Bonjour Tout le Monde! 11/21/08

I want to send you all individual emails and tell you all about “that funny thing that happened in Africa” and how I wish you were here. But as it turns out my internet access sucks. Right now I'm in the village of Agou Nyogbo for training. It is near Kpalime, if you want to locate me on a map. The sights are filled with the expected; like women carrying everything and anything on their heads. And the unexpected; like the kids taking machetes with them to school to cut the lawn in the afternoon. There’s also a constant feeling of being in a petting zoo because the goats and chickens are everywhere. My time right now revolves around technical training, French and local language class, napping, and eating. Life’s pretty good right now. I’ve already had my first dress made and last week I was the belle of the ball at a drum circle where I danced with the best of them. I’m here until early December, when I officially swear-in as a PCV and move to post…

…Which is Kameni. It’s in the Centrale region, about 35km from Sokode. It is 7km off the Route Nationale. The post has a history of health volunteers, which I am really excited about because I can’t wait to do my first condom demonstration...in French. I start learning Cotokoli, the local language, next week. The past volunteer left me a great resource with all the information I could have ever wanted on the village. It’s a Muslim village, so I’ll be attending Mosque and saying goodbye to my shoulders and knees soon. There are a few schools in town, so I have a lot of opportunities for environ ed. I go on a post week for a few days the first week of December.

OH! And the beers here are 30oz standard. And they are strong. And gin comes in sachets here.

I miss you all and want to hear about what’s happening in your lives. Send me some love in the mail, so far only David Orr has written me. If you send it now I bet I get it for my birthday (hint, hint). And maybe some peanut butter.

I’m going to try to post pictures (and videos!) on my blog next week when I’m on my field trip.


Hello Tedders!

I hope everything is great with you. I’m sure school is going great and Luke is enjoying is Mom/Dad time. Life here is amazing. I still have another month of training and then it’s off to the bush on my own!
I’ve talked to a few current volunteers who visited South Africa during their service. I’m going to have my mom book the flight for me since my internet access is very sporadic. Once I know when I can get a flight, I’ll let you know either email or call.


Hello Miller Family!

I hope everything is great with you and the school year is moving right along (and that you’re learning lots of environmental things!) And I wanted to wish Grace a very happy birthday.

I'm alive. I have had sparse access to internet, but it will get better soon. Miss you all. Have a great Thanksgiving. I'm trying to put pictures up on facebook, so look for them there.

I'm Finally Home!

A group of about 15 of the new PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) were at the beautiful beach enjoying some beers the other day and one of them turns to me and says "Can you believe that you're in Africa? It doesn't feel like it." and I replied "Yeah, like we were supposed to be here all our lives." She just laughed at me. I guess I was the only one feeling it.
Peace Corps has been great so far. It was said tonight:

You know those people who say the best 4 years of their lives were High School? They never went to college.
You know those people who say the best 4 years of their lives were College? They never did Peace Corps.

But seriously, it's been a lot of good times and so much fun getting to know eachother. It's amazing when you're in a setting without cliques or stereotypes and all 31 are genuinely friends.

Staging began with 2 1/2 days in Philadelphia. I really didn't get to see much of the city outside of Chinatown. It was intense in the sense that it was a lot of information thrown at us in a small amount of time. We all flew together Philly>Paris (5 hour lay over)>Lome. And I've been in Lome since Saturday night. Lome is the country capital and is a very busy place. I wake up in the morning to the sounds of women sweeping and chickens. There are lots of bars and people are everywhere. We are here for an introduction to Togo. We've been to the bureau (Peace Corps Office) many times. I've had 4 shots so far. Last night we had dinner at the Peace Corps Director's house with the ambassidor.

Today we met with the directors of our programs. Mine is Natural Resource Management. There's also a Girls' Education and Empowerment program that came in our group. Turns out that my APCD used to be faculty at Evergreen and even worked closely some of my favorite professors there. Small world.

My french has really been getting a work out. It's amazing how much it has improved since I've been here. We took an oral placement exam a few days ago. I did pretty well, although I don't know what level I'm at yet. I still can't quite grasp the fact that on top of this amazing experience in Africa and actually utilizing my degree, I will also be fluent in french.

We leave Lome tomorrow for Agu. The programs will be split for the first time and we're all a bit sad about it, but we'll get to see eachother on the weekends. In Agu I will be with a host family. I'll be expected to speak french to them. And hopefully they will make me vegetarian meals. I'll be in Agu for 3 months of training. I'm going to be happy to get out of the city and slow down a bit. I've been living out of my bags for the last week. I'm really excited about some of the programs we will be able to organize; beekeeping, soap making, food security and enviro ed are the ones I'm most excited for. I will be in a regular routine there so I will be able to internet more. And I got a cell phone today! So now you can text me some love! But I don't remember the number, I'll put it up later.

Miss you all. I'll write more soom. And I promise to post some pictures.

The Packing List

So I've packed up my life for the next two years. Two very big, heavy bags. Here's everything that they hold:

Cornice 6.0 Jansport Backpack (A thousand thank yous to Elizabeth and Nick for the backpack!)
Eddie Bauer 27’ Rolling Gear Bag

Clothes

2 Dresses
3 Skirts 2 knee length/1 ankle length
2 pairs dress capris
2 pairs lightweight capris
5 nicer tops
3 tanks
24 pairs of underwear (My Mom treated me to 5 pairs of Exofficio, the quick drying wicking underwear, great for traveling! The rest are boring cotton)
2 cotton bras
6 bras, 3 with underwire, 3 without
riding shorts
lightweight sleeping pants
White Sox hat
Rain Jacket
Sarong
Running shorts
Bathing suit
Hoodie sweatshirt
2 pairs of Chacos, 1 flip-flop style and the other is the hiking style
“Business Casual” Brown Sandals
Running Shoes

Electronics

Solio Solar Charger (It’s hot pink!)
150 Watt DC-to-AC Power Inverter
Ni-MH Battery Charger, 8 AA, 8AAA rechargeable batteries. All purchased at Radio Shack
US-Europe Power Converter
Ipod, ipod charger
Petzl Tikka Plus Headlamp
Travel speakers (Last Christmas gave Megan graciously gave them to “The Children of Africa”)
Laptop, ibook g4 (Before I left I also ordered a new battery for it).
Laptop cooling fan
eGear crank radio/flashlight
2GB USB Thumb Drive

Toiletries

4 sticks of deodorant
2 Burt’s Bees Shampoo Bars
Burt’s Bees Complexion Soap
Burt’s Bees Body Bar 2-pack
Burt’s Bees Bug Bite Relief
Hand Sanitizer
Loofah
Disposable razors
Dive Cup, feminine hygiene product (If you’re willing, I’ll let you know how I like it)
2 sticks of mascara, bronzer, eyeliner (I plan on saving the world looking wide-eyed and sunkissed.)
tabletop mirror
comb
4 tubes of toothpaste
nail clippers, file, pumice stone
2 tubes of Burt’s Bees Lifeguard’s Choice Lip Balm, it has the highest SPF I could find.
2 year supply of disposal contacts and solution
Costco-sized bottle of aspirin
Pepto Tablets
Sleeping Pills


Other

Packets of seeds
Inflatable rubber ball
3 journals
note cards for pretty letters home
Photo Album to give as a gift
Lots of other photos to give out (Chicago, Mountains, etc.) I also stocked a lot of pictures on my ipod to show people.
Calendar I made at Shutterfly.com
World Map
First Aid Kit
Money Belt
US Passport
Harmonica
Duct tape
Leather gloves
Pruning shears
3 Frisbees to give away
2 soccer balls
mini stapler
tons of pens
expandable file folder
permanent marker, notebooks, tape, scissors
sewing kit
safety pins
bandanas, some for me, some to hand out
toothbrushes and toothpaste to hand out

DVDs
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Seasons 1,2,3
Love Actually
Harispray

Books
The Princess Bride
The Poisonwood Bible
Lonely Planet West Africa
Me Talk Pretty One Day, David Sedaris
Some children’s French books I have

Kitchen
Italian, Garlic & Herb, and Taco seasonings
Costco-sized jar of Seasoning
Can opener
Ginger tea

Some Toto before Togo

I leave in 10 days. I've only said goodbye to a handful of people so far, and I'm already exhausted by the hugs and crying. I was never good at these things. So instead, here's my "See you later..."

If you know me, chances are you know about my obsession (I’ll admit it) with a little band called Umphrey’s Mcgee. I’ve grown-up with Umphrey’s. My brother introduced me to them during my junior year in high school. They were really the start of when I embraced the hippieness that my parents passed down. I’ve seen them 45+ times live over the last 6 years. I can’t remember a New Year’s without them. I have over 6 days worth of music by them on my ipod. They’ve served as an excuse to travel to Vancouver, San Francisco, New Orleans, and all over the Midwest and Northwest. I have made some life long friendships through the band; ones that I know extend further than just drinking buddies. And I have to give them credit on the title of this blog.

I’ve always felt that our love affair was very one sided. Like that crush in high school, you know that you’re perfect together; you just wonder if he thinks it too. I’ve had a few redeeming moments; there was the time I was front row and Pony gave me the set list (too bad I’m too old for him now). I met Brendan at a subway one time before the show and rambled on like an idiot. And there was the time I saw them sing the National Anthem at the Sox game and I had my picture taken with them. But most of the time, I felt lost in this crowd of Umphreaks. I was young, a girl, and didn’t have half the knowledge of the band some fans do.

Last Friday night was my last show before I left. The show was at a really cool outdoor venue in South Bend, IN (half the band went to Notre Dame). I went to the show with my closest Umphrey’s friends, we were all really excited about being together at one last show for a few years. My good friend Nick put out an official petition for them to cover the song “Africa” by Toto for me. He posted it on their message board and about 70 people responded. It’s not a song that is played very often, maybe twice a year. Plus, there’s no guarantee that the band will even get the message. It was a long shot, and I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen.

Well, they closed their first set with Africa. I honestly could not believe it. It was the validation I had been waiting for, Umphrey’s loves me back. I quickly ran up to the front, pulling Elizabeth along with me, yelling “THEY”RE PLAYING THIS FOR ME!” Jason soon joined us to celebrate. I spent most of the song in the front row hyperventilating. I’m surprised I didn’t pass out. The three-minute song resulted in 45 minutes of crying, happy tears. It was amazing to feel that
kind of love in the crowd, people were coming up to me and telling me how happy they were that I got my Africa. I dragged Elizabeth over to the stage entrance to try to thank the band. I was able to flag down Brendan, the lead singer. And in true high school crush form; my gratitude was professed while we were holding hands through a fence. I’m told it was adorable; it’s just a daze in my mind.



About 4 songs into the second set, Nick and Elizabeth turned to me and said “Nikki, I really think this show is for you. Think about what they’ve played.” Songs with lyrics that include the following:
“I could tell you all about what's next
if I could make it clear.”
-All in Time

Elizabeth proclaimed that I am Miss Tinkle’s!

A Pink Floyd cover of Breathe,
Breathe, breathe in the air. Don't be afraid to care.
Leave, don't leave me. Look around and choose your own ground. Long you live and high you fly, smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry, all you touch and all you see, Is all your life will ever be.”

All our friends are here now, and this is what we came to do.
All our friends are here with us and this is what we have to do.
You all came from far away or just across the town for you
All of your friends are here now and this is what we have to do...left to do
Looks at what's next, there's so much left
I'll turn a page and fill your void
I look to my left, I Hate to neglect
The coming of age until your time
-Gulf Stream (This one left me crying and hugging all my friends).

There was a drum solo (how very African!)

better choose your steps
it's easier to mark your way
place your order now
it's easier to make your change
Where does all this point to what will I find out
Once is all I have and not enough
think about your time
don't sit and let it pass away
swallow up your pride
be glad they even know your name
-Much Obliged

Bridgeless was played and Nick pointed out that between here and Africa is bridgeless (this one’s a stretch).

I want to runaway, to get up get out this town and sing
I say we make no plans
I want to unpack all your bags and we can live.
-FF

Here’s the full setlist:
Set One 2x2, Wife Soup* > Waist Down, Ringo > Kimble, Partyin' Peeps, Africa

Set Two All In Time > Breathe > The Triple Wide > Gulf Stream, Miss Tinkle's Overture, Much Obliged > Hajimemashite > Much Obliged > drums > All In Time

Encore FF > Bridgeless

This was just an amazing send off. I cannot imagine anything better. Two years without Umphrey’s is going to be very hard for me, but I think this show is going to be something I can smile about the entire time I’m there.


2008-09-05 Saint Patrick's Park South Bend, IN




With my favorite Umphreaks.


One of my moments of glory.

A Letter From the PC Addressed to Family and Friends

Dear Families,

Greetings from the Togo Desk in Washington, D.C. It is with great pleasure that we welcome your family member to the Togo training program. Over the years we have received many questions from Volunteers and family members alike regarding travel plans, sending money, relaying messages and mail, etc. As we are unable to involve ourselves in the personal arrangements of Volunteers, we would like to offer you advice and assistance in advance by providing specific examples of situations and how we suggest they be handled.

1. Irregular Communication. (Please see #3 for the mailing address to Peace Corps' office in Lomé the capital of Togo). The mail service in Togo is not as efficient as the U.S. Postal Service. Thus, it is important to be patient. It can take from three to four weeks for mail coming from Togo to arrive in the United States via the Togolese mail system. From a Volunteer’s post, mail might take up to one to two months to reach the United States depending upon how far the Volunteer is from the capital city, Lomé. Sometimes mail is hand carried to the States by a traveler and mailed through the U.S. postal system. This leg of the trip can take another several weeks as it is also dependent on the frequency of travelers to the U.S.

We suggest that in your first letters, you ask your Volunteer family member to give an estimate of how long it takes for him or her to receive your letters and then try to establish a predictable pattern of how often you will write to each other. Also try numbering your letters so that the Volunteer knows if he or she missed one. Postcards should be sent in envelopes--otherwise they may be found on the wall of the local post office.

Peace Corps Togo has established “The Lomé Limo” which runs up and down the country monthly, delivers mail, medical supplies, and sometimes volunteers or staff to central sites along the national road.

Volunteers often enjoy telling their “war” stories when they write home. Letters might describe recent illnesses, lack of good food, isolation, etc. While the subject matter is often good reading material, it is often misinterpreted on the home front. Please do not assume that if your family member gets sick that he or she has not been attended to. The city of Lomé has medical and dental facilities, and there is a Peace Corps Medical Officer there as well. Most Volunteers can reach Lomé in less than one day’s time. Many Volunteers also have access to a telephone so that they can call our Medical Office. In the event of a serious illness the Volunteer is sent to Lomé and is cared for by our Medical Unit. If the Volunteer requires medical care that is not available in Togo, he/she will be medically evacuated to South Africa or to the United States. Fortunately, such circumstances are very rare.

If for some reason your communication pattern is broken and you do not hear from your family member for at least three months, you should contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) at Peace Corps in Washington at 1-800-424-8580, extension 1470 (or direct: 202-692-1470). The OSS will then call the Peace Corps Director in Lomé, and ask her to check up on the Volunteer. Also, in the case of an emergency at home (death in the family, sudden illness, etc.), please do not hesitate to call OSS immediately, so that the Volunteer can be informed by a member of Peace Corps/Togo staff.

2. Telephone Calls. The telephone system in Togo has fairly reliable service to the United States. In the interior of the country, where most of our Volunteers are located, the system is less reliable. Most Volunteers have access to a telephone in or nearby their post

When dialing direct to Togo from the U.S., dial 011 (the international access code) + 228 (the country code) + the number. Volunteers generally set up phone calls with people in the U.S. in advance, and have the distant party call them, which is much less expensive than calling the U.S. from Togo. Many volunteers decide to purchase cell phones once they arrive in Togo, but they may not always have regular reception at their site.

The Togo Desk in Washington, D.C. usually calls the Peace Corps office in Lomé once every two weeks. However, these calls are reserved for business only and we cannot relay personal messages over the phone. If you have an urgent message, however, and have exhausted your other means (regarding travel plans, etc.), you can call the Desk, and the message will be relayed.

3. Sending Packages. Parents and Volunteers like to send and receive care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due the high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to send inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Even though many Volunteers sometimes choose to get local post office boxes, you may always use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member:

Nicole Evans, PCT
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 3194
Lomé, Togo
West Africa

It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more frequently. Packages can be sent via surface mail (2-3 weeks arrival time) or by ship (4-6 months). The difference in cost can be a factor in deciding which method to utilize. For lightweight but important items (e.g. airline tickets), DHL (an express mail service) does operate in Lomé, but costs are very expensive. If you choose to send items through DHL, you must address the package to the Country Director, s/c Corps de la Paix, 48 Rue de Rossignols, Quartier Kodjoviakopé, Lomé, Togo. The telephone number for the Peace Corps office in Togo is (228) 221-0614, should DHL need this information. If you send the item to the Country Director, no liability can be assumed. For more information about DHL, please call their toll free number, 1-800-CALL-DHL, or visit their web site at www.dhl.com. Please be aware that there is a customs fee for all DHL packages sent to Volunteers. For each DHL package, the Volunteer will be taxed 10,000 CFA (roughly US$20).

Sending airplane tickets and/or cash is not recommended. Certain airlines will allow you to buy a prepaid ticket in the States; they will telex their Lomé office to have the ticket ready. Unfortunately, this system is not always reliable. Many airlines (e.g., KLM, Air France, Ghana Airways, Air Togo) fly into Lomé or Accra, but each has its own policy on pre-paid tickets. Please call the airline of your choice for more information. You could also send tickets via DHL as mentioned previously. However, Peace Corps will assume no liability in the event of a lost/stolen airline ticket.

Trying to send cash or airline tickets is very risky and is discouraged. If your Volunteer family member requests money from you, it is his/her responsibility to arrange receipt of it. Some Volunteers use Western Union, which has an office in Lomé. Volunteers will also be aware of people visiting the States and can request that they call his/her family when they arrive in the States should airline tickets need to be sent back to Togo.

4. E-mail. There is fairly reliable e-mail service in Togo with cyber cafes in most large towns. Connections can be very slow and time consuming as well as costly. E-mail, however, may become the preferred method of communication between you and your family member in Togo. Not all Volunteers have access to e-mail on a daily basis but they should be able to read and send messages at least once a month. As with other means of communication, do not be alarmed if you do not receive daily or weekly messages. Unless in Lomé at the office, Volunteers have to pay for internet time at cyber cafes and this can be a slow or expensive process depending on the connection at the café.

We hope this information is helpful to you during the time your family member is serving as
a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo. We understand how frustrating it is to communicate with your family member overseas and we appreciate your using this information as a guideline. Please feel free to contact us at the Togo Desk in Washington, DC, if you have further questions. Our phone number is (800) 424-8580, ext. 2326/7, or locally at (202) 692-2326/7.


Sincerely,




Jennifer Brown, Country Desk Officer
Nicole Lewis, Country Desk Assistant

Less than a month to go!

C’est dans l’ordre des choses
Que la fille qui sait nager
Sera donnée au piroguier













I'm quickly approaching my departure date. I received my staging materials today. I've officially booked my flights! On September 17th, I fly to Philadelphia. It's a morning flight, I hope my mom will be able to handle starting to drink at 7am. If she's anything like me, it won't be a problem. In Philadelphia I have 2 days of training and shots. The schedule looks pretty exhausting, but I think I can still manage to get to the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" season premiere party. I'm trying to sort through all of the paperwork that needs to be tended to before I leave. You would think this was a real job or something. I'm trying to set-up a connection with Megan's AP Biology class with the Peace Corps' Worldwide School Program. I'm just trying to make it as hard as possible for her to live up to her amazing older sister :)

It's been a very busy last couple of weeks. I've had visits from some great friends from Evergreen; Andrew, Railin, and Amy. I dragged them to a lot of Africa themed exhibits at Chicago's great museums and the zoo. I'm so glad I got to see them one last time before I leave. Plus, it was great to have some West Coast love in the house. I'm just about done with work, just one more day! I've had a really fun time with the girls and I don't know they'll top their summer of fun with Nikkicoco. I have a new baby girl cousin to celebrate! Congrats Mark and Mo on little Braelyn! I had my graduation/going away party last weekend. I can't express how amazing it is it have such an incredible support system here. Sure, I get to live it, but I couldn't do it without all of you! We spent the night sipping margaritas (I wonder if I can just bring a 2 year supply of tequila instead of clothes), BBQing, playing bags, and eating Africa themed desserts; Africa made out of cupcakes, elephant cookies, and special African brownies made by Brooke and Michael. Thanks so much for everyone who brought stuff for me to take to Africa. My mom will probably send it to me over the span of time I am there. I hasn't hit me yet that I won't be seeing some of you for another 2 years! The next few weeks are going to be busy and include no less than 3 Umphrey's McGee shows. (An official request has been sent for them to cover Toto's Africa at my last show). I have a lot of shopping to do for things that will help me survive village life. I'm headed to Colorado next weekend for a weekend of Red Rocks, an awesome venue I've wanted to go to for years. And of course making the most of the time I have left with family and friends.

I've put my address on the side bar, mail something to me! I can take over a month to get there, so send it now!