L'arrivee

We’re here!! Made it safe. It completely threw me off when I realized we were coming in after dark, because it was only 6:30 but the sky was already pitch black. The Togo staff and a couple volunteers greeted us, helped us through customs, and took us to one of the two hotels we’re using these first few nights. They started us right away on malaria medication, gave us food, and then put us to bed.

When they showed us to our room in the hotel, it finally hit me that I’m here. I was paired with the same PCT (we’re still “trainees” so they call us PCTs) to be roommates as in Philly, where we each had our own queen bed, a full shower, a TV, and carpeting. Walking into our room here, I saw one double bed to share, covered in a tent of mosquito netting, with one light bulb in the corner and a shower with just a cold water spigot, and I had an internal freakout. No going back now!  As much as I tried to picture myself without American amenities, it’s just not the same as actually being faced with it. And this is a very nice hotel: they have wifi. But after I got over the shock, learned to turn on the light by smacking the light switch, and took a cold shower, I was actually excited to be here. I was so happy both my bags made it here in one piece! A few bags were lost and haven’t made it yet, but those people have been super calm about it, surprisingly. The last two days have been so busy already I can hardly process what all we’ve been doing! There are a few PCVs that have come down from their posts to take us around and help us with orientation. It’s a little intimidating being around them… they seem so comfortable here, it’s like being a freshman again. Or maybe more like a kindergartener. But they’re being really patient with all of our questions and sheep-like mentality. We’re on a tightly organized schedule, so much so that whenever we have free time for 20 minutes or so, I start asking around to people if there’s something we should be doing. One of the PCVs walked us home from dinner at the other hotel tonight and had to remind our group that we each needed to watch the traffic when we crossed the paved road, instead of just following the person ahead of us, because traffic wasn’t going to stop.

            Yesterday was our language placement exam. When we go to our program training later this week, we’ll start French class based on how what level we placed into.  I’m having an okay time adjusting to the French, I think. I’m able to understand almost everything people say to me, but my responses leave something to be desired. And then it gets really confusing when people throw in a local language word in the middle of a French sentence, and I can’t tell if I just don’t know that word or it’s in Ewe (Ev-ay, the primary language here in the south).

            I saw the ocean for the first time yesterday—you can see it just down the road from our hotel. The staff discourages us from going to the beach, because it’s supposedly full of sewage and bad characters, but I felt reassured just seeing the water.  Tomorrow is more health and cultural sessions, and then on Wednesday we travel to our training site to meet our host families for the first time! I’d better get to bed—the sun sets at about 6:00 pm, so our days start at 6:45 am.  I miss you all and I hope I’ll have internet again soon! xoxox

Sit back and enjoy the flight

Bonjour from Paris! 

Our first leg of the trip to Lomé was a success, but not without some excitement. After a slight seat assignment mix-up that left 4 of our group, including myself, without boarding passes, I was relieved just to get on the plane.  About half-way through the airplane-created “nighttime,” I had settled into my window seat, watching the Disney documentary “Oceans.” Highly recommended, especially if you want to be sleepy at 8:00 pm trying to be 1:00 am.

Then, all of a sudden, a woman in the row behind me started screaming “JOHN! JOHN! Oh my God, JOHN!” She turned on the light, and I spun around to face a middle-aged man directly behind me who was completely unresponsive with his eyes half-open. Everyone was frozen for a second, and I was worried no flight attendants were rushing back, so I joined in, yelling for a doctor.  I told the woman I was CPR certified, and started checking his breathing and pulse by leaning over the seat… he was breathing and had a light pulse, so there was really nothing I could do and I couldn’t tell what was wrong with him. I had just climbed around the seats to move into his row when he came to, and a doctor and two nurses arrived. They couldn’t tell what was wrong with him either, and started discussing an emergency landing in Reykjavik. Sound familiar Mom and Dad? Remember the flight to Norway where the man had a seizure in the aisle next to me, right over Iceland? Bermuda triangle of the north…I’m telling ya.

Long story short, the guy was ok. They gave him an IV and we continued to Paris with no more problems. More adventure than I thought I would see so early in the trip!

Staging

Our “staging” session is the time for all of us Togo volunteers to meet each other, get shots, turn in final paperwork, and then head to the airport.  My flight out of Milwaukee was at 6:00 am yesterday morning, but I had no trouble waking up at 4:00. I didn’t feel nervous, but a strange combination of excited and sad to leave home. Luckily, the people of Milwaukee were in fine form and kept me together.  I gave my boarding pass and ID to the security man, with tears rolling down my face, Mr. Security Man wasn’t having it. “You’re smiling! It’s all ok! You can do it! Off you go!” On the plane, I had the pleasure of sitting behind a man who needed both seats in his row. And was playing Yahtzee with his wife across the aisle. At 6:00 am. On a plane with 12 rows total. Just the thing to take my mind off my nerves.

But I got to Philly soon enough, and had a great day of meeting my fellow volunteers and PC staff. It was just the beginning of what will be a long series of info sessions on rules, procedures, safety, etc, and was actually kind of exciting. Just being able to talk about the trip with others doing the same thing has been great.

Today our only organized activity was getting shots, so after that we walked around and explored. I don’t know if they planned it on purpose, but I’m spending my last 24 hours in the U.S. in the most Americana neighborhood possible: historic downtown Philadelphia. We saw the liberty bell, Ben Franklin’s house, Betsy Ross’ house, and then found out it’s Constitution Day today.  So patriotic! Now we’re sitting around, waiting for our bus to come and take us to the airport. And I’m wallowing in having internet and hot showers.  I think my worst thing so far has been the lack of cell phone. I left mine at home because it definitely won’t work in Togo, and I think I’m suffering from withdrawl. I keep reaching for it at tables, searching for it in my backpack, getting nervous that I’m missing something when I leave a room…Gonna take some getting used to.

Well I’m off! I’ll talk to you from Togo : )