The Good Life

“The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful 
than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.” 
~Mahatma Gandhi

After my trip to the market, I attended a small celebration for the 3^rd birthday of Grace, the youngest daughter of my Togo “mom,” Chantal. I always enjoy time spent at her home with her family. They have really become my family. They are always there for me in every way. I’m going to miss them so much when I leave. 

the birthday girl

At the party the kids were hanging out and playing with balloons. Their favorite game is to hit the balloon in the air and try to never let it touch the ground. So simple, but so much fun. Later on, we ate rice with a delicious, spicy chicken, tomato, and onion sauce. Bea and Chantal are incredibly good cooks! I would be lucky to learn just a fraction of their wonderful cooking skills, but I think I will probably never be as good as they are.

When lunch was over, I helped Chantal give out boxes of presents to kids who live in our neighborhood. Chantal is amazing, not just because she is an awesome mom, friend, and entrepreneur, but she is a deep-down, wonderful human being. She helps people all around her. In November she applied to an American organization that sends shoe boxes of gifts and candy to kids in developing countries. Over the last few weeks, Chantal finally received the boxes and she distributed them to 45 kids in the area. 

Chantal also gives back in other ways. 10 percent of all that she makes from her batik business she saves, using it to pay the school fees for 30+ young students and apprentices in the Kpalime area. I love knowing that whenever I buy something at her shop, I am not only helping her and her family, but I am making a contribution to the community as well. Chantal lives the kind of life that many "religious" people only preach about. She is such an inspirational person. I am happy to call her my friend. 

Market Day

"There is nothing more beautiful than 

living a simple life in this complex universe!"

                                                           ~Mehmet Murat ildan

Walking down into the market

Today is Saturday, one of two big market days in Kpalime. The Kpalime market is huge and always happening every day, but on Tuesdays and Saturdays it gets crazy busy. People come in from nearby towns and swarm the place. I try to avoid going on these days, especially on Saturday. However, I woke up and realized I really didn’t have much in my house, so I decided to bite the bullet and go to the market early, hoping to avoid the crowds. 

Before heading into the market, I stopped at my favorite “white people” store, Galaxy. This shop isn’t run by white people; it’s actually owned and run by a very cute, old couple from India. I call it a “white people” store because it has things that foreigners love, like extra virgin olive oil and lemon dish soap. I love this store and haven’t been back since my time away, so it was great to catch up with them and hear how they are doing.

Then it was on to the market. Today I bought two pieces of pagne, which I don’t do a lot, but I had a moment when I saw the fabric and I knew that if I didn’t stop and buy it I would regret it the rest of the weekend. It is a pretty pink, purple, white and navy blue pattern and cost 6USD for 2 yards. I’m probably going to get a top made with it. I also bought 2 yards of a blue pattern for 4USD that I want to have made into a long, tunic-style dress. 

Next stop was a visit to my go-to vegetable and fruit ladies, whom I love. They are awesome. Today I bought cucumbers, pineapples and bananas from them. I really hate bananas that are very ripe. Call me crazy, but I like mine green. So when I get home I immediately put them in a Ziploc in my freezer. Then I hit up my go-to apple lady, but instead of buying apples, I bought a small jar of peanut butter and a bag of popcorn kernels. 

That sums up my day at the market. Here is a detailed list of the prices. When I was shopping, I kept thinking that I was spending a lot on this grocery trip, but when I see the price in USD, it doesn’t seem like much anymore. 

Pack of straws= 1 USD

Extra virgin olive oil= 11USD

Lemon liquid soap= 1.50USD

3 pineapples= 1USD

2 cucumbers = 75cents

Bag of powdered milk= 2.75USD

Popcorn= 1USD

Peanut butter= 1USD

9 Bananas= 30cents

Just Add Water

“Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth;

without rain, there would be no life.”

~John Updike

Walking home from school

My favorite time of year has begun, the rainy season.  We've had rain every day for the last six days. Maybe it’s just the PNW in me, but I love rain!! It makes everything so beautiful and green. There is that wonderful, home-sweet-home smell from the rain. Kpalime is known for getting the most rain in Togo and for having a mild climate compared to the extremes in other parts of the country. It’s like the Seattle of Togo. 

It's not dinosaur poop (my first thought), just yam mounds

When the rain started, farmers instantly got to work. Corn is growing like weeds now. Yam/manioc mounds have been made anywhere and everywhere someone could possibly find a spot for them. It’s been several months since the dry season started back in October/November, so people in Kpalime are looking forward to having corn again to make their pate. 

What I love most about this season is the beauty all around me that I get to see every day, the strong wind that blows through before the rain starts, and falling asleep to the sound of rain hitting the roof. What I don’t like is how the unpaved roads turn to mud, the terrifying thunder that makes me jump, and the power outages. I’m happy the dry season is over, but it’s odd to think that I won’t be in Togo when the next one comes to Kpalime. Time flies, only 19.5 weeks left.

hibiscus in my compound

Oh Happy Day!

“This celebration here tells me that this work is not hopeless. I thank you for this teaching with all my heart and lift my glass to human solidarity, to the ultimate victory of knowledge, peace, goodwill and understanding.”  

 -Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

Yesterday was exciting! We had a very special 

visit from my Country Director, Lauren Mamane and Acting Peace Corps Director, Carrie Hessler-Radelet. This was Carrie’s first time to Togo, and she will be here for a few days before traveling to Benin. We began the day with a welcoming ceremony at my school. The event featured Bobobo dancing, English Club sketches, and the American and Togolese national anthems. There were several small speeches from my school director, local education inspector, Carrie, myself, and a friend of mine who is an education volunteer in a nearby town. It was so cool to have the opportunity to show both directors around my school. They got to see our classrooms and the room that will soon be transformed into a library.

After the school tour, we went out for lunch to a nice restaurant in Kpalime. We all got to talk about our Peace Corps experiences; it was such fun to tell stories together. Peace Corps is really like family to me. It’s wonderful how even though we all served in different countries at different times, we still relate to each others’ experiences. We know the special job we have had as PVCs, and how unique it is from any other type of work abroad. Sitting at the table, sharing and listening to our stories, I was reminded that being a Peace Corps Volunteer makes me not only part of the community of volunteers who are serving with me here in Togo, but it also will give me a lifetime membership in the nation-wide community of RPCVs. 

We finished off the directors’ visit with an outing to see my Togo “mom”, Chantal, the owner of Aklala Batik. There was time for everyone to batik our own piece of fabric and shop in Chantal’s boutique, which is always a dangerous thing for volunteers! I could spend my whole monthly living allowance there, if I’m not careful.

When our visitors left, there was time for a long chat with my two closest volunteer neighbors, which was the BEST way to end the day. As a volunteer in a big city, I often feel lonely, without ever actually being alone. It was really great to have this time to catch up with my friends. Today was a perfect day. Experiences like these are what make me so happy I was able to return to Togo and complete my service.  

Picking Up The Ball

"Never give up, for that is just the place and time

that the tide will turn.”    ~Harriet Beecher Stowe

Waving the flag in Kpalime - Go Cougs!

It feels so amazing that I have been back in Togo for one week already. My return trip seemed like it would never end, with canceled flights, and layovers in Atlanta, Brussels, and Casablanca before finally landing in Lome at 3am. As I stepped out of the plane, the familiar smell of Togo just hit me in the face, a combination of sweet spiciness mixed with dirt, sweat, and humidity. Thankfully, the Peace Corps let me stay in the medical unit for a couple of nights before I left for my site, giving me a chance to sleep and readjust to Togo time. 
 

The first thing I did when I got to Kpalime, after unloading my stuff, was to CLEAN MY HOUSE. Yikes. There was a layer of dust/dirt on every surface. Thank you, harmattan winds. After about 3 hours of cleaning, I walked over to the home of my school director and his family. We enjoyed fried plantains together while visiting, and I surprised his children with a few small toys and Tootsie Rolls, which they loved! 

Then I headed over to see Chantal's family. My sudden exit from Africa, without a chance for goodbyes, left many people, especially the children, not knowing what happened, or if they would ever see me again. As I got closer to the Donvide's home, little Grace spotted me and ran all the way down the road with a smile and outstretched arms saying “Emily! Emily!” That moment felt like a scene in a movie. The warm welcome I received was really incredible. I love these people.

Now I feel like I am playing catch-up, making up for time lost, back at school with my class, English Club, choosing students for summer camps, working on the new library, organizing our city-wide spelling bee, preparing for a visit from the Acting Director of the Peace Corps...and of course, most importantly, spending time with my neighbor kids! So my visit home is behind me and life in Togo is reality once again. I feel energized and excited to finish things up on a high note, and make the most of every remaining moment. I recently learned that our COS (Close of Service) date has been set for August 7th. Five more months.

It's time to sing and dance! 

Hello Again, Hello

"It's not how far you fall, but how high you bounce that counts."
~Zig Ziglar

 

The day is finally here. After 45 days of medical leave, I have been approved to return to Togo. I am so happy I wasn't medically separated, and that my PT pushed me to reach this deadline. Thank you to the team at Harbor Physical Therapy; you are all awesome people. My neck is much better now. I am pain free. I can do all household chores and even exercise workouts. I still need to improve my strength, but have lots of exercises that I will continue in Togo.

The silver lining to the accident was having this opportunity to heal at home, surrounded by friends and family. I met my adorable nephew Kai for the first time, visited friends in Seattle, watched the Seahawks win the Super Bowl, and even went on a midnight stroll through the snow (not something I was expecting to do this winter!) It wasn't all fun and games though. Wearing a neck brace 24 hours a day for four weeks made getting a good night's sleep pretty hard, and taking a shower with a brace was annoying.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to Togo to finish my work. We're coming down the home stretch with only 6 months left, but I still have so much to do! My school will be building its library, I have teaching and clubs to facilitate, and an end-of-the-school-year, city-wide spelling bee to organize. The time is going to fly, and before I know it I'll be back in Gig Harbor, just in time to celebrate Kai's 1st birthday.

When I decided to enter the Peace Corps and move to Togo, feedback from friends and family was filled with worry and concern for my health and safety. I heard all the horror stories. Lots of doom and gloom. I know some people would probably be discouraged after experiencing such a horrible accident, and might not want to consider another African adventure. Surprisingly, I feel exactly the opposite. I won't let fear drive me away from my dreams. I'm already planning another safari trip in Africa after I leave Togo. I've learned to leave the past in the past, and now it's time to lean forward.