Pardon

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I’m sorry. My parents told me I have been neglecting my writing. That’s not entirely true, because I have been writing but not publishing.
I am writing while sitting in my mosquito net. The mosquitoes are awful. Imagine the sound of an overhead airplane, then equate that sound to mosquitoes, and marvel at the magnificent simplicity and efficiency of mosquito nets. If by accident you imagined a hovering helicopter instead of the airplane, add a flying cockroach to the scene and pray in thanksgiving to all the gods you know for strong mosquito netting.
My mom called me last night. Well, actually she telephoned me and called me Erika. We had a good two and a half hours of conversation, from midnite-thirty to about three a.m. my time. I had been traveling during the day, so I had to wake myself up a bit more than usual.
I love talking to my family. Mostly it’s to my mother, but both the handset and the fixed part of the phone are on speakerphone. As I get into the conversation with Mom, Dad speaks up to say he is going to go turn the chicken on the grill and will be right back. A little bit later my 14-year-old brother gets as close to the receiver as possible to greet me- “Hey Erika” - making me wonder whose male 20-year-old voice I am hearing. Eventually Lana comes home from wherever she was, and whatever was left of the conversation is paused again so I can make her really jealous about buying Prada-brand jeans for $11 in the Cotonou marché. If nothing else, my younger and trendier sister will visit me for her wardrobe. And then Dad comes back and we start all over.
I am officially one year old in Benin. I not only surpassed the dates of leaving the Family Kraus (July 4), leaving America (July 7), entering Benin (July 8), and entering Famille Asse (July 13), but I also welcomed the new guys. I loved meeting them, but oh my gosh it was weird! That’s how I was a year ago! I was naïve, like everyone is upon entering a foreign country. What I think is wonderful is being able to compare myself to the “freshmen” and realize how perfectly comfortable I am in Benin, no longer the sore thumb I was. I am at home. Soon the new guys will be too.
In thinking of the year gone by and talking to my mom, two fairly distinct ideas come to my mind. The first idea became distinct while eating in Cotonou (again food) with other volunteers. A man with elephantiasis came to our table, pulling up his pants-legs to show us his swollen ankles. We ignored him.
Uh, we ignored him? Are we not perfectly altruistic volunteers saving the world? What the…?
I think what happens in the States is that Americans don’t see malformed and terribly destitute people in the quantities we Americans in Benin see regularly, so we the foreigners become de-sensitized. But put me in front of the world news and show me war and awful car accidents and snow/ice storms, and I will react. Erika in America did not react too strongly to these commonly televised images. I was de-sensitized.
The second distinct idea became so after the first. As I was explaining why I was able to ignore the destitute. I also realized that I was slightly offended at the assumptions my family had mentioned about people and life in Benin. I wasn’t upset; the assumptions were nothing more than what I had possessed a year ago. I have learned by living here and thus correcting those assumptions that a visitor, a foreigner, cannot snub the nose at an unfamiliar practice or ritual while standing in his or her own little bubble of culture. Take, for example, how corn is eaten; the Beninese make a jell-o type dough, in Mexico corn flour becomes tortillas, and in America corn is eaten as grits or cornbread or from a can with preservatives. Why do different people eat the same substance in so many different ways? Who knows? Who cares? People eat what works for them, and that’s how it is. The corn is corn, just in a different form (that’s my Seuss coming out), and that’s the same kind of mentality a newcomer should have when learning about another culture.
Other new news, which might actually be old due to the lack of publishing, is that I have agreed to keep another dog. I can hold this beau little pup in my one hand. He follows Derique everywhere and mimics everything Derique does, including growling when Derique growls at him. I can see poor ol’ Derique begging me to return the pup, especially when the pup growls back. I can understand- I remember how mad I would get at Lana when she laughed at my anger- but I kept Lana, so Derique can keep Bubs. “Bubs” would be “Bubba,” but he is too small for such a large name.
Interesting wildlife- I had a lap desk made of Somba wood, and am starting to find bore-like insects in part of the wood. It’s so strange; one day there was nothing, and the next there was a pile of sawdust on the table and a big hole in the wood. I dropped some rubbing alcohol into the hole and a gigantic, six-legged, large-headed being crawled out. I squished him. Since then, I have been continually finding these little insects in the wood. I am slightly entertained.
I very successfully partied my 23rd birthday. I had a grand time in Porto Novo for Camp GLOW with my girls, and the Cleanest and Greenest City competition has ended, though the work has not. I have written entries to post here reporting on these events, but I have an order in mind. This entry is to appease mom and pop and buy some time. Calm thyself. Ils arrivent.
There is another lesson I have learned about life as an American in Benin- if you make a good apple crisp, for goodness’ sake keep it for yourself to eat for dinner! That stuff is too good to be shared with people who don’t properly appreciate the pure heaven entering their mouths. The best line of action is to invite people to eat at your home, rather than taking the dessert to their home. That way you get to keep the leftovers.
‘Till next time…

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Photos

Mosquito Killer
These guys aren't around often enough. I thought he was kinda pretty.

Derique in Denial
Derique is trying so hard to not touch any part of the puppy at all... Poor kid.

See, He's Cute!
At least he looks cute. He has taken to running away to next door, where he came from. I can hardly take a nap without having to chase him down!

Comfy Pup
I must be comfortable because he certainly is. He finally slept... Another good reason why I am not allowed to have children of my own yet. I can barely manage a dog. He ate a lizard last night. Gross.

Comments

[Amy]

Mmmmmm, apple crisp! As I was driving Kate back to WY from NE (for Ryan's wedding) we were discussing the grandness of apple crisp. I haven't made it in sooooo long....I'll have to get on top of that and make some for Nick and myself. :)

[Nancy Jo]

Nice puppy!
I love your new dog, he looks very cute:). I'm also glad you finally wrote a new blog. It's good to hear from you.

[Lana]

my reason for a visit
You have no idea how bad i want $11 prada jeans....oh and I can't wait to see you either! p.s. your mean face is as funny as mom's. I just can't help but laugh!