Expectations

Oops. Long time no post, as someone kindly pointed out to me today. In light of this, today's post is all about expectations--because after a few messages and conversations recently, I have lots of them. Good and bad.

But first...I added new music! ---->
You like? My personal favorite is the remix with "Stand By Me" and Jay-Z/Lil Wayne. Fantastic.

Anyway...expectations. Yeah. So there's this other Yalie working for the same NGO in Togo that I will be working for in July in August, but she's there now.  I Facebook-messaged her, asking if she had any stories or whatever.

Check out this excerpt of her message (oh, and to be clear, JVE is the NGO we're working for, Jeunes Volontaires pour l'Environnement):

I have been to third world countries before, but this is still different from what I expected. The first few days are hard (ie, it is ridiculously hot, my room has bad cockroach issues, “la douche” here roughly translates to a somewhat dirty bucket of water in an outdoor stall, I haven’t encountered a single flushing toilet, etc) and although I’m somewhat accustomed to it now, each day is a challenge.  

I also recommend bringing a lot of hand sanitizer. It’s really hard to wash your hands here, and a lot of the things you eat here you’re supposed to eat with your hands (….that is also an interesting adjustment….).

That being said, this has been one of the most meaningful experiences I’ve ever had. I spend most of my time in Lome although I’ve gotten to visit some of the rural villages and see the projects they’re working on and learn more about the organization.

I was pretty skeptical about NGOs like this before coming. And now that I’m here I’m probably more skeptical of most NGO’s; a lot of them do steal money and things like that. But what JVE has accomplished with the limited resources it has is significant. It has really made me think about the aid process to Togo, as well as for Africa in general, in a much different way. Everyone at the office is really nice and so is my host family….they place a huge emphasis on hospitality. Aside from JVE just having to live here is really humbling and makes you appreciate what you have a lot more.  

So, it's a meaningful experience, I really like the people I’m working with, and it was really good that I came here. But I wouldn’t say life here is a breeze---it’s definitely a big adjustment, but nothing you won’t be able to handle.

Woah buddy. First, I really appreciated the honesty of her response.  For brevity's sake, I actually omitted a large part what she wrote to me, but her original message was even more frank and insightful. I guess what happened for me was that after a while, the reality of "going to Africa" got lost in the novelty of the whole thing and it become kind of a cutesy and fashionable thing to talk about.  Like, oh hey I'm going to Africa, nbd. What are you doing this summer?

But her message brought everything back home and made me realize, hey Nico, you're actually going to one of the poorest countries in the world.  I mean, like a lot of other people, I've been to developing countries and have even had to take showers with buckets before and stuff, but those experiences have been for very brief times and were more like week-long adventures that were fun to talk about afterwards.  They weren't really "lifestyles" in the sense that I had to spend an extended period of time in those conditions. I guess the two months I'm spending in Togo don't really constitute an extended period of time. But still. Woah...so intense. Obviously I'm still extremely excited about the experience, but that excitement has kind of been tempered by...the reality of the whole thing, I guess. (Edit: In re-reading this post, I feel like I sound like a complete tool that's going to Africa just to go to Africa and just to say I did it.  But that's soo not the case.  And I definitely don't want to make it seem like I'm marginalize the plight of those who actually have to live in those conditions their entire lives.  Those are just my super honest musings and I think you know what I mean, in any case.)

K. Moving on. More expectations. After my post below about where I would be living, my friend Jess told me that I'm living super close to where she lived last summer!! She gave me all the sweet recommendations including: 

• (you knew it wouldn't be long till the bullet points made their triumphant return)
• an excellent crêpe place
• sweet bars in the area
• various pastry suggestions
• tourist-y landmarks (Saint Coeur church, etc)
• and ... my favorite ....
• Pigalle, which I guess is Paris' red-light district.  ha...sweeeet.

Even though I'm leaving for Paris in a week, it totally hasn't sunk in yet. But duuude this is so awesome.  Also, it's interesting because everything I've been told about Paris recently paints it as an incredible and very relaxed place to be in (lounging in the Luxembourg Gardens while reading French philosophy? Casually sipping cocktails at Paris' best bars? yess c'est la vie.) but then the message I got from the Yalie in Togo just reinforces all the images about Africa that I had kind of harbored (maybe not seriously) before. 

This summer will be such an experience. Probably more than I know yet.