Roommates and Taxi Cabs

So I assume that you are all as curious about my roommate as those who emailed me have been. Well, I shall tell you. She is absolutely adorable! I mean, seriously, I have had the greatest luck with roommates out of anyone on the planet. Carolina, then Rachel, and now Diana?! I love it. She cooks us dinner and is trying to teach me how to cook. We do dishes and watch movies together. Really, we are like the odd couple. It's frickin adorable. She gets up at 5am every day. I get up at 8-10am depending on the day. She is quiet and kind. I am obnoxiously loud and sarcastic. She sings gospel hymns. I blast out "Thriller" on my iPod. We couldn't be more different. But she likes to laugh and is quite considerate. We get along great. We are still getting to know each other, but all in all, it's a pretty good pairing I think. I do believe that I will miss her when I leave. Anyways, I think that's it about the roommate. She's really cute and has a funny boyfriend. We watched Nigerian stand-up comedy last night. Now that was funny. They kept having to pause it and explain those cultural inside jokes that just slipped right over my head. Man, that was some funny stuff.


Now, the experience of a taxi in Ghana is unlike anything you have ever experienced. Even in Europe. There is nothing like it. Anywhere. So the first thing that you notice when trying to get a cab is that there are no meters. No little running, ticking time/mile marker telling what the tab is going to be. No, before you get into a taxi in Ghana, you bargain for the price. That's right, you haggle even for a cab. These people don't joke about their prices either. If you are an "obruni" aka. "white person," and the cab fare should be around 4 cedi, they will start out at 8. No joke, the drivers will try to double the price on you in hopes that you are new and stupid and don't know the Ghanaian way of life that is never take the price offered to you. Guaranteed, whatever you are buying is not worth what they are asking you to pay. That is just rule #7. Everyone should know #s 1-10. They start with 1-No dying and go through 3-No pregnancy, 7-Don't take the first price ever, and end with 10-The answer is no. I'll fill in the other rules sometime, but I'm on a deadline so they'll have to wait.

The next key thing about taxis is that they are your own personal shopping cart in addition to being a mode of transportation. If you are taking a cab back home and realize that you need some, I don't know, bread, water, apples, phonics books, candy, or even pen lights, you can find it just outside your window. That's right, folks. Welcome to the world of moving street vendors. There are people who, for a living, sell goods to people in cars. You can buy anything from fruit to toys to my personal favorite, toilet paper by yelling "T PAPER" and holding money out the window. It certainly does make munchies on a road trip much easier. You just stick your head out the window and buy that yogurt, ice cream, plantain chips, whatever, at a red light. God, I love Ghana.

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So I think this was a fairly long post. I hope it satisfies you, Lissa!

Thanks to all you who read my blog faithfully. I really appreciate it that you want to keep up with my life. Thanks especially to those who sent me mail. I got a ton today. I got 3 books, Peach Tea & lemonade, and a letter from Trace and notes from the fam, a letter from Megan H. and a postcard from Lissa! It felt like Christmas!! Thank you all SO much!! I will try to respond as quickly as possible. I've got to buy stationary and postcards first though... If anyone else would like a postcard, just comment or email with your name and address and I will try to get one to you as soon as I can. Remember that this is Ghana-time mail though. I believe I have posted about Ghana-time before. It is indeed a special thing.

Anyways, thanks again and I love you all!!

-H