I rrived in Cotonou late Friday night after a 7.5 flight to Paris, a 5 hour layover and another 6 hour flight to Benin. We were greeted by many of the current volunteers and were taken to a Church like place where we have been staying. So far it’s been a lot of training and overview of what to expect. I love Benin so far! I had my first French lesson on Sunday and yesterday I learned how to drive a zemidjan (a motorcycle like means of transportation), the training also included how to bargain the price and how to get on with a skirt and without burning yourself on the tailpipe. I also bought a pineapple from a woman who was carrying the platter of them on her head, it was the best pineapple that I have ever had. I will be meeting my host family on Thursday where I will be for the next ~9 weeks; there I will be doing more in depth training for my job and try to enhance my French speaking skills. I’ll try to keep this blog updated but between my slacking and the possibility of having not so great internet, I can’t guarantee anything so feel free to email me or write; my address is:
Rachelle St. Onge, PCV
Corps de la Paix American
01 B.P. 971
Cotonou, Benin
Afrique de l’ Ouest
(West Africa)
On the envelope write Par avion (Air Mail) and number your letters (yes I am expecting letters). I will be able to receive mail from this site for the next two years. Hope all is going well in the States!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 9, 2007
A little story by Leah Schultz
Rachelle squinted as she reached an area of unbroken sunlight. The trees forming a surrounding que as if urging her to stand stage center.
"Everything has purpose," she wispered. The trees rustled like an encouraging crowd. Rachelle squared herself and raised her voice a little louder. "Everything and Everyone has meaning. You just have to find it. I just have to find it. I,.... I have purpose." Her voice dropped to a wisper, again, as the kaleidoscope stilled and the jewels burned bright and clear. So clear.
Rachelle truned towards home. She was purpose in motion. She smiled at that. She was a biochemical reaction. Exergonic, energy liberated. She laughed and now running she saw what she could be. Breath hitched from exertion and joy she stretched towards the possibilities. Rachelle saw her future, bright and clear and she ran towards it.
Rachelle stood quiet and still. Her heart was beset by a sense of temporary, like all of this was just a suspended moment. A hushed pause of beauty before the kaleidoscope of life began to turn once more. Perhaps that's all it was. Plastic jewels trapped in a tube, set aglow by direct sunshine. Rachelle mentally turned away from the thought. She began to walk as if to put physical distance from that hollow vein.
Her dark hair glistted from the sun as she padded from sunshine to shade, sunshine to shade. Walking and thinking. "Everything has purpose," she thought. "Everything a motive, a meaning."
"Temporal thinking is wasteful." She huffed, walking still. "It robbed the thinker of heart and movement."
"Everything has purpose," she wispered. The trees rustled like an encouraging crowd. Rachelle squared herself and raised her voice a little louder. "Everything and Everyone has meaning. You just have to find it. I just have to find it. I,.... I have purpose." Her voice dropped to a wisper, again, as the kaleidoscope stilled and the jewels burned bright and clear. So clear.
Rachelle truned towards home. She was purpose in motion. She smiled at that. She was a biochemical reaction. Exergonic, energy liberated. She laughed and now running she saw what she could be. Breath hitched from exertion and joy she stretched towards the possibilities. Rachelle saw her future, bright and clear and she ran towards it.
Rachelle stood quiet and still. Her heart was beset by a sense of temporary, like all of this was just a suspended moment. A hushed pause of beauty before the kaleidoscope of life began to turn once more. Perhaps that's all it was. Plastic jewels trapped in a tube, set aglow by direct sunshine. Rachelle mentally turned away from the thought. She began to walk as if to put physical distance from that hollow vein.
Her dark hair glistted from the sun as she padded from sunshine to shade, sunshine to shade. Walking and thinking. "Everything has purpose," she thought. "Everything a motive, a meaning."
"Temporal thinking is wasteful." She huffed, walking still. "It robbed the thinker of heart and movement."
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