Beninisms

1. It costs the same to eat breakfast in village as it does to send a text message here.

2. Oranges are green. Some (ripe) bananas are too.

3. A '5 place' taxi often holds up to 8 people; '9 place' taxi holds up to 15

4. Mamas who sell food get really upset if you try to buy a large quantity of something, like rice for example.  Their rationale? If they sell all of their rice to you, there won't be enough for them to sell to other people.  And everyone has to eat.

5. Impending transactions are often cancelled if the seller doesn't have the right change.  Having enough change (petite monnaie) is always a problem, and someone will turn down a sale rather than give you all of their change.

6. To announce your presence outside of someone's house you clap or say 'ko ko ko', because people often don't have doors to knock on.

7. When you ask someone for their name they give it to you last name first, followed by their first name. Slightly confusing at first.

8. A woman walking around village topless is completely culturally appropriate; flash anything above the knee and well...you're being a little risqué.


More to come, when I remember them.