One Week!

So, after one week, Ghana is starting to feel like home! we've been doing a lot of exploring in the past week, so I'm starting to learn my way around, which is really helpful. Today, we are driving to the Akrofi-Christaller Institute, which is about 30km away. Apparently it's up in the hills, so it will be gorgeous. It is also built around a 16th century monastery, which is really cool. Ghana is incredibly green and luscious. In contrast to Sierra Leone, where all I noticed were mango trees, there are so many different types of plant life here! I really want to get to know the names because they're so beautiful, and nothing I've ever seen before. There are trees with really twisty branches, and trees with very tall, thick roots with spikes on them, and beautiful plants with pink flowers, and so much more! The scenery is amazing here, and we are actually very close to the ocean as well. The other day, we went to the Labadi Beach Resort for dinner, and we got to play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Although many Ghanaians live near the coast, very few actually know how to swim. Still, we had a lot of fun!

We have also been exploring a few large markets, both near the University and in Accra. A few days ago, we took trotros (the Ghanaian equivalent of a bus - a large, old, rickety van that you stuff people into!)  to Medina market and explored. We have also been to Makola market and the arts and crafts market. Most Ghanaians buy everything they need from the market, which is not surprising because it has everything you could possibly need, from irons and ironing boards to hair dye to soap to clothes to fish to yams. However, there is a brand new mall in Accra. It feels very out of place, and is apparently frequented by only the very elite Ghanaians. We went to go watch 'Inception' at the cinema the other night, and it was actually a very strange experience. The mall was built by a South African company, so many of the stores in it are from South Africa. However, the malls in South Africa apparently cater almost exclusively to the white population, whereas here it is for the upper-class Ghanaians. There is a Nike store and a Puma store, a Shoprite grocery store, a Game department store, Silverbird cinemas, a few fast food restaurants, and many other stores. When you walk in, you could honestly be anywhere in the United States. It is such a contrast from the other buildings. Almost every building in Ghana is either concrete form or brick, and they are all very open and well ventilated. The mall is identical to any mall you would find in North America. I have to admit that I'm sort of fascinated by it. It seems so unnecessary! Everything is rather overpriced, sometimes as much as three times what you would pay in the market. I also saw a Platstation 3 for 1125 Cedis (the exchange rate is about 70 cents USD to one Ghana Cedi). Yet, it is always busy! When we watched 'Inception' (which was excellent!) I was so engrossed by the movie and in such a familiar feeling place that when I left the theatre, i had to remember that I was actually still in Ghana.At the same time, it is wonderful to be in such a familiar place. I don't think I'll be spending much time at the mall, but I do find it fascinating. It's been one of the most highly discussed topics for the past week :)

Right outside our dorm is what we call the Night Market. There is a huge variety of stands there, but we've picked out some of our favourites. Vivien and her sister Gertrude make us egg sandwiches or toast in the morning, and we've spent about 6 or 7 hours with Joana getting our hair plaited. It's been really fun getting to know some of the people in the market. Since school hasn't started yet, there are a lot of kids running around, and it's always fun to play with them for a few minutes while our breakfast is cooking! Yesterday, I got my hair braided by Joana, and a few of the other girls in our group came with me. We ended up all sharing our most embarassing moments, and Joana told us all about her daughter Pepetula who is in Class Four, and we talked about travelling too. Joana's goal is to move to the USA so that she can braid and style peoples' hair there. It's a lofty goal for someone who can't even afford a generator to power her shop right now, but I wish her the best of luck! We've been passing her name around the group and the dorm, so hopefully she gets a lot of business this semester!

Well, it's time for lunch before we head to the Akrofi-Christaller Institute. I haven't decided what I'm going to eat yet, but i was thinking either red red, a mixture of beans, palm oil, gari, and plantains, or else a piece of toasted bread with Laughing Cow cheese. I will try and update again within the week, so keep checking!