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Postdoctoral Fellow

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Porto Novo, Republic of Benin

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There are no two places more divergent in architecture and economy than the cities of Porto Novo and Cotonou of the Republic of Benin. While I was in Nigeria in May, I went to the Republic of Benin. Why? Because it is so close geographically. It is bordered by Nigeria to the east and a trip from the heart of Lagos into the Seme Border will take you just about two hours by car. Also, my dad wanted to visit a few of his friends so I tagged along for the free ride, free food and ...well, free everything. When we got to the border, I wanted to take pictures but as is typical of many African states, there were fierce looking border patrol people in khaki-like uniforms, that I dared not act the tourist. Truth be told, the best bet in a place like that was to act as inconspicuous as possible and in a grey and black dress with cream-colored cropped cardigan, I blended quite well into the dusty air and grey clouds. Although the border is notoriously known for "unofficial transports...
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The Beginning of Something New: Niagara Falls in Buffalo, New York.

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I've always wanted to travel and I got the opportunity to do some traveling this Spring. It all began with my brothers' graduation at the University of Buffalo. I went with my sis in law and we had a blast exploring the quiet, yet vibrant buffalo city. We went to Niagara Falls, where I saw (a tiny bit of) Canada for the first time. Rainbow Bridge It was simply incredible and that was when I knew my dream of traveling had to be fulfilled. I want to see as much of the world I can with my meager graduate student stipend. I want to hear other waterfalls angry roar, booming as each fall collide with the void below. I want to see the lush greenery of different places, and visit the temples in South East Asia. I want to feel the sand wiggle beneath my feet in parts of India and Africa. I want to explore the America I live in, to experience the warm, inviting cultures of Latin America,  and the vast openness of Europe. And so I said to myself, while s...
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centre de promotion de l'artisanat

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The centre de promotion de l'artisanat is a place in Cotonou that showcases art and craft in different forms. Specifically, drawings, carvings and paintings. An artisanat is a place where skilled craftsmen (and women) create interesting objects and pieces. This got me a little confused in the definition of art and craft. Art is expressive, think literature, music, paintings and sculptures. Craft, on the other hand, isn't. A craft can be decorative art, like vases, small decorative paintings and so on. But then again, I suppose a craft that is expressive enough can be described as an art.  (o_O)? Can you see the name in the distance, atop the blue canopy? At any rate, in this little quaint place in Cotonou, the main attractions were carvings and drawings. By driving slowly around the center, we were able to see most of the drawings, sculptures, drums and other artistic elements carved from wood. There were also unique yards of colorful clothing, known as ankara and on...
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