Let there be... WATER????

As you can guess, I've arrived in Benin. After the perilous two weeks in France... the real trip begins.
The flight took Yérima (the famous lil cousin) and I, 5 hours, during which I listened to Lauryn Hill and Billie Holiday, and watched Alice in Wonderland as well as HALF of the Princess and the Frog (Yérima and I, pinky swore to remind each other to watch the rest of the movie on our return flight ;)

At the airport (pretty precarious but beautifuly simple), people were fighting to 'help' us with our luggages. I later 'learned' that they weren't employed to 'help' passengers, (they weren't employed PERIOD). They were more like scavengers looking for fresh faces who didn't know the system. I was the PERFECT fesh face, my pro-black mentality ready to give them a chance. I paid a hefty price... literally off course. Funny thing is, this guy who 'helped' us asked the 'douanier' (look it up people) to not look through our luggages (thinking he was earning browny points with me) because we were with him. And the guard DIDN'T look, he let us go through!!! DUDE! I could have like tons of drugs or something more sinister (Britney Spears CDs!!!)
... I should have insisted that he did things proper, but I was tired and a bit annoyed at everybody shoving and pushing around us...
ANYWAY... My aunt ('Tadah Chris' as I have christened her, without her blessing... or her knowledge as a matter of fact) rescued us in the end.
We drove (or more like got DRIVEN) and arrived after 10 mins.

I still can't remember the driver's name (although I keep 'bumping' into him).

My dad was standing outside the gate of my Grandparent's house (or should I say mini mansion,
reminiscent of the African 50's?). I'll write up the emotional stuff in another blog entry. Back to reality...
Humid! My body is hot and sticky. There isn't much breeze, and all I'm breathing in, is water anyway. The air is 60-Bloody-per cent WATER! (Excuse me, I'm French). I don't remember when was the last time I SWEATED this much...
This place is lovely but boy! No one said it would be this HUMID! The air is thick, like just before a monsoon ( I imagine) and there isn't much rain yet, it's gathering up in the clouds I think...
I'll get used to it, but never have I LOVED cold showers as much, NEVER.
Oh and my locks... oh my locks... I'll put up photos of the frizz ball :(

Lots of love from the Southern Hemisphere :D
Leine.

21st Of June _ Part 2

'Fête De La Musique:

Exhilarating. Music everywhere, each corner of Paris resonating with pulsating vibes, african drums or electric guitars, buskers, professionals in bars and accoustic amateurs. Friendly melodies or hard core sounds... I went to La Banane Ivoirienne. We sat and enjoyed a few "prestations" from a local but Ivorian-at-heart group.
Drums and Maracass "de fortune" (Improvised instuments, west african style, wooden with a net and some "cauris").
The stage covered with Akan cloth a backdrop with similar decorations.

The musicians varied in sizes, heights, hairstyles skin tones... They 'ambianced' the little place. I felt nostagic, hearing these guys play live BaBi music and was in awe at the composition of the crowds: Black (African-Caribbean) White and North Africans.
I must admit that (at the risk of sounding like an ignorant somebody) I half expected to find any person who was not from subsaharian Africa, dressed in'Vlisco' shirts, baggy trousers, ethnic jewellry dread locks etc... you know the stereotypes lol, but NO, they were your regular average people, who just came out to play.

It was beautiful, filled me with joy, especcially when I got on stage (with Oscar Wilde's Sybyl Vane) and danced...

21st of June_ Part 1

The name's Kao, Chabi-Kao...

Embassy trip (finally).
I forget the 'letter of invitation', home. Well no, I didn't forget, I just didn't have one you see... and I was told it didn't REALLY matter.
But it did, as anything I DON'T have these days...
So in the queue for two hours ( after two 'gentlemen' casually pushed in front of me), I finally got seen, only to be told that I actually CAN'T be seen.
But thank God ( or the african mentality) that my aunt was in the car waiting for me. I must explain...
My grandfather was the first Minister of Finance (in Benin). His cousin was also the first Prime Minister (tautology NOT intended).
My grandpa is also the man who found and set up the Benin embassy in France, so he is known. He's name is Chabi-Kao Pascal. My aunt, who married into the familly, has the same first name (Pascale, with an E because she's a woman) and since she's married, the same last name too. SO... she used her supposed influence to help me out, she said she was his daughter (Mr Chabi-Kao's) and I should not bebothered... and I wasn't.
Surprisingly, at first, I was glad I got to use my 'relation'. Only afterwards did it feel a little like corruption, getting to NOT do what is proper because of my familly's affluence.
Wasn't I perpetuating the ''not-so-mythical-now-huh-leine?'' myth that you have to KNOW somebody to get anywhere? Not proud of me... But at least now I know what it feels like, and I am less inclined to judge... I hope.

Excusez-moi, s'il vous plait...

Still stuck in the land of frogs...

The last few days have been filled with discovery, frustration, results and experiments ... and in that order!

So!... ASH ESS BAY SAY (HSBC), doesn't deal with bank accounts from Britain. I should have known!

I had an extra £100, sitting in my account, just waiting. It hurt because I was broke and just on the other side of the Channel.

I decided to send the money to my mother's account (online banking, a BRILLIANT invention!) and go to the closest Western Union branch (which wasn't close at all!) and erm... wait, till mum was able to send it back again. All that before I went back to the embassy to apply for my visa (which closes at 1:30pm for some reason). I left the house at 9am, and only managed to get the money by 12:00pm. Left in a hurry, thanking God that the tube here takes only a minute between each stations. I was at the station "Porte de Montreuil" and had to find a way to get to St Sulpice (actually getting off at St Placide would have made life easier, but trial and error was the order of the day). The french underground system (try to find the afore mentioned stations on the map) is the same as the London one, you just have to know where you're going and use your brain to make the connections.

But I DID get lost trying to find the Benin embassy!

Walked for a few hours, asked for directions, got blanked a few times (LITERALLY). Finally got there... at 2:45pm. !§%$£!

I got the vaccin done, (at the famous "Institut Pasteur") at least. Cost me 36 euros to get immunised against Yellow Fever, I couldn't afford the others (rabbies, hepatitis A+B).

I had to wait roughly 4 hours, first, in a room full of screaming babies, running children, grumpy old men, sweaty middle aged hairy women and spotty/chatty teenagers, armed with nothing but an iPod and a charming poem( sent in the morning by a lovely "friend") to defend myself against "l'ennui".

Not bad ey?

So... Monday it is for that darned visa then. The man ASSURED me they only take 48 hours.

Oh and I almost forgot to add, I did it! Yes, after years and years of putting it off, years of keeping myself pure and free from any erm "culinary" absurdity, after being tempted on more than one occasion, I FINALLY gave in: I have tried "escargots".

Delayed...

Ahhhh...

I like the french underground
It doesn't stay UNDERGROUND, it comes up quite often, and Paris is a very beautiful sunny city, sight for sore eyes :)

Apart from that, and the food, my stay here is getting rather annoying to say the least.
I left my bank card home. So off I'll go, today, to ASH ESS BAY SAY (HSBC) with my passport, HOPING they'll be merciful and "sympa".
I STILL haven't applied for my visa, because I need to PROVE that I'm going on "holiday" to my father's country (honestly, you'd think it was the most renowned touristic destination in the world, they should be HAPPY I even WANT to set foot there) so tomorow off I go with Plane Ticket, an email from my aunt saying she's INVITED me and a letter from my Grandpa to prove that I will sleep in his house (like I can afford a suitable hotel anyway), and 40 euros... That I need to get from the bank.
Pffff... (for lack of a better expression, and not being allowed to swear!!!!!!)

Oh and the BEST part yet??? I'm not leaving until the 25th of JUNE, because I'm due to leave with a little cousin of mine (that I do love but... anyway). I could have been at Kobe's and David's birthday celabrations mehn! (18 et 23 "Juin").

So yea...I'm stuck in "PAHRIE" for another week and a bit, doing NOTHING but eat cheese and watch "Le Journal". GRRRRRRRRR!!!

Love you all,
Leine.

From France

Dear all,

I've arrived in France, safe and sound. This world hasn't changed much since the last time I was here: people still speak with the same intonations and accents, in the streets, they still haven't learned the etiquette of the British: queuing and saying "excusez moi", please or "merci" etc... (I have gotten used to this you see). However, people DO greet you good morning or good evening when they see you.
Strange.
I've not done much except look for a place to retwist my locks (as expected very few salons do it and those who do, charge exhorbitant prices; 40 Euros in my case) but I'll do it myself, thank you.
I'm anticipating the REAL trip, I know I won't be able to write online as much but I'm determined to capture and record my experinces the best way I can.
I am yet to buy everybody presents and get my visa (get a move on Leine!)but I've decided on barbies and school stuff for my sisters, perfum for the grown-ups and teddies for the babies. That ought to do it.

Ok... I just wanted to give some real news and set up the new travel blog.
I hope I have not BORED you to death, as this entry does seem pointless even to myself.
Missing you all (some more than others:)

Love,
Leine.