So past weeks have been a blur. Pray that I have lots of conversations to practice my french with. I have not really been sick stomach wise, I had a fever but it passed quickly, no malaria dont worry. We have had two formation sessions teaching personal savings and also accounting for illiterates. Both times our groups taught in french and one of them we had a translator speak it in local language. Grammar is hard; I havent studied verb conjugations alot so it is difficult speaking in different tenses. We will get it, but pray for my motivation to study and for time as well. My host family thinks it is strange when i am alone but it is hard to study with them there too.
Tomorrow we are leaving for technical visit where 3 other stageieres and myself are going to another volunteers post to hang out. He is going to take us to some of the places that he frequents alot. Hopefully there will be lots of french practice and also some rest; they work us pretty hard here.
Overall things are awesome. Tired alot and I miss you all but it is amazing to be here. Please send me letters. It would be nice to get an envelope even if you are bragging about drivethrus and airconditioning. Love u dad and mom!! keeping it real in africa; peace out
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Two Weeks and many more to go =)
Hello all. There are lots of things that I wish i could say but i am typing on a french keyboard and only have 10 minutes. I live in Porto Novo right now. It is the technical capital although most things happen in Cotonou where we were before. The host family I am staying with is Moslem although they seem to be Moslem as many Americans are Christian. There is a mama who stays home alot and cooks and manages the house; a papa who manages a car moto wash and is a 'souderer' welder. there are 2 boys; Ismael and Nassif; and a daughter and 3 other girls, one who is the domestique or house maid; Machkourath, Folake, Silifah.
Food/ lots of fish; patè; rice; noodles; tomatoes; onions; eggs (oeufs); Fan milk (woot) or tampico which tastes like tang amazingness; bee sap with hibiscus and fanta: both frozen; fruit and other items bought off of the femmes heads.....
Long days and nights. I had to switch my malaria meds because of the dreams. I love the fam; little kids are great when they are not keeping me awake when i try to sleep. i taught papa how to play uno. everyone is extra hospitable; i am exhausted but happy to be here. School or training is tres (very) hard. French; cultural; technical; safety; emotional support==yes its a class; health. Mostly the first three but they seem to put the others in once a week. well i will write more when i can. if anyone wants to call or text (i dont have voicemail) my phone number is 229==96735916. it is hard to skype because i have not found wifi; i am at a cyber. please pass this on to those who don't have facebook: a tout a l'heur
Food/ lots of fish; patè; rice; noodles; tomatoes; onions; eggs (oeufs); Fan milk (woot) or tampico which tastes like tang amazingness; bee sap with hibiscus and fanta: both frozen; fruit and other items bought off of the femmes heads.....
Long days and nights. I had to switch my malaria meds because of the dreams. I love the fam; little kids are great when they are not keeping me awake when i try to sleep. i taught papa how to play uno. everyone is extra hospitable; i am exhausted but happy to be here. School or training is tres (very) hard. French; cultural; technical; safety; emotional support==yes its a class; health. Mostly the first three but they seem to put the others in once a week. well i will write more when i can. if anyone wants to call or text (i dont have voicemail) my phone number is 229==96735916. it is hard to skype because i have not found wifi; i am at a cyber. please pass this on to those who don't have facebook: a tout a l'heur
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Je a arrive!
Hello friends, everyone who will read this. I am in Benin. We arrived on Friday evening. It is 6 hours later here for all who are on Chicago time. It has been a little too overwhelming until now to process and write everything down. I am very content and am glad that I am here despite my previous anxiety. The food is amazing, mostly rice, bread, and LOTS of poisson (fish). I have not been sick yet.
The people here are very welcoming and hospitable, they love to take care of you. We were greeted at the airport the first day by the current PCV's and some of the staff. They loaded all of our bags and we crammed on to buses and rode to St. Jean Eudes which is a retreat center surrounded by cement walls. There is a buvet (bar) on the 'compound' and most of the trainees go there every night, talking or playing cards and having Beninoise beer. I have joined them most nights, pulling out the UNO or Phase 10. Another PCT knows how to swing dance! so I got him to feed my love for dancing and we performed a little. I had to get my dancing fix before I leave for post and possibly won't have another swing dancer around for awhile.
We have had alot of meetings discussing Beninese culture, the problems we may face, and how we should react in certain situations. We had our language interviews which were probably the most intense as far as anxiety goes, but otherwise I am at peace about the future.
On Sunday we had our safety and security seminar and the current Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) talked about the "peer support network" that they have created with the purpose of helping us if we need to vent and speak confidentially with someone. Later that day we had our first language class. We are split into our sectors (TEFL, SED-small enterprise development (me); EV-environment, Health) and then split further by language capabilities.
At 4pm we went to the church that is on the compound. It was kind of awkward finding a seat. There were about sept Yovos from our group (foreigner or white person) and we showed up at four pm. Unfortunately we missed the memo that the Beninese show up hours beforehand to scout out the best seats. We split up and squeezed in between some of the Benin people. The people spilled out of the church and there were speakers that projected into the crowd. The kneeling, sitting, standing, repetez is much like Catholic church in America, the length of service and the number of homilies given is much different than a normal Catholic service. We were there for 3 hours and when we left service was still going on for another 45minutes. The best part of course was the dance party on the way up the aisle to give offering and then for 10 minutes afterwards.
Well, more shots to come this afternoon and tomorrow. Tomorrow we are going to Porto Novo and will move in with our host families for the next 8 weeks! I am tres content. I hope all is well in America. I'm just getting in to the blog thing so bear with me. I will not be posting all the time but we should have semi regular access the internet. Wish list and more stories to come.
I met a girl who comes around at night that speaks with me in french. She shared pate with me Sunday night
The people here are very welcoming and hospitable, they love to take care of you. We were greeted at the airport the first day by the current PCV's and some of the staff. They loaded all of our bags and we crammed on to buses and rode to St. Jean Eudes which is a retreat center surrounded by cement walls. There is a buvet (bar) on the 'compound' and most of the trainees go there every night, talking or playing cards and having Beninoise beer. I have joined them most nights, pulling out the UNO or Phase 10. Another PCT knows how to swing dance! so I got him to feed my love for dancing and we performed a little. I had to get my dancing fix before I leave for post and possibly won't have another swing dancer around for awhile.
We have had alot of meetings discussing Beninese culture, the problems we may face, and how we should react in certain situations. We had our language interviews which were probably the most intense as far as anxiety goes, but otherwise I am at peace about the future.
On Sunday we had our safety and security seminar and the current Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) talked about the "peer support network" that they have created with the purpose of helping us if we need to vent and speak confidentially with someone. Later that day we had our first language class. We are split into our sectors (TEFL, SED-small enterprise development (me); EV-environment, Health) and then split further by language capabilities.
At 4pm we went to the church that is on the compound. It was kind of awkward finding a seat. There were about sept Yovos from our group (foreigner or white person) and we showed up at four pm. Unfortunately we missed the memo that the Beninese show up hours beforehand to scout out the best seats. We split up and squeezed in between some of the Benin people. The people spilled out of the church and there were speakers that projected into the crowd. The kneeling, sitting, standing, repetez is much like Catholic church in America, the length of service and the number of homilies given is much different than a normal Catholic service. We were there for 3 hours and when we left service was still going on for another 45minutes. The best part of course was the dance party on the way up the aisle to give offering and then for 10 minutes afterwards.
Well, more shots to come this afternoon and tomorrow. Tomorrow we are going to Porto Novo and will move in with our host families for the next 8 weeks! I am tres content. I hope all is well in America. I'm just getting in to the blog thing so bear with me. I will not be posting all the time but we should have semi regular access the internet. Wish list and more stories to come.
I met a girl who comes around at night that speaks with me in french. She shared pate with me Sunday night
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