PANIC!

First off, I've been counting weeks starting on Wednesdays because that's when we arrived in Ghana, but since my flight leaves on a Sunday and its less confusing, I'm now starting on Sundays. So that makes this week ten in Ghana.

Here is the reason for my panic:

- TEN weeks in Ghana so far
- FIVE weeks of classes left (this is the really scary one)
- EIGHT weeks left in total

Have I done everything I've wanted to do? NO! Do I feel like I'm still actively pursuing my cultural education? I could do better.
So, since I'm me, I will make a...

TO DO LIST
- Go to Makola Market. Its a main destination in Accra and I haven't gotten around to it yet!

- Hula hoop. I have this hula hoop that Gideon gave me from an old CIEE student. I was contemplating bringing mine to Ghana, which I bought so I could start making hula hooping my new hobby since a friend in Guatemala introduced me to it, but I decided not to bring it. So I figure it's kinda fate that I was given this one, so I should use it!

- Learn to cook more Ghanaian dishes. I don't spend as much quality time with my host family as I think other home stays do, which is fine. I enjoy having a home stay and hang out with them occasionally, and feeling a part of the dorm community, kind of a best of both worlds. However, I do want to hang out with them more and I can use this as an excuse. My host mom taught me how to make red red (bean stew and friend plantains aka my favorite food), but I want to learn to make stews, pepper sauce and soups So I can cook them in the states.

- Hang out with my host brothers. This is along the same lines as above, but I barely spend time with my host brothers Lesley and Oliver, who are also in their twenties so we should be friends, but we're still on a small talk basis. But to be honest I was hoping they would initiate so I haven't been putting in the effort, so I guess I will initiate if I want to form a relationship with them.

- Make a Ghanaian friend. I have some Ghanaian acquaintances from classes and people I am friendly with from the Police Hospital (two of whom have asked me to the beach/Reggae beach party, which I politely declined since the "friendship" I'm seeking involves me wearing all my clothes) and am close with the Upals, but I haven't made any Ghanaian friends that I hang out with on my own.

- Spend less time on the internet (ironic). Its so easy to sit on my computer every night at my home stay, especially if I'm home sick. I think I need to reinstate my rule that I only go on the computer if I have to for school or after my host family goes to bed. I spend so much time doing nothing on the computer, probably because it's comforting, but I don't really like it.

- Write more letters to receive more letters! I have a certain friend that will not be named that gets an ABSURD amount of mail and im JEALOUS and damn it, I want mail! So I've started sending postcards (look out gnomies) and I want to send more because its fun to send and to receive! So if you want a postcard, leave a comment, or feel free to send me one! It takes about 2 weeks for mail to travel between Ghana and the US. Here's the address:

Emma Craig - CIEE
c/o Kwasi Gyasi-Gyamerah
Private Mail Bag 31
Ground Floor, International House
Office of International Programmes
University of Ghana, Legon
Legon, Ghana
West Africa

- Observe every ward at the Police Hospital. Since I am doing my research I haven't been observing, unless you count waiting around the Children's Ward to interview people. I want to observe, at least for a day, the Maternity Ward, Public Health Ward and Out Patient Ward. I would also really like to go with the Social workers on their field assignments and do an ambulance shift, if possible!

- Do a rural home stay. This is actually going to happen so it's kind of cheating to put it on the list. Over Easter Break a few of us are going to a Jewish Community outside of the Ashanti region, where we'll be staying with families in the village. If you want to know more: http://www.kulanu.org/ghana/visit_to_ghana.php

- Volunteer at an orphanage. I need to go anyway for my research project so I might as well help out right?

- Read about Ghana. I have a very limited academic knowledge of Ghana, so I would like to read up more on the history and other aspects of the Ghanian perspective.

That's eleven things to do - I think that will tide me over for the month.  I'll let you all know as I tick each one off my cultural learning list.

In other news, I went on a hike outside of Accra yesterday - it was beautiful and so so so so much fun to go hiking for the first time in awhile. We saw ostriches ("saying hi," which was our tour guides euphemism for having sex two feet away from us) and baboons!! The hike was gorgeous and was a very different terrain that I'm used to in Accra.

Also, my host mom told me two students will be living with us for two weeks at the end of April, which is far away but I'm excited to show them around and have other Obrunis in the house for a bit, even though I'm planning to be traveling during that time.

This week I am finishing up my research on abandoned children and writing up a report. Hopefully I will start the recommendation to the Police Hospital and will begin the first steps towards initiating an actual project during April. Wish me luck!