Good morning! Head’s up y’all, this entry is going to have many different subjects, so if you aren’t feeling like concentrated reading, I’d wait till later…
First, an update my past few days-
On Saturday CIEE took it’s first “out of Accra” trip of the semester. We drove out of town to a town (I guess you could call it that, it doesn’t quite fit my personal definition of a village) called Aburi. Within that area is a wood carving village, where we left the bus, and were shown demonstrations on woodcarving and told a bit about the history and meaning of each piece. This was very cool. They showed us a drum whose call would warn a village that someone was about to be beheaded, fertility dolls, carried around by women who for some reason or another aren’t getting pregnant, “talking drums” for calling a villages attention, as well as several statues with horns carved into them, symbolizing another way Ghanaians of old (and perhaps very rural ones even now) have called together meeting. They explained that most of the work of woodcarvers now is just to preserve the tradition, as western medicine and communication technology has made their devices obsolete. After the demonstration we walked through the village- really, a bend in the road where each side of the street was lined with woodcarvers shops. It was a shame we only had an hour for the whole visit, but perhaps that fact saved me some money. It was great fun to talk to the carvers, and barter for their wares… among other things, I now own a monkey mask that I just fell in love with…
After the woodcarving business, we drove to the Aburi botanical gardens, a public place dedication to research, especially with medicinal plants, and to conservation. On the way there we has a heck of a time maneuvering a huge bus through a very densely populated town… the whole thing was quite comical. In the middle of all that I received and even more comical call from my dear friend in Turkey- where we briefly exchanged our odd current adventures. I couldn’t help but laugh at the situation- on a bus stuck between gutters and chickens and goats, talking to someone exploring Istanbul. The world is a wonderful place, isn’t it?
Anyway, the garden- it was beautiful. And when I find internet that doesn’t take 30 minutes to load 20 pictures (I have about 185 at this point) I will get them to you. Many of the various trees in this garden were planed by various heads of state on their trips to Ghana- the prince of Wales, QE II, king of Nigeria, etc… We also happened upon many food like plants- yes people, I ate tree bark that tasted like cinnamon. We also had leaves that smelt like peppermint, peppers in virtually every freaking stew here in Ghana, cocoa trees (that don’t smell anything like chocolate, of course) and bay leaves. Also very cool were the gigantic trees, and I mean ridiculously large. Some had parasitic trees growing on the side of them, with their great roots wrapped all around the trunk of the original tree. We then saw trees where the parasite had one out, its roots had made it to the ground and choked out the first tree, so now the roots form a mostly hollow cylinder. You can imagine we took some pretty silly pictures with our heads sticking out of tree holes… It takes 6-7 years for the process of the parasite to be complete, said our guide. Afterwards we had lunch at a long table (long enough for all 54 of us) that QE II had ate at when she was in Ghana. Snazzy…
And then, my Sunday. Well, I went to a Sunday service of the Legon Pentecostal Union. Yes, you read correctly- non religious, hardly spiritual at this time of life Skylar went to a 2.5 hour Pentecostal service. Parts of it were wonderful, parts more overwhelming that I ever care to repeat. First their was bible study- more awkward that anything else, and then 30 minutes-ish of singing and dancing- this was wonderful. Women had tambourines and waived their handkerchiefs in the air. I couldn’t help but smile, because they were all clearly having the time of their lives. It was quite the party. Then, the president (a student) got up to give his semester address, admonishing (lots and lots of guilt tripping involved here) people to go to all the offered services (I checks, 2 a day) and a retreat, and be involved in the church offices… I was fighting to stay awake while coping with his forceful “hallelujahs” and “amens” into the microphone. Next, he led 30 minutes of “intensive prayer” and then “quiet prayer” until the end (About an hour total). This was the hardest part for me. Anybody seen “Jesus Camp?” Think of that film with college students. I have never encountered speaking in tongues before, and here was a whole room of people shouting and muttering prayers to themselves, a man speaking into a microphone, another man shouting in tongues into another microphone, and people up and down off their knees. I stood as long as my tired body could stand, half pretending to pray, half watching, until I finally sat down, head in hands, and tried to imagine myself somewhere else as the event droned on around me, utterly inescapable. Not bad, I guess, just overwhelming. I thought about Mr. Miki, the old Buddhist from my fieldwork at PLU in January, and tried to remember him telling me all about non-attachment… lol. That actually calmed me down, and I made it through the service. Not something I think I’ll do again, although that will be hard to explain to my new friends who brought me. But from a Religious Studies and Sociology perspective, very, very interesting… My roommate goes to a quieter Methodist service, so I might try that one when I’ve recovered from church #1.
Oh yes, I have a roommate now, Mary. Very sweet, very quiet. She can spend a whole day playing one game of spider solitaire… but it’s a great comfort not to have an empty room anymore… to fall asleep and wake up not entirely alone. Through I still feel homesick in the mornings; it is different with her there. Tonight we are going to the National Theater to see a free gospel concert but on by, get this, the University of Michigan choir… and then on Wednesday she will take me to the market place to show me what she buys to cook for herself. I’m hoping she will also teach me how to make some things, in time.
And now, for the random other things I’d like to say…
-I’ve made a friend named Abu. He’s 24, and a 3rd year Economics student. He went to college for 2 years before University, so he’s extremely articulate and smart, and has a lot to say about Ghana. He stuck my friend fancy immediately, as one of the only men to not start a conversation with “I like you a lot, you are beautiful, and can I have your contact?” LOL! Anyway, he really wants to learn about the US because he, like almost all Ghanaian college students, aspires to go to college in the UK or US. I’ve been trying my darndest to convince him the Pacific Northwest is the place to be… anyway, I am learning much from him, as he has thoughts on everything, including on why Ghana hasn’t developed, so he’s very interesting to talk to. He was extremely excited to find out that I don’t smoke… Apparently they think all foreigners smoke, which is very looked down upon in Ghana. He thinks having people seeing him with a non smoking white woman will increase their trust of foreigners. Perhaps more on what I’ve learned from him another time…
-Oddly enough, I might actually start wearing make-up again here. I didn’t think that would be a concern in Africa, but the Ghanaian women take appearance very seriously, and may look down upon you as a “sloppy American” and refuse to make friends for doing so… boo hiss on make-up. I’ve had to re-purchase much of my wardrobe to look nicer, I really don’t feel like I was warned adequately about the dress code. Thankfully, as a teacher I can get away with the African dresses I’ve been having made- some people are buying suits and ties…
-I met another man yesterday named Raphael, and got into my first extended debate on why I think it’s ok to be gay. He asked if it was legal in the US to be gay, and that launched into the whole argument. He basically freaked out when I said that some states are now allowing marriages and partnerships… I listened to him tell me “it’s not how God made us” for about 20 minutes, only for him to tell me “well, you might now feel that way forever” when I countered. Sigh. Being here has actually made me evaluate what I am passionate about because I’ve had to defend myself here. I realize I’ve grown up in an environment that supports and cultivated what I value, but here I actually have to exercise some conviction, and I’m finding I actually enjoy doing so. That is extending a bit into politics as well, a topic I usually avoid. But here, the consequence of poor policies fighting cultural tendencies and post colonialism is apparent in the daily life of these people- the facts that some sleep outside, or can’t read or write, for example. Suddenly, I care a whole lot more about who sets polices for where I live…
-Laundry here is quite the task. Today when I left my room I left behind a bucket of soapy water soaking about 4 items. Gone are the days when I push not doing laundry for weeks, and spend hours doing multiple loads in a machine. Now I do laundry every other day, a little at a time. I guess I could buy a bigger bucket, but really, it takes an hour to hand wash what my small one will load, so maybe that’s not a good idea. The instant I put my skirts in the bucket the water was a murky brown. The breezes here save me, but the dirt on everything is extreme… one can literally rinse one thing for 10 minutes and finally have the water run closer to clear… All that aside, I actually really enjoy the act of washing my clothes here. It’s kind of relaxing, actually, to work with my hands in that way. Plus, when your clothes come dry off the rack it’s so satisfying…
-I’m attempting to learn 24 hour time. So far I’ve accidentally set my alarm clock wrong once because of it. But that’s how my cell phone works, so I better get used to it.
-Food here is an ongoing adventure. Briefly, fruit is great, but I also eat a ton of starch. A real meal here consists of some form of stew with a meat (usually chicken, fish, or goat) and a ball of starch. Banku, or pounded cassava balls are common, but bland. I have yet to try fufu, another starch staple, but have found fermented rice balls (Emutuo) to be quite nice. The stew is often tomato based, though they also have Palm nut soup (nice, spicy), and ground nut soup, made from peanuts, that I find to be too heavy and oily for my taste. Other common dishes include eggs- and the all important egg sandwich, which is white bread and egg fried with vegetable… yes, Skylar has been eating white bread for the first time since probably Kindergarten. We also eat a lot of rice- Jollaf rice is very popular, it’s kind of akin to dirty or Spanish rice back at home. Goat is, interesting… some parts good, some parts taste like I’m chewing rubber. On the whole, I don’t mind the food, but it is quite repetitive.
OK! I know this has been extremely long. Thank you for baring with all the things I wanted to get out!
Skylar
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
An update.
Hello All! Time here is so funny. Oftentimes, I feel like time passes extremely slowly. “I’ve only been here how many days?” is something I ask myself regularly- yet time also seems to pass by very quickly. I have been here 10 days, which seems like not very many, but it has been so action packed, and the days feel very long. I believe I meant to update this blog 3 days ago, and yet here it is the 20th already…
Here is a summary of a few things I have done since my last post.
-We had our official welcome dinner through CIEE. We took a lengthy bus ride away from the University and ended up at this house/ cultural center/ club/ restaurant with many tables set up for us. We ate and drank, and had an interactive performance with a traditional dance and music group. They were wonderful, though this would be better explained in pictures that I don’t know how to put up yet. They taught us a few moves, and encouraged us to display our own. It was a lot of torso and arm movement, coupled with times when 4 dancers would lean forward and place their arms and heads on each other’s lower backs. They sang beautiful harmonies accompanied by really interesting looking drums and rhythm instruments- I actually with they would have sang more than they danced. Later, when Kwasi our director gave a formal welcome, he let us know that the center where we were teaches skills to Ghanaian children- namely stitching the sheets and pillows we were all given as bedding, which I thought was very cool. All in all, it was a fun experience, and really good to see the whole CIEE group together again.
-This week we are having “orientation lectures” designed to introduce us to the crème da la crème of the university professors. So far we have had lectures on “Ghanaian History” and “Ghanaian Religion.” I hope to post the content of the lectures, because I think they are fascinating. However, I left my notebook with all of my registration materials and notes at the lecture last night, so I’m tenuously hoping I can get that back this evening…
-We have been running around campus attempting to go to classes this week. This has been a kind of overwhelming experience. It’s been disappointing when classes don’t occur, because I’m really hoping for things to do! However, today I finally had some luck. Medical Sociology actually happened, and the professor is the head of the department, and very engaging, so I think I will register just on good faith. We are allowed to add and drop classes until the 7th, but I really just want to get it over with. It maybe wouldn’t have been my first choice of courses, but as with any university, courses depend on the quality of the professor, so I’m going to do it. I also met with a professor of a class that didn’t happen this week that I registered for on blind faith. It is a Contemporary Ethics course through the Religion department, examining current moral issues though the lenses of various religious (probably focused on Christianity, Islam, and African Religion.) I’m looking forward to this one, hopefully the man I met is a decent lecturer…
-Some of my friends and I had an interesting experience a few nights ago that displayed the generosity of Ghanaian people. Long story short, we went out for dinner, and then were misled by the restaurateur that we were in walking distance of “37 circle,” a major interchange where we could take a tro-tro to the university. In actuality, it was 10pm and it would have been a 2-3 mile walk, and we didn’t know where we were going. A cop who has operating a checkpoint that stopped every car driving by to check where they were going (very common here, though I’m not sure why…) essentially told us we were crazy, and stopped a family vehicle and either told or asked them in Twi to take us (7 of us) to 37. He did, and then refused payment. After we got out, he stopped us on the road and asked us to get back in, saying he was going where we were going, which I don’t think a one of us actually believed. He ended up taking us about 20 minutes in total to the university, and again, kindly refused payment. He could have easily made 3-4 Cidis (about 4 dollars) from us (he was driving an otherwise empty tro tro with a woman and 4 children inside, so he might have actually been a tro tro operator, or just a kind person). We were dumbfounded that he wouldn’t let us pay him.
-In other news, my roommate finally showed up, but she isn’t living with me yet. Her note she left (I didn’t actually meet her) says she will move in “over the weekend.” Finally!
-I have been to the beach twice now. The first time was in last weekend, on Sunday. It wasn’t very busy early on, but got quite crowded (though now by American beach standards) later on as the Ghanaians got out of church. It was quite a colorful experience, with many venders and “street” performers playing very strange looking instruments. One looked somewhat like a guitar, but with a bowl like base, and only one string… I wish I’d asked what it was. There were also acrobats, balancing wildly on each other, and balancing tables on their faces… it was really neat, and again, better told in pictures I hope to figure out soon. I was pleasantly surprised that one can actually go in the water here (See below). It was quite warm, through not as warm as Hawaii, but so good to splash in… I also went yesterday, which was much more peaceful, with almost no people around…
-We went on a bus tour of Accra with CIEE on Saturday. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. Nice to actually see the city, but horrible to feel like such a tourist. Two large busses, air conditioned, full of white people, parading through markets, cultural centers, embassy areas, and the poorest sections of downtown Accra (which are also the most historical trade centers. Interesting to be in a country that doesn’t turn their oldest places in to tourist destinations, or at least protect them…) It was hard to see, for sure. The beach in that section of town is totally ignored, there is no development there, and the water breaks against the shore as black sludge- used as a dumping ground for anything and everything- especially sewage. We also drove past the best private hospital in Accra, where the director told me top medical treatment for Malaria cost around 300US. Needless to say I’d be going there rather than the University health system, which I’ve heard is a mess.
Ok, this has been a very long post. I am becoming more acclimated by the day. It feels like a very long summer camp being here. I had a revelation the other day that I chose Africa because I’d probably never get to vacation there after college (money, time, distance.) Now I realize that even if I had those things, I don’t think I would pick this place to vacation. It’s not exactly relaxing… even on the beach. Probably only in the most exclusive hotels would this be a “vacation” experience. The culture here is fascinating, and perhaps this is a better reason to be here than getting in travel experience. I would probably never learn about Ghana, or much about Africa at all if I weren’t here, so this is my chance, because I don’t know at this point that I would choose to come back. Bear in mind that you are hearing from a culture shocked girl who isn’t sleeping well, so that may change… Until later, love to you all. Skylar
Here is a summary of a few things I have done since my last post.
-We had our official welcome dinner through CIEE. We took a lengthy bus ride away from the University and ended up at this house/ cultural center/ club/ restaurant with many tables set up for us. We ate and drank, and had an interactive performance with a traditional dance and music group. They were wonderful, though this would be better explained in pictures that I don’t know how to put up yet. They taught us a few moves, and encouraged us to display our own. It was a lot of torso and arm movement, coupled with times when 4 dancers would lean forward and place their arms and heads on each other’s lower backs. They sang beautiful harmonies accompanied by really interesting looking drums and rhythm instruments- I actually with they would have sang more than they danced. Later, when Kwasi our director gave a formal welcome, he let us know that the center where we were teaches skills to Ghanaian children- namely stitching the sheets and pillows we were all given as bedding, which I thought was very cool. All in all, it was a fun experience, and really good to see the whole CIEE group together again.
-This week we are having “orientation lectures” designed to introduce us to the crème da la crème of the university professors. So far we have had lectures on “Ghanaian History” and “Ghanaian Religion.” I hope to post the content of the lectures, because I think they are fascinating. However, I left my notebook with all of my registration materials and notes at the lecture last night, so I’m tenuously hoping I can get that back this evening…
-We have been running around campus attempting to go to classes this week. This has been a kind of overwhelming experience. It’s been disappointing when classes don’t occur, because I’m really hoping for things to do! However, today I finally had some luck. Medical Sociology actually happened, and the professor is the head of the department, and very engaging, so I think I will register just on good faith. We are allowed to add and drop classes until the 7th, but I really just want to get it over with. It maybe wouldn’t have been my first choice of courses, but as with any university, courses depend on the quality of the professor, so I’m going to do it. I also met with a professor of a class that didn’t happen this week that I registered for on blind faith. It is a Contemporary Ethics course through the Religion department, examining current moral issues though the lenses of various religious (probably focused on Christianity, Islam, and African Religion.) I’m looking forward to this one, hopefully the man I met is a decent lecturer…
-Some of my friends and I had an interesting experience a few nights ago that displayed the generosity of Ghanaian people. Long story short, we went out for dinner, and then were misled by the restaurateur that we were in walking distance of “37 circle,” a major interchange where we could take a tro-tro to the university. In actuality, it was 10pm and it would have been a 2-3 mile walk, and we didn’t know where we were going. A cop who has operating a checkpoint that stopped every car driving by to check where they were going (very common here, though I’m not sure why…) essentially told us we were crazy, and stopped a family vehicle and either told or asked them in Twi to take us (7 of us) to 37. He did, and then refused payment. After we got out, he stopped us on the road and asked us to get back in, saying he was going where we were going, which I don’t think a one of us actually believed. He ended up taking us about 20 minutes in total to the university, and again, kindly refused payment. He could have easily made 3-4 Cidis (about 4 dollars) from us (he was driving an otherwise empty tro tro with a woman and 4 children inside, so he might have actually been a tro tro operator, or just a kind person). We were dumbfounded that he wouldn’t let us pay him.
-In other news, my roommate finally showed up, but she isn’t living with me yet. Her note she left (I didn’t actually meet her) says she will move in “over the weekend.” Finally!
-I have been to the beach twice now. The first time was in last weekend, on Sunday. It wasn’t very busy early on, but got quite crowded (though now by American beach standards) later on as the Ghanaians got out of church. It was quite a colorful experience, with many venders and “street” performers playing very strange looking instruments. One looked somewhat like a guitar, but with a bowl like base, and only one string… I wish I’d asked what it was. There were also acrobats, balancing wildly on each other, and balancing tables on their faces… it was really neat, and again, better told in pictures I hope to figure out soon. I was pleasantly surprised that one can actually go in the water here (See below). It was quite warm, through not as warm as Hawaii, but so good to splash in… I also went yesterday, which was much more peaceful, with almost no people around…
-We went on a bus tour of Accra with CIEE on Saturday. It was an interesting experience, to say the least. Nice to actually see the city, but horrible to feel like such a tourist. Two large busses, air conditioned, full of white people, parading through markets, cultural centers, embassy areas, and the poorest sections of downtown Accra (which are also the most historical trade centers. Interesting to be in a country that doesn’t turn their oldest places in to tourist destinations, or at least protect them…) It was hard to see, for sure. The beach in that section of town is totally ignored, there is no development there, and the water breaks against the shore as black sludge- used as a dumping ground for anything and everything- especially sewage. We also drove past the best private hospital in Accra, where the director told me top medical treatment for Malaria cost around 300US. Needless to say I’d be going there rather than the University health system, which I’ve heard is a mess.
Ok, this has been a very long post. I am becoming more acclimated by the day. It feels like a very long summer camp being here. I had a revelation the other day that I chose Africa because I’d probably never get to vacation there after college (money, time, distance.) Now I realize that even if I had those things, I don’t think I would pick this place to vacation. It’s not exactly relaxing… even on the beach. Probably only in the most exclusive hotels would this be a “vacation” experience. The culture here is fascinating, and perhaps this is a better reason to be here than getting in travel experience. I would probably never learn about Ghana, or much about Africa at all if I weren’t here, so this is my chance, because I don’t know at this point that I would choose to come back. Bear in mind that you are hearing from a culture shocked girl who isn’t sleeping well, so that may change… Until later, love to you all. Skylar
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Adventure...
Today has most certainly been the best day so far.
It began with an orientation from Kwasi and the CIEE group on how to register. Registration at this university is really quite rational, I think, for a country that is not heavy in it's internet use. One walks to every department on campus to look at what they have posted for courses for this semester. If you are lucky, they even say what time the class is at already! (Darn Religious Studies department... you are holding me up!) And then you stand in a long, slow line, to file a physical registration form for each department. As international students (though regulars might do this as well, actually), we must staple a passport photo to each registration form. Now, I have heard an awful lot of complaining about this process from former CIEE Ghana students. "It's hot." "The lines suck" "Why can't it be on line?" "Campus is too big" (Ok, it is will over a mile wide and long, but most buildings are in the first, slightly up hill 3/4 of a mile...) Please people... y'all picked Africa. I thought it as was quite fun, getting to see the campus and all the departments. It's also really nice to actually see other students, because campus has been very empty for a few days.
Perhaps the best part of the day happened at the end of Registration orientation, before all this occurred. The Development Studies track had a meeting to meet a man (I'm not sure his name) who works out of the center that our courses will run from. A: The center is off campus- which is wonderful! A 20 minute walk, but I get to get off campus! 2: Our Twi class, when it starts, wil also be at this center- off campus again! C: We unfortunately did not learn our internships today, which we thought we would. Apparently they are still being finalized. However, he did disclose the details of a few of them- Some of us are working in offices in microlending, some of us are teaching in rural schools (huts), some in hospitals, assisting the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients, some are in orphanages tutoring or teaching basic computer skills to orphans. You guys, I couldn't stop smiling listening to him speak, I was so excited to learn about the whole thing. Also cool, the minimum time on an internship is 8 hours per week, most are 12ish +, and some are self sustained at as many hours as we feel to put in. They are also all off campus, some significantly far away... We come back together as a group and discuss what is happening for us and what we are doing for these sights on a regular basis. Amazing, really. For those of you who didn't know, i asked to be placed with children in an educational or advocacy setting, but I also have my women's center SAPET stuff on my resume I submitted, so I'm unsure of where I'll be, but I should know before the end of the month. This is hands down what I am most excited about for being here, and learning about it was a big boost.
I have also now had my first travel out into "Ghana." The university feels like just that, a university. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it's uniqueness- but I really hadn't been off campus or not at a hotel or between yet. Two friends and I took a Taxi to Shoprite, the Accra Mall. Yes, Accra has a mall, with very expensive boutiques, two grocery/ home supply stores, and not a whole lot more... I was buying essentials, laundry detergent (I'm almost out of clothes already) toilet paper (no bathroom in Ghana has toilet paper, folks) napkins, etc. It was fun. Funny though, I never saw myself in a mall in Ghana. Here's the thing though- I am in a really developed capital of a country, by African standards. Many of the commodities that i didn't think would be available are here in abundance. Ghanaians dress very nicely. So being in a mall is really not that weird. Afterwards, we got another cab (sorry, taxi, they get really confused when we can cab) and asked the guy driving for a real Ghanaian eatery. He knew right where to go. We made close friends with Kofi tonight. He explained the tension between Ghanaians and Nigerians (The N's are apparently quite shady figures) buy Ghanaian standards), he explained that his other name "George" was required before he could go into university because "Kofi" is just way too common (Every man born on a Friday.) Getting to this "Chop Bar," as sit down restraunts are called here was quite an, um, experience... Ghana does not do traffic lights, blinkers, turn waiting, or get this -seatbelts. Yes. And there are vender's between the lanes, when there happens to be a space. Heroing to say the least. Well, we made it back into East Legon to the Chop bar, and when I can figure out how to post a pic of my food I will, because words cannot do Banku and Fish Stew justice. Lets just say, I ate a soup with my right hand this evening...
On the way back, Kofi asked us to be his "sisters." In Ghana, all friends are family. It is an honor to have a "brother." At the gate of the University, when he should have dropped us off (only special Taxis can drive on campus as a security measure) he told the guard in Twi "I don't want to leave my sisters, I want to see them safely to their rooms" and the guard considered, then let him pass. Those are Ghanaians for you.
And then, long experience short, we ran into seamstresses in the hostel. I now own 2 Ghanaian style dresses, a skirt, and a top... all for about US $23. Actually, until my comoddities run and dinner out, I had spent a grand total of 5 Cidis. That's, oh, about 5.05 US. My meals yesterday and today totaled just above $1. And I'm happy about that, not because this is a cheap country for an American, but because I haven't thrown my money about lavishly in the way they all expect an American to. On a final note, all Ghanaians believe that there are no poor Americans. If you try to tell them that we too, have homeless, with no food or shelter, they will not believe you for a second. So to spend what they spend on a day to day basis feels realy, really good.
Until later:)
It began with an orientation from Kwasi and the CIEE group on how to register. Registration at this university is really quite rational, I think, for a country that is not heavy in it's internet use. One walks to every department on campus to look at what they have posted for courses for this semester. If you are lucky, they even say what time the class is at already! (Darn Religious Studies department... you are holding me up!) And then you stand in a long, slow line, to file a physical registration form for each department. As international students (though regulars might do this as well, actually), we must staple a passport photo to each registration form. Now, I have heard an awful lot of complaining about this process from former CIEE Ghana students. "It's hot." "The lines suck" "Why can't it be on line?" "Campus is too big" (Ok, it is will over a mile wide and long, but most buildings are in the first, slightly up hill 3/4 of a mile...) Please people... y'all picked Africa. I thought it as was quite fun, getting to see the campus and all the departments. It's also really nice to actually see other students, because campus has been very empty for a few days.
Perhaps the best part of the day happened at the end of Registration orientation, before all this occurred. The Development Studies track had a meeting to meet a man (I'm not sure his name) who works out of the center that our courses will run from. A: The center is off campus- which is wonderful! A 20 minute walk, but I get to get off campus! 2: Our Twi class, when it starts, wil also be at this center- off campus again! C: We unfortunately did not learn our internships today, which we thought we would. Apparently they are still being finalized. However, he did disclose the details of a few of them- Some of us are working in offices in microlending, some of us are teaching in rural schools (huts), some in hospitals, assisting the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients, some are in orphanages tutoring or teaching basic computer skills to orphans. You guys, I couldn't stop smiling listening to him speak, I was so excited to learn about the whole thing. Also cool, the minimum time on an internship is 8 hours per week, most are 12ish +, and some are self sustained at as many hours as we feel to put in. They are also all off campus, some significantly far away... We come back together as a group and discuss what is happening for us and what we are doing for these sights on a regular basis. Amazing, really. For those of you who didn't know, i asked to be placed with children in an educational or advocacy setting, but I also have my women's center SAPET stuff on my resume I submitted, so I'm unsure of where I'll be, but I should know before the end of the month. This is hands down what I am most excited about for being here, and learning about it was a big boost.
I have also now had my first travel out into "Ghana." The university feels like just that, a university. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it's uniqueness- but I really hadn't been off campus or not at a hotel or between yet. Two friends and I took a Taxi to Shoprite, the Accra Mall. Yes, Accra has a mall, with very expensive boutiques, two grocery/ home supply stores, and not a whole lot more... I was buying essentials, laundry detergent (I'm almost out of clothes already) toilet paper (no bathroom in Ghana has toilet paper, folks) napkins, etc. It was fun. Funny though, I never saw myself in a mall in Ghana. Here's the thing though- I am in a really developed capital of a country, by African standards. Many of the commodities that i didn't think would be available are here in abundance. Ghanaians dress very nicely. So being in a mall is really not that weird. Afterwards, we got another cab (sorry, taxi, they get really confused when we can cab) and asked the guy driving for a real Ghanaian eatery. He knew right where to go. We made close friends with Kofi tonight. He explained the tension between Ghanaians and Nigerians (The N's are apparently quite shady figures) buy Ghanaian standards), he explained that his other name "George" was required before he could go into university because "Kofi" is just way too common (Every man born on a Friday.) Getting to this "Chop Bar," as sit down restraunts are called here was quite an, um, experience... Ghana does not do traffic lights, blinkers, turn waiting, or get this -seatbelts. Yes. And there are vender's between the lanes, when there happens to be a space. Heroing to say the least. Well, we made it back into East Legon to the Chop bar, and when I can figure out how to post a pic of my food I will, because words cannot do Banku and Fish Stew justice. Lets just say, I ate a soup with my right hand this evening...
On the way back, Kofi asked us to be his "sisters." In Ghana, all friends are family. It is an honor to have a "brother." At the gate of the University, when he should have dropped us off (only special Taxis can drive on campus as a security measure) he told the guard in Twi "I don't want to leave my sisters, I want to see them safely to their rooms" and the guard considered, then let him pass. Those are Ghanaians for you.
And then, long experience short, we ran into seamstresses in the hostel. I now own 2 Ghanaian style dresses, a skirt, and a top... all for about US $23. Actually, until my comoddities run and dinner out, I had spent a grand total of 5 Cidis. That's, oh, about 5.05 US. My meals yesterday and today totaled just above $1. And I'm happy about that, not because this is a cheap country for an American, but because I haven't thrown my money about lavishly in the way they all expect an American to. On a final note, all Ghanaians believe that there are no poor Americans. If you try to tell them that we too, have homeless, with no food or shelter, they will not believe you for a second. So to spend what they spend on a day to day basis feels realy, really good.
Until later:)
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Whew! It's been a roller coaster of a few days.
There are many many moments, when I forget that i am in Africa. I'll be talking to someone, and then I'll look up are realize the foliage around me does not at all match home's. For some reason, that has been what cues in me in over and over,. Not that I am in the minority for the first time in my life, not even that it is very, very warm out , but the foliage. Banana trees, palms, high grass... it is all very beautiful, in a very, very different way than i have ever regarded scenery before.
I will try to cover a few of what I assume to world may be wondering in a series of "yes and no" questions.
YES- I do have mosquito bites already. NO the mosquitoes are not as bad as i thought they would be. NO I did not get a homestay, and YES I am very disappointed. I am living in an international dorm, "hostel" they call them in a room that is far nicer than my room in Harstad was at PLU. It's rather charming actually, and I have a balcony. Top that, PLU. No, I do not know what my calsses or internship are yet, although tomorrow is a day to work on that, YES I have internet access (obviously). YES I like the other people in my program, but NO they are nothing to the people I have left behind and miss very very dearly.
I am quite resigned to the fact that I will spend the next 4 month with brown feet and very sweaty clothing. It is much like summer camp actual;y, and I loved summer champ as a child. I am suprised at how quickly I have come not to mind the heat.
And Now, Bullet points.
-Here in Ghana, we drink water out of plastic bags (because it is cleaner than any tap). I buy it by the case of 30 for roughly 93 cents, or 90 pesewas. Is case you were wondering, the Cidi is stronger than the dollar, and while many things, food mainly, are cheeper, many commodities are not. It is crazy to me that an African nation is stronger than the US in currency. Food for thought, y'all.
-My resident Director, Kwase is extremely endearing. He, along with any Ghanaian I have met thus far have an extreme national pride. He so eloquently described the economic and political problems that have lead to the extreme disparity that exists between the poor and the rich here. As we drove to the hotel from the airport he said- "look at all this construction everywhere, you will see that many things are being fixed. We are building our country." Probably doesn't sound that profound to you, but looking at it all, the chaos- Roads oddly paved on one side, but dirt on the other, garbage everywhere, open exposed sewage system by way of deep gutters on the sides of all the roads (dry right now, because it is not rainy season) random chickens walking around, "3 star hotels," like the one I stayed in down a short road from disparate shacks where people live... His hope for the future is so inspiring given all that i can see in front of me.
-My sociologist brain has been exploding with excitement throughout all of orientation. I pretty much want to buy the whole university bookstore of books on teaching children religious values... We discussed gender issues today- Ghana, as is all of Africa baring South Africa, is very anti-homosexual. Part of it is because of the deep religiosity in this country. Even the most urban areas are devoutly Christian or Muslim. For those of traditional faiths, homosexuality violates roles prescribed to men and women in the grand scheme of life. Ok, not surprising to me- but what shocked me is how closely homophobia is tied to nationalism. Kwase said that not hetero relationships are believed to be "not Ghanaian." Over and over, gender roles and attitudes towards sex were emphasized as part of Ghanaian's pride in being Ghanaian. The president bared a conference of gay persons from happening in ghana- and the media, the churches, the people, openly praised him for it. The president is very highly regarded here. (Not like Bush, we all commented.)
-the university i live at is like a huge park. It is pretty, in it;s own way. There are parts that are better cared for than others, but it's a pretty neat place. I have yet to explore it though, so more on this later. See how I feel about it after the very confusing registration process...
-I had a revelation today. I had always looked at international student a at PLU in awe- like, wow, they are so brave to pack up everything and move to the united states, leave everything and come to such a foreign place where nothing is what you are used to. How overwhelming brave of them, i don't know if I could do. it. And then today, as I filled out the International dorm's much simplified version of an RCR (seriously, res life could learn a thing or two from this check in process) I realized that I AM an international student. For some reason, i have never thought of studying abroad as the same thing as being an international student- I think I thought of it more as a learning experience that is part of my PLU experience. Or as part of my life as an American college student who wants to see the world and can afford it. But this is it- I am in a program, one of many here on the campus that turns united states citizens into foreigners, into international students, with special international student orientations and payment contracts, and registrations, and ID cards... This has been a very profound revelation for me in a way that I don't know is anyone else will understand, but when i get home, i will view the international students very differently that I have before.
-It is beyond refreshing to wear little to know makeup (though I'm surprised at home "done up" the people in my program always are. East coast thing?), be dirty and sweaty without giving it a second thought, and best of all- to be in a country that does not have mirrors, except above bathroom sinks. This is truly wonderful. To know that the shape of my body has no bearing on how I am viewed here, and consequently, how I view myself, is beautiful...
I will not lie- there are wonderful moments here where I can see the extreme depth of knowledge I will gain from living at this university, in this country, amongst these people who are so kind- and i am elated. And their are very dark moments when I suddenly cry to realize how on my own I am. There is a support system here for sure- but I face an uphill battle against the pain of being so autonomous without out close relations- something I don't' think I took very seriously when I thought about studying abroad. But- I have my pictures to put up still, so I will be OK!
Until I can gather my thought more eloquently
-Love Skylar
I will try to cover a few of what I assume to world may be wondering in a series of "yes and no" questions.
YES- I do have mosquito bites already. NO the mosquitoes are not as bad as i thought they would be. NO I did not get a homestay, and YES I am very disappointed. I am living in an international dorm, "hostel" they call them in a room that is far nicer than my room in Harstad was at PLU. It's rather charming actually, and I have a balcony. Top that, PLU. No, I do not know what my calsses or internship are yet, although tomorrow is a day to work on that, YES I have internet access (obviously). YES I like the other people in my program, but NO they are nothing to the people I have left behind and miss very very dearly.
I am quite resigned to the fact that I will spend the next 4 month with brown feet and very sweaty clothing. It is much like summer camp actual;y, and I loved summer champ as a child. I am suprised at how quickly I have come not to mind the heat.
And Now, Bullet points.
-Here in Ghana, we drink water out of plastic bags (because it is cleaner than any tap). I buy it by the case of 30 for roughly 93 cents, or 90 pesewas. Is case you were wondering, the Cidi is stronger than the dollar, and while many things, food mainly, are cheeper, many commodities are not. It is crazy to me that an African nation is stronger than the US in currency. Food for thought, y'all.
-My resident Director, Kwase is extremely endearing. He, along with any Ghanaian I have met thus far have an extreme national pride. He so eloquently described the economic and political problems that have lead to the extreme disparity that exists between the poor and the rich here. As we drove to the hotel from the airport he said- "look at all this construction everywhere, you will see that many things are being fixed. We are building our country." Probably doesn't sound that profound to you, but looking at it all, the chaos- Roads oddly paved on one side, but dirt on the other, garbage everywhere, open exposed sewage system by way of deep gutters on the sides of all the roads (dry right now, because it is not rainy season) random chickens walking around, "3 star hotels," like the one I stayed in down a short road from disparate shacks where people live... His hope for the future is so inspiring given all that i can see in front of me.
-My sociologist brain has been exploding with excitement throughout all of orientation. I pretty much want to buy the whole university bookstore of books on teaching children religious values... We discussed gender issues today- Ghana, as is all of Africa baring South Africa, is very anti-homosexual. Part of it is because of the deep religiosity in this country. Even the most urban areas are devoutly Christian or Muslim. For those of traditional faiths, homosexuality violates roles prescribed to men and women in the grand scheme of life. Ok, not surprising to me- but what shocked me is how closely homophobia is tied to nationalism. Kwase said that not hetero relationships are believed to be "not Ghanaian." Over and over, gender roles and attitudes towards sex were emphasized as part of Ghanaian's pride in being Ghanaian. The president bared a conference of gay persons from happening in ghana- and the media, the churches, the people, openly praised him for it. The president is very highly regarded here. (Not like Bush, we all commented.)
-the university i live at is like a huge park. It is pretty, in it;s own way. There are parts that are better cared for than others, but it's a pretty neat place. I have yet to explore it though, so more on this later. See how I feel about it after the very confusing registration process...
-I had a revelation today. I had always looked at international student a at PLU in awe- like, wow, they are so brave to pack up everything and move to the united states, leave everything and come to such a foreign place where nothing is what you are used to. How overwhelming brave of them, i don't know if I could do. it. And then today, as I filled out the International dorm's much simplified version of an RCR (seriously, res life could learn a thing or two from this check in process) I realized that I AM an international student. For some reason, i have never thought of studying abroad as the same thing as being an international student- I think I thought of it more as a learning experience that is part of my PLU experience. Or as part of my life as an American college student who wants to see the world and can afford it. But this is it- I am in a program, one of many here on the campus that turns united states citizens into foreigners, into international students, with special international student orientations and payment contracts, and registrations, and ID cards... This has been a very profound revelation for me in a way that I don't know is anyone else will understand, but when i get home, i will view the international students very differently that I have before.
-It is beyond refreshing to wear little to know makeup (though I'm surprised at home "done up" the people in my program always are. East coast thing?), be dirty and sweaty without giving it a second thought, and best of all- to be in a country that does not have mirrors, except above bathroom sinks. This is truly wonderful. To know that the shape of my body has no bearing on how I am viewed here, and consequently, how I view myself, is beautiful...
I will not lie- there are wonderful moments here where I can see the extreme depth of knowledge I will gain from living at this university, in this country, amongst these people who are so kind- and i am elated. And their are very dark moments when I suddenly cry to realize how on my own I am. There is a support system here for sure- but I face an uphill battle against the pain of being so autonomous without out close relations- something I don't' think I took very seriously when I thought about studying abroad. But- I have my pictures to put up still, so I will be OK!
Until I can gather my thought more eloquently
-Love Skylar
Monday, February 4, 2008
Things I should probably be afraid of...
As a way of coalescing my recent anxiety about Ghana, I've prepared a list of things I probably should be thinking about in advance, but really haven't given much thought. This list is every bit as helpful for me as it is reading fodder for you all.
1. The Sun.
Pathetic, I know. But if you've never been on a tropical vacation with me, you wouldn't know that my skin just doesn't do the sun. And not in the "oh, it is so hot, I must lie here in the shade all day and do nothing today" way, but in the "I've been here for a 3 days, and already I am bright pink despite sunscreen and have developed a heat rash on my whole body that produces certain misery until I can spend a few days out of the sun" kind of way. Days out of the sun will not be possible in Ghana, and I don't think I've ever been so close to the equator in my life.
2. Malaria Medication.
Piggybacking on theme #1, I've been prescribed a daily malaria pill that increases one's sensitivity to the sun. The bottle says to avoid the midday sun. Again, not an option. This medication also decreases the effectiveness of the calcium pills and birth control that I take for prior medical conditions. Joy!
3. Men.
I have heard that the Ghanaian people are the friendliest anywhere (if they compete with the Irish, then I might never come home...) but that as a blond white female, I will be beyond appealing to Ghanaian men. They are supposedly more forward than the Italian men, but perhaps more polite (no boob grabbing on the subway this time). I've read about frequent marriage proposals and propositions to be friends. Now, I'm all for integration, but I know to say "my husband is in the next village/town" and that that won't always work. ("Have a husband in both towns!") I've been told to laugh it off, and eventually I will understand that this is just a part of their friendly culture and it wont bother me anymore. In the time being, I despise forward men. This is perhaps why I didn't enjoy Mexico very much, because being followed and worse, stared at from afar drove me bonkers. This will be a significant cultural challenge for me. I know they are friendly, I know that some of them really do just want to be friends. I do not want to be perceived as standoffish or the American that they all assume I am, so I think my approach will be to stay and chat a while, try to be friendly, maybe even practice my Twi, and try to defy my own tendencies to glare and walk away...
4. Bugs
Not many of you got to see the welts I managed to ascertain from the bugs in Colorado last summer. I just attract mosquitoes, spiders, etc. Trust me, a mosquito net is my number 1 priority in Ghanaian purchases (followed by bedding and a cell phone). What can I say here? I'll wear the bug spray, I'll pack long sleeves, I'll DEET myself when I travel, I'll swat at what I see. The rest is kind of just luck, isn't it?
5. Culture shock, and I think worse, reverse culture shock.
I'm sure I'll get there and look around, instantly falling in love with everything I see. I know that will ware off, but I'm hoping that the glint of excitement will carry me through at least a month before I have to find a substantiated reason to love Ghana. I hope that knowing that I wont be leaving for a long time will help me adjust with fervor, something I did not do while in Italy last year. I let myself count down the days until I flew home to someone, and while I loved it all, I was a bit checked out at the end. More of a concern, how will I go from Ghana to vacation, to my home for two months, where I have no job, and no troubles. I think I'll be sick with myself for being here, which is a hard thought. What will my family think when I come home and want to resist all my comforts? This one I can't think about right now.
Let's recap that these are things that are floating around in the back of my mind, but that I haven't given any serious consideration, and probably wont. Despite my tendency to over plan my life waaaay into the future, I still picked the sunny, bug and disease ridden, overtly friendly country for reasons that I think far outweigh the need to fear being uncomfortable. Why did I pick this (or in some of your minds, "do this to my self")? Here's an excerpt from an essay I wrote earlier this year:
1. The Sun.
Pathetic, I know. But if you've never been on a tropical vacation with me, you wouldn't know that my skin just doesn't do the sun. And not in the "oh, it is so hot, I must lie here in the shade all day and do nothing today" way, but in the "I've been here for a 3 days, and already I am bright pink despite sunscreen and have developed a heat rash on my whole body that produces certain misery until I can spend a few days out of the sun" kind of way. Days out of the sun will not be possible in Ghana, and I don't think I've ever been so close to the equator in my life.
2. Malaria Medication.
Piggybacking on theme #1, I've been prescribed a daily malaria pill that increases one's sensitivity to the sun. The bottle says to avoid the midday sun. Again, not an option. This medication also decreases the effectiveness of the calcium pills and birth control that I take for prior medical conditions. Joy!
3. Men.
I have heard that the Ghanaian people are the friendliest anywhere (if they compete with the Irish, then I might never come home...) but that as a blond white female, I will be beyond appealing to Ghanaian men. They are supposedly more forward than the Italian men, but perhaps more polite (no boob grabbing on the subway this time). I've read about frequent marriage proposals and propositions to be friends. Now, I'm all for integration, but I know to say "my husband is in the next village/town" and that that won't always work. ("Have a husband in both towns!") I've been told to laugh it off, and eventually I will understand that this is just a part of their friendly culture and it wont bother me anymore. In the time being, I despise forward men. This is perhaps why I didn't enjoy Mexico very much, because being followed and worse, stared at from afar drove me bonkers. This will be a significant cultural challenge for me. I know they are friendly, I know that some of them really do just want to be friends. I do not want to be perceived as standoffish or the American that they all assume I am, so I think my approach will be to stay and chat a while, try to be friendly, maybe even practice my Twi, and try to defy my own tendencies to glare and walk away...
4. Bugs
Not many of you got to see the welts I managed to ascertain from the bugs in Colorado last summer. I just attract mosquitoes, spiders, etc. Trust me, a mosquito net is my number 1 priority in Ghanaian purchases (followed by bedding and a cell phone). What can I say here? I'll wear the bug spray, I'll pack long sleeves, I'll DEET myself when I travel, I'll swat at what I see. The rest is kind of just luck, isn't it?
5. Culture shock, and I think worse, reverse culture shock.
I'm sure I'll get there and look around, instantly falling in love with everything I see. I know that will ware off, but I'm hoping that the glint of excitement will carry me through at least a month before I have to find a substantiated reason to love Ghana. I hope that knowing that I wont be leaving for a long time will help me adjust with fervor, something I did not do while in Italy last year. I let myself count down the days until I flew home to someone, and while I loved it all, I was a bit checked out at the end. More of a concern, how will I go from Ghana to vacation, to my home for two months, where I have no job, and no troubles. I think I'll be sick with myself for being here, which is a hard thought. What will my family think when I come home and want to resist all my comforts? This one I can't think about right now.
Let's recap that these are things that are floating around in the back of my mind, but that I haven't given any serious consideration, and probably wont. Despite my tendency to over plan my life waaaay into the future, I still picked the sunny, bug and disease ridden, overtly friendly country for reasons that I think far outweigh the need to fear being uncomfortable. Why did I pick this (or in some of your minds, "do this to my self")? Here's an excerpt from an essay I wrote earlier this year:
"In planning for this experience abroad in Africa, I have heard over and over again, “You could have just gone to Europe.” Europe would be less expensive, less disease-ridden, easier to adjust to and safer politically. The ever prominent mantra of my family and friends has been “Why on earth would you want to spend four months in a third world country?”
"Truthfully, the program in Legon had exactly what I was looking for: the ability to do a homestay, where I could be totally immersed in the language, traditions, and mundane routine life of another culture. I know this experience will be anything but mundane for me. I fully expect to be uncomfortable (just going from the cold Pacific Northwest to equatorial Africa will throw me for a loop!) I want to be uncomfortable to the point that I must change my conception of comfortable; to fully understand that my way of life is not ideal for everyone is my objective. This is why I chose Africa. The food, the mixture of religious practice, the markets, the dirt, and the people - I cannot explain how excited I am to observe and ask about everything. "
There you have it, folks.
There you have it, folks.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Home
I moved home today. Kind of weird. Kind of obnoxious that it was a 4 hour drive that should have be 2 hours, but that's what I get for leaving at 4pm on a Friday and driving through the capitol...
I'm trying out this blog thing. I'm a bit wary... the last thing I need is to revisit LiveJournal, but somehow I feel like somebody out there will appreciate my feelings about spending the next 4 months in Africa. I'll try and not sound to emo and angsty for the over 20 crowd.
That said, it's been a surreal 2 days. Taking Austin to the airport sent me into a full fledged panic by the end of the day. Not about leaving for Ghana. I couldn't be less stressed about the prospect of packing up my life and going. Suddenly I couldn't stomach moving home from school. How the hell was I going to see everyone in a day? And pack? The experiance of numerous "lasts" as I finally gave up RAdom and got ready to go pushed me almost to tears by the end of the day. I had the sudden urge to journal a novel but had no time to do so.
Ahh, but now I am home for 8 days. I hope they go by quickly- I can't wait to leave and be somewhere new (and out of the shitty weather that we've had all month). Part of me is shocked that I chose to do this. To be so unplanned, to fly 24hours to where I have no idea where I'm living or what I'm doing- to do so seems completely out of the ordinary for me, the obsessive compulsive planner and control freak. Yet I feel completely comfortable with the prospect of showing up and knowing someone else will take care of the details. The rest of me knew I would always do this- go somewhere selected somewhat at random in hopes that "life experiance" will teach me something new about myself. I feel like I've hit a wall where my normal surroundings have become so comfortable that I don't need to do anything differently anymore. Good lord, I'm boring! I hope that I will learn new ways to cope, and develop just a little bit of back bone and confidence in my opinions. In short, I'm looking for a little definition of myself through this experiance.
Thanks for bearing with me.
I'm trying out this blog thing. I'm a bit wary... the last thing I need is to revisit LiveJournal, but somehow I feel like somebody out there will appreciate my feelings about spending the next 4 months in Africa. I'll try and not sound to emo and angsty for the over 20 crowd.
That said, it's been a surreal 2 days. Taking Austin to the airport sent me into a full fledged panic by the end of the day. Not about leaving for Ghana. I couldn't be less stressed about the prospect of packing up my life and going. Suddenly I couldn't stomach moving home from school. How the hell was I going to see everyone in a day? And pack? The experiance of numerous "lasts" as I finally gave up RAdom and got ready to go pushed me almost to tears by the end of the day. I had the sudden urge to journal a novel but had no time to do so.
Ahh, but now I am home for 8 days. I hope they go by quickly- I can't wait to leave and be somewhere new (and out of the shitty weather that we've had all month). Part of me is shocked that I chose to do this. To be so unplanned, to fly 24hours to where I have no idea where I'm living or what I'm doing- to do so seems completely out of the ordinary for me, the obsessive compulsive planner and control freak. Yet I feel completely comfortable with the prospect of showing up and knowing someone else will take care of the details. The rest of me knew I would always do this- go somewhere selected somewhat at random in hopes that "life experiance" will teach me something new about myself. I feel like I've hit a wall where my normal surroundings have become so comfortable that I don't need to do anything differently anymore. Good lord, I'm boring! I hope that I will learn new ways to cope, and develop just a little bit of back bone and confidence in my opinions. In short, I'm looking for a little definition of myself through this experiance.
Thanks for bearing with me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
