Hair braiding!

January 17, 2010
Today we went on an Accra city tour. We went to a market place where they have a lot of drums and wood carvings. I got a free drum lesson, and then got “taken” by a man named Kwasi-(which sounds like Chrissy when they say it. It means he was born on a Sunday) to see his wood carvings. They were all really gorgeous, but really over-priced. We also went to this beautiful beach overlook, and a history museum. When I got back, some of my roommate's things were in my room, but she was not. I'm really excited to meet her!



January 16, 2010

Today we had an orientation program for all of the international programs. It was very long and super boring, since we had already heard most of the stuff from our ISEP orientations. Then I went with Hannah, Theresa, Brook, Stacy, and Theresa to get our hair braided at the Bush Canteen, a kind of market place where you can get food, get your hair done, and buy other little things. It took them 6 ½ hours to do it, and they weaved in fake hair to make it longer. They didn't have any more blonde hair left, so they put this reddish-brown color in it, and it just looks reddish. It's really heavy, and I was not used to the color at all!



When they were putting it in, there were different radio stations playing, so it switched back from Ghanaian music, where sometimes they start to play a song, and then cut in to say something every 1-2 seconds later. They started to play music I recognized, though, like Chris Brown, Rhianna, and other “hit music.” The salon that did our hair normally closes at 7pm, but they stayed until 10:30 to finish our hair. The bar across the way also stayed open, and there were University students there that were all over us at the end, and when you went to go shake their hand to be polite, they would keep holding it. We eventually came back to our hostel to no electricity!

Orientation

January 15, 2010

Today we went to the market place, which was really big. We had to take a tro-tro to get there, which is their version of a bus (a 15ish passenger van) which they pile as many people as possible in it. We got to walk around and talk to the local people selling fruits, vegetables, fish, and other every-day living needs. They loved talking Twi to us (their local dialect), and trying to teach us how to speak it. They were so happy to see us and try to pronounce our names. My favorite part of this experience was when I would smile and wave to the older girls (12ish) who were also selling things and balancing things on their heads. Their faces light up and their smiles were the happiest smiles I have ever seen in my life!
Later that night Ghana was playing the Ivory Coast in football (soccer, which is super big here-they are playing for the Africa Cup!), so the lobby was full of everyone watching the game together. I ended up watching the game in a tv room they have upstairs in my hostel, and talking with some local Ghanaian students about some of the differences between US and Ghana values and life. I was also trying to explain marching band, and speedskating to them, which was actually pretty successful.

January 14, 2010

Today I saw a local Ghanaian wearing an Ishpeming, MI tshirt, and she said that an International student gave it to her. My roommate, Evie moved her stuff out of our room since she smokes, and I get sick from even the smell of it. She was a sweetheart, though, but I will see her around all the time. I am now waiting for a Ghanaian roomie or someone from a different part of Africa!

Today we had a medical orientation (we now know the signs for Malaria!) and the second part of our campus tour. We got internet today, so I got to use skype, and had the opportunity to get on facebook (which is also big over here, by the way).









January 13, 2010

Today we had breakfast at Tasty Treats, and while walking there, I met a girl from Michigan Tech-she saw my Central Michigan shirt, and commented on it. We had a tour around the campus by guides from the University students that picked us up from the airport-and it was really big!
While everyone was going to the mall to buy phones, Sam and I picked up our luggage from the airport, and then met them for dinner. A bunch of people did not get phones due to time, so we went back with them later that day and they were still out! So, they had a person come back that night after dinner to bring us phones!

I'm Finally Here!

January 12, 2010

Hello from Ghana!


It's already pretty hot here, even before 10am! We got to the airport last night around 10pm, and the flight was not that bad time-wise. I slept for a lot of it. When we landed, we had to go through customs, and then waited around a little baggage drop for our bags. It was pretty crazy, and my bags never did show up since we almost missed the flight from London to Ghana. We were on a list of bags that was still in the London airport. They'll come today! We met some ISEP leaders at the airport, and then rode to the University in a big white van. Though it was dark, we could still see some of the beautiful scenery around. I even saw a tree that was flat on top just like the ones in the Lion King! Our room is decent sized, and it has a balcony that looks out into the campus and beautiful scenery. We also have a middle courtyard that is really green with some African-Native plants. We checked into our rooms, and got dinner, and all called home. I was so exhausted and surprisingly homesick that I went straight to bed. My roommate Evie and her friend from school, Meredith, helped calm me down.

This morning I woke up pretty early and ate a dry scone that they gave us for breakfast. I tried having a shower, but there was no water! So, Evie and I got buckets and filled them with the hose for showers. It was a real African start! I also saw some lizards today which surprised me since I did not realize they would be so close to us. They were in the courtyard and running through the drain pipes. We had time before we had to meet, so I went for a walk around campus with some members of my group. They we had lunch all together at Tasty Treats, a local restaurant that is really close by our hostel. We had the start of our orientation, and then hung out with some girls at night-it was Rachael's 21st birthday, so we had some wine in water bottles, and then played Apples to Apples with some other friends.

Detroit->Chicago->London

January 11, 2010

Hello from London!

It's already been crazy, and I'm not even there yet! I left from Detroit at 8pm on an earlier plane than I had originally booked, along with 11 adults also going to Ghana for a mission trip. They were all wearing bright green shirts, so it was very easy to spot them in the airport! I had lots of time at the Chicago airport, due to the heating unit on the plane being broken. While at the airport, I was wearing my Central Michigan University tshirt, and some guy came up to me telling me how great our GMAC bowl game was, and he was surprised to find out that I was there to witness our amazing double overtime win! I also met another girl, Kate, going to the University of Ghana as well! So, the plane left 2 hours later than planned, but I was just glad that the flight left, since many other members of my study abroad program could not get a flight out of the US to London due to snow in London.



Sitting across from me on the plane was another student, Sam, that was going to Ghana in the same program, and we became fast friends at the London airport as we tried to get to our next flight in 30 minutes. It wouldn't have been that bad, but we had to catch a bus to get to our new gate, go through security (with police with big guns!, and then an elevator ride to finally reach the bus that would take us to our plane! Sam had to get his ticket, and then they would not let him through, but they finally did when 8 of the bright green shirt brigade were behind him, also trying to get on the same plane.
It still has not hit me fully that I am going to Ghana. Even after a wonderful surprise bon voyage/early birthday party, and saying goodbye to my family, friends, and boyfriend. It's starting to now, but I don't think it will until I step foot in Ghana. My dream is to work at an orphanage, so I will be volunteering at one nearby. I can't wait until I hold a baby in my arms-I have been waiting for that for years!




I love you all, and miss you all tons! Thanks so much for all the prayers and good thoughts coming my way. I really appreciate all of you joining my facebook group, and wanting to know what's going on in my life!