Ugh, I'm sick. Been sick for almost a week now. Feels miserable. I wake myself (and probably my roommates as well) during the night when I get coughing fits. I've bought more cough syrup from the pharmacy and hope it works fast. Really want to sleep but dragged myself to wood-carving yet again. (It's Monday.) I told Seth I would go and help him out as we don't teach today.
Some interesting experiences over the past few days.
Snapshot #1: Most of the team went to Cocoloka Beach in Ada Foah over the weekend. It was a really nice place, the waves were SUPER high and the current SUPER strong. We all got dashed around, at the mercy of the waves. Staying in the grass hut was nice but since I was sick, I wasn't living it up. At nights we had a kersone lamp lit. The inside of the hut was small- housed a full-sized bed in the middle. Thankfully, was a comfortable foam mattress (almost like a memory foam mattress!) Shared the hut with Chantelle.
Snapshot #2: On busride back, we passed through the countryside. Saw large red mounds of termite castles. Ok, they are probably called anthills (but for termites I think.) Seriously, a couple feet high. Like large sandcastles. Sketched it in my journal.
Snapshot #3: Cut my hair last night. No, not shaved. Decided to just shear it, haha. Would have shaved it if the cut looked bad. My friends here thought I was crazy. Little do they know...All I had was a pair of kiddie paper scissors, a dim flourescent light in the back veranda, and a warped mirror. Awesome. It still came out fine, luckily. Everyone was amazed. I'm sure I resemble a muppet though.
Snapshot #4: Traveling on my own to Seth's woodcarving site. An hour to commute, must transfer tro-tros. Rather like traveling by myself. Not sure why, but none of the locals paid me any attention for the first time. Is it cuz I got browner? Is it my muppet hairstyle? Or is it cuz my white friends weren't with me. There is a Chinese community in Ghana. They might have assumed I was a local. That'd be funny!
Snapshot #5: Having to pee outside...if you don't like bathroom talk, don't read. But for those of you who're curious, cuz you know you are, here's the dealio. Once arriving at Seth's, I had to go to the bathroom. Glad I brought a roll of TP with me too (for blowing my nose actually.) He asked me if I had to urinate or...and I said- yes, pee! There are 2 types of bathrooms, for #1 and #2. He took me to a space near the art shops in the area, and literally it was a concrete floor slab surrounded by 3 concrete walls. No door but a long concrete wall covered 2 urinal spaces as the shared 4th wall. No drain but a small (mouse-hole) at the bottom of one of the walls. Definitely suited for a guy, but not a girl?! There was a local guy around the corner, doing construction. There was no WAY I was going to pee without a door and with a guy around the corner! I decided to hold it, apologized to Seth and hoped that if I didn't drink anymore water that morning, I'd get dehydrated and my body would use up my pee for hydration. Then I wouldnt have to go anymore.
No such luck. About an hour later, Seth asked if he could take me to the communal toilet. He figured it'd be more private. I consented and followed him along the riverside at the back. Due to the heavy rain yesterday, the frogs were out in full loud croaks. It was cool! We ended up at a similar urinal as before, but there was a more maze-like entrance, so even though there wasn't a door, the view would be blocked. Eccck. It wasn't the dryest urinal floor...but I decided I might as well go for it. I don't know who would be an expert at this, but there was NO way you could go without getting splashed. Yeah, you're squirming. I had to live it! Ugh. Thank God for the TP roll in my bag. Nowhere to toss the trash. Seth said to throw it in the gutter (ie. the river or the line of garbage bordering it.) I felt bad to just throw it as litter, so stuck it into a plastic bag on the ground.
Yes, I have showered by now.
Well, here it is, folks. The hard parts of traveling outside a 1st world-nation. At least my heat-rash is gone, the water was working when I got back, and the internet works. Am uploading more pictures as I type.
I miss you guys, and even...NYC. You know you're homesick when you walk through the streets of home in your head.
