Ashanti Region...KUMASI

So right now, I am at the Treasure Island Hotel in KNUST, Kumasi. It has been nothing but bliss since i've gotten here...free things right and left....guesss the ol' african shape does come in handy every so often...haha.we left Accra Thursday morning at like 7am..and although I am usually opposed to the early rising..in Ghana it isn't so bad..i've only slept past 2 once and that was because we went clubbin until like 5am...so its acceptable..but yeah so the first day we got here we went to the King's Palace (Manshyia Palace) and it was pretty cool that we were so close yet so far...apparently he's a pretty big deal...so i've got some competition, lol. Our tour guide was pretty ridiculous though when some other toursits came to join our group he kicked them out and sent them with primary schoool kids and when the two tours got close to each other he yelled at the other tour guide and told him to leave and not invade our space bc we paid more $ than the kids...it was a little harsh...plus he had some crazy facial expressions and kept staring at the other girls in my group a little too intensely...afterwards, we came back to the hotel which is pretty nice. Our room has a hugeeeee bed in it and feelin the AC is something I have to savor cuz as soon as I get back on campus...it's back to sweat drippin off my body 24/7...but anyways guess who called me last night?? Forreal! He's the guy who wanted to cast me in a Ghanaian movie...and he said that he wanted me to come and pick up a script but since I am here (Kumasi...like a 4 hour drive away), I told him I would contact im on Sunday when I got back so I could get the script....so...I will let you all know if this is legit or not..but trust, that I will SO be bringin one of my buff guy friends with me cuz people can be crazy...so yesterday we were soooo busy. We went to Bonwire village, where they weave authentic kente cloth and I got some beautiful stuff, then we went to another village (not sure of the name) where they stamp kente cloth with adinkra and other different symbols...we got to make samples and that was pretty cool...afterwards I got some free kente from some boys who really liked me so that was great! After that village we went to the National Culture Center and I got some beads for my sister and a free one just because...lol..it's been a great weekend...I def can't complain..but I can't believe that February is almost over! I feel like time is moving so quickly and I still haven't accomplished everything that I hoped to...well I will try to update you more tonight after we visit the Marketplace but don't hold your breath...any questions, comments or concerns, leave em'

Ete Seng?

Well, well, well....it's been quite awhile since I have updated this thing and I apologize for the delay but things have been wild over here...trips on the weekends, classes during the weekdays and other unmentionables in between..haha...well this past weekend I traveled with my group (SUNY Brockport) to Cape Coast, Ghana. It's another city that I would say is a little more urban than Accra... We left on Friday morning at 8am and got there at 12ish...we stayed at Elmina Beach Resort which is like 15 minutes from Cape Coast center. The hotel was lovely...it was the first time I had seen my entire body in weeks....I know that sounds wierd but it's crazy seeing yourself after like 4 weeks....I am getting darker by the minute and I am LOVING it....pretty soon you may not recognize me....I mean it's not a drastic change...just a tint of chocolate...anyways, we get into the hotel and it is amazing! AC never felt so good!!!! And we had our own bathroom, that was nice because i'm getting pretty sick of sharing the abandoned 3rd floor toilet that is always stained with...well i'll leave it at that...Anyways, the hotel had a nightclub, basketball court, volleyball, tennis, swimming pool, shopping areas, buffet for bfast/dinner, hair salon....yeah it was wild...we were def living large...So after we unloaded our things, we left for Elmina Castle, which is one of the slave castles that te Dutch and Portuguese used....all I can say is wow. It was quite the experience. It was emotional, just being black and seeing/hearing the struggle that our ancestors had gone through..but it was wierd because I don't think I felt the same connection that the others did. There is one other girl who is Ghanian and I think felt that connection because her ancestors may have been enslaved etc...but the rest of our group is white people...and I couldn't tell if they felt emotional because of a sense of guilt or because they genuinely felt that emotion..you know?? I don't mean to sound racist or anything...it just made me curious....I wonder how I would feel being there and not being black....or african... After that, we explored the city of Cape Coast and basically just walked around like tourists...but it was just nice to be off campus and see something different....On the way back last night, we went to Kakum National Park and I went on the Canopy Walk and wow!!!! That was one of the craziest thigns I have ever done in my life....suspended 120+ ft above ground on this shaky, wooden bridge, with my life in God's hands....haha...you should've heard me...one of my friends LeAnne was jumping and shaking the bridge and I kept yelling "Leanne stop it, I'm the first born and it's not my time to die..." But I was so proud of myself for doing it...I felt so accomplished, especially bc I am so afriad of heights. Anyways, I would love to write more but I am at the International Programs Office and they are about to get ready to close so I must go....enjoy the post and let me know what ya'll are interested in reading about!!!
Until next time (Lenora, that was for you).