This is inside the tree-eating tree (see below). It was huge.

Doing laundry. So domesticated :)

A lot of sweating = a lot of laundry.

Still slaving away...

This is the little cutie who makes me smile A LOT. He laughs so much and it makes me happy! His name is Awenyeh.

This is the Balme Library on campus. It pretty much all is the white buildings with brown tiles.















This is some traditional food from a dinner one night. A lot of rice is eaten here, as well as fried plaintains, stir fry veggies and some meat.




















Botannical Gardens- palm trees















This was at the Botannical Gardens but these flowers are around my house too.




















This tree ate another tree and now it's hollow inside. It was incredible. That's my friend Isabel.



Sooooo... this past week was amazing. School has not quite kicked up yet so I only had two classes last week. And even though I am getting 3 credits per class, they only meet for two hours once a week. It's very interesting. So I'm taking 3 University classes (Human Rights in Africa, Geography of Development in Africa, and a Drumming class) in addition to a Twi language class that is taken with other kids from my program. I'm also in a Development Studies track through my program which includes a Development Studies class and puts me into an internship as well. I found out that I am placed at a skills learning center called Today's Choice for my internship- I don't know any specific details but I'll know more later on this week. I have a feeling, though, that whatever I'll be doing will be great so I'm excited to start that next week.

So because of my lack of classes last week I was able to do a little exploring. A couple of us went to Medina market one day (and took the tro-tro, which is definitely growing on me because it's so cheap, I just have to be sure and ask where they are going). It was one of the craziest things I've seen. There was just row, upon row, upon row, of everything you could ever imagine being bought and sold. We're talking everything from clothes, to shoes, to phones, to fabric, to TONS of dried fish (that smell awful), to live crabs, to fruit and vegetables, to notebooks and beyond. It was just madness. I needed a towel and some notebooks, so that's all I purchased but you could go there for anything. It's been really interesting to see that although there are a lot of poor people here and the quality of living may be considered low to most, the majority of what I witness everyday is people buying and selling. I mean, I know that may sound weird because we all need things etc., but if you don't work in a 'formal' work place, how you survive is by selling things to other people who have little to no money as well. It's very interesting. Again, I'm not complaining because the fruit that is so widely sold here is absolutely delicious. I now enjoy pineapple quite often, for the lovely price of 80 pesewas (about 80 cents). Yes please!

Then on Thursday a couple of us were going to go explore the beach but then decided to venture into town and use this hotel's pool. It's crazy because we've only been here two weeks, but sometimes it feels like months because of the things we miss- like AC, certain foods, and other random everyday things I think we tend to take for granted back home. It was a nice treat though, that's for sure. Getting out of the pool was pretty much the first time I felt clean this whole time though, due to the chlorine- haha. It seems that whenever I get out of the bucket bath, I'm right back sweating again, so I enjoyed that.

Wednesday was a kid on my program's 21st birthday (Tony) so pretty much everyone with CIEE went to Lebodi beach and there was music and such. Of course it ended up being a giant Rasta celebration night, and let's just say the natives there were feelin' the love. It was pretty funny and a very 'cultural' experience to say the least. haha. And of course I danced like a mad woman, it was wonderful. I can't say how much I really enjoy the people on this program. Of course we have our little cliques and there are people you get along with better than others, but it's so non-constraining all the same. Everyone talks to each other and looks out for each other. It's really great.

Then on Friday Rachel and my friend Tamu and I went exploring around our neighborhood and found a little shopping center. It had a fair amount of American products (and was air conditioned...holla!!!) but the best part was that on the top level there was an ice cream shop. I was jealously watching while Rachel and Tamu get there double scoops (due to my lactose intolerance) BUT then I read this little sign saying that it didn't have any milk product in it. I was like WHAT?! How is that possible? So I asked and it was a soy based product!! I then enjoyed a very refreshing and cool double scoop of chocolate and coconut ice cream. yesssss.
Later that night the women in my family (Mama, Rachel and Ayawo), as well as Mama's brother Doe, went to Chez Afrique. It ended up that a lot of kids from the program were there too and it was so much fun. My family LOVES to dance so I'm pretty sure that of the 3 hours we were there, we were dancing for 2 and a half. I was soaked with sweat by the end of the night, but I'm getting used to it :)

My family is doing so wonderful and we are getting more and more comfortable each day. The family construct is very different here though. Because Auntie Grace and Charlie are the head of the households and we don't see them very much, but Ayawo, Mama, Rachel, Alex, and the others take care of the house and anything that they need them to do. They sweep every morning and the women are pretty much always cooking or cleaning. They are incredible. But all in all I love them so much and am so blessed to be living there. Wow. There are just so many interesting people always coming in and out of the house and I love how family and hospitality is so important to them. It's wonderful.

This weekend was great too. Saturday our group went to the Abouri Botannical Gardens and explored that area. It was about an hour away and was very beautiful. I would like to go back after the rainy season though, because it seemed a little dry. It was a lot of fun and saw a lot of neat plants. I also got a djembe for 20 cedis!!! That's like 20 dollars!! It is big and wonderful and sounds like a choir of angels. I almost cried I was so excited! woooooo!! We went to church again this Sunday. I was really hot the whole time which made it slightly hard to concentrate but it was wonderful all the same. I love the singing and just hearing God being praised with all different kinds of languages, hearts, and minds- truly the way it should be. After church, I did my laundry for the first time!!! It pretty much took me all day but I did it all by hand. It was quite the experience and I was thoroughly exhausted- I'm such a pansy. Oh well, I'll get used to it, but all the while it was great to just sit and think and in a way it was relaxing...to my mind at least.

I miss everyone dearly, but I don't think it's hit me quite fully that I'm really here. I'm just waiting to burst into tears at some point, because I feel that's what I should do but I'm still feeling so comfortable. I guess it's a good thing because I know how much I love those who are not here with me and am comforted by that. I think that's it- it's all a good thing.
Ok, I'm off and wish everyone the best.

Little shops like this are all over but they have names like "God is my shepherd Bakery",

or "Blessed Assurance Meat Shop", or like this one which is "Finger of God Mini-mart."

This is Rachel and my's room (my bed is on the right).

Coconut juice is drunk straight from the shell and goes for 20-30 pesewas (about 30 US cents). yummmmm.

Fresh fruit is found all over the place!! These are oranges, but my favorite thus far is papaya. They cut it right there for you and it's much sweeter than in the US. Again, about 20 pesewas.

This is a sideways picture of out shower (sorry!). You can see the smaller and bigger buckets we are given to shower with. Yay for conserving water!!

Soooo... today is officially day 6 of my time here in Ghana. I can't believe I am actually here and how much I love it all already. It's everything I could have possibly imagined and so much more- and classes and the business of life hasn't even started yet! The culture of Ghana is very kind and welcoming, but all the same I stick out like a sore thumb and am treated very differently. The local word for foreigner (or white person) is 'obruni'. So as I walk to campus or just around town, little kids especially, but people trying to sell things, will get my attention with 'Hey obruni!' or 'Obruni! Obruni!' It's pretty harmless but I will have to get used to the fact that I will never officially fit in here :)

I was placed with a homestay family and they seem to be welcoming me just fine though. I share a room with a girl named Rachel from my program. She is from Indiana and is so sweet and kind. It's perfect. I am so fortunate to live with them and it is so unique! There are too many family members to count, but my 'Mama' is Grace and she runs a fabric dying business there at the house. The factory is outside and the shop itself is right on the road. Charlie is my 'Papa' and he is in the construction business. But I think I am learning that he might just own the business or run it somehow because he never really seems to leave the house. Two little girls live there are well, named Stephanie (10) and Abigail (9), who keep us in constant conversation as well as provide entertainment of any High School Musical song you could think of. Alex also lives at the house, and is a young man who goes to the University too, and shares a room with Albert who is leaving to go to school in Kumasi (northern Ghana). The house is constantly bustling with people because of the business, but it is nice to meet and talk to everyone. It is customary that when you walk into a room, you must greet EVERYONE, so as you can imagine hands are constantly being shook and 'how are you?'s shared. It is a large house but basic in a lot of ways, I guess compared to American standards. But it is considered a very wealthy home here. And it is indeed very nice, but some of the things you would find in the US are not there- like shower heads, running water in the kitchen, AC, etc. But I love that! It makes it so obvious what is really necessary and what is not- and let's just say we as Americans are used to a lot of things that are NOT necessary.

The food here is excellent, but I think I may come back as big as a blimp if they don't stop feeding us giant-sized portions! Staying with a family, they serve us breakfast and dinner and then we are on our own for lunch. All the food is very spicy, but usually not too spicy for me not to enjoy it. I'm sure I'll get used to it soon. There is a lot of rice and chicken with spices, as well as starchy vegetables. Fresh fruit is rampant everywhere and absolutely delicious.

School does not start until Monday but classes will probably not go into full swing for awhile. The school system here is a little crazy so it will be interesting. Classrooms with no AC and packed with people is going to be quite an experience. The weather is very hot and humid, and I hear it only gets worse before the rain comes in a month and a half. Oh boy. Like I said, AC is no where to be found, so just imagine a Texas summer with no AC and BAM!- you've got Ghana.

Last night was my first experience of Ghanian night life and it was so much fun!! We went to this restaurant/bar called Chez Afrique. There was an excellent live band, it was all outside, and not that crowded. The dancing was fun and just really relaxed and kind of goofy- and that's my kind of dancing :)

Well, there is an internet cafe right across from house so it makes things a lot easier than I thought they would. I will try and update as much as possible. Ok, until later...