Contact Info

Postal Address:
Brittany Nielsen
UC-EAP Ghana Study Centre
P.O. Box LG 356
University of Ghana Legon Campus
Intenational Programmes Building (first floor, right wing)
Legon, Ghana

Email:
bnielsen2@gmail.com
(Still the best option. Any Berkeley people want to bang on my advisors' doors and tell them to email me back?)

And for those of you who don't believe how hot and humid and tiring each day is, I give you this photo evidence.

I would like to call your attention to the shine of sunscreen/bug spray/sweat. It's all the rage here.

The unmanageable hair (It scares the kids! One Ghanian told me that there was a kid from her village who literally got sick every time he saw a white person it made him so afraid.)

The inability to keep my eyes open.

And this is what it looks like to sleep under a mosquito net when you don't have any of the proper things to hang it.

We feel like princesses. 

Fun

My favorite things of the last few days-
1)  Having sooooo much running water. An abundance of running water.
2) Ignoring knee injuries and playing soccer on the beach with locals for hours.
3) Being in the market while Ghana was playing (It's Africa Cup time). When they scored a goal the whole place screamed and everyone ran up and down the streets yelling and blowing kazoos.
4) No traffic because the soccer game was on.
5) Being creeped out by the security guard outside the internet cafe with my roommate, lying about our residence hall, walking in the wrong direction, and then sprinting past his door as to not be caught in our lie.

Photos At Last!!

This is flying into Accra. In all the orientation and information given no one mentioned the Harmattan. Basically all the sand blows down from the Sahara and turns this place into a dusty brown mess. You can't even see the sun!

Cedi's! Almost too pretty to spend... Almost.

We drink lots of water in a bag. It only kind of tastes like dirt and is mostly just really fun.

Just driving around. 

The first time my feet met the Atlantic Ocean! It's shockingly similar to the Pacific...

Except in the Pacific you can swim past the waves and swim around.

In the Atlantic the waves only get bigger the further you swim out.

A lesson learned the hard way,

Soooo many buildings left from colonization. 

Memorial to the first president. He declared independence here.

He's also buried under that huge stone thing.

Casual.

The hall where I stayed the first few days. "Ladies with vision and style" haha.

And it's hot. So very very hot.

The fish mentioned in the story from the other day.

NOTICE THE TEETH.

Just to show how dusty and humid it is.

Bojo Beach.

My first tro tro ride! Public transportation at it's finest. 

First trip to the market. Other EAP kids bargaining away.

Medina Market entry.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THOSE SNAILS!

A lady tried to just give me one that she had bought because I was so fascinated.

I kindly declined. 

Or maybe just laughed and ran away.

The Greatest Thing

So people kept talking about zebra crossings, but I knew they weren't talking about actual zebras. And I was so confused. I finally got it today.

Cross walks are marked by white lines on the black pavement... And I'm in Africa.

Hahaha.

Food and People, but Definitely Not People Food

Food-

So at first, I was like "this is chill." It's basically just rice and spicy things. Both of which are very acceptable to me. They've done a really good job of giving us stuff that doesn't make us sick.

But then I made the mistake of deciding to eat fish. I'm all "It's their culture. It's delicious, blah blah blah."

So at dinner 2 nights ago, they were all "Chicken or Fish?" and I was all "Fish, please and thanks."

AND THEY PUT A HEAD ON MY PLATE.

I was so proud of myself though. I didn't even cry. There were eyes. Eyes. But I was all, you know, I asked for this, I am going to be a big girl and eat it. I was very proud of my bravery. But then, as I went in for my first bite, the girl sitting next to me was all "OH MY GOSH THAT THING HAS TEETH!" And I threw my fork and immediately started crying.

I haven't really eaten since. I also will not be trying fish again.

On the upside, the girl who scared me half to death is now my roommate! She's fantastic. Don't worry, no replacement for the roommates back at home, but I think we are going to have a really great time together.

People-

Ghanians are all sorts of funny. Like English is their second language and they will pretend to know what you are saying, even when they have no idea. They also don't like to disappoint, which means they lie a lot. Like "Oh, will out new dorm have internet?" "Oh yes internet everywhere! Wi-fi! In your room!" Tell that to the 30 minute sprint I had across campus tonight making it to the internet cafe before it closed.

It's funny. In the U.S. I am really use to trusting people's answers. Like I just take it for fact. And if someone doesn't know the answer, they just tell me they don't know and I find someone who does. I am slowly learning not to rely on the "facts" here. Like there is a cell phone shop in the mall. And the dorms are 3 or 4 roundabouts away from the main gate, not 1. Ect ect. They just really want to keep your spirits high! It's just encouragement, as I've had it described.

But really, these are some of the most fantastic people on earth. As I was tripping through dance class last night, a young man was helping me learn this game that took way too much coordination (your hands had to go in two different directions) and I sarcastically said "I think I'm going to win!" and he said "Oh, of course you are sweetie!!" Though he may have been being a little sarcastic too...

So far the count is up to 1 "I love you" and 1 marriage proposal. And one drunk man at the bar who said "I'm not harassing you, I just want to see you" and I was all "I'M NOT YELLING AT YOU, I JUST WANT TO DRINK MY CHOCOLATE MILK" and then I mumbled some phrase in Twi I learned. It means something like "piss off". Lolz.