Ok half of my last post never posted b/c duh, I live in West Africa where the internet is horrid. I'm going to continue my latest blog.

I’ve seriously lived five lives since arriving in Africa. The other day I had a feast straight out of Fear Factor! Todd’s family and my family took us out to lunch for traditional African food. Dear Jesus. Third-world madness! But you have to grin and bear it. I looked away from the flies everywhere and the spiders on the wall and dug in. I had zero clue what I was eating. One was a weird brown stew, the other was a weird red stew and then fried cheese in red sauce. The meat was unidentifiable, although I did hear “mouton” which means either “goat” or “sheep” here. The goats run around here and eat the garbage, so I did not want to know anything of the mystery meat in this stew. Well, I ate it. The Beninese eat with their hands which is crazy. So anyway, the cheese was really good and me and Todd had our Fear Factor moment haha. I posted pictures and if you can identify anything in this food, be my guest!
When I hear my family talking loudly to each other in Yoruba in the next room or I see naked African babies running around, it’s such a trip to be like; “Oh my God. I am in goddamn Africa!”. But I genuinely like it here. It makes me sad to think that Americans have horrible stereotypes of Africans as sex-crazed AIDS patients running around stabbing each other in squalor. It’s totally not true. There’s so much more to this place and pictures really do not do it justice. Hahaha I’m turning into a Peace Corps hippie.
As I’m typing this, I totally realize I’m losing my English skills as well! I spend so much of my day speaking French that I’m really becoming fluent. Hahaha but West African French has such a different accent it makes me laugh! My language school in Paris would literally weep. Sometimes, when I get mad at my language teacher I whip out my best Parisian French just to spite her hahaha.
So what’s happening in the US? I’m a little worried because the BANK OF AFRICA just stopped accepting American dollars, which if that isn’t an indicator your economy is going to shit, I don’t know what is. Also, the Beninese are obsessed with Barack Obama because he’s half-African and they love Michelle as well. When I met my family, the first thing they did was ask me about Barack and show me pictures of Michelle! I think it would be a really great thing for Africa to see an African in power of the richest country of world. He has to win!

Love the gossip- Kaye and Jacobs- totally weird, and are we sure Moser hasn't killed them both? Allie I can't wait to share a bed with you again and kick you into the wall. Oh and by the way, sorry if it takes me a long time to respond to questions, I have to type my emails out the night before and just send them off when I get to internet, otherwise the stupid computers freeze or whatnot.

-Nora

PS- Teresa this country is calling your name. A) the biggest celebrity here is Celine Dion, singing her stupid heart out in French and B) Guess what they watch over here via satellite TV from Nigeria? MEXICAN SOAP OPERAS DUBBED IN ENGLISH! I’m in heaven! Hahahaha and they’re just as stupid as you think they would be.