Free-Range Food isn't Always a Plus

A while ago, I got a fence made of dried grass put around the front area of my house. It's really nice for privacy and (shh) sleeping outside during this time of year, the hottest time of the year, when the electricity is cut.

I had Robert, and his mother--thanks Phyllis!--send sunflower seeds, cosmo seeds, morning glory seeds, and scarlet runner bean seeds so that I can start a garden. My plan is to use the morning glory to cover my fence, plant the cosmos in front of my porch and along side of my house, and to have the far end of my front area covered in sunflowers!

I recently planted the sunflower seeds and taught a boy who lives next door how to water them for the times when I'm away from post.

I was away from post for a week and when I came back I was excited to see that one of the sunflower seeds had sprouted!! I asked the boy what happened to the rest of the seeds and he explained that the chickens that roam around my house got into my yard and ate the sapplings!

UUGGHH I HATE CHICKENS!

This is not the first time they've done this. I had wild cosmos growing in my yard and they'd sneak in during the dead of night and eat the newly budding flowers.

My sister witnessed the extent to which I despise chickens. I literally go insane. I pick up a broom and run at the chickens, swinging madly, screaming obsenities. My goal is usually to whack one full force in mid-air. One time I was almost successful but I missed the chicken by just a few centimeters.

So, I replanted the sunflower seeds. Thankfully, I only planted half just in case they didn't sprout. The soil is very poor. This time, I told the neighbor boy to guard my yard against chickens. If they destroy these sapplings I will literally kill every chicken in my village and have a big chicken feast. Fried chicken, chicken stew, chicken pot pie, chicken tenders, baked chicken, the list goes on and on.

Little do the chickens know that I may be getting a puppy soon. If I do, I will train him to chase and kill chickens :) Problem solved.

I will post pictures of sapplings if they survive. Pray for my sapplings...and for the lives of those chickens.

Duck Gracefully or, Just Risk it and Take a Taxi to Cotonou.

This...

Plus this...

(notice the slight discoloration on the corner.

You can tell how far it went into my head.)

Equals this!!

This week has been busy for me :)

I got back from Cotonou on Monday after seeing my sister off.

DIARRHEA!!

Literally, I've been a chocolate milk factory since

Monday. Gross I know, but part of my life here. Up until this point, I had managed to not get any stomach whatevers and now I have one and it's here in full effect!

By the way, to take the African gamble means to think you have to toot but surprise...

Today though, proved to be the icing on this week's cake. First let me describe the workstation. It's a normal house-ish structure. There's a side part with two outside bathrooms, real bathrooms with toilets for when you have to do something particularly smelly and/or noisy. This is an ingenious setup because the people in the workstation don't have to be burdened with your intestinal problems. A cement wall outlines the workstation property, running against the farther of the two bathrooms. Out of this wall, maybe 5 feet from the door of the bathroom, juts a metal pole to which a laundry rope is tied. The pole is one of those 'L' shaped poles and is positioned on the wall so that the L is upside down...kind of like 'r'.

I was coming out of the bathroom against the wall, was bombarded by some flying creature and ducked to keep it from flying into me. When I came up from ducking, I came up full force into the bottom part of the 'r'. I saw white and was stunned but just assumed I hurt myself.

I walked into the workstation, and wiped what I thought was sweat from my forhead.

No.

Blood, and lots of it.

After talking to the Peace Corps doctor, it was decided I would need to go the hospital here in Natitingou. I did. First, I went to the wrong hospital and walked around dazed and confused. Finally, I figured out I was at the wrong hospital and found my way to the right one.

The doctor there examined me and said "you need stitches."

We went over to another room, the nurse came in, shaved some of my hair off (very sad), cleaned the wound and next thing I know, there's the needle and thread. NO ANESTHESIA!

I laughed hysterically and told them to wait while I built up the guts to get stitches in my head with no anesthesia.

Deep breath.

Okay, go ahead.

BAM!

I'm pretty sure that the only reason I didn't cry was because I was sweating from the pain of it all. I'm also pretty sure that I almost pushed one of my eyes right out of it's socket in my attempt to apply pressure to deal with the pain.

I began to curse, aloud, in English and they all began to laugh. They knew.

They did a good job. A good, painful job.

They put about 20 different cleaning agents and topped it off with what I'm sure was alcohol and a bandage.

Enjoy the pictures.

Laundry!

I discovered I can load video. Here it is. Enjoy.

I Took the African Gamble....

and lost. On to other things...

My sister visited me for 2 weeks.

When she first visited I was finishing up in the med unit so we didn't do much. We spent a few days at the workstation (where I got sick from eating a bad salad) and then at my post. Post was boring for her but awesome for me to have her there. We didn't do too much, as there isn't that much to do in village but Chanda got to experience a small sampling of my daily life. This included sitting around in the heat, and doing her own laundry (pictures to follow)!

That weekend, we headed down to GAD weekend. GAD weekend is comprised of a night of date auctioning and a formal dinner and dancing to support small projects for Gender And Development. We had a beautiful dress made for Chanda from traditional tissu! Everyone loved it, but she thought it made her look like a big kid.

The first night, the date auction, was hilarious. Chanda got drunk and bid (and won) on almost every date. Of course the volunteers who work for GAD love her (and I love her because she I get to enjoy all the lovely dates she bought for me). I'll be getting a tea party, a sleep over, a foot massage, and a full course chinese dinner complete with night looking at the stars from a watch tower. WOO!!

The second night was fun too, mostly consisted of being thrown in a swimming pool, fun dancing, and more bidding and winning of art and jewelry.

We headed back to post and just chilled for the rest of the week. Chanda, who was going crazy, helped me fixed my fence and plant sunflower seeds to start my garden! Because I knew I'd be away from post a lot in the next few weeks, I taught the neighbor boy how to water them daily. I'm so excited to see sunflower saplings (pictures to come)!

We ended with a day at the beach complete with nude men. It was a fun time and I miss her!

I'm so ready for Rob to be here now that I've had practice with my sister, I'll feel like a professional Peace Corps Volunteer host.

Also, I found out that (even though her work is more dangerous) she's spoiled!!!!!!