If you didn't like Animal House, you might want to skip this post.
Since the beginning of the School year is about to roll around, I thought I would try and angle this one to the Gators and Cougars who served time with me. Really, the remarkable thing is how little life has changed since undergrad. Thus, I have decided to set this up as a similarities/differences type post.
Difference, I have grown a goatee. Pictures are available here and on Facebook. As many Gainesvillians may suspect, this has both brought my snark and pants-length to alarming levels (of high and low respectively). I think one of the reactions to living here is growing facial hair. Almost all of the guys have something that they’re cultivating, from wild-man beards to soul patches. As any beer-swilling, long-distance running, pale man will tell you; it brings the ladies.
Similarity, I ride backseat on motos (called zemis) to go everywhere. Despite the lack of rules of the road, road-signs, or occasionally even road itself, I find myself much more comfortable on these in Benin than I was in Gainesville. Why? Possibly it’s the frequency of use, or the better helmets or even the fact that nearly everyone driving these things in Benin isn’t a trashed coed.
Difference, In Gainesville, the seasons were set by games; namely football, trivia and video. In Benin it goes from hot & humid to not peeing for days on end despite passing over a gallon of water a day through one’s kidneys (especially true up north).
Similarity, drinking schedule revolves around which cool Vols are in town. Back in Gainesville it was always a party when people came back from the real world to debauch. BUT….
Difference, you can’t go to Hooters with VIPs for wings. (I’m currently working with SED on this).
Similarity, I spend a huge chunk of time in lecture. Seriously, it’s 6 days a week from 8AM – 4 PM with ~2 hours of breaks in there. The French instruction is much better here though.
Difference, having extra guys at parties is no longer a bad thing. It’s almost impossible. With 14 men to 44 women, things actually get a little bro-starved from time to time. Also- If you’re really counting its 12 (unmarried) men to 42 (unmarried) women, with a good number of guys in (semi) serious relationships. Of course, several ladies are as well, but the point is the math gets skewed really fast. I’ll put it this way; even if McShera was here, we’d be too lost in the X chromosomes to be able to find each other for a drunken showdown/test of masculinity.
Similarity, drunk food is still fried starchy goodness. While we may not have the golden arches, we do have a fried yams and gateau (think hushpuppies) lady outside the TEFL house who makes literally pounds of petit monaie (change) every Saturday.
Difference, as couches barely exist in Benin this makes couch surfing impossible. Fortunately…
Similarity, twin mattresses on the floor can still fit ~3.4 people (this appears to be a universal constant). Also…
Similarity, you learn to sleep on hard surfaces between classes (think Lib West).
Similarity, beer is (relatively) inexpensive as long as you aren’t choosy about taste.
Difference, if you tried to make hunch-punch with the local moonshine (called sodabie) you will spend more on mixers than you will on alcohol. (Also, it tastes terrible due to impurities, even mixed). I’m not a huge fan. Thus…
Similarity, gentlemen carry around their own (Coca-Cola) bottles half-full of European Vodka for private consumption. It’s not Smirnoff, but it’s not bad either.
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