This is the biggest dance/music craze in Ghana. Azonto! Check it out!
Hello Everyone!
Time for a quick update! I'm having a pretty great time in Ghana!! I love it here!! Its hot but its good. THERE IS ALOT OF WALKING!!!!!!!! I'm going to be so slim, trim, and tan when I get back. The food is...repeititve. But good. I eat alot of chicken and rice. I think I'm going to stick with eating beans. I love beans!!
My room is cozy. I really enjoy being in it alone... But I should be getting one soon :(
IM GETTING MY HAIR DONE TODAY!!!! Horray! Im so excited. Natural hair and Ghana's humidity dont get along...at all. A lot of shrinking.
Today the water went out for the first time. lol. As this one boy put perfectly, Ghana is conveinently inconvenient! Things are cheap and easilly accessibly, but all the interactions and shady and you have to bargain.
I'm still really enjoying myself though! I feel like I'm on vacation. School starts on Monday. This regsitration process is goign to be a HUGEEE headache. Especially to get my credits to transfer to GW -__-
Vybz Kartel--Summer time (Bring yuh umbrella cos di sun ah bun)
OK. It's not exactly summertime. Buttt the weather here in Ghana is hot but not unpleasant...yet. It's the "dry season," but March is said to be VERY hot...but I digress.
Week 1.
I am in GHANA!!! OH. EM. GEE!!! This is surreal. I can't believe I'm really here!!
What a journey it has been already.
The flight was well. It took of a little late (like an hour -__-), but nonetheless it was a smooth 10 hour flight. I slept a majority of the time. When I was't passed out I was eating and talking to this awesome guy who sat next to me on the flight. He works for the government doing IT work all over the globe. Literally everywhere. He was awesome. We talked about our families, dogs, travels. Super cool guy.
After I got off the flight I got my baggage (took a little while, I got scared!) and then boarded the bus.
Arrived at the hotel. We'll be staying here until Saturday and the moving into our respective dormrooms/home stays. The hotel is super nice. The food is good. AND THEY HAVE FREE WIFI!!! (perfect segway to this awesome story I cant tell).
SOOO...when I discovered we had free wifi, I was stoked. I open my computer, attempt to boot it up...and
black screen. beep...beep...beep. what. the. heck. A bit of panic.
Some girls I met told me to charge it to see if it would work. After dinner I check it.
black screen. beep...beep...beep. what. the. heck. more panic.
an hour later. FULL ON PANIC.
I used my roommates computer to check what the problem is. My RAM decided to act a fool! So, I being the innovator that I am, managed to use my earring to unscrew the back of my computer. Successfully I was able to remove the ram, shake it so it would get its life together, and the put it in. I powered on my laptop. AND IT CAME ON!!!!! CHALE! I'm so happy. I cant even express it. I almost cried. What are the chances that my laptop would break on the first day!!!
And here I type on my beloved laptop to my beloved readers.
So where do I begin. The food in Ghana is delicious. Spicy and tasty. I am pleased. The people in my program are cool! I am pleased so far. We dont start school until the monday after the one comings...the 27th I believe. They have so many activities planned for us that force us to get over the awkward phase and get to know the country better.
Today we had a pretty long orientation, and then we went to the mall. I got the chip for my blackberry and its up and running BUT my bbm doesnt work...nor does my e-mail. So I'm going to fix that on saturday along with getting a modem for my laptop so that I stay updated on the intertubes. I also need a new iphone cord. THE ACCRA MALL AS A APPLE STORE!!! And you guys thought I was going to a super underdeveloped country. *kisses teeth*.
Today (Friday) we had another incredibly long day of orientation. Then we went to dinner at this Ghanian restaurant. Yummy. And then the dancing begins. Ghanians got the moves. :) :)
Chune of the Week: Wyclef Jean Feat R.Kelly & Cannibus--Gone Till May 27th November Remix
Week 0.
Ok I won't really be gone till November. I'll be back in May. BUT 4 months is a pretty long time!!!
Today, in about 11 hours, I leave for Ghana. Yea, like 10 hours away, Gold Coast, away from all my friends and family Ghana. Oh. Em. Gee.
This is a surreal moment for me. I can't believe this day has really come. The nerves are definitely here. For sure. I want to dedicate this post to everyone that I TRULY love and will miss while away!
The Fam:
The ones who made me. Mom and Dad, I love you guys so much. You've created a wonderful specimen. Your progeny may not have been bountiful, but quality is better then quantity. I hope I am making you proud and I'll miss you tons!!
The are very few words I can use to convey how much I love this guy. My body guard, my best friend, my brother! Keep up the good work, and I'll see you when I get back. Please take care of your parents, Rufus, and your Cool-Hwhip. Buy some Hwheat thins with that too.
From This....
to this...
I thought about only adding this girl in my friend section, but this girl is not a friend, she is my sister. Not biologically, but spiritually. Over 10 years of friendship will do that to you. We are even starting to look more a like. And she's successfully infiltrated my family. There's no getting rid of her. My ride or die. We have a lot of plans in the future, and a lot of years left ahead of us. Love you Rebecca!
(Not Pictured but equally important: Carla aka W, Aunt G, Grandma(s), Sharon, Ms. Jeanette, Aunt Cherly, Aunt Marva, Aunt Roberta, Aunt Juliet, Aunt Sharon Aunt Jackie, my cousins and everyone else I may have forgotten! I love you all!)
My Friends:
My Oldest, Newest, and Truest Friends, I LOVE YOU GUYS!! So So So So much. Funmi, Indy, Gigi, Janel, Rebekah, Katie. Idk what I'd do without you women. Yall are beautiful and smart and funny and perfection. Rebe I'll miss you baby. No one can replace what we had. ;-). Kimm!! Make sure you remember my brazilian Bikini and my haviannas. I want coral. Funm Funm, stay up in Paris :). Buy nice stuff. Indy and Gigi, next year will be magic! Katieee! I can't believe we are going a whole year without living with each other. This is tragic. But next year is going to be NASTY.
My friends are models yall.
And finally, the Prince Himself. Cornbread aka Rufus aka Cornilicus Breadicus aka Chewy aka Little Man aka THE PRINCE:
The best friend a girl can have. We fight and then we cuddle. A true stallion. Love you Corny! Be good boy and take care of Mommy!
OOOK. I'm done being sentimental. I love everyone. Stay posted. I'll try to update again as soon as I can with my flight experience and first thoughts, etc. See you guys soon!
Week -1. (Negative one because I haven't left America yet.)
A week from today I will be en-route to embark on my 4 month vacation *ehem* scholastic retreat in Ghana. As the days swiftly come and go and that date comes nearer, the crippling reality of leaving my family and friends for such an extended period of time is setting in. To say I'll miss my family and friends is an understatement. I'm sure I'm going to cry a few bajillion times. My family (close friend included) is by far the most important thing in my life. I gotta keep it together.
But even still, as the days approach, I realize more and more that this experience and this get away will be one best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I've been battling a world of emotions for a while now. I go through bouts of highs and lows. I try very hard not to plague my friends with these feelings though they are ongoing. Haven't let up. As much as I try to convince myself that they have subsided, they have not. A new fresh and inviting environment is exactly what I need. I don't know if I could successfully get through another semester in DC right now.
Long story short, I'm scared, but excited! I know this is best.
On a different note...preparing for this trip has been stressful and EXPENSIVE. Good grief. Vaccinations and anti-malarial medication has cost me about $300.00 total. Crazy.
I owe a lot of thanks to my family (mom, dad, brother, Auntie Glo-rida (Gloria), Fairy Godmother Millie, etc) for assisting my financially. I have been working a lot as well, fighting through my fatigue. My life is constantly go, go, go and yet when I have nothing to do I feel anxious. Everyone says that when you go abroad (to anywhere outside the US) you will be amazed at how much slower the pace of life is. I need that.
Once my money is in order (I want to earn and collect as much as I humanly can), I'm going to treat myself. No, I dont plan on going crazy and spending all my hard earned dollars through frivolous spending. I want to get quite a few pieces made in Ghana and do shopping for an assortment of textiles (beads, fabrics, jewels, butters, soaps etc). Trynna make sure my money is right so I can live the way I want to live. Uzzimee?
Of course I have still been shopping for clothing in America though...naturally. I don't believe in malls so I've been doing my shopping online and at thrift stores. Old Navy is on the come up. I'll leave it at that.
After doing some reading about what people wear in Ghana, I've decided to leave most of my pum-pum shorts aka batty riders at home along with my crop tops. Idk how true this is, but a lot of the travel sites say that Ghanaians don't appreciate shorts that are too short and don't particularly care for midriff bearing blouses. Poop. Oh well. I have an arsenal of maxi dresses, skirts, jeggings, leggings, and fancy blouses. My plan is to get fully dressed and beat my face most days out of the week. I'm in the pursuit of a Premier League-er. LOL. I'll still sneak and pack one or two shorts and crop tops though...
I began packing yesterday, and am already tired/overwhelmed. I hate packing but I'm well on my way. My first bag will be filled with...stuff. Between Mommy and My Fairy Grandmother (Millie), I am STOCKED with any type of anything you can imagine. Literally. We went to REI (and they went to Costco) and bought almost everything. I am forever grateful. I even purchased my first back pack...I think ever. Its a blue NorthFace. I like it. That, along with bug spray and other mosquito repellants, towels, shirts, chap-stick, and a ton of other miscellaneous things (every drug/ointment imaginable) have begun to fill my first bag. This bag will also consist of my shoes, makeup (my face will be BEAT), and other random toiletries.
My second bag will be filled with clothes, exclusively. As much as they advise that I pack light, I will pack every piece of clothes I want to bring. Period. They are mine. I want to bring them. Done deal.
I digress.
I still haven't completely figured out what I'm going to do with my hair. I HIGHLY doubt I will be wearing it in loose styles. I'll probably put in some minitwists this weekend. That will hold me for about 3 weeks. Hopefully 4. Then I plan of getting my hair braided up in Ghana. Yea...my hair has become the least of my concern as time goes on. My have times have changed...
My regimen is/and will remain very simple. Wash whenever I feel necessary. Condition. Deep Condition if I feel fancy. I dont co-wash anymore. I only wet my hair on wash days. I wear my hair stretched or in protective styles 99% of the time. If you leave it alone it will grow and be healthy. I leave my head alone. And its growing. I plan on taking advantage of Black Soap and shea butter while I'm there. Idk why I would need much more than that. Ok...I'll bring a leave in conditioner too.
I would like to clarify the proceeding statement a bit though. Leaving your head alone does NOT mean being negligent. I keep my hair moisturized with Herbal Essences Long-Term relationship and avocado butter (most of the time). I tie my hair down with a doobie or sleep on a satin pillowcase (most of the time). My hair has been doing pretty well. We have a chill relationship.
Hmm...I think thats about it. I have unlocked my blackberry, so if you have a pin still, send it to me. BBM-ing internationally is a wonderful thing! (I'm going to miss my IPhone)
Anyway doe, I'll be sure to keep you guys posted with any further developments.
Welcome everyone to Why Pree. Following my blog, you all will be able to embark on my much anticipated study abroad journey to Ghana.
To set you guys up for this adventure, I find it necessary to give you guys some background knowledge on me, my decision to go abroad and where, and why I find it necessary to write this blog. I will do so in a series of questions:
Uh, who are you?
My name is Shelbie aka Shel-beezy. I am a second semester Junior at The George Washington University in the Columbian College majoring in Africana Studies, pre-Pharmacy. I am of Jamaican decent, first generation American. I come from a family of awesome people. I have a dog named Cornbread who is my baby. I have awesome parents and the COOLEST brother on the planet. I have a handful of friends but I can’t say enough about how AWESOME they are. My hair is natural. I love to cook and eat (I’m a serious foodie. Ask my friends). I love music of all genres. I like to read when I have time. I clumsy. I consider myself a hipste-nerd. Medium maintenance woman. Hm…that’s pretty much it.
What does "Why Pree" mean and what does it have to do with your blog?
·Quite simply, “Why Pree” is a Patios (Jamaican) slang term that essentially means “Why watch/look at?” or “Why pay attention to?” In a sentence: “Dem ah pree dem shoe deh long time” (Translated: They have been pree-ing (looking at) those shoes for a while now.) Through this blog, not only will I be sharing my personal experiences and sharing my thoughts and feelings BUT I will also be documenting people, places, things, and occurrences that I feel are interesting, why I “pree-ed” them, and why I think you should as well. Get it?
(Song not safe for work lol)
3.Why did you decide to study abroad?
·To be perfectly honest, I was not really planning on going abroad during my undergrad college stint. Because I am on a pre-pharmacy track I was concerned with not being able to fulfill all my requirements in my four years and was not interested in “wasting” a semester. My good friend Janel PAINSTAKINGLY convinced me to apply to go abroad partly because she is a genius and knew it would be a great experience for me but also because she was too going abroad and didn’t want me to have too much fun without her in the states (hehe). I waited until literally the last day to submit my application, doing haphazardly, not really thinking I was going to be accepted and definitely not sure if I would even attend if I was. Fast forward about a day and a half later, I sat in my African History to 1880 class (ironically) and received an e-mail stating that I had been accepted to CIEE’s study abroad program to the University of Ghana at Legon. I was both surprised and uneasy. Is this what I really wanted? Could I handle this? What about me missing a semester of Chemistry? Well, needless to say, after a pretty rough semester ending filled with TONS of personal drama and emotions, I decided going abroad would be the best thing for me. I needed the break. Despite the (sarcastic) discouragement from my BELOVED ROOMATE WHOM I ADORE AND WILL MISS SO MUCH AND THAT NO ONE CAN REPLACE (Rebekah bka Rebekherr), we both agreed that GW was becoming increasingly overwhelming and I began to resent not only a lot of the people, but also the institution itself. This was something I was able to do solely for myself. Yup. It was time to evacuate GWU.
4.Why did you "pree" Ghana?
·Well, for a number of reasons:
1.I am an Africana Studies major. What country is better to study in on the continent of Africa then Ghana? Such wonderful people and such a rich history. A no-brainer. This was the only program/country I applied to.
2.My best friend Rebecca is Ghaniana/Nigerian. I’ve heard wonderful things. I love her dad. I love the food her dad makes.
3.Literally EVERYONE who knows ANYONE who has been to Ghana (be it for study, travel, vacation) tells me they absolutely love it and that I am going to have the time of my life.
Do I really need more reasoning than that?
5.But Shelbie, what happened to your 10000+ other blogs that you’ve started on hair, beauty, makeup, etc?
·Well, to be perfectly honest, I have become really bored with the “natural hair” world. Of course I love my hair, still read blogs and watch vlogs BUT, there are more than enough natural hair blogs out there. Mine were ok, but I became really uninspired and thus stopped blogging. This will be different, because the focus is on me, my life, my experiences, what I like…and not my hair. After all it is JUST hair. Doesn’t define me at all. I am not “Afro-centric"... whatever that means. My hair is not chemically processed and I enjoy studying about the history of Africa, Africans, and those of African descent. Simple as that. Period.
·BUT I do plan of documenting the hair, makeup, and fashion, world in Ghana. It’s a passion of mine to do that kind of research and I feel it will be unique to share. I will try my best to update you guys on what I will be doing with the mop on my head, the products I will be brining to Ghana (which probably won’t be much) and what I will be buying (probably the basics). I will try my best to document a report fashion and makeup trends as well. AND lastly I will try to keep you updated on my fashion and beauty purchases. I plan on getting a few pieces made and doing a bit of clothes shopping J.
6.Why blog and who is your intended audience?
·This blog is intended to keep my family, friends, collogues, academic advisor, and associates updated on this journey that I am about to embark on. I find this blog the easiest and most efficient way to keep the people I care about updated on my trip, my experiences, and my whereabouts. But I also open everyone up to sharing this blog with their family and friends. I wouldn’t mind being invading the blogosphere. ALSO this blog will help me to reflect on my own personal journey. I hope to do some great self-reflection during my 4 month stay in Ghana. What better way to express myself then through this blog.
That pretty much sums up my little preface to this blog and my trip to Ghana. If I think of anything, I’ll be sure to add it.
I hope you guys are excited as I am. The date in which I leave is quickly approaching (January 17th). I will try to give a few updates before I leave, discussing the costs, the preparation, and my feelings!
TTYL
-Shelbs
PS. Don’t get mad at me if I’m slow to update in the next upcoming week or so. I’m a busy girl, preparing for my trip. Uzzimee. You can follow me preparing for my trip at @nvshelbie as well.
