Camaraderie is a major element of professional life in Togo. It seems everyone knows half their city’s teachers if they are a teacher, or a large part of the corps…

BUMPH. The knuckles on my right hand pressed into the side of my face in a steady rhythm. BUMPH. Scenes of thatched huts flashed by. BUMPH. A motorcycle with three…

That same week (see previous entry), John and I travelled to Cotonou, Benin, to meet up with Dan, the ELF currently serving there. Here’s a plug for John’s blog entry…

Recently I was joined in Lomé by my friend and fellow ELF John, who had flown in from Côte d’Ivoire for a visit. Amidst the shop talk and relaxing in…

I recently got to realize my dream of being a game show host. Actually, that has never really been my dream. I do, however, always enjoy an event that allows…

The riiiiinng riiiiinng of my doorbell has become a frequent element of my Lomé life. It announces things that many of us in the West no longer expect to show…

My job is such that I have an American embassy “post” and a local institution “host.” I work with both on a daily basis. My host institution is called the…

As soon as I pulled to a stop, he strode toward me. I was about to make a left turn in my Corolla, and had come to a stop at…