Ambassador's House - June 7th 2012

Today was a long day. We drove back into the city which was crazy with all of the traffic. We were blessed by traditional religious leaders and were all offered a shot of some liquor, which tasted similar to Vodka, but went down a lot smoother. We were also blessed by a Christian leader and a Muslim leader. We got a tour of the Peace Corps Headquarters Office in Ghana. They have a lot of admisintration buildings, medical offices, and lodging for volunteers that are traveling. We filled out paperwork to become residents of  Ghana and to open bank accounts here. We also had to get vaccines and speak with the PCMO (Peace Corps Medial Officer) about malaria, STDs and other ways to stay safe. I took my first malaria pill today, and since we didn't start before we came we have to take them for three days in a row, and then once weekly (except for those on doxy which is daily). We also started learning some of the Twi language whcih is spoken pretty much all over Ghana.
We have been eating like Kings and Queens. Most meals have chicken of some sort, and usually fried rice but we've also had potato sald, mac salad, fried plantains, porridge, a ton of pineapple and a ton of watermelon. For a snack today we each got a fresh coconut which was full of juice and after we drank that it was cracked open so we could eat the meat. They are delicious.
We learned about a few vital Ghanain customs. For example, it is considered very rude to extend your left hand for anything. You would never give or take anything with your left hand. Also, it is customary to always offer water to anyone entering into your house. We were formally invited to attend a recetpion at the U.S. Ambassador's house in Ghana. We met him and his family and many other Embassy workers. The Ambassador's speech was very inspiring. He mentioned the fact that although we will not have an impact on every student we teach, we will have a lifelong impact on many. Since his time in Ghana he has met many people who have been taught by Peace Corps teachers, and they can still remember their teacher's names many years later.