The Best Day Ever!

Oh gosh…I don’t even know where to begin.  I guess I’ll start at the very beginning (a very good place to start ; )…and grab some food and water ‘cause I think this is gonna be really long!

About a month ago, Collins, our technology coordinator, told us we should buy tickets to this “program” (what they call parties/special events) that he was putting on.  It was gonna be an all day outing at the Sajuna Beach Club (located in the Eastern Region on one of the rivers off of the Volta Lake).  Well…I bought one, but Melinda said it’s not her kinda thing (I was sure I was gonna convince her later…and she got close at one point…but it ended up falling on the day after mommy and daddy Opare got home, so she couldn’t go after all).  Anyways…I’ve really been looking forward to it, but I was worried I’d set my expectations too high (when, in actuality, they were met and surpassed = )

Well…Friday night, at our football game, Terry and I were talking about how excited we were, but then I realized I didn’t know where the bus was picking us up, or how to get there.  He kindly offered to stop by my house to pick me up so that we could go over together.  So on Saturday morning, at 7:45, we were off (well first, on my way out, Aunty Angie stopped me saying she had something for me.  She came out with a little cake and a juice box so that I could food for the road!  Is that not the sweetest, most thoughtful thing ever?!?!?!?!).  We walked to a trotro station about 15 minutes away (I had no idea we had one so close!), caught a trotro, and got off at Adenta Barrier.  We were supposed to be meeting there at 8, but the bus didn’t come until like 9:30/10ish, so the whole waiting process was actually a whole experience all on its own.  I think I’ll write about that separately.

Okay, so the bus finally arrived…and I started to get really excited.  It was like a tourist bus (with no a/c unfortunately) and had a big banner along the side that was a blow up version of the ticket, stating “Azonto Stress Over Dance Party.”  There were people hanging out the windows and open door, shouting and cheering.  When we walked over, one guy came out of the rear door and grabbed me and was like, “Come, come, we have a seat for you,” but luckily my group came and rescued me and pulled me up with them.  But when we found out the front was full, we actually ended up going and sitting in the back anyways…haha = )  There was only seat left, so they let me have it…and they all stood in the aisle.  The bus was jam packed with people (I was wondering if it was legal for so many people to be standing…but we passed through a police checkpoint on the way…so I guess it was)!  They were from two different colleges, and then there was our group from Golden Sunbeam.  Once on, they asked where the drum was (how did I miss that one of the guys with our group was carrying a full-sized drum?!)…and started beating it and singing.  It was so awesome!  I just sat there like, “Is this really happening?!”  I had known it was gonna be a long ride…so I debated about whether I should bring my shuffle so that I could listen to music to pass the time - I’m glad I decided against it…haha = )  I didn’t know if they’d keep it up the whole, hour-halfish ride…but they did, if anything, growing with enthusiasm.  I put some videos down below that capture it a little.  The third one is them playing outside of the bus when we made a stop at the gas station = )

Once we got there, we had to stand around and wait again for awhile…but eventually we all got in.  We weren’t sure what to do first, so we decided to get a drink and find a table.  After settling in, we changed into our swimming clothes and went over to the pool (we weren‘t allowed to swim in the river = (…there were boats going out on it…but the trampoliney looking thing in the middle of it had a closed sign on it, with a sign next to it that said “Deep Water, No Swimming.”  I wonder if someone had gotten hurt out there or something.  But yeah…the water looked sorta nasty anyway…so I guess it was for the best).  But on our way we were sidetracked to the beach volleyball court.  It was a little difficult because we had to play with slippers on (the sand was SO hot - like it put Waimea’s sand to shame…when I tried walking on it barefoot at first, my feet felt like they were on fire!  I couldn’t get my shoes on fast enough…I actually had tears coming to my eyes!), but it was super fun still!  I sucked at first, but then I started to get into the groove a little (so I just sorta sucked…haha = )  After playing for awhile, and working up a nice sweat (which could’ve been achieved just sitting, to be honest = ), we were about to finally swim, when we were called over to the pavilion for lunch.  I was excited because I was so hungry (I hadn’t eaten for like 6 hours!…me!), but bummed because I was so ready to get in the pool!

When we went over, Collins said he had forgotten plates.  So he went around and put some balls of kenkey out and some fish…as well as some pepper (the spicy sauce that we eat with everything on the plates and lids he could find) and let the guys dig in (luckily this food is eaten with hands).  He told me I should wait because he was gonna find plates for the ladies so that we could eat in a little bit more dignified of a manner…haha…but I don’t like kenkey anyway (well…I’ve never actually had it…but they say it’s even more sour than banku), so I just took a fish and ate that (bones and head and all!…at first I was trying to pick the little bit of meat from around the bones, but Terry said that they eat it all…you just have to chew really well so the bones to cut your throat…because there’s calcium and nutrients in the bone marrow - and when have I ever turned down more nutrients? = )  It was quite a scene to watch the guys eat, though…haha…I wished I had had my camera = )  I guess it was a good thing I wasn’t fighting for food with them because I don’t think I would’ve been able to get any. 

After lunch we finally went over and swam!  It was so nice to be cool for once that day = )  We splashed around some…and then I had promised I’d teach them how to swim…so we began our swim lessons.  And oh my goodness…it’s so crazy how they just sink (later on Terry and I were having a contest who could hold their breath the longest…and he just sat on the floor of the pool, while I began on the floor, but ended up floating to the top in like 5 seconds).  I ended up giving a lot of swim lessons out that day, but only a couple of the ladies and little boys could actually get the kicking down…all of the guys couldn’t get their legs to the surface of the water to kick.  I felt like such a lousy teacher…but no matter what I said or tried…I couldn’t figure out how to help them do it!  But yeah…it was the first of multiple times that day that I felt so spoiled, and so ungrateful for all I had growing up.  They said very few people can afford swim lessons, and so they just never learn how to swim.  I had so many people ask me to teach them, from the random girls in the changing room (oh yeah…I didn’t tell you about the changing rooms!  I went in and there was a tile wall right in front of me [it was like a t-wall…with the wall part in front of me forming the top of the t, and another wall perpendicular to that, separating the men’s and women’s side.  The part in front of me wasn’t connected to the side walls - there was a 3 ft gap or so on each side that were the entrances to the actual changing stalls] with a small picture for men on one side and for ladies on the other.  You better hope you don’t miss them, though, because…I don’t know what the men’s side looked like…but you walk into the women’s side, and there’s not a single door or stall…it’s just this open 8’x8’ space - so you get to know the people in there with you really well…haha) to grown men.  

After swimming, we went over to the trampoline and jumped on that for awhile…and then we played table tennis, foosball, and some of the other games they had around.  I was terrible at them, so I found my way over to the football field (luckily it rained for a bit, so the sand was cooled down = ) and played for a bit.  It was SO tiring trying to run and pass in the sand…and I got tackled pretty badly (my knees are a mess!…cut upon cut…one side was bleeding pretty badly and they’re actually really sore…so, yes mom, I’m going to actually try to take it easy for a bit = )…so I didn’t last very long.  I went over to the pool and cooled down and let the chlorine clean out my cuts.  And for the rest of the time, we pretty much just kept playing games and hanging out...and we at the cake…yummy!…and so perfect because I was SO hungry!  Oh yeah!  And I had wanted to learn how to dance Azonto…so we had decided beforehand that I’d teach how to swim, Seth would teach how to dance, and Terry would teach how to play table tennis.  So Seth taught me how to dance…and I actually sort of got it = )  We stayed until about 6:30 (we got there at noonish)…and the boarded the buses for home (altogether we had two buses with about 100 or so people on each).

I thought everyone would be exhausted, and it would be a quiet ride home…but what was I thinking?!  Of course the ride home was just as loud and boisterous as the ride there…haha = )  I, however, got comfortable and slept on and off.  Of course the trip home was not simple and straightforward…travel here never is.  The bus dropped us at Atomic Junction, we walked to Madina Station, got picked up on the way by a trotro passing through, got dropped at Adenta Barrier, got a car to Adenta Housing Downs, got dropped I don’t know where, and walked home from there.  By the time I got home I was exhausted and nasty (my hair is still disgusting from the chlorine even after showering) and starving…and so happy!  

The area we were in was so different from where I live...

There were lots of wooden

...and grass huts.

Doesn't this look like a Seussical tree?  You can see the lake in the background.

Hawaii?

Somewhere in Polynesia?

Isn't that the best sign...haha = )

Playing volleyball...

swimming...

jumping...

dancing...

riding...

playing table tennis...

playing draughts...similar to checkers but not the same...I didn't totally get it...

playing foosball...

the football field/dance floor

still drumming...haha = )

Terry...

and Seth