February 1, 2008 So, basically I am glad that I am not, nor will I ever be, a first year here. They are woken up every morning at 6am by people yelling outside, "1st years, wake up 1st years". The reason I know this is because I have been woken up by the same voices every morning for the last week and a half. Then they have to spend all day with their dorms learning skits and constructing things. I wasn't sure what all of this dancing was for until th...

Leadership Reflection from Ghana: Studying abroad is something that in a cheesy way, really makes you find out who you are. When a person leaves the confines of their comfortable lifestyle they become forced out of the mold which others have made. In my time in Africa I have found that I have also changed a bit from what others believe I am to be. I am very much a team player and avoid conflict at all costs, but I also hold strong opinions and frustration when t...

Monday 28 January, 2008 So yesterday I found Nico (German), Amre (Swedish/Egyptian), and Alex (Ghanaian), when I was walking around and we all went into town for lunch at McDonalds. It was interesting going into such an American establishment and having the international crowd I was with know the menu so well. I personally chose to bypass real food and got a cone and some fries (the fries/chips are awful here). Afterward we walked in the heat to find the swimmin...

Saturday 26 January 2008 I arrived in South Africa on Tuesday the 22nd, making it about 4 days of being here. To begin my adventure I brought my bags to my new place which is in a fenced in stretch of dorms called Academia. I live on the third floor which is great for getting a breeze since none of the dorms have air-conditioning of any kind. The set up in my place is four sections sharing a common area with each part having two bed rooms, two baths, and one k...