Quick Bit

I’m in the town of Tsevie right now. I’ll be staying here until Thursday, then it’s off to Sotouboua!. I’m catching up on my training here, because I missed a couple weeks before. I had my swear in ceremony on the 5th of this month, so I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. I was so pumped the whole time at the ceremony. There was the PC Country Director, a representative from the US embassy, and a representative from the Togolese government. All of us volunteers took turns saying something in local language up at the podium. I said a small speech in the local language of Kabiye. It was exciting because this was being broadcast on national TV in Togo. So I finally made it on TV! Even if my friends back in the US don’t see it, it still counts! I was talking to one of my language trainers today about it, and he even said that me, and this other volunteer Nikki, had the best pronunciation in local language. By the way, there is a bunch of local languages here. At the ceremony, there were about ten languages spoken, and I know there’s a few more in Togo. I’m lucky that I get to learn Kabyie, because the pronunciation is really easy for me. Unlike french words, I actually get to say every part of a Kabyie word. So from what I know so far, there is no silent endings or beginnings or any of the annoying rules that french has.
So here’s a list of random things I’ve learned, and need to remember, while living here:
 Always do any type of transaction with your right hand! Using your left one is very disrespectful!
 Wash fruits and vegetables very well, or at least cook it very well before you eat it. And Be very careful about your water. I can say from personal experience that parasites are not fun!
 When you wake you in the morning and you hear something that sounds like a bunch of kids crying, don’t worry… its just goats.
 When you wake up in the middle of the night and you hear loud banging, don’t worry… its probably just a ceremony for local religion.
 Fan Milk is amazing, especially Fan Choco, and I really hope they have this stuff at my post. It’s kinda like ice cream.
 The Yovo song. It’s here. Get use to it.
 Everyone here likes Celin Dion. Everyone I’ve asked likes her. I asked my host brother what artist he liked. He said Akon, 50 Cent, Jason Maraz(spell check?), Beyonce, and Celin Dion.
 Everyone loves Obama! There is even a town here named after him.
 People get really happy when you say things in local language.
 From the few people I’ve asked, they don’t consider Antarctica a continent.
 I like playing drums, and most people here know at least some beat to play, which I think is really cool.
 Most people call a pen ‘bic’, instead of ‘stylo’. I don’t know why. Is bic even french?
 There is this one really good peanut soup that I need to learn how to make for myself.
I’ll add more to this list later.