Happy Birthday America!!!

I'm back in Conakry for a few days to celebrate the fourth. almost all the volunteers in country are here and the house is crazy. tomorrow we are having a big bbq, and our proximity to the beach makes me feel almost home:) i just got news that my brother matt is going to come visit me in september and i couldnt be more excited!!!! YAY matt!!! my dad spent a few minutes of his phone card last night trying to convince me to convince matt not to come haha- he says he is worried enough about me without having to worry about another child in africa! haha. dont worry matt, you're in good hands and i have an exciting and scenic itinerary planned! oh and pops, my friend on the computer next to me just told me her cousin and husband are coming at the end of this month, so that is 4 non-pc people visitingn (i know you think matt is the only one silly enough to come here voluntarily...other than the volunteers of course haha!!!)

in other news, before i tell yall what ive been up to lately, im going to update my list of stuff i want hahah. (really, im in africa...no i have no shame asking for stuff!!! haha!) here it goes:

1- batteries: i need both AA and AAA. I prefere lithium b/c it lasts so much longer and that's impt b/c it is much more energy in a tiny package but ill be happy for any type:)

2- people mags and us weekly (that is "us" like the pronoun, not U.S. like the united states)

3- splenda or other sugar substitute

4- jacksonville magazine...i want to read about home from time to time

5- PICTURES!!!!! i miss yall and want to see you in action whatever you've been up to

6- stamps (letters arrive much quicker being sent with a friend going home for a visit than waiting 6 months for the guinean mail)

7-seeds...flowers, veggies, whatever

8-if anyone sends me a dvd or vhs of the new Sex & the City movie you will be my best friend for life...this goes for a vhs/dvd of any seasons of desperate housewives and/or grey's anatomy...no, my hut doesnt have a tv, but conakry does, and believe me, it gets plenty of use when we are unwinding every couple of months!!!

9-dried berries- esp strawberries

10-any kind of nut (whole, UNSALTED, UNROASTED) BUT peanuts...NO peanuts plz:), i esp love whole raw almonds and cashews YUM:)

11-bacon...this is a tricky one but bacon bits are amazing!!!!!! seriously, im tearing up just thinking about the package i got with bacon bits

12- GOLDFISH (the cheeze flavored cracker, not the animal)

13-i really need a small contact case...matt, maybe you could bring that along in september?

14-Dad- can you send me one or two white stretchy speghetti strap tank top undershirts from my closet at home? THANK YOU!!! oh, and i have a black stretchy cotton sleeveless dress in there too- it is high waisted and goes down to about mid calf...i know i have about 100 black dresses, but just read the description and try to match it:) it is heavier than most of my other black dresses and pretty well lined with the same black stretchy cotton material. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! i know how much you'll hate looking for it:) oh, and you sent me my blue arabic dictionary, but right next to it on the bookshelves in my room should be my green Hans-Weir dictionary (arabic). if you could send that too that would be awesome.

15- plain cotton underwear from kmart...i bought some cheap ones right before i left that have worked out well- they were joe boxer bikinis size 7 (undies sizes are wierd there)

16-reeces peanut butter cups/m&ms/ chocolate in general

17- cheap plastic spray bottle


well, that pretty much covers it. now onto what ive been doing this past month:

ive started working with a forestry group reforesting an area near my village with seedlings they planted before i got here that are pretty well developed. i built a fence with the help of a friend (no easy task) to enclose my tree nursury and keep it from being eaten by the wandering cows/goats/sheep, and have started to plant tree seeds there. so far ive planted moringa (super fast growing tree with miraculous health benefits), neem (leaves are a good natural pesticide when mixed with water), african mahogany (a type of teak), and a bunch of mandrin orange trees. i also started a garden of my own to try to diversify my diet. there ive planted carrots, tomatos, onions, okra, beans, parsley, cauliflower, cabbage, iceburg lettuce, watermelon, pumpkin, potatos and corn. when i left a few days ago the sprouts were just starting to come up on a lot of them , so i cant wait to see what it looks like when i get back. i have also started a co-op for honey/way production using the Kenyan top-bar beehive. it took a while to explain all the merits of this beehive over traditional beekeeping, but the group seems pretty motivated now and excited to begin. if it goes well the first year, im going to try to set them up with one of my small business developement people to write up a business plan and figure out how to expand to the larger markets of surrounding villages and cities. the president of the reforestation group has been awesome to work with, and even gave me some new ideas that i hadnt even thought of- like aqua culture- raising fish! this is going to be a crazy two years. i miss all yall sooooo much and love to read snail mail letters so dont forget about me hahah!!! that's all i can think to write right now....An Beh Kofe (until next time!)