My new date for orientation is July 21st, 2009. I will be headed to Benin two days later, on July 23rd.
I am still a TEFL (Teacher of English as a Foreign Language) Volunteer, and my committment to service is still 27 months--which is a little sucky because had I gone to Madagascar I would've completed service and returned home around my birthday.
The good:
Cell phone usage is more common, mail won't take as long to arrive as in Madagscar--although it's still pretty slow, I won't have to eat rice 3 times a day, I'll get to use more french, and I don't have to deal with tropical insects.
The bad:
Benin's cool season is not as long as Madagascar's so even though Benin has a tropical climate in the south the availability of tropical fruit isn't as great, anndd....I've read that Benin is considered a hardship position. My previous assumption was that all PC experiences were considered hardship position--WTF mate, now I have to reorient myself to the insects I'll come across--or that will come across me (blekh), and NO LEMURS!!!m
