Obruni

My newest least favorite word in the world: Obruni. Although when screamed by a young child, comes out like, OBROOOONI. It is like nails on a chalkboard. Sometimes, when Im in a good mood, ill turn around and wave, or even smile, but sometimes, I just want to turn around and smack that person so hard that they fly across the street. :) But in better news, Nala is becoming much better, and shes soo cute. I'll try next time to put up some pictures. My house is almost finished, just need to buy a few more things. I've made some friends, so life is ok most of the time. It's just overwhelming, and I get tired in like 6 hours of being out of my house. I guess this is as close as i'll get to feeling how a celebrity feels, but it sucks. I can't go anywhere or do anything without being stared at, screamed at, grabbed, and sometimes chased. But in the same vein, I get extra help when I need it

no longer PCT, im a PCV now!

yup, thats right. got sworn in aug 14th in a not-very-exciting ceremony. i'm the real deal now, i travel alone, live alone, and have a job. life's good. i'm in takoradi now and for the next two years. big news, i got a puppy!!!!! her name is nala, and shes the most adorable puppy in the whole wide world and the love of my life. she was free from one of my neighbors in maase. i picked her out of 5, becuase she was so cuddly when i'd go to visit. shes super tiny, and fits in my two hands put together. shes tan and white, and i don't know how big she will get but most dogs in ghana are on the small side. she keeps me company.

i'm doing fantasy football to get my eagles fix. o yea, what is this i hear about the birds taking vick??!?! please tell me i've been misinformed. anyway, keep me up to date with the season, cuz i don't think ill be able to find a place to watch it.

k ppl keep askin me wat i need. i'm pretty hooked up with my housing so i don't really need things, but i want them. these include....

-shampoo (insanely expensive here)
-gossip magazines, or any magazine really
-travel packs of snacks. i.e., candy, juice mixes, easy mac,
-big item here: Burberry london perfume. mine ran out as soon as i got here and i just always seem to smell
-PICTURES!!!
thats all i can think of for now. love you all and miss you.

Almost done

So this past week has been the end of my pre-service training. On Thursday I took my Language Proficiency Test for the Ghanaian language Fante. I was really nervous that I didn't do well, but I found out yesterday that I passed! I scored Intermediate-Mid, which is the requirement for us to pass. I also have to take my technical evaluation today. this is just a test on everything that we've been learning for my sector- Small Enterprise Development. We have our draft for fantasy football tomorrow, and then Monday is our SED party. Thursday is swearing in and celebration! I bought some really gorgeous jewelry from the local bead market, and some nice white sandals. My host mother bought me fabric to be made into a dress for swearing in. I went to the seamstress last night and picked out my pattern. I think its gonna look really good! It's gonna be really hard to leave all my friends, but we're already planning our IST, Birthday parties, thanksgiving, christmas, and New Years Parties. (I'm hosting new years!!!!) Hope everything is goin alright at home. Once football starts you gotta keep me updated. Ok, love you. bye.

Site Visit

Soo, I am in Takoradi right now in the Western Region of Ghana. I am staying here for one week on what PC calls Site Visit. I am living in what will be my house for the next 2 years, and may i say, i have got the HOOK UP! I traveled from Kukurantumi Saturday with my Supervisor and Counterpart to Kwesimintim (the suburb of Takoradi where my house is specifically). Of course, as is the way in Ghana, we made a stop at a wedding in Accra, and didn't get to my house until 9pm. (we should've arrived at 2 or 3 at the latest.) There was no power, so I was a little weirded out that first night, but the next morning it was worth it. I have a 2 bedroom house on the 2nd story in a compound house. I have a flush toilet, a shower (!), a kitchen with a sink and a propane stove and a fridge ( tho i havent gotten the fridge to work yet and i don't have gas for the stove). I have my own bedroom with a queen size bed, and a living room with a couch, 4 chairs, a desk, a tv and a dvd player... Unbelievable. But my fave part of the house is the balcony! It opens from my bedroom and the living room and its got a great view. It's wayy more than i ever expected, and i won't mind living here for two years. The office is a 30 min cab ride but thats not too bad. I was at the office this morning and met everyone, just still trying to decide where I can be used and how i will be of the most help. Also working on figuring out some of my own projects. And I have FULL phone service here so that is soo nice. I am only here until friday, then i travel back to Maase and stay 2 more weeks with my host family. I swear-in as an official PCV on August 13th. Then i move back here and stay for 2 years. Crazy! Anyway, I've only been here one day so I still have a lot to see and i"m just trying to find my way around and get comfortable. But i made friends with a neighbor so she's been fun and great in helping me out.
I miss you and it was great to be able to talk to you last night. Hope you can set up that skype thing. I'll let you know if i find out more.

Obama!!!

i'm currently trying to watch the youtube videos and i can only see the first 4 seconds but it's so cute! they are getting soo big!

so not too much news, except that....
I GOT TO STAND 2 FEET FROM OBAMA AND I SHOOK MICHELLE's HAND !!!!!!!!!!!!
yup. it was unreal. all of us trainees and some of the current pcvs went to the embassy in ghana and took busses over to kotoka international airport where airforce one was waiting on the runway. Obama and the fam came to ghana on friday night and spent saturday touring elmina castle in cape coast where the slaves were shipped from. then he spoke at parliament and then before he left ghana he gave a small speech at the airport. since we are in peace corps we were allowed to stand in the VIP area on the tarmac. we were set up about 6 feet from the podium. around 6pm he arrived in a helicopter and got into a car and was driven up to the podium. the president of ghana was there to introduce him, John Atta Mills. Then Obama gave a 30 minute speech in which he mentioned Peace Corps 3 times!!! We all cheered when he said it. I have some amazing pics! After the speech he went and shook hands with us in the VIP section. I couldn't get to him, but I saw him 1 foot from where i was standing. Then Michele went around and in the midst of chaos she shook my hand!!!!!! she had a light grip, and her hand was cold and skinny! I LOVE michele, wayy more than i like obama, so it was perfect! Several of my other trainees actually got to shake his hand and say something to him. SO then they boarded Air Force One and waved goodbye and we watched the plane fly away. It was epic!

i'll try to get my pics up, but its like trying to break into fort knox. im working on it tho.
and i still havent been able to see my new nephew! facebook is a hassle. could you possibly email them to me at my gmail account? maybe that would be better.

in other news, all is well in ghana. im thinking i could get a new cell provider and maybe then verizon would be able to contact me. or you could just try calling cards. or skype.

one of the families in maase has puppies and i went to go play with them today. they're only 2 weeks old and theyre soooo adorable. when i go to site visit im going to scope it out and see if it would be possible for me to have a pet. if so, then im gonna take this one thats a girl, shes white, brown and white and shes my favorite of the litter. im so excited! ive never had a dog!!!

ok, my hour is up. much love.

YAY!

Dominic is here! yay!!! i wish i could see him! im so glad everything went ok and you're both healthy. you'll have to send me some pics asap. (thanks julz for lettin me know.) i really hope you guys figure out how to call me! i want to call but im broke... im livin on less than $2/day. so please please please call me! everyone here is very happy about my new nephew and send their blessings to you!!

today is the last day of field trip. it was such a great time and im sad its over. it was nice just to get away from things and not be assaulted with twi and obruni calls 24/7. we stayed at a really beautiful place in volta region called mt. paradise resort. and it was paradise!! it was on top of a mountain and it was quiet and relaxing and gorgeous. we went on a hike one morning and i was expecting it to be a little challenging but it was 4 hours of scaling a mountain on slippery wet cliffs. needless to say i was scared. but it was worth it. we hiked down to a waterfall with a swimming hole, but to get there you had to rappelle off of a rockface down 10 meters. so here i am scared to death holding onto a rope and rapelling down a cliff. but omg it was worth it. it looked like the scene of an herbal essence commercial. the waterfall flowing down in a mountain paradise. we all stood under the waterfall and went swimming. it was definitely something i'll remember for the rest of my life. and then i was able to climb back up so it was even better! that hike was the hardest hike ive ever been on and especially hard in the african sun in the middle of the day. but im glad i did it. later that night we had some palm wine and i had a lesson on how to play djembes (drums) by our guide for the hike. he was a good teacher and it was so much fun!

we are halfway done with training now and only 2 and a half weeks to go until site visit!! so then ill get to see where ill be living and what ill be doing for the next two years.

so it's back to maase, and back to homestay for now. peace and love.

Hellooo!! my cell phone seems to be more of a tease than a useful device. Reception is very limited so if the calls arent going through thats probably why. in any case, please keep trying! i miss you guys and want to hear your voices!

last night while i was bathing outside i heard some scary animal noises rooting round outside where i was standing. then just when i peeked out 3 little piglets ran in and surrounded me. i had to chase them out!

ghana is cool. i was walking the other day and passed a mosque and an apostolic church right next to eachother. living in harmony. gotta love that.

i was discussing politics with my 17 year old sister. gotta love that too. in a country where girls don't go to school in some areas, she not only speaks great english but she wants to be a nurse or an actress.
i asked her what she thought would happen when ghana starts to make money off their offshore oil. she said the country will only see 10% of the profits. the other 90% will go to the company drilling it. i asked if she thought people would get mad and start to fight, like in nigeria and so many other countries. she said "NOO. ghanaians think war is a dirty game and we are a peaceful country. we do not want to fight. we will instead have discussions." Amazing. no wonder Obama picked Ghana to be his first african country to visit, rather than his fathers country Kenya, or Nigeria.

i'm trying to post some pics right now. ill let you know how that goes.

ok, if you want to send some things id like shampoo, proactiv cleanser, books, magazines, candy, anything really.

PLEASE try to call me when Dom is born!!!! wish i could be there. i leave for fieldtrip this weekend until weds so i might have service! miss you. peace.