tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51270376981206452722024-03-13T16:17:14.875-07:00Stories do not watch themselvesA blog that does not reflect the views or opinions of the PC, but does reflect my obsession with General Hospital and my experiences while working in Togostories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-7367739584911902522009-05-09T11:10:00.000-07:002009-05-09T11:19:59.090-07:00Happy Mothers' Day!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEBjxBFKoqlVTGpk8_cc4BHmHvQoC8V_d2uadspNJYDhVHIWAS5UjvuIHOM7mXZxNRR5NCFxp0GPY8hGa72r5h4quHDWbkueNeIx1p64Ird1Vyr7X5A3qSjXJw0RprBQdgTHE9k4BvhU/s1600-h/STA70027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333890164013434674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEBjxBFKoqlVTGpk8_cc4BHmHvQoC8V_d2uadspNJYDhVHIWAS5UjvuIHOM7mXZxNRR5NCFxp0GPY8hGa72r5h4quHDWbkueNeIx1p64Ird1Vyr7X5A3qSjXJw0RprBQdgTHE9k4BvhU/s200/STA70027.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Happy Mothers' Day Mama! I wish I could celebrate it with you and the family, but I'll see you in less than 1 month and we can make up for all lost celebrations with a frappe and kukubeenya! Have a wonderful day and I love you! And Happy Muthas Day to all my other lovely mothers. Kisses. </div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-38875128567324195972009-05-05T02:08:00.000-07:002009-05-05T03:01:51.581-07:00Chocolate and Farewells!<div><div><br /><div><div>I am getting ready to go to my COS conference. I got my visa to India and my tickets to Greece and India. I have 3 more weeks in village. I saw <strong>Slumdog Millionaire</strong> in a movie theater in Accra and it was so cold in the theater that my feet were frozen by the end of the movie. I made chocolate. I finished reading <strong>Audacity of Hope</strong>. I think this will be my last blog entry...I will see you all very soon, so I leave you with some pictures and a chocolate sauce recipe.</div><br /><div>1. Ferment the cocoa beans.</div><br /><div>2. Roast the beans until they balloon up and begin to <em>pop</em>.</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPt4pmU3AtZtN6cLBct8YNG-yvESdpnbaKDlnF9KJT3RG2dDNGlEBDrh5cT7ixd1TiCcwYCCpxqKnmlI820m4Mp567GFpDESNo5EYUX4VkH9WnGMCpYYEn0qwZCtaLnbpgS0XeeyV0Mk/s1600-h/STA70135.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332271261333160930" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPt4pmU3AtZtN6cLBct8YNG-yvESdpnbaKDlnF9KJT3RG2dDNGlEBDrh5cT7ixd1TiCcwYCCpxqKnmlI820m4Mp567GFpDESNo5EYUX4VkH9WnGMCpYYEn0qwZCtaLnbpgS0XeeyV0Mk/s200/STA70135.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>3. Shuck the outside shelling of the beans.</div><br /><br /><div>4. Take your shucked beans to the mill...mine was mixed with corn flour.</div><br /><br /><div>5. Take the powder back home and create a double boiler. I did this with my closest neighbor, Chrissy. Isn't she pretty?</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Uy6mQ7OBu2erzN9G4UuGbzx8XdPNS22QQeLNc5E21orxsR6TAqGmCHf3MGs54r8wMnHG9pP5SUmrJjXCXq9xELTEmsWXZpKrdbzwgMmVUN9CrQizcWnGb2hdIVEcGCGsIssCqQ5R0bw/s1600-h/STA70137.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332271263777722802" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Uy6mQ7OBu2erzN9G4UuGbzx8XdPNS22QQeLNc5E21orxsR6TAqGmCHf3MGs54r8wMnHG9pP5SUmrJjXCXq9xELTEmsWXZpKrdbzwgMmVUN9CrQizcWnGb2hdIVEcGCGsIssCqQ5R0bw/s200/STA70137.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>6. Add un-sweetened condenesed milk and sweetened condensed milk (depending on taste, add more sugar) to the double boiler and then once the milk is boiling add the chocolate powder.</div><br /><div>7. Stir until the chocolate melts. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCSzdrdMRDEzrCbboye_Ku5w9HMXNOD1CjRF3SnevFjlHENdT5pler0v6LwWe2QtVeQdfAQLIkUl8ZxHX39Itz2Vg3f5ySQcArJhU_uuENcxKroMJoH67rzjUWwJz4p0EVs6j8wUrCBc/s1600-h/STA70139.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332271268015166194" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCSzdrdMRDEzrCbboye_Ku5w9HMXNOD1CjRF3SnevFjlHENdT5pler0v6LwWe2QtVeQdfAQLIkUl8ZxHX39Itz2Vg3f5ySQcArJhU_uuENcxKroMJoH67rzjUWwJz4p0EVs6j8wUrCBc/s200/STA70139.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>I made brownies with some of the remaining powder and it tasted delicious. I think the more you process the chocolate the less <em>green</em> it tastes. I plan on showing my women's group how to make this because there are so many coffee/cocoa farmers who sell the beans, but don't know how to transform them. I'll be bringing some of this back home for shizzle.</div><br /><div>And here are some pictures from the weekly baby-weighing/vaccination appointments in my village. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_inEPe8V8HljMS2W8qcBMo16hWomgkeHfUDgeSltpo2N4UqFMYczYj4vgnJIV08gXXt_9_99TrSkpxdVi4fkSZk9FYf808Ia5cSRBzqB9ou4w65w1yO61cgcadZZrFabeyX6CSDJcoYY/s1600-h/STA70123.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332271252653977986" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_inEPe8V8HljMS2W8qcBMo16hWomgkeHfUDgeSltpo2N4UqFMYczYj4vgnJIV08gXXt_9_99TrSkpxdVi4fkSZk9FYf808Ia5cSRBzqB9ou4w65w1yO61cgcadZZrFabeyX6CSDJcoYY/s200/STA70123.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>See you soon!</div></div></div></div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-14232464347731034562009-04-16T00:51:00.000-07:002009-04-16T00:59:37.722-07:00So I just officially found out my Close of Service (COS) date. It's June 4. I will be off to Greece and then India (hopefully if my visa works out b/c I just got back from Accra and left my passport at the Indian Embassy and will pick it up again in May) with Charlotte until July 3. And then home. So, I just want to put out an official APB that sending letters and packages should be put to an end. I'm not sure they will get here in time. I love you all (well those I know who are reading this because they know me) and I will be back in Lome in 3 weeks for my COS conference. And I want to send out a huge shout-out to Leah and Ashley on their wedding in t-minus 4 days. I wish I could be there. I am sending you 10,000 kisses.stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-77034377284786256922009-02-28T07:16:00.000-08:002009-02-28T09:01:44.257-08:00Trippin'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFBSsTHuzt9w-6vtg72Lzb72RzQmZu7GEnGEtHGQlBfsGNx1_DcV4NXSrLelTWJJcBBcVO4dWI1UYzwMeTg0gmlCl5p69AMvCt8VUr-KzpjYUnd6-16lVcRy420cK4mJjYAPxvUSk8wI/s1600-h/STA70774.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307889157155394914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFBSsTHuzt9w-6vtg72Lzb72RzQmZu7GEnGEtHGQlBfsGNx1_DcV4NXSrLelTWJJcBBcVO4dWI1UYzwMeTg0gmlCl5p69AMvCt8VUr-KzpjYUnd6-16lVcRy420cK4mJjYAPxvUSk8wI/s200/STA70774.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMv6L2eycsF7MNxSDeTda6kCZKOZbySJ1MtDVe6FPLvZ9Xq25Z0SFRwXFsHftoqwpPMD5KXnmq2tJ1iPsTCEa3WyiDJl90gng34PTkCV6Miz60Uup6VxvIgnGi1uVMfX-7ez_SvTskA8A/s1600-h/STA70765.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307885539279722210" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMv6L2eycsF7MNxSDeTda6kCZKOZbySJ1MtDVe6FPLvZ9Xq25Z0SFRwXFsHftoqwpPMD5KXnmq2tJ1iPsTCEa3WyiDJl90gng34PTkCV6Miz60Uup6VxvIgnGi1uVMfX-7ez_SvTskA8A/s200/STA70765.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sxtyhdUxQPj4b0gQ0oMKoD0KD1x89kbGTiwOTXgh8aK22Wkh_88gwTTeXzLLuHLZtR8QfjrbpPK4RzC9CDVTIkSlfgs1lVfvkW1rH3JOE2nIgycv0yUQUrRuPfQUOMD3GdmpBCgrImw/s1600-h/STA70799.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307885554223452674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9sxtyhdUxQPj4b0gQ0oMKoD0KD1x89kbGTiwOTXgh8aK22Wkh_88gwTTeXzLLuHLZtR8QfjrbpPK4RzC9CDVTIkSlfgs1lVfvkW1rH3JOE2nIgycv0yUQUrRuPfQUOMD3GdmpBCgrImw/s200/STA70799.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oDWOakSkxCv5WMalYGDyfU_1ZCV6RRKT36h752Lk31ayO0rDR7uerTs5UXOaPF19RauQJSyWdNT-Afe_AaITlhF0lqwb4D4mxdNJuATQeXTaBEtmteCd_yVqJEUr0af44_EQRA83SWc/s1600-h/STA70823.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307890926994121426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oDWOakSkxCv5WMalYGDyfU_1ZCV6RRKT36h752Lk31ayO0rDR7uerTs5UXOaPF19RauQJSyWdNT-Afe_AaITlhF0lqwb4D4mxdNJuATQeXTaBEtmteCd_yVqJEUr0af44_EQRA83SWc/s200/STA70823.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEig2MLbcyPQgx1trDz3ZRaPR4dgMuTgimXyC-CG-oTUTmcUG9wZgq2xauRFbOgHyoG3NTZ3gj80nUR2-y8h8BLIbORLzTxrQ9EJzP5wqH-gUFzHjyxUCwLajtXqs8AWAMBrfp2Inzvls/s1600-h/STA70770.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307890917548766386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEig2MLbcyPQgx1trDz3ZRaPR4dgMuTgimXyC-CG-oTUTmcUG9wZgq2xauRFbOgHyoG3NTZ3gj80nUR2-y8h8BLIbORLzTxrQ9EJzP5wqH-gUFzHjyxUCwLajtXqs8AWAMBrfp2Inzvls/s200/STA70770.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /></div><div>I just got a note that my blog was black as night and had only its past entries. Please let me know if this continues.<br /></div><div>Anyhoo, what have I been up to? I celebrated an awesome New Years in village. Marthilde and Bienvenu made a vegan salad (they don't eat eggs, so she made a vegan mayonnaise using vinegar, oil, salt n'pepa, and mashed taters...delish) and fufu. I made a spice cake and bread. God bless my Dutch Oven.<br /></div><div>In January, I went on a grand tour of the West African coast with 2 other volunteers, Natasha ("Nacho") and Ashley ("Block"). We started off in Accra, Ghana and then headed off to Cape Coast to see the slave castle (the dungeons where slaves were kept before they were shipped off). I didn't feel so great about humanity after that, so we decided to relax at the "resort" (nice but food and drinks and service lame) and shake off the day. It was also Nacho's birthday. Block stepped on a snail and created an avalanche from the sound of the crunch of the shell. The next day we went to Kakum National Park and walked the canopy walk (350 meters long 30 meters above the ground of the forest floor). It was kind of scary, but really gorgeous (see pic of me with sweat-soaked long sleeve shirt posing with a skinny tree). Et puis, we went to Abidjan. I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the trip, which made my day. I knew it would be a doozer of a trip, especially at the border, so the sandwich gave me "la force" (a term many Togolese use, which I think means strength, power and maybe sometimes sexual prowess). I was silent for about 12 hours after we crossed the border because it was so stressful. I think we had about 10 dudes on us who wanted to "help" us cross into Cote d'Ivoire, speaking in both French and English. And we had no idea where we were staying, but we figured it out, made some mistakes, but all in all, I just love traveling because what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and makes for some pretty awesome stories. Sorry for the run-on sentence. I am used to writing texts or journal entries where I don't concern myself with grammar. Abidjan was like baby Manhattan and we ate attieke (couscous made from cassava) and aloko (fried plaintains) and drank Ivorian beer from Denmark. We, then, stayed at Green Turtle Lodge in Dixcove, Ghana. Beautiful and all environmentally friendly (solar panel powered and composting latrnies). See beach pictures. I lost the top and bottom of my bathing suit several times from the harsh waves of the Atlantic. My bathing suit has a chunk of sand in it still and I found a grain of sand in my ear last week. And now I'm just continuing my work in village and realizing that this journey here is almost over. I think my village respects me more now because they know I'm a bad ass for sticking it out for 2 years. So, I'm at a point in my service where I am absorbing as much as I can because I know it's coming to an end. I feel more at ease. There are 6 Belgian volunteers in my village now working at the primary school and pre-school. I am planning on collaborating with them on some small projects in village because 2 of them will be there until May. </div><div></div><div>This past week, I made enriched cereal to teach the women at the dispensary about proper nutrition for their babies and themselves. It's made from black-eyed peas, peanuts and corn. I roasted the beans and peanuts (peanuts are alway sold unroasted in the market by really sweet market women, I'm actually going to miss Togo a lot) myself and then took all the ingredients to my friendly village miller. Some kids then helped me cart it all home so I could put it into little bags for the ladies. Pictures below.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z-5IKUmeAatXj_TP2Sh67K9FUS1zcX-QxomIqatHe7UwnK9Kfr4ZEHUHThy_kqOvMW95NfI7xrltK7fK4jvUX9xZPqidB5Sf8pTgBDEVK8PgqBw3FWRiz_6M4sIyEHbUXMxCEb6V9A4/s1600-h/STA70882.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307892799745680994" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6z-5IKUmeAatXj_TP2Sh67K9FUS1zcX-QxomIqatHe7UwnK9Kfr4ZEHUHThy_kqOvMW95NfI7xrltK7fK4jvUX9xZPqidB5Sf8pTgBDEVK8PgqBw3FWRiz_6M4sIyEHbUXMxCEb6V9A4/s200/STA70882.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWVBURl5tNZHS3qSc_FewIQtaDekhso3dboIhcH0yFaQuy3TQQBCurIt_9s1IxVql76F7X7lcubuazO5xpNiYw8qr76K_yuJlbi2OehR614q9Y-6FrUBdZ9Ng1zHN0cC-Aufdsbbc0bA/s1600-h/STA70887.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307889166518177874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWVBURl5tNZHS3qSc_FewIQtaDekhso3dboIhcH0yFaQuy3TQQBCurIt_9s1IxVql76F7X7lcubuazO5xpNiYw8qr76K_yuJlbi2OehR614q9Y-6FrUBdZ9Ng1zHN0cC-Aufdsbbc0bA/s200/STA70887.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUg1l02CdzHs7v2ZJhG6ODBDRQjJ8rG0vqS14KnngwnUfVcKfVu1JRArLBemob_R0quEXL4Zm2Jvua59Xutfpi8cSCrBjdF51hfUHCZcZpSJK00yjZbs3SXljI8c9gdpxtyFfnhMgmYY/s1600-h/STA70883.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307889165375895442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUg1l02CdzHs7v2ZJhG6ODBDRQjJ8rG0vqS14KnngwnUfVcKfVu1JRArLBemob_R0quEXL4Zm2Jvua59Xutfpi8cSCrBjdF51hfUHCZcZpSJK00yjZbs3SXljI8c9gdpxtyFfnhMgmYY/s200/STA70883.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusMQWNW9_Vhf7Box-uhdvhmQgEkl6ZIqI7CXgsgo8ueCx1sw7hu8kYQDEHnhVo6OR0agUSuOWJuQi-2OOdZWqM3KTJOMQo9sTcAqqrA0riIde3Ygr3moLx57XjApyrKGo65moOygQxlw/s1600-h/STA70890.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307890927782353506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiusMQWNW9_Vhf7Box-uhdvhmQgEkl6ZIqI7CXgsgo8ueCx1sw7hu8kYQDEHnhVo6OR0agUSuOWJuQi-2OOdZWqM3KTJOMQo9sTcAqqrA0riIde3Ygr3moLx57XjApyrKGo65moOygQxlw/s200/STA70890.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SbEpHQTHo_g5t8ojdpYl-P8SsL1W5A9Gnkz6gMsaTJ0U-XSGEJeR3VKs3n4V9tBUbq8yn2uel5j0ELwlfoI6epj6H2ra3OocaoCwPF20b3lWRIN_rawcIdqnPOYnjjAnVChnNA2asTQ/s1600-h/STA70895.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307892802429108514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SbEpHQTHo_g5t8ojdpYl-P8SsL1W5A9Gnkz6gMsaTJ0U-XSGEJeR3VKs3n4V9tBUbq8yn2uel5j0ELwlfoI6epj6H2ra3OocaoCwPF20b3lWRIN_rawcIdqnPOYnjjAnVChnNA2asTQ/s200/STA70895.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br />Later taters!</div><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-20891917329278847532008-12-28T03:11:00.000-08:002008-12-28T04:37:58.353-08:00Inyams, Nanners and Christmas wounds<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284808757298329202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjblo3i7fpjxjCcAS1OMP70_IW1_S0hZovYKQQaFdA9mZN9U3LjD1HRYsuscw1iCIaDdlIcWDgz2LqxwtoUeWFYFNCqNrYGXS2e-2QGfqKdYPHPYuSqj05xWmtGR5WgTEz_Cg2wtO9mDQ/s200/STA70617.JPG" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzPJb_LHavzSulZHw76UNIfzAvx9hGZBGE8TtgQ2qPsqkhcSniX-jggcHydwVwKsDSXdc-K9AW8K2XKTfmnH5kyhYW3UFZM_oUH3WbRhN6BIhE3-QtMEnzk3CrDpYysIPhA6FIRAfIIU/s1600-h/STA70752.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284808757298190034" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTzPJb_LHavzSulZHw76UNIfzAvx9hGZBGE8TtgQ2qPsqkhcSniX-jggcHydwVwKsDSXdc-K9AW8K2XKTfmnH5kyhYW3UFZM_oUH3WbRhN6BIhE3-QtMEnzk3CrDpYysIPhA6FIRAfIIU/s200/STA70752.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYRubMkf4dUcw_TOMDQLg3olaoZjVun35zu5p-Z6sJCJzNw16Afka86csMzUIrgJkO55chtueqSZjo6XZ_ZfJoVqNgmPdJPC4ziRC9YT4kk72kv6UDGVIzvI0FohZ-ALMcd3H6Mi3gwk/s1600-h/STA70743.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284810541529476930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYRubMkf4dUcw_TOMDQLg3olaoZjVun35zu5p-Z6sJCJzNw16Afka86csMzUIrgJkO55chtueqSZjo6XZ_ZfJoVqNgmPdJPC4ziRC9YT4kk72kv6UDGVIzvI0FohZ-ALMcd3H6Mi3gwk/s200/STA70743.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkDEIG3aysFRqbSWsZO3SRQhHpW7MV5YxOqcXKqSyyWFRo5mvsPtL2blXW0YiAzUjog3jzDPnQXYPJAzlZIYzUUL5EI6FNvSoaUw1CuvYRW6XT-wwFhT975D2eLFTieEOloVlt-Jy-K8/s1600-h/STA70739.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284808749841673538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkDEIG3aysFRqbSWsZO3SRQhHpW7MV5YxOqcXKqSyyWFRo5mvsPtL2blXW0YiAzUjog3jzDPnQXYPJAzlZIYzUUL5EI6FNvSoaUw1CuvYRW6XT-wwFhT975D2eLFTieEOloVlt-Jy-K8/s200/STA70739.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1x9Oxz6YA7lGVgI7L8aa0SK8dKOvQEg2G23-u9A4a0ipMIVk5k0QcgPDGoLFriTYMGmiNlxQIVLQlcj_tfZN18Dq5cCvqBoo6VZowsZ3E5k9cj1Y2Ex5kp0F9OcvqbQeMsQBjif2qCM/s1600-h/STA70734.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284808742023576434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1x9Oxz6YA7lGVgI7L8aa0SK8dKOvQEg2G23-u9A4a0ipMIVk5k0QcgPDGoLFriTYMGmiNlxQIVLQlcj_tfZN18Dq5cCvqBoo6VZowsZ3E5k9cj1Y2Ex5kp0F9OcvqbQeMsQBjif2qCM/s200/STA70734.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiaSDoxZfUeGU45feZlrZK_aOK70CK5RFcDM9WHAHbu38aYvaQizHQ43DK4Sw0eRfx-uySawgSh6YaO5o8VdCkTDHEidfgtWsXBRkTMsgw68q-mWABivj90islPq6QZFOmjLPU6epkJg/s1600-h/STA70683.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284808766159289410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiaSDoxZfUeGU45feZlrZK_aOK70CK5RFcDM9WHAHbu38aYvaQizHQ43DK4Sw0eRfx-uySawgSh6YaO5o8VdCkTDHEidfgtWsXBRkTMsgw68q-mWABivj90islPq6QZFOmjLPU6epkJg/s200/STA70683.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqEArPuuxDOI99Vi-qMSewdL6qkoBnkjb4ohgKetWpnAdL4O__Po0URuN1IZiai6VSVEpSn3LBDVMcnywl3ZNZlNmTNSHTqIrbioQ0I-D5K-YccRrzWrEtiCMhXRronkcryEybm6xFW0/s1600-h/STA70727.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284805635283790946" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqEArPuuxDOI99Vi-qMSewdL6qkoBnkjb4ohgKetWpnAdL4O__Po0URuN1IZiai6VSVEpSn3LBDVMcnywl3ZNZlNmTNSHTqIrbioQ0I-D5K-YccRrzWrEtiCMhXRronkcryEybm6xFW0/s200/STA70727.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgUJKqFO6EtV9M9j4txOG6S56sj631uss-RV4j_hY3VXeqHScp8WfHO34kCj2MO-DmYmSucBcdMFR1pEAZ-1eCSjCqHj-pUyqEhfunTmFgqzt2RyD7wilFxYseSKl4oFXLT9RxJTFS78/s1600-h/STA70724.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284805621480058610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 203px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgUJKqFO6EtV9M9j4txOG6S56sj631uss-RV4j_hY3VXeqHScp8WfHO34kCj2MO-DmYmSucBcdMFR1pEAZ-1eCSjCqHj-pUyqEhfunTmFgqzt2RyD7wilFxYseSKl4oFXLT9RxJTFS78/s200/STA70724.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7s470MM64XljVmFy4jqDE-0aTytzG5ox5xDSeZXV2t38wfPGWfJt6jpfYq1TfQtc3rWqgSIqm6pudbYq_i1-DOLET5Aw5bMf5f1a-XkbdLqPjLLCMfXBN7bZkyRdoIhfn9bGuW-Rn5Hc/s1600-h/STA70721.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284805618880259522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7s470MM64XljVmFy4jqDE-0aTytzG5ox5xDSeZXV2t38wfPGWfJt6jpfYq1TfQtc3rWqgSIqm6pudbYq_i1-DOLET5Aw5bMf5f1a-XkbdLqPjLLCMfXBN7bZkyRdoIhfn9bGuW-Rn5Hc/s200/STA70721.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAN5sgJD49Fs9gRjzKAAAkK_hlviBpxnr81atdTizA3QWp245lWX5mM8SJ0K8wOBUVTGfVKMlZx41rZo836Gkf1ydoBPEJHg5aPLYOvs8eKRYQ6h-H538O8UsXCBJ1_yemUXJ7O17A_g/s1600-h/STA70709.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5284805612341698882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAN5sgJD49Fs9gRjzKAAAkK_hlviBpxnr81atdTizA3QWp245lWX5mM8SJ0K8wOBUVTGfVKMlZx41rZo836Gkf1ydoBPEJHg5aPLYOvs8eKRYQ6h-H538O8UsXCBJ1_yemUXJ7O17A_g/s200/STA70709.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>I have been taking random pictures of fruits and tubers in village lately and I wanted to share them. This is the real Togo, l-l-l-live! Inyams and nanners. They were Christmas gifts from my lovely peeps in village. I also have some interesting skin wound (contact dermatitis) and I had some professional pictures made with it. I spent Christmas in Notse and had a wonderful one-on-one time with its volunteer, Ashley. We drank tchouk, locally made millet beer that tastes like apple cider with a kick, with 2 of her friends in village Christmas Eve. Christmas day, we ate fufu with her homologue and family and Christmas was almost ruined (according to her homologue, not us) when Ashley, trying to help pound the fufu and then take it out of the wooden mortar, received a large splinter shoved up her pinky nail as a Christmas surprise. I took it out with her leatherman pliers and Christmas was saved until I noticed the beginning of my contact dermatitis. Some say it's from a blister beetle (dragging its ass across my arm?). I think it's from a caustic inyam peel that somehow found its way on my right wrist even though I NEVER touched an inyam that day until it was transformed into fufu. </div><div> </div><div>Ashley and I watched a horrible film cleverly named, <em>Noel</em>, with an all-star cast and guest surprise actor Robin Williams! later that afternoon. Never watch this film on Christmas or ever. We also watched the DVD's of "The Soup" that Andrea had burned for me. Somewhat disturbing actually. Reality TV makes me feel odd about Americans. We saw some clips from "The 2 Coreys" and Feldman sang to his wife, extremely close to her face and very loudly with a microphone, "na na na na na na na i love you, on and on and owhun..." Terrible.</div><div> </div><div>But, I am ready for 2009. I feel really good about 2008 and have no regrets from last year because I learned a lot. My new resolution for 2009 is...drum roll, ta ta ta dah! Living in the moment. </div><div> </div><div>I made some enriched cereal and did a formation on nutrition at my dispensaire for the women. It was fun making it because I got to go to the mill and grind corn, roasted peanuts roasted by moi-meme, and roasted black eyed peas ( it was actually delicious, especially with a sliced banana in it). So, I took a picture of the sacks of enriched cereal that I gave to the women after the talk. Oh and my carrots are ready finally and I ate one and it was super sweet. I gave some to my friend, Marthilde, and when looking at them, she told me that everyone is not the same because these carrots are all carrots, but totally different. I loved that, so I decided to send the picture of her with my carrot garden and the carrots I gave her that inspired her comment. Okay so here are some pictures to enjoy. Love to you all. Happy New Year!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-23886369446141010942008-11-27T03:33:00.000-08:002008-11-28T03:30:31.605-08:00I am stubborn.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g3LRXa83ni3a-ULzsWSy5bKCBhU6oPSblCBsbjGGXM-jQr-wL156K2GosQ_XlOlFnf6Ro6rg7T2DgpP-dmBYwLK8rkn8S0Z0suyW9nhL5pqwjrM1wny9COxPptnftQ9pnmAmGhO3180/s1600-h/Picture+615.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273668176166732338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9g3LRXa83ni3a-ULzsWSy5bKCBhU6oPSblCBsbjGGXM-jQr-wL156K2GosQ_XlOlFnf6Ro6rg7T2DgpP-dmBYwLK8rkn8S0Z0suyW9nhL5pqwjrM1wny9COxPptnftQ9pnmAmGhO3180/s200/Picture+615.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>My Peace Corps experience has truly allowed me to reflect. I am stubborn as I just titled this blog. But, I am also learning that I can not be stubborn if I know I am being stubborn. And I feel like this may just be the secret to my future success. Did I just jinx myself? I also need to work on being less superstitious. But, I would just like to clarify that even though this experience has been challenging, I would never trade it for anything. I have wanted to be a Peace Corps Volunteer since I was 16. And I'm finally in it. To win it. Living in a developing country is not easy and so maybe my previous blogs reflected my frustration or misunderstanding of the culture in Togo. But, isn't this part of the process in being here, living here, eating here, sharting my pants here, crying, giggling, being bored here? So, if I came across as being unhappy or ready to leave, I was just being honest. My emotions are up and down daily, hourly, secondly. At some moments, I am so bored or frustrated that I get a little nutty. At some moments, I am so glad to be here that I can't imagine what it will be like to leave and re-enter what my life was. I am scared to come back. I am scared to stay here for the full 2 years. Will I just fall back into myself? But, I have learned to cope. I have learned to not react immediately to a situation. I have learned to try to understand why someone reacts a certain way to a situation. I am learning patience. I am learning that nothing ever turns out the way you want it to, okay, maybe occassionally it does, but to be okay with it. </div><br /><div>As far as work is conerned right now in village, things are going well. I am starting home visit sensibilisations on latrine use (i.e. how to use the EcoSan latrine, washing hands, etc.); I just finished a health coloring book; I am working on introducing solar cooking to my village (CookIt and fruit drying) and am still working with the NGO in Kpalime. I am organizing a small event in my village for World AIDS Day. I am not coming home for Christmas. I am going to Abidjan and Ghana in January. My dream is to go to Morocco before I leave. I hope I haven't cheesed anyone out with this posting. I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving. Later my taters!</div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-13358478593357749362008-11-07T07:52:00.001-08:002008-11-07T11:55:15.232-08:00Lee Greenwood's song finally makes sense...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypRgmpqLk_r1_YRJ2bT7NO9oISNlO5BLHjMH5RggDvv0VaxQYamkZ4Vysrr95O3y8kHXtCm3aDlO05YjgNpYwCezQDLtVwaOugx_nT1fRdJGKV5QVV2xv8BsUKY7S4HEGteU9-aZ9nQg/s1600-h/STA70493.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266006460573362674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypRgmpqLk_r1_YRJ2bT7NO9oISNlO5BLHjMH5RggDvv0VaxQYamkZ4Vysrr95O3y8kHXtCm3aDlO05YjgNpYwCezQDLtVwaOugx_nT1fRdJGKV5QVV2xv8BsUKY7S4HEGteU9-aZ9nQg/s200/STA70493.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>That's right, I am finally proud to be an American. I have had so many conversations in the last few days about Obama. Every Togolese person I know, knows Barack Obama. They are really excited about him and I am speechless. I stayed up until 5 A.M. watching the coverage in Atakpame at another volunteer's house who has satellite television. I saw both his and McCain's speeches after the results came out. Ahhh. I can't wait to come home.<br />I recently went up to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for an artisanal tradeshow. I had fun. But, the most important part of my trip was the food. Togo and apparently Burkina Faso are rampant with street food and snacks. I wrote down all the scrumptious snacks and have decided to list them:<br />1. Egg omelette sandwhich with cafe au lait: this is served pretty much throughout the day and usually has some pieces of onion and tomato chopped into it. The cafe au lait is just nescafe but with something very magical. Sweetened condensed milk. So good.<br />2. Sweetened black tea shots: a man with a roll cart walks around selling this in shot glasses. I think further up north, more mint would be used. This excites me.<br />3. Frozen coconut milk: bought this in Burkina Faso right out of the bus. It was on a stick. It cut my tongue.<br />4. Minty Bissap juice: Hibiscus juice with mint in a sac. Cut a hole in the sack with your front teeth and sip away.<br />5. Oranges, Watermelons, Boiled peanuts, Bananas: fruit right out of the bush taxi. Always fresh, always good.<br />6. Beans and gari: black eyed peas and toasted grated cassava. With piment (hot pepper).<br />7. Alagba: frozen baobab juice in a cold sac that you suck out. Tastes like apple juice.<br />8. Sesame bar: found more north. I thought I could only find this in Greece. I bought a bag of heart-shaped bars once again right out of the window of my bus.<br />9. Soy milk: frozen and in a sack. Sweet. Right out of the bus window.<br />10. Yellow melon: shaped like a cucumber, but tastes like honeydew.<br />11. Wild peanut, "arachide sauvage": tastes like a chickpea and peanut. Found this at a station heading back to my village from Atakpame. </div><br /><div>12. The picture that I posted is from a coffee shot stand in Ouagadougou.<br />I am being disturbed by another volunteer right now blocking my attention from this blog, so I cannot put any concentration into this beyond listing. I am sorry. Blame David Johnston. But, these are all things I can easily get at most stops when on a bush taxi. This is why I love Togo. I guess it's like fast food, but healthier and more spontaneous because you never know what will be offered. I love you all and I am really happy that Obama won. Really happy. Later taters.</div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-16626120182088561722008-10-15T06:09:00.000-07:002008-10-15T07:07:11.561-07:00Resistance is futileI am back in Lome for just 2 days in order to do some quick work on the computer and will leave bright and early tomorrow morning to head to Atakpame for a quick birthday celebration and then head back to village so I can be present for my liquid soap formation on Sunday. My host mother from Agou Nyogbo has offered to come to my village to show my women's group how to make it and I am so excited. I am also here to buy some coconuts because I want more jam. I think they are starting to come into season and I can't seem to find any further north near my village. So, I never got to talk about the marathon and I sent some letters out but I decided it would make for a pretty good post.<br />The marathon was in Accra, Ghana September 28 and it was sponsoring the Longevity Project (programs to increase the average life span of Ghanaians). It was my first. I ran the half, but here it why it kicked my ass:<br />1. It started at 7 a.m., not 5:30 a.m., as advertised. West Africa is hot.<br />2. The half-marathon was 24 km not 21 km as all other half-marathons in the world (a full marathon is 42 km).<br />3. We were running in traffic (it was a Sunday, so it was just church traffic, but by just, I mean more traffic than usual because everyone goes to churchee here).<br />4. There were only about 200 people who ran the marathon, so I ran alone for most of it. There was no crowd cheering me on, only people greeting me and screaming things at me like, "Run faster! Everyone is so far ahead of you! You only have a little more to go(this was at mile 8)..."<br />But, I am so glad I ran it and I can't wait to run another one in the U.S.A. I have no pictures to post because I could not fit a camera on my person for the run. However, we had some parents present for the marathon and there are pictures posted on my Facebook site. Under Linda Golden.<br />My work in village is going. I am currently working on a Health and Hygiene coloring book for the Ecole Primaire students (similar to grades 1-6). It's something I really wanted to do when I first got to poste, so I am excited to finally be able to do it. I am also working with an NGO in Kpalime called Vivre Mieux that works with HIV positive people. I have started a support-type group with men and women and I plan on introducing Moringa and other income generating activities.<br />I hope everyone is doing well. I hope to have some pictures up next post. Bye-byee-lo.stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-20247303449339402742008-09-25T14:09:00.000-07:002008-09-25T14:56:00.679-07:00Coconut Jam-On-It<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBQMbaBFAscsUyij46HI4QqrXPh8E8jE3_iPhfoRqtOiRvHYF4M968h8l5CKpwJtLfnU9UDuNahA2ceXjZtRDcETgkUk40bSjPCDfcY1WZ35yUzgRagefQLAcsA_fKM-Wyk8gaiFg_i4/s1600-h/STA70445.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250079498361341106" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBQMbaBFAscsUyij46HI4QqrXPh8E8jE3_iPhfoRqtOiRvHYF4M968h8l5CKpwJtLfnU9UDuNahA2ceXjZtRDcETgkUk40bSjPCDfcY1WZ35yUzgRagefQLAcsA_fKM-Wyk8gaiFg_i4/s200/STA70445.JPG" border="0" /></a> Greeting earthlings. I am in Lome once again not preparing for someone to ET, but for the marathon I have been training for since March. I'm having some personal problems, so instead of writing about them, I would like to share a recipe. It's coconut jam and it was born out of the womb of a Ms. Allison Green. Here it is:<br /><br /><div><div><div>First and foremost, one must know how to open a coconut. I do not really know how to do this, so I asked my friend, Bienvenue, to do it for me. He used a machete quite craftily. We poured the water out into a cup, which I then later used (for evil) in the jam. We then used knives to crack the "meat" of the coconut out of its shell. We then scraped the brown skin off of the coconut and washed the pieces before chopping them into very fine little pieces. Next time, I will probably use a grater. Here is Marthilde, my friend in village, demonstrating the cut coconut pieces.<br /></div><div>After that hour long process, Bienvenue crushed the coconut pieces on a stone slab (Togolese use this to 'ecrase' most things they put in sauces, such as tomatoes, onions, piment, etc. especially for their fufu sauces. I think this is sort of like using a chopping board, except no choppy choppy, only crushy crushy.) Note picture of him in action. His girlfriend, Marthilde, made fun of him and started singing a booty shaking song as he was doing it. I laughed a lot. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZG8yGPlKLhpjayeT6LcTSNHhMs_t_WkXUf0dUvxaDABX52kgxOy00qi5TgnpSCKr1u_z2qId0-Kjm_LSzN4_rvQLArbLRSLYdI67nYUtCaPS9vSeNSZy4-1LRjhMHrLGA-wt4BbGf8rI/s1600-h/STA70446.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250074511996903810" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 223px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" height="150" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZG8yGPlKLhpjayeT6LcTSNHhMs_t_WkXUf0dUvxaDABX52kgxOy00qi5TgnpSCKr1u_z2qId0-Kjm_LSzN4_rvQLArbLRSLYdI67nYUtCaPS9vSeNSZy4-1LRjhMHrLGA-wt4BbGf8rI/s200/STA70446.JPG" width="288" border="0" /></a>So, next we added the coconut water along with enough water to cover the coconut bits. We used 3 coconuts for this recipe, which yielded 3 small jars of coconut jam. I used about 2 cups of water. I also added all the cinnamon I had left (about 2 tbsp), 1 tbsp of vanilla and about 1 1/2 cups of sugar. We then boiled the living scheisse out of it for about 45 minutes. Here is a picture of the hotter than hell fire we used to create this jam. Once, the "jam" had a sticky or "gel-ly" texture to it, we set it aside and boiled our jars and lids so that we <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKtjl50IpZb9ng73py2H5o9XouGzFrLK-QJCwxL8HOsmjodWgv4QzfrjWdqyokU5LdJ2vqTUNvhGQqxS46jJh-sgTCbtBR_TSeWLGT02rqteiBBn_HQ5M6mWRibYW3TBGR8WSEFxck1Q/s1600-h/STA70448.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250076701919564514" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyKtjl50IpZb9ng73py2H5o9XouGzFrLK-QJCwxL8HOsmjodWgv4QzfrjWdqyokU5LdJ2vqTUNvhGQqxS46jJh-sgTCbtBR_TSeWLGT02rqteiBBn_HQ5M6mWRibYW3TBGR8WSEFxck1Q/s200/STA70448.JPG" border="0" /></a>could add the hot mixture to the hot jars. We then placed the filled jars back into the boiling water and let them sit in the hell for about 1 minute. I then carefully removed the jars and placed them on their lids to "seal the deal". And that's that. It's delish and I recommend everyone try it. </div><div>Maybe next week, I will send a more personal story of my travails here in We(s)t Africa. It's rainy season and everyone is out in the fields. Except for me. This last picture is of Marthilde acting as a chief of the coconut jam jars (Chiefs in Togo wear fabric draped over them as she is demonstrating here). Wish me luck <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlX-3OY49EcXl8QZOPXojDgwlR3o7Aql5pXgfi4Fe2xnESOBlI80xya5MABl8aTIDjXbExFKPYOSxu7DF-J2h-Ogg02FvIdU2C3PtcxhL3jx-DKYef8u9L-89rNGvbaM9krccVlxFqldA/s1600-h/STA70452.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250079815351795362" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlX-3OY49EcXl8QZOPXojDgwlR3o7Aql5pXgfi4Fe2xnESOBlI80xya5MABl8aTIDjXbExFKPYOSxu7DF-J2h-Ogg02FvIdU2C3PtcxhL3jx-DKYef8u9L-89rNGvbaM9krccVlxFqldA/s200/STA70452.JPG" border="0" /></a>on the marathon this Sunday. And I would like to send a shout out to Ivy Antigone Chiavarini. M'waezo lo (Welcome in Ewe)! I can't wait to meet you, you little precious morsel!</div></div></div></div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-16464754364604890972008-08-25T13:43:00.000-07:002008-08-26T02:07:53.779-07:00I'm not sure what to title this blog entry, so it's going to be a long one about how I don't know how to title it...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84O8giNpUEftv_MwPZCstru0tJ1EcVqNeWbOv0G_kjhONvkIeiJns6ynNzUOxgGDfnOpnX9JbsIO7jZ0pxXZdl7PygeEQ8sMEBLmrFH4jDNe6MhkPH0YCn53HM4eRVPTqKdQ5C0PICXI/s1600-h/STA70329.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238748522522156418" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="240" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi84O8giNpUEftv_MwPZCstru0tJ1EcVqNeWbOv0G_kjhONvkIeiJns6ynNzUOxgGDfnOpnX9JbsIO7jZ0pxXZdl7PygeEQ8sMEBLmrFH4jDNe6MhkPH0YCn53HM4eRVPTqKdQ5C0PICXI/s320/STA70329.JPG" width="318" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />I am on an impromptu trip to Lome because my Kpalime cluster mates, Nadia and Tristan, are ET'ing (early termination). And it's sad because now 3 people from my already small cluster have left in the last 3 months. But, on a really great positive note let me tell you all about my trip out to Notse and Avassikpe after my awesome pelvic exam required by Peace Corps after 1 year of service. Oh yeah, I have been a volunteer now for 1 year. Bon travail Antigone! So, in total, I have been in Togo for 15 months. Crazy, right? I went to my friend's village in Notse and it was quite interesting because there are about 9 bridges down in Togo, which is causing a lot of problems. List of problems: 1. There are really only 2 main paved roads (the Route National and the Lome-Kpalime-Atakpame road) 2. There are mother loads of semi-trucks that need to transport materials, food, gas etc 3. I live off of a dirt road that connects the Lome-Kpalime road to the Route National. List of solutions: 1. Re-route all semi-trucks through my dirt road so they can avoid the flooding and cluster of damaged bridges that are all concentrated south of Notse 2. Re-route people by making them walk ~1 km with all of their luggage and what-not to the other side of the Route National. I did this in order to get to Notse and it was almost like mass exodus, like the scene in "Fidder on the Roof" when everyone leaves Anatevka together. However, this is a problem and if the roads do not get fixed soon, then travel in this country may come to a halt. I saw 3 semi-trucks yesterday on the Notse mud road that had fallen on their sides and will probably be there for a very long time. No cars are allowed to pass that road now because they would only get stuck in the huge holes the heavy trucks have created day to day during the rainiest season Togo has had in a while. But, once I did actually get to Notse I spent 2 days lolly-gagging around and went to my friends' Moringa fields (see picture with sunset) and then did the same in another volunteer's village about 18 km away that we happily biked to. In Avassikpe, we made Moringa oil and I have attached the pictures. I love going to other volunteers' villages because I get to see how different they all are. Whether it's the reaction to the volunteer or the access to resources such as food, gas, or cold water (electricity, te amo). I also like to see how motivated people in the village are. It's given me a better perspective on my village. Anyway, all is well and as always I miss all of you. Adios Nadia and Tristan. If you read this, know that I just can't quit you two...I miss you guys already and you haven't even left the country yet. But, I'm a big girl and as Peggy once wisely said, I'm going to put my big girl panties on now...<br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Moringa Oil recipe</span><br /><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxYS_EN9nLDjDiLdxmbynts7YthOgC7GpUTm12koA_zXvoGYyss5E1NV0WHZWdQM38_rhJ5EvZIsuDJnXQFcTTiGWXZ69iDH9EDOXoimP4yWZSz5MKu0IbqfFGLmAFd-l7XwvAYvQZw0/s1600-h/STA70318.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238736239003248450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMxYS_EN9nLDjDiLdxmbynts7YthOgC7GpUTm12koA_zXvoGYyss5E1NV0WHZWdQM38_rhJ5EvZIsuDJnXQFcTTiGWXZ69iDH9EDOXoimP4yWZSz5MKu0IbqfFGLmAFd-l7XwvAYvQZw0/s200/STA70318.JPG" border="0" /></a>After removing the outer casing of the Moringa seed (initially using our hands, then teeth, then a garlic press), we pounded the seeds until they became...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGg4nIKZCmyX_yAGKwDNv6XUTJ7BeuWvHtcwl1r5A34on7Tv-atb_lEkOMdTa1w20xJhQws1m2KYs7Fj541nm6FxVw3OJ7y7PJAcTK-4W0u20CAKw4i-BzCMB0trD9JUJstwh3iJjskgU/s1600-h/STA70324.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238736241681042738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGg4nIKZCmyX_yAGKwDNv6XUTJ7BeuWvHtcwl1r5A34on7Tv-atb_lEkOMdTa1w20xJhQws1m2KYs7Fj541nm6FxVw3OJ7y7PJAcTK-4W0u20CAKw4i-BzCMB0trD9JUJstwh3iJjskgU/s200/STA70324.JPG" border="0" /></a>this! Because it is rainy season, I don't think the seeds were completely dry, which made the powder more "gewy", but it still worked when we added that "powder" to hot boiling water...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfUr_2RaDniNFKzMUP3aHIZ6WJksaiZVbrrsk7xw5VfQXwBxgibvEkaL_hkPOmSC7fG26BM5UwsoLTaYIBAMSNMsJMfKnrr9E91oqYveKmLFBxRdzFydG6DmoSNoWvQiGOQAui7EvnyM/s1600-h/STA70325.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238736248393268306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfUr_2RaDniNFKzMUP3aHIZ6WJksaiZVbrrsk7xw5VfQXwBxgibvEkaL_hkPOmSC7fG26BM5UwsoLTaYIBAMSNMsJMfKnrr9E91oqYveKmLFBxRdzFydG6DmoSNoWvQiGOQAui7EvnyM/s200/STA70325.JPG" border="0" /></a>and waited for the oil to start pooling at the top like this. We had to keep adding water in order to continue boiling the solution and allowing for more oil to pool at the top.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVEGVXgTP1XxNLViPSSCWn2GatpvpLYYylIGKOG_q2QY_-OPJXJlY3LksH2q_K6F6wJTy6NtHVV0w03v7dMMjskaADydJBoWxckroj1_kPuXrJFBhyphenhyphen9V4-9L2XrKAipd40ZYH0WgmpBM/s1600-h/STA70326.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238736253147370162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVEGVXgTP1XxNLViPSSCWn2GatpvpLYYylIGKOG_q2QY_-OPJXJlY3LksH2q_K6F6wJTy6NtHVV0w03v7dMMjskaADydJBoWxckroj1_kPuXrJFBhyphenhyphen9V4-9L2XrKAipd40ZYH0WgmpBM/s200/STA70326.JPG" border="0" /></a>Unfortunately, this is all the oil we got. I tasted the seed and Ashley correctly stated that it had a "flavor burst". I had to drink a lot of water and add several of Danielle's Swedish Fish candies to my mouth to get the rubbery paste of the seed off of the roof of my mouth. The oil was also very bitter, but I would imagine that it would be good in a sauce. The process of making Moringa oil took a lot of time, so I don't know how useful making it for consumption would be, but I think adding it as an essential oil to a soap or lotion recipe would be nice. It smelled like fresh cut grass to me. </p><p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-62717060841581135912008-07-19T02:31:00.000-07:002008-07-19T03:31:13.193-07:00Back in the A-F-R-I-C-AWhat it is. Yes I am back in Togo after a very tender, magical time spent in wonderland, a.k.a. Greece. I would post pictures, but I cannot find the cord necessary to plug into the computer to do so. It is somewhere hidden in Nacho's tender, magical locker that I think has about a week's worth of dirty laundry, a whiskey sachet, her iPod cord, a solar charger, some flip-flops and other various important necessities such as a camera cord. My trip to Greece was great. Let's just leave it at that. The trip back to Togo is what makes my life so much more interesting. I missed my flight from Athens to Dubai because my flight into Athens from Thessaloniki was late. They also made the flight out of Athens early, which gave me absolutely no time to get my luggage out of baggage claim and check in to Emirate Air. So, they booked me on a flight with Olympic Airlines into Dubai. Olympic Airlines. Where to begin? They ran out of blankets, they gave us only one choice for the meal (beef pastitsio--a Greek noodle casserole--that I actually did eat. I'm so glad I practiced eating meat before I came to Africa, but who knew I would have to put it into use in Europe?), the headphones did not work and there was only one TV monitor with only one choice of a show per 1000 seats, the flight attendants were saucy as hell, and the bathroom would put even a latrine at a bus station in Togo to shame. But, before all of this even happened, my leave-in conditioner was taken from me at the security check in Athens. That's right, LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER. The woman tried to also take my Tom's of Maine Cinnamon-Clove toothpaste that was given to me by my mother, Biggie Smalls, but when I started crying and pleading to her that where I was about to go was so undeveloped that they didn't <em>even</em> have Tom's of Maine toothpaste, she placed her pointer finger vertically over her mouth and told me to keep quiet and furtively threw the toothpaste back in my bag. Afterwards, ss I was trying to cover my red, swollen eyes from my fellow travelers with my favorite big, Togolese, haute coutoure sunglasses, I noticed that one of the lenses had fallen out (they finally broke-I knew it would happen, it was only a question of when, because these are the second pair of these glasses, but the first pair had a different demise. The ear piece fell off). So, I just let them all have it. I was sad and couldn't hide it anymore. I spent the night on a chair in Dubai (8 hour layover), but not before checking out the Duty Free Shop. To make up for my sadness and loss of leave-in conditioner, I bought a big bag of almonds, Haribo gummy bears, and anti-wrinkle eye cream. My friends met me in Accra and it was like a gift from god.<br />The marathon in Togo has been cancelled because only 3 people are running it. I am still running the Ghana marathon, but have decided to participate in a bike tourney that runs across Togo and supports the same scholarship for girls' education. It is in November. Today, I will be leaving for my village and I am nervous and also scared to see the state of my house. Bat guano and mice turds fall down from the cracks in the ceiling, especially in my bathroom, and it is not a very welcoming site. I will have a lot of work ahead of me and I am tired and too lazy to wash my hair that has dusty mud in it from yesterday's bush taxi ride back to Togo. I think about all of you and miss you all so much. I have to keep reminding myself that this is all an adventure even when I am twiddling my thumbs, staring at the ceiling and trying to figure why I did this and how much longer I can do this. I am lucky to have this opportunity and I am experiencing new things all the time, even though they are not always very comfortable. I am okay. I am okay. This is an adventure.stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-59414720183844336652008-06-09T06:47:00.000-07:002008-12-08T14:11:21.424-08:00Fat lady a-singin'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKF5x4e8b595p7wIIkOIpwP_uviDhHjC056F21w4AevMFNshgka8r7HszdkeICW_zWKR-0aRK5p0a5Arfqlh6O4WAC7A9kzBf_FrfR0rWEEmSKNgNjXzndH4_vl4Cc3BTyjNxtQ79ePE/s1600-h/STA70228.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209888326482045426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQKF5x4e8b595p7wIIkOIpwP_uviDhHjC056F21w4AevMFNshgka8r7HszdkeICW_zWKR-0aRK5p0a5Arfqlh6O4WAC7A9kzBf_FrfR0rWEEmSKNgNjXzndH4_vl4Cc3BTyjNxtQ79ePE/s320/STA70228.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I have been in Togo for 367 days. The new training group just arrived here the day before yesterday and we had a big welcoming party for them last night. I have been out of village for about 2 weeks. But, let me tell you all about Camp UNITE. C'est bananes! It was a week long camp (I never went to camp as a child) for female apprenties (what is an apprenti/apprenticeship, you ask? An apprenticeship is like a trade school. They can do apprenticeships in carpentry, sewing, mechanics, etc.) They are also doing camps for male apprenties and girl and boy students. My camp though was the first camp and even though I am now exhausted, it was well worth all the hard work. The camp consisted of sessions on Family Planning, HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality, Nutrition, Adolescence and Puberty, Self-Confidence and Techniques to Good Communication. The mood of the camp was positive and all the girls after the 2nd day really came out of their shell. We sang and played games and taught the girls some income generating activities (jewerly making using bottle caps and magazines pages...prettier than it sounds; lotion making...). I got to play the role of "Pagi" the negative villager who tries to discourage the girls all week, but somehow learns from them too. The last day of camp I was a changed girl who had gained self-confidence and a positive attitude. Voulour c'est pouvoir (to want is to be able)! I am leaving Togo on a very positive note. I will be in Greece from mid-June to mid-July and I am super pumped but also super scared because I am afraid I will not want to come back from the land of milk and honey (actually yogurt and honey). But, I have a lot of support from other volunteers and they keep me here happy, most of the time. Kisses and hugs to all of you. Barack, eh? Sweet.</div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-8616236483418234622008-05-11T13:37:00.000-07:002008-05-11T13:42:33.931-07:00Holy Janet! You send me a comment with absolutely no information about yourself. Like an e-mail or an address. Please do this. Here is my address: <a href="mailto:antigoni_yes@yahoo.com">antigoni_yes@yahoo.com</a> or<br />PCV Antigone Pantanizopoulos<br />Corps de la Paix<br />B.P. 3194<br />Lome, Togo<br />So good to hear from you. Janet, why the long face? We found each other again. This is so exciting...dreams do come true. Please send me your info. And hello to everyone else!stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-1372790027820784402008-05-03T11:55:00.000-07:002008-12-08T14:11:22.511-08:00Pictures speak louder than words<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCw2hhDmR9dKZn9cQhaTiVMrVnC4oHqttoVrOjFFeVCU2hHe4VI8J6nNEtHM1XK7gu18hPCFHRA69tEmrdGbRj_xWwml3cqjxe2dWeN9cosMJtTWpw0BrgYLMJRs7mFtAefBElep_06w/s1600-h/STA70255.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196239110668645746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCw2hhDmR9dKZn9cQhaTiVMrVnC4oHqttoVrOjFFeVCU2hHe4VI8J6nNEtHM1XK7gu18hPCFHRA69tEmrdGbRj_xWwml3cqjxe2dWeN9cosMJtTWpw0BrgYLMJRs7mFtAefBElep_06w/s320/STA70255.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAn9KI9nuswja2vMm00HR2q7ZeI8_rG7pndAb9Z19q7_R-B7p6ngSLGZKizAhFwoW-yWf92ZRMzpWYNSApI_KS7wLEPf0B2nulmyGeA5-IYAAp7nyRri5ynbKkiCRktzCsGZzts2LuG8s/s1600-h/STA70231.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196237306782381346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAn9KI9nuswja2vMm00HR2q7ZeI8_rG7pndAb9Z19q7_R-B7p6ngSLGZKizAhFwoW-yWf92ZRMzpWYNSApI_KS7wLEPf0B2nulmyGeA5-IYAAp7nyRri5ynbKkiCRktzCsGZzts2LuG8s/s320/STA70231.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B5YGk7G3IIx4aYQIo9ztGgg-QcWX5vL7rPA8vAwVhY2m6jvOxV4oQZznSOPyh9vL7Oy-IL8_ptiRpt4ST1pmw2yiuY6GpMZFbD9DYHkX7WGfczG5lEU6QkhNkI1DbN39zK3JnvwbZ98/s1600-h/STA70237.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196237315372315954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B5YGk7G3IIx4aYQIo9ztGgg-QcWX5vL7rPA8vAwVhY2m6jvOxV4oQZznSOPyh9vL7Oy-IL8_ptiRpt4ST1pmw2yiuY6GpMZFbD9DYHkX7WGfczG5lEU6QkhNkI1DbN39zK3JnvwbZ98/s320/STA70237.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznVQMySObdF6zFlk2fJvPQ_956bU0O_bb3RAaJHTQfl5Kul6xAri56i8jG4o8sXvH-6YSF-s3H1qzheC9XNxWMDMoG-ZheJIFAcpOcJFVEb5gKYXOuFMxhbYf_IvWToDKwbYQKLmvdWk/s1600-h/STA70244.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196237319667283266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiznVQMySObdF6zFlk2fJvPQ_956bU0O_bb3RAaJHTQfl5Kul6xAri56i8jG4o8sXvH-6YSF-s3H1qzheC9XNxWMDMoG-ZheJIFAcpOcJFVEb5gKYXOuFMxhbYf_IvWToDKwbYQKLmvdWk/s320/STA70244.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOr8uY8hJInF86nSA0UFR6dTSZqLimN5HTHu8a1qsNHgIXs5GlT7Cl1XItw213TZHthN6Cy43-GDHvBHzQAK5VAk3wvGD6j0uBA6XKw506nRggnmOz5Do_GL9WWsYhTmZmVECfGW25gbQ/s1600-h/STA70217.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196237323962250578" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOr8uY8hJInF86nSA0UFR6dTSZqLimN5HTHu8a1qsNHgIXs5GlT7Cl1XItw213TZHthN6Cy43-GDHvBHzQAK5VAk3wvGD6j0uBA6XKw506nRggnmOz5Do_GL9WWsYhTmZmVECfGW25gbQ/s320/STA70217.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggseBci48cMSa5A0zrCsh8uaO1XPNtzoQToSOEtbpzXZeNxCkHtLNPAtOzkl0eoVM_Odrr-p7h7KLAWzPsMXBYVZdDFtjERc4PzW2DQNni3SHDywsqa6DoF2XsP87Ea5E2r2w4KR7boNE/s1600-h/STA70263.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5196237332552185186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggseBci48cMSa5A0zrCsh8uaO1XPNtzoQToSOEtbpzXZeNxCkHtLNPAtOzkl0eoVM_Odrr-p7h7KLAWzPsMXBYVZdDFtjERc4PzW2DQNni3SHDywsqa6DoF2XsP87Ea5E2r2w4KR7boNE/s320/STA70263.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Hello everyone! So I've been doing stuff...biked the pathway for the marathon with Alicia, my co-coordinator. It was lovely and really hot and rained immediately after we arrived in my village. I went to Tchifama, Alicia's village, with my host mother from our training site, Agou Nyogbo, and Julia, my cluster mate who had the same host mother as I did (she's a Natural Resources Management volunteer). We had a good time, drinking tchouk, dressing in the same pagne, wandering around Tchifama looking ridicoulous and then eating fou-fou of course made by Alicia's host mother. So I've decided to just leave you a bunch of pictures this time and little word. I'm doing well, settling in. I read 3 books this week...Gone to Soldiers, The Village of Waiting and The Alchemist. I also started a girls' soccer team (the SexEd class was a bust, so I decided to approach it by talking about SexEd issues during practice) and started on the home visits with the water committee to teach the peeps in village about potable water and fecal-oral transmission. I said little word, didn't I? Okay. Enough. Here. I miss you all...oh and that spider was not killed, fortunately I had a friend come by and catch him in a broom and place him outside unscathed. I call him Biggie Smalls. No relation to the rapper or my mother. Peace out.</div></div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-9824496065501613972008-04-02T02:34:00.000-07:002008-12-08T14:11:22.894-08:00Kalo Mina en Avril!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ptlTmtdoZKv9BGPQat2BQYoIa9y-NdGGX7cengOjQ0KRhqxnzVYgzueMym2ZEQM-M9CvpLITPQaPjSGCBeo_KmOeEUjKfHomeYqx9VOpTjmgzmXJhVpKUPM8djk354lx8juWRyE_h1o/s1600-h/STA70165.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184593741889821970" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ptlTmtdoZKv9BGPQat2BQYoIa9y-NdGGX7cengOjQ0KRhqxnzVYgzueMym2ZEQM-M9CvpLITPQaPjSGCBeo_KmOeEUjKfHomeYqx9VOpTjmgzmXJhVpKUPM8djk354lx8juWRyE_h1o/s320/STA70165.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBMHfL2-2PzlBMYPhBZPeQUsoMF0E9KeGTRNgyjUGiJGOQsiexnfzqZuIPHU-K4EFYUoWyyxeeyueDcLj-jliKwEZXsSgubdWkvttMvRLuWquK3ml6fYiSS6YLhJXvBarEPOwup4GGvs/s1600-h/foufou.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184589489872198914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBMHfL2-2PzlBMYPhBZPeQUsoMF0E9KeGTRNgyjUGiJGOQsiexnfzqZuIPHU-K4EFYUoWyyxeeyueDcLj-jliKwEZXsSgubdWkvttMvRLuWquK3ml6fYiSS6YLhJXvBarEPOwup4GGvs/s320/foufou.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Dear All! I hope you are all well and happy in this beautiful month of April. It is hotter than all get-out here right now and I am really missing a beautiful spring in Tennessee. I am in Lome just for the day to do some computer work and check e-mail. What to say? What have I been doing? I've started training for the marathon and I've decided to run a half-marathon in Accra, Ghana in Septemeber as part of the training. I rode my bike to the dispensaire in Akplolo after not riding it for 3 months (I rode it all the way to Notse and left it there for 3 months...). I made date nut bread, actually 3 times because it's good tasting. I'm being kicked off the computer because someone else has to use it for evil. Just kidding...I miss you all and I hope you haven't forgotten about me b/c I think about y'all all the time. I leave you with several attractive pictures of me pounding foufou and of my beautiful village from the view of Mt. Agou. Tootles!</div></div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-68755929237935528992008-02-18T03:09:00.000-08:002008-12-08T14:11:23.471-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonnb61rjJ5ar8xETJ2hylpFWDc0UURium5Wy13I2bdLYZ06h34V_13BS9VVJul5KiBPepQV1mG33FAIvOVbI30QcuStyMkNblJQdu_7hh55LwIKCrxgQvsYhaMJpMuM3tRKV0iH_xJ2Y/s1600-h/STA70129.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168280528966538738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonnb61rjJ5ar8xETJ2hylpFWDc0UURium5Wy13I2bdLYZ06h34V_13BS9VVJul5KiBPepQV1mG33FAIvOVbI30QcuStyMkNblJQdu_7hh55LwIKCrxgQvsYhaMJpMuM3tRKV0iH_xJ2Y/s320/STA70129.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Me, Alicia and Natasha in Tchifama, Alicia's village. She lives in the chief's compound with his 19 children and 2 wives (he has a total of 5).</span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvtS1yJsO0YUd-g5SVsWVgii1y8xgxpxuZyPufU0LFIADsF59IlVVZKHOVER01GV04Zxq9CVLJchhALeuYEErwUfiMUbSS7A8XD0pups0ZkUn7us0cBRYgzxZfmq9Jl6FUH7O3J9Ky9c/s1600-h/STA70092.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168279511059289570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicvtS1yJsO0YUd-g5SVsWVgii1y8xgxpxuZyPufU0LFIADsF59IlVVZKHOVER01GV04Zxq9CVLJchhALeuYEErwUfiMUbSS7A8XD0pups0ZkUn7us0cBRYgzxZfmq9Jl6FUH7O3J9Ky9c/s320/STA70092.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Huge spider I found in my bathroom, stared at it to make sure it didn't move during my bucket shower.<br /></span><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33w6gauUpnx0sZkaoo1wwuEGPedMuBeaOLPN33_49T_PaI_l8qTwmbVcMBKPATaDnCG8pEZXGml0xS6q9Po_rDGRWiL_t4BrKdJLarhyphenhyphenRvcbqZvJsNAEBwDvVqrVoOircPYFQkv42Tw4/s1600-h/STA70057.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168277629863613890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33w6gauUpnx0sZkaoo1wwuEGPedMuBeaOLPN33_49T_PaI_l8qTwmbVcMBKPATaDnCG8pEZXGml0xS6q9Po_rDGRWiL_t4BrKdJLarhyphenhyphenRvcbqZvJsNAEBwDvVqrVoOircPYFQkv42Tw4/s320/STA70057.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:85%;">Me and the kids sitting on a mat outside my house New Year's Eve.<br /></span><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPBVa2qoP4aIxAtI-O-I-VbNGX3Kx0sL39pdOwEz2QrjjwtbqAEeUz2vupqKjkT9UrrJN59M9RQLz3Rv3zaAkO8tNxc6HDnQMlr3dpYqCQkksUh0o4k7RRxiajTIn3ORz2HWXdWU919A/s1600-h/STA70040.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168276491697280434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPBVa2qoP4aIxAtI-O-I-VbNGX3Kx0sL39pdOwEz2QrjjwtbqAEeUz2vupqKjkT9UrrJN59M9RQLz3Rv3zaAkO8tNxc6HDnQMlr3dpYqCQkksUh0o4k7RRxiajTIn3ORz2HWXdWU919A/s320/STA70040.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> Me and the kids at my first funeral in village. Akpedje is to my left and was sucking on a sack.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-58092575116480711102008-02-18T02:11:00.000-08:002008-12-08T14:11:23.598-08:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpr9ZV68N16XBH6S9tktgO6uUsVa9FdLVhLLGAWsvQF6x_9avg9bX1CCWZY1yaX2lIwS0I8G1OBrurFJanQdckN8Xmc4zNAA4X7WEbklYTZ6pJdjBOvnmJqRDgeOhvQ_FKAUa1qluDojo/s1600-h/STA70134.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168272531737433490" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpr9ZV68N16XBH6S9tktgO6uUsVa9FdLVhLLGAWsvQF6x_9avg9bX1CCWZY1yaX2lIwS0I8G1OBrurFJanQdckN8Xmc4zNAA4X7WEbklYTZ6pJdjBOvnmJqRDgeOhvQ_FKAUa1qluDojo/s320/STA70134.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I meant to post this blog at the beginning of this month. This is not Akpedje because the video clip I wanted to add here is not working, but I will send via e-mail so some of you can see it, k? This is me in my house and those are my brooms behind me.(This is Akpedje, my best friend in village, singing "Kalo Mina!" to me Feb. 1. It means "Good Month" in Greek and it is always said at the beginning of any month. I had told her the day before to say it to me and she remembered the next morning. She is shaking a bottle of "tchouk" as she is singing because this was a gift given to me by my Ewe language teacher and she was delivering it to me.) It has been an interesting month so far. I am back in Lome working with another volunteer, Alicia, on organizing a marathon from my village to my friend Ashley's village in Notse. We are planning it for next December and we want the money raised to go to a scholarship fund created by Peace Corps to pay for boys and girls to go to school. The students are nominated by volunteers and their grades are monitored in order to keep their scholarship. Just an idea so far, but I am hoping that it works out because I want to finally run a marathon! I am also working on having a 3-day training for the women's groups in my village focusing on nutrition and better farming practices (i.e. compost and maybe trying to grow more nutritious vegetables instead of the same manioc, yam and corn...). I also want to start a Health (i.e. sex) Education class for the young girls and possibly boys in my village. I am doing a small talk on Moringa at my dispensaire in my village this Wednesday and Thursday. I am planning vacations...so far Burkina Faso and Ghana. I am feeling a lot more settled here and I think having work has actually helped me feel better living here. I just got my ticket to Greece and I am super pumped. July 2-16, y'all. For anyone who wants to come visit me this summer, do not plan anything for those dates. And please come visit me...just let me know ahead of time so I can plan something, but also so I can make sure I can take off for a little bit of traveling, eh? Alrightee, everybody. Hope all of you are well. Here are some more pictures...</div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-71017858385841994342008-02-12T08:31:00.000-08:002008-12-08T14:11:23.916-08:00Oh Irlene...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyIeewcml7CWm1cCvueCjkBURRbcqkydenkDhYUvimQX42G6x9X74iib3NPuWYTXg_tQ3ZSAE3Xu6qVj4qjWIanp-J5-a8lHad2u4wGmnCOaLuLGEqGchggKDwzMla19IPYE2yzZffmw/s1600-h/STA70008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166140948058363266" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyIeewcml7CWm1cCvueCjkBURRbcqkydenkDhYUvimQX42G6x9X74iib3NPuWYTXg_tQ3ZSAE3Xu6qVj4qjWIanp-J5-a8lHad2u4wGmnCOaLuLGEqGchggKDwzMla19IPYE2yzZffmw/s320/STA70008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ubPUu3ZnFec9J7J8F67BtM56Q6mwb15DtjAJKPRUSAXHdgkeDwW2E4oENkhrcx9QaW8UUxhtLsi__gvgzU2hz6jHYp7oWggnBk12EGjtr-AYPSBC5q7ZJt1Q26hdpq8xH_bZLOUuO_s/s1600-h/STA70144+Resized+Resized.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166139230071444850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ubPUu3ZnFec9J7J8F67BtM56Q6mwb15DtjAJKPRUSAXHdgkeDwW2E4oENkhrcx9QaW8UUxhtLsi__gvgzU2hz6jHYp7oWggnBk12EGjtr-AYPSBC5q7ZJt1Q26hdpq8xH_bZLOUuO_s/s320/STA70144+Resized+Resized.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Well, I knew it was going to happen. I just wished she would have waited for me to be there with her. My sweet precious lovebird Irlene passed away January 29, 2008 on her own. I just want to dedicate this blog to the most wonderful sweet best kitty that a mama could ever have (except for Joc of course). Irlene came to me as my first foster mom with her 2 little kittens when I was still working at the animal shelter in Vestal. It was in January 1997 actually. She was found huddling under a porch in the cold with her 2 live kittens and 2 dead kittens. Her other 2 kittens died a week after I started fostering them, and since she got along with Joc so well, I decided to adopt her. I loved her sweet nature and her freakish lobster claw front feet (one of her kittens that died had the same polydactyl mutation...typically seen in Hemingway cats). Irlene loved to do high flips in the air that could have won a gold medal in the extreme sports olympics if only they weren't so racist and exclusive. Right? She also loved to sleep at my feet and curl her claws around my toes and purr to wake me up to feed her. I think this picture of her is funny because the picture in the blog before this one has me almost making the same face. The second picture of her is more flattering and noble. Thank you Lee so much for taking care of her and Joc and I have decided to send a letter to you at Magpies, but wait have you guys moved already and has the address changed. I will send it to Peggy's home address. It's settled. And thank you also goes to Amy for taking such good care of her (best veterinarian in the universe and I hear Mars has some pretty good ones, hee hee). I wish I would have received your e-mails sooner than 2 weeks later, but I knew you would treat her the same way I would have treated her. And of course thank you Alexia for being so awesome in general but also for spanking Irlene the way she liked it so hard and firm and hard. Rest in peace my precious little gentle morsel Irlene.</div></div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-84585642130133588622007-12-26T04:03:00.000-08:002008-12-08T14:11:24.045-08:00Tender Togolese Christmas...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-W_PLmXbSE26C_YbuaLCGs09oAlJPwKmzELSqqUyQi3spwUFWO_tFD8GXHC9svP65JTiniI7MiSsePrda-V8G5A9REehSv6MbKgmHvXACFUyJO8ZLK-Ms5YUS1eL7d73u8Eh91hS1t0/s1600-h/STA70733.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148265934612978514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-W_PLmXbSE26C_YbuaLCGs09oAlJPwKmzELSqqUyQi3spwUFWO_tFD8GXHC9svP65JTiniI7MiSsePrda-V8G5A9REehSv6MbKgmHvXACFUyJO8ZLK-Ms5YUS1eL7d73u8Eh91hS1t0/s320/STA70733.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_M7Q9GO8y9Di3Zr2Y1BXF4L33V3j2sao7i1xjS9QBkAUyvHgwAguyTCIjBDHj_6aNq_D7iyVSkVJRpm91zLUmaNR1d_yLZ_t5Vgofmf4BFnSWokjQ1BTfWhEuEUvlwwCdqwrVSF4A0sg/s1600-h/STA70735.JPG"></a><br /><br /><div>Merry Belated Christmas Everybody! I tried to post something before, but really for most of you it's only been 7 hours since Christmas ended. I spent my Christmas in Vogan with 9 other volunteers and 3 friends of Ashley (volunteer who lives in Notse and most awesome human ever) visiting for the holiday. 13 of us total. Lucky little number 13. We ate a big meal of bean loaf (for the vegetarians), chicken (killed right outside the window where I was sleeping the morning of Christmas Eve...somehow I slept through it all), cucumber and tomato salad, whole wheat bread (made by me and my fabo Dutch Oven), mashed taters (garlicee goodness), garlic cream sauce, and for dessert-apple pie and cookies. We ate this meal Christmas Eve, so for Christmas Day we ate a big breakfast of pancakes, hashed browns and scrambled eggs with Swiss cheese. We then opened our Secret Santa gifts. I got some glorious gifts. A very small stretch black tank top with a Titanic film poster awkwardly placed on the front (it doesn't really fit over my belly), a Twix bar, a Snickers bar, and a personally colored My Little Pony picture. I left in a rush for Vogan (by way of Lome), so I forgot several things: butter (lesson learned, never make a pie with margarine, I made 2 apple pies, one with butter, one with margarine and there was a large diff), underwear (lesson learned, um...I like to wear underwear) and my camera (no memory-maker). My Christmas was surreal this year. Being that I was hot and had what I think are allergies due to Harmattan (dust storm coming from the north, desert), it was not quite the Christmas' of yore. Also, Christmas Eve night starting at dinner time and ending around 2 a.m. there was a church revival happening right across the street from us with singing and drums so loud that we could not hear ourselves talking at the table. It actually sounded like they were going insane and about to enter into an orgy, but alas, it was just the "spirit" for the lord. The singing was off-key and it seemed as though they were just allowing people off the street to belt out a tune on the mic that didn't necessarily need to correspond with the drum beat or rhythm in general. Ear plugs would have only turned the volume down to a 10 (b/c 11 is even higher). And the only Christmas music we had to listen to was by Amy Grant. I did find a MP3 CD of Celine Dion (has 104 songs, well 103 b/c they must have miscounted somewhere) at the local boutique, no Christmas music but it did have that song that goes like this (dedicated to her son, Renee!):</div><br /><br /><div>"...hush now, I see the light in the sky, oh, it's almost blinding me. I can't believe I've been touched by an angel with luh woo wah ooh uhv. Let the rain come down and wash away my tears..."</div><br /><br /><div>Love it. It also has her famous song, "Je t'aime! Je t'aime....something sung in French. Je t'aime..." Intense.</div><br /><br /><div>Alexia, do you think you can cover some Celine with any one of your 4 bands? I might be able to sell the CD's here and make some cash. A moto driver told me his aunt lives near me in the states. Whenk I asked him where, he told me it was the same place as where Celine Dion is from...No m'am. Celine Dion and I do not and will never share location. Spreading cultural exchange and good cheer everywhere.</div><br /><br /><div>I saw my first funeral this past weekend in my village. 4 day event. Loud speakers. Music. Dancing. The night before the burial, they stayed up and sang and danced all night. That was an ear plug night and I slept like a little baby. But, then the next morning after the burial, the people in my village had a drum circle and danced. I have video and pictures from that and I will post it next time I can. It was really beautiful and almost like a wedding because it was treated more like a <em>fete. </em>A celebration of life, if you will. And my village doubled in size because family and friends from Lome and even Ghana came in and stayed during the whole event (actually next door to me). When I go back I will hopefully have my front porch back and can burn some trash (yeyas!) and wash some clothes. Happy New Year everybody! I'm still not sure what I will be doing for that, but I'm sure it will be a story. Can someone please e-mail me a plot summary of the most current events occurring on General Hospital (and by someone, I mean, Maren...). Also, Lee thank you thank you again for taking my cats. Please send me an e-mail or something with your address, so I can write you a letter and also get an update on the critters. Miss you all so much! It hurts.</div></div>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-54049402451890697382007-11-23T08:41:00.000-08:002008-12-08T14:11:24.208-08:00So now for some words.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnexSb_lEQBQke-p5MYaS7Jiw3nsLSuhamLt3uVyjnqogfWpZFoJ5-NY6K9J-mmYe8E9Ey6IzUduBK3yQe9NYrFlP6Yl6Lh3T04q-3rpXq93CQ0mNXu4pEra_uyvFTma0ZBcSBmNvZw0/s1600-h/STA70672.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136077230224932610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnexSb_lEQBQke-p5MYaS7Jiw3nsLSuhamLt3uVyjnqogfWpZFoJ5-NY6K9J-mmYe8E9Ey6IzUduBK3yQe9NYrFlP6Yl6Lh3T04q-3rpXq93CQ0mNXu4pEra_uyvFTma0ZBcSBmNvZw0/s320/STA70672.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><p>So this is Natasha, a.k.a "Natcho". Isn't her dress lovely? I am wearing a boubou. This photo was taken on the front porch of the director's home for Thanksgiving. I wore this boubou because I knew I was going to need some space. I ate a wonderful meal of corn pudding, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, green beans, salad, stuffing, rolls, pumpkin pie, apple pie, cool whip, and mashed sweet potatoes. I was really uncomfortable afterwards, so we took a walk around the director's block and had to take several pauses. But it was amazing and I hope everyone elses' Thanksgiving was awesome, too. Have I explained to everyone what fufu is? Or pate? No? I will try...</p><p>1. Fufu is a staple in Togo and is made from either cassava or manioc, yams, cocoyams or plaintains. The root vegetable is first chopped into large chunks and then boiled until soft. The chunks are then pounded using a very large wooden mortar and pestle. Pounding the fufu is very laborious but the end result is very delicious, for some. I think it tastes like pastey mashed potatoes. You eat it with your hands and dip it into a usually boiling tomato based sauce. </p><p>2. Pate is made from cornmeal and water that they stir together with a magic wooden wand until it forms into a paste that they place into a bowl to keep its form. Like a jello mold. I don't like it very much and I have never made it. It's also eaten with your hands and with a boiling sauce that always burns the tips of my digits. And then there is beans and gari and I love it and eat it every day with a spoon.</p><p>I don't really know if I can explain how I am feeling. Some days I feel good and excited to be here. The next minute though I am ready to go back home and work at Magpies and forget this rollercoaster. It would be so easy to leave. But, I still feel like something really special is going to reveal itself to me. A buried treasure. A strength I didn't know I had. I want to cry just writing this because I miss everyone so much. I looked at the Magpies website today and showed everyone the bakery I keep talking about. I also saw an old picture of myself icing a cake (a sheet cake which actually didn't look too bad considering my history with building those bitches). I looked pretty and healthy even though I ate a pound of cake tops a day. I know being here is going to change me and maybe I need to just let it happen. My 3 months of integrating and accustoming myself to village life is over. It's time to start working. I feel useless and uninspired. It's hot. I'm a whiney baby and I want to help, but I still am not quite sure of what my role is here. I'm treated differently and with more respect that I don't see given to all. It's going to be weird to come back home and just be me again and not the yovo living in the big house that makes a specactle of herself when she pounds fufu with the kids. I miss home, but it will pass. It will come back again. And so will I in 2 years. I'm sending out lots of love to all of you. Please forgive me for not keeping up with e-mails. But, letters are so much better because I can read them over and over again at home. I read Alexia's letter to me about 10 times the day I got it. And I've read Mama's and Peggy's and Andrea's letters weeks after I first got them. Peace out y'all. Hi Niko and Chelsea you sweet little morsels...Bye byee-lo (this is bye in Ewe, Ghanaian influence?)...</p>stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-10841069319914908192007-11-23T08:20:00.000-08:002008-12-08T14:11:25.154-08:00And more...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzv3tABVCj49JHRcXyk4y8lph3im2mHBuryGV-HUgSzFHMSqX5nvIYwKN4aPokgcZNqsBVe8NSomlRT0d841rL8dEtjm_LomXmLnYqzdRvTgoBSvsOLE3f7Rpuz3XY9lAvk6rurFF8bqA/s1600-h/STA70575.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136073751301422786" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzv3tABVCj49JHRcXyk4y8lph3im2mHBuryGV-HUgSzFHMSqX5nvIYwKN4aPokgcZNqsBVe8NSomlRT0d841rL8dEtjm_LomXmLnYqzdRvTgoBSvsOLE3f7Rpuz3XY9lAvk6rurFF8bqA/s320/STA70575.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />My first bike accident during AIDS ride. I had 2. Came away with just one really long scratch.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDxVMLMcRe-LgvzTbqaNFJ_UTGLL6E7CV4wooHxIYLJJFt4j_nQY5Gw5slmndf2M0yjr-yZucEqO8Dshyphenhyphen2RR0HX7CYgdN7Hbh2hg93r3WP6LFgjp2nCrOyOxOceWFAomi_M0BGkVFiYY/s1600-h/STA70655.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136073755596390098" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDxVMLMcRe-LgvzTbqaNFJ_UTGLL6E7CV4wooHxIYLJJFt4j_nQY5Gw5slmndf2M0yjr-yZucEqO8Dshyphenhyphen2RR0HX7CYgdN7Hbh2hg93r3WP6LFgjp2nCrOyOxOceWFAomi_M0BGkVFiYY/s320/STA70655.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Me at the bee-ach in Lome.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqthTNCydV3l5-ZngDIrsVJjyw2EiYvR5I_fgUCqJ7HQOu2cNexOWFMqw2_pMrPdughx2vOJUuZpnq5AbP3bHU5MVKP2CIUVTqbmSlIz7YNXtIT12yvbDE7vnnlBeaSK7YSBsXAEZcqqM/s1600-h/STA70658.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136073759891357410" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqthTNCydV3l5-ZngDIrsVJjyw2EiYvR5I_fgUCqJ7HQOu2cNexOWFMqw2_pMrPdughx2vOJUuZpnq5AbP3bHU5MVKP2CIUVTqbmSlIz7YNXtIT12yvbDE7vnnlBeaSK7YSBsXAEZcqqM/s320/STA70658.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Ahh...the kids are pretty tender here. But I have no idea who they are. They saw some yovo action and they came running.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5J3wetRkzUFrvUQfq7zrsVRSP1MPSLiJzduMl8hQL6-64Ck5SyIPVIWuuSAqpAZj8YBJ-cse1rKOENdQ2t5ZzIuz6D2M1Q4TPsL6mP2u3ugXc437DAKxDrU2l3qRVIo0Brf3lED_Yt1E/s1600-h/STA70487.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136073759891357426" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5J3wetRkzUFrvUQfq7zrsVRSP1MPSLiJzduMl8hQL6-64Ck5SyIPVIWuuSAqpAZj8YBJ-cse1rKOENdQ2t5ZzIuz6D2M1Q4TPsL6mP2u3ugXc437DAKxDrU2l3qRVIo0Brf3lED_Yt1E/s320/STA70487.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />These are my favorite kids in village. Akbedje and MaFille in the front. Marie and Edouard behind them. Cousin and Benjamin behind them. Morsels. Akbedje helps me pound fufu. Okay I've only done it twice and she pretty much did it for me after I tried to do it for only5 minutes and got tired. It's no wonder that the women here have amazing arms and bodies. She also carries water for me and makes fun of me when I stand around awkwardly at the well waiting for my turn to throw the bucket down the well and hoist it back up.stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-3952436623357782512007-11-23T08:03:00.000-08:002008-12-08T14:11:25.827-08:00Finally more pictures...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbtoomK9rzq5eY-jIYloOlQLN8B-zBQ0OcFubZpy4_WWn_2H33fRilz3qti1cXr4vSOenOBqXwSHFiiNaxg56L1jpsVSBScsE2yO8jWx8Ye2aFtfBmyqdhI3MCWdQUhVlJxCPKVbwfoI/s1600-h/STA70100.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136068962412887602" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFbtoomK9rzq5eY-jIYloOlQLN8B-zBQ0OcFubZpy4_WWn_2H33fRilz3qti1cXr4vSOenOBqXwSHFiiNaxg56L1jpsVSBScsE2yO8jWx8Ye2aFtfBmyqdhI3MCWdQUhVlJxCPKVbwfoI/s320/STA70100.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Taken night before I left for D.C. and jumped on the crazy train<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNgHylIfaBboaB2zkUGcuksVXrblg2hPcfHfoPaIGVwCo642c81lXEqMYLPpZqLVHxgGPAocuDzKAhdIzLzVuXoL9y91iTGPaLsYs2qCMZ85tNN9ZQUhQGDHkt742VcYSVScDwowx6bA/s1600-h/STA70318.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136068962412887618" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNgHylIfaBboaB2zkUGcuksVXrblg2hPcfHfoPaIGVwCo642c81lXEqMYLPpZqLVHxgGPAocuDzKAhdIzLzVuXoL9y91iTGPaLsYs2qCMZ85tNN9ZQUhQGDHkt742VcYSVScDwowx6bA/s320/STA70318.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Right before I became a volunteer. That's my homologue at the far left, my program director in the white shirt and me at my brand new house. That's my front yard!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatr0_L7Hm-VSmrNEfLlnBGF3ISxfMFKAOj5nsfTDB_tK0T-tJqalHAhqKyStGMlYY7tuXPh2HhjkU3Cmi0Z1Qkrx6chFEdBv56m1ImIcFZD-vnOlEEnkXWH2lLnU7w04KL58XJmBmc6s/s1600-h/STA70440.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136068979592756818" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatr0_L7Hm-VSmrNEfLlnBGF3ISxfMFKAOj5nsfTDB_tK0T-tJqalHAhqKyStGMlYY7tuXPh2HhjkU3Cmi0Z1Qkrx6chFEdBv56m1ImIcFZD-vnOlEEnkXWH2lLnU7w04KL58XJmBmc6s/s320/STA70440.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Which one looks chunkier? I got a crazy bug bite that made my ankle into a cankle.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W8hhsz920IM4Mud2Dz4jqNE-8LHmXToXpoyCIVJpJ0_jRePIbO3IFF_0UQvVvharaaRfoFNR8vvx3kDy6alEmr9Jj6sCRkVatsgXeitpQ9e4qrHESDH5lz7TO2qyBt2HTatfGlKMKt8/s1600-h/STA70456.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136068983887724130" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-W8hhsz920IM4Mud2Dz4jqNE-8LHmXToXpoyCIVJpJ0_jRePIbO3IFF_0UQvVvharaaRfoFNR8vvx3kDy6alEmr9Jj6sCRkVatsgXeitpQ9e4qrHESDH5lz7TO2qyBt2HTatfGlKMKt8/s320/STA70456.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The view from my front porch right before a big storm.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_8qjrEeFDJatRkSgvDlXAb3P_eevE49RpY5JTfJxv_AsXZj0EeMcSLbiSNZPNlUR6jCUDDrkx8vBFcJruzOPcPZMB8NsjH_wVbepka2lu5RZFrSuqXHkQ7anzEotg0yPNR4AeT3dmxI/s1600-h/STA70613.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5136069001067593330" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_8qjrEeFDJatRkSgvDlXAb3P_eevE49RpY5JTfJxv_AsXZj0EeMcSLbiSNZPNlUR6jCUDDrkx8vBFcJruzOPcPZMB8NsjH_wVbepka2lu5RZFrSuqXHkQ7anzEotg0yPNR4AeT3dmxI/s320/STA70613.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />AIDS ride sensibilisation. This one is about abstinence. "No, I don't want your fancy phone in exchange for sex. I'm busy studying pictures of men brushing their teeth, aight?".stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-83153498548134413292007-11-11T02:32:00.000-08:002007-11-11T03:31:12.151-08:00Pedalon pour la prevention!Hey y'all. I'm in Lome with faster than scheisse internet again! Yes. I just finished doing the AIDS bike ride for the Maritime region. Considering this had been the third time I had been on a bike, it was not too shabby. We biked 157 km in 5 days and did HIV/AIDS sensibilisations in about 10 or so villages. I fell off my bike twice with very little injuries. I was in an abstinence skit (the ABCD's of prevention: Abstinence, Bonne Fidelite (ie monogamy), Condom and Depistage (HIV test)) and also the stigmatisation skit where we asked people in the village if HIV was transmitted by sitting close to someon or eating fufu out of the same bowl with them...No! Anyhoo, the first day I wanted to ET (early termination y'all, I use this a lot) once again, but after that I had a great time. We spent the night in a dispensaire (walk-in clinic) one night where a woman was giving birth and where another woman was giving birth and crying in extra pain because she had been stung by a scorpion. Needless to say, I didn't sleep that much during the whole trip. We spent another night sleeping outside of a dispensaire on straw mats (pretty to wake up in the middle of the night to a clear sky of stars) as kids were staring at us on top of the wall surrounding the compound. I ate on this trip about 5 coconuts, 30+ bananas, 25 oranges and the mother load of street food which was rice and beans with gari (toasted and powdered manioc) and some hot ass piment sauce (my favorite food here so far, can eat it every day and i do). It was a great thing to do for me because it helped me actually see a sensibilsation done in French and Ewe and I also am now inspired to ride my bike more and possibly do more bike tours. It was also nice to be outside of my village and see other villages in the Maritime region. We started the tour in Assahoun and ended in Anecho. Our last sensibilsation was a big to do at the CEG (middle school) and the assistant to the U.S. Ambassador in Togo attended with his wife. This time I got to act in the condom skit. We used a large wooden penis to demonstrate how to properly put on a condom. It always got a pretty nice laugh. We also played a game where we tried to explain how HIV attacks the immune system using a lion and elephant metaphor. Baby elephant (the human body) is protected by it's elephant family (immune system) and HIV creates holes in the immune system that allows the lions (that represent other illnesses such as tuberculosis, diarrhea, etc) to attack the body. Pretty creative I thought and the crowd always loved it when we, the lions, came roaring out of the crowd to attack the volunteer from the crowd who was acting as the baby elephant.<br /><br />This is a beautiful country and sometimes I would play my iPod as I would ride and it was really nice because then I wouldn't hear the yovo calling from the streets. But, in certain parts it was also nice to greet everyone walking on the street carrying large baskets of whatever from the nearby farms on their heads. Par example:<br /><br />Me: Bon jour!<br />Them: Bon jouh! Efwa (are you fine in Ewe)?<br />Me: (screaming in the distance as I have just passed them) Eh! Mefo! (Yes, I am fine).<br />Them: (Laughter b/c anytime any volunteer speaks in Ewe it's funny, but I think it makes them very happy when we learn a little of the local language...but are they laughing at us or with us?).<br /><br />And now I am in Lome taking it easy. I will leave for village tomorrow. Anytime I am in Lome I don't feel like I am in Togo because there is so much more available here. I am off to go to the grande marche (big market) to pick through the "dead yovo" clothes that the vendors spread out on large plastic sacks (dead yovo b/c a yovo would have to be dead to give up these awesome clothes--but they have just left them behind as I plan to do when I leave Togo--, sometimes I can find some pretty okay stuff). I bought some sunglasses yesterday that are Nicole Richie big except they have "gold" designs on the ear pieces that make them extra "coutoure"-ish. The vendor on the street told me they were the real thing. Has anyone ever heard of the brand "Feidi"? Pretty sure it's Fendi, aight?<br /><br />I wish that there were a Fall here because it's so pretty and it's my favorite season. I saw a picture of Alexia wearing a sweater and a light jacket. I want to be cold. And wear socks. I feel like I have so much more to say, but it's sometimes very overwhelming to try to write about all of my experiences. I miss everyone. I'm doing Thanksgiving in Lome with the Country Director, so I am hoping there will be real Pumpkin Pie. Alrightee, off to go sweat in the hot heat. Peace out.stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-59975019355155338372007-10-29T10:20:00.000-07:002007-11-10T06:17:43.949-08:00So the reason for the title below29 October Monday<br />So, I was thinking that when the day comes when I am back in the states, I won't be so freakish to everyone. I won't be so fascinating to touch. My hair won't be so soft to other people and no child or adult woman will run their fingers through it. No one will find my armhair pretty. No one will restrict other people from visitng my compound. No one will think I am a big deal as they do in Agou Avedje. I have had 3 dreams where I leave Togo and in each of those dreams I regret leaving. I was evacuated in one because of the elections and I ET'ed (early terminated) in the other 2. So there, it's looking like I just might make the 2 years. I'm off to watch the sunset on the roof of one of the bars here in Atakpame. Happy Halloween everyone. I'm sad that I won't be home to celebrate because it is one of my favorite holidays along with Thanksgiving. Is that weird?<br /><br />Xpovia Pola Baba! I'm sorry I missed talking to you on your birthday but sometimes the connections on Sundays truly blow. Xpovia Pola yia tin yiorti sou, xpovia pola yia tin yiorti sou...<br />And Biggie Smalls your birthday is also coming up this Thursday, so in case Togo does it to us again and your call doesn' get through on Wednesday (did you get my text message, I can't receive but i can give...erase those dirty dirty thoughts) at 5,30 pm your time, yes?<br /><br />Okay, I'm okay and I hope everyone else is. I bought a mortar and pestle last week so I can now officially pound my own fufu. And I have tons more stories to tell, but that sun sets without me. So I will hopefully have more time in the near future to write them out. We have an AIDS bike ride next week, so I might be in Lome and able to use the fqster than scheisse internet. Love to all!stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5127037698120645272.post-27556150208212441462007-10-27T12:27:00.000-07:002008-06-10T00:43:22.086-07:00I'm kind of a big deal in my village27 October 2007 Saturday night<br /><br />Hello my lovely peeps. It's been a while, yes? So, I've been in village for almost 6 weeks. Definitely going better than when I was first dropped off. Today, I went to my friends village because she was having a birthday/father coming to visit her celebration. We pounded some fufu and since that whole process took 7 hours (including visiting her chief and visiting her dispensaire, which is a clinic for the village and touring her very large village), baby ate some chicken piment sauce because I was so freakin' hungry that not even the prospect of giardia could deter me from eating whatever was placed in front of me. And it was so good and her village was so nice. I did feel a little awkward eating outside while some of the kids looked at us because I knew that they wouldn't necessarily get a meal for dinner and whatever we didn't eat would be given to them later. So, now I'm a little tired, but I will leave you all with some stories. And Peggy if you are reading this... Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday sweet precious love Peggy, Happy Birthday to you!<br /><br />Storytime:<br />My neighbor/moto driver/nightly visiter's name is Lolonyo, which means "love is good" in Ewe. He professes his love to me pretty much whenever we are alone and that happens to be when he has me on his moto or comes by to visit me. I was just told by the internet place to speed this thing up but here it is. He killed a scorpion for me which somehow crawled into my house and he also told me that god sent me to him because he wanted an older woman with small breasts. Got to go!stories don't watch themselveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05507187751203653391noreply@blogger.com1