Bless The Rains Down In Africa: Weekly Updates: 12.21.11

The Grant: Uhhh... so, I was planning to post an update on the percentage we've earned so far, complete with an elephant graphic to show where we're at. Little problem: that elephant would be pretty much filled up already. We've earned over $2500 in two weeks! That's AMAZING! Had already written a blog begging people to advertise and donate again, but after seeing the donation page and the giant number of people who have been Facebooking and sending in money... Yall are way ahead of me. In fact, you're kind of ridiculously on top of this, and you deserve a huge THANK YOU!! So much closer than I expected to be by now- thank you so much.
I've got pledges already to cover the rest of the grant, and I haven't even put the apron money in yet, so that will now go to girls' and boys' camp, which still need funding. Merci bien, merci beaucoup, and mibayi keke (kekekekeke!) -- I don't know how I got this lucky in terms of friends and family, but thank god I did. :)
World Map Is DONE!! Yaaaay! And I gotta say, it's really pretty. The best part has been seeing students' reactions, though. When I started the project, I assumed that only a couple of students would actually use the map for school reasons. The others would regard it as a giant artwork that the crazy white lady did, and forget about it as soon as the novelty wore off.
I've been amazed at how many students now hang out next to the map and stare at it, telling their friends all of the countries and facts they know (most of which the other volunteers and I taught them). Others stand there and just let the country names roll around in their mouths, tasting their vowels and consonants for the first time. "Madagascar" and "Australie" seem to be their favorites.

Read Book #75! Seventy-five was my original goal, and I made it with months to spare. Ah, the Peace Corps life. :) So... On to 100?
Aprons. Forgot to say earlier, if you ordered an apron (they're all sold now), wash it separately in cold water-- the dyes here aren't as set as what we're used to in the States. I have killed many a t-shirt by washing it with tissu.
Africa Loves My Mom. Two different families have given me gifts to bring to Mom: my couteriere Pierrette made her some clothes just because, and my host family in Porto-Novo went on a shopping spree for presents for Mom and my sisters. Pierrette also tried to give me a giant chicken (the biggest I've ever seen in Benin) to bring to Mom, explaining that I could just tie its feet together and put it under my seat like people do on busses here. We had to have a talk about customs regulations...
Wake-Up Call. At 5:30am last Wednesday, I woke up to my next door neighbors (two construction workers in their late 20s) blasting Shania Twain's "From This Moment On" at full volume. Best part: they were singing along with made-up gibberish words. In falsetto.
It's "Cold Season." By that I mean that in the early morning, it MIGHT hit 68 degrees. People are wearing multiple layers, ski caps, and heavy windbreakers. All of my friends have been complaining about it being "too much" and "dangerous for the health." The cold ("harmattan") also has been cited as the reason for why my students couldn't do their homework and why we had to end our weekly English department meeting early. Harmattan is hilarious. Remember this when I can't function in Ohio in December.
Remember The Week Before Christmas when you were in middle school? Remember how impossible it was to concentrate and how distracted you were? Please say a silent thank-you prayer for those teachers who managed not to kill you during that time. Having been on the non-student side of that situation this week, I am now aware of how much self-control it takes. God bless you, junior high teachers of America, and God save my three classes of hellians.
Merry almost-Christmas everyone! I had my kids sing some songs in class (when I wasn't quite as mad at them), and will upload the videos soon. Prepare yourselves for a total and adorable butchering of your favorite songs! And Ohio, see you tomorrow night. Eeeeeeee!