On my second day of work, when my boss told me I would get the opportunity to accompany my co-worker to Parliament, my initial reaction was excitement. I was finally going to experience what it’s like to work in Accra, and see how the government works first hand.

The government of Ghana is a parliamentary democracy, which is a democratic form of government in which a specific party or union of parties with the most representation in the legislature makes up the government. I was eager to get to the Parliament of Ghana and see how a foreign government functioned directly.

Despite the Media in Ghana class everyone in the cohort was required to take, and my individual research on the country before coming, I was unprepared for what was about to happen.

After going through security, we ended up in the press section of the Parliament building that overlooked the largest room in the structure. I was handed two small booklets entitled the “Order Paper” and “Votes and Proceedings.” I grabbed the books and skimmed over the contents in the time before the meeting started.

I quickly learned that I did not do enough research before going to Parliament. I was confused by the order of things, and the static of the microphones combined with the Ghanaian accents made it difficult for me to hear what was going on. I walked out of the meeting with a minimal understanding of what had happened.

Luckily my co-worker explained to me everything that had happened, and gave me an in depth description of how the Parliament works. I now know for future reference to do more research before heading to any event, especially when it’s in a foreign country with a foreign government.

My second trip to Parliament was more successful when I was sent on my first individual assignment for Today Newspaper. My task was to cover a public forum to discuss the bill that amends Article 112(4) of the Constitution, which addresses the date of Parliamentary elections. Before heading down to the building, I thoroughly investigated the issue and asked my coworkers about their thoughts. I made sure to get background information on the speakers, and double checked to make sure I wrote down everyone’s name correctly. My editor took note and said he was impressed I could spell the names right.

This trip has been a learning experience. Becoming accustomed to a different culture and way of life has been difficult for me, but through trial and error I’m slowly becoming more comfortable.