A boy at Kokrobite on one of the fishing boats.

Lindsay, Rachel and Tamu tro-troing it

Chinese food in Africa?...yes please!

Everyone on the tro-tro :)

Rachel, Awenyeh, Stephanie and Me- I wake up to this each morning!

These were the friends we made at the beach.

Lindsay, me and Isabel at Kokrobite

These are some fishing boats at Kokrobite

It's Gettin' Hott Here...

So this week has been yet another adventure. Every time my roommate Rachel and I leave the house to go somewhere that is not school, we always tell our family we're going on an adventure- which is for the most part VERY true because we're going someplace new and foreign, and will most likely be exciting in some form or fashion.
It kind of had its low points though because on Monday I started having some chest pain that I thought would go away but it got progressively worse so I finally went to the doctor on Friday. It wasn't bad enough to stop me from doing anything, just painful enough. I was joking the whole week with some friends, though, that my malaria pill had bruised my xiphiod process which in turn hurt the sphincter near the bottom of my throat and therefore caused acid reflux. And oddly enough, I was partially correct!! haha. The doctor's experience here is a whole other story in itself, but let's just say that the doctor said it was most likely acid reflux. Why in the world I would get acid reflux in a third world country is besides me, but yet of course, it has happened. So all in all it's quite humorous, and after some meds I'm slowly feeling much better. Oh Ghana.

For being my second week of school, it has still been very chill. I found out more about my internship though, and am going to visit it tomorrow (Monday), and am very excited about that. I had my first Development Studies class as well as my first drumming class this week. I love both of them and can't wait for everything to get into full swing. Next week really will start to pick up more (I promise) and I finally get to start my Twi class- which is the local language here.


On Tuesday, Rachel, Tamu, Lindsay and I, all ventured out to this place near Accra called Osu. It was pretty interesting and a little cleaner and well kept than almost anywhere I've been here. There were lots of stands and places to buy things of course, and we decided to spoil ourselves and go eat at this Chinese Restaurant for lunch. We were WAY under dressed, looking like total obruni-Americans, but it was a nice change of pace all this same. I will definitely note that it was not worth what we paid for, but delicious all the same- sweet and sour chicken never tasted that good :) Walking along the streets, fabric can be found all over the place and it is all so beautiful. I bought my first dress and feel like I could fit in a little more...for about one day. Being constantly stared at I don't think I will ever get used to. The attention is bittersweet but it has really made me think about how it feels to look and live so differently from others in a foreign place. I don't think I can adequately describe all the feelings and thoughts I go through in regards to this, it's just a lot to chew on; all the cultural differences too. They all are so wonderful, just so much to think about!

The rest of the week was pretty low key, just hanging out and spending time with my family. A group of us went to that shopping centre with the soy-ice cream, because many of them had not been. I know I have said it before, but I am feeling closer with my family each week. I love how we can just sit in the kitchen after a meal and talk like real sisters. I've never had sisters before (besides my Schroomies in Austin) and it's really neat to have this family experience with them. It was truly bonding when I undid my sister-Rachel's (not my roommate) cornrows and fake hair. It took me forever and I was sweating in that blasted hot room with the smallest fan ever, haha, but I felt like it was just another thing that made us more comfortable with each other. She said thank you and I said, 'I know you'll undo mine when I get my hair cornrowed'. She laughed, but I was actually being serious.

On Saturday Rachel, Isabel, Lindsay, and I took the biggest adventure yet to Kokrobite Beach. We had very little guidance to go on (Bradt Guidebook can only take you so far) but we got there like pros. We took three different tro-tros there and had three little angels help us on the way. One angel helped us from not getting ripped off from this one guy who wouldn't give us our change, another angel guided us to the second tro-tro station that would have been so hard to find otherwise, and then the last one guided us to the beach through this neighborhood and cut the time in half. Thank you, Lord! :) It took us two hours to go each way but it's so nice to travel by tro-tro (besides being stuck in a van like sardines) because it's cheap, and it allows you to see the scenery and just enjoy the ride. On the way back, we found it even easier and it was great. The beach itself was absolutely beautiful, but I got my first taste of an African sunburn. It wasn't too bad, but the weather is definitely starting to get warmer here. March is the hottest month and I am not looking forward to it at all. The water at Kokrobite was so wonderful (and safe :) and it was nice to just sit and relax for awhile. I feel like I'm vacation half the time here! The beach also had some really neat shells, and I always love that.

And today (Sunday) has just been a day of laundry and I enjoyed my first mango! I know I talk about fruit all the time, but it's just so darn AMAZING here. I had apple for the first time yesterday, and mango season is just beginning. Evidently it doesn't last very long so I'm going to enjoy it in bliss while I can.

So all in all, not too much more to report on but know that all is well. Thursday is Ghana's Independence Day so I'm looking forward to that. Until next week!