Life as of July 27th

I am now living with my host family, and I’m still really excited. They are very nice people, and I’m amazed at how generous and considerate they are all being. We were warned that people might stare at us a lot, especially the children, and that we would probably never have a lot of time when we weren’t being stared at or what not, but my host family is going way out of their way to treat me like any other, which must take quite a bit of self-discipline… I know that I would want to stare at me.
There is a rooster outside my window right now crowing, and it’s cracking me up… after every crow he makes this noise, like maybe he has a sore throat and he has to softly squeal in pain after every crow… maybe that’s just how roosters crow though… I really wouldn’t know.
Anyway, my host family is very nice. My Mami and Papa (George) are an Islamic couple who live in the center of one of the larger cities in the north. The house has quite a few rooms, and it is more in the style of what I remember seeing in Mexico, it seems to be made of a thin brick that has been plastered over. They even repainted my room for me. It’s a bright blue color, and it seems the paint was very thin. Mami and George have 3 or 4 kids, but from what I get out of my broken French, all of the little ones are in the North with their grandmother. There are 2 others here. One is a young woman who has come up for vacation from Cotonou… she’s probably 17 or 18, but it’s hard to tell.
Their house has a gate in front from the street, made of some kind of solid metal (I didn’t pay close enough attention). Once entering, in their personal car BTW, you see that there is a small dirt area surrounded by walls where the car is kept. They pulled right up to their house. On entering the house I first saw the living room. Here there is electricity and a television… Mami and Papa are special because they have a television, so later all the children of the family (there is another house behind or around here, or maybe they are living here as well, but Mami’s sister lives there with her whole family. There are lots of children. After being shown my room I unpacked all of my things, tried to find a place for them all in my lock box the Peace Corps issued me, then went outside to ask about the toilet and shower. Mami wanted me to take a shower, and so she prepared hot water for me in another room across what I guess would be considered the courtyard. We had a hard time with the miscommunication about the toilet. Apparently there is only 1 key for the latrine, and I was trying to ask where the key was usually kept, but they thought I was asking how to use the key in the door. I also got a demonstration on how to use the latrine. Hehe. They kept showing me over and over. After that, I also got a demonstration on how to use my room key as well. I surrendered to the miscommunication gods, and went to sit with the children in front of the TV. I enjoyed trying to catch them staring at me, and I tried to make it a game with a few of them, but I don’t think we are on playful terms yet. Mami soon came to get me for my shower. I kept trying to ask if I could help with things, but no one would let me. Anyway, she then showed me that the water on top of the stove was hot and that I shouldn’t touch the stove (I’m wondering where they think I’ve come from… I think they think I haven’t used locks or stoves before). Anyway, she then took me to the shower and added some cold water from the tap (they have running water as well) and then left me to wash myself. My first bucket shower. I quickly found that the most logical way of doing it was to almost do a headstand with my head in the water. I know, I know, this isn’t how it’s meant to be done, but can’t I have a little fun with it? By the end of these two years I’ll probably be bathing upside down, balanced on the rim of my peace-corps-issued metal bucket. Hahaha. After getting the hair doused and redoused, I did gradually work my way down my body in splashes, and surprisingly I finished with half a bucket to spare. It’s amazing, considering the amount of water I used just a week or two ago for one shower.
After bathing and changing shirts (I lack spare skirts), I found myself in front of the table in the living room by myself. In Benin, it is considered an honor for guests to dine alone. This will be how it is the whole time I am here as well. Dinner was delicious! The servant girl served me noodles with a few pieces of tomato and onion cooked into them… somehow the noodles are always oily… I don’t know what the oil is, but it is really good. It reminds me of Ramen or spaghetti without the juice or sauce, and maybe even with a fresh taste added to it. For the meat I had a chicken wing, but it didn’t taste like any chicken I’ve had at home. The meat is much leaner, and it’s a little bonier. It was good though, and I had more food than I could have finished in a week. For dessert, an orange. To drink, water. Oh yeah, and bread… always bread. I love the bread here. It’s very traditional French bread usually, and it’s served with just about every meal.
While I finished my dinner the children slowly began to filter in to watch the tv, and so after washing my hands in the bowl provided, I joined them.
It wasn’t long before I was beginning my usual process of passing out wherever I fall, so my Mama, a somewhat feisty older woman (in my view), told me, “Sarah, go to bed.”
Once in my room I prepared for bed (without a mirror, for the first time), brushed my teeth and spit it into the chambermaid I had been given, crawled under my mosquito netting, and quickly fell asleep. Apparently some PC people came by to check on me last night, but I was out. I only remember it as a distant dream, and I don’t know what I said (in French or in English), but I can only assume they left soon after that.
So, things are going wonderfully. I can’t wait to start my training today. I guess it doesn’t actually start today even, because we are getting a tour of everyone’s houses and talking about our first impressions. I’m still excited though. I wish I had spoken more to ma famille. They are extremely gentle and respectful people, and I really think I will like them. So, that’s all of my news now. To all of you, as always, I wish you the best of luck.

Sarah