So imagine my delight upon getting the opportunity to spend a few hours home sweet home this last weekend!
That’s right: The American Embassy.
It was one of those weird situations where some friend of a friend had met some marines on a beach and it turns out that marines like friends just as much as anyone and all the sudden you’re in a taxi headed to the Embassy. Where they live. You know what kind of situation I’m talking about, ya?
To back up, the shindig was described as a party to my roommate and I. We were very conflicted on whether we should go or not. We wanted to see the Embassy but we had also just eaten a huge dinner and wanted to watch Inception, not party. After laughing at what pathetic vestiges of our previous social glory we've become, we decided to suck it up, put on something other than harem pants, and go along. The power then went out further confirming that the universe did not wish for us to spend that evening in our dorm.
So we show up, have all electronics confiscated, go through some metal detectors, and skip right on in to America!
Oh we were all so embarrassing. Here we were, a gaggle of girls who have never shown a pinch of patriotism in our lives, dancing around and threatening to roll on the lawns.
And it wasn’t a party. There are 5 marines that live at the embassy at all times and do who knows what because they can’t really talk about it. All we know is that they have a basketball court, tennis court, swimming pool, home theater, a pool table, a full bar and more people taking care of them than there are of them (chefs, drivers, etc.). Life in America is ridiculous.
Things got crazy when we realized how much they didn’t live in Ghana. Like never been on a tro tro and never heard of a sachet. At one point, in all sincerity, I asked if they have an oven. Ovens are a rare commodity in this country. I was laughed at. Upon running into the kitchen I realized why. They have TWO ovens. Two fridges, two freezers, a microwave, two stoves, and two deep fryers. Why would you ever need two fryers???
I asked if I could bake a cake. I was laughed at again. But then I found food coloring, and what was, for a moment, a joke quickly became all seriousness.
And that, my friends, is how I ended up baking a red, white, and blue cake in the middle of the night at the American Embassy. I even found white chocolate chips which I melted down and used to pipe on a big star and the words “America Forever”. Like I said, we were abundantly embarrassing.
So more or less, we ended up crashing some dudes’ house, drinking all their drinks, and eating all their cake. A very ideal evening.
We were back in Ghana all too soon. And boy was it as Ghana as ever. We stomped through dirt for ages before finding a taxi. We didn’t realize what was happening at the moment, but we later realized that the taxi driver had kicked out his uhhh evening escort to pick us up. He also stole my friends phone. Class act right there.
Regardless, as much as I joke about America and Ghana and really everything, I couldn’t help but to fall asleep feeling sad that I’m leaving so soon. Going home will be great and all, but giving up this adventure life style in favor of suburbia isn't the most thrilling idea in the world.
I have no photographic evidence that any of this actually happened. Due to the whole confiscation of electronics thing. I tried to find my favorite clip of my favorite army man ("The seal is for marksmanship!"), but I couldn't find it. Then I remembered that I can't load videos period. So here's some other, non-related videos that I didn't first preview. Still of the greatest army man of all time-
Couldn't track down "I pinned the army man!" either. Bummer. And like I said, I did not watch these videos before hand. I just love buster, and in that I'm sure they're great.
