Lome....Encore

It’s Sunday again. I’ve got homemade tomato soup simmering on the stove and I’m recovering from Lome…again. It was an interesting week indeed:

Monday I began the morning by discussing the importance of using soap each time you wash your hands to my host mom’s groupement. I used charcoal to represent ‘germs’ and to demonstrate that only using water to wash (common standard here) after using the bathroom, leaves the germs on your hands. They nodded in understanding (I hope) as I poured water over the woman I designated to use soap as the charcoal clearly washed off. I tried to stress that the germs will enter your stomach when you eat if you don’t use soap and then you will get sick and that this lesson is particularly important for children. My mom helped translate from Koti-Koli to French and while I have my doubts that any of them actually went home and insisted everyone use soap, I feel better at least knowing the information.
Mid-morning I went to the school to visit my French tutor’s English classes. What I found was absent teachers and classrooms full of rowdy, bored kids. Thankfully Mr. Sinya was there and explained the nationwide teacher strike going on. “We want better conditions, so we are not working today or tomorrow,” he said. Sadly, they weren’t explaining it to the kids but were expecting them to sit in their classrooms. I stood there trying to decide if I should try something with no lesson planned and having no supplies. After about 30 minutes of trying to explain a spelling game with one 7th grade class, I gave up and tried to go home. The 8th grade class next door insisted I come and help them with their English. Not having any materials (the class and I), we tried having question and answer time and then I helped them a bit with some of their homework. A struggle though as I realized I’m not even close to being fluent enough in French to explain why English is the way it is. Frustrated and exhausted I hid at home the rest of the afternoon until it cooled off enough to go for a run.

Tuesday morning I went for a bike ride after a strong cup of coffee and finished it off with a lifting session (thank you Lorena for leaving the sand packed liter bottles). The PC car heading down country to Lome (known as the Lome Limo—no it’s not an actual limo, but a clean, air conditioned van—so in Togo and PCV standards- pretty close to a limo!) picked me up on the road (about a 5 min walk from my house) and off we went. While it’s nice to be with friends, have the AC, not be smashed in with smelly Togolese, the trip is still long (7 hours) and bumpy/uncomfortable. Arriving in Lome, I was quickly reminded how hot and humid it remains and I began to sweat instantly. I downed an amazing hamburger at the hotel I would be staying at for the week. It was just what I needed and I was off to bed. (Side note: this hotel –where most PCV’s stay when in Lome- is nasty and more like a hostel with a community toilet for the upstairs rooms, soggy beds with who-knows-what’s-on-them sheets, and dampness. I lay as still as possible, trying to avoid thinking about the bed too much or moving as it’s so hot. Gross. But, they have wireless , a decent restaurant, within our budget range, and it’s close to the PC office, so we keep going back.) 

We were up early Wednesday morning (unable to really sleep past 6 am anyway) to head to the PC office as I signed up to work the PC booth at the West African Trade Show, being held in Lome this year. We (my friends Abby and Emily) stopped for egg sandwiches and café au lait’s (more like sweetened condensed milk with a dash of coffee) at a little café on the way. The PC transported us across town to the Fair which ended up looking like a State Fair with 4 or 5 big warehouses filled with various artisans and companies from all over West Africa. Yes it’s the show for ALL of West Africa, but NO it’s not air conditioned and thus we were soaked in sweat by 9 am. Myself, a few other PCV’s and a few PC staff sat at the booth, explaining PC and its mission mainly to the large groups of elementary and middle school aged kids who were there on field trips. These were all private school and wow are there a lot in Lome! PC also invited some of the artisans PCV’s work with to sell their products and luckily Aposto arrived mid-morning and took over entertaining and leading the PC information with the kids. I grabbed fufu from the Fair as we headed back to the office.

Being in Lome is stressful: you want to “relax” and enjoy your friends, the freedom and the food the city offers. At the same time, there are usually a lot of PCV’s in town and thus there is work and meetings and business to discuss and things to get done. Meanwhile, it’s hot, humid, sandy (all but a few roads in Lome are sand), and takes a while to walk/get a car to the various places. To add to that, I was hoping to see my family and Michael via Skype as the PC office is the only place in country with a strong enough Internet signal. I was able to knock some things off my PC to-do list and then my friend Lucian and I headed out for gelato. Hailing a taxi, negotiating the price, and working our way across town was worth it as I slowly indulged in some black cherry creamy goodness. We walked to the beach (only a few blocks away) and enjoyed our sweet treat, talking about how quickly 6 months has passed and Lucians return home as he was leaving the following day. (Side note: the beach is not a beautiful, well-manicured place. Outside of the crashing waves that I love, there is garbage and people using the beach as their bathroom. We found a clean spot to rest and enjoy the water. Egg rolls for dinner from the Vietnamese restaurant not far from our hotel and Tylenol PM to fall asleep in the heat.


More of the same Thursday and Friday. Worked the Trade Show both mornings, but Thursday afternoon after some impromptu meetings for projects, my friend Kate and I headed to the pool. What a difference a little peace, quiet and lap swimming does for the soul. The sun was setting as we walked out of the fancy hotel and I was so relaxed I could barely remember which way we were going! It was so nice. The evening got even better as Skype worked and I got to see my parents in our home for the first time in 6 months. They looked great and mom showed me all around the house with the Christmas decorations and the SNOW outside! I was so excited. More egg rolls for dinner, but sleep aids weren’t necessary after the pool workout!

Friday morning I got up early to Skype with Michael which was wonderful but made for a very long day! I napped that afternoon after enjoying my first cold cereal and milk in 6 months (bought it in a shop near the office) and because I was alone in the office was able to get Skype to work again and got to see my Grandma , talk with the kids at my mom’s school, kids from Pleasant View in Webster City and my sister. The kids asked great questions and seeing my sissy made me very happy. Can’t wait to see you all in the flesh in just a few weeks!

Saturday morning was early as we loaded up the Lome Limo and headed up country for long, bumpy ride. Coming home back to LT is always welcomed – to be comfortable and clean and in my own house- but I still struggle with a bit of sadness/loneliness after being around so many friends. Luckily the people were excited to see me, shouting hello and welcome when I made my way to the weekly market. And what a difference in temperature! Wow, about 200 miles up country to LT and the air is lighter and cooler and I’m not sweating! Amazing! While I did wake up to a hazy covered sky (the dust is thick), I’m thankful for the lack of humidity and being able to function comfortably and dry again!

Big week ahead with meetings for Camp Espoir beginning, organizing the MAC surveys, batiking some Christmas gifts with Aposto, leading some small nutrition lessons with my women’s groups and the usual English classes at the Middle School.