Moment of the Week

With secondary school exams going on right beside the music room we have turned the shoe room and area around the music room entrance into a 'whisper area' to cut down on excess noise. This  has worked out quite well but I need to remind students of the change on a regular basis. At the end of a class I give out a merit sticker in the whisper area to the person who has done an outstanding job during our music session.

Today one of my kindergarteners (who has spent a fair share of time on the red time out chair this year) received a merit sticker for excellent behavior. He was so ecstatic he did a cute little happy dance and then whispered my name quite loudly. To hear him I moved closer and he gave me a big kiss on the cheek and skipped out the door loudly yelling 'I got a merit sticker and I kissed Ms.K. Today is the happiest day of my life!'

It's moments like this that brighten a dreary and cloudy day. 

Culture shock #3

You have a what?

House help. Yes, that is right. We have someone clean, do dishes and laundry.

For us this took some getting used to, but it all goes back to the idea that those with wealth share it.

And while we don't have the money that the "Yovo, Cadeau" guys think we do, we can afford to hire someone to help with the house work.

This is the cultural way to spread wealth: our house help is then able to buy a motorcycle, giving the motorcycle dealer business. She then buys gas, giving the artesianal (re:illegal) fuel sellers some income. She can afford to buy more veggies from the market, support her family, etc.

Those with larger appetites hire cooks, those with children hire nannies.

The wealth spreads. Those who hoard wealth are seen as selfish and ungrateful to the local community.


I'm going back in the village...

One thing we have found that fundamentally shapes the way foreigners are viewed is the idea of the village.

Say a Togolese businessman loses their job, runs out of savings and food. 'Oh, I have to go back to the village,' he will lament.

Losing your job and running out of everything is not the end of the rope as there is always your traditional family home/land in the village. Sure, the once-proud businessman will have to bury his pride with the seeds he'll need to plant, but he still has a tribal network that will take care of him.

I've met quite a few Togolese who draw a similar conclusion about all foreigners. They show up for a few years, then leave. Where do they go? The logical answer must be: their village in America, with homes bigger than the ones we see in those Hollywood films.

This will often lead to the conversation of, 'when you go back to your country, can you take me with you?'

Now, while some expats do have homes, cars and businesses in America, I'm often left explaining that no, we do not have a home or car or village in Canada. So no, we can't take you back to our country because there is nothing there for us and 'our country' is now Togo.


Artesianal fuel & drug

Markets are informal, and that goes beyond the fruit and veggie sector.

Forex's are non-existant in Togo, money is changed at the border by scary looking guys holding thousands of dollars of cash in US, Euro's, Ghanaian Cedis and CFA. The only thing making them less intimidating is the fact that they're also wielding big nerdy 1980's style calculators.

Clothing is also sold roadside, and if you find something you like, just strip on down and try it on! It's a bit unnerving for those of us who are used to carefully guarded change rooms, but no one else blinks twice.

Given the proximity to Nigeria, which subsidizes it's fuel (unlike Togo), an abundance of smuggled fuel is available at discount rates on the roadside.

Unfortunately it is often dirty or watered down, so not necessarily the best to use.

But the trade does drive a large part of the informal economy. From the smugglers who bring it in (usually by boat), to those who warehouse the fuel, the distributers, the street sellers, the tens of thousands who rely on the product as they can't afford to buy from the pumps, etc.

It's a big business.

While we haven't looked into it too much, the street-side sale of expired pharmaceuticals appears to have a large following as well.

Culture shock #2

A voodoo caretaker in a typical local neighbourhood grotto in Benin.

Voodoo

Is your business not doing well? It's probably because of voodoo.

Is your business doing well? It's probably because of voodoo.

Is your child not feeling well? It's because someone in the village has done some voodoo to make them sick.

Are you failing a certain grade in school? It's voodoo that has made you stupid.

Basically anything bad happening is blamed on voodoo and likewise, good things happening may be voodoo as well. 

Unfortunately, this thought that others can control your destiny has created, in our opinion, a large societal problem.

When someone is doing well (financially or otherwise) someone will do voodoo in an attempt to rob them of their success or transfer it to themselves.

Finding dead chicken heads on your doorstep may just be creepy, but it often escalates to poisoning, arson or violence. Not so much voodoo, but plain old jealousy.

In our observations, this has led to a society that really doesn't -- and can't -- trust their neighbours, family or anyone. Everyone has an ulterior motive.


Yovo Yovo Cadeau!

Say you are walking down the street, minding your own business when an ordinary looking fellow walks up to you, thrusts his open hands into you your face. "Yovo, cadeau," he says.

He wants you to give him a present (re: cash.) This man is a total stranger, in no apparent financial distress, asking for a gift!?

It can be considered rude if you look horrified, say 'no' and keep walking. You have to say, 'maybe next time or some other time.'

Being a stranger and having a different skin tone means that you are obviously loaded and in a position of sharing your enormous vast, expansive, crazy, superfluitious wealth.

The mindset is that a Yovo walking down your street is basically the equivalent of Santa Claus coming to town.

This can get annoying, but at least here in Togo people don't get too upset if you don't give them their gift.

On the other hand, in Ghana we were stopped by police officers on many occasions demanding that we give them their money! Or, "give me my Christmas gift!" (Note the use of a possessive. Somehow their money has slipped into our pockets and we have stolen it!)

Your problem, which I created, will go away if...

Which takes us on to bribery, a common practice here though there are attempts to crack down on it.

Being asked for what we would call bribes by police, health officials or government bureaucrats is common. In many instances the locals see it as a tip for good service to be performed.

If you want your documents serviced promptly give a tip and the worker will do his work. If not, your documents end up being rejected on the spot. "Sorry, it's not possible. Though I can make it happen, ahem.."

A mini play at the school highlighted this fact. The setting took place at a border crossing where two border guards were screening a line of people.

The first person had crossed too many times that week therefore they needed to pay something. The second person had a suspicious look to them so they had to pay. The third group did not have the right colour sticker on their documents so they had to pay. The fourth person had to pay because they forgot their travelers immunization book at home and so they had to pay for every shot that they could have needed in order for the guards to let them through.

We laughed during this play but when you have to deal with it in real life all the time it's not always so funny. 

There are different types of bribery, some of which are more extortion than bribery. It can get very stressful very fast if a police officer looking for his gift decides to impound your vehicle when you don't comply with his request.

While the police looking for 'infractions' aren't really geared up like this, it does represent what it feels like for us.


In our experience, if you're pulled over by a police officer who does not have a ticket book and insists you've committed some sort of offence, get ready to negotiate.

Personally, we find bribery difficult because it undermines the way we think a country should operate. A token of appreciation should be given for good service, not in order for good service to occur.

And as for the extortionist police officers, a can of Fanta or a box of crisps with the line 'my officer, it is so hot out and you are working soooo hard, would you like something to drink and eat," works a lot better than cash. And saves us time, as negotiations can get lengthy.

"Sorry we're late, got stopped by the gendarmes," is a common line to hear in Togo, and definitely part of the culture we had to get used to -- fast.

Culture shock #1

Culture shock is a term people living or traveling abroad understand. There are different types of culture shock but for now I will outline the reason I have been feeling the shocks quite violently these days.

There are small daily differences you notice almost immediately once you get to Togo. These things may be quite small and insignificant and can provide interesting stories and amusement when swapped with friends. 

TSSSSSSSSSS! To get someone's attention you hiss at them. Full out spit flying, loud cat like hisses. Want the attention of the waiter in a retaurant? Waving your hands won't work neither will coughing a loud ahem but if you hiss they'll be there.

Want to get public transportation? Make sure you hiss loudly because flapping your arms (or politely raising your hand) won't get you anywhere.

If someone is trying to get your attention they may also make a smooching sounds. And no it is not just men doing this to women, men do this to men too.

For you, special price. Haggling is something that is expected. It is not rude. But people here jack up prices ridiculously high if you are white.

For example a few weekends ago D and I wanted to take a moto from one part of town to our home. The motorcyclist insisted the correct price to pay was 4000 for each of us (roughly $8 us dollars). Having made this journey many times, we know the trip should only cost 600 each at most ($1.20) but the price increased for us because we have white skin.

A street vendor at sunset in Grand Popo, Benin.


Optimistic price hikes are often directly related to the largest bill (10,000 cfa) in Togolese currency, which means that all yovo's (white people) must be able to pull them from our noses. How much is this shirt? 10,000 cfa. And a ride to the market down the street? 10,000 cfa. Riiiight. When the bartering starts there, it's usually not worth even trying to haggle. Just walk away and find someone who isn't shooting for the moon.

I can go to the main market and the common 'best price' I can get for 1 pineapple is probably around 1000 cfa. Our house help Rosalie can go and can get 1 pineapple, 5 medium oranges, 2 large onions, 6 medium tomatoes, 2 field cucumbers and 6 bananas all for roughly the same price.

Ne pas uriner ici! Then there's the bathroom thing. Public washrooms exist everywhere. What is classified as a public washroom? The ditch, a wall, the side of the road, a tree, a bush, a swamp, a mud puddle, a rock. You get the picture. So many people do their business in public.

Now I know sometimes when you gotta go you gotta go. But one expects that with kids but grown men and women are merrily participating. This is also one of the reasons you are warned to keep your shoes on at the beach. Surprise!

Visiting or Moving to Togo: Flights

Accra's Kokota International Airport on a hazy day.

A few things ground rules:
Finding a direct flight from Lomé that lands anywhere near your destination may be difficult.
On average, international flights in Lomé appear to be $500-600 USD more expensive than ones in Accra.

And as Accra is only 3ish hours away from Lomé by car, many expats living in Togo simply drive to Accra and enjoy a cornucopia of international flights. There's also shopping malls, movie theatres with current films and traffic laws that are obeyed! (A year-long multiple entry visa for Ghana costs $150 USD or so.)

Flights in Lomé and Accra are usually paid in cash if you are booking directly through the airline at their office. In fact, certain airlines may not allow you to book online if your IP address shows it is coming from West Africa. (Consider using a device to hide your IP address.)

We found great priced tickets with a certain Turkish airline, but were unable to book them online as our flight was departing from Africa. The website gave us an error message with a number to their call centre. We called, and while we were able to reserve the tickets, we were told that we had to make the payment at their office in Accra.

'OK, we're going to Ghana over the Christmas break, no problem. Where is their office?'

'It's in the Accra Airport.'

'And how can we pay?'

'We are proud to accept Visa, Mastercard and debit cards.'

'Are you sure, in our experience most places don't. We just want to make sure...'

'Absolutely, we proudly accept Visa, Mastercard and debit cards as means of payment.'

Well. We get to Accra (scroll down if you missed the tale of how we got into Ghana), drive to the airport and lo and behold, the airline office is no where to be found. They have a check-in gate, with a small sign stating that their office is adjacent to a hotel, somewhere else. Having never been to Accra and being map-less, this was not boding well.

We managed to find their office without much hassle.

'Your reservations are here,' the smiling lady behind the counter pronounces. 'That will be ¢2,576 per ticket.'

I hand her my Mastercard.

'Oh, I'm sorry, we don't accept Mastercard.'

I hand her my Visa card, which we planned only to use in emergencies.

'Oh, I'm sorry, we don't accept Visa. Cash -- Ghana Cedis -- only.'

'Excuse me, but just a few days ago, we called the Airline office and were clearly told several times that you accepted these as payment options. They didn't even mention cash.'

'There's a bank down the street, maybe you can get some Cedis there.'

In the sweltering heat, we trudged to the Barclays Bank. A smiling teller confidently pronounces that they are able to assist us, and taking out several thousand Cedis is not a problem. Then quietly, almost in passing the teller throws in that while possible, the transaction must take place at the main branch -- downtown. A vital tidbit of information, as it's late Friday afternoon and traffic in Accra is atrocious at best on any given day.

Rather than fight a losing battle, we continue with our vacation and return to the main branch of the bank early one morning the next week.

A surly middle-aged teller commands us to her wicket. I hand her the Mastercard and tell her how much we need withdrawn.

'Oh, we impose a limit of ¢1,500 per day. We can't give you that much money.'

'But, the teller at the other branch... uh,..' We were slightly flabbergasted.

I hand her the emergency Visa card as well. I figure that at least we would be able to purchase one ticket between the two cards. That's better than none, right?

She commands us to sit. The bank is air-conditioned and clean, so we don't mind the wait.

A few minutes later, we are beckoned.

'This one is blocked, and this one is giving an error message,' she says, thrusting the cards into our hands. 'You must call your bank.'

I reach for my phone, and start dialling the 1-800 number. This will be pretty expensive, I think to myself.

The phone starts ringing. A security guard grabs my arm.

'You can't use your phone in the bank.'

'But, the teller just told me to use my phone.'

'Out.' He's dragging us to the door.

'Isn't there an office, a quiet room we can use? It's loud out there, and I'd rather not be sharing my personal details with everyone on the street.'

He shakes his head.

We decide to stand next to two hired police officers guarding the ATM outside. At least we're sort of safe if our personal details are not.

I call the bank, and inquire about the Visa card. All of Accra decides to get louder. Cars start honking. A battered diesel dump truck decides to stop and rev his engine next to my ear. I can't hear the representative and she can't hear me. Finally I manage to answer some security questions, shouting out my birth date and digits of my SIN number to anyone who cares to listen. Oh, this card (which we've never used as it is an emergency card) had some problems while being activated.

'Great, let's activate it,' I say.

'Just a few more security questions. What is your mother's maiden name?'

This card is used by both of us, and we both had to fill out cardholder information. I ask her if she knows which one of us the question refers to. No idea, so I shout out my guess. She reads it back to me. Totally wrong. I shout it out again phonetically. This time we get the same letters.

'I'm sorry, that's the wrong answer, I can't help you any further.' Click.

I call Mastercard, and while waiting on hold, I start to wonder how much credit is left on my phone.

'Mastercard, how may I help you,' says the lady.

'You have one minute remaining,' says the phone.

I hang up. We buy some more credit, and try again.

'Is there a reason that the card has been frozen? '

'The reason the transaction was blocked, and your card frozen is because there was an attempted transaction from the Barclay's Bank in Ghana.'

'We notified you that we would be travelling in West Africa, is that note not on the file?'

'Oh yes, but this transaction took place in Ghana, not West Africa.'

My phone interrupts again.

We look at each other and decide that today is not our day. These plane tickets are not meant to be and so we leave Accra, spend the night at a beautiful mountain resort and head back to Togo.

Visiting or Moving to Togo: Money

So here's our thoughts on a few money related questions about traveling in West Africa, specifically Togo.



Visa or MasterCard - can you use them here?

A resounding 'NO.' In Togo, they are absolutely useless in daily life. I can count on one hand the number of businesses in Lomé that accept credit cards. I think a few banks state they accept Visa. Regardless, cash is the way to go.

As far as we can tell, Benin appears to be similar to Togo.

While Ghana seems to have a few more options available for tourists, the easiest method of payment is still cash. Places that say they do accept cards may not -- nonfunctioning machine, incompetent clerk (I almost paid $720 for a $72 tab) and perhaps they just lied to get you through the door. Banking institutions in Ghana are able to get cash off the card, but most impose a daily limit of ¢1,500 or so. If the machine is functioning and the transaction appears on the verge of being successful, odds are your credit card company will block/hold the transaction even if you've told them you're travelling in West Africa.

How much should I bring and in what currency?
It really depends on how long you're staying, what your accommodation is like and what you're buying.

A bed to sleep on at a very nice hotel may cost $200 or more (now this hotel may only have a three star rating but you will get hot water, air conditioning, clean sheets, wireless and good food in a marble crusted environment.) In smaller cities, I've stayed at perfectly comfortable local establishments (albeit not as posh and with a squeaky fan and no air conditioning -- probably 1/2 a star) for $5 a night.

In Togo, it is hard to find a proper Currency Exchange, but at the borders, you can change Euros, US, Cedis and CFA with ease with guys walking around with wads of bills. Do make sure you know what the going rate is before going and use a calculator to double check any calculations.

In Ghana, proper establishments exist and banks can change currencies as well.

Be aware that some people will not accept worn or damaged currency, as they believe it is 'broken' and worthless. Also, banks will often not accept US bills older than 2003.

What other money services are there?

Moneygram and Western Union are everywhere, and if you end up stranded without cash, these provide an easy way to get back on the road.

School days, School days...

I haven't updated about school for quite some time now. I figure with the big milestone coming up I should probably give an update about how things are going. SInce I am at day 87 of teaching* (see note below) I can say things are going pretty well. I am really busy but that is not always a bad thing.

Term one was chaotic. After arriving I had 5 days to tidy up the music room, make my year outline, rough sketch what I thought would be teaching the first two weeks and call a music teacher meeting with all the private music teachers working with the school. The first eight weeks flew by and are sort of a blur now. I know I learned a lot during that time. I revised some of my ideas on what it meant to be a music teacher to middle school students, I had to organize all the forms, time tables and teachers for after school music lessons, I began assembling a list and prioritizing what was needed in the music room to expand the instrument playing opportunities students had.



November brought on a whole new set of challenges as I tried to handle an impossible teaching load and organize a small part of international weekend and plan two large Christmas productions for the month of December. Extra rehearsals, new after school clubs, tension from the lower secondary students about the change in the way they would do music to prepare for the events, ordering equipment and improvising when it did not arrive. November and December had many many late nights. I didn't get home before 6:30 pm ever. Except once on a Tuesday afternoon when I went home sick (Lost my voice and had a bad headache) and the entire day I missed on the day that the primary Christmas Production was happening in the evening (I was out with Togo Belly). Both performances went well but I learned A LOT! From the necessity of dress rehearsals to the art of compromise to the importance of a good sound system. I crashed during December break exhausted.

Term two started in January. My teaching load had been reduced in order to facilitate growth in the music department. I now had time to do admin tasks like working with the local private music teachers, dealing with paperwork and organizing the music room so it looked much better and made more musical sense. I went home at 5:30pm most days in January. Forcing myself to leave even if I had not finished everything I set out to do. Every once in awhile there are still days where I have to stay late like this past week (until 7:30 Monday-Wednesday) but things are getting done.

The program still has a long way to go. As a teacher there are still things I need to learn, but overall it isn't bad. I enjoy the teaching part of the job. Sometimes if I walk through the playground I hear songs or rhymes that students learned in my class. During lunch and after school students are now coming into the music room to practice piano, recorder or xylophones. Some of them eagerly showing me what they have learned to play since last week. Right now recorder club is so popular I have to turn kids away because I don't have the time to add another recorder club. But kids are playing their recorders and taking their recorders with them everywhere. A few weeks ago I had a student (who is not taking private music lessons) create his own piece on the xylophone because we had been exploring improvisation using pentatonic scale pieces. Seeing how proud he was of his creation when he performed that song at one of the primary school assemblies made me proud as well.

But there are days when it is tough. Sometimes the lower secondary students push boundaries to the limit, refuse to participate or vandalize music department property. It is after those classes that I am reminded that this job has its downs as well as its ups. But I carry on knowing that 90% of the time being a music teacher rocks.


*How do I know the exact day? In the younger primary grades some teachers make a big deal of reaching day 100 of school because the significance of Day 100 can be tied in to the math curriculum through numbers or the concept of time learning outcomes. There are also quite a few children's books linked to the 100 days of school concept.

Visiting or Moving to Togo

The past few weeks we have been getting random emails from people asking about life here in Togo. After doing a quick google search we figured that maybe we should post some of the answers to common questions here so people contemplating moving or even visiting Togo will maybe be able to get a few answers here.

What is the weather like in Togo?

I arrived in August of this year, so have not been here during February -- but I have heard that it is brutal in terms of climate at that point in time. The heat apparently last until April. That being said, with climate shifts the seasons can be off by a month or two. (The costal rainy season, which we're told takes place in October, didn't show until late November) It is quite humid in Togo, especially along the coast, to which means you start to sweat about 2 minutes after getting out of the shower.



Some places have AC or fan access but don't count on it. For clothing, 100% cotton is the way to go, but not the thick knitted stuff the light woven kind (like button up dress shirt material.)

Shorts aren't really worn here by women. You will see them mostly in dresses, some in skirts and pants maybe even capris. I wouldn't recommend wearing short shorts as it will attract the wrong kind of attention, especially if you are working with local men. Tank tops are not a problem. Spaghetti straps are generally ok too. When bringing a bathing suit you can wear a bikini but wearing board shorts with it cuts down on men problems. Here one can't really swim in the ocean as there is a strong under current. There are hotels with pools and one at the BSL club in La Caisse/ Residence du Benin, so you can swim there for a fee.

What should I pack?

It's probably best if you bring your own hair and beauty products like shampoo, deodorant, makeup, etc. Bring sunscreen too as here it is crazy expensive. That and bug spray. You can get it here but it's cheaper from home. Just remember to put it all in ziplock bags in your luggage!

You may want to bring your own mosquito netting to sleep under. You can buy nets here but it is one less hassle if you bring one with.

When it comes to electronics, bring your own power surge protector as power blips can kill any electronics and make sure they are rated for 220V. In Togo, All the plugs are European round prong style. iPod chargers and memory cards are really expensive here so bring your own from home.

If you can't live without Kraft peanut butter, Stash chai tea, aloe vera lotion or iced tea powder you will need to bring it from home.

Do you need to know how to speak French in Togo?

My French is minimal but the Lonely Planet phrase book comes in handy. If you can speak any amount of French you will get a lot more out of your Togo experience. That being said out in the villages surrounding Lomé people speak tribal languages more than French.

I'm worried about the food, what can I eat?

We were pleasantly surprised by the variety of 'recognizable' food available at restaurants and markets in Lomé. We were a bit concerned prior to our arrival, especially as most expats consider this to be a 'hardship post.'

There are German, French, Ethiopian, Lebanese, Indian and Italian restaurants around Lome. You can't find a McDonalds here but we hear the local fast food joint Al Donalds gives you the same feeling in your stomach.

Most 'staples' are available in the veggie markets, just remember that it's all local produce. You can buy what is in season. Right now, cucumbers and tomatoes hard to come by, and are more expensive. Last month, you could get a half a dozen perfect tomatoes for 20 cents. Now, half a dozen sad looking worm eaten over-ripe tomatoes costs 40 cents.

Squash, lettuce, parsley, dill, celery sprouts (not stalks), beets, potatoes, onions, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini and most any fresh herb can be found at ridiculously cheap prices.

We buy our meat from one of the 'expensive' stores (meat is refrigerated!), but meat markets are plentiful if you fancy meeting the rest of the cow that you get your steak from.

I am a vegetarian what options are there for food?

Meat is generally reserved for special occasions in village settings. We know vegetarians who live in Lomé and they seem to be doing just fine. Most western restaurants have non-meat options. (Double check what you're ordering, as non-meat options do not mean vegetarian. It will likely be cooked in the same pot as meat, they just don't give you any.) 'Western' These restaurants are usually higher priced -- approximately 4-5,000 CFA ($8-10) per main plate. There is plenty of fresh fruits and veggies in season at all the times.



How safe is Lomé? How safe is the rest of Togo?

Now in terms of safety, Lomé is generally considered quite safe, as long as you stay away from the beach after dark and use common sense when dealing with pickpockets, dark alleys and such. Villages would likely be even safer as in about 2 minutes the whole village will know that a foreigner is there and they will look out for you. No matter where you are, people will ask you for money, gifts (cadeaux) and some are bold enough to ask for cars or laptops. Some will ask for your hand in marriage. If this thought is unnerving, wear a fake wedding ring!

Internet access in Togo- is it easy to come by or quite difficult?

Internet, depending on where you are, can be spotty or nonexistent. In Lomé, Internet cafes exist, but may be out of commission given a variety of factors -- power dropping, Togo telecom ( the Internet monopoly here) arbitrarily pulling the plug for no reason, or someone accidentally cutting the cable...

If/ when you find Internet, it will be slow, but it should be fast enough to Skype with, check email, etc. There are also a few restaurants in town including Casa Asia and Eiffel that have reliable wireless connections.

On occasion the Internet at our house is fast enough to stream TV shows from North America but they can take a long time to load (more than 2 hours for a 20 minute show).