i <3 skype (when it works)

Marykate and I eating FanChoco and FanIce. It's made here in Ghana, and is INCREDIBLE. It's either vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream in plastic packages. You rip off a corner with your teeth and suck the ice cream out. Boys with little trollies are EVERYWHERE selling these on the street for 30 pesewas (cents). It's a staple of our daily diet (especially when we're outside a lot) and SO delicious. This ice cream is incredible- I must find a way to get it back to the states!


Today was pretty relaxing, even with the two classes I had. My first class was at 8 am, and was my internship seminar class. It meets once a week, and is where all the students doing internships for credit come together to discuss what’s going on in each of their internships. Should be a good and productive class. I also had my Society, Culture and Modernization class, which was great! I really am enjoying it so far. This week we learned about kinship in traditional Ghanaian society, and learned the difference between tribes (ethnic groups), clans and lineages, and their roles with each other and with society as a whole. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll add more to exactly what those are.

Afterwards, Gillian and I biked to Apapa to get the remaining ingredients for our Red-Red. Since we’ll be traveling this weekend, we plan on making the Red-Red either Sunday night or Monday, in order to have it for the rest of the week. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.

After Apapa, I took a LONG nap, since I had the rest of the day free to do whatever. The nap was so nice and relaxing and good for me. This is one of the main reasons I chose to come to Ghana, as silly as it may seem, it was a pretty legit reason. Not necessarily to nap, specifically, but to just have rest. It is so nice here because when you’re sitting inside, you don’t feel pressure to be outside, to constantly be doing something. This city isn’t conducive to that kind of type-A behavior. New York is the exact opposite—there’s always something that needs to be done, even when there’s nothing that needs to be done. If you’re sitting inside then you’re a loser, so you better find something to do. I needed a break from that and am welcoming it with open arms.

After the nap we went to Sunshine for dinner, which was good as always. Then NYU hosted the first “Movie Night” of the semester, where we watched some footage from filmed by students who were in Ghana when Obama won the election, and then several 10 minute documentaries filmed last semester by a film class here at NYU in Ghana. They were really cool and I’m glad I went. We watched the films on a projector outside the Academic Center, and the cool night breeze was so nice to sit outside to.

Tonight I also got to Skype for a long time with my mom, sister, and Nana and Eric and Charlie, all of which were so refreshing. I love talking with people and friends from home and NY. Reminds me of where I came from and what I’m doing here. Thanks for all the prayers and good wishes you all have been sending my way.

Tomorrow, since I have NO class and NOTHING to do, I’ll try to post pictures of the inside of our house (Aunt Isha).

love love love