Hope life is going well for everyone. I heard about the fires in San Diego and I pray everyone is safe and that too much damage doesn’t occur. You are in my thoughts, please be careful.
Hope you all enjoy this for now:
LIGHTENING STRIKES
Africa really is the beginning of all things. The root of all humanity and creation. All things began here. Forces of nature are stronger here than I have ever previously seen. For an even stronger connection with the natural beauty of this country I decided to clean out an area behind my house to contain a warming water tank (a huge black, plastic bucket that could house about four showers' worth of water to be warmed by the sun throughout the day and maintain a little heat for the shower at night – it's not running water, like inside, but it's warm and it's under the stars) and “shelving” (stacks of bricks) for bottles and soap and candles for lighting (no outside lights). It already is equipped with a clothesline so I can hang my towel and other things so they do not rest on the ground. It really is ideal, so I'm hoping it all works – the bricks breed animal habitat and the concrete floor is actually the lid to my septic tank (having a flushing toilet unfortunately doesn't mean I won't get stuck in a 'latrine cloud' every once in a while). While creating this gem of a douche (shower) I spotted some lightening. Quickly moving my bike undercover I stopped only momentarily to recognize that I could see the moon and stars; this is not very usual if lightening is present. Taking another glance around I realized the lightening was coming from an isolated point north of my house. It was just a floating cloud of light flashing through the sky. The half-moon and the stars were out, well illuminating my area as I brought a chair outside and enjoyed a cup of Chai tea (thanks Clare!) and the fireworks display. Literally, it was one large cloud that flowed by as slowly as clouds do but was flashing inside like a rave party for the Gods. Once in a while a bolt would escape the festivities and streak across the sky surrounding the cloud. The Adja term for this is loosely translated to mean “second moon” and I find this to be a very fitting name for what was taking place in the sky that night.
It was after following one of these bolts with my eyes that I spotted a cluster of fireflies dancing along the perimeter of my concession. It was no “Pink Floyd Laser Light Show” but as I sat, sipping my tea, contemplating the party cloud and the fireflies sparking around my empty concession I realized how magnificent it was that I had the time for, and newfound devotion to, doing such simple things as enjoying my surroundings. I know that even if a floating lightening cloud had passed by me in San Diego I probably wouldn't have taken the time to bring out a chair and dedicate two hours of my evening to watch it pass. Patience is not only a virtue, but a blessing and I pray I can learn this in my two years here and maintain it for the rest of my life afterwards. I think I'm off to a good start already.
CLOSING THE FRONTIER
This morning I went out to buy some bread. The price had increased by 40F – which is a lot considering I can buy lunch most days for 50F total (that's rice and beans for lunch with some oil, spicy fish sauce and gari – crunchy flour – sounds good, but after everyday for two weeks it gets old and fattening, but I've given up on trying to avoid the latter anyway). So I said “no thank you,” and walked away. This was after yesterday when there was no salt bread to be found and the only reason anyone could give me was “because it isn't here,” literally, “it isn't here,” so I had to buy the one other type of bread. I tried to look at the brightest of sides; at least I have bread at all in my town. Aaron, my postmate in Jack City , has to come to Azovè or wait until a marché day to get bread in his town (only 10km away!).
At the 'yovo mart' (supermarché) French butter went up by 100F . This was painful enough but then I went up North and discovered it was 300F cheaper! I was outraged and demanded an explanation from my grocer as to why these prices are increasing. Aside from the obvious reason that the CFA is experiencing some inflation, he gave me the “frontier is closing,” as an explanation. “For which reason?” I asked incredulously. “For the holidays,” he said with a straight face. “The holidays? In December?” (I could think of no others, but yet I am not Beninese so maybe there was something I was missing) “Yes, Christmas and those others,” he replied. “But it's October!” “Yes. It takes a while.” That was it. It was that simple. The boarders need to be closed down; the border to Togo especially it would appear (across which all the wheat is made into flour) as the bread and butter prices have increased and who knows what all else. Normally prices fluctuate with season, assuming you can still find the products when they are out of season; the price for the most delicious oranges you have ever tasted will increase to two for 25F (or the equivalent of 6 cents in the U.S. ) instead of the five or so you can get when they're in season. Same goes for peanuts and tomatoes (peanuts cease to exist at all, let alone for an increased purchasing prices, out of season and therefore peanut butter can become quite the commodity).
The problem then arises that while the borders are being secured in anticipation of a crazy Christmas Eve, Benin starts feeling the squeeze of having close to no ability to provide for itself. Sufficient means for milling wheat enough to supply the country does not exist in Benin and therefore they have to look Westward to Togo . Frightening as it is, this is the reality in Benin and is one reason countries in the midst of development find it so difficult to become self-reliant when their very breakfast is contingent upon their neighbors and the upcoming holiday festivities. Poor organization is also to blame; despicable infrastructure and pervasive corruption in the government only compound an already painful problem of moving goods across borders and intrastate. As a result, naturally, the price at the Douane (toll) and import taxes increase and, especially heading northwards in Benin , then is augmented more once it gets to the areas for distribution. By the time the product actually hits the shelves the Beninese could be paying anywhere from 20-30% more for their products. These money worries are not entirely unlike the pain many in America are feeling as a result of the credit market so I guess for now I'll just bite my tongue and cough up the extra 40F for the good salt bread. Butter, however delicious, is unnecessary and I'll think twice before reaching in and putting another 100F across the counter. All I gotta say is there better be a good freakin' Christmas party for all this.
AN AMERICAN ASIDE
As just a little side note I wanted to make a statement regarding how nice it is to not read food labels anymore. Not only because they don't really exist or even because when they do I can't figure out the conversions from kilo Joules or grams into Calories and 'percent daily values' fast enough to tell myself not to eat the entire carton of whatever I just picked up at the yovo mart, but just because I don't have to. The older, married men LOVE fat women and think it's just lovely when you gain some weight and the younger, more threatening ones, are a bit turned off by it so I get the best of both worlds! Younger men tend to think twice before walking over and asking me for my number and older, taken men who pose no threat of marriage or harassment (theoretically) flatter me. So while I might have to work really, really hard once I finally get home (and you will all have to work really hard to not let me know just how big I've gotten) I am going to enjoy the next two years of guilt-free eating. It is definitely an interesting and new feeling to eat only when hungry, follow what my body tells me it is craving or only what's available and to eat only until full (because it's usually pretty nasty or boring food) to get enough nutrients to sweat profusely for the next four hours while I do manual labor just to survive and maintain a clean house. So maybe I won't be getting all that large after all; but at least I don't spend two hours in the grocery store anymore reading labels and thinking “if this is 75% fat free does that mean I can eat 75% more of it and still have the same outcome as the normal, better tasting alternative?” It has been difficult, however, reading my body and trying to determine what certain stomach aches and body pains might be telling me I need to add (or remove) from my body!! All the multivitamins in the world probably won't prevent me from getting anemic so it's good to keep on the lookout all the same; if only my entire body came with a label and some nutrient gauges.
The new list: (should you feel the need to send something to me!)
Good Tea
M&M’s
Reese's anything
Candy bars
Red Vines
Peanut Butter
Trail Mix
Fruit Leathers
Dried Apricots and Craisins
Taste of Thai Curry Pastes (they last and are delicious over boring rice!!)
Sauce, Dressing and Spice Packets – marinades, etc. (Kraft Mac&Cheese powder is almost gone!)
Jell-o and Jell-o Pudding (crazy Cosby cravings; can't imagine why)
Brownie and cake mixes (take out of plastic wrap and put in Ziploc bags w/ instructions cut out)
Anything that smells good: soap, candles, incense, sachets of lavender/jasmine, etc.
Drink powders (like little Crystal light and Lipton tea flavors to go)
Super glue
Headbands (not hair-ties)
Makeup
Cheap Target-like Earrings (nickel-free, I’m allergic! Otherwise I’d buy it here)
Good soccer ball!!!!
Leave-In Conditioner
Heavy duty Conditioner
Any good new reads you've finished (in softback, of course)
Mixed MP3 cds
Little sticky notes (the colored ones that are thin)
Markers
Luna Bars or similar type sports/energy bars (get hungry out on the long bike rides)
Planting seeds for hot/tropical weather
Information or books on gardening/planting – seriously clueless here
Coffee
Candle wicks
Photos!!
Allison Henderson
B.P. 126
Azovè, Benin
Afrique de l'Ouest
Par Avion
Send it in a padded envelope and usually it is a good idea to send the stuff in separate Ziploc bags (in case of any explosion accidents)
Thanks and love you!!!
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