I went to the doctor last week in Accra to see if I am sick. It took me 8 hours to get there. (It should've taken 3-4). Travel in ghana is always an adventure. While there I was able to meet up with a friend and we went to the mall (!) and saw a movie. The movie was awesome (it's called UP), and what made it cooler is that we were the only ones in the movie theater. For two whole hours I completely forgot where I was. When we walked out into the lobby, reality set in, that yea, i am still in ghana. But this was not in a bad way, it was just a strange feeling. It's going to be even weirder to come back home after living here for two years. But I have plenty of time before I have to think about that.
I am still waiting for the results of the test, so when I find out if i'm sick i'll let you know.
Nala has at least doubled in size in the past two weeks, and everyone has been noticing and asking me what I'm feeding her. I just laugh. It's probably because I'm finally feeding HER and not her worms!! So she's happy and healthy and makes me laugh.
If you want to send parmesan cheese, that'd be amazing. Since I eat spaghetti for dinner EVERY night, it'd be greatly appreciated.
Please keep me up to date with eagles info. Love.

9/11

We will never forget.

So this morning while I was trying to tune my radio to find a station that broadcasts BBC, I noticed that there was some ants crawling around on my ipod. Well i kept seeing more and more, so I began to pay attention. I realized that they were crawling OUT of my ipod, and going inside of it through the headphone jack. This was very disturbing because its my favorite thing here. And what were they doing inside there anyway??? So I grabbed my ipod and started shaking and slamming it, and within 15 minutes i must've gotten about 100 ants out of it. They came out of both ends. And they are these awful, tiny little red ants with black sacks that sting like crazy when they bite you. I still don't know what they were doing in there, but as far as i can see they haven't caused any damage, so I guess it's just one of those things that you have to laugh at. Life is funny here.

A recent update: I have to go see the doctor next week to get some tests done to see if i have worms. On Wednesday, my puppy Nala had some worms, and it was traumatic for both of us. I had to pull them out of her. But she's ok, I took her to the vet and she is dewormed, but there is still a possibility that because of her I have worms. Should be fun!

I'll let ya know how it turns out.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!?!?!
-yes!!!

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES! Go birds.

what do i want...

well, since you all keep asking me what i would like to have sent, i will make a list:

-yoga dvd
-any dvd
- cheese for mac n cheese
-magazines
-books
-a brush (round brush)
-burberry london
- sharpies
-pictures
-letters
-m&ms
-jolly ranchers
-skittles
-spices
-those little seasoning packets for chili, italian dressing, soups, alfredo...
-dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, apricots)
-nuts (not peanuts- plenty of those around. cashews and almonds would be marvelous)
- granola
-chocolate
- drink mixes (the little powder kind)
- dryer sheets (they smell clean!)
- Q-tips
- Maybelline Great Lash mascara in blackest black (not waterproof)
- newspapers (even old ones, theyre news to me)
- burts bees chapstick
- chew toys for puppy
- dog treats, bones, etc..
-money
-gladware (this is good to put food in for mailing, plus i can use it)
-laptop :)

thats all i can think of.

Now that i found out i have internet at my office, im going to be getting online more often. That is, if they can get the internet to work. SO i had a computer on my desk for the last three weeks, and everytime I'd ask if i could use it, i was told we were waiting for some cable that was vital to getting it to work. Then, mysteriously, yesterday i plugged it in, and it worked! so now i have a computer, but i don't have a username so i can't get on it. so we'll see how long that one takes to fix. but i am lucky.
i can't believe nathans goin into pre-school! that's not right, he's just a baby! it's hard to know im missing my nephews growin up... keep postin pics please!
tonight i get to go to the crazy church that meets everynight in my compound. hopefully i dont get a lady having a 'god' seizure fall on me, or have my feet kissed and prayed over.
the other night i couldn't sleep. i had taken my malaria pill that day, which usually makes me have really fun, trippy dreams (i look forward to monday nights). So when i was laying in my bed, i thought maybe i was sleeping/ dreaming and having a really scary dream that this huge bug was crawling all over me and biting me. i was sweating, and itching, and it was a terrible night. well when i got up the next day i had 17 bites all over my body- including fingers, nose, legs, arms, torso, and feet. and they're extra big, not like regular mosquito bites. so maybe i wasn't dreaming about that bug... which is a scary thought! today when i get home i'm putting up my mosquito net.
i have a couple really cute lizards in my house, one in my bathroom and one in my living room. but i think nala ate the one in my living room yesterday. i had named him toto. it's sad..
she needs her protein tho.

i'm goin to the beach after work today. i am living in a port city and i havent even seen the ocean yet. so i recruited my friend to take me there. and then im gonna get chinese food. it's gonna be a good day.

peace.

been battiling a cold the last few days. feeling kinda better today. i am working on making the best of my job. i called my apcd today to ask him about it, but he never got back to me. i made a new friend tho, so thats cool. i love to look at pictures and remember my life before i came to ghana, it's funny, and bittersweet. i miss you guys, especially when i'm sick and not feeling well. my peace corps friends here tho are amazing. i wouldn't be here without them. still battling some internal issues of purpose, but that should be worked out once i can talk to my apcd. (that means associate peace corps director, my REAL boss.) i didn't go to work today, cuz i am sick. got some new dvd's- including forrest gump and a tom hanks collection, a pixar collection, and a sylvester stallone collection. so on saturday i laid on the couch coughing and sniffling and watching a rocky marathon. nothing can lift my spirits when im sick like rocky...

i posted my new phone number and mailing address for all those interested. the takoradi address is only for letters tho, please send packages to the accra address. it has to do with postage... i dont know.

i miss you guys, hope you are all doing well. love you.

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.