"Three for one!"

Funniest proposal of the week:

Setting: The Erata hotel pool...

I'm laying out on a pool chair soaking up the sun and relaxing since I've been sick all week. This 50-something man walks up and tells me I'm beautiful (bla bla bla...), then he asks if he can have me for his wife. Will says, "Umm Excuse me, she is my fiance." The man then replies, "Well that's ok. I have 13 other wives and I will pay you 100 cedis for her." The sad part is that he was being dead serious. I'm pretty sure he wasn't all there, or drunk...or both. Will said, "100 cedis? That's not enough. Maybe for 300 cedis." Jonas (a German exchange student) then decided to get in on the bidding action. "Really Will? 100 Cedis...dat is a lot of money!" he said in his thick German accent. My promised husband then said, "Well sir, I will trade you 3 of my wives for her. Trust me they are all pretty, even more beautiful than her." "Only 3 of your wives? Maybe for 6 wives because they are probably all old," replied Will. "Oh nooo they are all young, 17 and 18 years old," he said. "I will come back Tuesday for her and will bring you the women."


Tell also had the opportunity to be my husband at the beach yesterday after a man walked up to me and asked me for a condom. I just looked at him and told him to get a life. I mean really..."Hey can I have a condom so I can rape you?" I don't get it...

For the sake of my mother...you have no need to worry. There are plenty of strange forward men here with no filtration systems when it comes to speaking to women, but I am never alone and don't go to any sketchy places.

I tried Indian food last night for the first time. It probably wasn't the best choice for my weak stomach, but I've been feeling a little better and everyone wanted Indian food. I really liked it! It wasn't at all what I thought it would be.

Today I went to church with Tell and his Ghanaian roommate, Jeremy. After church we all went to Jeremy's parents house where we were fed delicious homemade Ghanaian food by his mom. She was so sweet. His dad works for the UN and has traveled to almost every country in Africa as well as many other places around the world. He had many interesting stories to tell. I wanted to ask so many questions but I let Tell and him do all the talking. Women are supposed to play a more reserved role than what my journalistic tendencies usually lean toward. When I was sitting in church today, after communion, I leaned in and told Tell that I totally forgot to pay attention to which hand I used to take the communion. In Ghana it is considered very offensive to use your left hand for anything. I hope I didn't take the bread and wine with my left hand, because I'm sure if I did the reverend was probably really upset. We ran into that problem one night at a restaurant when one of the international students handed the clerk the receipt with her left hand before walking off. He told us in a very angry tone that we need to inform our friend that using your left hand in Ghana is not allowed. Another cultural taboo is giving someone a thumbs-up. That is translated as a sexual slur against someone's mother. Also if you wave goodbye to someone the same way that you do in America, you are actually telling that person to come closer to you. I remember that being the same in Central America as well. A lot of things to remember. I'm just glad that I'm right-handed or else I might find Ghana a lot less pleasant.

That's about it for now. Hope everyone is having fun freezing to death in America!