Am I in America?

I just got back from having Thanksgiving in Accra and I am feeling more than pleasantly satisfied. I had already been really excited to go before hand, especially after hearing that last year they had a pool party and so much yummy food you could explode, but they went above and beyond. Seriously, I was legit back in America for like 4 days.

So, we had to RSVP a month or so in advance to the the shin-dig and then we could receive housing from expats in the Accra area. YES! free housing. My host family were super sweet and so hospitable. They are workers at the US embassy and have a real house complete with AIR CONDITIONING, satellite TV, HOT SHOWER and a washer AND dryer! Talk about lap of luxury, I was needless to say in my little oasis. I think the first hot shower i took( i took at least 5 in like 2 days, ha!) i just smiled the entire time like some happy idiot. My host couple were fellow volunteers themselves and met in the Peace Corps(awaiting my future husband please) and have lived all over since going abroad for PC service. So they were really great to talk to.

On Thanksgiving day we went over to the Ambassadors house at around mid-day and swam in his pool and i of course played with his huge super cute, super friendly dogs. We had an open bar(favorite words ever) and then the Ambassador came out to greet us and give thanks and proceed to tell us that he had something like 12 turkeys awaiting. I was just excited for the stuffing and the cranberries. We did have something like 180 people there and only like 20 PCV's who didn't come(why wouldn't you come?!?!?) so I loaded up on veggies and then proceeded to lay in my food coma afterwards.

After dinner we all went out to some american style pubs and bars. The first pub we were at had satellite TV and they had some Thanksgiving day football game on. I wasn't really interested, it was actually a little too much for me. I kinda missed the leisureliness of local ghanaian spots. The next day(after waking up in my air conditioned room :) we spent the day shopping in a touristy district in Accra called Osu. I bought a few things and some holiday presents for peeps back home and then went to the Accra Mall, which is pretty much like any other medium sized mall in America, complete with movie theatre. so we all went to see the new Harry Potter! it was even worth the 12 cedi's i paid for it(my salary for 3 days). Then i went to Shop-Rite, yes they have a grocery store called Shop-rite, but i don't think it is connected to the ones in back in the good ol' Jerz ;). Then I enjoyed a nice home-cooked meal back at my host family and another air conditioned night before i headed back to site.

Oh it was a dream, a sweet sweet dream.

Until next year.