Jollof rice...

Hey All!

It has now been 5 days since we landed in Accra. In some ways it seems like we've been here for WAY longer than that!

It's sunday night and the four of us just finished a meal of jollof rice at our favourite restaurant: Bus Stop. Accra is such a busy, fast, exciting, challenging city - just finding our way around in taxis has been an adventure!

This week has been such a whirlwind. We spent full days (sometimes until 7!) at the KITE office doing research and preparations for our projects. The staff and atmosphere at the office is SO incredible - I am really looking forward to working for a group of such motivated people on some really interesting initiatives. Josh and I will be working on a project called FAPSEED, while Amy and Lindsey will be working with a separate initiative called eCARE. You can check them out on the KITE website if you'd like more details. It's hard to beleive, but Josh and I are actually leaving at 6am tomorrow to a different town a few hours north of here, where our project is located. We will be helping two KITE staff to conduct some research. I'm really eager to start the project, but definitely sad to be leaving Accra and Linds & Amy already. I'm going to miss them a ton! We may not see each other for another month.

Yesterday we did some wandering through one of the many markets here. It was crowded and loud and colourful and wonderful. The best part was the fresh pineapple that Lindsey and I bought and cut and ate right at the stand. The fruit is incredible here - I feel like when I get home, the bananas and pineapples will taste like cardboard.

Today was truly the first day since our arrival that we took some time to take it easy. I went to church in the morning (they hold a service at the YMCA where we are staying - it was incredible!) then slept away the afternoon. Later we spent some time with some friends who are students at the YMCA. They are teaching us Twi - the most common African language spoken in Ghana.

Overall, I'm feeling worn out, but also welcomed and excited to learn more about Ghana and Ghanaians. Everyone here is extremely welcoming and forgiving of our thousands of mistakes.

I send all my love back home, and trust that everyone is doing well - or "fine", as we say here. Shout out to mom on her birthday this Wednesday. I hope to hear from all of you!

Lindsay