Brandon settles into Ghana

Everything is an adventure here! I've been bounced around to various offices here on campus trying to pay my school fees and I keep getting a different story. I think I've finally got it all figured out but it really isn't that much of a hassle because they allowed me to register for classes no problem and I'm fine to proceed regardless of my school fees.

As for classes, well that's another adventure as well. The professors were on strike last week. I tried to go to my classes at the beginning of the week but it was just me and a bunch of international students sitting in an empty lecture hall waiting patiently for half-an-hour before we gave up and walked off. The strike ended at the end of the week so classes have resumed. My first official class will be tomorrow. I'm registered for "Refugees and Int'l Relations", "Conflict and Conflict Resolution","Political Geography", "Historical Geography of Africa", "Politics and Government of Ghana since Independence", and "Colonialism and the African Response". I have a few weeks to try out the classes, see how I liket hem, and then I will probably drop one or two before the deadline. I've also put my name down for a Twi class but I'm still waiting to hear aboutthat.

Last week, due to the strike, I used some of my free-time to do a little traveling. I went with a group of students from North Carolina and ac ouple of other international students and ventured east of Accra a couple of hours. We went to a fishing village called Ada Foah that sits right on a peninsula that separates the Volta river and the Atlantic Ocean. We arrived to our beach huts by boat. We spent some time in the fishing village playing with the kids, took a tour of the estuary on a leaky fishing canoe (gave us a good scare or two), and enjoyed a bonfire Saturday night with dancing and traditional drumming. It was a great experience and I have some fantastic photos from the trip.

As far as making contact with Rotary, I have talked with my host counselor several times since being here. Her name is Dr. Nanna Agyemang-Mensah and she was the first women president of any Rotary club in Ghana. I will be attending the Wednesday evening meeting of the Airport Rotary club of Accra this week. I'll give you an update later this week or early next week and let you know how it goes.That's all I have for you right now. I feel like things are really going well. I can't believe I've only been here two weeks because I alreadyf eel like Ghana has become home to me.

I'll be in touch soon