Saturday marked the halfway point of my trip. It is bittersweet. On one hand, I miss Starbucks, clean clothes, my bed, my cat, and clean air. But on the other hand, I have no desire to leave at all. Things that used to shock me are becoming normal and each day seems like a new adventure. Life in Ghana is colorful and life in America is more black and white. Going home will be an adjustment, but I will be adjusting to luxury instead.
This past week, I began my internship at Emerge LTD, an advertisement and event management agency. It is my first taste of working in advertisement beyond classroom assignments. It has taught me that I have no desire to have a desk job. I have never craved a weekend so much. I have also learned that I need to work harder to be able to own something, because I have no desire to work under anyone. I need to be in charge. Although the job does not suit my desires, I have learned a lot about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into ads and how to work with clients. The receptionist and I butt heads, but I feel this is due to cultural differences. I grew up being independent and not allowing people to walk all over me. He constantly tries to control and order me around. So basically it is 8 hours of me eye rolling and using excessive sarcasm towards him. My boss has turned into my new idol. She is the queen of sass but produces brilliant work.
This past weekend, we experienced the nightlife of Accra. We ventured towards OSU. The OSU area is like the main city area of Accra. It is the wealthier side of town and attracts those looking for the club scene. Both nights were fun and differed from my experience with nightlife in Austria last summer.
On Saturday we attempted to celebrate the 4th of July. Since the weather was crummy that day, the beach was out of the question. We decided to get American food, or Ghana’s attempt at American favorites. We ordered burgers that were basically an excessive amount of bread with an overcooked meat patty and fries. Although it may have been crappy food, it was a little taste of home that we all needed that day.
This week I will be working Monday to Wednesday, then interviewing hospitals on Thursday and heading to Kumasi on Friday for the weekend. More stories to come!