"Escuse me, my sistah!"

It's the Weekend!

On Friday night we went to a club. Club Aphrodisiac. We arrived nineteen deep, and we were the first ones there at about 10:30 (I should have known better). We were waiting outside for a long time while our drivers/chaperones/party buddies tried to get a bulk deal for the cover charge. However, there was one small problem. We weren’t exactly dressed appropriately for Club Aphrodisiac’s standards. You see, the regulars at this club always dress classy, sexy, and ready to impress with girls wearing their high heels and skimpy dresses and the guys in their clean cut shirts and nice shoes. All nineteen of us showed up in t-shirts, sundresses, flip flops, and (get ready for this) dirty SNEAKERS!!! The ten very large security guards and bouncers were not really feeling our casual look. For a while, I didn’t think they were seriously thinking about not letting us in; no one else was there! They desperately needed are business, and we provided an instant nicely sized party. But they were serious. We did not fit the dress code, and they had an image to maintain. However, after some talking and negotiating from our lovely Ghanaian hosts, we got in (for only 6 cedis each I might add!). Club Aphrodisiac definitely has an image; it is both a bar, lounge, and club all in one. We hung out on the couches with the sequined throw pillows and the chandeliers with LED lights that changed colors all night. I may or may not have ordered my first drink from a bar, and it may or may not have been a rum and Coke. It may or may not have been pretty tasty. We all just kinda hung out, lounged around, and eventually took the dance floor for a while. I couldn’t help but notice a large number of middle-aged men who were seated in the private lounge areas located just off the dance floor. Several young women dressed in appropriate Club Aphrodisiac attire took a seat in their private lounge areas, and began having their own private dance parties. I couldn’t help but think I was witnessing several businessmen who were on a “business trip” and were also hours away from cheating on their wives with these women. I felt just a little uncomfortable, but I tried to just ignore that area of the club. We had a great time, danced until about 1:30 AM, and then came back and crashed into our beds at the Telecentre. It was the end of another great week.

I have a little announcement to make. For all of the Americans who believe that they are highly persuasive and successful salesmen, I invite you to come to Ghana and travel to a market. There you will find the most persistent, slick, persuasive, and successful salesmen that are in existence (at least in my opinion). We went to such a market today, and I have never received so much attention in my life. Every salesman from every booth in the market begged for me and my fellow shoppers to enter their shops and take a look at their merchandise. Some simply would not take, “No!” for an answer. When they first see you, they may say, “Escuse me, my sistah! Come have a look in here…I have da best prices in da whole market… don’t you need a Ghana t-shirt? What about your motha? This! This is da perfect gift for your motha!” I know that if I had not been warned many times about how to bargain with these salesmen, I would have probably spent about $200 on 5 items today. The pressure is so intense in this little outdoor market, and while IL don’t want to overpay for an item, I feel as if I’m insulting them by suggesting a price that’s less than half of their initial offer. But that’s how it works here. They try their hardest to get the tourists to pay as much as possible, but we have to be smart and realize that most items can be purchased for half of the initially offered price. I could be there for long. The pressure was just too much, not to mention the extreme heat and lack of food in my stomach. We headed back to the Telecentre and relaxed until the England vs. USA soccer match. Currently, the score is 1-1. I really hope it isn’t a draw. They’re already over the 90-minute mark, and I think everyone will be highly disappointed if it ended in a tie. My knowledge of soccer has steadily increased since the beginning of the World Cup. However, I still can’t get over how these men run around this huge field for an hour and a half with the hope of scoring one, maybe two goals. I mean I would think there would be a better strategy for getting that little ball in that huge net more than once in ninety minutes. But hey, what I do know about soccer? These are the best players in the world, so I guess a couple of goals for the game is as good as it gets. So, the match ended in a draw. How anticlimactic is that? Oh well. I think we’re staying in tonight; everyone is either exhausted from work or the late night we had last night. I think tomorrow we’re headed for the beach again!