Observations: Benin
The Beninese people have no concept of personal space or personal comfort, as demonstrated by squeezing into taxi buses and cars with no complaint.
Where Am I
The number one question that I get when communicating with people on facebook, twitter or email is "where are you?" This has been pretty consistent since I left Japan in February 2009. After leaving Japan, I set out on a…
Back to Being a Minority
On the plane from Paris to Rome on the continuation of our exodus from rural Africa to the industrialized world....well Italy for now....I noticed that I was the only black person and I sighed, "back to being a minority." While…
Things I won’t miss about living in rural Benin
Risking my life daily by riding on the back of motorcycles, sans helmet. Bugs. Bugs that bite. Bugs that just crawl. And bugs that interrupt my meals. Boredom. 90F (32C)+ days without air conditioning. Laying in the bed, 6 hours…
Have you ever…
...rode on the back of a motorcycle at 60km/h (37mph) down an unpaved road with no helmet? It feels like death coming at you at 100mph (160km/h).
Things that I am longing for
A few of the things that I have been missing since I have been in Benin. Manicures and pedicures. In London, I painted my nails fun colors every week and once spring and summer (read: eternal fall in London) I…
A Weekend in Dassa
So this weekend, the Italian is in town to visit me and say goodbye to our co-workers. Friday night we headed to Amadou's house just before dusk and played with his super cute four year old daughter Fatima who speaks…
Standing My Ground
Everyday I take Zems, which are motorcycle taxis, to the same locations. These include the office where I work, the restaurant where I eat lunch, the pharmacy, the "supermarket" (it is super small and I don't think really qualifies as…