Update!

Hello everyone! Here's ONE of three letters I have from Sunny. It takes time to get them typed and i've been ridiculously busy (my mom's helping me type some!). So, sorry for the delay. I watched Blood Diamond over the weekend with my dad. Didn't exactly make me feel reassured that she is safe--Sierra Leone (where the story is based) is like 3 countries away--however, the country is at peace now, so, okay. It's Africa. My chest tightens thinking of Sunny so far away from all of us--her mailing address is listed in this post so put it to good use!


August 24, 2007
Hello Girls!!
I hope this one gets to you! I’ve written you ladies COUNTLESS times—all to find that I’d forgotten some critical part of the written address—as in the country—such a dummy, I know. But I really hope this one gets to you! I don’t get to cities with email capabilities nearly enough—and thus am not able to write you all nearly as much as I’d like. I have so much I wanna tell you all but I never have enough time at the computer (the rare times I get to one—my village for training doesn’t have any & I only get to cities w/Internet when we have to get vaccines or go to conferences ). So I’m gonna start this snail mail thing again & cross my fingers that this time I’ll send it right.
First of all let me say how TREMENDOUSLY I miss you ALL!!! I knew I would miss you all—heck, I CRIED when I had to leave Charlotte—and I NEVER cry—but I had NO idea it’d be as hard as it is for me to be away from y’all. Despite my attempts to concentrate on my French classes, homework, lectures & seminars, I find my mind constantly drifting to thoughts of all the things I WISH I was doing in America with you! I’ve spent all my life fantasizing about doing a crazy adventure like this. I had no idea once I was here I ‘d be fantasizing about being home. But I do think about all the yummy food I’m missing, about being clean again, sleeping in comfort, & late knighting out on the town w/ my girlfriends J I’m sure it has a lot to do with my insane schedule though—“Stage” (French for training)—is the 9 week session I’m in now—and it is completely mentally, physically & emotionally exhausting. My classes—ranging from French to technical training (about how to garden for subsistence farming or cook for malnourished children or identify symptoms of various maladies) also include lengthy sessions about Benin’s current health problems among other national issues that pertain to my sector of work here—Rural Community Health. Aside from general academia I’m also in the midst of classes on how to clean and assemble my bike, how to coke Beninese food (the cheese here has to be boiled at least 20 minutes to kill the TB—and meat has to be killed & properly gutted if you want protein), and what some of the cultural taboos and expectations are. It’s fascinating—but overwhelming—though I recognize its pertinence to the work I’ll be doing as a Rural Community Health Advisor. Also, to clarify, my work will have a focus and emphasis on educative and preventative measures for improving health and decreasing sickness. I’m prohibited from involving myself in actual medical procedures, as I neither have the technical training or experience in the medical field—and risks for AIDS is high. Healthwise Benin has a long way to go for improvement—as the 10th poorest country in the world it is rampant with fatalities from what we’d consider minor illnesses or health problems—like diarrhea and malnourishment—and then there’s the big ones like AIDS.
Aside from being terribly homesick, my biggest challenge will most likely be the toll on my emotions this job will have on me—the advice I’ve gotten so far is to start preparing myself for a lot of emotionally painful situations—a lot of death—and to develop a thick shell if I want to make it through this type of work all in one piece—or just at all. ANYWAYS, enough of that talk—sorry to sound like such a Debbie Downer—I’m not—you know that—so, on to the nitty gritty ;)
Yeah, yeah, I know I said I’d spend these next two years romance free—but two years is a LONG time not to even have a crush! And Peace Corps kids being the throw-caution-to-the-wind adventurist types are quick to inform us newbies that it is virtually impossible not to notice the opposite sex as much as we think we might not. Did I mention the unfortunate ratio? Yes, to make matters worse the female/male ratio is like Queens—no joke—there’s like 85% girls and 15% guys. But the guys ARE very cool. Stress is too high and the need for kicking back and relaxing over beers is too big for me to completely commit myself to a life of near-nunnery. The local liquor here is a sort of Beninese moonshine, called Sodabea (spelling??) It tastes like a sweet tequila—SO I’VE HEARD—and if it is possible for tequila to taste good. It is also said to make you blind and is probably prohibited to drink by the peace Corps so I dunno if it’s entirely legal…in some cases… rules are meant to be broken—there is a much-needed sense of throwing caution to the wind once you realize—man, I’m in AFRICA—what’s stepping a few more feet out of the norm really risking?? You know? So while I’m being smart, I’m definitely trying to make the most and best of my time here. You only live once, right? I’m not putting myself in bad situations or being recklessly stupid—I’m saving those moments for Charlotte J but when the Voodoo kingpin of a village invites me to a local festive feast I can’t pass it up! Plus riding three to a seat on a motorcycles across winding village paths late in the evening necessitates a laid back ‘tude to make it home without having a panic attack.
But enough about me—How are my favorite Queenies doing?? Liv—how’s the Hot girl job?? Becca, you and Jenny holding it down at Magnolia? God, y’all’s place seems like a palace to me right now! How are the boys?? J Give my love and air kisses to Lizzy, Molly, Jenn, Chelsea, Kari, Judy & Bracken too! God, I miss you girls like crazy!! Alright, if you weren’t cross-eyed an hour ago reading this I’m sure you are now—so I’ll try to wrap it up. I know my mass emails haven’t been exactly personal or coherent for that matter (aahhh French keyboards)—that’s due to the immense amount of pressure one’s under when there are 20 other email-hungry volunteers waiting in line and you have all of 15 minutes to update everyone in your life of all the crazy happenings of the past week or two in West Africa. I never manage to tell you all what I had wanted—but always get wrapped up in just INFORMING everyone all at once instead. Plus I’m desperate to read news from the outside world and hear about your lives so I try to read y’all’s emails first.
So quick personal update on daily life here: Firstly, I’m disgustingly dirty ALL the time—which is bearable, but generally just gross all at the same time. I’ve toned down the girly-girl you all know—as much as I possibly can that is. Obviously I don’t blow dry or style my hair—it’s too hot for that and I didn’t think to pack any of my usual essentials for here—and I’m putting the stilettos on hiatus until my return to the states—and makeup is virtually impossible due to the immense amount of rain and humidity that accumulates all over your body in the rainy season (the winter of the year—though it’s in the 90’s most days). So I’m going through somewhat of a corporal purification—except for my diet—which, no joke, consists of 90% peanut and palm oil and fried white starches. It’s disgustingly delicious—in that ALL of my food is literally dripping wet w/oil (whether it’s omelet’s, lettuce, bread, rice, couscous) but I’m so hungry all the time I can’t help but eat exorbitant amounts. I’m gonna be a fatty—at least until training. My training (called “Stage”) ends Sept. 21 where, if I pass all my exams, I am officially sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer and begin real work and move—
Though it is yummy comfort food J So I do have hope from turning into a large Mammy-sized woman yet. I do get a lot more exercise—in manual labor form—handwashing and wring my clothes, carrying buckets of water (though I have yet to master carrying it on my head like all the African ladies here), walking, biking to class, bars, etc. I definitely don’t have to worry about my initial concerns about losing too much weight though—curves will be intact, no doubt. I don’t mind the weight gain though—as long as I’m healthy, it’s fine. And I have been—I’ve been spared the rampant diarrhea everyone else here is experiencing. Nothing quite like swapping stories of all night indigestion to bring people closer, right? So yes, that’s what I talk about with my fellow trainees in between academia lectures, health and poverty stats, and language class: food poisoning and boys. And how disgusting we feel and look. That’s another overriding topic of conversation. For all of our willingness to forego the luxuries of life ther’s no denying we miss them terribly. The first thing I’m doing when I get to the states is treating myself to (what will be) a much-needed spa day. Ugh, I miss feeling like a girl—though it isn’t a total change. The Beninese pride themselves on their nice upkept appearance—so my femininity and passion for fashion works well with cultural expectations here—though the clothes are drastically different from anything I’d ever seriously wear in the states. There are some hilarious outfits here, let me tell ya—but at least the Beninese have a sense of pride in the way they look and dress—a good reflection of their culture. I’m racking my brain for other things I know I’ll be wishing I’d included-but can’t think of anything. Oh, did I mention I’d be giving condom-using and safe sex demonstrations with wooden penises in village? That should be nice and extremely uncomfortable. Well, I’m sure your eyes are killing if they weren’t before—sorry about the tiny handwriting and crappy stationary—I’m all journaled out of life here in the Dogbo, Benin, West Africa—So I’ll sign off for now. Feel free to write back. I just recently got a letter that arrived from the U.S. in nine days—so the mailing system does work! Make sure to send it to this address though. (It’s the best version I’ve heard works. SEND IT VIA AIRMAIL.
Sonia Alley
Corps de la Paix des Etats Unis D’Amerique
B.P. 971, Recette Principale
Cotonou, Republique du Benin
Afique de l-Ouest
West Africa

If by chance any of you have a free moment—if you could email Lizzie (@ lizziehumma@gmail.com) or call her (404-918-1807) to give her this letter—that would be amazing! Also, if for any reason you need anything else about my contact info—or need to get a message to me—feel free to contact my Dad—his email is: aguas53@gmail.com and my home phone is Savannah is 912-341-8701—I realized I didn’t give y’all very much contact info for me though I left with all of yours—which doesn’t make any sense since I have incredibly limited communication means. Anyways, sorry to drag this out—as you can see—when I’m not kickin’ back with village chiefs or going to strange tribal ceremonies I’m bored out of my mind! And missing y’all like crazy L I hope you’re all doing fabulous! I love you girls and think of y’all all the time! Lots of love, hugs, and air kisses to all of you!!
Yours in Africa, Sunny
P.S.
(My/Lizzie’s) mailing address is:
Lizzie Humma
477 Lindbergh Place NE
Apt 119
Atlanta, GA 30324

The last email I wrote her was when I last wrote y’all—about being totally and utterly freaked out—so by the way, I am a little less freaked out now, though I did have to be wrapped in a blanket and hidden in a car during my visit to my Post—I’ll write more about that later—when I get feeling back in my hand and more money to buy stamps.
Love y’all tons and will write y’all soon. Love, Me.



---I’m going to type that letter up soon! It’s really good! This is like a teaser post!
I hope it’s okay that I put her address on there, it seemed like she thought it was okay. Someone inform me if that’s wrong. Also, you’ve got my address so fwd me letters and I’ll post them! I’ve got one to her grandmother and one to me I’ll hopefully be posting soon! My mom was so sweet and typed this one up for me—that whimsical handwriting takes a little while to translate to type. Oh also we g-chatted the other day—it was great! Write her letters—thanks guys!