Saturday: July 17th
I am right now charging my netbook by using an African converter attached to my computer's adaptor in my tiny hotel room in Cotonou. By the way, my computer's name is Madnessinlove which makes me happy everytime I log on.
So I'd like to finish updating about my experiences so far since I was cut off at the bureau yesterday.
Cotonou is awesome. It honestly looks like every African city that I've ever seen on cinema. The roads are sandy and broken, the traffic is crazy, there are low brick buildings surrounded by all sorts of tropical looking plants and trees. There's an element of poverty, although I get the feeling that this city is one of the wealthier areas of the country. Apparently we're near a quasi-swanky locale where all the expats live in the nicest Beninois maisons around.
Before getting to use the internet at the Bureau and talking to Colt (hereby also referred to as either my babyluv, tiger, puppy, Coltibear, or Cranbull...don't ask), I had my FRENCH TEST. That sounds much more intense than it actually was. I went into a tiny little library and chatted with a guy named Habilub. He's one of the language coordinators and he asked me a bunch of questions that I stumbled around with my awful francais. Mostly we talked about my fiance (just because "fiance" is one of the few french words I can remember and I was super glad to be engaged in that moment because I definitely don't remember how to say "boyfriend") and he also asked about my future plans which was fun to talk about. Then I got to ask him about his family; he has two super young daughters that he just lit up about when he answered my question. It was sweet. I sort of wish I didn't do so well because it will be easier to move up a level if I'm placed a little lower than my actual ability than it will be if I am placed right at or slightly above my level. I am predicting either novice high or intermediate low as my initial placement. I will definitely have to reach intermediate high, though before swear in. If we originally place at or below novice mid than we would only have to get to intermediate mid to swear in. So, zut! We'll see.
On my way to purchase credits to use on a current volunteer's cell phone, we decided to stop by Western Union to exchange some dollars. We went with another volunteer who has been in country for a year and she helped us navigate the system. While I was getting the money exchanged, the woman doing the transaction asked (in French) for 50 cfa, which I didn't have and K, the PCV, told her we didn't have it. The woman grumbled about and I asked K what was up. K than explained in English that she probably wanted to keep the extra money for herself and that you have to be super aggressive and just play the game and eventually they'll get frustrated and just make the exchange. That seemed to be the truth because I got my $170 turned into 85,000 cfa a few minutes later ($1= 500cfa). I was totally shocked to hear K talking about this woman right next to her and I realized that she was assuming that the woman did not speak English. So I asked if anyone speaks English and K just laughed and said that sometimes men on the streets know enough to say "I love you, marry me, take me back to America!" It's interesting because I've never been in a situation where people around me don't understand what I am saying; it happens the other way around a lot, though! Especially lately, when so many people are practicing their French around me!
So I was officially called a "yovo," meaning "foreigner" or "white person". And I was called it by another yovo! On the way to Western Union, the few of us pased by a group of white, European tourists who pointed and said "yovo yovo" as we crossed paths. I am sort of excited to hear the song sang by the kids (and, apparently older men to taunt us young women). K sang it as we walked back to the Bureau and it's more of a taunt or chant than a song. I can't remember it very well, but it's something like "yovo yovo, ca va bien merci, donnez moi un cadeau."
In other news, I am soooo happy that I brought my own pillow. The one they gave us at the hotel is lumpy and hard. It seems like a small thing, but trust me. It is nice to be able to almost smell my bed with my babyluv and the fluffy. I'm also glad I brought my own sheets, but I probably won't use them until i get to my homestay family's house in a few days. The hotel ones suck, but i can handle it for a bit.
Our schedule is looking pretty booked solid all the way until...about September. Haha. Until Wednesday afternoon we're here in Cotonou (that's 3 more nights as today is Sunday) doing logistical stuff, learning about the zemijians (the motorbikes that we'll use basically as taxis when in the cities), taking malaria pills (we don't start the mefloquine stuff that gives crazy dreams until homestay), learning about girardhia (it is also sexually transmitted, who knew?), and getting a slow introduction to Beninois food and culture while getting to know each other better. Wenesday we head out to Porto Novo where we will meet our host families and spend the night with them.
I hadn't actually eaten any hardcore Benin food until dinner last night because the two previous meals they'd offered it I had either been asleep or locked in my room. Yeeah, I'll explain. Friday night I fell asleep after we arrived and I cried into my pillow for 20 minutes, breakfast is just tea and croissants (omigosh, though, they're the best croissants I've like EVER had, all soft and crumbly and buttery I've eaten like 7 of them haha), and then for lunch they had traditional food, but yesterday I managed to get locked in our room which locks the inside when you lock the outside and my roommate had left and taken the key and no one heard me call for her to come back haha. So I just wrote in my coltjournal (they're like journal entries, but addressed to colt as a letter and I'll give him the book as a gift when i get back) and hung out in the room until she came back after lunch to let me out. I also had a snack around tea time, but it was just like a buttery, cheesy croissant thing. I have not been very hungry, though. Traveling takes a lot out of me and I'm definitely jet lagged.
But I had lunch today! Yay! It was...interesting.Couscous with sauce and meat on the side with bread. I skipped the meat and had this interesting fried cheese stuff. It’s pretty gross, but I might be able to get used to it if I really need protein. The couscous was good. Dinner was macaroni and a tomato and onion sauce stuff with meat and you guessed it, bread. I think I'll need some getting used to it, but I can live with it. And when we filled out homestay forms, there was an option to check vegetarian, so I think I might get accomodated with my host family. I am super nervous to meet them. I hope they are a good blend of caring and independent. I definitely need my own space, but I want to be able to get support when I need it. I should be able to update soon after I find out about my host family on Wednesday, but I'm not totally sure about access in Porto Novo.
Cotonou, though, is bad ass. The Bureau is so cool. K, the PVC from yesterday, is currently in the process of moving to Cotonou to act as a PCVL (Peace Corps Volunteer Leader). PCVL's run the 4 PC workstations around the country and act as support for PVCs. It sounds pretty sweet, especially considering the regular internet access and cool administrative duties. It's a long way in the future for me at this point in my PC life, but that sounds wicked to me.
Another thing that seems awesome is serving as a married couple. There are two in country now and two more that just arrived in my stage. They are all so freaking adorable it makes me soooo angry and at the same time I am drawn to them for some reason. I made friends with a couple from Minnesota who actually sort of look like colt and me. It's a little weird actually. It's nice because you've got a built in buddy, a support system in place, someone to bunk with and share the experiences with. It really makes me jealous and I spent about an hour yesterday plotting a way to get Colt to come with me somehow. But alas, it isn't possible. The only way it would happen would be if we go later and I quit now. I'm not a big quitter and things have just started. If I'm miserable for 8 months straight, though...after training and after checking out post for 6 months...and I still am having a really hard time, well, then maybe I'd quit. I just wouldn't leave now unless I was sure I didn't want it, and there's no way to know that until i get to my post site.
So I am having fun now and just going with the flow, day to day. I'm worried the pace of life might be too slow for me. I don't like hanging around with nothing specific to do. i guess I could read or work on my novel. Hmmm, a nap sound pretty nice. Haha, maybe a slow pace will work afterall, lol.
Anyway, I suppose that's all for now. Not much different today than yesterday. Shots and talks! =D Oh, and i have yet to see a mosquito, although everyone is hyper aware of malaria and there is standing water all over the place. I'm sure I will soon enough, especially since one volunteer the first night whispered ominously, "you WILL get malaria." Greeaaat.
With love,
Elaina
Sunday: July 18th
Bonjour! We got our French assignments and I am in the intermediate group as expected. There are 6 groups in my sector (health), and I am in the third one. So I’m definitely not the worst, but I’m certainly not the best speaker. I need to improve a lot and I am not really looking forward to that. Ugh.
I am definitely making friends. I really like the married couple that looks like me and colt.
I was not as sad today as I have been; Africa is like mad cool and takes away some of the missing my family and babyluv feelings. I have been writing a lot in my coltjournal and sharing my feelings with other people to help get out the sad! Haha, it seems to work. We played frisbee a bit today.
Today we talked about Katie, the volunteer who was killed last year. The official people couldn’t really give us any information, but the current volunteers gave us the low down on the events around her death. Since I am responsible for what I put on this blog, I don’t want to talk about an ongoing investigation to the world, but feel free to ask me about it if we’re talking and I’ll relay the info. It was interesting to say the least and I am definitely safe here, so no worries! It was an isolated and very specific instance.
We went a walking today around Cotonou and saw some sights. Bought ice cream (who knew??) and talked a lot in French with the language instructors. I am really trying to not hate this language, but I really just wish I could speak it well enough to get by. Ahhhhh, I hate learning languages! But it’s definitely necessary. Gaahhh.
No cell phone yet, but I borrowed someone’s phone again to talk to Colt for like 8 minutes today. I want to call other people, but it’s so expensive that I really have to wait until I have my own phone and credit to use which HOPEFULLY will be tomorrow. There are a few sympathetic volunteers who said they would try to help us out. I’m seriously going crazy without access to regular conversation with him. Honestly, if they try to put me somewhere without phone service I will probably either refuse to accept that post or quit early once I try it out. I have got to be able to discuter avec mon fiance!
I decided not to drink here. Everyone kind of goes nuts with the alcohol and I am just not sure if I’m using it in the right ways...I don’t want to self medicate, you know? So, no alcohol until I feel secure and happy with everything. Maybe that won’t happen at all, so for now I remain a teetotaler.
Tomorrow should be fun. I hope. We have specific project discussions with the people in our sector (there’s SED/IT, RCH, EA, and TEFL) and that is all morning. After lunch we are heading to the Bureau for APCD interviews where we will give our preferences for posts (I WANT PHONE SERVICE AND ELECTRICITY! AND EASY ACCESS TO INTERNET!) and we will also learn about the zemis. I’ll get my helmets and get fitted for my bike, as well. When we aren’t doing those things, we’ll have a lot of down time, enough so that I can upload this blog entry and get on facebook and stuff. I really want to be able to facebook chat or skype chat with colt or even actually video skype with him, but I hear the connection doesn’t really work very well for that, so hopefully i will get some message to him and my fabulous family. I tried emailing mom and dad; haven’t had time to check for a response.
I guess I should sleep now. I am going for a run tomorrow morning with the married couple and another older volunteer. Whoo! Tomorrow when i put this online, I’ll try to give a quick update as well. I miss you all and hope you’re having fun! Please email me and tell me what you’re up to! elainahope@gmail.com!
I’M IN AFRICA HOLY COW,
Elaina
PS. MY IPOD IS FROZEN. How do I fix it???? It is so sad because I really really really want to listen to music that reminds me of KANSAS and LOVE. PLEASE HELP. FACEBOOK ME or SOMETHING.
Monday
Hey y'all! I'm in the PC Bureau right now updating. The internet makes me nervous so I want to post this huge entry before I update again. If I have time I will do another post, but we're doing trainings and interviews and stuff so I'm not sure. At any rate, I am thinking I won't get a phone today...maybe tomorrow, but my fit throwing isn't really working, so honestly it might not be until Porto Novo. Ugh.
If I don't get to get on here again, I meet my host family on Wednesday night, woo! I'm excited to meet them and hope they have cute kids.
Au revior,
E
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