less than a week now :(

It's really hard to know that I leave in less than a week. I wish more than anything I could stay longer. If I didn't have school starting so soon.... But I can only cross my fingers that one day I can return.

The library is going fantastic and Friday we had about 50 kids! With such a small building it's a given that it was pretty loud for a library but they were really well behaved and we are really starting a good clean slate for future voulunteers because the most important thing is order and being able to control that amount of kids and re enforcing rules. Which they are really getting a hang of.

This Saturday we had a realy nice ad relaxing day trip to dodi island Which is in lake Volta. We took a cruise that had. Great music food drinks and even a small pool to the island. The island didn't have much to offer it was more so for the landscape. We all put on lots of sunscreen but all got very burnt.

Sunday was a long day but I was able to keep myself buisy transfering picture files to my laptop from everyones camera cards. In the process we found out that anyone who put anything in the Internet cafe including USB cards or sd camera cards where full of viruses. And people where starting to lose pics from the damage. Since I was the only person who had a clean computer with virus protection I took charge and was able to clean up everything I could detected. Everything is cleaned up and now tomorrow I get to actually make copies for everyone

We have had a bug going around I was one of the first to get it in my first week and it's still going around. one of the older ladies is probably to the clinic tomorrow. It's lasting longer than the normal 2-3 days so keep her in your paryers cause she is here for 10 more weeks.

Along with work we have alot going on this week. Including African dances, folktales, monkey sacuary and who knows what else might pop up!

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Leia Mais…

this week...

Placement has been pretty hectic. This past Monday we went to the nursery but very few kids where there and me and my partner just wanted to do more. So we decided to sign up to work at the library in likpe bauke which is around 30 min from hohoe. And we love it! The kids are super sweet and ages 1 to young adults. We get around 30 a day so far. Alot of them don't even know how to read or can't even comprehend English words cause it is a very small community and they all speak ewe. So we are teaching basic English and the alphabet and even some numbers. We are also teaching them proper library behavior. Because they tend to stand around on table and eat food Which in return can harm the books. We are also helping the older kids that know English how to use the computers and how to type. But there is not always electricity which makes it difficult to plan anything. In all we love it and they seem to really respect and love us as well which is really nice.

It's been raining a lot so other than work there hasn't been much to do but i did get a really cute dress done in town
And got a pretty nice peice of art that a kid did. Tomorrow is market day and it's always interesting to walk around with so many things to see and smell.

4 days ago I did laundry and hung it out, and for the next 3 days it rained causing my clothes to not dry. Cause it is all done by hand which is really hard work when u have to use a well to get the water. But by day 3 I had to hand clothes all over the room with fans. After dry u have to iron everything! Even socks. Because bugs lay eggs in the clothes. But now, 4 days later everything is finally done!

Saturday we are taking a small day trip to lake Volta and taking a boat into a small island for traditonal BBQ and music. Just to get out the house and relax.

If anyone has any specific questions they can email me cause I'm not able to see any comment on my iPhone for this blog. Amanda1164@gmail.co

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Leia Mais…

back from my weekend

So we are finally back from our weekend trip to cape coast. It was a long 9 hours to the coast, because traffic in Accra was horrible. Our reservations where messed up and we where. Suppose to be staying in beach huts for two nights but for the first night some of us had to stay in rooms but by the second night we all had huts. It was so nice and cool I feel in love with it. The huts where called "one Africa" google it and they may have pics. Our first day I was sick and throwing up in the morning but was later feeling better our group did a canopy walk, but since I was throwing up I decided walking over a swinging rope bridge would not be the best idea so I walked around at the rain forest shops. Afterwards we went to a slave castle called elimia (spelling?) then went back to the his for a relaxing dinner on the shore

The next day we went out to a crocodile park and took pictures touhing them, wasn't too exciting for me but it was pretty funny wathing everyone else who never saw them.

After that we started back home. On the way over and back we stopped at the Accra mall because it was the only safe eating place!

Tomorrow I start at the nursery or what they call a crig so I'm excited about that , then in the afternoon we have a batik lesson which I have been looking forward to. Monday ( and Fridays) is market day so everyone around here should be out and about and very busy! I'm so exhausted it's only a little after 7 pm and I'm thinking it's time for bed and a shower. I have a nice small thin coat of dust on me from the long drive with no ac and windows rolled down!

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Leia Mais…

loving it

It's been pretty amazing since being here and it's hard to believe almost a week has gone by. The weather has been nothing like expected. I expected reallllly hot! But I find back home in Louisiana much worse! The humidity is a lot worse though and everything always feels really damp and heavy. So No one is ever really dry. We don't have hot water but the freezing cold shower is so refreshing after a long day. I also thought the bugs would be way worse and I have yet to have a mosquito bite or have to use any spray, others have to put a ton of spray on and still have huge bits all over so I really lucked out so far. We have two sets of bunkbeds per room and I have two other ppl in my room and we have bug nets over our beds which is nice cause we sometiMes get lizards and geckos and other things in our room.

The other day we went to the wli waterfalls which was breathtaking. It was a 45 min hike to the moutain which was very hard for me and it took me a bit longer but I made it! I am pretty proud of myself for that and who can say they swam under the waterfalls in Africa? The hike was a million times better going back down where we all did some shopping!

Placement has been pretty hard to deal with at times. Since tomorrow is the last day of school we were told we didnt need to go to the school so me and my partner are going to the library. Where alot of young ones go to learn to read English. It has been closed down for a bit because no one has been able to work it. But starting Monday we are going to the nursery which is being run by the same ppl as the school I was at. So we will see how it goes. I don't think I can deal with it If they cane kids as well.

Tomorrow after placement there is a group of us around (14?) and we are all going to cape coast. For the weekend. We will be going to a canopy walk, slave castles and a crocodile park which was all recommended and all very cheap and since we are volunteers we get a discount. We are staying is a hotel that is actually huts on the beach. Very basic but very nice and cheap.

Time to sleeeeeeeep!

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Leia Mais…

cultural shock

It's only been a few short days but we have been pretty busy. Sorry for my delay on updating my blog but the Internet issue has been a complicated one. The only working one is much farther than anticipated and is very limited and oh so slow. So I'm doing my Updates via my iPhone which to my suprise works amazingly well (yay for AT&T) sorry in advance for grammer mistakes it's much more difficult on a phone. And I will only be able to pictures after I return home.

Home base is very much home and very relaxing the staff is amazing and super nice they really take good care of us and really want us to have the best experience we can. Food is amazing as well. At times I'm not really sure what I'm having but I havnt had anything that was bad yet. I can really taste the creole flaver which is really nice since I'm use to it!

Tomorrow after work we are going to the waterfalls and this weekend we are going to cape coast which I'm really excited about. Other things plannned while I'm here include batik lessons and bead making lessons as well as going to a monkey sancuary. Yesterday we went into the market to get some beautiful fabrics and the bank or cedi Which I the currency they use. 1 cedi is about 1.50 USA. Later that night we had an amazing experience because we had local drumming and dancing performed for us and afterwards they taught us dances and how to use some instraments which was VERY entertaining

Today was our first day actually at work and it was pretty rough. the kids actually stop school this Friday but where I'm working it is also a day care. It was a free day because they just finished exams. So the kids where allowed to play around but if they got out of hand the teacher used a cane on them and hit them very hard. The kids are ages 4-5. And it really scared me but I was told this is really part of the culture. Tomorrow we go to the under 2 day care so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed they don't do the same to them , if they do and it makes me uncomfortable was told we can change placement.

Tonight we have an ewe language lesson which is really interesting and pretty hard.

I find it even more hot in Louisiana so it actually been really nice overcast and small breezes. It's so beautiful

Well that's all for now! Sorry how long it is!

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Leia Mais…