Showin' off moves never seen before

When one thinks of Africa, there are a few things that typically come to mind. Perhaps you think of strange piercings, crazy languages, lawlessness and no access to water. In movies, whenever people travel to Africa, there’s always a lot of music with some sick drum beats and people dancing everywhere you turn.

This could not be further from reality.

There is ONE store that often blasts music near my CEG, and that music is usually direct from Bollywood. I always note while passing by that this is what Hollywood had led me to believe Africa would be like. And while it’s ignorant to assume that all of Africa is the same (and, to be fair, I don’t think any films have been filmed in Benin), I always feel a hint of regret that my days can’t be filled with drums and dancing. Furthermore, whatever music I hear now will decrease tenfold once I get to Kemon and lose all access to electricity.

But today, we finally held a cross-cultural session that included a local group and local dancers. They dropped beats and sang songs that were typical to mostly the southern regions of Benin. We all went out and made fools of ourselves (some of us more than others) and danced along with the masters of the craft. Some of us exhibited the white man’s lower-lip bite, while others actually showed that we could keep up with some of the more advanced Beninese moves. I think it’s safe to say that most of the dances resembled the movements one would expect to see from a chicken in the process of laying an uncomfortably large egg. Much fun was had by all, and I was even fortunate enough to receive a 25 FCFA piece from my future post-mate Sarah Ellison. I’m not entirely sure what the significance is, but if someone likes what they see they will stick a 25 FCFA piece to your sweaty forehead. I paid it forward, of course. A 25 FCFA piece is worth roughly a US nickel.

In Kemon, I will need to go to church every Sunday if I would like to participate in this type of rowdiness; church is an event that takes approximately 3 hours and involves nonstop singing. As for the other typical African images made famous by National Geographic, they are valid in various degrees. I don’t see interesting piercings around, but most people I see have scarification on their faces. From what I understand, this involves cutting oneself with a razorblade and placing various herbs in the scar so it will heal in a certain fashion. Second, even in the capital city the water shuts off all the time. And third, there is a considerable amount of lawlessness. I have seen, on several occasions, the Beninese take “law enforcement” into their own hands. Also, public urination is an epidemic. I will not disclose here whether I partake in this mild manifestation of lawlessness.
While I don’t have any pics of the music session, there will be plenty of opportunities in the coming years. If I need to go to church in order to witness this, c’est la vie.