Sunyani,Ghana 11-17-2008

Ive realized this year isnt as much about me having fun, as it is me learning about myself. Dont get me wrong I am enjoying myself. But this stay in Ghana has really made me appreciate my "Gladelife" even more! I know ive said that so many times, but its very true. Its the small things that make me love home so much(actually, the differences are totally different, but ill just say theyre small). Ive really had to cope with so many different things. And ive really had to be patient with people who are just completely rude to me. School is very very aggrivating. The teachers are arrogant know it alls, who think that the students should understand everything that comes out of their mouth. I love my host family but its not as much a son to mom and dad or brother to brother relationship as it is a business parter relationship. And the variety of things(food,sports,Entertainment) are,well, there is no variety. I eat either rice,fufu,banku,kinkee,plantains or ampesi. But usually its fufu,which i dont mind eating (or i guess i should say swallowing) but at one point in my stay i swallowed fufu 14 out of 15 dinners! If you eat anything that often youll get sick of it! Sportswise, its just futbol. Which again i dont mind watching, but right now at home hockey season is in progress and of course Vanderbilt is bowl eligible for the first time in almost 30 years, THE YEAR I GO TO AFRICA! Hahaha! And entertainment, theres really nothing to do in Sunyani other than shop, and as i like to call it, get the obroni price. Which consists of people trying to get you to pay triple the amount an obibini would pay. I really hope youre not getting the wrong impression(which im sure you probably are) of my stay or think in crying myself to sleep(which i havent shed a tear since being here, surprisingly, because i caught the homesickness bug pretty bad at first), becuase i have a new appreciation for my family, friends and life itself. Ive caught myself so many times thinking that if i didnt come to Ghana, id be just going about my life and having no appreciation for it. Im really happy with my decision in coming to Ghana,becuase, if i had gone to a more westernized country, it would have been a different story! I wish more students had the opportunity to do what im doing now,because it will take me along time to go back to my ways of complaining about not having "good" food in the pantry or saying theres nothing good on TV even though i have a selection of 300 channels, etc, etc. Hahaha. The moral of my rant this week, appreciate your life, its probably better than you think!

PS.

The first picture is of my view towards Baakoniaba road outside of my house. The second picture is of my house. If you cant read the words on the house it says "The House of the Lord". And the third is of Baakoniaba road going towards downtown Sunyani. Notice the Cocoa House in the distance, you can see it from everywhere you go.