GHANA!!!

Hey everybody,
I am in GHANA!!!! I am sitting in an INternet cafe, the fans are whirring above me, Ghanaians all around are eagerly typing / intermittently letting out whoops and groans in response to the soccer game being projected on the TV in the corner; through the window there are lovely ocean breezes, you can see houses layered onto the hill and birds flying around; it is HOT here, but most of the time, in a really good way, a really I'm-in-tropical-Africa!!! way. Everywhere are thick viney green plants and red dirt roads (not like the song) and people wearing long, elegant robes, carrying baskets of things on their head. It is still hard to believe that I'm here, in Africa, a whole different continent, but all these details I've just mentioned are making it easier and easier to actually take in!!!
The last few days have been orientation related, and on Tuesday we go to our host families. My host family consists of a single mom who's a dressmaker (!!!!!!!) and has one daughter who no longer lives with her, and another little girl who's adopted. There are apparently girls my age around the house all day long because they're apprentices for her, learning how to make dresses themselves. She's very Christian and attends church regularly. And according to the homestay coordinator who told me about her, she's a wonderful woman who's very pleasant to get along with. I am so excited to meet her, and the family!
So we got to Cape Coast early yesterday, and today we did a canopy walk on a set of swinging bridges, one of only 3 in the world of its size and height!!! It seemed a little treacherous, but we made it!!! And got some amazing views of an African tropical rainforest. AND, at the end of the morning our tour guide asked me if I'd be willing to play the piano for his jazz band some nights in Cape Coast!!!! hahahaha, I mean, who knows, but I like feeling like I might have made a friend! And of course it reaffirmed what everyone has told me about Ghanaians being the friendliest people ever.
Pretty soon we'll start learning Fante! I already know a few words, that a nice Ghanaian man on the plane taught me. Medasse is thank you, akwaaba is welcome, madanfo is friend. Those seem like good words to start off the semester! Okay, well, I'll sign off for now because there are people waiting to use the computers. One of them just came up and tried to wheedle me into giving him the computer, but then the owner of the INternet cafe came and shooed him away. But still, I should go. I'll hopefully be back someday soon!!! Good luck to EVERYONE on study abroads and not!!!! Love you all!
Sara