Procrastination

So, more than a month has passed since I first set my feet on Beninese soil and despite intentions to the contrary I have still not given an update to the few people who would happen to pass by this blog. Not that my lack of blogging has been caused by a lack of interesting things happening around me, rather, my lack of blogging is probably a product of an overly eventful start on this African venture. And to answer the question of why I chose to write something in this instant; well, primarily because I should be writing a much dreaded psychology assignment this evening which is due tomorrow and unsurprisingly I am instead unconsciously exporing the very interesting psychological topic of procrastination.

Milestones - I have:
*Travelled by car to Niamey and Maradi in Niger and returning to Cotonou in 4 days.
*Avoided malaria despite getting so many mosquito bites that Í for a moment considered a blood transfusion (I optimistically believed in the urban legend saying that after 200 mosquito bites you would be immune to the itching poison...trust me, it's wrong)
*Travelled into Lagos (Nigeria) with an armed guard
*Been eating fresh mangos and pineapples every day*Eaten so many big prawns that my reaction towards them start resembling a peanut allergican's appreciation for Snickers
*Lived (and still do) in a flat with bars for the windows and people literally living in the street in front of it.
*Seen old men tell stories at night time over dim lights to the inhabitants of Niger dessert villages consisting of huge clay jars with stray roofs on top.
*Been conceptualising my first piece of individualised furniture in collaboration with Kari (a picture will follow when we receive it in half a year's time)
*Been to bars where the girls were even more eager to get 'business' than the local street vendours of Cotonou.
*Learned that malarone does not mix particularly well with excessive amounts of alcohol (or perhaps excessive amounts of alcohol don't mix well with excessive amounts of alcohol?).

Observations:
*Beninese people are extremely friendly and happy
*Beninese and Nigerien culture is exceptionally rich in arts and crafts
*Common perception of Africa, at least in Denmark, is shamelessly flawed
*One of the overlooked sins the colonial powers did to Africa was to introduce the concept of paperwork and bureaucracy
*Christians and moslems can actually embrace voodoo and still live a happy life
*I don't 'bless the rains down in Africa' when I have to walk on cinder blocks to leave my flat in the morning, and my driver's house is under water.
*I would estimate that I have seen more smiling faces during one month in west Africa than one year in Denmark.
*You get better at catching mosquitos with time, however, never an expert
*Drinking a tonic water on a regular basis without gin makes you sick, and drinking it with gin makes you alcoholic.
*Never travel alone, it's only half the fun

Benin has taught me a lot about Africa, myself and what I hold dear in this world. It's a place where it's easy to lose sight of what you once held as reality and right and wrong. However, the longer I've been here I find that it is also a place where illusions are broken and dreams are created. When finding a richness of spirit and art and a contagious joy of life where you were expecting despair disease and poverty, it is hard not to be very hopeful for the future of humanity.

With these words I will return to more productive undertakings. Next blog will contain pictures.