We Have Arrived!

This may be the end.  For my blog posts complaining about the terrible heat that is.  After a sweltering day Thursday – the first night I slept on my cot in a wet cloth – a big storm rolled in the wee hours of the morning and the rain poured for hours.  I awoke to put out my buckets and when I woke up Friday morning, it was chilly- yes-that’s the right word- and I had fresh, cold water! And we’ve had five- count them- FIVE- days of rain and cloudy, cooler weather. Amazing how much easier life is when you’re not constantly sweating!

Unfortunately, Friday morning I also woke up with a nasty cold.  This wouldn’t be a big deal because I had nothing going on and could rest at home all day, except that my house was a ruckus because…. I have a new baby brother!  Yes, my host mother gave birth Thursday morning to a baby boy.  I made it there about 20 minutes after she delivered and got to swaddle the little guy and show him off to all the neighbor ladies waiting in the hall, who went wild.  I sat with my mom and urged her to drink and eat as she acted like it was nothing and soon was carrying on with the ladies about the latest market prices.  After two hours, she paid the hospital fees (about $6) and we found moto-taxi’s and she took the baby and went home. Amazing.  Then our house was packed with excited Muslim women and their arm loads of half-naked, noisy, dirty little rascals.  So I spent a lot of time with my Ipod Friday.  I couldn’t complain too much either because my gas finally ran out and my family kept me stocked with hot water for tea all day as they had a pot over the fire to bathe the baby. 

Thursday was also exciting as the follow-up session of self confidence with my girls club went really well.  I concentrated and prayed all week on taking the pressure off myself- just focusing on being with the girls and seeing my role and time with them as a positive part of their week—not a life saving/changing couple of hours that had to be perfect in order to be effective.  I did this without knowing it for myself my English club and it’s amazing how much more joy and satisfaction that was bringing me! The few girls who had really gotten it the week before helped me re-explain it and we did some easy activities of giving each other compliments and drawing pictures of ourselves with positive phrases about what they can do and what they love about themselves.   

After a yucky day Friday I had a great weekend with Melissa in Sotoboua the larger town about 20 miles south.  I really like Sotoboua; less of the city feel of Sokode but with nice amenities (nicer post office, a couple cafes, a library/community center and a PARK –with benches and lots of trees and everything!). The PCV’s before us have established a deal with the radio station and every Saturday afternoon there is a 30 minute American music radio show called “Tune in Togo.”  Melissa chose 7 songs about rain and we dedicated the time to discussing rain and its impact in here versus in the States.  All in English, to music we know and love.. it was so much fun.  It’s our way of “bringing America” to Togo- ha!  Of course it’s likely only PCV’s with that radio station understand anything we say –but still it’s a cool cross culture activity.  And, I think I may have found my new calling…. J

Sunday morning we helped at the monthly Club Espoir.  An offshoot of Camp Espoir this summer, the organizations who work with HIV/AIDS impacted kids year round, hold monthly mini-camps throughout Togo.  Fun was mixed with learning as we sang and danced for the first half and talked about malaria in the second.  Finally, we made popcorn to show the kids a way to earn some extra money during the vacation time.  For lunch we went to the café that makes fufu with great peanut sauce and fried chees, and enjoyed the park afterwards- such a nice ‘en ville’ day!

In addition to enjoying the nightly storms that cooled everything down (literally squealing in delight), we made some delicious treats (brownies and pineapple upside down cake) in Melissa’s dutch oven, and watched some movies.  Not exactly chicken noodle soup, but still a great cure for my cold!