Today in Ghana: A Narrative Exploration : Day 1 (Accra): You are Welcome

As musical accompaniment, I will also let you know what top 40 hit song is playing in the hotel garden.

[Currently playing: 'Hold On' by Wilson Phillips]

BOARDING JFK
Twelve of us are in the Ghana group. I will introduce you to them later. More importantly for now: Delta has a new safety video that prays on hipster nation. It was enjoyable.

Team Ghana

THE FLIGHT
I watched that time travel chick-flick About Time, ate a couple of meals (very tasty rice things), and had to tell a flight attendant that she was being too loud so I could sleep. She was really loud, don't feel bad for her. I said it nice. I did have a great seat buddy, Rebecca, who didn't have to get up to pee anymore times than I did and was a joy to chat with and a joy to sleep quietly next to. Everyone else in our group had to sit with strangers so I feel like we won. Oh! they also had to ask, "Is there a doctor onboard the flight?" because a woman in the front was not breathing or something. But she became fine. But for a moment that was scary. The whole plane was watching her like an accident on the road. Poor lady.

LANDED
Here are the photos I wasn't supposed to take right after we exited the airplane and right before we entered the passport check area. It was a 747 and we walked down steps in the open air like presidents do. That felt fancy. Also what felt fancy was the heat. I was glad to be missing yet another DC snowstorm. Nothing to note really where passporting is concerned: they checked to make sure we had our Yellow Fever paperwork straight, fingerprinted us, and then we were awarded the all-access pass to Ghana.

LUGGAGE
Did not arrive. This has finally taught me the lesson my mother has tried to teach me for many years: always pack an extra pair of clothes. I did pack extra underwear. I listened to part of the advice.

EKEM
Ekem is the head facilitator for the Ghana side of the program and Executive Director of UNIDPM (United Network For Integrated Development Planning & Management) and one of three very important people to know. The others are Gloria and Ophelia. More on them later. Ekem picked us up in a lovely air-conditioned fancy-pants van with large picture windows for equal-opportunity staring by Ghanians and Americans.

LET'S GO TO THE MALL
First stop in Ghana was the Accra Mall. In any normal travel situation this may have annoyed me to get off of a plane and wander around an air-conditioned mall because I'd be anxious to wander around town. But lacking any clothing for the remainder of the day and not knowing if I'd be rude going to dinner in yoga pants and sneakers, I thought I'd take this opportunity to do what every traveling girl dreams of: buying an entire outfit brand-new because you HAVE TO. This began my mission to find traditional Ghanian clothing at a non-traditional "westernized" mall. At first, nothing fit. It was too big or too small. Most clothing in Ghana, especially those made of traditional patterned fabrics are made for the individual. This also makes the clothing cheaper if you have it made just for you (a difference in the States as most custom clothing is actually more expensive than those found off the rack). That is why the women here look incredible because their clothes fit them perfectly. There is an air of elegance surrounding those women walking down the street in their long and colorful cotton dresses. Enter Gloria. Gloria is a university student studying hotel management. She also works with Ekem. She saw me struggling to figure out what to buy and so we wandered the mall together. She was not about to let me back on the bus without buying something. To the point of us being the last ones on the bus, keeping everyone waiting in the 90+ degree heat, and quickly making me feel like I was the group diva. I am the group diva.

DRESS
The dress cost 195 cedi (about $75). Definitely overpriced by Ghanian standards, but totally worth it in my mind. Surprisingly cool as well. The large sleeves allowed for air to flow in and it's so fun to wear you forget you're sweating your brains out. This is how they manage the heat on the African continent I think.

THE PALOMA HOTEL
The State Department is paying for everything. That means you are paying for everything. Thanks for my trip to Africa, everyone! The hotel is nice. The staff is incredibly helpful with whatever you need. There is some internet, which is better than a lot of internet or all anyone would ever do is check their email. I like having technology restrictions. The rooms are air-conditioned, clean, large--I feel pretty pampered. It feels a bit like cheating.