The other day my host papa drove me to "class" in sheets of rain, so much so that it made the dirt roads nearly impossible to navigate, all the more because his car is equipped with non-functioning wind shield wipers. Then--in the middle of the road--we stopped. "C'est fini" he says. We've run out of gas. So, he goes to look for some telling me to wait in the car. But don't worry, all was safe--the Beninois know better than to go out in the rain...funny that...Fifteen minutes later he returns--drenched--with gas, we laugh for a bit, and continue on our merry way. C'est la vie.
Well, despite (or because of?) such minor incidents as the above and the daily bike ride of terror, complete with goat-dodging, I'm loving every minute of life the Beninese way. Stage (pronounce this with your best French accent) is going great--today we weighed some babies at a village just outside of Porto Novo and this weekend we're going to Ouidah to visit a Python Temple.
My host family is amazing I currently live in a baller house (just as nice as anywhere in the US except for no running water--bucket showers anyone?) My mama is a diva hairdresser who claims that I don't eat well (or at all in her opinion) and my papa, as you can already, tell is pretty much awesome. There are ten children in the house ranging from 2 to 23, although it is not clear if they're all from the same mother or even biologically related.
Regardless, we pass the time by watching tv (yay for spanish soap operas) and dancing to Akon, Akon, more Akon, and maybe some Michael Jackson if I'm lucky. So in summary, I'm happy, I'm healthy, and I'm terrified to be doing this on my own au village. But hey--I've got two years to figure it out...
2 years ago
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