Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone in the world! I hope all is going well with everyone!

I wanted to tell you about New Years here in Togo.  Everyone celebrates New Years a lot, and in a very similar way that we do in the states.  New Years Day everyone runs compound to compound saying 'Bonne Année  In my village, the big party was actually the second of January, and the whole village came together to dance 'Camo' which is dancing around a circle to the rhythm of two drums.  Everyone has castenetes that they dance with and play, and people grab bunches of leaves to dance around with.  Every so often someone yells something, like Bonne année! and everyone responds in turn.  Additionally, candy is everywhere and people come running up to you and put candy, wrapper and all in your mouth, saying Bonne Année!  It was very fun.  Later that night, there was a dance contest and one of my friends and a fourth grader who lives in my compound were finalists!  It lasted about 3 hours, so the next day, everyone was very tired and just rested.  We also ate a lot of great food.  We had fresh fish, pork, rice, tomato sauce and salad.  Of course, there was a lot of local bee, tchuck, which is made from millet.  You drink as it's fermenting, so it actually reminds me a little of kombucha, for those of you who have drank or made that before.

Now everyone is back to work, and students are back to school.  I am still getting settled into my house, and have been working on cleaning and organizing.  I had to get a lock fixied on my door and tomorrow, am getting two moldy ceiling panels replaced with new ones.  Daily chores (laundry, drawing water, burning trash, washing dishes) hanging out with my host family and speaking English in English Club with a group of high school students are the things I usually do weekly.  I am still searching for a dog, but in the mean time can play with the adorable puppy my family got for Christmas!  Until next time, have a good day!