I'm alive

I knew coming to Togo that internet would not be the same as in the united states, but really its worse than i thought.  At least where i am currently living.  Wireless internet exists in Togo, but not in my village nor in my training village.


I have spent the last 7 weeks in intensive language training and learning about the demographics and issues facing development in Togo.  Last week i got to spend the week in the village where i will spend the next two years.  My house has two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, and bathoom with a toilet but no running water.  I still have to shower with a bucket, and flush the toilet that way too.  During the past week, i saw many of the schools in my village including the middle school where i will be teaching english.  The last volunteer started an afterschool life skills program run by students and a boys basketball team that he hopes i will continue.  In addition, i think i will try to start a girls team, because i am trying to work for girl's empowerment of course. 

Last week also served as my initiation to Togo life.  The road to my village is the worst road i have ever been on in my life; in french they say it is like stairs the pot holes are so bad.  The bush taxis swerve back and forth accross the road narrowly avoiding the pot holes and eachother.  The last stretch was no wider than our car and we got stuck in the mud.  I waited in the van while 10 people tried to push us back out so we could try to drive back through the mud.  Upon my arrival, I hopped on a moto to go to another town to watch a basketball tournament set up by volunteers.  The Peace Corps team got cheated by the refs who didn't call even half of the fouls commited by the other team in the semi finals.  In all Togolese basketball is a lot dirtier than I am used to.

My first night I got locked inmy bathroom.  I am beyond grateful that the current volunteer happened to be there, because it was 9 at night and everyone living near me had gone to sleep.  I would have been stuck there all night.  As it was, we couldn't get the door open on our own and we had to find someone to come break the lock out of the door.  I had visions of being stuck in there all night with the spiders and the cockroaches and our little mouse that is running around my house.

A few days later I made the questionable decision to bike 12k to our next biggest village to see the market.  I would like to add that this was down hill in the sand.  The whole way there I was marvelling in the beauty of the landscape and thinking how much i'm going to like living here.  I realize on my way home, uphill in the searing midday heat that i have forgotten my water.  I was super dehydrated and thought i might throw up everytime i started to pedal.  i tried walking my bike for a while before i sat down on the side of the path.  I had bought two pineapples at the marché, so i decided to pull out my leatherman and cut it open so i could suck the juice out of it.  I can only imagine how crazy i must have looked to the togolese people biking by sitting in the dirt, drenched in sweat, and sucking on a pineapple with the juice running down my arms.

After a lot more walking, sitting, and the occasional bike riding,  i finally made it home.  i proceeded to take off all my clothes and lie down on the floor in front of the fan and cry like a baby.  After about 15 minutes of that I had to clean myself up, get dressed and hop back on the bike to go sit in on an after school activity 5k away.  The lesson i have taken away from this is that i need tyo start riding my bike a whole lot more if i'm going to be biking 25-35k every Wednesday.  To further whip my butt into shape i will now be playing two hours of basketball every friday and saturday.  Accra marathon 2011, here i come!

Please send me emails, i have tried to respond to the ones i recieve, but have been terrible about contacting those of you whom i love and miss that have to sent me messages.  I'll try to update again soon with more rediculous stories!