Summertime, and the livin's easy... ?

Been moving around a lot recently, which is definitely not a bad thing, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to explain to my community that I'm actually working when I'm away from post. Anyway, it's now been about a month without a single day off, barring the one day when we played the Germans in soccer (which resulted in a tie, which is as good as a victory in my book), and we all ended up so torn up from playing on a concrete/dirt combo terrain that I'm still feeling broken up two weeks on.

My cryptic and cynical recent post about the hurdles facing girls has been remedied. While many hurdles still exist, this one particular instance that got me so worked up is now a nonissue. In short - I'm happy. I had the great chance to work during the 1st ever Boys Camp in Benin in Ouake, a post on the border with Togo. It was an incredibly rewarding experience, and I had some great company from volunteers that I'd previously not gotten to know. We focus so much on the empowerment of girls that we'd previously neglected to share our experience/knowledge with the male half of the population. And while there are definitely fewer hurdles facing males here, in general, they are FAR from perfect, and display an equal need for some extra attention as the girls. Anyway, I want to thank the volunteers in that region (Heidi, Rut, Sarah) for recognizing this disparity. It was a pleasure.

Now down in Cotonou for PCVL training. I feel... clean. Going to be moving around quite a bit as I work during the first two weeks of stage, which is always busy, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again. This much is sure: it is going to be a shocking moment when I see myself, one year back, in the 60 new arrivals this Friday. It's been a bumpy ride, but everything is right at the moment. The road ahead is by no means smooth, but it's worth the troughs to get to the peaks. These are my thoughts at this landmark moment, when we become the experienced volunteers and welcome the freshies to their new life.

I love the Peace Corps. I encourage any listless graduates to seriously consider this path.

Then again, my opinion may be entirely different by the next time I post to this blog.

Ya never know! See you all soon!

Much Ado About Cotonou

Bonjour de Afrique! We landed safely late Friday night, and we had a fantastic welcome from our present PCVs. After a day of training in Philadelphia and almost 24 hours of flying (waiting, flying, waiting), I have arrived in my home for the next two years. I and 55 of my fellow stagiers (trainees) are living in a compound outside of center city, and we are learning little by little what we should come to expect out of the next two years.

Classes thus far have consisted of safety training, wellness exercises, French training, technical training, and small orientations, but most of them have included an ice breaker or two. My fellow volunteers seem to be selfless and respectable people, so I'm quite sure that having them will make the next two years that much easier. In two days we will be heading to our homestays in Porto Novo, where we will live until September 25 (when we will be sworn in, inshallah). Thus, class meetings will be smaller and focused more on my individual sector (TEFL, or Teaching English as a Foreign Language), so I'm quite sure that the "grind" has not yet begun.

You'd be surprised how much you can do here! We will have cell phones, internet access (if we want to pay $200.00 for a special satellite card), and possibly electricity and running water, so the living may not be as tough as some may think. Then again, there are posts that have none of the above, so I'll be sure to keep my hopes securely grounded. Malaria? Haven't even been bitten by a mosquito. Diarrhea? Not even close. Homesickness? Un petit peu. But c'est la vie.

All in all, I can't really say what the next two months will bring, much less the next two years. Just rest assured, things are quite exciting. I do believe Benin will be one of the best decisions of my life. Thank you everyone for all of your support. You've always got a place to stay next time you're in Africa!

This pic is of a few of my new friends here. We keep it light.