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.