sweet home africa

Boomerang

2010-03-31T11:14:00.001-07:00

Africa, you got me. See you soon!

It takes more than a thousand words...

2010-03-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

...to describe my time in Africa.

The best way I can tell you my stories is to show you what I was not only a spectator, but an actress in the play that was "Two Years in Togo and Beyond"

fete

marché

harvest

life

trouble

culture

joy

work

travel

and so it goes...

Au revoir

2009-07-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

Here I go...after over two years spent in Togo..bon voyage

Peace out Togo

2009-07-12T01:55:00.000-07:00

Peace OUT

And thus it has come this far, I am at the end of this wild roller coaster ride and I'm on my way home in a matter of weeks. I never thought I would feel this great about it all and make it through but then again, I never say never. And when I say I'm gonna do it, you better believe it will get done. So where to now? Pittsburgh PA....watch out I'm coming home from the wilds of Africa. Some things will never be the same.

Here are some samplings of what I may miss, and what I can't wait to update...

Haute Couture de L'Afrique
I am sure going to miss being my own personal designer with custom tailors on site. Don't worry, I've made a complete fall and spring line to wear statside out of the printed patterns of Africa.

Grocery shopping

I can't wait to expand my list to include anything else that you don't see here. Because this is as good as it gets my folks, so pass the maca and sardines.

Video Club

Having the option to experience foreign films, well mostly pirated copies of foreign films is available. But, I will be running back into the arms of Netflix and the cushy lounge chairs of the megaplex cinemas.

I never though I would say this and if you had asked me in the beginning I would have said "for sure!" as they invaded my privacy and screamed "yovo" at me. But look at them...anyone with a heart would miss thier precious lil faces.

Out with a Bang..and a building

2009-06-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

So here it is...gaze your eyes on my final project for my fellow villagers. The construction of an exhibition hall for artisans and the trades of Adeta. Here is a short blip but the reporting is all there complete with photos on all phases of the construction.
This project was realized in part due to a strong community of trades people and their need for a hall to promote and sell their crafts as well as on the part of Peace Corps Partnership funding, where a number of generous friends and family back home in the USA contributed to the purchase of materials. Since my time here as a Peace Corps Volunteer working in the domain of Enterprise Development I have witnessed a lack of such a venue. It is my hopes that this hall will invite the progress and development of numerous tailor trades and youth of Adéta as well as become a site where many a visitor can experience all that Adéta has to offer while finding that special souvenir of their time in Togo, West Africa. So please come and experience the art and trades of Togo.
I would like to Thank everyone again who contributed to the realization of this project. Your thoughts and wishes rest with the community of Adeta, Togo and they are truly grateful.

Here is the original summary of the project as listed on the Peace Corps Partnership Website:

A community center plays a large role in the development and solidarity of the population it serves. As a centralized location, it provides trade unions, artisans, women, and other community members with a forum to share goals and launch activities. In the town of Adéta, there once stood a community center available to meet all the demands of a growing population. After removal of funding from the state the building fell apart and closed its doors.
With community leaders, we have mapped out a plan to rehabilitate the community center through the proposed the idea of holding a “Spectacle de Créativité”(talent show). This event would aim to promote the artist trades of Adéta as well as the activities of its youth, generating the economic development of Adeta. To further realize these goals, this project looks to install a self-sustainable exposition hall and information center to house promotional events focused on the artisan trades and creative youth that will initiate the rehabilitation of Adéta's community center. The exhibition center will house handmade articles for sale made by community members, as well as offer community information on activities. Contined participation in events such as the "spectacle" will generate revenue for the upkeep and growth of the exhibition hall. The local community has purchased a plot of land and agreed to assist in all aspects of the construction. To complete these efforts, this project requests $993.24 to aid in the purchase of materials for the construction of the exposition hall.

Construction of Adeta's Exhibition Hall...coming soon!

2009-05-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to financing from donors and supporters stateside, My Peace Corps Partnership project to build a community exhibition hall and promotional center is slated to begin this week. The community is ready to turn the donation into a physical place where all the trades people of Adeta and the creative youth can show the world the talent they possess. It will also aid in promoting the collaboration of many village associations and active community entrepenuers through the sales of locally handcrafted items, further stimulating its economy and placing an importance on local craft and solidarity amongst its members.

Ak bey ka ka looooo!

Petite a Petite l'oiseau fait son nid....

les petites...

2009-05-22T14:20:00.001-07:00

Ohh kids...they say and Do the darndest things..especially when they know you have a camera. Here are some images from the kids of the Andikra fishing village in Ghana. They swarmed around me chanting "my friend, my friend, come with me and I'll show you my home..." It was a really sweet day.

Mangeons!

2009-05-22T13:37:00.001-07:00

So if you may be wondering what's on the menu in Togo, here are a few favorites enjoyed by many.

Where else can you find a car full of nanners and pineapples! right at my local taxi station!

I ran out of gas and was thus forced to cook like the locals...over charcoal and a slow flame.

When you are on the road there is never a need to pull over or seek out a local drive-thru because all of the country is one big drive thru window...they come to you but you better be quick with the change because the driver waits for no one.

No need to pound the yams..this one is like instant potatoes..no need for a massive mortar and pestal.

From these lovely little fruits of the baobab tree come a juice called "langba" which is the best local energy and vitamin elixir.

Looking for exotic meats, python perhaps? No worries there may be someone on the side of the road selling a recent kill. Tastes like chicken my friend.

It was a red pear..an African treat found at my local marche and tasted much like starfruit.

A Togelese 7-11

Dunkin Doughnuts

Is there a doctor in the hut?

2009-05-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

Some of the best inspiration for graphic arts in Togo comes straight from the many medical problems they face here.

Even a visit from evil spirits can be treated by a certain miracle elixir as this advertisement states.

A chart detailing the female reproductive system that hung in a community medical center.

Posters and Promotional Banners hung in a stall at the FESPACO artisinal show selling medicinal concoctions to treat anything from malaria to hernias.

Even Obama is the best medicine.

The African Pharmacy

The medicinal consultant sits with his hand painted medical images detailing any health problem under the African sun.

Spectacle Nights in Togo

2009-04-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce through all the stress and the sweat and toil of planning this event has brought me nothing but joy in the aftermath. I am sure that I am the most popular Yovo this side of Togo. There is so much to say when explaining how the red carpet rolled out that for now I am going to let you make your own assumptions and just enjoy it as if you were there through these photos.

There were moments of panic and some things that didn’t go well or as planned but I am happy with all the help of the team behind me in working together to realize these events. I have been asked by many people in village when is the next spectacle, sadly to say I am hoping that it will be something my replacement can continue to facilitate along with the others. I have faith in the Association behind the planning of the events and believe that they are now equipped with the knowledge of how to accomplish another event of this magnitude. It won’t be long before the Spectacle makes a nationwide debut calling in participants from all towns to perform together in the Togolese Idol meets Project Runway meets Star Search du Togo.
I would like to extend a special thanks to all of you who contributed to the Friends of Togo Funding Grant that helped me realize these events. I have already noticed an increased presence of self-confidence, accomplishment and spirit throughout my village. It was a time to be able to recognize and award the efforts of many creative and talented people in a small town in Togo.
Francois the haut couture mens and womens designer sporting a wonderful mix of Miami Vice meets Men in Black

Claudine shines as she graces the podium

I grabbed my favorite tailor in village to walk the runway with me

Wheres Yovo... here I am in line with all the models

Yankee presents his finest calabash art

A wonderful work showing the union of the US and Togo

Even the local carpenters participated in promoting thier work with a performance of -the joy of finding money under the couch cushions-

The second night of the spectacle opened with performances from the Dagbeneva Group in Kpalime...they brought in the crowds with thier proffesionalism and left the youth with something to aspire towards-even better in traditional dance

Hip Hop has its influences here but these boys had created their own proper tune...complete with bustin dance moves

Aglame created and performed his latest hit -simplement-

It was wonderful to see some raw talent from the petites in village and after they broke into a dance many of us joined them on stage

All the participants of the two evenings recieved thier diplomas of participation -and were excited to see the USA Peace Corps logo on it; Barack has made the US logo more popular here-

The crowd wailed and cheered and left wanting more but when things start late -as is the case en Afrique- you get tired quick and hope for a timely exit

As the funds arrive for phase two of this grand project the community waits with excitment for the use of thier new community exhibition hall

pack your bags for the land of yams and palm wine

2009-04-29T04:48:00.000-07:00

Clothes
(keep in mind you will experience weight inflexions due to stress and diet changes, pack clothes that allow for such)

• A large supply of underwear and bras.12-16pairs. (Cotton is best but nylon dries quicker and is more comfortable when sweating your bum off.)
• Cotton dresses and/or skirts, knee length or longer.
• Terry knit gauchos (they are comfy and can be dressy. I have worn mine almost daily)
• Loose fitting cotton tops and t-shirts (nothing too revealing or cropped and they say business casual..stress the casual since business clothes become the traditional pagne outfits you make in country)
• Tank tops (sometimes cami tops are good for lounging at home) (Remember that cultural norms are much more conservative than those in the U.S. You may only wear tank tops while hanging out in your house but I wear them in my town so just nothing too revealing)
• A few nice outfits for those two or three special occasions in your village or when visiting regional capitals (just bring a dress or skirts or pants that fit you well and can use as a pattern to be copied..you can make and have fun fitting in with dress clothes from the traditional cloth here)
• One or two pairs of jeans (I gained weight and never wore them...plus they were too stuffy and hot - A couple pairs of cotton capris or linen are better when you need a break from skirts...think biker friendly...)
• Cotton socks for jogging or sports (just a few needed, quick dry and a pair of tall ones)
• Shorts (sports shorts should be a bit longer than normal, and cotton pj shorts and pants for sleeping and lounging around inside are great some volunteers like leggings)
• Cotton bandannas (perfect for riding in the bush taxi with window down, and as a snot rag during harmattan, and good for wiping the sweat off your face and trying to fan yourself in the hot season..don’t leave home without it..many are available in the market)
• Hair bands and barettes (my hair has been up in a ponytail my entire service)
• One pair of good supportive sandals. (I brought Chacos and never wore them preferring the comfortable cheap and lightweight market flip flops)
• Sneakers/running shoes (I brought trail runners that were not as comfortable and asked for my road shoes to be sent..there is pavement in some parts)
• Windbreaker and compact umbrella (make em small lightweight and packable, big golf umbrellas can be bought au marche)
• Light weight fleece sweatshirt or longsleeve shirt for occasional cool evening. (rarely worn and if you don’t have space you can find one in the dead yovo clothes piles- I found a North Face fleece here)
• Day pack for shopping; larger backpack for traveling. (rei has a great packable back pack that folds into itself, and there is never a shortage of stylish purses and bags here 4 day use)
• Bathing suit (for that beach time in Lome or trips to the falls)
• Sun Hat (comfortable sun hat if you have a favorite, again easy to find here in the used clothes piles)
• Sunglasses with UV protection (you can buy many here that are pretty stylish but probably offer no protection, I worried that nice ones would get ruined scratched lost or stolen so I didn’t invest)
• Catalogs or pictures of clothing you may want copied (I brought a few catalogs and had others sent in care packages)

General use items

• Luggage that is tough and flexible such as duffel bags and internal frame backpacks plus luggage locks. (Best if you think of taking trips around Africa, at the end you can buy a wheeled luggage case for cheap-tons of chinese imports here)
• Money belt or pouch that can be concealed under clothing or worn on the waist to carry money and other valuables. (barely used but always good for travels)
• A reliable alarm clock, or a watch with an alarm. (never used one when you have nature..you will wake up earlier than you think- plus most cell phones and watches have em)
• Swiss Army knife or equivalent (I brought a small swiss army knife with cork screw wine opener and then a Leatherman with screwdriver attachments, pliers and saw blades for home repairs..both good ideas)
• Small sewing kit and safety pins. (good but since its a strong trade here, you can come across supplies or a tailor to mend your worn affaires)
• Headlamp (you can buy flashlights in Togo)
• U.S. stamps. You can often have letters mailed in the United States by people traveling there from Lomé.
• A small pillow (so necessary if you are a light sleeper, pillows here are filled with hard knotted cotton, just grab a small polyfiber insert (at local Target made to fill couch pillowcases))
• Plastic water bottle for traveling. (Nalgenes are good..)
• Pillowcase and one flat bed sheet. (Bring at least one set from home as you will need them right away, I brought a silk sleeping liner to use during stage then bought bed linens au marche, you can find pagne here to use as well)
• Hammock (good idea but...I rarely used since it brought about too much attention (kids thinking it was a great toy) and not enough calming benefits. You could always have one constructed here out of local pagne)

Healthcare and Toiletry

• U.S. toiletry items and favorites (I stressed about this and still haven’t used the majority of what I brought..but here are some ideas on the most useful...)
• Face Wash and exfoliant, Burts Bees Shower Soap, Spray in hair detangle, some tubes of conditioning treatment, sensitive skin face sunscreen
• Contacts and contact solution (if you want to overstep their disclaimer..bring enough to last the entire time and be careful to wash well..I have thrown out many pairs from bothered eyes due to scratched corneas)
• Makeup (I really only used mascara and some spf concealer for the ocassional breakout ..all others come unused but that depends on you..you give up being pretty when you sweat it off plus you can find some things here)
• Deodorant (If one needs to use it a lot bring what makes you feel fresh and have more sent later)
• If you take prescription medicine, bring a three-month supply.
• Eyeglasses (two pairs).

Households and Exercise

• Water resistant sports watches with chrono etc.
• Yoga mat (perfect for sleepovers and at home workouts, I also asked for a stability ball to be sent along with Pilates DVD’s)
• Compact, quick drying pack towels. (I loved having mine for travel purposes...You can buy regular towels in the market or use a pagne)
• Good scissors and nail clippers
• Colored markers, crayons, and construction paper. For making visual aids and playing with kids. These items are available in Togo, but expensive.
• Journal. (Moleskins are great..cheap paperback style journals are available in Togo)
• Writing paper (bring any small amount of preference...There is plenty available in Togo just maybe not the lined kind you are used to).
• Pens. (Bring your favs...the ones here are cheap)
• Duct tape/packing tape. (highly recommended...you can find scotch here)
• Pictures of home. Your Togolese friends will be very interested in seeing what your “former life” was like.
• Maps of the United States and the world.
• Mini office supplies (stapler, hole punch, white out, post it notes, nice pens and sharpies)
• Calendar/ day planner pocket size is best (you’ll need it to countdown the days...and leave notes on daily adventures)
• Seeds for personal garden (the best ones are herbs like cilantro and basil, I also brought flowers and carrots, bell peppers and broccoli..the broccoli grew but I waited too long to harvest in hopes it would get bigger and it bloomed flowers instead... you can find local seeds here in the agro regions)

Entertainment & Electronics

• Camera (the best investment I had was a Canon Powershot SD800 IS Digital Elph...any in the series are great and takes wonderful quality images for its size) Bring a good case for protection.
• Photographic film is available here (but not widely used, best to take digital images and have family and friends print them out stateside to mail by burning cds and uploading them to flickr etc..)
• Back up batteries for digital camera and extra memory cards. (needed when going on long trips and you’re a shutterbug like me..I cringe at having to miss a great shot)
• Batteries. Rechargeable ones are best but be sure that your charger will run on 220 volt current, or is multi-voltage. (I brought a solar charger I barely used since I have electricity but I do recommend bringing a converter and about 8-12 AA batteries and 6 AAA, batteries here don’t last long at all and corrode easier)
• Laptop (with an external hard drive 200GB+ , USB keys and good anti-virus software)
• Digital “thumb drive”, at least 2GB. (Very useful for transporting digital files between computers, just beware of aquiring viruses)
• Surge protector/voltage converter as well as plug adaptors for Africa.
• Shortwave radio or satellite receiver. Stations such as BBC, Voice of America, and Radio France International can be received with a moderate quality short wave radio. (you’ll thank yourself for not forgetting this one esp. Since they took away our Newsweek...it’s nothing like hearing American News by a Togolese more informed on world affairs that you)
• i-POD or MP3 player with portable speakers (I brought two ipod nanos (since one was old and might die out) and it was my saving grace at times...trust me)
• Hobby items such as sketch book, sewing/ crochet needles, paints Games, such as Scrabble, chess, UNO and Frisbee. (I brought UNO and was asked to play it by my host brothers more than I wished...don’t bring a game that isn’t quick to finish...Ordinary playing cards abound.)
• Frisbee, soccer ball, etc.
• Musical instruments—guitar, etc. ( I left these at home thinking that I should give drumming a try and test out their instruments)
• One or two books. There are many books in English in the Peace Corps Office library and the libraries at the regional transit houses. We are, however, short on current bestsellers and books (in English) by African authors. (enough are available to keep you occupied, bring only a few that may be necessary here)

Kitchen

• Ziploc bags (sandwich, quart and gallon..but always a good thing to have sent in care packages)
• Coffee French Press (one of the last things I packed and have loved having it here)
• Plastic food storage containers, a good can opener, small teflon pan, and other kitchen tools for baking (spatula, bake pans, measuring cups).(you can buy most kitchen items in the market but the ease of use and quality is lacking of what we are used to)
• Your favorite spices or sauce packets. Local markets may have bay leaves, chili peppers, garlic, anise, and peppercorns. Other spices such as curry, oregano, etc., can be bought in Lomé. Seasoning packets for pasta are highly recommended, as are cinnamon and burrito/taco spices.(bring spice packets from Rice-a-Roni and other boxed rice and noodle meals..couscous, rice and noodle all available here...cheddar broccoli and other cheese mixes are favorites)
• Garlic press and Cutting Knives (not needed, fork anyone? However good sharp cutting-chopping knives are a must, chopping and paring)
• Powdered drinks straws, Favorite Teas, Instant coffee creamer powder. (you can find some similar kool-aid like drink mixes but crystal light and others are good for a change, also lipton original black tea is most common, coffee creamer powders add a nice taste to the coffee one finds available)

Day 1 of Spectacle week ..SUCCESS

2009-04-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

They were all winners in the end.

SO here are some photos from the soccer match I organized in my town between the middle school and high school. This match was to jump start the community-wide talent show events of this weekend and in the end...after all the stress and sweat running around town organizing, I felt good at the turnout. No one was hurt, the lycee (high school) won the close match and all the players walked away with school supplies to aid in thier final exams. Thanks Friends of Togo for helping me realize the first part of this weeks events.

Team White Lycee d'Adeta (High School)

Team Blue CEG Adeta (Middle School)

The referees make a final plea for a safe match after I signaled the event with a speech and the opening kick.

What a beautiful (but hot) sunny afternoon in Togo for a match.

CACAO detsi…..enyo

2009-04-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

In my attempts to find a recipe that the locals can use to transform their cacao harvest into a profitable delicacy, I decided to try another attempt at making some chocolate. Since a chocolate bar could never survive its shelf-life in this heat,I felt that it would be better to make a sauce or “detsi” as they call it in local language. This way, the jars of sauce could be conserved until consumed. (Note: it only takes about 3 Yovos 15 minutes to terminate the contents of one jars of this miracle elixir) Don't judge... we are deprived of such confections here.

Here in Togo, there are many “healers” selling concoctions of medications to cure anything from hernias to arthritis. There are herbs, elixirs, pomades and creams alike. All bottled and sold by the local “faith healer.” Although sodabi (local moonshine-palm wine) mixed with a certain bark, root or herb is known to be the choice “cure all” amongst the locals, I feel that with the right marketing tactics and promotional tag lines, I can convince them that eternal enlightenment and happiness lies in the very product they rush to get out of the country, cocoa. Why not make some of it available in the local market so you feel the lovin’ it brings to others around the world.

Although the majority of the health benefits of cocoa are found from noshing the raw, unprocessed nib (which I confirm is not that bad and although quite bitter, very stimulating)

Thus…the journey begins…from bean to bar (or bread in this matter)
I gathered the cacao beans from my farmers union, roasted them and then hulled to then take to the moulin (mill) for grinding down into a creamy paste. Since in previous attempts, I was unable to grind the beans down to the micron size of velvet chocolate liquor, I thought to give the good ole local mill a whirl. This method was much more efficient and it was wonderful that I was using local resources available to them. The chocolate beans went in the chute as the motor clamored away and out came a fudgy pulp in 5 minutes, for the bargain price of 20cents.
Taking cacao beans to a mill to be processed was not a common activity in my village. Rice, corn, peanuts and millet of course but cocoa beans? Since it's not part of the daily staple, they head straight to the port for export. Sight of this activity attracted a group of villagers who all began to comment on what I was doing. Most often in village, when you hear the word “yovo” (foreigner) sprinkled in conversations, esp. those in front of you, you know they are talking about you. I turned to my friend Yank and asked what all the gab was about and he began to recite their reactions to what I was doing. They were expressing sentiments on the fact that none of them have ever thought to figure out how to make chocolate from the cocoa bean. It’s the yovo who jumps in with curiosity and a desire to create that little delicacy unavailable in a land that produces the raw materials it is composed of. My desire to figure things out and make it for myself opened their eyes to intuition and experimentation.

Maybe a lack of fortitude on their part is all just from a lack of informative resources. Chocolate as a consumable is not common in the market (rare to be exact), and you can’t blame them for the lack of it's promotional presence in their consumer culture. We grew up with TV and Mr. Wizard, culinary shows, Martha Stewart, and science fairs, then the internet appeared giving us home video promotions and how-tos on You-tube. Therefore, I took the initiative to share the knowledge of exploration and do it yourself prompts we are graced with. Knowledge can be quite delicious at times.

After the mill, I stopped by the local boutique to find the remaining ingredients. For making chocolate one must use powdered milk and confectioner’s sugar (no liquids). Powdered milk is abundant here in the land of limited refrigeration therefore this shouldn’t be an issue. The only lacking ingredient which is only found in larger cities is honey and vanilla; therefore I made two different batches and made alterations to the recipe accordingly.

Returning home, I began to fondue the chocolate in a double boiler and then add the other ingredients. For 1kilo of raw cacao nibs ground into chocolate liquor, I added the following ingredients (note; this is just an estimate since it was added little by little according to desired taste and consistency) I adjusted the recipe to make it more cost efficient and easier for the Togolese to create into a profitable elixir (hence the appearance of sweetened condensed milk in place of the more expensive powdered milk and honey)

1 kilo cacao beans transformed into chocolate liquor (makes 4 jars)
2 small cans of sweetened condensed milk (1 ½ C)
honey ~ cayenne pepper~ vanilla ~(optional)

After the desired mixture was complete I sterilized glass jars and filled them with the piping hot sauce. I then capped them and they sealed shut upon cooling. I returned to village that evening with the “cacao detsi” to put my new product to the test. I cut up little bits of sweet bread and offered taste tests of the samples to the locals. (One was spiced up with cayenne and became the quick favorite to many.)

They were all a little apprehensive to try it at first, but those who had seen me earlier with the raw cacao beans let their curiosity lead them to “gouter” the food of the gods. (…Which brings me to another idea for its marketing scheme… add the notion of “dieu” (God) to the label and it’s an instant sale to the many spiritual villagers….hummm… “Detsi de Dieu” Sauce of God…perfect!)
And…it was a hit! I had many takers and in just minutes the bread was gone and the jar licked clean. I made the calculation and found that after all the cost of ingredients and labor they could find 30-40% revenue on the sale if they targeted the tourist population as well as other addicted locals. Hopefully in a matter of time you’ll be buying “Dieu’s Cacao Detsi” from Togo.

Mia du nu ("eat with me")…Bon Appétit!

Note: It’s addictive, and since I still have some jars left I haven’t been able to stop taking a lick of the good stuff. I am high on antioxidant flavonoids! Ihave been in a good mood all day, even better when I found huge Mangos for sale…tis the season YO…ohh its heaven on earth here in Togo.

Here are some factoids I found on what cacao does for your health. I believe all that is said below since after eating a large breakfast of my “cacao detsi” smothered on bread with bananas I entered the day with sunshine and joy all around me…best cure all for depression! However my “mélange” has been altered to include sugar, honey, milk, and a bit of vanilla and cayenne. Therefore it may just have been a sugar high…

~Take note ladies and gents~
Antioxidants: Cacao has more antioxidant flavonoids than any food tested so far, including blueberries, red wine, and black and green teas. In fact, it has up to four times the quantity of antioxidants found in green tea. Health benefits of these antioxidants include:
Promote cardiovascular health - Help dilate bloods vessels, reduce blood clotting, improve circulation, help regulate heartbeat and blood pressure, lower LDL cholesterol, and reduce the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
Protect from environmental and metabolic toxins - Help repair and resist damage caused by free radicals, and may reduce risk of certain cancers.
Neurotransmitters: By increasing the levels of specific neurotransmitters in our brains, cacao promotes positive outlook, facilitates rejuvenation and simply helps us feel good.
Serotonin - Cacao raises the level of serotonin in the brain; thus acts as an anti-depressant, helps reduce PMS systems, and promotes a sense of well-being.
Endorphins - Cacao stimulates the secretion of endorphins, producing a pleasurable sensation similar to the “runner’s high” a jogger feels after running several miles.
Phenylethylamine - Found in chocolate, phenylethylamine is also created within the brain and released when we are in love. Acts as mild mood elevator and anti-depressant, and helps increase focus and alertness.
Anandamide - Anandamide is known as the “bliss chemical” because it is released by the brain when we are feeling great. Cacao contains both N-acylethanolamines, believed to temporarily increase the levels of anandamide in the brain, and enzyme inhibitors that slow its breakdown. Promotes relaxation, and helps us feel good longer.
Essential Minerals: Cacao beans are rich in a number of essential minerals, including magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.

Magnesium - Cacao seems to be the #1 source of magnesium of any food. Magnesium balances brain chemistry, builds strong bones, and helps regulate heartbeat and blood pressure. Magnesium deficiency, present in 80% of Americans, is linked with PMT, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes and joint problems.
Sulfur - Cacao is high in the beauty mineral sulfur. Sulfur builds strong nails and hair, promotes beautiful skin, detoxifies the liver, and supports healthy pancreas functioning.
Essential fats: There is a misperception that chocolate is fattening. In truth, the fats in cocoa butter are healthy fats. Cacao contains oleic acid, a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, also found in olive oil, which may raise good cholesterol. Also, substances found in cacao are known to help reduce appetite.
Important note- To fully benefit from chocolate’s wide array of nutrients, eat chocolate that is as close to its natural state as possible. Whole cacao beans and nibs are best. You lose many of the health benefits when you eat commercially produced chocolate.

Barack au Bureau

2009-04-18T15:25:00.000-07:00

The best thing about heading to Lome to work at the PC bureau is not the wireless internet which makes you feel like you were surfin stateside... nor the air-conditioned lounge… or the Lebanese restaurants take out menu (though if you call the number listed…it’s for a guy who no longer works there and therefore “delivery” was just a fleeting dream).

It is the fact that when exit the volunteer lounge…after suffocating from the wall of humid heat that lies outside…You get to open the door…take a breath of cool air and breathe a sigh of relief…and smile as you see Barack looking back at you.

Its times like these you feel good to represent America…especially when your Togolese co-workers jump for joy over the same realization…finally… we are all ambassadors for CHANGE…

Ak bey ka ka loooooo… (thank YOU!)

2009-04-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

My community embraces your donations

If I am correct in guessing, due to the vast arena of support I have through family and friends stateside, my community project has been funded. (since it is no longer on the PCPP webpage) I feel so loved and now I get to pass it on to a whole village! I realize that I have some fans back home cheering on my efforts and those of my community. Thanks so much for all of your support. Soon, there will be a wonderful and captivating place for a small community in Togo to engage in the promotion of its talented individuals. I will be keeping you all posted on the development through my blog and will also be creating a blog for the exhibition hall as well. So as they say here...”petite a petite l’oiseau faire son nid” (little by little, the bird makes his nest)
…and little by little, you have all helped to make a place of inspiration for the people of a town in Togo…
“Georginam… Enyo ento!”
Here are some of the amazing people who will benefit from the installation of the exhibition hall.

Chez Claudine and all her girls

Chez Kossi the tailor who is seeking a partnership with a seamstress to expand his operations.

Yankee Décor, who seeks a place to promote his personal art pieces which rest hidden in his stall due to his occupations and obligations in village as the local painter and sign maker.

You’re looking at the plot of land where the new Center for Creativity and Community Development will open it’s doors.

The promotion starts here…with the HUGE talent show in just a matter of weeks!

Got a few pennies for Togo?

2009-04-08T02:44:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder, in the final months of my service I hope to complete my goal of the construction of a community exposition hall to promote the talent of my village and be available as a forum to share ideas and develop as a community. My project is currently posted on the Peace Corps Partnerships Website and is looking for just over $500 to complete the goal. If you have a few pennies in your piggy bank at home to donate to the cause please feel free to visit the site and read all about it here.
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfmshell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=693-333

To show you just who you will be helping, here are some images of the last event held in my village by “Teleloisir” a T.V. Station from the capital who holds game shows at locations around the country.

The local pastor and choir bring down the house with the first performance of the evening. I think I may make an effort to attend one Catholic mass if it is as entertaining as this was. However the thought of sitting in a hot stuffy church for 4 hours when I could barely attend the hour long services back in the states is preventing me from going.

My women's group of rice farmers, whom I assist in marketing practices, put on a skit and act about the harvest. This was by far my favorite act since it encompased the talent of my “grams” in village as she belted out songs in local language and shook her groove thing dancing the traditional chicken dance. I was taken back at her agility at that age, yet realize that age has played a part on her ability to carry a tune, factor in the use of a microphone in the hands of an elder and boom...you've got a need for earplugs.

The local comedian “Sans Valise” put on a hobo act, explaining his travels without a suitcase, and then showed the audience why one is not necessary as he stripped down to his boxers, removing 20+ layers of clothing. I don't know what impressed me more, the legs of that man or the talent of wearing 20 layers of clothing on a 80 degree evening.

And then, my favorite performers in Adeta, the “Chicago Boyz” did their dance theatrics. I'm telling you once I upload this video you are going to see some raw talent. They specialise in modern hip hop and traditional african dances and you'd be impressed. I am every time. But for now here's a pic from another event where they displayed a more traditional approach, taking avantage of the rain that paused a graduation celebration for seamstress apprenties.

whats cookin?

2009-04-07T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my favorite dishes prepared by Chantal and requested by me almost everytime I stay with her

Hey newbies..packing list coming soon

2009-04-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hey all of you getting ready to ship off to Togo. I have been contacted by a few of you and promised to upload a packing list of what and what nots for living in Togo. Don't worry coming soon...but here is a glimpse back to when I was in your shoes.

Moments before my departure I had it all laid out on the apartment floor. I had my list checked it twice, weighed my bags a million times and in the end realized that this was all over analyzed..sometimes you just need to let the chips fall in place and hit the open road. (Note: I didn't use half this stuff...and requested other things I had forgotten or omitted to be sent in a care package)

In the homestretch..

2009-04-01T07:23:00.001-07:00

All of us...survivors of SED Togo... 2007-2009

So I though you may like to see who has made it through the two years in lil ole Togo...here are some goony pics of my PCV stagemates and I. We are getting ready to go to our COS conference in a month, where we will determine our departure dates, file out our debts, drink Togolese beers and think back on all the good ole days..wasting away in Togo.

This is all of us acting out the traditional way the Togolese pose for picture taking.

And this is how us silly American croonies do it..with style (notice the influence of a consumer culture)

and so she enters her 30th year

2009-03-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

In the states our one special day is our birthday where you are royalty for a day and your life is celebrated... but here in Togo and many parts of Africa its the special day for all the invitees..not you. Meaning everyone is looking to profit from the celebration of anothers bday and its up to you to fund your celebration. I managed to figure out a plan to go with the usual traditions that filled most of my previous bday celebrations while utilising the resources of my village.

Everyone who was invited was asked to wear green and I brought sodabe, the locally made palm wine with green mint syrup to color it as well as peanuts and popcorn. My PC buds made me the most amazing carrot cake with laughing cow frosting and we all sat together over milk stouts from Ghana and even though part of me got the impresssion that I let them down from not slaughtering a cow and paying for dinner and drinks for the entire village, I recieved some wonderful gifts and great company. So here I am now....29 and in Togo.

sun and spin...

2009-03-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

Heres how the Togolese launder in the sun..on the riverbanks.

Haute Couture du Togo..How to rock the Pagne

2009-02-28T08:44:00.001-08:00

So you want to know who the Marc Jacobs of Togo are...it's the haute gamme of pagne and Vlisco is where it's at. Here's a few window scenes of their boutique in the capital city of Lome. This is where I seek inspiration for the many ways one can construct meters of printed cloth into a work of "complet" construction.

Here is thier site if you are interested in learning more of who dresses the wealthy Togolese. Based in the Netherlands, this company has been in the African fabric business since 1847 (way back in colonial times) and have shops in Togo, Benin, the Netherlands, and soon Nigeria.

Handprinted Vlisco fabrics at a factory in Ghana.

The Vlisco location in Togo, West Africa.

Some images from their ad campaign.

Togo Joe

2009-02-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

When you need a buzz...
When you live in a place that grows and harvests the real stuff yet there isn't a coffee house around where you can get a good cup of joe...well..you take matters into your own hands.
I have mentioned before my work transforming cocoa beans into chocolate, now I will like to take a moment to show you what is neccessary for a girl who loves a strong brew in a country that grows the real stuff yet only offers instant coffee. Granted the pace of life here does not demand that I power up on coffee to get through the day, as well as the fact thatit is so hot here one more steaming cup of something is not needed. But I miss the taste of a nice brew from time to time so I decided to take matters into my own hands...
I took the robusta (yup 2x the caffiene with a taste that is not as rich and bold as arabica, but its all that grows well here) green beans from my agricultural cooperative to roast at home. There is only one local roaster here who, by the help of a former Peace Corps volunteer started bagging and selling the goods locally. Cafe Kuma is the name and Togolese coffee is thier game, yet I still wanted to give it a shot myself. Here is a couple photos of me back in my little den of a kitchen brewing up mischeif.

the coffee cherries or "peaberries"

Here is the coffee on the tree, the red “cherries“ turn dark brown after drying in the sun. The course is then removed to reveal the green grain of coffee.

After drying the beans are taken to the mill where the husks are removed revealing the green grain (bean). The beans are then taken and poured from pan to pan, removing any remaining parts of the husk.

Here is the method Cafe Kuma uses to roast thier coffee. It is similar to a whirly pop popcorn maker. The constant agitation is what keeps the beans from burning and creates an even roast.

I just used a pan rasting method to roast the beans to the richness I liked. This of course caused a lot of smoke and soot as the beans cracked and popped thier way to a dark brown.

Here is an image showing the different levels of roast, from green to “cinnamon“ to dark rich and bold (well with hints of a smoky aftertaste)

From start to finish..green to brown.

I will be posting more of the behind the scenes process in the coming days. I recently went up the mountain, through a winding dirt path in a cargo truck to collect sacs of coffee from the members en brouse. To be continued...cheers!

got coffee? Togo does....

mmmmangos

2009-02-24T04:18:00.000-08:00

I cant wait till Mango Season...it was just beautiful last year...cant you see?

monkey business

2009-02-24T03:48:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone in the cold cold US... this is what Im up to in Hot Togo
I ran into this monkey on my way to market yesterday and thought I may stop to chat a bit with him. He seemed to be a bit stuffy in that damn jean jacket so I gave him my water sachet and wished him a good day... wow life is charming here.

Togo likes to party

2009-02-20T14:55:00.001-08:00

When in Togo..do as the Togolese. So when the Togolese party it's all about good friends, good fun , and matching outfits. Not to mention stuffing your face at the end. Here are some highlights from my Valentines day festivities. There was a huge region wide fashion show where all the seamstresses, tailors, and their patrons partied on the mountain top. Which involved each village in the region constructing matching outfits, parading out, dancing, singing, and then...PICNIC TIME!! After all the marching around everyone got down and dirty.... Who brought the sodabe? My friend Chrissy and I, upon being notified of the festivities a bit late threw together a matching pretty in pink ensemble and hit the town. It was wonderful. I love my village! We REPRESENTED!

Abra, Togoto and Aglame cleaning up the couscous bowl

Zoro stuffin face with s-getti salad, water sachet on hand for a quick clean up

When not a table left in site..use chez Eugenie's tete.

Yup, that one there..on the left, he stole the biggest drumstick.

So you think this one can dance, oh boy can he, just look at that face..kid can boogie.

If you're good enough someone will slap a coin on your forhead, paper bills are a bit too cher to be stuffing into pants.

Beg and the bottle...don't worry this kid works nights at a bar.

She didn't want to do it but Precious here made her do it.

If you find a video of this on Togotube..you know it was really me...and I though pressures of drinking in college were bad.

How do you get down..well stick your butt out and do the chicken dance..shake it shake it

yo? eh? enyo ento!

Final Project: The return of the once glorious community center of Adéta

2009-02-12T08:26:00.001-08:00

A marker noting the development of a new building on the other corner of the lot, yet the old ruins of the former community center lie untouched.

The former site of Adetas grand community center with library, offices, center of distribution of health aids and supplies and a grand center for learning techniques and formations as well as holding meetings.

So if you all want to know what I have been up to lately well needless to say TONS. Those days of wasting away the hours reading and baking dreaming of pastry chef stardom have been saturated by canvasing the town in 100 degree heat and generating participation in it's revitalization. I always knew I could be an activist for change due to the fact that I can't sit still and always need to have my hands in something.

So...amongst my other work assisting in Fair Trade certification and computerization of the Coffee and Cocoa Cooperative, as well as development of aklala batik du Togo and it's upcoming second debut at an international trade show and cinema festival FESPACO in Burkina Faso in the next few weeks I decided to leave my village with some lasting reminders of what they can achieve. Therefore, with constant insistence by a few of my trusted friends and community colleagues, I decided to share my time once more for the realization on the basis of revitalizing the once glorious community center of Adéta.

I may have discussed the desire to realize other community projects in my site of Adéta. I have filed an application with Friends of Togo to start phase one of the project that works towards the rehabilitation of the Community Center of Adéta which has been closed since the late 90’s. With the help of other community members we wish to hold a talent show, allowing participants in all trades from seamstresses to carpenters to musicians to promote their talents through a competition in creativity. We canvased the town to generate excitement through participation in the “Spectacle de Créativité.” In Americanisms…it’s basically like Project Runway meets Togolese Idol meets Star Search in hopes for Extreme Community Center Makeover.

I am currently applying for a Friends of Togo small project grant of $400 to hold the two day event and hope to receive word shortly thereafter to plan to host the event in May. There will also be two soccer matches and one final between the middle school and high school classes that can generate a small amount of revenue to use towards the rehabilitation of the community center.
Phase two of the project is to build a small exposition hall/boutique to promote all the winning pieces and also open up to other community members who wish for an outlet to promote and market their businesses.

With a growing population of over 20,000 and its close location to Kpalimé, the prefecture capital which is the center for handicrafts in the region, Adéta lacks a place to exhibit its skills and promote the local trades. This building with be used as a centralized place of meeting and promotion for all the residents of Adéta. It will also serve as the primary location where many tourists and volunteers who frequent the city can purchase souvenirs and learn about the culture. The revenue generated from sales could be used for the upkeep of the boutique and rehabilitation efforts of the community center. There is a plot of land donated for the installation and we are hoping to budget the construction to under $1,000 in order to apply for the CAPCA (Chicago Area Peace Corps Association) small project grants.
I will post the entire Project Proposal soon, for any of those interested in reading the whole story once I have completed the final budget.

I am also working on the proposal for the construction of the technical center for aklala batik in Kpalimé. We are currently restructuring the association of local artists working alongside Chantal who will occupy its development and promotion. So far we have found a temporary location to display aklala's products in Kpalimé in awaiting the completion of the center and storefront. Here is Chantal on the plot of land she purchased last March....the future site of aklala batik du Togo Boutique et Centre d'Apprentissage et Technique.

Cheers! Megan

Poorly Executed Brush Fire Nearly Burns Down Neighborhood

2009-02-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

Two little boys pass by like all is normal
A view from top over the charred landscape I call my neighborhood.Flames rose as bystanders took action. (those two tree tops are in my back yard)

February 3, 2009
Togo, West Africa~ Villagers responded to a brush fire that went out of control on Tuesday evening nearly harming small children and goats as well as damaging nearby homes. "I was in my house entertaining my friend as I noticed the smell of something burning and heard the wind gusting outside. I thought finally, some rain, it’s been hotter than the devil lately. Unfortunately to my disgust, I looked out the back window and saw flames shooting in the air on the other side of my compounds walls." Commented Adjovi, a PC volunteer posted to the village. "Instantly I knew someone had carelessly executed another attempt to clear their fields. I quickly closed all the windows as the ash and soot entered the house and ran outside to see what was happening, the heat was immense and I thought there may be a chance my house was going to burn down."
Respondents on the scene concluded that the blaze was set by a neighbor who was frustrated that the public continued to use her field as a toilet. "I was sick of them hiding in-between the cornstalks and taking a dump. So I burnt it all down, now they can’t sneak around anymore." Stated the woman responsible for the blaze (she asked to not reveal her name)
Neighbors and passersby stood around and watched as some of them decided to take action to clear a path around the flames. Their quick action may have prevented the fire from spreading, though it is something that should have been done in advance to properly control the perimeter. Pierre, the student who lives in the same compound as Adjovi, was severely upset at the destruction the flames were taking on the flowering bushes and plants in his yard. He took matters in his own hand and began to throw buckets of water over the walls, distinguishing the fire. « Oh? Eh? Ce n’est pas bon, vraiment. Ça va déranger les fleurs. Oh, cette gens, ils ne connaissaient pas faire ça. Dommage ! » Exclaimed Pierre.
Luckily no animals, children, property or persons were hurt during the blaze. The village of Adéta is demanding the appearance of Smokey the Bear in hopes he can train their population the importance of fire prevention and control. In Togo, "only you can prevent brush fires."■

le 13 Janvier, Liberation?

2009-01-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

The local "foo" came down from the mountain to parade around and show his defiance for this spectacle as the local choir warms up.

I sit and watch as the "foo" gives his reasoning for a faulty governement.

I sat up on the steps of the school with all the dignitaries and chiefs of my village

Mainly a "free day" from school, I am sure many of these children don't know why they all line up to march like militants.

I was there with my Womens Group UAPF (Union des Femmes Rural de Kpele-Akata),Many of these women were alive when the day of celebration was born and held contradicting feelings on the days events.

Women dressed in matching outfits celebrating the current administration.

My community marching back through village after the festivities.

A couple of weeks ago, I was back in Togo in time for the 13 Janvier. I had a meeting that morning with my group of women farmers in village and had no intentions of attending the celebration that was taking place at the middle school. My womens group are well aware of the history of the celebration and were not at all interested in participating but knew it would be good to get a little publicity. So I decided to see what all the buzz was about and attend the schinanigans....

So just to let you know the history of this day in Togo..here are some excerpts from the articles I found on it....
The recall of facts

In the beginning there was Togoland, administered by the Germans from 1884 following a protection treaty signed with a local king. After the First World War, the League of Nations and the United Nations put the territory under protection of France and England, which eventually split into two: Togo and Ghana. The United Nations requires guardianship to empower people in their care. Although this colony attached to them which predicts "positive aspects" withdrew, France is forced to lead, willy-nilly, Togo towards democracy and autonomy.

On 27 April 1958, the national parties CUT (Unit Togolaise Committee led by Sylvanus Olympio), JUVENTO (Togolese Youth Movement, an offshoot of the CUT) and MPT (Togolese People's Movement) won the elections. They lead Togo to its independence on 27 April 1960 and Sylvanus Olympio becomes the first president of the Togolese Republic. But this politician advised to turn to the former German and guardianship to England instead of allowing France to decide what is good or bad for its former colony. Many of his initiatives were deployed in Paris.

On 13 January 1963, Sylvanus Olympio was assassinated by former non-commissioned officers of the French colonial empire, including a former sergeant Etienne Gnassingbe Eyadema. The young republic did not deliver, the coup failed, and a popular uprising in 1966 was quickly suppressed by the army, which became more and more present. It is still January 13, but in 1967,a second coup is administered and puts the power in the hands of Etienne Gnassingbe Eyadema, who became general in the meantime.

Dynasty Gnassingbé
The Rally of Togolese People (RPT) is founded by Gnassingbe Eyadema, the year of the coup of 1967. It took power and a totalitarian regime has arisen. Militias have repeatedly clash with the AFL (Armed Forces Togolese) after a popular uprising quickly suppressed on 05 September 1990. Youth are grouped under the names of Ekpémog (stone), Etumog and Abrafos (coupeurs heads) to name a few. Their struggle makes it possible to obtain a "charter party" on 12 April 1991, paving the way for a multiparty embryonnaire.
But when Etienne Gnassingbe Eyadema died on 05 April 2005, it is "natural" that his son Faure Gnassingbé Eyadema inherit power. Despite the changes announced, he clings to the presidential seat left by his father.

Meditation or celebration ?
In addition to the birth of multiparty politics, the popular uprising of October 05, 1990 will permit the establishment of a Sovereign National Conference which one of the symbolic, but significant, was the proclamation of 13 January as "day of reflection." Unfortunately, the powers that be do not hear as well and son prefers "celebrate" the "festival of liberation." One need visit Republicoftogo.com, the site of the Government of Togo:

Gilchrist Olympio, son of Sylvanus Olympio, has lived in exile since he survived an assassination attempt in 1992. The power changes in the electoral code in the same year so that a presidential candidate must have resided in Togo without interruption during the 12 months preceding the election. Faure Gnassingbé Eyadema remains supportive of this "day of worship" without it and erasing it from public celebration could defuse tensions and is necessary for reconciliation or democracy in the country.
Source: http://cpasnet.sebsite.org/article.php3?id_article=24

Togo Sweet Togo

2009-01-27T10:46:00.001-08:00

Snowflakes sent to togo from Grams
with Dagby by my side

Sorry I’m late in sending this post to let you all know that I am safe n sound back in my African village. I was really glad to have seen all you over the holidays even if it was touch and go. Life is as usual here and I was welcomed back with open arms. If it weren’t for the warm nature of the people here then I’m sure I wouldn’t have lasted this long. Yes, they can annoy me from time to time and it can be utterly exhausting dealing or working with them, let alone conversing in other tongues but…they are open and inviting. Something that is hard to find these days in the states. I’ve already been invited to dine at many homes to catch up times since I’ve left. Which usually results in asking how the family is, how Will is, how the weather was, how I celebrated the holidays…and where is their cadeau (what did I bring back for them)…then I ask the same of them.

The weather has been a bit more bearable here as we are now entering Harmattan (dry season when the winds from the Sahael kick up dust covering the skies and all else) It’s been in the mid 80’s yet I just glanced at the temp and it says 91 huh.. Brush fires are on the rise as the farmers and hunters take to clearing out patches of field by carelessly burning debris. So the winds kick up the ashes along with the sand and that’s what you breathe in for three months. There is a cool breeze and it cools at night and through the morning. Once I get back to my old sleeping schedule I may start running in the mornings again. Update : I went running this morning and felt good, since it is a lot cooler then when I had been training for the marathon. And…there weren’t as many lil school kids en route to class as I was afraid I was going to have to dodge the packs of them

Some say Harmattan is not quite here yet, since this year there wasn’t that final big storm and huge rain that signaled the change of seasons and it has some worried. I have noticed climate change here maybe more that if I were home because life revolves around it. I’m living in a culture that lives day to day supported by the harvest. Where office jobs are scarce, people depend solely on an income from what they can grow. So weather is a huge deal here, and you notice the changes quickly. From the size of the produce at the local market to the changes in the moods of the people to the visual nature of the village, you can tell a difference.
You see the economy crisis play on the revenue of produce. In working with my coffee farmers the price of coffee dropped exponentially three times in the last month (unusual, but when there’s a crisis in the developed world, the undeveloped countries feel it too with a loss of market value). It is all very interesting to see how they view what goes on in other countries but have no way of counteracting the effect it will have on them. What’s also sad here is that there aren’t even stable electricity and water sources. I’m lucky to be equipped with it here but every day since I’ve been home it has cut and been unreliable. I hope when I go home I’ll carry with me the conservation skills I’ve used here.

Well not much else, I have counted the days and have roughly around 180 to go…wow. I can’t believe I’ve been here this long. As for post Peace Corps, I am going to apply for some jobs but in March we will know what schools Will was accepted at and if he has decided. If he decides to go back to school I will begin to tailor my job search to that location…but for now…the village awaits my presence.
could be Pittsburg, Seattle, Chicago…and others… Will knows his final close of service date in March and I will know mine around May so we will be able to coordinate all. I think we may try to travel a bit before heading home if we have time and take a trip through Morrocco…Spain…France then home? Not sure…all depends on a lot of things but that’s what we are thinking as of now.

Turkey day...mmmmm

2008-11-28T02:14:00.000-08:00

The brocoli I planteded is not quite ready to be harvested (of which I am soo excited because it has been over a year and a half since I got to eat one of my favorite veggies)(not found in Togo) but we had a huge turkey dinner at my country directors...mmmm

Running a marathon in Africa...PART 1

2008-11-28T01:58:00.000-08:00

Ok, so all things aside..I did mention trying to run a marathon on each of the seven continents. Didn't I?

And I did say this after a strong finish at the Boston marathon in April of 2007, and after knowing that I will be in West Africa for the next two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo. I was at the peak of my physical fitness, ready to conquer anything. May I also say I proposed this before even setting foot on the continent of Africa. I mean, I know this place is hot, but also home to some of the fastest long distance runners in the world. Maybe training here will further increase my capacity to run with the greatest. This Midwestern girl must have been dreaming.

While living stateside I had to cram in time to train between a busy work schedule and the outdoor elements we call a cold and windy Chicago winter (not to mention that come race day in Boston I was dealing with a “Nor easter”). Though on average, the temperatures were more suitable to running during daytime hours. I also had access to all the latest fitness equipment, the ability to train indoors, and the ability to mix in other forms of strength and cross training. I could run in the dark, daytime or early morning hours depending on my schedule.

I had the options of all the latest sports drinks and food supplements, charging me full of electrolytes, vitamins, minerals and elements to aid in performance and recovery. My glycogen levels were maxed out and I was fully loaded for any workout, I followed a balanced diet complete with whole grains and soy proteins, calcium and carbohydrates.

I was also mentally stimulated by others in the act of training, moving at the motion of many athletes in the city all developing their maximum capacity for oxygen flow. I would enter smaller races and half-marathons to challenge myself and be among others like me. There was camaraderie amongst my co-workers and I as we would hold each other accountable for following an exercise regime. “ You going to the gym after work?, why not?” We also made sure each other had made enough trips to the water cooler to consume the full 8 - 8oz glasses of H20 necessary for maintaining a healthy glow.

Towards the end of some of my neighborhood runs I would coast into “Borders Books” to grab the latest issue of Runners World, roll it in my hand like a baton and think back to those track days as I sprinted home. Upon reaching the apartment I would buzz into the nearest coffee shop to grab a latte and pain au chocolate, treating myself to a job well done. I would then take a nice hot shower to sooth the muscles and pop back out into the city.

I had access to personalized training schedules and playlists. I would upload my ipod with new tunes and hit the streets with my Nike+ chip telling me how far I've gone, how far to go, and letting me know stats on pace, time and calories burned. It felt as though I had my former cross country coach watching over me, stopwatch in hand, yelling splits at every mile. This in turn made me feel accountable for my training as well. Plugging in the ipod and uploading all my past runs to log on my personal profile placed me in competition with others like me around the world working to achieve the same fitness goals. But most of all I was in competition with myself. As if the record of my runs would prevent me from slacking or from skipping out on training since there was some form of physical evidence, a log of work completed.

At all times I felt comfortable, able to chose amongst a wide variety of running gear depending on the workout and climate. I could update my running apparel, adding new layers of sweat wicking, cooling fiber technology to my core. I wore my little shorts and tanks most often when the weather was warm. As the temperatures dropped into the 50's and 60's (perfect temperature for peak performance) I would wear tights and a t-shirt, my feet comfortably encased in sweat wicking, no-rub socks.

I would treat myself to relaxing foot baths in the evenings while resting on the couch watching the newest Netflix arrival I grabbed from the mailbox. I was at ease, in my element, and felt on top of the world. Running to me was my Yoga, a time to reflect, breath, cleanse the body and feel revived. How was I to know that in another place and time, these feelings could alter.

Enter...Togo, West Africa.

In the weeks after completing the Boston Marathon I had tapered my runs down to a smattering of footsteps. I replaced the occupation of training with running around town gathering whatever gadget or gizmo necessary for survival in Africa. I had my shopping list organized by hints and suggestions by former and current volunteers abroad. I was also wrapping up my job as a product designer, working up until 1 week before I flew out, which left little time for much else. I would still squeeze in a nightly run from time to time but I closed out my gym membership and started to remove myself from my old routines. I had to get ready for survival in Africa. My co-workers told me that I needed to “bulk up” in order to avoid the famine of Africa or the onslaught of dysentery or amoebas. So that I did, indulging in the many treasures American has to offer by processed foods and snacks.

Bags packed and on my way, I left the cool American soil and took flight. I remember the feeling after stepping off the plane that first night in Togo. The heavy humid air hit me like a marathoner hits the “wall.” Running in this place was the last thing on my mind at this point. It was hot, and for a girl who’s lived in the Midwest her whole life this was something not yet manageable. Plus, I was ready to fight malaria and digestive issues. The idea of running on top of all that was not in the schedule.

Once arriving at our training site and making our presence as the only white people around for miles I felt a sense of isolation and public display. We were different and something to study. We were placed in our host families and started to adhere to a schedule of class and family time. As much freedom as I felt living in the States, once here, I felt trapped by cultural norms and wandering eyes. I felt as if I was on parade and any movement I made needed to be explained. Since my ability to communicate in French was seriously lacking, I decided to be still. In that way I didn’t have to voice any reason for why I run and where I’m going,when I’ll be back and if I’ll bring home bread. With time, this lack of physical movement left me feeling less than complete and a little depressed.

Running as a mode of calming myself and making myself feel better was replaced by meetings with new friends over local brews and snacks. All the rushing and moving around town that consumed most of my days in the states slowed to a crawl. Partially due to the heat, but mostly due to the lack of places to go, as well as the heavy, vitamin deficient foods that felt like lead weights in our guts. We had a lot of time to sit, whether in class or at the local buvette*. We hid from the cultural suffocation of our host families, and drowned our homesickness’s in conversations of better days. We cracked open bottles of Pils, Eku and Awooyo, and snacked ferverishly on roasted peanuts and fried balls of dough and cookies.

Needless to say, I slowly began to reverse the healthy effects running had instilled in my body. I became tired and bored, and began to look forward to naps and reading books as a moment of comfort. Any of you who know me well, can understand that that profile is not one that describes me well. In my life, I was never one to sit still, never took naps, and never seemed to find time to cozy up to a good book. I needed to move, but here in Africa, there's no where to move to...so we are still.

I arrived at my post in September of 2007 and tried to think of ways I could create a routine that involved exercise. However, I was such a new shiny installation in the village that again, “all eyes were on me.” So I resorted to trying to create a “home gym” routine. I asked for books on pilates and yoga as well as fitness dvd's and equipment. I sectioned off a place in my house to “set up shop” and I went out and bought a fan (a must here for one who has the luxury of electricity). I tried to make myself enjoy doing crunches, thinking, if anything, I will strengthen parts of my body I ignored during my marathon training. In the mornings after my neighbor left for school I would shut the gate and try to do a little jump rope on the terrace. I also though up ideas to try to put together a girls running club but noticed no interest in the sport in village. Since you work all day and live all day in the sun and heat, who would want to run in it for fun as well.

Luckily, AIDS ride was on my program. In October, volunteers from each region gathered to bike from village to village for a week educating the people on AIDS prevention. It was great, we hit the open road and for that whole week I felt at ease. Well, aside from the “Night at the Disponsaire.” when we were rudely awoken to the wailing of a woman in labor and another with a scorpion bite while sleeping over at the local medical clinic. Between stops in village to do condom demonstrations and perform skits on AIDS topics I plugged myself into my ipod and coasted down the open road (or dirt path). The screams of kids yelling “Yovo..Yovo,” and the hisses beckoning me to stop and chat were drowned out in a meditation of music and movement. It felt good.

AIDS ride charged me up to start running again but since the holidays were on the rise I soon forgot to pencil it in. I was trying to find a place in my village, work, friends, etc. I looked forward to time spent with my boyfriend Wil, who left for Peace Corps with me but ended up in Mauritania. It was hard to get back into a routine and even harder when no one here finds interest in the same. I was also dealing with diet issues and the lack of energy felt by the foods I ate. So I resorted back to stretching and meditation. Again...little movement.

Then came the spring and I began to remember what I once said about running a marathon here in Africa. Some of my fellow volunteers mentioned the idea of running Ghana's Accra Marathon in September and within a day I decided to register. I knew I better take a chance while I'm still on this continent because I may regret it in the future. Like in the past, once I advertise that I am going to run a marathon it becomes the little guy on my shoulder that makes me train and keeps me on schedule. So in time I was on the road again. Wil's parents sent me a new pair of trainers and with a fully loaded itunes playlist I plotted my course.

The sneakers were a nice relief from the heavy trail running shoes I brought with me to Togo thinking I would be in the back woods on dirt trails. Most of Togo is “en brousse” as they say, but where I live there are also paved roads, so the road shoes made me feel lighter. I started my training during a camp I was facilitating with other volunteers. It was great to get going with others in search of the same goals. Every morning we would wake each other to head out for a run before starting camp for the day. That week, I ran the most mileage since I had stepped foot in the country. And I felt energized.

Then I brought the energy back home as I continued my training. By then, I had found my place in village and everyone was pretty comfortable with me so I thought it would be less of a stress. I adapted my routine to going to bed early in order to wake at the break of dawn and hit the road. I didn't hold office hours as a volunteer but still had to wake up early to profit from the coolest time of the day. No ability to enjoy afternoon runs here when temperatures reached highs of 80's-90's and upwards. I chose one of three main directions to take, north and back, south and back, up the mountain and back. I wanted to find the back trails but every time I tried, I ended up lost in a farm somewhere or in someones backyard. So I stuck to the pavement.

In the beginning I attracted an entourage of young boys sharing similar interests, joining me “en route.” That was for the first few weeks, and then as my mileage increased I sensed their disinterest in running alongside. My friends in village talked of my activities; “Adjovi, tu faire le sport ce matin? Tu est forte eh?,” stating the obvious. I carried coins in my socks to buy breakfast street side after my runs. I began to love it all over again and the image I was creating by doing so. My confidence rose and I stepped back into who I always was, and what made me “me.” Nothing was questioned and all was understood and accepted.

I continued on with the training and soon was at the height of the long run. Having done a 16 miler with a friend up north I figured I would at least try to get in another longer run. I decided to chart the course by heading south to Kpalime 30k away and upon arriving, jump in a bush taxi back. So I had it planned for the week and thought up ways I would carry water and some energy gels (which in fact had been sent to me in another great care package of enhanced training supplements). Then I got sick.

I had been sick for over a week with allergies and chest congestion. There were few runs I had where I felt completely healthy and energized and this seemed to make the present feel as if there weren't a chance I would feel it again. How could it be that being here in Africa could bring on a cold that not even the coldest winters in Chicago could create. Thinking back it could have been due to the pollution of all the great cargo trucks rolling past me on my runs due to a bridge collapsing on the national highway up Togo, connecting trucks to the port. They were now obligated to take the western routes so I had to deal with the damage they inflicted on the crumbling old road my village was situated on. Soon, I was wishing I still had those trail running shoes as the pavement turned into a dirt path from the stress of traffic.

With only weeks left till the race and not much time to get well, alone squeeze in that long run, I decided to call the med unit and discuss my illness. I mentioned it had been weeks of the same symptoms and so she suggested I try antibiotics. I stopped by my local pharmacy and picked up some to get me on my way to feeling better before she was able to deliver the stronger dose. Thus, in a couple days I was on the Z-pack, a 5 day “knock it dead” antibiotic that I never once needed while suffering through the seasonal changes stateside.

After two days of the Z-pack I felt a lot better and thus planned for the long run to Kpalime. I headed out the following morning at the crack of dawn and strapped on a fanny pack loaded with gels and a small bottle of water, as well as money for the return trip. “All I have to do is keep going, till I hit Kpalime,” I thought. Then I would know that I was capable of finishing the marathon. That was a long morning and at times I considered the thought of hailing a taxi, cutting the route short but I continued on pace. I made it to Kpime about 10k from Kpalime when the need for a nice cold glass of water became too much to handle and I had to stop to seek refuge in the next best thing, “pure wata”(water in a bag). I thought for sure there was water at the local “watering hole” but to no avail, I was fooled. How crazy since this town sits at the base of a waterfall. I pleaded for well water, anything, then finally, as easy as it seemed, the guy behind the counter pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and poured me a glass. Here in Africa, even the simplest demands become so difficult to acquire.

Shortly after the pit stop I saw a Peace Corps vehicle fly past. Hoping it was not my medical officer who delivered the Z-pack to me days earlier I was reluctant to see it was my director. After asking what I was doing 22k from my village, I explained and he remembered my mention of the marathon. He gave his admiration for my “courage and strength” and mentioned he would try to stop by my village on his return to Lome. I felt great having the recognition of my run, visual proof that I actually did it when I try explaining it to others.

Needless to say, I finally made it into Kpalime, and kept on going until I made it to the Texaco station where cars leave to head back north. I had passed many a thought to hail a cab on the outskirts of town and thought at the first sight of the name of the village I would have permission to stop. As is running here, I have to convince myself so much more that it's enjoyable when at times it is truly intolerable. I enjoyed the reaction of all the taxi drivers that normally take me to and from town. They didn't believe me when I mentioned I had come all the way from Adeta, 30k away. “Quoi? C'est Vrai Adjovi?!” “Tu est fou!” Yes, I am a bit crazy because in their minds anyone who decided to run 30k must have either been running from something or had no other choice into town but to make the trip by foot. I verified my story by showing them my mud splattered legs as sweat ran from every pore. I then squeezed myself in between the driver and the 3 others jammed in the front seat, apologizing for my inappropriate attire and sweaty appearance.

Fast forward to race day. My friends and I made the journey the day before in order to have time to pick up our race numbers and receive information on the start of the course.
To be continued........................

Africa Salutes Obama!

2008-11-05T00:24:00.000-08:00

running a marathon on the equator

2008-10-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

So when I said I was going to run a marathon in each of the seven continents I was crazy. And when I thought since I was here in Africa already I could go ahead and get it over with by running the Accra Marathon this past September I was even crazier. Then came the race....and man..that was the craziest thing ever...don't worry. I am writing a full dissertation on the experience. Hold on to your seat.

However... I did place as the 10th female in the full marathon and won a cash prize! ...that's right...you'd have to pay me to run that!

togo

2008-09-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

togo est bon

when it rains...make chocolate

2008-09-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

So I may have mentioned to some of you my experiences in transforming the cacao grain I collect with my farm cooperative here in Togo. One day I decided that since they only sell the raw product that it would be great to try to transform the grain into real chocolate for a taste test of what they are currently producing. Basically, I decided to put myself in charge of "quality control." I mean why not experiment with a raw product, and if all goes well with what little equipment I have, I may even be able to teach others how to transform it into a marketable local delicacy.

The farmers I work with compose to form a cooperative of farmers from the plateau region of Togo. Together, they have the capacity to fulfill export demands by combining and stocking the grain that is harvested from all the members farms. They pack the fermented and dried cacao beans into burlap sacs which are weighed and then loaded into a truck to ship down to the port in Lome. The grain is sold based on weight. There are different grades given to the raw bean and most is determined by size and weight. A grain that is properly fermented and dried will give a solid weight based on moisture content. The farmers know how to sort out the good beans from the bad, although in the end, since they do not transform the bean into edible chocolate, thay have no context to determine the quality of the taste. Thus, that is where I come in. I have been know to have fine sensabilities in distinguishing the taste of fine chocolate. (or at least I love trying)

and so it goes...on y va!... It takes 3-5 years for a Cacao tree to produce the pods that carry the chocolate bean. White flowers sprout from the trunk and then turn into tiny pods that grow in size of up to 35cm long. (about the size of a small Nerf football) These pods start out as a pale green then turn to a golden yellow as well as shades of orange and red once they are ready to be harvested. The pods are harvested by knocking them down with a large sickle.

After enough pods are collected to fill a basin, they are taken to a spot where they are opened to remove the grain (the chocolate bean itself). In each pod you can find as many as 30-40 beans, all covered in a white pulp (which tasted much like lychees). After all the grain is removed from the pods, the empty pods are tossed aside and the beans are taken to a spot to be fermented and dried.Nothing is wasted: the split open pods are turned into compost to help the trees grow or are burned and the ash is used to make a kind of soap which is cheap and works really well.

The beans are then wrapped in banana leaves and left to ferment in the shade. Inside the leaf package, heat is trapped. The heat makes the pulp ferment, which means that bacteria and yeasts in the pulp multiply. This releases chemicals that give the cocoa beans their chocolatey flavor and color.

After a week of fermenting in banana leaves, the beans are spread out onto long bamboo tables and dried in the sun for up to 10 days. As the beans dry they shrink in size as they lose a lot of the water inside them. A good bean will still have some moisture content. You can break a bean in half to notice if it was well fermented. If a bean has a pale purple-redish tone on the inside then it has not been properly treated. Good beans have a nice dark brown-purple color inside.

In the first sttep of making chocolate, the cocoa beans go through a process of roasting and something called ‘winnowing’ to get rid of their shells. I laid the beans out in a single layer on a skillet over a low-med flame and continued to toss them until they started to pop and crackle. I tried not to burn the bean, only to heat it enough to be able to remove the hull (reddish brown shell) Another time I tried to cook them in my dutch oven to slowly heat them until they popped thier shells.

After roasting I rubbed the beans to remove the hulls and prepare them for grinding. There is also a fine film that is easily removed by shaking, or blowing the beans with a hot air dryer. This is called winnowing. What is then left is the cocoa nib.

I then took the cocoa nibs and grinded them with my small coffee grinder. The grinding tends to release the moisture in the beans, turning them into a paste. I had done this one time before and all I got was a gritty powder which indicated that the beans may not have been well fermented, with a lack of moisture content. After grinding to for a paste I heated it in a pan while adding a touch of water. I then returned it to the grinder to continue to minimize the grittiness. I repeated this step several times. Finally, I poured the mixture back into the pot to fondu and continued to add powdered milk, fine confectioners sugar,cocoa butter and a touch of vanilla while stirring over low heat. I added these things to taste, since I am only a novice, not quite a chocolate alchemist. Well, not yet.

I then seperated the mixture into a couple different bowls to create some "melanges" In one bowl I added peanut butter (made from scratch by the local marche mamas), in another, curry powder topped with roasted flaked coconut, and in the last, a touch of cayenne "piedmont" powder that is used locally to spice up almost any dish. (I once made a spicy rendition of snickerdoodles with it) I left one bowl to represent the natural "unaltered" taste. I then rolled them into truffle like balls to rest and harden.

ehh voila! enyo ento!...c'est bon!

Though the real process of transforming cacao beans into fine chocolate requires an amount of technical machinery unavailable to me here in Togo, in the end I was able to capture the taste of bitter dark chocolate..made from scratch and harvested by hand. It may not be as smooth and creamy with a nice waxy snap, but it works for me...esp since I made it. I am hoping to see if there will be a market for it in my village, if so, my groupment could start to sell some of the beans to women who will transform it for local sale. I brought the final product to the members at the office and it was a hit. They keep asking for more. So there's hope that there may be a market for it here in Togo. Although, what I need to concentrate more on is getting their office records better organized, potentially computerizing their bureau, and hoping that one day they will be able to become Fair Trade certified in coffee and cocoa. That idea has been difficult to propose (although, they are wanting to register) since it is a hard, lengthy process and difficult to finance in order to have the certifier come and verify. I hope I can get them on their way.

coming soon...Robusta Coffee..from berry to bean...to cup...

Chicago Represents

2008-09-08T12:51:00.001-07:00

sOrry SO long....no wORd on tHings in tOgO

2008-09-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

...allo yovo!

Well I know, so long and no word from the girl in Africa you all know so well. I promise to keep better attention focused on updating this from time to time but with lack of connectivity well, let's say...this is all you get.

HUmm..where to start...
let's see,
* In 20 days I will be posed at the start of the Accra Marathon in an attempt to run 26.2 miles in the African heat, while hoping someone will toss me a water bag before I dehydrate.

*In two months I will be going to my first African tradeshow/artisinal exposition in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso where the woman who I have been helping expand her batiking business will be debuting her new line. http://www.siao.bf/ Check out her products on my other blog.. aklala de Togo http://aklala.blogspot.com/ We are also hoping to market some of her product to a Whole Foods Representative who will be visiting Togo. We are going to develope other styles using organic cotton and natural plant dyes.

*Currently due to flooding and poor road conditions travel within Togo is hard and my once paved road that passes through my village is turning into a dirt path. There was a bridge that collapsed on the Route Nationale (main road that connects the port of Lome, Togo to the other land-locked countries to the north) and most of the traffic has been redirected through my road. This means all the large and overloaded Titans have caused the road to crumble turning into a mudpit. It's amazing how fast the road has crumbled. This has made travel hard and I am forced to stay at post more often. Which also means lack of access to internet which is in the town 28k south of me.

*I am having a great time in village and feel well loved by all. I have never felt so popular in all my life and at times is extremely exhausting. I walk through town and do my Miss Togo wave, as they all sream my name..."Adjovi...Adjovi" The other day it was "Fatima" as I practiced the art of fasting and the life of a Muslim for one day during this years Ramadan.

*When it rains I stay inside and convert locally harvested chocolate beans into fine dark chocolate truffles...you'll see... I make my own chocolate and roast my own coffee here through having access to the raw materials. I have been transforming the grains in an attempt to do a feasibility study on taste and quality.

* I finally started my little box garden where I have radishes, carrots, onion, tomato, cucumber, pepper and ...broccoli (not found in all of Togo) With the rain we have been having things are growing in full form.

* I am anticipating another visit from Wil, hopefully in the coming months. We will camp out on my rooftop under the African starry sky since I have constructed a ladder to get on top. It's like my lookout tower now, where I can spy on everyone in village.

*Chances are you might see me in Chicago for Christmas where I may fall victim to the effects of cold weather on a girl who has spent the last year and some in Africa. Right now I have a cold, though I think it is more due to the mildew from the humidity and dampness as well as all the dust in the air from traveling down dirt roads, while following semi trucks.

* I would love to hear from you all and let me know about life "stateside"..life, loves, family, friends, jobs, politics (They LOVE Obama here in Togo and probably most all of Africa) You mention the US election and all they want to talk about is Obama.

I miss you all!!! Let me know the news...you know I'm at a disconnect here and am missin' NPR bigtime..let alone contact with all of you.

all is not lost

2008-05-18T02:03:00.000-07:00

I am soo sorry for those of you who hope for continual entertainment through my blog. I am trying to get a couple good postings together but have been so busy in village and abound.

For some updates:

Health-doing well and have been managing the heat. It is now rainy season so the bug are biting and I probably have about 20 new bites daily. Self restrain to not scratch is futile.

Happiness- Coming back from visiting Wil in Mauritania I had a new found appreciation for life in village. I was well recieved by my friends in village. I think they thought I left for good. Now that they know I haven't, they want to know where thier presents are that I forgot to bring them back from my trip. Geeeezzz... Only thing missing...Wil. I have plans to try to have him relocated to Togo to live with me. We will see.

Love- Still difficult without family and friends(hometown) near by but doing well lovin myself. Wil and I are stronger than ever and who knows.. Will keep you posted of future status change.

Voyages- Had a great time visiting Wil in Mauritania. From camel sandwiches to hot car rides through the barren wasteland. Everything is so much more fun when we're together. I will post a blip on my comparisions to life here and there.

Food-IT's MANGO time...wow here there everywhere there's a mango! I have a new found appreciation for all things birthed in nature, including fruits and vegetables. I crave pineapple, apples(though imported here), mango, grapefruit on a daily basis and all i have to do to tame the crave is walk a few feet and drop a coin for a whole pile. I am going to have a hard time returning to bying produce in the states. It's so cheap here..and plentiful...mmmm. I also can't stop eating these damn yummy peanuts. I plan on buying a bowl at marche, blanching them and sand roasting myself. I feel that if I do I will eat them all and potentially OD..so I but the little sacs on the streets to control my obsessive noshing. If you only knew the difference, I will never be able to eat a planters peanut again..it just doesn't compare. I am also planning on creating a food journal of all the oddities and locally eaten goodies here...

Work- everything is going great in village and I have a lot of things to do. I am going to be a camp counselor for a girls apprentice camp in JUne. I am working with a batiker developing products for local market and beyond. Had a meeting with USAID that went well, to see how to develop artists locally by participating in local and international trade shows. (I knew my previous employment would come in handy at some point) Making chocolate at home from the cacao beans from my counterparts stocks. (and tools, ie small food processor, molds,books on making chocolate, soy lechitin, cocoa butter etc..can be sent at any whim) Working with women's groups in village to build improved cookstoves (that use less wood or charcoal) Ohh this is a whole post in itself..soon..I promise.

Well in a wrap..more to come..stay tuned...sorry my satellite has been down and all you get is static. "The Yovo Show" staring Adjovi (Megan) to be continued...

piedmont doodles n passin time

2008-02-24T04:43:00.000-08:00

Journal.......

Feb 14th 2008

So last night we celebrated the anniversary of George. George was a lapin (rabbit) who made his way up from Lome with a couple members of Aglame's ONG (NGO). George was unable to express his gratitude for the celebration because his birthday was also the death of him. You see, George the lapin was a product of their new project of elevage (animal husbandry). Rabbits here are rare but the meat tender, so in search of an income generating activity they have turned to raising little George cotton tails. I have to admit...as I sat there amongst them and stared at the little piment covered chunks of meat laying on a bed of a brown cement paper bag..I was interested in a taste. So they poured the glasses of 2buck table wine as we sat in front of the buvette chanting “joyeaux anniversaire” to George. Then we nibbled on him. Tender indeed and quite yummy as the last time I had rabbit was when I studied abroad in Italy 2002. By the taste of it, I think they have the beginnings of a great business if they are able to charge top CFA for them.

Earlier that day I had all intentions to go into the office but got a little distracted. My homologue called me to say that they were in the middle of organizing the “cahier de caisse.” The last time we went through that I remember sitting there for about 4 hours as we taught the importance of recording transactions in a log for each groupment. Two hours went to just explaining what info was to be placed in each of the columns...leaving about an hour for one person amongst them to finally figure out that “objet de transaction” was not a calculation or date but what in fact they bought or sold. Next time I think we should start with basic vocab. En route to the office I decided to take the long way and visit my “good friend” the menusier (carpenter) just to see if in fact he had finished my pantry cupboard. Ohh “pas-encore”...so I critiqued what was yet to be finished and told him to bring it to my house by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. There is a long story that goes along with my relationship with him, full of disappointment, delay and disgust. I have already used the terms “merde” and “fache” in my conversations with him.

Leaving chez lui I popped in to see what was going on in the mini cafe. Dieu-Donne(“God-Given”..love the names here) was watching a fuzzy tele that flashed in and out of what seemed to be a test of the National Weather Alert System. I soon realized that what they were watching in broken fuzzy translated French was “Red Dragon.” I proceeded to try to discuss the film in which a disturbed man turns to cannibalism. The conversation quickly turned to the fact that in the US our televisions are not crappy like the ones here, because in Togo “nous suffrons.” I threw in the whole debate on suffering over television quality and reminded him that he ate well today and there are not those in my village at least who are starving. But Dieu Donne will continue to ask God for a new television as if that was his only wish.

I then made my way over to my budding Starbucks cafe. Issac was sitting in there chattin it up with the gens. I took a look around his boutique and noticed empty boxes...dust and a few products on the shelf. What's going on? Ohh waiting for the money to roll in before he does something about restocking the shelves, he mentions. I explain to him that now would be a good time to clean up and make it “proper” for when he does in fact find money to re-stock. Ohh...but I'm lazy, he explains. So I begin to do what I think is needed here. I take action into my own hands and begin to move empty boxes and reorganize. I think what they need is just a bit of a push from a little yovo to get things up and running. Little before we know...brooms are flying, dust fills the air and Issac, his employees and I are all in the middle of a clean sweep. A couple young boys (lazy teenagers of which my village has more than I would like) pop in to seek amusement in watching me help them. I turn to them and say that it's not a television show and if you want to stand there and watch you better help out. I must have made my point because soon they were moving boxes and taking action. That lasted all of 5 minutes as they headed back out to the streets to sit with all the other moto drivers. In due time we had wiped all of the shelves, reorganized the remaining inventory, caught a mouse, learned a bit of spiritual healing with melted rosin that warns off bad spirits (not Voodoo..but Muslim spiritual rituals), and created a bit of enthusiasm for a new beginning. I decided to return home after Issac thanked me for my time with a great big “Ak bey ka ka.”

Upon my return home all dusty and dingy I discovered the water was cut so I proceeded to make a little income generating product for Issac. I turned to baking as I love so much here and adapted a time old traditional recipe of Snicker doodles to Togolese taste....instead of hard to find cinnamon to mis with the sugar..I replaced it with cayenne powder for a spicy substitution.

Try it sometime...”Pimentdoodles”...mmmmmmm

Feb 17th 2008

So the weekend has passed again and in a wink I am approaching the new week. I biked to Kpalime to spend the V-day love with the other volunteers in my region. I love the bike down to Kpalime. I am stressing the down....with ups ..but more downs. I don't mean emotional downs..more of momentum..physical..it's a nice ride lets say. I say that even more so because it's Sunday morning and I am sitting here, sweat dripping down my leg with a huge bruise on my knee that marks the results of my return. It's hot here..currently 101 degrees at about 3 in the afternoon. I left Kpalime this morning around 9 to make the 28K journey back home. Due to the seasonal winds, and of course lay of the land I had to bike uphill with a strong head-wind. Upon my return, I then cleaned the house a bit and decided to wash up...till I noticed the water cut. So dirty me decides to take a nap instead. I was never one for naps but with the heat, bordem and at times the sheer lack of nothing better to do you tend to cut up your day with a nap. Plus, everyone else is on “repo” too.

The weekend was great fun. It's nice to get out once and a while to be around other volunteers and hide out together. What is funny is that even together, we don't talk much. It's good to have the company of others just to have a sense of home but we don't entertain one another all the time. Which is a good thing because we would probably drive one another nuts with our problems. It's also a time for dinner parties and we all love to eat here in Togo. It's usually no fun cooking for yourself so making a nice meal to be shared is a welcome pastime here. We went on a whole Mexican theme making flour tortillas, beans and salsa and sides for burritos, as well as cheese dip and fried tortilla corn chips. To top it off we also had a chocolate cake, my little strawberry heart cookies and some good ole American box brownie mix. Not bad eh? Everytime we get into the whole cooking thing it always comes out great, maybe it's the though of eating something other than rice and beans, or pate and fufu? In any case it's always one of the best meals in country.

Now I'm back at home bored out of my mind. Bored of myself and wondering what I'm going to do with my week. I think tomorrow I'll go to the office in the morning, then hang out with the marche mamas in the afternoon. I love my marche days. In those I learn so much and feel that it is my time to do a little cultural exchange. That and there is something going on in village where everyone is occupied and busy doing something. That means they don't bother or annoy me as much because they aren't sitting around needing the “Yovo Show.”

My new loves....

Food:
*Almonds, raw (my love for them is unmeasurable when all you get are peanuts here)
*Dried fruits esp: apples, apricots, prunes and figs ....teachin them fruit dryin..Cayenne Pepper and *Wasabi
Hummus and Veggies
Grapefruit and Apples
*Dark Chocolate..the darker the better and with almonds even better...Green Tea, White Tea (expensive here)
*Cereal...I would kill 4 some mini wheats...lucky charms...any of the 100 varieties America stocksTogo Meringues
Beans and Tofo...the possibilities are endless (mmm lettuce wraps)
*Got Latte?...not in Togo(International Delights Powder?...ohh please)

*Feel free to send me more rations of the ones with the asterick, as those are unavailable here..hint hint

Fun with Food in Togo

2008-02-11T03:01:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite dishes.

Fulani Cheese "Wagash" and Tamarind Chews

Ohh My Meringues

My Mom's Best in Togo

Pom and Peanuts

Homemade Bagels in my Bitty Dutch Oven

will I be the same?

2008-02-08T23:53:00.000-08:00

Time has gone by so fast already and since I am not in month 9 of bring in Togo I can see how quickly it will be until I see you all in a year plus....well after Wil and I decide to wake up from our COS trip (Close of Service) we may be eternal vagabonds...I think of how funny it will be...and who I will be

will I eat with my hands..not question the age of foods that may have spoiled and eat them anyway..like the time I noticed that on the third bite of bread there was an ant colony living in it...didn't phase me..protein?....ration a bag of goodies like it was the only one in the world and the CVS wasn't across the street...go out in the backyard forging for Tamarind pods and funny looking beans to eat...to my great suprise finding that the bush in the front has produced pomogranate fruits and I have a citron tree as well as cherry tomatoes and mini peppers.....discovering new street treats....raising my brows in interest when a girl in village tells me that it's possible to make cheese from plantains???....is it possible?

missing the little goats that cross my path and dodging the poo pellets...doing the runway walk when leaving the house through my village where everyone now knows my name as they scream it out..."Adjovi...Adjovi" and I throw a complimentary wave or "bonjour, bonsoir"...while the theme song to "Cheers" plays in my head.....knowing what it is to be famous....or are they just taunting me.....waking up to the sounds of rooster crows and muslim prayer calls at 3am-4am-5am-6am-and all other times of the day..or what sounds like pig calls coming from the woman selling bread door to door.....this is Togo....

...living off beans and rice and using one of now 15 different ways to flavor black eyed peas (think lettuce wraps with cumin flavored-cayenne beans, onions, veg) but knowing that the will never be as good as the ones here that sit in the kettle all day and get mushy so I will start to cook beans in a crock pot to mimic the ones I get from the bean lady that gives you a full cent franc worth....spending the better part of my morning peeling apart a grapefruit section by section and eating the meat while enjoying the crisp tart taste (slow down and try it sometime)..amazed at how much hot pepper I put on my foods...I love me some cayenne!!!...when I never could handle it in the states...having time to play in the kitchen..

..sealing everything I own in ziploc bags....garbage bonfires....using toilet paper one square at a time...sometimes waiting to use the toilet three times before I flush...finding a use for every bit of garbage so I don't have to burn it...recycling...spending all day at the marche wondering around and doing "stall (window) shopping"...asking questions..learning....hangin out with the marche mamas...and sharing my time with them...

...to be continued....ohh but there is so much more....

dreaming of a white christmas

2007-12-17T23:58:00.001-08:00

Well I know most of you are wondering where I’ve been…lets just say out and about. I am right now sitting in the bureau of the Peace Corps lounge. I’ve just heard the Fan Milk man toot his little horn. This signals that the ice cream cart is within range where for 100cfa a pop you can get an ice cold milk treat in a sac. The heat is too much to risk leaving the air-conditioned bureau for an ice cold treat. How I feel for that Fan Milk man trying to pedal his way through the sandy pit called Lome in search of herds of Yovos with spare pocket change. One things for sure in Togo since I’ve been here. They are not starving.

At least in my region. In joining the Peace Corps I had these ideas of going to sub-saharan West Africa to help the starving children. Well not exactly but most people do have those ideas. I can honestly tell you from what I’ve seen there may not be a well balanced diet, but they are not suffering to the extent that you see on tv infomercials. It’s not that I am here to bring these people up from the depths of poverty and I am now understanding that I am really here on a cultural exchange. So as long as I reach someone and connect with my village…I will in part be doing my job.

Life in village is fine and all but lately I have been kind of fed up with a whole lot of people. The gens have been a bit too much lately. You sure can’t hide from anyone in my village and most often during the day when there are way too many teens out sitting on their ass doing nothing..because there really is nothing to do. Same with me… I am bored out of my gourd.

I have however started to formulate some idea of whay work I may be able to accomplish in village…and as time passes maybe I’ll be able to get things up and running..but as for now I am awaiting the Holiday season with Wil in tow…he arrives tout suite!!

Update: 12-16

So Wil arrives in days now and so crazy it’s been about 6 months since we parted. I can’t imagine having to go another 6 months but that’s life..I will cherish the time we will get to spend together over the holidays even if it is 12 days short-lived. I talked to him the other night to get flight info and I can just see me jumping into his arms at the airport after trying to entertain myself with quite anticipation ….

Christmas here is hard but not as hard as I may have thought. I have decorated my house with cut snowflakes and dried pepper mistletoes…popcorn garland and some wonderfully donated twinkle lights from the Baptist missionaries. The only thing different is sweating my ass off as we enter harmattan season..the dry season here in Togo. Even though all of you are home shovelin snow …layering up and making cookies and trimming the tree…..I am trying to do just as much here. I’m even jammin’ to some good ole Christmas tunes…even though I can’t stand them most years..here you need all the reminders of the seasonal cheer you can get… The only thing missing is all that family…I am so glad to at least get Wil here with me. But it still won’t be the same without all of you. I miss you all so much..

So as for me I know I’ve mentioned earlier that village life had me on my last nerve..well it ain’t so bad lately. I feel like since I was gone for a bit with work in the capital they missed me a bit. My friends in village even want to throw a fete for when Wil gets here. I think they missed me a bit cause everyone has been more than hospitable. I even enjoy hanging out with them. I taught my omelet guy who runs a little café how to increase his menu options hoping to turn him into the next starbucks or city diner. We had a lesson in French Toast..and it was a hit. I am trying to teach him new options for what he can make with the ingredients he has on hand…so when one make egg sandwiches and omelets..you move into..french toast, quiche, develied eggs, and then throw in some new things like baked goods and cakes. He recently bough a gas oven and stove along with a fridgerator which he has yet to fully utilize so I prepared a list of questions for him to think about what he can do to get the most out of these investments. That’s the problem here..they make impulse purchases once they save whatever they can because they think automatic development comes with new appliances..humm sound like our culture too? But they need to continue thinking about how this new device is going to create revenue once they pay off the expense in purchasing it. Forward thinking is not popular here. They sit in anticipation waiting for you to tell them what to do and how to do it. That is how it goes.

So other than that ..life is the same. I have all the anticipation in the world to start my agricultural (café and cacoa) groupment on the path to Fair Trade (Commerce Equitable)…work with the artisans in Kpalime in the same manner…try to organize groupments (savings associations) among market women, some clubs with the lycee students-running-art…and all while trying to enjoy life in Togo. But the funny thing with me here is I have never felt so lazy in all my life and with such a lack of drive and motivation. I don’t know what it is about this place..can’t keep blaming it on the heat. But for some reason I am having a hard time trying to pump myself up to do anything. I miss the energy the states has..everyone in a constant progression forward. You have to try to work at these things a lot harder here while everyone sits around waiting for things to change on their own or in quiet contentment for life as it is.

I’m sorry that everytime you read my blog it seams as if quiet complaints underlind the fact that I am not enjoying life here. I do enjoy some things..other times feel I am in a prision..but I am not ready to leave..this country is forcing me to figure out things about myself ..what I want out of life and how people live outside of the little bubble of the great US of A. I am not ready to leave but hope that I can start to figure out how to increase my capacity of enjoying my time here and stop thinking of all the things I want to do and become once I leave. It’s a nice forced pause in my life since I know that if I was still in Chicago I would be running around filling my schedule with things to do. This place has slowed me down to a simple life..and I think I kinda like it. Like I’ve said before..

I’m ready for that home life…open up a bakery/café…live small and simple..without the daily grind.

Wishing you all the best this Holiday Season…I hope that Santa reaches you in good cheer….health and safety. I miss the snowflakes and gingerbread men…spicy hot cocoa from Vosges and marshmallows, sugar canes, icicle lights, smell of evergreen and even the feel of defrosting after coming in from the cold. Family and friends and giving gifts…even some of the stress associated with finding the perfect Christmas gift. Wow..my first Christmas in a place far far away…where I am still in flip flops and tank tops wiping the sweat from my brow.

more to come...please stand by...

2007-11-12T01:36:00.001-08:00

visit my flickr site to see new photos...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/life_of_megs/

Il pleut?

2007-10-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

this is a birds eye view of my home

(see more photos of mine on www.flickr.com (search under)- The Life of Megs)
Okay so this is the raining season currently and we are not to expect the dry season until the end of December but for some reason the past 4 days we haven’t had much if an rain and I’m wanting it to pour at any moment. It’s so funny how much I love rain here. I am getting pretty good at forecasting the clouds now and can tell based on the heat and wind cycles when exactly the rain will hit again. Blossoming into a tried and true Togolaise or if anything maybe I can go into weather forecasting when I get home. So I know it’s been ages since I had another post pop up on my blog. Well I have my reasons. I have been unable to leave my village to use the internet in another village until the elections for Togo’s legislative body are over. Well they are over now, and all is calm and nothing has changed. As they say here “Rien Changes.”
It is easier for me to breakdown my updates into categories for fear that if I don’t you will hear a lot of babbling and ranting…but to let you know..I am doing well. One day I’m up …one day I’m down, this trip is an endless rollercoaster through victory and struggle. Peace Corps said it and man they were right..”the toughest job you’ll ever love” When I was back in the states if I had a bad day at work I would go home, vent to Wil, maybe go for a relaxing run along the lakefront. Heck, even get out a bottle of wine and have a nice dinner and lose myself to the moving pictures on a tv screen and the reality that I could pause my life to be immersed into another. Here…. You have a hard time finding that pause button. Here, I don’t have my boyfriend, my family, all things familiar and within easy access…no place where I can run and not be watched, “yovo’ed” …I have too much time and space for reflection. If you know me well..that could be a bad thing. Here one has too much time to think about themselves, what they are doing, what they need to do, what they want to do, how they should do it..how they are viewed by all of the village..and the list goes on. A lack of structure in the program really makes a person look inside to develop. I know I am going to get a lot out of this experience but man oh man….I can’t wait until it get’s a bit more comfortable. Another problem is that I need to create the program myself. Peace Corps does a good job of training and making resources available but once you get into village and if you are not taking over for a volunteer who is leaving some work to be finished you really have to start from scratch. In that it means that I need to get to know people in my village I can trust and also try to figure out what type of advise I can give to people who are afraid of change and only think things will work if money was involved. They live day to day here so new ideas are not a thought because it means investment and how do you invest in something that you have no idea will work, when you have no way of obtaining the capital for it either. It’s a risk.
Work life:
Since the elections are finally over (well not quite yet..still recounting the votes) I will start my work with my main counterpart in Adeta. I am hoping to set up an office in their bureau so I can get out of the house more often. I don’t know how anyone who works from home doesn’t feel like a shut-in. Maybe not in the states, where most people are but here..when I stay at home reviewing materials I feel like the village thinks I am avoiding them. In reality I need to prepare for them. I read up on my French every day and will someday start tutoring if I need it. The organization that I will be working with deals with farmers of café and cacao. I need to help them in the way they organize their office and would also like to help them in the development of a better production of coffee bean. The organization is basically a cooperative where all these farmers gather to determine selling price, buying price, discuss buying and using fertilizers and also do stock age. They work in a very democratic way and I have been impressed by their structure. I would love to help them increase whatever capacity they can while here in Togo. I talk to them about the difficulties of export, and the reasons why many Americans buy their coffee from South America, and other regions where the beans are more robust and richer. They are very interested in wanting to have their crops reach a larger export market. And for the most part find a way to directly export their grain to the European countries that currently buy it from Togo. Erase the middle-man. Which is hard to do in a country where individual farmers and let alone groupments or cooperatives/unions don’t have the capital to sell directly. Also, as of now a lot of the grain gets shipped to neighboring countries to be processed and sold. There are very few places in Togo that roast and grind the grains, and even then …they sell it locally to a small population in the capital and larger cities. In Togo, even though coffee is a big crop, the people here drink imported instant “Nescafe.” There is not a strong capacity for production and their grains cannot compete with other familiar and long popular coffee that comes from other countries. If anyone has any way to send me different tips and tools on what I can teach them by way of developing and harvesting better crop, both café and cacoa…I would be very grateful. With the lack of internet..”google?” and books and resources, my teaching is only from what I currently know. So if anything can be sent..here is some requests…
Samples of different coffee beans…with the name and origin.- (whole grain, or even bags of ground grain)
A small coffee grinder
A moka pot and/or French press
Books and literature on coffee growing and how to create a stronger flavor, better grain.
Information on roasting, grinding and processing.
Information on “Free-Trade” products (even, sending me bags of coffee and cacoa products from Whole Foods, Starbucks and other coffee shop chains to see current market trends and desires)
Any experience and insight that is out there…I know a lot of you who love your coffee so send me any info and tools you can..so maybe one day you’ll be drinking a hot cop of Togo Joe.

Updates on fun times”

On a lighter note.. I will finally get to see my boyfriend in 2 months and counting.. I can’t tell you how excited I am. He will be here on the 18th of December to spend a mere two weeks with me over Christmas. It’s not much but I’ll take it. This has been a hard 5 months being so far apart but we are doing great.
I have become a baker since my time here. I bake scones almost every other day in my little Dutch oven. (Basically a pot on top of my gas burner) I can’t tell you how amazing they are here and much better than any I’ve made in the States. You are really missing out! I even told Wil of my thoughts of coming home after all of this and opening a bakery…yup..Megan’s love of food has driven her to the point of wanting to be a baker. That’s what Africa has done to her thus far.
I am settling in well and have been going out more often with a small group of friends I have made here. I met a lot of people through an ONG (NGO) FAGAD, a French ONG that works with development and activities for young children here in Togo, some orphans of AIDS. I got a chance to meet a great Japanese girl before she finished up and left for home, and am currently hanging out with a girl from France who has helped me with my French and I have consulted her on her English. She’s great and I invite her over for coffee and scones and just to share our languages. She thinks it crazy how long I will be here, sometimes reminding myself of the same thought. She will leave at the end of October as many of the volunteers that work there only stay for a couple weeks-months at a time.
If anything I have to realize that this is a truly worldly experience that I am having here and should embrace it. Not many people could make this work and I know I can. It’s rough even though my housing conditions are great. It’s hard being alone in a foreign country. This is the first time I’ve lived in my own place and the funny thing is how extreme I’ve made it by not only living alone, but I am all alone in a village that doesn’t speak my language or can relate in any way to my way of life. It’s strange how things work here…especially emotions. I will have to reassure you that I only had one crying outburst since I’ve been here so no I am not sitting here in a fit of depression. I am loving many days and hating others, getting excited about learning new things and then wanting to escape from it all and hide. It is day to day here. Overall I am not ready to leave and know that I still have so much work to do here and so much to learn and gain from this experience.

I wanted to send some thanks out to all of you who have sent me care packages. I can’t express how much it helps to get pieces from home. I will try to mail out cd’s of photos and letters as soon as possible to all of you. Since it may be easier than trying to post things to a blog with an internet connection that runs at a rate of circa 1992.
Mom- the package was wonderful and I loved everypart of it…you are the best mom I could have ever wished for.
Carolyn, Hugh-I can’t thank you enough for everything, you guys are and forever will be part of my family.
Kate, Joe and the gang- That package was perfect and unexpected…thanks sooo much
Jules- I’ve got your wonderful letters, news updates and made those combos last a full week of cheesy goodness. I need your address and hope you are well in China. I’ll try to send something your way..sweetie! And I just found out the news and couldn’t be more happier for you two! I wish I was there to express a big round of congrats!!! Hearing that news makes me miss Wil even more, you two are truly lucky for one another, never forget it!
Heather, Louise and gang- Thanks so much for the goodies.. I will be mailing you the Subway Coupons from the Reeses wrappers. Since I have no use for them here and I know how you love those fake chicken subs. I know how busy EA can be…keep those letters coming..Jodie? Kat?
Dianna and Lydia and Christine- THANKS! Love the memories of good ole EA..and congrats about ..Dianna-good luck in England! Christine-I am soo happy for you and sad to miss the most special day of your life..good luck with planning on “no rain” and Lydia, take care of the office for me…I miss my work routine but know all is still there. Send me catalogs of the new collections and publications if you ever get a chance. I loved the photos of the office life…I MISS YOU all !
Thanks everyone! And Keep those letters coming..it’s good know that you have people from home who are supporting you and want to know that you are not alone. I miss you all but will be back sooner than you can say “Hot Tomato!”

Over and out…Megs

100+days in Togo and 1 month at post

2007-09-26T03:08:00.000-07:00

Hey there all…

Since internet has been down and I have been unable to get to my email this post is a bit late in arriving with news of a more enjoyable time in Togo. My last two weeks at post were great and I can see what I can occupy my time with to make me feel more at place here in this crazy country.

I have met a huge amount of village folk and sit with them often just to meet and greet and to try to offer up any advice I may have or their businesses. I am much more at ease and comfortable in my village and really am starting to settle in. I can see where these people need me but it is still such a strain on me to maintain comfort here. I feel so sedintary..sit around the house reading..then I walk the rounds in village which is equivalent to half my neighborhood in Chicago. I went for a bike ride one day and nearly died of heat exhaustion till I was within a 1kilometer of completing the 20k return journey and saw the Fan Milk guy (the ice cream man in Togo). I flagged him down and secured a pouch of cold yougurt to make the final hill back into village. Refreshing..took a shower and napped. So unlike me if you know who I am.
The hardest part of this all is the change of pace..well combines with the change of living standards, lack of sanitation and refrigeration and ohh yeah the language barrier. For me at the moment is the energy factor. I miss my hometown running routine and am hoping to tap into the Yoga movement while here. Running is a stress here and making a space to stretch and calm myself inside will be the best thing for me. If only I attended more yoga sessions before leaving the States. So to any of you out there (Heather my trainer ?) Please send me any Yoga/Pilates? Home workout materials…charts of poses, instruction DVD ‘s mix cd’s to jazz it up….magazine workout pages. Running will come back to me soon and maybe I’ll turn it back up after I leave the heat of West Africa..so here I’ll work to strengthen the core. I mean I’ve already had a successful running career, Boston Marathon 2007 !
Aside from that I can report that Adeta is a great village full of friendly people. I feel lucky to be posted in such a wonderful village. Not only that but a nice house. I am so excited be able to receive any visitors that may want to make a trip to this country. Any takers? There is an American Baptist Hospital that is 4k away in case any of you come down with what I think I may have. No need to worry about me I am moving and heallthy except for what I think may be Giardia. I am at the maison right now and have been for the past two days strucken with what I feel like is that scene in « Spaceballs » where the guy at the diner comes down with indigestion and an alien pops out of his gut. My gut makes noises….and I am waiting for something to climb out at any moment. I won’t talk about my bowel movements…you really don’t want to know. Let’s just say America is this wonderful place where you can eat an apple fresh from the grocery store where it is chilled and you don’t have to soak it in bleach for 20 min before chomping down on it. Not to mention public sanitation and drinkable tap, hot running water and not having to think about what precautions to take before ingesting anything. We’ve got it good in the US of A. Just remind yourself that daily.

So wish me luck as I prepare a stool sample to send to the med unit. Maybe I should just name what is in my gut as long as he is living with me. No need to worry…I have a pleasent life in village with wonderful people.

So far here are my projects that I have thought of could possibly be done with in village…let me know if you have any contacts
library_Togolese children dont get access to books here
girls running club:need donated running shoes and possibly sport bras
i havve many more ideas but are more localized to specific businesses so i will post them as they come

basically books and shoes are what im thinking for a possibility in the future once i scope it out some more

mom....dont worry toomuch about me..if there was anything really big and serious youd be getting phone calls from me

news....my boy Wil is coming to spend Christmas in Togo with me ...send me Christmas decorations when the time comes ...no need for the mistle toe though...absence makes the heart grow fonder is right...i miss that boy so much and am counting the days till he arrives from dusty Mauritania....

i love Adeta and my village folk and will post better stories once i am not sitting in front of a French keyboard...take care all and im doing great....

send spices.....nutmeg too

third weeks a charm right?

2007-09-08T05:35:00.000-07:00

Let me just preface this by saying “week one” went much better….so enter..”week 2”

I can honestly say that I thought week 2 at post was off too a good start. I returned from a weekend at the maison regional, refreshed and ready to get to know my post. I was in good spirits as I got in the 15 passenger van headed back to Adeta with a couple of nice Togolese women and my friend Allison. We chatted it up…I used my best French conversation and found the ride enjoyable at most, even as the fumes from the exhaust poured in from the half closed trunk. Then the women I’m sitting with start humming the tune from the Lion King in French..well I join in the chorus in English and it caught them off guard. …”in the jungle the mighty jungle..the lion sleeps tonight….ahh weem ahweem a way …..” They then make me write the lyrics out in English to teach them. (Note: one goal of Peace Corps was achieved in this interaction) I made a cultural connection. Great! Sunday went well and I was back home ready and refreshed for Monday when I would go to my groupments meeting and listen in and then head out to marche.

Well Monday went well…the meeting was very structured and well run. I am assisting a agricultural groupment who deals with café and cacao. (Farming, loans, stockage, buying and selling) This meeting involved the Presidents of other groupments that all reside under this main umbrella groupment. The meeting was about the purchasing of manure, and fertilizers on credit. Together they devised a contract for farmers that need fertilizers bought on credit, in a way that would show the responsibility of the parties involved and the terms under which it is held. The all came to the idea of the layout and voted democratically and at the end of the meeting there was a form already laid out to be passed on to all the groupments. I was amazed at the efficiency of it all..something you don’t see from time to time here. I had fun writing notes in French trying to get used to hearing agricultural terms.

Then came Tuesday and as much as I was ready to head out for a run..nature struck. I felt like a case of amoebas…runs…..fever…who knows. So it pretty much meant house arrest for Megan..no biggie since it rained all day and when it rains, nobody’s out and about. Sick.

Wednesday.hummm I have now confirmed that even though I may be a lucky one and have running water in my house..I don’t “chaque mercredi” “c’est coupe” So since like clockwork it happened again…every Wed. no running water from morning till sun down. At least it’s on a schedule. Tig came in to visit me and we headed out to Kpalime to pick up bank “debit”..YEAH cards and go to the post. All was going well…got to Kpalime…stopped by the vet and talked to him about the needs for the two little cats I have..Perfect..what? advantage flea drops for their head and de-worming meds..750fcfa? ($1.50) sweet…go to the bank and pick up debit card for the brand new atm they installed…perfect!...go to the post to get mail ..find a letter from Julie!..Yeah a letter..getting better!..go to eat lunch ..mmm fresh salad..french fries and mint ice cream..yeah
Okay so on the way back it starts to rain and I realize I am at the wrong station (Tig was heading south and I..north so we parted ways)..have to run to the other side of town and get in a hatchback with 10 other passengers because the driver can’t say no…getting dark and I need to make it back…it is times like this when one is wedged into a hatchback where the driver poured just enough petrol in to make it to the destination..the tires probably have never been changed as I feel every bump in the road..the doors and trunk are pretty much tied in place and it doesn’t seem like his headlights work too well…where I wonder if we were to crash…would I feel the impact or will all these people around me cushion the fall…hummm…best not to think about the crashing part.
So get home finally and then the shit hits the fan….someone calls…it’s the teller from my bank..”Do you need something? Is there a problem with my account?..ohhno..He just wants to tell me that he wants to call me and can’t stop thinking of me…arrrggg..I tell him “no sorry..not free to talk…can’t call me…”hang up….then come the text messages…It sucks being an American woman in Togo…when the bank teller decides to use your personal information from you account and call you up to say that he’d like to get to know you better…hummm confidentiality in Togo..nope…so he continues to text in English..broken…”I just want to make friends with you and get to know you better…you interest me”… so I have to reply..”got a husband..here for work…no time…”
Phone lines are open and he is standing by waiting for me to call….(take note: while all this is happening I am administering the meds to the cats..very carefully) couple of drops on the head to stop fleas….crush ¼ tablen in food to help de-worm. They seem to be well.
Then I get a call from Wil..and luckly we get to talk for a bit then …phone cuts…so that puts me in a sour mood…then I look over and notice that the one cat is drooling profusely…and seems freaked out…okay..now foaming at the mouth….twitching….great!! what have I done…I’m running around trying to clean his mouth..make him drink water…now the other one is twitching..foaming at the mouth..ahh what have I done..I’ve poisoned these cats…they are agonizing..now they are shitting all over the place diarrhea….ahhh…it’s getting late..I keep texting Tig (she used to be a vet) asking what to do…maybe I got some bunk meds from the vet and now I’ve killed the cats! I can’t sleep..freaking out …they are foaming at the mouth..running around trying to bathe the medicine off their heads…so I try to make them as comfortable as possible and then get some sleep ..hoping that I will not wake up to two dead kittens…
Thurs. morning…
Wake up..cats are alive and seem to be a bit better. I decide to use the flea shampoo and bathe them. After more distress they seem to relax…the one has head twitches and seems bothered by something the rest of the day….what can I do..I’m in Togo. I decide to do things around the house and not head out until the afternoon. I constantly feel like a prisioner in my own house..fear of steppingout in public since it takes so much out of you. You’d have to be here in my “yovoness” to know what I mean..more texts from bank guy…won’t stop..then a couple other guys come by to see what I am up to. Shit…where can I get some lady friends here in Togo..all the guys want to be my friend but I have to sway their intentions and that takes a lot. Some of them are nice though..and I know could be good friends…but they always want to know what you are up to.
So I head out and decide to go to my “host family” where before I had helped him type a document …brought some cookies…stopped by for a little visit and they make me type another document …don’t even ask me..just make me read some chicken scratch
French..typing on a French keyboard…not knowing what or how to spell what I’m typing..well that just threw me for a loop…the way it was thrown at me…ohh well I guess it is in repayment for the dinner the other night. I hope it doesn’t become constant or I may have to start a keyboarding/computer class. Mannerisims are quite different here in Togo. There is not that sense of knowing when one is being “rude” here…

Well after that ..I though..I need to get away from all this drama…back to the maison to decompose for a day or two…and then I’ll start week three on a clean slate. In hopes for a better attitude….heck maybe I’ll stay out of the house most of the week..hummmm. grin and bear it and hope it gets better…..

I can’t tell you how hard this has been for me and how I wish I will get excited at some point about being here but right now I am still in survival..maintain sanity mode….i miss my Chicago routine more than one can imagine.

Fin de stage

2007-08-26T00:23:00.000-07:00

So all is done and now we have the opportunity to start fresh. Stage is nearing the end and we are all getting ready to head to Lome and by the time you will be reading this post I will be in Lome plugging it on to the computer since for one I will be with a great internet connection. And so it goes…

How do I feel? Well I still think I am here for all the right reasons but I can’t even express the difficulties one must endure from day to day. Emotional difficulties. I am having a hard time being myself when one is in such a controlling environment. Make the most of the situation and yet I am still running and hiding just trying to find quiet time alone. I have little energy to do a lot of things and hope that all of that will return once I get to post. My emotions roll in waves through the day and I have a lot of ups and downs. One moment I’m up and excited and then I crash and just want to sleep. I think it’s dietary changes, environment changes, and the feeling that whatever I do I’m being watched and if you know me…I don’t like to be on display all the time. It’s too much.

And I’ve talked to my boyfriend who is in Mauritania right now..far far from me. That poses another difficulty. After being so close for two years now we are miles apart. I have gotten to talk to him at length for just two times Thanks in part to his parents and their involvement in setting up a conference calling system (3-way). It is too expensive to call Togo to Mauritania and since we don’t have internet yet Skype is out of the question. But the boy is well and we are already planning when we will be able to see each other…in mid December.

Anyone out there got a pen and paper?
Also I have yet to receive a letter in written form from anyone. I can’t stress enough how important letters and photos from home have become. I’ve gotten a couple packages and I appreciate everything inside but that stuff is just novelty, my emotions are crying out for some contact from home…written on paper…I need letters. I have not received a single one. Much more so than packages. And if you do send a package..please….please…send a letter in it. Newspaper clippings from home, photos, anything personal. That is all I need right now and one knows how important it is when they haven’t gotten any. Wil has sent me a letter from Mauritania but who knows if it will ever reach me. Please write snail mail to me since internet connectivity is unreliable and few and far between. It will probably be that way until December where they may run another promotion on Illico (the home internet for Togo). It is too expensive right now for a Peace Corps Volunteers budget. Sorry to stress this even harder but when one is at the end of the emotional string and gets a little excited when a package arrives….she tears past all the goodies from home and doesn’t find but a single letter….anything personal….the tears return. You could never imagine how important letters are until you are worlds away and long for them in times of emotional discourse.

So…words on the Togo side…

We are all ready to get to work and head to our respective villages and therefore I can say that we are all done with structure and group activity. Yeah but that doesn’t mean that when we get to post we will be heading off in pursuit of meeting up again. The closest volunteer to me is about 30k away and we have already planned our first bike ride to meet each other. Ohh and we have also been planning our great big thanksgiving feast so feel free to start sending me Thanksgivin fixins-gravy packets, seasoning packets, stove top, meat and cheese tray, dessert kits, (yellow cake mix with chocolate fudge frosting), coffee cake mixes, snack mix, etc….goldfish crackers, chex mix, poptarts, mmmmm

Ahhh…man I miss Chicago and the great US of A….

And now we are all sworn in and after speaking with WIl and comparing notes I am learning more about myself everyday.

These are some facts that I am ready to post:

I am sooo over group activities, esp when you are all on emotional rollercoasters and you are stuck in Africa and stuck in Togo.

I have never wanted to be alone so much as I do now. I will need to in order to maintain sanity.

I need an injection of happy serum because for some reason most of the time I am easily agitated and irritated and not excited.

Stage sucks but post is better so my emotions are improving. Post will also be even better once Wilcomes for a visit...three months in counting :(

wish me luck...you may not see a post for a while since there is no internet cafe in my town and there may not be working internet in the other town I have to bike to.

so snail mail me!

on y va!

Images of Togo

2007-08-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Lovely Pagne Cloth....

2007-08-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Heather~ Kate~ Megan ~ Carolyn “The fearless foursome”

Greetings from the yam capital of the world

So I am here yet again to let you know that I am still alive and kicking…kicking that is since I am in desire need to regain control of the time for myself. So when you are in “stage” as they call it here during the first three months in-country you are basically babysat and you have a “host” family to answer to. That means you will need to interact in the local language which is French with a little Ewe mixed in for good measure. I have two weeks left until I swear in as a volunteer which means that I will then be transferred to my post where I will be the only American there. Yes. that means that anything I want to do or say will then by way of the French language..a language that I have learned in a little over two months now.

Can you sense my struggle? Well it is learned bit by bit but ohh how much easier it would be to discuss business practices if I spoke the language. Enter sarcasm. That’s okay though because one can get by for a while by pointing and sprinkling the language as necessary. Oh yes…most everything is possible in Togo..but certainly not all…well not much.

Update on Health:

I just finished cleaning the infected bug bites on my legs. Right now 5 are covered with bandages…all the others are left to scab, of which there are probably about 20 on each leg and 10 on each arm.

Update: I am in Lome getting treatment for the 10 infected bites. But alas, I am fine...would love fabric bandaids of all sizes sent if possible...

I have not gotten Malaria yet and seem to be fine for the most part

I have not been able to get on a normal “potty” routine since my bowels are still confused by the massive amounts of fat and starch I consume daily.

I have gained what I think to be about 10 pounds yet feels like 50. Since I have not had the time to go running due to a number of reasons:
Heat, open sores on feet, constant fatigue, time…yes time….I will have such in 2 weeks time.

Update on Progress:

I have been assigned to a wonderful post in a small village just north of where our training is going on. It is in the plateau region which resembles what the Amazon may look like.

I am still…still tackling the French language…it will come ohh yes it will.
But wait. I will be forced to speak in 2 weeks once I get to post and am the only on there for miles around…ha ha ha ohhh geeez

I sprinkle in the local language whenever possible to entertain the community. How exciting when the “yovo” (foreigner) speaks the local dialect! You can pretty much get by with “YO” whenever you forget the rest of the salute.

I think I know what to start to work on once I arrive at post…but I really don’t. Let’s start with the youth…. “petite a petite” …..they say

Update on Cultural Affairs:

We all went to the Yam Fete this past weekend and had a blast after drinking a little “box wine” It took place in my town where the men run into the “enchanted forest” kill a goat and then run back out and dance. I was there dancing the “Cherie” dance and of course somehow managed to get on Togo Television. Can I say how excited my family is…TV is a big thing here..to be on it is even bigger. I have yet to see the broadcast but somehow everyone saw me.

I am “Adjovi” in my town since that is the name given to girls born on a Monday. When they notice that you are gaining weight it is such a good thing that they even start to call you “Adjovi Gras” which means “fatty” Remember to be fat here is a compliment…but I am also called “Ah tee dwel dee” which is the word for toothpick in Ewe (local language)…so I must be pretty balanced.

I can take a bush taxi ride and turn it into an amusement park ride….with out the technician on duty to make sure the “ride is in working condition” So far still safe…no accidents yet though I may get hit by a moto coasting down the hill while I am walking on foot since most the time they are not minding the road.

I am a damn good bargainer when shopping in the marche and have folded many a marche mama into giving this “yovo” a good price. I think I can attest all that to my visits to the marches in China. That and since I am frugal and cheap.

I have embraced the local dress by buying the crazy cloth and designing numerous clothes out of them…sooo much fun!! Note the photos.

A word on Sanity:

Still searching on a daily basis for these things. Hard to maintain when your language skills are still developing and I need to make a list of “leave me alone” “I don’t want to speak with you” “I don’t want to eat meals made for 4 people” “I can do it alone” “sometimes you just don’t want to” “I have a boyfriend, fat chance, you can stop trying to get my attention and no I am not your “cherie””

I have 3 other girls who I have befriended to help me vent and maintain the focus needed to push on…we are there for one another from time to time. That’s what friends are for (cheesy song ..playing in my head)

Speaking of cheese if anyone sends me any I would love you eternally. Togo is without. Would love a Heritage Farms meat and cheese tray as soon as they hit the shelves for the holidays..or even a tub of Port Wine Cheddar.

My DVD player won’t work on this computer so movies are out of the question which is fine since I didn’t bring any with me anywho..but I will be fixing the computer……….anyone out there with any DVD’s to spare..send them in a padded envelope my way…
ohh and anyone out there with software to upload to fix the dvd reader please send too
I have two weeks until I am in Lome for swear-in where I will be able to ask the Ambassador what is going on in the world. It’s like I live on the moon here..I have no idea ….

Have learned that my boyfriend, Wil is withering away in Mauritania and recently got Salmonella poisoning and had to go to the hospital with other volunteers. He also smells like peanuts on a daily basis and eats nothing but rice and fish while living in an environment that could be described as looking “war-torn” I’m hoping that he will get some sense in him and have Peace Corps relocate him to Togo. Hopefully. but not at all possible…..he must make it through November before we will be able to visit.

Have yet to receive a letter from the home front………….anyone home?

Please write.

another welcome from Togo written weeks ago

2007-07-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

I have posted this message to let you all know that I am alive and well in Togo. Alive for the moment that is because if I don’t get this French thing down soon then I may just take refuge in Ghana where they speak English.
Togo is lush and the people are very welcoming and at times too welcoming. As an American one must realize that the idea of one’s space is regarded very different here. You can never find that time alone and very rarely do you have it. I am in constant search of my quiet time for lack of a very limited conversation in French with my host family.
Here’s the breakdown…. I am currently near Agou in the plateau region of Togo. Right now we have training in culture, language, technique and survival. All of the former do aquaint to survival and to me the first problem I am encountering is the language barrier. The food is great, well at my host family that is. So far they have made me yummy lunches of couscous with veggies and fried plaintains. I also have rice with sauce d’arachide (peanut sauce similar to satay) pasta with a tomato sauce and other Togolese dishes which I have discovered to be quite tasty. One is the bouille d’riz, (rice porridge with sugar) tastes like Trix cereal. Ususally I discover these things when I ask my host mom what she is eating and she let’s me try it. They have told the host families to make foods more similar to Americain cuisine until we adjust. So far I have realized that I can survive on fired plaintains, rice, cous cous, veggies like beans and corn…ohh and tofu. Not to mention the pineapples and bananas, mangos and papayas. One girl in my group has a host mom that makes brownies and cookies so we buy them off of her almost every day.

My host father is a retired primary school headmaster and my mother is a housewife. She is 50 and is buff! Most women here are since they do manual labor all day from dusk to dawn. I also live with three kids aged 15, 10 and 5. The youngest girl is self sufficient at the age of 5. As I am writing this she is doing her own laundry. I live off the beaten path and my family has a farm. There are chickens running around and a cat with kittens. We have a simple set-up but I do have electricity which is not constant. That does not mean I have running water. I go to the bathroom in a latrine and I shower with a cup and bucket. The simple life is right!
So far roughing it in Africa has been going well. I don’t know if it is the Larium (anti-malarial drugs) or just the fact that one needs to adjust quickly to being dirty and very close to nature. The other day I was staring at my ceiling and noticed a wasp. Normally I would try to get him the hell out of my room, but with such calmness I noticed that not only a wasp was in my room but also a lizard. I stood there and stared for about 5 minutes waiting for nature to act. The lizard never ate the wasp. The show was over and I returned to reading my book. The whole act didn’t even phase me.
You get used to these things quickly here. I also killed two huge cockroaches in my latrine the other day. No problem.
We get our post assignments next week after having a discussion with the director of my program tomorrow. I am excited to hear about the areas and where they will match us up with. Some of the post villages are large and some are small as well as there are ones that have never had a volunteer so that means we will have to equip our houses and get things made. For the others we will just move into a house that was occupied by another volunteer who is leaving. All in all I will try to report back as soon as possible. Please write and send rations whenever possible. What they say about Africa is true, there is very little here.

Also the internet is slower than slow and it will have probably taken me 1 hour to post this to my blog and possibly another hour just to reach my inbox so feel free to write me. I would love to get letters!! And I promise to write back soon. My address is at the top of this blog.

word from the bush

2007-07-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hi there everyone out there that is wondering where the hell I’ve been. Well when you are on the other side of the world where the internet runs at the pace of a page an hour there will be a lull in communication. So this is my first post for a long time until I get some way to have internet at my site. So for now PLEASE write me..send me love letters and packages from home because that has been successful. My address is to the right and any sort of novelties would be well appreciated. It’s a matter of survival here and so far so good.

I HAVE A PHONE NUMBER SO FEEL FREE TO CALL ME!!! I AM 5 HRS AHEAD OF CHICAGO TIME…

Country code ( 011 ) 228 910 8378

I am currently in the plateau region in Togo near Mt. Agou. It is quite beautiful here, hot but beautiful. Right now is the rainy season and I have welcomed it every time it happens. The food is good in all it’s starchy nature but I have been missing all the novelties that we as Americans have in the states. Like artificial cheese, salty snacks and candy. Hint…hint. Ohh and everything else that makes one feel like an American. Coffee on the go, the movies, new music, magazines. My entertainment has been staring at my celing in my room watching to see if that lizard will eat the wasp on my ceiling so that I won’t have to dispose of him myself. I have no idea what is going on in the US let alone the rest of the world at this very moment. What I wouldn’t do for a Time or Newsweek…or NPR.

Well this post is one of the few for now since the internet is something I don’t have patience for here. It’s hard enough speaking French everyday…so be prepared to be clueless about my whereabouts until I get situated in my post at the end of August.

I do have some big news for now though!!! I have just found out where in Togo I will be posted for the two years I will be serving here. I am going to be in the same region I am in now but in another town called Adeta.

I am really excited to start work with the cultivators of coffee and cocoa as well as working with artisans in the trade associations. The artisans in individual trades I will be working with vary from welding, carpentry, batik, painters to tailors and seamstresses. A lot of what I did at my previous job will apply to this work so I a really excited to get started. I will be helping them attend trade shows and hopefully even create some export interest. But for now a lot of what I will be doing is internal, at a local scale. I am also excited to work with the cultivator’s farm association because they are very motivated. A lot of the crops are exported to other African countries and possible some European. I am not quite sure as of now since I haven’t started my work with them yet. I will have much to learn from they way they work.

There is not much donor aid to Togo and hopefully after the elections that will be taking place soon there will be more. This is exactly the work I wanted to get out of my service and I can’t wait to get started. I will be at my post at the end of August once I swear in.

If anyone that reads this can send me insightful information on the following or just simple things like the magazines dealing with trade (economist, etc. current trends in the global market that I could research to see if it could apply to Togo) Right now there is not a lot of market for exports here, most everything is bought and sold internally. So this goes for all my former coworkers at good ole Eastern Accents. Ridvan, I know you have some great advice on coffee, and you could even be one of my first customers once we perfect the blend for possible exports. The same goes for artisan crafts and textiles…start making some pillow designs and I’ll send you some batik!! The patterns here are amazing and I’ve already had a couple skirts made in some crazy cloth.

I miss you all and would love to have more mementos from home to decorate my new house with. As for my house…I get to see it in a week and a half and all I know right now is that it has 3 bedrooms, 1 living room and a kitchen and bathroom (not sure if the kitchen and bathroom are attached and whether it is a pit latrine or of the Western variety) But assuming that since I also have running water and electricity…it could be possible. There is also a place in my compound for gardening of which I am really excited to tackle.

So here is my list of requests for my new house and just for survival here. This is just a general list for things that will be well used by me here if sent. They are not a must……though some could be at times….most are things not found here and would be of comfort.
Packages have made it to me in a two week turn around..so it’s a sure thing that I’ll get it if sent by air priority international
Remember pack it in Ziplocs and send me photos from home too…

Foodstuffs
Anything salty and with artificial cheese…weird yes but true…where the cheese at?
Kettle Chips, Cheese and Cracker Packets, Pretzel and Cheese Combos
Chex Mix and Peanut M&M’s (from the High Point Stash)hint hint….
Powdered Gatorade and “on the go” drink mixes (bleach treated water gets old quick)
Tea …anything but traditional Lipton
Spices..esp cinnamon, nutmeg, taco seasoning, pesto packets, seasoning packets from Rice a Roni etc…(I’ve got the rice and couscous)
Brownie and choc chip/oatmeal cookie mixes (to be made with oil and eggs)
Almonds !!! (for that lack of protein..there are peanuts here…
Snacks from Trader Joes (rice crackers, wasabi peas, Thai peanuts, etc)
Candy ..taffy, skittles, jolly ranchers and all others ….

Kitchen Items
(for things I have been unable to find in the market)
Rubber spatula
Spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Lightweight plastic chopping board
Tupperware and Ziploc bags (very important for keeping the critters away)
Aluminum foil
Anything really

Clothes
Plain white tank tops and tshirts for batiking (send me a cheap pack of three and I’ll send you back a finished top)
Old navy flip flops (the ones here rub my feet the wrong way)~sz 7
Jersey knit gauchos
Jersey knit slip dresses for casual wear that hit at the knee (old navy/target)
Lightweight cap sleeve tshirts ~dressy(Target tissue weight are good)
Tank tops and camisole tank tops
Skirts

Health and Sanitation (Sanity)
Saline solution
Wet wipes
Scented stuff for feeling pretty
The occasional make-up
Anything Burts Bees
Nail Polish and other manicure items
Leave-in conditioner (detangler spray)

Yoga manual
Poly pillow forms for a good nights sleep (hey y’all at EA…Togo don’t have pillows)
Magazines..Celebrity Smut, Natl Geographic, Time, Runner’s World, etc…news
New Books and DVD’s
Burned copies of music
Anything for my house

More to come….as time passes and I long for what I’ve left behind

Ohh I forgot to mention that I have a video of us slaughtering 5 chickens to then be plucked and fried for our 4th of July fete! Once I get it to youtube…you’ll see it!! It was a de-sensitising activity that was good for all of us to do.

And I have to let you know that I have what looks like chicken pox on my legs from all of the bug bites and I am still hanging in there. No dysentery yet though I have had some serious bowl issues….from one extreme to the next. In top shape though!

Also right now poor ole Wil is sweating his ass off in Mauritania where it is currently 120 degrees and we have been unable to talk since the phone calls are too expensive between us. If anyone can research and send me a cheap phone card for us to use between countries in Africa with a cell phone I would love you for it! Until I get Skype (if it is at all possible) we are at a complete disconnect. ☹ such is love in Africa..a 2 min phone call.

And so it (I) goes...

2007-06-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

I have been away from my post..and I promise that once I arrive there will be much more to say about Togo then about preparing and packing for a crazy adventure in the Peace Corps. I quit my job a week ago, sent my belongings home to mom, said my goodbyes, packed items in a hundred little ziplocs and weighed myself with my bags....

I know have myself...my backpack , a duffel and a messenger bag strapped to go to Togo. I leave tomorrow on a 9am flight to Dc where I will be meeting all the other emotionally and physically stressed volunteers like I. I'm sure we'll all be sititng there thinking "what the hell have I done"

I'll soon know as I arrive in Togo on Sat evening to the heavy air and strange smells.

I'm going to miss Chicago, and everyone and everything in it...it's a great city and I'm sure I'll remember that while I'm away...but you only live once they say....and I have a whole lot of livin' to do ....

Now off to the DQ for some last bits of frozen goodness :)

World Fast Against Malaria

2007-05-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

This Thursday! May 10th 2007
Adults all over the world are asked to fast from 9:00am until 6:00pm (drinks and medications are allowed). Children are asked to fast from 9:00am until12:00pm. 100% of donations related to the fast will go to buy long lasting life-saving nets for $5 per net.

Put down your burger and Fries and donate $5 to the fight against Malaria!

http://www.prleap.com/pr/76488/

visit here for more info..
http://www.fastagainstmalaria.com

38 days and counting

2007-05-02T07:04:00.000-07:00

..till I leave the US concrete behind and hit the African soil. It's hard to imagine that I am about to leave everything behind for a taste of culture. That and the need to make a difference in the way the world works. I am not expecting to make miracles happen, but hope that at least I can make more people aware of a life outside their countries borders. Borders. We fence ourselves in so tightly that any change in a lifestyle would pull us so far outside of our comfort levels that we fear it.

We fear climate change but do nothing about reducing our emissions.
We fear immigration but forget that we were once all immigrants.
We fear loneliness but never once acknowledge our neighbors.
We fear cancer but keep puffing on the cigarette, and tipping the bottle.
We fear poverty but apply for another credit card to get what we need.

We are a nation that feeds off of fear, and that's how I see it.

We live in comfort and feel that we are doing what is needed to change the world. For example: we buy a bottle of water at a local coffee chain that claims to donate a whole 5 cents of the $2.00 bottle to helping children around the world get access to drinking water. What is wrong with this charity?

Let's start with the 5 cents... why just 5 cents? Because it was started by business men who need the $1.95 for overhead? I've read their story and I know they have been there building wells and promoting the cause but still why only 5 cents? What does that promote? A comfortable charity for the public to feel good about?

And are the children really profiting from us buying bottled water? Shouldn't we just drink our own tap and be thankful that we have wells of our own instead of purchasing a $2.oo bottle of water and in return just invest that money in the charities that are there building clean water sources in countries like Africa?

We should know better.

I guess of all things that's why I am going there. To really understand all these questions I ask myself. So don't touch the dial...stay tuned.

I will be reporting from the field in Togo, West Africa. A 27 month series.

Beantown Success!

2007-04-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

Well it was a huge victory. I can now say that I ran one of the most prestigious foot races in the world and also ran it in good form. Check another one off the list of "must do's" Not only can I say that I ran the Boston Marathon, but I can also say that I ran the Boston Marathon during a Nor'easter. Probably one of the most harsh racing conditions I was faced with.
What exactly is a "Nor'easter"? Well here is what Wiki has to say about a Nor'easter:

A nor'easter is a macro-scale storm whose winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada. More specifically, it describes a low pressure area whose center of rotation is just off the coast and whose leading winds in the left forward quadrant rotate onto land from the northeast. The precipitation pattern is similar to other extratropical storms. They also can cause coastal flooding, coastal erosion and gale force winds.

Yup, that's right! What a beautiful day for a run. (enter sarcasm) My lack of excitement for the start of this years race may have been due to the numerous weather advisory alerts sent to me from the Boston Athletic Organization stating conditions for race day as "temps in the mid 40's with wind gusts up to 65mph and possible heavy rains." But as they have always said "The race will go on!" I had a hard time sleeping the night before the race as the wind howled and rain poured but I was there, ready to face it in good spirits. Many runners decided to forfeit the race all together due to the conditions. But not I.

so here is my experience in short...
* Got up at 5 am to get to downtown Boston in order to be put on a school bus and shuttled to the start in Hopkinton 26.2 miles away.
* Entered the muddy and wet "Athletes Village" which is no more than a school field where port-a-johns and white tents housed waiting runners.
* Waited in the pouring rain seeking shelter in one of the food tents for 3 hrs before walking a mile to the start in the rain
* Met lots of runners..made some brief friendships.
* Walked to the start in my homeless attire with plastic bags tied over my shoes and a garbage bag over me (did I mention that I described this whole "corralling of runners" as equivalent to cattle in a slaughterhouse)
* Waited for the gun...didn't hear it..but just started to move with the flow
* Zipped through crowds...rain...cheers
* Felt great most of the way but made a b-line for a visible porta-potty at mile 8.
* In and Out and on the road...
* In came the winds and at one point lifted me up while in stride and dropped me a foot to the left
* Slapped the cheering hands at Wellesly College
* Powered Up Heartbreak Hill and didn't even notice it (overrated)
* Saw the Citgo sign and knew I was almost home..reaching it with only one mile left
*Picked up speed through the cheering crowds to finish a strong 3hr37min marathon.

My best race time yet....
As Coach Donely would put it "we'll take it" :)

What you ask did I win? Lack of movement in lower limbs, pain and swelling in calf and quad muscles, enormous blisters...and the feeling of accomplishment.

I ran this race for myself, my family and the fight against malaria. Thanks to all who donated to the cause, raising almost $1,000 to purchase 185 bed nets for children and families in sub-Saharan Africa.

I am truly grateful for your support.

nothing makes sense when your head is spinning

2007-04-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

SO as many of you have noticed...I've been absent from my post. Get used to it. As of now I really don't have much to say since I am not there yet. My head has been spinning out of control trying to prepare for two years abroad as well as move out of an apt , train for the Boston Marathon which is in 12 days, figure out who can take care of my "special needs" kitty (trying to "keep him in the family") and still maintain my composure at a busy job as a product designer. Not to mention making sure I don't ignore Wil, my wonderfully supportive boyfriend. (Who will be joining the Peace Corps in West Africa as well....where?...as of now that info has not been released)

That's how I like it. My life doesn't resemble a fine dining experience with small portions so intricately arranged on a small plate while elevator music plays in the background. I guess you can say it's more like a super buffet with endless choices and big portions...tack on the environment of a Chuckie Cheese. Craziness keeps me motivated so I guess it may be just as well that some think I am crazy for leaving the wonderful world of America. The option of having anything at your fingertips, 15 different varieties of triscuits, endless options for entertainment, and the luxury of a nice hot shower and flushable toilet.

Ohh yes Enter Togo....(not the sandwich shop)

A few facts about Togo, West Africa...
*slightly smaller that West Virginia...mostly savanna..with lush forest near the coast.

*the temp stays constant through the year at 80-90 (feels like 110)...with rainy season starting once I step off the plane (June)

*largely indigenous country that practices Voodoo (animist religions) ..then Christianity...some Muslim

*French Speaking with three other local languages (of which I will have to communicate in all since very little to no English is spoken (I'll be practicing hand gestures, or maybe flash cards with photos)

*Rice and Beans is the staple...but they are a producer of cocoa and coffee....of which I will probably not see since it is worth more to them to export

*I will be able to have my own clothes made by the local tailor for cheap....just by having them look at a picture...I love it!

*I will likely live in a urban area or large village of5,000...with a Togolese family who will adopt me as one of their own... but won't let me do chores because I am a guest

*I cannot swim off the coast because there are strong riptides.

*I will be hallucinating on a daily basis from malarial drugs.

*There are no safari trips in Togo because most of the animals have been driven out by human development....even the elephants have escaped the park in the north and headed for Ghana.

*I will at times be jammed15-20 deep in a Bush Taxi driving down a jagged dirt road where no one will be wearing deodorant and it is an extreme faux pas to pass gas

*Pray for me.

kitty in a corner

2007-02-13T18:56:00.000-08:00

When I came home tonight this little guy was hiding in a corner of the stairwell. He didn't budge. I think he thought he was invisible. I tried to get him to move but he pressed himself further into the corner. Luckily, his owner found him before he was too traumatized.

run for cover

2007-02-11T17:36:00.000-08:00

While training for the Boston Marathon I have started a fundraising site through Against Malaria to aid in fighting those nasty disease carryin' skeeters. I would like to arrive in West Africa this June knowing that children and families there have been provided access to the most effective preventable measure against malaria, a bednet.

www.againstmalaria.com/runforcover

Feel free to visit my site and donate what you can for the cause. Thank you so much!

i come from chicago...

2007-02-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

So you may be thinking...why the hell is she dressed like this? Has she joined some alien subculture? Nope, just trying to stay warm...

Well since the Chicago weather has been less than inviting lately and I can't stand to get back on the treadmill this is what must be done. I must go out and savor the chill since I will be heading to the hot zone for the next two years where the seasons amount to a hot wet and a hot dry. I also qualified last fall to run the Boston Marathon in April and since this is the only chance I'll have I figured why not go for it. I failed to remember the agony of Chicago winters where the temperature has been stuck around zero for the past couple weeks. So when it finally makes it up to 26 (that feels like 15)...you just have to go for it. Surprisingly there were more people out running than I expected. Of course we all looked like we were on the edge of death. But hey, nothing compares to the great outdoors they say. Just to breath in the frosty winter air seems so exhilarating. For the first few minutes that is...

And so it goes...

2007-02-10T18:58:00.000-08:00

I received my final invitation to Togo the night I got back from my holiday travels to New Mexico with my boyfriend Wil. We sat in suspense as I opened up the package and started to read the invitation letter that stated where in the great expanse of West Africa I will be dropped off. I scanned the whole letter once and didn't notice that the country of my service was stated in the first sentence. So when I finally saw "Welcome to Togo" I looked at Wil and we both dashed to the map of Africa. Togo..Togo....ohh there it is, the one country I didn't even think of. But now it's on my mind and as I prepare for my departure this June, I can't wait to see what will be in store for me there.

Wil is still waiting to hear of his placement as an IT Volunteer in West Africa as well. I'm hoping he will be across the border. But we are prepared to be far apart.

So now begins The Great Purge...The Final Meetings...Preperation...and Closure of All Things American.

Yeah Togo!