A Wonderful Weekend

A few days ago, on Friday, I had the best day.

Grace, Miranda, Anica and I got on tro tros after breakfast to downtown Accra. We met a really nice dude from Wisconsin (random!) on the trotro! It was a super hot sunny day and we spent it exploring and gallivanting all over the colorful, busy city. Bumming around with my girlies made me very excited for free travel in a few days. We're gonna have such a wonderful time.

First we went to the Cultural Center--a touristy market with all kinds of art, fabric, drums, crafts, jewelry, etc. We had fun finishing our Christmas shopping and bargaining with everyone and thier brother.
Exciting purchases of the day (that aren't gifts, I can't give away the other things I bought):
--A really great djembe bag!
--A rattle like instrument (the first instrument in Ghana, before the drum) that you play in your hand. It helps develop polyrhythm and I LOVE practicing. :)
--A Ghanaian painting (I had yet to purchase one since I've been making my own!)

We met up with some friends (Amy and Naomi) and then tro troed over to Osu for a delicious smoothie/chicken wrap lunch. Very infrequently do I eat food like that!

Then we took another tro tro to "Circle" (a huge and busy roundabout in Accra) and went to the post office to pick up a mysterious package. I was notified that I had a package over a week ago but because of exams and the hours the post office was open, I couldn't go pick it up until Friday. I had no idea who it was from...

When they brought it out from the back room, I freaked out becuase it was HUGE. I ripped it open while the lady behind the counter stared at me like I was crazy :)

Here are the contents of my package! (P.S. I did most of the paintings on the wall while I've been in Ghana!)

Otherwise known as heavenly joy. My CICW friends sent me love in a package!! I have the best job EVER. Candy, cookies, Cheez-its, candy, the Chimes, tea, EASY MAC, candy, a CD, candy, and the nicest notes of encouragement were inside. I think the packing slip said it was 5 pounds worth of snacks. HA! I don't think I stopped smiling for hours. I feel so loved and valued. AND I LOVE M & Ms!

Me, Grace, and Sneeky. SO EXCITED! (Notice the Chimes. One of my friends was so excited that she wanted to cut out articles to keep!)

Let's just say that in the course of two days, my friends and I did a number on the contents of the package. I think we've eaten at least half of what was in there. And it was a lot. We didn't eat the letters, surprisingly. This junk food has soothed my soul. Oh, and I think everyone in our group has read the Chimes already (and eaten the Skittles). We have just been giddy about this package!

CICW--THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Anyway, back to Friday night. When we got back, exhausted and experiencing sugar highs from Twizzlers, we got ready for an evening of fun to follow-up our day of fun.

Miranda's roommate Seguah organized a "quinciple" (Grace's way of saying quadruple for the number five) date to a Ghanaian movie (called A Sting in a Tale) premier on campus. All the girls had to find dates. We basically took all of our close guy friends which made it so much fun. The movie was so weird but incredibly entertaining. It could probably be categorized as a dramatic comedy? With a little horror and romance tossed in. All the main characters ended up as ghosts by the end. But it was so fun to see scenes filmed in chop bars and houses like we've seen all over Ghana! So great.

Nana Addo and Miranda, Benjamin and Seguah (Boys don't smile much for pictures in Ghana. They're actually very happy people even if they look angry in the pictures!)

Me and Jibro, Yonni and Grace (Anica and Daniel came a few mintues later). Jibro and Yonni are roommates in ISH and live right above us! Such great guys.

While I'm talking about my friends in Ghana, I'll show you more pictures of people I love.

This is Anica, Samuel (Papa 70 is his nickname, I don't think I've ever called him Samuel!), and me. Papa 70 has the best laugh of anyone I know. I can hear him laughing from across campus :)

THIS IS GENEVIEVE!!!! I know you've all been dying to see her beautiful face. Here it is! She is the best roommate I could have asked for and I'm so grateful for her. I will miss her too much. When I come back to Ghana, it will be for her wedding day, whenever that is!

Yesterday, Saturday, I was creative and lazy all day. I sewed patches of fabric onto my djembe case and watched Gilmore Girls. In the evening, our whole group got together in my room and watched Love Actually (I've actually already watched in twice already since being here). This means that Christmas time is here!! I love that movie so much and could watch it over and over.

Because LOVE ACTUALLY IS ALL AROUND. It's here in Ghana. It's at home. It's all over the world!

The scenes in the beginning and the end of the movie (at the arrivals gate at the airport) made me tear up in anticipation of hugging all my Ghanaian loved ones goodbye and all of my American loved ones hello. It's gonna be so bittersweet. I am blessed.

(P.S. I'll blog all I can, but tomorrow until Wednesday our group is going to Kumasi. Then Friday until the next Friday, Miranda, Grace, Anica, and I are going to Ada Foah for free travel!! The adventure continues!)