one month later....

HI EVERYONE!!!

ok, i know that it has been a super long time since i updated my blog, but i just want you to keep one thing in mind--im in africa. also, im gonna make a quick disclaimer, this update is going to be full of grammatical and spelling errors because keyboards here are much different, they look like they were patched together from a variety of different types of keyboards (well, they dont just look like that...they totally were) but as a result, i cant find several keys and i dont feel like trying to master it right now.

i dont have access to internet in my training village (Agou Akoumawou) so i have to go to the closest city (Kpalimè) to pay to use the internet, hence why its been a month since my last update.

things here are going well, i am living with a host family who is very welcoming and taking good care of me. i have my own room with a mosquito net-covered bed and we just recently got electricity which was cool. before that, i just used a gasoline lantern at night to find my way around. we also dont have running water, so i my "bathroom" consists of a latrine (basically, an outhouse) and a little concrete room where i take my "bucket showers." to take a shower, i take my bucket, fill it up with water from the well or i leave it out during a rain storm to collect rain water, go to my little shower room, and pour water over myself with a cup. the water has two temperatures, cold and freezing. haha, i could ask my host mom to boil water for me to take warm showers but i dont mind the cold. the days here are soooo hot and humid that the cold showers are a nice break from being sweaty.

the food is good, its mostly carbs, so im worried im slowly packin on the pounds...oh well, big is beautiful in africa :-) most meals consist of either rice, couscous, or pasta and some type of sauce, then for protein my mom gives me either fish or chicken. ive become much less picky about meat, she gives me chicken wings or legs and i bite right into it, i dont worry so much anymore. haha and one day, i actually watched the family catch my dinner. haha, like 5 of them running around the compound chasing a chicken....lol

the food and culture are great. i have already started wearin african-made clothing. :-) i love it.

so far, i have gotten 7 shots but i think i still have some more to get...i hate shots but theyve become so routine that it doesnt bother me anymore...i go into the room, plop my arm up on the table and take it like a champ. no biggie...

this week, i received my post placement!!! so, after training, i will be living in a big city (well, big by african standards) named Atakpame. i was really happy to get this post, it was the one i wanted. yay!!

anyways, i must be going now. typing on this keyboard is draining. for those who dont know, i got a cell phone here so if anyone wants to call, my number is 986-19-48, dial 011 to get out of the US, and the Togo country code is 228. all together, you have to dial 011-228-986-19-48

also, getting mail here is like the most amazing thing, so if you have time to send a letter, i would LOVE it!!

some things that i found i need are:

• Powdered Drink Mix (like the little Crystal Light On-the-Go packets...we have to add bleach to our water, so it tastes awful)
• Underwear from Victorias Secret (i miss VS!!!!!!)
• Cleansing Face Wipes (when i wake up, my face is really greasy and gross)
• Make-Up (yes, i still wear make-up some days)
• Pictures
• Tank Tops (the clothing restrictions are NOT as strict as peace corps made them out to be so im experiencing a shortage of tank tops...)

ok, much love to all!!

-k