Lazy Sunday

Tomorrow we begin our practicums with a tour of our agencies, but today we had no planned activities. I tried to sleep in as late as possible, but between the roosters, the Islamic call to prayer, and the early morning dance parties people seem to have in the dorms, it wasn’t really possible. I finally got up, and to my happy surprise Zach was on Skype. However, as soon as we began talking, my Internet card ran out and he abruptly disappeared from my screen. I cried from a sudden and overwhelming sense of homesickness.

After a few moments of hearing myself sob, I thought, “Get it together, Catron.” So I got washed, got dressed, and put on some music. I organized my room and felt proud of myself, because I only allowed myself be a total baby for a few minutes (today).

The other girls began to wake up. We were all in need of items and groceries for our rooms, so we shared a taxi to the Accra Mall. There is a grocery store called Shop-Rite, and a Wal-Mart like store called Games (don’t ask me why, I don’t get it either).

At Games, we were able to find egg crates for our terrible cots, and a replacement pillow for the flat excuse for a pillow that was on the terrible cot.

At Shop-Rite, I was amazed at how few brands were also in America. Some items are the same brand but have a different design. I never realized how much local market research must go on, even in a small country in Africa.

I triumphantly found cheap water, yogurt, fruit, Coke Light (the diet coke of Ghana), and even bug spray to combat the critters in our hostel. The ant situation is out of control. Most of the other girls laugh at my attempts to sanitize our floor. They have all travelled extensively, and seem to think that I am somehow lessening the experience of Ghana. But at the same time, they will all probably have more bugs in their room than is absolutely necessary. : )

Outside the mall, our taxi driver good-naturedly haggled us over the price of a ride, saying, “You Ah-mer-chans only shop. Too much! Too much shopping! Look at all your eye-tems, too many eye-tems! Hiyah prices foh you!”

We comprised on a price and got in. There was a Ghanaian flag and an American flag hanging on the dash, and a hand written message on the mirror, which read, “Witches and wizards, please leave the poor cursed driva alone!”

“Do you like Obama?” I asked the poor cursed driva.

“Oh yes! Oh yes! I loooove heem! Ohhhhhhh, BAHmah!” he replied, grinning broadly and laughing out loud. He suddenly became serious when he asked, “Do you like Oh-bahmah?

“Oh yes,” I assured him. “I voted for Obama.”

“Very good, very good! Ohhhhhhh, BAHmah!” Our conversation continued onto the subject of whether or not we were married, which comes up everywhere we go. It seems that Ghanaian men think all white women are very rich, and so they are eager to marry us. This seems crazy to me on account of the raw, stunning beauty of Ghanaian women, which makes me feel like a plain child in comparison.

We made it back to the Bani Hostel and unloaded our eyetems. Now I am cozy in my newly-comfortable cot, feeling very satisfied with my day. I will rest well tonight, and I hope to “keep it together”- at least until after our agency tour tomorrow.