Yovo,yovo bonsoir!
Ok so I decided to return to Kpalime today to post a new entry and the stupid space bar stinks...
I think that it is impossible to describe fully the experiences here unless you actually see it for yourself. Every day it is difficult, but every day there is excitement whether you want it or not.
Some important/facinating things about Togo I have learned:
1: If you think French is hard, try speaking Ewe. There are extra letters in its alphabet.
2: The whole concept of do not talk to strangers does not apply here, everyone is a stranger. The big difference is that people actually dont mind helping each other.
3: Anything you want you can get here. For example,mama wanted superglue for her broken necklace, I said something to Alphonse about it yesterday in Kpalime and this lady overheard me and pulled out superglue out of a bag... true story.
4; I truly think my family here is saner than anyone I know in the states.
5: I seldom anger anyone here...possibly because I dont speak French well enough.
6: No matter how many times I say DONT CALL ME YOVO...they still call me yovo. The sad truth is when I a white person here I am just as excited as the Togolese.
7: I have an obsession with pagne. I plan on wearing only Togolese attire for the duration of my service.
8: The people here,even if they dont understand you, love you. I have had so much support from everyone here. My family, friends,teachers,etc will never be forgotten for the rest of my life. I sometimes wonder if it is the U.S. that is the 3rd world country because I think that the people here in Togo have much more to teach us than we have to teach them.
9; I should have paid more attention in French class. I did go from novice to intermediate in the past 5 weeks.
10: I appreciate my life more back home now and realized how important you all are.
I love you all very much. Ill try to go to Kpalime more for computer time. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
I think that it is impossible to describe fully the experiences here unless you actually see it for yourself. Every day it is difficult, but every day there is excitement whether you want it or not.
Some important/facinating things about Togo I have learned:
1: If you think French is hard, try speaking Ewe. There are extra letters in its alphabet.
2: The whole concept of do not talk to strangers does not apply here, everyone is a stranger. The big difference is that people actually dont mind helping each other.
3: Anything you want you can get here. For example,mama wanted superglue for her broken necklace, I said something to Alphonse about it yesterday in Kpalime and this lady overheard me and pulled out superglue out of a bag... true story.
4; I truly think my family here is saner than anyone I know in the states.
5: I seldom anger anyone here...possibly because I dont speak French well enough.
6: No matter how many times I say DONT CALL ME YOVO...they still call me yovo. The sad truth is when I a white person here I am just as excited as the Togolese.
7: I have an obsession with pagne. I plan on wearing only Togolese attire for the duration of my service.
8: The people here,even if they dont understand you, love you. I have had so much support from everyone here. My family, friends,teachers,etc will never be forgotten for the rest of my life. I sometimes wonder if it is the U.S. that is the 3rd world country because I think that the people here in Togo have much more to teach us than we have to teach them.
9; I should have paid more attention in French class. I did go from novice to intermediate in the past 5 weeks.
10: I appreciate my life more back home now and realized how important you all are.
I love you all very much. Ill try to go to Kpalime more for computer time. xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Labels: culture, ewe, experiences, family, french, greetings, Kpalime, language, list, sanity, support, togo
posted by Trega at
9:41:00 AM
9 Comments:
Hey Jess! Good to see you writing! Much more positive outlook it seems :D
Stay strong! You are doing great work for yourself and those whom you serve.
Thank you for the prompt update. I hope your health stays well for the duration of your service.
Take care of yourself.
xxoo
Hi, Miss Jessica,
I never had read this part of your blog---I guess I had just skipped over it by mistake...Well, I guess you don't need any superglue...is there anything special that you wish we would send you, that isn't too heavy, since the postage to send things is atrocious?...I worked as an election inspector on Tuesday, so I may have a bit of money to send you something you need...Is there anything that is banned to send???
I'm going home now and finish the dishes....(My life is sooooo exciting....)
Love,
Grandma Andrea and Peachy Keen, II
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Hey it's Liet. I don't know if you already mentioned this and I just forgot, but what does Yovo actually mean? I'm glad that everybody's so nice to you there, and all that jazz :) I think even some of the reputed nice Canadians could learn from your village :p Anyways, I'm glad your having fun, and learn lots and teach lots as the "beauty of the village", with the most beautiful house and all ;P
Hey again jess its me logan :-) im just going to say logan for now on cuz ive only seen my name here so far :-)What is ewe? and do they usually talk to you in ewe or french and im glad to hear all goes well and i wish i could see africa and learn somin from there your so lucky!!! stay save and have fun :-)
Hi, Jessica,
I hope you are ok....Did you get my card??? I was told that if it looks very religious, such as writing on the envelope or box, "Religious Materials" in French (or hopefully in English it is understood) that you are more likely to receive it intact. (Of course I would hope you would receive everything sent to you intact anyway).., so I decorated my envelope in a way that hopefully you would get it intact...Did you?? I hope...or if you didn't it should get there soon...(hopefully..).
Now I shall go get my bike that's parked in front of the GAP on Broadway, and head home in 29 BLOOMIN' DEGREES...(no snow yet however---just a few flakes last week....)It's 8:38 pm---been doing some work on the library computers for a couple of hours....
Aren't you glad your Grandma (me) taught you to ride a bike when you were here a couple of years ago...(ha, ha)--now, when you come home you can even repair my bike since you know how, I understand...
Love,
Grandma Andrea
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Salut, Jessica,
C'est ton professeur a JCS. Je ne sais pas si tu as recu mon premier message. Mais de toute facon, je vois que tout va mieux! Bravo! Tu auras des souvenirs pour toute ta vie.
MAB
hey hey hey!! im glad to hear that you decided to stay, and i am SO stoked that you also got chosen for the ceremony!! see, i told you that you ROCK! :)
hope all is well.
I love you!
-Sav
Hi, Jessica,
It's late and I was just checking to see if you have posted anything new....I'm going back to the apt. and watch Charlie Rose on PBS----he educates me with his brilliant guests, and he's my secret crush, along with Randy Newman....I hope you're ok and God Bless You and keep you safe......
Love,
Grandma Andrea
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Jessica,
J'ai bien compris ce que tu as ecrit et ca me plait que tu as trouve mon message. (Attention: je ne mets pas d'accents quand j'ecris a l'ordinateur.) Bravo...tu as fait un discours en francais et tu as fait du progres. C'est bien. Je me demande pourquoi tu as choisi d'aller la-bas? Ca n'a rien a faire avec les etudes que tu as faites a l'universite. J'ai aime les photos que tu as mises sur ton "blog." Pourquoi pas faire des photos numeriques? (digital) Tu pourrais envoyer le "memory card" chez toi avec des tas de photos pour ta famille, peut-etre. Sans doute ca doit couter moins cher...et apres tu pourrais les developper aux USA. As-tu une adresse ou tu peux recevoir des lettres? Ici aujourd'hui le 8 decembre il a fait tres froid... moins 8. Il y a deja de la neige par terre. Alors, il est tard. Bonne chance...profite bien de tes experiences. Tu ne les oublieras jamais.
Mme Blackhurst
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