Electricity cuts, tired moped and storms

The amounts of electricity cuts are ridiculous. For a few weeks we have only been having about 1 to 2 hours of electricity per day. Sleeping is impossible as it gets around 50 degrees in my bedroom, which means that one has to get up one or two times per night to take a shower. Last week the temperature during the day in the shade was closer to 40 degrees, now it feels much cooler as the rain has cleared the air. The last night’s intense wind and noteworthy amount of rain has really cooled the temperature remarkably. Last night I actually pulled my cover all the way up to my ears as it felt so cold. What a great feeling to lie in bed under the cover and hear the wind in the palm trees, the waves hit the beach and the rain hammering through my roof. It makes me think of autumn. Autumn that I enjoy so much with falling leaves, strong wind and cosy evening around candle light. But when I get to work at 8 am it is already hot and the sweating starts.

The darkness in the evenings is also impressive. I can’t even see my own hand in front of me when standing in the middle of my house in the evenings. The occasional light from the moon makes it though much brighter. I never get use to the fact that when walking home at night you don’t see anyone before they are in your face saying bonsoir and you see their bright teeth in the shape of a smile. Often I roll around with Nisse and seldom walk at night, but occasionally I leave the moped at home if I am going somewhere close. Nisse has been working quite well lately, except that the speed meter has been dead for a month, the side mirrors keep on falling down and the fact that I have to run to get it started. Yesterday it got tired on the way home and simply stopped, the motor just died. A bunch of boys came to my rescue and tried to start it with no success. Finally I decided to push it home but got irritated after 50meters and decided to try one more time to get it started. And wroom, no problem, Nisse was back on track. Lots of people have asked about Nisse’s future when I leave, but I have decided to give it to someone that gives it to his father who is sick and has needed a moped for quite some time. Feels like a good decision. Nisse will be in good hands.

Soon my time at Villa Karo comes to an end. All the things I have seen, learned and experienced during these five months. A lot! And still there is more to come, much more. Can’t even imagine leaving this place and the people, really not. The thought of it makes it turn around in my stomach, even though the new job in Helsinki and all the things it will bring is something I look forward to. If I could only take some sunshine, some laughter, the sea, drums, reggae, friends and loved ones, colours, pâte de maïs, fish, pima, culi culi, aloko, Lion bar, Nisse and so much with me to Finland in a bag. Oh how much I will miss it all!

Buying potatoes in Grand Popo

Cooking in great fun even though it is about 55 degree Celsius in the kitchen and so humid that you look like you have been taking a shower. To get ingredients for the cooking isn’t always that evident though. On Sunday I got an urge to make a real Finnish style potato salad so I though I just quickly stop by the petit marché next to my house. Firstly I greeted everyone that crossed my potato search and some for longer time than others. Then I heard the horrible news that there are no potatoes to be found. I was so desperate for potato salad so I didn’t give up. I continued my walk. Then I met a lady that knew me for somewhere that took me to her home to greet her family and when they heard that I didn’t find potatoes they decided to do anything possible to help me, so the ladies’ youngest daughter was sent to help me. The daughter took me on a long walk. Finally after a long, but very nice, walk we found a lady that had lots of potatoes in her living room, but nothing else. At this time I didn’t want to mention that I also want to buy garlic so I bought a kilo of potatoes and got an enormous avocado for free because it was so nice of me to come all this way to buy potatoes. So yes, buying potatoes in Grand Popo can take 1.5 hours, no doubt. It was anyways a nice evening walk, and the potato salad was well received so I was happy that I hade made the effort.
In the beginning I didn’t see a point of cooking as it is so hot in the kitchen and as I can get a great meal for 80 cent. But now after 4.5 months I have started to cook more and more as the rice and fish twice a day is definitely good but sometimes a bit monotonous. Variation is nice.

Yes, by the way, if anyone hears something about a flat in Helsinki from august of September, please let me know. From mid June I can no longer be reached on my Beninese number; so call my Finnish mobile if something.

Nonvitcha and new job!

Last weekend Grand Popo celebrated Nonvitcha which meant tons of people on the streets, day and night, but it also meant no sleep for me as I live next to Place Nonvitcha and they played music until early morning and again at 6 a.m. It was very nice though to take part in a local festival where everyone that has left Grand Popo comes back to meet relatives and friends. I also had lots of visitors as my roof terrace is an excellent people spotting place so all in all it was a weekend filled with friends, music, food, dancing, pick nick and let’s not forget the 11th of May: Bob Marley’s celebration.

On Wednesday Villa Karo celebrated its 8th birthday and yesterday I celebrated the news of getting a new job. So, what can I Say? Plenty of reasons to celebrate. For me the new job will imply moving to Helsinki as the job starts directly in August. I will work as a project researcher at the research institute of Soc o’ Kom in Helsinki. Wohoo. Very happy about that. Now it is raining so bloody much that it is quite scary to be at the computer so… gotta go.

Zangbetons, vappu, excursions and Cotonou.

A lively and interesting Zangbeton ceremony, dinner festivities, vappu celebration and excursions to Ouidah, Abomey and Cotonou have filled my last weeks. A delegation group from Finland visited Villa Karo so I had quite a lot of program with them and we went on various trips, which was pleasant.

I also had a vappu celebration at my place, which is rather amusing as I never celebrate vappu in Finland. Vappu celebration in Grand Popo meant dinner for about 30 people, if not more, drinks and drumming until the early morning. The next day, the 1st of May, there was a staff and stipendiat lunch at Villa Karo which was very amusing. The amount of laughter and dancing always blows me away.

Last weekend I spent in Cotonou with Linni, Heidi and Victor. We experienced steamy nights as we all squeezed ourselves in his rather small but charming room. Despite the constant turning of the fan it gets very hot in a small room with 4 sleeping and snoring adults. It was an excellent weekend; just what I needed. I was in a need of getting out from Grand Popo although the many daytrips the previous week. I got to visit the enormous and very lively market in Cotonou, see a jazz band perform, ride moto-taxi in the rain at night, eat tasty Chinese food which was nice as a change, see a drum session in a cozy bar, witness the less posh area as well as a very posh nightclub with the highest bling bling factor I have seen in a good while. We also met some bling bling Lebanese guys that have lived in benin for a couple of years; they were fun company and took us around Cotonou in their fancy sports car. The scenario did though put a wide smile on my face as it is about 10 years ago since I have been riding around a city in a fancy car with terribly bad techno music. All this was a good change from the very calm laid back lifestyle in Grand Popo.

I also managed to put some different pictures on the internet so check out this link.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=47458&l=ad05d&id=688982348