What do you eat in a typical day? Have you eaten anything really strange (to us) yet?
Usually I don't have breakfast, but when I do it's either oatmeal or little fried balls of dough ("gateaux" - it means cakes, but it's not exactly sweet). For lunch my concession sister, Lucy, sells rice, sometimes cous-cous, and dish called pate rouge. I'm not sure if i've written about pate yet, but it's cornmeal and water boiled together to form a galatinous carb-y substance. Regular pate isn't my favorite dish, but pate rouge (red pate) is when they add tomato sauce to it - and that's delish! And for dinner, I usually have eggs and ketchup - or egg, tomato, and onion omlette on bread with mayo. OR I make pasta. My specialty is mac and cheese made with tomato and onion and "Laughing Cow" cheese (they sell it in bigger cities like Parakou! - and it's called "Le vache qui rit") and a little bit of mac and cheese powder. The only veggies I can get in village right now are tomatoes, onions, and little green eggplants. The fruits are bananas (on the brink of spoiling) and oranges.
Have you had goat yet?
My favorite eating days are THURSDAYS! And that's because it's marche day. And when the market is in town, I treat myself to "Street meat" and my choices are between a whole chicken ($3) and like a handful of "mouton" (sheep) for $1. *(Which they just call "viande" = meat. I wasn't sure if it was sheep or goat, but I did some investigation, i.e. looked at the skin of the animal laying next to the fire pit and discovered that it is, in fact, sheep.)*. So technically I haven't eaten goat yet, but I have a tough time walking past the man selling sheep and not getting a little taste! You can pick up just like 3 or 4 pieces of meat for about $0.20USD. The $3 chickens are amazing and involve a little more commitment than the mouton man, but the chicken in Kalale is honest to God like Publix rotisserie. It's NOT that good everywhere - it's actually usually pretty dry and not much meat. And the sheep usually has a lot of fat and bone - but not in Kalale. It's almost all quality meat. I'm so lucky to be in a place with such healthy animals! :)
Sorry I haven't seen any cool animals, Katie. Your pictures were totally awesome though! I'm jealous! Hopefully I'll be able to see something cool before I'm done over here.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Questions #1
How do the Beninese celebrate birthdays, or do they at all?
Well, other volunteers might have a different answer for this one. In my village of Kalale people most times don't know the year they were born, let alone the birthDAY. The easiest way to find the year someone was born (esp. a child) is to ask them (or their parents) how many chaleurs (the REALLY hot season) they've been through. But often times you'll talk to an older woman (80 or so)who will assure you that they are at least 120 - probably older. That being said, right before I left my host papa (who lived in the capital and came from an affluent family) was celebrating his 50-something by going out to see his family. Most parties here consist of a lot of food, dancing, and alcohol (unless you're religious!). Funny though - my host mama knew she was born on a thursday in September in the year 1956, but didn't know which one. And the family thought it was funny that I cared so much as to try to figure out what the possible dates could be.
What holidays do they celebrate?
I feel like that would be a better question to answer after I've been here an entire year. The word for celebration/party in french is fete and people here love any reason to fete. Most of the big ones are religious fetes (voodoo in the south, muslim in the north, and catholic spread around a little bit everywhere). Coming up sometime in the next month or so is Tabaski. I don't know much about it except that it's muslim and they're fattening up a considerable amount of goats to sacrifice (then eat!). I guess the streets run with goat blood for the next few days, but it's a delicious holiday. And Ramadan (the muslim fasting time) just finished not too long ago. There's also whipping fetes, and rights of passage fetes into adulthood for men. In those, a boy/man is whipped by an older person in the community and if he winces in pain at all, he hasn't made the passage into manhood. Whipping fetes aren't the same as the right of passage fetes (though they involve whips), but the big whipping fete is in february, so i'll be better to explain it after I experience it. In the south, the voodoo has crazy dancing fetes, but they also have spirits like the time of "Aura". And Aura (or auro... can't remember) is a spirit (or man in a costume) that travels the streets at night for a week or two in specific areas. And it's necessary to not travel during that time or be out in the streets. If you are, the aura beats you until you give him enough money... or you die. I'm not around any of that and Peace Corps gives fair warning of when that time is.
What "cause" has touched you the most over there (ie: what do the Benin people need the most that we Americans could help with, or are they doing just fine without us thank you very much?)
Another good question, I'm not sure exactly. I like that you added that they're doing just fine without us - because I've learned a lot since arriving about how aid is making Benin (and all of west africa poorer). I'm not sure if I told you all when I learned this, but 70 - 80% of the money in the Beninese government is foreign aid. Only 20-30% is actually revenued by the government. Which is absolutely wild! I'm happy to be here and happy to be helping, but nothing has hit me too hard yet. The one thing I'm excited to work with is Small Enterprise Development. Because if people can make their own money and they're making more on selling bread than they're spending on supplies, the economy will go up. It's hard though because there's no sense of competition at all. No one wants to do any better than their neighbor (And I don't think it's because they'd get ostracized, I genuinely think it's just people don't have a desire to make more than a dollar a day). Also the Beninese people know that they can't do too well, because if they do, they wont get more aid in the future. And if a kid is getting an allowance of 5 dollars to do the dishes, it doesn't make sense for the kid to do the dishes and the laundry and only earn 3 dollars.
A story that I think sums up aid in Africa really well was told to me by my friend, now 2nd year volunteer, Tony. He told about an NGO (Non-government organization) that came in, gave a lecture, and had the great idea to give out soccer balls. The NGO came in talked about health, nutrition, and staying active and distributed the soccer balls (some to older kids, some to younger kids, and some to parents/families). No sooner had the NGOs van left the village did grown men come out and literally beat up the kids to take their soccer balls - to the point that there were young children hurt and laying on the ground while older men took the soccer balls for themselves, their families, or to sell... or just break and treat like crap. The NGO had already left and after thinking they did such a good job will never know the tradgedy they caused as soon as they left. It's SO SO important to understand a culture when you go in to help them, and that's something I've really realized. Tony managed to get his hands on about 100 soccer balls given to him by the NGO that he's been giving out to anyone in his community that can prove they did a project to help the environment. He's found that when someone EARNS something, it's a lot more respected as their possession, AND they take much better care of it.
Another interesting story I read is about NGOs coming in and giving away rice and beans to malnourished/impovershed places. It seems like a great idea, how could it go wrong? But you have to think that when you give away something like rice, all the mamas who make their only money at the little boutique selling rice are now completely put out of business. So it creates a new group of poor, hungry people and doesn't take any groups out -- nor does it support local economy.
I kind of went off topic a little bit - and all this being said, it just gives me a new outlook to aid. I'm still more than ever interested in International crime. I'm seeing new avenues I can help with that and really figuring out the advantages and limitations of justice in small villages.
Have you seen any wild animals like lions or tigers?
I have not. Unfortunately tigers are only native to Asia. As far as Lions, when people came and really started building up Benin, they started at the coast and pushed the animals north. So, while I'm pretty far North the only places you could go to see all the awesome big game is at a HUGE safari park spanning part of Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso called Parc W (on the east side) or Parc Pendjari on the west. Parc Pendjari is much more built up and because it's inbetween mountains the animals can't get out and there's a much better chance you'll see all the animals you came to see. It's about $150USD to get a guide and go on a few day safari though.
What else can we send you? Do you need anything?
You guys have been so so awesome about sending packages! It's pretty ridiculous. Thank you! There's really nothing I need right now. And I've gotten almost everything I've wanted. If anything comes up though (like for thanksgiving preparations), I'll let you guys know right away. Thank you so much again!
If anyone has any other questions, please ask! It's a lot easier to write this if I know what you guys want to hear. I'm getting used to living here now and the everyday stuff really has become... just every day stuff. But I want to explain what I can!
Well, other volunteers might have a different answer for this one. In my village of Kalale people most times don't know the year they were born, let alone the birthDAY. The easiest way to find the year someone was born (esp. a child) is to ask them (or their parents) how many chaleurs (the REALLY hot season) they've been through. But often times you'll talk to an older woman (80 or so)who will assure you that they are at least 120 - probably older. That being said, right before I left my host papa (who lived in the capital and came from an affluent family) was celebrating his 50-something by going out to see his family. Most parties here consist of a lot of food, dancing, and alcohol (unless you're religious!). Funny though - my host mama knew she was born on a thursday in September in the year 1956, but didn't know which one. And the family thought it was funny that I cared so much as to try to figure out what the possible dates could be.
What holidays do they celebrate?
I feel like that would be a better question to answer after I've been here an entire year. The word for celebration/party in french is fete and people here love any reason to fete. Most of the big ones are religious fetes (voodoo in the south, muslim in the north, and catholic spread around a little bit everywhere). Coming up sometime in the next month or so is Tabaski. I don't know much about it except that it's muslim and they're fattening up a considerable amount of goats to sacrifice (then eat!). I guess the streets run with goat blood for the next few days, but it's a delicious holiday. And Ramadan (the muslim fasting time) just finished not too long ago. There's also whipping fetes, and rights of passage fetes into adulthood for men. In those, a boy/man is whipped by an older person in the community and if he winces in pain at all, he hasn't made the passage into manhood. Whipping fetes aren't the same as the right of passage fetes (though they involve whips), but the big whipping fete is in february, so i'll be better to explain it after I experience it. In the south, the voodoo has crazy dancing fetes, but they also have spirits like the time of "Aura". And Aura (or auro... can't remember) is a spirit (or man in a costume) that travels the streets at night for a week or two in specific areas. And it's necessary to not travel during that time or be out in the streets. If you are, the aura beats you until you give him enough money... or you die. I'm not around any of that and Peace Corps gives fair warning of when that time is.
What "cause" has touched you the most over there (ie: what do the Benin people need the most that we Americans could help with, or are they doing just fine without us thank you very much?)
Another good question, I'm not sure exactly. I like that you added that they're doing just fine without us - because I've learned a lot since arriving about how aid is making Benin (and all of west africa poorer). I'm not sure if I told you all when I learned this, but 70 - 80% of the money in the Beninese government is foreign aid. Only 20-30% is actually revenued by the government. Which is absolutely wild! I'm happy to be here and happy to be helping, but nothing has hit me too hard yet. The one thing I'm excited to work with is Small Enterprise Development. Because if people can make their own money and they're making more on selling bread than they're spending on supplies, the economy will go up. It's hard though because there's no sense of competition at all. No one wants to do any better than their neighbor (And I don't think it's because they'd get ostracized, I genuinely think it's just people don't have a desire to make more than a dollar a day). Also the Beninese people know that they can't do too well, because if they do, they wont get more aid in the future. And if a kid is getting an allowance of 5 dollars to do the dishes, it doesn't make sense for the kid to do the dishes and the laundry and only earn 3 dollars.
A story that I think sums up aid in Africa really well was told to me by my friend, now 2nd year volunteer, Tony. He told about an NGO (Non-government organization) that came in, gave a lecture, and had the great idea to give out soccer balls. The NGO came in talked about health, nutrition, and staying active and distributed the soccer balls (some to older kids, some to younger kids, and some to parents/families). No sooner had the NGOs van left the village did grown men come out and literally beat up the kids to take their soccer balls - to the point that there were young children hurt and laying on the ground while older men took the soccer balls for themselves, their families, or to sell... or just break and treat like crap. The NGO had already left and after thinking they did such a good job will never know the tradgedy they caused as soon as they left. It's SO SO important to understand a culture when you go in to help them, and that's something I've really realized. Tony managed to get his hands on about 100 soccer balls given to him by the NGO that he's been giving out to anyone in his community that can prove they did a project to help the environment. He's found that when someone EARNS something, it's a lot more respected as their possession, AND they take much better care of it.
Another interesting story I read is about NGOs coming in and giving away rice and beans to malnourished/impovershed places. It seems like a great idea, how could it go wrong? But you have to think that when you give away something like rice, all the mamas who make their only money at the little boutique selling rice are now completely put out of business. So it creates a new group of poor, hungry people and doesn't take any groups out -- nor does it support local economy.
I kind of went off topic a little bit - and all this being said, it just gives me a new outlook to aid. I'm still more than ever interested in International crime. I'm seeing new avenues I can help with that and really figuring out the advantages and limitations of justice in small villages.
Have you seen any wild animals like lions or tigers?
I have not. Unfortunately tigers are only native to Asia. As far as Lions, when people came and really started building up Benin, they started at the coast and pushed the animals north. So, while I'm pretty far North the only places you could go to see all the awesome big game is at a HUGE safari park spanning part of Benin, Niger, and Burkina Faso called Parc W (on the east side) or Parc Pendjari on the west. Parc Pendjari is much more built up and because it's inbetween mountains the animals can't get out and there's a much better chance you'll see all the animals you came to see. It's about $150USD to get a guide and go on a few day safari though.
What else can we send you? Do you need anything?
You guys have been so so awesome about sending packages! It's pretty ridiculous. Thank you! There's really nothing I need right now. And I've gotten almost everything I've wanted. If anything comes up though (like for thanksgiving preparations), I'll let you guys know right away. Thank you so much again!
If anyone has any other questions, please ask! It's a lot easier to write this if I know what you guys want to hear. I'm getting used to living here now and the everyday stuff really has become... just every day stuff. But I want to explain what I can!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Kalale
So, I just moved to Kalale. I love it. Im at the workstation in Parakou right now, taking a couple "mental health days" - I don't feel as though my mental health is in the balance, but it was my post mate's (there's another volunteer in my village) birthday and she was coming here to celebrate. On top of that, Terebessy (pretty much my PC BFF) was coming to town, and he lives so far I had to come when he was.
Kalale is so far so good. I don't have any mice and few cockroaches, a couple lizards and a ton of spiders. I'm worried when the season changes I'm going to get mice. I bought a cat yesterday (in the "Meat" section of the market), it's a kitten right now. We have these things call PCVLs (PC Vol Leaders) and the new one for the Parakou work station is named Dave and he's a red head with short hair, and since my cat is orange and white, we decided almost immediately that it looked like Dave. So, that's my cat's name David Patrick Cowell II (aka Dave).
There's a phenomena in Kalale that we like to call "Street Meat" - it's not road kill, much more delicious. Guys set up big bbq pits and roast whole chickens and sheep and you can find a couple of these in every village. Unfortunately, some villages don't have safe street meat - but Kalale is not one of those villages. You can buy a whole chicken for $3 US and it tastes like publix rotisserie. DELICIOUS! So on Market day (thursday), I get together with my post mate Loren and we search for the most delectable street meat (meaning deciding between the beninese guy or the nigerian guy across the street... I prefer beninese, she likes nigerian) and chow down on chicken and large cold cokes. I pretty much love Thursdays. It's my favorite day of the week. Last thursday, we had omlette sandwiches for breakfast ($0.75), then chicken for lunch. That's what you call here a "Mama and baby day"... you get pretty jaded to the fact that they were once living just because it's the most delicious and nutritional food you could hope to find in country.
Today I'm on vacation though, so I'm deciding now if I'm having a burger or pizza for dinner... It's a little pricey, but when you live in the bush, money doesn't get spent any other way. And I'm certainly not going to live without any luxury here just to save up the $100 that we get paid per month. So, I'm treating myself - to a cheeseburger or a pizza... hmm...
I'm setting up people to hang out with on my birthday so I wont be all alone in village. :) Not that it's that big of a deal, but any reason is a reason to celebrate in PC Benin.
Well, I've got a cat sleeping on my stomach and date with Angee (a good friend who lives not far from Parakou) for an omlette sandwich and a coke.
:)
Kalale is so far so good. I don't have any mice and few cockroaches, a couple lizards and a ton of spiders. I'm worried when the season changes I'm going to get mice. I bought a cat yesterday (in the "Meat" section of the market), it's a kitten right now. We have these things call PCVLs (PC Vol Leaders) and the new one for the Parakou work station is named Dave and he's a red head with short hair, and since my cat is orange and white, we decided almost immediately that it looked like Dave. So, that's my cat's name David Patrick Cowell II (aka Dave).
There's a phenomena in Kalale that we like to call "Street Meat" - it's not road kill, much more delicious. Guys set up big bbq pits and roast whole chickens and sheep and you can find a couple of these in every village. Unfortunately, some villages don't have safe street meat - but Kalale is not one of those villages. You can buy a whole chicken for $3 US and it tastes like publix rotisserie. DELICIOUS! So on Market day (thursday), I get together with my post mate Loren and we search for the most delectable street meat (meaning deciding between the beninese guy or the nigerian guy across the street... I prefer beninese, she likes nigerian) and chow down on chicken and large cold cokes. I pretty much love Thursdays. It's my favorite day of the week. Last thursday, we had omlette sandwiches for breakfast ($0.75), then chicken for lunch. That's what you call here a "Mama and baby day"... you get pretty jaded to the fact that they were once living just because it's the most delicious and nutritional food you could hope to find in country.
Today I'm on vacation though, so I'm deciding now if I'm having a burger or pizza for dinner... It's a little pricey, but when you live in the bush, money doesn't get spent any other way. And I'm certainly not going to live without any luxury here just to save up the $100 that we get paid per month. So, I'm treating myself - to a cheeseburger or a pizza... hmm...
I'm setting up people to hang out with on my birthday so I wont be all alone in village. :) Not that it's that big of a deal, but any reason is a reason to celebrate in PC Benin.
Well, I've got a cat sleeping on my stomach and date with Angee (a good friend who lives not far from Parakou) for an omlette sandwich and a coke.
:)
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