Af-riikka

The things I will definitely miss from Benin: • Many people. Once again, it is people who make the whole thing worth something. • The sea. It is nowhere near like the sea in Finland…here I have no hard time believing that there are gods in the sea, whereas in Helsinki I just mostly think of…seagulls. (Damn Seagulls!) • Dance classes. They really are great, and I regret having such a long pause in my classes! • Walking the main street of Grand-Popo towards Villa Karo at 7.30 am. Stopping for a porridge and passing by many familiar faces, and quite a few school children. • Animals running around (although hygiene-concerned might not appreciate cats, dogs and chicken running around in a restaurant) • Fresh fruits: have I ever tasted sweeter mangoes or pineapples? What will I not miss from Benin: • As Minna put it: in Africa, we wait a lot. It is nice to be able to rely on timetables again (although it is often me who is late…) • Very hot and humid days – it just isn’t comfortable. • Push

What a bizarre country Benin is ! This is what happened last Saturday, when I was with Minna in Porto Novo: First warning. We were eating in a restaurant called Java Promo, where the waitresses were teasing and touching us as usual (women have the right to do that, unlike men). We were having a few glasses of wine with our French fries dinner, and feeling jolly and gay. It was already past 9pm, when one of the sweet waitresses approached us and asked whether we’re going to stay long. She continued that she doesn’t want to force us to go home, but that “tonight is not a good night to go out”, and that everyone should go to their homes around 11pm at latest. It was the night of ghosts (revenants), and it was especially dangerous for women – even more for foreigners – to stay outside. She warned that we might get beaten up if we stay outside and the ghosts see us… Second warning. We had another drink at our hotel “La Détente” before heading towards the night club “Feelings”. The staff of