Excerpts from June, Continued

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24 Juin 2006 Samedi

June sure seems like a long month. I guess I have a lot to expect at the end- my birthday, the end of the women’s group competition, and Camp GLOW. Uncle Jeff did not call last night- I hope not everyone is planning on calling me on my birthday. I want people to call, just not all at once. They should write letters.
I am frustrated with writing at the moment. Not here, in the journal. As I was thinking about how my writing frustration is not with my journal, I had a strange out-of-body experience, realizing that my journal is only me talking to myself. I had a good opening in my head, but I ate popcorn rather than write, and now it is gone. I am disappointed. Maybe it will come back to me when I stop worrying about it.
I had a wonderful day. I had hoped to play basketball this morning after surveying Adanlokpé, but the schedule had changed without me knowing. I found out later it was for the evening. So I came home and puttered around until delivering the notes I had written for the Camp GLOW girls. I stopped by Mimino’s to say hello, and she shared her omelette with me, and invited me to dinner again tonite. She and I are going to make pate rouge either Wednesday or Thursday evening. I haven’t had real pate rouge in a long time.
After Mimino, I came home again, to do laundry and wash Derique, while Guillaume washed the floor that I have since dirtied again. He is so good at his job. I bathed and settled down to write before eating an avocado-mixture sandwich. Elisabeth passed by and we chatted about Camp GLOW. She is in for learning a lot, not just what is in the camp, but also how to use a toilet and shower. She still refused to tell me her true moyenne , and told me Mme. Justine had lied in telling me Elisabeth had failed. Which pissed me off a bit, and told me that Elisabeth knows how to work her way around things, or at least try. The little rat. She left. Koudjo came over some time later to tell me to come play basketball. I almost didn’t go, but I am so glad I did! Almost all of the guys gave me a hard time about not being there the past few weekends. I walked in a group with Adjo, Koudjo, Koffidjin, Romarique, and Malchior. I suddenly had the urge to run, and absolutely had to somehow, so I convinced them all to pass behind the boutique, and race from Adanlokpé to the court. It was fun and muddy. Only Koudjo really raced me. We raced on the way home too. He beat me both times, but it was a lot of fun. Loads. Tons. I love running and playing. It’s hard to be a proper adult. It stormed, so I ate popcorn (burnt) rather than going back to Mimino’s. And had excellent peppermint hot chocolate from Diane. Now there is a nice breeze, and I will sleep well.

27 juin 2006 Mardi

I let the party continue today by drinking the last of the Sprite and eating the cookies Imelda had given me. I had such a wonderful day yesterday. I felt kind of guilty, kind of tacky, to have invited my young friends over for a party, yet I was in the kitchen making food for the next party . I am not entirely inexcusable- I had only wanted gari/sugar/peanuts. It was everyone else who wanted the chicken and spices. Still, I felt kind of bad.
I also don’t like that I can’t just tell people it’s my birthday, but that they expect a party. Sheesh. But, we partied well.
I sent Elisabeth for Sprite, telling her they were sucreries, and she came back with Moka’s and a Fizzie cocktail. I had to explain to her again; so she took back the drinks, and had to go all the way to Mawukpo for Sprite! My goodness. After giving Guillaume his plate of food, I let her take home the rest. Guillaume was happy to eat. He’s a good kid. I was glad Jacy came over…
Today has been lovely as well. Jacy read while I did the dishes, then we finished off the Spanish rice and a piece of chicken each. The air was nice and cool, and other than going to ADES for an hour or so, all I have done is enjoyed the air, read a bit, and put what was left back in order in the house…
Tomorrow, I think, Sr. Josephine returns from Parakou. If so, I will make another birthday cake to celebrate with them. I will need to feed Justine, from next door, too. I realized last night that I have been to her parties, but not invited her over to my home to eat. Ah, goodness.
I think Hortense especially, but also Mathurin, was impressed by the reception I gave the two unexpected guests who had arrived with Hortense. I was glad I had enough food.
I had many proud moments of giving Mathurin and Hortense hard times. I like that they correct my French and that they understand most of my humor. All day long I have been wondering, just wondering, if I will actually be able to leave.
I was most pleased to get the phone call from Nancy. She sang to me in Franglais and told me she had held Clare and been with Chrissy. Lovely. The night before Mom had called at 23h, and we talked until my birthday. The three of them had just returned from Colorado; white-water rafting, mountain biking, and rock climbing/rappelling. All I have to do is leave and they do all the fun stuff. Dad said he would order the satellite radio. Yay! They are the reason I burned all the cookies. Oh well, the kids still ate them.

30 Juin 2006 Vendredi
Oh, today. I woke up and ran again, yay for me!… My run was lovely. I had a lovely bath and continued working on my memoir. Then, it started to rain. I was cold, so I made coffee. I think I can say now that I can make a good cup of coffee. Brown sugar, yum. At 10h, the rain had ceased a bit, so I walked to the abbé’s. He had two questions: 1) what did I do here? And 2) could I find a way to have him be sponsored, so he could better do his pastoral duties? Oh, I want to help. I will see what I can do. We had a good chat.
After, I texted Mathurin to say hello. He told me, eventually, to come to Lokossa for some igname pilé. I had to wait for him to finish his meeting, after which we ate with his fellow meeting people at the PTT. Always good food there, always. I thought we would be going home after I convinced him that I didn’t need igname pilé just because he had invited me for it. The PTT was just as well. Instead of going home, though, we had errands to run. While a lady typed up a document, I did the marché and he ran another errand. Really we were very efficient…
After Lokossa, I went to Lokossavie to find a taxi for Sunday. I love talking to those guys. One taxi-man bought me lemonade. I drank and chatted while one of the more ornery chauffeurs tried to kick the kickstand of my bike up, so he could ride it. I calmly finished my drink and returned the bottle while he tried to figure it out, getting more frustrated. I easily kicked up the stand and laughed at their astonished faces as I rode away.
Back in Athieme, I waited at Hortense’s, watching Germany beat Argentina, until Fernand at Ivoire Tresse et Coiffure could get me in. As she and others removed the mesh, I was worked on by some random girl to marry Frank, a young guy who was helping remove my mesh. That was very entertaining. He has to make me pizza before I will consider him. Fernand gave me the most frightening haircut I have ever watched, after washing my hair. I loved the hair washing. Kate and Nancy’s haircut might have been more frightening if I had been able to watch the process. And, I got a pedicure and a pair of shoes, all at 4.000,00 FCFA. Not too bad.

As far as the 23 juin goes, the most exciting part was the dinner. Crabs randomly appeared on someone’s head, and although I knew I had no idea how to prepare crabs, I bought four and tried anyway. After chasing an escapee down, and throwing out one that had died, I made a pretty good crab and ginger-basmati rice dinner. You should have been there.

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Photos

Famille Asse
Everyone but Zelag, who was on vacation, came to celebrate my birthday with me. I was given really pretty material to make clothes with.

Friends
Romariqu, Koudjo, and Malchior dance while we party my 23rd birthday.

Le Cuisinier
Romariqu did the cooking. It was excellent!

Va Mia Dunu
That means Come Eat! in Mina. It was a good party.

Va Mia Dunu
I thought I did an excellent job cooking, as well, even if I do say so myself.

Good Mud
No, actually, this is awful, awful mud. On our mikes, we were able to find a side passage, but the vehicles were not making it through.

Comments

[Nancy]

Thanks for the shout-out! Also, i'm sure that mine and Kate's haircutting skills would not have scared you. I promise;).