Posted? Pas Encore Monday, Sep 24 2007

Phoebe & I left our respective training sites today (together, in a taxi, after much discute-ing and Jeff riding around Azove for 1/2 hr).  After finding out why no-one takes the Bohicon-Cotonou route to get to Ouegbo (huge potholes galore, thanks to the truck traffic), we finally arrived to find…

No-one to meet us…

Once we found the one to meet us, we found…

That we have no home.  Yes, folks, irony is great: I worked for a homeless services agency, and now we’re fairly well homeless.  In Africa.  In fact, we’re staying in the “Peace Corps” room at a hotel tonight (government-sponsored hotel rooms ring any bells for anyone?).  Tomorrow, we get to ride in the PC shuttle back to our post, accompanied by the Safety & Security guy, to find a house.

Tomorrow thus promises to be a crash-course in finding apartments Beninese-style…

5 Responses »

 

Sunday, Sep 23 2007

Leave a Response »

 

Pictures Sunday, Sep 23 2007

Three rolls of pics. One more to come. Posted by granadaman.

One Response »

 

Some techincal details Monday, Sep 17 2007

We move to post on Monday, September 24th. The peace corps will rent out a taxi for us throw all of our stuff on top of it and then send us on our merry way to Houegbo. Hopefully, we can convince the driver to stop in Godomey where we can buy a refrigerator. A frig would be soooo awesome. I know who would have thought us peace corps volunteers live it up!

Also, the new rumor is that there is no internet access near Houegbo. We might have to bush taxi it down to Cotonou for that, but as we can’t leave post for 3 months that makes it a little bit difficult. I get to go to Parakou Workstation in November and Jeff goes to Natti so we will get some access then. Otherwise news will be sparce for a while.

5 Responses »

 

My Cohabitants Friday, Sep 14 2007

Some illegal aliens have taken up residence in my room. They have no passports and didn’t apply for a visa. I think they might me a combination of mice and lizards. Whatever they are they are partying it up during the evening. They much such a racket running around and jumpin off of stuff that they wake me up. I am grateful for the mosqiot net it makes me feel like I have a force field protecting me from their invasion. I know that the lizards have manaed to loosen the window screen and crawl in that way.  The first night of the invasion I couldn’t sleep at all and read all night, but my need for sleep is starting to overcome my fears and I learning to deal with the little creatures. It would be nice if they didn’t leave droppings everywhere…

3 Responses »

 

Iron Chef Lokossa Saturday, Sep 8 2007

What a day! To get us ready for post we have sessions on cooking. We have to relearn how to cook here. We’re issued a gas stove and aluminum pot as well as a fabulous cookbook. To make cooking session more fun the facilitators decided to have an iron chef  style competition. I was captain of team Chef D’Oeuvre. We sported bandanas to show our spirit and I have to say I think we cooked some great food. The secret ingredient was pineapple. WHat did we make? After much discussion, we decided to make lettuce wraps, pineapple pizza, and a pineapple cobbler smothered in caramel.  The thing about making pizza here is that you have to cook it in a dutch oven.  So we have little control over the heat… we also didn’t have REAL cheese, just la vache qui rit. Amazingly we doctored up a tasty tomato sauce that was a good substitution for the real thing. It was no Santarpios but it was my first slice of pizza in Africa. A bit ironic that it was pineapple pizza since I always refuse to eat pineapple pizza in the states. (by the way mom my pineapple upside down cake turned out great!) I have to say I like it! Sadly, Megan, Kate, Mae, Lauren, and I lost to team Pretentious, but we’re pleased with ou Best Entree award. The trainers are promising prizes soon… so even better.  Just so you know this meal was work!!! We started at around 11 and served dessert after 2:30! Everything takes more time here, especially when you have to soak your vegies in bleach water to kill parasites, ameobas, germs, etc.

2 Responses »

 

Saturday, the day I lost Jeff Thursday, Sep 6 2007

As I typed this title into the computer, Megan next to me let out a little chuckle. She was eye witness to my frenzied attempt at locating my husband when we got back from OUidah. Jeff had written me a note and told me he would be at the buvette called Bel Air at 4pm. Of course wedidn’tget back from Ouidah until 6pm. So was Jeff there? NO. Was he then at myhouse? NO. Was he at the Cyber Cafe?NO. Well it was starting to get dark so I became very worried as I am very capable of doing. Jeff hasn’t been to LOkossa that much so I wasn’t sure where he would go. Icalled his family in Azove to make sure he actually left, which he had. Then I went over to Megans since we were suppose to go to the Headlamp Dance party a the volunteer house. Megan’s family fed me as soon as I started to cry. I was convinced Jeff was on the side of some dark road with a broken down taxi or worse. Finally we decided to go to the volunteer house… and voila Jeff was there calmly hanging out with people. All of my anxiety rushed out and I nearly lost it in tears. I was just so relieved to see him. Well now we have a plan for things like that. Oh my darling husband wants cilantro seeds; strawberry seeds; fresh scent Right Guard deoderant, and padded envelopes so we can send our film to the states.

One Response »

 

News from Jeff Thursday, Sep 6 2007

I though I would mention what Jeff has been up to. His group in Azove had an Iron Chef cook off for cooking class… jeff’s group lost but he has learned an awesome beef dish… They also took a bike ride to Togo which is only a few kilometers away. Not sure if they went into or not, but they did see Togo. Jeff really wants to buy a dog. So he is asking for someone to send him a FLEA COLLAR.
He gets to go on a technical visit to Ouidah for a few days next week and then I will see him at Grand Popo next weekend. Grand Popo is the resortish city on the ocean.

One Response »

 

Ouidah Wednesday, Sep 5 2007

After my restful stay at the med unit I got to take a bush taxi to Ouidah. Have I discussed the bush taxis much? Well they are generally old peugots that have seen their better days. I have to say nothing is wasted here and the Beninese are keeping cars going that most Americans wouldn’t give a second glance at. there are no seat belts. I even rode in a new Nissan that had no seat belts. I think road safety is becoming more of a concern but right now not so much. Well you don’t need a seatbelt because where we mightsit three people they sit 4maybe 5.Up in front you’ve got the driver and at least 2passengers. Happily my taxi ride to Ouidah was uneventful. An hour later I was droped off in town where I waited for my fellow stagaires to arrive from Lokossa. While there we visisted the Historical Museum and learned about the Kingdom of Dahomey and the slave trade. The kings sold other ethnic groups to the Portuguese and became wealthy off of the slave trade. We saw the old tree underwhich slaves were sold and we took the path to the beach where we walkedthrough the door of no return… a monument built in rememberance for all of the people forced to leave and who never returned. We also visited the Python temple where many stagaires payed for the pleasure of wearing a snake around the neck. Sorry to say I wasn’t one of them! I’m just not into paying for luxuries like that.

 

One Response »