Hello! How's life? Everything is well here. Mangoes are in season so I have been eating ridiculous amounts. Ghana has two-ish types of mango: the foreign and the local. That's what James calls them anyway. The "foreign" type are the big orangish-red colored ones, just like what you can buy in Kroger or Shop Rite or whatever. The "local" type are little bright yellow guys, about the size of baseball, which are much juicier and more fibrous than the foreign type. I'm talking like a 5 minute flossing session after you eat one.

ANYWAY!!! This post is definitely not about mangoes, so on to the good part!

Do you remember back in January, I wrote a post discussing my various goals for my Peace Corps service? Well I have some very exciting news! We're about to see two check marks on that list.

The grant proposal I wrote for the construction of new school building, which is to house both computer and science laboratories for Menji Agric Senior School.... WAS APPROVED! I applied for a Peace Corps / USAID grant called a SPA (Small Projects Assistance) Grant. There was a fair amount of paperwork to be done, but overall the process was really pretty simple! I guess rather than explaining the whole thing, I will just show you the proposal. So here it is!!

CONSTRUCTION OF THE MENJI AGRICULTURAL SENIOR SCHOOL SCIENCE AND ICT LABORATORIESSPA GRANT PROPOSAL

PCV Betsy Ann ConwaySite Menji, Brong AhafoCounterpart James Kwadwo Tannor / 0209181534Headmistress Jacintha Guribie / 0242168277

I. Project SummaryLocated in rural western Brong Ahafo, Menji Agricultural Senior School (MASS) is home to a student body of 172. MASS offers two tracks of study: general arts and agriculture. Currently, every student in the school studies both integrated science and ICT. However, due to limited funding, the school has never been able to provide laboratory facilities for ICT or science. The students are currently studying ICT, biology, physics, and chemistry on a blackboard without any form of practical component. This project would greatly enhance the quality of education and academic experience at MASS.

II. Background InformationLocated within the Tain District, the town of Menji is home to approximately 3,000 residents, most of whom are subsistence farmers. There are a few small businesses in the town, including a chemical seller, pharmacy, and a maternity clinic. Menji is about 10km from the Tain District capital, Nsawkaw, and about two hours from the regional capital of Sunyani. MASS has 172 students: 104 boys and 68 girls. The school offers two tracks of study: General Arts and Agriculture. Electricity is provided by the national grid. Water is supplied by nearby borehole.

III. Statement of NeedMASS is contained within a two-part building. The south building was constructed in 1992 and currently houses the Form 4 students, as well as the administrative block and the library. The north building is newer and currently houses the form 1, 2, and 3 students. The buildings are simple and bare, but safe and functional. The students are currently studying ICT, biology, physics, and chemistry in their regular classrooms on a chalkboard. The school is currently unable to offer any form of practical component in any subject. The former head master, Adu Afram, identified the immediate need for improved facilities. The new and current headmistress, Jacintha Guribie, agrees with Afram's call for improvement. Without a science or ICT laboratory, compared to other nearby senior schools, M.A.S.S. is greatly lacking in terms of facilities. More importantly, without these laboratories in which to conduct practicals, the students' education is severelylacking. Along with improvement of school facilities, the quality of education and thus enrollment would also increase. Furthermore, in addition to creating a better environment for students to learn, but this project would also make MASS a better place for teachers to teach. IV. ObjectiveThe school has identified the following specific objectives: 1. Primary ObjectiveConstruct an addition to the school to house science and ICT laboratoriesCreate a proper environment for conducting practicals in the subjects of science and ICT 2. Secondary ObjectiveCreate a stimulating, interactive learning environment for studentsImprove teaching conditions by providing practical teaching facilities

V. MethodsAfter a meeting involving the school administration, the PTA, and the community education committee to review the project budget and time frame, the project can begin. First, the masons and laborers will work to construct the foundation and walls. Then, the carpenter may construct the roof and install the doors and windows. Then, the mason will lay tile in the ICT lab, as the electrician installs the electrical and lighting fixtures. The carpenter will also begin construction of new tables and chairs. Once all construction has finished, school staff and students will clean and paint laboratories. Finally, the school staff and students, will move the tables, chairs, and the rest of the equipment into the laboratories and perform a final cleaning. The ICT teacher (PCV counterpart) will install the computers and accessory equipment in the ICT lab, while the PCV and other teachers organize the science lab.

VI. Action plan No. Task Needed Materials Responsible Persons Estimated Timetable 1 Meet with PTA None PTA April 2012 2 Meet with Community Education Committee None Community Education Committee April 2012 3 Construct foundation Blocks, cement, sand Mason, laborers April 2012 4 Construct walls, ceiling, and roof Blocks, cement, sand, metal sheets, wood, nails, basic tools Mason, laborers, carpenter May 2012 5 Installation of doors and windows Wood, nails, hinges, locks, louvers, basic tools Carpenter May 2012 6 Install electrical wiring and lighting fixtures Wires, fixtures, light bulbs, basic tools Electrician May 2012 7 Lay tile in ICT lab Tile, mortar Mason (s) May 2012 8 Build tables and chairs Wood, nails, basic tools Carpenter June 2012 9 Clean and paint the laboratories Paint, turpentine, brushes PCV, teachers, and students June 2012 10 Final cleaning and installation of equipment Basic cleaning supplies PCV, teachers & students June 2012

VII. BudgetThe project budget was prepared in Ghana Cedis (GH₵). All the final totals have been converted to US Dollars (US$) using a conversion rate of GH₵1.68 = US$1.00.

VIII. Requested Funds Item Quantity Unit Cost (GH₵) Total Cost (GH₵) Total Cost (US$) Roofing Sheets 8 packs 250 2000 1190.48 Roofing Nails 10 boxes 20 200 119.05 Felt 4 pieces 2 8 4.76 1/4 Rod 6 pieces 3 18 10.71 Nails, 4" 3 boxes 30 90 53.57 Nails, 3" 1 box 30 30 17.86 Nails, 2 1/2" 1 box 40 40 23.81 Nails, 1 1/2" 1 box 40 40 23.81 Plywood, 1/8" 60 pieces 13 780 464.29 Ceiling Buttons 15 pieces 5.5 82.5 49.11 Window Frames, 3-in-1 2 pieces 30 60 35.71 Double Door Frames 2 pieces 30 60 35.71 Louvre Frames, 8 blade 12 pieces 9 108 64.29 Louvre Blades 3 packs 41 123 73.21 Netting 1 pack 25 25 14.88 Burglar Proofing 4 pieces 70 280 166.67 Wood, 1x9 20 pieces 13 260 154.76 Wood, 2x2 40 pieces 4 120 71.43 Wood, 2x3 60 pieces 5 300 178.57 Wood, 2x4 100 pieces 6 600 357.14 PVC Pipes 15 pieces 1.5 22.5 13.39 Conduct Boxes, 3x3 7 pieces 1 7 4.17 Conduct Boxes, 3x6 10 pieces 1.5 15 8.93 Circuit Breaker 1 pieces 150 150 89.29 Circuit Boxes 5 pieces 1 5 2.98 Cable, 10m 1 piece 150 150 89.29 Insulated Cable, 1.5 3 rolls 34 102 60.71 Insulated Cable, 2.5 3 rolls 52 156 92.86 Gavy Switch, 1 3 pieces 5 15 8.93 Gavy Switch, 3 2 pieces 6 12 7.14 13-Amp Socket, 3x6 10 pieces 8 80 47.62 13-Amp Socket, 3x3 3 pieces 6 18 10.71 Earthrod 1 pieces 8 8 4.76 Ceiling Rose 5 pieces 1.5 7.5 4.46 Lamp Holders 5 pieces 1.5 7.5 4.46 Batting Fitting 4 pieces 1.5 6 3.57 Flexible Rose 4 pieces 1.5 6 3.57 Energy-Saving 5 pieces 0.5 2.5 1.49 Total

5994.5 3568.15

Requested Funds are 71.9%of the total project cost.

IX. Community contribution Item Quantity Unit Cost (GH₵) Total Cost (GH₵) Total Cost (US$) Cement Blocks 500 pieces 0.7 350 208.33 Sand 2 trips 120 240 142.86 Gravel 1 trip 100 100 59.52 Cement Bags 20 pieces 23 460 273.81 Iron Rods 12 pieces 15 180 107.14 Wood, Beam Boards 6 pieces 10 60 35.71 Workmanship, Electrical 1 unit 200 200 119.05 Workmanship, Carpentry 1 unit 300 300 178.57 Workmanship, Masonry 1 unit 300 300 178.57 Transportation of Materials

150 150 89.29 Total

2340 1392.86

Community Contribution is 28.1%of the total project cost

X. Monitoring and EvaluationPhotos will be taken before and after construction. They will clearly depict the project through all stages of the action plan. Also, students, teachers, PTA, and community members will be interviewed regarding their thoughts on the project. Receipts will be collected as record of funds spent and materials purchased.

XI. Supporting DataA step-by-step photographic slide show of the construction will be submitted with the completion report. Testimonials from students and teachers will be included regarding how the construction has improved the quality of education at MASS.

So that's it people! They've bought the sand and concrete for the foundation so far. I will take plenty of pictures and keep you updated along the way. :)

One of the very, very special human beings from whom my genetic material is derived and more importantly from whom I have learned so much about life came to visit me here in Ghana.

My Mom!!!!!!!

Around 7 on the morning of Thursday, March 29th, Kayla and I sluggishly rolled out of bed. Kayla made coffee, while I helped myself to a few caramel Ghirardelli chocolate squares. In just a few short hours, I would be seeing my mother at the Accra airport. After a quick stop at the Ghana Commercial Bank, we headed to the airport to welcome my Mom to Ghana. We stood patiently in the waiting area, until finally, there she was - cute wide brim sun hat, gray rolly suitcase, and all! I ran to my Mom and hugged her for the first time in almost 10 months.

We exited the airport and walked over to where we could get in a cab. Mom said the flight wasn't bad, except her toes had swollen up like little sausages. I guess that is to be expected after 11 hours across the Atlantic. As we approached the main road, a taxi driver hollered out his window, "Where are you going? I won't charge plenty!" How refreshing, an Accra cabbie who was at least claiming not to rip us off!

"Kaneshie!" I yelled back the name of the station on the west side of town. "How much?"

"Ten cedis!" he replied. I think ten is probably a littlehigh, but not too bad. Kayla and I looked each other, shrugged, and loaded in. Before mom had even shut her door, the cabbie was already on the move! Ghanaian taxis - and actually Ghanaian drivers in general - are notorious for perilously weaving through traffic, excessive honking, and passing on the wrong side and / or at very bad times.

We dropped Kayla off in Kanda, where she was staying at the time, and continued on the Kaneshie. Kaneshie is a station / market which is constant mosh of vehicles, people, and well chaos. Following is a diagram of the station. The green bubbles are vendors' booths (shoes, clothes, food, body care, anything you could possibly want). The yellow buildings are market/ store buildings. The red boxes are all vehicles (buses, cars, taxis, tro-tro's). And the blue box is the vehicle mom and I were headed for.

So after we elbowed our way down the sidewalk, we finally found the Cape Coast tro-tro. After I put mom in a seat and our bags in the back, I went out to buy some plantain chips. Plantain chips are the closest thing we have here to potato chips, so if you know me, I'm always after some! I bought our chips at 30 pesewas per bag (18 cents or so) and got in the tro with mom. The car filled quickly and we proceeded to have a rather smooth ride to Cape Coast.

The following day Mom and I visited the Cape Coast castle. So just for a little history FYI, if I remember correctly, the castle was originally constructed by the Dutch in the 17th century as a hub for the gold trade. However, over the next hundred years, it passed through a number of hands before ending in possession of the Brits. During the 19th century, the castle was used again as a trading point , but not for gold. Instead, it was used to hold slaves who were driven from their homelands in the north of Ghana as well as Niger, Mali and other West African countries to be sold or traded. Thus, it is now referred to as a "slave castle." Anyway, the tour was very interesting. Our guide, Justice, showed us everything from the dungeons, to the death penalty cell, to the the governor's quarters.

The following day, David escorted us to the monkey sanctuary, which lies approximately an hour north of Cape Coast. The crazy Dutch couple who run the place - Dennis and Annette - introduced us to Ebenezer, a young Ghanaian man, who would take us around the sanctuary. We saw a number of interesting species including patas, white nose, and green monkeys, as well as several non-monkey species including civet cats, hyrax, antelope, and some weird spotted pointy-nose weasel thing. We all got to feed the monkeys bananas!

After our tour, we sat with Dennis and Annette and chatted. Auntie Nell, their newest baby monkey played with toys over by the table.

The next day, Sunday, we made the big journey up to Menji. The kids still had 4 days of finals, including my chemistry and science exams. The trip up north, although 9 hours long, wasn't too bad!

For the next week and a half we just hung out. Mom got to come to class, meet all the teachers and students, walk around the village, meet my kids club (see picture below), and enjoy my normal day-to-day. I think this was the best part of the trip, because Menji is honestly my favorite place on this entire continent. Furthermore, mom got to meet James - my counterpart. Since he is one of my best friends, it was a big deal to me! She brought him an IU ball cap.

Other things we did that week: hung out out, chatted with people, played games (gin, backgammon, cribbage), cooked, spotted a pair of African grey hornbills, went to the market, ...

went on walks,

played with Roo (we were babysitting Richie's cat),

made cheese (no joke!) and put it on salads,

visited Adila's family in Sunyani (the two moms!),

attended church and had lunch with Millicent and Grace (James's wife and daughter),

and of course, one of my students slaughtered a chicken for us...

to roast and eat with jollof!

Finally, at then end of our wonderful week at Menji, we traveled south to visit David's site. After a few sweaty tro rides, we arrived in Mokwa in the Central Region of Ghana. The next day we went to see David in action at a meeting in Twifo Praso. A lot of various group leaders (the district education director, the police chief, etc.) came together to discuss various issues in the district. David introduced himself and explained his position as a Peace Corps volunteer as well as his current projects. A lot of the people were veryinterested in working with David!

That evening we went out for dinner... And in Mokwa, there is one place in particular you just have to go! An older, rather severe-looking woman owns a little place on the corner of town's main junction. You might her for a fussy old bag and her building for a crappy tool shed. But nope, no way, it's a great restaurant with a kind owner, who - by the way - makes some of the best soup in Ghana!

The following morning, we traveled to Koforidua for the annual "All Volunteer Conference," a meeting which includes all of the current Peace Corps volunteers in Ghana. We went from Mokwa to Praso to Cape Coast to Accra to Koforidua to Bunso. And I must mention, the tro ride from Accra to Koforidua took a very interesting route. And by very interesting, I actually mean an uninhabited one-lane winding dirt path through a mountainous jungle. I couldn't show you how we went on a map, but two very bumpy hours later, we made it to Bunso. Although the meeting lasted nearly all day for three days, I went out to dinner with mom every night and we stayed together in a very nice little house.

Monday morning, we left Bunso and headed to Accra, where we checked into the Airport View Hotel. Mom was scheduled to leave Tuesday evening around 10PM. We spent Monday and Tuesday just walking around Accra seeing the sites. We found a cute little shop ran by an adorable lady named Amanda, where Mom and I bought some fun souvenirs! Oh, and also we went to a little cafe were Mom got tea, I had a cappuccino, and we both had croissants! It was a really nice last two days together. Janers and I were very sad to part at the airport. But hopefully I will see her next Christmas (fingers crossed)!

And most importantly, Mom has visited and gotten to know the place I will call home for the next year and a half. :)

P.S. Thank you for visiting Mom!! I love you!

Kayla Baumgartner was already my friend the moment I came into the world. For those of you who don't know, our dads have been best bro's since high school in 1932.

[hahahahahahaha old jokes on Dad never get.... old! hahahahha]

And now here we are 23 years later living in Ghana together! Kayla is getting a job in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. I could not be happier or more excited to have one of my best friends so close. :)

So welcome back to Ghana, Kla!

Alhaji is Adilla's little brother. He's 5. He likes to relax.

Teaching is a joy. An absolute joy.

***************************************

Integrated Science: Introduction to ChemistryHomework Assignment 1

QuestionWhat is an atom?

Answer: An atom is the smallest particle of an element that can undergo a chemical reaction.

Anonymous Student's Answer: An atom is the smallest particle of an element that can undergo a chemical erection.

This afternoon, James and I went out for a walk. As we were strolling along past the school, James pointed out a particularly tall palm tree. Leaned against the tree was a ladder, and on top the ladder was one of my students, Simon. James said, "Betsy, I want to show you what this guy is doing." We walked over to the palm tree. Simon was hacking away at the base of the palm fronds with a machete.

"He is harvesting palmnuts," James said as a ten-foot palm frond fell at our feet. "He is removing the branches first so he can get to the palmnuts." I could see the cluster of plannuts, which was about the size of a basketball, wedged between bases of three of four of fronds. "You know we have some kind of traditional or spiritual beliefs about the palm tree," James continued, "We believe that when you are visiting a person or a place you should not take the palmnut soup unless you plan to stay for a very long time. You should prefer to take light soup if you are only visiting for a short time. If you take the palmnut soup, then you will have formed a connection to the place and you will not leave for a long, long time. The palm is sign of prosperity, so when you take the soup, people believe you will stay and have a very long prosperous life." Another palm fond fell. I could see the palm nuts better. The cluster was held onto the tree by a short, thick woody stem.

"Look at this part. Here," James pointed to the center rib of one of the long narrow bright green leaves sticking off the fallen frond, "We take many of these, dry them in the sun, and tie them together for a broom. Like the one in the kitchen. And this part," he pointed to the tough woody center of the frond, "We can take the outside of it and use it to weave baskets. While it is green you can weave it, but then when the thing turns brown, it will become very hard and strong," as James finished his sentence, a large cluster of red-orange palm nuts fell at our feet. We watched as Simon repositioned his ladder on the other side of the tree to get at another cluster.

I walked over to examine the cluster of palmnuts. At the base of the cluster, a few of the palmnuts had suffered a blow from Simon's machete; I could see the inside parts. The thin outer skin is bright reddish orange and similar in texture to the skin of an apple. The bright orange flesh inside is incredibly juicy and fibrous. The shell encasing the inner kernel is black, thick, and very tough. I couldn't break one by stomping on it. The inner kernel is soft like a cashew nut, pale yellow, and very oily.

James pointed to the black shell, "Blacksmiths use this part to fuel their fires because it burns very hot. Some commercial chop bars also palm kernel shells, because it can cook the food faster." Then he pointed to the kernel, "This inside part contains alot of oil, so at the factories, people extract the palm kernel oil. It is very nutritious." Another massive frond fell to the ground.

"When you prepare the soup, you boil the nuts first. After cooking for some time, you pound the nuts, like we pound fufu. You sieve it to remove the hard parts and the kernel. Then you cook it again for some time and take the palmnut oil off the top. You can use it for anything - the red oil in our kitchen, you know the one."

"Since the trees are so valuable, when people are clearing land for farming or to construct buildings, they will be very careful not to cut any palm trees. They will only cut the trees when their life cycle is finished. When it is time, the people will cut the tree at the roots. After the tree has been lying for some days, the people dig a hole in the ground at the top of the tree. The will put a big pot in the hole. Then, they take machetes and they cut the top of the tree. This will make the palm wine drain out of the tree into the pot. After the tree has drained, the people take the palm wine to drink or to make into akpeteshie.

"We let the tree lie again for some days or weeks. A certain insect comes to drill into the tree and put its larva in the hole. People take the larva, because they are very delicious! We put some on a thin stick, add salt, and roast them over a fire. Or we can put them in soup."

THUD another cluster of palmnuts hit the dirt.

"After the tree has been lying for some months, then the mushrooms start to grow. The mushrooms are the tall ones with short tails." I drew a picture in the dirt of mushrooms I've seen before in the market and said, "Like this?"

James said, "Yes yes! That's the one! We can put the mushrooms in soup or anything. They are very delicious."

"After a year, the wood has become rotten during the rainy season, then dry again in the next dry season. If you burn it, there will be ashes in a straight line. If you plant anything in that line, it will grow very, very well! You can move the ashes to your farm, but people believe it is better to use them where they are."

"You see, the palm is a very special, very important tree. But people are forgetting how to use it. These young people do not learn how to use the natural things" We took a moment to admire the palm tree in all it's beautiful utility. "Ok, let's go home now, I'm feeling very hungry!"

I discovered something today. After a big of contemplation, I deemed the story only partially-worthy of a blog post. I decided write about it anyway, because this is my blog and in the words of Cartman, "Whateva, whateva, I do what I want."

So here it is... No matter the country, language, or culture, your mom is funny.

This afternoon around 3pm, I was walking through Wenchi station, feeling very weary after a day's travel and a bit ill after a bout with food poisoning. My eyes are cast downward towards my slow moving feet ̶ as they usually are when I am not feeling like my chatty-self. The ground is reddish-brown dirt so dry and packed so hard that a blind man could have mistaken it for concrete. All around, I hear the usual calls of girls selling things off the tops of their heads: "nsuo nie!" (water), "kosua ne mako!" (eggs with spicy pepper sauce), "meat pie wϽ hϽ!" (meat pies are here), etc. I saunter forwards towards the place where I know I will find a tro to Menji.

All of a sudden, from about 10 feet away on my left, a man yells at a rather obnoxious volume, "Akosia obruni!!" (white lady). I don't look up or veer off my course. It happens every time I am in anywhere besides my town, so I have become quite accustomed/ numb to it.

"AKOSIA OBRUNI HELLO!!" he yells again, this time even louder. I still don't look up or stop walking.

"OBRUNI HELLLLOOOOOO!" he yells yet again. But this time, out of my peripheral vision, I see him rapidly approaching me.

"Akos, wo kϽ he?" (lady, where are you going) he fervidly demands.

Without looking up or hesitating, I reply, "Wo maame fie!" (your mom's house). We lock eyes, each as shocked as the other. I stare at him, waiting for some kind of reaction, thinking, 'Oh shit that was a major mistake.' He's a young man, tall, too skinny, and a little goofy looking thanks to the gap in his front teeth and the pink t-shirt that's 2 sizes too big. After 5 solid seconds of an incredibly awkward staring contest, he busts up laughing. I mean serious, bent over, knee-slapping laughter. He gasps, looks up, and cackles, "ME maame fie??" (MY mom's house?).

I start laughing too and reply, "Aane, wo maame fie! Anwummerԑ yie," (Yes, your mom's house. This evening.)

His lanky frame shaking with laughter, he adds, "Saa! Me frԑ no sessei, Ͻbԑ wϽ fufu!" (Is that so, I will call her immediately. She will prepare fufu!).

We shake hands, while continuing to crack up, then part ways.

Moral of the story... Even in Africa, your mom is still funny.

I dedicate this post to funny Moms all over the world. Especially my mom, Janers, who is loved by all, from Australia to Africa!

So now that I have been at my school for a term, I have assessed the schools needs/ wants, and I have started compiling a list of all the stuff I want to get done in the next 2 years. Here is that list in summary:

Chemistry Lab... While I have cleaned out all the bat poop and piles of dirt, there are still holes in the ceiling, floor, and walls of my lab. And because of these holes, it rains in the lab during the rainy season. Thus, the lab is dark and dank. Also, there is no electricity, and the natural light is not sufficient (even despite the gaping 5ft hole in the ceiling). The answer to this issue: apply for grants and keep my fingers crossed.

ICT Lab... An assemblyman from the district donated four nice, new desktop computers to the school to start up an ICT lab. However, the room which is destined to become the ICT lacks proper floors/windows/ceiling/ventilation, electricity, tables on which to put the computers, and chairs on which to put the students. The answer to this issue: apply for grants and keep my fingers crossed.

Excursions (Field Trips)... This is more of a fun goal, than a serious development goal. The school has a nice new bus, which was donated by the government. The students really want to make use of it, and who can blame them! But what teacher wants to organize and chaperone 30 high school teenagers? ME! So starting this term I'm going to start planning some field trips for the kiddzos.

School Farm... MASS stands for Menji Agricultural Secondary School. So where's all the agriculture? The students don't have a practical component to their agric. education, which I see as absolutely unacceptable! For the garden, I only need to obtain some type of fencing to keep roving packs of goats from munching the seedlings. The community members have offered to provide seeds and tubers to get the plants going, so that part is taken care of. For the animals, I want to have chicken coop full of layers, which can provide extra moneys and eggs for the school. And eventually I want to also have some basic livestock like a goats, a grasscutters, and maybe even a pair of moo-moo's!

A Volleyball Team.... This part of the plan is already on it's feet as we're out there every day after school. However, this plan will truly blossom, when Scott and Carolyn Mooney come visit. They are hoping to provide jerseys, balls, and a new net. I also plan to arrange 2-day weekend instructional clinics for the students at my school, and the surrounding schools.

A Science Fair... I always wanted to be in a science fair, but since none of my schools had one when I was younger, I figure the next best thing is to organize one. Plus the kids can do all sorts of cool stuff. Like catch lizards and talk about their ecology or whatever!

Science Camp... This is really nerdy, but I am totally serious. I want to put on an intensive week-long science camp during a term break at some point during my stay here at MASS. It will be for students who are particularly interested in the sciences - biology, chemistry, physics - and want more exposure. I could collaborate with other Peace Corps teachers to come up with an appropriate location (ie. a school where there aren't bats in the desks and holes in the ceilings). Then, we could apply for funding to pay for the room/board, laboratory supplies, t-shirts, travel costs, and whatever. Seriously, an overnight science camp... Now, again, I know I am a nerd, but I would have LOVED such a thing when I was in high school!!

A Girl's Club... Now this project is already starting, and I did not initiate it, I am merely a mentor and adviser. The girl who is starting it is the girl who helps around my house, Adilla. She has all sorts of neat ideas. At each weekly or maybe bi-monthly meetings, she wants to discuss some female-related topic. Some weeks, we will be serious and some weeks, we will just have fun. For example, the topic might be sexual health, sewing, dancing, dressing properly, jewelry-making, manners, cooking, exercise, nutrition, etc. She wants to also include activities like pop culture quizzes and movie night!

I just had an emotional experience with a bowl of palmnut soup and fufu. If I were a poet, I'd write a sonnet. If I were a singer, I'd sing a ballad. If I were a rapper, I'd bust a rhyme. That was by far the best meal I've eaten since my farewell dinner back in May, when Holly made chicken-veggie burgers and roasted cauliflower. Those chicken burgs were so delicious that I thought I might pass out mid-meal! But this time it actually happened. Tonight, while savoring all the incredible flavors of the fufu and soup, I passed out. Seriously, it was so tasty I fainted, face straight to soup.

Ok, ok, so the passing out part isn't true. But the part about my dinner being a remarkably marvelous meal was very true. Please allow me to describe it more thoroughly.

The base starch of the meal, fufu, was prepared as usual with cassava and plantain. Although a sturdy and reliable base, fufu is far from basic. First, the cassava and plantain are peeled and chopped. Then, the prepared cassava and plantain are boiled together over a fire for approximately 30 minutes. For some reason, the plantain is always layered over the cassava in the pot. Then, the boiled plantain and cassava are pounded with a mortar and pestle. Fufu-pounding is serious business. It is, after all, a two person job. One person sits on a stool and pushes or "drives" the food around the pestle, which is essentially a 40 pound, 1ft high x 2ft diameter flat-bottomed wooden bowl. The other person rhythmically and forcefully pounds the fufu in the mortar with a 5ft long x 3in diameter wooden mortar. The pounding of fufu is no simple task as it takes teamwork (or the driver will lose a digit), strength (the pounder must have excellent upper body strength and cardiovascular stamina), and dedication (the pounding process takes never less than 20 minutes). The plantain is pounded first into a lumpy yellow mass flecked with black seeds. Subsequently, the cassava is pounded into a smooth white mass. Then the two are the pounded together, which results in a smooth, elastic, off-white substance known as fufu. Finally, the fufu is divided and lovingly rolled into softball-sized servings and placed into bowls.

This evening, on top of the fufu was served palmnut soup, which is no less labor intensive than the fufu. First, the bright orangish-red palmnuts are boiled in a large pot for approximately 45 minutes. Palmnuts are similar to dates in size and in that they both possess hard, black, oblong pits. Next, the boiled palmnuts are pounded in a mortar similar to the fufu mortar, only slightly different in shape. While the fufu mortar is low and wide, the palm nut mortar is tall and narrow, at about 2ft high x 1 ft wide. The pestle looks about the same, altough a bit narrower, maybe only 2" in diameter. After the palmnuts are thoroughly pounded, the resulting orange mush is pushed through a sieve with water to remove the seeds, peels, and other tough fibrous parts. The outcome is a thick, perfectly smooth and beautiful orange liquid, which is then boiled for 30 minutes to an hour. Next, a much smaller clay mortar is used to grind together tomatoes, onions, garlic, and hot red peppers, which results in something like super spicy, smooth salsa. In the meantime, beef is chopped into ~1ounce chunks and red onion is finely diced. The beef, onions, and a bit of water are cooked together briefly in a small pot. At last, the ground tomato-pepper mixture along with the cooked beef and onions are added to the palmnut soup and cooked together for another 30 minutes. A generous pinch of salt is added for flavor. In the last few minutes of cooking, a few handfuls of flat mushrooms are tossed into the soup.

Finally, the food is ready to be served, soup carefully ladled over fufu.

And that –fufu with palm nut soup, mushrooms, and beef – ladies and gentlemen, was my incredible, delectable dinner.

Prep time: 2 hours. Eat time: 2 minutes.

Love, Betsy

I just had an emotional experience with a bowl of palmnut soup and fufu. If I were a poet, I'd write a sonnet. If I were a singer, I'd sing a ballad. If I were a rapper, I'd bust a rhyme. That was by far the best meal I've eaten since my farewell dinner back in May, when Holly made chicken-veggie burgers and roasted cauliflower. Those chicken burgs were so delicious that I thought I might pass out mid-meal! But this time it actually happened. Tonight, while savoring all the incredible flavors of the fufu and soup, I passed out. Seriously, it was so tasty I fainted, face straight to soup.

Ok, ok, so the passing out part isn't true. But the part about my dinner being a remarkably marvelous meal was very true. Please allow me to describe it more thoroughly.

The base starch of the meal, fufu, was prepared as usual with cassava and plantain. Although a sturdy and reliable base, fufu is far from basic. First, the cassava and plantain are peeled and chopped. Then, the prepared cassava and plantain are boiled together over a fire for approximately 30 minutes. For some reason, the plantain is always layered over the cassava in the pot. Then, the boiled plantain and cassava are pounded with a mortar and pestle. Fufu-pounding is serious business. It is, after all, a two person job. One person sits on a stool and pushes or "drives" the food around the pestle, which is essentially a 40 pound, 1ft high x 2ft diameter flat-bottomed wooden bowl. The other person rhythmically and forcefully pounds the fufu in the mortar with a 5ft long x 3in diameter wooden mortar. The pounding of fufu is no simple task as it takes teamwork (or the driver will lose a digit), strength (the pounder must have excellent upper body strength and cardiovascular stamina), and dedication (the pounding process takes never less than 20 minutes). The plantain is pounded first into a lumpy yellow mass flecked with black seeds. Subsequently, the cassava is pounded into a smooth white mass. Then the two are the pounded together, which results in a smooth, elastic, off-white substance known as fufu. Finally, the fufu is divided and lovingly rolled into softball-sized servings and placed into bowls.

This evening, on top of the fufu was served palmnut soup, which is no less labor intensive than the fufu. First, the bright orangish-red palmnuts are boiled in a large pot for approximately 45 minutes. Palmnuts are similar to dates in size and in that they both possess hard, black, oblong pits. Next, the boiled palmnuts are pounded in a mortar similar to the fufu mortar, only slightly different in shape. While the fufu mortar is low and wide, the palm nut mortar is tall and narrow, at about 2ft high x 1 ft wide. The pestle looks about the same, altough a bit narrower, maybe only 2" in diameter. After the palmnuts are thoroughly pounded, the resulting orange mush is pushed through a sieve with water to remove the seeds, peels, and other tough fibrous parts. The outcome is a thick, perfectly smooth and beautiful orange liquid, which is then boiled for 30 minutes to an hour. Next, a much smaller clay mortar is used to grind together tomatoes, onions, garlic, and hot red peppers, which results in something like super spicy, smooth salsa. In the meantime, beef is chopped into ~1ounce chunks and red onion is finely diced. The beef, onions, and a bit of water are cooked together briefly in a small pot. At last, the ground tomato-pepper mixture along with the cooked beef and onions are added to the palmnut soup and cooked together for another 30 minutes. A generous pinch of salt is added for flavor. In the last few minutes of cooking, a few handfuls of flat mushrooms are tossed into the soup.

Finally, the food is ready to be served, soup carefully ladled over fufu.

And that –fufu with palm nut soup, mushrooms, and beef – ladies and gentlemen, was my incredible, delectable dinner.

Prep time: 2 hours. Eat time: 2 minutes.

Love, Betsy

I just had an emotional experience with a bowl of palmnut soup and fufu. If I were a poet, I'd write a sonnet. If I were a singer, I'd sing a ballad. If I were a rapper, I'd bust a rhyme. That was by far the best meal I've eaten since my farewell dinner back in May, when Holly made chicken-veggie burgers and roasted cauliflower. Those chicken burgs were so delicious that I thought I might pass out mid-meal! But this time it actually happened. Tonight, while savoring all the incredible flavors of the fufu and soup, I passed out. Seriously, it was so tasty I fainted, face straight to soup.

Ok, ok, so the passing out part isn't true. But the part about my dinner being a remarkably marvelous meal was very true. Please allow me to describe it more thoroughly.

The base starch of the meal, fufu, was prepared as usual with cassava and plantain. Although a sturdy and reliable base, fufu is far from basic. First, the cassava and plantain are peeled and chopped. Then, the prepared cassava and plantain are boiled together over a fire for approximately 30 minutes. For some reason, the plantain is always layered over the cassava in the pot. Then, the boiled plantain and cassava are pounded with a mortar and pestle. Fufu-pounding is serious business. It is, after all, a two person job. One person sits on a stool and pushes or "drives" the food around the pestle, which is essentially a 40 pound, 1ft high x 2ft diameter flat-bottomed wooden bowl. The other person rhythmically and forcefully pounds the fufu in the mortar with a 5ft long x 3in diameter wooden mortar. The pounding of fufu is no simple task as it takes teamwork (or the driver will lose a digit), strength (the pounder must have excellent upper body strength and cardiovascular stamina), and dedication (the pounding process takes never less than 20 minutes). The plantain is pounded first into a lumpy yellow mass flecked with black seeds. Subsequently, the cassava is pounded into a smooth white mass. Then the two are the pounded together, which results in a smooth, elastic, off-white substance known as fufu. Finally, the fufu is divided and lovingly rolled into softball-sized servings and placed into bowls.

This evening, on top of the fufu was served palmnut soup, which is no less labor intensive than the fufu. First, the bright orangish-red palmnuts are boiled in a large pot for approximately 45 minutes. Palmnuts are similar to dates in size and in that they both possess hard, black, oblong pits. Next, the boiled palmnuts are pounded in a mortar similar to the fufu mortar, only slightly different in shape. While the fufu mortar is low and wide, the palm nut mortar is tall and narrow, at about 2ft high x 1 ft wide. The pestle looks about the same, altough a bit narrower, maybe only 2" in diameter. After the palmnuts are thoroughly pounded, the resulting orange mush is pushed through a sieve with water to remove the seeds, peels, and other tough fibrous parts. The outcome is a thick, perfectly smooth and beautiful orange liquid, which is then boiled for 30 minutes to an hour. Next, a much smaller clay mortar is used to grind together tomatoes, onions, garlic, and hot red peppers, which results in something like super spicy, smooth salsa. In the meantime, beef is chopped into ~1ounce chunks and red onion is finely diced. The beef, onions, and a bit of water are cooked together briefly in a small pot. At last, the ground tomato-pepper mixture along with the cooked beef and onions are added to the palmnut soup and cooked together for another 30 minutes. A generous pinch of salt is added for flavor. In the last few minutes of cooking, a few handfuls of flat mushrooms are tossed into the soup.

Finally, the food is ready to be served, soup carefully ladled over fufu.

And that –fufu with palm nut soup, mushrooms, and beef – ladies and gentlemen, was my incredible, delectable dinner.

Prep time: 2 hours. Eat time: 2 minutes.

Love, Betsy

Money in Ghana is interesting to me. Well actually, much like every other homo sapien, money anywhere in the world is interesting to me. So this post is all about moooooooneyyyy$$$.

The equivalent to the US Dollar ($) is the Ghana Cedi(¢). The cedi comes in a 1¢ coin or bills (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50.... and I've never had anything bigger than a 50¢). The bills are really pretty. Here's a picture of some Ghana moneys.

The current rate of exchange is about 1 US$ = 1.60 GH¢.

Paying for stuff... All in cash. Credit cards and stores that accept them are incredibly rare outside of the major cities.

How much stuff costs...

Item Quantity Ghana ¢ US$Eggs 30 6.50 4.33Gas 1 litre 1.58 2.37 Conversion 1 gallon 3.47 5.21Pineapple 1 big 2.00 1.33Avocado 1 medium 0.50 0.33Mango 1 big 1.00 0.66Apple 1 big 1.00 0.66Baguette 1 1.00 0.66Tomateos 6, 2" in diameter 0.50 0.33 Onions 6, 2" in diameter 0.50 0.33Bananas Bunch of ~12 1.00 0.66Water 500mL sachet 0.05 0.03Chicken 1/2 a chicken 4.00 2.66Box of Wine 1 litre 3.00 2.00Wooden Stool 1 4.00 2.66Mosquito Net 1 double size 10.00 6.66Batik Fabric 1 yard 5.00 3.33Black Currant Jam 1 jar 4.50 3.00Cell Phone Sim Card 1 1.00 0.66Toilet Paper 1 roll 0.50 0.33Fast food 1 order chicken/rice 2.00 1.33Plantain Chips 1 small bag 0.30 0.20

This was originally meant to be a sort of cautionary email to Janers (mom), in preparation for her visit to Ghana next year. But then I thought, well, Eileen (David's mom) is also visiting next year; she too might want to read this. Then I thought, well, the whole Mooney family should also probably have a look at it.. So then I just decided I would post it on my blog, thereby making it available to everyone! Here it is.

Things occur here in Ghana, which, by American standards, would be perceived as odd or even shocking. By Ghanaian standards, however, these occurrences are nothing more or less than normal. Here are some things you should be prepared to encounter. Do not be alarmed by the following...

Someone petting your arm. Your white skin is different and weird. It's not rudeness, it's just curiosity.

A man exposing himself to take a pee on the side of the road. It happens all the time and is considered totally acceptable public behavior.

People staring at you. You might be the first white person they've ever seen in real life!

Children saying/singing/yelling “Obruni” around you. It just means white person. They will be so happy if you just wave or smile at them!

Diarrhea. Ugh.

Church. People will cry, laugh, dance, fall to their knees, lay on the ground, roll around, speak/ yell in tongues, scream, bang their fists on the walls/ pews/ ground, or any number of other symptoms of hysteria.

Breasts. Women will breast feed openly and at anytime: on the bus, in church, on the street, while cooking dinner, in the market, or anywhere else the baby is hungry.

Policemen with big guns stopping your vehicle. The police do routine “customs checks” at the borders of districts and regions. If your driver hands the policeman some money then continues through, it is payoff. It happens.

Physical punishment. If a child misbehaves, sometimes he/she will be caned or otherwise beaten. The cane is just a long thin tree branch. It is just part of life here.

The amount of oil in/ on your food. Just know that Ghanaian foods are generally very oily.

The crappy-ness of the vehicle you're in. Yes, it is a tad woebegone, but yes, it will get you there!

Chaos. Tro stations, markets, and cities appear to be in a constant state of incredible chaos at all times.

People asking for money. Because of the media and rich tourists, some Ghanaians assume that Americans are loaded and ready to pass out the bills.

People trying to overcharge you. Again, it is because you are white. If you are aware that it is happening, don't allow them to charge you more. Insist on the correct amount.

Smells. Some places are really stinky.

Animals. Goats, sheeps, and pigs are everywhere. There will be one in or on top your tro at some point.

Yelling. It seems like people do a lot of yelling here. You might think someone is angrily shouting at you,but in actuality, they are just saying hello or asking where you're going.

Gigantic scary machetes. Everyone has one, and it is just their lawn mower. And tiller. And tractor. And axe. And shovel. And scythe. And butcher knife.

The Peace Corps mission statement consists of 3 goals. Today I accomplished each these 3 goals, even if only in little ways. :)

[Note: Adilla is the female student who helps me a lot around the house. Eman is the male student who comes to help Adilla make fufu. James is my counterpart/ bff]

GOAL I. Build man power. Today, I taught Adilla how to use a laptop.

Due to lack of funding, the computer classes here at Menji are taught with a chalkboard and a single virus-ridden desktop PC at the front of the classroom. James is the ICT teacher and bless his heart, he does everything he can! But because of this, Adilla hasn't had much practical instruction/ experience on a computer. She said she has used a desktop PC a few times before, but is usually too shy to visit the internet cafe, because she's unsure about computers.

We started from step 1: turning the computer on. Then we went through the organization of the Windows operating system. We talked about the desktop, the start menu, shut down/restart/sleep mode, My Computer, the Library, the Recycle Bin, etc. We talked about MS Office, particularly Word, Powerpoint, and Excel. [Side note: I keep my chemistry grade book in an excel spread sheet, which Adilla thought was neat. Unlike the in America, students here in Ghana rarely know anything about their grade before report cards release] Then, we did a little internet tutorial... how to connect to the internet using a USB modem, the different browsers available, Favorites, History, Tabs/ Bookmarks, search engines, Wikipedia. I even told her a little bit about torrents, which she seemed to get. By afternoon, she was looking up information on squids and playing Minesweeper. All while jamming to my music collection. She and Eman both really enjoy Basshunter. Swedish, sorta techno/ dance party music.

In America, kids learning computer science is taken as a given since virtually every child has access to a computer lab at school and a PC at home. Even my little hometown elementary school had a computer lab when I was there 15 years ago! Here in Ghana though, only a handful of high schools have computer labs. Even fewer middle schools have labs. And I have yet to see a primary school with computers. Ghanaians learning computer technology is integral to their development as a nation.

Adilla will use computers throughout the rest of her life. Now she can go to the internet cafe with confidence. And the information won't stop with Adilla. She mentioned that she is excited to share the things I taught her with her younger siblings.

GOAL II. Share American culture with Ghanaians. I love banana bread - Ghana has a lot of bananas - I have an oven. Therefore, I decided to make banana bread this morning. James, Adilla, and Eman all thought the idea of bananas in bread was strange, to say the least. Eman, the nicest boy ever, just nodded and said, “Oh that is very interesting.” James didn't say much, but the look on his face clearly said “That sounds weird and gross.” And Adilla, whose blatant honesty frequently cracks me up, exclaimed, “Ah! If I eat that, I might vomit!”

Despite their initial reactions of aversion, when the banana bread had finished baking, I took each of them a slice topped with a little butter. It is now evening, and every last crumb has been finished. In all sincerity, I had one piece of banana bread today. Upon finishing about half the loaf, James declared, “Yes, we will make the banana bread often!”

Food is an important aspect of Ghanaian culture, as it bonds families and communities. Although precious, food is always shared, and is thus a symbol of both prosperity and unity. Families and friends often eat with their hands from one communal bowl. Furthermore, when eating anything, at any time of day, if there is anyone even vaguely nearby, you invite them to your food. Just the other day, a clearly under-nourished little boy blithely invited me to his dinner. His large, bright eyes glanced down at the small bag of rice and red sauce clasped in his left hand. For some unknown reason, I had put a blue lifesaver in my pocket that morning.. I was happy to remember it was there, because he liked it a lot more than I would have.

Anyway, James, Adilla, and Eman were quite pleasantly surprised by the banana bread. They were so happy that I had shared not just food, but American food with them. They were even more delighted when I told them banana bread is a tradition in my family. I explained that while growing up, I was always so excited to see brown bananas in the kitchen.. It meant Mom would make banana bread! When I was little, my job was mashing the bananas. But as I got older, Mom allowed me more and more responsibility, until one day I was baking all on my own. So thank you Mom for teaching me this delicious American tradition, so that I could share it with Ghanaians.

GOAL III. Share Ghanaian culture with America. Paragraph 2 of GOAL II just accomplished this goal. Ok, well, that's assuming SOMEBODY back home reads this thing :)

Alright I am going to bed. Good night everyone!

B

Let's be honest. Living in Africa isn't the easiest on a body. Actually it is sort of an esthetician's hell. To combat the damaging effects of a harsh environment, I've started developing some little tricks to make life easier and prettier! :)

Oatmeal Avocado Mask... This is great and very soothing if my face is at all irritated or dry. Directions: Bring a cup or two of water to boil in a pan. Add a handful of oatmeal. Cook the oatmeal for a few minutes, while crushing up the avocado with a fork. Pull the oatmeal off the burner and mix in the smooshed avocado. Wait until the mixture has cooled to luke warm. It should be fairly thick in consistency. Spread the mixture across face and allow to sit for 15- 20 minutes.

Lemon Green Tea Mask... I use this face mask to treat a break out (ew!). Directions: Mince a few lemon peels and put in a small pot. Tear open a sachet of green tea into the pot. Add two cups of water and a and boil for 5 minutes. Add a handful of oatmeal, and cook a few minutes. Remove from heat, and wait until the mixture has cooled to room temperature. It should be fairly thick in consistency. Spread the mixture across face and allow to sit for 15- 20 minutes.

Tropical Pedicure... I do this every Wednesday night. Directions: Boil a few cups of water with the peels from 1 or 2 oranges. Mix orange water with some cool water in a roomy bucket. Should be hot but not scalding. Allow feet to soak for 15 - 30 minutes. Using a small piece of bamboo, push back cuticles and clean under nails. Scrub feet thoroughly with a tough brush or sponge. Slather feet in sunblock (Banana Boat... smells great and is nice and thick)!

Cane Sugar Hand and Body Scrub... Once weekly for super soft skin! Directions: Go to the market. Buy shea or cocoa butter and sugar cane sugar (the crystals are much larger than commercially produced white sugar). Mix in a small bowl: 2 parts cane sugar, 1 part shea/ cocoa butter, 1 part cooking oil (soy, veg, olive.. whatever you have in the kitchen). After washing with soap and water, use on hands or all over body. Rinse thoroughly, but do not use soap again. Pat dry.

Ginger Lemon Facial Toner... A perfect morning face wake up call. Boil water in a pot. Slice lemon peel and fresh ginger into thin strips and place in a small bowl with a sachet of green tea. Pour in some boiling water. Allow to steep for a few minutes. Using clean terry cloth swipe mixture gently across skin. Good morning, face!

This week I had a pet for a day. We found him rustling about in the leaves late one evening. Ghanaians have the power of night vision (in addition to fire-proof hands), so James immediately identified the creature and carefully picked him up. We brought him into the living room. I inspected the creature. About the size of a softball and covered with ¾" grey/black spikes, it appeared to be a large sea urchin.

James said, "It's like a rat."

DING DING DINGLIGHT BULB MOMENT

"Oh it's a hedgehog!" I exclaimed.

We waited quietly for some time. Finally he unrolled and started exploring the living room. Unball-ed, he was about 6" long and 4" tall. His paws and face were white with a dark nose and large dark eyes. Using my Audubon Guide, I identified him as an African Four-toed Hedgehog, Atelerix albiventris. This species can be found in most of the wooded savannah across sub-Saharan Africa. He house is a nest made of twigs, and he dines on insects, small eggs, fruits, nuts, and seeds. His most important characteristic... African four-toed hedgehogs have been observed battling and killing poisonous snakes.

So that evening, he spent some more time sniffing around the living room. I gave him a snack of candy corn. Then he decided to sleep behind some paint cans.

The next morning, I awoke to find him snuggled up cozily inside my tennis shoe. SO cute! I decided I would name him Mr. Darcy. I left some raisins outside the shoe and went to school. When I returned home, Eman (the student who comes to help around the house) was there making a snack. Unfortunately, I had forgotten to inform Eman of Mr. Darcy. He left the backdoor door open, as we usually do, and Mr. Darcy had made his escape! Though only after consuming all the raisins.

So Mr. Darcy was my pet for one day. And now I can say that once I kept a hedgehog as a pet.

I only took videos of Mr. Darcy so here is a picture of one of his relatives.

At 5:55AM, I was awake, completely refreshed, and ready for action. For breakfast, I cooked some left-over white rice in a small pot with milk, honey, cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins (thanks for the care package Janers!). Over breakfast and tea, I read the Count of Monte Cristo. I WILL finished that book. Adilla came to prepare herself an egg sandwich. She needed the energy, as later in the morning was her big debut.

She and about 10 other students have been preparing for a play. And we're not talking some light-hearted comedy... The play depicts how detrimental the Muslim practice of early marriage** can be to the lives of young girls.

**Background Information: Here in Ghana about a quarter of the population is Muslim. According to Muslim tradition, a man may take more than one wife. As men age, they look outside of their demographic for wives, sometimes taking girls 20, 30 or even 40 years younger than themselves. The girls are pulled out of school (even primary school) to marry and perform the duties of a wife. Gross right? Well my students think so too, because this morning they went to 2 neighboring Muslim communities to put on this play in protest of early marriage.

Although I was sad I wouldn't get to see my little Adi acting, I was proud of her for confronting such a major social issue!

I finished breakfast and dawned a rather snappy outfit of tan Born sandals, bootcut chinos, a purple sleeveless top, and a festive aqua, lime, and purple bead necklace. In my brain, I was adding the finishing touches to the senior chemistry lab for next week. I headed to school.

Upon arrival, I was surprised to discover that there were only about 6 students present. I was confused, but went to the staff common room to work on class notes. A few minutes later, Mr.Yawkuu, the assistant head master, poked his head in and asked why I hadn't gone along to watch "the drama." I replied that I had class to teach. He explained that most of the students not in "the drama" had also excused themselves to either sleep in or tag along to watch the play. He went on to say that on their way to their second show they would pass through Menji, and I could join if I like.

I spent a little more time in the staff common room writing the procedure for next week's "Limiting and Excess Reagents" lab. Then I packed up, walked down to the Bui junction in the center of town, and plopped on a wooden bench to call David. A few minutes later, I heard drumming in the distance. Although drumming is not an uncommon sound in Ghana, the drumming seemed to be getting closer. As I listened, to the beat of the drums was added singing voices and the groan of a diesel engine. Up pulls the familiar yellow bus with black block lettering, "Menji Agric Senior School." But instead of sitting vacant and weary in school lot with grasses growing up around the tires, the bus was now undulating with life. Packed with about 30 students, the government teacher (Abu), the headmistress, and 4 drums, the school bus had become a party bus! I hopped aboard, and was greeted with cheers and hand shakes.

The rhythms of the drums and songs shook the bus to its frame.

When we reached Namasa, the headmistress, Abu, and I alighted. We were to first greet the chief. We walked up a large house, and after Abu spoke with a few women, we entered. The compound was even larger than it appeared from the outside. The expansive mango tree in the center of the courtyard offered shade to 4 women (ages 25 to 60) who were busily washing linens and pots. I guessed these women were the chief's wives. We walked to an open but covered area on the right side of the compound. There were a dozen or so wooden chairs decorated with shiny gold and silver metal embellishments.

There was also a small cot on which a old man was resting. Perhaps 80 years old, he wore light blue linen trousers and a white cotton t-shirt. Both articles of clothing were quite loose as he was quite thin. His large sunken, but friendly eyes were opaque with cataracts. A tall muscular boy of 18 or so with high cheekbones and almond-shaped eyes brought us tan plastic chairs. We arranged ourselves in semi-circle around the old chief's cot. The linguist arrived shortly (no one speaks directly to the chief but rather through another person, his "linguist"). The chief spoken in a light, crackly voice that reminded of stepping in a pile of raked leaves. As custom demands, he asked of our mission. The linguist relayed the message. Abu told the linguist that we were teachers from the neighboring village and had brought our students to Namasa to put on a play. The chief nodded. After a few more words were exchanged, we took our leave.

We then went to a smaller house across town to greet the Imam, the leader of the mosque for the community. After removing our shoes, we ducked under a blue curtain which covered the doorway. The Imam was small thin man of about 70 years. He was seated cross-legged on a raffia mat on the floor. The room was dark and smelled very pleasantly of musty incense. We sat on the brown floral couches to the side. Abu greeted the man and began telling him of our mission. Soon, a little boy with no shirt, a distended stomach, and bright yellow sweatpants came running in. After giving us a quick glance he sat down next to the Imam, who smiled and put his arm around the little boy. The little boy spent the remaining few minutes staring and smiling at me. His big round eyes were shiney and dark. He was missing his left front incisor. After exchanging a few more words, we bade adieu to the Imam.

We went to the center of town where the students were organizing for the play to begin. I took a seat in a plastic chair in the shade. The play went... GREAT! There was over 100 people in attendance, and their reaction seemed very positive. I don't want to tell you too much about it, because I filmed it and will post it here soon! I was so proud of the kidzos for not only realizing, but actually doing something about a major social issue.

Oh and also, the lady by the maternity clinic from whom I regularly buy stuff gave me the deal of the century later that evening. 11 oranges, 17 bananas, and a ziploc full of dry roasted peanuts... All this food... ¢2.50GH! Which is equivalent in America to $1.66.

Yay for 11/11/11!

Problems/ issues/ dilemmas/ whatever you will call them are part of life. Not every moment of every day is all smiles and rainbows**. It is true of life in America, and it is true of life in Ghana. Although here in Ghana I don't deal with some of the issues I would encounter back in the States (i.e. constipation from too much cheese), I now have a whole new set of issues. Since this is my blog (and my party and I'll cry if I want to) I am going to tell you some problems posed by life in Ghana.

Scorpions. There are two common species of scorpion native to my area. The first is smaller, about 2 inches in length, and tan-ish brown in color. This smaller type of scorpion has a thin malleable exoskeleton, quite vulnerable to the smashing force of my shoe. The larger of the species is black and nearly the length of your hand. This rather horrifying decapod possesses a hard, thick exoskeleton, making it much more smash-resistant. Although I have not personally had any unfortunate experiences with scorpions, I certainly do not wish to start. This fellow very politely died before we met.

Diarrhea. I don't really have to get into this one.

Language barrier. Honestly, this is the least problematic of the issues listed here. I used to think it was frustrating to play volleyball in another language, but now I hardly notice and have even started using some Twi phrases in play! Well and actually, the language barrier can come as a relief. It's easier to ignore a loud-mouth, when they are blathering in another language!

Lack of steak. All I want is a 6oz filet with garlic roasted asparagus. Dang...

Army ants. These monsters form black rivers, 1 inch wide by over 10 meters long, that patrol the terrain surrounding my school. This terrifying line of demons marches tirelessly, searching for lives to destroy. During the day, they are of little threat, as I may simply hop over the ant river and continue on my way. During the night, however, the despicable, twisted black river is masked by the darkness of the night. Imagine you are alone, walking along a dirt path at 9:00PM contemplating questions for next week's chem exam. You are somewhere between Avogadro's constant and molarity, when all of the sudden, your right foot burns and stings with a fire surely straight from hell. You frantically direct your flash light downwards. Much to your dismay, your foot is engulfed by 100 large black army ants chomping on your flesh, because you made the fatal error of stepping in their river.

The final problem I would like to tell you about it is one I have just recently encountered. Last week, another teacher complained to me that students had been skipping his class. [Yeah so, what am I supposed to do about it?] Furthermore, he was doing so while I was teaching a chemistry class. [Hey buddy, can't this wait, I'm sort of busy!] The teacher went on to say that he his missing students were sitting right there in my chemistry class. [Oh. That's why class looks so full] So my problem is that too many kids want to come to chemistry class. I asked one boy why he was skipping another teacher's class. He replied, "We come here because you are very interesting and we learn alot." I almost cried sending him away. Partially in happiness about such an adorable compliment and partially in sadness that he wouldn't hear the end of the lesson on periodic trends.:)

Good bye! It is DINNER TIME!

**Or so I'm told anyway.

Elective Chemistry, Form 4Practical #1Acid-Base Titration

THEORYOne common type of chemical reaction is acid-base neutralization. All neutralization reactions follow the same basic formula:H+ + OH- → H2OAcid + Base → Water

When enough acid has been added to completely neutralize the base (pH = 7), the end point or equivalence point has been reached. In order to determine the end point of a reaction, a process called titration is used. In titrations, acid is slowly added to the base until the solution is neutral.

My guys doin work.

An indicator is added to the base to signal the pH of the solution, which has no effect on the reaction. (pH ) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 (Color) Pink Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet

Good, Better, Best!

Titration is a very useful laboratory technique. For example, the unknown concentration of a base can be determined from a titration with an acid of known concentration. Concentration = Amount of Substance (moles) Volume of Solution (liters or dm3)

In this particular experiment, ammonium, NH3 , will be titrated against hydrochloric acid, HCl. The formula for this neutralization reaction is as follows:NH3(aq) + H2O(1) → NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq)NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq) + HCl(aq) → H2O(l) + NH4Cl(aq)OBJECTIVEDetermine the unknown concentration of a solution of NH3 from a titration with 1.8M HCl.

METHODSPerform three (3) trials of the following procedure: 1.) Using a plastic funnel, carefully add 1.8M HCl to the burrette. 2.) Record the starting burrette volume. 3.) Using a 100mL graduated cylinder, measure 20mL NH3 into a 250mL beaker. 4.) Add 5-10 drops of Harris Indicator to the NH3. 5.) Open the burrette stopcock so that acid flows in a slow steady stream into the beaker containing the NH3 and indicator. Swirl the contents of the beaker as acid is added to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed. 6.) When the solution turns yellow, immediately close the burrette stopcock. Record the final burrette volume.:) I'm so proud (:

Ghanaians admire America very much. They hold our nation in the highest esteem. The face of Barack Obama graces the front cover of many of my student's notebooks. I have even seen one notebook displaying the portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Ghanaians also love American music. In particular, Celine Dion, Micheal Bolton, and Akon. Along with their great affinity for America, they also have a great curiosity. As my students have become more comfortable around me, they have started asking more questions about me and the United States. Some of these questions have been very serious, regarding culture, government, or economics. Other questions have down right stumped me. Example: How do the tall buildings in New York City with so many levels not fall over since the earth is spinning so fast? Uhhhhh we have good engineers? I honestly didn't know how to answer.

Others questions.. still other questions have been so flipping funny that it has taken everything within my power not bust up laughing on the spot. Today, I'd like to share a bit of that humor with you. Here are some of the questions about America and/or white people that my students wanted cleared up:“If I go to America, will I get too cold and die?”“Do all Americans have a million dollars?”“So, in America, you don't eat fufu or banku or ampesie or tuo zafi... What do you eat?”“I heard white ladies don't breastfeed.” Ya know... this kid was sort of right. Why are we so darn weird and uncomfortable with breastfeeding in America?“Do you run [get diarrhea] every time you eat Ghanaian food?”Do you know President Barack Obama?One of my girls, who is such a peach, said this to me a few weeks ago, “Madam.. There is something I have wanted to know... Do white women get pregnant?” I told her it was all just the same. She nodded and concluded very thoughtfully, “So that means white women do menstruate.” Hahahahhhaah, yes, unfortunately.[I made pancakes and offered some to a couple of my female students who happened to visit] “...But if we eat that... won't we vomit?”“Do all Americans have guns? Do Americans shoot you with their guns if you miss-speak English?”

There are three primary macronutrients, defined by their chemical structure that living organisms consume for energy: fat, carbohydrate, and protein. I estimate that an average Ghanaian's total caloric intake is 20-25% fat calories, 65-70% carbohydrate calories, and 10% protein calories.** Here, breakfast, lunch, and dinner follow the same formula: a large lump of carbohydrate (fufu, rice balls, banku, TZ, or ampesie), some oily soup or stew, and a small portoin of meat, fish, or a hard boilded egg. Let us consider an average meal prepared here in Menji... A mound of fufu (one or two softball-sized servings of straight starch), abenkwan (a bright red soup prepared from palm nuts, which have a high oil content), and a chewy chuck of goat meat (usually two to three ounces including the skin, bone, fat, and connective tissue). Approx 20:70:10. Another example, let us consider a normal Ghanaian “snack.” Meat pies are scone-sized and shaped peices of pasty stuffed with a meaty-oniony filling. These devils are sold on the street at around $0.33 USD. 25:65:10. **NOTE: I will use macronutrient ratios throughout this post. So be ready for X:Y:Z, where X is the percent of total caloric intake obtained from fat, Y is the percent obtained from carbohydrates, and Z is the percent obtained from protein. Also, as different as a Ghanaian's diet is from that of an American, the relative macronutrient content is surprisingly similar... very interesting!As you all are probably aware, I might have a slight obsession with the world of human “health.” I'm an avid runner and athlete, I'm fascinated by the study of nutrition, the Body Worlds exhibit was the single coolest thing I have ever seen in a museum, and I love to cook and eat “healthy” foods. Last winter when I was living in Indiana, I changed my diet drastically by starting something like the “Zone Diet.” Essentially I was trying get a macronutrient-balanced diet / approximatelyequal calories from each of the macronutrients / 30:40:30. I ate alot of lean proteins (fish, egg whites, poultry, dairy), vegetables, fruits, olive oil, whole grains, and almonds. I really liked the way I felt and looked. Then later in spring, with a little persuasion from Caleb (OK well alot of persuasion), I started including more fat, specifically fattier proteins (more nuts, fatty meats, whole eggs) while also cutting dairy and gluten. Hello bacon and almond milk. My macronutritent ratio was around 40:30:30. And I have to tell you guys, I felt even better. I had great energy, my skin was clear, I didn't get hungry, I ran faster and longer, and the tendonitis in my right knee had all but disappeared. As much as I wanted to punch Caleb every time he threw out the obnoxious buzzwords “zone-paleo,” there truly was tangible basis (feeling and looking f'ing fantastic) to eating that way. Furthermore, most mornings I was eating fruit, bacon, and eggs over easy, which had been fried in the bacon fat... HELLO best breakfast EVER.So you see, there is a conflict in the type of meal I was preparing in the states and type of meal that is prepared here in Ghana. In one day, my macronutrient ratio went from 40:30:30 to 20:70:10. How has my body reacted to this abrupt and rather extreme swing in macronutrient intake? Well, let's start with the negatives.** 1) I've noticed a loss of lean muscle mass. My clothes are looser but my triceps suck. 2) I don't stay full. 2.5) I get incredibly hungry and fussy if I don't eat every 4 hours. 3) My overall energy level is slightly lower.... which probably isn't a bad thing for all the people who have to deal with me :). **NOTE: I cannot attribute all of these reactions soley to the change in diet. I have not lifted weights since May. Which, is a seriously confounding factor. The changes listed above probably have as much to do with the diet change as with the lack of strength training.Let's move to the positives. 1) I'm generally in a happier mood. I read an article once about carbohydrate consumption and the subsequent release of endorphins. I don't know neuroscience though, so I'll stop there. 2) I'm learning to appreciate and enjoy the foods produced by the land around me. All that hubbub about “locally grown” foods... In America, hipsters (not environmentally friendly people or hippies, but hipsters) like to talk about locally grown foods to be cool and trendy. It used to really annoy me. However, now that I live in Ghana, I've realized that there is something truly fulfilling about eating the foods your neighbor grew on his farm or slaughtered with his machete. 3) I LOVE RICE. Rice makes me happy. I think this will be a life-long love affair. [Dad, you've always been right on target with your obsession with “rice-based meals”] Rice to me is like fufu to a Ghanaian. It's like pizza to a college dude. It's like pasta to an Italian. It's like a cheesesteak to a Philadelphian. It's like a croissant to a Frenchman. I think you get the point. So you see, I'm beginning to understand the diet that makes my body and mind happiest... From what I can tell, it is meat/fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts /seeds, rice, oils, and a healthy dose of salt. Between living on the equator and running or playing volleyball daily, I sweat alot. Plus, as Auby would tell you, I straight up like salt. Nom!Realistically, if I do my own cooking using the foods available in the market, I think I can get my ratio to around 40:35:25. I don't think I can get my protein number much higher. Why? Well A) I can't really afford it and B) I can't cut fat in lieu of protein like you can in the States. I can't just pick up a bag of Tyson skinless bonesless chicken breast. And also, I won't throw away egg yolks or cut the skin/fat off meat. I live in Africa... you don't throw away anything, let alone good food! I think it is a practice that I will take back to America with me. It reminds me of the Native Americans... Use everything. It's satisfying. Waste not, want not.You might have noticed that bread didn't make the cut. I think I was onto a good thing cutting gluten. The more I read about it, the more I wish those damn ancient Mesopotamians or Egyptians or whoever hadn't figured out how turn wheat into food. I will write an entire post on that one day. For now, let's just leave it that I will be avoiding wheat. Since I live in Ghana, I don't have to worry about the dairy/lactose issue, as milk products do not exist in this country. I guess besides the crappy canned and powdered milks. Another food group I won't bother debating is legumes. I've maybe had three legume-containing meals since coming to Ghana in early June. For all you Ghana-knowledgable folk, I NEVER eat red-red or waakye. And it's not because I don't like them. Because I do like them. I just never eat them. I don't know. ....I really miss hummus, somebody send me some dried garbanzos.Before ending, I want to tell you about three really neat parts of my Ghanaian diet. Everything is completely natural. My diet contains ZERO manmade crap... pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, preservatives, shelf-life stabilizers, genetically-altered anything, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, emulsifiers, or any other chemical. Furthermore, virtually everything is grown/ raised locally, probably within a few kilometers of my house. It's like what the Trader Joe's people wish they could say about their diet.AND...My diet includes some really healthy, delicious, and interesting fats!Palm oil is made from milled palm nuts, which are little bright red-orange “nuts” that grow in clusters on palm trees. The oil is the same bright red-orange color as the berries, has a rich but mildly fruity/nutty flavor, and is LOADED with micro-nutrients, particularly vitamin A. I like to fry eggs in palm oil for breakfast. It adds a full, rich flavor to the eggs, much the way bacon grease does.Coconuts contain a healthy dose of lauric acid, making them a new craze in the health community. This medium chain fatty acid increases HDLs while lowering LDLs. Yay for healthy blood chemistry! More importantly that that though, I can buy a fresh coconut on the street for 30 cents, drink the milk, then eat the flesh, and it is so yummy!Avocados are incredible. They are nutritious beyond compare. I won't get into why, it would take too long. Go look it up. And yes, avocados are widely available in the US, and yes, I have always been an avocado-lover. But here... they are larger, more delicious, and are grown just down the road. I eat avocado at almost every meal now. As a matter of fact, sometimes I'll eat an avocado (with a little salt, of course) as the meal. It is fun experimenting with new ways of incorporating avocados into my cooking. I consume close to zero sucrose (refined white sugar). I take my tea unsweetened, I prefer eggs to pancakes in the morning, and desserts are few and far between in Ghana. The only sweets I ever consume here are bolfulut (deep-fried, baseball-sized, unglazed doughnut things) and Fan Ice (a sweet icecream-like product). However, neither of the aforementioned items are available in Menji, so byebye sucrose! I'll take monosaccharides from pineapple, papaya, and honey thank you very much.I will close now by telling you this: I'm about to go to Nsawkaw to buy some aponkyenam (goat meat) to BBQ, then make some guacamole and homemade hot sauce. LIFE AND FOOD IN GHANA, YES!-Ama Fati

You know those times when you think "SCORE that was awesome!!" ..One of those times something really great happens to you ..One of those times something makes you feel so indescribably happy..

Well I just had one.

Around 4:30pm, I went out for my after school run as per usual. Thursday is endurance day, which means a 45min-1hr run. I left home, ran past the school, past the volleyball court, and out to the road that leads east to Nsawkaw. Once out on the road, the first thing on the right is a big open grassy field. Many of my male students as well as other young males from the community play soccer there regularly. Because it was early, there were just a few dudes out on the field jogging, stretching, and warming up. To my surprise, a guy came running from the field and out to the road to join me.

Now most of you probably know this by now, but I like running alone. Jacky McCracky is the only person I've actually enjoyed running with in recent history,

So I was unsure at first when this guy came to run with me. Well... it turns out he was a great running partner. He didn't talk except to alert me of cars coming up behind us, he followed whatever pace I set, which today was a decent tempo, and he went the whole 5 miles with me. But that's not even the best part!

As we were coming to the end of our run, when we were about 100 meters away from the soccer field, a very strange urge hit me... Before I could stop myself, I yelled "RACE!!!" Yes, that's right, after a 5 mile run, I challenged a 20-year-old Ghanaian male to a foot race. And yes, I am insane.

So we took off, feet pounding against the asphalt, panting, dripping with sweat, my legs burning with the pain of absolute exhaustion. Thank god I run frequently. I was able to keep up just a few feet behind him. We finally made it to the soccer field, where ~20 guys who had been playing just stood still to watch us race. As we ran up along the soccer field, they all erupted into cheers, clapping, and laughter. They ran over to us, shook my hand, and said "Wow Madam I will race you tomorrow!" "Madam will you help us train for footbol?" "Madam do you play footbol too?" "Madam are you faster than men in America?"

It was the best race I've ever lost. I smiled that whole painful, soaked with sweat walk home. (:

Who put that link on my "Mef Dreams" post?

Because I LOVED that article. Fascinating!! I want to own one. Although I would probably only share like 2% of my dreams. Out of fear that someone would admit me to an asylum.

So anyway, thanks for the fun read! If anyone ever has interesting article recommendations (esp tech/science), definitely post them! [:

I journaled this, but thought I should share it with you guys. It is the advice my 12-year-old host brother, Emmanuel, gave to me the Sunday before I left homestay a few weeks ago. He is an old man in a young boy's body. I think it is what Grandpa would say to me if he were still around and were Ghanaian. Anyway, Bub sat me down in the yellow plastic chairs outside my room and said:

“Ama, Ama [my Ghanaian name], listen.. You are leaving home now, and you will not have me to watch you. So you must be a good girl. A very good girl! And do not forget what I told you. You can't just go walking about. No! You must be careful. You must be very careful, because some of these people are no good. Those people, those people are no good at all! You have to watch for them. You must be a good girl and be very, very safe. You must find a good boy, too. Yes, a good boy! But you must stay away from the black boys. They are lazy. And some of them are rotten. Some of them are no good at all. You must find a good white boy. Like you. A good, good boy who works very hard. You must be safe and you will be very happy.

Ok, yes, Ama, you will be a very good girl. Now go.. Go pack your things.”

How funny is that? A 12 year old said those things. I think I'll call him tomorrow to check in and let him know I've heeded his advice :]

The malaria prophylaxis given to me by the Peace Corps is a once-weekly 275 mg mefloquine hyrdochloride tablet. It has worked so far, because I don't have malaria. Well, ok, actually I do, but I don't and won't show symptoms, because the prophylaxis keeps the blood pathogen level low. However, it is not the fact that I won't die of malaria, in all seriousness, the best part of taking mefloquine is the dreams. I have always had fairly cool dreams, but since starting mefloquine my dreams have become more perspicuous, vivid, and creative. I remember these wild dreams almost every morning and in great detail.

The reason I am writing a post today is the mef dream I had last night. I sent Raven a text about it immediately upon waking, because I knew she would appreciate the truly awesome nature of this dream. It is (and I hate that frat boys ruined this word talking about getting stupid drunk and passing out in their own vomit) EPIC.

The setting of the dream is a dark, frigid night in a small rural town nestled into the side of a mountain on the coast of Norway. A terrible blizzard is raging across the landscape.

Now, the plot. You can't write this shit.

I am battling an über-evil super villian, who has been destroying villages across the countryside. He is cloaked in all black, and his face hidden by a disfigured red mask. He as well as I have powers of flight and super strength. He can control the blizzard. I can control water, although only weakly. We are battling at a farmhouse down by the water. I summon and attempt to drown him in a tidal wave. But before the wave reaches him, he freezes the water, turning it into sharp daggers of ice, which he sends hurtling in my direction. I dodge all but one of the frozen shards, which leaves a large bloody gash across my cheek. I try again to create a tidal wave, but my powers have weakened. I can only summon small, gentle waves to the shore. The villian in black picks up an old barn and hurls it at me. The barn crashes into my body, and I go flying through the air with the barn towards the mountain. I can stop neither myself nor the barn. I am crushed into snow and rock on the side of the mountain by the barn. Everything is dark. I think I am dying. But, slowly and painfully, I work my way out. I am exhausted. But then I have an idea. I rip off a piece of the barn's sheet metal roof. I snowboard through the air on the piece of metal down the side of the mountain, and because of the blizzard's powerful gusting winds, I pick up incredible speed. The snow and wind burn my face. As I get to the bottom, the villain picks up a massive slab of concrete with which I know he could destroy me. But I am so close. I am only a few yards away. I kick away the piece of metal. The sheet metal spins through the air and cleanly decapitates the villain. The slab of concrete drops from the air onto his body.

Then I wake up.

I couldn't make that up if I wanted to.

Thank you mefloquine for allowing me to defeat the darkest, most sinister of Norwegian evils in my sleep.

The Peace Corps assigns every volunteer a member of his or her community as a “counterpart.” During our two years of service, our counterpart functions as our business partner, adviser, volunteer-to-community liaison, and friend. Although we are assigned this counterpart initially, we may choose to change or add counterparts. The counterpart I was assigned is my high school's ICT teacher, a man named James Kwadwo Tannor.

James is the best counterpart ever!

Why? He is very aware that Ghana is a developing nation, and wants to do everything he can to help... which includes being incredibly supportive of me in my work with the Peace Corps. He is a forward thinker. He has both passion and work ethic. He is efficient. He is intelligent. He is resourceful. Basically, if you need anything done or reasonable advice, ask James. He advocates women's rights and gender equality. He truly listens to, respects, and values my opinions. This doesn't sounds like a big deal, but here in Ghana it is, especially for a young female working with an adult male.

And James isn't the best counterpart in terms of only work, but also on a person-to-person level. He is so kind and hospitable. Right now, until I can obtain my own, I am using his spare mattress, refrigerator, cooking pots, and several other items. Until yesterday, I was even cooking with his stove and gas tank. He invested his personal funds so that the school could provide me with toilet facilities, a Peace Corps requirement. Furthermore, he is helpful on a level I can't even begin to describe... He's helped me travel, meet the elders of Menji, hang my mosquito net, buy food, cook food, communicate (I'm not exactly fluent yet!), set up my oven, buy electronics, hang my curtains, put up a laundry line, … and you know, just be a person living in Ghana. Also, he has an absolutely adorable family. His wife's name is Millicent, his son is Edmond (3 yrs), and his daughter is Grace (2 weeks). Yes, Grace is brand new :)! Her naming ceremony was just last week.

I am introducing you to James now for several reasons. He is my counterpart, so I will be working closely with him for the next two years, and thus mentioning him frequently. And also, I want you to know something about him before I tell you the product of our conversation a few days ago. I haven't really done much with this idea yet, but I wanted to share the roughest draft with you guys, so you can see how the project progresses.

Anyway, now that you know James, here is what we came up with...

MENJI THREE PART PLAN (M3PP)Peace Corps Ghana

Volunteer Betsy ConwayCounterpart James Kwadwo Tannor Location Menji, Brong Ahafo

GOALSKeep Menji Agricultural Senior High School (MASS) students in Menji and occupied during academic holidays.

Provide financial and social opportunities for students. Educate students on farming techniques. Educate students on sexual health and HIV/AIDS. Reduce teenage pregnancy rate. Reduce AIDS transmission rates.

BACKGROUNDMASS operates on a trimester-based academic calendar. The students are in session for three months, then are allowed a one month break. During the breaks, many of the students move to larger cities, namely Kumasi, to work menial jobs. They do so to earn money, although very little, and also because living in a small rural community is not “fun” or “cool”.

TARGET GROUPMASS students, particularly those who move to the cities during academic holidays. The M3PP will benefit both males and females by providing increased economic, social, and educational opportunities.

A specific target group of the M3PP is the “kayayei.” Kayayei is the local term given to the group of girls, as young as six years old, who throughout Ghana move from their homes in rural communities to the larger cities to engage in menial work. These girls usually work as market porters, selling food or other goods on the the streets. As they are often homeless for extended periods of time, they are subject to theft, rape, and coercion into sex work.

METHODSPart 1. The PEPFARM. The “PEPFARM” will be a student owned and maintained farming operation. MASS is in possession of uncultivated, unused land southeast of the school's campus. Using funding from PEPFAR, a fence will be installed around the land to protect against grazing animals such as goats. The remainder of the funds will be used to purchase seeds, tubers, etc for planting. Students interested in participating will be gathered, and individual plots within the PEPFARM will be allocated among students. The farm work will be the sole responsibility of the students: clearing, tilling, planting, maintaining, and harvesting. Throughout the process, other Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) will visit Menji to give agriculture lectures and demonstrations as well as HIV/AIDS seminars. The produce harvested from the PEPFARM can be used for both consumption and selling in the market. The PEPFARM would provide students with three essentials: food, work, and money.

Part 2. The Mooney Volleyball Club. Because Menji is a small rural community, life is a little less “exciting” than life in a city. The Mooney Volleyball Club would provide a much needed fun, social aspect to life in Menji. Tantrum Volleyball is an American volleyball clothing company owned and operated by Scott Mooney, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Scott has agreed on behalf of Tantrum to sponsor a volleyball club in Menji. Students could form teams, hold practices, and host tournaments. Eventually, neighboring high schools could be incorporated to form a league.

Part 3. The Girls' Girls. As a personal project, I want to establish a chicken coop. I will provide the funds for the coop, chickens, food, and upkeep, while the female dormitory students will provide the labor necessary to maintain the coop. I will keeps some eggs and the students may use or sell the remainder.

SUMMARYThe M3PP is designed to keep MASS students in Menji during academic holidays and away from potentially dangerous menial work in the cities. Part 1. Plots of land within the PEPFARM, a PEPFAR-funded farming operation, will be given to students to cultivate produce crops for sale and/or consumption. Part 2. The Mooney Volleyball Club will give a fun, positive, social aspect to students' lives. Part 3. The Girls' Girls chicken coop will provide work, food, and money for the female dormitory.

CONCLUSIONThe most difficult part of implementation will be applying and waiting for the PEPFAR grant. All other parts of the plan are already in motion. The school currently owns land for the PEPFARM, which the students can begin to clear in the meantime. Several PCVs have shown interest in giving agriculture lectures, demonstrating farming techniques, and/or conducting HIV/AIDS seminars. Tantrum Volleyball has already agreed to sponsor the volleyball club. Finally, other PCVs have volunteered to help in construction of the coop, which will be built as soon as possible.

From what I've experienced thus far, Ghanaians don't really tell jokes, they don't really use sarcasm, and in general they don't really go out of their way to be humorous. At first I thought that Ghanaians just aren't very funny people. But every day that goes by, I realize that Ghanaians don't have to try to be funny, because life in Ghana is funny on it's own. The best way to explain what I mean is examples...

On the reg, I will be walking down the street and a child (who is squatted over the ditch taking a deuce, mind you) will wave, say good morning, want to know my name, and how I am doing.A chop bar (fast food kiosk thing) in Takoradi advertises “PORK SHOW” on their sign... hahahah what?A six foot blonde speaking an African tribal language.Ghanaians LOVE Michael Bolton...WTFIn Ghana the greeting process is very structured and fairly lengthy compared to that of the greeting process in America. As I was walking through Old Tafo one night a few weeks ago, I went through the greeting process with an elderly man only to realize at the very end that he had been peeing throughout the entire exchange.The other day David and I were on a tro in the far backseat. We were talking about something benign like the trees or the weather, when all of a sudden a weird guttural animal noise comes from directly underneath our seat. We look at each other like, “WTF was that!” and start cracking up. Turns out there was a cute little goat hanging out down there.Amit heard an adult woman yell at a little boy who was loitering around her store, “Fuck off you fucking kid." Don't mess with her, I'm telling you.I saw a car traveling about 80 mph with 2 sheep standing on top of it. I don't even know if they were tied down.The other day Caitlin was in a cab, the car hit a bump, the key fell out of the ignition, and the car kept going. A goat just strolled into my living room, pooped, and walked out. Literally 5 seconds ago.This one is a favorite among my fellow volunteers... I have a Ghanaian name. “Ama” (pronounced ah-mah) is my first name, which indicates that I am a female born on a Saturday. My second name is “Fati” (pronounce fah-tee), a Muslim name given to me by the elders of Menji, which means gift from God. Thus, my Ghanaian name is “Ama Fati.”One of the teachers at my school said to me this morning, “Look at this guy,” (putting his hand on the noggin of a ~9 year old boy), “He is so funny. Sometimes he can be so annoying that I just have to beat the shit out of him.”A chop bar in Koforidua is painted with the words “Mind God, Not Your Wife.”Unclean water or unsanitary food prep or any number of things can lead to diarrhea. A Peace Corps volunteer pooing their pants is funny no matter what type of sense of humor you have.Condom demonstrations are an important and universal part of HIV/AIDS education programs. Common on, a giant wooden penis? Ahhhhhahahhaa I die laughing thinking about the guy who carves and paints wooden dicks for a living.

So you see what I mean? None of these things were meant by any means to be funny. They were just a regular moment in a regular day. But, sometimes I just have to crack up at the amusing nature of life in Ghana.

Oh hey there.

Day 1 (Saturday, August 27)... Good Bye Ceremony. The Peace Corps office in Kukurantumi hosted a get together for the 69 volunteers and their host families. It was mostly a thank you to the people of Kukurantumi, Old Tafo, Anyinasin, and Maase for giving us a home for the past 3 months. All of the volunteers were in beautiful Ghanaian clothing and head wraps.. some matching their host parents. The host families were presented with gifts from the Peace Corps, a set of cooking dishes. After the celebration, we went home and Cube made me my favorite dinner of jollof (spicy tomato-y rice) and chicken. Bub and I played our favorite game of bottle cap soccer.

Day 2... All day packing and gift exchange. I gave my host father a watch, my host mom a set of dish towels (hand-knitted by Janers), my sisters bracelets, and I gave Bub a harmonica. They presented me with a beautiful piece of pale green cloth with gold and silver embroidery. I think I will eventually have it made into a dress. I cried a lot this day.

Day 3... Travel to Accra. All volunteers met at the hub site in Kukurantumi and loaded onto buses which hauled us to Accra, specifically Valley View University, the place I spent my first 5 nights in Ghana back in June. I drank wine and played volleyball with the friends I've been growing so close in the past months.

Day 4... Swearing In at the US Ambassador, Don Teitelbaum's. Big white house with lush green lawns, large patios, and a pool. The ceremony took up most of the morning and afternoon. Speakers included the Country Director of Peace Corps Ghana, the Ambassador, the Regional Director of Peace Corps Africa, and Ghana's Director of foreign affairs. We were sworn in as the 50th group of Peace Corps volunteers in Ghana, the oldest Peace Corps program in the world. Furthermore, the first PCV's were math and science teachers... :) In the afternoon we drank aperitifs, ate hors d'oeuvre, and chatted. Also, I was welcomed by the current Brong Ahafo volunteers who were also in attendance with a shot of whiskey and a machete. Not kidding. After the celebration, we went back to Valley View to spend time together drinking and having fun.

Day 5... Accra with David. David and I decided to take a personal day in Accra, so from Valley View we got a ride with a couple of dudes in a pick- up truck. When we asked their names, one replied something that sounded like "My Wiener." I got really car sick. Ew. They dropped us off next to the Accra Mall, which was exactly where we were headed. We cruised around a little bit, then found pizza and ice cream. Following food, we went to get drinks at an incredible sports bar called Rhapsody. Of course, I had wine and he had beer. We watched a rugby match on TV... All Blacks vs somebody. Finished drinks, then went for an afternoon matinee of Captain America. Shout out to Ryan Cook. The movie was perfectly entertaining as was the company. Popcorn and all. Following the movie, we returned to Rhapsody for another beverage and dinner. I had more wine and a calamari salad.

Important note: David has quite the affinity for talking to strangers. He says it's a good way to 1) hear interesting stories, 2) make new friends, and 3) network. And he's right. Continuing with the story.

David steps out to take a call, and down the bar I see a group of 50 to 70 year old men drinking vodka and red bull. To make things even better the vodka was contained in a skull shaped bottle. Shout out to Auby. So, taking a page from David's book, I decide to chat up these fellows because they looked too funny not to! We end up talking awhile with these guys, who are incredibly interesting, kind, intelligent, and successful human beings. We might have taken shots of Jäger with them. And a particularly nice man with whom I had been talking, Walter, invited us for dinner Friday night. We exchanged numbers and parted ways.

Day 6... President of Ghana. Along with all the other volunteers, I dressed up nicely after breakfast and got on the bus to the main Peace Corps Office in Accra. We hung around there awhile. Biddle and I left to walk around the grocery store near by to stare at cheese and ice cream and seafood and all the other lovely things unavailable in rural Ghana. Around noon, we got on the bus again, and they took us to the presidential castle in Accra where we had lunch in the gardens. The president of Ghana, John Atta Mills, addressed us, thanking us for our service to his country. It was an incredibly special ceremony to be a part of. I feel very honored to have met and been thanked by the President of Ghana. I did not and will not take his words for granted.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=624712#!/photo.php?fbid=909999421898&set=at.900488766328.2382067.19701239.625355&type=1&theater

Day 7... US Embassy and South Africa. David and I tagged along with a couple of current volunteers to the US Embassy to a party hosted by US Marines. Burgers, wine, beer, YES. I mostly chatted up Marines while David made connections with USAID people. I also got to say hi to the Peace Corps Ghana Country Director and the US Ambassador who were also in attendance. Furthermore, I was invited to the Marine Ball at the embassy in a few months... Count me in. That evening, David and I called Walter, the South African businessman. He sent his driver "Bismark" to pick us up. We then proceeded to spend the evening talking, eating, and drinking with a group of ten-ish South Africans. Walter made paella on the grill (oil, onions, peppers, tomatoes, rice, broth, chicken, shrimp, and scallops. It was a really fun evening of talking with many intelligent and successful people who have very happily made their home here in Ghana. It was inspiring to hear their stories of hard work and finding happiness.

Needless to say, my batteries are recharged and I'm ready to take on PC in rural Ghana. My next blog will likely be very different... Maybe something about scrubbing bat poo with my bare hands.

LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU XXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXO

This was just going to be a private email to Holly, but I thought that a story of this caliber needs to be shared with the world.

**Important note: Arnold is Holly and Dad's rooster. He's a total asshole.

HollzBallz,

Greetings!! How's everything been going? Nursing school, Jacky, the chickens, the cats? Well I wasn't going to come to the internet cafe today, because it's an hour trek, but I did because something happened this morning that I HAD to tell you about. So actually there's 2 things that I want to tell you about, I'll start with the slightly less thrilling of the two things.

1.) I found box wine... That's right. A one liter box of "Don Garcia" which is just cheap red table wine that actually tastes pretty darn good. And by cheap I mean CHEAP. A 1 liter box costs 3 Ghana cedi = 2 US dollars. HELL YES.

2.) Yesterday, after a month of travel, I returned to my host family in Old Tafo. My host dad proclaimed that he would slaughter a chicken in honor of my coming home. So I thought, sweet, we'll slaughter a hen, eat it, and it will be delicious. This morning, when I got up my host brother, Emmanuel or Bub Masterson as I call him, told me it was time to kill the chicken, so I got my camera ready for action. Host dad walked over to where the chickens were standing together in a group and with incredibly agility snatched up - not one of the hens - BUT THE ROOSTER. I starred in disbelief as he held the massive rooster in one hand by the base of its wings.

Important note: During every morning and evening meal, I had to watch this damned rooster have sex with the chickens (definitely against their will) more violently and more frequently than Arnold ever does! Not only that, but also the jerk crows right outside my room every morning starting at 4AM without fail. Thus, I have come to hate him even more than Arnold.

So host dad had previously prepared for the slaughter by getting ready a large bowl of boiling water, a massive knife, and large pot of water boiling over the fire. He walked slowly over to the knife and bowl of boiling water. He put the chicken on the ground, kept its wings pinned together under one foot, pinned its feet under his other foot, held its head in one hand, and the knife in the other. With an incredibly swift movement he deftly sliced halfway through the roosters neck. He continued to hold it still for about 2 minutes, while it bled out into the bowl of hot water.

When it was done bleeding, he took the rooster over to the pot of bowling water and tossed it in. He left it to boil approximately ten minutes, then pulled it out with a stick. He proceeded to then completely decapitate the rooster and very skillfully de-feather the body.

It was such an incredible process, I had to tell you about it. Especially since we talked about slaughtering Arnold at least once a week. So tonight I am going to eat rooster, FRESH rooster for dinner. I will pretend that at the same time you are roasting or maybe bbq'ing Arnold.

MISS YA, BYE FOR NOW :)

Betsy

First internet access in over a month! Time for some SERIOUS updates :)

I traveled for most of July. And am STILL traveling actually! I'm currently in Takoradi, a coastal city in the Western Region. So here's what's been happening...

Sunday, June 3... Travel to Techiman, Brong Ahafo Region for language training. We (me + 8 other trainees + 2 trainers) stayed in a small community called Ofurikrom outside Techiman with host families. I totally scored as I got to stay with one of the sub-chiefs and his family. ("Nana" means chief) So he went by Nana Adams. His wife's name is Grace; everyone called her Madam Grace. There were 2 daughters, Ayissa (26) and Kessewwa (13). Ayissa studied Nutrition at the University of Tamale and is now a chef. So she cooked for me all week, and the food was AMAZING. Also, her sense of humor was hysterical, so we joked about men, sex, and booze all week.

So during the week we did classroom style learning and practical learning (in the market, etc). I feel like my Twi really improved! But that's less exciting so I'll tell you more about the good stuff.

Joe, a current volunteer who works with cashew farmers around Techiman, is the bomb, so we hung out with him a lot. We were all craving an American food fix so we made hot dogs (sort of) and guacamole/ plantain chips at his house one day for lunch... Another night we went over there to drink and managed to construct a very crude but effective game of beer pong. And for those of you that know me, mixed drink pong, of course.

But I have to tell you the absolute coolest thing we did that week was visit the magic caves.... A older dude named Kwaw walked us around and told us what was what... First we walked up to a beautiful, peaceful teak forrest with rays of light streaming through the canopy onto the soft rich brown earth. Then Kwaw started yelling, and honestly at first, it scared the shit out of me... I thought "holy shit, wtf is he doing??" Then he turned to us and explained that he was alerting the spirits of our coming. Ok, sweet, good idea. So we walked through the teak trees to a rock mountain/boulder ... Just picture a rock the size of a high school gymnasium. In the rock there was an opening to a cave about 30 feet high. We walked into the opening and Kwaw starting clapping like a crazy man and again, scared the shit out of me. Then a swirl of bats came fly around and out of the cave. He pointed back in the cave and explained that the chiefs and kings of the old days are buried back in there. Also sweet, hundreds of years worth of dead guys, African tribal leaders at that. So anyway, we left the cave, and made our way to the top of the gym-sized boulder-mountain. The view was incredible! Sort of in between savanna and rain forest. Oh, also, on the way up to the top we had to crawl through a 10 foot section of cave, an area in which one is not permitted to talk. The cave is magic and was used to protect people, so the opening can close up in times of attack. There are magic words that close the opening to the cave, but over the years those words have been forgotten... So to avoid accidentally uttering the magic words and being crushed by rocks, you just don't talk at all! Spencer bumped his head and accidentally tested out the words "oh fuck," which fortunately didn't end up being the the correct magic words.

Ok, my time is up here at the internet cafe, but I want to publish this post anyway and finish it later.

I love and miss you all!!

Hi everyone! First, I'm sorry I haven't written more! I don't have internet access in my host family's town or at the PC training site. Today is a free day so after meeting the chief of my town this morning at the palace (yeah), a few PC buddies and I grabbed a tro (shitty old van) to Koforidua to use the internet cafe. Also I am too tall for the seats in the tro, my patellas hurt.

Anyway, everything here is great. I love the people (Ghanaians AND other PCVs), teaching, the food, my town, and life in general. My host family is a blast. Margaret is my "sister" and Emmanuel is my "brother." They speak decent English as they have had classes in school. Emmanuel actually went running with me the other day. He pooped out about a mile in, but he said he wants to keep going with me until he gets good at it. Next time I'm here I'll upload some pictures of my town, family, and new friends!

I think I am assimilating nicely.. I am wearing a duku right now (head scarf wrap thing), I'm picking up more and more Twi, I've started cooking Ghanaian foods with my host mom, and this morning I carried water from the spigot in a bucket on my head.

Teaching... I taught high school chemistry this past week!! The high school is called OMESS (Oyoko Medthodist blahblahblah). We talked about orbitals, electron configuration, and a little about isotopes. In the beginning of the week, I was a little nervous and talked too fast, but by Friday, things were going so smooth. I LOVE my students. They are intelligent, disciplined, respectful, and have great work ethic. In fact, I love the teachers that I work with at OMESS also. I could write an entire post about this dude named Ernest. In fact maybe I will sometime. I sort of wish I could stay at OMESS for the next 2 years...

OH SPEAKING OF THE NEXT 2 YEARS... I got my assignment!! My school is in the Brong Ahafo Region in a town called "Menji." Believe it or not you can actually find it on Google maps so check it out. It is latitudinally in the middle of the country, but longitudinally out to the far west... almost to the border of Cote d'Ivoire. In 2 weeks, I get to go visit for a week to check things out!! I am very excited :) Just a few kilometers north of Menji is Bui National Park, which is home to warthogs, baboons, crocs, antelope, and various species of monkeys. If you know anything about me, you know that I will be there as frequently as possible.

So I want to talk about food now. Since I am obsessed with diet and exercise, I was a little worried about nutrition before I got here. But my macronutrient composition at meals is surprisingly superb. Generally lunch and dinner consist of a starchy carbohydrate (cocoyam, plantain, cassava, or rice) with a big bowl of red/orange/yellow meaty stew... which might contain tomatoes, onions, palm or soy oil, peppers, peanuts (way tastier than it sounds), cabbage, carrot, kontonmire (like kale), various spices/ seasonings, eggplant, eggs, chicken, goat, or fish. Then on the side I might get avocado, pineapple, mango, or banana. For breakfast I fry a mixture of eggs, cabbage, carrots, onions, and peppers in oil and eat it on a piece of bread. Ghana bread kicks the ass of American bread. I brought a giant stash of green tea, so that hasn't changed about me :) Still a few mugs of green tea every single morning. Oh and also, the food is cooked in a pot over coals outside. Oh and also, Ghanaians have flame-retardant hands.

Ok my time here is running out and I am getting hungry. I miss you all, I love you, and I'm thinking of you.

Betsy

Hi everybody!

This is my first internet access since arriving in Ghana a week ago, so I wanted to check in with everybody and let you know that I am OK and HERE!!!

Currently we are training at the Peace Corps Center at Kukurantumi, a community a few hours northwest of Accra, the capital city of Ghana. My host family lives in Old Tafo, which is a few minutes drive from Kukurantumi. I am staying the Afra household with Mamee Rosemondo and Papee Osso and their two children Margaret (16) and Emmanuel (12). I'm going to finish this post with some things about Ghana in list form...

Everything, everywhere, and most importantly everyone is way nicer and more amazing than I ever imagined.The food is freaking yummy. My mameee made me this amazing dish last night that included chicken tomato onion bell peppper spicey pepper (everything is SPICEY!!) cabbage carrot rice and spices.There are chickens and goats everywhere... EVERYWHERE.When you talk to any one, or need anything from anyone, or walk into a store, or even just past them on the street... you greet them. And in the morning you ask how they are doing. People care very much about the status of each other.They love volleyball... SCORE. Good thing I brought the ball Emma and I stole from Columbus East in high school.All the kids yell OBRUNI and point as we walk by.... It means white person. It's not offensive or bad, they just want to get our attention and talk with us! I say "Daabi daabi daabi!! Yefre me Betsy!" which means "No no no! My name is Betsy!" They love it. They crack up and say "Oh hello Betsy!"The Peace Corps trainers (Ghanaian and American) are the bomb. I cannot wait to work with them more!!I've had both beer and the liquor.... The beer (StaR) is A.O.K and the apateshi is horrid and potent. And I will drink more.I love and miss you ALL!!Write more later!

Betsy

For the first three months of service in the Peace Corps I'll be in training with other volunteers. Send me presents and letters and an airconditioning unit (jokes!)...

Betsy Conway PCT

Peace Corps Ghana

P.O. Box 5796

Accra-North, Ghana

West Africa

Tomorrow is the day I've been waiting a year for.

This is a special post as it will most likely be my last before leaving for Ghana.

I'd like to keep this simple, so there are three things I want to tell you about.

1.) I'm almost done packing. I have 2 years of life contained in a large wheely suitcase and a large backpack. I've made countless checklists, but I think I've finally got everything I need, including a 10" saute pan, wash clothes knitted by mom, 2 year supply of feminine products, knee length skirts, a ton of bandaids, and a quotebook. I also have a journal to write down all the really good stuff that I don't want to post online.

2.) I will definitely miss some stuff. You know what I just decided that I will miss ALOT? Getting my teeth cleaned every 6 months by Debbie at Dr. Cummings's office. Best dental hygienist/ denist ever. Other things I will miss include Bear the Dog, Heinz ketchup, any and all malbecs, the Indianapolis Colts, air conditioning, rhubarb, El Nopal, harassing Jackson, JPP, Taco the Chicken.... I won't even begin to launch into a list of the people I will miss :|

3.) You should stop reading now if you either:

A. Don't know my family at all,

B. Get weirded/ grossed out easily,

C. or Have never had a pet.

This Memorial Day weekend we had a wonderful get-together at Dad's house. Mom came over, Annie and Melena came, Caleb was there, Tito and Henry even came down for the festivities. We were only missing Smudge. It was such a fun evening.. We had a bonfire in the backyard, played latterball, roasted wienies, drank wine, and cremated Ulysses.

WHAT???

Ulysses was my pet python, whom I received as a gift when I was 11 years old. I love reptiles, snakes in particular. He lived in a nice, comfortable terrarium in our house, ate rodents, and like to go on walks up and down the stairs. Ulysses lived a lovely life, and passed away at age 12 this past winter. When an animal - human or other - dies, you have two options: burial or cremation. In a conversation with my brother Wesley the day after Ulysses's passing, we decided that the only funeral appropriate for an 8 foot python would be a funeral pyre. For some sick and yet unknown reason, everyone else was game to the idea. It was a frigid snowy winter day though, so his funeral had to be postponed. So we put Ulysses outside in the deep freezer.

Our story resumes this past weekend at the family's Memorial Day celebration, when the fire is burning bright and incredibly hot. Dad retrieved Ulysses from the freezer and placed him in his plastic garbage bag coffin on top the raging bonfire. The group stoked the pyre and watched in fascination as Ulysses's body incinerated. [And no, it didn't really smell at all.] We finally retired inside to play a game of Balderdash. The next morning, the fire ring contained nothing but a pile of powdery grey ashes littered with bright white vertebrae and ribs.

And there you have it: a serpentine cremation. Rest in peace, Ulysses.

Disclaimer: This story is completely unrelated to Ghana, but this my blog, so whatever.

My calf has incurred more physical trama in the last few weeks than a person's calf should ever in an entire lifetime.

The first incident... it was one drizzly April morning after a big storm the night before. I was leaving the house to head to work. If you've never been to my house, you must understand that I have a very long driveway; the house is in the middle of a country block. So, I drove past the fields, around the corner, and by the woods where the honeysuckle and blackberries grow... there is was. There was a large tree down across the driveway, that I suppose was knocked down the evening before in the storm. It was blocking almost the entire width of the driveway and was approximately 22 inches in diameter. In addition to the larger log blocking my way, there were also 2 smaller trees (or maybe they were originally part of the big tree, there is no telling) across the driveway approximately 8 inches in diameter.

What happened at this point in the story I cannot explain. I got my gym clothes out of the back, changed right there in the driveway, and had at the logs. I decided first to take on the smaller logs. So I picked up the end of one over my should and started dragging it to the edge of the driveway and into the woods. Success. I approached the other smaller log. It was Y-shaped. I went about removal in the same way, but this time when I got it to the edge of the driveway, I dropped it. I dropped it right on my left calf. A little nub of the log got me in the calf like I've never been gotten before. So I sat down and inspected my wound. 1) It was awesome, 2) My calf hurt like heck.

The second incident... Our story continues some 2.5 weeks later, when I decided to go for a harmless run, a route I've run so many times before. From Dad's house to the old grave yard is approximately 1.5 miles, so roundtrip you get a nice 5k. I run down the road, over the interstate, and toward the graveyard. At this point I'm on pace to run a 22 minute 5k. I was feeling good. In my ears, I had on LMAFO... Loud. Which was partially the problem, because then it happened. With no warning what-so-ever, a sharp stinging pain hit my left calf. I turned back to see a big angry yellow dog, unclamp its yapper from my poor tattered calf. I thought, "Are you kidding, this means I have to stop running." Then the blood started. Also, my blood looks like cherry Kool Aid, like in a grade D horror film (see below). I hobbled to the nearest house, a nice old lady took me inside and cleaned up my leg. Whatever she used was blue, smelly, and stung worse than "Jakey"s fangs. Then we got in her boat-sized black Caddy and she drove me home.

I might have bled all over her kitchen floor, but her damn dog ruined my run. And my calf. This thing is going to be sore for another 2 weeks. I am POed!

I don't go running in my Nikes... I go bleeding.

Two great American boys I plan to share with Ghana:

1. Peyton Manning

2. Justin Bieber

Yesssss

I was thinking, and I left out someone important, someone who has helped me in a lot of ways over the years. Our friendship has been totally random, with no direction to speak of. But when Penn sucked, she said, yo let's be roommates. When it sucked again, she said, come home with me to California. When it sucked more, she said, let's take a cooking class. When it sucked yet again, she said, we're going to dance the night away.

Jesse Yeager, your dedication as a friend has been a light time and time again.

Best facebook relationship ever.

I can't stop thinking about a particular part of my aspiration statement. My-self analysis is never terribly detailed nor accurate, but... I think I got this one right. Here is the paragraph I'm talking about.

"There is something that is both a strategy and also a very important goal to me during my service in the Peace Corps: friendship. I think the best way for me to adapt to a new culture is through friendship. I want to be a friend and an integrated part of the community. I don’t want to be “the new Peace Corps volunteer,” I want to be “Betsy.” I’ll need open communication, honesty, dependability, many hours getting to know my new friends, and many hours of letting them get to know me. I feel and function best in life when I am a friend and have a friend."

Friendship has always made me a bit of a mess in the head. I have plently of friends, but "best friends" are few and far between. I really click with a very few people..

At age 12, I met Hoang Doan. It didn't take long before we were stuck together with super glue. I mean literally, I think once we actually glued our thumbs together. When we started the transition from children to sort-of real people, circa high school, we remained incredibly close. During the weird awkward teenage years, we floated in and out of social cirlces but remained best friends. Hoang got my sense of humor and I hers, we had the same interests, we had similar goals, and we had (and have) quite high aspirations for ourselves. I had other great friends in high school, but none quite like Hoang.

When we left for college, we drifted apart... which as is sad as it is my fault. During my first two years at Penn, I meandered around different groups: athletes, science nerds, and even the fashion society. I had friends, but never anyone like Hoang, and certainly not a "group" (ie Seinfeld, Friends, etc.). Although it doesn't sound like a big deal, it totally sucked. I didn't feel like I fit no matter where I turned, and it made me sad. I considered transferring approximately once weekly.

Then, I made the single best decision of my college career...I studied abroad, 1/2 for adventure and 1/2 just to get AWAY from Penn. And where better to do those two things than Australia?? While abroad at James Cook University, I met my first "girl group." ATown, Christa, MB (HOLLER). I will always remeber that semester as full throttle living life. I was sailing, swimming, drinking fruity wine, dancing, playing rugby, studying (I swear), hiking... and I was doing it all with a GREAT group of people.

Apparently I was on a roll, because a few months after returning to the US, Carolyn Mooney asked me to play on the Penn women's club volleyball team. I said yes (reluctantly), and the rest is history. I stayed with the team through the end of my senior year, and more importantly, Carolyn became my best friend. We had amazing teamwork on the court, cooked delicious dinners together, went out together, shopped together, studied together, hit the gym together... There I was again living life! At the school that I thought I had bitterly hated, none-the-less.

Throughout the the course of senior year, Carolyn and I fell into what would become the second "girl group" of my life. Sarah, Court, Romy. Again I was going here and there, do this and that, never taking one second to breath, full on LIFE. I want to write more thoroughly about the unique dynamics of this group later (or pass that task off to Carolyn), because these people have changed my life. You have changed how I live and treat myself. Because we came together and formed such solid, amazing, inspiring mesh, I can say

"Yo World, Betsy Conway is living life!"

And I say it knowing you got my back.

Love always, Betsy

Here is the Aspiration Statement I wrote and sent to the Peace Corps Country Center in Ghana.

ASPIRATION STATEMENTBetsy ConwayGhanaJune 6, 2011

My primary aspiration over the next 27 months is to build upon the amazing legacy of the Peace Corps in Ghana. The bond between the United States and Ghana is a relationship I don’t yet comprehend, but the magnitude is something extraordinary.

A: What are the professional attributes you plan to use and aspirations you hope to fulfill during your Peace Corps service?Since my assignment is high school science, the professional attribute I plan to use most is my broad and thorough academic background. Science is my passion, and I have spent years gaining knowledge of biology, chemistry, and physics. There is still so much in every area of science I have yet to learn, but I have a strong foundation to support me in teaching.

I consider myself creative, and I plan to use creativity to my advantage in the classroom. I know in Ghana we won’t have the luxuries of an American high school, like fancy lab equipment. I plan to use my imagination and ingenuity to give my students the absolute best learning experience possible.

My primary goal in teaching is to make a positive impact on my students. Some teachers in my past, I learned little from and barely remember. On the other hand, a particular few teachers stand out in my life as having been a major mentor, friend, and role model. I want to be that kind of teacher; the kind of teacher that teaches in a way that students remember. The teachers I loved best share characteristics: charisma, love of knowledge, kindness, and reliability. I want to bring those things to my teaching.

B: What are your strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs? Although I have read and reread all of the materials with which the Peace Corps has provided me, I think it is impossible to fully understand the “expressed needs” of my community until I experience them. I have to be honest, I’m unsure of what to expect as a teacher in the Peace Corps. Though, from what I’ve learned teaching teenagers in America, the only one thing you really can expect is the unexpected!

I do, however, have a few specific strategies for myself in approaching this assignment:

1. I expect myself to approach every day and every task with a positive attitude. I am a naturally a positive person, and I want this quality to shine every day. It’s easy to lose a positive attitude under stress, but I will overcome whatever difficulty no matter how great and remain true to myself.

2. I will give the people I work with and the things I do 100% of myself. I didn’t sign up for this to do it half-heartedly. I feel I have a lot of energy, skill, and passion to give, and I plan to share it all. If I fulfill this expectation, these next two years should be the most exhausting of my life.

3. I will remain flexible. I don’t think this goal will be as challenging as the first two, because I am not a creature of habit. In fact, I dislike routine. I am always opening new doors and trying new paths. Regardless, I expect myself to be ready and willing to embrace change.

4. I expect myself to always strive to move forward. A good friend of mine regularly reminds me, “If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward!” And he is absolutely right. There is no standing still in this world; there is only forward and backward. No matter the challenges I face in this assignment, I expect myself to always push on forward!

I do actually have one expectation of my assignment as a Peace Corps teacher. That is challenge. I expect to encounter challenge, whether great or small, every single day. Challenge is having new experiences and walking difficult or untrodden paths. I know that might be my every day as a Peace Corps volunteer.

C: What are your strategies for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background?My main strategy for adapting to a new culture will be starting this experience with no presumptions or bias. I should not spend time my time creating expectations, but rather preparing myself for change and challenge. I am an amenable, adaptable person naturally, but I know this experience will test just how far I can flex.

While I learn about a new culture, their customs and norms, I will practice what I learn. As I learn a new way of saying “hello” or eating supper, I plan to practice it. I might make mistakes, but I will not be timid, and I will certainly not give up!

There is something that is both a strategy and also a very important goal to me during my service in the Peace Corps: friendship. I think the best way for me to adapt to a new culture is through friendship. I want to be a friend and an integrated part of the community. I don’t want to be “the new Peace Corps volunteer,” I want to be “Betsy.” I’ll need open communication, honesty, dependability, many hours getting to know my new friends, and many hours of letting them get to know me. I feel and function best in life when I am a friend and have a friend.

D: What are the skills and knowledge you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project?I imagine the pre-service training will be a flood of information and advice. As far as training to be a teacher, I am not worried. I want to focus on culture and language study. I want to know the people as well as three months of exposure and study will allow, so that I may serve them better. I want to be a part of my community in every way possible.

E: How do you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends? I don’t want to just be alive. While I am here on earth, I want to live life. And I know, no matter what happens while I am in the Peace Corps, that the next 27 months of my life will be living. In that way, I was made for the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps has a simple but challenging mission statement, demanding only the best of performance of their volunteers. I have made these goals my own, and I will strive every day to accomplish them. What I mean to say is that if I give this experience my all, when my service in Peace Corps ends, I will leave with greater expectations for myself professionally and personally than I am now even able to conceive.

Thanks for the Happy Birthday's, everybody!

Today at the office we got a REALLY big box. Kelley told me there was a man, also known as a stripper, in the box waiting to pop out and dance. So I got scissors and busted into that thing... turns out it was actually just an extra wide (we're talking 3 feet) chair for Urgent Care. In fact, this chair is so wide that Cara and I can sit in it together quite comfortably. This is a shout out to you, America, the fastest country ever.

When I got home back by the pool Chuck the peacock was giving a mating display for Lilly the cat. He splayed his tail feathers, lowered his wings, and his whole body sort of vibrated. Over the winter they have become very good friends, and apparently now they are lovers.

Tonight I am going to write my "Aspiration Statement" to send to the Peace Corps center in Ghana. They'll use it to get to know me better and begin matching me to my future school.

Since I've known that I would be a teacher for the PC, which is a few months, I've been doing a lot of thinking about high school education. I immediately thought of the two teachers that made the strongest impact on my life: Mrs. Hines and Mr. Schuley. Mrs. Hines left her mark on my personal life and Mr. Schuley his on my academic life. Mrs. Hines taught me independence, drive, I-don't-take-no-shit-attitude, and how to be a strong woman. You don't really have a choice but to listen to Mrs. Hines, and you sure don't think about messing with her. Mr. Schuley on the other hand taught me how to be a study, discern what matters, pay close attention to detail in my work, and be an overall kick ass student. Thanks Hines and Schuley.

So, I've been sorting through all these reasons why Mrs. Hines and Mr. Schuley in particular made such strong impressions on me. I want to bring those qualities to my teaching. I want to be the best I can be at this! Isn't it funny when you think back to elementary school, and you can't remember much of the particulars about your school work, but you know exactly how your fourth grade teacher sported that large, ridiculous hair style... I think teachers make a greater impression on us than we know. Some teachers I will remember and admire for the rest of my life; others I might as well never had.

I am excited and nervous about the challenge of being a high school teacher... it will definitely be a challenge. Weren't we all assholes in high school? It's such a vulnerable, exciting, stupid age. At seventeen, you are so malleable and naive, a fact which I plan to use to my advantage. I feel that I am fresh enough out of my teens that I can I identify with both children and adults. It's a weird but awesome perspective; hopefully it turns out to be a benefit.

Ok bye, I'm hungry for dindin.

Betsy

Hi Everybody,

You might have noticed that I sort of fell off the face of the earth the last couple of months. So, I want to start by telling all of you, I am sorry for that. It's not because I don't love you, it's because I tend to get bummed in the winter, hibernate, and cease communication with the people that make my life awesome. Again, if you know me, you probably already know that I turn into a slug in the winter. This winter in particular has been a lull in the action of my life; I will explain in a minute.

So why did Betsy start a blog...

I created this blog to share stories over the next two and a half years as I serve as a Peace Corps volunteer.

Last week, I finally received in the mail what I have been anxiously awaiting for the past year... My official Peace Corps assignment letter. Waiting for this letter over the past winter has been particularly trying. My departure has been delayed and delayed again. Back in the fall when submitting my medical review, I found out that I was anemic and had slightly lower hematocrit than "normal" (the proportion of blood, by volume, of red blood cells). I didn't receive medical clearance in time to make my original program departure (January). That hit me hard. I hate to be held back by something that seems trivial. But, apparently my blood got better, because I was finally cleared... And last Friday I received my assignment and invitation kit.

I'll be teaching science at a high school in Ghana!!!

I won't know exactly where in Ghana, besides somewhere "rural," until sometime during my training. That is so that they can better match volunteers to assignments. I may be biased, but I think I got the best assignment possible! 1) Ghana is beautiful. 2) Its ecological diversity is incredible. The types of ecosystems occurring within this comparatively small country (the size of Oregon) range from coastline to tropical rain forest to savanna. It's any biologist's wonderland. 3) The Ghana-Peace Corps bond is incredibly strong. Ghana was the first country to ever receive a Peace Corps volunteer back in 1961. I am joining a long, amazing history of Ghanaian-American partnership. I feel really honored to be a part of this.

Anyway, I write more on that later. Here is my time frame:

Departure: June 6, 2011

Training (in Ghana): June 8 - August 30, 2011

Assignment: August 31, 2011 - August 31, 2013

Oh, and by the way I didn't receive my assignment exactly how I envisioned it. Bear actually found it first. The UPS man left the packet in the garage, and Bear thought it for a chew toy. When I found it the invitation letter was.... tattered.

I'll write more later. Thank you friends for supporting me!

Love, Betsy