I thought my days of enormous quantities of food would be over when I left my host family in Dangbo and moved into a house of my own in Sonsoro.
I was wrong. I had underestimated the generosity and kindness of the Beninese.
Let's take today as an example. One colleague bought me lunch (rice and beans with boiled yams, local cheese, and sauce) at 11 am. A few hours later, I was walking around the market with two other colleagues and one of them asked if I'd like to eat some yam pilee with an egg. I declined, but then she informed me that she had already ordered it for me and handed me the plate. At 5 pm, I stopped by the local shop to pick up some ingredients. The shopkeeper invited me to eat dinner (rice with sauce) with her. I declined three times, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. I also tried to decline the local cheese she offered with my meal, but she insisted. Then she insisted that I take an extra helping of cheese, just as she had insisted I take more rice. Afterwards, I went to my colleague's house to help him with a computer project. It was pouring rain when we finished, so he insisted that I join him for dinner (boiled yams with sauce and an omelet) as we waited out the rain.
Luckily, my neighbors didn't offer me lunch today, as they have every other day since I returned to Sonsoro.
And this isn't counting all the cadeaux (gifts) I have been offered. The bread seller always gives me a free loaf, the seamstress threw in a hand fan today with my purchase, and even the taxi driver who drove me to Sonsoro gave me ten oranges as a welcome gift (my colleagues also gave me four). Not to mention all the food my colleagues share with me...
Perhaps Sonsoro will succeed in fattening me up as my host family in Dangbo so desired. I actually continued losing weight during my last month in Dangbo, though my host family tried their hardest to stop that.
Even the day of my departure, my host sister very sweetly woke up at 4:30 am to make me rice and an egg for breakfast before my 6 am departure. Then she packed me up with enough rice and egg to feed me for the whole day. In addition to food, my host family sent me off with another of items (shoes, cloth, etc) that I had left in my room, assuming they had merely intended to lend them to me during my stay in Dangbo. Turns out they were also gifts.
The Beninese really are so sweet. Especially my host family.
I was wrong. I had underestimated the generosity and kindness of the Beninese.
Let's take today as an example. One colleague bought me lunch (rice and beans with boiled yams, local cheese, and sauce) at 11 am. A few hours later, I was walking around the market with two other colleagues and one of them asked if I'd like to eat some yam pilee with an egg. I declined, but then she informed me that she had already ordered it for me and handed me the plate. At 5 pm, I stopped by the local shop to pick up some ingredients. The shopkeeper invited me to eat dinner (rice with sauce) with her. I declined three times, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. I also tried to decline the local cheese she offered with my meal, but she insisted. Then she insisted that I take an extra helping of cheese, just as she had insisted I take more rice. Afterwards, I went to my colleague's house to help him with a computer project. It was pouring rain when we finished, so he insisted that I join him for dinner (boiled yams with sauce and an omelet) as we waited out the rain.
Luckily, my neighbors didn't offer me lunch today, as they have every other day since I returned to Sonsoro.
And this isn't counting all the cadeaux (gifts) I have been offered. The bread seller always gives me a free loaf, the seamstress threw in a hand fan today with my purchase, and even the taxi driver who drove me to Sonsoro gave me ten oranges as a welcome gift (my colleagues also gave me four). Not to mention all the food my colleagues share with me...
Perhaps Sonsoro will succeed in fattening me up as my host family in Dangbo so desired. I actually continued losing weight during my last month in Dangbo, though my host family tried their hardest to stop that.
Even the day of my departure, my host sister very sweetly woke up at 4:30 am to make me rice and an egg for breakfast before my 6 am departure. Then she packed me up with enough rice and egg to feed me for the whole day. In addition to food, my host family sent me off with another of items (shoes, cloth, etc) that I had left in my room, assuming they had merely intended to lend them to me during my stay in Dangbo. Turns out they were also gifts.
The Beninese really are so sweet. Especially my host family.
The Beninese do indeed seem to be very gracious (except perhaps the mom with the live bat). Obviously you have been gracious as well.
ReplyDeleteWhen do you start working at the clinic? We look forward to hearing more.
I have been working at the health center since I got to Sonsoro. I help with pre-natal visits twice a week and with vaccinations once a week. We are waiting for a staff member to return from a month off so that other staff members have the availability to work with me on other projects.
ReplyDeleteAlex