Le Petit Four, 16 Septembre, 2006

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Since I asked to publish their journals (yes, I asked), both of my visitors left their notebook at home Friday morning, leaving two days completely blank. That is not acceptable in my writing, so while eating a late lunch/early supper at Le Petit Four, I asked a few questions to fill in the holes.

Saturday, 16 September 2006
16h00, Le Petit Four, Cotonou, Benin, West Africa
Greta Kraus, Grandpa Stuart (a.k.a. Steve Stuart)

Ebk: What did we do yesterday?
Greta: Oh crap . Rode in a car all day, met people, went to the bank, went to another bank…
Gpa: Only two hours in the car! It wasn’t all day.
Greta: Well it seemed like all day.
Gpa: Two hours. You should answer the questions accurately. This is an interview!
Greta: I don’t care if she paraphrases.
Gpa: In an interview, you should answer the questions as best as possible for direct quotes. Two and a half hours at most in the car yesterday. Not bad on banks, only one bank.
Greta: No, we stopped at least at two banks.
Gpa: Athiémé to Cotonou, two and half hours tops, checked in at Alihayway . Went out to bank… What was first? Bank somewhere, then the Artisan’s center. I blew my wallet and didn’t even know it. We went to a hidden restaurant for dinner that was good, then made fun of a movie at the hotel. That’s that. Takes care of yesterday.
Greta: Yeah, don’t forget Secret Schwarma . It was good.

Salad and bread arrive at the table.

Gpa: Before I forget to tell ya , I’m gonna miss ya. I was doing alright without ya, but you’re one of my favorite grandchildren. Can we put the interview aside to eat our salad?

Commence eating salad, bread, and the following pizza. Some time later…

Ebk: I am asking Grandpa first for this question, then Greta…
Gpa: Why? Do you think I won’t know the answer?
Ebk: We’ll see. What’s the difference between la pate and yam pile?
Gpa: la pate is corn and yam pile is pounded yams.
Ebk: Okay. The second part of this question is for Greta, via Grandpa: what is la pate rouge?
Gpa: [Not the same look of confidence as before.] We’ve had it. Corn cooked a certain way, eaten with a sauce and a fork. Not eaten with your hands like yam pilé.

Ebk turns to Greta and immediately starts laughing seeing her older sister using both hands to clamp down the pending explosion of laughter.

Gpa: What, think she’ll do better than that?

Ebk and Greta let loose their laughter.

Greta: Well, technically la pate and yam pile…
Gpa: Greta doesn’t get to answer the first part of the question! I answered correctly! She gets no credit for that part!
Greta: Oh sheesh. Alright. La pate rouge is boiled corn flour cooked in the drippings of the meat eaten in the same meal, such as rabbit or chicken.
Gpa: Yeah, she’s basically right.

Ebk: How did you find sodabe?
Gpa: I don’t know.
Greta: It’s alright if you like it. likes it, you can say you like it too!
Gpa: It’s like vodka, but I don’t feel really qualified to respond.
Greta: Strong . Will remove naturally occurring mucus in throat and will clear sinus. [Has been seen to take paint of tables.]
Ebk: And palm wine?
Greta: Good.
Gpa: Yeah, it was good. I liked it.

Milkshakes and ice cream arrive. Greta eats her two scoops in relative peace, disturbed only by laughing at Grandpa and ebk trading pulls on the straws of the chocolate and coffee flavored milkshakes.

Ebk: What was the most disgusting part of this trip?
Greta: My food poisoning. That was pretty raunchy. Not the food, but the being sick part.
Gpa: Disgusting? The lack of bathrooms in Africa . No rest stops on the bus between Cotonou and Natitingou. Otherwise I am not easily disgusted. The continual selling of goods by approach. Continual pressure to buy. The necessity to dicker/haggle prices every time.

Ebk: What did you encounter that you did not expect?
Gpa: The climate and the mosquitoes equally. Both in a positive way. Much more pleasant then expected. And I can’t forget the people, friends. The generosity was much more than expected. Something not so pleasant was the taxi situation in Natitingou, and how the guy assumed he could ride along.
Greta: The lack of development. I hadn’t realized the degree to which was trying to describe.
Ebk: Like what? What sticks out in your mind?
Greta: The “gas stations” of glass bottles lining the roads. The lack of trash removal in the large cities. That same lack was not as obvious in Athiémé or other smaller towns.

Ebk: Do you have a best memory from your trip?
Greta: saving Grandpa’s butt, even though I wasn’t there! Just kidding…
Gpa: speaking French with everyone. The ability and the manner in which does. The friendly animation. Beyond that, the plentiful locally produced foods, the variety of trees and crops, and the women with so much weight on their heads while carrying a baby on their back and walking who-knows-how-many-miles to the market.
Greta: How cute Athiémé is, and how friendly everyone in Benin is.

Ebk: Any advice for the next visitors?
Greta: Spray clothes with bug spray, like Grandpa did.
Don’t get food poisoning.
Don’t have texture issues with food.
Speak French, or Mina or Fon.
Ebk: Does Spanish help?
Greta: Nope, not a lick. Oh yeah, don’t take shirt off under turning ceiling fan. It hurts fingers.
Gpa: Don’t drink as many Castels’ or Beninoise .
Talk to bank before leaving the country.
Try to have local currency before arriving .
Don’t bring stockings . Comfy flip-flops.
Cover body: sleeves, pants, sunscreen, bug spray, etc.

Ebk: Where is the next destination? Future travel plans?
Greta: Virginia.
Gpa: Southwest to visit Eva, and Jim and Bette Stewart, and Bob and Dee. The southwest loop. Amarillo and friends. It’s a biannual/annual trip. We’ll take Laser Beam . There is also a possible trip to Chicago to see cousin Kelley, but that appears to be an exclusive trip for the female members of the family.

Ebk: Any parting comments?
Gpa: The structures, the building, even mud buildings, are built so well to be cool. The convent was very well built- with the outside walls with good air movement.
Greta: I am glad is well, but two weeks is not long enough, even if did kick me out. Derique is cute and perfect and goes to restaurants. Excellent guard dog. Bubs is hard to manage.

This interview was conducted Saturday evening. We had already checked in baggage at the airport and tried multiple banks, with no success, to get a few more francs. Luckily I, the volunteer, had money and could pay for lunch/dinner and the taxi. We played softball! Grandpa coached, and Greta and I succeeded in putting each other out. She caught my pop fly and I fielded her grounder to second base that was an easy toss-out at first. After the interview, and eating, we walked to the bookstore (oh books!) and then the ocean. We chilled and chatted for a couple of hours, Grandpa getting more impatient to make it to the plane by the minute, then caught the taxi to the airport. I dropped them off, after hugs all around, and Greta and I wiping two tears a piece from our cheeks. That night, alone at the hotel, I answered the same questions…

What we did Friday? We had a pleasant and direct taxi ride to Cotonou in a nice car. Breezed through the Peace Corps office to meet administration, then found hotel and checked in. Ate a magnificent cheeseburger for lunch, then napped until calling a taxi to take us around town. Stopped at one bank, then continued to Artisan’s Center and spent all of Grandpa’s and Greta’s money. Had fun haggling prices. Dropped Greta and Grandpa off at hotel to go run errands on my own feet and by zemidjan. Ate at Secret Schwarma, a Lebanese butcher, while drinking a bottle of cheap wine. Back at the hotel, we mocked movies. Crochet sticks are dangerous. Went to sleep.
The food and drink? La pate and la pate rouge are boiled corn flour, pate rouge made with the stock of the meat, plus tomatoes and peppers. Yam pilé is pounded boiled yams. All are eaten forkless and with a sauce. Sodabe is good, but STONG. Palm wine, especially when cold, is as drinkable as fruit juice. Yum.
The most disgusting? My bathroom. One person (me alone) is bad enough, but with two others? Kinda scary…
Not expected? To spend so much of Grandpa’s money. The reception my friends, and even the mayor, gave my family. To take a zemidjan less than usual. I thought Grandpa would get used to it.
Best memory? Saving Grandpa’s butt . Drinking with Grandpa. Guillaume asking to take Grandpa, and Grandpa alone, to the river. Late night bedtime talks with my big sister.
Advice? Prepare stomach by eating four large meals a day, each with two beers, and no sugar.
Travel plans? Niamey, Niger for softball perhaps. Any chance of starting an ‘Erika Plays Softball in West Africa’ support fund?

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Photos

Grandpa, Try to Understand!
If I had given the interview one-on-one, we would not have had near as much fun. Nor would the food have tasted as good.

Wull, this Chair is Awful Nice
Yup, pagne chairs are comfy, as Grandpa so graciously demonstrates. Poor Bubs is on the chain; he's a dang run-away dog! He's learning.

Cotonou Beach
Greta and I touch a large body of water together again! We waved to Florida, or thereabouts.

Comments

[Nancy]

I read them all, and enjoyed!