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I know, I know..I haven't written in forever...its just been crazy busy here...lots of stuff going on..so lets start with new years....happy new years by the way!

Welcome to Togo - tres, tres, tres Francais y tres EXPENSIVE!
I went to Togo for a few days for New Year's and couldn't believe how expensive it was! Togo is nice but I prefer Ghana. It was a fun few days but way more expensive than here!

I went on a very "adventurous" trip a few weekends ago...but that will be the next blog (later this week - so be ready!)

The Africa Cup of Nations just ended yesterday! Its the soccer championship for the best of the African Nations - occurs every 2 years - best 16 teams (Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, South Africa, Mali, Benin, Morocco, Egypt, Zambia, Namibia, Cameroon, Sudan, Nigeria, Angola, Tunisia - and 1 more that I just can't seem to remember!). It was held in Ghana this year which was fabulous cause I got to see 4 games! I went to Kumasi a few weekends ago - hell of a trip but worth it just to see Egypt play. Egypt beat Cameroon and then I got to watch Sudan get beat by Zambia. Two weeks ago we went to see Ghana beat Morocco and then the next night Ivory Coast beat Mali. They were tons of fun - soo many foreigners have been here that the country has just been crazy. Unfortunately Ghana lost to Cameroon on Thursday night so the mood def changed around here. Egypt beat Cameroon in the final last night!

Last Sunday night my purse was snatched right outta my hand on camp - granted it was sketchy sunday but still some of my Liberian friends here are def the most popular people on camp so everyone was surprised that someone would try to steal from me cause they know if they're caught then it won't be good. It wouldn't be good anyways because here stealing is the worst of the worse since everyone has nothing and fights daily to survive. During Christmas a guy was caught trying to steal something and they beat him bad - they would have killed him had others not intervened and encouraged the people to bring the guy to the police station here on camp instead. It wasn't a big deal but the fact that my phone was stolen - yea so can't call me on that number - which I was renting. However I got my phone from egypt unlocked today so Ill have a new number this afternoon that I will send out. But when I leave ill have to leave that phone for the guy I was renting from and I have to replace the locks on my door to my house since they had to bust the locks off since my key was in my purse (which was this really cute clutch - but i have another thats exactly like it just a different color so thats ok! they are from home though so everyone is def lookin out for someone to be carrying it around on camp cause its wayy to cute to throw out), plus 20 bucks. oh well...if thats the worse that happens to be in africa then that'll be just fine.

I've been really sick this week...twice in fact....Tuesday just ate something bad - its really hard to be sick on camp cause its not like you can just curl up in the bathroom like at home or on a couch with a bucket. Luckily for me I have tons of friends on camp and one couple in particular have a couch and tv and just let me get sick in their "shower". Then Friday morning I got sick again and was sick through Saturday morning - just couldn't keep anything down - not even water. But feeling much better and met up with the other volunteers at the beach in Kokrobite on saturday afternoon and got back last night.

There is no electricity again on camp which is a real bummer - it had been out for 3 months right before Christmas and then camp back. Now for the past 2 weeks it has been coming and going and was out for all of last week. Hopefully it will come back on soon because Im moving onto camp later this week! Yea, I should be coming home this week as my program officially ends on Thursday! However, I've decided to extend my stay another 3 months to continue with the program but living on camp instead - really excited about that! So ill be home in May at some point. Im looking at going to Liberia for a week in March or April to do some stuff for the program that Im doing since we are trying to move it to Liberia for the Liberians who are going back - implementing peace programs in Monrovia (capital) and surrounding areas - eventually having them throughout the country! But so if anyone wants to come visit...Im here!!!!!!!

I know I have tons to write but that will be in the next blog..just wanted to get one out so that people would know im still here..alive..doing well...and will be home in 3 months!


love to all,
~D

"As long as possible live free and uncommitted. It makes but little difference whether you are committed to a farm or the county jail.... If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." -- Henry David Thoreau

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