Reggae on the Beach

So, the last few days have been full of craziness. I have finally moved into my new dorm, Volta Hall, which is incredibly beautiful. Basically, I live in a little bungalow that looks out on a courtyard of greenery and unbelievable architecture. Ariel and I redecorated our room so that we turned the study room into our bedroom which leaves us with a living room for hanging out with people. We bought colorful African cloth which now hangs on our wall and has made the room our own.

Registering for classes has been extremely hectic. Basically, you have to walk to each department to find out what classes are offered. However, there is no timetable for when these classes actually are, so basically you register for classes without knowing if they will conflict or where the lectures will even be located. When I went to the History department on my day for registration, the guy at the table told me that I could not register and to come back “maybe tomorrow or the next day.” According to his statement, I would be registering for my classes on the first day of class which just doesn’t make any sense. It is quite hard to explain. Well I will tell you what I am going to sign up for but I probably won’t be in half of these. 1. History of Ghana up to 1500 2. History of the Black Diaspora 3. History of Colonial Intervention in Ghana 4. Intro to Drumming 5. Traditional African Dance 6. Xylophone 7. Twi  

Last night was most definitely the best night I have had here in Ghana. A couple of the other EAP kids and I went to “Reggae on the Beach,” which was unreal. Five of us packed in a taxi and headed out to the beach at 11PM or so. Since we had been previously warned about the corruption in the police force, I was not surprised when our taxi got flagged down at a police checkpoint. We had been told that in this situation, it is better to just pay the policeman off than fight him to let us go. The policeman (with an impressive gun) made our driver get out of the car and they got in an argument and when he got in the car we were forced to pay a couple cedis to continue on our way. When we got to the beach, the music was blasting. I wish I could paint the picture for everyone because the environment was that cool but it is impossible. Up on a platform was a huge tiki bar where there was a bar, speakers, and pool tables. Also on the raised platform out in the open air was a dance floor and chairs all over to sit and talk. When you walk off the platform a couple steps, you are instantly on the beach. Rastafarians roamed the sand and constantly wanted to talk to the obruni (white foreigner). People stood socializing on the beach under the moonlight while others sat in chairs that surrounded mini fires. It was just a really lively place to be. When we left the beach, I bought a chicken as a form of bribery to get back into my dorm. Before we left, the porters told us they would not let us in unless we brought them a gift. When we got back to Volta Hall, the porter came and unlocked the big iron door and gave me a huge grin when he saw the chicken I brought…successful night! 

Tomorrow I have to wake up at 6:00 am to go on another adventure. We are going to Kakum National Park where we will be hiking and crossing the canopy rope bridges (what you see in movies!) Also, we will be touring the Elmina Slave Castle which will be interesting but also an emotional experience. Unfortunately I can’t take any pictures because my camera is broken but I will keep you posted.

Goodnight!