I have arrived!

I know I have not been keeping this up lately, but it is extremely difficult to do this when internet is not at my fingertips like in the States; and when I find internet access, it is extremely slow. I am trying to do this as much as I can. When I am able to I will be loading pictures on my Facebook account, but not all the pictures as the internet is impossibly slow here. But anyway, enough excuses....

Life in Benin is definately different. Everyone has been asking me: How is it? What is it like over there? Well...it is impossible to describe in words. It is nothing like you have experienced. Some of you may have visited Africa or destitute places, but I assure you, it is nothing like experiencing life as a fellow Beninese, living amongst/with them. I have been taken in by the YASOUBA ADJIBI(?) family, embraced, first and foremost, as a brother, a son, an uncle, and lastly as a friend/confidant. I live in an around called Hlobou(?). My host brother/caretaker Habib is beyond helpful. Despite one major understanding when he thought I was disrespecting him and his family, he has been nothing but cordial; opening his home to me, even moving his own room to the other house to provide me with privacy and the only bedroom in the house with a ceiling fan. YES a CEILING FAN in Africa. I even have a bidet if I wanted to use it, but I don’t. I am the only stagiere (Peace Corps Trainee) that has only taken one bucket shower since I have been here. My house is in a concession with one other house. In my house there is a seating area, kind of like a family room, that is empty, a kitchen with a fridge, three bedrooms, and two bathrooms. One of the bathrooms is the douche (shower) that has the sink and the bidet in it. The other bathroom is just a western toilet. No matter where I am in the world, it seems that I can still be spoiled. The other house on the property is where my Mama and Habib live. There is the tv room and a kitchen (that they don’t use, cause they cook outside). The entire concession surrounds a well that is only used when the water is not working, which is never (so far!).

My family is extremely wealthy for Beninese standards. Mama is 67 years old. She ran a micro-financing operation that supported small agri-businesses in the area. She is since retired and basks in the wealth. I have three brothers and two sisters. The oldest (45 years old) is a doctor that trained in the Czech Republic, without any prior knowledge of the Czech language. It took him 7 years to finish school. He then went to the US and lived no more than 2 blocks from my house in DC that I lived in last year. He got his specialization from Georgetown in Pediatrics and worked for Kaplan doing some work that I couldn’t understand. My oldest sister is a pharmicist. She studied a little in the US but finished school in Benin. My youngest sister is a doctor as well. She studied in Benin and little in the US as well. My middle brother is Habib. He is not married, has no job, nor children. They call him a culturist, because he loves and lives the culture of the area. He is a devout Muslim, praying at every chance he gets. He is known by everyone in my part of town. My youngest brother is 27 years old. He is married and has a son. He, his wife, his son, and his wife’s youngest brother (7 years old) live with me in my house. He is training to be a lawyer and hopes to become politically involved. We have had many discussions about the difference about the politics of the US and Benin. He studied political science for 3 years before deciding to be a lawyer. His wife is studying to be a judge in Benin. As you can see, my family is extremely well educated, wealthy and have the ability to explore different high ranking jobs in the Beninese society.

Besides my family, some have asked what am I doing here? I am, right now, in what is called Stage (French for Training). I am in French class for at least 3 hours a day and some days for 9 hours. I have technical sessions every other day, to learn things like “Accounting for Illiterates”, “Accounting for Minimal Education”, “How to create a mud stove/dutch oven” and things like that. Its like being in college all over again except for the fact that I am learning practical things that I will actually have to use sooner than later. I found out today that I most likely will be put in a small village somewhere in the countryside at least an hour by taxi from the nearest fellow white person (Yovo). But I talked to them and I’m trying to be placed in a city in the north. Nothing is set in concrete yet. They place us based primarily on experience, not preferences. My experiences lend to working with an artisan group and not specifically with a product or set person. We will see though. I find out next Friday exactly where I will be placed. Maybe in the south or in the north. When I say the North I mean north of Parakou (if you are looking at a map).

I hope everyone back home is enjoying themselves. I miss all of you, but I am surviving. I do have a cell phone here. My number is on my Facebook account. Feel free to call me, but remember it is a 5 hour time difference. I am 5 hours ahead of the East Coast. I would love to hear from all of you. Until next time.....