Bonsoir my chère amis,
I recently got a bit sick and thought I would be spending a few days in the peace corps medical ward but it suddenly turned into 6 days away from my community. I won't lie and say I wasn't excited to have a shower and american food but my wallet is crying. The capitol city Cotonou is almost 100% more expensive. There is everything you ever would need, and I needed cheese, pizza, and a pool. I did have a good time but there is also this disconnect from my community.
My language tutor called me and expressed his worries that I would be sent home, the sickness was not that serious, but the fact I was gone so long made him feel this way. My students also kept asking the teachers where I was and a rumor went around that I got on an airplane and went home. I was quite sad to hear all this when I returned. The transition back has been hard. I felt like I started at square one again since I have only been living in my house a month and a half.
After reassuring everyone and talking more, the community saw that I am back and I have returned to continue consuming bissap and sweet potatoes once again. My students are visiting again. I did get my schedule swapped so now I do not have two solo classes but only one, thankfully!
To tie up my return in a nice bow, I had two students over last night and broke my strict "no students allowed in my house" rule. They are both very smart and funny girls, one in 3e and one in 4e so I trust them. We played Jenga, I cut a pineapple to share because if I leave the pineapple inside my house for more than a day, giant ants will infest it..... Learning from experience. And then I played music.
One thing I learned is that my students LOVE to dance. I can be singing a song about the months of the year and students will clap a rhythm and start dancing.
Even when I played Korean songs (mainly KEY), old American songs (cruel summer), boring basic music(Harry styles) they dances to it all. My last song was Hey Oh by the red hot chilli peppers and we danced, myself looking extremely silly and uncoordinated but dancing all the same. Also learned that dancing in a small cement house makes you sweat like you are sunbathing in Death valley. We crowded around my tiny one foot in diameter fan but this did not help.
Even though I have been feeling down and a bit removed from life here, I still have these little moments, little sweaty crazy moments where I smile and laugh and forget about my worries.
New weekly words!
French word for today -
Chez Madame or Chez Emma - the house of Emma or the house of Madame
Weme phrase for today -PLZ KEEP IN MIND I can't write it exactly in local language just how it sounds
Yozo tin - it is hot or
Yozo tin-tin - it's very hot
Okay au revoir mes amis!