Andersons in Benin

Top Ten (x Two)

2011-09-16T11:10:00.000-11:00

We are officially “old timers” at the Embassy now. That’s right…we are the next people who will be leaving post. It all seems a little surreal as we start to plan our home leave and think about what’s going in our various shipments. Have we really been here two years?

One of the newcomers here in Cotonou asked me the other day what I’m most looking forward to back home. With that in mind, here’s my current Top Ten:

Things I’m Looking Forward to At Home

1. Being closer to friends and family.

2. Drivers who follow the rules.

3. People using toilets and bathrooms, rather than the street.

4. Drinking water and brushing my teeth with water straight from the tap.

5. A variety of fresh fruits and veggies, especially good tomatoes and berries.

6. Cashiers who can actually make change. Here, they just give out candy instead.

7. Seasons…real ones. Not just “rainy season” and “dry season.”

8. Real milk. This powdered stuff is grey and nasty.

9. Not having to sleep under a mosquito net.

10. Clean, fresh air.

***Runners-up: fast internet, continuous water and electricity, and movies

I have to be fair here and tell you there are actually things I’m going to miss about Cotonou, too. It really hasn’t been all that bad! Yes, it’s a hardship post and I’m ready to go home. Still, there are certain things about life here that are also easier and that I will miss when I’m back home. Therefore, here’s my second Top Ten:

Things I Will Miss About Cotonou

1. Spending lots of quality time with Matt and Charlotte.

2. Nathalie. We are seriously spoiled by her. We will have to clean and cook for ourselves! Not to mention, babysitters for a night out are a lot more $$$ back home.

3. Bab’s Dock.

4. Not being attached to my phone/blackberry. I hardly know where it is most of the time, and I like it that way.

5. Livingstone Happy Hour.

6. Shamiana.

7. Cheap manicures and pedicures.

8. The stories we have from our everyday experiences. You just can’t make this stuff up.

9. Cooking projects: we have lots of time to cook and experiment in the kitchen.

10. People magically appearing to fix whatever thing is broken or not working at the house, free of charge.

Let’s be honest: the second list was a little harder to make. Yup…45 more days.

Bye Rich!

2011-09-05T09:54:00.000-11:00

We were bummed to see our friend Rich depart from Cotonou last week. He'll be missed! Next up for him? Ottawa. Talk about different!! At least he'll have a few months in the States first to try and acclimate a little bit.

Tony, Rich, Matt and Charlotte

This picture was taken on Rich's last trip to the paillote! This was also about 4 hours before he got on the plane to leave. I love that he was taking advantage of the best of Cotonou until the last possible second.

Speaking of planes and leaving...guess who is next? US! Here's an updated counter so you don't have to scroll too far back in our posts:

Oh, yeah. We moved it up a day! We are coming home on Brussels Airlines instead of Air France. That is, if the State Department gets their act together and cuts our orders in time. A note for future FSOs: when you plan your comings and goings from post, don't do it in late October or November. Why? The budget year is up and they won't cut your orders until the new budget year begins. We will be lucky if we have our orders by mid-October for a November 1 departure. There's always something!

Charlotte Updates

2011-08-27T05:00:00.045-11:00

I know a few of you really could care less about what's going on with Matt and me. You just want stories and pictures of Charlotte's latest exploits! Rest assured, she is doing well and enjoying life in Africa. She's rolling all over the place, starting to sit up on her own, and laughing and smiling nonstop. She wants to walk and crawl and keeps trying, despite very little progress. We're hoping she stays immobile for a while longer, but only time will tell. She's been trying out a few solid foods and making a lot of funny faces in the process. She also has a new jumper, which she adores. According to Matt's dad, he had one as a baby that he loved just as much.
Here are a few pictures of Charlotte in her 5th month!

Belgium Trip Report

2011-08-27T04:39:00.001-11:00

The Andersons are back from Belgium! Charlotte has visited 3 "B" countries (thanks to an airplane stop in Burkina Faso) and 3 continents before the age of 6 months. She has been a wonderful and easy baby to travel with.

As suspected, our trip to Belgium was largely centered around food and drink. We spent most of our time in and around Bruges, which was amazing. We walked a lot, saw a few sights, and toured Flanders Field. The weather was a little drizzly our first day, but other than that it was perfect. About 60-70 degrees and sunny. We also spent a little time in Brussels and went to the zoo in Antwerp for a day. I highly recommend the zoo in Antwerp. It's the closest we've gotten to an African safari after living in Africa for almost two years. Sad, isn't it? Perhaps this is why we loved it so much!

Without further ado, here are a couple of slideshows to tell you the rest of the story. Enjoy!

Bruges and Brussels:

Antwerp:

Belgium Bound

2011-08-12T10:14:00.000-11:00

The Andersons are headed on a little vacation before we hit our final stretch in Benin. Our direct flight options include Paris and Brussels. Since we've done Paris a few times, we decided it's time to hit Brussels. Everyone keeps asking what we have planned for our trip.

Yup...waffles are in our future. Along with chocolate, mussels, and beer. We have hotel rooms reserved in Bruges and Brussels, but that's as far as we got with our planning. I'm guessing we will stroll the streets, check out a few sites, and eat. Doesn't sound too bad, does it? Charlotte will be along for the ride as well. She's all packed and ready to go. I promise to share pictures and stories upon our return!

Let's Play Ball!

2011-08-11T09:46:00.000-11:00

No, not baseball. Throw the ball...with the dogs. AKA: fetch.

We had a grub invasion on our front lawn, so we couldn't let the pups outside as usual to romp around. Who knows what chemical compound is in our garden!? We did the next best thing and took the family to the future front lawn of the new Embassy. It's just a big empty field. With a fence! Perfect for expending lots of puppy energy.

Everyone had fun, including Charlotte who observed from her perch and Lily who sat and watched Molly chase the bumper. Lily has decided she's too old for fetch. Oh, wait. Lily never liked to play fetch to begin with. All well. We still think she had fun sniffing around.

Cuteness

2011-08-03T05:15:00.001-11:00

There is no doubt that all parents think their children are uber-cute. I'm no exception. Charlotte is adorable. However, she has some serious competition here in Cotonou with the arrival of these two little gentlemen:

Could they be any cuter?! Luckily, I think there is plenty of love to go around! Not to mention, we are so excited to have some other little people around for playtime.

In other news, Nathalie is teaching me to carry Charlotte around like a true African. Here she is, with Charlotte on her back:

And here I am:

Do I look a little uncomfortable? That's because I am!! I was totally afraid I was going to drop her. I think I will be sticking with carrying Charlotte around in her Moby wrap a while longer.

Random

2011-08-01T02:13:00.001-11:00

One of my first memories of Cotonou was our first drive to the beach. We had only been here a few days when friends offered to drive us out to the beach for a little relaxation. Since we didn't have a car and we'd only been there a few days, this was really my first drive around town. As we drove down the beach road, we saw this:

It's a random plane, sitting at the end of the Cotonou airport runway. You can tell it's been there a while. How long, we're not exactly sure. We do know that if you look it up on Google Earth, you can see the plane was there back in 2007, when the Google earth maps were last updated. Why is this plane here? We aren't exactly sure, although we think it's involved in some lawsuit filed here in Benin. If that's the case, I think the plane will be here a few more years. The legal system isn't quite as "speedy" as it is back home...

Who's Counting?

2011-07-25T09:02:00.002-11:00

Me. That's who. We have 99 days until we leave Cotonou and head back to DC. I'm allowed to count out loud now that we are in double digits. Right?

I don't get it.

2011-07-25T05:21:00.005-11:00

I don't understand why people choose to ride motorcycles without helmets. A friend recently shared a news story about this on facebook. As he said, the guy is a prime candidate for the Darwin Awards.

Here in Benin, the majority of zemi-john riders ride without helmets. Some of them can't afford to buy helmets, but many choose not to wear them simply because they aren't "cool." I don't get it. But, what I don't get even more is this:

It's fine if you want to make bad decisions for yourself, but I really wish you'd do the smart thing for your kid. You would be even more appalled by this if you actually saw how these people around here drive!

Oh, yeah...they don't do car seats either. They all look at us like we're the crazy ones when we buckle Charlotte up.

Speaking of Charlotte, I know some of you have been in search of new pictures. Here is a slideshow of her 4 month pictures:

Chiens Fous

2011-07-22T11:14:00.003-11:00

That's Nathalie's favorite phrase this week. It translates to "crazy dogs." (Actually, I think it might be mad dogs to be more precise, but I'm still working on my French!) Our house is always a little nuts with two dogs, but right now we are also dog sitting a third. Yes...three dogs. In one house. It is a virtual zoo. We just need a feeding trough!

Luckily, the third is Annie, Molly's sister. She's adorable and gets along great with Molly and Lily. We've lost a few plants along the way, but they are all happy and having a fabulous time. Not to mention, they are exhausted every night.

Don't worry...Charlotte is enjoying the dogs, too. If this is any indicator, she's got them wrapped around her little finger!

Giddy up!

Career Indecision

2011-07-20T09:18:00.008-11:00

Excuse me as I use the blog to try and flush out some ideas floating around in my head. I need to blog and I need to think about these things, so why not do both at once? This new mom is short on thinking time! I apologize as this will probably be long-winded and will have no pictures.

Basically, I'm trying to decide what to do about a job. I just wrapped up my continuing education to keep my real estate licenses active in DC and VA. I'm not sure when I will get to practice again, but I hope I will get to do it at some point. I love real estate. One might say I'm obsessed. I still check the DC area real estate listings on a daily basis, which should tell you something considering the speed of our internet. I've had a few careers in my short lifetime, but this is one that I saw myself sticking with for a long time. Then, I met Matt and fell in love. I love real estate, but I love him more. Not to mention, his job has health insurance and bit more stability. :)

So, here I am in Benin, not practicing real estate. I'm a "trailing spouse." A horrible expression, in my mind. I don't like to trail! I was working at the Embassy in a job set aside for family members, but it didn't make sense to continue once Charlotte was born. The work was boring and the money was laughable. I'd much rather be at home for these few months. That being said, I don't think I'm cut out to be a stay-at-home-mom once we're back in the States in November. I admire those who do it, but I know I'll drive myself and others crazy if I'm not back at work before long. Matt's next assigment is only a year, maybe 18 months with an extension. Do I want to put in the time, effort, and money to gear up my real estate business for such a short period of time? If not, what will I do when we are back?!?!

One option might be to join the Foreign Service. It certainly makes sense and is a lot more conducive to our nomadic lifestyle than real estate. Still, it's not like I can just decide to join and they will let me in (shucks!). Like all things government-related, it's a process. I actually took the exam last spring, somewhat on a whim. Surprisingly, I passed. Even more surprising, I made it through to the end of the group interview round and I'm now on the "register." The register is a list of people who've passed the tests and secured their medical and security clearances; people are ranked according to their score and the date of their test. The State Department hires people off of the register starting at the top, based on hiring needs and budget. I told you I passed. Problem is, I didn't exactly pass with flying colors. I did okay, just not well enough to guarantee me a job before my time on the register expires. Especially in this world of waning budgets.Therefore, the italics on the might...

With that in mind, the question is whether or not I should start the whole process over again and try to get a higher score. There's also the option of adding onto my current score with "language points." I could probably pass the French test if I focus on it these next few months, but I'm not sure I want to. For one thing, that means I commit to going to a French-speaking post. I don't mind that, but it will seriously limit my options which will already be somewhat limited by the fact that I will be bidding as part of a tandem couple. Or, should I try and rev up my real estate business again even though we are only back in DC for a year with Matt's next assignment?

Hmmm...writing this all out isn't helping. I guess for now I'll just sit back and enjoy being a mom. Of course, I will continue my French lessons and I will probably sign up for the FS test again. One should keep all of their options open, right?

Thanks for indulging my thoughts. Since clear answers have yet to appear, it's time for bed.

***Late Addition: I just heard that passing the French test doesn't commit me to going to a French post. If that's the case, I have no more excuses. I really need to start studying!

Rainy Season Returns

2011-07-14T23:37:00.004-11:00

Yup, it's rainy season again here in Benin. That means our street is a lake. I'm not exaggerating, as you can see here.

As you might imagine, such weather dampens our outside activity. Since the rain stirs up the mosquitos and all kinds of illness, we're even more inclined to stay in now with little Charlotte. What does that mean? In our house, it means lots of Wii bowling, Stratego, and elaborate cooking projects. That last one has been particularly interesting as we also need to use up our consumables before we leave post. We've made some unusual bean concoctions, tested our various BBQ sauces in different dishes (Matt just made boneless chicken bites in 3 flavors!), and baked a lot of goodies that aren't helping our waistlines. The latest baking experiment: a gin cake.

Maybe I should clarify: a cake in the shape of a gin bottle, not a cake with gin actually in it! Why? It all began when we were watching the Food Network (by far the most watched channel in this household). Neither of us had ever made fondant icing and we were in search of a rainy day cooking project. We looked it up and discovered you could make it with marshmallows, which we seem to have a lot of in our consumables stash. As for the shape of the cake, that was inspired by a "help us clean out our liquor cabinet" gathering. Yes, more friends are leaving us (boo-hoo!!). In typical expat tradition, they asked us to come over to help them clean out their bar stash. Someone's got to do it...why not us?!?! And what better way to drown our sorrows, but with cake and gin?

Needless to say, the cake turned out well and we had a lot of fun in the process. Still, Matt and I both agree that we like the taste of regular buttercream frosting better. We also wish our friends were staying put, even though we know they are moving on to new and exciting things.

Best wishes to all of the Mamanes as they head off to Zambia. It's not good bye...just see you later. You will be missed here in Cotonou!

Hippie Momma

2011-07-06T08:02:00.002-11:00

Apparently, I’m somewhat of a hippie momma. Yes, me…a hippie. I did have a little phase in college, but for the most part many of you are probably scratching your heads and wondering how I got such a title. Well, it is a title bestowed on me by a friend who learned I was cloth diapering and breastfeeding. Apparently, that makes one a hippie these days. Who knew?

You heard me correctly. We use cloth diapers with little Charlotte. Why?!? Well, for one thing we live in West Africa and disposable diapers aren’t exactly easy to pick up while running our daily errands. They can be found on the local market, but they are very expensive and cheaply made. Sure, I could order up some Pampers via the diplomatic pouch, but the 6 week wait made me think that wasn’t such a hot option either. After I learned that friends of ours were cloth diapering their little guy and I saw it in action, I started my own research.

For those of you who are imagining safety pins and diapers of our parents’ generation, you should know the cloth diaper industry has changed quite a bit. They have all kinds of diapers these days that work just like disposables, only they get washed and reused. EWWWW. Yes, I know that’s what you’re thinking. That’s what I thought when I first came across the idea. Let me assure you the diapers are well-rinsed before they ever hit that washing machine and they are washed very thoroughly. I never touch poop, nor do our clothes touch poop. Added to this, the $$$ factor is a definite plus. Disposables aren’t cheap these days! Finally, did I mention that cloth diapers are really cute?

So, yes, we are doing a little good for the environment. It wasn’t really on purpose (sad, but true!), but it has been much easier and much more enjoyable than I expected. Even Matt is on board, which should tell you something. Of course, I think that had to do with the price of a pack of diapers and the rate at which we were going through them that first week.

In addition to the cloth diapers, I’m apparently a hippie momma because I also breastfeed and wear my baby around in a sling a lot. I know the whole breastfeeding versus formula debate can get quite heated and I don’t want to stir up any controversy on that here. Besides, I’m in the camp of mothers doing what works best for their situation and sanity. Oftentimes, that’s formula! I’m breastfeeding because a) it’s what my mom did, b) I hear it’s good for kids’ immunity as well as allergies and asthma (both of which I have pretty severely), c) most of the formula in Cotonou originates in a certain “People’s Republic” with a bad track record in the formula department, d) it’s more convenient for me, and e) it is working so far. That being said, if it hadn’t worked, I would have put a case of American formula in the pouch in a heartbeat. Of course, as with most things in Benin, even breastfeeding has presented issues. I had to ask Embassy friends to bring back a 220V adapter for a certain piece of pumping equipment when they were back in the States. The first one met its demise at the hands of Cotonou’s erratic power supply. Talk about awkward.

For now, I guess this momma may need to dig out her old pair of Birkenstocks!

America!

2011-07-04T10:42:00.005-11:00

Happy 4th of July to everyone!

Now that we are living abroad, this holiday has taken on new significance for me personally. I am so much more appreciative of the freedoms we experience in our everyday lives in the United States. From things like driving whenever I want (without fearing for my life or worrying about a “shake down”!), to the more basic things like clean water and shelter…we are incredibly fortunate. I truly didn’t realize how good we had it until we moved to Benin. The sad part is Benin isn’t that bad on the “freedom” scale. With that in mind, I’d like to send a big shout out to our founding fathers, soldiers past and present, and the diplomats (yes, they are part of it, too) who made, and continue to make, it all possible. Thank you!

On another note, it was one year ago today that we learned Charlotte would be part of our lives. Here is our little patriot in action:

We observed the holiday with Embassy friends, both old and new, by heading out to a pailotte (hut) at the beach today. The whole family went, dogs included.

We had a great time and were incredibly happy the rain stayed away so we could celebrate with s’mores, shawarma, cake, and brochettes. That’s probably not what folks were having today back home, but it was pretty darn tasty!

Charlotte also dipped her toes in the Atlantic ocean for the first time. She's been in the Tampa Bay and a few rivers, but not the ocean.

What a great day. Happy Birthday, America!

If you are interested in more pictures, here is my complete "4th of July" slideshow:

Birthday BBQ

2011-06-24T02:15:00.000-11:00

This past weekend, we celebrated Matt's birthday with his annual Birthday BBQ. Matt has been celebrating his love of pork on the anniversary of his birth for many years now. He used to have a big cookout with friends every year in DC, complete with a cooker and a whole pig. This year was a little less glamorous, especially since he had to get up early and do all of the pig (shoulder) roasting solo. Charlotte and I observed and offered moral support and beer, but I know it's not the same as hanging out with his buddies around the smoker. Rest assured, Matt. We will get back to the real tradition with the huge smoker when we are back in the States! Althou it was a smaller affair, we had a great time celebrating with our friends in Benin.

Here is a slideshow of the party:

Happy Birthday Matt!

Babes in Benin

2011-06-16T08:58:00.000-11:00

First off, I feel that I should apologize to my readers for the fact that this blog is likely to be very baby-centric over the next few months. I didn’t want to be one of those people who only talks about my kid, but it’s hard when a) it’s your kid and b) you live in Africa and your day consists of all things related to said kid. However, I promise to try and weave in some other news about life in Africa and not to start talking in the language of goo-goo, gaa-gaa.

With that in mind, I would like to devote this post to our other baby- Molly.

Yes, Molly the puppy is still around and still going strong. As you can see, she's not too little anymore. The crazy thing is that she's only 8 months old and growing bigger every day. She’s definitely won our hearts, despite a few “problem” behaviors. What behaviors, you ask? For starters, she ate our couch. Luckily, it was our couch and not the Embassy’s couch. It’s also fortunate that Nathalie found someone who could fix it for 4000 CFA ($10 USD)! You will have to use your imagination on the "before" photo because I forgot to snap a picture, but I can tell you there was a lot of wood showing and there was very little stuffing left. It looks about a thousand times better now with its little piece of African fabric flair.

In all seriousness, Molly is absolutely adorable. She loves us, loves Charlotte, and is very sweet. She barks when she hears weird noises and loves to cuddle. She also has an amazing vertical jump which I'm trying valiantly to capture on camera. Lily is still my original baby (she existed pre- Matt…we go way back), but Molly has won my heart as well. When she is acting crazy, I just have to remember she’s only 8 months old. We have time to work on her issues, including her desire to sit on Matt at all times when he is not giving her 100% of his attention.

You might think such behavior is an indicator of jealousy over the newest baby in the house. Rest assured, Molly's obsession with monopolizing Matt's time and attention is not reserved for Charlotte. Molly gets equally upset when he's paying too much attention to me or Lily. She also follows Matt into the shower and the bathroom! He has his own personal doggie stalker.

Even though we're told weekly how crazy we are to have a puppy and a newborn in the house at the same time, we're loving every minute. We're excited that they will grow up together. As you can see, they're like two peas in a pod already.

Happy Birthday to the Andersons (well...3 out of 4)

2011-06-16T01:31:00.002-11:00

Matt and his immediate family are very close. So close, that three of the four of them share the same birthday week! With that in mind, I want to wish a belated Happy Birthday to Momma Maggie (June 12th), a Happy Birthday to John (today- June 16th), and a future Happy Birthday to Matt (June 19th). I hope you all have a fabulous birthday week. I love you all and I'm so happy to be a part of your family. Megan, even though you are the odd man out in terms of your birthdate, I love you too! I am very lucky in the in-law department. Oh, yeah...the hubby department, too. :)

Hiatus

2011-06-10T09:10:00.000-11:00

Yes, I’ve been on hiatus. I apologize to any of my loyal readers, although I doubt there are too many of you. I won’t bore you with excuses for my absence, but the addition of this little girl to our family had a lot to do with it:

Charlotte, due to arrive March 14th, made an early entrance on March 7th after a date night at Old Ebbitt. For those of you who know Matt and I well, this choice of arrival times was quite apropos. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 10 ounces and had a full head of red hair upon arrival. Three months later, the hair is still rockin’!

I’m sure there will be a few people reading this who wonder how we did this whole pregnancy/baby thing while living in Africa. Well, I wasn’t in Africa from January until the end of May. I was in the States on medevac, accompanied by Lily the dog! Besides visits to the doctor, I also went to 4 days of French at FSI before quitting (thanks Amanda), shopped at Target, drank lots of Starbucks, went to the dog park, and visited with friends and family. Yes, I did all things “American” and yes, it was a nice break from life in West Africa.

Why didn’t I have my baby in Benin, you ask? People do in fact have babies here all of the time. However, the State Department wasn’t inclined to let me take any chances with the Beninese medical facilities. They are a little “rough” around the edges as we witnessed once when I had to get my foot x- rayed (let’s just say I was “glowing” afterwards).

Thankfully, Matt came back to DC a little early (with Molly in tow!) and was there for Charlotte’s birth. He also used up his leave to stay for almost 8 weeks after. We feel lucky that we had that time together. I mean, who gets 8 weeks of paternity leave in the U.S.? It was pretty amazing. Only a month after he came back to Benin, Charlotte and I came back as well. The whole thing was somewhat of a logistical nightmare (passports, medical clearances, and furniture in government storage!), but we did it and we all survived. That being said, I’m very happy to be settled back into life here with the whole family. Even if some 4-legged members don't cooperate for pictures...

Of course, we are already looking toward our next post. Yes, it’s official. We will be back in Washington in November, 2011. No Gabarone or London for us. The AIP bidders won out, but we hope to try again next year. When all is said and done, Charlotte will only be a Beninese baby for about 5 months. In that short time, I’m sure we will have lots of adventures and stories to tell. We promise to keep you all posted here. Not to mention, the grandparents need lots of pictures! Here are a few more to make up for our time away from the blog...

Charlotte's bedroom, complete with mosquito net and a dresser from the local carpenter

Charlotte loves Nathalie!

Charlotte's first trip to The Livingstone

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2010-12-30T07:29:00.000-11:00

That's right...I'm heading home tonight! I am leaving a bit early for my "maternity" medevac so I can take French at FSI. Sounded like a good idea when I signed up, although I'm not so sure right now thanks to my pregnancy brain. I cannot wait to be back in Virginia, although I'm sure that after a couple of weeks I will start to miss this place. Still, right now I am looking forward to escaping the Harmattan dust and heat of Cotonou while I enjoy some yummy food and the other comforts of home. Matt and Lily are coming with me, although Matt will only stay for a week. That's going to be the hardest part...

Au revoir! I will talk to you all again soon when I'm back home with speedy internet. :)

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Oh, how I miss our...

2010-12-22T10:40:00.001-11:00

...dishwasher. I'm one of those weird people who actually likes to wash dishes (by hand). That being said, I think I've cured myself of this illness during the past year. Holiday baking without one is seriously not fun. Here's a picture of tonight's damage:

Quite the balancing act, isn't it?

Luckily, I only have 9 days until I'm back in the land of dishwashers. One of many reasons I'm excited to be heading State-side!!

Our First American Visitors!

2010-12-21T09:52:00.003-11:00

A couple of weeks ago, Matt and I had our first friend visit from back home. Edward flew into Accra to meet up with his niece, Karen, who was wrapping up 2 years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Togo. Fabulous uncle that he is, Edward decided Karen should take a voyage around the continent to celebrate her successful service...and his birthday. We were an early stop in their great African adventure. Cotonou doesn't have a whole lot to offer, but we tried to show them the sights as best we could.

We went to a party at the Ambassador's residence...

relaxed at Bab's Dock....

spent an evening beachside at the Bier Garden (which is way cooler than this picture looks)...

ventured to the huge Dantokpa market...

and ate Igname Pile with our fingers.

Needless to say, we had a blast. Next up: Edward and Karen are off to South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Egypt. We are so jealous!! We've been in Africa a year now, but have yet to make it beyond Ghana. With baby on the way, it seems we will have to live vicariously for a bit longer. C'est la vie!

Safe travels, Edward and Karen!!

An Anderson Family Tradition

2010-12-20T03:59:00.003-11:00

The first time I went to Matt's house for Christmas, I was introduced to a fabulous family tradition: pound cake!

We'd barely set foot in the door when Matt's mom, Maggie, sent us off to deliver fresh, homemade pound cakes to various friends and neighbors. She is a baking machine...and everybody loves her cakes. We had a great time delivering them, meeting friends and hearing stories along the way.

Last year, when Matt and I made it to Cotonou just in time for the holidays, we knew we needed to continue the Anderson/Thompson family tradition abroad. It was challenging since we hadn't figured out where to buy all of our ingredients and the Kitchenaid mixer hadn't arrived yet. Still, we did okay. This year, we have 28 pound cakes in our line up. Thankfully, the mixer is here and we seem to work well as a team to get them done quickly. Molly supervised, of course.

It's hard work to make 20+ pound cakes, but it's worth every minute. The cakes are yummy, our friends enjoy them, and we have fun hanging out in the kitchen making a mess and listening to Christmas music. What could be better?

I know! Next year: dueling mixers. There is a bake-off in our future...

Cha-Ching! Or Chalupa Pop?

2010-12-12T08:30:00.001-11:00

It's time to talk money. Specifically, the West African franc. or the "Communauté Financière Africaine." We call it the CFA (see-fa). Around since 1945, it has been adopted as the national currency for Benin, as well as 8 other nearby countries.

With that kind of history, you'd think by now the people here would have figured out how to make change. No such luck.

Let me explain. Everyone here, from the bakery to the "hypermarche," wants you to provide them with exact change for your purchase. If you want 2 croissants from Sopai, you'd better have 800 CFA. Nothing more, nothing less. If you pay with a "mil," or 1000 CFA, guess what you get back? A Chalupa lollipop or two! Yes, that's right...candy. Somehow they seem to think that's an acceptable substitute for proper change.

This might seem like a very minor annoyance, but it's something that definitely grates on my nerves. Afterall, I'm the one BUYING something. Shouldn't they be able to give me change?!?
Oh, and to add to the annoyance factor: they frown and grumble at you. That's right. They make a little "humpph" and roll their eyes at the customer. The cashiers actually make YOU feel bad about not having change. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?

I, for one, never have exact change. I'm determined to teach a few customer service skills in a few of my regular haunts. Wish me luck!

If you are in need of a chuckle...

2010-12-06T09:17:00.000-11:00

This was my afternoon with Molly:

The worst thing about the Foreign Service.

2010-12-06T09:13:00.001-11:00

There are a few things I don't like about living the FS lifestyle. Examples: waiting for panels to make decisions, regulations about storage that make no sense (that's a long story), and the general bureucratic dysfunction that impedes progress entirely too often. Still, the worst thing has got to be saying goodbye to fun people you meet along the way. It's the people that make dealing with everything else more bearable!

The time is upon us again to say goodbye to some truly nice, fun people here in Cotonou. We lost Christina last week, and we only have a few short weeks left before the Plunketts head on to their next assignment in Thailand. Boo-hiss!!

We are really going to miss you guys, although we hope you enjoy your next post and the new adventures ahead. Hopefully, our paths will cross again before too long.

Adjusting

2010-12-04T09:26:00.000-11:00

Life in the Anderson household is definitely different these days! Molly is cute, but she's also trouble. She likes to chew on things (flip flops, computer cords, couches...) and she really wants her big doggie sister to play with her. Lily, on the other hand, isn't so sure she wants to play with Molly. Lily, nicknamed "old mama," would much rather lay in one of her designated spots undisturbed. Molly isn't picking up her not-so-subtle leave me alone growls. Luckily, Lily just makes a little noise and moves on to another spot. The funniest part about all of this: I remember a few years back when Lily was acting just like Molly with her cousin Red....what goes around, comes around!

I think this puppy is going to be good preparation for the baby. Right?

Certifiable

2010-12-01T08:59:00.001-11:00

That's right. Matt and I are certifiably crazy. With a baby on the way and multiple trips back and forth across the ocean in our near future, we bought a new puppy today. Luckily, she's pretty stinkin' cute.

Really, how could anyone resist that adorable face? Molly arrived 3 hours ago and she's already part of the family!

So, you ask...how did this happen? Last night we were sitting at the Livingstone eating when I noticed a sign posted on their bulletin board. "Lab puppies for sale." I told Matt he should go up and take a closer look. Needless to say, phonecalls were made, an appointment was set, and Matt came home today with a dog. Of course, Matt did his basic retriever test first. Molly went right after the ball and he was sold. Did I mention Matt took his coworker, Tony, with him and he also came home with a dog? Her name is Annie. I'm telling you...they were irresistable!

Matt and Tony actually had plans this evening, so yours truly got to babysit the sister puppies and their new leader/teacher of all bad habits, Lily. Here is a picture of their introduction:

Lily was a bit bossy at first, but her tail was wagging the whole time and she was actually quite gentle with them. I think she's going to enjoy having some doggie company around.

So, after a few hours of playing and chewing on toys, this is how we are wrapping up the night:

Molly fits right into this family!

Beer in Benin

2010-12-01T08:46:00.001-11:00

Yes, there is beer in Benin. I’m not a big beer drinker, especially in light of my current condition. However, beer is Matt's preferred adult beverage. He loves a good pale ale (yuck!), so he was nervous about drinking the local brew when we first arrived. He’s discovered that Castel, the “Queen of Beers” isn't too bad. Drinkable, I believe was the phrase.

How does he survive? This is how:

Yes, this is American beer. In our shower that we don't use. Next to the bidet we don't use. In Benin.

We had a lot of weight left over in our consumables shipment, so Matt decided to take advantage of it and he packed up a few cases for the boat. You should see how carefully he has been distributing it over the past few months! He’s shared a few with some select friends, but not too many. He’s determined to make them last.

Winter is Coming to Benin....I think.

2010-11-29T19:08:00.000-11:00

I hear it's cold back in DC. Freezing. I'm very jealous! Winter in Benin is quite different from winter back on the East Coast. The most obvious difference: it actually gets warmer. These past few days have reminded me that it is about to get really hot here. Uugh. I'm looking forward to being back in the States in January for real winter. Regardless, we're determined to enjoy the changing of the seasons in the Anderson household, even if the weather outside isn't cooperating.

I really dislike decorating obscenely early for the holidays. (This year, I noticed that holiday decorations were already out at Target back home in October. Really? That seems a little extreme. I'm certain it's all in the name of commercialism.) Of course, I've violated my own rules about decorating early this year. I don't know what got into me. Perhaps it's the heat here in Benin? All I know is that I was grumpy last Friday after work. So, I came home and broke out the Christmas decorations. In Cotonou, decorating for the holidays isn't quite as labor-intensive as back home. A 4-foot plastic tree keeps things pretty simple.

It looks like a sad Charlie Brown tree, but it made me happy. Throw in a cranberry muffin (thanks Susan!) and a homemade pumpkin latte, and it's just like late fall back home.

Oh, and I can't forget...Matt bundled up in his snow gear. I seem to be running a little hot these days and like to turn our air down really low. I knew there was a reason we brought some winter clothes to Benin!! Maybe if we keep the air down low, we won't notice we're in Benin?

Happy almost-winter to all!!

Duturken Report

2010-11-29T08:35:00.000-11:00

We came home from Tony's with VERY full bellies. I'm happy to report the Duturken was a success. With the exception of a few pieces of overcooked duck, it was quite tasty! Here are the sliced photos:

I am certain this dish will appear again in the Anderson household...perhaps with a bigger turkey?

Turducken...or Turdufowlen...or Duturken?

2010-11-27T12:40:00.002-11:00

Matt is a fabulous cook and there's nothing I love more than watching him scheme and implement one of his great cooking projects. The bacon explosion, various pie adaptations, bacon wrapped fried oysters, shrimp and grits...you name it, he'll try it. He roasted his first turkey for Thanksgiving last year and he has plenty of fried turkeys under his belt. This year, when turkey time arrived he decided he needed to move on to something bigger and better. Enter the TURDUCKEN (link to Wiki).

After a little research, Matt decided simply stuffing a chicken into a duck and then into a turkey wasn't enough. In medieval times, they made a "roast without equal" that involved 17 layers of various fowl. He was determined to find as many fowl as possible in Benin to see what he could come up with. With help from our friend Abdou, he came home yesterday with a turkey, a duck, a guinea fowl, and a chicken. Let the fun begin!

The first step was to debone all of the said birds. This went well with the exception of the guinea fowl. The guinea fowl apparently fell apart. Oops! Second dilemma: Matt realized the turkey was actually smaller than the duck. The birds here in Benin aren't quite as plump as the ones back home. They actually call the chickens "bicycle chickens" for this reason. They're well-exercised!

In the end, Matt made a Duturken! A chicken stuffed in a turkey stuffed in a duck. He is a little bummed it's only 3 layers and not quite the "roast without equal" that he dreamed of, but it's a huge accomplishment nonetheless. Here it is in process:

Deboning

Cornbread Stuffing

Tressing

And here is the final product:

Shortly we're off to our friend Tony's house for a potluck dinner. I will report back with some "sliced" photos and an update on how it tastes!

International Center of Arts and Music in Quidah

2010-11-27T00:56:00.002-11:00

One of the cooler things we've done in recent months was attend the opening ceremony for a new school in Quidah. With the help of the Peace Corps and some generous American donors like Susan DuPont, an international arts and music school recently opened in Quidah, a town that is about 1 hour away from Cotonou. It was really fun to see how excited the kids were to sing and dance! Here are a few pictures from the ceremony.

And my personal favorite...

I think this kid might make it to So You Think You Can Dance one day. :)

Bids, Joining the Foreign Service, and French...Oh My!

2010-11-27T00:30:00.004-11:00

Time to update you on some Foreign Service specific items in the Anderson household. One of the last posts I wrote way back when shared our exciting bid list. We bid in October 2010 for our next post, which will begin sometime in November or December 2011. You'd think we know where we're going by now, but that's not the case. We are still waiting in

LIMBO.

Of course, our bid list looks different now that all of the Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan (AIP) bidders got their "handshakes." The AIP bidders get first dibs in light of their last assignment, so we lost a lot of bids right away. Of the 17 bids Matt made, about 12 of them are no longer an option. :( Boo-hiss. 50% of the bids we have left are in Washington. It would be great to be back in the States, but it means Matt will travel a lot... not ideal with the new little one on the way. We also still have 3 overseas posts on our list: London, Dublin, and Belgrade. I'd be delighted to go to any of those, of course! However, they all have a lot of other bidders. I know Matt's fabulous, but the panel has to pick him over 30-40 other people fi we're going to end up in one of those places. With the way bids have been working, I don't think we can put all of our eggs in that basket. Whatever the bureaucracy decides, we will make it work. If there's one thing I've learned about marrying a Foreign Service Officer, it's that patience and flexibility are key. I'm working on it!

How am I working on it, you ask? I've decided if you can't beat it, you might as well join it. As some of you know, I took the FS exam myself last March. I wasn't sure about my choice, but I kept passing the next round of tests and before I knew what was happening I was on my way back to Washington for the orals. I made it past the last step in September and got a place on the "register" shortly thereafter. The register is just another place where I have to wait in

LIMBO.

Basically, the FS gives everyone who passes the exam a score and you are ranked and placed on the register to wait for a job offer. If you get a really high score, you will most likely get an offer to join the service quickly. If you have a low score, you might never get an offer as you'll expire off of the register before you get called for a training class. You can stay on the register for up to 18 months; for those married to FS officers serving abroad, you can also defer for an additional to 2 years. That last little point is going to help me out quite a bit since I've managed to land myself smack dab in the middle of the register...not high and not low. For now, I'm on "deferral" status. The plan is to work on my French for the next year. If I pass the State Department's French test, I'll be able to add points to my score and bump my placement up on the register. I'm hoping that then my rank will be high enough to land an offer about the time Matt, Peanut and I leave Benin next year. Fingers crossed!

Speaking of French, this is what I'll be doing when I'm back in the States in early January and February. I will be taking a French class at FSI in Arlington for about 8 weeks. I'm not excited about sitting in a classroom all day, 5 days a week. But, it will keep me busy until the baby arrives. And maybe get me a job in the Foreign Service!

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

2010-11-27T00:11:00.000-11:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all! We hope you and your families have enjoyed a wonderful holiday. Even though we're far away from our family, we've been thinking about them and trying to whip up some traditional family dishes in their honor. Maggie, your pound cake was a hit!
Thanksgiving is not quite the same celebrating in Benin, but we're fortunate to have good friends to share it with. On Thursday, we enjoyed a large potluck dinner (with entirely too much food!) and our extended Embassy family. Here are a few photos of the fun:

And in case you are wondering...yes, it was hot.

Sending love to everyone back home. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Bun In The Oven

2010-11-26T23:59:00.004-11:00

You might have noticed that my blogging dropped off drastically in July and August. There was a good reason for this. We're expecting an addition to the family!

Halloween: The Bun in the Oven and The Baker!

We're very excited, of course. Especially now that the "morning" sickness and complete exhaustion have subsided a bit. (Note: That "morning" sickness is not always limited to the morning. It was more like "all day" sickness for me. Pregnancy is also 10 months long, not 9. And my skin is not glowing. It's a conspiracy, I tell you.) Those first three months were not much fun, but all seems to be going well with the little Peanut now. I still don't seem to be able to stomach meat or salad, but send a carbohydrate or sweet treat my way and I'm happy!

I've had lots of questions about what this addition means for life in Benin. We're fortunate to have a good medical team here and a doctor with modern equipment, so most things have been similar to back home. However, I will be leaving Cotonou in a few short weeks to head back to Arlington, VA until the baby arrives in March. I'm sad to leave Matt behind, but it will be nice to be back home for the last few weeks. If all goes according to plan, we will welcome the little girl or boy (we aren't finding out the baby's sex beforehand) in March.

Here's a picture of my HUMONGOUS belly. Any bets on what we're having?

For Amanda and Rich...

2010-11-26T23:25:00.001-11:00

I think you may be the only "followers" we have left. :) Sorry! We have been horrible bloggers for the past 3 months. Okay, really the past 5 months. I promise we'll do better!! In an effort to make it up to you, I plan to write a few "catch-up" blogs to cover some of the events happening in our lives over the past 5 months. Stay tuned.

Sorry, folks!

2010-08-04T05:40:00.000-11:00

I can't believe I've been MIA from this blog for over a month now. I'm sorry! I knew I was behind, but not that far behind. Work took over as we geared up for the big 4th of July party, and afterwards I was just trying to stay afloat for a few more days until we went on R & R. That's right! We just got back from a trip to Vegas, NC, and DC for weddings, birthdays, and visits with friends and family. It was fabulous, but I will save those details for another post. Teaser: Elvis was a key player in the weekend.

Now, on to other exciting news. The BID LIST came out today!! Woo-hoo!! Matt and I have been looking at various websites and making guesses about what positions might pop up, but now we actually know. The next few weeks will be full of researching about all kinds of posts around the world. We won't submit our bids until sometime in September or October, I believe. We've already decided we'd rather go back to DC than stick it out in another hardship or remote post. Cotonou has been fun, but access to civilization and the potential for visitors are needed to maintain this girl's sanity. Still, there are a few options on the table that *might* work out.

Right now, I have 3 lists going of potential bids: Yes, Maybe, and No Way. Of course, Matt hasn't really weighed in on these lists and since he's the one with the actual job, that's probably an important note. These lists are definitely still open for discussion!

YES (At least, I think so. Of course, quite a few are LOOOONG shots.)

Berlin, Brasilia, Bratislava, Budapest, Canberra (is it too far?), Copenhagen, Gabarone, Helsinki, Lima, London, Ottowa, Panama, Pretoria, Rome, San Jose,Vienna, Warsaw

MAYBE (We need to do some more research here.)

Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bridgetown, Dubai, Jerusalem, Manama, Sofia, Skopje, Tel Aviv, Wellington

NOT GOING TO HAPPEN (At least, if I can help it. I think these places are either

too dangerous, too polluted, or too much like Cotonou!)

Lome, Kinsasha, Yerevan, Kuwait, Ashgabat, Guadalajara, Kinsasha, Mumbai

Quite the lists, huh? Get out your atlas and pull up the Wikipedia, because I want to hear what you know and/or opine about these places. Of course, remember that there's a decent chance we'll just end up back in DC. Yes, mom. The US of A.

Things I LIKE about Cotonou

2010-06-09T22:28:00.001-11:00

Time to share a few positive points about our time here in West Africa. No more Negative Nancy blog posts.

Here is what I really like about Cotonou:

1. The people are very friendly. They don't even laugh at my horrible French.

2. Sometimes I don't know where my cell phone is. I rarely use it. Quite a contrast to my former attached-to-my-Blackberry-at-all-times Realtor ways.

3. Mangos and pineapples. They are seriously good here. I mean REALLY good. You can't find ones like these in the States.

4. Matt and I get to spend a lot of time together, just hanging out and having fun while doing a whole lot of nothing. Good thing we really like each other. :)

5. We're saving money. A good thing if we ever hope to move back to DC!

6. Natalie, our part-time housekeeper and friend is fabulous. I didn't think we needed her help, but now I can't imagine life without her! She's Lily's best friend, cooks yummy food, and makes life here a lot easier.

7. I love seeing the women carrying around their babies on their backs. It's adorable and it makes me smile everytime.

8. Cash only! I love that we pay for everything in cash. I'm much more aware of what we spend and where.

9. Commuting with my hubby to work. Now that we've discovered free NPR podcasts, it's even more fun. We can dork-out together with Science Fridays on the drive to work!
10. Sitting at the Marina hotel pool, enjoying the ocean breeze and reading a good book.

Life isn't bad. Even on a bad day.

A quick hello to the blogosphere

2010-06-08T22:03:00.006-11:00

Yes, I've been slacking again. We've had the usual internet issues since my last entry, but it's actually work and exhaustion that kept me away this time. Things at the office are nuttier than usual and I've been too tired to do anything when I get home from work. Except enjoy a glass of wine, perhaps. I thought I had an *easy* job? Let's just say that isn't working out as planned. Hopefully, it will all get better once the 4th of July reception comes to a close in a few short weeks. I'm also counting down the days until we leave for vacation in the States. 34 days until I can drink Starbucks, eat sushi, enjoy iced drinks without worrying about amoebas, and sit in the organized traffic of Washington, DC. I didn't like Starbucks or DC traffic before I came to Cotonou. I have a new perspective...my how things have changed!

Happy Moment

2010-06-01T09:45:00.001-11:00

As a few of you already know, I recently decided to follow in my hubby's footsteps and explore a career with the Foreign Service. It was a big decision as the whole process is a little intimidating and time-consuming. Not to mention, I wanted to be sure this was a career choice I'd enjoy, not just one of convenience. After a few months here in Cotonou, I took the plunge and registered for the written test this past March.

Speed ahead 3 months...today I found out I made it to Round 3, the Oral Assessment. Surprise! I truly wasn't expecting to get this far, but I couldn't be happier. Now I just need to figure out how to prepare for a grueling day of group exercises, interviews, hypothetical scenarios, and writing samples. I still have a ways to go, but after a few months working at the Embassy, I'm hooked. Even if I don't make it through this time, I'll be back to try again. The horrible drivers and public urination can't keep me away! :)

p.s.- Congrats to my friend and fellow blogger, Joe, who also made it to Round 3. Woo-hoo!

Next up?

2010-05-28T06:56:00.000-11:00

We’ve officially lived in Cotonou for 6 months now. That means we’ve made it a quarter of the way through. Whew! We have lots happening in the next few months, so I imagine we’ll be at the half-way mark before we know it. Transition season is upon us at work, which means lots of make-readies in the GSO shop, lots of group dinners, and some emotional good-byes. We’ll also be gearing up for the 4th of July reception while we’re short-staffed, so that’s bound to be interesting. Luckily, we have a trip planned for the end of July to relax with our family and friends back in the States. Finally, we’ll start working on Matt’s bid list before much longer.

That’s right: Matt will bid again soon! The list should come out in mid-July. We were planning to head back to the States for our next tour, but we’ve decided we might want to stay out if there are some good options on the bidding horizon. Living abroad isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely got some perks. If we can go somewhere that isn’t too isolated, it might be a good idea to stay out again before we head back to DC. Of course, there are certain things that I imagine we’ll be really tired of in another 18 months .

If we stay out, I’ve decided there are a few musts. Here’s my list:

• No public bathroom stops, please. I’m tired of seeing people pee in the street.

• I can handle a little traffic, but it would be nice to see *some* semblance of order within the cacophony of cars and motos. I just want people to use a little common sense when it comes to the rules of the road. No more turning left in front of me from the right side of the road, people.

• A bigger airport with more flight options. Cotonou is definitely off the beaten path. It would be nice if it was a little easier to explore more of Africa and Europe. It would also help if it didn’t cost and arm and a leg to get anywhere. Air France definitely needs some competition in Benin!

• Drinkable tap water would be nice, too. I hate using bottled water to brush my teeth.

So, what do you think? Is that too much to ask? Only time will tell.

Garden Woes

2010-05-24T01:37:00.011-11:00

Our gardening seems to have hit a snag. We have some kind of creature or mold spores growing on a lot of our plants. Yuck!

I tried the only local fungicide/insecticide treatment we could find (which is scary in and of itself since you really don't know what you are getting!), but it didn't seem to do the job. Hmmmm... anyone have any ideas or suggestions? We will definitely remember to pack some fertilizer and insecticide in our next post abroad. Provided the USG allows it, that is!

The Andersons Love Their Kitchen Gadgets

2010-05-24T01:00:00.006-11:00

Yes, we do. We were a little worried about bringing some of our favorites to Benin with the voltage difference and frequent power spikes. So far, we've been very lucky. Our stick blender is our only casualty thus far. Since it was a few years old anyway, we didn't mind too much. Fingers crossed the luck continues! I don't know what I'd do without our ice cream maker and waffle maker.

Waffles in action

That is coffee Heath bar crunch ice cream in the bowl. Yummo!

There isn't much to do here in Cotonou, so eating is an activity we look forward to more than usual.
As for the exercise program, the plan is to get that back on track this week. If we don't, we might not fit in our plane seats for the ride home. :)

African Safari

2010-05-23T04:48:00.000-11:00

Everyone wants to know all about the animals we've seen here in Africa. Well, we've seen a few animals. Probably not the ones you're thinking of, though! Here are some photos from our African safari thus far:

A cow

Cows in the road

And for a little variety, we'll throw in some sheep and goats.

As Matt says, if there is an animal to be found around here, it's likely that it's someone's lunch or dinner. Hopefully, we will make it up north to Pendjari before too much longer. The rumor is that they have real elephants, lions, and hippos. Oh my!

I Love...

2010-05-23T02:36:00.000-11:00

...my polka-dot rain boots from Target. Seriously. They were always cute and fun, but now that we're fully experiencing Cotonou's rainy season, they are absolutely indispensible. How else would Lily get her daily walks? As it is, I'm worried the high water level will force me into a kayak before the end of all this!

Cute Nappers

2010-05-23T02:13:00.000-11:00

Anyone who knows my husband knows that he loves a good, long afternoon nap. One of my favorite stories about him involves his first day in second-grade. When they came in after lunch, he couldn't understand why they didn't have naptime. In college, he intentionally scheduled his classes in the morning so he could nap all afternoon. He even had a designated "nap couch" when I met him. Yes, he seriously loves to nap.

Well, apparently Matt has found a new napping companion. He and Lily not only share their morning cereal, they also share their afternoon naps. Isn't it adorable?

Maura and Dan Are Getting Hitched!

2010-05-22T13:14:00.000-11:00

I'd like to send a blog shout-out to our friends Maura and Dan who are getting hitched in less than two months in Vegas. I'm completely bummed that I'm missing the shower and bachelorette fun today, but we are super-excited for the big wedding day. Luckily, we're going to make it back in July for their wedding. We can't wait! The thought of escaping Benin for a few weeks is exciting enough, but when you throw in a weekend celebrating with great friends, it just doesn't get any better. They also happen to be two of the funniest people I know, so I'm sure it's going to be a blast.

Cheers to the Fitz-Fullers!!

Casa del Papa

2010-05-21T12:10:00.003-11:00

Matt and I are heading back to Casa del Papa this coming weekend with a couple of our friends, Sean and Lisa. Since I'm sure we will have more pictures, I thought I should at least make an attempt to publish some from our first trip there in March.

Casa del Papa is a resort a little over an hour away. It's not quite a four star hotel, but it's definitely one of our favorite places around. It's quiet, the beach is clean, and they have two nice pools (since the surf is still too rough for swimming), lagoons, kayaks, mini-golf, and cute clean rooms. We like it!

Here is our slideshow, including some little scenes from our drive:

Our New Pet Amoebae

2010-05-19T07:44:00.000-11:00

That's right. Matt and I officially greeted our first parasitic intruders this week. We *almost* made it 6 months. Alas, we were defeated! Despite gallons of bleach and hours of scrubbing our fruits and veggies, we suspect we were brought down by our local hamburger spot. I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say we spent a full day in our bed and our upstairs bathrooms. Thankfully, Natalie showed up to walk Lily and make us some soup. I don't know what we'd do without her.

On a positive note, perhaps this will kick our weight-loss plan into gear. We fell off the P90X plan about a month ago and since social events here seem to revolve around happy hours, we need an amoeba or two to get us going. How sad is THAT?

Cheers to all of you Peace Corps volunteers who take on these new pet friends on a regular basis. You are braver than I!

Surprise!

2010-05-12T11:14:00.000-11:00

I love this country. Tomorrow is a Beninoise holiday, Ascension Day. It happens every year on the Thursday closest to 40 days after Easter. This one has been on the books for months. One of the perks of working at a U.S. Embassy abroad: dual holidays. We get their holidays, and ours. Not bad. Not bad, at all.

Surprise! Today they decided to add on May 14th as another national holiday. All in the name of a 4-day weekend! Why? No real reason. They said they want people to use it as a chance to register to vote. Seriously? They really just thought it was a good reason for a LONG weekend.

I love the planning and forsight in this country! Not that I'm complaining about another day off...

My old (Kentucky) home?

2010-05-02T09:16:00.000-11:00

Since Matt and I are the only southerners in Cotonou, we thought we'd represent our roots and throw a gathering in honor of the Kentucky Derby. Big glamorous hats were hard to come by and most guests left by the time the actual race began, but there was plenty of southern fare and fun. We cooked burgoo, ham biscuits, Derby Pie, and a whole bunch of other food. 24 hours later, I'm still full. Here are some pictures:

The Kentucky Burgoo (AKA: Brunswick stew in other parts of the country!)

Derby Pie whipped up by my baker husband

The spread, after the troops descended! That was the second dish of cheesy grits...

Of course, no Derby party is complete without Mint Juleps! It's just too bad that Cotonou only carries Tennessee whiskey, not Kentucky bourbon. I know all of our Kentucky friends are screaming as they read this, but I promise I tried. I went to 4 different stores, but no Kentucky liquor could be found!!

Rainy Season is definitely here!

2010-05-02T08:44:00.000-11:00

Thankfully, it has also brought with it slightly cooler temperatures. It's so cold that the guards wear their jackets at night. Of course, to them 85 degrees is cold! It's all a matter of perspective.

Unfortunately, with the rain comes lots of street flooding and more mosquitos.

This is how it looks right outside our front door. I'm breaking out the polka dot rain boots for my walks with Lily. You can't even begin to imagine the looks I get when I sport them around the neghborhood!

Pictures of pictures

2010-05-01T08:44:00.000-11:00

Matt and I finally got around to drilling through our concrete walls to hang some pictures. It took a lot of physical strength and mental patience, but it was well worth the effort. This was an especially rough week with some sick family members back home, so I'm very thankful to have these comforting smiles around me. When you're so far away from your family and friends, there is nothing like being able to see their faces!

We also hung pictures of some of our favorite places... DC, Charleston, the Outer Banks, Italy, and Portugal.

We are looking forward to coming home for a visit soon enough. Until then, we're sending lots of hugs and get-well wishes across the Atlantic.

Green thumbs?

2010-04-25T10:16:00.000-11:00

There are a few vegetables we can't get here in Cotonou. Corn, yellow squash, big tomatoes, radishes, spinach, celery, red and yellow peppers are hard to come by. If you manage to find them, they are extremely expensive. Some of these vegetables can't be found because they simply don't grow well in the continously hot weather. Others, though, seem like obvious choices. There is certainly plenty of sun! With that in mind, we thought we'd try out a little garden in our back yard. We will see how it goes!

I'm working on thinning out the carrot and radish seedlings here.

These are, hopefully, going to be red and yellow peppers!

Lily's Best Friend

2010-04-25T10:01:00.000-11:00

Sorry Abby, Roosevelt, Barth, and Sparky. Lily has a new best friend here in Cotonou. Meet Monty. He's pretty handsome, don't you think?

He's smart, too! He can speak on command, play dead, and requires no leash for his daily walks. Maybe Lily will pick up a few new tricks before we return? All I know for sure is that no toys are safe with these two around!

The chicken has no legs and the giraffe isn't far behind!

No shrimpy shrimp here in Cotonou!

2010-04-24T08:05:00.000-11:00

Natalie, our fabulous housekeeper/cook, came home with some yummy treats for us this week. She bought them from a woman toting a cooler around the neighborhood.

Yes, those are shrimp! They were huge, but more importantly they were very fresh. More like lobster than shrimp, really. We ate them up in a hurry. We're looking forward to a few more meals with them in the future!

Football

2010-04-22T07:45:00.000-11:00

We have an Embassy football team! Not a football team like home...that's American football here. No, I'm talking about soccer. Soccer is "real football" according to everyone outside of the United States. I knew the Brits called it football, but I didn't know everyone else calls it football except for us. Yet another reminder of how U.S.-centric we can be.

Our football team, The Federal Eagles, is made up of mostly local Embassy employees. This is for a good reason: they can play! The team actually went to the finals this year. They are fast, and they are fearless. Seriously. Matt and Tony were thinking about joining up until we went to a game. Anyone care to make a guess about where they ended up?

Yup...drinking beer on the sidelines. At least they were there to cheer on the team! There were a lot of other spectators, too. Soccer games are the big entertainment for all of the local kids. This was my favorite spectator:

Such a serious student!

Catch up!

2010-04-22T07:24:00.000-11:00

I apologize to my loyal readers once again for my blogging lapse. Our internet has been painfully slow as of late and I just couldn't bring myself to upload pictures. I promise to make it up to you!

First off, I am sad to tell you that rainy season has finally arrived in Cotonou. I was excited for the rain to come so it would get cooler, but now I think I'd like to have the sunshine back. The rain makes it cooler, but not enough to make a real difference. Not to mention, the streets flood. I am SO happy I brought my rain boots for walking Lily. I am going to need them.

Alas, I will have to think back and remember my afternoons at the Marina hotel's pool...

Hopefully that will tide me over until the rain ends!

Ghanaian Roadsigns

2010-04-07T10:48:00.000-11:00

Ghanaians are a devout group. When they translate their love for God into roadsigns for any and everything, it provides for quite a few chuckles. Here are my favorites that we managed to capture on film during our quick drive.

Finally, as a toast to my real estate roots...

Again, you are welcome to enjoy the full slideshow here:

West African Roadways

2010-04-07T10:13:00.001-11:00

I thought DC potholes were bad. Clearly, I’d never been to West Africa. Driving around the local streets, I knew we’d encounter mostly dirt roads and more bumps than we’re used to back in the States. What I didn’t realize was how different “highway” driving would be. This past weekend, Matt drove from Cotonou, Benin to catch up with me in Accra, Ghana. It’s only 190 miles. How bad could it be? Bad. Very bad. Let's just say my head hit the roof more than once...while I was driving. Oops!

"Highways” are a loose term in West Africa. As you can see in the picture above, the city streets quickly change into dirt roads. What would be a reasonable 3 hour trip in the States took us 8 hours. It only took 7 hours on the way back...not counting the 2 additional hours we spent standing in the hot sun arguing with the Togolese border officials. We were lucky to make it home before dark! All of this so we could go to a commissary and a movie theater. My how our priorities have changed.

Just for fun, I thought I’d look up the route on google maps. They couldn’t calculate the drive. Did I mention the animal detours?

Snippets from Dakar and Accra

2010-04-06T03:51:00.005-11:00

Okay, I'm really behind. In an effort to catch up, I will start at the beginning with my trip to Dakar. I was there for training, so I spent most of my time at the Embassy. It’s a nice Embassy and it was fun to see a bigger community. They even had a yummy cafeteria with diet coke. That being said, I still spent most of my time dealing with a slow internet connection (routed through Cotonou), so my training was not as productive as I might have liked. Like a lot of things in West Africa, it involved a lot of patience!

In my spare time, I ate some yummy food, explored some local shops, and sat out by a beautiful pool.

Not bad. Not bad at all.

I was bummed, though, that the vendors were EXTREMELY pushy and aggressive. I didn’t buy a thing, which many of you will recognize as an infrequent event. I was totally put off by the bossy salespeople. Don’t worry, though. I made up for it when I went shopping in Accra!

Accra was a little slice of heaven. We shopped, ate sushi and Mexican food, laid by the pool, and even found friends to take us to the Commissary. We bought some steaks and ribs and packed them up in the cooler for the drive home. They even had a mall with an Apple store, a food court, a movie theater, and a “Hall of ATMs.” I was too scared to use the ATM (bank issues are common), but at least they were there.

Accra was fabulous. Matt and I loved every minute and are looking forward to going back. It was worth the eight hour drive and the border hassle. Yes, there are more stories to tell. Stay tuned. I promise to tell more on those points in a later post. If you're interested in seeing more pictures, here is the complete slideshow.

p.s. - We just found out Accra has the same “hardship” differential as Cotonou. Sooooo not fair. They have movies! And a mall! And a Commissary! Humph.

Spring in Senegal

2010-03-30T02:21:00.002-11:00

As I write, I'm sitting in a training classroom at the Embassy in Dakar. We are learning all about the new ePerformance program they have been rolling out for the evaluations process. In my new job, I'll be helping with implementation. From everything I've heard, it's not the most user-friendly program. I'm sure it will be a challenge to get people on board to use the new system. Needless say, class isn't exactly "thrilling." Still, I'm excited to be in another African country!

So far I haven't had much time to explore and see what Dakar is all about. I can say the weather here is lovely. It's sunny and warm, but not HOT like Cotonou. It reminds me of springtime in DC. Tonight and tomorrow I'm hoping to get out to see some sights and to do a little shopping. I promise to take along my camera to capture the scene. Until then, rest assured I haven't forgotten about the blog. :)

My husband, the yogi

2010-03-24T09:55:00.001-11:00

I know a few of you think I am not being fully honest. Trust me, I am. See for yourself!

He even asked me to order him a yoga mat of his very own. Promise.

He may not speak to me for a few days after making this public. Still, I have to share it because I'm extremely proud of him for giving it a chance. Why, you ask, is Matt doing yoga? Well, let's just say the food has been much better here than expected. Our plan to lose a few pounds with our new healthy eating lifestyle hasn't exactly panned out. Benin was a French colony, so there is a lot of fabulous food here. We also have a fairly small and outdated gym at the Embassy. We didn't have the foresight to bring a treadmill or bikes in our HHE like other Embassy folks (a "newbie" mistake). Hence, the need to start a serious home exercise regime: the P90X.

For those who don't know, the P90X is somewhat of an intense video workout program. The lead guy, Tony Horton, is full of cheesy one-liners ("Bring it!") and he has lots of hair that never moves. It's a little creepy, but it actually does seem to work. You have to do it 6 days a week, though, and I'm not so sure we'll be able to keep it up for the full 90 days. Who am I kidding? I know we won't. We may be in our second break from it this week as I write. I think this means we have to start over....all well. At least Matt will have a new yoga mat to protect his joints this time around.

In case you are wondering, Lily also enjoys the workouts. She sits and watches us the whole time. I think we're pretty entertaining with our lack of coordination and balance! Her downward dog isn't bad, though. If only I could capture her on film.

A Hazy Shade of Winter

2010-03-23T10:57:00.001-11:00

Winter is upon us here in Benin. Supposedly, it's been here since November. I guess the constant 90-100 degree temperatures are somewhat misleading when one lives this close to the equator. It has taken a while to get used to, even for this girl who grew up in steamy southeast Georgia. That being said, we're finally acclimating to the temperature and we don't sweat or get dehydrated quite as much as we used to!

When we first arrived in Cotonou, we heard that we'd know winter had officially arrived when the Harmattan appeared. The Harmattan is basically a huge dust cloud that blows down from the Sahara and hits a lot of West African countries before heading out over the ~~Pacific~~ Atlantic (where did my brain go?). After almost 3 months of African winter, I gave up and decided the Harmattan was just another piece of local lore. There wasn't any dust beyond the usual smog and the temperatures certainly weren't getting any cooler.

Alas, I woke up yesterday and walked outside into the thickest of pea-soup fog. Only, it wasn't fog. It was dust. Dust that sticks around all day. Dust that covers your (indoor) furniture in a matter of hours. Lots and lots of dust.

It's truly eerie. Not to mention the allergy issues and the annoying need to clean one's dresser constantly. I am hoping it goes away quickly! I like the slightly cooler temperatures, but not as much as I like breathing clean air.

For more on the Harmattan, check out this link on Wikipedia.

p.s.- I hope a few of my girlfriends back home will appreciate the 80s music reference. Cheers, ladies!

Happy Birthday Lily!

2010-03-18T09:51:00.002-11:00

Our little girl turned 9 this week. Or 63 in dog years. Actually, I've been saying she's 9 for about 6 months now. I just can't keep up! She is actually a pound dog of somewhat indeterminate age, but we say her birthday is March 15th.

In any case, this is her birthday fun. She loved every minute!

A Redneck in Every Country?

2010-03-18T08:32:00.000-11:00

So, my husband has a theory. He believes there are rednecks in every country. We are quite familiar with rednecks since we are both southerners. We may even have a few redneck tendencies of our own. Just last night I was laughing as we four-wheeled through the puddles in our neighborhood. There are a lot (which is a little bit frightening since we've only had one rainstorm as rainy season gears up). I digress...

Here is a scene from our honeymoon in Portugal proving his point.

We had gone on a daytrip to a beautiful secluded beach. We found these guys four wheeling on the way home! In the middle of nowhere in Portugal.

Just this week, we found validation in our backyard. Our Lebanese neighbors were out playing on their ATV.

I guess it's easy in a place like Cotonou to go four wheeling. There's plenty of mud and few rules of the road. I think Matt is right...again. :)

Out of the Loop, but EMPLOYED!

2010-03-18T07:19:00.000-11:00

Yes, that's right. I am no longer a lady of leisure. I officially started a new job at the Embassy this Monday. Matt and I decided to celebrate my last hours of freedom with a weekend at a nearby beach resort, Casa Del Papa. It was fabulous! Alas, my blogging has suffered as a result of our trip and this little thing called work. I promise to do better.

A lot of you have asked what I'm doing at the Embassy. I was hired as a "Management Assistant." That basically means I do whatever they need me to do. I think the bulk of my job will involve HR stuff, but I also think that may change based on what they need over time. We will see! All I know is that I'm enjoying it. I like feeling useful and having a good excuse to get out of the house. I miss my pool time and I hate getting up early, but I think I would have gone crazy if I'd stayed home alone too much longer.

So, until the next time we head to Casa Del Papa, the memories from our weekend away will have to suffice...

I promise to upload a link with the full slideshow by the weekend!

Babes in Africa

2010-03-10T22:31:00.001-11:00

No, mom. We're not pregnant. I'm talking about OTHER people's babies.

On Tuesday, some of our dear friends back home welcomed their first child into this world. Although we were sad to miss the event, we are delighted that the internet has allowed us to see pictures of this new, sweet arrival. Baby Ross and her parents are doing well. Congratulations!

In honor of this latest addition, I thought I'd share one of my favorite daily sightings here in Benin. There are no baby bjorns here.

Everywhere you walk and go in Benin, you will see mothers going about their daily business with babies attached to their backs. Almost all of the women in the markets have their babies in tow. I've also seen women fishing with babes on their backs, and even women working in offices with babies attached.

It's a beautiful sight, although I'm sure it's simply a matter of necessity for these women. Daycare is probably hard to come by, especially for those with little means to pay for such services.

Development Done Right?

2010-03-08T06:15:00.000-11:00

Benin is a very poor country. Everyday we are surrounded by people living in deplorable conditions, with limited food and safe water. People approach us at every stoplight begging for money. To make matters even worse, we hear a lot about development dollars ending up in the wrong places. Corruption runs rampant and even those doing honest, reputable development work seem somewhat hopeless about how they are making an impact on the long-term picture.

Enter Songhai. Songhai is a development project that began in the mid 1980s in the nearby Capitol, Porto Novo. Matt and I had the chance to visit a couple of weeks ago with some of our friends. From what little I saw, it seems places like Songhai are exactly what West Africa needs.

Songhai is basically a huge school, farm, store, machine shop, and gas station all wrapped up into one. If you look carefully at the picture above, you can get the basic idea. Everything is interdependent. Songhai uses development funds to train people in the local villages about sustainable agriculture. They actually bring people from the villages to live as students at one of their campuses where they learn about producing crops, fish farming, and raising other animals. They don't stop there. They also teach them about manufacturing products, marketing, and they even have a machine shop to sauter and fix up old tools. Oh, did I mention they also make their own gas and fertilizer from the animal waste?

This is the poo...

...that becomes the gas!

Songhai really is a unique place. To learn more about their work, check out the Songhai website.

Here are a few parting pictures of some of other interesting things we saw:

This is one of their fish ponds.

Sweet corn. Yum!

Apparently, it may make an appearance at the Embassy's annual 4th of July festivities.

For more information or pictures, you can see the whole slideshow here:

By the way...

2010-03-07T11:07:00.001-11:00

A few of you asked for an update about our new neighbor. We have only seen him a couple of times, but he seems very nice and is a peaceful, quiet neighbor so far. Whew! He does Public Health work for USAID. His wife will be joining him in a few weeks, as well. They have grown children and have lived all over the world. I hope we will share some fun stories over dinner before much longer!

Beninise Music

2010-03-07T10:59:00.003-11:00

A friend from one of my bookclubs back home (I still consider myself a "member abroad") found an article in Sunday's Washington Post that I couldn't resist sharing. Deborah, thanks for passing along this link!

This article highlights the work of a Jazz musician, Lionel Loueke, who was born here in Cotonou. I'm not familiar with his work, but I plan to hop on Itunes when my bandwith is cooperating to check him out. It sounds promising.

Photo of Lionel Loueke by Jim Katz, courtesty of The Washington Post.

I also learned in this same article that Angélique Kidjo, another Beninese musician, is singing at Lisner Auditorium on March 27. I do know her work, but only because EVERYONE in Benin knows her work. Check her out, too! I have her on my Itunes already...

A Lady of Leisure's Favorite Things To Do in Cotonou

2010-03-03T01:59:00.001-11:00

A lot of people want to know what we are enjoying most about Cotonou. For this lady of leisure, time at the beach, the pool, and Bab's Dock top the list. Cotonou has been incredibly hot and steamy since we arrived in November; finding some water to cool off is essential.

Bab's Dock is a little day-resort run by a sweet Belgian couple about 20 minutes away from our house. You drive down the beach road and turn inland. After parking the car, you catch a boat and wind your way among some mangrove trees until you hit the open lagoon.

The boat loads up...

...and winds through the mangroves!

The lagoon is only about waist-deep, but it is refreshing! They also have yummy BBQ chicken, cold beer, kayaks, sailboats, hammocks, and even some donkeys and a monkey. This is without a doubt one of my favorite ways to spend a day in Cotonou.

Matt, Joe, and Maki hanging out after we finished lunch.

My favorite hammock spot. Can you blame me?

As you sit and read your book or talk with friends, you can also watch nearby villagers walk across the lake heading to or from town. That is something that would never happen in the States, for sure!

To see more pictures of life at Bab's Dock, you can check out this slide show on Picassa:

The Life of an EFM

2010-03-01T20:30:00.003-11:00

What, you ask, is an EFM? When you or someone you love is in the Foreign Service, such acronyms are a way of life. Everything and everyone seems to have an acronym: DoS, EFM, FSO, GSO, RSO, CAC... you get the idea. According to the Foreign Service, my title is Eligible Family Member (EFM). It basically means that I'm along for the ride with Matt as he travels the world with the State Department.

While being an EFM is something I accepted full heartedly, it's not as glorious as it may sound. I think I'm doing pretty well at it thus far, but it's not for the faint of heart. I was excited to move around the world and see explore new places with my hubby. That being said, I wasn't sure about leaving all of our friends and family behind and leaving my career. After 3 months at our first post, there are still moments when I wonder what in the world I'm doing here. Friends back home are having babies (Welcome Henry! Baby "Shark" Ross and Baby Reynolds Marino will also join the mix soon), nephews are growing up, and my bookclubs continue to read away. There is plenty to miss and homesickness has a way of creeping up on you, even when you do your best to stay busy.

Speaking of staying busy, that has been another difficult part of this transition. Although I was fortunate enough to find a job at the Embassy, I have not started working yet. I'm waiting for the bureacratic wheels to turn and clear me for work. With a government job, that equates to eternity! Since I'm used to working and bringing home a paycheck, this has been extremely hard for me. I don't have kids at home to keep me busy, so I fill up my days with French class, cooking, gardening, blogging, and reading. Matt calls me a lady of leisure, but it's not quite as fabulous as you might think. My days disappear very quickly, but I feel like I have very little to show for my time!

Wow...this post is somewhat of a bummer. I think it's time to turn it around. First off, don't worry! The life of an EFM really isn't all that bad. I personally couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now. The things we've experienced thus far and the stories we've accumulated make it all worthwhile. I think having that kind of an attitude and outlook on your life abroad is extremely important and helpful. With that in mind, I will oofer up a few tips for anyone approaching life as an EFM or an extended stay away from home:

* Be social even if it's not your nature. You're not betraying old friends by making new ones and you need people to talk to and get you out and about.

* Stay flexible. If you thought waiting for Comcast was annoying, try waiting for the water or power to come back on...if you had it to begin with. (Yes...some posts have no water or power! They run on generators and have water trucks.)

* Stay connected to home, even when the time change makes it challenging. Skype has been a lifesaver for us.

* Find a purpose. I'm still working on a bigger purpose here in Cotonou, but in the meantime getting the garden started has been a nice distraction.

* Appreciate and be thankful for what you have. Most importantly, enjoy it!

Beninise Gas Stations

2010-02-26T03:45:00.000-11:00

True gas stations are hard to come by in Benin. You can find one or two around town, but even they don't take credit cards or list their prices out front. Most often, people just get their gas from little roadside stands.

You just pull over and someone fills you up. Who knows what octane you are getting!

So, you want to know where this gas comes from? We have seen a few different "import" tactics.

Trikes from Nigeria, with gas tanks in the back and...

boats from Nigeria. Notice any themes? That's right...roadside gas usually comes from Nigeria!

Balancing Acts

2010-02-25T03:28:00.000-11:00

One of my favorite "everyday" sightings in Benin involves people who have significantly better balance and coordination than I. Whether young or old, everyone here seems to be able to balance all kinds of things on their heads while strolling casually down the street.

I just don't know how they do it! Even the little ones...

So, in the interest of science, Matt and I decided to experiment a bit with the help of Natalie. She walks around the house with the laundry on her head all of the time. How hard could it be?

Hard. Very hard, in fact. Here is my attempt, which took quite a few tries and didn't last for long!

The Venice of Africa

2010-02-23T11:16:00.003-11:00

Last weekend, Matt and I were anxious to escape the house. Not only was our house void of running water and consistent power, but we had a chance to explore Ganvie, "The Venice of Africa." Since I love Venice and any city near a body of water, I was anxious to check it out. It wasn't exactly like the real thing, but it was pretty and fascinating in its own way.

Ganvie is a village on stilts located in a shallow lake to the Northeast of Cotonou. With over 30,000 residents, schools, hotels, and stores, I think it qualifies as more of a city than a village. Local lore indicates the village was established by the Tofinu people who sought refuge on the lakes at the height of the slave trade. They were protected because, according to the religion of the Abomey, it was forbidden to attack people on the water. The people who built their houses here have managed to construct a complete town on water and have lived here for many generations.

We took a 30 minute boatride from the mainland, passing women headed to the mainland market and men and children out fishing. As we came into the village itself, we were greeted by a local dance party of sorts. They road alongside our boat, singing, and eventually hopped onboard to dance for us. They were hysterical!

They also got all of the kids nearby dancing.

We truly enjoyed the trip. It was a gorgeous day of cruising on the water and we loved all of the waves and smiling faces along the way. We took A LOT of pictures and there is plenty more to tell you about the people and our experience. If you want more, you can check out this slideshow from Picassa:

If not, goodbye!

New Neighbors!

2010-02-17T23:29:00.000-11:00

Supposedly, we are getting new neighbors this weekend. They were supposed to be here last week, but they got snowed in. They will be in for a shock when they land in steamy Cotonou!

The Embassy has been prepping for their arrival. There has been a lot of hammering next door. We live in a duplex, so I hope that's not a sign of a lot more noise to come. The Embassy also brought in their new generator this week... a scary process to watch.

Even though we're a little afraid to share a wall with these newbies, we're looking forward to having some neighbors. Our street is small, with only 4 houses on the block. Since we have a Consulate on one side and no one actually lives there, it will be nice to have someone on the other side. Keep your fingers crossed that they are fun... but not too noisy!

More Zimmie John Acrobatics

2010-02-17T05:11:00.003-11:00

I promised I would keep an eye out for more interesting pictures of the things people carry on their Zimmies. Here are my latest sightings:

Gas anyone? Most likely, this was smuggled up from Nigeria!

I guess he left the car at home?

I missed the guy with the ladder around his neck, but his friend wasn't far behind!

I can appreciate the necessity of some ICE around here...

...not to mention some refrigeration!

Last, but not least, here's dinner.

Lucky girl!

2010-02-14T02:46:00.001-11:00

I'm a lucky girl for many reasons, but today seems like a good one to give a shout out to my fabulous husband. I feel very lucky to have him in my life! He's smart, funny, caring, and incredibly cute. Don't you think? :)

I can't believe it was only a year ago that we were gearing up for a wedding and wondering where we might end up with Matt's job. Now, here we are in Africa living a life of adventure. Life isn't always easy over here, but I can't imagine being anywhere else.

Happy Valentine's Day, Schmoopy! Yes, that is a Seinfeld reference...

Kitchen Cabinet Splendor

2010-02-11T09:19:00.000-11:00

I'm not sure if any of you remember, but when we first arrived here there were a few things in our house that weren't exactly up to snuff. One of them was our kitchen cabinets. We only had a few of them, and they were way up high on the wall. We definitely needed to get them lowered and we needed to find a way to get more storage and counter space.

My fabulous husband went out and commissioned cabinets from the local carpenter. He has a shop in a small roadside shack about 3 blocks away. I wasn't expecting any miracles, but something would be better than nothing. I seriously underestimated the carepenter's abilities! He created some gorgeous cabinets, especially when you consider the price...$400.

The new cabinets are the ones on the bottom. Aren't they nice? Matt is thinking they will come back to the States with us for his future "shop." We also got the other cabinets brought down so the stepstool isn't needed any longer. We have a real working kitchen now!

Superbowl madness

2010-02-10T08:51:00.002-11:00

Madness is the only word for it. Why? Because the Superbowl party here didn't get started until 10 p.m. and the actual Superbowl didn't start until about 12:25 a.m. That's right...the die-hard Americans had a Superbowl party here in Cotonou in the wee hours of a Monday morning. Needless to say, I'm quite happy that my husband isn't the biggest of football fans. He can cook some great buffalo wings, though!

We couldn't find any Texas Pete in the local stores, but everyone at the party was quite happy with his Louisiana Hot Sauce version. As for the crowd, it was a lovely ensemble of Embassy people, other expats, and Peace Corps volunteers.

What was my favorite thing about the Superbowl party, besides the wings? We got to go home and SLEEP at the end of the first quarter. I was a little bummed we didn't get to see the underdog Saints win their first Superbowl, but sleep always wins over football in the Anderson household!

Fasten your seatbelts!

2010-02-07T03:55:00.000-11:00

Driving in Cotonou is quite an experience. It's difficult to put into words, but I'll try with the help of a few visual aids.

First off, there are a lot of zimmie johns on the road. Some with 4 or 5 people on them, most of them without helmets. They alternate between going extremely slow and exceedingly fast. They turn left from the right side of the road, too. A personal favorite. And headlights at night? They're optional as well!

Now, let's discuss the "rules of the road." They simply don't exist here. Stoplights are usually ignored, and yielding to pedestrians or other vehicles is definitely a foreign concept. If you try to follow roadsigns or rules of the road here, you are more likely to end up in a wreck than if you just go with the flow.

Do you remember the old video game, Frogger? That's how you cross most of the roads here.

Observe the zimmie johns here to the right. They are about to leap across!

After 5 days of driving and negotiating through the streets of Cotonou, I thought I was beginning to get the hang of it. Then, I saw this one:

I'm not sure I'll ever get used to driving in Cotonou!

Lily's New Favorite Person

2010-02-06T09:51:00.000-11:00

I was heartbroken when I realized that Lily loved Matthew more than me, her original rescuer. I knew it was because of their morning ritual that involved him letting her lick the end of his cereal bowl, but it still hurt. I had been so easily replaced! Alas, it appears that Matthew has now been replaced as well.

Yes, Lily has a new BFF. Meet Natalie.

Natalie is our new household help. I was reluctant to hire someone to help out since I've been home, but she has been a blessing. She may be my new BFF, too! She is truly fabulous. She comes 3 days a week and works extremely hard to keep our house tidy and cook for us. We are truly spoiled as she is very sweet and absolutely adores Lily. She even brings Lily a treat every day when she goes out for a bite to eat. Natalie only speaks French, so she has helped me learn more French in a hurry. She is also teaching Lily to follow commands in French! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Since I got a job at the Embassy and will be headed back for work before much longer, I'm excited to know Lily will have such wonderful company. I still wish she loved me most, though...

New Food Finds

2010-02-03T21:44:00.000-11:00

We found more fabulous food in Benin! First, we went to Restaurant Casanova for an Italian experience in Cotonou. The pasta was fresh and homemade. It wasn't quite as good as Pasta Mia, but it was a decent substitute. Like many of the restaurants here, it is owned by another expat.

Last week, while Matt was off chasing pirates in Nigeria (don't ask), I went out to eat at Le Bouffe De Roi. Those of you who know me well understand how much I love my mexican food. Since all things Mexican are hard to come by at the grocery, I was extremely excited to learn this place served up a yummy burrito.

Next up: find a way to import some tortillas so I can create my own mexican feast. I guess I could make them from scratch, too. Tips and recipes are welcome!

Slacker

2010-02-01T21:14:00.001-11:00

Sorry for the long delay between posts, everyone! I was a little lazy with it for a few days, and then when I got ready to post our internet had disappeared. Luckily, it came back. It's just like our power....it comes and goes more than I'd like.

I have a few important updates to share. First off, our HHE (household effects) arrived on Thursday! We shipped over a couch, our bed, a lot of food and paper products, kitchen stuff, clothes, sheets, towels, lamps, and our car. It's amazing how these things make a house feel like a home. Our original delivery date was January 7th, so you can imagine how excited we were when the container actually pulled up outside our house. Yes....a whole container. In our street.

The car came out first. I was a wee bit nervous, but I was very glad I didn't have to drive it off the truck.

My favorite part about the whole thing: the neighbors. Everyone wanted to know what was going on! Zimmie john drivers stopped and got off their bikes and the schoolkids who were on their lunch break gathered, as well.

We hadn't seen our car since November 18th, so I was more than ready to hop in the car and go for a drive. Unfortunately, the local sticker required from customs wasn't with our car. We need the sticker to keep the local police from shaking us down for a little extra pocket change. Our car sat in the driveway for 6 days, taunting us! Last night Matt and I were finally able to drive it to the pool and to dinner. Yee-haw!

Walks with Lily

2010-01-20T05:19:00.002-11:00

Walks with Lily in Cotonou are very different from walks back in Arlington. For one thing, she chases lizards and chickens instead of squirrels. Here is a typical morning standoff:

The red-headed lizards are also a favorite:

I was just happy this one wasn't in our kitchen!

Sadly, the chickens and lizards are the only animal friends Lily sees on her walks. There are not many other dogs around and the ones that are tend to snarl at her. Most of the people aren't too friendly, either. Almost everyone is afraid of her and they cross the road to avoid us. One of our guards called her "wicked" last week. It's very sad...all Lily wants to do is say "Hi" and play!

Here is something else that happens on walks with Lily in Africa that never happened back home:

She just gets too hot sometimes and decides to have a rest in the middle of the road. This was on a walk at about 9 in the morning...and we had only gone two blocks. It's HAWT here, especially for a black dog who is still wearing her winter coat.

I will leave you with a few other funny and interesting street scenes from our daily walks...

The local taxidermist's work

This is someone's "guard" hard at work during the day. I'm always amazed at how soundly they seem to sleep in the most uncomfortable-looking places.

This is our local garbage "truck." Two guys and a big wagon!

Holidays Abroad

2010-01-18T01:14:00.001-11:00

A lot of you have asked me what we thought of our first holiday season abroad. While it was difficult to be away from everyone at such a special time of year, we quickly found that there was a new "family" of characters that would help us celebrate here in Cotonou.

On Christmas, we were invited to Carla's house for a potluck dinner. We had no idea that Carla would be opening up her house to over 20 of us! She even rented chairs and tables to seat all of us. It was a lot of fun!

We hung out with a few of the other Embassy families, as well as people working with Catholic Relief Services, the Peace Corps, Millenium Challenge, and USAID. It was a great mix of people. There was enough food for a small army.

This is Ericka, Valentina, and Randy. He works for MCC in Cotonou.

Meet Abdou, his wife Lauren, and their cute kids, Caleb and Samuel. She works for the Peace Corps and Abdou works at the Embassy.

Carla and her children. Carla works for Catholic Relief Services. Unfortunately, her husband works in another African country.

Matt and Tony, his friend and "boss" at the Embassy.

For New Year's, Tony agreed to host everyone at his house for a barbeque. The boys had fun cooking outside while the ladies gossiped inside. Once it cooled off a bit, we all moved outside to eat and enjoy.

Here is the entire group

Wishing you all a (late) happy and healthy New Year!

Meet Bubba.

2010-01-17T20:05:00.001-11:00

Isn't he cute? Let me tell you how he came into our lives.

Since we don't have our car yet, we're extremely reliant upon the Embassy's drivers and the generosity of other Americans living nearby. Tony (Matt's boss) and all of the other Americans living nearby have been incredibly helpful, picking up Matt for work, taking us with them to the beach and around town, and offering up their car and driver for shopping trips to the local grocery. Before the weekend, our friend Maki was nice enough to invite me to go with her to the port in search of fresh seafood. I'd been dying to go!! I'd heard it was a nut house and it was a good idea to go with someone who'd been before; Maki provided an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

Maki knew what she was doing! We arrived, paid 50 CFA (about 15 cents) for entry, and carefully avoided the mobs of ladies who approached us as we made our way to stall number 21. Maki knew this was the woman to see. The stallkeeper greeted us by opening up her cooler, WITH ICE, and showed off her fresh and pretty goods. She had beautiful crab, huge lobsters that were still moving, and lots of yummy fish. This is where I found Bubba.

Now, most of the local shopkeepers are not very fond of having their picture taken. At a minimum, they demand money. More likely, they yell at you and shoo you away. As a result, my pictures of the market are limited. I snuck these as we were getting in the car to leave.

The pictures are probably quite helpful when it comes to using one's imagination, but there are a few other details that will lend to the vicarious experience. There are a lot of flies circling everywhere. You have to keep your hands moving at all times to keep them away. Ladies and young girls are everywhere scaling fish, chopping off heads, and gutting things with incredible speed on top of wooden stumps. Many of them have babies attached to their backs in little cloth slings. There is a distinct odor and you have to watch where you step. It really isn't pretty. It's also important to note that our lady with her cooler of ice is the exception; most of the vendors simply leave the seafood sitting out.

Here is a picture that shows where the boats actually land in the port.

Bubba made it safely home with me. Matt took it from there!When he was cooked up with a little garlic and lemon, he was quite tasty. We think he was red snapper judging from his appearance. Regardless of the smells and overall state of the market, we will definitely be making many trips back to stall number 21.

Lily & Matt vs. THE LIZARD

2010-01-12T13:23:00.002-11:00

A quick post before I hit the hay.

Tonight, Matt and I were baking chocolate chip cookies, courtesy of my brother Andrew's most recent package (chocolate chips, of course). Matt knelt down to retrieve the transformer tucked in the corner so we could plug in the mixer. There, he discovered a LIZARD IN OUR KITCHEN.

Matt thought this was quite funny. I did not. He thought we should leave it in the house to "catch bugs." I did not. He also thought it would be a great teaching moment for Lily. I did not.

Allow me to elaborate. In her daily outings, Lily has replaced her squirrel-chasing tendencies with lizard and chicken chasing. There are a lot of chickens and lizards roaming our neighborhood! She sits in our front yard searching for and chasing the same lizards again and again, with little luck. The chickens have also eluded her thus far. They usually have their baby chics with them, making them rather bold and bossy. Lily consistently harasses them right up to the point where they turn around, puff up, and come at her.

Here's a picture of Lily's favorite chicken to chase:

Apparently my husband thinks Lily's fruitless quests are hurting her self-esteem.

Luckily, he realized his wife was about to hurt him and that was of more importance than the dog's confidence and hunting prowess. Using snake-wrangling skills honed in his youth, Matt quickly captured the lizard and sent it out the door. It may have lost a tail somewhere along the way, but I've blocked that part out.

Meanwhile, Lily sat perfectly poised just beyond the kitchen door looking at her crazy humans.

Food!

2010-01-11T00:45:00.003-11:00

This is undoubtedly the first of many posts about our experiences enjoying food in Africa. We have been pleasantly surprised by the culinary fair in Cotonou. We quickly found some of our "American" favorites nearby, such as pepperoni pizza and hamburgers.

We've also been enjoying shawarma (or "chawarma" in French) from a small Lebanese-run sandwich shop.

I've decided we need to learn to make the sauce they use; it's creamy and spicy, but not too spicy. Of course, the Castel beer is also an important part of the shawarma experience. They affectionately call it "The Queen of Beers."

Another favorite find thus far: Le Festival des Glaces. That's the icecream shop!

And, finally, it's time to show you the best part about African food thus far...

the local fruits and vegetables. This is one of the smaller fruit and vegetable markets near our house. They are everywhere! The mangos and pineapples are my favorite; they are incredibly sweet and juicy even though the "official" season for them isn't until the spring. With the constant sunshine and plentiful rains, you can find almost anything you might want. I'm working on setting up a garden in our back yard. Wish me luck!

Stay tuned for more posts about other yummy spots we find in and around Cotonou!

Zimmie Jon Acrobats

2010-01-06T08:54:00.002-11:00

As I described in my first post, most of the locals here ride around on motorcycles called Zimmie Jons. It may be zimmiejon, or Zimmie John...I'm not quite sure of the spelling. Regardless, the zimmie drivers here are BOLD. They weave in and out of cars, without helmets, and rarely stop at lights or intersections. They are also talented acrobats, balancing multiple people and objects of all descriptions as they weave. With that in mind, here are a few pictures I've taken thus far to capture them in action. Enjoy!

Two Men & A Couple of Couches

4-on-1

(*Note: I'm hoping to capture more. I have seen up to 5-on-1, and I've heard about 6 & 7-on-1)

Naptime!

Wedded Bliss

2010-01-03T10:20:00.001-11:00

Rafaela & Etienne

In honor of our 3 month anniversary, Matt and I've decided today is the day to tell you all about the African wedding we attended a couple of weeks ago. It was very fun and a little different, but it was surprisingly similar to our own wedding. Family members participated in the service, their "colors" were green and white, the reception was held outside near the water, and the dancing was hysterical. Not to mention the wedded bliss part...

One of the many performances. See the MC dancing in the grey suit?

A week after we arrived, we received a beautiful gold and white invitation from Matt's work collegaue, Etienne. He and Rafaela married on December 19th at an Episcopalian church. Everyone who was anyone was there: the area Bishop, the American Ambassador and his wife, and us! The event was hosted by an extremely energetic MC who ushered in various singing groups throughout the three hour long ceremony. Did I mention that there was no air conditioning? As the newest arrivals, we were a sweaty mess!

Junior Usher

Junior Bridesmaid

The dancing and jubilation was truly the highlight of the service. Perhaps that was because the service itself was in French, and we didn't know what was being said by the various ministers and family members. For us, the thrill was watching how everyone celebrated right along with the couple in the church. Matt even got his groove on! Of course, he did it when I put the camera away so there wouldn't be any evidence.

The newlyweds gather for a family photo

The reception following the wedding was quite nice. They set up tables, flowers, cake, and more music and dancing at an outdoor venue near the beach. It was early evening and there was a nice breeze. Somehow, the American contingent ended up at one of the 3 "head" tables. Apparently, it was a big deal that all of us came to the wedding and reception. The newlyweds considered it an honor, although we were just excited to be included. It was a blast!

The outdoor reception

Congratulations Etienne & Rafaela!

Let's Blow This Pop Stand

2010-01-02T11:22:00.000-11:00

Sometimes one needs to get out of the city. In the case of Cotonou, that's even more crucial for one's sanity. Cotonou is a chaotic, dirty city that doesn't have much to do on weekends. It's also really hot this time of year! The beach 30 minutes outside of town is the quickest escape.

To get to the beach, you drive past the airport and turn onto the "beach road." If you go early enough, you have a better chance of avoiding the crowds and the locals who string cables across the road to stop you for a "fee" as you pass through. The road is bumpy, but it's worth the ride. Along the way, we saw locals who live in shacks and shanties of various sizes, ladies carrying goods to and from town, and naked children, chickens, and goats running alongside the road. Wooden boats dotted the shoreline here and there; one even had a line of fisherman working together to pull in a huge, long net.

Once you drive a ways outside of town, thatched huts start to appear along the coastline. Luckily, friends had already rented one for the season (about $140 for 6 months) and were nice enough to let us enjoy it while they were away. It was a beautiful oasis. We played cards, read books, ate fresh coconuts, swam a bit in the water, and relaxed. It was an unusually calm day, but the riptides were still evident. From what we hear, it's rare to be able to get in past your waist!

We look forward to many more days at the beach.

Post Script: As a few of you may know, "let's blow this pop stand" is one of my favorite expressions. It basically means let's get out of here. I have no idea where I learned it. My husband thinks it's weird as he'd never heard it before he met me. Of course, I'd never heard "crazy as an outhouse rat," one of his favorites. Alas, here are a few links where people debate the origins of the pop stand expression:

funtrivia.com
urbandictionary.com
answerbag.com

Afraid of committment?

2010-01-01T11:43:00.002-11:00

I'm afraid...very afraid. I just signed us up for a blog. I could never keep up with the cute pink and purple diaries I started every new year as a teenager. How will I keep up with this? I'm hopeful my love of taking pictures and modern technology will make things easier. Not to mention, I don't have to worry about any pesky brothers uncovering my latest crush. I managed to put this off for the first month of our life here in Benin, but I think it's time to take the plunge. I will try my best to entertain you all!!

As most of you who are likely to read these initial posts already know, Matt and I are living in Cotonou, Benin on the west coast of Africa. The first picture you see here is our house, courtesy of the Federal Government. It's big and very nice by West African standards, but it also has a few "issues." Of course, Matt likes to remind me that this house is free! Now that we are settling in, I can truly say we are enjoying life in Benin. I was worried about what we were getting into, but it's been an amazing first month.

When we first arrived, I remember being fascinated by so many different things. I guess I've acclimated quickly, though, as I'm actually having to think back about what struck me. Here are a few of my first impressions that I can recall with ease:

* The airport was NUTS. People everywhere. A long, disorganized line. One doctor in a lab coat checking off our yellow fever vaccine. No air circulating. 8:30 at night. How were we going to find our luggage, including the dog crate? Thankfully, the Embassy sent some people to help!

* More people here drive motorbikes(AKA: Zimmie-Johns) than cars. They weave in and out of traffic like you wouldn't believe. The brave ones go wherever they please. The smart ones shield themselves behind larger cars. People rarely wear helmets, as I hear most can't afford them. The "taxis" here are zimmies, as well. Guys on motorbikes with yellow shirts pick up 1, 2, 3...4 riders. On one bike. The fullest bike I've seen thus far held 5 people and a suitcase. People also carry furniture, ladders, boxes...everything.

* Ladies walk around with piles of carrots and fabrics effortlessly balanced on their heads. Women who sell pineapples walk through the neighborhoods carrying baskets of pineapples on their heads while balancing a stool on one arm. If you'd like one, just ask. She will stop, sit down and cut one up for you on the spot.

* The roads are pitiful. No names or addresses. Just a few paved roads marked by what is on them ("the airport road", "the Livingstone road"). Our neighborhood, which is one of the nicest around, has sandy roads with huge pits and piles of trash. Ingenious locals have taken tile, cement, rocks, and whatever else they can find to fill in the gaps. It's always a bumpy ride! And people don't have a side of the road. They drive wherever the road is the smoothest. The second photo in this post is the road right when you step out our front door. Note the 3 men on the zimmie john riding by!

It's getting late here in Benin. The hum of our generator, which used to keep me up at night, is now lulling me to sleep. I will try to write more tomorrow. I will work on figuring out how to post pictures, too.