I am alive!

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted anything. So yes I'm still here alive and kicking in Benin West Africa, though where I am doing the kicking has changed since I last posted. I have moved from the house of my host family into the house that is going to be my home for the next two years. Yes that's right folks I'm at my post now. If you're looking at a map of Benin and want a general idea of where I"m at look in the north east area and locate the city of Kandi, I'm about 25k north of that. It's a tiny Muslim community that is probably about the size of Akron, if not smaller. I live kind on the outskirts of town, in the middle of...get this...corn! Those who know me know I've longed for adventure outside the streets of Akron and Rochester and get away from all the blasted corn fields, yet this is where I find myself for the next two year. Ironic isn't it. I live in a concrete building with three rooms, well actually it's a fairly big building but I live in the front half of it and another person lives in the back half. You'd think living this closely we'd see each other all the time, nope, I saw him for the first time in two weeks today. And then in my front yard off to the side is my latrine. As latrines go it's a fairly nice one, I've definetly had to use worse since I've been here. Lizards are everywhere here, but especially around my house and grounds. I also have a mouse or mice in my house which i hate, but this is Africa and not a whole lot I can do about it I guess. I don't know if it would bother me as much if i wasn't sleeping on a mattress on the floor. So I go to the health center twice a week to help out, which let me tell you is saving my sanity. The PC has this policy that volunteers are not suppose to work during their first three months at post, neither are we suppose to leave our posts either (except for things like market, post office things of that nature). We are suppose to use this time to get to know our community and so forth. Well I'm having a slow start of it I guess. I'm trying to get out there and talk to people, but I find it really difficult, and I know everyone else does to, which helps. But it's hard not to be bored and lonely. I just don't know what to do with myself all the time. Thankfully the people I work with are super nice and helpful, well sort of. My supervisor is a nice guy, but getting him to follow through with things is a bit difficult. The women I work with though are amazing. Women in general in this country are amazing. They work their asses off for little if any respect or gratitude.

I know there is much more to write about, and if I have time at some point I'll try and put some picture up. Until then...