More exciting goings on in Kukurantumi

*Ed Note: Please read all the previous days before this one if you have not already!!*
I got my site placement!!! I will be in the Volta region near the regional capital, Ho. I will be learning Ewe; unfortunately, no one here in Kukurantumi can speak Ewe so I will rely exclusively on my language trainers. There are about 30 of us heading to the Volta region, most to the central area between Jasikan and Ho. I think it would be fun to organize some monthly get-togethers once we get to site to keep in touch and express our collective Americanism with others. I SHOULD have electricity, but who knows. Also, I have to get my water from a borehole (lever thing). I will update my site opinions once I visit there in July.I have started 'Practicum', or teaching for local JHS (Junior High School) kids. Lesson planning is actually the worst part because the kids are quite attentive and respectful in class, probably because 'caning' is a legitimate form of punishment here. Also, schools here are essentially a three-room house with no electricity or water. The bathroom is beside a bush. In fact, the bush is always an option anywhere a bush is found in Ghana. I looked out of my back window once and found someone peeing on a bush not 10 feet from my window.Okay, finally I will talk about the food. Fufu is really fun to watch people make, and actually consuming it is climactic as well - because it tastes like slimy mashed potatoes with some soup. My host mother, Major (pronounced May-Jo), makes an excellent fried egg with palm oil. Let me stop here and talk about palm oil. It is used in everything. I have not eaten a meal except for breakfast that did not contain palm oil. Its a red cooking oil with a spicy taste and transcends all food boundaries you might have had. Tomato sauce palm oil. Soup palm oil. Garden salad palm oil. Fried chicken palm oil. Fried cat meat palm oil. (I did eat cat meat and was quite tasty). In brief, palm oil is to my adventure here in Ghana as shrimp is to Forrest Gump. Anything + palm oil = food.A bit more about my host family - Nana, my host brother, is a university student on break for the summer and is really a cool guy - speaks perfect English, is smart, and likes to talk. Stephen, another host brother, is going to a local SHS (senior high school) and I interact with him occasionally. Kevin is the 4 year-old kid and only says my name when he is around me. Linda and Rose are two of my host sister (I dont know everyone's name yet) and seem to do whatever it is that they do. Major is my host mother (but really a great-grandmother) and doesn't speak English except important phrases such as "You. Food." and "Hospital. You." Oh I should share why I was sick.Brief warning - I am just describing my symptoms and everything, but it is in some detail. So either scroll down or get ready to be mortified if you are a male or laugh if you are a female and not my mother. So Tuesday I noticed that walking hurt. Hmmm. So when I got home I was curious. Turns out my left testicle was twice the size of my right one. No, that is not normal. So I called the PC Medical Officer and explained my 'situation' (the answer was not 'walk it off'). Apperntly I had a bacteria infection from somehow, but he prescribed me antibiotics and asked for me to go to our hub site. Well when I got there, there were about 45 other PC trainees there that I hadn't seen in a about a week, and everyone wanted to chat. Unfortunately I was in no mood to talk so I went and watched World Cup. But people came up one by one and were insistent upon why I was there.Them: "So Karate Mike (my identifying factor as there are three Mikes here), why are you so blue?"Me: "Oh I'm not feeling well and had to get some medication"THem "I'm sorry, is it malaria or something else?"Me: "Something else"Them still not getting a hint: "Well what exactly?"As which point I proceeded to tell everyone who asked exactly what my condition was. We have about 70 total trainees, and now I think I personally told about 68 what my 'situation' was. Update: Swelling has reduced testicle to normal size, but still hurts a little to walk and is still tender. Continuing to take antibiotics and ibuprofen liberally.That's really about it, I didn't mean for this to be such a long post, but there was a story to tell. If you feel like talking to me call me on my cell phone. +233 277364492
EXTRANEOUS FACTS:Blackboards here are cleaned in a heavy alkaline solution, and my hands were BLACK after the first time I taught
They have an open-sewer system here for everyone to partake in smelling waste all the time.
Loudspeakers come on from 4:30-6 in the morning to announce things. Never fails to wake me up.Actually there is always noise coming from somewhere - it is never quiet.
We also have a herd of goats at my house.