Ive been SUPER busy since the second we arrived! During this orientation they have been having us go, go, gooooo from 7 am to 10pm.  Weve had a few lectures on the Twi language, which most people within Accra ( the capital city) speak.  We had a tour of the campus,which is HUGE and so confusing.  It’s going to take a while getting used to walking everywhere and not having a bike to get to classes.  Im currently living in the International Student Hostel (ISH) for our 2 weeks of orientation and then Ill be moving in to Volta Hall which is located very centrally on campus.  ISH is on campus but really far from all the department buildings.  Volta hall is a residence hall for Ghanaian females and only 10 of us international students could have a spot, so I was one of them.  

         We did 4 straight nights of African dancing and it was so much fun but definitely a cardio workout!!! I love their music and culture here.  There is a very high importance placed on family and religion (Christianity).  Everyone is very friendly and always willing to help you when you have a question.  Its been really hard getting used to not using my left hand for any sort of gestures.  Its considered very bad due to the history of the use of that hand for “bathroom purposes” I guess is the best way to describe it.  

         On Friday after we ate breakfast I felt really nauseous and thought I was going to have to throw up during the lecture.  I went to the restroom since I was feeling sick and when I came back out one of our student assistants was in the hall asking if everything was okay.  I told him yes I just felt nauseous and if it was possible to go to a store and get some 7up.  He went inside and got the program assistant who immediately said “we’re taking you to the hospital”.  I told her “no! I don’t  think its serious, just most likely something I ate at breakfast.  She insisted we were going to the hospital.  So I had to leave the lecture and go along with her and our driver.  Luckily our resident director (the main lady in charge of our program) called her as we were out on the street and told her, “if the student doesn’t think its serious you can just take her to the pharmacy.”  So we ended up just going to the pharmacy, which may I add is much different than our idea of a pharmacy.  You did not need a prescription to get anything they had behind the counter.  I explained to the “pharmacist” working there how I felt and he immediately asked me “did you eat any oats” and I said “Yes! For breakfast” and he said “ohhhhhh okay” and went and got me some medicine for my stomach.  I guess the oats don’t settle well with some foreigners?  Ive been steering clear of them since then.  Luckily, I haven’t gotten sick from the food or water however I do have a cough that I think I got before I left the states.  The program leaders are so concerned and put our health as their main concern, which I really do appreciate since there are some serious illnesses you can come down with here.   Ever since that day, the student assistants ask me everyday “Chelsea, are you okay?” haha, they are so concerned, but its really sweet and comforting to know they care.  

         We took a tour of the capital city and it is so busy and there are taxis, cars, and “tro tro’s” everywhere.  One thing I noticed is that probably about 90% of the shops on the side of the road ive seen are named in some way to reference religion and God, such as “GOD FIRST Beauty Salon”.  When I was waiting for the porter to get my key to my room I was coughing and a male Ghanaian student approached me and said “Don’t get sick!” I told him, “its too late, I already am” and he said “ Don’t worry, the Lord will make you better”.  I am enjoying the culture and how much they really stick to their beliefs and values.  

         I also had a few drumming lessons which was so much fun!  Our entire group split up into smaller groups of drumming, flute, and singing to be taught each of these things.  Then we all came together and played a song which was so much fun!! I was walking up to my room after dancing one night and all I wanted to do was shower.  There was some Ghanaian boys out in the common area singing and playing instruments.  I looked over at them and one of them said something to me so I just said Hi! He said “Come here! I want to sing to you!!” I just laughed and said “maybe later” and he said “No! Come, ill sing to you!!!”.  These are just a few encounters ive had that show how forward Ghanaian males are, especially to American girls.  Its not something to worry about they told us, other than that we just need to establish who are genuinely trying to be our friends and who are looking for much more than that.  

         On Sunday they took us to a beach in Accra and it was AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, and nothing I’ve ever seen before.  When many people think of Africa, they have this idea in their head that it’s dirty, not a place you’d want to travel, etc.  Even though I got questioned a lot before coming here on why the heck id want to travel here, I stuck to my beliefs and interests and feel like this is an experience and is only making me a much more educated and worldly person.  The beach was gorgeous and we took a boat across what was like a lake onto the sand.  It was like an island basically!  The little kids here are so adorable.  When we were driving along in the bus one little boy saw me and waved to me and blew me a kiss.  They get so excited to see Americans.  

         The past two days we’ve spent completely inside at a conference set up for us to listen to professors from many different backgrounds speak to us on topics relating to Ghana.  We learned about the regions, cities, history (precolonial, colonial, post colonial independence), economic development, government, politics, the civil society, culture and the arts, women, children, education, health, poverty and gender relations.  This was so interesting and such a great opportunity to hear from some of the brightest minds at the university and learn about Ghana.  I think this is really important in order to understand why things are the way they are currently and how change can come about in the future.