tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87176924198749181072011-04-21T11:04:56.043-07:00*The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own and do not reflect the opinions, views or policies of Peace Corps.Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14186314531484076983noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8717692419874918107.post-52326006868755414192007-05-14T21:05:00.000-07:002007-05-14T21:26:29.223-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ct7klRmq0lg/Rkkx3lVdy6I/AAAAAAAAAAM/XEUMdtQPZcc/s1600-h/Togo+Map.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ct7klRmq0lg/Rkkx3lVdy6I/AAAAAAAAAAM/XEUMdtQPZcc/s320/Togo+Map.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064634086939544482" border="0" /></a><br />Well, here it is! My first blog entry! As I write this, I am still in Montana sitting at our computer in our basement. I don't have too much to say right now, I just thought I would give you a little introduction to what I'm going to be doing as well as giving you some idea of what Togo, the country where I will God-willing spend the next two years of my life, is like.<br /><br />There's Togo to your left. It's a little sliver of a country between Ghana and Benin in western Africa. It's climate is mostly tropical, being a bit drier in the north than it is along the coast. Here are a few statistics:<br /><br />Official Name: Togolese Republic (Republique togolaise)<br />Area: 56,785 sq. km<br />Pop: 5,701,579<br />Religions: Christian - 29%; Muslim - 20%; indigenous beliefs - 51%<br />Capital: Lome<br />Exports: cocoa, coffee, cotton<br /><br />I will be leaving on June 6th for Washington D.C. where we will be having a preliminary orientation - "staging" it is called - as well as starting the firs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ct7klRmq0lg/Rkk1aVVdy7I/AAAAAAAAAAU/MWx5kZEK9sY/s1600-h/Togo+Flag.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ct7klRmq0lg/Rkk1aVVdy7I/AAAAAAAAAAU/MWx5kZEK9sY/s320/Togo+Flag.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5064637982474881970" border="0" /></a>t wonderful round of vaccinations we will be receiving. I'm especially looking forward to my rabies vaccination - no more fear of playing with stray cats! On June 8th my fellow trainees and I will be taking off to Togo to start our 27 months of service. I will be working in small business development (SBD), but my exact job and post in Togo won't be known to me until a couple of weeks into training (training is approximately three months).<br /><br />I'll try to post on this blog as often as possible, but once I get to my permanent post, it is a possibility that I won't even have electricity or running water, let alone an internet connection. So bear with me, and I will hopefully be posting here again soon!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-family:webdings;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8717692419874918107-5232600686875541419?l=ashleyintogo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Ashleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14186314531484076983noreply@blogger.com