milestones

2.3.09
last saturday marked 4 weeks here, tomorrow is one month (to the day) that i arrived, and this upcoming weekend i am halfway done with my time here. wow, time is starting to fly! friday night was a wash - literally, as we had a 2 hour freak rainstorm, more like a torrential downpour! we were going to go have a drink at the club and charge our phones but instead sat on the porch, talked, and watched the rain. saturday was a lazy morning catching up on journaling and reading (i've finished 5 books!). in the afternoon some of the volunteers went to aburi to the wood carving market - originally the plan was also to go to the botannical garedens there but we had heard they weren't worth it so we skipped them. we had to wander around for a while and finally a couple of local boys (who happened to have family with shops there) showed us the way. it was quite interesting to see all the different carvings (masks, figurines, animnals, and lots of fertility objects!) and to talk to the artisans about their work. saturday night we watched a movie (the great debaters) at another volunteer's house and charged her phone - her family has a generator that they turn on a couple of nights a week. sunday a few of us went to church - that was quite an experience! we stayed for the first hour and a half, though it lasted 2 more, as it was time for us to have lunch. there was a lot of chanting, singing, clapping and out of tune music - the congregation is small but VERY spirited and energetic! it was a much less formal service than what i am used to with most of the people coming and going at their leisure (including the reverand!). yesterday afternoon was a lazy day as i slept very little sunday night and made a ton of mud bricks (as well as this morning). i was definitely wishing i was home watching the big game (and commericals of course) and eating good food - thanks to meg for taping it!!! on friday morning a group of us will travel to the kakum national park to see the rainforest and do a canopy walk. my roommate and i are then traveling down to cape coast to see the historical sites related to slave trade (this is where a lot of slave ships left from) and then we will return to the village monday evening. tonight a group is going into town for dinner to the "western restaurant" again, i plan to order a club sandwich and fries so i will be sure to update you on how it compares to home. i hope everyone has a great week - miss you all lots!!!!