Alexandria and Mt. Vernon

Yesterday I went to old town Alexandria just near the south of DC in Virginia and walked along King Street to the warf, here are some pictures:
Right on the wharf these lovely people were standing here it was great!





Then today I went with my friends Noemie and Juliette to Mt. Vernon where George Washington resided in Virginia. Here are pictures of Washington's mansion, tomb with the bricks and the dock on the Potomac River.

Greetings From Ghana!

My friend Tini (Christina)writes from Ghana:
After spending time in the capital, Accra I lived with a family in another big city called Kumasi. Who, like my Accra family, force fed me food, but this time is was canned with with tomato paste and boiled yams over and over and over. But unlike my Accra family we occasionally had running water. From Kumasi we traveled 7 hours up north to Tamale, which is part of the Sahara desert and incredibly hot. Regardless, I loved the peaceful atmosphere of the small town city and the beautiful influence of the large Muslim population. In Tamale we had the chance to meet with a chief and his traditional housing unit, which yes lives up to that stereotype of Africa and its mud huts. Even though every district has a chief and the traditional ruling system works along side with the modern governing structure we were given a formal ceremony for our arrival. The chief sat on hide skins while his council of elders sat on steps below him. They all wore their traditional dress and we were then shown into the chiefs hut (the largest). Connected to his domed shaped hut is each of his wives huts. And lucky for me I was personally chosen by his first wife to stay and become the chief's last wife and therefore get my own hut. It was a tempting offer but was forced to refuse it. People in the North do not speak Twi (the language I have been learning) so it was rather frustrating getting thrown into an entirely new culture. During the greeting ceremony in response to everything said we were told to squat, clap lightly, and say "na na na" having no idea what was being said, but I guess "na na na" is an appropriate response to all things.
In North we also did the whole safari thing and went on a little trek to see him elephants, antelopes, baboons, crocs, etc. However, I am not sure the 4 hours bus ride with 7 people across in a row on dirt roads so poor that after wards I had almost become physically Ghanaian (i.e. my skin turned blackish red) was worth the one night adventure.

In more recent news, I have just returned from my two week stay in a rural village about an hour outside of Kumasi. My village, Asaam, was a bit of a mix between a town and a village. There was a primary and junior secondary school, many churches, and even little places to buy basic needs. However, I did pump my own water from the ground and carry it on my head back to my house for bucket showers, which take place in the same room I peed in (a small storage room with cement floors and a tiny hole leading outside hopefully slanted downward). I'd say we had electricity as much as we did not have electricity. Which was not that much fun when mice and lizards decided to inhabit my room with me. Nevertheless, the hundreds of kids and again the warmth of Ghanaian people made all the difference. Any time I step outside I have at least 20 children following me or holding onto each of my 10 fingers yelling "O! Bronie" (white person). Yet, after a couple of days they learned my name and started singing this song "Efia Tini *clap clap* Efia Tini *clap clap*" I lived in a house with a family but I took my meals with the 7 other students in the village. My 5 minute walk to my house from our "headquarters" becomes a 20 minute walk, having to stop and greet anyone you see. Keep in mind that only 3% of the population speaks English. So I stick my 5 lines of Twi and continue to simply make Ghanaian sounds and they think I know what they are saying. The man who was supposedly was my host father pretty much runs the whole village. He is about 55 years old and has the smallest feet I have ever seen. Everyday he wore these gangsta gaucho shorts or his sheet as a monk robe. He declared me as his first wife and some of the other students his second and third wives. This meant our conversations basically involved him asking me when his supper will be ready. Or to tell my father to send him $800 dollars or money every month or he said he would be content with a private car. Of coarse this was all in a joking manner but it sure did make every encounter with him entertaining. He has several sons all about 20 plus years old who were so interested with me and life in America. Although they were usually gone all day working on the farm they treated me so well and I cannot believe I will probably never see any of them again.
Anyway, I loved village life. I feel so famous walking down the street and having people yell my name, asking where I am going. Or having kids singing songs about you is pretty cool. Tomorrow we leave for Cape Coast and the Volta Region for two weeks. If you read all of this, Thank you.
I really miss all of you so much. I keep having dreams about being home and wearing my jeans. Please stay safe and healthy. And thank you to all of you who have given me updates on your travels- keep it up. This also means that all of you in SF and the rest of the states need to send some updates.
Love Always,

Efia Tini

Here is a picture of Tini from SF- she is in the front left in the pinkish shirt (next to Kat then Mel in the front and Cecily in the back left and Lex on the top right)


Here she is again on the far left next to all my other friends...

My Past Week- all that is exciting

A little out of order but here is the update...

It has been about ten days since break and it has flown by, like everything does. It is hard to think of everything that has happened. Well, I wrote like three papers this week about 6-8 pages. One about the relationship between Taiwan and China and how the US can affect the relations under the one China policy, then one about a book I am reading on children’s issues called no Room at the Table written by a Priest named Donald Dunson, and then the last one about my internship. So that I will post to give you a better idea of what’s up with Polaris Project. What else, I went on a police ride along in the 6th district of DC, where most of the poverty, violence and drugs are located in DC. I went with a woman from my class, as part of a class assignment, and the officer we went with was great- he was in the military and lived abroad, was from Brooklyn and swore all the time. It definitely gave me a different outlook on policemen and how they are just people too, like politicians, my father or anyone. So that was very memorable. I met two Minnesotans last night through a mutual friend and they completely reminded me of Mel, my friend from USF. She lived in the city with a bunch of our other friends. I miss them all so much! It is great always meeting new people here though. I went to a human trafficking event where two recently published authors came out with books on Slavery today. One by Kevin Bales, who is a leading researcher on trafficking called Free Slaves and then another one by Ben Skinner, called A Crime So Monstrous. They both spoke at this venue called Busboys and Poets just off of U Street in a historically black neighborhood in DC. The place is great; they are a restaurant, café, bookstore and venue for people to speak all about social justice. It was created after Langston Hughes, who was a busboy and a poet and it is just a great place (especially since it has free Wifi all the time, a definite bonus).

My friend Matt, who goes to USF and is graduating this year, and who I studied with in Spain went to NYC for his spring break last week and took the train down to see me for a day. He was really only here for about 20 hours but we had a nice on campus dinner and then saw the Capitol building and the surrounding house and senate buildings int he morning, then I took him to Union Station to take the train back up to NYC. Here are some pics of us:





On another note: I talked to my friend Cecily last night and she was telling me how for spring break she went surfing for the first time and saw porpoises. It is so amazing to think of the differences in temperature and cultural daily life on each of the coasts. I like living on the East a lot, but I always forget about the temperature. For example, one of my East Coaster friends said, “oh, I can’t wait until we can eat outside.” I am like what? Ohh yes, you would freeze your butt off if you ate at a table seated outside. Funny.

I called my dad the other day to see how his first day at work went. He got a new global management position with a company in Daily City off of 280 called Genesis. So I call him and, while on the other line my brother is on hold (which felt good since he always puts me on hold and I always wait forever) and my Dad starts explaining to me about his first day. I wish you could have heard him, but he goes "oh it was great! They gave all sorts of presents today," and I am like well what kind of presents, thinking like a gift basket or something like a real present, and he says emphatically "they gave me a badge with my picture on it" and I am thinking ummm, okaaay like that is exciting, then he goes into "and a blackberry and a laptop and coffee and they actually like me and they pay me to be there it is great!" It was so funny to hear him so excited, especially since he was not very satisfied with his last job and motivation was lacking. Anyways, it was good to catch up with the old Daddyo.

Baby Francie

I wanted to post a couple of pictures of the most adorable baby in California! Her name is Francie and she is Mary and Brian Heffernan's!! So sweet and chubby!
Here is Mary's site for more pictures: http://maryandheff.squarespace.com/

Philly with the Fam

It was Mary Ellen's big 70th birthday party last Saturday night. So I wanted to make it to that to see the fam. I took the train from Providence to Philadelphia where my dad and MJ picked me up at the 30th street station, a nice old fashioned station, and we headed to the dinner party. Callan was with his Nana and we all met at this French restaraunt for some French cuisine to celebrate. By all, I mean Mary Ellen's children- Missy (with her husband and two kids), Jamie (with his wife and two kids) and MJ with my dad and Cal and I, and then a bunch of her friends. We were some of the first people there so we sat down at a table with some of Mary Ellen's friends there and made conversation. And of course my Dad introduces himself and says so "are you all the retired models?" When he knows perfectly well they are retired teachers like Mary Ellen. They stared at him at first then laughed...funny, my Dad the jokester. Then someone else comes in and has flowers for Mary Ellen, but I guess since she was not there yet, he goes to grab them and says "oh you shouldn't have..." Anyways, I was at the kids table with Mj's nieces about 13 years old, Laura and Denali and her nephews about 10 years old, Ryan and Griffin and of course callan who will be 8 in May. It was a good time. Mary Ellen picked out a special dinner menu and had Prosecco, an Italian champagne like drink, that I introduced her to when we ate in NYC in little Italy, which I was introduced to in Tuscany, Italy with Lenore Horowitz last may. Well, trying to keep it short, here are some pictures of the Cousins back at Mary Ellens house in Haddonfield, just about 15 minutes from Philly.
The boys- exercising vigorously (their fingers)




Now Mj, Cal and Dad are here in DC with me until Saturday, then they head back up the coast to NJ and then home. My friend Matt, from Spain, is coming on Friday to visit me too. It has been a great week or so of seeing people and catching up. Matt is a Senior at USF and we studied together last semester. He is going to NYC for his spring break and coming down via train to see me for a day!! Yay!
Here is a pic of him!

By the by, he is just a friend!!

Spring Break 08

While some went to Cancun, my roommate to Miami and my other here with her boyfriend...I was off sailing away to Cape Cod. Actually, I flew, but that is where I spent the majority of my break. From Wednesday to Saturday I spent time on the charming little island/bay/ long strip of land in Harwich with Jo-Ellen, Halle and Todd. Jo-Ellen is MJ's cousin who grew up in New Jersey and no lived there with Todd and Halle, an adorable almost five year old.
I arrived by plane in Providence to a nice little airport. The views were beautiful over the water with all the sand islands everywhere along the coastline. We drove an hour and a half up to about the mid coast of the elbow shaped land. Jo has a beautiful new house that is almost done, so I got cozy in the cottage with the three of them. Very comfy! And I got to meet and help feed and pet her horses- Buster and the pony Holly. She is a feisty little thing. I would give them sugar cubes and she would push Buster out of the way, that little hog! Jo cooked amazing ravioli and we had an amazing salad and bread...what a great homecooked meal! Then on Thursday and Friday we toured around with Halle and her friend Olivia, who Jo was watching for a few days, around Province town in the very north and around all the hotspots..Catham, and we saw ship wreckage from like the 18th century and had the most amazing food. Between great sushi and Mahony's restaurant and chai teas, I was in the lap of luxury. We even had great weather while I was there and the day I left for the train station in Providence, to head to Philly, it rained. Sad. Yes, but I love the rain!
Here are some pictures!!
This is Jo and Halle


Here is the wreckage
Below is the courthouse building (or something I forget)




It was a really great trip and I will definitely have to see it in the summer and go back to Providence.

Spring Break and into the Wild

This past Saturday marked my first day of spring break...I decided to take it easy and not go abroad as I had planned...my good friend is in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and I was seriously considering visiting her, but a week is not enough time to stay there. So I though I would take advantage of a kind and long standing offer from MJ's cousin, Jo-Ellen and Todd, to come and visit them in Cape Cod. I am super excited to see the Cape, as some people call it, and they have horses! It will be a great couple of days. Then I am going to head to Philadelphia to meet my parents and little brother to celebrate Mary Ellen, MJ's mom, birthday. Then Monday I head back to DC with the fam via train! it will be a family spring break! As annoying a they sometimes can be, I love and miss them...I also miss California a little. I have definitely realized how much I love that state and I know I would really enjoy living there in the future. Thinking about the mountains, ocean and skiing (along with the amazing city of SF and the bay area with all of its opportunities) and living away from it for almost a year has helped me realize a lot of things. Although, I have also come to realize I would love to live in Spain again, in NYC and maybe even back in DC for grad school. Ciao for now....

My New Found Love for DC

What I love about DC is the diversity in people, organizations, and
interests. There is a huge mix of important people from all around the
world here representing all different ideas, groups and beliefs. Not
only do you run into a foreign embassy when you turn a corner, you
can see and meet people you never expected or never knew about. All
the opportunities I never dreamed of are available and with a strong
will and determination, you can really achieve your goals. While it
may be a difficult place to live, it is a great place to learn about
our world and ourselves. I really recommend this program to help you
reach outside what you thought you may have been limited to and to
realize what your impact can do in our world and country today.
My first Photos of me and DC...
I am with a friend here in the Russell Senate building after meeting
Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut's foreign aids (you may have seen these before).

This is my roommate Ashley with me.

And here is Noemie and myself.

Marchin New York City

All the cities I have visited throughout my life are so amazing and beautiful with loads of things to distract you, but NYC is so amazing. I spent the weekend with my step grandmother, Mary Ellen, glamorously strolling along the city streets. I left Saturday morning on the metro to the Union Station and took a three hour train to Penn Station. I met Mary Ellen, coming off of the NJ Transit (she is from near Philadelphia) and we began our adventures. We had a nice salad and soup lunch at Macys and then walked around the shoe department which pretty much took up a while floor of the building. From there we walked through the crowds to Times Square. All the sings, billboards and lights are pretty blinding, but I managed to get some good pictures still.


Then we waited in line, not for too long lucky enough, to get tickets to a broadway show that Saturday night. Our top three choices were Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray and Marry Poppins. We went to the eight O'Clock show and sat in the orchestra section. The sets were amazing and the costumes too! It was a long play but I was pretty captivated the whole time, definitely worth the wait and very memorable. I was so excited to sit where we were because there were two Spanish couples speaking before and after the show and I had such a great time listening to their conversation (I know eaves dropping is bad) but I could tell they were from Northern Spain and they said all the phrases I learned like "Venga" and "vale", some fond memories popped into my head traveling around Spain and Europe. I am going to have to get used to the accent in Nicaragua since it will be so much different. They really speak so clearly and pronounce every syllable in Spain- I love it.

I don't know if you can see it, but I took a photo of the opening set before the play started (under that blob was a huge chandelier).
Here is the theater from the outside when we were coming out.

Before the play, actually Mary Ellen and I walked around SoHo and went in all the fancy shops and saw all the street vendors. While walking all around the whole time (though we took the subway to and from SoHo (which I learned means south of Houston street)), we decided to eat dinner in little Italy.

Here is Mary Ellen and I trying on hats at a little boutique.
I devoured amazing pasta with tomato sauce and eggplant parmasean with a little sparkling Italian champagne called Prosecco.

Too bad I did not get a clearer one, but here is the front of the restaurant we ate at.

After a great night of sleep (and watching a little news, which I don't get to do as much as I would like because I don't really have access to a TV) I was up and ready by 11am to head to brunch. I missed out on seeing St. Patrick's Cathedral and mass, but I got to sleep in take advantage of being in a hotel. We were soon off again to Central Park to the Tavern on the Green for a little something to keep us going through the shopping day.


After mimosas and french bread, we strolled along the park making our way to the Whitney Museum. Here are some pictures from the park.


Did I mention it was a beautiful day!!


We spent a little time int he Whitney Museum then hit up Madison avenue and went into Barneys and defnitely perfected window shopping. When we hit the end of the park and 5th avenue we decided to go into the Plaza since they had just finished construction. They had a great tea room and ginormous chadelliers that were made of beautiful and shiny crystals. After wanting to stop in every store on 5th, we held ourselves back and just ended up in Tiffanys and The Trump tower just to see what they had. Here is the inside on the second floor of the building.


We eventually made it to the Rockefeller Center and saw people ice skating. A great view from above. I guess down below they have tables out there in the summer. This city really has the season change down.

Then we got our bags from the hotel and made a quick stop at the Carnegie Deli, this apparently famous jewish deli with huge sandwiches. We got them to go to eat on the train (through we were a little scared people would stare and want some because of the amazing smell). Then I hailed a cap, very stylishly I might add and headed towards the train station. Here is a shot from the back of the cab.

A three hour ride and then I was home! It was a really fabulous weekend and thank you to Mary Ellen!