Today's the Day!

"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--
Of cabbages--and kings--
And why the sea is boiling hot--
And whether pigs have wings."

We are on our way to Ghana, West Africa, land of the friendliest people, the best pineapple you've ever tasted, Red Red, fried plaintains, Fu Fu, Banku, goat and tilapia! I'm hungry already.

Our weeks will be jam-packed with a variety of activities, locations, meeting new people, learning a new language and writing descriptions of the teachers we work with and the children we teach.

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FRIDAY, JUNE 17:
We have arrived safe and sound with all our luggage, except for one box of books which somehow found its way to JFK instead of Accra. It should arrive tomorrow morning. (The irony of this is that I chose our Atlanta-Accra flight specifically so as to avoid having us or our luggage go through JFK - one of my least favorite airports.) But any way you look at it, 11 hours in a coach class seat is a rough way to spend a night (except, that is, for the guy next to me who just closed his eyes and snored for 10 of those hours - I know because I didn't sleep off and on for more than 2 of them).

This afternoon we had an incredible experience while visiting Ghana's Parliament House, the seat of Ghana's government. By the time we arrived the week's session had ended and the Members had departed, all that is except for a few who were meeting downstairs in conference areas. We asked if we could see the Chamber where Parliament sits (thinking we might be allowed to enter the second floor public gallery and look down into the Chamber). However, after several minutes of conversations among the folk there, they opened a side door to the Chamber itself and ushered us in! There the Deputy Director of Public Affairs and one of the leaders of the majority party joined us and spent a half-hour answering our questions and explaining the workings of Ghana's unique governmental structure which has a regionally elected Parliament and a nationally elected President - both serving for 4 year terms. We were allowed to sit in the seats of the Members and get a first-hand feel for what it must be like for them as they discuss and debate the issues of this vibrant country. Yet another of those marvelous, unexpected and completely unable-to-plan-for experiences that always seem to happen to us in Ghana!