Rachel bundled on the floor in Winneba

Royal Beach

Darling Nonja

Pounding of the fufu (pounded boiled yam to a gooey substance = Ghanian staple)

At the Independence Day Parade

Fanta's for life

Winneba Beach

Baboons at Shai Hills

Our hiking adventure

Boabob Tree (?)

Shai Hills

I apologize for the long time that has past in between my posts (particularly to my wonderful mother... :) Life just gets a little crazy and sporatic, you know? But I will try to summarize the past three'ish weeks in some way shape or form.

To start, the saying that March is the hottest month here is not a lie... not even slightly. I don't think I ever stop sweating, let's just put it that way. And there are random power outages here and that means no fan at night which means...torture. haha Ventilation has a whole new appreciation in my mind. The sun is also causing me to get some pretty funky tan lines just from walking back and forth from school etc.- my feet look like I'm wearing my Chacos even when I've taken them off... real cute.

School has finally picked up and I've been enjoying a full load of activities. This week is my third complete week of all the daily happenings I have in my schedule- internship, classes, Twi, and all the other random bits life in Ghana loves to throw at you. I have been going to my internship three days a week and the past couple times have been absolutely wonderful. Last week was a low-key week there so I was able to just spend some time with the girls and they taught me 5 different ways to braid hair! haha. I'm thinking of starting my own business when I get back :)

I don't know if I mentioned this, but the place is called Today's Choices and it's a center/school for girls coming from abusive or poorer backgrounds and the center has three different sections of skills it teaches. It teaches hair braiding/cutting, etc., baking, and dress making and sewing. These are all skills that the girls learn so they can go out after they graduate from the program and have skills to work. Counseling is also available for the girls and the director/founder is really great and I've enjoyed working for him a lot. Two other girls from my program were placed with me this past week and its been such a relief working with them because we were given the task of teaching English lessons. This week started off better than I expected and they know quite a bit. We just went over the basics, and most of them speak it fairly well, but understanding the nitty-gritty stuff is a whole other adventure- we're up for it though.

Three weeks ago was Ghana's 51st Independence Day celebration. A group of us went into Accra in the morning to watch the alleged parade. But evidently there is a difference in the American meaning of parade and the Ghanian meaning. The Ghanian meaning is for groups of military, different school children etc. to march around in a circle in the Independence square. We sat in the stands and watched, and it was neat to be a part of all of it, just not a 4th of July celebration I'm used to. There were some cool planes that passed over spraying Ghanian colors and the president was there too so that was fun. It was weird to celebrate Independence day without burgers and potato salad though!

Two weekends ago some friends and I traveled around to several fishing villages and it was incredible. It just continues tp knock me off my feet everyday with the simple fact that I am here. It is so beautiful and wonderful!! We stayed at a place on the beach and walked along this long beautiful beach and just hung out and somehow managed to find our way around.
It is becoming more apparent to me though, or maybe the funny-factor of it is wearing off, but that people give a lot more attention to me because of my skin than I would like. You will find a lot of kind people here who simply want to help you, but you also find a lot of people who want to take advantage of you and not necessarily help. It's good to be on the ball all the time though, and I've learned a lot about safety and become much more firm and not as timid when it comes to dealing with people (in a good way :).

My family here is still absolutely wonderful and I have so much fun with them all the time. I was just telling my roommate how lucky we are to be with them, because they seriously are such a blessing and we all get along so well. We all went dancing again last Friday and we tore it up as usual... woo! Oh, and it rained here!!! Alleluia!! It was three weeks ago and it rained twice, three days apart. It was a definite tease and has left us wanting more but was so wonderful because it cooled things off for...half a day. haha. But what a wonderful half-a-day it was.
Last weekend was fairly uneventful besides the dancing. Out program has some tours set up at a local museum, the Dubois center, and the Nkrumah Mausoleum. It was interesting to learn a little more about Ghana's history and influences.

And finally this weekend has been just perfect. We had Good Friday off from school and I went to church which was long, but very good. It was interesting because most everyone wore black or dark colors to mourn Jesus' death which I hadn't seen observed in that way before. A group of us then went to a nearby hotel and used the pool and it was HEAVEN!!! A body of water has never felt that sensational, haha. And then today Rachel, Lindsay and I ventured out to the Shai Hills and did a little hiking. It took slightly longer than we thought and we ended up hiking at the hottest part of the day, but it was so beautiful we didn't care. I think we were all just glad to be out of the city atmosphere and have clean air! The land was pretty dry because of the season but we got to climb up to the top of this hill and look out at the land and it was so crazy. It was crazy because I was sitting on this gorgegous rock looking out onto the African savannah that God freaking made...wow!!!! I still can't believe I'm here. I don't know if it'll ever really sink in. gah.

But tomorrow is Easter and I'm looking forward to celebrating it. I hear that women get up at the crack of dawn and walk in the streets singing and looking for Jesus, like the women in the bible. That should be interesting to wake up to :) But anyways, happy Easter to all!!!

Well, dinner calls. I'm praying it's not rice because my system can only take so much. I got a mango the size of a dinosaur egg today, though. And I look forward to the joy that will come from its consumption, :) Take care to all and know that you are missed!

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!

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...

This is where I come from.

:)

Testing. Testing. 1,2,3.

I have never been much of a blogger myself, but the new year of 2008 will bring about many changes, and keeping this while I am away will be one of them.
I am still in the great Northwest and have approximately one month to go until my final destination of the next 7 months in Ghana, Africa. WOO!!! Talk about anticipation. It's okay though- I think it's all necessary. Scratch that. I know it is.