So I’m back in Porto Novo. Before leaving for post, I liked Porto. It has it’s problems (after all, I believe this is what people like to classify as the third world – whatever that means – right?), but it’s been home for two months. It was hard coming back, though; Tanguiéta was so peaceful and beautiful. Its marché is less wild, you can get from one side of town to the other in 10 minutes tops, and I’m pretty sure there are just as many donkeys, if not more, than there are cars. It’s nice. The air is clean, and dogs (which are plentiful) look at least a little healthy. I am stoked to be officially living there in less than a month. There are things I will definitely miss about PN, though – my host family, having my friends living down the road, taking zems everywhere, beignets made from wheat flour, fritu, and the girls who work at the two-story buvette. At least I can come visit. ;)
Now that we’re back in Porto, we’ve started the “intensive technical training” part of stage, ie. gardening, composting, tree grafting, enviro education, improved mud stoves, etc. Last week, the EA (environmental action) kids created a practice garden at Songhai, with lots of help from the experts that work there. All I have to say is that gardening is much more physical labor than I expected…although I think some of it might have to do with the tools they use here. I haven’t managed to kill our planche yet, so hurray for small wins! This is a big deal for anyone who has ever tried to see me grow a plant.
We have visited with a couple groups of gardeners in the area, and tomorrow we’re going to visit one to help practice some Peace Corps community assessment things/teach them about some gardening stuff (probably compostage or natural pest control). When we visited the group last week, we were headed back when we passed a buvette whose name was probably the best I’ve seen so far here. Most buvettes are named after a person/place/something to do with God, but this was the Buvette Sleeping Snail…funny in of itself, but underneath it said: “But, one believes that he is dead.” So random!
My French-speaking abilities continue to surprise me. There will be days when I’ll rant about the problems with GMO produce or argue against the bad rap that bats get, but then fumble about like a fool when trying to ask Rita if it’s okay if I eat lunch out with my friends on Sunday. Such is life…and as the Beninese love to say, “petit à petit.”
Today I heard both the happiest and saddest stories since I’ve been in country. My current technical language instructor, Aristide (who is the bomb), told us about his dog, named “Qui sait,” and how she is his best friend. She waits at the door for him every day, and when he gets home she jumps all over him and gives him hugs and kisses (considering the typically Beninese person is afraid of dogs, this is a wonderful thing to hear). He had to leave her for a year when he moved down south for a bit (and he said he cried a lot), but when he got up north again she recognized him immediatelyand they were inseparable again! After this, he proceeded to tell us that he is crazy about vaccinating his dogs against rabies because he lost his friend/neighbor to the disease. After his friend was bit by a dog, Aristide pleaded with his friend to go to the hospital to get the rabies vaccines, but he only went and had the wound cleaned because he didn’t think the shots were important. 3 weeks later, Aristide rushed him to the hospital when he started showing symptoms. He died shortly after. HORRIBLE STORY.
…And after that mess, I went with another stagiaire to Marché Ouando (I had never been, as I always go to the smaller one by my house) looking for tissu for our EA group to wear at swear-in. As we were searching for fabric, we stumbled upon the animal section of the market...tons of chickens, pigeons, kittens and puppies, and turtles (wth?). The kittens and puppies were SO tiny and in these horrible little cages or tied up…you know when a baby is too young to be away from his mom when he’s ¼ the size of a hen. Needless to say, I was almost in tears and wanted to take them all with me…which I obviously cannot do. I am alright with most cultural differences, but this is one that I can’t handle (I can’t deal with this stuff when it happens in the states either) was probably my hardest days here so far.
HAPPY puppy update: I think SHE’ll (yes, I’m getting a girl!) be arriving in PN a couple days before swear-in, creating a few small logistical problems/inconveniences, but I couldn’t be more excited. I am counting down the days! I will definitely be posting pictures on Facebook, and likely one or two here as well. I am currently taking advice on how to keep a two month old puppy calm on a ~10 hour bush taxi ride…
One last thing to make a few of you smile – the girls at my house braided my hair the other night. I had cornrows for 24 hours…I am sad to say that no pictures exist, but that Ian and Amber will be happy to vouch for how amusing I looked. Honestly, the main reason I didn't take a picture was because I was wearing the blue shirt at the time and didn't feel like changing or hearing about it later. :) It was actually really comfortable and cool (temperature-wise), and Beninese people got a real kick out of it, but I don’t think that it will be my new go-to hairdo (partially because it took about 4 hours to do).
Xoxo!
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