First Week at Post!

I arrived in Dogbo on Monday, September 8th, which also happened to be marché day and thus a sign of good luck. After driving through the hectic marché and dodging all the Mamas walking around with baskets on their heads, the taxi headed up & up through Dogbo to my house. I've come to learn that my house is literally the last house on the outskirts of Dogbo, and when I take a right turn in the morning to go on my run, all there is the jungle, and people walking from who knows how far to buy/sell things in the market.

Anyway, so as the taxi pulled up my neighbors all excitedly ran out to greet me and help carry in all of my things. As soon as I unlocked the door, Mama from next door sent two girls in to frantically sweep all the dust that has accumulated in the 3 weeks since the last volunteer had been here. Then Mama and the kids started bringing all of my stuff inside. I think the kids were half trying to be helpful and half just trying to get a glimpse of all the complicated and exotic stuff the Yovo brought with her. It's amazing how leaving home with 80 pounds in the US means you're leaving your life behind, but when a 9 year old Beninese boy looks at your open suitcase, all he can say is that you brought so much with you, what could it all be for? It's also weird that my house is attached to two identical houses on either side, both with 5 people in them, and both with less furniture than mine (they do both have TVs though, which is an occasional special treat for me).

Yet, despite what one might consider my more privileged position from a more materialistic viewpoint, my neighbors help me out more than I could ever possibly repay them for, and its only been a week! When they hear me sweeping every morning (which one must do to keep up with all the dust and cobwebs that come w/having screens for windows), either a child or mama will come over and insist to do it themselves. "I need to practice!" I tell them, but they explain that this is their work, they are very good at it, and it's not hard for them. Mama also says she refuses to let me find someone to pay for my laundry because she can help me do it. I remind her that she has so much work of her own, but she kindly reminds me that I can't very well do it myself if I actually want it to get decently clean. Although I am determined to do it myself, I'm still so impressed by their willingness to help and it provides such a new perspective. Americans are so accustommed to thinking of these things as chores, rather than just the natural flow of the day. These are skills they are justifiably proud of, and while they're teaching me how to shop at the marché or sweep my dirt, it's also a big lesson on humility.

Mama has also been very helpful in the way of occasionally providing me with something delicious to eat. Now, at home, I consider myself pretty confident in the kitchen, but let's just say that my culinary skills in Beninese cuisine could use quite a bit of work. After 3 pretty horrible meals in a row --> thanks to too much boullion, undercooked lentils, and wayyy too much cayenne pepper, Mama cadeau-ed (gave me a gift) of delicious rice and beans that lasted for both lunch and dinner on Thursday. I was in heaven. I know I won't starve because there are plenty of places to buy street food and I brought lots of peanut butter :-), but I'm still pushing myself to cook every meal just so I can learn little by little. I've had much more luck recently, including a delicious okra and tomato stir fry last night!

I've still got lots to learn in the way of portion sizes, though, and even more to learn about how long fruits and veggies last unrefrigerated. I definitely threw out more than a few rotten things this week! I also threw out a tomato, an orange, and a wild apple when I cut them open to find worms inside. Sick! I'm hoping it was an unlucky streak, but I'll definitely be very attentive for the rest of my time here! While it's disgusting and a big inconvenience, I guess it's the tradeoff for getting completely fresh and organic produce. I watched a gardener pull my carrots right out of the ground and I ate them 30 minutes later. It was probably one of the most delicious salads of my life.

Well, other than trying to figure out how to maintain a house and a life on a daily basis, I've just been out every day exploring Dogbo and introducing myself to people. I defintely see why others consider this area a little tougher to deal with relative to other cultural areas in Benin. I'm constantly mocked and laughed at, which isn't really typical of most more rural areas here based on what I've heard. Although it can get frustrating, I've also met some really nice people, and my neighbors more than make up for it. I really look forward to finding some great friends here. School should be starting in a few weeks and I look forward to meeting the other professors. Hopefully a few of them will help me get more acquainted.

Lastly...since I'm writing on my blog right now, it's clear that I've found internet in Dogbo! It's a tiny cyber and I don't know that the connection is working all that often, but hopefully it'll be at least fairly reliable.