Hikes, Market Trips, and Baking Brownies

I often open entries with the weather, but I really cannot get over the fact that I get to go to the pool every Saturday even in November. There are moments that I miss that chill in the air, but I have my crunchy leaves (that died of dryness), so I’m surprised to realize that I’m ok in this perpetual summer. I think I’ll feel a little different during Christmas time when I listen to “Let It Snow.” 

I need everyone who reads this to see the Wicked movie. I’m not going to be able to see it for a long time and it’s devastating. Maybe that’s an over-exaggeration. The theatre kid in me needs an outlet, though, and for the time being, it’s not Wicked Part 1. I’ve watched hours of oddly emotional interviews. I’ve held space for Defying Gravity. Henry knows what Wicked is now. I don’t know how he didn’t before. He didn’t even know who Idina Menzel was. 

I posted photos already, but a few Saturdays ago I hiked up most of the Savalou Colline! I knew it would be hard, but it was downright treacherous. The next day, it wasn’t my legs that were sore, it was my arms, on account of the stretches of rock climbing the hike required. Despite our goals, we didn’t make it to the top. We went about 70% of the way up to the Celestial Christian Church where we received rocks imbued with healing, protection, and manifestation properties. To heal, get the rock wet and hold it over the affected area. To protect yourself from spiritual and physical threats, imagine the person or being you want to avoid and strike the threshold of the protected area three times. They won’t be coming around. To manifest, really envision, and shake the rock. 

Oddly enough, we had the chance to use the rocks right away. Our friend, Ago, who guided us up the hill needed to stop at his cobblers on our walk back home, and while stopped there, a giant cement cylinder fell onto my toe. I was immediately overwhelmed with shock and stress as I wondered if it could be broken or if I needed to call the Doctors and get on that six hour bus to Cotonou. Fortunately, I was wearing tennis shoes and the cylinder only struck the tip of my toe. Not broken, just bruised. To seal the deal, Henry poured some Fifa water on his stone and really manifested une prompte guerison (prompt healing). Some (he) may say it helped. 

I was still stressed and in shock as I got up to try to walk. I was immediately overcome with vertigo. I dropped into a crouch. I decided I needed to get home as quickly as possible, so I hailed a zem (motorcycle taxi). The dizziness didn’t stop on the back of the zem, so not twenty feet from where I mounted the zem, I stumbled off of it and collapsed onto the grass. The zem driver was mildly confused and concerned, and Henry and Ago came running to help me over to a chair where we sat for an hour and drank sodas. Pamplemousse, in particular. It’s a pale yellow drink that is apparently grape fruit flavored. With a drink, rest, and a very cold sachet (sack) of water on my toe, I could eventually bear to go on.

Later, when Henry and I went to get lunch, as we were leaving, I knocked my helmet off the table and onto my other big toe. No damage except embarrassment. I couldn’t believe my luck. I groaned in frustration and hopped around with one foot in a circle to the amusement of some nearby kids.

Work this week was really laid back. Devoir week! My responsibilities consisted of watching students take their tests for multiple hours. My censeur (vice principal) wanted to ease me into the duty, so he assigned me to proctor Terminale C (a small 12th grade class). “Terminale students are serious,” he said, “they won’t cheat.” And he was right. There were no issues. Later, I was assigned to stamp student test papers to prove that they composed their responses during the session. My hands were covered in red ink, and I had a new appreciation for the Censeur’s consideration of my experience as I listened to my colleagues proctoring 6ème (sixth grade) classes. “No talking.” and then thirty seconds later “Talking is forbidden.” and then after that “If you talk, you’ll get a zero on this test.”

My days were, without exception, finished by noon, and many days of the week, earlier than that. It was restful, but now I’m feeling restless and I’m greatly anticipating a normal school week. I haven’t seen some of my students in three weeks! 

The laid-back vibe did help me get ahead on some odd jobs around the house. I called my electrician to help me replace some light bulbs. Including the light in the hallway! I paid my water and electricity bills (and properly noted how much of both I had consumed to make sure I’m paying fair prices). I dove into planning and project management. I batched some Instagram content (have you seen my latest reel?) and did a lot of scrolling on my @lenainbenin account and called it market research. I didn’t quite get it together to go visit the tailor. As I’m planning for this week, this is my priority. I’ve identified who I want to go to. I’m going to spend time on Pinterest tonight to choose models.

Thursday was the long-awaited site visit from the Peace Corps. As it was an exam week, there were no regularly scheduled classes. We informed our 4ème (8th grade) class last week that they’d need to come to school on Thursday at 8. Our students were punctual and enthusiastic. They honestly souped it up a bit. I’ve never seen them so locked in for a lesson. Now the question is, how do I keep them so engaged for normal lessons?

I had spent hours the night before the visit cleaning my home because part of the site visit is checking my house. My supervisors were very business-focused and came to see my phone numbers on the wall and my gas tank. They paid no attention to my strategically placed French study book. Oh, well. When they were gone before 10:30 am I got to take a well-earned nap.

I visited the market on Friday. My friend Cassi came into town, and we spent hours crisscrossing the stalls. I got soap, we both got earrings, Cassi bought a huge basket, and I got some candy for my students. Cassi brought her dog Capers, and Capers did quite well in the crowded space. In Benin, dogs are not the beloved domestic figures they typically are viewed as in the US. Usually, they’re perceived as vermin. The Beninese were shocked to see Capers on her little leash, but they were mostly happy to see her. As we were leaving, Cassi hoisted her basket onto her head. Marketgoers were impressed with her Beninese style of carrying her things, but in the same glance, a confused look crossed their faces as they realized her other hand was holding a dog on a leash.

After the market, we stopped by the palace. The same guide who invited Henry and I inside a few weeks ago saw me and Cassi and called us over. I took off my shoes and set down my things out of respect for the sacred space, but I didn’t think about the Sprite in my hands. I took it inside. Once I realized, I gulped it as quickly as I could and shoved the can I had just crushed into my purse. Cassi held Capers in her arms as we took the tour.

On Saturday, at lunch, Cassi, Sami, Zach and I were talking in English as we do, and we were approached by two people. “You speak English?” the woman said, “thank GOD” and she collapsed into our empty seat. It was surprising to encounter English speakers, so we asked her where she was from. Her name is Precieuse from Nigeria. She taught us a few phrases in Igbo and I taught her some phrases in Fon. We talked for a bit, and she ultimately revealed her goal was to sell us multivitamin supplements. Zach was so impressed with her salesmanship that he ultimately bought a 1,000 cfa sample, which got him three pills.

Today, I made brownies! 

From Cookin’n’Benin: A Peace Corps Cookbook-

Brownies

1⁄4 cup butter 4 oz chocolate

4 eggs 1⁄4 tsp salt

2 cups sugar 1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

Melt butter and chocolate together over low flame. Cool mixture. In separate bowl beat eggs and salt with fork until light in color and foamy. Add sugar and vanilla, mix with fork in swift strokes. Combine chocolate mixture into the eggs/sugar mixture. Fold in flour, stir until well blended.

I substituted the butter for margarine because that’s what I have on hand, and I reduced the sugar to one cup, which was the right choice considering I threw in a valuable pack of peanut butter M&Ms. I baked it in my dutch oven for twenty five minutes, only burning the tips of my fingers when I pulled it out, which is by far the worst part of having such a large dutch oven pot. This is why ibuprofen exists. No pain, no gain? 

In seriousness, the weekly baked goods are worth EVERY minor burn. 

I’m getting really close to just buying myself a refrigerator. I just keep imagining the leftovers I can store, the ground beef, and butter. I could make ICE. I could keep my water chilled. Unfortunately, I have an expensive vacation planned for December, and those memories are more important to me than these amenities. See you in February, fridge.

There are major ups and downs. Lots of stomach issues. Lots of great moments with friends and colleagues and students. My Fon level is progressing slowly, but it’s moving forward. My French feels like it’s stagnating. I know that’s a part of language learning and I just need to keep up my study habits. That’s all there is to it.

Fon phrase of the week:

A fon gan ji a? - Did you wake up well?

Un fon gan ji - I woke up well.

French phrase of the week:

Tu me manques - I miss you

(but literally translated, “you are missing from me.” Which I love as a phrase.)

With love,

Lena