Birthday in Benin

First birthday in Benin, check. The Beninese certainly do find a way to influence all aspects of your life--even your birthday.

There's a really nice restaurant (remember my standards have changed. I lived in Africa) called Java Promo. Getting there was a blast. Erin and I rode together, and were taken to the wrong place and charged too much. Once we got there, I had 8 shots of a Beninese-made liquor called Sodabe. Very good. Enough said.

Here in Benin, often times, the trip is more interesting than anything you experience at your destination.

Today, TEFL went to visit a village built completely on stilts in the middle of a huge lake. Very nice because it was my first real photo excursion here in Benin.

On the way there, smashed in a Peace Corps vehicle (as always), I was sprawled across a seat sitting in front of 3 current volunteers. I forgot to keep my balance after the van stopped and found my face in the breasts of said volunteer. Yikes.

Ganvie was really beautiful (see photos).

Because it's a village built on stilts, people travel around the village on little wooden boats.

At one point, there was a boy bugging us for money and gifts. The guy steering the boat decided to take the boy's only oar. This boy is only 1o years old by the way. He immediately broke into tears. Other people started yelling at our boat steerers started yelling at ours.

Imagine this: a traffic jam of boats, all the boatsmen yelling at our boatsmen. We're sitting in dirty water--the boat is rocking. Tres scary.

My birthday is fine so far.

Also, warning NOTICE THE ADDRESS CHANGE. ALL PACKAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO THE NEW ADDRESS :)

Qu'est-ce que ce passe?

This blog is just an update of events in the past 2 weeks since I haven't written anything.
Honestly, there hasn't been beaucoup des choses going on.
In Africa, people wear a fabric called tissue. It's essentially a tightly-woven cotton fabric of toutes les qualitiés. Some is horrid, some beautiful. It all comes with some kind of pattern or motif. The tissue is taken to a teilleur who can make just about any article of clothing you can draw. What's really great is that Western ideas of what it is to dress like a man haven't influenced Beninese culture.
No joking, men wear tissue that is bright pink with purple lace and red hearts.
All this to say: most of the tissue is not of my taste. However, last weekend je suis allé au marche avec Jamie, Erin and David and I found 3 patterns that are pretty decent. I took them to the teilleur along with my Express, vintage-fit dress shirt, and am having 3 shirts made. Pictures to follow.
Also, Erin and I are positive that we'll get to enjoy Ginger Snaps sometime in the future ;)
My Malaria medication gives me acid reflux to the max and the doctor suggested I take other medication to allow my Malaria medication to work better. I said no. I will be changing Malaria medication in the near future.
There's beaucoup des photos but Erin and I are figuring out the logistics of transfer.
Soul food was made at the last cooking session. I.....was very happy ;)
I've had some grumpy days--Rob, Erin knows your pain :)
Now that the Teaching English as a Foreign Language stagiers are in Model School we have to be at school by 7:30 and stay until about 17:30. Teaching is great! I'm still stubborn and stay up until atleast 22:30
And perhaps the most important thing, in the last 2 weeks I have realized, resented, and accepted the fact that I am in Africa for 2 years.