Ahh... The Simple Things in Life

Bonsoir Tout Le Monde!

I've been here for three weeks now. The first two were definitely the hardest. Getting used to life here was  a big challenge at first because there are so many things that I am not used such as the no escape from the heat and humidity and consequently always feeling hot and sticky, getting stared at and shouted at by strangers on the street, being alone a lot of the time, not understanding what people are saying, and the list goes on. However, I have found that I have become quite independent and self-sufficient. After this trip going to university in the Fall will be a piece of cake, except for the fact that I will still miss my family, no trip, no matter how difficult, could ever make me not miss my family. My work at the orphanage is strenuous at times but rewarding all the same. Preparing maize is an extremely lengthy and tiresome process. I help with that a lot by cleaning the maize from the powder and insects, picking out the broken or discoloured kernels and carrying the maize on my head like a true local from one place to another. I also help wash the children's clothing, which is not an easy task because by the time the clothes are washed they are absolutely filthy and it doesn't help that everything here is done the old fashioned way, there is no running water, so all the water they use is extracted from a well. The well supplies them with all the water they need for everything; they wash their clothes, dishes, and themselves by hand and they also drink the water. It is perfectly clean, it just makes me realize how much I used to take running water for granted before I came to Benin. It is something that should be highly appreciated because without it performing simple tasks suddenly become a million times more difficult. 

In terms of being self sufficient, I do everything myself. I am alone in the volunteer apartment, Matt has left, and so I have to buy all of my own food, prepare it, eat alone (which I must say I'm not a huge fan of) and wash up after. I do pretty much everything alone and have to face power cuts and horrifying insects on my own. I guess you could say it is a character building experience and I guess that is true because it really makes me grow up and learn to face things alone. The first night I was alone there was a power cut in all of Ouidah, (unfortunately they have been happening more frequently in the past few days) it was like a test from above, seeing if I could shower, make something to eat and survive the night with no light or fan! Thank God I packed a flashlight, to all of you future volunteers reading this, make sure you pack a flashlight, I don't know what I would do without it during one of the evening power cuts. 

To pass the time when I am alone at the house I read (I'm reading an amazing book right now its called "The Book of Negroes" by Lawrence Hill. I strongly recommend it to future volunteers or to anyone who has an interest in learning about the slave trade, I can't put it down) or write in my journal, or watch a movie on my laptop. Luckily, I am so exhausted by the time that I get home that I just shower, eat, and fall asleep. I've gone to bed here as early as 8:30! Something I would never do back home. I have my French lessons everyday now because my French teacher has a function from April 6th to the 20th and so to make up for the lost time I have switched to an intensive programme. I'll have my morning lessons Wednesday and Saturday and evening classes 7-9 all the remaining days. I like my teacher and I'm actually happy that I will have my lessons with him during the time that is usually the loneliest. My last class we had an interesting conversation about the differences between the sexes here. He explained that if a woman is unfaithful to her husband she is forced to leave her entire family, but if a man is unfaithful to his wife it goes unnoticed. OH how annoyed things like this make me! But women here have a strength, I can see it in Antoinette, the woman who works and cares for the children at the orphanage, Roukeya, the housekeeper who is gentle and strong all in the same smile, and in the women who work and sell food on the streets. They have strength in their eyes and despite all of the cruelties and injustices they keep there heads up and their babies on their backs. Antoinette does not have a single day off, she works all morning and afternoon in the orphanage preparing food and maize and then from 4 to 10 she has an apprenticeship at a pharmacy because she is learning to become a pharmacist (which is a very respected job here in Ouidah). I don't think it is fair that she works all day everyday. I hope that when she becomes a pharmacist she will have a less stressful schedule. In general people here work SO hard, they never stop, especially the women. I think it's because people here work for their survival. A day of not working would equal a day of no food, luxuries are definitely not the issue here. 

I think that people who live in countries like the UAE, UK, America, etc. get lost in a world of materialism and trivial things because they are convinced that is what will make them happy, but Benin has taught me otherwise. People here are so happy with the simplicity of their lives and its actually a beautiful thing. I love how people live here, they appreciate the little that they have, they are hardworking but have the time to sit back and enjoy the simple things in life. In first and second world countries people have so much in comparison to people here but they don't have the mind to enjoy it, everyone is wound up so tightly with the stress of meeting standards, making money, and climbing up the economic scale. For example, in a lot of first and second world countries, the elderly are disregarded as a cost to society because they are not as capable, they don't make as much money, etc, etc. Whereas here the elderly are of the utmost importance and are very highly respected. I have found that here I have met people and talked to people that I would have possibly disregarded in a place like Dubai, and from these people I have learned so so much. Here, everyone has their purpose in life and having family around, food to eat, water to drink and a place to sleep is the formula for a happy life. "Easy life" as one of my Rastafari friends, Gomez, would say. I think after returning to my home after my stay here for two months I will have a culture shock equal to the one I had when I came here. I can see it now, my boredom with the constant talk about material things and new this and new that. It's not to say that I'm becoming a hippie, but I can really say Benin has changed a lot about the way I used to think, for the better.

A Bientot!

 My professor and I 

 Brownie and I <3

 My friend Olivie's artwork

 Baby Alexandre taking a nap 

A typical lunch for the kids at the orphanage (pate, gumbo in a sauce)