Hello everyone,
Wow, it is hard to believe that a week has already flown by. I feel
like I just wrote, and I’m struggling to think of anything new to
really write about. This weekend I buried myself in homework from my
course contracts that I have been magically wishing away, so a lot of
my time has been spent reading or typing away at different homework
assignments. Not the most fun or interesting thing in the world, but
it feels good to get some stuff done. It also made me realize how
plaguing my perfectionism is, and maybe even more so than my anxiety,
so there is one more of the many things I am looking forward to
working on.
Sunday was probably the most interesting day of the week. On our way
back from church it started down pouring, and our taxi driver gave us
all quite the scare. We almost had three head on collisions with
other crazy taxi drivers and a tro tro, nearly hit a bike, and drove
off the road twice. I know a lot of people sending me off gave me
“don’t die” wishes like I’d be abducted or get some kind of tropical
disease (and really, I think I was in more danger in Provo Utah with
rape hill and swine flu), but the real danger I believe is in the
transportation system. We talked to Emanuel, Esther’s son, about it
later that night. He laughed and laughed, agreed that most taxi
drivers seem to be numb to the fear of death, and that there are
certain drivers that try to get you from Kumasi to Accra in two hours,
which is half the normal time. In Twi they have a name for them. The
literal translation is “Have you said farewell to your family?” I
think I will avoid those.
Sunday we also took out my braids. Yes. We. It took five of us to
get them out in about two hours. I guess that is what happens when
you have fifty pounds of nylon melted together, strangling your hair.
It feels good to have it out, and it looks just the same as before I
put the purple extensions in. It was fun. I think I will get them
done at least once more before I come home (to the delight and horror
to the spectrum of you). That is how you know you are loved though.
I’ve decided I have an amazing group. We are all really ambitious
about our projects, and even though we are all very different and have
such different interests, we compliment each other well. It is always
nice finding friends that I can be my odd self around and still feel
loved for it. My only complaint is that they never tell me when I
have zits. Luckily some of the girls at school are letting me know
when I have “mosquito bites” on my face.
Project wise, things are going well. After doing constant
observations I finally found a class that taught literature for one
day. I’m also working on building a lot of relationships with some of
the students, with some of Okasan’s advice, asking about themselves
and trying to establish that friendship and rapport before shoving my
research down their throats. So far it is working wonders.
And just a mini accomplishment, I carried my water all by myself down
the hill from the square on my head without dropping it. I know. I
can’t carry a refrigerator yet, but maybe with enough practice…. It
seems like a much more efficacious way of lifting things in general.
Next week we are having our mid semester retreat. We are going to
monkey sanctuary, where we may or may not actually see monkeys, but
then we are going up to Cape Coast to see the slave castles and the
ocean. Not that it is sanitary to swim in, but my heart leaps a
little bit when I think of even seeing it again. Needless to say, we
are all very excited for the tourist break in our experience. We’ve
also been planning a little bit of what we are doing in London as
well. It made me giddy. To think that I will be watching a play at
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, sitting in the pub C.S. Lewis lectured
in, or walking the gardens where Virginia Woolf contemplated, it is
really so surreal! Have I told you I am staying with friends at
Cambridge University? If not, there you have it; I’m thrilled.
Oh! And Ghana plays the US in the world cup on Saturday. This could
make for an interesting time. I am very conflicted.
I am a little saddened that I am not there for the flood of family
birthdays this summer though. For those of you out there, I wish you
happy birthdays and my love. I’ll be thinking of you, and calling
when I can. Again, thank you for all of the support. I wouldn’t be
here without you.
Loves Rach
Marriage proposal of the week: “Marry me. What is your name?”
Business name of the week: “Patience Beauty Salon”
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