I spent Thanksgiving week
traveling to nearby countries of West Africa: Togo and Ghana. While I left home
with a vacation mind-set, I believe I returned to Benin more exhausted,
confused, and overwhelmed than I’ve felt in a while.
Though the overall cultural
differences among countries surrounding Benin seem minimal on a surface level,
the whole trip was a jolt back to my first few months in country – How do I get
from here to there? How much should things cost? What should I keep in mind
about culture, safety, etc.? But the neighboring country Togo was beautiful,
and we stayed in a mountainous region of Kpalimé, rich in coffee and cocoa, a
landscape and two agricultural products that Benin unfortunately lacks.
Ghana was another story... In my
efforts to share my experience, I suppose I haven’t written much about
language. This is somewhat ironic, since it accounted for about 70% of my Peace
Corps training and now accounts for about 90% of my misunderstandings… I was
therefore looking forward to and expecting a respite in Ghana, an English
speaking country and the more advanced country of the region.
The moment I crossed the border
however, I experienced a sort of paranoia – all of the sudden, people can
understand me! No more talking with my travel companions in taxis, fearless of
eavesdroppers. No more excuses for poorly executed transactions. No more easily
tuning out hawkers and hecklers…
Accra is a large and developed
city, incredible compared to Benin’s commercial capital of Cotonou – we’re
talking trash removal systems, public transportation, paved roads and effective
infrastructure… Simply crossing the border from Ghana into Togo was a ridiculously
stark contrast of a Ghanaian paved 2-lane road, dropping off to a Togolese dirt
road littered with potholes and mud puddles.
All of this in mind, I was somehow
surprised to find the prevalence of local language in Ghana to be just as
strong as in Benin. For the first time, I realized how the Beninese and I must
sound to the French. It was fascinating to witness the incorporation of the
commercial language – English as I know it – with local language and West
African culture. My own reactions were somewhat startling, as “white man, white
man, hello!” was far more uncomfortable to hear than “yovo, yovo, bonsoir!” It
was amazing that the same words and phrases were able to strike different
chords when heard in my native tongue, and evidence of colonization from years
ago was even more present when perceived in my own language.
While it was a valuable experience to see different parts of
the region I live in, it was less of a vacation and more of an exploration,
complete with all the standard struggles of West African life – long, hot hours
in bush taxis, stomach woes, and mosquitoes. A sort of relief came over me when
we reentered Benin. It may not be bustling with industry or boast a gorgeous
landscape, but it is full of places I know, a culture I have come to understand
more confidently, and a sense of comfort I didn't know I had before. With all
of the distresses and discoveries, I was fortunate to have a supportive travel
buddy in John, to whom I must give credit for the catchy title of this post and
corresponding photo album!
I’m pleased to note that my next “vacation” will be right
here in Benin, as I celebrate Christmas with Megan, James, and my dad (that
makes round 2 for him in Benin – he’s a champ!). Family will be such a welcome
treat, as the holiday season sadly feels lost for the second year in a row. But
I know there won’t be time to dwell, as I’m down to 9 months and the 2014 Close
of Service conference for my training group is already on the calendar! Time to
start putting the next plans into action… Suggestions welcome :)
Happy holidays!
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