Welcome to Kumasi

Sorry that I am really bad at keeping up with my blog, but oh my gosh, I think that I am in love with Kumasi!! Although it is still a big city it is so much more laid back than Accra. They have paved roads and stop lights!! Not to mention, my new home stay is basically a palace. I have a big room and my own bathroom with running water! WOW! Also I have some very attractive home stay brothers who are right around my age. My home stay mom is my Twi teacher at school and she is sooo nice! She is going out of her way to make me the most delicious vegetarian food! It is the best I have eaten since I have been in Ghana!

Oh and Shana Tova to all of my Jews out there! I hope you are all having a sweet start to the new year. I spent the holiday with a small Jewish community in the Western Region of Ghana in a city called New Ardmbrum. It was definitely an very cool and interesting experience. First of all, who even knew that they would have a Jewish community in Ghana! It was really awesome! We did shabbatt dinner with them, and it felt almost like being at home. (kinda). The next day we did services in the synagogue. It was all decorated in blue and white. It was really interesting because you could tell that they were striving to be like Western Jews, but you could still feel the Ghanaian influence in the service. We ate apples and honey and they were all so nice. My only complaint about the experience was that I got kinda sick and their bathroom facility was pretty much a wooden box with a cut out that goes into a big hole in the ground. Ahhh. Fun times.

One thing that I should have mentioned a long time ago, is how everywhere we go and people see you coming they start yelling Obruni (white person) at you. It was kinda funny at the beginning, and it was funny to get that sort of attention, but by now it is starting to get kinda annoying. It is like yes, I know that I am white, I dont need to be reminded of it again and again. But just giving people a little wave when obruni is being called seems to make some peoples days. And it is still really cute when little kids run up to you to give the obruni a hug! hehe.

Oh and my Twi is getting a lot better! I am able to have some basic conversations, which is exciting!

Dont think that I have much else for you... We will be in Kumasi for the rest of the week and then we to the village for a week.

laura is awesome! -by laura

Love and miss you all! Happy New Year!