My best African Christmas yet!!
Very little was different from any other day in Ghana. I woke up, ate breakfast, drank tea, checked my Moringa, collected eggs. At around 8am I joined the family for church. I was expecting a large crowd but when I showed up with Dorothy and Raphael, we doubled the size of the crowd. More people trickled in as the mass continued. There were roughly 25 by the end of the 2 hour (90% Dangme) mass.
I was officially introduced to the Catholic community at the end of mass. My supervisor (Emmanuel) explained that I will be planting Moringa and helping to teach local mothers about ways to fight malnutrition. At the end of the introduction, Emmanuel brought out a bottle of wine for the group to share. Since most alcohol in Ghana is served in small 1 ounce plastic bags, nobody had a bottle opener. Since I'm the American with the gadgets and tools (VERY handy Leatherman), I was expected to save the day. I managed to open a bottle of wine on Thanksgiving by using a broken cork screw, pliers and a butter knife. For Christmas, I used two nails to push the cork into the bottle. This would be very taboo if I were in America but alas, I'm in Ghana and saved the day. You can call me African holiday MacGyver!!
From church, we returned to the house and sat around while food was prepared. I helped a bit in the preparation of Christmas dinner. I placed the freshly plucked chicken atop the open flame. Did you know that you peel skin off the beak and feet before cooking? You probably didn't know that since most people in American don't include the feet or the head of the chicken in the meal. Now you know. I let the chicken sit on the flame until any remaining pin feathers could be removed. I also peeled the skin from the beak and feet (Kua enjoyed her Christmas gift). The skin looks like fresh snake skin. During the preparation, the cooking crew took a few breaks to chase chickens around the bush. A few neighbors dropped by with the hope of buying 3 fowls for their Christmas dinner. The first fowl was caught with relative ease but the second led at least 10 grown adults sprinting and diving around the bush. This was a refreshingly ridiculous feeling and my mere involvement earned me points with the other hunters.
For Christmas dinner, we enjoyed Fufu with garlic and soy bean soup. We usually have a soup that includes dried fish, pepper, onion and tomatoes. I like the other soups but this was a special treat. I ate at 3:30pm with Emmanuel (he was too tired to wait) and again at 5:30pm with the rest of the family. I was inducted into the ranks of proper Ghanaians by eating all of the bones that I found in my chicken pieces. For those of you who don't know of my finicky diet as a child, eating a jam other than Raspberry would have been too adventurous two decades ago. I'm getting better!!
All around, it didn't feel too much like Christmas but it was a nice day all around.
As far as work in Ghana goes:
I gave Ransord his first assignment. He is to write a 450 word essay about why Moringa is a useful crop. A 450 word essay is part of his October exam so I hope to correct a mock essay each week to help him practice his composition skills and rid himself of any basic mistakes that can be easily avoided.
Emmanuels cousin recently bought a computer from a local internet cafe. He has NEVER used a computer. He initially bought an insufficient number of pieces for the machine but we've since gotten the computer to work and I'll give him typing lessons each Wednesday. He (Daniel) is in his mid-forties and lives close to the Sekesua market so each week I'll kill two birds with one stone by helping Dorothy at her shop and helping Daniel learn to type. We use Mavis Beacon and one game involves the conveyor belt of a grocery store. In order to place each item into your shopping bag, you must type the appropriate price as it's listed on the screen. Seeing Pizza, Ice Cream, French Bread and frozen vegetables move across the screen may seem normal to most Mavis Beacon users but I don't think that Daniel has ever seen any of these items. In fact, I don't think he's ever set foot inside a grocery store.
My first 100 Moringa seeds only produced 18 sprouts. I was overzealous and overwatered. I replaced the remaining 82 seeds so I can get additional results/plants before my next data collecting session starts at the beginning of the New Year!!
I have scheduled meetings at 3 local schools on January 13th and 14th so new projects will start around then.
It is now officially the dry season. To prepare for any borehole breakages, we in the Nartey household have been making many trips to the borehole in order to fill a large cement water basin at the house. When I first arrived, I would carry a bucket (maybe 3 gallons) in each hand. I kept a good balance and didn't drench myself. I've since upgraded to big yellow plastic fuel containers (maybe 6 gallons). For two days I would carry one in each hand for 3 or 4 trips. This has been great exercise but by the end of the last trip, I had to stop and rest. The walk is long enough for it to be difficult and I'm totally spent by the end of each trip. I've since made a few trips with one of these cas containers on my head. The weight is easier to handle but I have to make twice as many trips and have a very hard time ducking the clothesline when the top of the barrel is near 9 feet off the ground and the clothesline is less than 7. I'm not sure which approach I prefer. Either way, the borehole is the place to be at around 4pm. It's been a great place to kick a ball around and joke with/get laughed at by my neighbors.
Love to all. I hope this entry makes sense.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The dead and the deadly
Last Saturday, I attended my second Ghanaian funeral. I know that it's pretty clear that Ghana and the US are very different but there are certain aspects that hadn't even occurred to me. Embalming/beautifying dead bodies is one of those aspects.
I arrived in Odumase (an hour tro ride from my site) at 8:30am. I'm met on the roadside by Adolph (I have no idea how he's related to my host family but he is). Adolph ushers me around and takes me to see the bereaved family members and the casket. I shake 5 or 6 hands (always from right to left) before even noticing that there is an open casket in the room. It takes a few seconds of blatant staring to understand whether I'm looking at a real body or at a mannequin. The mand I'm looking at died after a month long illness at the age of 42. He died a month ago and I'm looking at what looks like a life-size wax figurine.
After leaving this room, I sit amongst Emmanuel's senior brother's sons. These 4 men are some of the burliest Ghanaians I've met to date and despite being at a funeral one immediately starts asking how I feel as a representative of George W. Bush. I answer with something along the lines of "I really like Ghana!!" and allow the conversation to drift elsewhere. Within a few minutes, the entire group of women from the room I've just left breaks out in bouts of convulsive wailing and sobbing as they walk around in circles. I'm not sure what specifically spawned the outburst but I find myself keeping a very straight face while all non-wailing members of the procession are staring at my very white self sitting in a sea of very black people wearing all black clothing.
The ceremony starts at around 9:30am with a live band (3 BIG drums, several trumpets, a trombone and a cymbal) playing while the casket is precariously brought down a short flight of stairs. A Baptist priest starts with a few readings and hymns. Every so often, a woman or two will make her way up to the front of the tented off courtyard in which we're sitting and circle the casket while loudly yelling (no clue what she's saying) and crying until they return to their respective seats.
Some very emotionally driven presentations and readings are given before the announcement is made that we'll proceed to the cemetery for the burial. At this time, the band starts up, the casket is loaded into the bed of a pickup and the 100 or so people in attendance start to walk down the road alongside the truck. People are singing, dancing, crying all around me yet I can't even hear myself think while music is blaring in my ear. We walk about a mile (around noon at this time. As you may have guessed, I'm drenched in sweat) before the casket is removed from the truck and we walk off the road and into the woods. I see a small sign that says "public cemetary" but otherwise would never guess that it's a burial site. As the music continues to roar, a drunken man begins to wrestle with some of the pallbearers. He seems to be trying to pull the casket from them but all I can hear is music. A few other men pull the drunkard from the casket before he can knock it onto the trash strewn soil beneath us. We finally come to a clearing and there is an open grave with a man standing inside. He has his pants rolled up to his knees and is standing bare foot with mud up to mid-shin. The pall bearers hand the casket down to this man as he negotiates the small space he has. They heave and haw until finally they're able to get the coffin into the muddy grave. The man then steps onto the casket and out of the grave, leaving a dripping footprint of mud on the top of the silver box. By this point, the music has stopped, the wailing is perfectly audible again and the drunkard is in a yelling/shoving match with another man (again I can't understand what they're saying). He then spikes a full water sachet onto the casket and calms down a bit. People randomly drop items into the grave as a man begins to speak (items include bits of cloth and even a saw (he was a carpenter)). At this point, Dorothy suggests that we should leave. We walk to the roadside, jump in a tro and after maybe a minute of loud pop music, I'm on the roadside watching a teenager hack open a coconut with a machete. I enjoy my snack, sit with Dorothy and friends for a few hours and then I'm back on the road to Bormase. Quite a whirlwind cultural experience I must say.
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While walking with Raph (19 year old homestay brother) to various poultry group sites in Bormase, I strike up a conversation about snakes. I remember being so scared to come across snakes when I first arrived but recently I've been walking through the bush without any worries. I've asked Raph if he often sees snakes around the area. He tells me that he doesn't see them very often but that they're around. As I'm explaining how I was so scared when I arrived... I look to my right and see one foot of inch and a half thick black and yellow snake!! I stop my sentence, tell Raph and watch him run in circles looking for a stick with which to kill the snake. There were no sticks and the snake disappeared into the bush. I asked if it was a Black Mamba and Raph said yes. I Googled Black Mambas and I'm not convinced but either way, it was big and very close to my house. AAHHH!!! I guess I'm living in the African bush after all.
Love you guys.
I arrived in Odumase (an hour tro ride from my site) at 8:30am. I'm met on the roadside by Adolph (I have no idea how he's related to my host family but he is). Adolph ushers me around and takes me to see the bereaved family members and the casket. I shake 5 or 6 hands (always from right to left) before even noticing that there is an open casket in the room. It takes a few seconds of blatant staring to understand whether I'm looking at a real body or at a mannequin. The mand I'm looking at died after a month long illness at the age of 42. He died a month ago and I'm looking at what looks like a life-size wax figurine.
After leaving this room, I sit amongst Emmanuel's senior brother's sons. These 4 men are some of the burliest Ghanaians I've met to date and despite being at a funeral one immediately starts asking how I feel as a representative of George W. Bush. I answer with something along the lines of "I really like Ghana!!" and allow the conversation to drift elsewhere. Within a few minutes, the entire group of women from the room I've just left breaks out in bouts of convulsive wailing and sobbing as they walk around in circles. I'm not sure what specifically spawned the outburst but I find myself keeping a very straight face while all non-wailing members of the procession are staring at my very white self sitting in a sea of very black people wearing all black clothing.
The ceremony starts at around 9:30am with a live band (3 BIG drums, several trumpets, a trombone and a cymbal) playing while the casket is precariously brought down a short flight of stairs. A Baptist priest starts with a few readings and hymns. Every so often, a woman or two will make her way up to the front of the tented off courtyard in which we're sitting and circle the casket while loudly yelling (no clue what she's saying) and crying until they return to their respective seats.
Some very emotionally driven presentations and readings are given before the announcement is made that we'll proceed to the cemetery for the burial. At this time, the band starts up, the casket is loaded into the bed of a pickup and the 100 or so people in attendance start to walk down the road alongside the truck. People are singing, dancing, crying all around me yet I can't even hear myself think while music is blaring in my ear. We walk about a mile (around noon at this time. As you may have guessed, I'm drenched in sweat) before the casket is removed from the truck and we walk off the road and into the woods. I see a small sign that says "public cemetary" but otherwise would never guess that it's a burial site. As the music continues to roar, a drunken man begins to wrestle with some of the pallbearers. He seems to be trying to pull the casket from them but all I can hear is music. A few other men pull the drunkard from the casket before he can knock it onto the trash strewn soil beneath us. We finally come to a clearing and there is an open grave with a man standing inside. He has his pants rolled up to his knees and is standing bare foot with mud up to mid-shin. The pall bearers hand the casket down to this man as he negotiates the small space he has. They heave and haw until finally they're able to get the coffin into the muddy grave. The man then steps onto the casket and out of the grave, leaving a dripping footprint of mud on the top of the silver box. By this point, the music has stopped, the wailing is perfectly audible again and the drunkard is in a yelling/shoving match with another man (again I can't understand what they're saying). He then spikes a full water sachet onto the casket and calms down a bit. People randomly drop items into the grave as a man begins to speak (items include bits of cloth and even a saw (he was a carpenter)). At this point, Dorothy suggests that we should leave. We walk to the roadside, jump in a tro and after maybe a minute of loud pop music, I'm on the roadside watching a teenager hack open a coconut with a machete. I enjoy my snack, sit with Dorothy and friends for a few hours and then I'm back on the road to Bormase. Quite a whirlwind cultural experience I must say.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While walking with Raph (19 year old homestay brother) to various poultry group sites in Bormase, I strike up a conversation about snakes. I remember being so scared to come across snakes when I first arrived but recently I've been walking through the bush without any worries. I've asked Raph if he often sees snakes around the area. He tells me that he doesn't see them very often but that they're around. As I'm explaining how I was so scared when I arrived... I look to my right and see one foot of inch and a half thick black and yellow snake!! I stop my sentence, tell Raph and watch him run in circles looking for a stick with which to kill the snake. There were no sticks and the snake disappeared into the bush. I asked if it was a Black Mamba and Raph said yes. I Googled Black Mambas and I'm not convinced but either way, it was big and very close to my house. AAHHH!!! I guess I'm living in the African bush after all.
Love you guys.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
10 minutes of internet left...
... so I'll be brief. I now have 10 Moringa sprouts. This plant is amazing. What was a tiny sprout on Monday is now a 6 inch plant with branches and over 20 leaves.
I spoke with the country director about setting up a site in the North and he's all for it. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to leave my site (we're not really supposed to) during the first 3 months but since it's related to data collection, it'll be alright.
I'll be meeting with the headmaster of the local Junior Secondary School tomorrow morning. I biked there yesterday, it's a 5K bike ride and half of it is uphill and full of potholes. I was drenched when I showed up and I expect to be that way each time I visit.
I'm going to a funeral on Saturday. I think I've been to 4 funerals in the States and this is already my second in Ghana. There are actually funeral seasons in Ghana. People like to celebrate the life of the deceased so it sometimes takes as long as a year to save up for the celebration. For a country that has a hard time getting by financially, I can't say that saving for a funeral is the best way to get ahead but what could be a better reason?
I've had a few meetings with the local poultry group. This group has been going for almost 4 years now. After an initial loan, members have had the opportunity to pay off the loan and receive a new shipment of "layers." My host family has almost 400 birds now while most other groups are still working to pay off the initial 40. The opportunity is there but the drive/strategy is lacking in most cases. I'll see if I can help at all with that.
A better idea of my living situation. I'm in the bush!! Have you seen "Blood Diamond?" If so, try to think of the end of the movie. The hills look like that. I'm not sure if that helps but it's the best I can do before I post photos. Most of the people I live with speak English quite well. My Krobo (the specific dialect of Dangme) is getting better but whenever I exhibit some knowledge, the person I'm speaking with rattles on and I pick up only a few words.
Out of time. Love you guys!! Thanks to whomever gave the Giants update. Aaron Rowand!! Go Warriors too!!
I spoke with the country director about setting up a site in the North and he's all for it. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to leave my site (we're not really supposed to) during the first 3 months but since it's related to data collection, it'll be alright.
I'll be meeting with the headmaster of the local Junior Secondary School tomorrow morning. I biked there yesterday, it's a 5K bike ride and half of it is uphill and full of potholes. I was drenched when I showed up and I expect to be that way each time I visit.
I'm going to a funeral on Saturday. I think I've been to 4 funerals in the States and this is already my second in Ghana. There are actually funeral seasons in Ghana. People like to celebrate the life of the deceased so it sometimes takes as long as a year to save up for the celebration. For a country that has a hard time getting by financially, I can't say that saving for a funeral is the best way to get ahead but what could be a better reason?
I've had a few meetings with the local poultry group. This group has been going for almost 4 years now. After an initial loan, members have had the opportunity to pay off the loan and receive a new shipment of "layers." My host family has almost 400 birds now while most other groups are still working to pay off the initial 40. The opportunity is there but the drive/strategy is lacking in most cases. I'll see if I can help at all with that.
A better idea of my living situation. I'm in the bush!! Have you seen "Blood Diamond?" If so, try to think of the end of the movie. The hills look like that. I'm not sure if that helps but it's the best I can do before I post photos. Most of the people I live with speak English quite well. My Krobo (the specific dialect of Dangme) is getting better but whenever I exhibit some knowledge, the person I'm speaking with rattles on and I pick up only a few words.
Out of time. Love you guys!! Thanks to whomever gave the Giants update. Aaron Rowand!! Go Warriors too!!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Civilization fix
I'm back on the internet before my Thursday Koforidua visit. I came to Accra yesterday with Casey (my closest neighbor/the other member of Johnny Moringaseed). I haven't been to Accra since I first arrived in country. I' filled with mixed emotions as I write. It's amazing to look around this city and feel as though I'm seeing it through a new pair of eyes. When I first arrived, I couldn't believe how clearly African Accra is. Less than 3 months later, I can't believe how clearly American it is. Last night, I ate a cheeseburger and french fries for dinner. I went with some friends to an American style bar and had a glass of nice wine and smoked a cuban cigar (both paid for by ex pats from around the globe).
A rough chronological description of my trip across the world within Ghana:
5:30am- wake up to Kua making her signature noises. When she yawns, she makes a sound much like a human might make when having a good morning stretch and yawn.
6am- check, water and weed my 100 poly bags (50 store bought black bags and 50 recycled water sachets) to find that 2 have sprouted!! How exciting!! It's been one week and there is already some growth.
7am- After reading small (some Ghanaian English for you. To read a little bit) sit down for tea and biscuits with Dorothy and Stephen. Trade several dozen high fives with Atta (the female half of the pair of twins. In only one week she's gone from crying at the site of me to smiling and high fiving. YES!!)
8am- Collect 145 eggs from the chicken coops behind my house. These coops are built out of wood and bamboo. Each holds maybe 200 chickens. On one side of each coop, there are hinged doors that open into the laying area (I'll explain better when I know more). The 8am collection is incredibly hectic. While carrying a small plastic basket in one hand, I'm pushing chickens off of their eggs in order to collect the eggs 3 at a time while pushing back the daredevil chickens as they try to escape. I've already sweat through my shirt. After collecting, I put the eggs in crates (each holds 30 eggs) and record the number in the daily log.
9am- after reading small, collect 72 eggs.
10am- Casey has called to let me know that we're going to Accra today instead of tomorrow. Collect 45 eggs.
11am- Collect 20 eggs. Check on my poly bags again. Clearly nothing new has happened since 6am but it's fun to see that there are two sprouts!!
11-12- Eat lunch (boiled plantains and a stew/sauce of peppers and fish), discuss a shopping list with Dorothy. Bike 5 kilometers to the junction to wait for a tro.
12-12:15- Sit and drink a cold Coca Cola (SO GOOD!!) while talking to Maku (market woman at the Sekesua junction market. Chat with a man about my work with the Peace Corps as he tells me in detail about the volunteer that taught him science while he was a Secondary School student in 1969.
12:15-1pm- Travel east to Asesewa to meet Casey at his local market. Continue the conversation with the nice man from the junction.
1-1:30- Buy 6000 cabbage, 4000 onion and 5000 tomatoes (that's how you order what you want) from various market women. Ordering and haggling is done in Dangme which is exciting for me as well as the market women who like to see that the Blefono (Obruni in Damgme) can speak the language.
1:30-3- Text other volunteers to check on their mental/physical status. It's odd to go from constant contact to no cell phone reception. Run various errands with Casey as he prepares to leave site for the last time before going to Seattle for a month.
3-6- travel by tro West to Odumase, travel Southeast to Accra. Make a pit stop at the Sekesua Junction to drop off groceries (in my new eco-friendly chico bag) with Maku.
6-7- catch up with the other volunteers at the office. Find interesting books to take from the communal book room. Find some spices in the free box!! This is great since I now have great spices to add to my food while also sad because they're likely left by somebody who went home early.
7-12- travel with some more tenured volunteers into town for burgers followed by an American style bar (Duncans) followed by a swanky American style bar (Monsoons). Monsoons has black and white photos ranging from Humphrey Bogart to Bob Marley to the Beatles. Chat and schmooze with ex pats. The most interesting ex pat is a man named Heta. He's from New Zealand, has been working in Ghana for 5 years as an engineer at a gold mine. We chat about how he spent his 20's working at a ski resort in California and how he is impressed by my decision to join the Peace Corps. This leads to my 25 Ghana Cedi (roughly my weekly pay) Cuban cigar!! Peanuts to him and such a treat for me!!
I feel as though I'm leaving out so much detail but I'll answer questions in my next blog.
I'll likely update more on Thursday. Love you all!!
A rough chronological description of my trip across the world within Ghana:
5:30am- wake up to Kua making her signature noises. When she yawns, she makes a sound much like a human might make when having a good morning stretch and yawn.
6am- check, water and weed my 100 poly bags (50 store bought black bags and 50 recycled water sachets) to find that 2 have sprouted!! How exciting!! It's been one week and there is already some growth.
7am- After reading small (some Ghanaian English for you. To read a little bit) sit down for tea and biscuits with Dorothy and Stephen. Trade several dozen high fives with Atta (the female half of the pair of twins. In only one week she's gone from crying at the site of me to smiling and high fiving. YES!!)
8am- Collect 145 eggs from the chicken coops behind my house. These coops are built out of wood and bamboo. Each holds maybe 200 chickens. On one side of each coop, there are hinged doors that open into the laying area (I'll explain better when I know more). The 8am collection is incredibly hectic. While carrying a small plastic basket in one hand, I'm pushing chickens off of their eggs in order to collect the eggs 3 at a time while pushing back the daredevil chickens as they try to escape. I've already sweat through my shirt. After collecting, I put the eggs in crates (each holds 30 eggs) and record the number in the daily log.
9am- after reading small, collect 72 eggs.
10am- Casey has called to let me know that we're going to Accra today instead of tomorrow. Collect 45 eggs.
11am- Collect 20 eggs. Check on my poly bags again. Clearly nothing new has happened since 6am but it's fun to see that there are two sprouts!!
11-12- Eat lunch (boiled plantains and a stew/sauce of peppers and fish), discuss a shopping list with Dorothy. Bike 5 kilometers to the junction to wait for a tro.
12-12:15- Sit and drink a cold Coca Cola (SO GOOD!!) while talking to Maku (market woman at the Sekesua junction market. Chat with a man about my work with the Peace Corps as he tells me in detail about the volunteer that taught him science while he was a Secondary School student in 1969.
12:15-1pm- Travel east to Asesewa to meet Casey at his local market. Continue the conversation with the nice man from the junction.
1-1:30- Buy 6000 cabbage, 4000 onion and 5000 tomatoes (that's how you order what you want) from various market women. Ordering and haggling is done in Dangme which is exciting for me as well as the market women who like to see that the Blefono (Obruni in Damgme) can speak the language.
1:30-3- Text other volunteers to check on their mental/physical status. It's odd to go from constant contact to no cell phone reception. Run various errands with Casey as he prepares to leave site for the last time before going to Seattle for a month.
3-6- travel by tro West to Odumase, travel Southeast to Accra. Make a pit stop at the Sekesua Junction to drop off groceries (in my new eco-friendly chico bag) with Maku.
6-7- catch up with the other volunteers at the office. Find interesting books to take from the communal book room. Find some spices in the free box!! This is great since I now have great spices to add to my food while also sad because they're likely left by somebody who went home early.
7-12- travel with some more tenured volunteers into town for burgers followed by an American style bar (Duncans) followed by a swanky American style bar (Monsoons). Monsoons has black and white photos ranging from Humphrey Bogart to Bob Marley to the Beatles. Chat and schmooze with ex pats. The most interesting ex pat is a man named Heta. He's from New Zealand, has been working in Ghana for 5 years as an engineer at a gold mine. We chat about how he spent his 20's working at a ski resort in California and how he is impressed by my decision to join the Peace Corps. This leads to my 25 Ghana Cedi (roughly my weekly pay) Cuban cigar!! Peanuts to him and such a treat for me!!
I feel as though I'm leaving out so much detail but I'll answer questions in my next blog.
I'll likely update more on Thursday. Love you all!!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Going it solo
Now that we've all sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers, we're on our own. I don't have electricity, running water or cell phone reception so I'll have to come to Koforidua to access any modern technology.
I finally arrived at site last Saturday. It's taking some getting used to it but I can see the potential for change. It's hard to differentiate needs from wants from feasible projects. As for now, I'll update what I'm planning.
I planted 100 Moringa seeds right after I got to site. Even if this is only a small percentage of what I'll plant over my time at site, it will give me something to do and will give a tangible marker of my time at site.
I collect eggs several times each day with my counterpart Stephen. While collecting eggs a few days ago, I actually saw an egg come out of a chicken. What a painful life!! Laying an egg every day seems like miserable work!!
Stephen took me to visit a local primary school. There are 100 students and 4 teachers. When I went to visit, 2 of the teachers were sitting out front. I'll have to figure out when/how often I will be able to teach there.
Yesterday, I sat with Dorothy (Stephen's mother) at her market stand. We were at the Sekesua market all day. It's weird to think that sitting at a market and greeting people is a very effective approach to my work. For now, the most important thing for me to do is to be seen. I must show that I'll be around and that I'm integrated in the community and understand what people need/want. Toward the end of the day, I sat and chatted with a guy named Ransford. He's and Stephen are friends and each of them recently finished Secondary School. Ransford received high enough scores to attend University but didn't do well enough in English or Biology to study medicine. I'm hoping to be able to help Stephen and Ransford study for their October exams.
I'll be going to Accra on Monday and will drop off bank account numbers. Once again, I'm in charge of information that is far too important. I collected bank account numbers for over 40 new volunteers and without that information, the Peace Corps can't pay any of us!! I'll also follow up with my APCD (Sammie D.) regarding the food sharing program. I'm hoping to have certificates printed and distributed by Christmas but that might be too soon.
A few notes of differences in life:
I hear Christmas songs on the radio all day!! I suppose it's the same in some parts of America but it's so strange to hear "dashing through the snow," when I'm walking along dust covered roads and dripping sweat.
"Free Range Chickens," will never be the same. In Ghana, to free range is to take a shit wherever you want. Many people squat on the side of the road whenever nature calls. Not surprisingly, people also allow chickens to roam the streets free. It's not uncommon for these chickens to eat what is left on the roadside by their owners. Free Range Chickens in Ghana are NO GOOD!!
The perception of money is SO different. I tried to explain earning potential and the cost of living in the United States. When a haircut costs the equivalent of 50 cents and an hour long taxi ride costs a dollar, explaining how earning 3,000 dollars per month is insufficient in many major cities isn't well understood.
Babies react to me in a completely new way. I like to think that I'm good with children and that they react well to me. In Ghana, the typical reaction is complete bewilderment. Before deciding whether I'm a nice person, babies and infants must decide "WHAT IS THAT?" It's amusing at this point and after a week at site, the twins are smiling and giving high fives instead of crying and running away. Success!!
Love you all!! Please let me know if you have any specific questions. I have a hard time recognizing differences until I receive specific questions. Please let me know if you have any.
I finally arrived at site last Saturday. It's taking some getting used to it but I can see the potential for change. It's hard to differentiate needs from wants from feasible projects. As for now, I'll update what I'm planning.
I planted 100 Moringa seeds right after I got to site. Even if this is only a small percentage of what I'll plant over my time at site, it will give me something to do and will give a tangible marker of my time at site.
I collect eggs several times each day with my counterpart Stephen. While collecting eggs a few days ago, I actually saw an egg come out of a chicken. What a painful life!! Laying an egg every day seems like miserable work!!
Stephen took me to visit a local primary school. There are 100 students and 4 teachers. When I went to visit, 2 of the teachers were sitting out front. I'll have to figure out when/how often I will be able to teach there.
Yesterday, I sat with Dorothy (Stephen's mother) at her market stand. We were at the Sekesua market all day. It's weird to think that sitting at a market and greeting people is a very effective approach to my work. For now, the most important thing for me to do is to be seen. I must show that I'll be around and that I'm integrated in the community and understand what people need/want. Toward the end of the day, I sat and chatted with a guy named Ransford. He's and Stephen are friends and each of them recently finished Secondary School. Ransford received high enough scores to attend University but didn't do well enough in English or Biology to study medicine. I'm hoping to be able to help Stephen and Ransford study for their October exams.
I'll be going to Accra on Monday and will drop off bank account numbers. Once again, I'm in charge of information that is far too important. I collected bank account numbers for over 40 new volunteers and without that information, the Peace Corps can't pay any of us!! I'll also follow up with my APCD (Sammie D.) regarding the food sharing program. I'm hoping to have certificates printed and distributed by Christmas but that might be too soon.
A few notes of differences in life:
I hear Christmas songs on the radio all day!! I suppose it's the same in some parts of America but it's so strange to hear "dashing through the snow," when I'm walking along dust covered roads and dripping sweat.
"Free Range Chickens," will never be the same. In Ghana, to free range is to take a shit wherever you want. Many people squat on the side of the road whenever nature calls. Not surprisingly, people also allow chickens to roam the streets free. It's not uncommon for these chickens to eat what is left on the roadside by their owners. Free Range Chickens in Ghana are NO GOOD!!
The perception of money is SO different. I tried to explain earning potential and the cost of living in the United States. When a haircut costs the equivalent of 50 cents and an hour long taxi ride costs a dollar, explaining how earning 3,000 dollars per month is insufficient in many major cities isn't well understood.
Babies react to me in a completely new way. I like to think that I'm good with children and that they react well to me. In Ghana, the typical reaction is complete bewilderment. Before deciding whether I'm a nice person, babies and infants must decide "WHAT IS THAT?" It's amusing at this point and after a week at site, the twins are smiling and giving high fives instead of crying and running away. Success!!
Love you all!! Please let me know if you have any specific questions. I have a hard time recognizing differences until I receive specific questions. Please let me know if you have any.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Soccer experience abridged
Having been in Ghana for 2 1/2 months now, I have a good number of soccer experiences to share. Though I would have liked to give great details about each experience, I'll have to give a chronological account of what I've been able to enjoy while in the Techiman area.
Week 3: After watching the local Aworowa team play each afternoon while walking from sector lessons to my home, it was time to stop explaining to onlookers that "Yes, I know what football is." Will and I got out of class early one afternoon and headed to the pitch at around 3:30. Several of the guys were sitting around playing cards but nobody else was playing yet. Will and I started to warm up and kick the ball around. Slowly but surely, we heard jeers and laughter as onlookers realized that we had actually touched a ball before. As some local players joined, I decided to get in goal and let people take shots to warm up. I haven't played keeper since I was maybe 12 but thought it would be fun to let the guys take shots on the Obruni. I'm no Barthez but I turned away most of the shots that came my way and within minutes was getting invitations to play keeper during the afternoons game. I decided to play on the field.
Teams were divided and I was put on the "skins" team. Never have I felt so white!! I'm sure that the darkest freckle on my body would look like a pale imperfection on the body of any of my teammates. As the game started, more and more spectators trickled in. I was taking it slow since the field is about 70% clay dust, full of pot-holes and sits with a 5% decline towards the goal I was attacking. Unsure of my touch and cautious about the strength of my knee, I kept every possession to one or two touches. Not long after the game started however, one of those touches resulted in a half volley rocket to break a 0-0 tie. I received a cross from the left side and made great contact with the laces of my Puma Roma's. The response was amazing. My team erupted and I was getting hugs and high fives from guys who laughed at my presence not an hour earlier.
The game ended in a 2-2 tie and Will scored a penalty kick to keep the obruni score tied also. My pride kept me on the field for the entire game though by the end, I was so dehydrated that I could spit no farther than my upper lip. The next morning, men women and children around town greeted me with an entirely new attitude. "Wo ko bobo??" they would ask as they swung their legs at an imaginary ball. No matter what time of day or what clothes I was wearing, I was asked if I was on my way to play football. When you're one of 6 white people in a town, word spreads fast if anything happens and gaining the reputation of a talented football player is much as I could have hoped for.
Week 5: After a few makeshift practices with my fellow trainees, the time came for Trainee vs. Trainer match #1. We met in the SED training town of Nsuta and at 3pm were matched up against language trainers, Peace Corps volunteers and drivers. Our roster boasted two college players, a few high schoolers and many other dedicated though inexperienced players. While outshooting our opposition maybe 25-5, we lost 3-1 and left the field exhausted and dejected. I'll admit that at certain points in the game, we connected 3 or 4 one touch passes down the field and looked like a real team.
Week 9: With only one rain interrupted Aworowa practice since the fifth week, it was time for our rematch with the trainers. This time we played in Akrofrom, a sister town to Aworowa. By this time, we had all passed our respective language exams and had moved out of our homestay sites. With over 100 onlookers present, retribution was achieved!! I scored on a breakaway after 15 minutes of peppering the opposing goal with shots. Egan and Jon scored goals of their own before half time and Caitlin put away our one goal of the second half to give a 4-0 lead. The trainers scored a late goal to give a final score of 4-1 but we felt GOOD. Training was over, we were preparing to move to site and we played some beautiful soccer while looking like a real team. It's a bit sad that we won't play as a team again while in Ghana. We've all dispersed and many of us will only see each other a few more times while in country. Bitter-sweet for sure but as always, I'll focus on the sweet!
Love to you all.
Happy Birthday Gran Fran!!!!!!!
Week 3: After watching the local Aworowa team play each afternoon while walking from sector lessons to my home, it was time to stop explaining to onlookers that "Yes, I know what football is." Will and I got out of class early one afternoon and headed to the pitch at around 3:30. Several of the guys were sitting around playing cards but nobody else was playing yet. Will and I started to warm up and kick the ball around. Slowly but surely, we heard jeers and laughter as onlookers realized that we had actually touched a ball before. As some local players joined, I decided to get in goal and let people take shots to warm up. I haven't played keeper since I was maybe 12 but thought it would be fun to let the guys take shots on the Obruni. I'm no Barthez but I turned away most of the shots that came my way and within minutes was getting invitations to play keeper during the afternoons game. I decided to play on the field.
Teams were divided and I was put on the "skins" team. Never have I felt so white!! I'm sure that the darkest freckle on my body would look like a pale imperfection on the body of any of my teammates. As the game started, more and more spectators trickled in. I was taking it slow since the field is about 70% clay dust, full of pot-holes and sits with a 5% decline towards the goal I was attacking. Unsure of my touch and cautious about the strength of my knee, I kept every possession to one or two touches. Not long after the game started however, one of those touches resulted in a half volley rocket to break a 0-0 tie. I received a cross from the left side and made great contact with the laces of my Puma Roma's. The response was amazing. My team erupted and I was getting hugs and high fives from guys who laughed at my presence not an hour earlier.
The game ended in a 2-2 tie and Will scored a penalty kick to keep the obruni score tied also. My pride kept me on the field for the entire game though by the end, I was so dehydrated that I could spit no farther than my upper lip. The next morning, men women and children around town greeted me with an entirely new attitude. "Wo ko bobo??" they would ask as they swung their legs at an imaginary ball. No matter what time of day or what clothes I was wearing, I was asked if I was on my way to play football. When you're one of 6 white people in a town, word spreads fast if anything happens and gaining the reputation of a talented football player is much as I could have hoped for.
Week 5: After a few makeshift practices with my fellow trainees, the time came for Trainee vs. Trainer match #1. We met in the SED training town of Nsuta and at 3pm were matched up against language trainers, Peace Corps volunteers and drivers. Our roster boasted two college players, a few high schoolers and many other dedicated though inexperienced players. While outshooting our opposition maybe 25-5, we lost 3-1 and left the field exhausted and dejected. I'll admit that at certain points in the game, we connected 3 or 4 one touch passes down the field and looked like a real team.
Week 9: With only one rain interrupted Aworowa practice since the fifth week, it was time for our rematch with the trainers. This time we played in Akrofrom, a sister town to Aworowa. By this time, we had all passed our respective language exams and had moved out of our homestay sites. With over 100 onlookers present, retribution was achieved!! I scored on a breakaway after 15 minutes of peppering the opposing goal with shots. Egan and Jon scored goals of their own before half time and Caitlin put away our one goal of the second half to give a 4-0 lead. The trainers scored a late goal to give a final score of 4-1 but we felt GOOD. Training was over, we were preparing to move to site and we played some beautiful soccer while looking like a real team. It's a bit sad that we won't play as a team again while in Ghana. We've all dispersed and many of us will only see each other a few more times while in country. Bitter-sweet for sure but as always, I'll focus on the sweet!
Love to you all.
Happy Birthday Gran Fran!!!!!!!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Another brief note
I forgot to mention a strange situation that I enjoyed this morning. While still funny, this is more gross than anything. My puppy Kua (it means Monkey in Dangme)is 2 months old and very cute. She's been living with my homestay family since I've been there and yesterday, I finally took her with me.
This morning, while preparing to move from the Dery Hotel following swearing in; I was woken up by somebody knocking on the door and saying "Your dog is covered in shit!!"
I left the room to find the tiny pup shivering while some of my fellow volunteers held her still and doused her in sachet water (I think I've explained that we drink water from .5 liter bags). I proceeded to take the dog to the shower, hold her in my arms while washing human feces from her fur. I'm not sure how it happened but it seems that she must have fallen in one of the many open drainage ditches in the area.
While bathing Kua, I noticed a few ticks in her ears so after the shower, I pulled no less than 10 ticks (some as large as watermelon seeds) from her ears.
Gross but not really a big deal while living in Africa.
This morning, while preparing to move from the Dery Hotel following swearing in; I was woken up by somebody knocking on the door and saying "Your dog is covered in shit!!"
I left the room to find the tiny pup shivering while some of my fellow volunteers held her still and doused her in sachet water (I think I've explained that we drink water from .5 liter bags). I proceeded to take the dog to the shower, hold her in my arms while washing human feces from her fur. I'm not sure how it happened but it seems that she must have fallen in one of the many open drainage ditches in the area.
While bathing Kua, I noticed a few ticks in her ears so after the shower, I pulled no less than 10 ticks (some as large as watermelon seeds) from her ears.
Gross but not really a big deal while living in Africa.
Brief Update
I'm an official Peace Corps Volunteer. We had our swearing in ceremony yesterday. All around I'd say that it went well. As far as my direct connection is concerned, I played African drums during part of the ceremony and took part in a skit in Dangme in front of Peace Corps officials, host families and volunteers.
It's crazy to think that we're through training and the 2 year countdown is starting.
To get an idea of how quickly one can acclamate to a new environment, please consider the following situation:
I'm sitting in my compound listening to the Ghana vs. Togo soccer game. The radio commentator is speaking Twi. I couldn't understand anything but got a good idea of what was going on by listening to the intonation pattern.
When a goal was scored and people around me started to react, I took a moment to actually look around.
Ten feet in front of me, an eight year old girl was sitting in a metal bucket, taking a bath. Her 10 year old brother was running around naked while waiting for his turn in the bucket. 15 feet to my left, some mystery woman (she appeared randomly in the compound while I was away for a few days)was nursing her 4 month old baby. Across the compound, the 75 year old grandmother sat shucking corn with while wearing only a piece of cloth around her waist. Three young men sit eating Fufu on the other side of the compound. Since I've lived in Ghana, I've not been able to communicate with them and I'm not quite sure how they're connected.
Not only is this situation normal, it seems that I'm writing a boring entry since it's so common to me now.
Weird. I'll update soon.
Love you all!
It's crazy to think that we're through training and the 2 year countdown is starting.
To get an idea of how quickly one can acclamate to a new environment, please consider the following situation:
I'm sitting in my compound listening to the Ghana vs. Togo soccer game. The radio commentator is speaking Twi. I couldn't understand anything but got a good idea of what was going on by listening to the intonation pattern.
When a goal was scored and people around me started to react, I took a moment to actually look around.
Ten feet in front of me, an eight year old girl was sitting in a metal bucket, taking a bath. Her 10 year old brother was running around naked while waiting for his turn in the bucket. 15 feet to my left, some mystery woman (she appeared randomly in the compound while I was away for a few days)was nursing her 4 month old baby. Across the compound, the 75 year old grandmother sat shucking corn with while wearing only a piece of cloth around her waist. Three young men sit eating Fufu on the other side of the compound. Since I've lived in Ghana, I've not been able to communicate with them and I'm not quite sure how they're connected.
Not only is this situation normal, it seems that I'm writing a boring entry since it's so common to me now.
Weird. I'll update soon.
Love you all!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Travel
I know I just posted yesterday but I'd like to share another travel experience. Site visit came to a close today so I made plans with my 4 fellow Eastern Region trainees to meet at the Koforidua bus station at 10am this morning. The plan was as follows:
5:30- Wake up and ensure that I'm properly packed and ready to go.
6:00-7:00- Breakfast and help with any odd chores that need doing.
7:30- Go with Dorothy (host site Mother) to the Sekesua market where she sells eggs and other goodies every Wednesday.
8:30- Board a taxi from Sekesua to Koforidua to ensure that I'm there by 10am (the ride shouldn't take more than an hour)
10:00- meet with my fellow trainees and wait for the Kumasi bound bus.
2:00ish- arrive at the Kumasi sub-office for a nice afternoon of R&R. (Please don't think that I expected every aspect of this plan to go smoothly)
Actual travel day:
5:30- Wake up and ensure that I'm properly packed and ready to go.
6:00-7:00- Make 2 trips to the borehole down the road to fetch water. They're starting me out with the small bucket. It's maybe 1/3 the size of the normal bucket. I tried Ghanaian style on the second trip and put the bucket on my head. I'm proud to say that I only spilled a little and not at all until taking the bucket down from my head. The small spill was still enough to soak my clothes from naval to knee. During this time I also enjoyed maybe a half dozen impromptu language lessons.
7:00-7:30- Prepared and ate breakfast
7:30-8:20- Spoke with my supervisor/site father about prospective projects for the next two years while waiting for the Sekesua car to arrive.
8:20-8:40- joined the Sekesua car and travelled the 2.5 Km to the market. YES, it took 20 minutes to travel 2.5 Km due to the stops and the cramming of people/foodstuffs.
8:40-9:10- Helped Dorothy set up her market while struggling to greet people in Dangme before rushing off to get the Koforidua car.
9:10-10:25- Sat by myself in the Koforidua car while waiting for the car to fill. Sweat completely through the front and back of my shirt.
10:25-11:05- Travelled in a taxi (think VERY compact car) while sharing the back seat with 3 Ghanaians. The woman to my immediate right was quite large and had 4 live chickens sitting on her lap!!
11:05-1:00- Sat with my 4 co-trainees in the Kumasi bound bus until it was completely full.
1:00-4:00- Travelled from Koforidua to Kumasi with minimal disruption.
4:00- Finally took off the t-shirt that was STILL drenched with sweat.
From what I understand, this is a successful commute. I just wanted to give a few details. No matter how well prepared I am for any particular day, I'm still in Ghana and time/urgency is not the same.
5:30- Wake up and ensure that I'm properly packed and ready to go.
6:00-7:00- Breakfast and help with any odd chores that need doing.
7:30- Go with Dorothy (host site Mother) to the Sekesua market where she sells eggs and other goodies every Wednesday.
8:30- Board a taxi from Sekesua to Koforidua to ensure that I'm there by 10am (the ride shouldn't take more than an hour)
10:00- meet with my fellow trainees and wait for the Kumasi bound bus.
2:00ish- arrive at the Kumasi sub-office for a nice afternoon of R&R. (Please don't think that I expected every aspect of this plan to go smoothly)
Actual travel day:
5:30- Wake up and ensure that I'm properly packed and ready to go.
6:00-7:00- Make 2 trips to the borehole down the road to fetch water. They're starting me out with the small bucket. It's maybe 1/3 the size of the normal bucket. I tried Ghanaian style on the second trip and put the bucket on my head. I'm proud to say that I only spilled a little and not at all until taking the bucket down from my head. The small spill was still enough to soak my clothes from naval to knee. During this time I also enjoyed maybe a half dozen impromptu language lessons.
7:00-7:30- Prepared and ate breakfast
7:30-8:20- Spoke with my supervisor/site father about prospective projects for the next two years while waiting for the Sekesua car to arrive.
8:20-8:40- joined the Sekesua car and travelled the 2.5 Km to the market. YES, it took 20 minutes to travel 2.5 Km due to the stops and the cramming of people/foodstuffs.
8:40-9:10- Helped Dorothy set up her market while struggling to greet people in Dangme before rushing off to get the Koforidua car.
9:10-10:25- Sat by myself in the Koforidua car while waiting for the car to fill. Sweat completely through the front and back of my shirt.
10:25-11:05- Travelled in a taxi (think VERY compact car) while sharing the back seat with 3 Ghanaians. The woman to my immediate right was quite large and had 4 live chickens sitting on her lap!!
11:05-1:00- Sat with my 4 co-trainees in the Kumasi bound bus until it was completely full.
1:00-4:00- Travelled from Koforidua to Kumasi with minimal disruption.
4:00- Finally took off the t-shirt that was STILL drenched with sweat.
From what I understand, this is a successful commute. I just wanted to give a few details. No matter how well prepared I am for any particular day, I'm still in Ghana and time/urgency is not the same.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Site Visit
Get ready for a whole new list of anxieties and concerns. For the past 4 days, we've all been staying at our site. We now know where and with whom we'll be living for the next 2 years. Just before site visit, we had a 3 day workshop with our supervisors and counterparts. Since I had already met mine, I had a very interesting vantage point during this time. I could see how each PCT was dealing with his/her particular worries. Some found out that they'll be learning a language different from what they've been taught while others learned that they'll be living in what would be American mansions. One trainee is having a latrine built specifically for her. The addition of this latrine will be the second in a village of over 2,000 people. Nurses use one latrine, this volunteer will use the other while the 2,000 residents use the road or bush as a toilet.
This week will let us all know what to expect. I'm getting used to going to bed at 6 or 7 o'clock since there is no electricity. Reading by candlelight with rain pounding on my zinc roof is something that I can definitely get used to.
A few things to look forward to:
I announced my food sharing idea to the 130 or so people at the counterpart workshop. It felt like my voice was shaking and my thoughts were going wild but my friends say that I was perfectly coherent. Step one is complete but we'll see how much traction is made moving forward. I'm thinking of getting some official looking certificates made and having churches make collections. It seems that in Ghana, it's hard to get people to donate goods but when you add religion and can give something in return, the possibility seems to be much greater.
An order has been placed for the first 500 Moringa seeds so when I get to site, I can nurse the first 500 trees while we're in the dry season. 3 months of growth will be a great head start for the "Johnny Moringaseed," project.
Honey harvests start in December so I'll also be able to take part in the process. I'm very excited about this idea!! My supervisor hopes that the two of us will be able to write an instructional book about beekeeping in collaboration with citrus farming. I don't know more than that but I'm all for it.
Baby weigh ins and polio vaccines also start in December. This will be a great way to meet everyone in the community.
I spent today in Koforidua market. I'm so happy to have been placed in the Eastern region. The market here is great, the biggest bead market in West Africa is held every Thursday!!!
More to come. Love to all!!
This week will let us all know what to expect. I'm getting used to going to bed at 6 or 7 o'clock since there is no electricity. Reading by candlelight with rain pounding on my zinc roof is something that I can definitely get used to.
A few things to look forward to:
I announced my food sharing idea to the 130 or so people at the counterpart workshop. It felt like my voice was shaking and my thoughts were going wild but my friends say that I was perfectly coherent. Step one is complete but we'll see how much traction is made moving forward. I'm thinking of getting some official looking certificates made and having churches make collections. It seems that in Ghana, it's hard to get people to donate goods but when you add religion and can give something in return, the possibility seems to be much greater.
An order has been placed for the first 500 Moringa seeds so when I get to site, I can nurse the first 500 trees while we're in the dry season. 3 months of growth will be a great head start for the "Johnny Moringaseed," project.
Honey harvests start in December so I'll also be able to take part in the process. I'm very excited about this idea!! My supervisor hopes that the two of us will be able to write an instructional book about beekeeping in collaboration with citrus farming. I don't know more than that but I'm all for it.
Baby weigh ins and polio vaccines also start in December. This will be a great way to meet everyone in the community.
I spent today in Koforidua market. I'm so happy to have been placed in the Eastern region. The market here is great, the biggest bead market in West Africa is held every Thursday!!!
More to come. Love to all!!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Quick news
Time is flying by over here in Ghana. While it's still surreal to think that I'll be here for over 2 years, it's also difficult to think that I've been here for the better part of 2 months. While each day moves a bit slowly, the weeks and months are flying by.
Over the past few weeks, we Aworowa (Environment) volunteers have been doing our best to give back to the community. We have now had 3 meetings with our Environment Club and each time we visit, the children are more engaged and receptive.
Our last visit was not about the Environment but was an opportunity to make our first HIV/AIDS presentation. Our group is 3 men and 3 women so we split the club according to gender. I recommended this as a way to minimize the embarrassment/acting up. This seemed to work well as the kids (13-15 yrs old) asked great questions.
As far as the presentation is concerned, we focused on the ABC's of HIV and AIDS prevention
A- Absitenence
B- Be Faithful
C- Condom use
Considering the age, we continually re-iterated that absitence is the only 100% safe sexual practice but beyond that I feel that we were very honest and helpful.
We played a Lions/Elephants game in which one student is a baby elephant, 6 students act as protective adult elephants while 4 students are predatory lions who are trying to take the baby elephant away. After each attempt, a student acting as a hunter comes and takes away two of the adult elephants. Obviously, each time, it's easier for the Lions to take the baby elephant. Can you guess what each character represents? The baby elephant is your life, the adult elephants are your immune system, the lions are various illnesses and the hunter is AIDS. It was a great way to get the students involved and really gets the point across. While AIDS doesn't kill you by itself, it destroys your immune system and makes it easier for other illnesses to kill you.
The next game was like a cat and mouse game in which one student tries to tag the others as they run past through a designated field. All those who make it safely across get to run again while those who are tagged must help tag the runners. I'm assume you get the idea. This game was an example of how even if one person has HIV, they can spread it to everybody indirectly if not practicing safe sex.
We played this cat/mouse game for 3 rounds. During round two, the students were given the option to stay behind the line in the safety zone (abstinence). It was no surprise that some rogue students tested the system but those who ran were all eventually caught.
Prior to the third round, we gave each student a folded up piece of paper with an X or an O on it. After all of the students were tagged, we allowed them to reveal the letter on the paper. Those with an O were said to have worn a condom and were brought back to safety.
After the games, we opened the floor for questions. Kwame, the group president solemnly asked; "If a witch comes and eats you during the night, is it possible for you to get HIV?" I wasn't sure how to answer this but all of the students looked on with sincere interest. So as not to insult local folklore, I asked if the witch had HIV and reminded the students of the 4 fluids through which it can be transmitted. After my explanation, the headmaster came by to say that it's common knowledge that witches will boil or cook your flesh before she eats you so the virus would die before you are eaten. I'm not sure if HIV affects people after they've been eaten alive but I didn't want to get too deep into that.
For the second straight meeting, a local FM station was present and took notes and interviewed us. Only 6 weeks in the country and I've been on TV and on the radio. It's strange for sure!!
Sorry I'm slacking on the soccer stories, there are more to add and I'll get to it soon enough.
We all go see our site this week so there should be new excitement/trepidation amongst the group.
I've been trying to implement a food sharing program between volunteers in the South and those in the North. For those who don't know, there have been issues with flood/drought in the North and the coming dry season could prove very trying.
A few of us met with members of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as a first step so I know that a great deal of action has already been taken. I'll keep you all updated as to whether or not we're able to get a program together.
Love to all!!
Over the past few weeks, we Aworowa (Environment) volunteers have been doing our best to give back to the community. We have now had 3 meetings with our Environment Club and each time we visit, the children are more engaged and receptive.
Our last visit was not about the Environment but was an opportunity to make our first HIV/AIDS presentation. Our group is 3 men and 3 women so we split the club according to gender. I recommended this as a way to minimize the embarrassment/acting up. This seemed to work well as the kids (13-15 yrs old) asked great questions.
As far as the presentation is concerned, we focused on the ABC's of HIV and AIDS prevention
A- Absitenence
B- Be Faithful
C- Condom use
Considering the age, we continually re-iterated that absitence is the only 100% safe sexual practice but beyond that I feel that we were very honest and helpful.
We played a Lions/Elephants game in which one student is a baby elephant, 6 students act as protective adult elephants while 4 students are predatory lions who are trying to take the baby elephant away. After each attempt, a student acting as a hunter comes and takes away two of the adult elephants. Obviously, each time, it's easier for the Lions to take the baby elephant. Can you guess what each character represents? The baby elephant is your life, the adult elephants are your immune system, the lions are various illnesses and the hunter is AIDS. It was a great way to get the students involved and really gets the point across. While AIDS doesn't kill you by itself, it destroys your immune system and makes it easier for other illnesses to kill you.
The next game was like a cat and mouse game in which one student tries to tag the others as they run past through a designated field. All those who make it safely across get to run again while those who are tagged must help tag the runners. I'm assume you get the idea. This game was an example of how even if one person has HIV, they can spread it to everybody indirectly if not practicing safe sex.
We played this cat/mouse game for 3 rounds. During round two, the students were given the option to stay behind the line in the safety zone (abstinence). It was no surprise that some rogue students tested the system but those who ran were all eventually caught.
Prior to the third round, we gave each student a folded up piece of paper with an X or an O on it. After all of the students were tagged, we allowed them to reveal the letter on the paper. Those with an O were said to have worn a condom and were brought back to safety.
After the games, we opened the floor for questions. Kwame, the group president solemnly asked; "If a witch comes and eats you during the night, is it possible for you to get HIV?" I wasn't sure how to answer this but all of the students looked on with sincere interest. So as not to insult local folklore, I asked if the witch had HIV and reminded the students of the 4 fluids through which it can be transmitted. After my explanation, the headmaster came by to say that it's common knowledge that witches will boil or cook your flesh before she eats you so the virus would die before you are eaten. I'm not sure if HIV affects people after they've been eaten alive but I didn't want to get too deep into that.
For the second straight meeting, a local FM station was present and took notes and interviewed us. Only 6 weeks in the country and I've been on TV and on the radio. It's strange for sure!!
Sorry I'm slacking on the soccer stories, there are more to add and I'll get to it soon enough.
We all go see our site this week so there should be new excitement/trepidation amongst the group.
I've been trying to implement a food sharing program between volunteers in the South and those in the North. For those who don't know, there have been issues with flood/drought in the North and the coming dry season could prove very trying.
A few of us met with members of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture as a first step so I know that a great deal of action has already been taken. I'll keep you all updated as to whether or not we're able to get a program together.
Love to all!!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Disconnect
From what I understand, there's a bit of a disconnect between what I've written on my blog and what has been said on the "Peace Corps Family Support Group," site. I'm not sure if that's what the group is called but I've caught wind that there has been mention of issues including intestinal issues, sunburns, bug bites, latrine problems, head shaving, heat rash and more.
For the first month in Ghana, I was able to elude all of the above issues. I shaved my head before arrival and it has proved to be a wise move. Since we've arrived in country, 4 girls and maybe 10 guys have shaved their heads to cope with heat and make bathing easier and more efficient. I've yet to get a single mosquito bite (amazing considering my track record). I'm sure I've gotten some color but no sunburns to speak of. I've had no heat rash issues at all. Cockroaches and flies seem to be having a bit of a turf war in my pit latrine but that can be expected in a deep pit of poo.
Just after the one month mark, while on field trip, a number of my fellow environment volunteers and I ate some bad meat. For the most part, we all had upset stomachs and were always ready to use a nice toilet if available. Unfortunately, nice toilets are almost NEVER available in Ghana so we had to manage with what was available.
As a group, we stayed one night at the Kobs Hotel near Koforidua in the Eastern Region. This place was a shit hole when we got there and far worse when we left. Split amongst five rooms, we all eagerly ran to our respective toilets and got to work. To give an idea of the quality of these rooms, I went to put the key in the lock and the door opened on its own. I pushed the bathroom door open to use the toilet and stepped in a huge puddle between the door and the toilet. Once I had used the toilet, I realized that it would not flush (not pleasant), I looked for a light switch so I could fix the toilet but there was no light. I went to open the curtains to use natural light but there were blood stains all over the curtains. Scary huh? There is no doubt that this was blood and I'm not talking about drops of blood so much as splattered blood. Needless to say, we got a new room. The new room had a pungent mildew smell to it but had running water (shower but no toilet) and a light in the bathroom. With our Ghana Tummy (the nice local term for diarrhea) still going strong in the morning and no flushing toilets, the ten of us actually managed to leave the Kobs Hotel in worse shape than we found it.
Just to let you all know that Peace Corps Ghana hasn't gone without any struggles, I'll continue with another brief Ghana Tummy story. During the 10 hour trip from our final field trip location and our homestays, the bumpy tro ride was less than forgiving on the guts. Only one of my counterparts had to make an emergency stop but the rest of us had to resort to some shady restrooms on the way. I'm going to add some detail for hilarity sake but must apologize as it's not describing my finest moment.
Our first snack stop was at 8am, 3 hours after we left Amedika. My stomach was feeling much better but I thought I'd check out the bathroom to be safe. I had to pay 2000 cedis (equal to 20 cents in America but also 10% of our daily wage during training) to use the toilet and I'll admit that I got my moneys worth. While I can say I've learned a lot while in Ghana, I can't add acquiring perfect aim while squatting above a disgusting toilet and projectile piss pooing. Sorry for the graphic language but it's the best description I can think of and provided a never before seen opportunity for alliteration.
Anyhow, I missed the mark. Had the mark been a bullseye on the front of the water tank above the bowl, I'd be a famed marksman but instead, I was left with a relieved stomach, a destroyed toilet and no toilet paper or water to fix the latter. I used what was left in my bladder to dilute some of the remnants and used my cheap handkerchief as a TP substitute. Luckily, the bathroom attendant wasn't close by when I slyly slinked away.
I'm sorry I didn't mention this story during the baboon entry but I'm a bit embarrassed by the whole thing. Once I decided to share, I figured I might as well go all out. I hope this gets more laughs than retches but either way, you are welcome to share in my first bout with Ghana Tummy.
Until next time.
For the first month in Ghana, I was able to elude all of the above issues. I shaved my head before arrival and it has proved to be a wise move. Since we've arrived in country, 4 girls and maybe 10 guys have shaved their heads to cope with heat and make bathing easier and more efficient. I've yet to get a single mosquito bite (amazing considering my track record). I'm sure I've gotten some color but no sunburns to speak of. I've had no heat rash issues at all. Cockroaches and flies seem to be having a bit of a turf war in my pit latrine but that can be expected in a deep pit of poo.
Just after the one month mark, while on field trip, a number of my fellow environment volunteers and I ate some bad meat. For the most part, we all had upset stomachs and were always ready to use a nice toilet if available. Unfortunately, nice toilets are almost NEVER available in Ghana so we had to manage with what was available.
As a group, we stayed one night at the Kobs Hotel near Koforidua in the Eastern Region. This place was a shit hole when we got there and far worse when we left. Split amongst five rooms, we all eagerly ran to our respective toilets and got to work. To give an idea of the quality of these rooms, I went to put the key in the lock and the door opened on its own. I pushed the bathroom door open to use the toilet and stepped in a huge puddle between the door and the toilet. Once I had used the toilet, I realized that it would not flush (not pleasant), I looked for a light switch so I could fix the toilet but there was no light. I went to open the curtains to use natural light but there were blood stains all over the curtains. Scary huh? There is no doubt that this was blood and I'm not talking about drops of blood so much as splattered blood. Needless to say, we got a new room. The new room had a pungent mildew smell to it but had running water (shower but no toilet) and a light in the bathroom. With our Ghana Tummy (the nice local term for diarrhea) still going strong in the morning and no flushing toilets, the ten of us actually managed to leave the Kobs Hotel in worse shape than we found it.
Just to let you all know that Peace Corps Ghana hasn't gone without any struggles, I'll continue with another brief Ghana Tummy story. During the 10 hour trip from our final field trip location and our homestays, the bumpy tro ride was less than forgiving on the guts. Only one of my counterparts had to make an emergency stop but the rest of us had to resort to some shady restrooms on the way. I'm going to add some detail for hilarity sake but must apologize as it's not describing my finest moment.
Our first snack stop was at 8am, 3 hours after we left Amedika. My stomach was feeling much better but I thought I'd check out the bathroom to be safe. I had to pay 2000 cedis (equal to 20 cents in America but also 10% of our daily wage during training) to use the toilet and I'll admit that I got my moneys worth. While I can say I've learned a lot while in Ghana, I can't add acquiring perfect aim while squatting above a disgusting toilet and projectile piss pooing. Sorry for the graphic language but it's the best description I can think of and provided a never before seen opportunity for alliteration.
Anyhow, I missed the mark. Had the mark been a bullseye on the front of the water tank above the bowl, I'd be a famed marksman but instead, I was left with a relieved stomach, a destroyed toilet and no toilet paper or water to fix the latter. I used what was left in my bladder to dilute some of the remnants and used my cheap handkerchief as a TP substitute. Luckily, the bathroom attendant wasn't close by when I slyly slinked away.
I'm sorry I didn't mention this story during the baboon entry but I'm a bit embarrassed by the whole thing. Once I decided to share, I figured I might as well go all out. I hope this gets more laughs than retches but either way, you are welcome to share in my first bout with Ghana Tummy.
Until next time.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Soccer later
I'd like to write about the first Ghanaian soccer experience but too much other stuff has happened since my last post. We (the trainees) play against the trainers on Sunday so I'll combine that story with the first experience.
Since I last posted, we visited the Buoyem bat caves and went on a 5 day field trip. I've also twice prepared "pizza" for Ghanaians.
The bat caves were impressive but much more than anybody expected. The 44 of the 45 remaining volunteers (3 have now gone home) hiked a total of 6 hours in order to spend maybe 10 minutes looking at bats. The hike was great and the views beautiful but I'd venture to guess that it was the longest hike to date for many of my co-trainees. One girl has been nursing a pulled quadricep muscle and a few others were battling colds so by the end, we had quite a few invalids. One girl was actually taken to the hospital to be treated for dehydration!! Once I get settled, I'll post some photos so you can see the adventures. Photos don't do them justice but words do even less.
On Saturday, we were split into groups for a 5 day field trip. Water/Sanitation was broken into North/South, Environment into North/South and SED (Small Enterprise Development) stayed as one group. As a member of the Environment South group, I enjoyed many days of cramped travel through the country. Our first stop on the way toward the eastern region was in Kumasi. We spent a night at the Kumasi Institute of Tropical agriculture. We learned about mushroom farming, rabbit rearing, fish hatcheries, snail farming and a variety of permaculture and agro-forestry practices. We were all exhausted by the end of the day but enjoyed a treat from the students. Drummers and dancers greeted us from our last lecture and we were shown various cultural dances from each of the 10 regions in Ghana. The funniest part was that for whatever reason, a number of the men were dressed as women and danced around in high heels and skirts. Language/cultural divide prevented any explanation but it was funny regardless. Toward the end of the performance, the Ghanaians asked for a volunteer to show them how we dance in America. Though I'm not much of a dancer, I volunteered to get a lesson from the Ghanaians as we Americans can't hold a candle to their moves. It was embarrassing but was nice to step out of my shell a bit.
The next day was dedicated mostly to travel. Day three was spent with a current volunteer in Odomasi. We spent the day sitting with the chief and talking about Moringa (the "miracle" tree) and it's many uses. We were filmed by Ghana TV and were likely shown on the evening news. It's strange to get press since we knew nothing on the subject and simply sat under some trees while the chief spoke about Moringa.
Day 4 was brought our ten tired, smelly selves to Amedika. None of us felt especially motivated to do much but after a long day of travel, we were drug out to Shai Hills. None of us knew anything about Shai Hills but we went along. It was great!! We got there and realized that it's a nature preserve. Within 15 minutes, we were face to face with 5 baboons!! I'm talking no more than 5-10 feet away. It was truly amazing. We fed these wild baboons bananas. We'd throw small bits of bananas into the tree and the alpha male would snatch them out of the air with great ease.
After a while, I felt a bit more bold and stood with my arm outstretched and a bit of banana in my fingertips. The alpha male slowly moved toward the end of the branch, leaned over and snatched it from my hand. I wonder if his heart was beating as hard as mine was. What a rush!!
From there, we climbed into Shai hills (The Shai tribe lived there between 1778-1886) and used bat caves as a sanctuary while at war with the Ashanti). This bat cave was far more intense than those in Buoyem and only required a 10 minute hike. Very cool indeed. After Shai Hills, we went to see a "sacred forest." It is believed that a God lives in this forest and if one is caught cutting down a tree, the punishment is decapitation!! This visit was cut short by a SERIOUS thunder storm so we retired to the site of another current volunteer.
Today, we spent 9 hours in the van on our way back to Techiman. When I got back to my homestay, I was informed that while fumigating my room, my key was lost and my lock replaced. I waited around in the sun for a good thirty minutes before my homestay father decided to take a hammer to the massive padlock on my porch gate (I think I've explained this dungeoness porch). Quite amusing but not a good time considering my energy level.
That's it for now. I feel as though I rambled a bit so sorry for any disconnect. I'm out!! Love to all!!
Since I last posted, we visited the Buoyem bat caves and went on a 5 day field trip. I've also twice prepared "pizza" for Ghanaians.
The bat caves were impressive but much more than anybody expected. The 44 of the 45 remaining volunteers (3 have now gone home) hiked a total of 6 hours in order to spend maybe 10 minutes looking at bats. The hike was great and the views beautiful but I'd venture to guess that it was the longest hike to date for many of my co-trainees. One girl has been nursing a pulled quadricep muscle and a few others were battling colds so by the end, we had quite a few invalids. One girl was actually taken to the hospital to be treated for dehydration!! Once I get settled, I'll post some photos so you can see the adventures. Photos don't do them justice but words do even less.
On Saturday, we were split into groups for a 5 day field trip. Water/Sanitation was broken into North/South, Environment into North/South and SED (Small Enterprise Development) stayed as one group. As a member of the Environment South group, I enjoyed many days of cramped travel through the country. Our first stop on the way toward the eastern region was in Kumasi. We spent a night at the Kumasi Institute of Tropical agriculture. We learned about mushroom farming, rabbit rearing, fish hatcheries, snail farming and a variety of permaculture and agro-forestry practices. We were all exhausted by the end of the day but enjoyed a treat from the students. Drummers and dancers greeted us from our last lecture and we were shown various cultural dances from each of the 10 regions in Ghana. The funniest part was that for whatever reason, a number of the men were dressed as women and danced around in high heels and skirts. Language/cultural divide prevented any explanation but it was funny regardless. Toward the end of the performance, the Ghanaians asked for a volunteer to show them how we dance in America. Though I'm not much of a dancer, I volunteered to get a lesson from the Ghanaians as we Americans can't hold a candle to their moves. It was embarrassing but was nice to step out of my shell a bit.
The next day was dedicated mostly to travel. Day three was spent with a current volunteer in Odomasi. We spent the day sitting with the chief and talking about Moringa (the "miracle" tree) and it's many uses. We were filmed by Ghana TV and were likely shown on the evening news. It's strange to get press since we knew nothing on the subject and simply sat under some trees while the chief spoke about Moringa.
Day 4 was brought our ten tired, smelly selves to Amedika. None of us felt especially motivated to do much but after a long day of travel, we were drug out to Shai Hills. None of us knew anything about Shai Hills but we went along. It was great!! We got there and realized that it's a nature preserve. Within 15 minutes, we were face to face with 5 baboons!! I'm talking no more than 5-10 feet away. It was truly amazing. We fed these wild baboons bananas. We'd throw small bits of bananas into the tree and the alpha male would snatch them out of the air with great ease.
After a while, I felt a bit more bold and stood with my arm outstretched and a bit of banana in my fingertips. The alpha male slowly moved toward the end of the branch, leaned over and snatched it from my hand. I wonder if his heart was beating as hard as mine was. What a rush!!
From there, we climbed into Shai hills (The Shai tribe lived there between 1778-1886) and used bat caves as a sanctuary while at war with the Ashanti). This bat cave was far more intense than those in Buoyem and only required a 10 minute hike. Very cool indeed. After Shai Hills, we went to see a "sacred forest." It is believed that a God lives in this forest and if one is caught cutting down a tree, the punishment is decapitation!! This visit was cut short by a SERIOUS thunder storm so we retired to the site of another current volunteer.
Today, we spent 9 hours in the van on our way back to Techiman. When I got back to my homestay, I was informed that while fumigating my room, my key was lost and my lock replaced. I waited around in the sun for a good thirty minutes before my homestay father decided to take a hammer to the massive padlock on my porch gate (I think I've explained this dungeoness porch). Quite amusing but not a good time considering my energy level.
That's it for now. I feel as though I rambled a bit so sorry for any disconnect. I'm out!! Love to all!!
Friday, October 12, 2007
A typical day
Oddly enough, I'm already in a bit of a routine here. I'll do my best to summarize a typical day.
5:15am- Wake up to the sounds of Ghanaian radio, chickens, dogs, goats, sheep (they sound like screaming children), and many full volume conversations.
5:15-5:45- Lay beneath my mosquito net until I can motivate to get up.
6:00-6:45am- Will (my closest neighbor) and I go for a run while greeting EVERY Ghanaian we pass in Twi. It's a bit annoying to have to greet everyone when I'm not quite awake but I could have bigger problems than excessive friendliness.
6:45-7:15am- Breakfast (usually oats, an orange and a hunk of bread)
7:15-7:20am- Bucket bath. It REALLY wakes me up the day after a good rain, a good cup of cold water to the face really does the trick. A few days ago, my Ghanaian father explained to me how I've been bathing wrong. I MUST completely dry off before I leave the shower.
7:20-8:00am- Commute to either language or sector training. Language requires 45 minutes of taxi rides while sector is a 20 minute walk.
8am-12pm- Environment lessons (language and sector alternate morning and afternoon so I'm sure you can follow). We've learned about staple crops, water conservation methods, soil types, motivational techniques and much more. It's nice having little experience, it makes for very engaging class. We also do a number of hands on projects which makes the time fly by.
12pm-2pm- Commute/Lunch time. If there's time, I'll take another bucket bath. Walking any distance at noon will soak through a shirt in no time.
2pm-5pm- Language- I'm learning Dangme with two other volunteers. It's great to learn a new language but speaking Twi to and from class and learning Dangme during class gets a big confusing. 3 hours of language is overwhelming no matter what but I've enjoyed it.
5pm-6pm- Commute/sit- I'm usually pretty spent by this time so I'll read or sit around and chat with my homestay family.
6pm-7pm- Dinner- My meals are still somewhat American style but I'm getting better at eating sticky balls of mush and soup with my hands.
7pm-sleep- I'll usually read but this span of time is seldom more than an hour or so.
This schedule is pretty standard from Monday through Wednesday. Thursday and Friday afternoons are at the Dery Hotel. All of the trainees meet up for more cultural and general training.
Saturdays include a four hour language session and is usually followed by an inpromptu soccer practice (trainees vs. trainers in 5 weeks)
Sundays are free.
Next entry will include my first soccer game in Ghana. It was great but deserves a post of it's own.
Love to all
5:15am- Wake up to the sounds of Ghanaian radio, chickens, dogs, goats, sheep (they sound like screaming children), and many full volume conversations.
5:15-5:45- Lay beneath my mosquito net until I can motivate to get up.
6:00-6:45am- Will (my closest neighbor) and I go for a run while greeting EVERY Ghanaian we pass in Twi. It's a bit annoying to have to greet everyone when I'm not quite awake but I could have bigger problems than excessive friendliness.
6:45-7:15am- Breakfast (usually oats, an orange and a hunk of bread)
7:15-7:20am- Bucket bath. It REALLY wakes me up the day after a good rain, a good cup of cold water to the face really does the trick. A few days ago, my Ghanaian father explained to me how I've been bathing wrong. I MUST completely dry off before I leave the shower.
7:20-8:00am- Commute to either language or sector training. Language requires 45 minutes of taxi rides while sector is a 20 minute walk.
8am-12pm- Environment lessons (language and sector alternate morning and afternoon so I'm sure you can follow). We've learned about staple crops, water conservation methods, soil types, motivational techniques and much more. It's nice having little experience, it makes for very engaging class. We also do a number of hands on projects which makes the time fly by.
12pm-2pm- Commute/Lunch time. If there's time, I'll take another bucket bath. Walking any distance at noon will soak through a shirt in no time.
2pm-5pm- Language- I'm learning Dangme with two other volunteers. It's great to learn a new language but speaking Twi to and from class and learning Dangme during class gets a big confusing. 3 hours of language is overwhelming no matter what but I've enjoyed it.
5pm-6pm- Commute/sit- I'm usually pretty spent by this time so I'll read or sit around and chat with my homestay family.
6pm-7pm- Dinner- My meals are still somewhat American style but I'm getting better at eating sticky balls of mush and soup with my hands.
7pm-sleep- I'll usually read but this span of time is seldom more than an hour or so.
This schedule is pretty standard from Monday through Wednesday. Thursday and Friday afternoons are at the Dery Hotel. All of the trainees meet up for more cultural and general training.
Saturdays include a four hour language session and is usually followed by an inpromptu soccer practice (trainees vs. trainers in 5 weeks)
Sundays are free.
Next entry will include my first soccer game in Ghana. It was great but deserves a post of it's own.
Love to all
Friday, October 5, 2007
It's been a while
It seems that a lot has happened since my last post but now that it's time to write, I'm not sure where to start.
From vision quest, I took a 4 hour tro ride north to the Kumasi sub-office (there is an Accra Peace Corps office and there are also Kumasi and Tamale sub-officers for those who are too far from the coast). This ride was miserable!! I was in the back right seat so I was above the wheelwell. My knees jabbed into the seat in front of me and my right leg was either completely straight (the guy a row in front of me kept stepping on my foot) or bent behind me to the point where the top of my foot was pressed flat on the bus floor. Kumasi was really chill. I was one of a dozen or so trainees who split travel into two days so we all chartered a tro to Techiman the following morning. As I got ready to bitch and moan about the terrible travel situation, I started to hear truly traumatic stories. Some of my counterparts spent as long as 13 hours on tros and experienced flat tires, broken axles and a variety of other issues. Not too bad for me I guess.
Our training group (down from 48 to 47 by this point) spent 4 days and 3 nights in Techiman. The days were full and included anything from getting acquanted in the city to VERY detailed lectures on the MANY ways we can get sick. As long as I don't touch standing water, I should be good. Our "gender roles," class explained how if an American man kisses a Ghanaian woman, it's implied that the two will sleep together that night. If the two do end up having sex, the woman is to lay there and any movement will suggest that she's a prostitute. Also, if a man touches a Ghanaian woman's breasts, it's not unlikely that the woman will laugh in response since breasts are purely functional in Ghana. On top of all of this, it's expected that once you've slept with a Ghanaian, you will marry her and take her to America. Long story short: I won't kiss any Ghanaian women!! I'll admit that after seeing a few pairs of 80 year old breasts flopping around town, the purely functional aspect makes more sense.
On our 4th day in Techiman, all 47 trainees sat in a group while at least 80 Ghanaians sate across from us. One by one, our names were called and we ran up to meet our new host family. It felt like an odd sort of draft but was definitely exciting. My Ghanaian "mother," speaks almost no english and her daughter? (I'm still not sure how they're really connected) did nothing but sit and stare.
I've been living with this host family for about a week now. I live in a "compound," which means that there are about 15 people living in a 5 room area. Picture a square in which three sides are made up of rooms, one is made up of a fence and the center is all open space. I wake up at about 5:15 each morning. It took 3 days to figure out the time. I have no watch and didn't put a battery in my alarm clock until I got to the homestay. I had no clock to reference so I only knew that I would normally wake up at around 14:15. I have my own bedroom and a small porch of my own. The porch feels a bit like a prison cell; there is a solid metal gate that closes around me and a cement floor. I eat by myself and for a few days would sit and eat while everybody stared from their respective location in the compound. Kinda odd.
Each day, I get more comfortable and I'm able to communicate more. I've gotta run soon but want to share an experience from last night. After a full day of training in Techiman (a 15 minute cab ride from my town : Aworowa), several of us went out on the town for dinner. After dinner, my friend Will and I went back to our village and realized that we hadn't brought our flashlights. It had just rained and the two of us walked the 1/4 mile through town in pitch darkness on wet clay ground. We managed to get to Will's place fine but from his house to mine has a number of dips (pee drains) in the ground and I walked like a blind man while Ghanaians ran past my as though it daylight out.
More to come. I know where I'm going to live for the next 2 years but that deserves an entry of it's own.
Love to all!!
From vision quest, I took a 4 hour tro ride north to the Kumasi sub-office (there is an Accra Peace Corps office and there are also Kumasi and Tamale sub-officers for those who are too far from the coast). This ride was miserable!! I was in the back right seat so I was above the wheelwell. My knees jabbed into the seat in front of me and my right leg was either completely straight (the guy a row in front of me kept stepping on my foot) or bent behind me to the point where the top of my foot was pressed flat on the bus floor. Kumasi was really chill. I was one of a dozen or so trainees who split travel into two days so we all chartered a tro to Techiman the following morning. As I got ready to bitch and moan about the terrible travel situation, I started to hear truly traumatic stories. Some of my counterparts spent as long as 13 hours on tros and experienced flat tires, broken axles and a variety of other issues. Not too bad for me I guess.
Our training group (down from 48 to 47 by this point) spent 4 days and 3 nights in Techiman. The days were full and included anything from getting acquanted in the city to VERY detailed lectures on the MANY ways we can get sick. As long as I don't touch standing water, I should be good. Our "gender roles," class explained how if an American man kisses a Ghanaian woman, it's implied that the two will sleep together that night. If the two do end up having sex, the woman is to lay there and any movement will suggest that she's a prostitute. Also, if a man touches a Ghanaian woman's breasts, it's not unlikely that the woman will laugh in response since breasts are purely functional in Ghana. On top of all of this, it's expected that once you've slept with a Ghanaian, you will marry her and take her to America. Long story short: I won't kiss any Ghanaian women!! I'll admit that after seeing a few pairs of 80 year old breasts flopping around town, the purely functional aspect makes more sense.
On our 4th day in Techiman, all 47 trainees sat in a group while at least 80 Ghanaians sate across from us. One by one, our names were called and we ran up to meet our new host family. It felt like an odd sort of draft but was definitely exciting. My Ghanaian "mother," speaks almost no english and her daughter? (I'm still not sure how they're really connected) did nothing but sit and stare.
I've been living with this host family for about a week now. I live in a "compound," which means that there are about 15 people living in a 5 room area. Picture a square in which three sides are made up of rooms, one is made up of a fence and the center is all open space. I wake up at about 5:15 each morning. It took 3 days to figure out the time. I have no watch and didn't put a battery in my alarm clock until I got to the homestay. I had no clock to reference so I only knew that I would normally wake up at around 14:15. I have my own bedroom and a small porch of my own. The porch feels a bit like a prison cell; there is a solid metal gate that closes around me and a cement floor. I eat by myself and for a few days would sit and eat while everybody stared from their respective location in the compound. Kinda odd.
Each day, I get more comfortable and I'm able to communicate more. I've gotta run soon but want to share an experience from last night. After a full day of training in Techiman (a 15 minute cab ride from my town : Aworowa), several of us went out on the town for dinner. After dinner, my friend Will and I went back to our village and realized that we hadn't brought our flashlights. It had just rained and the two of us walked the 1/4 mile through town in pitch darkness on wet clay ground. We managed to get to Will's place fine but from his house to mine has a number of dips (pee drains) in the ground and I walked like a blind man while Ghanaians ran past my as though it daylight out.
More to come. I know where I'm going to live for the next 2 years but that deserves an entry of it's own.
Love to all!!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Too tall Obruni!!
It's only been a few days since my last post but there's already more to add. While I like being tall, it would be nice to be a few inches shorter for the next 27 months. Tro-tro's are not equipped for people of my size. Tro's are the main source of transportation so depending on the day, I might spend 2-5 hours or more in a tro. 4 people usually squeeze into a 3 person seat and when confined in such a way, my knees are crammed into the hard seat in front of me. On market days (this varies depending on your town) a tro might carry 15 people with enough groceries to feed their respective family for the next week. Yesterday, my legs were pulled to my chest so as not to crush the groceries beneath my seat. Luckily, I don't have to focus on the discomfort in my legs for long because each bump in the road gives me a nice bump to either the side or top of my head (depends on the seat). Honestly, I'm not too uncomfortable but it does bug me that I have to duck in order to see the beatiful scenery out the window.
On another note, Obruni is the non-pejorative (I think) way to saw "white man," in Twi. Everywhere I go, men, women and children alike will wave and say Obruni. A basic conversation will go as follows.
Ghanaian: Hello Obruni
Me: Hello, how are you?
Ghanaian: I am fine. Thank you. You are welcome.
Me: Thank you
No joke. I'll have this exact conversation at least ten times a day. I've notices that more tenured volunteers hyper-annunciate their english words. I've started to do the same. I never noticed how much we jumble our words together when speaking.
16 minutes left to summarize the past 4 days. Our training group woke up at 5am on Saturday so we could all be ready to leave at 6am for our respective "Vision Quest," sites. My site was only about 2 hours away so the 8 trainees in my tro spent most of the day sitting in Koforidua (Eastern Region) walking through the market, trying new street foods and getting to know our Vision Quest leaders. Walking through the market was a TRIP!!! It is very mazelike with narrow pathways and dead end paths leading in every direction. I walked through while looking for bits of cloth and I was walking amongst dozens of children (all yelling "Obruni" or "big man"). Some tables held fruits and veggies while others held HUGE snails. These thinks are nasty!! The shell is the size of my fist and the snails are crawling around the tables while waiting to be bought. Very different from Safeway I must say.
That night, 6 of us took an hour long tro ride to a PCV's house in Abompe for the night. A woman was celebrating her birthday while a number of volunteers were enjoying their "one year in Ghana," celebration. It was a nice opportunity to get stories from volunteers while providing new music and american stories in return. This house was 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and had an unbelievable view. We've been assured that it's the nicest house in Peace Corps Ghana.
The next day, we went back to Koforidua, wandered for a bit before going another hour to Elizabeth's site in Nkurankan. We mostly sat around and chatted for the day. This was our first opportunity to relax since leaving the states and we all took full advantage. Aside from a brief market trip, we all laid around for the day.
Yesterday, I finally made it to my Vision Quest leader's site. She lives with a family right in the bush. There is no electricity or running water and we enjoyed our second day of buck bathing. Literally fill a bucket with water, dump a cup of water over your head, lather up, rinse and you're done. It feels AMAZING after walking around in the heat. Stephanie (my VQ host) lives with a family. Got to see the family make soap, make glass beads, cook fufu and more. I got to help cut grass for the grasscutters and helped take care of the 14 month old twins (they crawled around at will so I'd pick one up if he was crying). I loved this site and would love to go back.
I'm running out of time. We're back in Koforidua, we leave today for Kumasi and from there we go to Techiman for the remainder of our 10 week training.
Love you all,
Ira
We
On another note, Obruni is the non-pejorative (I think) way to saw "white man," in Twi. Everywhere I go, men, women and children alike will wave and say Obruni. A basic conversation will go as follows.
Ghanaian: Hello Obruni
Me: Hello, how are you?
Ghanaian: I am fine. Thank you. You are welcome.
Me: Thank you
No joke. I'll have this exact conversation at least ten times a day. I've notices that more tenured volunteers hyper-annunciate their english words. I've started to do the same. I never noticed how much we jumble our words together when speaking.
16 minutes left to summarize the past 4 days. Our training group woke up at 5am on Saturday so we could all be ready to leave at 6am for our respective "Vision Quest," sites. My site was only about 2 hours away so the 8 trainees in my tro spent most of the day sitting in Koforidua (Eastern Region) walking through the market, trying new street foods and getting to know our Vision Quest leaders. Walking through the market was a TRIP!!! It is very mazelike with narrow pathways and dead end paths leading in every direction. I walked through while looking for bits of cloth and I was walking amongst dozens of children (all yelling "Obruni" or "big man"). Some tables held fruits and veggies while others held HUGE snails. These thinks are nasty!! The shell is the size of my fist and the snails are crawling around the tables while waiting to be bought. Very different from Safeway I must say.
That night, 6 of us took an hour long tro ride to a PCV's house in Abompe for the night. A woman was celebrating her birthday while a number of volunteers were enjoying their "one year in Ghana," celebration. It was a nice opportunity to get stories from volunteers while providing new music and american stories in return. This house was 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms and had an unbelievable view. We've been assured that it's the nicest house in Peace Corps Ghana.
The next day, we went back to Koforidua, wandered for a bit before going another hour to Elizabeth's site in Nkurankan. We mostly sat around and chatted for the day. This was our first opportunity to relax since leaving the states and we all took full advantage. Aside from a brief market trip, we all laid around for the day.
Yesterday, I finally made it to my Vision Quest leader's site. She lives with a family right in the bush. There is no electricity or running water and we enjoyed our second day of buck bathing. Literally fill a bucket with water, dump a cup of water over your head, lather up, rinse and you're done. It feels AMAZING after walking around in the heat. Stephanie (my VQ host) lives with a family. Got to see the family make soap, make glass beads, cook fufu and more. I got to help cut grass for the grasscutters and helped take care of the 14 month old twins (they crawled around at will so I'd pick one up if he was crying). I loved this site and would love to go back.
I'm running out of time. We're back in Koforidua, we leave today for Kumasi and from there we go to Techiman for the remainder of our 10 week training.
Love you all,
Ira
We
Saturday, September 22, 2007
I live in Ghana!!
After 3 shots and maybe 36 hours of travel, we made it to Accra. Though traveling was incredibly taxing, it was well worth it. We all had a chance to bond and chat while waiting in traffic going to JFK, during our 7 hour flight to Frankfurt, our 4 hour layover, our 7 hour flight to Lagos and the final hour long leg to Accra. Nothing helps you get to know a group of people better than rushing through airports with 80 pounds of luggage, no clue where to go and no sense of what will greet you at the end of the line. I sort of freaked myself out with my own sense of calm. I wasn't really fazed during the travel but was more helping people keep from freaking out or forgetting their stuff.
My favorite part BY FAR was when we finally cleared the Med. Sea and could see the outline of the African coast from 38,000 feet. UNBELIEVABLE!!
Once off the flight, we were greeted by current volunteers and taken by bus and tro-tro (a type of mini-bus)to our training site. We had a police escort so the bus was flying through traffic while avoiding cars, potholes and pedestrians while laying on the horn more often than not. The rest of our first night consisted of sorting our accommodations, eating dinner and finally laying down in a bed.
Our first full day was spend in the Accra Peace Corps office. The day started with a proper welcome from two old muscular Ghanaian men in robes (no clue of the proper name) who spoke some Ghanaian language (I can't quite differentiate one from the other 75 yet). From there, we got more shots, toured the facility, had a brief language lesson and got some medical info regarding what to expect and how to deal with it. That night, we were welcomed by the Ghanaian Ambassador at her home. What an amazing experience! Roughly 24 hours after rushing through New York City as a group of strangers, we stood in front of a room full of big wigs while being welcomed as the new group of American diplomats. Wild indeed!!
Day two was mostly classroom related but provided our first soccer in Africa and our first serious rainstorm; both of which I loved. Yesterday, we went out "Accra Quest," where we took tro-tro's (each ride included mini-language lessons, many smiles and a LOT of sweating on the Ghanaians and fellow trainees I was crammed amongst) into Accra where we had a few tasks to complete on our own. English is spoken almost everywhere but the various accents are hard to understand so working on currency conversions (the new "Ghana Cedi," was introduced 3 months ago and is 1:1 with the dollars. It replaced the Cedi which had a 9800:1 conversion rate. Either is accepted and you never know which one is being quoted) was incredibly difficult. Traveling with two fellow volunteers, I saw the beach, worked my way around town, ate Fufu and groundnut soup (mashed goo of cassava and rice, made into a ball and served in piping hot peanut soup) and accomplished other tasks along the way. I was completely comfortable aside from when we ventured to a "locals" beach (used as a trash can/bathroom). We met a nice man named Latif who provided non-stop lessons on Ghanaian history. While speaking with Latif, we saw several groups of men pass by. Each group would stare as the passed. I couldn't help but think of what I'd have to do if any men accosted the two pretty American women I was with but I assume it'd end up with my ass getting kicked while defending them. I feel a bit embarrassed for feeling this way as the stares were more due to novelty than malice but that's how it made me feel so I thought I'd share.
Today, I'm off on my "vision quest," where I'll spend 5 days with a current volunteer before moving along to Techiman for 8 more weeks of training.
Internet time is running out but so far I'm loving it!! I love and miss you guys!!
Things to look forward to: The "I shit my pants in Ghana club." Our trainers (half way done with the 2 year service) explained how they kept track of who shat their pants while in Ghana. One trainer, Brad, joined 3 months ago and was one for the last 4 our of their 48 person group. So far, only Blake (6'3" 230 lb. Georgia boy with a THICK accent) is the only one to admit joining the club after only 26 hours in country. Sorry Blake!! I must say that hearing the description of his entry into the club was one of the funniest things I've ever heard.
My favorite part BY FAR was when we finally cleared the Med. Sea and could see the outline of the African coast from 38,000 feet. UNBELIEVABLE!!
Once off the flight, we were greeted by current volunteers and taken by bus and tro-tro (a type of mini-bus)to our training site. We had a police escort so the bus was flying through traffic while avoiding cars, potholes and pedestrians while laying on the horn more often than not. The rest of our first night consisted of sorting our accommodations, eating dinner and finally laying down in a bed.
Our first full day was spend in the Accra Peace Corps office. The day started with a proper welcome from two old muscular Ghanaian men in robes (no clue of the proper name) who spoke some Ghanaian language (I can't quite differentiate one from the other 75 yet). From there, we got more shots, toured the facility, had a brief language lesson and got some medical info regarding what to expect and how to deal with it. That night, we were welcomed by the Ghanaian Ambassador at her home. What an amazing experience! Roughly 24 hours after rushing through New York City as a group of strangers, we stood in front of a room full of big wigs while being welcomed as the new group of American diplomats. Wild indeed!!
Day two was mostly classroom related but provided our first soccer in Africa and our first serious rainstorm; both of which I loved. Yesterday, we went out "Accra Quest," where we took tro-tro's (each ride included mini-language lessons, many smiles and a LOT of sweating on the Ghanaians and fellow trainees I was crammed amongst) into Accra where we had a few tasks to complete on our own. English is spoken almost everywhere but the various accents are hard to understand so working on currency conversions (the new "Ghana Cedi," was introduced 3 months ago and is 1:1 with the dollars. It replaced the Cedi which had a 9800:1 conversion rate. Either is accepted and you never know which one is being quoted) was incredibly difficult. Traveling with two fellow volunteers, I saw the beach, worked my way around town, ate Fufu and groundnut soup (mashed goo of cassava and rice, made into a ball and served in piping hot peanut soup) and accomplished other tasks along the way. I was completely comfortable aside from when we ventured to a "locals" beach (used as a trash can/bathroom). We met a nice man named Latif who provided non-stop lessons on Ghanaian history. While speaking with Latif, we saw several groups of men pass by. Each group would stare as the passed. I couldn't help but think of what I'd have to do if any men accosted the two pretty American women I was with but I assume it'd end up with my ass getting kicked while defending them. I feel a bit embarrassed for feeling this way as the stares were more due to novelty than malice but that's how it made me feel so I thought I'd share.
Today, I'm off on my "vision quest," where I'll spend 5 days with a current volunteer before moving along to Techiman for 8 more weeks of training.
Internet time is running out but so far I'm loving it!! I love and miss you guys!!
Things to look forward to: The "I shit my pants in Ghana club." Our trainers (half way done with the 2 year service) explained how they kept track of who shat their pants while in Ghana. One trainer, Brad, joined 3 months ago and was one for the last 4 our of their 48 person group. So far, only Blake (6'3" 230 lb. Georgia boy with a THICK accent) is the only one to admit joining the club after only 26 hours in country. Sorry Blake!! I must say that hearing the description of his entry into the club was one of the funniest things I've ever heard.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Ghana manana!!
We'll be up and at 'em at 5 am eastern tomorrow morning. I'm still on West Coast time so It'll feel like I'm waking up at 2am. The past two days have been a bit like a corporate conference only the topic has been interesting. We've had ice breakers and group break out sessions and notebooks to update. We've talked about SMART goals, excitement and anxiety. Mostly, it's been an opportunity to meet 47 other (30 female and 17 male) Peace Corps Trainees. We're all scheduled to volunteer in Ghana through late 2009 and it's been awesome to share stories.
The best part has been that we can enjoy elaborate conversations without taking breaks to answer questions about Ghana. I didn't mind answering the questions but it's quite a relief to chat with people who have had the same experience.
We went to get Pat's Cheese Steaks today for lunch and had a huge New York Strip for dinner. While it's been nice indulging for the last month, it might make for an extra rude awakening when we're eating Ghanaian cuisine for the first time.
As far as our itinerary is concerned, I'm up at 5am to be down in the lobby by 5:45. I've been selected as one of the group leaders so I'm in charge of ensuring that all luggage is loaded on the bus, that all bellman are properly tipped etc. I'm also in charge of distributing the passports of 7 other prospective volunteers. Our instructors said to be extra careful with our government passports since they'll draw as much as 30 grand on the black market. The way I look at it, if I freak out at the last minute, I've got almost a quarter mill in my back pocket. Nice huh?
From the hotel, we go for 2 hours of immunizations followed by a bus trip to JFK airport. We depart JFK at 4:35pm and fly from New York to Frankfurt to Lagos (Nigeria) to Ghana. We'll be in Ghana at 5:30pm on Tuesday and will officially start our life in Africa.
It may be a few weeks before I'm able to blog again but I wanted to get some notes in while they're fresh. If you have any specific questions, please let me know. I'd be happy to address certain things about the training or what we have planned for the next two years.
To those of you who are reading this but didn't get a goodbye call/e-mail. Sorry, I love you and keep in touch.
See you next decade!!
The best part has been that we can enjoy elaborate conversations without taking breaks to answer questions about Ghana. I didn't mind answering the questions but it's quite a relief to chat with people who have had the same experience.
We went to get Pat's Cheese Steaks today for lunch and had a huge New York Strip for dinner. While it's been nice indulging for the last month, it might make for an extra rude awakening when we're eating Ghanaian cuisine for the first time.
As far as our itinerary is concerned, I'm up at 5am to be down in the lobby by 5:45. I've been selected as one of the group leaders so I'm in charge of ensuring that all luggage is loaded on the bus, that all bellman are properly tipped etc. I'm also in charge of distributing the passports of 7 other prospective volunteers. Our instructors said to be extra careful with our government passports since they'll draw as much as 30 grand on the black market. The way I look at it, if I freak out at the last minute, I've got almost a quarter mill in my back pocket. Nice huh?
From the hotel, we go for 2 hours of immunizations followed by a bus trip to JFK airport. We depart JFK at 4:35pm and fly from New York to Frankfurt to Lagos (Nigeria) to Ghana. We'll be in Ghana at 5:30pm on Tuesday and will officially start our life in Africa.
It may be a few weeks before I'm able to blog again but I wanted to get some notes in while they're fresh. If you have any specific questions, please let me know. I'd be happy to address certain things about the training or what we have planned for the next two years.
To those of you who are reading this but didn't get a goodbye call/e-mail. Sorry, I love you and keep in touch.
See you next decade!!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Today is the day!
I've said goodbye to each of my parents and will be leaving home in a few hours. Philly will allow a couple of days to tie up loose ends if necessary but for the most part, I'm ready to go.
Oddly enough, I don't feel especially anxious. I have brief moments of freaking out but I've kept busy enough to keep from pre-worrying. I've always been pretty good at staying in the moment; one can only do so much about what's going to happen in the future so why worry about it? I can't always keep from freaking out but this time, I think I'm doing a good job.
We'll see how a 6 hour solo flight will treat the brain though.
Oddly enough, I don't feel especially anxious. I have brief moments of freaking out but I've kept busy enough to keep from pre-worrying. I've always been pretty good at staying in the moment; one can only do so much about what's going to happen in the future so why worry about it? I can't always keep from freaking out but this time, I think I'm doing a good job.
We'll see how a 6 hour solo flight will treat the brain though.
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Getting close!!
My last day of work served as a serious wake up call. I was no longer doing the daily 8 to 5 thing and I could focus more on the countdown to departure. My last day of work was on August 17. I spent August 18 and 19th in Sonoma, laying in the sun with friends, playing sports and shutting my brain off. I was back in San Francisco for maybe 3 hours before I flew to Vermont for another small vacation. 8 days in Vermont allowed for some quality family time and a number of small wake up calls regarding the Peace Corps.
Though most of my time was spent hanging out with my cousins and spending some quality time before leaving for 2 years, I also got to experience solitude, humidity, mosquitos, manual labor under the sun and a night with no electricity. Unfortunately, I was completely conscious of these changes and I'm sure they'll prove to be nothing compared to Ghana. Killing a few hours each day by myself without internet or cell phone reception was easy enough. I had a few good books but still had to think to myself that most of my next two years will be virtually solo. 80 degrees with nearly 100% humidity was a big change from SF and made me sweat when i did anything but will be NOTHING compared to 110 and 110% humidity. Are you kidding me? I still can't imagine this. I went to Bikram yoga one evening and during a 90 minute class in 110 degree heat, I felt like I might faint several times. It felt great but not as nice as walking outside after class into the cool night air. Ghana won't have that door, I won't be able to walk out of the heat EVER!!! Mosquito's were no big deal. I worked to help my uncle build a post and beam deck on his house. We'd work until nearly sundown and sit on the deck for a while after working. Each morning, I'd wake up with at least half a dozen new bites on my knees and toes. I forgot how annoying it can be to get a mosquito bite in a knuckle. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry that these mosquitos might be carrying malaria. I'll have to step up the protection soon enough. On the malaria note, I had a chance to read an article about malaria and it's way gnarlier than I had realized. Thought it's relatively managable with medicine, over 50% of Ghanaians get Malaria during their lifetime. Perhaps I've mentioned that Northern Ghana is the Malaria capital of the world. Nice huh?!?!?
My last night in Brookfield included a serious deluge. While at dinner with my Great Aunt Jan and my mom, the clouds opened and ripped the town apart. Several trees were knocked down and the power went out for over 24 hours. I've experienced a number of blackouts in my time (including 2 weeks after Hurricane Wilma in Ft. Lauderdale) and wasn't worried. However, reading by candlelight and simply getting from point A to point B at night is a serious pain in the ass. Depending on where I'm stationed in Ghana, this might be every night. Good thing I've stocked up on LED headlamps. I can't help but let my imagination run to situations like walking around in the pitch black and tripping over a nice, fat, 15 foot python (the most commonly seen snake according to my tourist guy book).
That's it for now. I got back from Vermont on the 28th and came up to Seattle on the 30th. I'll be here until Sept. 3rd and from there until the 14th (actual flight to Philly) it's all prep and countdown time.
Until next time.
Though most of my time was spent hanging out with my cousins and spending some quality time before leaving for 2 years, I also got to experience solitude, humidity, mosquitos, manual labor under the sun and a night with no electricity. Unfortunately, I was completely conscious of these changes and I'm sure they'll prove to be nothing compared to Ghana. Killing a few hours each day by myself without internet or cell phone reception was easy enough. I had a few good books but still had to think to myself that most of my next two years will be virtually solo. 80 degrees with nearly 100% humidity was a big change from SF and made me sweat when i did anything but will be NOTHING compared to 110 and 110% humidity. Are you kidding me? I still can't imagine this. I went to Bikram yoga one evening and during a 90 minute class in 110 degree heat, I felt like I might faint several times. It felt great but not as nice as walking outside after class into the cool night air. Ghana won't have that door, I won't be able to walk out of the heat EVER!!! Mosquito's were no big deal. I worked to help my uncle build a post and beam deck on his house. We'd work until nearly sundown and sit on the deck for a while after working. Each morning, I'd wake up with at least half a dozen new bites on my knees and toes. I forgot how annoying it can be to get a mosquito bite in a knuckle. Fortunately, I didn't have to worry that these mosquitos might be carrying malaria. I'll have to step up the protection soon enough. On the malaria note, I had a chance to read an article about malaria and it's way gnarlier than I had realized. Thought it's relatively managable with medicine, over 50% of Ghanaians get Malaria during their lifetime. Perhaps I've mentioned that Northern Ghana is the Malaria capital of the world. Nice huh?!?!?
My last night in Brookfield included a serious deluge. While at dinner with my Great Aunt Jan and my mom, the clouds opened and ripped the town apart. Several trees were knocked down and the power went out for over 24 hours. I've experienced a number of blackouts in my time (including 2 weeks after Hurricane Wilma in Ft. Lauderdale) and wasn't worried. However, reading by candlelight and simply getting from point A to point B at night is a serious pain in the ass. Depending on where I'm stationed in Ghana, this might be every night. Good thing I've stocked up on LED headlamps. I can't help but let my imagination run to situations like walking around in the pitch black and tripping over a nice, fat, 15 foot python (the most commonly seen snake according to my tourist guy book).
That's it for now. I got back from Vermont on the 28th and came up to Seattle on the 30th. I'll be here until Sept. 3rd and from there until the 14th (actual flight to Philly) it's all prep and countdown time.
Until next time.
Friday, August 17, 2007
One step closer!
I'm only a few hours from turning in my laptop. 18 months in the same job is a personal record for me and now I'm cleaning off my desk and saying goodbye to my work friends. Sorry if you're reading this Adele but I'm not having an especially productive last day. I've learned a ton about the corporate world and about myself but feel it's time to take the leap into a new chapter.
Staying busy with work has helped keep me distracted. I think about Ghana all the time but seldom focus on in 100% since there's only so much mental prepping I can do.
From here, I'll spend a week in Vermont, 3 days back in the city, 4 days in Seattle any my final two weeks in San Francisco before I'm off. One month from today, I'll be at my staging event in Philly. I'll have met my final voluneers. My arms will be sore from many many shots and I'll be roughly 48 hours away from Ghana!!
Until next time.
Staying busy with work has helped keep me distracted. I think about Ghana all the time but seldom focus on in 100% since there's only so much mental prepping I can do.
From here, I'll spend a week in Vermont, 3 days back in the city, 4 days in Seattle any my final two weeks in San Francisco before I'm off. One month from today, I'll be at my staging event in Philly. I'll have met my final voluneers. My arms will be sore from many many shots and I'll be roughly 48 hours away from Ghana!!
Until next time.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
What to write?
I keep thinking of things to put in this blog but I stop myself. At this point, I have no clue who will be reading my blog so I've been editing my thoughts based on who might be reading. Parents, friends, cousins, party buddies from college, co-workers, Peace Corps Volunteers (past, present and future), Peace Corps administration, ex-girlfriends, future girlfriends, my current boss (I have one more month of work) potential future bosses. Clearly, by editing for all of these people, I have been left with nothing to write.
The risk of posting anything on the internet is that anyone can read it. I've found other PC blogs and they've helped immensely regarding my mental preparation for Ghana. I'd like to do the same and in order to really share my full experience, I'll be sharing my thoughts and experiences while editing as little as possible. I've become accustomed to writing as though I'm writing an essay or writing an "HR appropriate," e-mail that it's hard for me to turn that internal edit off but I'd like to try. For all intents and purposes, this is my WARNING label. I hope not to offend anybody or make anybody uncomfortable. From what I've noticed reading other blogs, I'm sure a lot of my entries will be rushed and at times will try to compile 3 months worth of experiences into 3 paragraphs. I apologize in advance for grammatically incorrect sentences (they bug me so I'm sure they bug others), foul language and overt reference to my own bathroom experiences (seems to be a common topic amongst Ghana volunteers).
Potential future bosses, I'm sorry if I over expose myself here but if my Peace Corps blog somehow keeps you from wanting to hire me, I probably don't want to work for you.
The risk of posting anything on the internet is that anyone can read it. I've found other PC blogs and they've helped immensely regarding my mental preparation for Ghana. I'd like to do the same and in order to really share my full experience, I'll be sharing my thoughts and experiences while editing as little as possible. I've become accustomed to writing as though I'm writing an essay or writing an "HR appropriate," e-mail that it's hard for me to turn that internal edit off but I'd like to try. For all intents and purposes, this is my WARNING label. I hope not to offend anybody or make anybody uncomfortable. From what I've noticed reading other blogs, I'm sure a lot of my entries will be rushed and at times will try to compile 3 months worth of experiences into 3 paragraphs. I apologize in advance for grammatically incorrect sentences (they bug me so I'm sure they bug others), foul language and overt reference to my own bathroom experiences (seems to be a common topic amongst Ghana volunteers).
Potential future bosses, I'm sorry if I over expose myself here but if my Peace Corps blog somehow keeps you from wanting to hire me, I probably don't want to work for you.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Incomprehensible
It's 72 degrees in San Francisco today. For those of you who aren't familiar with the City, 70's in mid July is by no means guaranteed. 72 feels warm to me, I honestly can't come close to mentally preparing to live in 120-130 degree heat. I apologize in advance for what may very well be boring blogging. I don't leave for a 2 months and until then, I hope to put my hopes, dreams, expectations and fears into words so I can gauge how far off (likely VERY) my predictions will be from the truth.
For now, I'm trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can. Still going back and forth between sheer excitement, awe and fear as I look forward to what will undoubtedly be a life altering experience.
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