Updates 8.1-8.7

• Beninese Independence Day in Bridget's Village. After my COS medical (wherein they decided that I have neither giardiasis or amoebas, which seems impossible), I went to visit Bridget at her post. Takon is beautiful and teensy and fun to walk around. As it turns out, it is also fun to fete in.
  
  On August 1st Benin celebrated its 52nd anniversary, and the day started at 7:30 when one of Bridget's women friends dropped by to say hi and ask for a shot of sodabi. Yes. More officially, Bridget and I joined in Takon/Toffo's festivities by watching a parade involving gendarmes, dancing women, and four Beninese boys inexplicably doing judo routines. Next, we went to the mayor's house and ate fish heads and akassa as we drank free wine, beer, and liquor (the Beninese know how to party. Also, the withered old voodoo man next to us was drinking up, so we followed suit). We ended the day at Bridget's before nightfall, cuddling up on her couch and watching Community. Happy Independence Day, Benin!
  
• Goodbye, Smarshley! The following day, we headed to Cotonou to say goodbye to one of our stage's funniest, most easygoing volunteers. We'll miss you, boo! Save some stories and eat some fancy London food for us, and we'll see you on the other side of the Atlantic. Practice that whiskey cake technique, too -- we may need it come Derby time.
  
• Dassa Date. In May, Bridget, Sam and I bought a "date" as part of the annual GAD fundraiser. Turns out, it was a fantastic purchase.
  
  Dassa, where the date was set, is in the middle part of the country, in the region called the Collines ("hills"). For the first part of the date, we went off-trail hiking up a gorgeous, forest-covered mini mountain, pausing at the top when we ran into the mud houses of two voodoo princes who wanted us to come to their huge annual party the next day (this really happened). After politely declining, we hiked down, went SWIMMING in a real hotel POOL, cleaned up and went out to a dinner featuring roasted rabbit and prawns, and then went to a just-for-us private jam session with a group of amazing Beninese musicians. Bridget, our little honey-voiced songbird, even got on the mic and sang along with them to Bob Marley and "When the Saints Go Marching In". It was pretty impressive as a whole, and big thanks to Mark de Dassa for arranging it.
  
• Life Goal #82: Check. On Tuesday, I realized a life goal I didn't even know I had. I paid a girl to do my laundry... in pancakes. Booyah.
  
• Replacement Visits. The girl who's replacing me in Daagbe's name is Katie Lootens, and I got to meet her for the first time this week. She seems pretty great: has been to Africa three times before, speaks excellent French, has been studying Fon (a language very similar to Gun) intensively for over a month, and has been friendly and smiley to all of my village friends. I couldn't have gotten a more competent, ready-for-action replacement if I'd picked her myself. I haven't gotten to hang out with her too much, and I'll admit to feeling a little weird about someone else taking over my Daagbe, but so far I'm pumped that I got someone so solid to take care of my village when I go. She'll be here until the 18th, then will go back to stage (letting me have that last week in village alone to say my goodbyes), then will move in permanently on September 16th. Good luck, Katie! You're gonna rock it!