AFS Ghana Orientation, Day 1

Greetings family and friends and my Coco Banana,

Wow. So much has happened since arriving. I have not had access to internet, which is why I have not been able to email or post. We were picked up at the airport by two AFS reps, a young man and woman. From there we went to the Crystal Beam Hostel. We are staying there until tomorrow, when our host families are to pick us up. I have purchased a (very cheap) cell phone and will buy some minutes for it today when we're finished orientation so I can make some brief calls to Mum and Dad, and Cody.
Some incredible things I have experienced already, only 36 hour in:

1. getting my passport taken away at immigration because I did not have my host family's address (don't worry, I ended up putting AFS Ghana's address and getting it back)
2. women's urinals. This is why they do not use their left hands. 
3. food venders on the side of the road. The one we went to had three or four skinny little pet cats roaming around. I gave them bits of banku, but didn't pet them, juuust in case.(In an ironic twist, the doctor that spoke to us this morning told us to not buy food from street vendors. Though our AFS guides have taken us at least twice. Hmmm....)
4. bitten by a (fire?) ant in bed. Holy crap did that hurt. Oh, and maybe this is just the hostel, but you do not sleep with sheets over you at night. It rained hard this morning, apparently the rainy season has officially begun. Time to bust out the mosquito net and bug spray!

I got to meet the Director of AFS Ghana, and he is a very friendly and welcoming man. We are learning some Twi (pronounced Chwee), the local language, to make communication easier, and are diving right in to local foods. I find it very spicy so I can only eat small amounts at a time.
As I said, tomorrow evening I will go to my host family, and I am very excited. Apparently, Ghanaian families are very protective of their children, particularly of their daughters, (so be comforted, Mum and Dad!). I will have three young host siblings, which I am excited to meet. I hope I can maybe help them with their English, and they will help me with my Twi. I'm looking forward to being away from my fellow Canadians and be immersed in Ghanaian culture, since being here only three months, I need to soak up every minute. I miss my friends, family, and Cody very much, however. I have not been approached or hit on or offered a marriage proposal from any Ghanaian men, so either my ring is working or I'm not too attractive according to Ghanaian standards! Either way, I feel much more comfortable about that.
Well, with some luck I'll be able to write again in a couple of days.
I assure you I'm doing everything to keep safe and healthy.
I love and miss you all very much.
Emily