this is officially my last day as a peace corps volunteer in ghana! my fellow pcv kelli and i will be going on a tour through asia as our COS (close of service) trip. vince, kelli and i will fly out tomorrow and spend a few days in egypt. then it's thailand > laos > vietnam > cambodia > singapore > indonesia > taiwan > japan > hawaii > los angeles > las vegas > atlanta. i'm ecstatic!!!

today has been a day full of warm fuzzies from chats with my apcd, beza dor, to my exit interview with the country director, mike koffman. the highlight has definitely been the program and training officer, robert moler, presenting me with a drum that has the peace corps logo carved into it. it's pretty PIMP!!! i just thave to figure out how to get it home...

i'll keep everyone posted on my travels!! keep us in your prayers!!! thank you all and i love you!

I was blinded by the lights and all the pretty, shiny things. The truth is I came here to escape from myself, my life. It’s not that my life was some sort of train wreck. Quite the opposite, really. But wanting to be everything to everybody else prohibits you from being the person you need to be for yourself. My COS (Close of Service) date from the Peace Corps is on November 15, 2010. I left home for this journey on September 27, 2008, and I cannot believe that my time is up. My friend Sam asked me the other day what I felt my biggest contribution was during my service. You often think about these things. On those days that the sun is beating down on you, when you can’t sleep because of the impossible heat, when your water is out for days, when homesickness is as painful as a breakup, when you feel that the people you work with aren’t listening to a word you’re saying…it’s on those days that we all ask ourselves, “Why am I here?” In my trimester reports, the numbers are all there. How many men, women, and children were taught? What activities were done? What did they learn? So on and so forth. But as I thought about it, those numbers were just that: statistics. I told Sam I felt that my biggest accomplishments, by far, were the relationships I have built with the people that I’ve met here in Ghana. There are no words to express the amount of gratitude I have for this experience. I feel enormously blessed in so many ways. We go through all these experiences in life and we don’t fully understand the affect that they have on us until much later. The biggest lesson I can say that I’ve learned is that everything matters. This small developing country in Africa that is seemingly the antithesis of the U.S., I have discovered, is actually quite similar. There is a direct correlation between everything that is happening here right now and what is going on at home. The economy, race relations, gender roles, business, fashion…it’s all interrelated. I am much more conscious of my experiences. This has truly been humbling.I aspired to change the world. I succeeded in at least changing my world.

My worst Ghana nightmare was realized last Friday night. T. Chung was there to witness. The following is her chilling recount of the events of that evening.

"Julie Falls Into a Pit of Urine" by Tanya Chung

This was roughly the size of the pit. Imagine a thin layer of sheet metal covering it. That's how Julie was fooled.

Julie falling into the pit. She was screaming "OHMYGOOOODDDDD" the entire way down.

What Julie kinda looked like immediately after falling into the pit of urine. She was still yelling "OHMYGOOOODDDDD" while flailing her little arms.

PC Ghana Swearing-In Video from The Truth on Vimeo.

what is "paaaaaaaa" you ask? well, in twi it roughly translates into "very" or is used to emphasize something. when asked how you are doing, you would answer "me ho yε paaaa." wikipedia states that there are about 79 languages spoken in ghana, and throughout our 10 weeks of training, each volunteer learns the language that they will be speaking in their respective communities. in southern volta (where i reside), people speak ewe. last year's peace corps training group made this entertaining video for their swearing-in ceremony about the many different languages they were learning to speak.

what's so good paaaaa in my life, you ask? well, for one, peace corps ghana decided to go with my logo for the 50th anniversary celebration (albeit a really basic and extremely boring version of it), and the Director of the Peace Corps (yes, ALL of peace corps worldwide), Mr. Aaron S. Williams, will be coming to visit my site on friday. i'm honored and terrified at the same time. i just hope all goes well!

friend peace corps ghana on facebook and follow us on twitter!!

my dear friend daniel vainner was made a master weaver this past week. he has been learning the art of kente weaving since he got to site two years ago, and now has achieved master weaver status! there was a huge ceremony to commemorate the opening of the visitor's center for tourists and to celebrate dan's master weaver-dom in kpetoe, volta region. dan has been working with the kente weavers, tourism management team, district assembly and countless other community members on promoting eco-tourism in kpetoe. you know those stoles people wear at graduation? my fellow divine 9 greeks know what i'm talking about. well, ghana is where they originated! ghana, specifically the volta region, is where kente began. to this day, the ewe kente woven in dan's area is known for superior quality. anywho, the ceremony was awesome. our apcd (associate peace corps director) for sed (small enterprise development) also attended and gave a speech. kind of a big deal.

the queen mothers of kpetoeour apcd, beza, me, steve, chrissa (dan's replacement pcv) and danhe actually wove this men's cloth himself!! now that's talent!at my graduation w/ my parentals. little did i know the kente stole i had on was made in ghana!

as mentioned previously, my former priest, fr. john appiah, from notre dame high school (who is now at knoxville catholic) is from ghana. the catholic churches at home have been raising money for a medical mission in his home town of nkonya wurupong in the volta region (which is about 3 hours from my site). this is the second year that they have had the medical mission here with doctors, nurses and students coming all the way from tennessee (we're the only 10's you see) to offer their skills. i invited my fellow pcv amber to join in on the medical mission fun! we were able to help register people and take temperatures. a future in the medical field for julie and amber? not likely. but it was great to be a part of the action!

Woo hoo!!! 2011 will mark the 50 year anniversary of the partnership between the United States Peace Corps and the Government of Ghana. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy and the U.S. Congress passed the Peace Corps Act. As Ghana is the first country that Peace Corps Volunteers served in, Ghana PCVs have the unique experience of working in a country that has been so positively influenced by Peace Corps. Anywho...I'll write more about this at a later date. The point of this post is to show off the logo I designed for the occasion! A few other volunteers submitted logo ideas as well, but I hope they choose mine!! Here are a few of the other ideas that people have submitted:

Dan's submissionSonya's submissions

the friendship letter:

Dear Friend, Heleven.

I am so glad to write this letter to you. How are you? I hope everything is moving on well.

By the way, I am very kind to write you this my letter into your understanding Heleven. But before I start to express my self to you I will like to give my full detail to you. Because as a normal human being you must have detail for your self and that detail are my full name and contact number. The full name is Amadu Jamaldeen and 21 years of age. I am fair and complextion. The reason why I am writing this letter to you is that the word friendship is not a small thing for that matter we have to be vigilant on both of as because the world is a learn place. I want our friendship to be good and fantastic. And one thing about me is that is not about money thing is about humanity and physical appearance. Heleven,, I want you to be my best friend be kind to me. I hope you are kind honest and faithfully to me? Take care your is important to me. This is just provisional information to you. I will like to end my few word to you here.

Yours faithfully,Amadu Jamaldeen

background info:my friend kevin (which he heard as heleven) was eating an egg sandwich on the side of the road when a young man approached him and asked to be his friend. as this is a very common occurrence in ghana, kevin politely agreed. the young man, amadu, was taken aback by his rash response and informed kevin that friendship was a serious matter. he was going to write kevin a friendship letter, then, upon acceptance of the friendship letter, kevin could then decide whether or not he wanted to be friends with amadu. this is equal parts heart-warming and hilarious.

last week we had our peace corps all-volunteer conference. it really made me realize what little time i have left here in ghana. seriously, where has all the time gone?!?! one of my closest friends here, andrea (whose video can be seen in the below post), is leaving to go back to the states next week. my closest (not to be confused with closet) neighbor & friend, dan, may also be leaving earlier than anticipated. goodbye for now JAD. *tear*

it's also made me realize how lucky i am. really and truly. i have met some of the most incredible people during my time here. seriously...incredible! [jenna, you will always be the best veg volunteer. alon, not as cool, but you're trying-oh]. and that's a huge deal considering my friends at home are also quite incredible. having the chance to experience a completely different culture, a different way of life, has just proven to me how similar we all are.

i just wanted to take this time to thank you all: everyone at home who has supported me in fulfilling this dream, my family, my bffs, my friends, my sorors, my fellow peace corps volunteers around the world, my colleagues, all the special people i've met on this adventure...thank you. this is a journey that i could not have survived without you. i'm working on becoming the best me. thank you for making that possible.

“Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It’s important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It’s the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.”-Dr. Dorothy Irene HeightMy condolences and prayers go out to the family of Dr. Dorothy Irene Height, my esteemed Soror. Dr. Height passed this morning at the age of 98. Growing up in the South, the significance of the Civil Rights Movement was an everyday reality. Soror Height is the reason I pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority…the reason I have such an interest in human rights…the reason I serve my community…the reason I joined the Peace Corps…the reason I am sitting here writing at this very moment. On April 16, 2005, my ’99 prophyte Marisa Slack gave me Open Wide the Freedom Gates: A Memoir. I was inspired. There is no such thing as impossible. In the midst of violence, staring HATRED in the eye, with all odds against you, you can win. Y O U C A N W I N. So what of ignorance? What of laziness? What of bigotry? What of poverty? What of sorrow? What of addiction? What of self? Y O U C A N W I N. In spite of the opposition, I know I will succeed. Check the birth certificate…I was born a winner. “Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals.” -Dr. Dorothy Irene Height

INSPIRATION: more old school pics

Soror Florence Letcher Toms, FounderSoror Eliza Pearl Shippen, Founder1924 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority National ConventionSigma Chapter Charter MembersAlpha Upsilon Chapter, 1927Soror Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, Delta's 1st National PresidentBeta Chi Chapter, 1948Talladega, Alabama 1950Delta Sigma Theta BookmobileSorors 1960's

dear sands,

happy 5th deltaversary to the 30 epic legends of the DynaSTy. 5 years in...a lifetime to go. love & miss you all.

YID,deuce

ROOTS! some old school pics for your viewing pleasure:

i live life on the edge…then jump off of it. the 5th Annual Easter Paragliding Festival in Kwahu, Eastern Region. it was my first time doing this...i think the heat in ghana has made me delirious. the best part of this post is seeing andrea falling while running down the hill. her pilot, a large frenchman, actually fell on top of her and broke her camera. her second attempt was aborted due to the parachute being on wrong. however, her third attempt was successful (besides the fact that she lost a shoe). had he been my pilot i would've said "you clearly have no idea what you're doing. thank you and good day, sir." but she made it! it was a an amazing weekend! oh, and we did make it to church on sunday :) amen. hallelujah.

random guys that wanted to take a picture w/ us. they were taking shots...it was 7am. p.s. my Sorority sister, Brittany, is in ghana volunteering w/ VEG's microfinance program!

dan, andrea, alison, me, marcus

in case something happened, i wore my parachute shirt!

me and A

alison was terrified

dan ain't never scared

getting my gear on. there were 8 pilots from all over...mine was from norway. he is working with a project called arctic acro.

dan's flight

dan in the air

my flight

andrea's failure. i've watched this like 15 times...HILARIOUS!!!!

but she finally made it. we heart A!

i wrote this back in 2006:“Beauty is a Curse on the World"-The Carver, “Nip/Tuck"

True or False?

Beauty is created…it’s an illusion. We can alter our appearance however we please. So should external beauty be held in such high esteem? An industry grossing millions of dollars every year based on people’s insecurities…it’s incredible. Having some corporation telling you how you should look and what you should be wearing, only to tell you next season that you’re outdated and unattractive yet again. They sell you their burgers and fried foods so they can turn around and sell you their diet pills and slim fast shakes. Fantasy…reality…the truth…a lie…it all becomes blurry after a while. With all this money we spend to fix our outer image, how much do you think it’s going to cost us to fix our soul?i thought about this after someone asked me if i would date a "precious" type of guy.one of my friends once said that there is no "universal beauty," in that every person you ask will have a different idea of what is beautiful based on personal preferences, society, etc. valentine's day is fast approaching; a day that is the bane of existence for so many single people.the cycle of v-day self pity usually goes like this àdenial, false feelings of self-confidence, independence and enthusiasm, confusion, anger, insecurity and loneliness. it usually ends with drunk texting an ex and crying oneself to sleep.but for all those women who think that they are too fat and/or ugly for anyone to love them…there is hope! i’m here to tell you that not only are you beautiful on the inside, but your physical inadequacies elsewhere instantly turn into assets here in ghana! it’s true. in ghana, women that are heavy-set and have an excessive amount of facial hair are considered more beautiful than the rest. yes, beards, mustaches (

I woke up in a bed of clouds to a breakfast of fresh berries and mimosas, afraid to move for fear of waking up. But this isn’t a dream, is it? This is my life. Beautiful. Blissful. Euphoric even. I am consciously remembering to savor every bit of happiness; trying to experience it in moderation as if there were some sort of limit. Then I realize that it’s not my bliss that is limited, but rather my time. Upon that realization I reach for my glass. No! Don’t use your left hand! How offensive!!!! Wait…no one cares, do they?...I knew re-integrating into society was going to be a task. Luckily, I was a bit awkward to start with so perhaps people wouldn’t notice too much. It started on the plane. I found my friends and me unconsciously hoarding mustard packets. “Wait guys, we’re going back to America. There’s plenty of mustard there.” I chuckle slightly uncomfortably hoping not to embarrass myself too much.Joe comes to pick me up for dinner. I’m ecstatic. “Jules, what’s wrong with you?”“Nothing! I’m just so excited to be in a car! With a friend! Going to a place that isn’t a spot!”He looks confused. “Oh okay. Well, try to calm your ass down.”We sit down to order. I try to make small talk with the server. After he walks off, Joe turns to me and says, “You have to stop smiling so much and touching stuff! You’re embarrassing me! I think you’re making the waiter uncomfortable.” Really?! I don’t even know what I said to him.This is going to be harder than I thought. Maybe I should just be quiet. “See, you’re doing great! Keep it up!”“But I haven’t said anything.”“Exactly!”I drift off into a deep slumber. Fantastical worlds of laughter and friendship, of fashion and the cool, of crushes and kisses, all dance through my dreams. I wake up sweating. I’m back in Ghana.

just a few shots of from home: family, welcome back shindig, etc.

below is an email i received from adam's mom regarding an earlier post:

dear adam's mama,

i do apologize for any offense. unfortunately i lack a common human emotion: empathy. my parents were unable to afford therapy for me as a child. luckily, with the help of WebMD.com and HealthyPlace.com, i have performed a self diagnosis which leads me to conclude that i may suffer from one or more of the following:

-sociopathy-psychopathy-autism-schizophrenia

the bright side: you mentioned that adam was fat, ugly and stupid as a child and that he tried to erase all the sad and horrible memories from his mind. at least those years of being a junkie helped him to drop a few pounds and erase his memory. unfortunately, there is still no cure for ugly...or eye herpes. love ya, mean it!

XoXo,julie

side note: countdown!! 5 more days until america!!! i only have about 3 weeks at home, so let's make it amazing!!

i just finished the new Lady Volta 2010 Catalog (the project i'm working with)!! i am now working on the online store (www.villageexchangeghana.org), but the Swank Collection can be purchased online at www.swankjewellery.co.uk or through etsy.com. give a gift that keeps on giving!! by supporting me, you are supporting the women i work with, so that they can support their families. that much support would make victoria's secret jealous!

"This authentic Ghanaian jewelry is produced by young women in Ghana, West Africa.

With restricted access to gainful employment, young women often find themselves in difficult situations, with limited access to income.

Village Exchange Ghana strives to offer skills training in innovative income generating activities and access to new markets so as to provide fair & decent wages to young women.

By purchasing Lady Volta Beads, you are ensuring that these young women are able to access basic necessities for themselves and their families."

click to view the pdf catalog online: Lady Volta 2010 Catalog

click to view the pdf catalog online: Lady Volta 2010 Catalog

check us out. tell your friends. buy a necklace. change a life. purchase lady volta products on: swankjewellery.co.uk or etsy.com

“The U.S. can destroy Iraq’s highways, but not build its own; create the conditions for epidemic in Iraq, but not offer health care to millions of Americans. It can excoriate Iraqi treatment of the Kurdish minority, but not deal with domestic race relations; create homelessness abroad but not solve it here; keep a half million troops drug free as part of a war, but refuse to fund the treatment of millions of drug addicts at home….We shall lose the war after we have won it.” -Marilyn Young, Historian in reference to the war on iraq under the FIRST bush. looks like things are just as they were over a decade ago. is this what we call "progress"?...a must read!!!: A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn

my posts as of late have been less than insightful. upon this realization, i began to write down all of my thoughts on society, class division, government, etc. but then it happened: kevin, a fellow ghana pcv, got bit in the derriere by a hippopotamus. tragic. we are now referring to him as "hippobottomus." FACT: despite being a vegetarian, the hippo is responsible for more human fatalities in africa than any other animal, making it africa's most dangerous beast. i would be pretty freaked if it were me. can you imagine a giant hippo coming after you?! amazingly, someone had a camera and we were able to capture this incident on film. this photo will serve as a warning to future travelers: beware the hippo.

pcv kevin (pictured right) before the heinous attack

i've been stressed lately...work, weather, and life in general has been less than spectacular. dry season means that water and/or electricity goes out often...sometimes for hours, sometimes for days. no water for days means that i have to bathe in a big ol' bucket and use that water to flush the toilet with. gross & cumbersome, i know. however, not nearly as disgusting as not flushing the toilet. so i decided to skip work yesterday & take a field trip to kpando w/ damber to visit the creepy Jesus/Mary grotto i've heard so much about. it was a much needed mini-break. God and nature mixed with a little weirdness...just the way i like it! but seriously, i'm almost certain that if Jesus and Mary saw this, they'd be just as creeped out as i was!

a shot of the giant Mary statue from the road

damber skipping off into the woods towards God's divine light

a statue of the archangel Michael kicking some lucifer tail...creepy!

dan & i looking saintly next to a really big tree

the GIGANTIC statue of the Virgin Marythe statue i'm standing next to is of a woman kneeling & praying to Maryseriously...that was the biggest, creepiest statue i've ever seen

Veronica wipes the face of Jesus, creepy version:here, it looks as if she wiped his face completely off and there's just a person's head on the cloth

the resurrection of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christcheck out those graceful hand gestures! part divine, part ballerina! seriously...what CAN'T he do?! pretty much amazing!

what comes before part b?! partaaaayyyyy!! well...kind of. andrea & dan are celebrating the turn of the century (a.k.a. my bday). other notable people that share this day of birth: Barbara Murnan, Thuy Le, Hannah F., Megan L. and most importantly...Snoop Dog!

this day has been amazing for so many reasons. however...perhaps one of the best things that has happened today is finding proof of the amazing work and cultural understanding i have been able to promote in my time here in ghana. the following is a VACANCY flyer i found this morning that my counterpart typed up. this is how she views her job:

what have i realized since i've been here? i've realized that i lack compassion. and not in a “i wish i could be more compassionate & empathetic towards people” kind of way, but literally in a “i have no feelings for you whatsoever” kind of way. have i always been like this? perhaps, but maybe it just wasn’t as apparent. yes, i want to help you, but what are you doing to help yourself?

i guess spending a weekend with a priest in a village will make you realize some things. father john appiah was the chaplain at notre dame high school when i was a student there. we have kept in touch over the years, and he was one of the first persons i called when i found out that i was coming to ghana. he came back recently to prep for a medical mission they will be conducting next year in his hometown of nkonya wurupong, volta region. the experience really got me thinking...why am i so heartless?! so i've been working on my compassion skills...you know, trying to be more understanding and what not.

my progress thus far:

child: yevu! yevu!!

the old julie: you will call me madam julie or sister julie. if you call me yevu again i will beat you. do you understand me?

the new more compassionate julie: what is your name? well hello there stephen. my name is sister julie. can you remember that? good job! high five!

random man: please, i have no money. please give me money.

old julie: excuse me? what do i look like?! maybe you should go to farm like everyone else or stop drinking as much crazy man.

new julie: you are invited to share my meal. would you like to talk about how to budget your money or learn about alternative livelihood projects to generate income?

old julie: you can’t just hand out money all willy nilly. fr. john, you are an enabler! (but i was joking!)

fr. john: to be truthful, america is the biggest enabler.

old julie: fact.

fr. john: so you can just consider me a proud american.

new julie: i think that it’s awesome that you can come back after all these years to give back and play an instrumental role in the development of your community.

so i guess i will strive that much harder to be a better person. i shouldn't dislike someone just b/c they're ugly...it's not their fault. and instead of laughing at the mentally retarded, i should lend a helping hand and wipe that drool off their chin. that's what jesus would do...

9.5.09

the chiefs and people of 3 traditional areas came together to celebrate the annual kente festival in kpetoe. kente is a hand woven fabric that is used to make cloth, stoles, etc. there are

arguments as to which tribe, the ewe or the akan, originated the art of kente weaving. maybe it's because i live in the volta region & because kpetoe/dan is only 30km away from me, but i find

the ewe kente to be of superior quality and beauty.

some hightlights of the fest: speed weaving, miss kente pageant & street jamboree

the cheifs & their small girls were jammin' like a biscuit on sunday

obama immortalized in kente...amazing!!

dan proudly displaying his malibu from meg hub

l to r: dan hiding behind beer, j, an australian that will never be as cool as jenna, andrea, masayo

In a later post, I will try to eloquently express my experience of meeting the President and First Lady. But for now...I'll just say that it was amazing. I was right in the front! He flew in on a helicopter coming from Cape Coast directly to Kotoka Int'l Airport, and flew off on Air Force One...how MacGyver is that?!?! Check out the love Peace Corps got from the Pres (Ghana was the 1st country to receive Peace Corps volunteers...we're kind of a big deal)!! Enjoy!

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/07/11/obama.ghana.goodbye.cnn?iref=videosearch

"I want to recognize our Peace Corps Volunteers who are here.....(cheering from you & your friends for at least 25 seconds) You know Ghana, Ghana was the very first nation to host young people from the Peace Corps and for decades our two nations have formed vital partnerships & lasting friendships because of this program. So all of you in the Peace Corps you are doing an outstanding job & we're proud of you." -Barack Obama, July 11, 2009

"Young people of Africa ...... serve like these Peace Corps people, serve in communities, and harvest your energy & education to renew & build connections between the world.' -Barack Obama, July 11, 2009

"...we have, in this country, an immense reservoir of such men and women--anxious to sacrifice their energies and time and toil to the cause of world peace and human progress." -John F. Kennedy, March 1, 1961.

(thank you dan's mom, gail vainner, for the quotes!)

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/js/2.0/video/evp/module.js?loc=int&vid=/video/world/2009/07/11/obama.ghana.goodbye.cnn" type="text/javascript">

President Barack Obama will be in Ghana July 10-11. This is his first official trip to Sub-Saharan Africa since he was elected President. I wrote our Peace Corps Ghana Country Director, Mike Koffman, an email outlining why I would be the ideal candidate to meet the President; highlighting my work on the campaign, my current role in serving my country, and my involvement in grassroots development. His response? A message in the June Peace Corps Newsletter asking that people do not send requests to meet the president. But whatevs…I’m still HOPEful!! So all of you out there with contacts: Julie Nguyen wants to meet President Barack Obama!! Let’s make it happen people!!!!

kind of like this...but real

6.18.09

some of the other volunteers i’ve met in country are uber cheesy. they pay all this money to some corrupt NGO to go volunteer with at some sad orphanage. after a month or so, they go back to their respective homes feeling all mother theresa & leave the kids with an all too familiar friend, old mr. abandonment. what’s the silver lining to this story, you ask? well, according to the latest celebrity gossip mag (latest to me is anything within the last year or so. send me new mags! please & thank u), adopting an african child is the new black…so, in essence, black is the new black. that is actually the real reason i came to africa…a vietnamese girl in ghana?! brad & angelina so need to adopt me!! silver lining: me & shiloh, rooftop, poolside, bellinis. loves it!

she couldn't sleep. the sound of rolling thunder and her own thoughts gnawing away at any hope of a peaceful slumber. peace. serenity. she opened her bible.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."

-Romans 8:28

it was then that the rain started to fall. lightly at first, then furiously the drops came down...as if mother nature was crying all the tears she, herself, couldn't. am i to blame? were my own misguided actions what have eventually led to this?...was all of my effort in vain?...was it actually for the greater good or just one person's distorted view of the truth?

if only she could stretch out her arms across the ocean...console you. hold you until the pain disappeared. promise to you that you will never hurt like this again. but that is a wish she has no authority to grant. so the rain continues to cry her tears, her heart continues to carry your pain, and her mind continues to send prayers up to heaven on your behalf...

of course i believe in love, but why does it have to be so immediate? you can't be happy w/ someone else unless you're happy with yourself first, right? sometimes on those lonely nights i think about the guy i left back home. i think about what great fun we had, how i miss him. i want to believe that he thinks about me often because i think about him. then i realize that it's a fantasy. this perfect little relationship i've conjured up in my head, to help me cope w/ my feelings of loneliness, that actually didn't exist. not to say that we don't adore each other or that he doesn't miss me, but rather that the fantasy of our perfect euphoric relationship is just not the reality. i talk to him every so often and wonder if he thinks about me, too. his tone is much to vague to discern.

i realize that i will be gone for 2 years and that it's unrealistic to think that we'll pick up where we left off. things happen, people change. but for now, ignorance is bliss. i want to frolic in the best of all imaginary tomorrows. call me selfish...call me delusional. i don't want to hear about who he's dating. i don't want my friends to text me about it. i don't want to see it on my FB mini-feed. i don't want him to tell me about it. i just don't want to know.

reality is how you perceive it.

This post is Rated R. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

May contain very strong language or strong sexual emphasis, strong explicit nudity, strong violence and gore, or strong drug content.

visiting one of our brass producer's in the village of krofrom, outside of kumasi. i liked the little brass elephants. kelli, however, enjoyed the more interactive pieces.

i know you've heard the rumors. if you're lucky, you were there for the action. but, yes, it's true. i shaved my head on dec. 5th. i figured when else in my life would i be able to be bald?...pretty much never. so for your viewing pleasure, i present a timeline of julie's hair. enjoy!

my luscious locks pre-ghana

on our way to the u.s. ambassador's house in accra

(i cut my hair before i left)

maria did the major snipping w/ swiss army knife scissors (impressive!)

kelli: "nooo! don't do it!! you still have time to stop!"

sinae & jon finished up w/ the clippers

kat & i = bald & beautiful(another girl in our group, hannah, shaved hers the following week)

perhaps 1 too many beers, but you can reallysee how gorgeous the shape of my head is in this pic!

thanks to ben's hair seeds and doublingup on my vitamins...the hair is growing in nicely!

it's like old school mario brothers; as soon as you land on a brick, you have to leap to the next before you sink. always trying to make it to the next level, make it to the end, rescue the princess...trying to reach this transcendental level of consciousness. trying to do good in hopes that we can 1 up all the mistakes we've made. but isn't being all self righteous and pious just as bad as being, well, bad? i've heard, "that is so noble of you" or "i'm so proud of what you're doing" etc. but is it deserved? aren't i here as much for myself as i am for those i came to help? is it all one big ego trip? all these questions were nagging at me relentlessly. but then i looked around at this group of women working tirelessly just to be given a chance at succeeding. i see all the jobs that have been created, the livelihoods being sustained. and suddenly, it's like that negative little voice saw it too & shut up. they are what this is all about. mario captured the flag, and now it's on to the next level...

january 23, 2009

i've been down these past few days. out of wack hormones. the internet was down for 3 days (and the water for 2). but on a lighter note:

my ngo's founder, christiane, came back after being away for 6 months. she is a french woman that worked for the u.n. before establishing the organization (village exchange international). she has much more patience and compassion than i could ever have. things are moving along nicely with VEG. we are moving into a new building that houses all of our offices and projects: micro-finance, lady volta resource center, lady volta batik and lady volta beads. a new website to retail our jewelry line is launching soon. i'm working on the fair trade federation application. and w/ the executive director just coming in from europe...you know what that means...pinot noir and delicious swiss chocolate! amaaaaaaaaaaazing!

january 20, 2009

saw part of the inauguration speech...incredible. wish i could've been in d.c. but what was up w/ the poet?...

a man grabbed me the other day. i get yelled at and touched almost on a daily basis, but this man took it too far. i would have punched him in the face if not for my fear of contracting hiv/aids. i shoved him instead.

happy birthday, chu!

january 18, 2009

there was some hilarious ghana going on today. my fellow pcv, steve (aka chief meat stick), invited us up to his village, tafi abuipe, for a big welcoming ceremony in his honor. apparently, chief meat stick is kind of a big deal. there was a parade, pouring of libations, speeches, drumming, dancing, and draping of kente. we ended w/ a procession to the chief's palace for more jubilation and, you guessed it, drinking! but as i was already drunk off of life...i opted for the coca-cola...

january 16, 2009

i'm kicking myself for not bringing a wax pot to ghana. why oh why did i think that tweezers and razors were going to carry me through the next 2 years?! had i known what i do now, i would have drastically re-vamped my packing list. more sundresses and exfoliating scrub, for sure. i've heard talk of people wanting the "real peace corps/africa experience," but i'll pass. i'm sacrificing enough already by being here...why sacrifice good skin and pretty pictures, too? i think some people just want an excuse to be slobs and not wear deodorant (gross). julie is in africa...that pretty much sounds like a real africa experience to me.

most of my friends in the eastern time zone are still out partying and ringing in the new year. me? i’m awake, it’s the morning, and i’m trying to figure out why i’m in africa. honestly, the holidays have been depressing*. i’m sure the out of wack hormones aren’t helping either. we’re on lock down due to the elections…you know, just in case ghana tries to pull a kenya or zimbabwe. they had their initial presidential election a few weeks ago. according to the constitution, the winner has to get more than 50% of the vote (which no one did). so then there was a run-off this past friday w/ the two leading parties, npp (national political party, the incumbent) and ndc (national democratic party). however, the run off still failed to produce a president. one constituency had some discrepancies w/ the voting, and they are voting again on friday. confusing? yes. necessary? i’m not quite sure….seems excessive to me. consequently, our lock down has extended until the 6th of january. 2008 was certainly a year of change…i guess 2009 will be a year of new experiences…and dirt…

*khaleel politely informed me that this is what i signed up for, and he's right...so i guess i should cut the self pitying act and suck it up.

10/11/08

i moved in w/ my homestay family. they have 10 children that don't live with them, but many school boys that they rent to. my 1st bucket shower was just as i had imagined it: uncomfortable. i def need more than 1 bucket of water next time. the unpaved gravel & dirt roads are f*ing up my flats...i'm glad i didn't get those TB's i wanted. my homestay parents gave me a loaf of bread, a tub of margarine and a box of 90 sugar cubes...who eats an entire loaf of bread?! the portions here are ridiculous...and all carbs! i hope i don't get fat.

p.s. i find it so ironic that i get all the way to africa just to find out that everything sold here is made in china...

oct 10, 2008

do you remember those summer nights cooking s'mores around the campfire? singing silly songs and bonding w/ a group of people you just met...that awkward tween phase when you weren't exactly sure of who you were...those adolescent summer loves...well, peace corps ghana is like the funnest summer camp ever! my group is comprised of 42 americans from hawaii to nebraska to ecuador (she is a u.s. citizen...lol). there are 4 married couples; for one 50+ couple, this will be their 3rd time serving in the peace corps (once separately, and twice together)! a collection of incredibly unique individuals from very diverse backgrounds gathered together for the greater good. so as we sit around laughing, drinking, and sharing stories...i can't help but smile and think about how lucky i am...

oct 9, 2008

"the cockroach poked my package"

-marcus on his experience w/ the latrine

oct 5, 2008

i made it safely! ghana is beautiful! i thought that the capital, accra, was going to be more developed than it actually is. i haven't gotten to fully explore the city, though...so maybe it is. our first 4 days we stayed on the campus at valley view university & went through long, intense training classes. thursday we attended a reception at the u.s. ambassador's home. friday we got to explore the city. saturday we had to take public transportation by ourselves to different parts of the country to visit a current volunteer... luckily, my volunteer's site was on the beach! but it was far from everything.. .closest internet connection she had was like an hr and a half away...crazy! i'm in kukurantumi now...we'll move in w/ a homestay family for the rest of training. they're having their presidential elections here dec 7th, so they're pulling all the people together in case of political unrest. hopefully no violence will break out. i miss everyone, but i am having a great time!

10/8/08

it only took me 10 hours & 6 busses to get from my first stop to our training site today. a cab driver tried to charge me $4 for a .70 cent ride...i guess "killyourselfguy" doesn't translate in twi. i feel like i'm in the pages of national geographic...everyday. pretty cool, huh?

oct 7, 2008

i've heard people joke saying that black people don't swim. i was at the beach for the past 5 days w/ a current volunteer at her site. the ocean was gorgeous! a quiet and seemingly isolated beach (in four and a half hours, we only saw 2 other people walk by)...i felt like i was in another world. and this is where she lived! people in the states would pay big bucks for a beautiful beach to themselves...and there i was...getting it in for free! go u.s. government! lol!

quick geography lesson! i will be in ghana, west africa. don't know where that is?...it's okay...neither did i. so let's break out the handy dandy map!

last friday i attended a meeting of buckhead residents that support barack obama. we went around the room to share our personal stories on why we were there that night. what can i say?...the man inspires me. i feel like the youth today aren’t passionate about anything…that we take so much for granted. however, this historic election has grabbed everyone’s attention. i’ve never seen so many people so involved, so enthusiastic, so passionate about politics…ever!

why did i join the peace corps? because i am passionate about helping people. i want to teach…i want to learn…i want to be honored…i want to be humbled…i want to be inspired and, in turn, to inspire the masses. i want the king midas touch...that everything i touch turns to gold! that we might all be completely rich…mind, body and soul.

http://www.ajc.com/search/content/metro/stories/2008/08/04/peacecorps.html shout out to freeway (vincent williams) in the article!

i leave september 27th, 2008 for two years of service in ghana, west africa ...so if you want to see me, spend time with me, bask in my fabulousness, want to profess your undying love for me, etc...you only have 2 months to make it happen!