bucket showers and toilets, oh my!

12.4.08
ok, so i actually meant to write this last night, but i confess that after a 9 1/2 hour flight back from london (longer due to turbulence) i was exhausted but managed to stay up until almost 8pm (which is 1am in london). in any case, yesterday was my official one month mark till i leave for ghana - in which i have to take the GREs (wednesday!), finish my grad school applications, run a half marathon, christmas shop, and oh yeah, get ready for my trip! which brings me to my post title - i found out earlier this week where i will be going and whom i will be staying with in ghana. i will be in a region called the akuapem hills. it's about an hour north of accra, and i will be staying in a small farming community (kwamoso) of about 2000 that has no electricity or running water. my host (her name is gifty) has been hosting volunteers for a few years and from what the program director explained, she seems really nice. she is the cook for the local school children as well as the volunteers. i will be in a room that i will probably share with another volunteer and we also share a bucket shower and toilet with the family which are located on the side of the house. i have no idea what to expect and have wierd images of showering naked outside trying to pour a bucket of water over me...oh well, it should be interesting and very entertaining at the very least. the good news is all of our meals as volunteers are shared at gifty's uncle's house, so i won't be totally alone in these adventures. as for my placement, i will be working on the kawmoso housing project, helping to make mud bricks, construct buildings, paint, landscape, etc. i will also have the opportunity to help at the local village school and play sports with the children. it's a lot to digest but i am very excited (albeit a bit nervous). hope everyone has a good rest of the week!