My awesome host brothers

Today I went to the internet café to upload my blog entries, check my email, and talk to people from home. I accomplished some of that before I lost my internet connection. So if you have emailed me and I haven’t responded I am sorry I promise I am working on it and will do my best to respond soon! Just know I love and miss everyone very much!
I came home somewhat frustrated with my lack of success at the internet café. My host brothers greeted me and helped me bring in my bike. My youngest brother, Josias who is 6 followed me into my room, while I put my things away he watched/waited impatiently for me to go play with him. I was in a bad mood and tempted to tell him I was just going to take a nap. Luckily for him (and ultimately for me) I can’t say no to him, so I agreed to hang out with him. I suggested we go for a walk as opposed to our normal hours of cards playing.
My other siblings heard me ask Josais if he wanted to go for a walk and they of course wanted to join. While we were waiting for one of my siblings to get ready Jerome (the 2nd youngest, 8 I think) broke out some of his dance moves. I am not exaggerating when I say he is an amazing dancer I will have to take a video of him dancing so I can watch it when I am having a bad day au village. He’s like a little Michael Jackson. I always start impromptu dance parties with him.
I ended up with Josias and Jerome each holding on to one of my hands and 3 other kids following closely behind. We must have been quite the sight, the white girl walking with a parade of little African boys through the streets.
Needless to say I stick out like a sore thumb. Unfortunately people see me and feel the need to yell “yovo” or other comments. “Yovo” is the word for white person which can be used in a derogatory manner but to be honest it doesn’t really bother me, I just ignore and it and keep walking. It does, however, bother my brothers who have been taught that it’s rude to call a white person a Yovo. Josias has taken it upon himself to be my protector. We walked by some kids who yelled Yovo he yelled back “shut up, you are impolite”. In Benin to call someone impolite is a big insult, you are essentially insulting their mother because you are saying they weren’t raised properly. He then looked at me very concerned and said “Maureen they are very impolite next time we should go over and hit them.” I told him that I didn’t think that hitting them would be a very good/nice thing to do. I wouldn’t ever let him hit anyone but it was amusing to know that if anything happened my 6 yr old brother had my back.
When we got home we decided to play soccer. I have a feeling my soccer skills will be much improved by the end of my time here. We played in their yard which is basically a cement drive way next to their house; they don’t have a car so they just play there instead. They are pretty hard core. Lancelot (my other brother) fell and cut up his foot. I went over and asked him if he was ok and he said no, I looked at his foot and it was cut up pretty good. I said “what do we do?” his response was “on jouet” (we play) and hoped up and started playing again.
Between my 6 yr old brother who is ready to take on the neighborhood, to my 12 yr old brother who is a hard core soccer player, to my 8 yr old brother who could beat anyone in a dance off, I have some pretty amazing host siblings. They make me appreciate the simple things in life. They make me laugh. Laughter is amazingly universal; it doesn’t matter that I don’t speak their local language and that they don’t speak English, we laugh together and that’s a language we all understand.

Random Facts:

I was served cow skin... I didn't eat it I asked what it was just as Rich was eating it, he was less than impressed with my timing on asking, but somehow managed to get it down.

There was a cockroach in my shower.. I didn't shower that day.

I kept my old zemi helmet with the Beatles sticker, just for you Margaret :)