Grottyville

Hello Friends,

There is a certain threshold of personal crud and body odour beyond which one requires professional help before rejoining polite company. This is why I intend to visit a hamam during my sejour in Paris. At said hamam, I will be taken under the charge of a large middle eastern woman, who will strip me naked and then exfoliate my entire body for a generous period of time. The vigourness of her work will be considered a voluntary physical assult by most, masochism by others. I suppose those two are one and the same.

I simply cannot wait!

loving you all, and Benin too,

Tabby

Africa Shmafrica

Allo les amis,

many apologies for the drought on this blog lately. if you could understand the degree of frustation associated with using the internet here, you would accord my some degree of leeway. it's too bad actually, because i have many interesting tales to recount that i suspect might be lost forever.

we have left the dirty and polluted city of Contonu where the hosptial was something out of a horror show. now, since tuesday, we have been in Abomey, which is a smaller, much more resonable place. the kind of place i used to think of when i imagined africa.

benin is a beautiful country. the people, despite being some of the poorest in the world, have a richness of spirit which is difficult to describe. there is unbelievqble poverty here, and we come face to face with daily ethical and moral dilemas that would make your heart sink in an instant. wearing a labcoat here, has given us great priviledge and also a very candid look at the reality of life for many Beninois. I will recount some experiences that have particulrly touched me at a later time. Currently, I am running out of minutes and the smell of body odour in this small room is almost overwhelming. Sadly, i think it may be coming from me. i have been washing out of a bucket for a week now, with only moderate success.

tomorrow we head offto the north of benin near the border with Togo to join a canadian medical lission which is currently up there. 3 of us will be there for about a week. i will send word next friday when we get back to Cotonu.

i hope everything is going well on the home front. i miss you all;

love Tabby

Tabby in Africa - frenetic and disjointed

hey gang,

this post will be very brief, and not punctuated for 2 reasons:
1: the internet here is only marginally faster than snail mail and my time is running out.
2: the keyboard is a complete gong show in every way. perhaps pesto could shed some light on this?

i just wanted to let you know that i have arrived in benin safe and sound. no malaria or tropical disease yet, as near as i can gather.

there have been a lot of ups and downs in the short time we ve been here. most of the ups take place out and about. most of the dows are at the hosptial. many of the things i have seen have been extremely discouraging and shocking.

on the other hand, this place is fascinating, and the people are beautiful, especially the children.

we white folks are called Yovo. it is extremely polluted here...

sorry but i have to go now as i am out of time. this is disjointed and brief i know. i will try for a better post soon; but lets face it; trying to use the internet here is going to drive me totally insane.

i love you all and miss you perhaps i aill journal and recount the tales when i get home?

xo tabby