Belated update

Hey everyone. The Alibori has been with out internet (24h/24h) since May 21st...lame. I just got my invite to go to the State Dept oral assessment...but I have to wait until the end of the month to schedule the interview date (when/where). If i don't have to do it in D.C., that would be great. I will have to get some clothes tho...basically 2 years in the African bush mandates that you get an entirely new wardrobe:) Getting excited to see everyone again, and finishing up my service strong!

COS date decided

Finally know my COS date. I am heading out of here on Sept 16th. COS conference was nice. Got the chance to speak with a couple embassy people who helped to flesh out the selection process. Heading back up north tomorrow, so no more warm showers. Rainy season came early this year and is full swing up north. Decided to let PC buy my ticket home instead of getting cash-in-lieu...hopefully did not miss an opportunity to get some extra cash.

Wow, I have been here sooo long

So the last month I have been very preoccupied with the fact that I have been here a very long time. Been looking at alternative sites for the workstation incase we need to move. A large storm blew of a contactor in the electrical closet yesterday that I had replaced 12 hours earlier! Other than that I have been taking it easy this month ahead of COS conference (when we decide your COS date).

Update

I have been pretty busy since my last post. I went back up to post and fixed the workstation computer again. I then started the process to relocate (we might have to move the workstation because the landlord wants to double the rent and his asking price is unreasonable)...this means I talked to everyone I could think of to find out if there were available properties of the size I would be looking for. There are no real estate agents in the Alibori. I talked to NGO directors, school professors, mayor's office officials, my guards, the nuns at the local catholic mission, the post office guys....you get the idea. I finally tracked a couple leads on 4 houses from the guy at UNDP's environmental volunteerism project and the guard at the bus station. The friend of the bus station guard actually looks like my best bet and I will start to see sites on Monday. My last post mentioned I was heading up...I spent 3 days at post, paid guards and started the house hunt...then I went back down to Cotonou for a national VAC meeting...am currently en route to head back up to post and get an eye on these possible workstation sites and get specs/prices. I am half and half on moving workstation sites. On one hand it would be a cool thing to write on a resume that I saved PC 25% on rent costs by finding a new site and relocating....but the move would come at the very tail end of my service....I really did not want to be THAT busy at the end. Weather has been really strange the last few weeks. It actually rained in the Alibori! It was 74 degrees the morning I left (Monday the 26th)! For chaleur weather that is insane, but I really hope it continues. I read some of the reports of the oil spill in the Gulf...I hope that stuff stays away from our pristine white-sand beaches! Grandma, tell Obama this is why FLA is against off-shore drilling!

Going back up

So I got the green light to head back up to post, which is exciting. I will be coming back down at the end of the month to participate in the national VAC. I log a LOT of hours on those buses. Speaking of which, I heard of another Intercity bus catching fire and burning up near where my accident happened...looking forward to that cursed S-curve. Helped interview the next generation of PCVLs yesterday so I know who is replacing me, the other UF grad here in Benin (congrats to Jeff).

Flights

So apparently there is a large volcano in Iceland or somewhere that is closing out all the airports in Europe. We PCVs in Benin would normally pay no attention to this except that Paris is our one gateway out of here, back to America. There are a lot of people in the Office right now (I am still here and will prob be here for a couple days) that are coming to/from America for differing reasons. My wrist was examined and the docs put me on a large dosage of anti-inflammatory drugs. They said nothing was structurally wrong but they sent the CT scan to Washington to have it double checked. I asked for a copy (I have a copy of my MRI done to my knee) but the doc got very defensive and would not let me have one. I think he believed I was asking because I wanted a second opinion and did not trust his assessment. In reality I just thought it would be cool to have a copy of the scan. As I stated earlier, I have been in Cotonou all month...I need to get back and do work (the workstation seems to be falling apart, according to the phone calls I have been receiving). A number of other PCVs were sent to S. Africa for medical reasons. Their descriptions make it sound like a nice place.

Still in the south

I am still in Cotonou until the docs can give me the results of the CT scan. We are just waiting on the local hospital to send the results over to PC and then another doc will look me over. I finished the Personal Narratives for the State Dept and I should find out by June if they want me to come for the 2nd round of interviews.