The Latest and Greatest

The gap has been widening since my last post and I have plenty to catch you all up on.  But, I figure I should start with my current situation.  We are in the heat of ISP time.  My topic of study has changed about five times, but this is where I’ve settled...How are the creative arts taught in a school for deaf children and a school for intellectually disabled children?  From 07 November to 19 November I resided in Cape Coast and studied at Cape Deaf.  I lived in a guest house with Chris and Mark (for a couple days).  We spent the majority of our down time reading and going to the beach.  Yes, Mom, I was careful and didn’t stray far into the ocean...I know I’m not a strong swimmer.  I would tell you all about the research I collected, but you’ll just have to wait until I organize it in my final copy of ISP.  I left Cape Coast on the 19^th for Kumasi, specifically Asakore-Mampong.  I’ll be studying at Garden City Special School.  I live alone in a room of a compound of a very nice family (related to an SIT staffer I believe).  Two members of my group, Ella and Courtney, live a three minute walk from my room and another member, Laura, is a taxi ride away.  We all plan on joining forces and constructing our own Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Should be good.  I leave the first of December for Accra, where I’ll remain until departing for the USA.  Wow!  Time flies. 

Tidbits from in-between posts:

The village:

I went hunting!  My friend JR (one of my closest friends in the group, she’s a lifer) in the neighboring village decided to study hunting for her mini ISP.  She had experience hunting in the states, so she wanted to does some comparing and contrasting.  After her first outing, I wanted to hear all about it.  She told me that her, Kwame, and a local hunter went out into the bush and trekked through THE WILD for three hours (roughly 10pm-1am).  I wanted in.  JR got permission to bring people along to see what the bush hunting was all about.  A few nights later, it was my time.  JR, Mark, Kwame, the hunter, and I geared up (long sleeve, raincoat-hood up, bandana, headlamp, long pants tucked into tall socks, adventure shoes...with a nice juicy layer of bug spray all over) and shipped out.  We had three shotguns and a game bag along.  The guns are handmade.  I was admittedly cautious about the guns.  “Nah, I don’t really need to hold a gun.  You guys go for it.”  The first kill came after about thirty minutes of walking.  Nothing was said, no warning given.  The hunter simply stopped, lifted his gun, and shot.  I was impressed.

 

It was an aposo (I think that’s the name, don’t quote me), a cousin to the rat...not the cutest animal in the world.  The hunter tossed the kill in the game bag and onward we hiked.  Kwame reached under a tree for something and came back over to us with a snail in his hand.  “Snails are my favorite.  I love snails.”  Into the game bag it went.  This isn’t the exact snail from the hunting trip, but just so you get an idea of what it looked like...

 

Yuck truck.  As we walked, Kwame reminded us to watch out for ants because they’re the biting kind.  Soon after he mentions this, I feel a stinging sensation right at the bottom of my neck where it meets my spine.  “OUCHY!”  I swiftly reached back into my hood and ripped the little bastard off of me.  A little blood was shed, but there weren’t any follow-up bites...thank goodness, what a bummer that could’ve been.  We stopped on the top of a hillside cocoa farm to rest.  Those who needed a bush stop did their thing and we all replenished our bodies with water and milk cookies.  On our route back to the village, the hunter shot a second aposo.  This one had been storing food in its mouth.  It looked like it was playing chubby bunny.  Before the aposo was bagged the hunter squeezed its mouths contents out.  It was fascinating to see how much his cheeks could hold.  I returned to my room sticky with sweat.  My body was exhausted, but for some reason I couldn’t sleep.  I had just been bush hunting on the outskirts of a Ghanaian village.  My adrenaline and thoughts (of disbelief, pride, awe, wonderment, etc.) were flowing heavily.  So, I took Dad’s catch-all advice and journaled about it.

After the two weeks in the village, we spent a night in Kumasi.  The following morning we loaded up and began the educational excursion on our way up to Tamale.  During the educational excursion we spent a week in Tamale and about four days in each of the following:  Cape Coast, Krobo-Odumase, and the Volta Region. 

Tamale Highlights:

Very different vibe in the Northern Region compared to Accra and Kumasi.  There are fewer cars and WAY more bikes and motorbikes.  The population is predominately Muslim, unlike the southern population.  The mosques are beautiful and the prayers sounding from outdoor loudspeakers add to the city’s ambiance.  The North is also home to the most amount of NGOs than any other region.  As far as classes went, we had lectures on Islam as a peaceful religion, the varieties of NGOs, and healthcare.

We spent one night at Mole National Park, about a three hour drive from Tamale.  No elephant sightings, but plenty of monkeys, warthogs (Pumbas for the Disney lovers), baboons, and a species of antelope whose name is escaping me.    

We went to a shea butter co-op in a local village and got to see the process of how it's made.  Definitely bought some shea butter and soap to take home. Yummy!

Cape Coast Highlights:

Cape Coast  and Elmina Castles/Dungeons-wow.  Heavy stuff.  Cape Coast is relatively touristy because of the areas historic importance.  In my work journal, I wrote this about the dungeon experience:  Touring the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles/Dungeons was impactful to say the least.  Though, the tour at Cape Coast was more thorough and thoughtful than that of Elmina.  I found myself imagining life as an enslaved Ghanaian waiting for months to be lead through “the door of no return”.  What would it be like to sit in a dark, overcrowded pit of people and waste...all the while listening to waves freely crashing ashore just beyond the dungeon’s walls?  I don’t enjoy focusing my energy on evil and psychologically damaging events.  However depressing, the dungeon tours were vital in my understanding of enslavement and the mentality (of both the Europeans and Ghanaians) of that time period.

Kakum National Park Canopy Walkway-On a brighter note, this was awesome.  The Park is about an hour outside of Cape Coast and is home to the lush green rainforest.  The Canopy Walk is exactly what you’d think it is; a stroll amid the rainforest canopy.  Beneath your feet is a narrow wooden board secured by netting that’s fixed to each tree utilized for the walkway.  I could see green tops for miles-got some great desktop backgrounds for later. 

Krobo-Odumase (in Eastern Region) Highlights:

We got to witness and participate in a cheerful, colorful festival.  It was a meeting of all the surrounding districts’ kings, queen mothers, and people.  More from my work journal:  Marching the streets with smiling and dancing Ghanaians in the heat of the day was a once in a lifetime experience (not to say this ENTIRE trip hasn’t been).  I felt one with the culture and people, a feeling that was missing at the beginning of this trip.  My connections are more meaningful now that I’m a “full-grown” Ghanaian, and that alone brings me immense joy.

Krobo is the place to be if you like beads.  We went to one bead-makers house and he taught us how a variety of beads are made.  Then, he gave us bead molds of our own to fill with colored, shattered glass.  When we came back, he had fired the molds and VOILA! I made beads.

Volta Region Highlights:

Continuing with the art theme of this part of the trip...we made pottery in the Volta!  I hope it all survives my journey home.

We also got to weave some kente cloth after learning that process.  Look at me go!

We visited the border of Togo (no photos were allowed, unfortunately) and went to the beach.

We celebrated Halloween!  I couldn’t be my usual, a pumpkin, so I dressed up as Britney Spears (my group insists I look identical to the pop star in her Hit Me Baby One More Time phase).   Other people swapped clothes and went as each other.  Another person just went as a clothes line.  We all celebrated by going to one of the village bars in our getups.  As if we didn’t already stick out...

After the educational tour was over, we headed back to Accra to prepare for our ISPs.  We had paperwork to fill out and project advisors to confirm.  It was a stressful period of time, but catching my first glimpse of the ocean on the way back to Cape Coast made it all worth it. 

WHEW! 

I hope you enjoyed the update!

The past 5 weeks...what?!

Where to begin?!  I'm currently in the northern region of Ghana in a city called Tamale.  I haven't been able to blog about the past 5 weeks...so here it goes.

Week 2 (Accra)
Ghana Blackstar's football game against Malawi:  Only 5 cedi to get in!  And, we were on TV!  I guess some other SIT staffers were watching the game on TV and the cameramen panned our group.
Church with the host family:  It was Methodist and Mama Vida was definitely apart of the women's fellowship.  I sat with her, amid the small sea of other women in white clothes, pearls and blue hair wraps, and just felt uncomfortable to be frank.  The service was partially in English, partially in Twi and lasted about three hours.  All in all a positive experience, but not for me.
After church my group convened, loaded onto a bus, and headed to the outskirts of Greater Accra for a funeral service.  What a spiritual day!  We danced and listened to the drumming and singing of a group who had lost a member.  The dance, drum, and song dated back 2000 years!
Lecture of Political History of Ghana:  Politics are not my bag, so I have only one fun fact...Ghana gained independence in 1957 on the 6th of March-Winter hat to summer cap, anyone?
The remaining lectures in Accra were about conducting fieldwork and research ethics.  It was helpful to have an ethnography class under my belt before arriving in Ghana.  I feel ready to get after my research.  Speaking of, there was change in ISP topic after going to the funeral.  Many of the people at the funeral had body/face markings and were tattooed...my interest was instantly peaked and I wanted to ask a million questions.
Homestay fun:  Many a interesting conversation with Mama Vida.  One morning she looked at me and asked "Where are your earrings?"  She didn't quite understand that I don't have my ears pierced and that I prefer jewelry elsewhere on my ears and face.  Another rich talk started by her claiming "All the people in America think all the people in Ghana live in trees"  Uh, no.  She continued "You have bush people too [referring to the folks who live in villages and other rural communities] Yes, the red Indians that you have, you know, the ones that live in Indiana"  Uh, double no.  That took some straightening out.

Weeks 3 and 4 (Kumasi)
Beautiful city!  Smaller, cleaner, and cooler than Accra.  Much easier to get around.  Home of the largest open-air market in Africa, if not the world.  Cultural hub of Ghana!
We spent the first night in a hotel and split to our homestays the following morning.  My host dad was Mr. Cobbina, a 70 year old with 7 children.  He runs student hostels in the area.  His youngest, Emmanuella, actually turned 21 the day before I left Kumasi.  She stayed in the house while I was there to cook and look out for me, but she attends University at KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah Univ. of Science and Technology).  She helped me a lot with the Twi and became a great friend, even though she never let me help with cooking or cleaning...  I actually didn't stay in the house Emmanuella and Mr. C lived in.  I was around the corner at Mr. C's sister's house.  Huge house!  It used to be a hostel, but now just houses family members.  It's set up like an apartment building.  In my apartment, I stayed with BB, a 30 something yr old cousin.  He was very friendly and accommodating and liked to speak Spanish to me then claim it was Twi.  Fun guy.
Every morning, my group met up at Worker's College for a Twi lesson.  We crammed self introductions, pronouns, verbs, tenses, tonality, numbers, and time expressions into 8 days of class.  The two Fridays in Kumasi were dedicated to Twi quizzes.  Writing Twi is eons easier than speaking it, hands down.  One of my favorite things we learned about Akans, the people who occupy the Ashanti Region (where Kumasi is), is that they are called by the name of the day they were born on.  For me, that was Tuesday/Benada and therefore, I go by Abena.  Much easier for Ghanaians to pronounce.  The letter L doesn't exist in Twi, so I was called Ghana quite a bit among other variations.
In the afternoon, we boarded tro-tros to KNUST.  The first couple days we had lectures on art.  The two men teaching them were EXTREMELY soft-spoken, dry, and boring.  I think we all wished we were doing the art instead of sitting and listening about it.  Semi-bummer.  The remaining days were spent in the dance studio where we learned two of the traditional dances in Ghana.  We had a final performance for host families and friends to attend...best part: not a soul came to the performance.  The audience consisted of the three kids in my group sick with Malaria (don't worry, it's very easily treated here and they are all healthy now) and Yemi, our academic director.  We had more of an audience during practices than the performance.  Still, it was a blast and we got to wear traditional garb.  Plenty of pictures to come from that night.
So many other things happened in Kumasi, but I'm giving you just the basic gist of my stay there before my internet time runs out!

Weeks 5 and 6 (Ampento)
THE VILLAGE!  Easily my favorite of the places we've been.  The group was split into three villages, six students per village.  Ampento translated means "not fighters"-everyone was smiley, warm and welcome.

I'm close to running out of minutes right now...tminus 12 remaining, so I'm gonna leave with one story and come back to tell all about the village.
Night one:  It was someone in our groups birthday, so we all met up in her village (about a ten minute walk from my village) to hang out.  By the time we departed, it was late and I was tired.  I walked with my group back to Ampento and turned off at my homestay house.  I was greeted by a group of voices, but it was dark so I couldn't see anyone.  One voice asked if they could sleep with me (not uncommon), to which I replied "Me pa wo kyew, daabi, mempe saa" (Please/Excuse me, no, I don't appreciate that).  That's all it ever really takes to get someone off your back.  So I went into my room, shut and locked the door and went to bed.  THEN I awoke with that urgent sensation in my bladder...I had to pee.  I wasn't sure if anyone was outside still and I wasn't familiar with my bathroom situation at the time, so it was time to get creative.  I emptied a gallon ziploc bag I had in my luggage and proceeded to catch my urine in it.  Didn't miss at all.  But then I noticed the bag was leaking, of course.  I swiftly grabbed a black plastic bag to place the ziploc into.  I thought all was well, so I sealed the tops and set the bag by my door.  Turns out the black bag had a hole in it too...woke up to a standing pool of piss all in front of my door.  Certainly a bummer, but also a timeless tale.  I'll leave you with that.  Peace and love friends and family!

Movin' 'n' Groovin' in Accra: Week 1

Hello friends and family! It's been a little over a week since my last post, and WOW! a ton has happened. Allow me to break it all down for you, day by day.

Monday the 3rd: My group dispersed into our individual homestays located all over Accra. My family is located in an area called Saint Johns. The house itself is quite big and sits just off of the freeway. Mama Vida, my host mother, has been hosting students from all over the world for years. It's hard to say which children are hers, but everyone is considered a brother/sister in Ghana. There's Calvin (18), Miriam (23), Daniel (23), Ivonne and Andrew(older, not sure of their exact age). They definitely biologically belong to Mama Vida. Then, there's Maxim (a man from Chad studying English, probably in his 20s or 30s), Kevin (a boy from the Ivory Coast studying English, age 5), Kwesi and Kweoku ("the help", both about 13). Having servants is extremely common in Ghana and these boys are treated very well. Typically, and in the case of these two, helping out a household is exchanged for schooling and a safe place to stay. Initial thoughts: Everyone is friendly, but not as interactive as I'd like.  They are all very busy.  On the bright side, I value my alone time a lot.

Tuesday the 4th: First day of school at the University of Ghana in Legon! I awake at 5:30AM each morning to get ready and eat breakfast before it's out the door to the tro-tro station. A note on breakfast, I had some popo (papaya) and immediately puked it up...the same fruit I had at the hotel that made me sick, go figure. No mo' popo fo' this Obroni (endearing term used by Ghanaians for white people, they love it when you counter with "Obibini!"-the endearing term for black people). Daniel went with me the first day to show me the ropes. It's about a three minute walk across a bridge over the freeway to the tro-tro station. Once I'm there, I get on the tro-tro heading for Legon. People consistantly extend their help in guiding me to the correct tro-tro, but I've come to pinpoint which tro-tros are mine. It's always the same drivers and mates (the money collector) in the same tro-tros everyday, morning and night. The drive is about 45 minutes and costs me 70 pesewas (bout 40 cents). When I get out at Legon, I walk about a mile to the University. The area is under construction, otherwise it wouldn't be so long. With the construction comes immense amounts of ruddy, orange dust swept around by the wind. Praise my allergy meds and sweat rags! By the time I reach the SIT office, it's about 7:30AM. Class starts at 8 and Yemi always takes the first hour or so to us, the students. We discuss what we are noticing, ask questions about how to handle various situations at home and on the streets, and tell funny stories. This time is vital and very therapeutic. Then, it's time for lecture. Each lecture is taught by a professor or local expert, the best of the best!

Our first lecture was on the geography of Ghana.

Fun facts:

-Ghana is located at the "center of the Earth", where 0 degrees longitude meets 0 degrees latitude...the people take great pride in this

-the temperature hasn't ever dropped below 50 degrees Farenheit...ever

-between 2000 and 2010, the population growth rate was 2.4%...WAY higher than the United States

-67% of Ghanaians are farmers (of food and crop stock)...about 3% of Americans are farmers

-you are six times poorer if you are born a woman, one reason for this is that land can only be owned by men

After the lecture, we break for lunch. Tuesdays are special because the pizza place across the street offers two pizzas for the price of one. American food! Six of us enjoyed a slice of home, a little za if you will, before fleeing to our respective homes.

When I return home, I'm greeted with a massive, starchy dinner. My dinners have included rice, banku, spaghetti, peanut soup, chicken, jolof rice, red sauce (blended tomatoes with onions, peppers, and pickles...so tasty!) All portions are 4 to 6 times bigger than you'd expect and Mama Vida likes to remind me that I "need to eat all"...it's often a struggle.

Wednesday the 5th: Many of the stories told at the beginning of the day are more frequently featuring interactions with men. Ghanaian men are relentless! Yemi says they all have an attitude of "quitters never win". Yaw, another SIT staffer, wants us to keep a tally of the number of marriage proposals we receive...thus far I've gotten one proposal and a couple "I love you's". We're told to just tell the men that we're already married, it always does the trick.

We have more Twi lessons in the morning, and then it's time for lunch. Ah, the bush canteen. Each day we go there for lunch. It's a great place to practice our Twi and enjoy more starch. The bush canteen is part market, part eatery. I've bought things like pens, notebooks, toilet paper (an essential item to have as not all bathrooms are stocked...even at home), tissues, jack and jills (imported vanilla wafers), and laundry soap. Food wise, besides the classic rice and red sauce, we can buy pineapple (better than Redlands pineapple, and that's saying something...it's white, not yellow here), bananas (they are SO small here), and oranges (actually green, and eaten in a most peculiar manner) among other things. The oranges are prepared by cutting off the outter layer while leaving the white part, and making a slit at the top. To eat it, you open the slit and essentially makeout with the fruit to get all the juice out...I've taken to tearing the white part with my teeth to obtain the solid part of the orange as well.

On this afternoon we had two lecturers come in. One, an anthropologist who talked about funerals in Ghana. My kinda guy! The other, an education professor delivering the history of education to us.

Funeral lecture fun facts:

-Ghanaians have funerals for everything: animals, plants, trees, people-everything has a spirit

-Dying is merely considered a changing of address, from the living world to the ancestoral world...that is, if you lived properly (not everyone makes it to the ancestoral world)

-living properly=responsible for your family and society, attained marriage, and cared for your children (so that when you die, they will care for you)

-it's a long journey to the ancestoral world! based on status, specific rituals need to be carried out

-the family of the deceased is responsible for forming funeral committees, these include: financial, food, protocol, information/advertising (death is spendy and well publicized in Ghana)

-those spirits who are denied access to the ancestoral world become samantwEtwEn (the "E" is actually a letter we don't have in the English alphabet, it's written like a backwards 3)

-in some traditions, when a chief dies his wife/wives are expected to follow him into death

Education lecture fun facts:

-First of all, the professor had all of us stand up and spell our names with our hips to get our blood flowin' after hearing about death for an hour and a half...she was fun

-education is free for young kids...however uniforms, books, and transportation are not free

-little value in educating women. why? they are often married at young age and/or expected to carry out domestic household chores (reforms are altering this for the better)

-Annual New Year School (65 years old!) this is a school that picks a topical, national/international issue and focusses on only that for the year (examples include: environment, government, gas/oil/energy industry)

-this made me jealous...only ONE standardized test given by the school, not the government after junior high school

Thursday the 6th: I was definitely 15 minutes late on this day...the tro-tro line was crazy long, had to stand there for an hour before taking my ride. In the morn we did more Twi. I learned how to explain my purpose in Ghana: Me be soonya Ghanafuo ahmahmere (I've come to learn Ghanaian culture)-our lessons are given orally as Twi is rarely written (all books written in Twi wouldn't fill up one small bookcase), so I can guarentee that is not how you spell ANY of those words...I'm also missing all the tonal markings. Twi is tough stuff yo!

In the afternoon we had a lecture on gender issues, fun facts:

-all women are mothers and sisters, all men are fathers and brothers...biology doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things ("We all belong to one family")

-the moment a woman's child starts having their own children, that woman stops having sex...called social menopause (men can continue having sex and often marry more women to do so)

-17% of women use contraceptives...that's low

-AIDS [American Idea to Discourage Sex]...some see it as completely mythical

-anti-HIV/contraceptive advocation is everywhere! [ABC: Abstain, Be Faithful, Condom]

-better living standards have led to a younger puberty age, which then leeds to younger and younger girls becoming prego

Back at my homestay, Kevin, the 5 year old, has really taken to me and my American goods...below is a photo of him. He asked me to go back to the Ivory Coast with him, "just for ten days pleeeeeeeeeeasssse". His parents were on their way to retrieve him from his six week stay in Ghana...he's a very brave little boy. I gave him one of my frisbees and he really lit up. In return, he gave me three packs of Jack and Jills...made my day.

 

I should also mention a bit about my room and evening routine. So, there's a bar that's a stones throw from my window (which MUST remain open for a breeze) and man almighty do they ever play loud music. After my bucket shower (which I've mastered, thank you very much) and homework, I snuggle into my mosquito net and sleep sheet for some shut eye...this occurs at about 9:30PM, give or take. But that damn music is blaring the same upbeat dance songs every night until well after midnight, so what do I do? Toss on the best Christmas gift ever received, my noise-cancelling headphones (THANK YOU DAD!) and play some soothing music from home...my ultimate comfort.

Friday the 7th: No Twi lesson today! I needed a break. Instead we had a lecture in the morning about highlife music. It was given by Prof. John Collins, who is totally the man! Worthy of a google search, people. In the afternoon, the group split into two. My group went to experience batik making. Here's a photo:

Kwame is in the yellow.

When I got home, I was finally able to reach my REAL mom! Absolutely uplifting to hear her voice. Though, I can assure you, I am not homesick. I am so happy to be here in Ghana, it's still a dream come true. I also bear in mind that there is an end to this program, so I need to seize each moment while I can! Who knows if I'll ever be able to return?
Stay tuned for more on drumming and dancing, a Black Stars Football game, church, and a funeral!

Culture and Language 101

It's 9:40pm over here in Accra and I just wrapped a lovely bucket bath (be greatful for consistantly running water).  I'm sitting here on our hotel's balcony listening to the wind and digesting what has transpired since my last post.

Cultural Dos and Don'ts:
-Always, always use your right hand for EVERYTHING.  The left is rude.
-Always greet.  It's the beginning of friendship and shows you have a kind heart.
-Don't cross your legs.
-When talking to men and women older than me, refer to them as Uncle/Papa and Auntey/Mami and never forget any titles
-When talking to someone about my age, refer to them as Brother/Sister
-Don't maintain eye contact, Ghanaian's rarely hold your gaze for too long
-Smoking is not common, I've only seen one man smoking a cig so far
-There's lot of hand gestures, some good (used to tell a tro-tro or taxi where you want to go) some bad (thumbs up while moving your thumb up and down=extremely rude, like the middle finger)
-Priests/Priestesses may greet with their left hand, giving the recipient all of their heart
-Ask to take photos and promise to send copies
-Two fingers up in the air (or as we call it "the peace sign")="You're a good dancer!"

The market:  We took a tro-tro, which is a big bus taxi with about five or six rows of seating.  I'll be using them daily to get to and from the University.  The roads in Ghana are a mixture of paved and unpaved, but always littered with copious trash.  No street signs in sight.  As far as the driving, it's anything goes, every man for himself.  I'll be sure to ALWAYS walk against traffic and ALWAYS look both ways!  The market was empty of any other white foreigners and our group drew a lot of attention.  I didn't much like that we were all bunched together, not sure the locals did either.  I felt in the way.  I prefer cruisin around in groups of no more than four.  We all went into a store that sold cell phones, and Kwame rounded up a bagful of Nokia phones (all the same, we'll be diversifying them with stickers to avoid confusion). 

First Twi class:  Well, it ain't Spanish!  I found this video, and it encompasses just about everything we learned today. 

 

Wild, huh?!

That bag of purified water is what we drink.  Much cheaper than bottles by a long shot!

 



The mall:  Highly westernized!  Ya know those ceiling projectors that display images on the floor and when you walk over it, waves ripples or fish swim away or whatever it may be...they have them here!  It was like any other mall in the US, complete with a cinema.  Speaking of, I can't wait to watch some Ghanaian films!  In fact, our first assignment is to read the Independent Study Project of a past student and critique it.  I chose one entitled " ".  Should be interesting!  Back to the mall, we went there for SIM cards and phone minutes.  I was one of three who left without a SIM card, the first store ran out and the second place...well, the card just didn't cooperate.  I'll get one tomorrow most likely.  I bought five cedi worth of minutes, which is about three hours worth of chatting for three dollars.  I was told that if y'all call me (I'll post my number once I get a card) it costs me nothing, but probably quite a bit on your end.  Things to look into. 

Tomorrow we have another language class in the morning, then lunch, then onto the University to await the arrival of our homestay families. We've been told our first families are going to be more westernized, higher class, "not the REAL Ghana" to ease us into the culture.  I'm very excited!  I hope I have kids in my family!  I don't know if I will have internet, so I'll keep writing (journaling if you will) but may not be able to post for a bit.  Enjoying my life in Ghana, as they all tell us to constantly do.  Loving the positivity :)

Food for though from Yemi this morning:  "Women in this country will never ask for equality.  This culture emphasizes equity.  The philosophy here is give according to status, take according to ability."
Chew on that.

AKWAABA to GHANA

"Akwaaba" means "welcome" in Twi (pronounced Tchwee) and that is precisely how I felt touching down in Accra.  I know my last post wasn't the most pleasant, but it should be noted that I did get sick again on the second flight.  However, it was while people were still boarding.  After that I was golden.  Slept the whole way (about a six hour flight)!  I arrived at 8pm local time, stood in line for an hour to go through customs (they even took our fingerprints, which I don't recall happening in Argentina), and then another half hour to get my bag and find my SIT people.  Kokroko, Papa Attah, Ama, and Kwame greeted me and my fellow program mates, of which there are 18 total (only two boys!).  We ALL piled into ONE large van and took off on the streets of Accra for our hotel.  Now that's what I call mobbin' deep.  Upon arrival, we set our things down, two to a room, and rejoined for a late dinner.  Chips (french fries), rice, chicken, fish (tilapia I think?), and a darn tasty tomato salsa with vegetables.  I didn't want to throw any wrenches into my system right out of the gates, so I avoided the fish and chicken.  We were all jet lagged, lost in time and space, so we hit the hay soon after. 

This morning started at 7:15am, b-fast at 8 (plantains, eggs with tomato and onion, roll with buddah and imported jam, and tea), then a bit of orienting.  We met our academic director, Yemi, for the first time and he explained all this semester would hold for us.  He introduced the rest of the program staff and said our semester is lucky to have them all around.  I guess in the past, they all haven't been able to be here.  Anyway, their words were reassuring.  "Enjoy your life in Ghana."

In about ten minutes we have a lecture on the cultural do's and don'ts and then it's off to the market!  Papa Attah says this will be our baptism into the community.  I CANNOT WAIT!  I'll be buying a phone and some school items.  So, if a strange number is trying to reach you...answer, it's me!
More to come!

In Transit

Shooowheee! Just hopped off the nine hour flight into Amsterdam! (At the time I wrote this post...I'm in Ghana now)
And who doesn't love a great airplane story?!
For those of you who know me or have traveled with me...you know. I get sick. This flight was no different. Shortly after the captain turned on the seat belt sign for our final descent, I nudged the large German man who occupied the seat next to mine and also occupied quite the smell. He kindly got up to let me out.  It's always a treat to see how the flight attendant closest to the restroom reacts. "Miss, the seatbelt sign is on. I'm gonna need you to return to your seat." "I'm gonna be sick," I said calmly as I threw open the lavatory door with zero intention of returning to my seat. It's embarrassing! I've vom'd on the school bus before...having a crowd is not ideal. Having that tiny white bag leak on ya isn't ideal either...remember that time, mom? Ugh. So, I do my thang and by the time I was done, we were on the ground. I cleaned up and returned to my seat feeling how I'd imagine a local celebrity feels. All eyes on me. A flight attendant I hadn't seen all flight long approached me, "Can I do anything for you?" She seemed quite genuine in her concern. "Oh, I'm fiiiiine. It happens all the time." "What happens all the time?" "Uh, getting sick on planes, especially during landings." Her next string of sentences were in a more condescending tone, "Right, so next time that happens we need you to stay in your seat and we can bring you a big trash bag. Now I have to go tell the captain, so just remember that for next time." Why the captain needed to know, beats me. I nodded my head and just said "Sure." In my head, though, I was thinking, "The chances of me flying on a plane you serve ever again are slim to none. And even if I did, I'd still lock myself in the lavatory during the descent. It's a risk I will always be willing to take, for the benefit of the whole plane. I'm all about the greater good, don'tcha know. Landing is the most exciting part of a flight! It shouldn't be tainted with the smells, sounds, and sights of yours truly barfing her brains out." Once she walked away, my plane mates checked in on me. One woman even recommended a great prescription she got from her doctor. Not that I didn't take the anti-nausea prescription provided by my doctor, I totally did, but these things still happen. Such is life! I'm this much closer to Accra! Only another five hours until THAT flight takes off. It'd be cool to get out and see Amsterdam, but it's aweful cloudy and cold here....and I'm dressed for Ghana. I'm quite tired, so I'm gonna snack on some pretzels, peanuts, and banana (complimets of Delta) and NAP!

Get Ready, Get Set...

Welcome to my blooooooog!  Join me on my adventure to and through Ghana!

I've never had one of these, but I'm eager to commit quality time posting for all of yalls viewing pleasure.  Where to begin?!  I leave for Ghana, previously known as The Gold Coast, in two days (30 Aug).  With my life in the hands of the good folks at Delta Airlines, I'll fly from Portland to Amsterdam and FINALLY onto Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, West Africa.  Unreal.

As far as preparations go, I'm about 95% packed.  I'm mostly concerned about finding a mosquito net, but the rest should be a breeze.  As far as mental and emotional preparedness,  I'm 100% there.  I've wanted to venture to Africa, no where else, since I was wee and it's finally just around the river bend!  My program, entitled Social Transformation and Cultural Expression, feels made for me. 
Courses include:

• Intensive Language Study:  Twi
• Social Transformation and Cultural Expression
• Visual and Performing Arts Seminars
• Research Methods and Ethics
• Independent Study Project

More to come on my experience with each course. 

Program Schedule:

Aug 31-Sept 14 Arrival, orientation, Twi language study.  Commence STCE and VPA Seminars and home-stay in Accra based at the University of Ghana, Legon

Sept 15-28 Twi language study, RME, STCE and VPA Seminars and home-stay, Kumasi

Sept 29-Oct 13 Village work project, Ashanti Region

Oct 14-21 STCE and VPA Seminars and excursions, Tamale

Oct 22-Nov 4 Educational Excursion to Central, Eastern and Volta Regions

Nov 5-7 Accra, ISP preparation

Nov 8-Dec 7 Independent Study Project (as of right now, I'm leaning towards a musically focused project)

Dec 8-12 Oral presentations, program evaluation, Accra

Dec 13 End of scheduled program

Here's a map of Ghana's regions and cities, so you can know exactly where I'll be.  Plus, I love a good map.

I'll leave you with this.

This is the "helpful orientation video" my program's admissions counselor sent to us all.  Can't wait!

Stay tuned!