Tearin' Up Togo

I just can’t get over how different Togo is from Ghana. This whole year I had been reluctant to spend the money on purchasing a visa to visit Togo because my mindset was that Togo would be a mirror image of Ghana. Yet, despite the fact that the border was merely drawn in during colonialism, the two countries are seriously the difference between night and day. The second you pass border control, everyone is speaking French and not a tro-tro is in sight. Instead, motorcycles cover the roads taking passengers to their final destinations for a cheap price. Togo was once known as the Paris of West Africa but political turmoil has left the country with low tourist rates and once prospering restaurants, hotels, and clubs are now skeleton buildings. Surprisingly, the beaches and streets are much cleaner than Ghana. The gutters are covered, unlike Ghana’s open sewers. The money is in CFA’s and the most confusing currency I have ever dealt with- it is in thousands. And the food is AMAZING. Baguette and guacamole sellers on every corner. I really felt like I was in a different world when I was in Togo...it was one crazy trip.

                It began at the University of Ghana at 1 PM. I had a final that morning at 7:30AM and was exhausted but this was the final gap in my schedule to travel before I headed back to the good ole US of A. We made it to the border at dark and were bombarded by people trying to get us to exchange money or buy new phone cards etc. Luckily, we made friends with a Togolese guy by the name of Assan who became our knight in shining armor. Getting through the Ghana border was easy but the Togolese border control was grumpy with the fact that we couldn’t speak French too well. West Africans are simply able to walk through the border without questioning but if you appear foreign there will most definitely be a bribery exchange involved. After two hours spent with the Togolese border patrol we took a taxi to our hotel, The Galion. Although the hotel was constructed in a beautiful white colonial style on the outside, our rooms looked like they had not been swept in months and none of us could sleep because we were getting bit by bed bugs. After hours of travel, it was just nice to have a place to rest.

                The next morning, we went to the central market to exchange our money. The scene was like out of the movies…a man approaches you and asks if you need to exchange your money and you do it right there in the center of the street. I had previously heard nightmare stories of getting ripped off so I knew the conversion rate and when the guy told me half of what I knew was correct, I showed him on the calculator what the proper amount should be. His face showed his disappointment but he did not argue. There were four of us: Kassie, Mariel, Zoe, and I. Mariel and I decided to head north for some nature and hiking while Zoe and Kassie decided to stay in Lomé. We took a tro-tro about 4 hours up to Kpalime which is at the bottom of the beautiful Mount Kluto. Then, we did the inevitable and hopped on the back of a motorcycle for a gorgeous drive up to the top of the mountain. And this is where the confusion begins. We had been told to visit a Mr. Prosper because he is an environmentalist and works with the butterflies of the forest but the Togolese men who stopped us at the top of the mountain kept repeating that he is sick and needs an operation. Something about their story did not feel right but we proceeded to our hotel anyways before heading out for our tour of the forest. For the next four hours, we hiked deep into the forest with our incredible guide, David. Even though he spoke broken English he was lively and my friend Mariel was able to translate the French for me. He showed us all the different fruits and plants: coffee, papaya, mango, sugarcane, aloevera, tomatoes, bananas…the list goes on. He even cut open various plants to show how the forest naturally produces all the colors of the rainbow and then painted a butterfly on my arm. There were also butterflies flying everywhere even though it wasn’t the height of butterfly season yet. Mariel and I were beat so we cleaned up and ate a delicious meal before David picked us up for a night tour. We walked on the paths and he showed us HUGE bugs. We saw a slug that was larger than the size of my fist and was the color of pure white snow. We heard drumming in the distance and he asked if we would want to dance with the local villagers. After exploring an abandoned German hospital we headed to the town center. For the next hour, Mariel and I danced around the male drummers with women of all ages who showed us the Togolese traditional dances. Togolese dance is super different from Ghanaian dance and they got a nice kick out of my inability to move to the rhythm. Randomly, I ran into a girl from San Francisco State who has been studying for a year with me at the University of Ghana and had finished her finals and was travelling solo around Togo and Benin. She was the one who informed me that she was living with Mr. Prosper (the expert on butterflies that was supposedly sick)…so he did exist! Apparently there are two butterfly groups competing for the attention of tourists. Despite not meeting Mr. Prosper, our own guide David did a fabulous job at showing us the area so I was not in the slightest bit disappointed. The next morning David drove us to the base of the mountain to begin our journey back to Lome. We rode in a taxi (two of us squished in one seat up front) and five in the back…I have never seen eight people in such a small car before. 

                Back in Lomé we met up with Kassie and Zoe and took motorcycles to the largest fetish market in West Africa. The first thing noticed at the market was the smell: it was this putrid smell of dead animals, which is technically accurate. We got a tour from a nice man about the market and he explained how the dead skulls, hands, heads, feet (you name it) of monkeys, crocodiles, hippos, dogs, lions, snakes etc. surrounding us are used for a practical purpose today, treating followers of traditional African religion and voodoo. People travel from all over Africa to come to this specific market to purchase a specific item that was recommended to them by a traditional priest to help cure some ailment or misfortune. We sat in a room with the voodoo chief for an hour has he explained the different forms of white magic (good magic), super fascinating. I got to perform some rituals with the chief and communicate with the spirits by throwing cowries shells on the ground to bargain for prices. Although I was initially intimidated to visit the market, I feel that this really opened my eyes to the reality, complexity, and depth of traditional religion in Africa.

                A couple hours later we got dressed up and ate a delicious meal at a French restaurant where we got brick oven pizza. After eating rice and fried plantains for the last 10 months this was pure heaven. We then went to one of the local bars which was recommended in our guide book. We spent the rest of our night at the largest club in West Africa, Le Privilege. My friend Kassie won the azonto dance competition against 15 other girls, it was pretty epic. On the way home, our taxi got pulled over by the police. The police made us get out of the car and demanded a 15,000 CFA bribe, about the equivalent of 30 US dollars, which is a lot in both Ghana and Togo. After about thirty minutes sitting on the curb we got away with paying them 3,000 CFA and made it back to our hotel. It was definitely one of the most eventful nights I have had in West Africa.

                The next morning we bought fresh baguettes from a local bake shop and headed to the border. As expected the Togolese border control was not too pleasant with us but the Ghanaian guards were nice and I had them laughing with my use of Twi and we even did some Azunto dance moves.

                Despite our exhaustion we changed in thirty minutes then had to go to our end of year party. We ate a delicious meal, watched a video of all the events from the past year, and even got to swim in a pool. We were so excited to sit in a hot tub, only to realize it wasn’t heated OIG (only in Ghana). I said goodbye to my roommate, Ariel, which ended up not being our last goodbye. Her flight was cancelled a total of 6 times and she remained in Ghana for 2 extra days. Apparently United Airlines will not be flying out of Ghana in the next couple of months…so the rumors say.

                As for now, I just completed my final paper as a University of Ghana student. It is unbelievable how fast the past year has gone. I will spend my next few days packing, reflecting, working at the Radio Station, and hanging out with my neighbors. I am definitely overwhelmed but hopefully things will wind down in the next few days and I will be ready to leave Ghana.  

Let The Good Times Roll

      Three weeks ago I traveled to the Eastern Region to celebrate the Paragliding Festival in Nkawkaw. The Festival is sponsored by the government of Ghana in an effort to promote a form of modern tourism in the Eastern region. Ghana brings in a set of professional paragliders mostly from the United States but also from elsewhere to raise money for the community of Nkawkaw. It was by far the highlight of my stay in Ghana. Seven of us American girls made it to Nkawkaw in record time (around 4 hours) due to the sweet talking of our two Ghanaian guy friends (both named Michael) that tagged along. Our entire trip unfolded perfectly. When we arrived at the launching site there was already a nice sized crowd forming to jump. However, their paperwork had not been filled out. After the opening ceremony, in which there was drumming, dancing, and a visit from the chief, paperwork was distributed. While the rest of the obrunis and Ghanaians opted to sit in the shade, our group sat in the hot sun, strategically placed next to the organizers. By making friends with the Ghanaian ladies that ordered the paperwork, we managed to find ourselves as the second group set to fly. We all got a little nervous when a Ghanaian army troop practiced scaling down the mountain in preparation for any accidents. When the pilots arrived we all breathed a huge sigh of relief- the group looked professional and confident. The first couple launches were shaky- the wind was strong and there were trees on both sides of the runway so if the wind pushed you too much one direction you were in trouble. After around 11 people went, our group was up. I watched as all of my friend’s paraglided until I was the lone wolf left on the top. It had been a joke the whole time that we wanted the strongest men to be our pilots. Well, I ended up with the lone girl who was half my size with pigtails. She helped me into my harness and talked me through the takeoff. Basically, you walk at a fast pace down a steep hill until the parachute is above your head, then you take off running until it catches the wind and you tuck your legs up. Whereas my friend before me had a failed takeoff and had to restart, mine went perfectly fine. Once in the air, I was surprised to find that it was completely peaceful. The world was silent except for the wind blowing past and we swerved by lush cliff banks and circled around Nkawkaw below. Around ten minutes into my flight the clouds started getting really dark and I felt some raindrops on my leg. My pilot explained that we had to get down quick before the weather turned on us. We proceeded to do the coolest dive bomb circles so we could touch down quickly. Surprisingly, when you land all you do is merely stand up. Once on the ground, we unbuckled and my pilot got a radio to tell the mountain to stop launching people. I ended up being the final tandem pilot of the day. Only one more solo pilot launched after me and my pilot knew he was in trouble. The wind blew him off course and she left me with a bunch of other pilots in a mad pursuit of him and his paraglide. I did not hear anything about it until I read a newspaper in Accra the next day that said “paraglider crash lands in forest.” The good news is he was okay. Only twenty people got to paraglide that day and we were extremely fortunate that all of us had the opportunity. The rest of the weekend was gloomy so only another hundred people got to paraglide whereas hundreds more were let down. I was so inspired by my experience that I have also come to the decision that I will one day get my paragliding license. 

            The day after paragliding I went mountain biking in Aburi with Brittany and Mariel. Don’t ask me why but I had this image of a leisurely ride through beautiful scenery. In actuality it felt like Le Tour de France but at least I got the scenery. We rented our bikes from this shop that was formerly owned by a Swiss guy but is now run by a friendly Ghanaian man. We paid a cheap price for bikes and a tour guide who led us on our exhausting ride. The hardest part for me was adjusting from the cruiser bike I ride in Santa Barbara to a mountain bike- two completely different bikes. Our guide led us on a dirt road through the countryside where he pointed out all the wild agricultural foods- plantain, banana, lemon- and then he took us through a village where we met the chief. I was tired all through this but we had not even started yet. After biking through the village we hit a steep decline that was so rocky I was bouncing around and could not control myself. But somehow I did not fall. When it got too steep we parked our bikes in some bushes and hiked the rest of the way down to the waterfall. The hike was definitely the most gorgeous scenery I have seen in Ghana. We were ducking our heads through the lush green plants but every now and again, we would break through the thick shrubbery to a viewpoint of rolling green hills and massive trees. The best part was that nobody was around, just us and mother nature. The waterfall was incredible- hidden in all the greenery with multiple pools. My legs were so shaky that I had to sit down for the first hour as everyone else played around. On our way out, we saw a huge snakeskin that reminded me that we might not be as alone as I previously thought. If I thought hiking down the mountain was hard, hiking up was 10X more difficult. The most irritating part was that our Ghanaian guide was not tired at all- I felt like an out of shape American. After unlatching our bikes, I decided to walk up the hill to a leveled out area. The next hour was pure torture. My legs burned so bad and I felt nauseous with exhaustion (remember it is incredibly hot in Ghana). Somehow, I managed to bike up a huge hill but it took up the last of my energy. I was beyond happy to make it back to the shop and when we walked in to the store, they had a fresh pineapple cut up for us…pure heaven. I definitely know that mountain biking is not the sport for me now.

            The next weekend I traveled to the Western Region with my friends Zoe, Mariel, and Brittany. We left at the crack of dawn to make the 7 hour journey to the Green Turtle Lodge. The Lodge is popular amongst international students for its promotion of protecting the environment as well as the beautiful location. I was surprised to discover that the Green Turtle Lodge is located on a completely remote beach where there are no buildings of any kind. It only cost us 5 cedi (around 3 dollars) to sleep in a tent for the night. I guess I paid the rest by receiving 25 mosquito bites...on one leg. The next day we went to Busua Beach to check out the famous location of the Black Star Surf Shop. Busua is more of a “party” beach where there are many more foreigners and Rastafarians. The beach is particularly famous as one of the only surf spots in Ghana. Whereas the rest of crew headed home for classes on Monday, Zoe and I decided to stay one more night at the Alaskan Beach Resort. We ate our first burritos in months at a restaurant along the beach- even though the burrito only had jollof rice, avocado, and some tomatoes, it was heavenly. We spent the rest of our day lounging on the beach before cleaning up and heading to a French restaurant where we ate a banana split. We walked on the main street of the town and interacted with some locals before heading back to our room. Considering it was a Sunday night, nobody was around so we stole some plastic chairs and went out to the water’s edge where we stargazed and chatted late into the night. The next morning we awoke at 5AM to the lovely sounds of preachers with megaphones…honestly nothing new. I was exhausted when we caught our final tro-tro back to Accra and as is common in Ghana, we had a preacher chanting at us for the first two hours. We made it back to Legon just in time for my 5PM class which ended up being cancelled since my teacher decided to go on vacation to Europe.

            Saturday was the biggest event of the year for my radio station called Legon’s Heartbeat Reloaded. The morning started off with a sports competition. Even though I begged my boss to tell me the “real” time for the volleyball game instead of the Ghanaian time, I still ended up being two hours early. Our rag-tag radio station team got annihilated by the Sports Directorate (the Athletic Department at the University). That seemed to be the theme for everything else too…the soccer, Azunto competition, sprint race, egg balance, and swimming race. We lost every event. BUT the most awesome Sports Director ever, a cute 85 year old grandpa, gave Radio Univers the trophy because we show how “sports are to have fun, and not to win.” Later that night our station held a huge concert at the poolside that hosted big-named stars from Ghana. I definitely got the most attention I have almost ever experienced in Ghana since I was the only obruni but my staff was very protective and made sure that everyone knew I was one of them. Although the concert itself was a blast, the cleanup was even more fun. We got fed Ghanaian food and got an extra hour of music and dance. I really enjoyed this event because I got to see my coworker’s personalities outside of work and see them cut loose. The next morning my coworker George announced on the radio that I got an 8 out of 10 for my volleyball skills…not bad for the only girl on the court! I have a feeling he was only trying to be nice though.

            Today I was informed that I was nominated for the University of Ghana’s Community Excellence Awards as the Most Proactive International Student.

            In 1 month exactly, I will be boarding a plane back to the United States. It is truly crazy how fast 9 months can fly by. But for the next 30 days I hope to just keep THE GOOD TIMES ROLLING.

   

Welcome To My Life

A couple weeks ago I was talking to my dad on the phone and he complained about how he knew very little about my daily life at the University of Ghana. When I reflected on my blog posts I realized it is true, anyone who reads this has a skewed image of what my life is like in Ghana. I only write about the exciting adventures and have never described what the bulk of my life consists of. So here you go dad!

            For those of you who thought I was purely playing with monkeys and hiking through the jungle this is pure lies! Five days of the week, I am a student at the University of Ghana, Legon. Legon is a relatively rural town but it is located ten minutes outside of the capital, Accra. The University itself is MASSIVE- honestly feels three times the size of UCSB but maybe that is because I am walking it all instead of biking. 

            I am one of ten foreign students who have the incredible opportunity to live in Volta Hall. Volta is a prestigious all-girls dormitory whose motto is “Ladies with Vision and Style.” The dorm itself would shock most Westerners due to the beauty of the courtyard and lush greenery. Although Volta rarely has running water, it is one of the most competitive dorms for women to get into at UG. While most international students live in the International Student Hostel across campus where they are surrounded by foreign students, I have been fortunate enough to live amongst only Ghanaian girls 24/7. Considering Ghanaian girls are known to be extremely shy, it has been beyond helpful to live in a dorm where I am constantly interacting with them. It took the girls some time to warm up to me but this second semester Volta hall truly feels like home because of all the close friends I have made.

            Located in the heart of campus with a tall clock tower on top and water fountains in the courtyard, Balme Library is known as one of the most beautiful buildings on campus. To be honest, I actually have not set foot inside the library this semester but last semester I did much of my reading at a desk on the second floor where the breeze cooled me down.

            The majority of my classes are held in Jones-Quarterley Building or “JQB.” It takes me about a fifteen minute walk on a dirt road to reach JQB. The classrooms remind me of a stereotypical law school movie- long benches and desks cross the room. My classes have around 200 people which can be a struggle considering the microphones are pretty shaky and there is no PowerPoint system. A chalkboard sits at the front but it is rarely used. The lecture format has varied immensely in my time here. One of my professors reads monotone word-for-word from a printout that we already have purchased and read for homework. Another professor dynamically engages the class and randomly calls on students who aren’t paying attention. My dance class is pure blood, sweat, and tears as we shake our hips and stomp our feet for an hour and a half straight. My classes are definitely not up to the standards of UCSB but I have learned a lot from sitting in on classes taught from the Ghanaian perspective. Also, the lack of homework has allowed me to get involved in the University with athletics and at the radio station.

            The History Department is located right across the street from my dorm which has been perfect because I can roll out of bed and make it to class in five minutes. Although my large lectures are held in JQB, I have smaller tutorials where we meet with a TA to discuss the course material at the actual department. Almost all of my tutorials are held under a massive tree in the courtyard which is gorgeous but I am often distracted by the nature surrounding me.

The International Programmes Office is where all of the offices are for foreign students. There is also a computer lab that can only be used by foreign students and free wireless internet- because they know how much we need our technology. IPO is where I have my Twi classes and support group meetings.

Considering you have been asking me since day 1 where the law school is, I just had to include this. Brand spanking new building for all the future Ghanaian lawyers.

            One of my favorite places to buy food on campus is the Night Market. Located clear across campus from my dorm, the Night Market is known for its cheap food- but it also has unclear sanitation standards and is often accused for typhoid breakouts.  My favorite foods to get at the night market are egg sandwiches, jollof rice and plantains, bananas, pineapple, mango, and groundnuts. I have my favorite stands where I know all of the workers and they usually “dash” aka give me free food. On the walk back from the night market I pass basketball courts which are always bustling and the smelly trash dumpsters where 4 dogs always congregate to extract yummy scraps.

            An interesting thing about UG is that there are a million buildings under construction, but nobody ever seems to be working on them. These skeleton buildings stretch across campus and are evidence of the laid back mentality of Ghanaians. For example, I run at the track every week and although the track is in place, only about five rows of the stands have been built. Even though the project is clearly unfinished I have not seen a single worker ever. Instead, squatters have built their homes under the stands and pick weeds on the center field. My new habit is swimming at the Olympic size swimming pool. There is a four story diving platform that I have put on my bucket list to jump off. The problem is, they don’t let anyone dive off any of the diving boards. The best part about swimming at the pool is that most Ghanaians can’t swim so I have the entire deep end to myself!

            I remember thinking back in orientation how I would never be able to navigate the campus without a map. Now, I not only know the campus but have all my secret passages to get to class as quick as possible. While the campus seemed huge in the beginning, it has started to feel smaller and smaller because I now know students, teachers, and vendors on campus so I am constantly stopping to chat. The University of Ghana has definitely become my home away from home and I am going to miss the twenty minute walks across campus that leave me with disgustingly brown muddy feet.

            Last Friday was Volta’s Hall Week. The entire dorm was decorated in our colors- blue and gold- and every day was full of events. One of my friends Naa called me a week earlier and asked if I would model for the fashion show. Not realizing the depth of the commitment, I said yes. For the entire week she had me practicing all these poses and model walks for 3 hours at night. It was seriously exhausting, but I met some awesome new girls who also live in Volta. The show was supposed to start at 6PM but Ghana time took over and two of the designers did not show till 7:30PM. I was so nervous for my first walk- especially because I never wear heels and the runway included a set of stairs. However, when I first stepped on the red carpet, the crowd cheered because they were not expecting an obruni in the show. I modeled for two designers- Afromode Trends and Roche- and they both had me wearing modern African styles. I also was asked to do an impromptu walk for another designer with some other girls and the only male models for the show. The designer told me I could do whatever I wanted and to just have fun. At the end of the runway I broke out in Azunto- a popular modern style of African dance- and the crowd erupted in cheers. It was definitely the best moment of the night. Although I definitely think that this fashion show was my first and last of my modeling career, I had a blast! 

           

Panic has started to set in as the finish line becomes clearer in the distance. I have around two months left in Ghana and I am starting to think that it is not long enough. Right now I am really happy- my relationships with Ghanaians are stronger than ever, I am truly comfortable with campus life and maneuvering around Accra, and life just feels…right. I feel rushed to complete everything on my checklist but I am trying to tell myself to just take a deep breath and enjoy the rest of the ride by living in the moment.

Considering I have not written in quite some time I will try and give a brief overview of the latest news and travels.

Although the constant attention might get a little overbearing at times, one of the greatest things about being an obruni in Ghana is the number of doors that have magically opened for me to try new things and get involved. A month ago I had a crisis when I began questioning the direction I would like to head post-graduation. After having an enlightening conversation with my dad, I decided that I might want to test out the waters in journalism. To make a long story short, I met with the manager of a radio station in Legon and BAM, I am now a news reporter at Radio Univers 105.7 “The Voice of Legon.” I have now been working at the station for over a month and I cannot believe how much I have learned. Within my first week, my boss was sending me around campus and around the Accra area to cover stories for the station. I have the freedom to cover anything that interests me and I am strongly encouraged to analyze Ghana from the western viewpoint on air. The highlight of my time at Univers was when I walked into work and my boss, Daryl, threw a recorder my direction and said “Go to University Wetlands quick.” As I walked up to the Wetlands department at the University of Ghana, motorcycle sirens alerted me that someone important was headed my way. A Mercedes door opened and a fancy looking man stepped out. I followed security into a room where I got to take advantage of the almighty phrase “I’m with Radio Universe” and slide into the exclusive lecture. For the next two hours I listened to the Former President of Mexico, Ernesto Zedillo, speak on globalization and development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite his anti-American comments, he was an insightful and dynamic speaker. I was asked to take a picture with him for publicity purposes and then he gave me a wink and a wave before leaving with the police escorts. Besides the story I wrote on Dr. Zedillo, I have covered news on the Ghanaian education system, psychiatric hospitals, elephantiasis vaccinations, the importance of community service and I am working on stories about child trafficking, the influence of foreign media on women’s body image, the struggles of being African American in Ghana, and the issue of plagiarism on campus. Although I love the work, the best part of my job is the people. I have met the most extroverted open-minded Ghanaians by working at Radio Univers. I find myself heading down to the news room every spare moment I have to chat with my friends and eat some fried yam instead of heading back to my room to read or email. I really feel like this job has fundamentally altered my life in Ghana for the better.

Three weeks ago, our program organized a community service day to Ekumfi Atwia, a small village just outside Cape Coast with a killer view of the coast. After meeting with the Chief and following the proper rituals at his palace, we headed for the work field. For the next two hours we dug dirt out of trenches and carried the excess dirt Ghanaian style- on our heads- to a location down the road to be used to fill in potholes. Every Friday, Ekumfi Atwia has a compulsory community service day. If a member of the community refuses to show, an immense fine or jail time will head their direction. So it is not like we were working alone. In fact, the local people had been working for three hours before we showed up and were still pick axing the rock hard soil when we left. They sure did get a kick out of our inadequacy at carrying dirt on our heads without using our hands to hold the bucket in place. With glowing sunburns, a multitude of mosquito bites, and dirt caked on our legs we drove to one of the nicest beach resorts in Ghana at Anomabu. We spent the next two days indulging in delicious food, collecting sea shells, and relaxing on the beach…rough life.            

Two days ago I got a slip that said the package from my mom had finally arrived! Of course, the package did not end up at the University like it was supposed to and I was forced to embark on a mission into Accra. I don’t even like thinking about the postal system in Ghana…it is a nightmare. I have heard horrible stories about bargaining for your package or one of the most common issues- that your package just goes “missing.” When I arrived at the Circle Post Office, I put ten cedis in my wallet and removed the rest of the money and stored it in my pockets in preparation for the classic “but this is all the money I have” strategy while bargaining. When I walked up to the counter, I greeted the worker in Twi hoping to score some brownie points. It worked. We covered about all the topics I was capable of speaking in Twi and then he headed to the back to get my package. Another guy came out and said “ohhh so sorry we did not know you would be coming today, why have you waited so long to come get your package.” Umm it had only been two days since I got my slip, what is long about that? I immediately got defensive thinking “oh great they probably have opened and distributed the loot amongst each other already.” Luckily, I did a little sweet talking and the original worker gave me a wink and came out with my package. They proceeded to have me open my package and extract every item and lay it out in front of them. Considering my entire package was basically candy, I knew that it was going to be a struggle to actually walk away from the post office with the goods without paying a hefty price. The worker looked at me and said “your momma must love you.” As he packed up my package he asked me about my stay in Ghana. I raved to him about the beauty of his country and he looked at me and said “good answer.” He only charged me five cedi for my package- a whopping forty cedis cheaper than the usual obruni price. I guess a little Twi goes a long way.

Just some random facts about my current life in Ghana:

1.      The kitten Ariel and I adopted named Fufu went missing a month ago.

2.      Volta Hall week is next week. I am modeling in the fashion show and participating in a debate for my hall.

3.      Easter is coming up and we are going paragliding for the special occasion!

4.      My Ghanaian neighbors have purchased a bunch of American TV series so I am now spending a ton of time in their room watching Pretty Little Liars.

5.      Ariel and I bought a hot plate which broke upon the first use. The receipt said “no returns” so they said they would fix it. We went in four times, called countless times and FINALLY two months later we got our hot plate. Oh Ghana time.