The Wedding

About thirty or forty volunteers descended upon Agou Nyogbo, my training village, this past weekend for a volunteer wedding. Two second year volunteers were doing the whole traditional Togolese wedding. It was a pretty awesome time and a huge party! We all drank too much sodobe, which is distilled palm wine, resembles grain alcohol, and tastes like silver polish. (Although after being given a shot of gin the same night, after a side by side comparison, I've concluded that gin is still worse). We all paraded from the groom's house to the bride's house and all had a big ceremony/dance party in the process.

Of course, getting to the wedding meant traveling in a bush taxi. I was at least traveling with other american volunteers making it more bearable, but some problems still arise. Because I am tall drivers like to put me in the front seat of a five seater. But there aren't just five people put in these automobiles, sometimes seven or eight or even nine people get to squeeze in, and for hours on end! My favorite position would have to be sitting on the emergency brake straddling the clutch. Every time the driver shifts he briefly gropes my inner thigh. First Third and Fifth gear aren't as bad, but when he puts in second or fourth, the stick trembles dangerously close to my....um..."special" area. (I pray to god he never has to put it in reverse). Basically, a bush taxi ride becomes one giant invasion of personal space. Add that to the fact that I constantly lose feeling in my legs which makes me immediately fall over upon exiting the vehicle. Plus I often have to dodge poop and pee from the crying infants nestled against my shoulder while the goat behind "baaah's" in my ear every five seconds, and am constantly fearful of breakdowns, potholes, jagged metal corners digging into my butt and lingering near my temple, and the possibility of a fatal head-on collision because my idiot driver keeps passing trucks on blind curves. Good times.

Here are a few pictures from the wedding and one other, the computer is running slow today so this is it for now.
My village, Kamina, in the distance
Yep. My face is lookin a bit thinner nowadays.

The parade of people

My friends dancing in the parade. I was shakin my thang as well, of course.

The bride, there in the middle

Here are a few pictures from the wedding and a few more from village.

The Groom

Some other updates and random thoughts:

~I went to the hospital to test my stool last week. I was fairly positive I had parasites but the results were negative, so I guess my body just hates me. It might be because I am eating more with neighbors and the Togolese cook with A LOT of oil. But it's so good. Black Eyed Peas with red oil and onions and gari (which is crush manioc and resembles grape nuts, added to the beans for crunch and flavor) Hmmm, plus Watchee is good, which is the rice and bean combo, with oil and onion, and crushed red pepper. Or rice with peanut sauce (with oil and onion of course) is another good meal.

~I ate something strange a fee weeks ago. In french, it was called 'la goutie' which doesn't exist in any french/english dictionary I have found, but from the description my friends in village gave me, it sounds like some sort of prairie dog/ground hog. Anyway it was really good and the meat quite tender.

~I am going to begin a world map project for the students. Kids don't have maps of the world to look at so I am going to paint a huge world map mural on the side of the school to teach them about geography. It should be a cool project and I hope the kids get into it and help out a lot.

~I have been selected as an editor for our publication called "Farm to Market." It is the Peace Corps Volunteer created Newsletter that circulates around the country and other countries in West Africa. Volunteers submit stories to it and it comes out once a quarter. So three other editors and I get to go to Lome once a quarter for a few days to put together the publication so that should be a lot of fun, and our whole trip is reimbursed, so we can live it up in Lome.

~Living in Africa makes you totally redefine "healthy" and "sanitary." Am I healthy? Well sure by Togo standards. Is that meat on a stick sanitary? I'm buying it from a man cooking over a fire in an old oil drum. I'm sure I won't regret eating this later. It is pretty funny to evaluate how your standards change after being here for awhile. There are only so many precautions one can take. Besides, street food tastes goooood. And I need my protein.

~Thank You to all who have sent letters, packages and anything else. It means a lot. I hope I receive them all but unfortunately it is inevitable that a few will be "lost" to the Togolese postal service

What I Had Time To Upload

Heat, Hunting and Finding Happiness

Man, it's heatin up. The winter winds blowing down from the sahara subsided and last month became more humid and hot. We have had a few scattered rains here and there which has been nice, and the official rainy season begins in the next couple weeks. The humidity will get worse but at least I won't have to conserve water anymore.



I just finished In-Service Training so it was great to see all my friends from Pre-Service Training again. We partied every night and told hilarious stories about our lives so far. Everyone seems to be in good spirits but it was sad knowing that will be the last time together as a group. But I have finished my first three months at post which are supposed to be the hardest so I am staying positive about the future. My french continues to improve and I feel more and more comfortable in village each week. Some of the projects I am thinking about trying to start are:



Apiculture(beekeeping)

Alley-cropping to improve the soil

Environmental Ed. with a possible student garden

Moringa Tree Cultivation

Water Purification



It will be difficult. People do not have disposable income here to pursue new interests so one has to start small in terms of work projects and work up. Usually a volunteer's second year is done doing bigger funded projects, which I will then be asking for all of your help.



My health has remained pretty steady, for Togo at least. I have been fighting nasty heat rashes since it became more humid, as do all the volunteers. Plus every little bite or scratch makes me worry about infection and some times I am convince a bruise is actually a guinea worm about to explode out of my skin, but really I'm just paranoid.



My neighbor came home with an enormous dead snake the other day whiwh he killed with a stick. It was about as long as I am tall and as thick as my forearm at the elbow. It was black so I'm saying it was a Black Mamba to make the story better, because that night we grilled it up and ate it. There really is nothing better than little Mamba marinated with onion ginger pepper and a buillon cube. Good stuff, but hard to pick the meat of all its tiny little bones. My neighbor just ate the bones , even the spinal cord. It is my belief that Africans have teeth made of steel and stomachs of iron. Tomorrow I am going to try to post pictures. I don't yet know if I'll be able to but if not tomorrow than eventually.



So that was probably the coolest thing I've done in the last month and a half. Oh I ate bush rat too. It was kind of gross seeing the fur and tail still attached to the skin perched upon my pile of rice. But, hey, that's protein here. When my neighbor doesn't kill some exotic animal out in the bush, I basically live as a vegetarian.



It's crazy to think that next week is my six month anniversary in country. Time really is flying, even if some days are a little monotonous. I am never quite sure what you guys back home want to know, so if you have any questions write them in the comment section, and next time I will try to do a little question and answer thing with you. I'll leave you all with a quote from a second year volunteer who I talked with last week. I was discussing my first three months at post and I told him what I do for fun and how I pass the days. "That's what is so great about being at post," he told me, "you remember how to make yourself happy." And he was exactly right.

Remember how to make yourself happy. Because sometimes we forget, even when we think we haven't.

Oh Village Life

Woman: Honey, there's a white man lying in the yard.

Man: What! Stop joking around.

Woman: No. I'm serious there's a white man lying under our Baobob Tree.

Man: What the hell are you on? You been drinking Sodobe this morning?

Woman: Fine don't believe. But he's laying down next to a bike eating some bread.

Man: If I have to come all the way out there (man walks out of house) to find you messing with m---holy jeez that's a giant yovo! All right. Nobody panic. Everyone just be cool, go back inside and maybe he'll go away.

Child: YOVO!!!! YOVO!!!! Bonsoir!!

Woman: Ah! Quiet child or we'll give you to the yovo.

Child: No!!! (child cries and runs away)



Or so that's how the conversation played out in my head as I lounged in the shade. Halfway between my village, Kamina, and the town of Pagala, which is to say, almost halfway to somewhere; so I took a much needed break from an exhausting bike ride.


I get my mail in Pagala, and upon asking my neighbor which trail goes to Pagala, he answered "Oui!" (My french needs some work). So I took off and headed north on my mountain bike. Actually the plan was to go to a closer village Tchifama, then Pagala the next day, but three forks in the road laterI found myself on the wrong side of a mountain and low on water. Pagala it is then! I reached it eventually, in four and a half hours through deep sand and creeks.

Riding through some of the more isolated villages was memorable. Seeing the looks on the children's faces was priceless. When was the last time they saw a white man? Ever?

My health has improved since last post. I have started cooking for myself and have been mostly avoiding Togolese food. I guess my body just couldn't handle the local cuisine. But now I'm eating pretty good. Getting creative with my relatively few available ingredients. I long for rainy season when mangos, pineapples, and avocados become readily available in my village. Until then I have put some amazing twists on macaroni and cheese. (Important news: I have discovered that eggs are available in my village. The place keeps getting better and better.)

My buddy and closest neighor James came and visited me last week. He only stayed for the day but we got into a conversation about how people's service in the PC can be so different from other's. Some volunteers have electricity, plumbing, real showers, and one even has satellite television. James and I have very rural posts so they are what might be more what you expect when you imagine the peace corps lifestyle. We both agreed that the absence of electricity and plumbing and manys types of food isn't all that bad. Sure I wish I had ESPN a little more often; but I survive. Besides, eating dinner by candlelight every evening really captures the classic romanticism of my life here. We agreed that the hardest part was being in a place where you don't know anyone and where no one speaks your language. It was a poignant moment for us both and further gave us reason to look forward to the future as we become more comfortable in our villages.

Quick note: For an idea on what village life is like; pick up The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Even though it takes place fifty years ago in the Congo, the descriptions of the everyday things are spot on for today as well.

Well hopefully I'll get to internet once a month or so for these posts; it's a pain in the butt getting to this city of Atakpame. About four hours to only go about 55 miles. Plus traveling forces me to buy street food so my body begins be to hate me again

Keep sending emails and comments. I appreciate everything. It is weird being completely separated from the news of the world; but also kind of nice. After years of studying and reading and following all different kinds of media as a journalism major it is nice to relax and just be blissfully ignorant about world events; for a few weeks at a time at least. But I am most interested in how all of you are personally doing. Peace Corps makes one into a bit of a gossip fiend.

Goodbye for now.

Merry Christmas!!

Or Joyeux Noel, rather! I am here in the big city of Atakpame being wowed by the all the tall buildings, and the awesome ability to buy bread (I think not having regular access to bread in my village may be the most difficult thing so far. If anyone truly knows me, you know I love sandwiches) But I will survive (frustration number 2: Being unable to find the apotrophe on these dang french keyboards).

It is interesting how your emotions all seem to be multiplied by ten here. If you are having a crappy day, it is really depressing, like an episode when I was unable to conquer my simple stove. But the good days are amazing!! I have taught my name to a few kids in village,who are adorable, and to hear me called out to correctly really lifts my spirits. (Before, I was Laura, or Sarah or Ally, all past volunteers in my village) Today I watched a few episodes of The West Wing at the Peace Corps house here in the city and found myself getting choked up in a few parts. But in my defense, that show is really powerful.

Overall though my village is still great. People are nice and I joined the village soccer team. Every night I go out and wow them with my thrilling fundamentals of the game. I am like the token white sharp shooter every basketball team should have. I usually do not influence the game a ton but every once awhile I come up with a huge play!

My language skills are slowly improving, so that is a definite plus. My neighbors are incredibly niceand helpful with that. I have also found that an early morning motocycle ride across the African planes with the wind inyour face can be quite the awe-inspiring experience (For the record PC i was wearing my helmet but flipped up the plastic shield to feel the breeze).

That is all for now. And one more thing. CALL ME!!!

My number is:

011 228 986 1984

Or if you have international texting capabilities, text me!!! I would love it.

And thank you to all who have commented on the blog. It really brightens my day. You have no idea. Hopefully soon I will have a cool story about out-running a hippopotamus or something.

Merry Christmas! Go Ducks! Go Blazers! And Bah-Humbug to those Grizzlies!

Swear-In

Im an official Peace Corps Volunteer as of December 4th. Here are some pictures (I've lost twenty pounds. Do I look thinner?):
All the NRM volunteers swearing in.

My closest neighbors during my two years of service

My host Mama and I

The front of my new home for the next two years

The NRM guys

Afrikiko Bar, where we all hung out during training.

I have been in Lome, the capital, for a few days buying supplies for post. I bought a big African drum and two bottles of Southern Comfort. I think I'm good to go.

Hopefully more pictures to come around christmas time of my village. That is all for now. I've got more to do before leaving for my village tomorrow.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

THE GOOD:
Africa is still an amazing place and I am still really enjoying my experience here. We are on a field trip this week in northern Togo. Right now I am in the city of Kara. Here are some random highlights of training so far:

1. Learning my local language, Akebou. Villagers primarily speak this among themselves in my village so it would benefit me to learn it, although most do speak french as well. I still need a lot of practice and once I get to my post I will try to hire someone in the village to educate me further.

2. Halloween here was a blast. Unfortunately, I was unable to uphold my tradition of an animal costume, but I did wear a brightly colored African style toga. I think trying to explain the Animal House reference to my African host mother remains one of my most memorable moments so far. Also, we are having a complete traditional thanksgiving dinner next week which should garner more good memories.

3. Listening to American election results on my short wave radio in my tiny African village, miles from the closest American, yet still speaking about it with my neighbors as if I was back in the states. Needless to say, Obama is big in Africa, many times while walking with friends, we will here a Viva Obama! shout from passing cars or pedestrians.

4. One of my favorite things about living here so far is how everything can be made into clothes. Any style, color, pattern or material can be turned into pants or a shirt. It is great. Just a buy a pagne (paun yeh) which is the brightly colored and multipatterned fabric here, take it to a tailor, three dollars later you have a new outfit that in America would be considered pajamas. Rumor has it, there is a Barack Obama pagne out there. To have his brightly colored face all over your outfit would be truly hilarious and awesome. Me and another guy have made it our unofficial mission to find it.

THE BAD: People in my training group have been robbed and have already gone home to the states. It sucks to have to tell you; but that is the reality of what has happened. But I think if you take the proper precautions here, it is not unsafe here. I think we all have learned important lessons the first couple months.

THE UGLY: It seems like I am always sick. I am right now as I type this. Since arriving I have lost weight, I am not ready to guess just how much, but it worries me because another volunteer that arrived three months before me was sent home due to losing to much weight. I hope once i get to post and eating a more preferable diet the weight loss will stop. And I hope my body adjusts quickly to the environment here so I can remain healthy. Hopefully none of it is a big deal; being in Togo makes me overly concerned about health issues.

I have run out of time. I will talk to you all later.