my life, recently

loving fiona apple's "extraordinary machine" this week, compliments of rooming with Tavor at training:

I haven't been shopping for any new shoes and

I certainly haven't been spreading myself around

I still only travel by foot, and by foot it's a slow climb,

But I'm good at being uncomfortable, so

I can't stop changing all the time

i bought seeds this weekend... so hopefully i will soon have reports of thriving eggplant and basil!  ive never tried any gardening before, so it will be a bit of an adventure.  i cant believe there were no spinach seeds.  why, west africa, why??

So many good shirts can be found at the market.  I think im going to start buying them.

the closest thing i've found to a coffee shop!  instant coffee in a tin bowl, served on a leaf plate.  yay!

i want it

apparently some people dye their chickens pink to confuse the hawks.  i was on the run so i didnt get a good shot of them, but it was pretty confusing

PK

yep.  the name of the village I visited last Saturday is PK.  it was a pretty sweet visit though... you drive out to the middle of nowhere on the highway, take a left, cross over the mountain, and then it just appears.  i was welcomed, per usual, with a bunch of singing and dancing and decided to get a little photo happy.  enjoy!  (i apologize for the organization of the pictures on here... the formatting is being weird and i dont feel like taking the time to fix it)

so. many. children.  the kid to adult ratio is ridiculous

the singing begins

and continues...

then, of course, the dancing starts

i wish you could see their faces
when they look at hte pictures after

these girls were super cute dancing together

                                              

these boys were all about the fast feet

these boys were standing like this for a long time;
male friend physical touch is much more accepted here

                                                     

making lunch... this is how they smash up the yams

i think i laughed out loud when they brought out the cokes.

walking around the village.
two people to a bike is pretty common

i thought this raised garden was pretty cool

i really liked the outfits on these kids

after seeing their picture.
apparently mesh-tank kid is not  impressed

aaand the real reason i was there.
shea butter.  super good for your skin.
used here in cooking as well.

                                              

                                                         watching the transformation process.
                                                         somehow this turns out white

Celebrations

everyone likes to laugh at the white girl trying to keep up

teaching his son to play the drums

amaaazing old guy breakin' it down

drum troops just wander around the festivities


Village-wide celebration in Kemon, 5K from Kilibo.  Photo credits go out to Michael Bolin, my post mate. We spent all day wandering around crashing parties.  Such a good time.

my job is awesome

one of my favorite things to do here is to go to a more remote part of the village and take pictures.  most people, especially the kids, have never had their pictures taken before and they go completely ecstatic.  its an incredible feeling, and helps me to remember the magic in things like cameras.

                                       

Random shots from my daily life

piment.  everyone here loves piment in their food, all the time.  if i ever cook something american for someone, they usually tell me it might be good if i had added piment.

brains for dinner.  this is wagashi, the closest thing to cheese that you can find here, so its pretty much my favorite food.  but yeah, pre-cooked it just looks like im eating brain.

My carpenter, Jacob.  He is one of the best friends I've made here so far, and just an amazing person.  He hardly has a dollar to his name, but always insists on taking Michael and I out for a drink or if we take him out he will just disappear and then come back with food for everyone.

2 of Jacob's daughters, Ruth and Rosaline.

Random mountain of trash in Kilibo.

house in a house

you know when you open a Christmas present just to find another box inside the box you just opened?  i guess it's kind of like that... except with opening doors.