Shopping Independently In Benin

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I have been very reliant on my cousin's wife for shopping in Benin considering my cousin is always at work, his wife has been tasked with shopping with me.

I am a very independent individual so during our shopping process I always save the shopping locations via WhatsApp pin drop with the name of the place and what we bought from the location for future reference.

Shopping Alone

I have been going shopping alone and one place I have been to more frequently is the MTN outlet close to the airport.
I have been there on three occasions for help since my phone wouldn't hotspot my laptop, the second time there was to buy a router for my internet connection and the third occasion was yesterday to have my MTN Mobile Money set up.

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Fortunately, there is a lady there that understands a bit of English so she is often called to attend to me and I am known there as the English guy by now.

Going to MTN is a 10km distance and I travel with the motorcycle transport system they use here, while in South Africa I was wondering how I adjust to the motorbike mode of transport in Benin compared to the Uber I use in SA but I find myself enjoying the mode of transportation here, it feels a like I am on an adventure.

Doing other shopping isn't as easy as MTN shopping where the setup is similar to that of South Africa.

Navigating The Town With Google Map

Today I was determined to go buy a fan and a chair for my laptop desk alone despite an offer to accompany me by my cousin's wife.

I told myself the earlier I start doing things independently the better so after breakfast and a bit of curation on Hive I took a 15-minute walk to the shops I had saved via pin drop earlier in the week.

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I enjoyed the walk, it allows me to familiarize myself with the town and I found some places where I can do grocery shopping.

I arrived at the first shop and bought a chair. Buying the fan I couldn't find the shop and I remembered it is on the same street less the 300 meters apart but I couldn't find it.

I called my cousin's wife for directions, only to discover later after asking someone that doesn't understand me, he went to call a lady that speaks Yoruba language and the lady told me I am right at the shop next to the pharmacy but they are not open yet for business.

I thanked her and told myself I wasn't lost after all, it was a feeling that I am doing great, and I had to commend myself.

Getting back home was easy, I directed the motorcycle driver and I was home in no time.

In a country where the temperature is as high as 34 degrees Celsius and a humidity of 71% compared to Johannesburg's 27 degrees Celsius and 28% humidity today is quite a huge change for me so I had to invest in a fan to keep me going.

What Is Hive

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We owe it to ourselves to make Hive great

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Sounds like you are doing great so far.
The sooner you go out and about alone, the quicker you remember roads and shops.
Have fun exploring Joe 😊👋🏻 and try to stay cool 🌬️

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Yes, and I had to walk as well instead of taking transport all the time so, I enjoyed today's exercise. Thankfully for Google maps am so confident I won't get lost 😄

Thanks, Jackie, I sure will have fun. 🤗

!PIZZA

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That’s good… do stay hydrated.
Google maps is really good. I rely on it heavily too.

You are welcome Joe 👋🏻😊
!ALIVE

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Will do thanks.
Am not alone in the Google map reliance, even when I drive.

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You are welcome.
Such a great invention.
Have a nice evening Joe and enjoy the weekend!
!ALIVE

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Truly a great invention
Good morning Jackie and enjoy that cup of cappuccino 😃

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Thank you so much, you know me well hahaha I am still enjoying my cappuccinos when I wake up. 😉
Good morning when you wake up too 👋🏻☀️

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I miss cappuccino lol, its just too hot here so the urge for wanting coffee when I wake up in the mornings has dropped a bit but I still like and have coffee some mornings.

Good morning Jackie, am running off to Mass.
Enjoy!

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Oh I can imagine… what about icy cappuccino 😎

Good afternoon… Joe enjoy this Friday!

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I might have to try it someday, don't even know where to buy it. Am only having Nescafe for now.

Enjoy the Friday despite your busy schedule

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Me neither. One of the things I don’t like, cold coffee in any form 😛
Nescafé is good.
I will Joe… thanks a lot. Enjoy yours too. And much success finding a job.
!LUV

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Coffee is meant to be hot lol, am not a fan either I don't recall ever trying cold coffee.

Thank you Jackie.

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I tried once… nope not my thing. Especially when there are ice cubes 🧊 in there.
It’s just not coffee anymore. It needs to piping hot hahaha 🤣

You are welcome.

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Especially when there are ice cubes 🧊 in there.

Hahaha it becomes a cold drink!

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Hahaha 🤣 maybe it’s just not for us.

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True, my ex-boss used to like it and I just watch and wonder if he is enjoying it.

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Hahahaha 🤣 some do… 😆

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Interesting how we like some things and others don't.

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You know… good that we are not all the same. I think the world would be boring hahaha 🤣

Good morning Joe 👋🏻😊

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Good morning Jackie 🙂

Guess what? It rained hard, you should send those good vibes to me often! 😃

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Good afternoon Joe 👋🏻😊

Wow, really… that’s pretty cool. Have to send more of those good vibes over then. 😉
Enjoy your day further!
!ALIVE

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Thanks and you too Jackie, today happens to be the most conducive temperature for me so far😀

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You are welcome, thanks a lot Joe.
That’s great… that it may continue.

Good night for later 👋🏻😴

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Good morning Jackie, I woke up late for Mass 😃
I will go for the next on at around 9am

Have a blissful Sunday.

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Good morning Joe, aawwww… there is always a next one 😉
Have a great week 👋🏻

Guess what, I found a rental 🎉🎉 from afar… wooohhhoooooo. So happy!

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Hahaha wow, I am so happy to hear that you found a rental, you have a way with these things lol.
Well done Jackie, that is one task out of the way for you.

Good afternoon, how are you doing?

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Thank you so much 😎🎉🎉 i’m so happy.
One thing ☑️ off the list to do.
Still many tasks left. Haven’t got the movers yet… back and forward with a few of them. They keep moving dates.

I’m good… just soooo busy, not sure if I get everything packed up in time. This weekend our friends come. Then the next weekend we drive down 12 hours, to the in-laws to help tile the livingroom what takes 2 weeks. So we come back and I have only 1,5 week left before the belongings have to be picked up hahaha 🤣
I wished I could concentrate more on packing this week, but still doing all the planning of the move… the paperwork for it. Customs, inventory etc.
Though it will work out in the end I know. 😇

Hope you are settling in well Joe, do you like the area you are in?
Have a wonderful Wednesday 👋🏻☀️

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I can relate Jackie, I was so swamped with preparation similarly last month lol. it can be draining as well. But we have a way of winning in the end and am sure you are going to get everything done in time.

There's that multitasking side of you that comes in handy at times like this 😄

As for settling, I am doing fairly okay and yes I like the place as well. I have had to channel lots of my job search overseas, I spoke to a recruitment agency in the UK yesterday so I hope they are able to find me a job. Benin is a very small country for my career field, I will actually prefer getting a job here so I don't travel so soon. But am applying everywhere so anyone that comes will be a great help, my Hive stakes are depleting as I depend on them and it is not what I want since am still building.

I am hopeful I will get a job though, it just needs to come soon 😄

Thanks for checking in Jackie, a wonderful midweek to you as well.

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Yep, I know you know… that’s why it is so cool to talk to you. (Next to our normal conversations hehehe 🤭)
Yep, my multitasking comes in handy for sure. I am exhausted though. I fall asleep around 2200h 😳 crazy for me hahaha.
I got movers… signed contract 1 hour ago. So another task done ✅

That’s great to hear you are settling and you like the place.
I can imagine the job hunt. Good that you are applying everywhere. Something will show up.
We got the news today the job can’t be relocated with us. So…. We go without a job too 😬
I so hope you find something soon. As I know you don’t want to rely to much on hive. 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 crossing my fingers for you Joe.

You are welcome, happy too…
Thanks a lot. Enjoy your last days of the week. Soon it’s weekend.
!ALIVE 😊

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Lol, one has to get some sleep to re-energize.
Great to hear another task is out of the way, well done Jackie.

Sorry to hear about the job can't be relocated, I hope you guys get another one where you are moving to.

Thank you, I will take the job anywhere, I don't mind returning to Benin now and then as my base.

Good luck to us Jackie.
Keep well, another weekend is around the corner.

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Yes… but waking up at 5 doesn’t help hahaha !LOL
Thanks a lot. It’s so great to be able to complete one task after the other… 🤓

Thank you, we will start searching there and hope we find something.
Aha… yep, I understand. It’s good to have finally a base you can return to.
We also always move where the job is. So I know.

Indeed: good luck to US Joe 🤞🏻🍀
Thank you, you too. It’s almost weekend 🎉 we will be out and about with our visitors. They stay until Monday morning.

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You will find a job over there Jackie, lets's stay hopeful about that.

Happy weekend, I was out yesterday with my sister to finally see where mom was laid to rest, a bit of mixed feelings day for me but a day I have been longing for. My sisters are leaving today with my niece, am going to miss them, they spoiled me, I told them I don't even know where the kitchen is in my apartment anymore, and all I see is the food kept coming.

I think my other sister will visit next week, I have 3 of them, and 2 visited.

We need this visitor distraction now and then, am sure it is going to be fun with your visitors as well.

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Thank you kindly Joe, yes… let’s stay positive about the job and everything else.

Aawww good they spoiled you Joe. Especially with such a day of mixed feelings. I can imagine it must have been emotional and hard and wonderful at the same time.
Good you finally could pay your respect.

That’s good to hear your other sister will visit soon. That’s so nice.
Yep, we soooo need these kind of distractions. Especially when we lived and still live far away.
It was lovely Joe, thank you.
All are to bed now… as they have a long day of traveling tomorrow morning. I’m still up of course hahaha 🤣
Have a good night. Enjoy your Monday!

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Lol up and busy catching up with your Hive friends, we can't ignore our Hive friends, can we? even with my sisters around and chatting I was still doing whatever I could on Hive and when I see the conversation is long and not ending I shot down the laptop and listen to them 😃

Good morning Jackie, have a great day and week ahead.

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Hahaha yep, exactly that. Up with my hive friends trying to catch up. How can I not. 😇 we can’t ignore them.
Oh I sooo understand Joe, I do the same… normally. Multitasking at the best.
Hahaha good you did close it when it went to a longggg the conversation. We will be here, your sisters will not be that close by everyday.
It sounds like you had such a wonderful time with them.

Thank you kindly Joe. Good evening, sleep well. Enjoy your new week 👋🏻😊
!ALIVE

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Good morning Jackie, my week started off okay, I did my routine stuff but went to be telling myself I didn't do much for the day. Do you sometimes feel like that? 😃

Enjoy your days, and many thanks.

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Good morning Joe 👋🏻😊
That’s good to hear.
Yes, I know what you mean… I have that somedays. But after a few hours, I will be busy again as I see something needs to be done or I have to go somewhere…
One does need to listen sometimes. When rest is needed though. Let’s try hehehe 🤭

Thank you so much, I will do my best.
You are welcome ☀️

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True we have to give the body some rest as well.
It's been a great start to the day so far, hopefully, you having a great one as well.

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Yes… we do.
That’s wonderful to hear. Hope it did continue Joe.
My day was good yesterday. Got a lot of boxes packed.
Have a lovely Wednesday afternoon 👋🏻😊

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Yes, it has, too much to do lately am getting curious about AI lately so am playing around with the tech to see how it can benefit me in content writing jobs on Upwork, am struggling to get a gig there.

Enjoy the afternoon Jackie, many thanks.

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Oh that sounds interesting 🧐 hope it could help you.
It is the next thing… and looking into it does make sense going forward.

Thanks Joe, will do. You do the same 😎

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(Edited)

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Add a few extra degrees on humidity and you could be in Durban !LOLZ

So glad you finding wheels to take you around and find your way home, sounds like a good way to familiarize yourself in your new destination.

!LUV
!PIZZA

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Lol, isn't the Durban humidity better? I think it is.

It has been a good experience so far, when I struggle to express myself, they tend to call someone that can speak a bit of English.

!PIZZA

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Living there you will learn the language hearing it all the time, forces you to!

Durban is higher humidity at the moment, Benin being more tropical you may find this goes higher !LOLZ

Cold shower, stand in front of a fan naked after towel dry to make sure skin dries properly is a trick to learn. Short relief..., sleep with fan blowing over you at night to put the mosquito off a little as well, invest in mosquito net!

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sleep with fan blowing over you at night to put the mosquito off a little as well, invest in mosquito net!

That sounds like you have lived in West Africa, I grew up sleeping in a mosquito net lol, to my surprise though I was expecting lots of mosquitoes they have been minimal so with my fan now I had a peaceful night, I also bought mosquito repellant as well.

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Southern/Northern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe/Zambia) and Mozambique we had nets, here in KZN we should use them when going up North Coast, most accommodation has fly netting over windows then spray room just before going to sleep.

Pesky blighters eat me alive!

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I see where the knowledge of mosquito nets comes in, amazing how things are similar in some regions. My rented apartment has netted over the windows as well so am happy with that am very scared of falling sick of malaria now.
Before leaving SA I went to the doc for prophylactic malaria medicine to keep me from falling sick.

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Last trip to Zimbabwe 2006 we took the malaria tablets, I was sky high for the day, good trip! ☺️

Netting over windows most definitely helps!

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Lol I enjoy flights though, can't wait for the next one 😃

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I enjoy flying if airline does not pack you in like sardines!

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Hahaha, maybe you take the business class. I have always taken the economy class and moderately affordable.

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Oh wow, looks like you are learning the city quite fast. Thank God for google and the motorbikes, I think you are in safe hands as you continue to learn and explore your new surrounding.. Glad you got the fan to keep cool in the hot temperatures . Thanks for sharing and enjoy the weekend ahead:}

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Lol, I think I am doing fairly well, since I am mostly indoors and busy on Hive, I have to create the need to also go out and explore the place to get myself familiarized. So far it has been fun and the people are friendly and always willing to help.

Happy weekend bro.
!PIZZA

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It looks like your exploring and I don't blame you. You are getting used to the environment and doesn't google maps have the hours for the business? I thought it did and I recall seeing google maps telling me whether or not a place is open or not.

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I do see Google Maps tell me whether the place is closed or open but in this case, I don't know the name of the shop, I only know the street lol. Google Maps might help me if I know the name of the shop specifically. All I am doing now is just saving a pindrop of the location I know I will be visiting frequently. Now that you mentioned, I will start to pay attention to the names of the shops.

!PIZZA

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