Independence Day Weekend!

This past weekend was Independence Day weekend! It was such a blast! It started out on Saturday when I got a call at around 3am telling me I need to be at the school at that exact moment. So I practically ran out of my house, to my school, and had to change into my Navy uniform that is completely white. I was so worried about getting it dirty because dirt just floats in the air here. But anyways, then I ate breakfast at the school (I never do) and it consisted of a starchy backed dough (not fufu, but something else) with Shittu, and a dried fish thing. It was interesting haha not my typical breakfast! But then we were all ready to head down to Independence square and compete for the top march past! When the parade/assembly started, we were out there on the square for maybe three hours total. It wasn’t too bad, but my hat was too tight so it was kind of cutting of my circulation to my brain but I’m ok! Then when the parade was over, we had to march to the state house to get the results to see who won. We came in 6th!!!!...out of 9…HAHA. It was fine though because it was a lot of fun! And barely no one fell out of line during the actual performance, so it was all good! Our officers weren’t happy…but what can you do at this point? Next year! But then we just had a small gathering at the school with the group which was a lot of fun! I love the cadet group, everyone is so nice and friendly, it’s just a nice atmosphere overall! Oh ya, Amy came to visit on Saturday as well and she stayed the long weekend because we have a midterm break. She didn’t come to the parade, but she said she saw me on TV! YAY!  Then on Sunday we met some of the people in our AFS group and went to a Ghanaian arts center where they had some tradition cultural clothing and instruments and stuff like that! It was a cool place! Then we decided to go to our favorite beach! But as our cab was still in park, getting ready to leave, we hear this thud and then see a guy face down on the sidewalk!!!!!! We are all just stunned! Then the guy lifts up his head and starts spitting blood out of his mouth and he face and body is all bloody and torn off! We get out of the car and he gets up and starts spitting and pulling out his teeth!! It was the most gruesome thing ever! But what happened is that his motor bike hit our car (which was parked) and he flew over his handlebars onto the pavement!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHH I don’t even like thinking about it because then I start seeing it in my head over and over again! So, subject change…We got to the beach and met some of our friends there and chilled out and enjoyed the sun! Then on Monday I spent the entire day at the Ghanaian Naval Academy/Training Base in Tema! We also went down to the harbor and we got a boat ride on one of the Navy boats! It was so much fun! They even gave us free sodas and meat pies! I even got to shoot a gun! They taught us how! We saw all of the real navy cadets and saw them march with their riffles and stuff! It was really cool to be part of! All of the early morning wake up calls paid off! But yep, it was a good long weekend! Very exciting and tiring haha! OH!!! I also forgot to mention that I went to a play at the Ghana Nation Theater Saturday evening! We saw Cinderama, the African Cinderella. It was actually incredibly good and funny! It was completely Ghanaian-ized! It was hilarious because they took all of the normal things one would see and hear in a normal day in Ghana and they just pumped it up, all in good humor! Not in a negative way, but it was just good!