- In General: A busy but not very accomplished week. I felt like I was always running around doing something, but don't feel like I crossed much off of my ever-growing pile of lists. Case in point: while I made lots of phone calls and even met with my director twice, we still haven't chosen a librarian.
- Stormy Weather. I think it's rainy season! Evidence: twice this week I have ridden to school in the pouring rain, showing up soaked to the bone and muddy. I miss cars. Much more professional in this weather. Also related to this title, I'm on an Ella Firzgerald/Etta James/Louis Armstrong/Sam Cooke kick. Yay. :)
- Major League Curveball. Actually, this deserves it's own post... There will be ranting.
- Success! My unofficial goal for this couple of weeks was to get at least one student to give me free mangoes. They're all over the place, literally falling out of trees, and so I just needed someone to go collect them for me. I employed all of my best hinting techniques (do you know how many sentences you can work the words "Madame" and "mango" into? It's a lot). I oohed and aahed when I saw them eating mangoes. And yet, despite promises and empassioned declarations of fruit-related intent, I got no mangoes.
UNTIL today. Yes, my friends, my sweet orange dreams have been fulfilled not by my actual students (blast them all), but by Louise, a 3eme girl I tutor.
A moment to brag about her: she's an incredibly hardworking girl, probably 17 or 18 years old, and this past semester, she was the top student in her class. Not top girl. Top student, in a grade where boys outnumber girls 3:1. She's amazing. And Louise just brought me a bag of 10 perfectly ripe mangoes., just because. I love her.
- Reunited and It Feels So Good. Pierrette and I are friends again! I stopped by her place with my friend Victoria, who is getting a Sonny-and-Cher-inspired disco jumpsuit made out of tissu (not a joke, will have pictures in two weeks). I brought up one of the issues I had with her in the most indirect Beninese way I could, and while she didn't actually apologize (that doesn't happen), she tried to explain it away, castigated me for "holding it in my heart" for so long, and then gave me free biscuits. Beninese apology: check. Crisis averted. I went to her house on Sunday, as per our tradition, and she was nothing but fun and friendly and undemanding. Honeymoons are wonderful, aren't they?
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