Akwaaba Ghana

I decided to make a blog so that I could record my next four months in the lovely country of Ghana. Since I have been here for 8 days, I can't possibly say everything that I have done in one blog post- but I will fill everyone in on the basics.

I am attending the University of Ghana in Accra, the capital of Ghana. The university has over 30,000 students and it is HUGE. I am used to tiny little American, so walking 30 minutes to class is an adjustment for me. I am living in a dorm that is suite style- so there are three rooms (2 people in each) with a common room, a kitchen (but the kitchen is just some counters and a sink), and two bathrooms (that occasionally lose water). My roommate and two of my other suite-mates are from the program that I am on, and apparently two Ghanaian girls are moving in too. The building that I am in has a good amount of Ghanaian students, so I hope to make some friends!

I am taking 16 credits while I am here, but I have not decided which classes I am taking. Because of the way that registration is set up, it is smart to sign up for more classes than you can actually take because the times of the classes are not always up when you register. So far, I know I am taking an internship for credit, a Twi class (the local language), and African drumming.

There is a lot to do here, but it requires a knowledge of the public transportation system. The cheapest way to get around is by tro-tro, which is a type of mini-van that takes you pretty much anywhere in the city for less than 50 cents. But, it is SO confusing because I usually have no idea where I am going in the first place, and you don't really know the stops when you get onto a tro-tro. So, i am trying to figure it out- I plan on being a pro by the time that I leave Ghana.

Culturally, Ghana is a big adjustment, but definitely in a good way. First of all, everyone is super friendly, and it is very important to say hello to people that you plan on needing help from, because if you ignore them, they will ignore you right back. Also, shaking hands is really important- and they have a special handshake that involves a snap, and I am still trying to figure that out. Everything here is very slow-moving, and there is no point in making a checklist because you won't get everything you need to done in one day. The weather is HOT, in the 90s every day. It would be slightly bearable, except the humidity is like nothing I have ever experienced. I have already gotten used to being covered in sweat all day every day. I also have to get used to being called an "obruni", which means white person or foreigner. You hear it pretty much everywhere you go, and its not necessarily considered offensive- they are simply pointing out a fact. Also, women are constantly cat-called by men, which is flattering at first (I got called an empress twice in a day), but it also gets annoying.

As far as what I have been doing since I got here, I will fill everyone in! The first few days I was in a hotel just doing orientation stuff. On Sunday (a week ago) I moved into my dorm at the University. On Wednesday, orientation started, so I ran around trying to sign up for some classes. On Thursday we took a field trip to the first cocoa farm in Ghana, a wood carving village, and Aburi Gardens. The cocoa farm was really cool, they let us taste the inside of a cocoa bean and its tastes like a fruit, I have no idea how they make chocolate out of it. The wood carving village was also really awesome. It is basically a line of shacks along a street, and each wood carver has their own little hut where they sell their goods. It was absolutely amazing woodwork, and some of the carvers were really young, I bought some stuff from a 15 year old boy! Aburi Gardens is just a huge garden with lots of trees and different types of spices. We got to smell Allspice, Cinnamon, and a bunch of other ones. It was nice to get out of the city for a day too, because the air in the city is so heavy, dusty, and full of exhaust fumes (which does not feel good on my lungs).

That is about all that I have for now- it's getting late and I start class tomorrow at 9:30. I am having a great time, and I know that I am going to fall in love with Ghana during my time here.