5 June 2005
Friends and Family:
Today I spam you after a short trip to the charming town of Takoradi, a coastal metropolis in Western Ghana. Ostensibly, we were there for a five-day workshop sponsored by Peace Corps on how to improve our efficacy as health educators. Really though its more like a high school reunion as I have not seen many fellow volunteers since November. An orgy of gossip quickly ensues at these kind of functions as we find out who’s dating who, who suffered the most insidious illness, who lost/gained the most weight and so on.
I’m thinking of formulating a new West African weight loss plan. Sadly, it only seems to apply to men (sorry ladies). All the guys in our Water and Sanitation sector have lost weight. My buddy Nick looks great after losing 30 lbs. I too have dropped 10 lbs since January so thankfully I am no longer as morbidly obese as I was when I arrived. Calorie rich foods like meat and dairy are hard to come by in Agou. My diet consists mostly of what local farmers grow: starchy foods like cassava, corn, bread, and yams.
For all you Dr. Atkins disciples who blame weight gain on sinister carbohydrates, I say come to rural West Africa. The people of Agou fie live on carbs and they are some of the fittest people I’ve ever met (albeit many of the children are malnourished). Admittedly, they also live a much more active lifestyle than most Americans since sedentary luxuries like TV and automobiles are certainly not as commonplace.
Good news on the Guinea worm front: only one case in my community of 985 so far this year. Indeed, all of Nkwanta district has seen a dramatic reduction of Guinea worm cases in 2005. Last year in the month of January alone, Nkwanata district reported over 500 cases. This year only 26. Soon there will be fewer children suffering Guinea worm than sleeping in Michael Jackson’s bed.
No, Ghana has more serious problems than Guinea worm. According to the Nkwanta Director of Health, Ghana has one of the highest maternal delivery death rates in the world. Dr. Awooner claims six out of every 100 live births results in either the death of the infant, the mother, or both. I believe him. Just last week a woman in Agou who I had been helping apply to be a teacher lost her baby during delivery. Back in February a friend in nearby Potripor named Baba suffered the loss of both his step-mom and her unborn baby when a home birth went bad.
Fortunately, the Ghana government is doing something about it. Starting May 1st, all infant deliveries will be free of charge. The government hopes that removing the economic barrier to lifesaving hospital services will ameliorate this tragedy. The room of Assembly members burst into applause when the doctor announced this new policy.
The dispute between our elected Assembly member, Yahesu Raphael, and nine chiefs was resolved last month. As I said back in January, Raphael faced 11 charges of corruption and misuse of power by Nana Lucas of Agou fie and eight other local chiefs. Both parties agreed to avoid a costly court drama and allow the paramount chief of the Challa people, Nana Addo, to arbitrate the case. Nana Addo invited four neutral friends to help (I’m proud to say I stepped in when the Muslim man went to pray). He listened to both sides, allowed questions and testimonies from the audience, then deliberated in privacy with the four panelists and me over cold beer. We unanimously decided Raphael was guilty of all but two of the charges, which could not be determined on the amount of evidence presented.
The only matter of debate was restitution. Nana Addo felt that 2 rams, 2 bottles of Schnapps, and 1.2 million cedis was just. My favorite part is that he awarded himself 4 bottles of Schnapps and 6 beers for arbitrating the case. It was definitely an ‘only in Africa’ moment.
Before this puppy gets too big I present to you my latest top 10. A peculiar sight in Ghana that most newcomers comment on is the plethora of religious/funny/nonsensical storefront slogans. You see a lot of “God is Great,” “Jesus is Lord,” “Peace and Love” on chemical stores, barber salons , and drinking spots. Just about every taxi and passenger bus has a phrase or saying on it as well, like the one I usually take from Nkwanta to Agou, “the Lord.” The only place I’ve ever seen this practice in America is at a lake/ocean marina, where boat owners love to name their boat. Dad, have you inscribed “The cat’s meow” on ours yet? So here it is:
Top 10 Ghanaian storefront slogans
10. Don’t mind your wife chop bar (Kabiti restaurant)
9. Sweet Jesus Communications (Techiman)
8. No Hurry in Life spare parts (Nkwanta repair shop)
7. Thy will be done barbering salon (Cape Coast)
6. 1+1=3. Why? Provision store (Nkwanta)
5. still Expensive Jack & Tire Service (Ho town)
4. Uncle Bob I have a chance! (back of bus in Accra)
3. Kill Me (front of lg. cargo truck in Techiman)
2. No weapon fighting against me (you would understand why if you saw this public toilet in Accra)
1. Man No Be God Tourists’ Bar (Nkwanta)
I want to thank everyone who replied to my last correspondence. You have no idea how much it boosts my morale to hear from you.
Also, I want to inform you of my fledgling attempt to post these emails on the web at: www.ghanawormguy.blogspot.com
More posts to come, I promise.
-Kris
...........................................................
"I do believe that where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence." --Mahatma Gandhi
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
curses and crocodiles
20 April 2005
Friends & Family:
Greetings from Ghana. I am fine. I hope you are too.
I am excited about the new pope Benedict XVI. Perhaps he will be more sensitive to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS on this continent and reverse the church's ban on condom usage. Its hard talking to sexually active teens and young adults about AIDS prevention and condom use when they are told every Sunday not to "discourage the creation of life" with such contraceptives.
btw- I know some of you are interested in ameliorating AIDS suffering. I have a friend named Simran Mahal who is training to run the San Francisco AIDS marathon in July. You can help her and those millions afflicted with this devastating disease by visiting aidsmarathon.com and clicking on the 'sponsor a runner' link. Her runner number is 0084. Any size donations helps.
The men in our group were told in training that if we wanted to avoid becoming HIV+ we have to stay away from prostitutes, simple as that. One trainer claimed there's a 60 - 70% chance Ghanaian prostitutes have the disease (and probably don't know it). I'm not sure of the scientific validity of this claim but I know I won't be touching any street worker over here with a ten foot pole.
So I've survived 7 months in the developing world. By the grace of God I'll be here another 19. I'm happy to report the mice population in my house has been eliminated by an adorable kitten named Snoop dogg (named so cuz he's a serial killer). He hasn't figured out how to catch the occasional bat that likes to fly around my bedroom, but its really funny watching his head follow the bat's every move. When I bought him, he was a tiny two month old. The driver of the lorry I take from Nkwanta to my village wanted to know why "my people" -- Americans I suppose -- like to keep these animals as pets. He said the meat was really good. I asked him if he would eat a friend if they tasted really good. He claimed Islam does not allow cannibalism. I think he missed my point.
Speaking of religion, I participated in a program called Worm week where you spend five days in a Guinea Worm endemic community and educate them on how to eradicate this disease. I went with a young Ghanaian guy named Latif to stay in a small rural village near the Volta lake called Ngawoe. Our host was a chain-smoking fetish priest with two wives and seven children. His name was Kweku (born on Wednesday) and he was one of maybe three people who spoke English in this community of approx 500. Everybody else spoke Twi, Konkomba, and/or Bassary.
We did some activies like a health talk at the haftime of a football game. We had the Konkombas play the Bassary for a prize of 2 ft stick of soap. I played with the Konkomba team the first half with the agreement I would play for the Bassary the second half (that way handicapping each team equally). After the first half, the Bassary said that didn't want me on their time. They were already losing 1-0 and couldn't afford my clumsiness. it ended up tied 1-1.
But what I found fascinating were the beliefs of these people with very little outside contact (most of Ghana has been transformed by missionaries). Kweku showed us the source of Guinea worm. It was a small, muddy pond where crocodiles live. Latif and I did the 2.5 km hike and saw a little 5 ft croc chilling in it. Kweku assured us the crocodile would not harm us as it was one of the gods of Ngawoe. He claimed, and he was serious, that if it had not rained it quite some time, they would kill a goat and feed it to the crocodiles. Before you could make it back to your house it would be raining. He had antelope horns hanging from his mango tree as did many others. They said it drives away the bad spirits (ie children) who steal the fruit before its ripe. He also said -- and surprisingly my counterpart Latif agreed with this one -- he could summon lightning to strike a person that has stolen something from him through a curse. Latif agreed wholeheartedly that lightning only strikes bad people guilty of some crime.
The saddest part was visiting their school. It was a mud brick hut with a straw roof, two chalkboards, no desks and no teacher. The teacher had apparently woken up early one day, harvest'd for himself a bunch of the farmers' yams and they've never seen him since. I wonder if he's been hit by lightning yet. Anyways, on the chalkboard was written: "January 8th, 2004" and below that "A B C D E F G H I N M Q O R P." We laughed but really this degree of ignorance is what keeps so many Ghanaians impoverished their whole life.. and its not funny.
This is why I continue to focus on primary education in Agou fie. Its really hard though. One day I felt I needed to be more authoritative and I saw a bunch of kids with shirts untucked and unbuttoned. Well, I like to wear my shirt untucked so I let that slide but I told everyone they must button up their shirt before entering the classroom. I looked at the one most conspicuous violator Kpadal Lasam and he gave me a pathetic "forgive me I'm poor" look, showing me his shirt had no buttons. I don't like being strict anyways.
Without further ado, I present to you my newest top 10. Last time it was what I liked about Ghana. This time its what I don't like about Ghana.
Top 10 things I don't like about Ghana
10. being poor.
Most people here live on less than a dollar a day. I live on a little more than $5/day (we recently got a raise) so I'm relatively well off but i still feel dirt poor. For example, I can't afford Corn flakes cereal cuz the box is a full day's pay. I would love to buy a soccer ball for the neighboring village of 1500, Dawa akura. But a good durable ball is 100,000 cedis (~$11) over here, too much for a pauper like me. I've realized I need to make unpleasant sacrifices to make ends meet like no pizza when I'm in Accra or Tamale if I want to internet for an extended period of time. It sucks but I'm learning to be frugal which is a skill I didn't have when I got here.
9. black flies.
These nasty little critters come out when the wet season gets into full swing - June to October. They're very small, but they take a big bite out of your flesh; so much so that without even noticing I'll look down at my feet and there's blood where the black flies landed. On top of that some species of black flies cause river blindness. The victim doesn't usually become blind but eyesight deteriorates to the point of someone's vision like me without my glasses. But glasses cannot remedy this disease. The chief of Agou fie, Nana Lucas, got river blindness back in '84. He likes me because I am the only person in Agou he can recognize before they speak. I'm white, everyone else is black.
8. affectionless couples.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like the couple necking in front of me just as much as the next guy. But you almost never see any physical affection between Ghanaian husbands and wives. No kissing, no holding hands, not even hugging. I'm not saying it doesn't happen and obviously they're getting it on cuz every family has 5+ children. I'm just not accustomed to such apparent indifference to a loved one.
7. inescapable heat.
I grew up in the Phoenix valley. I know how to manage the heat: get out of it. Find shade, A/C, or a nice big pool. The challenge here is when it gets hot its hard to escape the heat, at least in a place without electricity. Honestly, from 11a - 2p its too hot (95+ F) for me to do anything but rest under a tree. I usually break from school between 11-12 and head home for the day. The worst is when its nighttime and its so hot I'm laying in a pool of sweat in bed trying desperately not to think about the heat. Its ok, sleep always triumphs eventually.
6. being called "obruni" by the locals.
They say it means white person and they don't mean to be insulting, but its gets really annoying after the 500th time a chorus of kids chant it at you. Its rude and disrespectful, which violates two core principles of Ghanaian culture. (1) respect your elders and (2) be kind to foreigners. By and large, Ghanaians are the friendliest, most generous and hospitable people you'll meet. But this is one exception and its just something you have to learn to live with.
5. public transportation.
its slow. You have to wait until cars are packed to twice their capacity. Then you sit crammed next to a mom with a child on her lap for hours on a long, bumpy bad road. To make matters worse, the cars are typically old and just on verge of breaking down completely. I am no longer shocked when I sit in a tro (bedford van that sits 16-20 but only has 12 seats) or taxi that has nothing that works on the dashboard. No odometer, no radio, no A/C, not even a gas gauge. The drivers just have to know & remember how much they put in and how far that will take them. This is one aspect of Ghana that some Americans understandably would not tolerate (don't worry, mom, no tro rides when you visit).
4. woman workload.
they work from sunrise to sundown. They sweep the compound, cook meals, walk a mile to fetch water with their infant strapped to their back, then wash clothes, then pound fufu.. and so on. They're always busy doing something while the men get off easy. They go to farm in the morning, do some weeding then relax under a tree until their food is prepared for them. Men often tell me I need a wife, not for sex or love but for their labor (though they won't say this explicity). Its a very patriachal society here and you have to be sensitive to it, but you can also work to change it small small.
3. police barriers/security checkpoints.
they don't really exist in America so again I'm not accustom'd to it. But they rarely do more than collect money (not for the gov't but for themselves) from overpacked tros and cars with safety hazards. You dash the officer and you go on your merry way. Once we had to clear out of a big bus and they searched through everyone's bags because this police officer with a AK-47 was drunk off power. Its also cuz I've read too many bad things happening at security checkpoints in Israel and Iraq, but thankfully Ghana is not a war zone.
2. litter and pollution.
Its everywere. Public outdoor trash cans don't exist here. I think I have seen three. The roads here are lined with empty water satchets, food wrappers, plastic bags, etc. And cars are not subject to the same strict pollution controls as American cars so once in a while you'll get behind a car that just smothers you in black smoke. Its a serious public sanitation problem and one of the reasons why the Peace Corps is here.
1. child labor.
this is a sensitive issue so I have to be careful how I describe it. We, Americans, look at child labor with disdain and disgust. Children should be in school or playing with their friends, not selling water at a tro station or clearing weeds with their father. But I've been here long enough to recognize that its not from ill will but from necessity that children must work. A family living in extreme poverty relies on the productivity of each of its members. There's no social security check coming in the mail when you reach a certain age in Ghana. Social security is called having kids. The more you have, the more help you have around the house and on the farm. Its a luxury that children don't work in America and its a sad reality that it happens here. I'll have to leave it at that for now.
Okay, I know I probably just made Ghana sound like hell on earth. I want to say that Ghana has many, many redeeming qualities that far outweigh the negatives. Violent crime is almost non-existant here. The people here love to share food, help you in any way they can, welcome you into their home and treat you like family. No where in America can you find strangers gladly willing to carry your luggage for free. At least I've never encountered this in the US.
So don't get a negative impression of Ghana from the above list. Its a great place to live and I'm happy here, I really am. But it has its problems just like anywhere else in the world. You know our country tends to kill a lot of innocent civilians in countries that never attacked us. That, in my mind, is far worse than black flies or being called 'obruni'.
A big thank you to everyone who sent me packages and letters. I promise to write back but be patient. The mail system is extremely slow (that's number 11 on the list of dislikes :)
Take care. I miss y'all muchisimo.
yours truly,
Kris
ps. for packages mail to:
Peace Corps HQ
PO Box 5796
Accra North
Ghana, W. Africa
for letters mail to:
PO Box 68
Nkwanta, V/R
Ghana, W. Africa
...........................................................
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.
-Henry David Thoreau, "Walden"
Friends & Family:
Greetings from Ghana. I am fine. I hope you are too.
I am excited about the new pope Benedict XVI. Perhaps he will be more sensitive to the prevalence of HIV/AIDS on this continent and reverse the church's ban on condom usage. Its hard talking to sexually active teens and young adults about AIDS prevention and condom use when they are told every Sunday not to "discourage the creation of life" with such contraceptives.
btw- I know some of you are interested in ameliorating AIDS suffering. I have a friend named Simran Mahal who is training to run the San Francisco AIDS marathon in July. You can help her and those millions afflicted with this devastating disease by visiting aidsmarathon.com and clicking on the 'sponsor a runner' link. Her runner number is 0084. Any size donations helps.
The men in our group were told in training that if we wanted to avoid becoming HIV+ we have to stay away from prostitutes, simple as that. One trainer claimed there's a 60 - 70% chance Ghanaian prostitutes have the disease (and probably don't know it). I'm not sure of the scientific validity of this claim but I know I won't be touching any street worker over here with a ten foot pole.
So I've survived 7 months in the developing world. By the grace of God I'll be here another 19. I'm happy to report the mice population in my house has been eliminated by an adorable kitten named Snoop dogg (named so cuz he's a serial killer). He hasn't figured out how to catch the occasional bat that likes to fly around my bedroom, but its really funny watching his head follow the bat's every move. When I bought him, he was a tiny two month old. The driver of the lorry I take from Nkwanta to my village wanted to know why "my people" -- Americans I suppose -- like to keep these animals as pets. He said the meat was really good. I asked him if he would eat a friend if they tasted really good. He claimed Islam does not allow cannibalism. I think he missed my point.
Speaking of religion, I participated in a program called Worm week where you spend five days in a Guinea Worm endemic community and educate them on how to eradicate this disease. I went with a young Ghanaian guy named Latif to stay in a small rural village near the Volta lake called Ngawoe. Our host was a chain-smoking fetish priest with two wives and seven children. His name was Kweku (born on Wednesday) and he was one of maybe three people who spoke English in this community of approx 500. Everybody else spoke Twi, Konkomba, and/or Bassary.
We did some activies like a health talk at the haftime of a football game. We had the Konkombas play the Bassary for a prize of 2 ft stick of soap. I played with the Konkomba team the first half with the agreement I would play for the Bassary the second half (that way handicapping each team equally). After the first half, the Bassary said that didn't want me on their time. They were already losing 1-0 and couldn't afford my clumsiness. it ended up tied 1-1.
But what I found fascinating were the beliefs of these people with very little outside contact (most of Ghana has been transformed by missionaries). Kweku showed us the source of Guinea worm. It was a small, muddy pond where crocodiles live. Latif and I did the 2.5 km hike and saw a little 5 ft croc chilling in it. Kweku assured us the crocodile would not harm us as it was one of the gods of Ngawoe. He claimed, and he was serious, that if it had not rained it quite some time, they would kill a goat and feed it to the crocodiles. Before you could make it back to your house it would be raining. He had antelope horns hanging from his mango tree as did many others. They said it drives away the bad spirits (ie children) who steal the fruit before its ripe. He also said -- and surprisingly my counterpart Latif agreed with this one -- he could summon lightning to strike a person that has stolen something from him through a curse. Latif agreed wholeheartedly that lightning only strikes bad people guilty of some crime.
The saddest part was visiting their school. It was a mud brick hut with a straw roof, two chalkboards, no desks and no teacher. The teacher had apparently woken up early one day, harvest'd for himself a bunch of the farmers' yams and they've never seen him since. I wonder if he's been hit by lightning yet. Anyways, on the chalkboard was written: "January 8th, 2004" and below that "A B C D E F G H I N M Q O R P." We laughed but really this degree of ignorance is what keeps so many Ghanaians impoverished their whole life.. and its not funny.
This is why I continue to focus on primary education in Agou fie. Its really hard though. One day I felt I needed to be more authoritative and I saw a bunch of kids with shirts untucked and unbuttoned. Well, I like to wear my shirt untucked so I let that slide but I told everyone they must button up their shirt before entering the classroom. I looked at the one most conspicuous violator Kpadal Lasam and he gave me a pathetic "forgive me I'm poor" look, showing me his shirt had no buttons. I don't like being strict anyways.
Without further ado, I present to you my newest top 10. Last time it was what I liked about Ghana. This time its what I don't like about Ghana.
Top 10 things I don't like about Ghana
10. being poor.
Most people here live on less than a dollar a day. I live on a little more than $5/day (we recently got a raise) so I'm relatively well off but i still feel dirt poor. For example, I can't afford Corn flakes cereal cuz the box is a full day's pay. I would love to buy a soccer ball for the neighboring village of 1500, Dawa akura. But a good durable ball is 100,000 cedis (~$11) over here, too much for a pauper like me. I've realized I need to make unpleasant sacrifices to make ends meet like no pizza when I'm in Accra or Tamale if I want to internet for an extended period of time. It sucks but I'm learning to be frugal which is a skill I didn't have when I got here.
9. black flies.
These nasty little critters come out when the wet season gets into full swing - June to October. They're very small, but they take a big bite out of your flesh; so much so that without even noticing I'll look down at my feet and there's blood where the black flies landed. On top of that some species of black flies cause river blindness. The victim doesn't usually become blind but eyesight deteriorates to the point of someone's vision like me without my glasses. But glasses cannot remedy this disease. The chief of Agou fie, Nana Lucas, got river blindness back in '84. He likes me because I am the only person in Agou he can recognize before they speak. I'm white, everyone else is black.
8. affectionless couples.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like the couple necking in front of me just as much as the next guy. But you almost never see any physical affection between Ghanaian husbands and wives. No kissing, no holding hands, not even hugging. I'm not saying it doesn't happen and obviously they're getting it on cuz every family has 5+ children. I'm just not accustomed to such apparent indifference to a loved one.
7. inescapable heat.
I grew up in the Phoenix valley. I know how to manage the heat: get out of it. Find shade, A/C, or a nice big pool. The challenge here is when it gets hot its hard to escape the heat, at least in a place without electricity. Honestly, from 11a - 2p its too hot (95+ F) for me to do anything but rest under a tree. I usually break from school between 11-12 and head home for the day. The worst is when its nighttime and its so hot I'm laying in a pool of sweat in bed trying desperately not to think about the heat. Its ok, sleep always triumphs eventually.
6. being called "obruni" by the locals.
They say it means white person and they don't mean to be insulting, but its gets really annoying after the 500th time a chorus of kids chant it at you. Its rude and disrespectful, which violates two core principles of Ghanaian culture. (1) respect your elders and (2) be kind to foreigners. By and large, Ghanaians are the friendliest, most generous and hospitable people you'll meet. But this is one exception and its just something you have to learn to live with.
5. public transportation.
its slow. You have to wait until cars are packed to twice their capacity. Then you sit crammed next to a mom with a child on her lap for hours on a long, bumpy bad road. To make matters worse, the cars are typically old and just on verge of breaking down completely. I am no longer shocked when I sit in a tro (bedford van that sits 16-20 but only has 12 seats) or taxi that has nothing that works on the dashboard. No odometer, no radio, no A/C, not even a gas gauge. The drivers just have to know & remember how much they put in and how far that will take them. This is one aspect of Ghana that some Americans understandably would not tolerate (don't worry, mom, no tro rides when you visit).
4. woman workload.
they work from sunrise to sundown. They sweep the compound, cook meals, walk a mile to fetch water with their infant strapped to their back, then wash clothes, then pound fufu.. and so on. They're always busy doing something while the men get off easy. They go to farm in the morning, do some weeding then relax under a tree until their food is prepared for them. Men often tell me I need a wife, not for sex or love but for their labor (though they won't say this explicity). Its a very patriachal society here and you have to be sensitive to it, but you can also work to change it small small.
3. police barriers/security checkpoints.
they don't really exist in America so again I'm not accustom'd to it. But they rarely do more than collect money (not for the gov't but for themselves) from overpacked tros and cars with safety hazards. You dash the officer and you go on your merry way. Once we had to clear out of a big bus and they searched through everyone's bags because this police officer with a AK-47 was drunk off power. Its also cuz I've read too many bad things happening at security checkpoints in Israel and Iraq, but thankfully Ghana is not a war zone.
2. litter and pollution.
Its everywere. Public outdoor trash cans don't exist here. I think I have seen three. The roads here are lined with empty water satchets, food wrappers, plastic bags, etc. And cars are not subject to the same strict pollution controls as American cars so once in a while you'll get behind a car that just smothers you in black smoke. Its a serious public sanitation problem and one of the reasons why the Peace Corps is here.
1. child labor.
this is a sensitive issue so I have to be careful how I describe it. We, Americans, look at child labor with disdain and disgust. Children should be in school or playing with their friends, not selling water at a tro station or clearing weeds with their father. But I've been here long enough to recognize that its not from ill will but from necessity that children must work. A family living in extreme poverty relies on the productivity of each of its members. There's no social security check coming in the mail when you reach a certain age in Ghana. Social security is called having kids. The more you have, the more help you have around the house and on the farm. Its a luxury that children don't work in America and its a sad reality that it happens here. I'll have to leave it at that for now.
Okay, I know I probably just made Ghana sound like hell on earth. I want to say that Ghana has many, many redeeming qualities that far outweigh the negatives. Violent crime is almost non-existant here. The people here love to share food, help you in any way they can, welcome you into their home and treat you like family. No where in America can you find strangers gladly willing to carry your luggage for free. At least I've never encountered this in the US.
So don't get a negative impression of Ghana from the above list. Its a great place to live and I'm happy here, I really am. But it has its problems just like anywhere else in the world. You know our country tends to kill a lot of innocent civilians in countries that never attacked us. That, in my mind, is far worse than black flies or being called 'obruni'.
A big thank you to everyone who sent me packages and letters. I promise to write back but be patient. The mail system is extremely slow (that's number 11 on the list of dislikes :)
Take care. I miss y'all muchisimo.
yours truly,
Kris
ps. for packages mail to:
Peace Corps HQ
PO Box 5796
Accra North
Ghana, W. Africa
for letters mail to:
PO Box 68
Nkwanta, V/R
Ghana, W. Africa
...........................................................
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.
-Henry David Thoreau, "Walden"
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