Awkwaaba!!

Guess who FINALLY discovered a means of communication!!! Over a week after arriving in Ghana, I was able to purchase an Internet card that will last me an hour. So no judgment for the chaotic thoughts and terrible grammar that will follow.

The flight to Ghana was long but quite entertaining. The airplane food was surprisingly delicious and I got to sit next to a girl in my program (who is now my roommate) on the plane. The majority of the plane was composed of Africans, especially Ghanaians and Nigerians, who were dressed exceptionally well. When we arrived in Ghana we walked off onto the middle of a plane lane and walked into a building where we went through customs. As expected I could barely understand a word the customs official was saying. When I got my bags and met the student guides (who I also had trouble understanding) a nice man took my bags from me...little did I know he would soon request 20 dollars for pushing my bag one hundred feet or so. I slipped him a five and got on the bus. We sang songs on the bus and arrived at our home for the next three weeks, the International Student Hostel or ISH. They fed us and we did some icebreakers and went to bed to sleep off the jetlag..over two days of traveling and I was exhausted.

Since I am running out of time I will write random facts for you all.
-I pass a monkey that is tied to a leash everyday on my way to breakfast
-The food is drastically different than home, very spicy, but I'm starting to like it.
-The campus is three times the size of UCSB.
- I visited the most beautiful white sand beach I have ever been to in my life!
-I sleep under a mosquito net every night but have yet to see a mosquito...although I have several bites
-We have been taking dance classes every night as well as drumming and I have never sweated so much in my life. Ghanaians can sure dance!
-We traveled into Accra, the capital of Ghana, and the streets are bustling and lively. Women walk in the middle of the road selling all sorts of items which they carry on top of their heads.
- I am learning to speak Twi which is super fun, especially when bargaining at the night markets
- The fruit is the best thing I have tasted EVER!!! Mango and pineapple are at the top of the list.
-The past two days we have been at a "Roundtable" listening to lectures and presenting information we have learned from important professors and officials from across the land.
-Tomorrow I am leaving for a 3 day trip to Kumasi where we will be visiting the kings palace.
- I LOVE my group! I have made friends way quicker than I ever would have expected. Everyone is so adventurous and so outgoing. My roommate is incredible, we hit it off instantly and have been doing a lot together.
-The Ghanaian student guides were shy at first but have warmed up and we sit outside at night laughing and laughing.
- We are unable to drink the water so we drink bottled water. The showers are always cold and the electricity has gone out a couple times since we have been here, making for some interesting memories.
- The weather is surprisingly cooler because it is the rainy season. It is mostly overcast, except for when we went to the beach and I got the most epic sunburn because my malaria pills make me more susceptible to burns.
-We went to a Ghanaian club. They played all American music and everyone stared at us but by the end of the night we made some new friends.
-Flip flops are completely unacceptable to wear, you will not be allowed to enter restaurants.
-Ghanaians dress so much nicer than Americans, we look like slobs in comparison. Even when it is hot they wear nice slacks and button shirts and the girls look very classy.
-Whenever we drive on the bus Ghanaians stop and turn and wave.
-I wake up at 5:30AM almost everyday and go to bed at 11PM- long days.
-Deep ditches line the street so you really have to watch where you are going. And at night these ditches contain millions of frogs.

That is all I can think of right now. But, as my dad always asks, on a scale of 1 to 10 how much fun are you having....an 11!!! It has only been a week and I am having the time of my life. I have already made friends that I can't imagine living without.

At this point, I am looking forward to the end of orientation. My roommate and I were selected to live in Volta Hall, an all woman's dorm located in the heart of the campus with a beautiful courtyard. Although we are sad to split up from the rest of the group, we are excited to be submerged in the culture.

So I am off to Kumasi and will do my best to find Internet in a week or so!!