Responses

In response to some of my "readers" comments/e-mails.

Aunt Lynn - Sorry about not responding to that initial comment you left during the "Packing" entry (or any other comments you may have left). It seems like there may be some sort of problem with the website itself because other people have said that they've left comments and I haven't received them. The comment you left yesterday was the first comment I've had since "Packing." So if anybody else has sent me comments that I haven't responded to, it's probably because I'm not receiving them for some reason or another. As Leonardo DiCaprio said in "Blood Diamond," "T.I.A. (this is Africa)," so that could be part of the problem. But, in response to your questions. My leg has been taking longer to heal than I had expected. It still hasn't "scabbed over" completely, but I think that it might get rubbed off when I sleep at night. I continue to consult WebMD for information and I will be sure to get it checked out at the first sign of infection. Neosporin has helped I think, but I really wish I had some NewSkin with me. As I mentioned before, all the Ghanians are huge Obama supporters. In fact, one Ghanian walked passed me today and said "McCain's losing!" I don't really know what elicited that comment towards me (I guess I just have that conservative Republican aura about me). I doubt the Ghanians are concerned with who McCain's running mate is, because they have all assumed that Obama has already won. They do, however, know what a running mate is. They are having a presidential election here in Ghana on December 7th and some of the billboards post who the candidates' running mates are. They actually use similar tactics as American politicians use in selecting their running mates. For example, a candidate from Accra (in the south) is likely to pick a running mate from the northern or central region to win more votes. For my sociology class, I'm going to be conducting independent research on the cause for Ghanian support of Obama. My tentative research question is, "Does the overwhelming African support for Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential Election stem from a racial connection with the candidate or a genuine belief that he will improve the condition of Africa?" Many people that I have talked to about the election really just want to see a black president in the U.S., but there have been others that believe that Obama will bring a paradigmatic shift in U.S. foreign policy towards Africa (which I think is an absurd belief). I want to find out which one is true. Hope that answers your questions Aunt Lynn. I'll be happy to answer any others that you may have.

Mom - see above for the condition of my leg. Even though I already told you this the other day, I want to publish my ideas for your world conquest on my blog. So, as some of you may or may not know, my mom was in charge of the nursing staff at the Evangelical Community Hospital Ambulatory Surgical Center (or something like that) last week while Leslie was away. The following is an excerpt from the email message I sent her:

"Maybe you should form a coup d'etat, overthrow Leslie and her regime of terror, and usurp power for yourself! I'm just kidding of course, but if it means more money, I'm not. And if that's successful, don't stop there. Take over the entire hospital, then Lewisburg, then Pennsylvania, the U.S., and become dictator of the world. I will totally submit to your rule if you promise to make me your chief advisor with a hefty salary of course."

Don't really know why I felt compelled to post that on my blog. Probably for the sheer amusement that it will bring to her co-workers this week. I'm sure they're missing seeing my bubbly face around there every week to receive my allergy injections. By the way, I was completely kidding about your "regime of terror" Leslie. You're wonderful! But Dr. Tenedious on the other hand...

Eric Yale - "I'm not your friend, buddy." I miss you man! Glad to hear everything worked out relatively well. Just remember that the same void that you feel in your heart is the same that I will experience this spring when you're in Rome. We'll just have to ensure that Christmas Break is amazing and will heal our broken hearts. I'll send you an email in the next couple days about your "Shaping" class and in regards to our previous conversation. Take it easy...

Patrick Wagner - Glad to hear all is well at Pitt and you're enjoying the blog. Thought I would give you a little shout-out because it gives me the perfect segway into saying, "Pittsburgh Stinks!" I mean, they lost to Bowling Green. Can you say over-rated? Let's Go State! But seriously dude, I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying yourself out there (even though your football team is terrible). Miss you man! Can't wait for more Sheetz and Hess Fields excursions over Christmas Break.

Tim McKinley - "Ghanarrhea" is terrible! I love reading your outlandish messages on the Facebook thread. Although, that map of Soda vs. Pop is a bit flawed. The sample size is way too small to cover every county in the U.S. They probably only polled 5-6 people in each county. Interesting nonetheless though. Hope you have a good semester! See you in December...

Kyle Perez - This is a test to see if you're actually reading my blog since you were complaining about me not writing on your wall. I've met these really awesome girls from UNC, which means I will most likely be coming down for another visit again this spring (pass the word along to Genevieve if she isn't reading my blog). Hope you're having an awesome semester so far! I was surprised when I saw UNC's pre-season ranking in SI. They may actually have a pretty good football season (but nothing compared to Penn State). Oh, and Michigan is going to be terrible! Hope you didn't get your hopes on that one. By the way, I met this girl from Elon who is dating a guy who's in SigEp there. They're balanced-man...made me think of you. Take it easy dude!

Stu Ruston - Wish I was at State this semester man (but at the same time, not really)! When I read about our trouncing of Coastal Carolina it really made me homesick, or at least "State College-sick." Hope your semester is going well so far. If you run into Yongsheng Chen, tell him I said, "helrow!" Can't wait to be re-united this spring...hopefully as roommates! Take it easy dude!

To "Everybody" Else - (if I didn't mention you specifically, you should categorize yourself as a part of "everybody") I miss you and can't wait to see you; either over Christmas Break, Christmas Eve with the family, or spring semester at Penn State! You can continue to send messages via my blog, email, or facebook. But if you're feeling overly adventurous, you can try calling me at my Ghanian cell phone number...+233-024-019-2358. Just remember that I'm 4 hours ahead until daylight savings (when it changes to 5 hours).