Everyone has been asking for pictures. I'm trying, I really am . . . but it may be a while yet before I have any way to post them. Most of the internet cafes don't let you upload external material from flash drives, CDs, etc. and my own computer is currently a useless pile of electronic junk. So be patient . . . a lot of that has to happen here in Ghana, so you can be involved in that part of the experience with me :)
I still can't get over how inexpensive everything is here. The other day somebody in my program commented about how the international community is always appalled to learn that much of the world lives on less than $1 a day, but that being here has made them realize it's possible. I couldn't believe she said that, because it's really not true. Maybe one can eat for less than a dollar a day, but that doesn't take into consideration ANYTHING else: shelter, water, clothing, basic amenities, health care, transportation.
It's funny . . . the other day I wrote that race really isn't an issue in Ghana. I'd still say it's not, yet every day I am a thousand times more aware of my whiteness than I ever am in the U.S. On Sunday night, CIEE (my program) had an Akwaaba ("Welcome") Dinner for everybody in the two CIEE programs here. We had a huge catered meal, and we ate outside an office building but were inside a closed white fence. A local drumming and dance group performed during and after the meal. As they performed, tons of kids from the neighborhood gathered around and were peeking over the fence to watch. Even though my program directors and assistants, who are Ghanaian, were there, an overwhelming majority of the people in my program are white Americans. I couldn't stop thinking about how we must have looked to the neighborhood: this group of obroni eating a huge meal and enjoying entertainment. I was really glad that the children were allowed to stay and watch, and that all of the leftovers were given away, but I still felt very awkward about the whole experience. I've been mulling this over for several days now and I'm still not sure I can fully articulate my thoughts, so forgive my rambling.
I have been here two weeks now, but I'm already realizing all of the things I take for granted. While I can eat for a dollar a day, things like toilet paper and mouthwash are ridiculously expensive. I never think twice about picking up items like that at the store in the states, but it's almost painful here when I buy a pack of toilet paper that costs more than what I'd spend on food in a week. It certainly puts everything into perspective.
Last night I watched John Q with some friends. That's the one where Denzel Washington takes the emergency room hostage because his insurance won't cover his son's heart transplant. It's one of my favorite movies, and though I've seen it probably 20 times, it's always difficult for me to watch. But I think it was even harder to watch last night than ever before. It's infuriating to me how our country has the ability to do so much, but we don't because we don't make things a priority or we don't think people deserve it. I'm feeling simultaneously grateful for the fact that I am an American and have so much available to me, and resentful of that same fact. I know I shouldn't be ashamed of who I am and where I come from, but I just haven't figured out how to reconcile it all in my mind yet. I also know I'm extremely liberal, and I know lots of people will disagree with me . . . but I feel like there are some things that are basic human rights that every human deserves access to simply for being a human. I have been uncomfortable and unsure many times since I've been here: confused by local languages, confused about how to get around, confused about how to find something I need. But if there's anything I have become more sure of since my arrival, it is that we have things going really great in the U.S., and we need to start figuring out how to share that.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
My name is Adwoa
Registration at the University of Ghana is a HOT MESS!!!!!! I have all of next week to get it figured out . . . even though classes start this week . . . but I am pretty sure I know which classes I'll be taking, so I can go to them even if my registration hasn't been fully processed yet. I'll be taking Twi three days a week for two hours each, my development studies class, and my internship (I get my placement for that on Wednesday). Then I'm also taking U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Africa, and Human Rights in Africa if I can get AU to approve that since it wasn't on my pre-approved list. Finally, I want to take a drumming class . . . I think they have a class that is specifically for foreigners (AKA oburuni drumming 101 . . . hah!)
Everything is still great. The only disappointment really is my living situation. I am in the Ghanaian dorms, but my roommate is Sarah, the same girl I lived with for 3 semesters at AU. In some ways it's a relief because I know my room will be some place that I can relax . . . but I had requested a home stay as my first choice and then the Ghanaian dorms specifically so that no matter what happened I would be living with Ghanaians. I have 4 other suitemates . . . but one of them, Kirsten, is also American, and 2 apparently keep to themselves and have no interest in talking to Americans. The last one, Faith, is Ghanaian and she is VERY nice. Really, all things considered, the situation isn't bad . . . I was just hoping for an easy way to make some local friends. I'll just have to try that much harder to meet people I guess!
Apparently there IS in fact a women's rugby team, but I haven't figured out who to get in touch with for information about that yet. There's some athletic office that I'll try to go to on Monday if I can figure out where it is. Campus is HUGE!! It's probably really not all that big but I'm used to a very small, compact campus where everything is in the same place even though it has a relatively large student body. It's also a really beautiful campus, minus all the construction (but I could say the same thing about AU too). I think the coolest thing I've seen so far is GOATS!!! Yes, there are GOATS that run around on campus! They're not in the middle of things . . . most of the campus is relatively similar to one in the U.S. with streets and sidewalks . . . but as you get further out towards the edges of campus there are lots of fields and grassy areas where you can play soccer, or places the university is clearly planning to add buildings, and that's where the goats run around. But it's still cool!!
Another cultural note . . . every Ghanaian has a name based on the day of the week on which they were born. They're commonly used as middle names, but can also be a person's first name. Since I was born on Monday, my name is Adwoa. That's how I've been told to introduce myself to people that I don't necessarily want to be able to find me later . . . because there are hundreds of Adwoas so who's to say I'm the one somebody is actually looking for? It's already come in handy, and it's cool having a local name :)
If not by tonight, I should definitely have more regular internet access by Monday. So I'll start calling everyone on Skype by next week. Until then, I miss you all . . . but I can't lie, Africa is pretty amazing!
Everything is still great. The only disappointment really is my living situation. I am in the Ghanaian dorms, but my roommate is Sarah, the same girl I lived with for 3 semesters at AU. In some ways it's a relief because I know my room will be some place that I can relax . . . but I had requested a home stay as my first choice and then the Ghanaian dorms specifically so that no matter what happened I would be living with Ghanaians. I have 4 other suitemates . . . but one of them, Kirsten, is also American, and 2 apparently keep to themselves and have no interest in talking to Americans. The last one, Faith, is Ghanaian and she is VERY nice. Really, all things considered, the situation isn't bad . . . I was just hoping for an easy way to make some local friends. I'll just have to try that much harder to meet people I guess!
Apparently there IS in fact a women's rugby team, but I haven't figured out who to get in touch with for information about that yet. There's some athletic office that I'll try to go to on Monday if I can figure out where it is. Campus is HUGE!! It's probably really not all that big but I'm used to a very small, compact campus where everything is in the same place even though it has a relatively large student body. It's also a really beautiful campus, minus all the construction (but I could say the same thing about AU too). I think the coolest thing I've seen so far is GOATS!!! Yes, there are GOATS that run around on campus! They're not in the middle of things . . . most of the campus is relatively similar to one in the U.S. with streets and sidewalks . . . but as you get further out towards the edges of campus there are lots of fields and grassy areas where you can play soccer, or places the university is clearly planning to add buildings, and that's where the goats run around. But it's still cool!!
Another cultural note . . . every Ghanaian has a name based on the day of the week on which they were born. They're commonly used as middle names, but can also be a person's first name. Since I was born on Monday, my name is Adwoa. That's how I've been told to introduce myself to people that I don't necessarily want to be able to find me later . . . because there are hundreds of Adwoas so who's to say I'm the one somebody is actually looking for? It's already come in handy, and it's cool having a local name :)
If not by tonight, I should definitely have more regular internet access by Monday. So I'll start calling everyone on Skype by next week. Until then, I miss you all . . . but I can't lie, Africa is pretty amazing!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
I am "Oburuni"
Hi everyone!!
I'm running out of time so I'll have to keep this short . . . but I'm starting to get settled in at the university and everything is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday night I flew into Accra. There were a TON of people from my program on the plane with me, so we all figured out where to go together. A Ghanaian man stopped us and asked "Are you missionaries?" and we said, "No, we're students." So he said, "Ah, then you are welcome!" That was pretty funny :)
We then went to the Coconut Grove hotel where we stayed for the weekend for orientation. Orientation was mostly just getting to know the other Americans, and learning what we needed to know about Ghanaian customs and figuring out life at the university. On Sunday we did a scavenger hunt to find different parts of the city.
The primary mode of transportation here is called a "tro-tro," which is like a 12 or 15 passenger van. They drive by very quickly and don't stop for much time at all, so you have to know exactly where the stops are. There is a "mate" who helps the driver. Every time to tro-tro stops, the mate pops out the door and yells "Accra Accra Accra" or "Osu Osu Osu" or wherever the tro-tro is going. You hop in and tell the mate where you're going and negotiate a fare right then. If you wait till later, they may not give you your change, and if they try to overcharge you the other passengers will protest. You also have to constantly remind the mate which stop you want, or they'll just drive by. But tro-tro is definitely the easiest and cheapest way to get around once you figure out the system. It costs about 20 to 40 pesewas to get almost anywhere . . . which is about 16 or 32 cents.
Anytime I walk around, people will point and say "Oburuni!" which means "white person." Usually we say back "Obibani" which means "black person" . . . but here in Ghana those terms don't carry nearly the same weight as in the U.S. It's just a joke, a fact of life, and the Ghanaians always laugh if we reply with obibani. Racial tension isn't even an issue here, despite the history of colonialism and the slave trade . . . they're just not used to seeing a bunch of oburuni walking around. I think somebody said there are only 80 Americans in the entire university (about 25,000 or 30,000 people).
Apparently I have to go figure out registration . . . so I'll fill in more stuff later.
I'm running out of time so I'll have to keep this short . . . but I'm starting to get settled in at the university and everything is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday night I flew into Accra. There were a TON of people from my program on the plane with me, so we all figured out where to go together. A Ghanaian man stopped us and asked "Are you missionaries?" and we said, "No, we're students." So he said, "Ah, then you are welcome!" That was pretty funny :)
We then went to the Coconut Grove hotel where we stayed for the weekend for orientation. Orientation was mostly just getting to know the other Americans, and learning what we needed to know about Ghanaian customs and figuring out life at the university. On Sunday we did a scavenger hunt to find different parts of the city.
The primary mode of transportation here is called a "tro-tro," which is like a 12 or 15 passenger van. They drive by very quickly and don't stop for much time at all, so you have to know exactly where the stops are. There is a "mate" who helps the driver. Every time to tro-tro stops, the mate pops out the door and yells "Accra Accra Accra" or "Osu Osu Osu" or wherever the tro-tro is going. You hop in and tell the mate where you're going and negotiate a fare right then. If you wait till later, they may not give you your change, and if they try to overcharge you the other passengers will protest. You also have to constantly remind the mate which stop you want, or they'll just drive by. But tro-tro is definitely the easiest and cheapest way to get around once you figure out the system. It costs about 20 to 40 pesewas to get almost anywhere . . . which is about 16 or 32 cents.
Anytime I walk around, people will point and say "Oburuni!" which means "white person." Usually we say back "Obibani" which means "black person" . . . but here in Ghana those terms don't carry nearly the same weight as in the U.S. It's just a joke, a fact of life, and the Ghanaians always laugh if we reply with obibani. Racial tension isn't even an issue here, despite the history of colonialism and the slave trade . . . they're just not used to seeing a bunch of oburuni walking around. I think somebody said there are only 80 Americans in the entire university (about 25,000 or 30,000 people).
Apparently I have to go figure out registration . . . so I'll fill in more stuff later.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
T minus just a few hours!!
I'll be leaving for the airport in 2-3 hours!!! I have three flights between here and Ghana: Cleveland -> Detroit -> Amsterdam -> Accra. The first plane leaves at 7:06 TONIGHT!! Woohoo!! I should be arriving in Accra around 7:30 PM tomorrow (Ghana time, which is 5 hours ahead of the Eastern time zone).
Before too long I'll be taking classes at the University of Ghana at Legon!!!!!!!!
I still have no idea where I'll be living or where my internship will be - I'll find out during orientation (this weekend/next week). I requested to live in a homestay, but if I'm not placed in one I'll live in the dorms. For my internship I requested a position at the Liberian refugee camp outside of Accra, but my placement really could be just about anywhere.
I will definitely update this blog as much as possible once I get moved in and settled down with a schedule. Here is some interesting Ghana trivia:
- capital city: Accra, population 2 million
- currency: Cedi ("see-dee")
- had been under several colonial rules (first Portuguese) and gained independence from the British in 1957; historically the country was known as Ghana, but the name was changed to The Gold Coast under colonial powers; returned to historic name of Ghana upon reclaiming independence
- famous Ghanaians: Kofi Annan (former Secretary-General to the U.N.) and Fredi Adu (former DC United soccer player)!!
- current average temperatures: 70s and 80s (which is about a zillion degrees warmer than Cleveland right now, heh heh heh)
- neighboring countries: Cote d'Ivoire (west), Burkina Faso (north), Togo (east)
Yayyy!!!!!
Now I should go finish packing . . . .
Before too long I'll be taking classes at the University of Ghana at Legon!!!!!!!!
I still have no idea where I'll be living or where my internship will be - I'll find out during orientation (this weekend/next week). I requested to live in a homestay, but if I'm not placed in one I'll live in the dorms. For my internship I requested a position at the Liberian refugee camp outside of Accra, but my placement really could be just about anywhere.
I will definitely update this blog as much as possible once I get moved in and settled down with a schedule. Here is some interesting Ghana trivia:
- capital city: Accra, population 2 million
- currency: Cedi ("see-dee")
- had been under several colonial rules (first Portuguese) and gained independence from the British in 1957; historically the country was known as Ghana, but the name was changed to The Gold Coast under colonial powers; returned to historic name of Ghana upon reclaiming independence
- famous Ghanaians: Kofi Annan (former Secretary-General to the U.N.) and Fredi Adu (former DC United soccer player)!!
- current average temperatures: 70s and 80s (which is about a zillion degrees warmer than Cleveland right now, heh heh heh)
- neighboring countries: Cote d'Ivoire (west), Burkina Faso (north), Togo (east)
Yayyy!!!!!
Now I should go finish packing . . . .
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