6 months and going strong!

It is hard to believe that it has been over a month since I last posted. Life here has gone on as usual, and things at post right now are actually really busy with the end of the semester for my students, and just a ton of lesson prepping, interrogation and devoir (big exam) writing, correcting…write now it seems to never end but will ease up in a few weeks.

Since I last wrote, a New Year has indeed commenced. I hope everyone’s new year was fun and enjoyable and I wish everyone much success in things to come. All my friends from the states seem to be doing such exciting and meaningful things all over the states and the world, so I think 2008 will be a fun and succesful year.

After devoirs ended last December, I headed up to Natitangou in the north to work on the national spelling bee we are in the process of coordinating with some other freinds, and did a little sightseeing while I was at it. It seems to be a dramatically different terrain in the Nati area – changing from a lush, green, tropical setting of the South to a drier, almost savannah like landscape. In addition, Harmattan (very dry and colder season) had indeed started and was noticeable. Actually, Harmattan has actually reached the South as well for this month and next, and it is a challenge to keep hydrated, avoid dust storms, and not help but actually put a jacket on during the mornings and night! Crazy!

Anyways, it was great to hang out at the Natitangou workstation for a bit and spend Christmas food and morning with PCV freinds. Some of us, during our short time in the North, went to go see the amazing Tata Sambas. Pictures are posted that more accuratly depict what these are, but basically the Samba people in the area built these absolutely incredibly beautiful multi-leveled mud structures that are very unique and stunning against the dry, somewhat mountanous landscape. I have to say our hike to and from the Tata we stayed in was some of the most breathtaking I have ever seen. Pictures and words cannot accuratly describe. We spent the night in a Tata, indeed on top of the Tata – foregoing sleeping in a cubby within the tata to sleeping in a freezing cold, dust storm - bad choice – but went to bed with local kids telling us storys, and enjoying an incredibly good yam pile dinner and bouie breakfest at sunrise. It was absolutely amazing, and was a good way to support a very very local site. The next day, we went to the waterfalls near Tangeuta for a refreshing swim and had a wonderful time relaxing on the rocks and swimming in the natural water area.

I unfortunatly got really sick during the end of my stay in the North – maybe food poisoning or something.  I actually don’t remember being that sick for an incredibly long time. I could not keep down water and food, and only because of my incredibly wonderful Peace Corps freinds was I nursed back to health quickly and traveled back down to the South

I returned to Azove many days before New Years to celebrate this time with my community. It was a change to be in Azove without working so much, but was definetly a nice chance to JUST enjoy the people, the area, and to get ready for the new year of school in preparing. For New Years eve, I went with my neighbors to the Catholic church for  a 2 hour “midnight” mass (don’t worry, even though I go to church so much, I am in fact, still Jewish ). Because I often am practicing with the church choir, when my freind Rosalyn saw me she immedietly pulled me to sit with the choir and seem. In fact, I did not know most of the songs being sung in Fon for that particular occasion (a different area’s local language), and could not help to chuckle to myself a bit throughout the surface of the ridiculousness of sitting up in the front like that for the service. But at the strike of midnight, everyone changed from attending a solemn church service to what seemed to be crazy with joy singing, dancing, and even dancing around in a circle around the church itself. It was in fact a beautiful sight to witness and partake in with freinds and neighbors.

On New Years day – night, I discovered the party really begins -it seems to be just as big of a deal if not a bigger deal here than New Years day. Allison my postmate and I attended another church concert, and walked around Azove, witnessing homemade (and a bit scary!) firecrackers, and people out and about and obviously having a wild good time to ring in the New Year. It was a fun experience.

School started again on January 7, and there I was, back again in the full swing of things! Before heading back to school, I made some promises and resolutions to myself in really improving my teaching ability. I have begun a teaching journal which has helped me tremendously in daily improving my pedagogical abilities, and am really trying to use a lot more visual aids , for example , by creating things with magazines I have been sent from the states or anything I have around, using much more positive reinforcement, relying much more on group and partner work, and have actually seen my students really understand a lot more it seems. I am absolutely loving teaching my 6eme (first year at Secondary School) students and am actually really amazed at how much they have learned – I feel like I can actually see results in acquisition of the language and excitement for learning.  And although 5eme continues to be a challenge, it is going better.  

However, some interesting things have happened since school started. The teachers went on strike- which was an interesting development – but I continued teaching as a volunteer with no political involvement. They have commenced again at my school, and not at some others, but it was an interesting week of an incredible ability for good classroom choices and little distraction outside of my open classroom window! However, the students were ridiculously antsy – probably questioning why they had to be there for my class and it was a bit of a challenge to teach, especially my 5eme C class who had turned into crazy kids! Anyways, the SAME week of the strike a Beninese soldier informed me he was taking over my 5eme C class. I had witnessed many Beninese soldiers the week before on the campus grounds and had not thought much of it – thinking it a bit odd, but not really questioning it.  However,  during the “greve” (strike) week I discovered they were in fact here as part of their service as teachers at the school. After my 5eme C class, my AE (head of the English department) and him talked to me about how he has been sent by the government to teach English and he is taking over my class till the end of the year. I was really flustered by all of this. I did not understand why in the midst of a strike where no other teachers were teaching but myself and a few others, he would be taking over my class. Or why, when sooo many other teachers do not even show up to teach or have started months late, it would be necessary to take over ANOTHER volunteers class. Finally after an hour or more discussing the situation with the cenceur, i discovered that many teachers were effected by this as well. So this is how it is. I have one last class. The logic still does not make a whole lot of sense, but it is not my choice. It is interesting, because since January 5eme C has been my toughest class- just the week before I had had my worst day of teaching ever with them and walked out I was so upset. But I was so proud of myself because I felt I had developed discipline techniques to handle them and things were going well when I was informed of all this. But c’est la vie! Even without the class, I still feel really busy with school!

A few weekends ago, I went to Abomey for the day to finally learn some more about Beninese history. Abomey is the old capital of the Dahomey kingdom before the French came in and moved things around, and it really was a beautiful town – actually reminding me much of Lakossa where I was for stage with “pave” roads and historical Palais du Roi throughout the city. I went to the Musee Historique d’Abomey and learned a bit more about Beninese history. It is really hard to come by any written history here – I think much of it was oral and there just seems to be few books or academic literature on it. So it was refreshing to glimpse a bit into the countries past. One thing I  discovered was what I actually felt was the influence of women in the history – with Benin having one of the only actual “Amazon” fighting units – all women – in the world and the influence of maternal in the legends of the origin of the king. It also seemed that artcrafts were a lot more cherished in the past – something that seems to have dwindled as time has gone on. I was also in Abomey for “Voodoo” Day – or Traditional Religion’s Day- a national holiday – but could not find much going on – I think most of it was hidden from any foreigners site, unsurprisingly.

After Abomey, a few PCV freinds came to celebrate some January birthdays, and it was really nice to show other volunteers around my post. I realized how proud I am of where I am and what I am doing – and so really I can’t wait to show people from the States!

My girls soccer team is going well, although we are having trouble with consistency of lots of girls always showing up -  I think it is a cause of it being darker in the mornings and much colder in the mornings and people being sick so I hope things change. In fact, last weekend I went to Dogbo to meet with the coach there who trains about 30 girls and watched them in their training routine. They have a really great team going, and it was really helpful to see another team in action and was helpful for my training. We tentatively have a game set up for March 8 in Dogbo - International Women’s day – but if that is to happen, I need to attempt to get some uniforms and shoes for all of my girls. Most of them still play in flip flops or barefoot and we still only have one ball. I plan to apply for a GAD – gender and development – grant to help with these expenses and see how things develop. And me and Allison also need to find a Beninese  women coach to assist us – that wouuld really help bring it all home and help in any language barrier that occurs. There apparently is someone in the area, so maybe with time she will join us. But I already notice an improvement in playing, confidence, and they seem to be having a really good time. It is totally enjoyable and a really good co curricular activity I think, no matter what happens! We certainly seem to be defying the odds of what is expected. and it is 2008 Africa Cup time in Ghana! So exciting. Who knew I really liked soccer so much, but I really love how empowering and fun it is!

Last weekend I also attended a Celestial church on Sunday with some other neighbors – Krystal and family. The Beninese Celestial Church was started in Benin and everyone dresses in these full white flowing gowns. It was definetly an interesting experience – mostly in Adja so little understanding – but I seem to be making the rounds of churches!

Speaking of Adja (area’s local language), I feel like I have been vastly improving in this realm! I have not even had tutoring in awhile, but I have been just speaking it as much as possible in my community – with greetings, at the marche, increasing my vocabulary, etc. It seemed so hard at the beginning, but is getting much easier and as they say, I am certainly “en train” (in the process, essentially) of really learning. I am really enjoying speaking what I can and hope to learn more as time goes on. The kids absolutely love teaching me, and my neighbor is really helpful and patient with all my flusters.

 My APCD Maria (Assistant Peace Corps Director) visits next Tuesday to observe me teaching and see my site,  and devoirs start right after that, so I am busy busy busy right now with correcting, planning, prepping, etc. For the February break however, me and some freinds are going to Togo and Burkina Faso for 10 days, so I am REALLY excited about that. Can’t wait to see some other parts of West Africa! Today is a regional meeting in Kleoukanme too, so I must head back to Azove!

Hope all is well and please continue to stay in touch! I will always write!

Peace and Love,

Jordan