Pictures: Lou and I at the party last night at Java Promo, a "Fancy" restaurant in Benin. I ate what amounted to campbells veg soup on couscous, but it was good; all of us at Java Promo; Hannah drinking a beer and looking so pretty at a bar near our school; my favotire article of clothing I've had made here- a full length modele with huge flowers on it (I don't have a mirror so I set my camera in my windowsill and take autoshots with it when I really want to see what I look like. Usually they are promptly deleted); Erika and I at the same bar; Ragan cutting her birthday cake; Lisa and I with the cake before we surprised Ragan at school; me baking in my family's kitchen; another angle of my moto helmet, my favotire work in progress.
9/1/09
It occurs to me now that I haven’t really provided a breakdown of what it is that I actually do here, for the time being, Six days a week I wake at seven. I immediately tense in case there is a cockroach on me somewhere that I haven’t sensed yet. When the coast is clear, I roll out from under the mosquito net and get started.
I either take a full shower and wash my hair or just take a bucket shower and wash my body. This will change when I get to post and don’t have a shower; then it’ll be buckets every day and hair when I feel like it. I eat a little bread with peanut butter or fruit preserves, and some fresh fruit, and drink a cup of Lipton tea. All these things can be bought here. I walk about two blocks to my school, which is a bunch of one story open buildings, one room deep, arranged in a square around a large courtyard full of palm trees. There is a flush toilet and sink there and some soccer fields. There are latrines too but I usually don’t use them.
I train mostly with other RCH volunteers but the EA (Environmental Action) volunteers train there as well. There are about 25 of us that meet there every day. The other two sectors, TEFL and Small Enterprise/IT volunteers, train together across town. A typical day looks like this: language from 8-10, break 10-10:30 to putter around on the street and buy snacks, technical training from 10:30-12:30, break for lunch til 13:30, language til 15:00, then cross cultural, peer support network, health and safety, or other training from 15:15-16:15. Some days I tutor 1:1 with a facilitator for an hour after class.
Language is amazing (technical language, grammar, vocab etc). I am in a class with two other women and our facilitator is a college professor, as are most of the facilitators. We direct the subjects and methods, to a degree. Classes are tailored specifically to us; this is how Peace Corps accelerates the learning process and I am LOVING it. I wish it didn’t have to end soon but Peace Corps reimburses us for tutoring received at post as well. I am very encouraged when I reflect on how far I’ve come in 5.5 weeks.
Technical training essentially means anything health-related. We take “field-trips” to health centers and healers. Guest speakers from local and national NGOs come and discuss their projects, from social outreach to immunization campaigns. We cover topics such as family planning, HIV/AIDS (though the national prevalence rate here is 1.2%, which is relatively low when compared with Southern Africa, which surpasses 35% in some areas), sexually transmitted infections, nutrition and baby weighing, hygiene and sanitation, disease prevention (malaria and parasites are big issues here), and pregnancy and delivery. I’ve been issued about a zillion books on health topics, which I will have time to read in my first three months at post during which I’m not allowed to travel.
Cross cultural training is varied as well and covers everything from religious ceremonies to etiquette to history to geography. I usually feel more rooted here after these classes, which may be the purpose. We’ve had a few bike trainings where we learn to take them apart, clean them, fix a flat on the road, etc. Basic maintenance.
Every Tuesday all four sectors ride their bikes or zem to a retreat center called “Songhai” and train together. We cover personal health topics most of the morning and administrative stuff in the afternoon. They have a restaurant, a co-op which sells (awesome) fresh organic veggies, a cyber café, a print/copy center and lots more. It’s going to be an excellent resource for me when I live in Hozin and I’m glad I’ll be close. They also make and sell veggie soap there.
During lunch break I usually eat an avocado and onion sandwich, or rice and beans on the street. I have to be careful with the sauce because there are usually fish heads bobbing in it. I go without sauce often but it’s not bad. My diet here is pretty much vegan. Along the street mamans sit with whatever they cooked all morning, and you just walk up to whoever you see sitting on a bench next to a table with food on it. The food is kept in plastic coolers to keep it warm and good vendors cover everything with a sheet to keep flies and bugs out. So you walk up to someone and say “Hello, what do you have?” and they’ll tell you: rice with fish and sauce, egg and spaghetti with soy cheese… that’s about it. I eat a lot of soy cheese. Women walk around with trays of fresh fruit on their heads and you barter for a good price. The pineapples are amazing and they cut them up for you when you buy one. Each costs about $ 0.20 USD. But if you get one that isn’t quite ready, it is too acidic and will burn your tongue.
After school, I usually come home and do laundry, study, or go to a buvette (bar) with friends. I am doing this more often as I consider that training is almost over and solidifying friendships becomes paramount. Today a friend, Lisa, came over and we baked a cake for Ragan, whose birthday is Thursday. We really had to go all out to find the ingredients. There aren’t huge grocery stores here but rather small boutiques and cabines and you have to ask at each one for what you want. So, we rode our bikes all over and would stop in front of houses, walk up to them an ask “do you sell eggs?” or “do you have a sache of sugar?” and most often they can tell you who sells it if they don’t have it. I’m excited at my ability to communicate; my comprehension is improving along with my confidence and willingness to ask for things to be repeated.
Overall, this far in, I’ve found PSL (pre-service learning) to be a very rewarding and empowering experience. I had missed the classroom atmosphere and this brief rendezvous with it is much welcomed. I’m truly impressed by the organization and efforts of the entire PC Benine staff (thought I wish they were better about bringing us our mail!) In a week I’ll be at my post, seeing where I’ll be living for the next two years. Keep me in your thoughts!!!
I either take a full shower and wash my hair or just take a bucket shower and wash my body. This will change when I get to post and don’t have a shower; then it’ll be buckets every day and hair when I feel like it. I eat a little bread with peanut butter or fruit preserves, and some fresh fruit, and drink a cup of Lipton tea. All these things can be bought here. I walk about two blocks to my school, which is a bunch of one story open buildings, one room deep, arranged in a square around a large courtyard full of palm trees. There is a flush toilet and sink there and some soccer fields. There are latrines too but I usually don’t use them.
I train mostly with other RCH volunteers but the EA (Environmental Action) volunteers train there as well. There are about 25 of us that meet there every day. The other two sectors, TEFL and Small Enterprise/IT volunteers, train together across town. A typical day looks like this: language from 8-10, break 10-10:30 to putter around on the street and buy snacks, technical training from 10:30-12:30, break for lunch til 13:30, language til 15:00, then cross cultural, peer support network, health and safety, or other training from 15:15-16:15. Some days I tutor 1:1 with a facilitator for an hour after class.
Language is amazing (technical language, grammar, vocab etc). I am in a class with two other women and our facilitator is a college professor, as are most of the facilitators. We direct the subjects and methods, to a degree. Classes are tailored specifically to us; this is how Peace Corps accelerates the learning process and I am LOVING it. I wish it didn’t have to end soon but Peace Corps reimburses us for tutoring received at post as well. I am very encouraged when I reflect on how far I’ve come in 5.5 weeks.
Technical training essentially means anything health-related. We take “field-trips” to health centers and healers. Guest speakers from local and national NGOs come and discuss their projects, from social outreach to immunization campaigns. We cover topics such as family planning, HIV/AIDS (though the national prevalence rate here is 1.2%, which is relatively low when compared with Southern Africa, which surpasses 35% in some areas), sexually transmitted infections, nutrition and baby weighing, hygiene and sanitation, disease prevention (malaria and parasites are big issues here), and pregnancy and delivery. I’ve been issued about a zillion books on health topics, which I will have time to read in my first three months at post during which I’m not allowed to travel.
Cross cultural training is varied as well and covers everything from religious ceremonies to etiquette to history to geography. I usually feel more rooted here after these classes, which may be the purpose. We’ve had a few bike trainings where we learn to take them apart, clean them, fix a flat on the road, etc. Basic maintenance.
Every Tuesday all four sectors ride their bikes or zem to a retreat center called “Songhai” and train together. We cover personal health topics most of the morning and administrative stuff in the afternoon. They have a restaurant, a co-op which sells (awesome) fresh organic veggies, a cyber café, a print/copy center and lots more. It’s going to be an excellent resource for me when I live in Hozin and I’m glad I’ll be close. They also make and sell veggie soap there.
During lunch break I usually eat an avocado and onion sandwich, or rice and beans on the street. I have to be careful with the sauce because there are usually fish heads bobbing in it. I go without sauce often but it’s not bad. My diet here is pretty much vegan. Along the street mamans sit with whatever they cooked all morning, and you just walk up to whoever you see sitting on a bench next to a table with food on it. The food is kept in plastic coolers to keep it warm and good vendors cover everything with a sheet to keep flies and bugs out. So you walk up to someone and say “Hello, what do you have?” and they’ll tell you: rice with fish and sauce, egg and spaghetti with soy cheese… that’s about it. I eat a lot of soy cheese. Women walk around with trays of fresh fruit on their heads and you barter for a good price. The pineapples are amazing and they cut them up for you when you buy one. Each costs about $ 0.20 USD. But if you get one that isn’t quite ready, it is too acidic and will burn your tongue.
After school, I usually come home and do laundry, study, or go to a buvette (bar) with friends. I am doing this more often as I consider that training is almost over and solidifying friendships becomes paramount. Today a friend, Lisa, came over and we baked a cake for Ragan, whose birthday is Thursday. We really had to go all out to find the ingredients. There aren’t huge grocery stores here but rather small boutiques and cabines and you have to ask at each one for what you want. So, we rode our bikes all over and would stop in front of houses, walk up to them an ask “do you sell eggs?” or “do you have a sache of sugar?” and most often they can tell you who sells it if they don’t have it. I’m excited at my ability to communicate; my comprehension is improving along with my confidence and willingness to ask for things to be repeated.
Overall, this far in, I’ve found PSL (pre-service learning) to be a very rewarding and empowering experience. I had missed the classroom atmosphere and this brief rendezvous with it is much welcomed. I’m truly impressed by the organization and efforts of the entire PC Benine staff (thought I wish they were better about bringing us our mail!) In a week I’ll be at my post, seeing where I’ll be living for the next two years. Keep me in your thoughts!!!
9/5/09
Went out with a bunch of people last night to a "nice" restaurant, maning that it was expensive and they served some American food, like steak. We went for Ragan's birthday and about 30 or 35 people came. It was the most fun I've had since being here. Let off a lot of steam. Monday I will meet my homologue, the person I will be working with most closely at my post. All the homologues from Benin come to Porto Novo for a two day conference with the staff and facilitators of the Peace Corps and to meet the volunteers, and we then leave for our respective posts with our homologues Wednesday morning bright and early. Wed or Thurs would be a great time to call me if you've been thinking of doing so! I'm nervous and excited... hopefully my french will serve me well. I miss you all so much and dream about America most nights. If anyone is feeling motivated or has some extra money lying around, I would do almost anything for a yoga mat. I am desperate... sitting in class all day and drinking beer is making me so soft and all the floors are concrete here so, yeah. I know I'm going to want to do yoga, esp at post. Even a book on yoga would rock my face off! But I think I can actually order that from Amazon... yeah. Rambling. Love you.
Where is your watch?
ReplyDeleteKeep using sunscreen!
The dress is beautiful!
I love you!
-On my wrist
ReplyDelete-Okay
-Thanks!
-Love you too!!
Hi! Would you like me to send you a yoga mat?
ReplyDelete