Quick updates

The Water Bill:  I got a water bill Monday. My first thought was, "oh no! They came when no one was here, so they couldn't read the meter! Here we go again!" But, after looking carefully at the bill a few times, I find it is a replacement for the 400,000+ CFA one. They are charging me the minimum amount for February. When I pay, I will ask when the meter reader is likely to come by so that someone can be here.

Dorcas:  Although I spied Dorcas and Kefas holding hands last Tuesday when we returned from Spring Break, that relationship may have run its course. For the past few days, it has been Prince who has been following her everywhere. That is not really new: he has long been a rival for her affections, but he seems to be the only one paying her court this week.

Holidays

 I am writing this on April 27, Independence Day here in Togo. I thought it was a good day to go over some of the holidays that have been observed and celebrated here over the past months. 

Probably because of its history as a French colony, Togo celebrates many of the same holidays as France. It makes for an interesting mix of celebrating history and observing traditional Catholic holy days. 

The first holiday that I experienced here was La Toussaint on November 1. I wrote a separate post about my activities on that day. Although devout Catholics may have gone to mass, the people I encountered seemed to make no change in their routine. Schools were closed, of course, and I assume government offices were as well.

From what I saw, Christmas was also fairly low-key here in Vogan. Hammer's family had a Christmas tree and opened gifts in the morning. The rest of the day and much of the night was spent working. Apparently fufu is a staple of Christmas dinner, because the machine ran constantly that day. People had to wait their turn, sometimes for 20 or 30 minutes. Those of the household who were not working on fufu spent the day preparing for the children's Christmas party at church the next day. Joycelyn, Dela, Solange, Patrick, and Viviane cooked and prepared treat bags for the kids. I assisted with the latter project. During the party, the children sang; we took their pictures; and gave them a meal and the treat bags.

In Lomé the holiday was more visible. I saw billboards advertising Christmas sales and Christmas items on shelves in the stores. 

New Year's Eve for the mission means a vigil service in the church. This year the government imposed a 9:00 p.m. curfew because of CoVid, so the service was cut short. We finished at 10:00 instead of going past midnight. 

Valentine's Day went unnoticed in Vogan, but the day after was a Tuesday, so I was in Lomé. Le Champion, a grocery store, had observed the holiday. I don't recall seeing a lot of merchandise, but there was candy and this sign on the door.

The March holiday? Not St. Patrick's Day--I saw absolutely no sign of that--but International Women's Day, March 8. I knew that it received more observance here in Africa than in the US. I was in Burkina Faso on that day in 2020. It fell on a Sunday, so the country observed it on Monday with closed offices, etc. Here it doesn't merit a day off. In fact, I believe I was here on March 8 in 2021, and I have no memory of anything happening. This year, however, it fell on a Tuesday. That meant a trip to Lomé. We got pulled over at one of the checkpoints on the way and the soldiers or policemen wished us a happy Woman's Day and let us go. I found out on Wednesday that the school had marked the holiday. There was an all-school assembly in which the directors pointed out the importance of schooling for girls as much as for boys. (Although school is compulsory here, in practice, girls sometimes do not go to school). The other manifestation of the holiday is in clothes. I saw three women wearing dresses made of fabric that had "8 mars, Journée Internationale de la Femme" woven into the design.

That brings us to today, Independence Day. My neighbors and I discussed the holiday this morning as I was heading to Hammer's for breakfast. They told me that people celebrate by eating and dancing and asked how we celebrated our similar holiday in the US. Dela told me that, in the past, the school children in Vogan have marched in the streets, but that is not happening this year. Along the main road, several of the business are sporting a small Togolese flag, which looks quite festive. Since I was not able to take a picture of that--I need both hands on the wheel when I drive the main road, I will add a picture of the Togolese and Christian flag at the mission school.

The French teacher reminded the children in 7th and 9th grades Monday that they were in the last week in April and that there was the possibility for holidays in May and early June. Again, from the French system,  holidays include Labor Day on the 1st; Ascension Day on the 26th; and Pentecost on June 6. Note the word "possibility." So far here, other than Christmas and Easter, holidays have been announced to me the day before. I found out that today was a holiday yesterday afternoon before I went home from school. La Toussaint was announced to me in a similar fashion. So it will be interesting to see what, if any, days off come my way next month!

Kindergarten Moving Day

 Tuesday, April 19, was not only the first day of school after Spring Break, it was moving day for the kindergarten. I made a point of arriving early so that I wouldn't miss anything. Most of the children come with older siblings or neighbors and so arrive before the official start time at 8:00, so I made a point to get there at 7:00. A few children still beat me. They were waiting on the stoop in front of the church (the old classroom).

Before eight o'clock, Tata started the moving process, enlisting the help of some of the older elementary school boys. They carried tables, chairs, the dishpans, footstools, etc.

Once most of the children arrived, they went over in a group. At first they walked, and then they began to run.

Tata and the older children set up the chairs and tables, and the kindergarteners sat down.

Before we could start the day, word came from the director that Hammer wanted to pray for the room and the children before they entered the classroom. So we hurriedly moved the chairs, tables, and children out to wait for Hammer. That was quite the wait, but he eventually arrived, said a few words, and prayed.

So, once it was official, we moved back in. One thing the children are happy about is that the toys have been moved to the second room in the building. They have not played with them for a few months now. I, on the other hand, am not happy about that, because they do not share well.

The rooms are not perfect. They are hot! And you know that if I'm saying that, it could be unbearable for some of you. The fence behind the building is only about a foot away from the wall. The plan is to move that back so that there will be room for air to flow through on that side. 

In addition, the blackboard is very high. Tata wanted lines going across at the top. She was going to climb onto a stool to make them, but I stopped her and offered to do the job. I was on my tiptoes and stretching to get it done. The children can write on it, but the smallest are writing at the very bottom of the board.

Improvements will be made, I am sure. The important thing right now is that the kindergarten is at home at last!

Water

 I was just thinking yesterday morning (Tuesday) that I should probably refresh the water in my buckets. I was even thinking that I could just empty them, since we were now getting rain frequently and so there was no need for the water company to cut us off.

I'm glad I didn't follow through on my thought, especially since I could easily have emptied the buckets in the morning and refilled them in the afternoon. The water was turned off yesterday morning. It is still off now--Wednesday afternoon. We are thankful that the school cooks were able to get enough water to fix yesterday's lunch and that there is no lunch on Wednesdays. We pray that service will be restored before tomorrow. I have a bit of selfishness in that prayer. Thursday is my laundry day, and I would like to have clean clothes!

I don't cook at home, as you know, so I just need water for washing and for flushing the toilet. I took a bucket bath this morning, and so now I have about half of my water left. Tomorrow I may have to pick and choose which parts to wash.

Dela said that she would have Viviane fetch me some water. The boys went and got some for that house. I don't know where they go, but I caught them on the way back and got their picture.

Driving

 

Even in the best of circumstances I have a love-hate relationship with driving. I like the idea of driving; and grew up believing that there was a family talent for driving. In practice, I am not always fond of it. I delayed learning to drive as long as I could. By the time I registered for Driver’s Ed at school, I was too old to get the Driver’s Ed permit other students had. I had to take the test for the regular Learner’s Permit. Once I completed the Driver’s Ed course, taken during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school, I put off getting my license. I got it in November of that year. I remember, because my friend Jan had to get hers that week before her learner's permit expired on her 18th birthday. We left school during third period and walked to the license branch to get the licenses. Even with my license, I didn’t really start driving regularly until the summer after my freshman year of college.

I tell you all that to acknowledge that I do have issues with driving. However, driving here in Togo is such a challenge that I believe I would dread it even without my emotional driving baggage. The two complicating factors:  road conditions and other drivers!

On the open road, from here to Aneho or Lomé, the road conditions are good. One can access both by the main paved road that runs through Vogan. From the corner of Hammer’s street with the main road, a left turn leads to Aneho, a right to Lomé. The road is a highway, but it is occasionally punctuated by speed bumps, warnings of speed bumps to come, and a bad railroad track. There are villages, towns, and police checkpoints which also reduce speed.

However, traffic and other drivers detract from the otherwise pleasant experience. Much of the traffic consists of motorcycles. Motorcycle drivers also take advantage of their size to go to the right or the left of whatever they are passing (a speed bump or something in town), or even to go the wrong way! Naturally, they normally go slower than cars so they have to be passed. If there happen to be some in the oncoming lane, and a car decides to pass them, a game of chicken ensues. The driver of a car has to remain vigilant.

Once you arrive in Lomé, especially, the motorcycles are joined by two different types of three-wheeled vehicles. One is a passenger carrier and is used as a taxi. The other, an Apsonic, can carry passengers, but is frequently used for freight. These modes of transport are also slower and so must be passed. Of course, in the city, with the increased traffic, passing can be difficult. It is not always possible to get all the way into the left lane, so you create a lane for yourself in the middle.

This is a fancy version of the three-wheeled vehicle used as a taxi in Lomé. Hammer's friend or relative (I never know which) got this back in December and brought it by the house to show it off.

Two different apsonics that I saw this morning. The one on the left is hauling logs. The one on the right had several people in the back, but they got down and away before I was able to take the picture. 

In both cities and small towns, drivers frequently stop and park on the side of the road.

Small town traffic is complicated by road conditions. Most of the streets are unpaved. They are dusty and sandy in the dry season and muddy or under water in the rainy season. In all seasons, they are filled with potholes.

I am mostly comfortable with the road from my house to Hammer’s and then from his house to the school. The drive is a bit like a video game as one dodges the worst of the potholes or mud holes. Driving to and in Lomé is still an ordeal for me. I have never driven the whole trip. I can drive there and to our first stop, but then I surrender the steering wheel to whoever is with me.

To see videos of driving, both on the main road and in Vogan, follow this link. I was the passenger, not the driver, when they were taken. That tells you that they show the way back to Vogan!

What I buy

 

My sister recently asked me: “If Dela fixes all your meals, why do you need to go to the grocery store?” I can say, just as did Sir Edmund Hilary: “because it is there.” My Tuesday trips with Karen to Lomé provide me with a welcome break from Vogan and time to visit with a colleague and friend. Now, they also include the Ewe lesson (which they always have; I just didn’t always go to them). They also include visiting stores, usually a grocery store among them. I don’t always buy a lot, and the food purchases are few, but I always have something that I need, mostly in terms of toiletries and cleaning supplies. I thought you might be interested in what I buy and in the brands of goods that I have encountered here.

Food and drink:

I don’t buy a lot of food, of course, but it is nice to have something that I can quickly fix and eat at home. Being out after dark causes me anxiety, so I don’t take dinner at Dela’s. I have some canned ravioli, a bag of rice and some beans, spaghetti, a jar of Ragu, and some jam. To be honest, all of that is unopened and unused (although I did heat and eat one can of ravioli), but its presence reassures me. Foodstuffs that I buy and actually consume include cookies and sodas. I find a bit of sugar at the end of the day a great substitute for an actual meal! 

The soda I buy is Chap brand. Coke products are available here, both in bottles and cans. However, they are more expensive than the local Chap brand, which is around 300 CFA per can. I buy three different flavors: cola, limonade (Sprite-like) and cocktail de fruits (an orange-pineapple flavor). A can will usually last me two days.

I also buy water. The water here is treated, but inconsistently. Hammer and Dela and Karen all have water filters. Hammer's filters all the water in the house, but Karen's sits on her counter like a big Brita pitcher. I just haven't got around to looking for one, so I continue to buy water.

I mentioned that I have a jar of Ragu. Other American brands that I have seen include Quaker Oats, Pringles, and Doritos. For other things, I often buy Belle France brand. It is reasonably priced and, so far I have found them to be tasty.

Toiletries

Of course, I use body wash, hand soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and dental floss. I try to be open to experimenting with other brands, but it doesn't really pay to get hooked on a particular one, because the inventory may vary from one store to the next, or even one visit to the next at the same store. For example, during my first shopping trip, I purchased some body wash. I really liked it a lot, but was not able to find it the next two times I needed it. So I fell back on the familiar brand name of Dove. I am not sure if the scents are the same here as they are in the States--I don't buy Dove brand there--but I'm not really fond of the ones they have here.

 

As for hand soap, I could not find any foaming liquid, such as I buy at home, so I opted for a familiar brand of bar soap: Palmolive. I had never seen this variety before, but decided on it anyway. Once I got home I found that, once again, I don't like the scent.

When it comes to oral hygiene, I am kind of a brand-follower: Crest for toothpaste and Oral-B Glide dental floss. I was delighted to find both of those items here. Dental floss is on the list for the next shopping trip, and I hope I am able to find the Glide again. I also found Crest--not my usual variety, but that's okay. I show you both sides of the tube so that you can see something rather common here--Arabic on labels. 

Other toothpaste brands I have seen include Colgate, Close-Up, and AquaFresh. Hammer and Dela have a local (?) brand in their bathroom: Charlie. I thought it an interesting name for a toothpaste, but never tried it.

Paper products

Whereas at home, a roll of Bounty or Brawny serves for both paper towels and napkins, here, napkins are easier to find than paper towels. I have no particular brand loyalty, but one brand that I bought came with a free sample of laundry detergent, which was cool.

My allergies have finally forced me to begin purchasing tissues. Again, I am rather picky about those. I absolutely hate the ones that include lotion. I was glad to see Kleenex brand here. Since the first time I saw them it was a package of purse-sized packs, I purchase them this way, rather than in a big box. Karen picked these up for me, because I couldn't go to Lomé the week that I needed them. I probably would not have chosen the balsam variety, but they are okay.

Not really a paper product, but related to Kleenex: allergy medicine. I brought some with me, but, once I ran out, I had to consult nurse Karen as to what to get. I don't even know what I use at home--the generic version of either Allegra or Claritin. She looked them both up and, when we went to the pharmacy (this kind of thing is not sold in grocery stores here), asked which one they had. My sister recently sent me a package that included a few bottles of the same thing that I get here. The pharmacy people probably would be shocked at the size of the bottle--60 pills.

Papier hygiénique: the first time I needed this staple, I let myself be guided by Karen, who also needed it. I find that I like her choice. Notice:  it's 3-ply! It comes not in squares, but in rectangles and lasts a long time. I heartily recommend it, if you're ever here.

Bug Spray I am somewhat paranoid about bugs, so I have three different cans of bug spray, plus two different brands of insect repellent. One of the repellents comes from Spain. I therefore can't read the label very well. It claims to provide three-way protection, but I am not sure how. For the room spray, I have one for flying bugs (mainly mosquitoes) and one for crawling bugs (spiders) Note the brands:

Yes, I found Raid, which is comforting. I can't decide if the can on the right, RAD, is trying to capitalize on the Raid name or not. If it is, the company disguises it well with the subtitle:  Read A Dream. Don't ask me what that has to do with mosquitos, but someone sees a connection! It is a local brand, and, Karen says, is quite good at killing mosquitos and not leaving a chemical odor or side effects.

Laundry items: The final thing on my list of items I purchase. I buy fabric softener and detergent. I think the fabric softener is the Belle France brand. I just noticed today that I have run out. I have purchased three different brands of detergent: Mouss or Majix, and Oxo. The latest is pictured below. As with the toothpaste, the writing on the box is also in Arabic.

The interesting thing is the picture in the corner: it is detergent targeted to washing by machine and not by hand. Viviane is still doing my laundry by hand. Again, Karen picked this up for me. There was no detergent geared for hand-washing. But that's okay. The machine detergent works fine for hand-washing. However, the hand-washing version can harm a washing machine. 

So, there you have it. Things that I consider essential and that I purchase as I need them. 

Ele agbe!

 I learned the title sentence in my first Ewe lesson with Karen and Peter a few weeks ago. It was the conclusion to a story about a duck who ran away:  "he is alive." I asked Peter if I could say that sentence about Jesus, and he said yes, so I say it to you. That may seem a funny question, but Ewe is a language that gives great importance to context, so it is possible that a word used in one context might not work in another.

Anyway, Happy Easter to everyone. I thought I would report on our service here. Everything was pretty much the same, except that the sermon did use the first few verses of Matthew 28 as its base text. What was different was the appearance of white: the tradition here is to wear white clothing on Easter. Not a lot of people followed that. I saw maybe half a dozen white dresses and one little boy all in white. The other was that the musical group sang a familiar song as their special before the sermon. 

After the service, we had a caravan of four vehicles and several people on foot as we traveled to two different homes to visit ladies who had not been able to attend church for a while due to ill health. The first one was quite overwhelmed and shed several tears at our being there.

May your services be as great a blessing to you! Ele agbe!

Just in case the video above doesn't cooperate:  You can watch it and another one from today here.

Spring Break--Day 5

  Friday consisted of two major activities: getting electricity credits and having an Ewe lesson.

I drove to breakfast so that I could run by the electric company on the way home. It is not far from my house, so I could walk, but I didn't discover until yesterday the street that would lead me back home. And now that I know that, I am not totally sure that I could find it were I to leave from my house. I'll try it one day and let you know!

After breakfast I headed to CEET. It was rather nerve-racking to get there, because Friday is market day. Naturally that means increased traffic on the main road, which runs by the market. When I arrived at the office, I was a bit dismayed. There were a few motorcycles and bicycles parked there, which meant that I had to park right in front. I learned after my first visit that it was better for me to park at the end of the office, because the step is a bit lower there and I have the wall to hang onto. But, thinking that the handwashing station might support me enough to make the big step up, I headed forward. I was wrong. The guard had to come out and help me get up the step.

I took this picture later in the day on my way home from the Ewe lesson. I had hoped that I could get a better shot, but the bicycle behind me and other traffic meant that I had to keep moving. The step up doesn't seem all that high in the picture, but it is higher than a standard US step.

After paying the bill, I drove back to Hammer's house. Dela had told me to leave my car so that the boys could wash it. During the way back, I discovered the street that leads me back home. Because of the traffic, I couldn't perform my normal U-turn, so I turned right on the first street past the electric company. It looked as if might run all the way to Hammer's street. It didn't. When it ended, I looked both ways to see if I would have to head back toward the main road or if I could go the other direction. Looking left, I saw the top of the tall building beside my house, which meant that I did not have to get on the main road but could continue in the other direction.

The court has been quiet all week, but yesterday it was busy again. When I arrived at the house, I could only park right in front of the gate, which is not convenient for car washing. But I left it there anyway and returned home. My one frustration with parking and the walk home--and, indeed, the whole day--was that I did not see an Apsonic in a good position for me to take a picture. I'm working on a post about driving here and those vehicles--sort of a truck attached to a motorcycle--are part of the content. I want to have a picture.

After lunch it was time for my Ewe lesson. Peter had said that he would go straight to the church property where we meet, but I waited for him at Hammer's. Since you have to pass by Hammer's on the way to the church, I figured he might change his mind. He finally called me and told me he was there.

We met for over two hours, reviewing the numbers to 60, and going all the way to 2000. Then we worked on pronunciation of the seven vowels alone and proceeded by consonants and consonant clusters. A picture of the chart is below.

So there you have it, day 5. We have one more day, not counting the weekend. School resumes on Tuesday, April 19.

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter. He is risen!

Spring Break-day 4

 I realized late yesterday afternoon (day 4) that I had not reported on Spring Break Day 3. It was fairly uneventful. The main activity of the day was going over the application to  IDES for a grant to assist with the last few months of the school lunch program. Prices are rising quickly and steeply here.

Day 4 of Spring Break began when my doorbell rang around 6:45 a.m. It was Viviane, who had come to do my laundry and housework. Normally she comes later on Thursdays; she spends the mornings at the school selling beignets to the children before school and during recess, and heads to my house after recess. But it is Spring Break, so she is free earlier.

I let her in and then proceeded to take my shower and get dressed. I had been moving at a fairly leisurely pace, because when I arrived at the house on Wednesday for breakfast, I couldn't get in. The family were having devotions and they had locked the gate to the compound. Someone actually came to the gate when another lady knocked, but I hated to interrupt them so planned to arrive later on Thursday.

I drove to the house so that the car would not interfere with the clothesline. After breakfast, I walked back.

I spent the morning trying to email the information for the grant application to Hammer's forwarding agent. I had tried Wednesday afternoon, but the Internet was super slow and I couldn't even get my email to open. It is frequently faster in the mornings, and yesterday was no exception, but it still took quite some time to get the application information, a video, and a picture sent. 

As the morning wore on, I began to hear thunder. I made frequent trips outside to check to see if it was truly going to rain. Finally, I decided I had better move the clothes into the house. I started with the t-shirts. Once I got them draped on the drying rack in the house, it seemed as if the storm was going to pass us by, so I resumed my work. Then the thunder got more frequent and the dark clouds looked closer. I texted Dela that I would not be coming over for lunch, because I didn't want to leave my clothes on the line and not be home to rescue them should it start to rain. She sent Meda over with the lunch. I set the table and served myself, but decided I had better finish bringing in the clothes. I'm glad I did, because the rain started right after I got all of them in.

For once, there was no hard rain. It fell gently for 30 or 40 minutes and then stopped.

Shortly after 4, I left the house and headed back to Hammer's. Bible Study starts at 5, but I wanted to stop by Godwin's mother's restaurant to buy some Togocel credit. That alone takes a few minutes; if she is busy with other customers, it could be longer. 

Credit bought, I went to the house and collected Dela, Sena, and Hammer's aunt and off we went to Bible Study.

I have talked in other posts how I hate dealing with my gate. As I opened the gate yesterday evening, Patrick came up. He had been on his way home from work and saw me arrive at my house, so he came to help with the gate. It was a much more pleasant process with his help!

I would say that Day 4 was a pretty good one. We'll see how Day 5 goes and get back to you!

Spring Break--Day 2

 The second day of Spring Break was not as busy as day 1. The big event of the day was my Ewe lesson with Peter.

I have started attending classes with Karen on Tuesdays in Lomé, but since she is leaving tomorrow for her team meeting in Spain, she canceled class for herself. Since it had been nearly three weeks since my last lesson, I checked to see if Peter was willing to come to Vogan to meet with me. Indeed he was.

We met at Hammer's house. I went there for lunch and just stayed to visit until Peter showed up about 2:00, thirty minutes later than we had planned. He was late because the taxi he rode in from Lomé was a big one, so it took a while to fill it up with passengers. 

We drove out to the church property and met in the shade under the trees, not the big mango tree pictured below, but the smaller trees behind it. The wonderful breezes helped make the lesson a pleasant one.

We began by my asking Peter for help with some everyday expressions. First, greetings. They are rather complicated here. I know how to respond to what people say to me, but I don't know how to inquire after their well-being. So we worked on that. I haven't mastered it--it's complicated! Then I asked how to say the question words, because I thought that would be helpful.

After that we began at the beginning of the book--on the title page, which we read many times so that I could begin learning pronunciation. We counted up to 60 and worked on the material we had covered during the last lesson I had with Karen. After a two-hour session, I was ready to stop.

And we had more work to do. Karen's gardener's assistant had left his cellphone charger at Karen's house last week. She wanted Peter to return it for her. So we drove to Karen's house so that she could explain the situation. She called the gardener and let Peter talk to him so that they would be on the alert for each other. Peter even took the gardener's phone number so he could call when he got close. (The gardener has his shop right on the side of the main road from Vogan to Lomé. It is easy to find, because it is located between a police checkpoint and the tollbooth.)

After that was all settled, I took Peter to find a car to take him back to Lomé. Somewhere along the side of the road on the way out of town, there is a "station" where cars gather to be hired to take people to the city. Peter thought that we might find something sooner than that, and indeed we did. I don't know how he knew, but he had me stop by a car parked on the side of the street. He talked to the driver and then got out to head back home. 

Back at my house, I relaxed. It was cool enough that I didn't need the fan, so I didn't notice when the power went off. It wasn't off long. 

The temperature continued to drop and there were wonderful breezes. I finally realized I had better check the windows in the house. Sure enough, the rain began to fall. As it has done in the past, it started as a hard rain and then settled into a nice steady fall. 

I don't remember how long it fell, but it stopped before bedtime. That meant, of course, that the temperature climbed again. I am very grateful that the electricity stayed on so that I was able to keep cool in the night.

Sam (le petit) ([Little] Sam)

                                      

You probably don't recognize the person in this drawing. It is I! Drawn by Sam.

 Sam le petit or, frequently, just plain Sam, is the kindergarten teacher's son. There is another Sam in the class, Sam le grand (Big Sam). He is almost always addressed as such in order to differentiate between the two. He is, indeed, big, standing easily a head taller than the other children. I would guess his age to be 6 or 7. He started school a couple of weeks into the term, which is why he is rarely called "Sam."

But I digress. Back to Sam (le petit). He can be a very sweet little boy, but he can also irritate the life out of me. He is the youngest in his family and the only boy, so he may be a bit spoiled at home. At school, he frequently acts like a spoiled child. At the beginning of the school year, when they played with toys everyday, Sam would always have to have the big car. If someone got there first, he pushed them off or cried until they let him have it. In addition, Sam had to have the Fisher Price dashboard with the steering wheel and detachable cell phone. If someone had the phone, Sam either took it away or cried until he got it. There was always a boy willing to push him around.

The toys have not made an appearance in class for a long time. These days it is a particular pattern of spoon that Sam wants. He will either run to the spoon collection before his name is called for his meal or run around the class and take the spoon away from whoever has it. Sometimes a child whose name is earlier on the list will take two spoons and will give the favorite one to Sam. In the last two weeks that behavior has provoked me so much that I have taken the spoon away from Sam and told him to wait his turn. I have visions of going through the spoons and removing all of that particular pattern.

For some reason, Sam does mind me fairly well. His mother will tell him to do something and he may ignore her until he catches my eye. Then he quietly complies. 

He also minds "monsieur," the teacher of one of the higher grades, I think second, but am not sure. Occasionally Monsieur gets sent for so that he can scold or even spank Sam. Sometimes Sam gets sent to Monsieur's class.

With such a strong personality, I pray that Sam will soon start thinking more of others. He loves talking to Weena (I'm sure it's not spelled that way, but that's how it's pronounced), the clinic's receptionist's baby. When one of the smaller children falls or is otherwise hurt, he is quite sympathetic. Just imagine the kind of adult he could be if he learns to demonstrate such caring while still being such a leader!

The artist, Sam, and his work.

Another funeral

 Hammer's sister in Nigeria passed away a few weeks ago, around the time of the elderly man's funeral in March. The funeral for Hammer's sister was held this past Saturday in Vo Asso.

Karen decided that she was not going to go to the Friday night wake, because that would involve a return to Vogan after dark. Naturally, I decided the same. I thought there might be a possibility that I would need to drive--if there were church people wanting a ride, for example--and was preparing myself for that eventuality, but it was just Karen, Afro (Hammer's brother), an aunt, and I traveling from Vogan on Saturday morning. 

We left at 9:15. The way there was a bit of an adventure because, although all of us in the car had been to Asso a few times, none of us was certain of the way there. So we drove, stopped to ask directions frequently, and made it, safe and sound to the funeral. 

The service took place in the Compassion International project property, which was ideal. There are classrooms, a kitchen, bathrooms, etc., and a large open space to set up the canopy and chairs. Things had started when we arrived; the praise band (though here we call them the musical group) was already performing a song. Wilson, a leader in our congregation and also in the Compassion project, was the master of ceremonies and gave the history of the sister. Because of the Nigerian and Ghanian family connections, three languages were used: Ewe, French, and English. 

Hammer's sermon text was from Job. Of course, I can't find it now! But in the verse, Job said something to the effect that soon he would die and where would his soul go? It was a good message and, while strongly encouraging the attendees to give their lives to Christ so that their soul would go to be with Him, it was not harsh toward those who had not done so.

The final resting place was a short walk from the funeral site. I had asked Hammer several weeks ago about the grave-robbing that occurs here. People dig up graves and take the bones to use in voodoo rituals. My question was that voodoo followers surely don't like the idea of people using their loved ones' bones in rituals, so what did they do? The answer is that many people bury their dead in the house, or right outside it in the compound. His sister's grave, he said, was right outside the family compound.

After the graveside service it was back to the Compassion compound for the meal. Joycelyn and Victoria had prepared a special meal for us. Whereas the other guests had fufu, rice, and sauce, we dined on fried rice and chicken. Although we hated to eat and run, we did sort of do that, because the weather was threatening rain.

On the way back the car was more packed. In addition to our two original passengers we had two ladies from the church and a generator. Karen remembered the way well, so she only hesitated at two intersections. The passengers had no hesitation and guided us in the right direction. 

I pray that there will be no more deaths for a while!

Spring Break Day 1

 Although I treated last week as one of vacation, Spring Break is officially this week. So here is a report on Day 1.

Karen and I returned to the clinic where we received our CoVid boosters. She will be leaving Thursday for Spain for a team meeting with her mission organization. If she has an official Vaccination Card, she will not be required to take a CoVid test before departure. We tried yesterday to download her card so that the lady at the local copy shop could get it printed for her, but to no avail. So we decided to return to the clinic today to see what the issue was and to see about getting mine downloaded as well.

We arrived at the clinic (pictured below) around 10:00 and  explained what we needed to a German lady who was there. She was one of three white women there and I entertained myself trying to figure out what they were doing. It is a government clinic, so it was a bit of a surprise to see them. They all resembled each other:  short hair, glasses, tank tops, shorts, and flip flops. Each sported a wedding ring. I thought they might be nuns due to the hair, though I admit I have never seen a nun in shorts and a tank top. Before we left the clinic, though, three men came in. So that theory was disproved.  Unless the men were priests? But no, they were wearing wedding rings as well.

If you have read previous posts you may recognize this picture. I have used it before. Sorry!!

Fixing Karen's issue was rather simple. She had asked them to use her passport number as her ID number on the card. But a US passport number contains no hyphens, whereas a Togolese ID card number does. So on her first visit to the clinic they had used Dela's ID number on Karen's record. Once Karen entered that number on the website her card came up, complete with the passport number on it. So all she had to do was download it. Which she did. Then she saved a copy in another place on her phone. And she emailed herself a copy.

My issue was more complicated. When I got on the government website to download my card right after getting the shot, I could not get on it even. Again, they had used my passport number as the ID number, but it contained no hyphens. However, the man who had helped Karen was able to get past that. However, a new issue arose once he did.  Since I had my first two doses of the vaccine in the US, the Togolese department of health did not recognize the lot numbers of those doses. Which makes perfect sense. The man is sure that I could still get a card, but told me to come back tomorrow. Which I can not do. Peter is coming to Vogan tomorrow to give me an Ewe lesson. So he said anytime this week. I'll shoot for Wednesday or Thursday. Naturally, since my trip back is in June, it is not as pressing for me as it is for Karen, but I want to get it done as quickly as I possibly can.

From the clinic we drove to the grocery store to do our week's shopping. Then we headed back to Vogan, stopping to have a sandwich on the way out.

I didn't mention earlier that Karen and I had decided yesterday that we would leave at 8:00 this morning. As frequently happens, something came up to slow us down. Just as she was ready to leave, the plumber showed up at Karen's door. She was, indeed, expecting him today, but in the afternoon. To make things more complicated she thought he was coming to fix a drain pipe on her roof, but he had brought materials to build a watering system for her rabbits. That is not high on her priority list as she prepares for her departure later in the week. Anyway, she told them that they would have to come back in the afternoon, to which they agreed. So she arrived at my house about 8:35, complete with the plumbers. We were dropping them off somewhere on the way out of town.

Halfway between Vogan and Lome there is a police roadblock followed by a toll station. Between those two landmarks, Karen's gardener has his shop. As we passed the roadblock, the policeman whistled. Thinking he might be stopping us, Karen slowed down and pulled over and her gardener ran up to the window asking if she had brought his helper's phone charger, which had been left at Karen's house. He said he had texted at 7 this morning to remind her. She had not received the text and did not have the charger, so we went on our way. As a P.S. she discovered that he had sent the text at 9:00 this morning, when we were already on the road.

Because of the plumbers waiting for us, our return trip was a bit more complicated than it would have been normally. We called the plumbers as we left the sandwich shop, telling them where we were and asking if they were going to be where we had dropped them off. Then Karen called someone who is doing some painting for her to see if he needed more paint. So back in the Vogan area we had to watch for the plumbers and pick them up, make a detour to pick up a ladder for them to use, go to a hardware store to buy pipe elbows and paint, and go to the copy shop to see about getting the vaccination card printed. 

I had never been on the street with the hardware store before, so I took a couple of pictures. The top one is the view to my right (I sat in the car); the bottom one is the straight ahead view.

I am home now and have put away my groceries. I'll spend the rest of the evening working on the computer. But Karen has to supervise the plumbers, take the paint to the painter, get duck food, and do some work in her garden before her day is over. I admire the way she immerses herself into life here, but it takes more energy than I have!

The Kindergarten classroom

 

  The kindergarten building in September   The kindergarten building in April.

One of the challenges of adding the kindergarten to the school has been having a place for the class to meet. During my visit here in 2021, both Hammer and Dela expressed concern as to whether they would be able to complete a classroom space for them in time for the beginning of the school year. That question has been answered--No. The top photo above shows the building that will be the kindergarten's home in September; the bottom was taken today, April 7. 

When school started, Hammer thought the building might be ready for occupancy in two weeks. We will actually begin classes there on April 19, when school resumes after Spring Break. There have been pauses in construction throughout that time.

The building was originally put up a few years ago, when the mission was contemplating adding a lycée to the school. However, as they considered the complications of running a high school--different teachers for each subject was one of them--that idea was abandoned, although the building remained.

To convert it into a kindergarten space demanded finishing up the shell, of course, but also adding a bathroom. The school has several spaces for elimination of bodily waste, but the kindergartners have a real bathroom with running water, flush toilets, and even a shower! 

It will be quite interesting to see how they adjust to that after using the great outdoors for the last few months.

Another interesting adjustment will be to the size of the room. As I understand it, which, admittedly, could be poorly, the little chairs and tables that they have been using will be moved to the new room. However, the set-up may be different. In the church, we have had a big empty space--the pulpit and praise band area are off limits, and there are stacks of chairs along the side walls, but that is all. The chairs could be arranged in a semi-circle, in rows, etc. When the floor got messy during snack time, everybody would be moved to a different area of the room so that we could sweep up the mess. During play time (and even not during playtime), the children had space to run up and down and back and forth. The new room will be much smaller.  

The church as classroom. As you can see, the chairs are spread out and there is still a lot of space in the room.

     

New classroom--one of two. It is much less spacious. Dela has suggested that the second classroom (pictured below) might also be used, perhaps as a playroom if it is raining out.

Yesterday morning, Tata recruited some of the older elementary school girls to help her with the cleaning. Three or four of them each claimed a room and they began to sweep and then to wash the floors. Tata will sweep again on the 19th before welcoming the children to their new classroom.

Stay tuned for a report on the first day in the new area!

Rain--I don't mind?

 

The moto taxi stand outside of Hammer's house, taken this morning at 7:30. Never have I ever seen it totally abandoned during the day. The taxi drivers obviously know much more than I do about the way the rhythm of life changes due to the rain.

This morning, the last school day before Spring Break, was supposed to be a fun one. School was in session, but, of course, Fridays are half days. Moreover, all of the students have recently taken their regional exams--Tuesday through Friday of last week for the Middle School; Thursday of last week through Wednesday of this week for the Elementary School--so they are ready for a break from study. Yesterday there were soccer matches all morning, and that program was going to be repeated today. With a slight difference: the teachers would play against students. There would be music; the results of the exams would be announced; and then all would be dismissed for the break.

One of the teachers asked me if I was going to play in the soccer match. Obviously he doesn't know my history as the most unathletic person on earth. I promised to be a strong supporter. Since the teachers told the children to arrive at school at 6:20 a.m. so the game could start at 6:30 (although Tata told me later that she planned to arrive at 6:45), I made sure to go to bed early and reminded myself before I fell asleep that I could not dawdle in the morning.

Not long after I woke up this morning at 5:30, it started to rain. For about fifteen minutes I moved at a snail's pace, figuring that they surely would not play soccer in the rain. But then I thought of everyone arriving early at school and forced myself to move faster. Still, I only managed to be a half-hour earlier than usual, arriving at Hammer's at 6:30. The boys had not left for school yet. Sena told me they would be leaving at 7:30. 

At 7:30, we headed out, Sena, Emma, and I. It was still raining, but it had settled into a nice, steady rainfall rather than the downpour it had been. The road to the school had puddles, some of them large, but there was solid ground showing all the way. I didn't have to ford a stream, as I had had to do Wednesday. We arrived at school to discover that no one was there. Not a single person. The boys told me that we should wait "un peu." I agreed to that, specifying that "un peu" for me was about 5 minutes. We were, after all, more than an hour later than we had planned.

After the five minutes had expired, we began the return trip toward the house. Emma wanted to stop and by bread on the way, which we did. That gave us time to encounter two small groups of children who were making their way to the school. I told the boys that I was not turning around, so we continued home. They told me that people would go to school at 9. I promised to consider that, but when I got back to my house, I went ahead and brought the car inside the compound.

Sure enough, the rain started really slowing down within the next fifteen minutes. By 9:00 it seemed to have stopped, but I decided to wait a bit to be sure. I could hear more activity in the street--the neighbors talking, people passing by, which seemed to indicate that they thought the day could now begin. I continued to wait, putting off the moment when I would have to get up and deal with the gates. If you've read the post, "Leaving My Compound," you know how I don't like opening and closing them when people are around.

I ended up not going to school, but I heard from Dela that the boys had returned and that the match was probably going on around 10. I sure hope the faculty wins, because I will feel as if it is all my fault if they don't.