Dearest friends and family,Sorry-O!!! I have literally been stuck at site for about a month nowbecause the rainy season is in full swing! I have complex feelingsabout the rainy season: I love it because it is cool, I I have anexcuse to read in bed all day and I’m able to drink coffee withoutsweating; and I hate it because I’m constantly muddy (although thiswas true before the rainy season!), I cannot go running as muchbecause it floods on the paths I take (Boo is not a happy pup!), andI’m constantly tricked into thinking I can travel to places (be it viabicycle or tro tro) only to find out that a bridge has collapsed or Iwill have to swim across to reach the next town. Needless to say, ithas been exciting! Actually, I have to say that the past two monthshave been very eventful and have FLOWN by!First things first, I have to tell you all about the all naturalvillage birth that I witnessed. By all natural I mean: No electricity(no fan or AC), no medicine (not even ibuprofen), no doctors (a nurseand techs were present), and no way to an actual hospital (because theroad is impassable!). About a week ago I went on a morning run withBoo and passed the clinic on the way home only to hear Miriam yelling,“Rachel, hurry up you are going to witness a baby being born!” So Irushed Boo to the house and ran back to the clinic just in time towitness the most horrifying and magical experience- also known asgiving birth. I was already somehow smelly and sweaty because I hadbeen running, so when I entered this small, hot, humid room thatsmelled like a myriad of things you don’t want me to mention, Iimmediately felt sick. The pregnant lady was lying butt naked on thebed and moaning in pain. I felt horrible even being present… she wasso exposed! And Miriam and the tech’s were SO NOT HELPFUL! They wereliterally yelling at this poor woman and telling her that she was notdoing a good job at pushing. I was hiding in the corner, weaklymuttering, “Good job, you’re doing well!” and trying not to throw up!After about 15 minutes of that, the baby finally came out (completelyhealthy) and I had to sit down because I was on the verge of passingout. It’s so hard to explain how different the experience of givingbirth in Ghana is to giving birth in America (not that I have givenbirth, but I have watched at least 100 hours of A Baby Story on TLC,so I feel like Im almost an expert!). Honestly, the best way toexplain it is to say; it’s not a big deal. Can you imagine? To saythat having a baby is not a big deal? It truly felt like the lady wascoming to have her teeth cleaned! She showed up about an hour beforethe birth, walked around a bit, had a baby, and went home that night!She probably went to farm about 2 days later! This is not to say thatchildren are not loved and valued the way they are in America…Moms andDads love their kids just as much! But pregnancy is not given theseriousness that it is in America. Anyways, it was a very eye-openingexperience… despite the lack of western medicine and pain killers anddoctors, it actually made it less scary.Site has been wonderful! Projects are in full swing and I’m feelingvery productive! Miriam and I did a nutrition seminar with a lot ofthe women from KBK and discussed the moringa tree and how nutritiousit is and then I gave each woman a sapling of moringa. My environmentclub is in full swing… A few weeks ago I bought two big trash bins andwe painted them and placed them around town for people to recycletheir water satchets (which everyone can use to plant trees!) and itis working beautifully! People don’t have to buy poly bags (or wastemore resources) and the idea of throwing things in a bin (as opposedto the ground) is being introduced! The teachers love it because theydon’t have to have the kids pick up trash, they can just grab the binsand bring them to school to use for nursing trees. The VillageBicycle Project is coming in August to bring cheap bikes to KBK andsurrounding communities and the daycare that myself and a counterpartare starting is set to open at the beginning of September! We had abad day Tuesday when no one showed up for the meeting, but thismorning we had about 30 parents show up (half of which were men!) andeveryone was really excited about it! So, hopefully it all pans out!I also open the library at night for students and just yesterday spentthe whole day teaching ICT at the JSS (You should have seen theirfaces when they saw how fast I can type…even the teachers wereamazed…especially that I don’t have to look at the keyboard! It waspretty hilarious!). So, I think the first few months I was kind ofthinking, “Okay, what am I going to do?” But honestly, I feel so busyand time is going by so fast…I can’t believe it is July already!Okay, I have one funny story for you all. Well, I think it’s funny,but I also think that you might be horrified. I woke up one morningto a kid screaming bloody murder! I thought he was getting beat, andit was from a neighbors house with kids I adore, so I was reallynervous. I got up and looked out the window, but didn’t seeanything-just heard this little boy crying hysterically. It lastedfor about 5 minutes and I didn’t know what to do, but it finallystopped and I just got up for the day. That night at dinner, I askedMiriam if she knew what was happening to Kojo (the little neighborboy). I told her that it really upset me, and I thought he wasgetting beat…she started laughing. I was APPALLED! After she finishedlaughing she finally told me what happened. Kojo refused to go tofarm with his mom (he’s only like 5 years old!) and she kept yellingat him that he had to come because everyone was at school. He wouldnot budge so she had the ultimate punishment: mashed pepper stuckinto the anus! Okay, I was horrified when I first heard this come outof Miriam’s mouth, but then I couldn’t stop laughing. Miriam said shehad it done to her ALL the time when she was little! Moms just mashpepper, stick it up there and it is apparently extremely painful! Imean, Miriam was laughing about it and telling stories so I don’tthink she was too traumatized. I just want to meet the person whothought of it in the first place!I also recently witnessed my first caning. Teachers in Ghana ‘cane’the kids and often threaten to beat them (even the nice ones!). Iknew it took place at the JSS (the kids are about 12-18), but I didn’trealize it happened at the primary school! I went to visit my friendEunic and her primary 1 (first grade!) class one day, and walked in onher caning them! I thought it was awful, but maybe there was a goodreason? Absolutely not! They were caning the kids because they werelate for school! Okay, half of these kids have to walk at least amile to the school, and the rest are doing morning chores for theirparents…it is not a 6 year olds fault if she is late to school! Itmade me so sad…some of them were crying and I just died a littleinside after seeing each kid get caned on the palm. But they wereALSO caned if they got the wrong answer! Every single child had thewrong answer (clearly this technique is not working!) and every singlechild got caned. Needless to say, it was not a good day. I attemptedto talk to Eunic and a few other teachers about why caning is not thebest way to discipline but it is so embedded in the institution, andthe whole time-out thing didn’t fly.I also had some visitors the past two months. The new PC Ghana grouparrived at the beginning of June and I had one girl come visit me atmy site. She was fantastic and we had a great time! And then justlast week I had a visit from a former PCV in Morocco who is gettingher masters degree in international development and was doingresearch. The consensus among visitors is that my site is prettyfantastic! Not only is it visually stunning, but the people are justso kind and sincere! And everyone always tells me how lucky I am tohave Miriam, which they need not because I am grateful everyday tohave her in my life! She is for sure coming to the US one day to visitso you will all get too meet her!In other exciting news, I am headed to Accra to see OBAMA!! He isgiving a speech to peace corps volunteers and US Embassy workers onSaturday night so a BUNCH of us are traveling to see him!All in all, life is wonderful and I hope you can all say the same!Love and miss you!Rachel

Hey all, Get a cup of coffee, a pillow, a blanket (if you tend to get cold) and anything else you might need for next hour or so because this is going to be a long one (exaggeration!)! Not only will it encompass the past 2 months…but 2 months that were full of activities! At the beginning of April I was able to go with Miriam (my sister/roommate) to Sunyani (about 4 hours away) to stay with her family. I was initially shocked because they have an actual house (a very nice one at that!) with running water and electricity and television and furniture! Her family is amazing and welcomed me with open arms! Miriam has four very close, very hilarious sisters who were so much fun to hang out with! We watched lots of movies (Sex and the City was their favorite! And Samantha was their favorite character…for those of you who know what Im talking about!) and talked about lots of boys and ate delicious food… it was literally like a 5th grade sleepover for 3 nights! One of the days Miriam’s dad took Miriam, Irene (her youngest sister) and I on a day long field trip to Kintampo Waterfalls and a monkey sanctuary (Sorry, I forget the name!). The waterfalls were gorgeous and the picnic we packed was delightful…but the monkey sanctuary was the best part of the day! They have mona monkeys that come up to you and actually grab bananas out your hand. I fed my share of monkeys and then had to be dragged away because I was in complete awe and didn’t want to leave! They also have black and white colobus monkeys but they don’t like people very much and refused to socialize. We also went to a nice hotel and had the “best pizza in Ghana” according to PCV’s and I completely agree at this point in my service! Overall it was a fabulous weekend and I’m hoping to go back again in the fall (well…it’s ALWAYS summer here…but fall for you guys!) A funny story from our trip back home to KBK: Miriam had a HUGE bag packed with random things: white shoes (3 pairs), pasta, cans of beans, onions, yams, toothbrushes..etc… this bag was loaded to the brim with all the stuff we bought in Sunyani. The bag was on the floor in the tro when we started the journey…but during a stop the driver decided to tie it to the roof (this is very common and no big deal…not usually!). I was listening to my ipod with my eyes closed when I started having flashbacks to my childhood, eating PB & J sandwiches. At first I was confused because the smell of peanut butter in the air was SO STRONG and I just couldn’t figure out what it was! As soon as I opened my eyes, there it was: Miriam’s huge bag, which also had two big containers of peanut butter, was hanging from the roof, huge smears of peanut butter were on the windows and it was hitting people in the face! Miriam and I looked at each other horrified! We yelled for the driver to stop, but we still had to get home so he just tied it “tighter” onto the roof. When we finally got home we saw the damage…every single item (LITERALLY!) was covered in peanut butter! It wasn’t as if a little smidge of PB got on things…it was as if we had dipped everything into a vat of steamy peanut butter! And just imagine the clean-up! After everything was finally clean, and the smell of pb not quite as potent, Miriam and I finally just started cracking up! To this day I have yet to touch peanut butter (which was one of my favorite things!). Site has been great, but school was out so I didn’t have clubs or help with the library, so I have mostly been planting trees, and attending meetings with my groups. We’re HOPING that Care Intl starts bringing the input (items the groups need to start their projects…which have been promised for over a year and the people have seen nothing so far!). I’ve also been in discussion with some people in my community about starting a day care. I will be back to site tomorrow and I’m really going to focus on figuring out the details of how to go about the start-up. A few other environment volunteers and I are in the process of starting a Girls Environmental Camp at Mole National Park; we are going to do empowerment and self-esteem activities, but also a lot of programs to instill environmental stewardship. Lots of ideas! I will be at site for the next 2 months without traveling (I will be stuck there because it’s the rainy season and our dirt road is impossible to get through with the rains!) and I’m planning to get a LOT done! I feel guilty that I’ve been traveling so much! I was in Takoradi (the capital of Western Region) for a week attending CARE Intl meetings… the meetings are incredibly boring (especially because we aren’t really involved with what they discuss), but they put us up in a hotel and it was the first hot shower I’ve had since Philadelphia! One night Kris, Josh (the two PCV’s who also work for CARE) and I and two Ghanaian co-workers from CARE went out to the beach to drink beers and discuss work. We were discussing women’s empowerment and the issue of affirmative action in Ghana… it was a good conversation up until someone brought up HIV/AIDS (not sure where the connection was) and then of my Ghanaian co-workers said, and I quote, “I think HIV/AIDS came at the right time.” If that isn’t already enough to write home about, he went on about God and how people deserve getting the disease because they’re promiscuous and a bunch of other OUTLANDISH statements. I think I wasted 2 hours of breath attempting to have this guy think about what he was saying… it didn’t work! It was a completely absurd night! And now I am in Kumasi because I dropped Hoyce (my mom…if anyone has been confused…its her nickname) off at the airport from her trip to Ghana! I’m sure most of you will talk to her, but for those who don’t, here is a summary! We were fairly busy and travelled a lot: we went from Accra (where we swam in a hotel pool, went to a mall, and were essentially spoiled) to Kumasi Racecourse Station (where Hoyce had her first freak out… there are A LOT of people and they are all trying to sell something and it can be overwhelming). From there we went to my site, a total day of traveling about 12 hours with horrible roads and the possibility of robbers (I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned this: the last road to my site lasts two hours and its dirt, pot-holed and somehow mountainous… there are robbers who get tros at night on this road bc it’s so hard for the car to drive off… Needless to say, we were on that road after dark and I was nervous the whole time because we had 3 suitcases full of stuff! And Hoyce!). We were finally safe and sound to my site and both of us passed out! My site was pretty relaxing but I tried to do an activity once a day. The first day Hoyce attended a CARE meeting with me and that night Kris spent the night and all of us just talked and drank beer (very fun!). The second day I skipped a meeting and Hoyce and I walked to Essam (nearby town), had bread and Coca-Cola (lunch!) and went through the market. The third day we went on a beautiful forest walk (unfortunately we didn’t see any wildlife except snails and butterflies!) with my counterpart and supervisor and other friends. The last day we pretty much just relaxed, sweated, read books and played with Boo! We also had to go around my village and greet everyone, which can get pretty exhausting, but everyone was so happy that I brought her to meet them! One morning the Chief and elders came to my house and did a welcoming ceremony (Hoyce and I had to drink Vodka at 7 am…gross!), which pretty much consisted of them saying, “Please don’t forget about us when you go back to America.” We travelled to Wiawso (a pretty town in the mountains) and stayed in a hotel where we blared the air conditioning and watched movies! Finally we went to a beach resort, The Hideout, and it was so fantastic! We were the ONLY ones there (Hoyce said she felt like it was I Know What You Did Last Summer) so it was literally like our own private beach for two days! We would lay out in the mornings, drink in the afternoon and talk in the shade, and swim throughout. I have been there before so a lot of the workers know me… one of the guys, Zion, was completely in love with my mom and it was pretty hilarious (He told her at one point, “I love your teeth. They look so natural!” haha!) Finally we went to Cape Coast for the last two days. One day we went to Elmina Castle, which the Portuguese built as a slave castle. It was intense being inside it, and Hoyce and I both felt a little dizzy/sick…you can just feel the energy and to really think about what those people went through…it was intense. The last day we went to Kakum National Park and did the canopy walk! There are foot bridges through the canopy of this beautiful forest… it’s pretty high, and some people in our group couldn’t even do it. Hoyce did well… she would rather do that all day than be stuck in a tro tro! All in all it was a great trip! We had our moments of frustration with each other (inevitable) and Hoyce definitely had some freak out moments (too hot at night, too many people, claustrophobic, etc…). Im so use to this place now that I don’t even think twice about how it would affect a newby to the country. I felt like her mother and was so stressed out trying to just get her through this experience safely and not too traumatized (you should have seen my face…I broke out with acne HARD CORE from the stress! 3 days after she left and I’m clear as crystal!). So that’s it for now! I hope you are all still awake! The next few months will be spent at site, so expect a long email towards the end of July/August. Hope you are all doing well! Oh, P.S. Obama is coming to Ghana in July… The Ghanaians went pretty crazy with excitement, but you should have seen the Peace Corps Volunteers! I got probably 20 text messages and 15 emails about how he might meet with us…we’ll see! Still exciting though, no matter what the outcome! Love and miss you, Rachel

Hey guys,

I know it has been SO long since I've written! Sorry about that, butliving in the middle of nowhere does have its drawbacks at times.Gosh, I don't even know where to begin. Honestly, approaching thisemail after over a month and a half feels somewhat like writing acollege paper... I'm trying to remember half of what I've learned andmake it somewhat appealing!I finally got my mountain bike in the middle of February and I havebeen riding around to all the communitities I work with, which hasbeen an amazing exercise! The farthest community takes me about anhour and a half to get to... all dirt, potholed roads surrounded byforests...I'm exhausted at the end of the day but it's definitely abeautiful ride. I'm proud to say I have been accident free, exceptfor the one day I had a very important Biodiversity Policy meeting andwore a skirt... the whole ride is on a bush path through cocoa farmsand it had just rained the night before... needless to say I showed upto the meeting covered in mud!! The worst part is that the Ghanaianscan't believe that I can actually do anything remotely resembling work(dishes, bike rides, etc...). A very common phrase here is, "Are yousure?" and that is the typical response I get when I explain I'mbiking to the next community or doing the dishes at my house or usinga cutlass for gardening! I try to explain that I have actually livedon my own before (Done laundry, dishes, cooked, etc...)...but I'mstill not sure that they actually believe me!Anyways, I've been holding a lot of meetings with our farmer groupsand CBO's (Community Based Organizations) and I feel like everythingis coming along! CARE Intl, the NGO I work with, definitely has itsproblems and I'm slowly becoming bitter towards NGO's. A lot of themoney is chopped (Not too badly from CARE, but a LOT of NGO's here inGhana) and a lot is wasted on simple inefficiencies. But the biggestproblem I have with CARE is that they have promised all of these CBOgroups (33 in my district) input, such as seeds and water pumps forthe vegetable groups, or cages and grasscutters for the groups whowant to rear grasscutter (a bush rat)... but they have yet to providethem with anything! Plus, most of the groups have not been saving anymoney, so even if they receive some input, they won't have thecapacity to even start their business. I'm trying to meet with allthe groups and encourage a savings initiative so that they will beable to really start business when they get CARE's input.I'm also still doing Girls Club and Environment Club, but school isout in a few weeks... once school starts the Environment Club and Iare going to start a School Tree Nursery Initiative, planting treesaround all the schools in KBK. I've also been cleaning up the library(it's completely disgusting...they have mice in the ceiling and mousepoo all over the walls and floor...let's just say I can only handleabout an hour a day in that place without being freaked out by smellsor noises!). I'm hoping to hold some literacy classes and really makethe library a community gathering spot...but we'll see. Reading isdefinitely not the hobby in Ghana like it is in the States.I definitely do a lot of stuff with the schools and try to attend allof their programs. Football (soccer) is huge here and there was afull week of no school, just football matches because there werescouts in our community! It totally reminded me of being little andplaying soccer... especially when the little kids are begging theirparents for money to get treats! It's the exact same scenario as inthe US, just different snacks.... instead of nachos and candy, it'sbofrot (which is fried dough...similar to a donut but lesssweet...totally delicious!) and wachi (which is rice, pasta, and spicyred sauce...also one of my favorites!). One of the days I forgot myplastic chair and sat on the ground to watch the football match...there was a huge uproar! Literally, everyone was staring at me andyelling for small girls and boys to get me a chair...I replied that Iwas totally fine on the ground, in fact I prefer the ground, and I gotthe typical response of, "Can you?" and "Oh, Why?" Ghanaians areincredibly clean, despite lack of electricity and running water...that is why I have failed to mention that in wintertime at Purdue Iwould sometimes go 2-3 days without bathing...Although, most peoplereading this probably won't understand that either!We had a CARE meeting in Princess Town, the southern part of WesternRegion, right on the beach! It was incredibly beautiful and I wasable to see wild monkeys!! I'm going on a forest tour in a fewweeks...hoping to see an elephant, so cross your fingers for me!My health has been good, except that I had giardia for about 3 weeksand could not get rid of it! I will spare you the details, but I willjust say that I spent a lot of mornings in the bathroom! Other thanthat I have been really healthy and feeling good! Have a I talkedabout food in these emails yet? For breakfast I make oatmeal and tea,and for lunch I either have bananas and groundnuts (peanuts) ororanges.... but for dinner I always eat Ghanaian food that Miriammakes! Honestly, I have grown to love Ghanaian food! Fufu is one ofmy favorites... you boil plantain and cassava... pound it togetherinto a slimy ball, and dip it in soup! You are not suppose to chewthe fufu, but I have found it impossible not to and enjoy the taste...it seems like a waste to just throw it down your throat! There isalso banku, kenke, joloff rice (my absolute favorite!), yams and someother good stuff. The soups are groundnut soup (a peanutbutter liketasting soup...delicious!), Nkrakra (vegetable soup) and Palm Nut soup(not sure what is in this...definitely palm oil though). The BESTpart about Ghanaian food is that you eat everything with your hands!At first it was super awkward and I felt strange...but now it issecond nature and I don't even think about it! This is a warning toall of those who eat with me in restaurants when I come back to theUS!Taboo is growing up incredibly fast and is the most spoiled Ghanaianpup ever! I don't know what I'm going to feed that pup when we comeback to the US because she eats all Ghanaian food and at least onechicken bone a day... spoiled rotten!I just had a Peace Corps meeting at a beach resort (I'm also spoiledrotten!) and that was a great time. However, it was an eight hour trotro ride (5 different stops!) to the beach... I'm DEFINITELY too tallfor this country and am constantly reminded by the Ghanaians! A dayof travel is really rough on these long legs.... the good news aboutall the travel I do is that when I come back to the US I will probablyplan weekend trips to Florida and be back for work on Monday!Seriously, an eight hour ride feels like one hour to me now...Icompletely go blank and once I shake out of it we're almost to thedestination!I'm in Kumasi right now for our In Service Training (hence theinternet use!) and it has been SO great to see all my environmentfriends! I'm praying that we get mail tomorrow!I think that is pretty much it for now! I really love my site and Ican't believe how fast the time is going! Hope all of you are well!

Lots of love,

Rachel

1-22-09

Hey all!!

I'm SO sorry that it has taken me so long to write an email! I have had the chance two times to read emails, but the responses back failed miserably and were erased! I'm currently at the Kumasi Sub-Office, a very nice house for Peace Corps Volunteers to use the internet, cook with an oven, drink cold beers and watch DVDs!

So, A LOT has happened since I've last written, and this email could be unbelievably long, so bear with me! After Swearing-In on December 12, 7 fellow PCV's and myself went to The Hideout, an AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, ISOLATED beach near Takoradi for two days and one night. It was exactly what I needed to clear my head and prepare for the next two years (All who visit me in Ghana will also go to The Hideout…get excited!).

Finally, after 10 weeks of training, I was off to Kwamebikrom (also known as KBK; all the cool kids use it!) to start this adventure! The first few days I spent getting my room together, hanging up pictures and inspirational quotes (It's amazing how far an Oprah magazine, gorilla glue and construction paper go in terms of decorating!) and having the village carpenter build a table for me. I have to say, with the pictures up and burning candles, it really felt like home!

Christmas was a bit rough….although Christmas is celebrated in Ghana, it is not taken as seriously as in America…presents consist of biscuits (sweet crackers) and/or maybe some chocolate, but that's about it. People still went to farm and to fetch water…just another ordinary day! Sadat, my Ghanaian father and counterpart, came over in the morning and told me we were going to Debiso (the "big city" which is about 10 km away…by "big city" I mean the district capital, where they sell a can of instant coffee instead of an individual packet, and I catch the car to Kumasi). I asked him, "Why?" and he responded, "We need to celebrate!" So we went to the one restaurant in Debiso and I had jollof rice (my favorite!) and a Fanta ( I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but besides water, orange Fanta is about the only other beverage that I consume!) while Sadat quietly sat and watched (the food there is too salty for him, so he just patiently waits for me to finish…which makes me feel awful!). Anyways, moral of the story is that Christmas was definitely not a big deal here in Ghana! I was happy the weather was so hot because it didn't even feel like Christmas, so the homesickness was not too unbearable! I was SOOOO happy to be able to talk to most of my family at Aunt Lynnie's house…thanks for calling you guys!

The BEST NEWS EVER is that I was able to get a puppy!! Her name is Taboo "Boo" Rogers, and she is white with brown spots and ornery as all get out! I named her Taboo because dogs are considered Taboo in KBK, but a lot of people have dogs and the Chief just kind of ignores it. I'm not sure if he knows I have a dog, but Sadat told me to blame him if the Chief finds out! It's so great having a dog around, and she definitely took up a lot of my time at the beginning when work had not started!

Ok, I have much more to write, but I'm SOOO tired from traveling and will write more either later tonight or tomorrow. Love and miss you all!

Love, Rachel

Later that day... 1/22/09

Hey all,

It's 6 am here in Kumasi...I had the chance to sleep in because Boo isn't here, and still I awoke very early! But at least the house is quiet and I can finish this email properly. So, my days before January 5 consisted of raising Boo, planting a moringa tree nursery in my courtyard, mingling in town (basically greeting everyone I pass and hearing "Sister Afia, Sister Afia!!" by at least three dozen children), attending Catholic and Presbyterian Church (FOUR HOURS or longer in the local language!! Plus, as the local white woman I am expected to dance in front of everyone --around 200 people at the Catholic Church--or fling myself on my knees crying out, "Thank you Jesus!" at the Presby!), and every night hanging out with Miriam (the nurse I live with who I adore and is already like a sister!), eating dinner as the sun goes down and then listening to music and singing until around 9pm. At first I was antsy at not being busy and feeling unproductive, but slowly a day full of making breakfast, reading, making lunch, reading, playing guitar, staring at the wall, reading, eating dinner, and hanging out with Miriam felt SUPER BUSY!

January 8th was my 23rd birthday (ahhhhh...I can't believe it!) and I have to say that this was the first birthday that was better than Christmas (in the same year)! Being so close to Christmas, my birthday usually gets the shaft (Im sure Hoyce will disagree!), but this year my counterpart, Sadat, threw me a huge traditional birthday party! It was so nice... I was given a new traditional dress (don't worry I have pictures!) and told not to come out until everyone was ready. Finally, Miriam told me it was time to walk outside...In typical Ghanaian form, everyone was seated in plastic chairs forming a semi-circle, staring at me as I came outside...not only were there about 20 people who had been invited, but around 50 kids and adults(Ok, I might be exaggerating a bit) and other neighbors who wanted to see what the hooplah was about! We had an announcer, Joe, who led us in prayer (prayer takes place before you do anything in Ghana...I'm particularly happy about this before the taxi or tro tro takes off!)and invited everyone to dance! Now, I love to dance (and we had loudspeakers and good music!), but only myself and my friend Pamela were the ones dancing, while everyone else stared on! Needless to say, I am confident upon my return to the US that I will have no problem winning the "So You Think You Can Dance" competition (OK, this is acompletely false statement, but I will be the first one on the dance floor at weddings to get the party started!)! So, dancing was one of the highlights, but there was also birthday cake, which is quite a bit different compared to US standards, but still delicious and thoughtful! The ONLY bad part about the birthday is that I had no control over any of it, especially who was invited! So every time I walk into town at least one person comes up to me and says, "SisterAfia, why was I not invited to your birthday party!?" All in all, a very nice day!

Work with CARE International has begun, and I completely adore my supervisors, Bright and Francis. When the three of us are hanging out in Francis's room, discussing project details, I feel like I'm in college again, working on a group assignment! We took some of the farmers to Wiawso, a big (ish) city about 3 hours away from KBK to do a market survey... it was a way for them to see the importance of taking initiative in finding a market for their products (mostly vegetables, palm oil, and gari). It was a really fun day, but I absolutely have to become fluent in the language if I want to be able to communicate alone. I'm learning more everyday, but I definitely have a long way to go!

We had a meeting on Tuesday with the farmers, discussing which trees they wanted to plant and which animals they want to attract back to the forest... apparently someone saw a black and white colobus monkey on their farm! And everyone complains that the elephants eat their crops! It's so funny the constrast of tone used when I talk about elephants and monkeys compared to when the farmers discuss elephants and monkeys (happiness and joy vs. frustration and irritation)!I'm still forming opinions about the work of CARE and if it is going to be a sustainable project or not. In Ghana, you have to (well, you don't "have" to but it is expected) pay people to attend meetings!The farmers get paid for coming to meetings that are held to benefit them! I understand that we take some time out from their day that could be spent farming, but they always expect it and always are yelling for more! And I just don't know how sustainable the project will be when CARE leaves in July 2010. They even have to pay local government officials for attending a meeting (at their office,concerning their work....it is part of their job!)...Needless to say,there are definitely some frustrations with this work! But I really love the people and hope to work more closely with them once I learn the language!

I also went with Miriam to the two JSS schools to form a Girls Club and Environment Club. Miriam gave a sexual education talk first(apparently, most of the middle school kids are having sex and getting pregnant! They are like 13!! This is a universal problem!)...which is always hilarious to experience with 12-14 year olds...the 5'2, 120 lb boy yelling out, "It's true!" when Miriam talked about putting condoms on the correct way (yea right!)! The kids are taught in English, so I thought they would understand me, but no siree!! I speak WAY TOO FAST and I don't know what Im going to do! I've been practicing speaking slowly to myself, but I sound so foolish....speaking fast is in my blood! But I will have the clubs every Friday and I'm really excited,especially at working with the girls...they're all so incredibly shy...I hope to get them out of their shells a bit! Well, I think that is the update on most of my life this past month and a half. I am very happy with my community...it's a beautiful place with incredibly kind people...I feel a bit spoiled! You are all invited to visit!Love and miss you all,Rachel

12-9-08

Hey all,

Hope you are all enjoying the snow and Christmas spirit! There is definitely no snow here, and the only Christmas spirit comes from my friend Kirsten and I who try to rally the troops into singing our favorite Christmas songs! This usually only works when people have been drinking, so I get a taste of Christmas on Friday nights! Other than that though, there is no sign of Christmas, which is probably really good for my mental state when Christmas does eventually roll around.We moved out of homestay today, and will move into the guest houses for the next three days. I was SO sad to leave my family and all the little kids in the village! I bought a few small gifts for my family as going away presents and just to say thank you; the reaction was of such intense gratitude that I can hardly describe the scene! I bought my mom and sister a bracelet each (which cost about 1 US dollar each),my brother a blow up beach volleyball (also cost 1 US dollar) and then I bought my father a new Bible because he is a pastor ( cost about 7 US dollars)....Total: 10.00 US dollars. You would have thought Ijust revealed a brand new house on Home Makeover! My homestay mom was yelling, "God Bless You, God Bless You, God Bless You" and the kids were grinning from ear to ear, running around and yelling in the yard,showing all of their friends their new gifts. I got teary eyed and kind of stood there in shock....they literally cannot afford to buy anew Bible so that my mom can learn English (which I later found out was why she was so excited...she will use it to learn better English!)...I have spent $10.00 on a large chai tea and Oprah magazine (MANY times!) without feeling like I really lost anything! I think it was so shocking because I have been living with them for the past two months,but it kind of just hit me how blind I had been to their economic obstacles.I leave Saturday for my site! Well, actually I think Im going to try and go to the beach first to mentally prepare myself for the next two years! The whole "two years" thing has been on my mind as of late...I kind of pushed it deep down so as not to think about it, but it startson Saturday and it has me a little freaked out! I keep singing JohnLennon's "Isolation"...which probably isn't the best idea!I will hopefully write one last email on Friday to describe swearing in and the past week, but after that Im not sure how often I will be able to access internet. Hopefully at least once every two weeks, but it might be longer than that!Love and miss you,Rachel

December 3, 2008

Hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving! After we arrived home

from site visit (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving), we were told that

some of us had to go to Accra to open bank accounts on Thanksgiving,

not only a big holiday, but our day off. People were incredibly upset

(I wasn't too sad because I knew I would be able to get a slice of

pizza! haha, food again, don't even get me started!), and there was a

huge fight between the trainees and trainers. I tried to make the

best out of the situation, but it was disappointing because we did not

get back from Accra until 5:30 pm so none of us were able to cook!

However, the people who didn't have to go to Accra came through

gloriously and cooked all day, producing fried turkey (Im still

vegetarian...but it did smell delicious!), mashed potatoes, CHEESE,

and even mini apple pies that were literally the most amazing thing

I've had in Ghana the past two months! YUMMY!~ Plus, lots of beer and

dancing...all in all a pretty fantastic Thanksgiving evening! But,

without the cool weather, it did not feel like Thanksgiving...more

like 4th of July!

The past couple of days have been spent in technical training,

language and pretty much just hanging out. We move out of our

homestays on Tuesday, and I am very very sad to leave my family and

community! I LOVE Ado Nkwanta! Especially all the little kids who I

play with every night...it's going to be hard to say goodbye!

Last night this man, Steve, came to my house and gave me strange

looking fruit. He said it was an apple...it was something, but an

apple it was not! Anyways, he's around 70 years old and very annoying

(he visits weekly and Im forced to discuss where I was when he came

over two days prior at 7 am....IN BED!). After he left, my father was

like, "I need to see that fruit!" So I gave it to him, happy to get

rid of it, and he said, "Make sure you check with us when someone

gives you something. You never know who is using juju!" I smiled and

said, "Thanks for having my back!" My father thought it was about the

funniest statement and continues to use it! Juju is a very mysterious

topic in Ghana, but something that almost everyone believes in, and

constantly use to explain deaths or injuries. Sometimes I will ask my

host family a question, and they will look at each other with strange

faces, and immediately I know that their answer has something to do

with witchcraft and juju!

We have our language exam on Friday, so wish me luck! We swear in next

Friday and then I'm off to my site! I can't believe Christmas is

almost here...time is flying by so fast!

Love you and miss you!~

Rachel

November 26, 2008

Alright, I have tons to tell...hopefully my fingers can last! So, the

last time I wrote I was going to meet my Supervisor and Counterpart

and then head off to my actual site. The orientation lasted two days

and was typical Peace Corps...lots of flip charts and group exercises

addressing issues ranging from diversity to sexual harassment. Anyway,

my supervisor, Sadat, is a very kind man of few words, and has already

taken on the fatherly role! He is a father of 8 kids, a cocoa farmer,

and an elder in the community so he knows EVERYONE! Bright, my

supervisor, is fantastic, except for the fact that he probably asks me

every 5 minutes, "Are you OK?" and calls me "Richie!" Actually,

everyone in Ghana who hears the name Rachel calls me Richie...there is

something about the a-ch that they just can't get. Anyways, I've

started telling people my name is Rahel, which has been working out

nicely!

So, my new community is Kwamebikrom and it is beautiful!!! More

beautiful than I could have imagined!! The last hour drive to my town

is full of plush rainforest (and intense red dirt, which happens to be

all over my clothes at this very moment!) and I was told that there

are elephants about 11 km from my house...I will not quote anyone on

this...but my new goal the next two years is to see a wild elephant!

And my house! Ok, so I prepared for the dirty, poor type of Peace

Corps experience...what I got was a 5 star hotel to Ghana standards!

I'm living in the nurse quarters at a clinic: I share a kitchen,

bathroom (with a flush toilet!) and family room with a very nice

nurse, Miriam, and then I have my own bedroom! Our house is right in

front of the forest adn river, and our courtyard is so cute with

plantain trees everywhere! I will try VERY hard to put up pictures

soon...Im so sorry, the internet is just too slow to do those things!

The 5 days at Kwamebikrom consisted of meeting the Chief, who is SO

hilarious and has been awfully gracious to me! He told me the

Kwamebikrom was ours and that whatever I wanted I would get...However,

I then asked him if I could get a dog (It is taboo is Kwamebikrom to

have a dog...Of course the one place in Western Region!) and I felt so

bad because he looked so sad...but he told me that he would discuss

with the elders and I would have a definite answer when I return in

December. I will respect the decision...I'll just get a cat if the

answer is No!

Sadat and Bright took me around the town the first night and I was

introduced to a whole lot of people whose names I have completely

forgotten! The next day I went around to all the schools (about 8

total!) and met the headmasters, teachers and students. Everyone was

very nice and the kids seemed super excited when I told them about

some club ideas and so on!

The next day was quite the adventure: I am working for CARE

International, doing Forest Reforestation and Biodiversity...basically

working with cocoa farmers and trying to reforest any extra land they

have, and also doing income-generating projects during the off-season

so that they do not go into the forest and cut down trees/kill

animals. There are six communities surrounding Kwamebikrom that I

will be working with, and all I have to get around is a bicycle! I

was on that bike from 11am to 7pm!! Also, I of course fell hard core

at one point(being the insanely clumsy person that I am!), which did

not help the situation with Bright and Sadat practically running into

me every three minutes to make sure I was behind one and in front of

the other (as if that would prevent me from falling!). We had one

meeting that lasted an hour, and then biked for about two hours

without having anything to eat...I was exhausted and starved, and I

had no clue where they were taking me! Finally, we arrive in a town

called Essem, and I found out that I was going to attend a funeral of

someone who works with CARE. I was so mad! They did not tell me I was

going to a funeral; I was sweaty, bloody, dirty and had jean shorts

on (you are suppose to wear a black/red dress!) and I knew that I

would draw a huge crowd. So, in the United States, people don't just

go to someone's funeral they don't know (I mean, usually at

least)...and if they do, they can blend into the crowd! NOT a white

person in Ghana! The drunk people were literally grabbing me and

pulling me onto the dance floor, all the while Im hunched over in this

bamboo tent (it's about 5 ft tall), attempting to shake the hands of

the people crying over this woman I have never met! It was awful, I

felt so uncomfortable....I just felt like I was taking the attention

away from her death. I finally met the woman's husband....I said,

"I'm so sorry for your loss"...he started crying, gave me a hug and

said, "I love you!".....Awkward?!! Bright told me that going was

noble because, "The town will always remember this lady's funeral

because the white lady was there!" Yes, that definitely did not make

me feel better!

All in all it was a very eventful 5 days and I probably have a million

other things to tell, but not enough time! Just know that I already

love the town and the people and I think the next two years are going

to be fantastic!

Thanks again for all of your emails! I promise to try and respond

more one on one...don't think I've forgotten any of you!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Love, Rachel

November 13, 2008

Hey all,

I'm lacking in the Subject titles...I need to get more creative! Cross

your fingers that this email sends without booting me off the

system...this internet cafe is testy! Anyways, today I am in

Koforidua, the biggest city near my small community. We had a free

day in the afternoon, so a few friends and I decided to splurge and

buy lots of jewelry at the bead market! It's the best in Ghana, and

totally worth every Ghana cedi! Today was the perfect day because the

weather has been cool (and by cool I mean that despite dripping an

insane amount of sweat, there is a breeze!), and I was able to have

strawberry and vanilla ice cream! Im sure that all the food

references are boring to you guys...but I have to emphasize the pure

joy felt at tasting not only American food...but COLD American food!!

Ahhhh, it was heaven! Also, this day is fantastic because I was able

to access the internet! I know I send out emails often, but I am only

able to write a big email and then attempt to look at news for about

ten minutes...so any try at internet time is extremely rewarding!

This week we went on a few field trips. I was able to go an

alternative livelihood project that focused on mushroom farming. The

information was incredibly interesting, and I am hoping to start a

mushroom farm at my site (Western region is extremely humid, and that

is where these mushrooms grow best)...however, it was the first time I

experienced being a second class citizen because of my gender. I was

with 5 guys from my group, and I was the only girl. At first, I was

so confused because the man leading the tour would completely ignore

my questions, not look me in the eye, and was just acting very

strange. After about half an hour I realized what was happening, and

I was so furious! We were told by our trainers that this could

possibly happen, but women in Ghana are relatively seen as equals,

especially in the South where Christianity is more prevalent. He just

thought I had no brains and didn't want to hear a word I had to say.

Anyways, it was definitely a reality check, and I felt very

appreciative for those values held in the United States (even though

improvements can always be made!).

In the morning today we held our last environmental club, and did a

session on HIV/AIDS with the kids. Ghana has a pretty large

government funded program towards HIV/AIDS education...but you would

be surprised at common misconceptions! The kids asked at least 3

times if HIV can be spread through mosquitos (which is not a stupid

question) and at least 5 times if it could be spread through kissing

(I think they just wanted to be sure!). But we have learned some

pretty cool games to play with them to teach about the spread of

HIV/AIDS-and its great seeing their reactions. Im sure this comes as

no suprise, but I'm pretty positive that I will be doing a lot of

teaching and clubs at my site. I'm still convinced that education is

"the answer to____" ...you can pretty much fill in anything here!

That's probably oversimplifying things, but from the work I've seen

done in Ghana, I'm still thinking it's the best way!

This Tuesday I meet my counterpart and supervisor and we have

orientation with them for two days...then it is off to my site! I'm

SOOOO excited! I've probably mentioned this 20 times...sorry for the

repetition!

My homestay family is wonderful and life there is very fine! (Ay ye!)

They are way too nice to me, and I feel guilty because Im really never

there! Every night I try to have at least one conversation about our

different cultures, and today we were talking about babies and birth.

In Ghana, they don't name babies until after 7 days because of the

probability of death. Also, no gifts are given until then...I was

telling them about baby showers, and how there is a party and gifts

before the baby is born, and they couldn't believe it! There are so

many women who give birth in the bush one day, and they are busy

farming or selling things in the market the next few days. These

conversations usually happen once a day, and it is usually the most

eye-opening part of my time here.

Hope you are all happy and well! Love and miss you!

Rachel

November 9, 2008

Hello!

A few people have been asking me about Christmas packages and so on, so I wanted to send out a list of things I want/need. Please, no one feel obligated in ANY WAY (except for my parents, of course!) to send anything! Emails are enough! OK, here is the list:

CANDY!! Haha, anything chocolate, or twizzlers...I especially love peanut M^Ms

Chai tea...Mom, this one is mostly to you...the powder kind you just add to water!

Tea to go packets/crystal light (helps encourage water consumption)

Loofah

Magazines (TIME, Rolling Stone, Oprah...anything political or trashy...I would happily read an US WEEKLY!)

Books

DVDs

Mixed CDs with new music...for those of you who don't want to spend a lot of money!

Facewash, Shampoo and Conditioner (They really don't have much here...Clean and Clear and Infusium 23 are my favorites)

Parmesan Cheese (There is no cheese in Ghana, and this is good for cooking!)

Candles (especially Christmas smells!) Plus, I will not have electricity at my site, so these are great to have!

New pictures of everyone!

Yoga book or cards

Q-tips...I desperately need these!

Also, guitar sheet music or book...I am buying a guitar on Monday!

Jump rope (good for exercise and little girls love them)

Any kid games (UNO, etc...) or puzzles

2008 Calendar

Home decoration type stuff...I don't know?

ANYTHING else you think I would like

The US Postal Service has prepaid boxes with no weight limit, and I think that is one of the cheapest ways to send stuff. This is all I can think of right now!

My address is:

Rachel Rogers, PCT

Peace Corps Ghana

P.O. Box 5796 Accra North

GHANA

In other news, the Peace Corps trainees played our trainers (who are mostly Ghanaian) in a match of football yesterday in our small town of Ado Nkwanta...and we were completely killed! But it was pretty hilarious because I think the whole village was in attendance...and they thought we looked absolutely absurd!

This week we have a few small field trips, one of which is at the Cocoa Research Institute, and we will be able to purchase chocolate!! Ghana's leading export is cocoa, but they make almost no chocolate! I pretty much eat rice, rice, and more rice...so anything with some taste is an exciting thing!

Love you and miss you!

Rachel

November 6, 2008

Hey guys,

I am supposed to be working on my big presentation for tomorrow with

some friends, but we rationally decided that email time comes before

anything to do with homework! So, I AM SO JEALOUS OF ALL OF YOU!!!

You were able to experience the election...especially Patrick who was

in Grant Park!! Thanks to all who kept me updated with text

messages...I was at our hotel in Wa, and all of us could barely sleep

because we were so nervous/excited! At around 4 am we all got texts

from around the United States saying that Barack Obama won the

election....we were screaming and all met in the middle of the

courtyard, not knowing what to do with ourselves! There was no TV or

radio...just us freaking out! At least I can say that I was in Ghana

when Barack Obama was elected, even though I would have LOVED to be

with you all! It was the first time I felt truly homesick, and still

do...I can't even imagine the excitement and atmosphere back at

home...and I CANNOT BELIEVE that Indiana went blue!!

You will be happy to know that the Ghanaians are SUPER EXCITED!!

Instead of yelling out "Obruni" at us, which means "white person,"

they now yell out "OBAMA!" Which I feel is a an ironic improvement!

Yesterday the 18 of us piled into the van at 5 am for a 12 hour car

ride...which was painful, to say the least! But, we were able to stop

in Kumasi, a pretty big town, and the biggest one closest to my future

site. But it was heaven because we went to a burger joint (I had a

delicious cheese sandwich...which was icing on the cake because I have

not had cheese since I left Philly), watched BBC News which was

covering the election stuff, and had a beer for the new President!

Today we went to the Junior Secondary School and built gardens with

our environmental clubs...I love those kids! Even though they are

around ages of 13 to 17, they LOVE to learn songs and dances! Our

club name is the "Elephant Club"...so I taught them the Elephant Show

theme song *Skinama Rinky Dinky Dink.... and they LOVE it!! They

might love it more than me, which I never would have thought possible!

Plus, the Hokey Pokey and the Chicken Dance...can you imagine 13 to 16

year olds in the US being excited about such things? I think not!

After environmental clubs, I came home for a few minutes and found a

dead mouse on my shoes....Im convinced this was a sign from God

because those shoes have caused my feet more pain in the past few

weeks than ever before...they are brand new Chacos, and they are evil!

Anyways, in the health department I have been super healthy, except

for sores on my feet, which everyone likes to inform me are

parasites...as well as a rash on both my calves which is FINALLY going

away! I've never felt more contaminated!

We had midservice interviews today and Im happy to say that I got all

5's and 4's, which stand for Above Average and Outstanding...EXCEPT

(and this is hilarious!) that my language instructor gave me a 3

(which is average) in "Emotional Maturity"...haha! Hmmm...I'll have to

work on that...I probably should stop making fart sounds while he is

talking (Of course I am kidding!).

Love you and miss you all!

Rachel

October 26:

Alright, don't get too use to frequent emails, but I was able to go toa very nice internet cafe and felt the need to describe my daytoday...starting at 4 am!Also, I think I added everyone to this group email list, but pleasefeel free to forward to whomever, and have them send me an email ifthey want to be added!My morning started at 4 am when I heard the Muslim call toprayer...Now, honestly it sounds beautiful, except for the fact thatI'm constantly hearing goats, sheep, chickens and loud musicthroughout the night...so at 4am it's definitely the last thing I wantto hear. Usually it lasts around 20 minutes, so I fall back asleep,until 5 am when all of the women start to sweep their houses. It'shard to explain how or why this is so loud...but it is, trust me!Anyways, this morning, not only did I hear the Muslim call to prayer,but my own homestay Father, Jonathan, decided to surprise us all withhis own personal use of the community speakers at 4:30 am, from ourhouse, preaching (VERY LOUDLY), about finding God in Twi. I cannoteven begin to describe how loud this was...it was as if Godhim/herself was outside of my door with a microphone, chanting,"Rachel, I hate you!" Haha, OK, maybe not quite...but you canimagine! Anyways, being the immature person that I am at 4:30 am...Istarted yelling out, "Shut uuuuuppppp" and "God suuuuccckkksss" to noone but myself! Not exactly holy stuff right there, but it made melaugh and I was able to sleep a bit after that!But we had a field trip to the Boti Falls near Koforidua and it wasGORGEOUS!! We were able to swim in the waterfalls and hike along thesebeautiful mountains...hopefully I will post pictures one of thesedays! The trainers surprised us after a long hike with Ghanaiandonuts, which are definitely not delicious to US standards, but I waspractically drooling at the sight of them. All in all, a pretty goodday!!Internet time is up....miss you and love you all...hopefully Ill getaccess again soon!Love, Rachel

October 30:

Hey all,How are you? Life is good here...Ive been a bit spoiled with internetaccess this week, but I will be on a five day field trip to the UpperWest Region on Saturday, so I probably won't be in touch for awhile.Nothing crazy has been happening this week...I guess the weirdestthing is how familiar Ado Nkwanta and Ghana are becoming. It'sstrange to feel that life in a small African village now feelssomewhat mundane! I went running a few days ago, and that is quitethe experience~!! Everyone I passed asked me what I was doing, why Iwas doing it, and wanted me to meet with them the next day so thatthey could join me! Even my homestay mother and father think it ishilarious and want to join in the fun! It's almost embarassing to runbecause it's like admitting that you do no physical work whatsoever,and you have to choose to workout so that you can get exercise. Trustme, the Ghanaians are ripped and they do not have to run. The menmostly farm, and you cannot even imagine the muscles these guys have!And the women are even MORE incredible....carrying babies on theirbacks, huge water jugs on their heads, cooking 3 meals a day, plusfarming and raising kids and a million other things...It's reallyembarassing carrying a small bucket of water to my house andSTRUGGLING, all the while a mom of four is literally balancing one onher head, two in her arms, and carrying a baby on her back. So thethought of someone CHOOSING to run for them is the most hilarious,strange thing...and I understand why!Also, Ghanaians fear of rain is equivalent to Americans fear of anuclear attack ...the second a raindrop hits the ground they aresprinting under trees, diving for shelter...I'm totally notexaggerating!! So, yesterday we were cutting bamboo trees with acutlass-I've never felt more badass!- to build a fence for ourgarden...it started to pour down and we were all so excited andcontinued working and playing in the rain....the town thought we wereinsane! Even our trainer, Nico, could not understand why we wanted tostay out in it....but it felt SOOO cool and wonderful!Homestay is going well....It's definitely interesting observing thefamily atmosphere in Ghana. I have to say that at most times, I amshocked by how familiar my Ghanaian family is to my own....well, sortof...my real family is probably a bit crazier!! But seriously, lastnight my homestay parents went to a church meeting, so the two kids,Abigail 8 and Joshua 10 were left home alone until I came home. Itwas as if they were throwing a neighborhood party while the parentalswere away!! There must have been 15 kids inside my house, allscreaming and acting crazy...just like we use to do when Mom and Dadwent out! I was just sitting there laughing....human beings REALLYare so similar, no matter where in the world, and I think that is the biggest revelation I have had so far.Alright, I have to get going to a meeting! I know you are allstressing out about the election, and I have to admit that it has beena HUGE stress relief not being around the US media at this point intime. I will be on a field trip on Tuesday, driving in a van forabout 12 hours, but someone is bringing a radio so hopefully I willhear!! I know that some receiving this email want different people inoffice...so I will just pray that we have a true and fair election andmay the best man win! If he doesn't, then Im staying in Ghanaindefinitely....just kidding!Love and miss you all! Hope life is great wherever you are! Oh,also, please keep up the emails...I dont have a lot of time torespond, but I love love love reading them and thank you for sendingthem!Rachel

October 1:

Hey everyone,

We arrived safely in Ghana, and I can't believe I've already been in Ghana for two days! We are staying at a very nice place, on a private university and everyone has been so helpful and kind. So far I'm feeling healthy and looking forward to learning the language and culture. I promise to write more later, but I am just making a quick note at the Peace Corps Headquarters. Just know that I am definitely feeling good, happy to be here and missing you all!

Love, Rachel

October 4, 2008:

Hey guys,So I have been on this adventure for a week, and it already feels like I have known the people from my group for months and we have been in Ghana for at least one month! We arrived in Accra on Tuesday morning and from there it has been a whirlwind of action: Tuesday we met our trainers and some fellow volunteers and did a simple orientation and then crashed because we were completely exhausted! Wednesday we went to the Peace Corps Headquarters in Accra and met our sector APCD's (Associate Peace Corps Directors)...Sammy D is my APCD and I think he might be one of the coolest people in Ghana. We have also had around a million vaccines and my arms are still a bit sore, but I will be rabies free! Thursday we had more training at Valley View (our university) and then had dinner and drinks at the US ambassadors house (beautiful night with a great Ghanaian band, dancing and drinks....just perfect!). Friday we were thrown onto the streets of Accra on a scavenger hunt and we pretty much had to ride a tro-tro (a van type taxi that is full to the MAX with people) and find places in Accra on our own. My partner Ana (who is becoming one of my best friends here) and I got a bit lost and asked this Ghanaian woman where to find a tro-tro headed to central Accra. This is a true story....the incredibly kind woman replied, "Follow me!" and proceeded to get us on a tro-tro with her (and pay!)....then, she walked us about 10 blocks, put us in a taxi and PAID (Around $20.00 US dollars)!!! I tried SO HARD for her to stop being so nice and just give us directions, but this is truly just how Ghanaians are, and they don't want anything in return! So, if anyone was worried, please know that my interactions with Ghanaians have been nothing but positive so far. One thing that has come as a refreshing surprise is how much Americans are liked in Ghana: In all the tro-tros there are two flags: Ghana and the US. There are paintings of George Bush and American flags scattered about, and it is definitely a comforting feeling....to be in a country where the people actually like you and want you there! Today I was headed to my site visit with 9 others from my group....a 13 hour bus ride!! Man, it sucks being tall and traveling...I will definitely say that is for sure!! I am going to another volunteer's site for 5 days (she lives on a mango farm!!)...even though she is a water/sanitation volunteer, I will meet the chief and ask a lot of questions about environmental concerns in the community. We find our REAL sites next week...I'm hoping for somewhere in the Northern region. I should be getting a phone next week...so I will send out an email with the number...it's free for me from incoming calls!! So hopefully I can talk with some of you soon!The country is BEAUTIFUL and really hard to describe. There is a lot of poverty, but not the kind experienced in the states. The mentality is just all about keeping it positive and living life...I've already learned a lot from the Ghanaians.Miss you all and hope to talk soon!

October 24, 2008:

Hey guys!!I can't even describe the relief I feel at FINALLY being able to usethe internet!! I'm SO SORRY that it has taken so long...the villageI'm staying in *Ado Nkwanta) is 10km from our hub office, and theenvironmental sector is pretty much prisoner in our small community.So A LOT has happened the past few weeks. I met my homestay family,Father Jonathan, who is a Church of Christ pastor in our community,and his wife, Mary, who I absolutely adore. They are incrediblykind....TOO kind probably! They like to sneak in my room and leave megifts of Coca Cola or cream crackers...which at first was crossing myprivacy boundaries...but I adjusted to the cultural difference and nowI smile pleasantly when I see a bottle of Coke sitting on my table!They have two kids, Joshua and Abigail, who are awesome and like toshow me off to their friends. There are about 25 kids who run aroundoutside my house and I love all of them....my name is Sister Afia,which means Friday born, and at almost any time of day when I walk byone of the kids is screaming "Sister Afia, Sister Afia" and waving!.Everyone has a family name and a day name...Im not even positive I wasborn on a Friday...but that is what i decided to take! Sorry if mywriting is not grammatically correct and there are mispellings becauseI now have long fingernails...all it took was germs in Africa to getme to stop biting them!Anyways, my family is great and we have had wonderful discussionsabout religion and politics. Since Jonathan is a pastor there arealways visitors from the church, so I'm able to discuss things withthem too! There is an eighteen year old guy, Francis, who is sweet ascan be and tries to teach me Twi. Every single day he shows up on mydoorstep with a new list of words and phrases for me to learn!Our training has been very exhausting, but I'm learning alot. We do agreat deal of hands on things, such as planting trees and gardens,making more efficient ovens out of ant hills, and also going to theJSS and starting environmental clubs with the kids. I really enjoythe technical part...but language can be mentally too much!! We havelanguage everyday for FOUR hours, I repeat, FOUR hours, and my brainfeels literally fried after those sessions!I LOVE the community we are in, and I think it is a good taste of myfuture site. Speaking of, drumroll please......My official site is called Kwamebikrom in the Western Region of Ghana. At first I was a little shocked because most of my good friends arein the Northern most regions, and I am going to be completelyisolated....but then it began to sink in and it is exactly where Iwant to be! I will be living in the rainforest, with no electricityand a latrine...which I honestly enjoy because that is how I'm livingcurrently in Ado Nkwanta, and I will be working with CAREInternational...a pretty big NGO. I'm working with the CommunityForest Biodiversity Project...I'm not sure yet what all this entails,but I will be working with 6 different communities in my area, andmostly attempting to work with cocoa farmers. I'm the first volunteerat my site, which is awesome because I will be able to set thestandards and everyone will be really excited to have an'obruni'/white person there...but it can have negative aspects as wellsince it takes a LOT of time to describe to the community why I amthere and what I'm doing.I have a cell phone, and I have talked to some of you....here is the number...233 is Ghana's country code, and my number is 0241317594.If you get SKYPE it is pretty cheap and I would love to talk to you all~!!Also, about the mail situation...its VERY expensive to send mailhere...one stamp costs one dollar!! So, PLEASE PLEASE send me maillALL the time...but don't be sad if I don't respond!! I will try torespond to personal emails as much as possible...but don't be sad if Idont....and PLEASE keep sending me your emails!! I LOVE hearing fromyou!!I'm sure I have a million stories to tell, but Im nervous that thishuge email will not send...I have time so Ill try to send somepersonal ones soon.Love you and miss you all!!Rachel

So, I am done with pre-service training and it was definitely not as bad as I thought it was going to be! In fact, it was positively wonderful! The group I'm going with is full of smart, funny people and I think they are going to be a fantastic support system. We leave early tomorrow to get the yellow fever vaccine (Cross your fingers and hope I don't get it!) and malaria pills, then it is off to the airport and flying to Accra at 5:05 pm! As of right now I just feel extremely excited and ready for an adventure!

To friends and family, I will miss you and love you all! Thanks for all of the love and support! I don't know when the next time I'll be able to update this, but plan on old school hand written letters!

So, even though my Peace Corps adventure in only ten days away, what I really want to discuss is the title of this blog, On Beauty. A few people have given me strange looks when I've handed them my information, or just straight blurted out, "What does that mean?" after seeing the url, rachelonbeauty. No, I'm not planning on discussing the newest shade of lipstick or the fall fashion trends I'll be missing. I'll be the first to admit it, I'm the absolute LAST person my friends go to for questions of hair, clothing and makeup.

The title comes from the wonderful novel by Zadie Smith, On Beauty. The book is about two dysfunctional (and by dysfunctional, I of course mean normal) families on opposite sides of the political sphere, and the complexity of life, family and relationships. But the moral of the book (at least from my point of view) is that despite heartbreaking choices and conflicts, love and beauty still remain. One of my favorite quotes from the book describes sibling love:

"Before the world existed, before it was populated, and before there were wars and jobs and colleges and movies and clothes and opinions and foreign travel - before all of these things there had been only one person, Zora, and only one place: a tent in the living room made from chairs and bed-sheets. After a few years, Levi arrived; space was made for him; it was as if he had always been. Looking at them both now, Jerome found himself in their finger joints and neat conch ears, in their long legs and wild curls. He heard himself in their partial lisps caused by puffy tongues vibrating against slightly noticeable buckteeth. He did not consider if or how or why he loved them. They were love: they were the first evidence he ever had of love, and they would be the last confirmation of love when everything else fell away."

Basically you need to read this book! So, how does this relate to my PC experience? Well, over the past few months I've heard a lot of "Be carefuls" and "Those people" and "AFRICA? You're crazy!" And everytime someone said something like this, I immediately thought of On Beauty. Love and family and beauty exist everywhere, and we don't always understand all the complexities of why people love, or who they choose to love, or even how they display their love, but optimistic me still believes love is universal (I sincerely apologize for the cheesiness of this entry!). Many people looked at me, trying to say, "You don't understand, you are young and naive..." But not everyone gets it.

Ten days and I'm actually very calm. I had a wonderful going away party and I was able to embrace my sadness and anxiety that weekend...but now I'm feeling 95% excitement, 5% "Shit, I have a lot to do!"

Welcome to my blog! I will try to update this page as much as possible, with keen insight and observation!

I'm going to try and focus solely on my Peace Corps experience, although I cannot promise a blog free of random tangents. I have a little over two months until I leave for Philedelphia on September 27, and then off to Ghana three days later to begin my two years as an Agroforestry and Alternative Livelihood Volunteer. Emotions as of now pretty much only consist of excitement and thoughts such as, "Oh God, what does agroforestry even mean!?" Luckily, I've had time to do some research ( I now know what agroforestry is...kind of) and I'm slowly but surely feeling more comfortable with my assignment. My biggest fear is not being away from friends and family (we're going to have a heck of a time when they visit!), insects (although the really little ones freak me out) or the heat (this is my second biggest fear); my number one fear is not doing anything productive to help the people in my community. I just hope I am able to use my creativity and work ethic in extremely useful, productive ways.