When you're an American girl in Ghana...

You get to go to an African Cup game w/ the ambassador of Morocco! That's right, a 75 cedi ticket in the VIP section given to me free from the ambassador of Morocco... it was awesome, dare I say legendary! We watched the Guinea versus Morocco game (Guinea won 3-2, big upset!) and then Ghana versus Namibia (Ghana won 1-0). Seriously though, Ghanaians take their soccer, excuse me football, very VERY serious. I love it! We're planning on going to the Ghana vs. Morocco game, or I should say match, on Monday night.

Next up, teaching. Friday marked my first day as a teacher! I was unbelievably nervous but it actually went really well. I taught the introduction to pre-algebra, starting w/ adding and subtracting variable terms and combining like terms. The first class, level 1A (like 7th grade), was very eager to learn and understood everything right away. The second class, 1B, took a little longer to get it but they were just as eager. The kids are amazingly respectful and I'm awestruck at how little I need to worry about discipline. I'm very excited to continue teaching every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Today, we took our second day trip to Aburi and went on a tour of the botanical gardens. We rented bikes and got to ride around the gardens, which were really pretty. Unfortunately, my bike wasn't in the best condition and my legs now hate me. With any slight turn, my bike would veer into the bushes and thus, I crashed about 4 or 5 times and I have the scratches and bruises to prove it. At first, I really thought I had forgotten how to ride a bike but then I noticed that the chain was slightly off the track. Finally, it came all the way off and I ended up having to walk it back. The trip was a nice break from Accra and plus, anything pre-paid for, I'm a big fan of!

We started an new tradition today as well. Potlucks will take place hopefully weekly, if not bi-weekly. Everyone made a ton of food and African style sangria, great way to spend a Saturday night. We played a game of soccer afterward in the courtyard and I got even more beat up. But all in all, today and this past week has been tons-o-fun!

I'm nervous b/c I'm still in the honeymoon stage of being here. I feel like I should start to get homesick and countrysick. But hey, I'm going to enjoy my honeymoon feelings while they last and I'll conquer the other feelings when I need to.

Something I've been thinking about the past couple of days:
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." ~John Donne