Pics

I guess the pics didn't attatch last time but here are a few... my moto helmet which I decorated with sharpies, a rooftop party at another volunteer's host family's place, a dead cockroach in my room (not THE cockroach), and a view of Porto-Novo from a rooftop. Still loving it here. French going slowly. Having lots of dreams about home. Last night I dreamt I had a cavity and so was being med-evacced to the states for ONE DAY to have it filled. I wanted to see everyone and do lots things but there wasn't time. I spent time at mom's and packed some things I wished I'd brought: paper, pens, my favorite blue jeans, a yoga mat, hair and skin products, contact-lens related things, and more that I'm sure I'm forgetting. There was more to it, but suffice it to say I'm missing the states a lot and it's filling my dreams most nights.

Went to visit a traditional healer the other day. Learned that if you eat pork salad with papaya you will be immune to HIV/AIDS. They also had a cure for it that costs 500,000 CFA (about $1000 USD) and takes ten months to work. If you eat the left leg of a partridge while pregnant your child will be immune to Polio. So, you can see what a health worker is up against in terms of advocating for condom use or promoting immunizations for babies. Traditional knowledge is very, very hard to contend with and can only be addressed from the context of Beninese beliefs so I'm going to have to learn a lot more before I even try to change anyone's mind about anything. It was interesting, though, to learn how they use different plants and what they presume to cure with them.

Love you all!