DISCLAIMER: As Peace Corps Volunteers, we are explicitly prohibited from commenting on politics and giving our opinion about the situation, so don’t ask why. Or if you’re going to ask why, expect a whole lot of “Because I said so”just like mom used to say.
But hey, we’re online now so let’s see if we can’t bring you, dear reader, up to speed.
First off, we are alive and well. We promise. For the past month – and for the next one as well – we will be living in the towns of Azove (Me) and Dogbo (Jaren), both in the Mono-Cuffo region of the country. For those without a Beninese road map handy (WHAT?! How could you not?), the M-C are the southernmost provinces on the countries western border with Togo. While yes, we have been living apart, we have seen each other pretty regularly on visits and official functions.
We are each living with a host family, with our own separate rooms and personal space. Broadly speaking, we’ve both been fortunate to find ourselves where we are. I am living with the Djohossou family in Azove. Papa (everyone gets family style names here, including the waitress at the bar affectionately known as “Tantie” or “Auntie”) is the sitting Primere Adjoint, sort of the head of the county commission. A very nice man, he’s been very welcoming to me and regularly takes me to his brother’s restaurant for an Awoyoo (Togolese beer, much more on beer later). Ditto for Mama, who while not speaking much French has still been a positive presence.
For the most part, I spend most of the time with the 5-8 kids (figures adjusted for status of cousins and live –in help), ranging in age from 16-4. The oldest two of the kids are Sylvie and Marius, both very thoughtful in their approach to life and inquisitive about the world. Then there is Romeo, the middle child, who since the minute I got off the bus has been buzzing around me perpetually. At 12, the kid is all personality and clearly his father’s successor in politics. We “promenade” (walk around) a lot, we asking questions and him showing off his big white friend. Seems to be working too, all the kids in town seem to know exactly who he is.
Carole and Julius are the youngest two at 8 and 4 respectively. The former plays the part of precocious young princess too a T (I’m looking at you Zoe Mosow), and Julius… we’ll, let’s just say the first time I seem him fully dressed for a whole day it will be the first time. Kid is just ALWAYS naked. In fact, my first night, I’m eating dinner on a stool outside my room, and he marches right up to me in all his natural glory and proceeds to start screaming at me in Adja (the dominant language in the M-C) while shaking his fist at me for about a minute. But wait, there’s more. When he finishes, he puts his elbow on my knee and just stares at me – still in the buff -- for the next 10 minutes while I eat. Hell of a first impression right? He’s just starting to learn French now, so maybe by the time I leave I can figure out what he said to me.
Jaren with Steve's family (Clockwise: Cousin Isabelle, Julius, Mama, Sylvie and Carole, all swapping stories about Steve washing his clothes in a bucket) For the sake of clarity, we’re going to switch narrators now and let Jaren explain her host family.
I am residing with the Agossevi family, that is the Jacob Agossevi family. Agossevi is one of the largest families in Dogbo and many other stagieres are staying with other relatives of my Papa. Papa, he is the head of a local NGO where an environment PCV works, which means he is familiar with not only the Peace Corps, but the American culture as well. He is a busy man, so interaction with him has been scarce.
Papa also has 2 “femmes”. Mama 1, is like any other mother. She constantly wants to know where I’m going and what I’m doing. She also prepares some of my meals—the ones with more piemont (the hot peppers). Mama 2, is very sweet and I interact with her more. She is always at my door telling me to “va a la table”, come to the table it’s time to eat!
As for the kids, there are about 12 of them in total in the house. Most of them are under the age of 8. And like Julius in Steve’s family, I have 8 little brothers constantly running around naked. My brothers all think that they are Jackie Chan and show off their karate moves to me in the nude. It’s entertaining. There is an 11 year old and a 16 year old as well. The 16 year old, Chadrick, is my BFF at the moment (sorry Jadyn, you’ve been replaced for now due to lack of accessible communication). He wants to come to America, so we are having constant conversations about the differences and similarities between the two countries. It’s good French practice.
Steve again, back to explain training. So basically Stage (Italics to indicate when you should read an English-looking word with a French accent and/or attitude) is out 6 day/ week language and technical training program. The PC has rented a house for the 2 months in each training site (there are 4 towns involved) at which all instruction takes place, the current volunteers teaching us live and we have somewhat of an oasis from the overwhelming nature of the task in front of us. My French is getting better, while Jaren has had a good chance to polish her already excellent French skills. More on language and technical work to come in a future post.
Ah yes, future posts. To play it conservatively, expect a flurry of information in the next 48 hours, followed by what will likely be another month of quiet. You see, we’re now in Parakou, the major city in the middle of the country and work station for the Peace Corps’ mid-northern volunteers (Benin’s Chicago if you will). Tune in soon to find out where we’ll be posted for our two years of service and what horrible pop cultural references we’ll use to introduce our new home town…
1 comment:
Very awesome!!!! Thanks for the update you two!!
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