update!

so sorry communication has been so sporadic. two weeks have felt like a month or so. so i went on vision quest in the northern region of ghana. it took about 18 hours to get there. in ghana, the mode of transportation from city to city is called a tro-tro and they somewhat resemble cargo vans. they pack about 18 people in them, five bikes and a few goats on top, and in one of ours, there was a chicken running around on the floor. so for all of you wanting to come visit, this your warning. ha.

that said, i found out my fate for the next two years and i have been placed in a village in the volta region. the volta region is near the border of togo. these means that i hope to hop the border occassionally to get baguettes and real coffee. from what people have told me, my site placement is one of the most beautiful in all of ghana. i am located at the base of a moutain and the volta region is quite lush. i am so grateful for this placement. i told the peace corps health volunteer director that one of my coping mechanisms is to be surrounded the natural beauty. it never hurts to be direct.

i am also excited about my placement because the volunteer that i am replacing is very committed to her projects and is focused on sustainability. thus, she strongly advocated for a replacement volunteer (not all sites are replaced]. i have large shoes to fill, but i am looking forward to getting started and setting up my home. the three months after swearing in are reserved just for setting up your household, getting your bearings, and getting to know the community. i am pleased that this is the orientation of the peace corps. my assigment will be diesease preventions, HIV/AIDS education, and child/maternal health.

i am staying right now with a host family in the southern region of ghana. all volunteers receive language training, sector training, and culture traning for ten weeks then we swear in. i am staying with a family who live in a compound setting. i do have my own room and that is such a luxury. last night was my first night with them and apparently i am comic relief because everything i say they think is hilarious. they asked where my parents were and i told them that they live in america and that i left them for now and they could not stop laughing. the woman asked me why i did not have children. i am not sure if she really understands the peace corps. i could def not come here with both children and my parents. it is interesting....
last night, 40 children sat around and watched me as i drank tea. i will look forward to living alone once again!

a few interesting points...on vision quest, i stayed with a woman in the north of ghana, which is the muslim part of the country. i actually enjoyed it up there. i liked seeing how their religion affects their beliefs and lives and understanding that there is only a small percentage of muslims are the kinds that are villified and stereotyped in the media. the majority just work to provide for their families, keep their children healthy, and love to meet new people. we went to a baby weighing day, a naming ceremony, and numerous other health events. at the naming ceremony, the baby received his tribal scar on his cheek and was circumcised.

so a few things. i think this is the easiest way to ask questions.

mom-did you send the package with my prescription sunglasses?
katie-thanks for all the letters and the drawings. i will use them as wall art when i move!
i will get a phone as soon as i can and text people. i cancelled hotmail and so remember my email is lindseyinghana@gmail.com.
michael-could you have brian email me? i want to try to connect with him and i am sure he has better luck at using the internet than me. could you ask him to tell me how long he is here for, if he can/is willing tp travel within ghana, and what is the best way to reach him?

i wish i had packed a bit differently, as does everyone here!

a few ideas if you are going to send a package-
a shortwave radio
a solar powered battery
a solar charger [sold at rei] for my camera, phone, and ipod- will not have electricity and do not want to have to throw out batteries all the time
a yoga mat-i know! perhaps i will wait till vaca to get one
ginger candies, luna bars, black licorice, nuts, dried fruit, coffee, tea, other stuff that will not melt
a french press
pictures from calendars, artwork that i could put in my house
stuff for my future puppy!
the most recent edition of Our Bodies, Our Selves.


i found out that i have approx 48 days of vacation for my two years and that many people go out of the continent for their vaca. whoop whoop. so i am thinking morocco, france, italy, perhaps germany?, south africa. not sure...let me know if there are any takers.

hope all is well and just know that communicating here is a bit difficult.
thanks and love you!
linds