reunited *1*

hello friends and family~

i've arrived safely in ghana and have been here about a week now. it seems my first trip here (2 years ago) has taken away the thrills of such things as eating goat with my hands, bargaining for cheaper prices, and drinking water out of bags.

the majority of the honeymoon stage has been skipped, but i am still in love with this place!


last night i took a cab ride from a man who didn't have enough gas to get me home. i lent him my fare so we could stop by a petrol station, only to be told that "all petrol was out".
these are the types of things only a foreigner like me would be nostalgic for. driving from gas station to gas station looking to fill an already empty tank. i like the absurdity of that type of thing.
the car kept jerking back and forth but i wasn't too sure if it was because we were dry or the guy was still figuring out how to drive a stick shift.
we ended up finding what we needed, and then continuing on our way. at this point i imagined the quality of driving would improve... but it didn't. it soon began to feel like the beginning of a roller coaster ride, sudden jolts whipping me all around. he drove over curbs instead of around them. he steered us into large potholes till the impact made my head hit the ceiling. but what worried me most was that all of this was happening at an extremely SLOW pace.

i looked over at him and he was squinting so much i was wondering if he was even awake.
i had to ask.
"sir what is the problem?"
"oh no problem at all. no problem."
"can you see?"
"yes."
so i believed him and we continued on our way. i was a little frustrated considering it was taking quite a long time to get home (scooters were passing us up) and he had forgotten to tell me his passengers seat was as wet as a muddy puddle, and now i was sitting in it. but the more i thought about it the more i considered this small trip just another initiation into life in ghana.

i leave for the village tomorrow. the name of the place is Boamadumase. i keep asking locals if they know where it is, and so far nobody does. (for those of you who don't know) i will be living with a midwife and apprenticing with her for a bit (6 months?) in a rural health clinic. i know i'm in for quite a surprise as i have never even seen a live birth. last time i was here i prayed to see a goat give birth. i think i really just wanted to see a woman, but figured it'd be less intrusive and easier to randomly see an animal do it. but now, my dream is coming true, nix the goat!

to all my ISH buddies, i hope you all are doing well. i miss you, jolof misses you and ghana misses you! anyone interested in a legon reunion, meet me here! :)

and for those of you who wanted to know, i have a cell phone while i'm here and the number is 011233246268924. i'm almost certain that will work if you are calling from the u.s..
when i get my address i'll send that along too!

well, at the moment there is nothing too interesting to report. i've just been reabsorbing myself into the pace, the music, the food, the heat, the hospitality. my friends, musa and senam, have been taking very good care of me this past week (in fact, they've checked in on me 3 times while i've been writing this email). i'm in good hands :)

sending my love to you all- and hoping to hear how things are going with you.

xooxoxkacie