TIA

So. I should be in the air right now, on my way to yet another adventure. But, TIA. This is Africa.

I am sitting back on the computer in Lome.

I took a taxi to the airport this morning at 3.30am (paying more than
my night in the hotel, of course) and was greeted with a hand-written
note on the doors saying that my flight had been cancelled.

I had a connecting flight in Abidjian and the borders have been closed
because of the election. I spoke to someone who said that I will be
able to get onto the flight tomorrow morning, but I don't have a
guarantee. The Air Ivoire website is currently showing tomorrow's
flight as full.

Boo hoo hoo. I want my vacation!

more wandering in my quartier

Local version of see-saw Tchouk/tchakpa/wandering buddies And dancing kids

Quick visit to Mission Tove

I popped over to Mission Tove for a brief visit and snapped a couple shots of the cistern.

Unfortunately, the kids haven't really started doing the hand-washing thing but at least they have water.

Petit a petit, l'oiseau fait son nid.

Mon quartier

I've been wandering around my neighborhood, getting to know people.
Here are some photos to enjoy.

A boy in charge of keeping an eye on the tchakpa (a fermented millet drink, this version is recipe from la region des Savannes, the northernmost region of Togo)


A traditional healer using herbs and massage to take care of people's injuries and broken bones.




Kittens and babies - cute the world over

Voila ma maison

I fly to Senegal tomorrow. I'm pretty excited about this and don't have a lot of time to type up a blog, so have some photos etc. Voila my house This is my little neighbor Obama playing on my porch. My porch and front door And video too!

NaNoWriMo

I have not been updating my blog very much recently.
It is not because I have not been writing.
On the contrary, I've been writing 2000 words a day on every day there wasn't some other pressing need (ie a party)
I'm NaNoWriMo'ing and it's stressful and amazing.

my username is roseepine If anybody else is signed up and wants to be my buddy. I need to submit on the 27th because I fly to Senegal on the 28th!

xo

Halloween costumes

Peer Support

Wow. November already. I've been back in Togo for two weeks plus now, and it's been quite a roller coaster - I've only slept at home 4 nights! We had an amazing and very fruitful peer support network training in Lome. I led the training with the help of L, the other PCVL and I, a Peace Corps staff member. I was really grateful for the training I'd received at Victim Support Scotland and LGBT Youth. I felt really well prepared and that my experiences in Scotland were really useful and relevant. Who'd've guessed, right?
We're set up very informally - 7 peer supporters that were chosen based on a motivation essay they wrote and a couple recommendations from other volunteers about the candidate's ability to be a good supporter - a good example, nurturing, and commited to confidentiality. We talked about the stressors in PCVs lives, from work to home life to competition with other volunteers.
I'd done some research on PC and PCVs experience of stress. Some study that rated stress levels classified entering the Peace Corps as 2 times as stressful as the death of your spouse, and 9 times as stressful as getting pregnant.
Seeing those kinds of comparisons is somehow comforting. It certainly makes me feel better about my bungee jumping mood swings and near narcolepsy.