More Greetings

Now it is a bit more than a week ago since I came to Benin. Feels like I have been here much longer because of all the people I have met and all the things I have seen and learned. An everyday life has started with work, marriage proposals, laughter, drums, darkness and lots of dinner invitations. I work from 08-12 and 16-18 and every other Saturday 8-12. There are 9 “stipendiâtes finlandaise“ and 2 more Finnish people, so at the moment there are plenty of Finnish people in the house.

I have a home now, I got it arranged so that I will continue living in Maarit’s house. She will be here until beginning of February and actually it is really nice to have company to share ideas and experiences in the evening. She is very funny. My mother asked me if it is a safe place to live, and what can I say: yes and no. It is safe because everyone knows that Maarit and I live there and it is a very small village so it would be a disaster if anything would happen to us, but on the other hand the front wall and the wall to the backyard consist of mosquito net; so if anyone wants to enter the house it is very easy; just tear down the mosquito net. I found out that it is the same house that Vivi-Ann Sjogren lived in when she wrote the book “Detta motet”. She wrote that she had the feeling that people are watching her; especially when it is dark outside and the lights are on, well I do feel the same sometimes. People are interested what the new yovo is doing.

Yesterday was the national voodoo festival. Thousand of people came to the village nearby and the day was filled with drums, dancing, ceremonies and plenty of things I have never seen before. It was a great experience. I took loads of pictures and videos that I can show one day. All the children were more than surprised over my piercing. The freak out when I pull it out a bit. Funny. I got a few marriage proposals again, phew. Even the ones that you have neglected a few times keep on trying, but then again why not, quite many Finnish ladies that have passed through Grand Popo have had affairs with local young boys. It is great business for the men; as they usually receive money and gifts from Finland after that, so why wouldn’t they try with the new one… it is a bit frustrating when people, many people, call you many times a day and all night long, but I assume it is only this crazy in the beginning, at least I hope. I have been told that people just wait for me to choose one, after which it will be less chaotic. It is madness. I have become good friends with a local boy that isn’t talking about marriage, so maybe now that people see me all the time hanging around with him they will assume that he is my chosen one… even though he is just a friend.

This weekend I will attend a few parties which will be fun. Actually on Saturday Maarit and I have invited all the Finns to our place, so they would see where we live and so on. My friend will cook for us all, think we will be around 13 people. People drink wine, beer and sodabi (local palmbooze) pretty much every day but just a bit. I have not seen any drunken people around except for a Finnish man. The drinking system here reminds me very much of the French system. Of course there are nightclubs and apparently party nightlife in Cotonou but nothing like that here in little grand popo. Just as good. It is always a pain in the ass to walk home in the darkness, and it gets dark after 7 p.m, and shortly after it is so dark that you can barely see your hand in front of you. I walked the other night, in the darkness, as my flashlight broke. The freaky part is that you don’t see that there is anyone in front of you before they are really in your face. Otherwise the walk didn’t feel unsafe at all, the only thing is that it is quite far, 3km from work. Usually I take a moped but they are hard to find at night. Wouldn’t walk like this in Cotonou or Lomé (in Togo) but here it is fine.

Oh yes by the way I haven’t had any Lariam side affects at all, so far; even though I had a fever and a terrible cough at my lariam pill day. I thought the fever and the Lariam pill wouldn’t be the best combination, but it was ok. And my fever is gone, think my body got a chock from the heat, even though we are now in harmattan which means that it is dry, cool and sandy. Cool means 34 degrees Celsius in the shade during the day. But mornings are really great, I am even wearing long sleeves as it feels cold. Soon the heat period starts, even the locals are talking about it that it is hot hot hot, phew.

So all in all things are really good and I am enjoying myself. Hope things are good over there and come to visite! You gotta see this place! Oh yes!