I have something in common with Yao Ming

Now other than a love of basketball what could Yao Ming and I have in common. I'm not 7'6'', we don't share the same nationality - hell we don't even live in the same country anymore so what could it be? The name Yao it turns out (although it's pronounced differently). My name in Ewe is Yao. This is determined by what day of the week you were born on. A Thursday birth bears the name Yao and I kind of like it. My host father has started addressing me as Yao. I think I could get used to it.
Ewe is just one of 60 different languages spoken in Togo and is the native tongue of Gbatope, my home for the next 3 months. Though I've only been here for 2 weeks it seems like a lot longer. Days are slow in Togo. I am the newest addition to the now 9 member Ayite family. I'm pretty sure my father only has one wife although having multiple wives is quite common here. I've spent all of my life as an only child but here I have 8 siblings. That's 6 brothers and 2 sisters, ages ranging from 5 - 23. But just because I'm one of nine doesn't mean I'm not spoiled. In Togo the guest is king and so my room is the largest in the house.
I love my new family, they are all very warm and curious about this yovo (white person) who has moved in with them. I'm definitely a source of constant amusement for them as I stumble through my French trying to converse with them. The other day my attempt to gather water from the well garnered a huge laugh, not just from my host family but from the neighbors as well. I tried to carry water on my head, as is the most common method of transporting water. Needless to say I didn't make it very far before it started to spill and amidstthe burst of laughter my little brother Remus came and took the water from me grinning from ear to ear. I honestly don't know how they do it it was so heavy and practically impossible to balance. You wouldn't believe what some people can carry on their head. I've seen everything from a bundle of huge branches to a television!