Hey everyone,
More adventures today for sure. Unfortunately, the
adventures of the day started on a low
note. We are currently keeping a rooster just outside my window at the house.
This is the second chicken we have kept while I have been here. I’m not really
sure of what happens to them, because I know my mama is not keen to kill them.
Maybe they get resold. Either way roosters really do crow first thing in the
morning. Most mornings that hasn’t bothered me too much, they pretty much crow
right when it’s time to wake up. Maybe it’s just that I am tired, but usually
it isn’t that jarring. Unfortunately, that was not the case this morning. The
rooster started crowing an hour before the sun came up, and it was very loud. I
definitely had some mean sleepy thoughts I would have shared with the rooster
if I had the opportunity. Fortunately I did not, and the morning rolled on.
At our first break from language class, I decided to call
Peace Corps Medical offices. I have had some tenderness and swelling on my lower
back that I thought might just be a bruise, but I decided that it could be
worth getting some tips from Medical. I was surprised when they told me to come
over to Cotonou to get it checked out. Fortunately, my language fascilitator
was very understanding and there was a peace corps shuttle to take me and
another sick trainee to Cotonou within the hour. It turned out that the doctor
and I were both glad that I went because I actually had a skin infection!
Woops! Don’t worry, I have some antibiotics and ointment now, so I am on the
road to recovery. It’s good to know what is going on, too.
Driving to the Peace Corps base in Cotonou was no joy with
the speed bumps and crazy traffic, but once we got there it was actually a real
treat. I picked up a few things from the library and the give-and-take and
watched the season finale of Game of Thrones with a Volunteer who is closing
service in a week or two. Having to worry about my health was no fun, but
getting to hang out at the base was a real treat. I picked up a few Christian
books (something my personal repertoire has been embarrassingly lacking) as
well as a cute little shoulder bag, a tank top made of Beninese fabric, and a
big ball of yarn! It’s almost enough to make a person wish to get sick. But then
you have to make it through the bumpy lumpy drive back to Proto Novo and think
twice about that.
For dinner tonight my Mama made salad, which was so
exciting. I had just been thinking that I hadn’t been eating many vegetables
lately. I had also told her that I like eggplant, so with the salad she
presented me with a whole (raw) eggplant. Thank the Lord I apparently like
eggplant raw! I really appreciated that she bought it for me. Maybe I will have
to try to make some eggplant parm to show the family another way of preparing
it! Only time will tell…
Plenty of adventures for one day. Tomorrow I will find out
about my new language class placement. Heidi found out today that she scored
Advanced Medium! I am so happy for her. There are 9 levels, Novice, Intermediate,
and Advanced, with subcategories of low, medium, and high, for each of them. It
is so exciting that she placed so well. I really hope we are in the same class,
but for now I’m just excited for what Heidi has achieved, I know that she has
worked hard.
Well, until later – a la prochaine!
With Love,
Lauren
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