Parenthetical.net

Here is my very exciting news that I haven’t really told anyone yet, although it’s obviously been in the works for awhile: I am going to Ghana for a month this summer! I’ll be living in a town called Ho, which is in the southeast, on the Volta lake. I’ve agreed to volunteer with an organization called Disaster Volunteers of Ghana, about whom I don’t know a whole lot, but they’ve been very nice about emailing me and answering all my questions, and they seem to be on the up-and-up. They are also about a quarter of the price of any of the more formalized volunteer travel programs, like Global Service Corps. I’m assured that I will be picked up at the airport and housed and fed by a host family. Here’s hoping, right? Heh.

Apparently during the week I will “have the chance to teach school children whiles here in Ho District, and also…help the community schools around as to how to arrange and go about with keeping records of books and all other helps you can give in that regard.” Which is cool, because I couldn’t find a formal program that would let me do any librarianing. Even if I end up digging latrines and building house foundations, though, it’ll be fine - I’m trying to be laid back about this.

And on the weekends, I can see “the hightest mountain in Ghana, the bigest waterfall in Ghana, and the only Mona Monkey Site in Ghana.” Come to Ghana, we got monkeys!

I’m leaving on June 22, spending the weekend with Paula in France, then heading to Ghana. I’m stopping in London for a couple of days on the way back, hopefully to see Ryan B., and will land back home at 7 p.m. on Tues., July 25, in dire need of familiarity and a shower. So if you have anything fun going on in that month, I will miss it. That sadly includes the first Falconridge at its new location - I haven’t missed one in years, and I’m very sorry to miss this one, but it seemed worth it for an extra week in Ghana. Camp Nutella Freak will have to carry on without me this year!

And now for the pitch: I would like to collect some donations to bring with me. The most useful things would apparently be used cell phones and laptops - outdated and slow is just fine, so long as they basically work. Children’s clothes, shoes, and small toys would also be lovely. If you have anything you’d like to donate, please let me know!