Falling in love with the place and all of its character

The white waves roll in from the Atlantic Ocean, crashing against one another onto the shore. The breeze peacefully calms the warm air against the purple sky, rhythmically blowing the leaves of the palm trees. The clouds glow an orange tint from the mystical night sky allowing the stars to sparkle in constellation beyond the fluffy shapes resting against the backdrop and every moment, I'm falling more and more in love with Ghana and my life here.
Living just a few minutes away from the Beach, La Tawala, we have begun going there quite often--during the day, at night, any time. And no matter how often I go, it never ceases to amaze me. This beautiful and relaxing aspect of Accra is pretty representative of how I feel here, and why I have so quickly felt at home.
The past week hasn't been full of huge endeavors, but more about the little pieces of culture and life here that are becoming familiar (the beach, being one of those pieces).
Last weekend, we went to a bar called Purple Pub, which was a nice, chill place. Nothing too exciting happened there except the hundreds of mosquito bites I got that night. The bar was outdoors and my friends and I were sitting at a table. I guess my chair was facing a bush where there must have been lots of hungry bugs! It's okay though, I've been taking my malaria pills (which is a whole other world of crazy, with wildly intense dreams, causing sleepless nights).

My Legs after the Mosquito Feast

My closest friends here and I have become close with some Ghanaians which has helped us familiarize with many local spots more quickly than we would have on our own. There's a food joint owned by a woman named Muri down the road from us. It's called Aunti Muri's place and she makes Waakye (pronounced wa-a-che) which is a combination of beans, rice, meat, plantains and eggs. You order it "African Style" and get one large bowl for your table (which is outdoors under a tent, creating a wonderful environment) and everyone grabs a spoon, and eats together. It was one of the most delicious and definitely spiciest things I've eaten here, I think I came pretty close to actually breathing fire by the end, but it was worth it. The atmosphere in these local places is so laid back, everyone is friendly, the seating is completely open and it feels impossible to have any anxiety or bad emotions.

Another food we recently discovered is Fan Ice. We had a movie night at our academic center where films from past students in the Documenting the African City class were shown. The last film we saw that night was about an ice cream called fan ice and how everyone becomes obsessed with it, locals, travelers--everyone. So of course, all 43 of us immediately felt compelled to try this ice cream treasure. Fan Ice sales people roll carts down the street with coolers of fan ice, honking their horn. I've already had fan ice three times in the past week, and every time I hear the honk (which happens at least once an hour) I'm tempted to go get more. It's pretty delicious and super cheap; a wonderful cold treat on these warm days. Speaking of which, I can't believe it's actually winter in New York, especially a winter this brutal. While everyone else is being smothered in snow, those of us here are all very appreciative of this extensive summer adventure. 

The Documenting class also went on a field trip last week to a place called Jamestown. We create our own documentaries in the class, exploring an aspect of African life. We took a field trip here so that our teachers could expose us to a different part of the city. It's a developing community and the couple hours we were there were really inspiring. There were lots of activities that all showed levels of closeness and happiness I have rarely come across in my life. We watched a boxing match, saw children performing in a band, watched dancers and a giant game of futbol. Not only did those partaking in the activities seem to truly enjoy themselves, but everyone around came to watch and enjoy the entertainment. I still don't have any ideas for my own film but it was an experience I'll definitely cherish regardless. Here are some pictures from the experience: I wish I could make set them up so they're a little easier to see on here, but I'm not great with the internet, computers or blogging.

Rules of the Boxing Gym

Women Cooking in Jamestown

Futbol Field

I really just love it here, everything about it suits me well. I'm going away the next two weekends and will, I'm sure, have more exciting adventures to report along the way, especially since I start volunteering this week.