Monday, May 4, 2009

so close to the end

Eric and I are sitting in the PC bureau in Cotonou after 4 days of hanging out in Ouidah for a close-of-service conference. 4 days of talking about 'life after Peace Corps'. It felt really strange to realize just how close we are to finishing here. Our official close-of-service date is August 3. So we'll be out of here, going through Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal before making our way to the states in late August. I have really mixed feelings about leaving... I am really ready to be done with my service, I can't lie about that. Yet I know that when I get home there will be a part of me that misses what I've left behind. But yes the desire to leave definitely trumps any sadness I will feel about leaving.
In part I'm ready to be leaving because a lot of things have happened in the past few weeks that have been really trying on us. For one thing, we've now had two snakes in our backyard, one in the shower! I made the neighbors kill it because it was really scary looking (see picture below). And the very same minute that I was showing Eric the snake I had just found in the shower, a rock whizzed about an inch from my head, presumably thrown by someone trying to hit a mango down from the tree. So two scary things in the same 5 minutes. My patience is just running out for these kind of things...
I'm working on a list of: things we will miss from Benin, things I will not miss, and what we will never take for granted again in the US. I will get back to you on that... it might be interesting.
But for now, enjoy some pictures I've taken since the last entry!

Here's the snake that was in the shower (I know it's small, but it was really frightening because most snakes here are really poisonous)


This is one of my favorite pictures ever- the two babies of our concession, making mischief with the palm nuts


The other snake we found (also small but scary)



Me with one of the babies of the concession

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those snakes make the frogs in the showers at Crescent Lake seem pretty tame. Remember how much they scared you!

Take care and we will all see you both before we know it.
Love,
Denise

Anonymous said...

DEAR SHEENA AND ERIC;
LOVE YOUR BLOGG. THANKS FOR GIVING OF YOURSELVES TO OTHERS.
WILL EAGERLY READ THE POSTINGS OF THINGS YOU WILL NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED: OURS IS IN PART:
FREEDOM OF SPECH AND TRAVEL: ELECTRICITY, AVAILABLE, POTABLE WATER, AND OUR OWN CAR.
SAFETY IN GENERAL.
PRAYING YOU A SAFE RETURN . THANKS AGAIN,
UNCLE TOM AND AUNT LINDA

Anonymous said...

we hated leaving the people. People is what it is all about.
Questions are: how many did we influence for good...their good?
We return to much prosperity. How did we leave them? Will they be safe and comfortable? age old questions...but glad we learned from the dear people.
rejoice in this unique experience few have. Love, Uncle Tom and Aunt Linda

Susan Alberts said...

Those snakes do look scary. The mottled one looks like maybe a puff adder (did it have a wide head and a dramatically tapered tail?). None of those in Portland.

Things I never take for granted anymore here in the US: Civic infrastructure (roads, water, electricity, parks), the wealth that most people have, and the fact that people have access to as much information as they want.

Love, Aunt Susan

Susan Alberts said...

PS -- I love your blog.
Susan