Happy New Year!!!

All through the night on New Years Eve there was drumming in the villages... bands playing.. and gun shots as people rang in 2013. That being said, the real fete was today not last night... and besides the drumming happens on most nights whether it is a holiday or not. So while everyone at home was partying it up everyone here was taking it easy and preparing for today's celebrations.

Here in Benin the BIG holiday is not the Eve of the New Year.. it is New Years Day!

The only party that I was invited to was in Cotonou and I didn't want to do all of that traveling on New Years day.. or be in a big city on the holiday. I also didn't want to have to spend a night away from my post. I wanted to experience New Years in a village. Unfortunately, as I just said, I wasn't invited to any local parties :-/ SO I went to the village of one of my close-mates and feted with her and her concession family.

On New Years day in Benin everyone cooks food, and shares it with their neighbors. It is kind of like a neighborhood pot luck. I made a curried lentil and cous cous dish, and the volunteer I was visiting made a macaroni and cheese. We sat down with her concession family and it was a really great cultural exchange... the local villagers were not a fan of our American foods but they did their best to pretend. When they served us their dishes it became apparent to us that the family was discussing that we preferred our food to theirs (something we had also been discussing about them). When we asked them what we were laughing at.. they tried to play it off that they were laughing about something else.. but they didn't cover it up very well.

Normally Beninese people think it is strange that we don't absolutely love Beninese food. However, by eating our food first, I think that they made a comparison -- realizing that they didn't like our food either, and that it is really just a cultural difference. We shared some of America with them, and they gained understanding of cultural differences. (Now I am blogging about it to you in America and have therefore hit 2 of my 3 PC goals – on a holiday!)

Over all, the New Years Fete seems to be pretty laid back. Lots of people sitting around, eating, and enjoying the company of family and neighbors. Nothing like the crazy New Years parties we have at home. 

***

In 2012 I started off the year working at Adventure Aquarium – with all of the awesome people there. I was Invited to serve in the Peace Corps. I moved to West Africa. I successfully completed Peace Corps Pre-Service Training (thank goodness that's over) and my first In-Service Training. I learned to speak french (and started learning Goun). AND I met many many amazing people in Benin both fellow volunteers and also host country nationals.

This new year marks what is going to be my only full calendar year (can you believe that) working here in Benin. Which means it is really time for me to start getting things done! I am practically a quarter way through my service.. and I really hope that by the time training comes around in April I finally feel like I have something to show for it.

As I think and reflect it is truly crazy how many changes have happened in this past year.. lots of successes.. almost as many failures. All experiences the good and the bad were definitely learning experiences – which makes me grateful for everything that has happened this year – and excited to see what Benin is planning to bring me in 2013.

I wish everyone a happy and successful New Year!

Kudo Hwe,

Z