True Blue

I don’t even know how the conversation even started really, but I just had the most interesting conversation about racism in the United States and Europe with another professor and the surveillent at my school the other day. I believe it started when the other professor was talking about his plans to visit Canada in about 5 years. It was at this point that the surveillent butted in and said that he could never live in Canada (or the United States or Europe) because everyone over there was a racist. I think I actually might have started laughing, but can’t remember. Anyway, we proceeded to get into a conversation where I was trying to explain that while there are still some very naïve and ignorant people in the United States, the vast majority of people are warm and very accepting of people from different backgrounds and different races. I also brought up the point that while I understood that it was not meant in a malicious or harmful connotation, to call somebody, “white person” is considered very rude in the United States and that some one would never come up to you and say, “hey, black person, can you show me where the school is?” That they would use sir or ma’m. That was a totally invalid point in their eyes though so I didn’t get far. Unfortunately the entire conversation took place in French so I was often stumbling over my words and if I paused for even a second to recall some vocabulary, someone interrupted me, and I was forced to sit and wait and listening. There were asking me if I had ever heard of slavery and Malcolm X. I said that yes I had heard of them and I fully accept that there are some dark places in America’s history but that Africa cannot claim to have a history free of problems either. I told them to look at all the war and blood that has been shed already, but they shrugged that off as an invalid point. So, I said surely that I am an example of an American who is not racist and if I exist then there must be other people like me. Then, my surveillent turns to me and asks me if I had to make a choice right now between going back to America or staying and living in Africa, which one would I choose. I told him that without a doubt I would return to America. He says, “See. You are racist. If you liked Africans you would stay here.” A little furious that I had just been called a racist by the man whose school I am trying to help, I tried to explain that to come here, I left behind my family and friends and that I left behind my entire life. He says, “Just fly them over here.” I explain that it’s not that easy for one, and that number two, another big reason for me to return to the States is that it is much easier for a woman to live there. Scoffing, he asks me in what regard it is easier for a woman. So I start listing off example after example and finally say that above all, it is easier for a woman to get an education and find a good job. (Speaking of which, I just found out that one of my students is pregnant…*big sigh*…there goes one…makes me feel like I failed her in some capacity; she can‘t be more than fifteen). So he asks me what I would like to become in the United States that it would be hard to do here. I say that I want to become a doctor (lying a little bit…sorry Dad…hope that didn’t get you excited). He, naturally, laughs at me, so I ask him what is the best job that a woman in Benin can hope to get. Nearly at the same time, the other professor and the surveillent say, “Female President.” I was a little taken aback, but happy and said that I was to stay in Benin and become President. That really got that laughing as it was not only preposterous, but that I had also misunderstood what they said. The didn’t say that I could become a female president, they said that I could become the WIFE of the President. Awesome. So I started busting into my best female empowerment speech, but I’m pretty sure that there were just laughing at me while I ranting on and on. Anyway, that was how my Thursday afternoon was spent. It was clear that there was no changing there minds at that point, so hopefully they will see after my two years, that I (and the majority or Americans) are not racist and that women deserve better than to be treated as the personal servants of men.

On a completely different note and random note. I got new doors installed in my house and they look great! Now I only have to paint my walls and fix my ceiling and get some cushions on my “couches”, and I think that I will be on my way to feeling like I live in an actual house and not some cement shack in Africa (though it IS a very nice cement shack in Africa). The best part about the doors is that they smell of fresh wood which reminds me of the saw chips that we use for the horses in the barn which reminds me of home! And it that same light, the other day when I was having tutoring with my homologue, I was totally distracted as his wife prepared their son for school. She was dressing him and cleaning him and with whatever product she was cleaning him with, I couldn’t shake that I recognized the smell but couldn’t place where it was from. Finally, I realized that it smelled exactly like the fly spray that we roll-on in the horses ears. Thus, twice within one week I was reminded of being back home again in ole Kentucky (or Michigan as the case may be).

And I guess that’s about it for now. Life has been pretty bland as of lately. School is winding down and kids are getting excited about celebrating the holidays. They, of course, want to know what I am giving them as their Christmas presents. “Nothing,” I smile and say not deterring them one bit from asking again and again and again. I am excited because my friend will be joining me for a few days before we head up to Natitingou to not only TEFL stuff but celebrate the holidays with the TEFL family. As it always is with the gang, it should be a lot of fun. Love and Warmth (really) from Manigri