of the time I think it’s made up! Yes is iyoooo or eeeehhhh. I think it will be pretty interesting if I actually learn how to have a conversation in local African village language. I will let you know how my progress comes along!

So I have been planning my trip with my mother in December which I am getting really excited about! (I know you might think otherwise mom ) I think we are going to spend a few days in Cotonou and go to Ouidah and see the slave route, which I actually visited this past weekend. It is very beautiful but also very very sad. It is in the south near Cotonou. Benin was one of the main slave countries and traded somewhere around 40% of their population into slavery. We saw the door of no return where the slaves boarded the ships and there was also a tree where slaves had to go around it so many times to forget their homeland before they boarded the ships. First before the door of no return we visited the Museum of Ouidah where there were pictures and statues of Beninese history. What is really cool is there were pictures of traditional dances in Bahia where my parents met also there were wooden African carvings and fabric wall hangings that look very similar to the ones in my house! It’s all making sense now….a large number of slaves from Benin went to Brazil…I wonder if I could actually be Beninese……just a theory. But it was really cool to appreciate first hand the artifacts that I’ve seen growing up! We also visited the Python temple where there are sacred pythons that people hold and touch. Apparently pythons are sacred animals to Beninese people and they don’t hurt them…also we visited the temple just in time to witness a goat being sacrificed for a huge python. And finally we visited the Sacred Forest where there are huge trees and voodoo statues that bring people good fortune or something like that. Oh on the way to the sacred forest we were stopped by some voodoo spirits that almost didn’t let us cross. It’s so crazy to think that people dressed in crazy costumes walking around the streets are actually spirits that many people here worship. I couldn’t get a picture because apparently they would take my camera away from me, and the tour guide would actually ALLOW IT!!!!! Voodoo here is not something to joke around with!

I also want to visit Parc Pendjari to see wild Lions, Elephants, and Hippopotamuses! There is the last wild Giraffes in Niger but that is too far away for this trip…maybe next time! There are also waterfalls near Nati that I want to check out. I think if we go trough Parakou I want to show my mom the real village life with women who make Shea butter. There are 4 volunteers near Parakou that work with women’s groups who have made Shea by hand for over 100 years. I am still working on the itinerary but so far I have a bunch of ideas! I know most of you are not interested in visiting me in Benin but if you change your mind I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU and show you around….overall the people in Benin are really nice and happy with little conflict like some other African countries. (It’s like $1400 for a round trip plan ticket but you can seriously visit for 10 days on $200 or less…mom I’ve already talked with other volunteers so we can stay with them and not stay in hotels!)

I’ve heard that I can go to Ghana to take the GRE if I am interested so I might do that next summer so I will have a year to apply to grad school. I heard it’s a fun trip. Also I want to visit Senegal and Mali over land because the volunteers have said it’s really one of the best trips to see most of West Africa. Rumor has it that you get a plan ticket to Egypt for $200 so I might look more into that. A few volunteers have said that for the most part the have traveled on their Peace Corps salary which is encouraging.

I need to get better with journaling things and posting everything on my blog so you can all understand the things that I see and do here. I feel like I’ve been in some sort of bubble going through the motions of living in Africa, but I know that its really helpful to slowly integrate into typical daily life here. I mean just getting a moto-taxi to school is frustrating enough I can’t imagine going straight to post alone…I say Tu connais Pharmacy DOHA and they look at me like I’m a lunatic then I say it again and they repeat Pharmacy DOHA and then I say Oui then they say NON then I say PHARMACY DOOOOHAAAA really slow then they go OHHH Pharmacy Doha Oui, Je connais! I just think to myself I know I said it the same way you did…..whatever. One guy today proceeded to lecture me on not knowing where the supermarche was….why am I supposed to know when you are the taxi guy???

I think I’ve rambled on long enough….I hope everyone is doing great and I miss y’all so much!!! Please write me emails or letters so we can keep in touch! I send my love from Africa!

Back from Post

Unfortunately I didn’t have much time to write a blog because I had post visit last week and I traveled up to Natitingou my post!! It was sooo amazing I am really lucky to be posted there! It is beautiful with rolling hills and a little bit drier less hot temperature (well for right now at least until the hot season comes). It is about the same distance between Dallas and Houston but it takes an average of 10 hours! There is a work station there with free wifi so I need to set up Skype dates with everyone once I am at post! That will give you about three weeks to set up an account and figure out how to use it! There is also a Marché there named Marche Yara!! Can you believe it?? It’s meant to be! I am also really lucky that I am inheriting a lot of furniture for my new house! I am replacing Alicia but I am getting a new house with all her stuff. My house has two rooms; a large living room that I am using as a living room/spear bedroom and kitchen, and then a bedroom with an outside kitchen and shower area. I think its better to have the kitchen inside than outside and dirty.

Just an update….I officially have my first heat rash…the doctor told me it’s nothing to worry about; I also made my first African child cry just by looking at her. I also almost kidnapped my first African child…during post visit there was the cutiest sweetest little boy that I almost took home with me! We visited a Marché where they make traditional medicine with tree branches and beans and leaves. It as so crazy to think that actual people go there and buy tree bark and boil it with water to get ride of a bacterial infection in their stomach. I also got my first spider bite and my hand swelled up a bit but everything is fine now! The other day I spent 20 minutes trying to kill a HUGE wall spider that was about the size of my hand….then I couldn’t sleep well that night because I kept dreaming the spider was going to come into my mosquito net!! (still can’t find that sucker…) It’s so weird to think whats going to become normal to me after two years.

We had another person ET (early terminate) and go home after post visit. Apparently there is a ET bingo that the current volunteers have made…I don’t think I am at the top of the list. This is our last week of classes, and we have our official last language interview on Friday so every before you go to bed on Thursday say a prayer that I get Intermediate high so I can swear in as a volunteer!!!!!! Then next week is our official last week of stage where we meet with our APCD and go over everything we’ve learned and prepare for post!! I am seriously over stage, I love my post and I can’t wait to go to my house and cook for myself and read and meet people and start working!

Also side note…I am thinking of cutting my hair short….sorta like a boy but a bit longer. I have to take bucket showers for the next two years and I figure when will there be a better time to have short hair??!?!?! It will grow out before I come back home and it will be super easy to wash and take care of! I wear it in a pony tail every day so why not cut it off! I’ll post pictures if I actually go through with it!

Today after class we are playing American football so that should be a good stress reliever…hopefully I can get some frustration out! Then my mama is going to pick up my tissue from the tailor so I’ll see what my outfits look like!

Also I have my new post address…..SO SEND ME PACKAGES THERE!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS!!!!!!!!

Veronica Swank
PCV- Corps de la Paix
BP 168
Natitingou, Benin
Afrique de l’Ouest

Hope everyone had a great Labor day weekend!

I got packages!!!!

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!

Finally Officially "sick"

So I’ve been in Benin for 36 days and I finally have officially become “sick”. Saturday morning I had to take my first round of Cipro for stomach problems and I’m sure there will be more rounds in the next two years! Surprisingly my host family was very worried and called one of the Housers (there are 3 men who were in charge of picking out the host families and are supposed to be here to help if there are any issues with the host families, well of course my family is best friends with one of the housers named Alfred, so he tends to “stop by” quite often just to chit chat with my parents!) to come to my house at 7:20am to call the Doctor in Cotonou, which he woke her up by the way, and had me chat with her about my bowel movements! She told me to start taking cipro and drink one of the rehydration packets. I did as the doctor ordered and tried to eat some rice but mainly slept until about 11am. My mama and my papa kept coming in to check on me and kept saying they were praying that I felt better and could return to my normal cheerful self. My mama kept asking about my diarrhea and was soooo concerned that I drink beaucoup d’eau!

After I rested for a while I decided that I wasn’t going to stay in my room all day and miss our cooking session that we had. I headed over to the SED house and met up with everyone. We had mashed potatoes, green beans, and sloppy joes….they were actually surprisingly really good, I think it’s the quality of food that I am used to now here in Benin! Anyways we hung out and had a good time talking and being silly. I have a group of about 5 girls (Kali, Ashley, Lauren, Shannon, and Erin) that I have become close with and really like! Sunday they came over and watched Oceans 13 at my house. We went to buy some sodas for the movie and it was literally a freaking YOVO PARADE! Everyone was staring and yelling yovo….it still isn’t at the point where it bothers me but one thing that is annoying is that Beninese people making a kissing noise to get peoples attention like friends or the pineapple lady and that is the one noise that I can’t stand. So I had a pretty good weekend minus getting sick. It’s difficult trying to stay positive when your physical health is dire, so this last weekend was a little rough. I feel better but am still a little off.

Yesterday we went to the Grande Marche to buy meme-tissue for SED. There are so many different kinds of tissue. There is tissue with fish on it, elephants, and chickens; and then there is tissue with geometric shapes on them, and flowers, and crazy designs. I think that I am going to buy the tissue with the water faucets on them! There were about 30 venders all yelling “YOVO VIENS ICI VIENS ICI” It was very overwhelming but we finally decided on a tissue! I am excited because now I have three different sets of fabrics that I can get outfits made! I really want to get outrageously loud tissue and make capri pants…I know weird request but I wish I had more capris…there really isn’t a need for fabric past your mid-shin to your ankle, it just gets dirty and I usually fold them up anyways when I start my day! I think I am going to take my linen pants to the tailor to have them made into capris. I know very ridiculous writing about capris but hey it’s what is going on in my life right now!

Today we get to learn about Moringa, it’s a miracle tree that can be used for many different things. The rest of the week we are learning about Marketing in Benin. Next week is Post visit so I will get to go up to Natitingou and see my house and meet the people that I am going to be working with! I am so super stoked! I will definitely post pictures and let everyone know what its like! Then the week after that is our last week before we get to swear in….its weird to think that two months is almost over and we will finally get to go live in our houses in our cities and be volunteers! I really like my host family but I am definitely ready to fix my own meals and take care of myself.

Well I guess that’s its for now…oh still haven’t received any packages! Another plus for being in Nati is that the mail is faster so once I get that address and figure out where exactly to send mail I will post that address so you can just start sending me stuff there (yes I am assuming EVERYONE has stuff ready to send to me NOW ) Remember for letters write AIR MAIL PAR AVION and bubble envelopes are better than boxes and just write candy, pictures, letters if they make you list what the contents are, don’t be too descriptive. Also if you put GOD IS WATCHING in French it might make it to me quicker…just a rumor I’ve heard (the people of Benin tend to be religious). Also hand sanitizer, a mix CD, nail polish, cheap earrings, et beaucoup de chose c’est bon! Oh also friends if you are shopping and you see a cute top that’s not spaghetti straps (needs to be more like tank top with not revealing chest/shoulder area because I am going to be in the north and its more conservative) and you think I would like it SEND IT! I might need y’all to help my mom go through some clothes for me when she comes in December! Not trying to be a spoiled brat over here and expect y’all to send me stuff but it really makes your day/week/month A MILLION times better when you receive a package…I am so jealous of this one girl who has already received 4 packages…lucky BITCH!

Wish me luck at post visit…travel to Nati from Porto Novo takes about 12 hours on a good day and the transportation is either a 6 person car usually filled with 14 people or a 15 person van/bus filled with 30 people! FUN TIMES!

Oh side note Yara- I had amazing popcorn on the street today and it reminded me of you! Don’t worry I am going to have to go old school to have popcorn and actually heat oil and pop the individual kernels in a pot! But hey it works! Oh and I need someone to send me ingredients for smores because I’ve decided for thanksgiving I AM HAVING SMORES…..if I have an amazing friend who wants to send me stuff oh yeah and if anyone wants to try and help me come up with a plan for a pumpkin pie recipe over here; ask my grandma someone!!!! They have turkey, green beans, potatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, and bread anything I’m missing? OH GRAVY PACKETS!! Seriously I am not trying to be demanding over here but all I can do is try right!!!!!!!! I LOVE Y’ALL!

Man now I’m hungry….I miss good food….everyone eat a really good meal for me (I’ll be eating pâte noir or akasa with crin crin sauce and cow ankle having my host family tell me I don’t eat good and I’m going to get skinny; just kidding I definitely don’t eat cow ankle, they tried to give it to me once and I said nope not going to happen oh and sardines for breakfast…DISGUSTING)

One month down....26 to go!

So it’s my 24th birthday and I’m in Porto Novo, Benin. It feels weird, not gonna lie. I can’t believe that I am actually trying to live my life and see the world. I feel like I’ve always talked about it and now I am actually doing it and I am only 24 years old!!! This weekend was actually really amazing! Friday, I found out that I will be posted in Natitingou, Benin which is in the Northwest part of the country near the Togo/Benin Border and apparently it is one of the nicest areas of the country. There are waterfalls, rolling hills, and Park Panjari which is amazing! I am replacing another SED volunteer named Alicia who has been training us for the last two weeks and she is so amazing! She is a baker so naturally I should replace her!!! There is also a PC office in Nati so I will have access to the internet semi-regularly! She is giving me her furniture so I might be able to purchase a refrigerator which would be AMAZING! But most importantly I have two post mates who are guys and are really cool, Johnnie and Clay. Also there are three other volunteers about a 30 min car ride away so I won’t be all alone out in the middle of nowhere! Natitingou isn’t very big but apparently a past president was from there so he made it well known to the people of Benin.

So for the most part my birthday weekend was spent with the other Trainees. Saturday we went over to Andrea’s house, her dad owns his own bouvette so we drank and ate there at her house….she has awesome third floor terraces so we hung out up there and it was perfect for my birthday. Alicia baked cookie cakes and we had a wonderful time. Sunday I went over to the SED house and drank wine and watched the Hangover. It was a nice pretty relaxed day which is what I wanted. I still can’t believe that the next two years I will be up north working with the Benin Educational Fund working with children teaching them business skills and many other things! This week we get to go visit another volunteer for our technical visit to just shadow them and see how it is to live life like a PCV. Typically we will go to a different part of the country so we can see what life is like all over the country. I am going to visit a girl in Houegbo which is in the middle of the country about an hour north of Cotonou, so I won’t have to travel too far. We will visit the PCV from Wednesday-Sunday, so hopefully the rest of this week will fly by. It’s almost been a month since I’ve been here in Benin! There are two girls in SED who I am becoming close with. Kali from Dallas and Ashley from Louisville. We bike to and from school together so we tend to see each other often! They are really laid back and go with the flow so we hang out quite a bit. They also made me a sash to wear for my birthday and a pretty sweet card!

I don’t feel like I’m 24 but I have a feeling pretty soon I’ll be 25….I guess 23 flew by and it was awesome so I can’t imagine what 24 will have to bring! I really am sorry that I haven’t been able to individually email everyone and catch up with them but please send me a facebook message if you have time. Yahoo is absolutely super slow and difficult to access so I think I am mainly going to utilize my blog and facebook the most.

Oh I forgot one of the most important parts my birthday weekend my Mama and Papa got me cokes and mini muffin cake things that were delicious with CHOCOLATE they must really know how to get to my heart! My Mama also got me “tissue” which is the traditional Beninese clothing that has awesome patterns. She said she is going to take me to the tailor next week so I can get either a sweet skirt/shirt made or dress. Typically Tissue is a shirt with either a skirt or a “ponya” (piece of fabric to wrap around your waist like a skirt but without any zipper or closure) and head thing….we’ll see if I get any opinion on what I want my outfit to look like! Trust me pictures coming soon of me in tissue! Other trainees have said there Mamas don’t listen to them at all and just decide on the outfit!!

Well Wednesday through Sunday I will be visiting Houegbo, then the next two weeks back to classes and then Post visit up to Nati with Alicia so I can see my house and start moving the stuff she is giving me into my house! I seriously can’t wait to have my house and start my two years as a Volunteer!!!! After that I think we have our last week of class then all our testing to make sure we can swear in as Volunteers!! I am just about half way through with stage!!!!!!!!!!

Well wish me luck and think of me this week while I get to go out and see another city…also Thanks to all of you who thought of me on my birthday and sent me love! I seriously have the best family and friends and I am sorry to be away from y’all but I truly had a wonderful 24th birthday and you were all with me in spirit!

Wish list

Ok so some things you can send me......
candy...apparently peanut m&ms travel well
movies...can someone go to my house and send me some of my movies please!!!
trashy magazines/vogue
fun cheap jewelry
dried/prepackaged foods
pictures
hand sanitizer/wipes
I would like a world map

ok thats it for now!!
any surprises are great!
LOVE AND MISS YALL

Finally Internet access

So this was written last Saturday 7/24/10…just so you are up to date...but I didnt get to post it until today....sorry

I figure it would be a good time to explain what my day to day activities will be like for the next 8 weeks during stage. I am staying at my host family Araba. There is Landry (Lance as I like to call him…that’s for you Yara!) the Papa and Elizabeth my Mama. They are so freaking awesome! Both are headmasters at schools. They have three children; two older daughters Carole- 28, Hervy- 25, and Rock-22. The girls are both married and live away. The son lives next door to me and goes to University so he is usually very busy but still has time to come and chat with me every now and then. I basically have my own house! I have my own sitting area with stove top to boil my water, so I don’t get sick, and a television which I never turn on (weird for me I know). I have my own bedroom and bathroom! Overall I have it pretty good!

There are a few things that I will eventually have to get used to: Climbing in and out of my mosquito net so I don’t get Malaria, going to the bathroom in a hole in the ground, my Mama and Papa saying I don’t eat enough…they give me the biggest portions ever, all the children yelling “YOVO YOVO YOVO” which basically means foreigner or white person. Today was interesting because we received our bikes, and they expected us to be able to ride home when Porto Novo is basically a maze! I’m good with directions but no one uses maps here so I can’t even picture where I am in my head! This is how I know how to get to school: Go out of my house and turn right; turn left at cell phone store; turn left at main dirt road; go all the way down and turn left at house on corner with red painted gate; then turn right at naked mannequin in the road (seriously no joke) and my school is a head on the left.

Close your eyes….Imagine me with my backpack and helmet on sweating uncontrollably while riding my bike…hilarious I know and imagine if I am the first white person you’ve ever seen in your life! Pretty entertaining right?!?! All along the main road small children come running yelling “YOVO YOVO” so I say hello and wave trying not to fall off my bike! This will definitely take some getting used to!
[I would like to insert as of 7/30/10 I have officially ridden my bike in a skirt! After two years I will be a pro-bike rider]

Cold showers sound nice but really are difficult. I can’t sleep with a blanket or sheet because it’s positively too hot. Last night at dinner I talked with my Papa about the weather and apparently December-April is the hottest time of year therefore they think its cold right now….trust me its not at all. They also laughed at how sweaty I was after my bike ride. My French is getting better; sometimes my French lesson is like a long game of charades. I’m going to be awesome at that game when I get back…watch out!

I think I was supposed to talk about my typical day…sorry. Rooster wakes me up around 5am. Then I sleep on and off until 6:30. Breakfast alone prepared by my Mama, most trainees have said they eat alone. At least my mama turns on the television and we either watch the news or Beninese music videos. Class at 8 which usually consists of language, cross-culture, and technical training. Lunch between 12:30-1:30 then more classes until 5pm. Dinner at 7:30, sit and talk with parents until 9, even though lately I’ve been tired and gone earlier.

My brother Rock wants to visit the US and he was showing me pictures on his computer of Akon, 50Cent, and Beyonce. I told him Beyonce was from Houston like me and he didn’t really seem to care, oh well. Everyone thinks its funny how the dictionary is my best friend when we communicate.

So August 6th is the big day we find out where we will be posted for two years. I’ve already spread the word we are meeting at a bouvette near my house to have some beers so don’t worry my birthday will be great! The following week we get to visit another volunteer at post to see what it’s like! There is a volunteer who is leaving in a few weeks and she was telling me about her post and project and a trainee is supposed to replace her….she is the only SED volunteer that doesn’t have electricity or running water…$50 that’s where I get posted!!!!! Anyways her project sounds cool and she loves her village and the people she works with….I’ll get back to you after the 6th!

That seems to be everything in my daily schedule…if you are ever sad just think of how ridiculous I look on my bike!

August 1st is the 50th anniversary of Benin’s independence so there is a huge Fete (party) in Porto Novo and the President is giving a speech and there will be tons of people! Its really cool to be celebrating in the historical capital of Benin! I’m sure this weekend will be a good time! I’ll try and take some more pics so you can see what I am doing!