I have begun to meet the other yovos in town. I am soooooooooo glad that I decided to go to the beach for Valentine’s Day. It has really opened up relationships with other non-Beninese people.
Today, I was en train de walking home, and I get a phone call from Carla, the Canadian girl from Victoria. She asked if I was busy, and the answer was no, so I met up with her in town because she wanted to introduce me to an English speaking friend. I met Ellen, aka maman Kazuki…I forget her last name. But she’s this Filipino lady who opened up a school. And they just opened it up to 6eme last year, so now they are at the 5eme level as their highest level.
Carla is upon her last few days in Lokossa. And there is gonna be a little get together on Saturday for her, as a sort of going away party. I am crossing my fingers that their might be some Filipino food their, aka adobo, lumpias, or that rice noodley stuff!!
And it just sounds like there are all kinds of foreigners in Lokossa. And I can’t believe it’s taken me nearly 6 months to find them! Where have they been hiding? Or was it me that was hiding? Or do we just all have different schedules and never see each other? But at the same time…it’s kinda awkward to see another white person. I mean, what do you say? And how would you go about saying it? I can’t really describe the feeling…other than it’s slightly awkward for both parties.
Friday, February 20, 2009
I was gonna complain…
About walking to school and back this morning, and then walking home from school this afternoon. and I was going to complain to my students who were walking home with me…but then I realized that the little people walk to and from school once or twice a day five days a week! And then it’s not like they go home and a snack is waiting for them. nope. Before school the kids usually will have to fetch water, do laundry, sweep the compound or house or both, and then they are off to school (by foot) and study for 4 hours. Then they walk home for lunch. And maybe they’ll do some more stuff around the house. And then they walk back to school. And study till 5 or 7 o’clock. And when they get home maybe they have to prepare dinner, or other chores or something…and then they study for a little before going to bed, and then they wake up at the crack of dawn to start the whole process over again the next day. And then on the weekends I will see my students walking around the neighborhood, not just hanging out or playing football, but with big things balanced on their heads because they are selling things…most likely food. oh, man.
I feel like such a lazy turd compared to the Beninese sometimes. Life back home may be a lot more fast paced, but somehow I think that we are (collectively) a lot more lazy. No, that’s not it…I am going to my fallback thing and just say that life is DIFFERENT.
I feel like such a lazy turd compared to the Beninese sometimes. Life back home may be a lot more fast paced, but somehow I think that we are (collectively) a lot more lazy. No, that’s not it…I am going to my fallback thing and just say that life is DIFFERENT.
Monday, February 16, 2009
another day, another 7 dollars
i think that is about how much money i am making a day...the money i'll get when i get back.
oh my....this weekend was fantastic! i spent it at the beach...Grand Popo. is't that a great name, Grand Popo?! catherine and i got a room at this place called the Lion Bar. which is this rasta themed place. the guy who owns it is a total rasta man. the place is right on the beach and there is a little mini dance floor and he's got some big speakers and played some great music! there was a storm coming. keep in mind, it's the dry season...and there were some German hippies staying there too. and the rasta owner was playing raggae music and the sky was dark cause it was night, but darker than usual becuase of the storm clouds. and the clouds were creeeping along the skyline and the lightening would light up the sky every few seconds. and it was a beautiful moment. as i was dancing i thought to myself, and then out loud, that i have never felt more like a hippie than at this moment. here i am dancing to raggae music with some german hippies at the beach under a dark sky, lit up by the lightening! it was awesome! and maybe even more so because i could appreciate it at the moment!!
earlier in the day, catherine and i were sitting at the beach when this lady walked up to us while we were reading some tabloids. she told us she had been a volunteer in Cameroon 10 years ago and now she was on vacation. she's living in olympia. her name is tracy. and she told us that she had met a couple who are living in Lokossa...(like me). and that there was a Canadian girl with them. turns out the candaian is from Victoria, BC! It's a small world afterall! but canada girl is leaving in a couple of weeks. she is done with her volunteer thing.
i am excited to get to know, bill, his wife (forgot her name) and baby Paul who is 14 months old and has the blondest hair and bluest eyes i have seen in MONths! they live on the other side of town, but that's okay, they are in MY town! they are missionaries from Pennslyvania and were in Togo before coming here. And baby Paul is Togolese! and wanna know something, weird, i dunno, they arrived into Lokossa, September 26th! how strange, fate-like is it that they arrived on my birthday?! it's like it's fate or something. like i said, i dunno.
well, the beach was dandy, and i got my new ipod (big thanks to you mom!!) and to the lovely lady Sandy who brought it over here. you guys are my insanity saviours (prbably spelled that wrong, oops!).
(itunes is now 97 percent done downloading onto flashdrive....YYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!)
and by the time this is posted, i am certain it will be all done! yay!! the new ipod nano is amazing! i can't believe how much this little piece of technology has changed in the few months that i have been gone! and i am almost scared to go back home in 18 months and see all the other stuff that has changed! yikes! i guess it's like a little slap in the face to remind me that, hey! life goes on without you! whether you are prepared for it or not!
well, itunes is all done downloading and i am anxious for the new ipod, so i will sign off here until next time!
oh my....this weekend was fantastic! i spent it at the beach...Grand Popo. is't that a great name, Grand Popo?! catherine and i got a room at this place called the Lion Bar. which is this rasta themed place. the guy who owns it is a total rasta man. the place is right on the beach and there is a little mini dance floor and he's got some big speakers and played some great music! there was a storm coming. keep in mind, it's the dry season...and there were some German hippies staying there too. and the rasta owner was playing raggae music and the sky was dark cause it was night, but darker than usual becuase of the storm clouds. and the clouds were creeeping along the skyline and the lightening would light up the sky every few seconds. and it was a beautiful moment. as i was dancing i thought to myself, and then out loud, that i have never felt more like a hippie than at this moment. here i am dancing to raggae music with some german hippies at the beach under a dark sky, lit up by the lightening! it was awesome! and maybe even more so because i could appreciate it at the moment!!
earlier in the day, catherine and i were sitting at the beach when this lady walked up to us while we were reading some tabloids. she told us she had been a volunteer in Cameroon 10 years ago and now she was on vacation. she's living in olympia. her name is tracy. and she told us that she had met a couple who are living in Lokossa...(like me). and that there was a Canadian girl with them. turns out the candaian is from Victoria, BC! It's a small world afterall! but canada girl is leaving in a couple of weeks. she is done with her volunteer thing.
i am excited to get to know, bill, his wife (forgot her name) and baby Paul who is 14 months old and has the blondest hair and bluest eyes i have seen in MONths! they live on the other side of town, but that's okay, they are in MY town! they are missionaries from Pennslyvania and were in Togo before coming here. And baby Paul is Togolese! and wanna know something, weird, i dunno, they arrived into Lokossa, September 26th! how strange, fate-like is it that they arrived on my birthday?! it's like it's fate or something. like i said, i dunno.
well, the beach was dandy, and i got my new ipod (big thanks to you mom!!) and to the lovely lady Sandy who brought it over here. you guys are my insanity saviours (prbably spelled that wrong, oops!).
(itunes is now 97 percent done downloading onto flashdrive....YYYYYEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!)
and by the time this is posted, i am certain it will be all done! yay!! the new ipod nano is amazing! i can't believe how much this little piece of technology has changed in the few months that i have been gone! and i am almost scared to go back home in 18 months and see all the other stuff that has changed! yikes! i guess it's like a little slap in the face to remind me that, hey! life goes on without you! whether you are prepared for it or not!
well, itunes is all done downloading and i am anxious for the new ipod, so i will sign off here until next time!
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