Sometimes...

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...what I got to do is what I want to do." DMB

i finally found a computer that is fairly quick!!! the little one in the corner is the best so today im actually able to get things done. more summaries/updates:

SUNDAY:
our free day, maybe to relax and reflect on our time here...nope, not at all. it was so crowded at the beach & no one could make a decision where to sit so kim and i went off on our own to a quieter section. we drank & talked to a lot of the locals. didn't work on my tan as much as i wanted to, but it was till an okay day until we were ready to leave the beach. short version...there was situation that arose & upset kim & i so when we got back to campus i ended up crying on the phone with tim...blah blah blah...anyways...everything is better now with the other girls. we had a little group meeting and laid everything out on the table, which defiently helped because now i dont feel like there is a divide in the group anymore.

oh i forgot to add something to saturday! at dinner, i found the china pattern i want for when i get married---a long long time from now...but still i feel in love with it. dont worry cary i took a picture & copied down the name! haha.

so that night we just all hung out...not special to tell about.

MONDAY:
classes: Intro to Ghanain History & Political History. they were okay, some interesting stuff i learned, but i am just not huge into political history. and i dont have a very strong background in african american history/studies courses like a lot of the other girls here since its not my major. so a lot of the time i feel lost in our decisions. we learned about the flag & the ghana coat of arms and the meaning behind it all. i'll just tell about the flag which has three stripes and a black star in the middle. it was actually designed by a woman. the red stands for the long struggle of independence, gold is the mineral wealth in ghana (it was originally named the gold coast due to the wealth of gold & was renamed ghana when it became independent in 1957. ghana was chosen as the country's name because its not ethnically specific to any states & some people believe that ghanains are direct eminates from the ghana empire 9ce-1200 ce.) the green stands for the agricultural wealth & the black star is a symbol of liberty& used to inspire other countries toward gaining their independence & unite all blacks in africa. ghana was the 8th african country to gain independence.
after class kim & i went to shop rite for snacks. we had a long dinner & discussions afterward so when i got back to the room i did the reading and worked on my journal. couldn't sleep well last night. the beds are very hard & the pillow is flat compared to mine at home, so im having trouble adjusting. and all of us are having nightmares. i guess its a side effect from the malaria medicine we're taking. so that's messing with the peaceful sleep i want!!

TUESDAY:
classes: rise of nationalism & cultural practices. the first was boring, but the second one was more interesting as the professor talked about the meaning of family to ghanains and their obligation to not only their blood family, but "other" family. its more of a community based idea. its important to be buried properly because ghanains believe that even thought you are physically dead you are still alive in spirit and with the family. the deceased must all be buried properly because the living receive spiritual security from their ancestors. wicked people intentionally are not buried that way and are considered outside of the family.
after class we went to the pizza inn for terrific tuesdays (buy 1 get 1 free). i stopped by the pharmacy after to get some vitamin c & drops because im sick, sore throat. thanks a lot kim!! i stocked up, so hopefully i'll be better by thursday because we leave around 5am to travel 3-4 north to kumasi to stay at the mole game reserve & do our walking safari!! i can't wait!! i'll do another update tomorrow since im not sure when i'll be able to get to a computer after that.

xoxo
-ash-

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