Up in the Air

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost,
to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt

What a day! This past Saturday was not like any other day here. I didn’t go on my weekly run up to the waterfalls. Instead, I just ran off the side of a mountain with a French man named Bruno and flew up in the sky with birds. It. Was. AWESOME!

I don't consider myself to be someone who has an extreme personality. I’ve never wanted to go skydiving or bungee jumping. Taking those kinds of risks simply doesn’t interest me. However, I like to try new things and I welcome new adventures. For example, during my vacation to Turkey in May I went hot air ballooning in the Cappadocia region....that was incredible.

When I heard about the paragliding near here, I just knew I had to do it. So on Saturday my site mate Gracie and I, along with Andy, another volunteer, traveled up to a village on the Danyi Plateau called N’Digbe. (I think that's how you spell it). The trip to the village reminded me of the drive up to Sunrise Park on Mt. Rainier. It wasn't nearly as long, but the switchbacks were steep and allowed for beautiful views of the landscape below.

The paragliding was out of this world! The experts we flew with are a couple from France. They have been in the area for about six years and also run a paragliding school in the south of France that they've owned for 20 years. They are in Togo only about 3-4 months out of the year. So we were very fortunate to catch them on their final week here.

I was the last to leap, so I had to wait a while, but this turned out for the best. The wind picked up a lot and we were able to go REALLY high up. High enough so that we could actually land at the same site that we took off from instead of the site at the base of the mountain, where my friends landed.

When I was up in the air, the reality of everything didn't register immediately. Then suddenly, I couldn't believe what I was doing. I saw a bird flying about 30 feet below me. That’s when it hit me. Wow!! Bruno told me we were going about 33km an hour. I have no idea what that translates to in mph, but apparently it’s fast. The fastest they can go is 35km per hour. I’m not sure how high we were, but he guessed that we were about 1,000 meters up in the sky. I got a little queasy towards the end, but I didn't get sick. (You can check out my flight on the video tab)

I always knew from the beginning that being a Peace Corps Volunteer would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but this little adventure went beyond all my expectations, giving me a bird's-eye view of my new country, new life in Africa. 

Stranger Danger

"Never underestimate the power of a woman."  ~Nellie McClung

School, lesson planning, club meetings. Busy days with not much time to write. I’m getting to know my students better and everyone in my neighborhood knows me. Whenever I walk to school people call out “Adzo!” (my name for being born on a Monday) or “Emily!” I only get “yovo”-ed by people from other neighborhoods now. So integration is going well, but there have been a few scary moments that definitely had me questioning my safety and what seems to be the acceptable behavior of men towards women here.

One day I decided to walk into town to do some errands instead of biking like I usually do. On my way home a young man started following me. He wanted to know my name, asked where I was going, what I was doing, etc. I was polite, but brief, answering that I am a Peace Corps volunteer living in Kpalime. I don’t feel comfortable telling random strangers any details. After this short exchange, he continued to follow me. He was asking for my phone number, saying that he wanted to come and see my house, and really making me nervous. I told him in my most demanding voice to stop following me. I repeatedly stated, “That’s enough, leave me alone,” but he continued his pursuit, and the Togolese people passing by didn’t offer any help. Finally, about four minutes from my house, I decided to step into a small boutique where I often shop, and ask the owner for help. She seemed confused, but I explained that this man was following me and I needed help to make him leave me alone because he wouldn't listen to me. She proceeded to talk to the man, along with help from two other women. He ultimately left, heading back where he came from.

I have to say that the shop owner wasn’t as forceful as I wanted or expected her to be with him. She merely shrugged her shoulders and said “He didn’t mean any harm.” What!? So he just followed and heckled a yovo for several minutes just for fun? Great, that makes me feel much better. I don't think harassment is even a part of their vocabulary. Apparently, it is perfectly reasonable for some women here to tolerate this type of behavior from men.

Another incident happened to me last night. This one scared me a little more because it was at my house this time, and even my neighbor confided in me afterwards that she was a little shaken up. Vera and I have a very secure main door to get into our compound. It has three locks, including a deadbolt. When my friends come over they always call or holler over the gate and I know it’s them. So if someone is knocking on the compound door and I haven’t been called, I don’t answer it. Last night there was someone knocking. I didn’t answer, but a few minutes later Vera did. I heard them speaking in Ewe, so I just assumed it was a friend of hers. Then I heard a knock on my front door.

I opened the door to find a man standing on my porch. Vera was on her porch staring over at us. It was someone I had never seen before in my life. I asked him what he was doing. He said he was there to see me. I stated that I did not know him and had never seen him before. Vera then cuts in, asking him questions about how he knows me, why he is here, and what does he want. She was very aggressive and direct with him. It seems that he saw me today walking in the neighborhood. He told us he was from Lome and that he had a problem. When we asked him what his problem was, he gave no answer. Then Vera really opened up a can of whoop ass! She got very angry and kicked him out of the compound, slamming the door in his face. After that we had a long conversation about what had happened. Vera concluded that he was probably here to check out the house for anything to steal in the future. She said  robbers are active this time of year, before Christmas. I wasn’t so worried once we had the door locked, but Vera later went to get a male friend to stay the night in our compound. I like living with Vera and her little boy, but she made a valid point that we would be safer having a man or even a dog here.

These two events really made me understand the importance of integration within my community. If I hadn’t known the mama who ran the boutique, I probably wouldn’t have felt comfortable asking her for help. If I hadn’t become good friends and bonded with my neighbor, maybe she wouldn’t have stayed out on her porch to question the man knocking on my door. Yes, in both of these instances I was pretty shaken and freaked out by Togolese men, but thankfully, there were also some strong Togolese women around to help me. We girls have to stick together.

*** Shortly after this incident I did receive a visit from the head of Togo Peace Corps Security and the Regional Director of Peace Corps Security, who runs security for 7 countries in Africa, following up on what happened. It made me feel good to know that they were concerned and quickly came to check things out. Don’t worry people! I am safe and well.

Oh What a Beautiful Morning!

"All I know is that every time I go to Africa, I am shaken to my core." 

- Horst Koehler 

Yesterday was a great day! The director of my program, Madame Rose, visited me in Kpalime and I had so much fun. My site mate, Gracie, hit the nail on the head when she said “Madame Rose is like the Togolese Oprah!” It’s so true! It was wonderful to see her, show her my school, and introduce her to my students; they loved her. Talking with Madame Rose about my life in Kpalime, my work at the school, and future projects in the greater community has made me very motivated and excited about the opportunities here.

This morning I took a bike ride up into the mountains with my awesome friend, Gracie! I rolled out of bed at 4:45am so that we could get an early start and see the sunrise. Like usual here, we were not the only ones out on the road at 5:05am. There were several kids running on the same road we were on. They were all dressed in typical soccer uniforms, but they were missing running shoes, which any American would probably consider essential. Instead, they run in flip flops, sandals, loafers, vans, or anything else that works. Yet, they could probably outrun any American kid their age. Amazing.

The ride was not easy, and we had to stop and walk a lot. It was absolutely worth the effort, because the scenery was out of this world! I couldn't believe it, there aren't words to describe it. We passed a beautiful waterfall and took tons of pictures of the incredible views. At some points I felt like I was walking up “the green tunnel” at home. It took my breath away. While we were riding down the mountain back to Kpalime, Gracie said “Hey Em, We’re in Africa!” Yes. We. Are. 

Checking In

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own."

- Ben Sweetland

Hi everyone! Just wanted to let you know that everything is going well in Kpalime! Time seems to be flying by here; I can't believe it's already the third week of classes. I'm having fun getting to know the students and staff members at my school. I am teaching one 5eme English class, which I think is the equivalent to 6th or 7th grade in the United States. These are two of my students, Kpante and Iros. Contrary to their expressions, they are two very nice boys; the Togolese never smile in photos.  I'm the only teacher in my school who is learning my students' first names. Usually teachers here only use students' last names, but that would be hard for me, because some have long and complicated last names. It wasn't easy at first.... I am horrible with names, but I've now finally learned them all by heart. I was quite nervous about teaching before the school year started, but I'm starting to feel more confident. My students are awesome, and teaching is getting easier and easier with each class. 

Cathedral of the Holy Spirit

“When the missionaries came to Africa , they had the Bible and we had the land.

They said "Let us pray." We closed our eyes. When we opened them,

we had the Bible and they had the land."

- Desmond Tutu

The religious people of Togo are 29% Christian, 20% Muslim, and 51% indigenous beliefs. This was back-to-church Sunday for me. I decided to attend mass for the first time here in Togo. Cathedrale Saint-Esprit is a large Roman Catholic church in Kpalime that I always see when I’m biking into town. It was built in 1913, when ‘Togoland’ was under German rule. With its traditional, tall steeple, you can easily see it from a distance.

Like everything else in Togo, I had no idea what to expect from Sunday Mass. When I studied abroad in Paris, I went to St. Sulpice to check out the service and hear the incredible organ playing. The mass was basically the same as any other I had attended. This time it was different….much more traditional. The service lasted two hours, with the first 30 minutes standing, complete with holy water showers and incense.

                                                                                                                                                                 
Apart from the incredible length of the service, I did enjoy it. Arriving a little early, we secured seats in one of the last pews, which created a perfect view of everything going on. I absolutely LOVED the singing. It was not like a gospel choir; they sang traditional Catholic hymns, but they were WONDERFUL. The church's interior style and decoration was beautiful. The first thing I noticed while walking in was that there was no typical Jesus nailed to the cross behind the altar, but instead, a happy-looking Jesus with his arms out, as if he was saying “Welcome, sit down, relax,” like a gracious host.

Sunday mornings are definitely a time for people-watching in Kpalime. People entering the church were all wearing their ‘Sunday best.’ Everyone decked out in their finest, sitting inside a beautiful church was a pretty stunning sight. I definitely stuck out like a sore thumb…..not just because I was the only white person, duh, but because I was wearing pants. Epic fail. I wasn’t trying to make a fashion statement, it’s just that I hate trying to get onto the back of a motorcycle in a skirt or dress. Every time I try, I feel like I’m going to end up flashing the world. Still, while living here in Kpalime, in what seems like a world away from home, it is comforting to find things to add to my routine that are even remotely familiar, so I think I will try to make this church a part of my weekly schedule. 

Tuning In

“It's not true I had nothing on, I had the radio on.”
Marilyn Monroe



My Sony World Band short wave radio is my new best friend. Every morning from about 6:30-7:30am, my neighbors in the compound behind me listen to French news radio. While I’m stretching after my morning run, I listen in and sometimes turn on my radio to the same station to follow along while I get ready for school.

To mix things up, last night I decided to finally crack open my radio’s handbook to figure out how to find other international radio stations. After lots of adjusting, I was finally able to hear news in English for the first time in three months!! YAY! Unfortunately, my handbook only had the channels listed for one station in each country, so I ended up listening to the Voice of America, and later, BBC.

Highlights from last night’s news:
• Anticipation and speculation about the televised debate for the U.S. presidential election.(so bummed that I can’t watch this!)
• Rioting in Tehran, Iran’s economic problems, and the rial plunging to record lows.
• The French government’s new anti-terrorism law, making terrorist attacks committed abroad punishable in France.
• The ongoing conflict in Syria and the mortar shelling on the border with Turkey.
• Conflict in Egypt over their new constitution and proposed restrictions on women’s rights.

I tend to get addicted to news stations. In America I think I watched MSNBC more than any other channel, spent more time on the Huffington Post than on Facebook, and at WSU I religiously picked up a free New York Times every morning on my way to class. I’ve completely devoured every news magazine my family has sent me. Yeah, I’m a nerdy news junkie.

Tuning in to the radio here is the best way to get instant updates on what’s going on in the world. It keeps me feeling connected, keeps me sane, and helps cut down on the loneliness. There is also occasionally some entertainment, with special, random stories like the one the BBC aired this morning about a new museum in Croatia that displays things left behind after romantic relationships have ended. Haha. Hey, when it’s all you’ve got, it’s better than nothing.
Hello out there…….

Keeping it Simple

"You will probably need this information

when you check me into the Betty Crocker Clinic."

~Cynthia Nixon

Okay, so I know I said I was going to try to break out of my shell in the cooking arena and try not to get stuck in a rut like I normally do. Well too late… I’m in the rut. Cooking and preparing food is not really fun like it can be back home. It is a chore. It’s not just a question of what I want to eat. (What I’m really craving is salmon, but that’s not going to happen). Instead, it’s more a question about little details like: Is the water clean? Are there bugs in my rice? Are there rocks in the beans or the rice? Are the vegetables clean? Have they been in the bleach water for 15 minutes? Do I have the right ingredients? If not, is it even possible to find them in Togo? Will this make me sick?

Then, of course, there is the bothersome task of doing the dishes. Normally I LOVE to do dishes….weird, but true. I actually don’t mind after-meal cleanup, mostly because I’m a neat freak and really can’t bring myself to leave a kitchen with a sink full of dirty dishes. I know they will just sit there and eventually make the room smell. It’s much easier to bite the bullet and just do the darn dishes! However, now dishwashing is another monster all together. With no kitchen sink, I wash them in a bucket, afterwards, dumping the gross, dirty water outside in my compound.

The hassle of cooking has created some weird eating habits for me, but anything that is easy and minimal means fewer dishes! For example, today I ate popcorn for breakfast and lunch. Last night I had a can of sardines for dinner. These are foods that are easy and safe. You can never be too sure here. Just yesterday I had surprise diarrhea attacks, which I’m sure were probably from the apple I ate for breakfast. I miss the fresh fruits and vegetables from the market back home, but here you can never completely trust that the produce you eat today won’t have you running to the nearest bathroom tomorrow. So I guess I am back in my rut….looking forward to some of those freeze-dried hiking meals my family is planning to mail to me….just add boiling water? Yes! I can do that.