Some photos

Here are some photos from the last month. There are more, which I hope to be able to post to my Picassa account soon...but a system/opportunity still has to be worked out. Enjoy.

An intimidating stance. At St. Jean Eude's just outside Cotonou, where we spent our first 5 days in Benin.

"The Point of No Return" overlooking the Atlantic in Ouidah. This coast served as one of primary African exit points for slaves from all over Africa being shipped to the Americas.

A view from atop a "mountain" just outside of Dossa. Catholics here annually celebrate an apperation of Mary which they believe appeared on this hill.

On the way North for my post visit our bus--among many others--was held up for about 5 hours near Dossa. The night before a charcoal smuggler had been shot by the Gendarme; appalled what was apparently an excessive show of force, some local witnesses barricaded the road, set some tires on fire, and refused to back down until President Yayi Boni showed up on the scene. He didn'y show, but the Minister of Finance did make an appearance (by helipopter). He checked the scene out, ostensibly said some things to make the peace, and about 2 hours later traffic was moving again. And only 15 hours after the shooting.

Sabastian, one of the other SED trainees, on the beach at Ouidah.

Waiting for the Independence Day parade to begin (only 2 hours behind schedule as it was). That fantastic garb I'm sporting is called a "Bomba," and is tailored from lively "tissue" (fabric) picked out by my host family.

A Reason for my Silence

I realize I haven't set the best precedent this past month as far as updates go, but there are good reasons. Training in Azove (Southern city about 5 miles from the Togolese border) has been extremeley structured, and as such there hasn't been much free time to trek to a cybrex in another town.

Azove itself has usually had internet connection in the past; however, in the recent months as I understand it the government shut some services down, ostensibly due to back taxes that have long-been owed.

The cellular phone situation has been similar, as currently only 2 (BB Com and Libercom) of the 4 possible cellular providers are operating. The other 2, Moov and Arriba, were also shut down recently in the name of cracking down on corruption (i.e. collecting on back-taxes, previoulsy uncollected for whatever reason.)

While these interventions have caused some personal frustrations, I surmise that they have potentialy affected more disturbances to the Beninese whose businesses and daily routines are reliant on cell phone service--even those who have SIM cards for the running service providers have had to contend w/ an oversaturated network. About 20% of Africans use mobile phones, and here in Benin the widespread utilization of them is reflective of this wider trend. I heard it reported the other day from BBC that the role of the mobile phone in African life is increasingly important for social communicating, business affairs, even as a means of credit exchange/price negotiating and, during elections, political transparency and accountability. I recall reading in the Economist awhiel back that cell phones were the new "personal computer" [and a relatively affordable one--hence their importance to the developing world], as they have taked on and sometimes replaced many of the communicative functions of a PC.

Rumor has it that a Nigerian Co. has purchased Moov and Arriba and that things are in the works for the remittance of payments, and the resumption of service. Good news for both the people here trying to run a business, and for myself who's just trying to connect with home.

Arrived

Last Friday evening I arrived safely in Cotonou, Benin. On the night drive to St. Jean Eudes (a religious compound we've been staying for the past half-week), my senses recalled certain sights and sounds from my trip to Eastern Africa two years ago: the streets lined with vendor shacks, the night heavy with heat and humidity, the air poignant with smells of smoke and two-stroke engine exhaust. It's good to be in Africa again.

 

The past days have been packed with a variety of training, activities, and introductions. I'll flesh out some of these highlights as I have time to process them. Au revoir for now.  

Soaking in Americana

In the past month I have bided my time between Memphis, Denver, Chattanooga, Birmingham, and Philly--all to carry about the not so fun business of goodbyes. Here is a photographic menegerie of the past month spent with my people in my culture.

Two fellow sojourners.

The siblings at Coors stadium. 6-1, Rockies. The inflated ticket prices were worth seeing Yankees fans being sent home crying.

Goober fishing.

Sleuth: "Dang, did I just climb that?"

If I had to visually summarize and momorialize the sum of the American ethos, this would be it. If you build it...

Expat Survival Gear

What does one take to Africa for survival, entertainment, comfort? A daunting question, but which must be answered, and soon. Here are some of the more important items constituting my 80-pounds of rations thus far:

• Italian Espresso Maker and French Press. Relaxants and relationship-builders.
• Cumin and Cilantro (Lots - I plan to be the first to pioneer Tex-Mex in West Africa...if things work out the way I plan, I may be doing some Chipotle small business development in the distant future).
• Top Gun Soundtrack. "Danger Zone" will be the anthem of choice when its time to put on the aviators and ride back-seat on a moped taxi down the main strip of Porto Novo.
• Big Bass Pro Shop mesh hat. For protection from the Equatorial sun but mostly in honor of the South and Andy Clark.
• Books. Walking With the Poor by Bryant Myers. Mythology by Edith Hamilton - not so much for becoming better-versed in mythology as much as for recalling the joy that these stories bring to Cassel. Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky - I MUST finish this book. Puritan Prayers for finding words more beautiful than my own. Some C.S. Lewis.
• Scrabble, Travel Edition. So that I don't forget how to speak English.
• Radio Shack Dynamo hand crank short wave radio. For catching the BBC World Service and other voices from the West. And so I don't forget how to speak English.

I'm open to further suggestions...

Mailing Address

My Benin mailing address will conform to this format:

Name, Peace Corps Volunteer
Corps de la Paix
B.P.971
Cotonou, Benin

Basically don't send me anything expensive, heavy, bulky, perisheable, breakable, or suspicous. Letters (air mail only) take about two weeks, packages at least four.

Here are the USPS guidlines for Benin-bound mail. Don't be put off by the special postage schedules--first class will always do.

Pardon this Guy's French...

So there aren't exactly a lot of travel guide books out there on Benin. One, in fact, and it's written by some journalist-surfer dude and published by some obscure British book company. I bought it.

Upon my initial perusing, the book pretty much read like any other travel guide I've picked up. And then I happened upon page 74, wherein resides a section entitled "Africa is Hell."

I'm not sure if surfer dude gets his comdedic kicks from couching such a disclaimer in the middle of guide book (which the average reader would have probably already purchased at this point), or if this fine piece of paternalistic prose really does reflect some Brit's convictions about an entire continent. Brilliant. Either way, I'll probably leave the official Guide Book to Hades at home and look into what Lonely Planet has to say about West Africa.