pseudonym... yeah i proly spelled it wrong

So last week I came early to check the email and such.. the day after I was in kumasi the entire city was on fire... well not everything, but everything important- the market and tro-tro station were engulfed. I felt bad b/c the other students didn't get to email back. The worst part is that it was over a million dollars lost in merchandise- people's lives were lost- everything they own and all hopes of being able to get ahead in life. They don't have insurance here for the stores and products they sell, so it seems awful. The fire raged for 3 days, becuase people kept going back in to grab their things and the streets that should have brought firefighting persons were blcked by the vendors and shops... it could have been controlled better if things were more organized. It seems like things are back to normal again today. I think the givernment is going to be able to put more order into rebuilding everything- people have learned their lessons the hard way and will hopefully be more willing to follow safety codes.
So on to less depressing things- I started my research this week... i think I ahve approval althought I have heard the final word, but I have permission from everyone else. but i am 4 weeks behind, so I need to hustle to get caught up. I go to the schools almost daily and i sit under a big tree and talk to the teachers who are out of class and occasionally speak to the students who are a part of my research. They are very happy to have an American friend who comes to their house, so it makes my life much easier. I just hope that they are okay with me doing the research and not just because they want me to come over. However it gets done... I guess I am okay with that.
So I realized this week that the entire town of wiamoase knows me as "shining"... Like that is my name to them- everywhere I go they ask what is your name, I reply shannon and then they say ah shining, shining star. I sometimes try to correct them,but it doesn't do anything. So I am a shining star :D I think it goes back to the school just outside of town whose mascot is the Shining Star. At least it is not because I am so white that I blind them.... for those of you who are laughing now I will have you know I am well on my way to becoming Obibini, which means black. I have a beautiful farmer's tan and a thiving z on my feet from my shoes. Yeah Its pretty much amazing.