tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48182553610722829842024-03-06T02:20:13.491+00:00a c k ! i'm in Accrasafaris and suchnataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-26506594953848618252008-06-11T19:07:00.003+00:002008-12-09T07:13:41.420+00:00must be the colors and the kids<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;">cape coast. with its colonial and slave trade history you understand why the water is so violent but the children are selling plantain chips and oranges and i think they just really want to be your friend. and when you become friends you become sad about having things and school and it seems like just luck and it's not fair.</span><br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeKdF7rFIIBIuX0YtDTezt_GVzCcOp2ux1pLFj8Nqst26NJCkg5Eve2RNF781G3PjQPDN41DlYk-8bLxAkRtOgSVFNgLajWQlkqTYB3z9KPovho-XehB9xZZ9YTfct9Iv-mlvbHwdH-o/s1600-h/IMG_6660.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVfIgsx930TGp8w4IPJ5JSIJ_6UNbkphxiONU17a6FqQeN82Mfo_hdXApyxGPMx5eGJEPx-EMIaFu_ffueiZ14uqJSEIBjDXz3X0ifzDEWEBojjWm4P2ZH9D5wznd_DTAaFjn6qJKOQM/s320/IMG_6724.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210703790187709314" border="0" /></a>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-20828566922777816412008-04-15T18:46:00.006+00:002008-12-09T07:13:43.055+00:00my drumming class was away at a funeral.<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;">my teacher's senior-brother's wife is dead and you see her face on everyone's 'in loving memory' t-shirts and in the tears and in the dancing and in the singing. the first day in the afternoon is parades of men and women in reds and blacks dancing drumming singing down the street and you wouldnt know someone had died for all the joy and freedom in the way their bodies moved. later that night we join drum circles and dancing and stars stars stars. stars might be my favorite thing about Ghana. we sleep for two hours until the drums start again around midnight which means it's time for the all-night wake. we sit and listen to words in Ewe, understanding only 'amen' and 'hallelujah' and then music starts and everyone stands and they pull you in and old women old men young girls young boys take your hand and grab your waist and it's a mob of free movement free emotion sweat smiles. liberating. and all the while there is sobbing on the outskirts of celebration, those wiping tears, those wailing. and at first we are uncomfortable with such a dichotomy of emotion. dancing then crying, crying then dancing, happiness and sadness don't often exist in the harmony that i see this day. and i think this harmony was possible because of how truthfully these emotions were expressed. nobody is afraid of doing what they feel like doing when they feel like doing it--crying screaming laughing dancing--and at home we feel naked with such truthfulness because this means vulnerability. and sometimes you may want to scream your sadness to the world but you cant because nobody screams theirs. but here, someone will scream back. <br /> </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;">grave-hopping. maybe more admirable than the aged traditions of flower-dropping.</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rrFBqbYwyDBT1TFanW86u0-d6xSkzOLj4RWTRZ8Z1ZlmxBrn1Jdap9UjQWRmYrDDmoKdihY9lRtG4yB5DXvLRXlTmCnTnJvCveBEed_pzwhi0qOjVvP0Y6nAUw1aPvGLLDgPSy0OyVc/s1600-h/IMG_6457.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rrFBqbYwyDBT1TFanW86u0-d6xSkzOLj4RWTRZ8Z1ZlmxBrn1Jdap9UjQWRmYrDDmoKdihY9lRtG4yB5DXvLRXlTmCnTnJvCveBEed_pzwhi0qOjVvP0Y6nAUw1aPvGLLDgPSy0OyVc/s320/IMG_6457.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189553902844545426" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">his shirt read:<br />i'm not a bitch<br />i'm THE bitch<br />and it's MISS bitch to you<br /> <br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5gCVhkyibSqF_6uR3GmuoIVrMj4SDxAjtlyRJ8AD0T2mMX2QK-zR_HiTv7h0RKEVKbeOrfo_3BTDokk6n18d9vtwYV-wvqrTZQOUu3WzK91gqqQVAv-1AnjMXcmqViCHtr5bki4CYto/s1600-h/IMG_6466.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_5gCVhkyibSqF_6uR3GmuoIVrMj4SDxAjtlyRJ8AD0T2mMX2QK-zR_HiTv7h0RKEVKbeOrfo_3BTDokk6n18d9vtwYV-wvqrTZQOUu3WzK91gqqQVAv-1AnjMXcmqViCHtr5bki4CYto/s320/IMG_6466.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189553907139512738" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQH2PsWgM15o6TkbbS9V2rwysnYyCpBoPj2QHP-4guVCBtoGM2Y_1-Rs7CHd3ckb9xu-JMUMAAL-JKvE6IzxZegljvKM15CSV1qWSXViBIz98-iNOsAKIzD1hpPF1BanuTjKaF6ZCEyY/s1600-h/IMG_6592.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WNghjmGDtiimiJcymkxoCk6xxVhCoy1QDfMtXJytdzVQgzpkcq1OzS3fO3qcEa5TomejTWxWZKFLre7K-d491X8eA7LMsA0KtBzATm5OOHCzhlRqRa5JNOiBksvsMKkzfQ71MISkAbg/s320/IMG_6627.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5189548680164313426" border="0" /></a>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-20660292434542491972008-04-10T18:45:00.014+00:002008-12-09T07:13:47.605+00:00where you will see ashton in bell bottoms and eat a pomme d'amour<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaxLBc109HdHltWLOBm6RGPfBAskIByAI4yNvKDbKnzGX0nsv1lEJNq69gNW-gOYwUGWPvliU8I0Q9plfec_rjDv7-59mBt2-5cTdv9n63I7HqPYgKxetCKypNsjXM6aFnpeDBniA1Rg/s1600-h/IMG_6254.jpg"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">aahh so long since my last entry. but i'm all over the blogging life again i swear. after this weekend i'm posting photos from a funeral in a small village. it was beautiful beautiful and so sad.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;">we went to Ivory Coast for Easter Break. despite the whole civil war thing and the 'don't go to ivory coast or you'll die!' warnings of peers. we felt pretty rebellious. and were glad afterward because we decided we would like to stay forever and only petty obligations were presented in protest of this idea. petty obligations won. on the basis that maybe they weren't as petty as we were willing to make them out to be if it meant we could stay forever. but maybe we'll stay forever another time.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;"> french west africa. and it's really french. west africa. baguettes on street corners, croissants and tea for breakfast and we're ready to go. croissants and tea for breakfast everyday and any day means an automatic new favorite place. which makes sense considering paris is a favorite place and Abidjan was hailed as the 'paris of west africa' in its prime, its prime being the 70s which is quite possibly the best time to be in your prime if it means every building is a geometric puzzle and Ashton Kutcher may peek out in bell bottoms and all of a sudden set-location will be obvious, how did you not know it before? i also thought it looked like what i'd imagine an African Cuba to look like based on what i imagine Cuba to look like which may or may not be solely based on 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights.'</span> </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaxLBc109HdHltWLOBm6RGPfBAskIByAI4yNvKDbKnzGX0nsv1lEJNq69gNW-gOYwUGWPvliU8I0Q9plfec_rjDv7-59mBt2-5cTdv9n63I7HqPYgKxetCKypNsjXM6aFnpeDBniA1Rg/s1600-h/IMG_6254.jpg"> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEaxLBc109HdHltWLOBm6RGPfBAskIByAI4yNvKDbKnzGX0nsv1lEJNq69gNW-gOYwUGWPvliU8I0Q9plfec_rjDv7-59mBt2-5cTdv9n63I7HqPYgKxetCKypNsjXM6aFnpeDBniA1Rg/s320/IMG_6254.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187702434374533602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3kU9fyQ-4pX3lJiWz8gA0UgzFa9ECIFKXeFNQlgyizbCFUZ9tHOYrvFfST42sObv1yHU9aWPcmlu6-8pdEOyXfmeZcmJBCm3RrcEu9Kt-oeRjnLtYy8S4iWHTFy1976ZkchssuQBntI/s1600-h/IMG_6336.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3kU9fyQ-4pX3lJiWz8gA0UgzFa9ECIFKXeFNQlgyizbCFUZ9tHOYrvFfST42sObv1yHU9aWPcmlu6-8pdEOyXfmeZcmJBCm3RrcEu9Kt-oeRjnLtYy8S4iWHTFy1976ZkchssuQBntI/s320/IMG_6336.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187702438669500914" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XewrypsRJ4f_-hOSo6NI9rNYOSysI4YCGEhBrXBSJIORLvN9_ASmK7lqOB97PsxnExo67ajIjCMt6WtPnzQhCDvpjIUEE32u9_le_pzd-PssR6Xv1AEKOnB96VGg0kOZWC6giFQVNjM/s1600-h/IMG_6229.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XewrypsRJ4f_-hOSo6NI9rNYOSysI4YCGEhBrXBSJIORLvN9_ASmK7lqOB97PsxnExo67ajIjCMt6WtPnzQhCDvpjIUEE32u9_le_pzd-PssR6Xv1AEKOnB96VGg0kOZWC6giFQVNjM/s320/IMG_6229.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187702438669500930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkt57m3BcSI2GNcEypsaUtksWBplZop3jkEpTLwBkQEDcKTgY00JbVuNNdxCeAECHj6cGxZ5LHYoHqLDYhNeq92wJwcBeZ62OOdjm3PAiYXLyoz-u9d4rvECVsqNJtFzvm5BsXaViM3s/s1600-h/IMG_6338.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGkt57m3BcSI2GNcEypsaUtksWBplZop3jkEpTLwBkQEDcKTgY00JbVuNNdxCeAECHj6cGxZ5LHYoHqLDYhNeq92wJwcBeZ62OOdjm3PAiYXLyoz-u9d4rvECVsqNJtFzvm5BsXaViM3s/s320/IMG_6338.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187702442964468242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnN-yrT6obPCcrHQxJ17pvrlQAuvzC6e-VzM6pmNmOqrwP6UsX6Nhm8R6XEAKn-6Zj7_7FeOg5S9kGFDxD2stFpnnIaFK31CzbAWWoD08fK7Xmuc-aSTI4rvbRB9-6P6Py78o0uXGWSas/s1600-h/IMG_6250.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnN-yrT6obPCcrHQxJ17pvrlQAuvzC6e-VzM6pmNmOqrwP6UsX6Nhm8R6XEAKn-6Zj7_7FeOg5S9kGFDxD2stFpnnIaFK31CzbAWWoD08fK7Xmuc-aSTI4rvbRB9-6P6Py78o0uXGWSas/s320/IMG_6250.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187700677732909458" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpL-GRQz_xw-QQNMOLor4WVJ3WbFlRKrTytD2-pPvOChOyOr43GSuV2ONkjgoECPv3ZswA76lrYeZIfS2qZyZDYM9DRNOnKGdEscpFhff1o5p2LSOV53k2DN7ttt0Of4uu214PnRqalI/s1600-h/IMG_6331.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpL-GRQz_xw-QQNMOLor4WVJ3WbFlRKrTytD2-pPvOChOyOr43GSuV2ONkjgoECPv3ZswA76lrYeZIfS2qZyZDYM9DRNOnKGdEscpFhff1o5p2LSOV53k2DN7ttt0Of4uu214PnRqalI/s320/IMG_6331.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187700686322844066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWjZ274kbr-_lunCDkExyq2jTw8oQdUGVGF6p7HOIYxlISgFG6p6ITbt04LU3-lJjJZuN3ISJs95Xryl3Vn4Gqh9CDXpSR-I6fhD8ppWD_f8J9e3CXm1QtjRi-HWF54qwtP-5eg0VzEQ/s1600-h/IMG_6335.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWjZ274kbr-_lunCDkExyq2jTw8oQdUGVGF6p7HOIYxlISgFG6p6ITbt04LU3-lJjJZuN3ISJs95Xryl3Vn4Gqh9CDXpSR-I6fhD8ppWD_f8J9e3CXm1QtjRi-HWF54qwtP-5eg0VzEQ/s320/IMG_6335.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187700690617811378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbIM54akxHJk8w3Rn-4IHxdkbNuQDmEQJKByxaqZqtdV0hapEFRWTPtf5JNllO2YyAPFcnMFbkZROIJ-5CqBEtCtDl6dCLQoybmsRKN_6tjQK7Hge0gxIJNe-1iVlaMAcZ5sNXJ56gO8/s1600-h/IMG_6185.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbIM54akxHJk8w3Rn-4IHxdkbNuQDmEQJKByxaqZqtdV0hapEFRWTPtf5JNllO2YyAPFcnMFbkZROIJ-5CqBEtCtDl6dCLQoybmsRKN_6tjQK7Hge0gxIJNe-1iVlaMAcZ5sNXJ56gO8/s320/IMG_6185.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187700703502713298" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: courier new;font-size:85%;" ><br />the cathedral. </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaplfm1VhofEZCNV0mYjmfYKQTchEphaHYmGoyGka9W7AZRFzN1oCiu6ON23iuqLfpLk17K3xL3hHmCo4wCCOrTxYEArm4NhZ1EN1y2GgihUKCI9DmKnt40U5eQJirTetVEqz0r4Dr64/s1600-h/IMG_6401.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaplfm1VhofEZCNV0mYjmfYKQTchEphaHYmGoyGka9W7AZRFzN1oCiu6ON23iuqLfpLk17K3xL3hHmCo4wCCOrTxYEArm4NhZ1EN1y2GgihUKCI9DmKnt40U5eQJirTetVEqz0r4Dr64/s320/IMG_6401.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187698066392793426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: courier new;font-size:85%;" >we find an abandoned dark stairway at the bottom and used a flashlight on a phone to go up the twisting staircase, dark and dusty enough to make you think you may step on an assortment of one or all of the following: dead bodies, a homeless man that upon being stepped on will awaken angry enough to kill you, the non-casper ghosts in casper that unlike casper are really mean. we climb all the way to the toptoptop of this weird abstract structure thing protruding from the church, the highest point you see in this next photo of the outside of the cathedral. we feel we are on top of the world. we are proud to have gone so high, to have done something probably illegal, and to have carefully evaded the homeless man with potentially murderous tendencies. so proud in fact, we sign our names. we were here.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ruk2rT1Fr7AMwGYXhqcCwFMixBtSfkidDjQSo5qW3rfsO-eXjXDhdA_tHDsMFeKF0zIvBD-ykK9sQJbehG-rYN4Pq4a0RawyBwW0w4YaQXVM6mghdqgjEouT5GJ0MbF2n0DP69PLPL4/s1600-h/IMG_6414.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ruk2rT1Fr7AMwGYXhqcCwFMixBtSfkidDjQSo5qW3rfsO-eXjXDhdA_tHDsMFeKF0zIvBD-ykK9sQJbehG-rYN4Pq4a0RawyBwW0w4YaQXVM6mghdqgjEouT5GJ0MbF2n0DP69PLPL4/s320/IMG_6414.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187698066392793442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFoG0sCRv8EK557wby12nky4UoAS8lyTD7T8xB1yBszXYN9JtHIIA-7hyphenhyphensV3o1-mspcIlZgOzD_BoiY-y04JBQzCBlMfyxEqFSEUK_qXe4TpHsK_0PVuoAJgnsj4_V1WVRi1aBmMuprA/s1600-h/IMG_6427.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFoG0sCRv8EK557wby12nky4UoAS8lyTD7T8xB1yBszXYN9JtHIIA-7hyphenhyphensV3o1-mspcIlZgOzD_BoiY-y04JBQzCBlMfyxEqFSEUK_qXe4TpHsK_0PVuoAJgnsj4_V1WVRi1aBmMuprA/s320/IMG_6427.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187698070687760754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4dKTPboxNm2sFa9XOAjPUJNAgyDzbVmrqvee9t5LZf8aDDURBiPGsCXmvue9cS6r5swBMQ_eex7V03T0bqf6ZDN9wkDESQ8N44u2FN99WCXTgc05N6ZjkUgf-aAv-e8mRWnMvaEFz48/s1600-h/IMG_6423.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4dKTPboxNm2sFa9XOAjPUJNAgyDzbVmrqvee9t5LZf8aDDURBiPGsCXmvue9cS6r5swBMQ_eex7V03T0bqf6ZDN9wkDESQ8N44u2FN99WCXTgc05N6ZjkUgf-aAv-e8mRWnMvaEFz48/s320/IMG_6423.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187698074982728066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">the grocery store. we were really excited. as evidenced by the unnecessarily great amount of photos taken there. lipton tea is what i have four cups-a-day-three-spoons-of-sugar of everyday. nutella is what we dream of having everyday. milo is the ghanaian equivalent of ovaltine except EVERYONE drinks it ALL the time. and a nun at the butcher is just funny.</span><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPv6khDzITuXaBXFqFBe8rGjvo4gzozLOPBdQ6fG1pfY6sW1sOiTd7qcB0ZuCqu9DxUUiWDZC8XZXnKzIpORAoOqH_iUA_74Kk4gnLAbunZ07CNc1UMEx5_TkKPQNqDOyUVCRIaOiQxfo/s1600-h/IMG_6380.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPv6khDzITuXaBXFqFBe8rGjvo4gzozLOPBdQ6fG1pfY6sW1sOiTd7qcB0ZuCqu9DxUUiWDZC8XZXnKzIpORAoOqH_iUA_74Kk4gnLAbunZ07CNc1UMEx5_TkKPQNqDOyUVCRIaOiQxfo/s320/IMG_6380.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187696631873716482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMc0_IH4M9zFMiyYnZ75O3NLfSTRaFCmWEOlpzjS8Mtyd-Zlyh0pe_0HWpOnE_Y67kBZa7k-1a-bHuU6huTwAlgsaYRWQ3ZSUlHclqazoWTLL4r2NEC2QuTtOPyVUlrkPkl6MJWuLsaMU/s1600-h/IMG_6374_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMc0_IH4M9zFMiyYnZ75O3NLfSTRaFCmWEOlpzjS8Mtyd-Zlyh0pe_0HWpOnE_Y67kBZa7k-1a-bHuU6huTwAlgsaYRWQ3ZSUlHclqazoWTLL4r2NEC2QuTtOPyVUlrkPkl6MJWuLsaMU/s320/IMG_6374_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187696644758618386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIf4hC7Kf5P7nw1WHsgKvjebTqi9DnRDWWKXiLhcRfURUWdRC8eLrajFBQNnVkbYaskBNcy0hVT89PlZ_hK6VMzhd5FHA8BLPypIC9EICaByu8Xbyq7y5hqZa3o5FRsmLiJ6KY_FudtO4/s1600-h/IMG_6370_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIf4hC7Kf5P7nw1WHsgKvjebTqi9DnRDWWKXiLhcRfURUWdRC8eLrajFBQNnVkbYaskBNcy0hVT89PlZ_hK6VMzhd5FHA8BLPypIC9EICaByu8Xbyq7y5hqZa3o5FRsmLiJ6KY_FudtO4/s320/IMG_6370_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187696649053585698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2KKvv5dm3UvZvMuhrkR3MXqE49Pklm9iRaKRLEQrrz6EoB-DxASVCIBQhdy02_yhSNSEm2ESviy0il_KzGRlbuYXflCRNCNdmiGRaPsI5aB3Gm482aHoTqCdB5Xbi82v8JEZDDAIZt4/s1600-h/IMG_6379.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2KKvv5dm3UvZvMuhrkR3MXqE49Pklm9iRaKRLEQrrz6EoB-DxASVCIBQhdy02_yhSNSEm2ESviy0il_KzGRlbuYXflCRNCNdmiGRaPsI5aB3Gm482aHoTqCdB5Xbi82v8JEZDDAIZt4/s320/IMG_6379.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187696653348553010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLiQauqMFMI3dVkUEi8nRWVV2VQ-4bEOIqU4xNZ5NUaIcGweil6aEkcn70MtUNovsB42Ps9wZWfB8lp130aVkSrjl5mBLjzj9bHSQ_mK-WjvJDwNIkYGPUpnfYYV_INmNId0rnVxHR8I/s1600-h/IMG_6365_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLiQauqMFMI3dVkUEi8nRWVV2VQ-4bEOIqU4xNZ5NUaIcGweil6aEkcn70MtUNovsB42Ps9wZWfB8lp130aVkSrjl5mBLjzj9bHSQ_mK-WjvJDwNIkYGPUpnfYYV_INmNId0rnVxHR8I/s320/IMG_6365_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187696661938487618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;">the art gallery. we love it. and those that run it. i am especially fond of the black hats and how much they laugh.</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLprcHJg6TlTVZZ6V4RxRAMU2TZZZi2HhBKLoTZTC_5Tdv8rah0-CQG9WtYouybc1HWTH0eq2W97Xp8G62P7WcMx509jXu081xGg2Czmbq18wsFeDboBZA7pjkDZjnuC-_ugXgfErZfwg/s1600-h/IMG_6159.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLprcHJg6TlTVZZ6V4RxRAMU2TZZZi2HhBKLoTZTC_5Tdv8rah0-CQG9WtYouybc1HWTH0eq2W97Xp8G62P7WcMx509jXu081xGg2Czmbq18wsFeDboBZA7pjkDZjnuC-_ugXgfErZfwg/s320/IMG_6159.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187695016966013138" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPUMf7g766J24nt4H9JmywIKAoB8XZlCOwhCA7awtMbxJVo-BEbAkToFE10SkdQzFebey8_qq0iTdBBxAqWSC0MxXkwh5-ClXiA2PPd5W3sIVhHmFy2QmHViuJU7dF3q8aWQWDeGUM2s/s1600-h/IMG_6139.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPUMf7g766J24nt4H9JmywIKAoB8XZlCOwhCA7awtMbxJVo-BEbAkToFE10SkdQzFebey8_qq0iTdBBxAqWSC0MxXkwh5-ClXiA2PPd5W3sIVhHmFy2QmHViuJU7dF3q8aWQWDeGUM2s/s320/IMG_6139.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187695021260980450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_-VRhHYneiXanbonmssEcG4ioIyEnyK7KotDOzfaeu5H6Hi2t5szwYjOUFUYTSYfkkpXPPzeLPbhad5V_Nn9w_FizHQDMtJ_qxVKaB2DG5lCiGBARW_Mu7RuoZ7RmFpwmqN-okptfZE/s1600-h/IMG_6168_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_-VRhHYneiXanbonmssEcG4ioIyEnyK7KotDOzfaeu5H6Hi2t5szwYjOUFUYTSYfkkpXPPzeLPbhad5V_Nn9w_FizHQDMtJ_qxVKaB2DG5lCiGBARW_Mu7RuoZ7RmFpwmqN-okptfZE/s320/IMG_6168_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187695025555947762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnReNmClkEu8i4uqWarWnMx7ACeiPSHJQ2nE8bvwS_dtb4qFXFvNoJnZwF9tLkPFtB3y5niPDHEbQHoZ_3bb4vuObgw7I7dgL-kanGjLLfubi6vOH8HRgUsIpdVhOQ2gh7S0iJEkiZKh0/s1600-h/IMG_6146.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnReNmClkEu8i4uqWarWnMx7ACeiPSHJQ2nE8bvwS_dtb4qFXFvNoJnZwF9tLkPFtB3y5niPDHEbQHoZ_3bb4vuObgw7I7dgL-kanGjLLfubi6vOH8HRgUsIpdVhOQ2gh7S0iJEkiZKh0/s400/IMG_6146.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187694553109545154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;font-size:85%;" >we kept trying to take 'serious family portraits.' we mostly fail.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QwId6yKjpoeJcePXBnD_yGPPf82M7dHgbLwltPhUyLXe2t-XMPaqMcm_IkSxmru_w2qR8dZ6i7TC_xD64c-U7w_e4AhOTDZnbVVEIoJqhWyao69EBrelhL8zM0LCVWSwzrwheggA2Ug/s1600-h/IMG_6322.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QwId6yKjpoeJcePXBnD_yGPPf82M7dHgbLwltPhUyLXe2t-XMPaqMcm_IkSxmru_w2qR8dZ6i7TC_xD64c-U7w_e4AhOTDZnbVVEIoJqhWyao69EBrelhL8zM0LCVWSwzrwheggA2Ug/s320/IMG_6322.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187693827260072098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;">apples of love!</span><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybfJRcrueabOxL6JKDNrBadX3XBhvtJOzVNCf_Q7yuUB1dS-vO4pQlYfH2psC-JxOg4LKxgkoZpr8rOQ0X2JCwFSg8HQhrGPjYhOGD4YAOrgv5IzdlC9m8Ga4v7Hihskwq8zM3GAwr70/s1600-h/IMG_6084.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybfJRcrueabOxL6JKDNrBadX3XBhvtJOzVNCf_Q7yuUB1dS-vO4pQlYfH2psC-JxOg4LKxgkoZpr8rOQ0X2JCwFSg8HQhrGPjYhOGD4YAOrgv5IzdlC9m8Ga4v7Hihskwq8zM3GAwr70/s320/IMG_6084.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187693840144974002" border="0" /></a>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-58000433457050008362008-03-17T14:46:00.002+00:002008-12-09T07:13:47.751+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzE7bwdsYoRaS8ktAfRhg2DgHKbtD-i-v3vOshUvcoFBO2CXOZt1K0ZTBf6spTVlUl-3ZqSBkKMdMzCkmu7jMd4cQMmCyMU8NfqQzmlhgB0RFNQmS0s4sENeKzgzwWKG0TrtYBOQNfEU/s1600-h/IMG_5935.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJzE7bwdsYoRaS8ktAfRhg2DgHKbtD-i-v3vOshUvcoFBO2CXOZt1K0ZTBf6spTVlUl-3ZqSBkKMdMzCkmu7jMd4cQMmCyMU8NfqQzmlhgB0RFNQmS0s4sENeKzgzwWKG0TrtYBOQNfEU/s400/IMG_5935.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178722481171826546" border="0" /></a>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-89892217579936223362008-03-15T15:42:00.025+00:002008-12-09T07:13:52.701+00:00you were right about the stars<span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" >first of all sorry for how long this is. but this post is my favorite 5 days since i have been in Ghana. also, celine dion is currently blaring in the computer lab, not unusual. and my tolerance for spicy food is increasing which means a variation from tikka masala at house of curries may be possible, though chances are still slim. </span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">last weekend it was off to Mole. Mole like the Mexican dish, not the skin imperfection.<span style=""> </span>Mole national park: home of 600 elephants, and vacation hotspot for 80-year olds (in khakis, giant Buddha earrings, and binoculars) who refuse to relinquish dreams of going on an African safari. traveling is me, Thien-Vinh, and Megan.<span style=""> </span>except sometimes I call Thien-Vinh 'Rin-Tin-Tin' and she barks back.<span style=""> </span>and we meet Syntia from <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Germany</st1:place></st1:country-region> at the bus station and she ends up tagging along.<span style=""> </span>for a long time I think her name is Cynthia,<span style=""> </span>and it’s her accent making it sound like Syntia, but it just <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>Syntia.<span style=""> </span>we have tickets for the 8am bus to Tamale (from Tamale we bus to Larabanga, from Larabanga to Mole) so we wake up at 5am to leave for the station at 6am, water heater, tea, sugar, mugs packed inside our otherwise outwardly appearing rugged backpacking gear.<span style=""> </span>we arrive at the bus station at 730am, and it’s 830, then 930, 1030, and we leave at 11am. on the 8am bus.<span style=""> </span>hours and hours of loud radio and louder soap operas later, we arrive at 1230am. as ‘white’ passengers (me white, weird, I know), we’re ran to and sweet talked so this person can take us to this hotel, and this person can get us this taxi, and finally they understand we don’t need their help and we sleep in the passenger’s lounge.<span style=""> </span>don’t be fooled. passenger’s lounge = long wooden benches on an outdoor platform, security guards snoring, their flashlights sporadically shone in our faces when they arbitrarily decide to<span style=""> </span>awaken for duty.<span style=""> </span>we wake up at 430am, to get tickets for the 6am bus, because lonely planet told us to. 4:35am and the ‘seats are finished’ they tell us (everything in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Ghana</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> ‘finishes,’ it’s never sold-out), but DJ Ken from filaFM radio adopts us and convinces us he’s a serious man, he doesn’t deal with non-serious people, and his name alone yields favors. </span><span style="font-size:85%;">and maybe he was right because suddenly we were on the bus to Larabanga: home of the first mosque of <st1:place st="on">West Africa</st1:place>, and brothers YahYah and Anoosa.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p> </o:p>The mosque was beautiful, 600 years old and still used.</span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLuK-CSIEvSzVyEmmTZDXTsh80qYgDz4P9Bfoq2G_cCyC_zW-q5EPSYVPQucYct1EmGV150y0c5aB8tKsPWEHk7WLDdAnTU8nyk2BO53DM_evhI_ASwr-yGAQfSAATk9ti5yn6D7Ib28/s1600-h/IMG_5601.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLuK-CSIEvSzVyEmmTZDXTsh80qYgDz4P9Bfoq2G_cCyC_zW-q5EPSYVPQucYct1EmGV150y0c5aB8tKsPWEHk7WLDdAnTU8nyk2BO53DM_evhI_ASwr-yGAQfSAATk9ti5yn6D7Ib28/s200/IMG_5601.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178004349755033442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEira5TX9No0bBtQSwt6tQkfRn7F88KgsR6QOKrpsafCLWxQC9tMGhzvLPzXUWs4I_UiNrK97vhruadLdoxBx3IqIWNxqgVnln-pnv_biGEx_Gepm_CfGo_B6iSt6sG-s5o-fiHFta3i3vc/s1600-h/IMG_5598.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEira5TX9No0bBtQSwt6tQkfRn7F88KgsR6QOKrpsafCLWxQC9tMGhzvLPzXUWs4I_UiNrK97vhruadLdoxBx3IqIWNxqgVnln-pnv_biGEx_Gepm_CfGo_B6iSt6sG-s5o-fiHFta3i3vc/s320/IMG_5598.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178004177956341586" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yahyah and Anoosa are so smart, 19 and 15, respectively, and in love with our cameras.</span><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:12;"><span style=""> </span><span style="font-size:85%;">‘I am a pho-tog-rapher’<span style=""> </span>Yahyah says over and over. ‘I am a pho-tog-rapher.’</span></span></span><br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-abBt4ajqqLO7tzD_T7CtSeT_mY1em9ofxuSNKWkEshPxyPY97DnpySIiZibKoEX1yZkkZTSEf9Umn4qOecdP8Dz7xMYaqFFocyTnmkQRJg3O6-sI5KBJ3aMtref5KwEFFnQc_0ExRM/s1600-h/IMG_5613.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-abBt4ajqqLO7tzD_T7CtSeT_mY1em9ofxuSNKWkEshPxyPY97DnpySIiZibKoEX1yZkkZTSEf9Umn4qOecdP8Dz7xMYaqFFocyTnmkQRJg3O6-sI5KBJ3aMtref5KwEFFnQc_0ExRM/s320/IMG_5613.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178003864423728946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFQ71JLXK_80nPCYh9Gr1X8fA6xEPUmU9vu_lsHl4NftB_384iLLBpb2AP0LA-YsVTYDAIs3pyle6hRLAVA4g89UdC3MwjVJAjtry_JcJmGM8NBv78ENLWIWoXDUTXcLIGng3j7hZdj0/s1600-h/IMG_5612.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFQ71JLXK_80nPCYh9Gr1X8fA6xEPUmU9vu_lsHl4NftB_384iLLBpb2AP0LA-YsVTYDAIs3pyle6hRLAVA4g89UdC3MwjVJAjtry_JcJmGM8NBv78ENLWIWoXDUTXcLIGng3j7hZdj0/s320/IMG_5612.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178003868718696258" border="0" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I made a friend, our relationship was me talk-talk-talking, he blowing bubbles in response. no words, just bubbles.</span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0O-1i4f0zOr6q1TASFAsF10OumzgKqcY6k1Q8aF-tR3KYKNPzrFZVKt88y9uT32AiG1fjOPUZZxLobjgLmEm0FIshXeqAzvqfTc0_rifvKRUGQSvQVEiTYqLe2E1nAnWdzKX3v2k3f1o/s1600-h/IMG_5625.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0O-1i4f0zOr6q1TASFAsF10OumzgKqcY6k1Q8aF-tR3KYKNPzrFZVKt88y9uT32AiG1fjOPUZZxLobjgLmEm0FIshXeqAzvqfTc0_rifvKRUGQSvQVEiTYqLe2E1nAnWdzKX3v2k3f1o/s320/IMG_5625.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178003490761574162" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">me: can I take a photo of you blowing a bubble?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">him: [blows bubble]</span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zTPNLFVyfVr83lTJiURE-wedORGhyphenhyphenbmzbaNLfbMZEzmOniNZLkzSNtI61jCGSK-iw3Eoxxu_8TrP56MAWVyheVYmakwrIvtdh6dOsMRMP9_QMrnhZhJgqtvEl7VlzquwlSibCPqLdt0/s1600-h/IMG_5622.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zTPNLFVyfVr83lTJiURE-wedORGhyphenhyphenbmzbaNLfbMZEzmOniNZLkzSNtI61jCGSK-iw3Eoxxu_8TrP56MAWVyheVYmakwrIvtdh6dOsMRMP9_QMrnhZhJgqtvEl7VlzquwlSibCPqLdt0/s320/IMG_5622.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178003495056541474" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yahyah and Anoosa are nephews of Al-Hassan, one of the Salia brothers.<span style=""> </span>they started eco-tourism in Larabanga, ie 2cedis for his nephews to walk us around, show us the mosque, children always following, holding our hands, linking arms. this may be my favorite kind of tourism.<span style=""> </span>Al-Hassan is all hospitality, serving us food despite our insistence that we just ate. ‘but food that isn’t free isn’t food,’ was his irrefutable response.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">and finally we are driven in the community cab the 15 minutes to Mole.<span style=""> </span>the cab was donated by an NGO for driving tourists to Mole, and pregnant women to the hospital in the next town to give birth. i wondered if a baby had been born in the taxi. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>first baboon sighting at the front entrance!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>settled in, we sit poolside with cokes and cards and swim dips while baboons swing at the giant tree yards away, pick at our bread, and elephants bathe at the water hole just below the pool area. this is the giant baboon-filled tree and those black spots in the water are elephants. and our seats atthe pool starts where the sandy dirt in this photo ends. surreal.<br /></span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NSSZW90GJGVvkZ90z6OAbWZCVHMz_vSRiaAwRFVwWq3RlM01JRG0P8JpxQdPeVXDT18D0YTUs7SARiPlbWWpND1sqYwsvDlCcKMOya1QS3oWxLxZNXwF2KhhwYwT0EzL8iglzrGiKHc/s1600-h/IMG_5723_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8NSSZW90GJGVvkZ90z6OAbWZCVHMz_vSRiaAwRFVwWq3RlM01JRG0P8JpxQdPeVXDT18D0YTUs7SARiPlbWWpND1sqYwsvDlCcKMOya1QS3oWxLxZNXwF2KhhwYwT0EzL8iglzrGiKHc/s320/IMG_5723_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178003121394386690" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Mole is lovely, we sit in our bright-curtained rooms, <st1:place st="on">Africa</st1:place> our backyard.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"> cockroaches live with us. we name them Fred 1 and Fred 2.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=""> </span>sunsets are pink skies, Lion King-esque tree silhouettes.<span style=""> </span><br /></span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0VH8FbbuopvsB0A-mAXWIZk8H3-bgE6mV7F1cdzhKO3jkzmILEwF5Dm0qZjVNrKXXqRtEFW4KRCWnnsCRyrxnSv9jvnX6Fzm6hrBcafrMmAzozdo8z0ONdwMHvGOl6Y33NonhT8LF84/s1600-h/IMG_5758.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0VH8FbbuopvsB0A-mAXWIZk8H3-bgE6mV7F1cdzhKO3jkzmILEwF5Dm0qZjVNrKXXqRtEFW4KRCWnnsCRyrxnSv9jvnX6Fzm6hrBcafrMmAzozdo8z0ONdwMHvGOl6Y33NonhT8LF84/s320/IMG_5758.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178002730552362706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2UrBboN0KczTEw93VBHuDvePyDmZVpgTAXxBv1AOFGFOVVAqn8uceoUyiiU5_N7jJFM2Ym65Fmb1Qyz2AdZGOHcFjq78fkDNbN_piljgIG0O9MUbp1n2uNmibUK5i-1AeQEReT8riB4/s1600-h/IMG_5744.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2UrBboN0KczTEw93VBHuDvePyDmZVpgTAXxBv1AOFGFOVVAqn8uceoUyiiU5_N7jJFM2Ym65Fmb1Qyz2AdZGOHcFjq78fkDNbN_piljgIG0O9MUbp1n2uNmibUK5i-1AeQEReT8riB4/s320/IMG_5744.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178002730552362722" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZYZnKoIt8fnlEs68bkAScF7BX5EpGYyYYreP2YvtNNafvrdu_wC60PTJU-YlcOw1Re4jm8ukKmq659COpCU-2wUYwqQOnQcdjZAzKdAiQ8OM0Qe2Gfx-oQ2tUz2spPU_YZi0C5M61cI/s1600-h/IMG_5759.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZYZnKoIt8fnlEs68bkAScF7BX5EpGYyYYreP2YvtNNafvrdu_wC60PTJU-YlcOw1Re4jm8ukKmq659COpCU-2wUYwqQOnQcdjZAzKdAiQ8OM0Qe2Gfx-oQ2tUz2spPU_YZi0C5M61cI/s320/IMG_5759.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178002734847330034" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5gwFWCCW9Svfb8F2X1tIraBkzEzfLWs5PQto6a2NckYkppSQ0nzQ2gI8o_li36wUSbx4BgDbXXSPDQ6HJADzLcgLw9Rck_B5XEFOj-scu1jlgKFMpWic4RqKennamHvEtqSq9PQlct4/s1600-h/IMG_5763.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5gwFWCCW9Svfb8F2X1tIraBkzEzfLWs5PQto6a2NckYkppSQ0nzQ2gI8o_li36wUSbx4BgDbXXSPDQ6HJADzLcgLw9Rck_B5XEFOj-scu1jlgKFMpWic4RqKennamHvEtqSq9PQlct4/s200/IMG_5763.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178002391249946306" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">we wake up early for our safari and Abu with a gun is our guide. he has worked there for twenty years, sweet eyes and a sweet laugh.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJWORkE5iXJLUKiNckgz7huYnj-rdFlqVH20UGMkd1Y7fXVmNAYw19Tw1Kk5hwBGmk-RndUJF0LHZvIMWy9omWO_8mgZT-LBe69HGaaS4d1z-CH31jkyqgqJ6NDL-RJG1-ahZEPGaWf4/s1600-h/IMG_5769.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJWORkE5iXJLUKiNckgz7huYnj-rdFlqVH20UGMkd1Y7fXVmNAYw19Tw1Kk5hwBGmk-RndUJF0LHZvIMWy9omWO_8mgZT-LBe69HGaaS4d1z-CH31jkyqgqJ6NDL-RJG1-ahZEPGaWf4/s320/IMG_5769.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178002112077072050" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4C6LhxF9s663r4RM4mJ72lLi0OmCfwMVZ_NrpQyLihW9KVLUB2Y2cBLBUkLc2wgh04Q_tMHMekkTa1SDCYL10L7a14oVSO2Ttu5oVwi76ytuKBMzYpksaEW1V-t4YSzUJoGEsjcXZQ4/s1600-h/IMG_5774.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4C6LhxF9s663r4RM4mJ72lLi0OmCfwMVZ_NrpQyLihW9KVLUB2Y2cBLBUkLc2wgh04Q_tMHMekkTa1SDCYL10L7a14oVSO2Ttu5oVwi76ytuKBMzYpksaEW1V-t4YSzUJoGEsjcXZQ4/s200/IMG_5774.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178001828609230498" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">we walk behind him through ‘the bush’, feet away from pumbas (warthogs, but spoken of as ‘pumbas’ throughout our travels).<span style=""> </span>they look noble. we decided it’s the mustache.<span style=""> </span>like they could smoke a pipe</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>when we finally see the elephants it’s magic because they’re<span style=""> </span>huge and peaceful and I can’t describe their majesty. we watch their slow, heavy, dance-leap steps through the water, a parade.</span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcfMTQlM6iV-FnLDZVQqnTAiqQhoYy0HIg6RdhOtFyJ3Ex-g0zgvqoGlmRmhLMkNzpTFFJXXPzhdwR5QCf8pnrn_3JM5pFeOVm1tLEx7k7UECq0as6Wk6JSbHFvtUw_NaDVw6wzT5zRU/s1600-h/IMG_5833.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUcfMTQlM6iV-FnLDZVQqnTAiqQhoYy0HIg6RdhOtFyJ3Ex-g0zgvqoGlmRmhLMkNzpTFFJXXPzhdwR5QCf8pnrn_3JM5pFeOVm1tLEx7k7UECq0as6Wk6JSbHFvtUw_NaDVw6wzT5zRU/s320/IMG_5833.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178001051220149890" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">elephant lovers:</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdmwW-3by20Q2YHhaKESuwC_-6JWpV9UaB8z2lw0iJwPA-bcEU42RqoDOgBRbLm9bR3hHjRcmv6-XVfi8A-FvWXS3C-LDpwfbtg_K-A6y6tS_hlc-xHHj6pMSpRRvDmF3K0G0_bDh_IE/s1600-h/IMG_5842.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdmwW-3by20Q2YHhaKESuwC_-6JWpV9UaB8z2lw0iJwPA-bcEU42RqoDOgBRbLm9bR3hHjRcmv6-XVfi8A-FvWXS3C-LDpwfbtg_K-A6y6tS_hlc-xHHj6pMSpRRvDmF3K0G0_bDh_IE/s320/IMG_5842.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178000123507213906" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfFQkljxNRTIYqPiNJeGHo_iplzJhyphenhyphenG4eJX9LGv69UwzjWVF_4HFJiw3y5tsirc_pS6VeeoqD1CCetLf_mWfiYwA27rd3IiyXDTqGLx6kUteNE5_vv8ibCkZGyp37disdlAK7oo19eaw/s1600-h/IMG_5837.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfFQkljxNRTIYqPiNJeGHo_iplzJhyphenhyphenG4eJX9LGv69UwzjWVF_4HFJiw3y5tsirc_pS6VeeoqD1CCetLf_mWfiYwA27rd3IiyXDTqGLx6kUteNE5_vv8ibCkZGyp37disdlAK7oo19eaw/s320/IMG_5837.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178000127802181218" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">evenings are teatime and spreading-out our towels on the porch and looking out at the trees and up at the stars and saying hello to the pumbas walking nonchalantly past us, close enough to be invited to tea.<span style=""> </span>the next day we say our good-byes to the Freds.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">this is how we get back to Larabanga. i feel like i'm flying.<br /></span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD13kadhHWMicpYSoWUEEyUuSaDPDOWdBju-UfcrgxekWn1l254vqo67_8ALYd9wmd1stTnKbQijmB_yft_Rlc7nDE-80y3szS_-ZzRQ4456QlMj-Esn2OnG8u8NYk4hUCGuofzOp3z4Y/s1600-h/IMG_5856.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD13kadhHWMicpYSoWUEEyUuSaDPDOWdBju-UfcrgxekWn1l254vqo67_8ALYd9wmd1stTnKbQijmB_yft_Rlc7nDE-80y3szS_-ZzRQ4456QlMj-Esn2OnG8u8NYk4hUCGuofzOp3z4Y/s320/IMG_5856.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178000127802181234" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">we meet up with Daniel and Tara.<span style=""> </span>they’re English and in love and together discovering the world.<span style=""> </span>Daniel is in dreads, Tara in beads, and I admire their courage, leaving jobs and comforts only 6 months after finishing university for the adventures of <st1:place st="on">W. Africa</st1:place>.<span style=""> </span>the six of us talk about politics, life, and <st1:place st="on">Tara</st1:place>’s father.<span style=""> </span>He is the owner of <st1:placename st="on">Larchill</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Gardens</st1:placetype> in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Ireland</st1:place></st1:country-region>: a Victorian property with fields and lakes turned into a rarebreeds (fluffy chickens, emus, llamas, etc.) farm.<span style=""> </span>Children walk through a door that stands alone in the meadow into the world of fairies, moving statues, and magical animals, kissing frogs to help sculptures regain the long-lost loves whose absences turned them to stone.<span style=""> </span><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>The Salia Brothers’ Guesthouse in Larabanga is a dozen children (Al-Hassan’s nieces and nephews) running around and jumping and screaming, flying colors, and I feel like they’re all walking on trampolines as they poke at us, leap at us, asking our names, teaching us songs and games.<span style=""> </span>we play jump rope with them then teach them limbo.</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span> </span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45c0Bl89t7QDBa769OA1-erj7eklCIlOi1KYfKx43tCX5ZfgSGb5uYEO3eGJaLI1SgNMDzPIaQ4gZrYW3N-Si-MKlodG5lUD6YEEbYOblsmN49MefEmBwvth_2gaTrc5wFhc9UhjMjOA/s1600-h/IMG_5859.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45c0Bl89t7QDBa769OA1-erj7eklCIlOi1KYfKx43tCX5ZfgSGb5uYEO3eGJaLI1SgNMDzPIaQ4gZrYW3N-Si-MKlodG5lUD6YEEbYOblsmN49MefEmBwvth_2gaTrc5wFhc9UhjMjOA/s320/IMG_5859.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177999401952708146" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrPQeoELlOzq4PYg8g-8QqjvcBfZxpEi0ByF4ZFfsZeRO8yqCv01BS7Ygy-B18RACg7HwebktJL1todSXQ8fG2_quZmfQnYGWC7wS2WHl4TYV-LgTh4yA1WBsioaXGNcp9OF_siU9K3U/s1600-h/IMG_5869.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBrPQeoELlOzq4PYg8g-8QqjvcBfZxpEi0ByF4ZFfsZeRO8yqCv01BS7Ygy-B18RACg7HwebktJL1todSXQ8fG2_quZmfQnYGWC7wS2WHl4TYV-LgTh4yA1WBsioaXGNcp9OF_siU9K3U/s320/IMG_5869.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177998890851599890" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSqk8Wdn8U-MnNugpSqph5-FhMgxXE9jQnTU6xDC_z2UKpdNs_Lj57bS5QzQMpJGrsNIfJwTuQxBaeiRQrCkjrIDSZ7cjcMRm_RNTn7kCJWdbg_ZHdbZxtm1xE30yRHPuzrtkiMsBgU4/s1600-h/IMG_5678.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSqk8Wdn8U-MnNugpSqph5-FhMgxXE9jQnTU6xDC_z2UKpdNs_Lj57bS5QzQMpJGrsNIfJwTuQxBaeiRQrCkjrIDSZ7cjcMRm_RNTn7kCJWdbg_ZHdbZxtm1xE30yRHPuzrtkiMsBgU4/s320/IMG_5678.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177998890851599906" border="0" /></a> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">they are fascinated with our cameras: run around, snap, run around, snap, climb to the roof, snap, ‘stay there, stay there,’ snap.</span></p> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TI8Vnwc45QI6pRJTOzdFra8_LVUXoqlI-XNyK_CDJxIX7CrJKOmJEh7iULDhfxuQPzjiKLnQYLhehxYEqBO3T-TUF2oEc9RXDMxXFde6pdDtw0VSInsaCsFeDDgu_73zPSUYsmVMD7o/s1600-h/IMG_5685.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TI8Vnwc45QI6pRJTOzdFra8_LVUXoqlI-XNyK_CDJxIX7CrJKOmJEh7iULDhfxuQPzjiKLnQYLhehxYEqBO3T-TUF2oEc9RXDMxXFde6pdDtw0VSInsaCsFeDDgu_73zPSUYsmVMD7o/s320/IMG_5685.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177998104872584658" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXHfjTdRT4NIJy_oVFn4OIRWD9KadpFN3MfAjIeinwxc9Ecs8QT9WNgYDtiB5jv8kFlzvJChBeYWadgtev9RSI8ipa-ACEkgAUic7JEchGnX-KLC6Z3PUAghdJ9e2F6xVkETSRDzc_nk/s1600-h/IMG_5686.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXHfjTdRT4NIJy_oVFn4OIRWD9KadpFN3MfAjIeinwxc9Ecs8QT9WNgYDtiB5jv8kFlzvJChBeYWadgtev9RSI8ipa-ACEkgAUic7JEchGnX-KLC6Z3PUAghdJ9e2F6xVkETSRDzc_nk/s320/IMG_5686.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177998113462519266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br />Tee-Tee's portrait of me:</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinip-NXveSealViLigHtyZgG8iuqXLbzSWfJ1EI4rcqPPDVLFQbMZHdRtIcNF3h8IKuYiilQwCem8A_8giwY3Kz7k_NLWUD2vOClkM2KqgugGq39LjntHeMLc-G9rw7cxyGJTRG82kTCM/s1600-h/IMG_5868.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinip-NXveSealViLigHtyZgG8iuqXLbzSWfJ1EI4rcqPPDVLFQbMZHdRtIcNF3h8IKuYiilQwCem8A_8giwY3Kz7k_NLWUD2vOClkM2KqgugGq39LjntHeMLc-G9rw7cxyGJTRG82kTCM/s320/IMG_5868.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177998117757486578" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">my portrait of Tee-Tee:</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjtiee1pPHNbp1kTkJMp1TWbuELqqv7Nv8KCuE9Bgclo86CBdxVCGWUiZC01xxLitCeFHbp_YzlWex-1DPnCy-hhiTA1t9CoBlBGVPNCuzPgFAfUkL39hkE2frYLLq6fDmqSKNEyIPKA/s1600-h/IMG_5689.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjtiee1pPHNbp1kTkJMp1TWbuELqqv7Nv8KCuE9Bgclo86CBdxVCGWUiZC01xxLitCeFHbp_YzlWex-1DPnCy-hhiTA1t9CoBlBGVPNCuzPgFAfUkL39hkE2frYLLq6fDmqSKNEyIPKA/s320/IMG_5689.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177998122052453890" border="0" /></a><br /><span style=";font-family:courier new;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-size:12;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">photos taken by the kids; Larabanga through their eyes:</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBtIHaF4miDZxbx8IaQCOwqPb1hji3FS9vot84E4uXVuvqmjJJHOn52uIYYHQ2CdGb1wjTshUb7RP1vTgmamhYkWrLmlcnLUAcdOuRiTREg_bi7eh8JebkRe6Y1ErHY9HhQoOB3gJzzY/s1600-h/IMG_5662.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBtIHaF4miDZxbx8IaQCOwqPb1hji3FS9vot84E4uXVuvqmjJJHOn52uIYYHQ2CdGb1wjTshUb7RP1vTgmamhYkWrLmlcnLUAcdOuRiTREg_bi7eh8JebkRe6Y1ErHY9HhQoOB3gJzzY/s320/IMG_5662.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177996739072984450" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLJ4PcLrEo4ZRKmDWiXBHs_EePOU6IiqUCgzHeRxIgUX4pUsBuvpRFGmpCrtaVTyI2GYluwlcJn6zvkAfM8H1K-w-09gNAwIZl9UhZ4W7wqdFHvYjoZo8tdTWavnMIiAYNeR6TrZh79M/s1600-h/IMG_5870.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLJ4PcLrEo4ZRKmDWiXBHs_EePOU6IiqUCgzHeRxIgUX4pUsBuvpRFGmpCrtaVTyI2GYluwlcJn6zvkAfM8H1K-w-09gNAwIZl9UhZ4W7wqdFHvYjoZo8tdTWavnMIiAYNeR6TrZh79M/s320/IMG_5870.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177996743367951762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7L1dajVr1VA8uqxps3TVTo7e60abZjH2K_7lbSNybPQZQqqhavyH_M92EmVlavOv9xZRApc5fKe2tE5cMhIvxzuKOBSsMHKAVbKhOsay-NYY15cGzFjnwkn8MylOh-idWCsl6yBmkdLU/s1600-h/IMG_5871.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7L1dajVr1VA8uqxps3TVTo7e60abZjH2K_7lbSNybPQZQqqhavyH_M92EmVlavOv9xZRApc5fKe2tE5cMhIvxzuKOBSsMHKAVbKhOsay-NYY15cGzFjnwkn8MylOh-idWCsl6yBmkdLU/s400/IMG_5871.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177996472785012066" border="0" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">one of the girls prepares a delicious meal of yam stew and we sit around the table, Al-Hassan sharing his frustrations of trying to help his community develop, starting more schools, saying over and over ‘I feel I am in the wrong society’ and all I can think of is how I hope YahYah and Anoosa can go to college but it’s hard coming from a small village.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><o:p></o:p>stuffed and sleepier we climb the ladder and it’s up on the roof with flowered-mattresses and our sheets<span style=""> </span>to sleep under the stars.<span style=""> </span>the sky is everywhere and all around, and looking up I felt we were on the bottom of a snow globe. because suddenly the world was small, the sky's edges curving under us. and I have never ever seen so many stars. I was ready for a Christmas-awaiting child to shake the globe and for the stars to come showering down like snow on our African holiday.</span></p>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-78652873167436914282008-03-12T11:07:00.015+00:002008-12-09T07:13:54.178+00:00'I leap free this spring. On fire. How my hair curls.'<span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">i'm behind! but frantically attempting to catch up, i promise. not this last weekend but the weekend before i visited Kokrobite Beach. we stayed at BIG MILLYS BACKYARD. a huge courtyard-esque property along the sand with huts and tents spread among the resident -dogs and -rastas that are pleased to make your acquaintance, for petting and dancing, respectively.<br /><br />we were sandy and dirty, hair out to here, showering in the Atlantic.<br />swinging with our childhoods.<br />hammock-ing with our reads.<br />walking with shells.<br />and swimming with tens of naked Ghanaian children who have found the meaning of life: jump in, jump out, roll in sand, repeat.<br /><br />i think they may be on to something.<br /></span></span><br /> <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofpl52dojOygh8wTCvWeM4dqlLHkzShLvT7IqFEyST-vtY_kMeBMseXJ-gMDXs1E150LBUlOBqpl1TkjTTpVhzYd509fDzILCTKfy8PRdeMKQXdlWjpBt6Pf1Vw-mUJIvkdKbTt-volI/s1600-h/IMG_5482.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofpl52dojOygh8wTCvWeM4dqlLHkzShLvT7IqFEyST-vtY_kMeBMseXJ-gMDXs1E150LBUlOBqpl1TkjTTpVhzYd509fDzILCTKfy8PRdeMKQXdlWjpBt6Pf1Vw-mUJIvkdKbTt-volI/s320/IMG_5482.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176818200046961922" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNZVoaL9xfNWKS8khb013dMTttiWLgbJd1oCetXINPdTs4soMVhN1y8oFXADlX5ZUiAkcqRagB1wqmoTL5MkFEEoFDakeeeQ_gXiJme0s3OLq5CIvapRQf3xFvxuDzeeAITluOzAkNHc/s1600-h/IMG_5450.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNZVoaL9xfNWKS8khb013dMTttiWLgbJd1oCetXINPdTs4soMVhN1y8oFXADlX5ZUiAkcqRagB1wqmoTL5MkFEEoFDakeeeQ_gXiJme0s3OLq5CIvapRQf3xFvxuDzeeAITluOzAkNHc/s200/IMG_5450.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176817637406246114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pQbDSx5eUT2tBW7MHHL1H7mNYmhUQrhWXSQrS5tZ_s-as0qeM2kUaOAKDMpmyD6Odvduujh8hA0rowqtv_aIljMy7O0hYLhEzZdsWd7K8g5cL2t1X59EkiEfPX2o71l8v9EJJWo66Rs/s1600-h/IMG_5455.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pQbDSx5eUT2tBW7MHHL1H7mNYmhUQrhWXSQrS5tZ_s-as0qeM2kUaOAKDMpmyD6Odvduujh8hA0rowqtv_aIljMy7O0hYLhEzZdsWd7K8g5cL2t1X59EkiEfPX2o71l8v9EJJWo66Rs/s320/IMG_5455.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176817104830301394" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBi9pwlFXKpjXKF7XyXkky4FdmjdA6Ic53UzGjFePQInIkPyt7-vcp9yfpkXmck8Yddiwyw6Zk9ELc8GyCBmfdjOPXbBa8_gdfMUEFzijPT8stkR6vqeDcepwqJo9-5-OwnIlUmgAgZE/s1600-h/IMG_5532.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 252px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxBi9pwlFXKpjXKF7XyXkky4FdmjdA6Ic53UzGjFePQInIkPyt7-vcp9yfpkXmck8Yddiwyw6Zk9ELc8GyCBmfdjOPXbBa8_gdfMUEFzijPT8stkR6vqeDcepwqJo9-5-OwnIlUmgAgZE/s320/IMG_5532.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176816477765076162" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:courier new;"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETQz5SqEYCbg6DomnUu1zzYUHVUY0VgZY-nIGLEKe6dgLwwQ3FuDkOElAjQhVXNngOBheIWfcpP60y4rKHwZRXUCfcmk7l0qcBnsJoCWIruAdKSMaxUVfMV1PmTl1j_FpQXGiwoWF4uo/s1600-h/IMG_5451_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 284px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETQz5SqEYCbg6DomnUu1zzYUHVUY0VgZY-nIGLEKe6dgLwwQ3FuDkOElAjQhVXNngOBheIWfcpP60y4rKHwZRXUCfcmk7l0qcBnsJoCWIruAdKSMaxUVfMV1PmTl1j_FpQXGiwoWF4uo/s320/IMG_5451_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176815296649069730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTn2meEBx6-3zu7JsljprJeJBJJpUh8CNOn-PSDQV4v8L3lUa7LSW52owCyD3PTuKQPQUuHtbMzfQFqwDxdSaerRovfXpyumvd8illEBWFTa52QMja2FOvFS3B4sLHN7bwSVgW4GAYVA/s1600-h/IMG_5505.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTn2meEBx6-3zu7JsljprJeJBJJpUh8CNOn-PSDQV4v8L3lUa7LSW52owCyD3PTuKQPQUuHtbMzfQFqwDxdSaerRovfXpyumvd8illEBWFTa52QMja2FOvFS3B4sLHN7bwSVgW4GAYVA/s200/IMG_5505.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176813630201758818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvbSWHPlwXNqJBuVdXoD0HfY8Hv-1VRFFK4MWkWNsf8QEpqWBo9Vcz9PklpOgCv8-i2SYZ8ENpMq8uHwqOAEAQ6MR1jf8y7iYi2VHEujk4v40o_OWL7b0Lhn06PVIC3hSDOLWWUZLrRo/s1600-h/IMG_5555.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvbSWHPlwXNqJBuVdXoD0HfY8Hv-1VRFFK4MWkWNsf8QEpqWBo9Vcz9PklpOgCv8-i2SYZ8ENpMq8uHwqOAEAQ6MR1jf8y7iYi2VHEujk4v40o_OWL7b0Lhn06PVIC3hSDOLWWUZLrRo/s320/IMG_5555.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176813170640258130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ASFsG2yrbyddSpRMUen5syn744ngQjNrVocedKDq5mAIp98YtzQCojKA8o2StTdBoKZfR6V0Ie11X1oVEOoAViVGpEuapA4Nb-NQVuifH-tnChhaUTImk5qpZLm5U6vPvFfAfXoonr8/s1600-h/IMG_5558.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 260px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ASFsG2yrbyddSpRMUen5syn744ngQjNrVocedKDq5mAIp98YtzQCojKA8o2StTdBoKZfR6V0Ie11X1oVEOoAViVGpEuapA4Nb-NQVuifH-tnChhaUTImk5qpZLm5U6vPvFfAfXoonr8/s320/IMG_5558.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176812878582481986" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfx0w6q_qi-wolZDOMlpQKHr99csA1LSA9K47sdw2brcWCZeMWdPnai5AjcLGoc51ulAdz5LuPGgGPqTTUdUMwi7W38iEzwVNTsdGrjGp9I9pL0XcoyzaprIbJ6o9JYkSUUw8VU0Hbp8/s1600-h/IMG_5485.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfx0w6q_qi-wolZDOMlpQKHr99csA1LSA9K47sdw2brcWCZeMWdPnai5AjcLGoc51ulAdz5LuPGgGPqTTUdUMwi7W38iEzwVNTsdGrjGp9I9pL0XcoyzaprIbJ6o9JYkSUUw8VU0Hbp8/s400/IMG_5485.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176812642359280690" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHkIvf-8d4aCFrD7lSnKXM_Z-jXj6oGcXMw-YHSGYrxfJqZIrrR0JoM9YY40nCyPChU5fWb50qslSzegYDn_aS2uhlN3HPCZvEbee45_qIARY3MeiFCIxnLfeRgYNKiNtpLTv1Q9iWQ0/s1600-h/IMG_5449.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHkIvf-8d4aCFrD7lSnKXM_Z-jXj6oGcXMw-YHSGYrxfJqZIrrR0JoM9YY40nCyPChU5fWb50qslSzegYDn_aS2uhlN3HPCZvEbee45_qIARY3MeiFCIxnLfeRgYNKiNtpLTv1Q9iWQ0/s400/IMG_5449.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176811933689676818" border="0" /></a>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-24655904317167265572008-02-27T13:15:00.011+00:002008-12-09T07:14:01.671+00:00but for now we are young<span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: courier new;">things are calmer. more settled in and feeling more at home because patterns are emerging. i now always remember my toilet-paper-to-go. and some of us gather for tea-time every morning which kind of means talking for hours with hiked-up nightgowns in front of fans until we have class. and i have managed to significantly reduce the mildew-y scent of my hand-washed and hung-to-dry towels, though a lingering smell is still haunting me and everyone who hates wet-towel smell. i hate wet-towel smell more than anything. i will conquer mildew in due time.<br /><br />this is where i live, Volta Hall, the all-girls dorm that is constantly crawling with all-hormones boys. the sign speaks for itself. and isn't the courtyard pretty?</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjpx0ExmmvuoU-bgYYZzrdeq1YzaebkYyud54Z6JcmH_G-GoTcdYkuo3WSF_pQQ_N2nCUV5HLFfHb82K89BexFqZ98Xiy_gXV-TgQqrVsjwVghIhllxBfBYCOsonSHayTDV86UpT5DiI/s1600-h/Elaine08+%2810%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 261px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjpx0ExmmvuoU-bgYYZzrdeq1YzaebkYyud54Z6JcmH_G-GoTcdYkuo3WSF_pQQ_N2nCUV5HLFfHb82K89BexFqZ98Xiy_gXV-TgQqrVsjwVghIhllxBfBYCOsonSHayTDV86UpT5DiI/s400/Elaine08+%2810%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171662302167743250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0byWSRmf5buCiWx2YeSARwHPx8y0N2rbP5Vcxvd-AV2L60xgLDgJ-NuUPdOrQwadfD2adU_fZeBtenkjNgWNimaDUq_xjukQKWljHyF_BO2V_k2YuomPUTD6gbipkI518y9Nhd_CwwE/s1600-h/IMG_5072_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0byWSRmf5buCiWx2YeSARwHPx8y0N2rbP5Vcxvd-AV2L60xgLDgJ-NuUPdOrQwadfD2adU_fZeBtenkjNgWNimaDUq_xjukQKWljHyF_BO2V_k2YuomPUTD6gbipkI518y9Nhd_CwwE/s400/IMG_5072_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171661168296377026" border="0" /></a> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: courier new;">one of my roommates, anjalee</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveQrViHcOPPTIJ-p5DP5BhorUm6GEGAfBsGlFBGNM6ghjAnKlTWTGGEGmscRkLmdvgCbZeEsc_lTiYDeO34XSq0HHHvE8ldIDTnXZ9iyY279bnlvqHGqAZIkEZjWfvsjFhbgEv1SyLfo/s1600-h/IMG_5000_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveQrViHcOPPTIJ-p5DP5BhorUm6GEGAfBsGlFBGNM6ghjAnKlTWTGGEGmscRkLmdvgCbZeEsc_lTiYDeO34XSq0HHHvE8ldIDTnXZ9iyY279bnlvqHGqAZIkEZjWfvsjFhbgEv1SyLfo/s400/IMG_5000_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171661172591344338" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">for wilder</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUTEcN-g7B00ManNTVmcde16VkY4y93N2Z9vWKqZD4WHwRsl4UVMeRGWg0ZJqETFQcPLanXYgPmuSkL6XDRk5H3hdkmGxc54B_VHT-ju7oW3D2fELlj7UbF4wsJLVYkRIfYdw7gJYoFs/s1600-h/IMG_5011_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyUTEcN-g7B00ManNTVmcde16VkY4y93N2Z9vWKqZD4WHwRsl4UVMeRGWg0ZJqETFQcPLanXYgPmuSkL6XDRk5H3hdkmGxc54B_VHT-ju7oW3D2fELlj7UbF4wsJLVYkRIfYdw7gJYoFs/s400/IMG_5011_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171661172591344354" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> <br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">my corner</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje17bESxzy22D8VFUbbSsWxsnUEhrN30DEkqR39Fg_vNnrRAEKES-Kp3g08sV3cNupAupFg6Lf9ItzlJIML4iwHg2U6rRKpqZZCiQwomR1GYrRxIA-1YiimjwTpS3yvWoR1HPOKIJRqPg/s1600-h/IMG_5020_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje17bESxzy22D8VFUbbSsWxsnUEhrN30DEkqR39Fg_vNnrRAEKES-Kp3g08sV3cNupAupFg6Lf9ItzlJIML4iwHg2U6rRKpqZZCiQwomR1GYrRxIA-1YiimjwTpS3yvWoR1HPOKIJRqPg/s400/IMG_5020_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171661176886311666" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new; color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;"> AIDS signs like this everywhere and all over </span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_2AmBUO-F1H3iwZByEqQ06n-s7QYiggReXz0H0XFoI5pQNdacJDvx-k-Abj46Y1VLjvkzWulkPs10T6IlFaO69XoYRhhxGfG80jma6v9kDvXAJmIprytXP-y36iZLZhE8VRKI_Xyzkk/s1600-h/IMG_5092.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_2AmBUO-F1H3iwZByEqQ06n-s7QYiggReXz0H0XFoI5pQNdacJDvx-k-Abj46Y1VLjvkzWulkPs10T6IlFaO69XoYRhhxGfG80jma6v9kDvXAJmIprytXP-y36iZLZhE8VRKI_Xyzkk/s400/IMG_5092.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171661181181278978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">the campus is covered but the lack of dialog renders them useless. my professor made a joke about people thinking you have HIV if you're too skinny and the whole class laughed and i was confused about the comedic value. students also giggle at the mention of domestic abuse. sex is taboo, yet many or most students are sexually active. so you don't tell anyone when you have sex and rape is easier and people will laugh at you if you buy condoms from the pharmacy. only recently condoms have been made available on top of the counter instead of behind the glass in order to minimize embarrassment. but the stigma still prevents their purchase.</span><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> the tro-tro station just outside of campus, how we get around.</span> </span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRQn6fN-WlkYYsb0ZKzOYA94HzIeAMxkf32wSgClls85sf_I-YgZ7CLyBh6YOQ0EfAR01hFdhR4R84Mw6IxJyCyLO2bih9atc_UIdgLBEsIy8dzAC3am_p_AtVwaJTk28YzhVU-gMjdk/s1600-h/IMG_5099.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRQn6fN-WlkYYsb0ZKzOYA94HzIeAMxkf32wSgClls85sf_I-YgZ7CLyBh6YOQ0EfAR01hFdhR4R84Mw6IxJyCyLO2bih9atc_UIdgLBEsIy8dzAC3am_p_AtVwaJTk28YzhVU-gMjdk/s400/IMG_5099.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171659579158477426" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">the main road right outside of campus</span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AC2kLV18M_7SsD5Q13iE5INFPfs_-oQs4xiTVGHFCjyZ16COq17hAPq1NkVryiJAfDtIVQSxCOdA27JTLSqNtXkplWS-JHSkUg4S-up1QrNRRe3sViGaurreqikIMf5FLK9Gil1DVVA/s1600-h/IMG_5105.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3AC2kLV18M_7SsD5Q13iE5INFPfs_-oQs4xiTVGHFCjyZ16COq17hAPq1NkVryiJAfDtIVQSxCOdA27JTLSqNtXkplWS-JHSkUg4S-up1QrNRRe3sViGaurreqikIMf5FLK9Gil1DVVA/s400/IMG_5105.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171659583453444738" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: courier new;"> my friend quincy</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB10XgBZyJ2sR3_Am7GVLUZUhojTUbc6TZhf3CR4TMn5ne6ydMSz2ujArgpy7MdAwvN2gbi3qd_1OskN173ys8FsbHahfpPNz8-0KVn7QuRWBkfeXCLnvhr-GCcMpYWARJM-S1vm0L0w/s1600-h/IMG_5003_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB10XgBZyJ2sR3_Am7GVLUZUhojTUbc6TZhf3CR4TMn5ne6ydMSz2ujArgpy7MdAwvN2gbi3qd_1OskN173ys8FsbHahfpPNz8-0KVn7QuRWBkfeXCLnvhr-GCcMpYWARJM-S1vm0L0w/s400/IMG_5003_3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171659583453444754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">he does passport photos on campus and he did all of mine for class registration. i try to visit frequently. he likes my cameras so i bring them by and we talk. business is slow so we sit uninterrupted, against the red cloth backdrop of his passport set-up. this photograph is from when i first showed him my polaroid camera. i asked if he had any family with the aim of suggesting he put it up for them but he said no. he became instantly saddened and i changed the subject but i could still see it in his eyes.</span><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWBMdlOjvByf9e_GgRyAD2WoSzh6qHuXq0yQRQWLrG2gncfyVy8bhpSK1epCKe2RFiQuquP54kFbGtME7Yt7UjvWlBeRJ-wGR098W6i89lLEfKWLe_4cQLrHLOEmhN-Ux4qHmv1MTtfY/s1600-h/IMG_5146.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWBMdlOjvByf9e_GgRyAD2WoSzh6qHuXq0yQRQWLrG2gncfyVy8bhpSK1epCKe2RFiQuquP54kFbGtME7Yt7UjvWlBeRJ-wGR098W6i89lLEfKWLe_4cQLrHLOEmhN-Ux4qHmv1MTtfY/s400/IMG_5146.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171659587748412066" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj215TBBsuV_djebIiGz2MyBspuYdXPJIrkYO_-X6inBUc1_tedQhLVUR5dkkrK85hEwzbdIFKGymnk1GsTPL23nAg_KA8Pw8vzhsK1HRjuVV2mN9GdvNKftqJKoSkU57IMfcC0NC7Gpik/s1600-h/IMG_5157.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj215TBBsuV_djebIiGz2MyBspuYdXPJIrkYO_-X6inBUc1_tedQhLVUR5dkkrK85hEwzbdIFKGymnk1GsTPL23nAg_KA8Pw8vzhsK1HRjuVV2mN9GdvNKftqJKoSkU57IMfcC0NC7Gpik/s400/IMG_5157.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171659592043379378" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">our dressmaker, Lydia</span></span></span><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgl3e59r3oNB1g339MUz9yetLKSKAbxGkrxqF4etLmv9WwVZCT8DYEr6i6d7Jges3FIEFEs3L2lzBJTPzCikMZ0qUp4Zssn0mySX-twdYiECjHTYENf9hdNGAi-M0Pl5TwUbKCsWZamA/s1600-h/IMG_5200.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkgl3e59r3oNB1g339MUz9yetLKSKAbxGkrxqF4etLmv9WwVZCT8DYEr6i6d7Jges3FIEFEs3L2lzBJTPzCikMZ0qUp4Zssn0mySX-twdYiECjHTYENf9hdNGAi-M0Pl5TwUbKCsWZamA/s400/IMG_5200.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171658200473975330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">she laughs a lot and hurried her hands to fix hair before photographs. we bring fabric and barely explain and she knows exactly what we want.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> her apprentice, Jennifer</span><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf8-33LnsJf-o6tLPHm4X2pJIGDTn5T-HAcDY2xQncV4qVLhr5komMHNqyZCUsEonJcB8ULl2B1G_KUO1LXgJeW7y51ZVFJB5EIR7dckVVnhMNKBqXY8YJC-B0cWvI6mmr_VoG7sGchs/s1600-h/IMG_5201.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqf8-33LnsJf-o6tLPHm4X2pJIGDTn5T-HAcDY2xQncV4qVLhr5komMHNqyZCUsEonJcB8ULl2B1G_KUO1LXgJeW7y51ZVFJB5EIR7dckVVnhMNKBqXY8YJC-B0cWvI6mmr_VoG7sGchs/s400/IMG_5201.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171658204768942642" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">she is beautiful. she scrambles for measurements and squeals 'me too' when i take out my camera to photograph Lydia.</span><br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru1d0h-tUMS4UONkMiWGS3_AgyabTLmMTS5Y93kVtcY9Z08_qN1RkYb_iQLi6tqN4QSRWizkB8ClYTjOGrweGxnKQIaDrlIwcAWqL2CBdLIy6KZ41j9lMp38YQLHKNrA6X5f-1EsWurM/s1600-h/IMG_5220.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhru1d0h-tUMS4UONkMiWGS3_AgyabTLmMTS5Y93kVtcY9Z08_qN1RkYb_iQLi6tqN4QSRWizkB8ClYTjOGrweGxnKQIaDrlIwcAWqL2CBdLIy6KZ41j9lMp38YQLHKNrA6X5f-1EsWurM/s400/IMG_5220.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171658209063909954" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"> <br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">a monkey fiasco</span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmQbm-yj9L-splwV1I0O86P2EUPUrCNPT3XYeUFNpc6fky01o7698sjmqfrxacB4oXrW6J-fC7vsP91nKMRbunlDWWER9WvH1L-wlmSPfDYQQIVhgivLlhDgBpnl39TE8H_2nA69AkDA/s1600-h/IMG_5378_2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmQbm-yj9L-splwV1I0O86P2EUPUrCNPT3XYeUFNpc6fky01o7698sjmqfrxacB4oXrW6J-fC7vsP91nKMRbunlDWWER9WvH1L-wlmSPfDYQQIVhgivLlhDgBpnl39TE8H_2nA69AkDA/s400/IMG_5378_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171658213358877266" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">this is where i buy water, soymilk, and occasionally peach juice. it's a two-minute walk from Volta Hall, if that. a monkey on the loose meant women screaming and running. i can't get over the fact that there was a monkey swinging around the corner store. oh, africa.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier new;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">my friend, belinda</span></span><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaz-A5QZhjSo2cb3XdV63MH749CeHhpXaLcrUiTXGG_zs33IOyXSBmrXwYG2arZfU3aXli26jPLrKIEH3pW89NdG2ja-F5tmuRR4vBbDy8VzUtnUE3OqxJpV2XCeWvjguq01u9qiCvMY/s1600-h/IMG_5344.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxaz-A5QZhjSo2cb3XdV63MH749CeHhpXaLcrUiTXGG_zs33IOyXSBmrXwYG2arZfU3aXli26jPLrKIEH3pW89NdG2ja-F5tmuRR4vBbDy8VzUtnUE3OqxJpV2XCeWvjguq01u9qiCvMY/s400/IMG_5344.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171658213358877282" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: courier new;">Belinda's interests: Akon, her hat, gang signs, Sean Paul. first she insisted on dozens of photos of herself, a video of her rapping, then a photo with me but NOT smiling 'adwoa stop smiling NO smiling' [see below]. adwoa is my day name, monday-born, pronounced 'ad-joo-a.' Belinda sings a lot and told me i was bad at doing the gang-sign-poses of her creation. i tried really hard but will refrain from posting those photos. they're kind of incriminating.</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqg2HM9RH7NC_httn6qrDU0OyQJqRfn5PsWDLrvHJzmf1MbHl9mWEP0kZ7ew-xVjC0gOZ1MkikgFCtSZwOy_JPQLfRdXFSxjVQIF7qmdnzYyL34bV6_3fJm8nPnx_L1Og780-5rGeEECw/s1600-h/IMG_5352.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 142px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqg2HM9RH7NC_httn6qrDU0OyQJqRfn5PsWDLrvHJzmf1MbHl9mWEP0kZ7ew-xVjC0gOZ1MkikgFCtSZwOy_JPQLfRdXFSxjVQIF7qmdnzYyL34bV6_3fJm8nPnx_L1Og780-5rGeEECw/s400/IMG_5352.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171653969931188690" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">a day trip to Aburi: beautiful botanical garden, an overgrown cemetery, village children hugging and tugging, blues.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"> the garden. everything big big big. the trees majestic.</span><br /> </span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBpAalc1SKBAcFNItMy2Gh-PYuIaR2c676bAYzQge6GTxHs4I5gNm9pZF0ItNbASmbqAc4iHwv3_zgt2prV_7gEwpZRmiPszTSW-qDQhl4BHTn-tx-zFfgq4n5om0Ts83te2E1eCxVPk/s1600-h/IMG_5245.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKBpAalc1SKBAcFNItMy2Gh-PYuIaR2c676bAYzQge6GTxHs4I5gNm9pZF0ItNbASmbqAc4iHwv3_zgt2prV_7gEwpZRmiPszTSW-qDQhl4BHTn-tx-zFfgq4n5om0Ts83te2E1eCxVPk/s400/IMG_5245.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171653969931188706" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgLl16B18wuOVFhr0n7YqpfrvSCbgGaEVvnV9iFmrFSi8MfuVLS-2N76XqnOYKccu5JsziueJVjqKfNSCljyoAMsti6uSdgk0558PWgfcPWlJFt_neHcy-Yc-fRCuG5sUgP3pCGivYos/s1600-h/IMG_5268.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzgLl16B18wuOVFhr0n7YqpfrvSCbgGaEVvnV9iFmrFSi8MfuVLS-2N76XqnOYKccu5JsziueJVjqKfNSCljyoAMsti6uSdgk0558PWgfcPWlJFt_neHcy-Yc-fRCuG5sUgP3pCGivYos/s400/IMG_5268.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171653974226156018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5rZRWsNNtOlWo77s1vhPZVAGkt1Y3G3Wk9tgkHQi2sd4i2HnoSNvEfNmbe4Fpd3aQcU5cFD9cfEjq5c8Q4-WqzTRaACMhH7M8QDyreZkjwkOXcHy4iE9r0idHurks_t211QLcAr_r5U/s1600-h/IMG_5285.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5rZRWsNNtOlWo77s1vhPZVAGkt1Y3G3Wk9tgkHQi2sd4i2HnoSNvEfNmbe4Fpd3aQcU5cFD9cfEjq5c8Q4-WqzTRaACMhH7M8QDyreZkjwkOXcHy4iE9r0idHurks_t211QLcAr_r5U/s400/IMG_5285.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171653978521123330" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmR3AJ6Lkhv4ATifDyGffjYpgoQTQ9ZLE2LIcDp92a1_FjRQFJpGeOpHnqV0hfYL3glatWKQRWk-q-4B8XBseTN7YHwFGodrPkTDOAWmYVLkKUQj295_S_tRtk9TgKK9qcmkn_IDCy9c4/s1600-h/IMG_5261.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmR3AJ6Lkhv4ATifDyGffjYpgoQTQ9ZLE2LIcDp92a1_FjRQFJpGeOpHnqV0hfYL3glatWKQRWk-q-4B8XBseTN7YHwFGodrPkTDOAWmYVLkKUQj295_S_tRtk9TgKK9qcmkn_IDCy9c4/s400/IMG_5261.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171653982816090642" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">the sleepy village. colorful.</span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKVO0k3qiJ-xYbu8BGeyJoFkgYcoAF7zDxeG2ZkCHekGvgbNzIoOZ1LzTIQ3eXradMkMbmT2gp0zhp9Vr2oFE9kaqgvfCnGEzRxqtJj5qOYTBr2VCDYr10FCtlhM15701yMA-ZeRqM8E/s1600-h/IMG_5295.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; 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display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1Egd2G77F4svA5QQbJ-a-tAt15uGGBsGjkwNZ0S5kAo0XazKC2sybVs7eKT2063sNwLzVUavueNNbAvhRRg2rYwi2DZd3zdQXpuuJlnuYk5kRzbOYz0HjG1FvHe9gc8AJNjMmtCmwhD0/s400/IMG_5325.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171651358591072626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">this side of the <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">blue</span></span><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYNh4T0OD-Hh2E6tuYVvjkO5nuqQ-TCKwUIsekV0jKWY2QsHeoIeL7N2u6Za87gJWPFjQY9b503AJFIPAh5Jyg4Zot-IFXD2AYbNTeTT6qj77l4QT68NYyD0A4p9FQ4sjzgrPyQHLVvE/s1600-h/IMG_5307.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYNh4T0OD-Hh2E6tuYVvjkO5nuqQ-TCKwUIsekV0jKWY2QsHeoIeL7N2u6Za87gJWPFjQY9b503AJFIPAh5Jyg4Zot-IFXD2AYbNTeTT6qj77l4QT68NYyD0A4p9FQ4sjzgrPyQHLVvE/s400/IMG_5307.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171650491007678770" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnqeFMV450Ycam7O5Bz4Oom_DyciFvmzH8jDHDWg9LHkxqi9ueuVndLiJEVD-uDXGmKeDcJzkcBTVqB-XOIKjgSfynq0LpnFf8SW6VLhr6duiocjASIZV5koXT9a86yCB5ixwQ7cvGRQ/s1600-h/IMG_5319.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEnqeFMV450Ycam7O5Bz4Oom_DyciFvmzH8jDHDWg9LHkxqi9ueuVndLiJEVD-uDXGmKeDcJzkcBTVqB-XOIKjgSfynq0LpnFf8SW6VLhr6duiocjASIZV5koXT9a86yCB5ixwQ7cvGRQ/s400/IMG_5319.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171649915482061090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOqRAJoMECnmeLxVTfqltvnMe7gM2cd-4RaMIbGPwBnT8sgE1g8RqNUhrZKAymT9Z9LkiQXSQPzgYTWoyDG_rID_8eZdGhZifni-Kfzk9nOHaF7MKRtT02zB_fhNTFWkem8eGYsCaWTQ/s1600-h/IMG_5309.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOqRAJoMECnmeLxVTfqltvnMe7gM2cd-4RaMIbGPwBnT8sgE1g8RqNUhrZKAymT9Z9LkiQXSQPzgYTWoyDG_rID_8eZdGhZifni-Kfzk9nOHaF7MKRtT02zB_fhNTFWkem8eGYsCaWTQ/s400/IMG_5309.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171649181042653458" border="0" /></a>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-36989617545444530242008-02-18T11:00:00.021+00:002008-12-09T07:14:04.822+00:00so you can see<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkHSXnJoQi_9g5vPVGVqIH0bWraTiYYis94Ss-o8COTLic7lS6xORsY21QS4bjjV37_q3KXANnTT69PaY1Qq6WGVk1gBe8Ko7li39n9ZeTKyAdQwitIu6QVqg2VM_E2CY7YoFE2jDMQI/s1600-h/IMG_4799.jpg"><img style="display:block; 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margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxM3BOWHm7sc9ITFGC7gyVe-Ooy0nwSVl2N5Vh8d0snBqvyRYjCk5LKOdkogEk3BEMd3NStsZe-qdVBRwSUGM7y1DZcpYVttEIxNtvxdT9u-Wm8l6gpY2XGflrb0458FjUX4pnyHyW02M/s320/IMG_4847_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168337739782600626" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbUKmapkJ26HNDunIle9uOYkyAvXn-1TuGd9raAWreNN4a6t_1CSPiGIQc8GCSrs9fD22worct7EbOgPmtE0OfConIUBeSyeChNLc4nSST3L-Rl8pLvseNSe1RipDjdw95EGId_rg09s/s1600-h/IMG_4861.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbUKmapkJ26HNDunIle9uOYkyAvXn-1TuGd9raAWreNN4a6t_1CSPiGIQc8GCSrs9fD22worct7EbOgPmtE0OfConIUBeSyeChNLc4nSST3L-Rl8pLvseNSe1RipDjdw95EGId_rg09s/s320/IMG_4861.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168337744077567938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bK4gdxI0JETKplQFLteJ9puPYQ9UE0tnUVCisGIhx5FNatezsI2GbGQgXHONmBCPA67rSmQHY4NeZTnnIK7DohjkktRourJvgQ_i5PkKmmTNCMTotpYf_YxeDeXqoiujQHwxKYHV62M/s1600-h/IMG_4907.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_bK4gdxI0JETKplQFLteJ9puPYQ9UE0tnUVCisGIhx5FNatezsI2GbGQgXHONmBCPA67rSmQHY4NeZTnnIK7DohjkktRourJvgQ_i5PkKmmTNCMTotpYf_YxeDeXqoiujQHwxKYHV62M/s320/IMG_4907.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168337756962469842" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqpNLp4gJkSyvhGCSO1Iun0mH1rGuc7wCiN7dJt_1mGK82yoh6-QlA4ih5bglUxdYpOg5e6BDepDPeGi7LKYVtAU50n2NGxGBa_BkLPZpb8wmQv2keGoPWn4gHEAt16cbMJTw4bQaf6Q/s1600-h/IMG_5000.jpg"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><br /></div></div>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-26663337382331073132008-02-17T13:34:00.008+00:002008-02-19T12:08:52.504+00:00chicken and rice, sankofa, tooth-cracking, etc.<span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">hello hello i'm alive, i swear. albeit an only recently healed swelled ankle, mosquito bites all up my leg because i clearly trapped one in my net last night, the contraction of malaria by two other students, an almost lost tooth, and a huge bruise on my knee that decidedly resembles (according to the consensus of UC EAP) a tie-dye print,a globe, or in my opinion, the giant scar not far from it acquired rollerblading down wilder's hill in front of cars. sorry i havent been a good blogger i've sparingly had internet but from now on i should be able to update every few days. i hope. i will. ALSO. someone deleted all my photos. hundreds. of photos from my first week of doing things here so i'll put up pictures tomorrow of new things and not anything that i write about today. so sad. but a lot of things dont go as planned here. and it's kind of liberating though it kind of sounds awful.<br /><br />i think so far i really like ghana. and the people. the nicest people i have ever met. and true. everyone and everything simple and true.<br /><br />my first day was perfect. a drummer took us to his village to hear him and a family of musicians play just in their backyard with chickens and dogs and little naked kids. a beautiful family like father like son like daughter hands flying over drums, hands flying hearts flying. the music is in their steps here and their words and their handshake. shake and snap. i kind of suck at the snap part but i can't tell if it's because i have always been really bad at snapping or because everyone's hands are sweaty all the time. the sun started setting and we go to get drinks at a 'bar'--plastic chairs outside a shack glowing with one blue light. reggae, glass bottles in a bucket on the dirt ground between us. dusk settling in means more deet and sliding down in our chairs with cold drinks and everything is more beautiful with a pink sky.<br /><br />later that night we go to the beach to celebrate bob marley's birthday. live music and dancing to the reggae and the waves and the men insistent 'you california girls? california girls know whassssssuuuppp.' i dont argue. the beach was smooth-sand, dream-like beautiful in the dark, mirror-water silhouettes and everything.<br /><br />the next day we started our 4 day trip driving ACROSS THE COUNTRY. in a bumpy bus on bumpier roads, 25 of us packed together and sticky. at the hostels we watch football and root for ghana to take the cup. but egypt won so it was a win-win for me. we watched in crowded hostel tv rooms filled with ghanaians and the entire room stands and screams and jumps and more if a player falls, if a player is close to the goal, if a player misses a goal, if a player makes a goal, if the opposing team is snobby. basically this means standing screaming jumping always. we stand scream jump too.<br /><br />we stop by waterfalls in the middle of the road trip and while we're all climbing rocks someone above me slides down and takes me with her and i slip on on waterfall-rock-slime and land face first,mouth open, front teeth against rock. i seriously thought i lost a tooth and blood would be pouring from my mouth but i was ok. there's a faint crack visible in some light and later that night my roommate tells me 'you may have to deal with the fact that your tooth might turn brown then black, die, and fall out.' haaah. war scar? story for awkward parties? its been a week and no discoloration thus far. will keep you posted.<br /><br />little girls and boys here have beautiful eyes and want to wave and smile and shake hands and we all wave and smile and shake hands.<br /><br />one day i sat on a croodile at a crocodile pond. then we watched it eat a live hen. mmm.<br /><br />speaking of carnivores,the vegetarian gods hate me right now.<br /><br />but meat is soo good. except i have a feeling when i get back being a vegetarian will be an exciting deviation from the current dietary trends:<br />chicken and rice<br />chicken and rice<br />chicken and rice<br />beef and rice<br />chicken and rice<br /><br />yesterday i tried goat meat.<br /><br />there's plantains with everything. (sandman!)<br /><br />i think i'm learning a lot about people here.<br /><br />i picked out the symbol 'sankofa' to be stamped on woven fabric with homemade dye at a cloth-making village.<br />sankofa: return and take it<br />it is no taboo to return and fetch it when you forget. you can always undo your mistakes.<br /><br />photos of where i live and slave castles and tree canopy walks tomorrow!<br /><br />this is from the 'environmental health issues brochure'<br />facts and quotes:<br />cleanliness is next go Godliness<br /><br />i thought that was funny. be clean. because if you're not...hell?<br /><br />i forgot to mention heat. SO HOT. you sweat like crazy. like you could collect buckets and buckets of your sweat but instead you walk around wiping your face with handkerchiefs and when there's a breeze it's heaven. when we're all in the girls dorm at night we just laze and lounge half-naked and hot and sticky talking or reading or games and no sudden movements because you might break a sweat. although you're probably already sweating so it probably wouldn't matter.<br /><br />i probably miss you and i swear i'll be a true blogger. if youre still reading this sorry this is so long everything will be shorter and mostly photos but i think this is long because describing things here is hard.<br /><br />p.s.<br />listening to music or journaling or reading with a flashlight under a mosquito net that descends from the ceiling all around you makes you feel like you're planning an adventure every night before bed. if life seems dull a mosquito net may be just what you need.</span><br /></span></span>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4818255361072282984.post-73125698371070094792008-02-02T07:43:00.001+00:002008-02-17T14:34:08.030+00:00ack! i'm in accra is a lie<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: courier new;">because i'm not. yet. basically instead of ack-ing in accra the last days have been passport-losing and new visa-getting. traffic tickets and hospital smells. and my mom drove over an entire center divider in an attempt to make a u-turn a few feet too short of where cars don't drive over center dividers. </span></span><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">but no worries! the ack-ing will shortly ensue when i fly from l.a. to london to accra on february 4th. and to make up for lost orientation days i have loyally dog-eared my Lonely Planet, underlining genius endeavors in creative travel literature.</span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">for example, page 329: </span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">HOW MUCH? </span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">music cd - C90,000</span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">inner-city taxi - C8000</span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >coffin in the shape of a Mercedes - C5 million</span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">HAH! it's like a mastercard commercial! for coffins. that are car-shaped.</span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;">next time, from ghana! if i don't lose my passport...</span></div>nataliahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16065781355138427967noreply@blogger.com4