I've been at post for a month and a half already (53 days to be exact)
and I arrived in Benin almost 5 months ago, can you believe it? I
can't. At 5 months, I'll be done with 18.5% of my 27 months...that
seems like a lot to me.
So what have I been up to? Honestly, not a whole lot. I have some
ideas for stuff in addition to stuff for the Jardin Ecologique -
gardens in Tanguiéta, school garden in Toukantouna, Centre de Santé
garden in Cotiakou, maybe tree planting in Materí, etc - but on verra
(we'll see). After some delays, I should hopefully be starting French
and Waama tutoring this week.
My latrine bats are still doing well, and seem to have increased in
numbers. I think their learning to avoid me, and I'm learning not to
fear peeing at night. I actually got a picture of a couple of them the
other night before they went down into the abyss - they're pretty
cute! Yesterday, while visiting a friend, I found a bat the size of my
thumb! He was ridiculously small (I was happy to have my camera on
hand). I have so many species to ID!
The fêtes of Tabaski, Halloween (US), and Toussaints have come and
gone. There didn't seem to be any big shindigs (at least that I saw),
but next year when I (hopefully) have friends they'll tell me about
some. ;)
For the US election, my lovely neighbors let me watch the coverage on
their tv (and they were nice enough to sit there and watch it in
English, even though they didn't understand)...I was amused by the
fact that Florida (my home state) was the frequent topic of discussion
on international news because of it's voting issues (hmm, déjà vu?). I
voted by absentee ballot, so I missed out on the 7 hour lines and
other hooplah. The next morning (here) I was up just early enough to
catch Romney concede and Obama make his speech...I thought it was cool
that I got to watch it live, as I definitely wasn't expecting to. I
found an "Obama Girl" shirt in dead yovo that I got to wear the next
day, and was greeted with "felicitations!" by oodles of people.
Actually, several days later, I'm still being congratulated. I was
honestly very surprised that so many people knew about the election,
since few people have tvs and almost no one has a computer. The
Beninese really love Obama, and seem to be very excited to have him in
office for four more years. People here view America as a role model -
now, if the parties can only learn to cooperate with each other and be
a good one!
And to wrap it up, Things I Have Been Surprised to See in Benin:
• Lots of fireflies and praying mantids
• Being up to my eyeballs in watermelon season
• Miley Cyrus lollipop
• Monkeys as pets (they're cheaper to buy than baby livestock!) - so
far I've met a patas monkey and an olive baboon, and my phone credit
guy says he's going to take me to see his friend's "black monkey
that's not a gorilla" (yes, I know how that sounds, but I'm just
quoting). I've hear rumors that there are chimps here, and if that's
what he has I'm running the other way.
Interesting tidbit: I don't know how reliable Wikipedia's list of
Mammals of Benin is, but there are supposedly bushbabies here! And
pangolins! And hedgehogs! And otters! Okay, as if I hadn't already
earned the reputation for animal-crazy white lady already, I will
definitely be cherche-ing these guys! I just have to explain to people
that I don't want to eat them, just find/see them (everyone thinks
this is hysterical)... I really need to go talk to the CENAGREF people
already.
Ellie and I send lots of love to all of you!! Miss you!
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