Getting Adjusted

Sorry to have waited so long to write my second post, but I've been reluctant to pay for internet around here so I've been waiting until I had access to free wi-fi to post this.

I'm all moved into the International Student Hostel now, and it's pretty nice. There are communal bathrooms and kitchens and a laundry room (which is actually just an empty room of sinks--I'll be doing all of my laundry by hand) and balconies on all of the rooms. The rooms all open to the outside and there's a big open courtyard in the middle of the building. I like the set-up! It's just going to be a matter of getting used to all of the dust that settles everywhere and the fact that there's no toilet paper or soap in the bathrooms.

My roommate is really nice as well. Her name is Erin, and she's from Atlanta. I just happened to be paired up in a room with someone else from my program, but that wasn't the case for everyone. A lot of people are still waiting for their roommates to show up at school, because semester break hasn't ended yet. But classes start next Monday so everyone will be back sometime during the week. It'll be odd having a building full of people. It's really loud around here even with most of the people gone. A lot of people blast music at full volume, or I'll hear screaming coming from the TV room next door where a bunch of guys are watching a soccer game. Apparently the African Cup of Nations is going on, so everyone's really into that right now. We went to a bar the other night to watch Equatorial Guinea play Libya. Don't ask me who won, because I lost interest. But Ghana plays tomorrow, so I'm guessing the screaming will be at least ten times as loud next door.

Since it's still a little while until break ends, we've had a lot of orientation presentations, and then a lot of free time after that to explore the campus. So far I'm super confused and lost, but I'll get the hang of it soon.

I just realized today that there's a little restaurant thing and a store downstairs in the hostel that I had no knowledge of. Before that, Erin and I had only been eating at this place they call the night market that's down the road, but it's a little sketch as far as food goes. (Besides these really good egg sandwiches, which are still pretty sketchy but worth it.) So I'm happy now that I know there are other food options. I haven't been eating very much since I've been here. I don't know what it is, but I haven't had much of an appetite at all since I've arrived. I've been trying to eat well regardless, but I think my malaria meds have been making me nauseous so I just never feel like eating.

Other than that issue, things are going well. It's definitely a big transition though. I have to buy a bucket soon in case the water stops running and I have to take a bucket bath, and I've been provided with a mosquito net to sleep under. Although, the mosquitoes haven't been nearly as bad as I thought they would be. I got a few bites at the hotel one night when my roommate left the window open on accident, but since then it hasn't been a problem. Also, dealing with the heat here hasn't been that difficult either. Compared to Minnesota and Wisconsin, where 90 degrees and no air conditioning feels like death because of the humidity, 90 degrees here feels much more bearable (although it's still humid enough to make my hair explode with frizz). The hostel isn't air conditioned, but it feels much cooler than my non-air-conditioned house felt during this past summer's heat wave. It'll probably get worse when the rainy season comes though. I've heard it gets really, really humid. So pumped for that…

In other news, I got my internship placement today! I'll be working at the government-run police hospital in Osu. I don't really know what my job description is at the moment, but all I know is they told me that I have to go pick up a white coat from the Chemistry department, so that's pretty bad-ass. In all seriousness though, I'm really nervous considering I have zero experience working in a hospital or any sort of clinical setting, let alone in a developing country. The CIEE director here, Mr. Gyasi, was just like, "for those of you working in a hospital…get ready for an experience." Apparently there are a lot of issues there like insufficient supplies, or sometimes they run out of beds so people have to sleep on the floor, etc. Like I said, I'm nervous. But I'm grateful for a chance to learn about healthcare in a developing nation. It'll be difficult, I imagine, but definitely a learning experience.

I'm really excited to start classes though. Registration is manual instead of online so we'll see how that goes. They have a much different scheduling system that's a little more confusing and tedious. But it'll work out just fine because most of my classes will be through CIEE anyway.

I don't have much else to add so I'll end it here. But I miss everyone back home. Internet is not the best but I'll try to be on skype when I can!

Love you all!