Excerpts from June

I can understand now why crab is considered a delicacy. Sometimes I wonder why food inspires me to write, but with dinners’ such as tonite’s, I am not too surprised. There was an awful lot of thinking involved. But I am starting on the 23rd, and I mean to begin with the 1st…

1 Juin 2006, Jeudi TREE DAY!

I started the day with a quick little jog around town. Very nice. I came home and brought Elisabeth to me by thinking the little twerp probably would pass by before 7h. Uh, honey, I love ya, but no way before 7h, and preferably not before 8h, and 9h if you can help it. Anyway, I stretched and bathed and finished the stew from last night and wrote a letter and listened to African news on a German short-wave station, all before walking next door and planting a bunch of trees with the mayor and environmental community. I took pictures, amused by the mayor rolling up his sleeves and carrying a machette to tell people what to do. There were many women from the women’s groups though, so that was a highlight.
After that, I waited about an hour and a half at the CEG for the Journees Culturelles to begin. When will I learn to show up late? But it was fun once it did start… The heat was awful, today. Charlotte woke me up to go plant at CLAC, which went fairly well. Planted them and finished, Mathurin stopped by, but that’s all I saw of him. I supervised cake making afterwards, which really was a lot of fun. Because of the cultural days, everyone is ready to party. I danced some, even. I still hold myself back a lot, but just to keep from bringing so much attention to myself.
It just barely rained, barely, but enough to cool us off. Brought cool air at least. I bathed after making cake, and met Adjo and Shella to take our four cakes to the CEG. Oh. My. Gosh. We waited forever until, no matter what the program said, Modeste called us up to talk about cake-making. The girls did very well in presenting the cake, and everyone liked it. Adjo saved one of the four cakes for all of us to eat, though all her siblings had to eat some too. Oh well. Maman who sells bread gave me an avocado sandwich- I ate all of it, as it was 23h20 and I was hungry. Not as hungry as Derique, though, so he ate some pate rouge from the marché. I had a lot of fun hanging out with girls today. A lot of fun. Vitalienne’s little sister told a great story, she is excellent, and Elisabeth dances Acbadja incredibly well. I gave them both money [as a compliment for performing well, as is custom here].

3 Juin 2006, Samedi

My goodness, I haven’t been so irate in a long time. I went to the “Mr. et Miss” competition at the CEG and am completely disgusted with myself for having attended, and for having thought the competition would be equal between the boys and the girls. Girls are so exploited for beauty here. Oh, 14-yr-olds on a stage, strutting their stuff, with other 14-20-year-old girls, their weight being exclaimed to the listening, no, watching public. I was mad enough to text Greta to have her call me, and ended up venting to Mom and Dad. And eventually calmed down and had a good conversation. But still upset enough to write here, at near 4h, and will most likely write of it in my blog [le voici].

12 juin 2006 Lundi

It only took me eight months to finally settle in, and make this house my home. Guillaume brought over my pagne chairs and the carpenter to install the big curtain I now have separating the big rooms that I mostly live in. I like the arrangement so much; I don’t know if that’s so because I needed a change in scenery or if I threw off what had been and made it my own, or if it really is that much better, but I like it. It really feels like my home now. I hadn’t realized, but before, I had not felt as comfortable as I do now. It was a lot of fun to rearrange the room. I even rearranged the walls.
Elisabeth slept the entire time we were working, through hammering on concrete, GG Lapinos, Wazeeza, and The Killers. I snuck out, leaving her sleeping in my open house, to get beans and rice at Eugenie’s, and I came back and ate it, Derique ate his, and I continued putting things in order. She slept a long time. She woke up and we ate frozen yogurt. I always want something to eat after a nap, I figured she would too. She did.
I made orange-flavored sugar cookies with her too, and Koffidjin came over to help eat them. The last four cookies I put cinnamon on, but it was nutmeg and orange I was trying to do. Still good. I took four to Tantie Blanche and CaCa each, and four to the mayor’s home to tell Koudjo I can’t go tomorrow à vélo. I have to get rid of more acacia [about 3000 acacia trees from the garden at As.P.E.L.]. I don’t mind being a laborer; I even like it, as long as I get to pick and choose what and when. Just as I showed up to tell Florent about the schedule, I saw the CERPA-même at the garden. Shucks, wasted trip. On the way back home I stopped by the CA and saw him and the secretaire.
“Grandma” was disappointed that I had forgotten her bread, but said she would marry my grandpa. I should have given her cookies. The man next to CLAC said he was going to marry me…
I mailed Nancy a letter and on the return received a small package from her, from Easter. A Jamaica tank top. I love it when that happens. I made a pretty good salad, and almost didn’t eat all of it, but then didn’t want to waste lettuce.

21 juin 2006 Mercredi

Still this morning- after trekking though awful mud, awful, I went to Florent’s home to talk money. A customer paid up, but only after bouff-ing [keeping some money for themselves]. What kind of work did they do? None, absolutely none, yet they took more than half of what they owed As.P.E.L. And they haven’t paid the workers they had ordered As.P.E.L. to hire to help load and unload plants. And I WORK FOR FREE!! An occasional meal of rice and beans, or pate, but mostly free. Those men are ridiculous. As.P.E.L. still has more money than ever, though, which is good.
It rained so much yesterday. To Adjové on foot tomorrow…
I am finally well washed. The water has been too cold to bathe properly in this cool air. I heated water so I could bathe and sleep well. But the mosquitoes will drive me to bug spray if I want to stay awake for very long.
I spent the evening with Hortense and Solange at Hortense’s. I stirred the pate that we ate with tomatoes and piment and a piece of chicken. We watched Cote d’Ivoire make a great comeback and win 3-2. It was excellent. I teased cute little Elsa. I like hanging out there, except sometimes it gets a little too girly. Anyway, had fun. Hortense is silly and Solange likes her sodabe and piment. I mentioned to Hortense something about my uncle from the Family Asse, but realized while saying it what it sounded like, that is, sugar daddy. Woops. Now she will give a hard time for it. As usual. I need that.
What else. I kind of really want mail. I hope the roadwork ends soon, because in my hopeful mind, it is the roadwork that keeps me from the flood of letters waiting in Lokossa. I had a great visit with Vitalienne and Yolande. Vitalienne and I talked birds, so I really like her. She also gives me confidence to start the environmental-type club. The Everything Club. Something like that.
My front yard being flooded gives me a nice front porch breeze. And, no surprise visitors if I leave the doors open for air.

---

---