Yovo! Yovo! Bonsoir!

In America, we have become accustomed to mandatory political correctness. Oddly enough, one of the current presidential candidates symbolizes the rejection of this social mandate. I would like to believe that most humans, no matter where they are in the world understand deep within themselves that categorical, malicious discrimination has never solved any problem ever.

That being said, I would like to share with you all a phenomenon that exists here in Benin, that virtually every white American would experience if they happened to visit this lovely country.

Yovo;

Yovo;

Bonsoir!

Ça va bien;

Merci!

This is a song that little children will sing as you go past. It might start with one child and spread to several more. Occasionally, it might become a small heard that follows you for a half kilometer. Honestly, I doubt they know where the song came from or how it might appear to us as Americans. Here is the translation:

White (Fon language);

White;

Good evening (French)!

I’m well;

Thank You!

Most people looking in would think of this as being unacceptable and malicious behavior. Here though, it is the norm. It is not malicious. It is simply a relic of an era long past. French missionaries used to come to Benin with presents for the children. From my understanding, after talking to several Beninese, this song was original meant as a welcoming song for the missionaries.

The children today mean no harm and are simply singing a song that every child has grown up with for decades. Salutations are also very important here which is an other reason why they are calling out to you. Often they have huge smiles while they sing and giggle and scamper off if you say much more than “Bonsoir” back to them.

Nevertheless, this song does bother some Peace Corps volunteers. Here are the two options I can offer to help combat this:

1. Introduce yourself. Give them a name to call you. Soon enough you will hear your name called back to you repeatedly when ever you go near that same group of children.
2. I saved my favorite for last: Respond in kind. Replace Yovo (White) with Méwi (Black). And sing it back

Méwi;

Méwi;

Bonsoir!

Ça va bien;

Merci!

The response will be a stupendous uproar of laughter from anyone within earshot, including the children. You will score loads of points with locals too for incorporating their language into your response. If you plan on staying here for a while, there will be plenty of time to explain the potential divisiveness of this behavior. In the mean time, integration is a stepping-stone to that conversation and this little song will definitely help in that regard.

 

 

 

 

 

Pâte et Sauces

The Beninese diet is built around two things: pâte and sauces.

Pâte is a simple staple consisting of a large quantity of corn flour mixed into hot water. The final product is a molten hot, gelatinous substance that is poured into a bowl. As it cools, it takes on the shape of the container and the outside becomes firm. This bowl shaped blob is turned over onto a plate and served with a sauce.

Sauces are extremely important to the Beninese diet and offer a variety of flavors and nutritional value to the otherwise unchanging pâte. So far I have had several sauces.

Sauce de legume seems to be a tomato and palm oil-based sauces with the leaves of an indigenous plant’s leaves mixed in. There is also dried fish mixed in sometimes. This sauce is good

Crincrin is a sauce made out of a plant of the same name. This sauce is notorious among Peace Corps Volunteers. Before trying it, I had only heard that it had the consistency of snot and to avoid it if at all possible. When my host family made if for me two nights ago I found that it was actually delicious. I would say the sauce has more in common with melted mozzarella cheese; that is, if melted mozzarella was green and plant-based with some stems in it.

Sauce de moringa is so far my favorite. Moringa is made from another local plant that is actually a super food. It contains a tremendous amount of protein and various B vitamins. The sauce also has spicy peppers and peanut oil in it to add more complexity.

How to eat . . .

You eat pâte and an accompanying sauce with the right hand only. You take a ball of pâte (being careful not to sear the skin off of your fingers on the lava interior) and put the ball in the sauce. Then you pick up the glob of sauce-dipped pâte and put it in your mouth. Then repeat. Proper technique involves using your four fingers held together like a shovel and rotating the wrist in oder to dump the delicious glob onto your tongue. You should not have to tip your head back.

For the record, hand washing is mandatory before and after eating.

Note:

Be aware that you will most likely be fed more than you can possibly eat. “Hoto gohoun” is how you say I am full in Fon, the local language. Bon appetit!