So yesterday when walking back from the night market in broad daylight with a ton of people around to the hostel (Andi and I) were walking and as we got to a joining cross walk a man grabbed my ankle (and I am thinking omg, i dont have but 5cedis on my you can have it all) and then he said "I love your tattoo" I was like thanks- as he still has many ankle...So I wrestle it out of his hand not violently but I was loosing my balance because I was not expecting this action and he continues to read it, introduces himself, and wishes me a good day. Personal space and bubbles are very very small here. I have gotten use to it- but this is the first time that I have been really grabbed- in the market it happens and they warned us about it. But it happened. I feel fine- but at the time it was like what is going on?
Last night was basically quiet. I had one of my interviews with Kofi who is our Twi Lecturer and has a lot of knowledge of Africa for my independent study. And it was funny at the end he started asking me questions which throw me off guard- A few of them got me thinking.
1. What is the biggest thing you have learned about yourself while here? (I need to slow down and take every moment in life for granted. Each thing I do in my life is important and going one moment to the next with no reflection is not good. Also I d not get enough sleep at home. It is so nice to feel rested.)
2. What is the biggest thing you have learned about African Culture while here? (This is one of the same things I thought in India- no matter how poor someone is here, they are still happy and will ask you how your day is going before they ask you for money. African's have a soul like no other and are just beautiful people inside and out).
3. What would your family and friends think of you marrying a Ghanaian?
So for the last one I have my personal thoughts but I would like to know yours- so you know the drill- comment...
Today Andi and I went to Medina- I got fabrics and are having clothing made. I love little day trips like this! Its the day to day life things that get me excited. This Friday there is a large group of Americans and Ghanaian going to "A Diary of a Mad Black Women." and then on Saturday we are going to Kpong (thats for you Caitlin- a little north-east of Aburi) to the bead making village.
So I guess that is it...
Midge
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Well Another One of those days
So Last night did not go as Bethany and I thought- there is a lot of corruption in Ghana. There is something going on at the orphanage that we are not clean on- it has more to do with finances then it does with the care of the children- which it is clear that they are all well cared for. So we are not going to be able to sponsor Emmanuel for school. But there are a few things that we are going to do. We are going to buy school supplies for all of the children- along with the pens hat I hope to be getting within the next few weeks. We will buy notebooks and pencils. They have official notebooks for schools in Ghana which i think is interesting. Also as we talked to some of the kids this past trip we are going to take a field trip with the 10 oldest to the beach- a few other ISEPers will also go with us. We are most likely going to go on March 7th. The baby went home- which confused me a little, but they got 6month old twin girls. They are adorable. I have to remember to bring my camera next week and see if we can take pictures of the children. We had a crazy time trying to get back to Legon- after about 2.5 hours we got back and had dinner. It was a little disappointing but we will do some things that will be good for all the children.
So this morning I had my Play Analysis class. I think I have mentioned before that a girl preaches/gospel talk before class. I sit with the same group 6-8 people and we always chat before class. But I dont know if it was the weather or if I just happened to be talking a little bit louder then everyone else. Ghanaian in general are soft spoken- and I am on the loader side. But in the middle of her talk she was like Oburoni be quiet. I was taken aback because it wasn't in a nice- please way that they usually start every sentence with please but this sentence did not. I was very taken back- so next week I will just keep my volume down. The group I was with said she needs to get off of her high horse... she is ultra-conservative christian and her talks basically tell everyone that they are wrong. I respect her believes but most of the class doesn't want to listen to her- so i dont feel that talking at all is disrespectful. Its all about the experience though.
I have my first interview for my independent Study today- and have three more this week. So busy with that. Andi and I are going to Medina Market tomorrow to get some fabric so we can have clothes made.
I guess that is it for now.
Midge
So this morning I had my Play Analysis class. I think I have mentioned before that a girl preaches/gospel talk before class. I sit with the same group 6-8 people and we always chat before class. But I dont know if it was the weather or if I just happened to be talking a little bit louder then everyone else. Ghanaian in general are soft spoken- and I am on the loader side. But in the middle of her talk she was like Oburoni be quiet. I was taken aback because it wasn't in a nice- please way that they usually start every sentence with please but this sentence did not. I was very taken back- so next week I will just keep my volume down. The group I was with said she needs to get off of her high horse... she is ultra-conservative christian and her talks basically tell everyone that they are wrong. I respect her believes but most of the class doesn't want to listen to her- so i dont feel that talking at all is disrespectful. Its all about the experience though.
I have my first interview for my independent Study today- and have three more this week. So busy with that. Andi and I are going to Medina Market tomorrow to get some fabric so we can have clothes made.
I guess that is it for now.
Midge
Monday, February 16, 2009
So just because there is not much else to write about
Food In Ghana-
There are a lot of really good foods here-
So Red Red (or Plantains and Beans) is a very good food- its not like baked beans at home they have a little spice to them. I am not sure how to explain the way that they are made, but it is good.
Fufuo- is a ball of cassava, plantains or yam pounded to a goo. I have tried it one- will try again I just need to find a soup that I like. Fufuo is served in soup - as like tofu it has no flavor.
Banku is simular to Fufuo but instead of pounded it is boiled. I have not tried this- but plan on it.
Ghanaian Salad- is a cole slow with beans, either chicken or beef, tomato sauce and a seasoning- it is very good.
If you cant tell Plantains are big here- plantain chips, grilled, and fried- all amazing!
Jollof, fried, and white rice are big here too. Chicken and a whole fish are typical with rice.
Lots of eggs- egg sandwiches for breakfast and hard boiled for lunch or dinner.
There is a vegan stand in the night market near my hostel- she has amazing food. Salads, gyro, ochra salad, soup, agushie greens. All amazing. Oh and Yam Balls-
These are the majority of the diet here.
I am off to the orphanage this afternoon to get Emmanuel into school. Will write more later or tomorrow.
<3 Midge
Comments Please
There are a lot of really good foods here-
So Red Red (or Plantains and Beans) is a very good food- its not like baked beans at home they have a little spice to them. I am not sure how to explain the way that they are made, but it is good.
Fufuo- is a ball of cassava, plantains or yam pounded to a goo. I have tried it one- will try again I just need to find a soup that I like. Fufuo is served in soup - as like tofu it has no flavor.
Banku is simular to Fufuo but instead of pounded it is boiled. I have not tried this- but plan on it.
Ghanaian Salad- is a cole slow with beans, either chicken or beef, tomato sauce and a seasoning- it is very good.
If you cant tell Plantains are big here- plantain chips, grilled, and fried- all amazing!
Jollof, fried, and white rice are big here too. Chicken and a whole fish are typical with rice.
Lots of eggs- egg sandwiches for breakfast and hard boiled for lunch or dinner.
There is a vegan stand in the night market near my hostel- she has amazing food. Salads, gyro, ochra salad, soup, agushie greens. All amazing. Oh and Yam Balls-
These are the majority of the diet here.
I am off to the orphanage this afternoon to get Emmanuel into school. Will write more later or tomorrow.
<3 Midge
Comments Please
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Great Weekend- with no Valentine...
A single girl could not have asked for a better Valentine’s Day then the one that I had in Africa. Seven ISEPers (plus 2 others who didn’t stay with us) decided to venture to Ada Foah (pronounced Ada- short a, and Foe) It is a resort-y area with a lot of resorts and beautiful beached. We spent the night at the Dream Land Resort where the staff was most pleasant and accommodating. There was the 7 of us and 5 other ladies from Germany in their three huts. They were very clean and affordable. We arrived at the resort around noon on Saturday after about a 2.5 hour journey that was very uneventful which is uncommon here. We ate lunch and then headed to the beach where we stayed until sunset. Though the sunset was not as nice as we hoped for it did have a certain beauty in the way that it reflected on the water. The beach was very clean and there was no one there which allowed for most of us to read books or listen to waves crashing on the shore. I was able to collect the smoothest shells that I have ever felt here. At about 6pm when the sun disappeared we headed back to the rooms where we had porches and some people had dinner- or as I had fresh tropical fruit and ice cream. What a night- I mean you can not celebrate National Chocolate Day Aka Valentine’s day with out a piece of chocolate. The staff created a small bon fire for us. But about 15 minutes later we felt a few raindrops on our heads and the next thing we knew there was a full on tropical storm with lighting, thunder and a beautiful down pour. It was a beautiful storm. We did loose power for about 15 minutes but the staff provided us with lanterns and still brought the food that was on order in the pouring rain. It stormed until about 1am which is a long storm for the region- I did not sleep the best- not sure why but it was other wise a great stay. They were great! I am going to recommended anyone else who is going there to stay there.
The option was available for a canoe tour of Volta River which the connecting point between Lake Volta- the biggest Man Made Lake and the Atlantic Ocean. We ventured out at 8am to join Set (my guide) and his elder brother on their canoes where they brought us to the Azikpe an island where sugar cane is there big crop which means that Rum follows closely after the sugar cane. Since I do not drink I did not try what is to be considered some of the best Rum in the world but the other in the group did try it and they said it was very good. I will most likely buy some to bring home for anyone that would like to try it. I got some even more beautiful shells off of this island. The boat trip and the walk on the island was so peaceful and just had a great essence and gave a great end to the weekend. After our two hour tour was over 5 of us headed back to Legon because we have things to do tomorrow- Johnny and Lorine are staying a second night and I am sure are on the beach right now. I don’t have class but I do have an ‘appointment’ to get Emmanuel into school. So I am back showered, feed, and unpacked and will enjoy the rest of the day or either reading or catching up with people.
Photos Ghana 5 are up check them out!
Midge
The option was available for a canoe tour of Volta River which the connecting point between Lake Volta- the biggest Man Made Lake and the Atlantic Ocean. We ventured out at 8am to join Set (my guide) and his elder brother on their canoes where they brought us to the Azikpe an island where sugar cane is there big crop which means that Rum follows closely after the sugar cane. Since I do not drink I did not try what is to be considered some of the best Rum in the world but the other in the group did try it and they said it was very good. I will most likely buy some to bring home for anyone that would like to try it. I got some even more beautiful shells off of this island. The boat trip and the walk on the island was so peaceful and just had a great essence and gave a great end to the weekend. After our two hour tour was over 5 of us headed back to Legon because we have things to do tomorrow- Johnny and Lorine are staying a second night and I am sure are on the beach right now. I don’t have class but I do have an ‘appointment’ to get Emmanuel into school. So I am back showered, feed, and unpacked and will enjoy the rest of the day or either reading or catching up with people.
Photos Ghana 5 are up check them out!
Midge
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Quick Little Update
So yesterday was just one of those relaxing days- I think I get about 2 a week... but okay, right?
Andi and I and then Dehlia joined us in going to see the production of Run for Your Wife. Can I just say I haven't laughed that much in a very very very long time if ever. It was very interesting to see theater in a different country sitting in the outdoors enjoying a production well done. I have never seen the show or read the script before but there were so many cultural differences that were changed for the production- most of them I think I got. There is a show next weekend and then two the following week. For 2.00cedi about 1.50USD you can not beat a night out. I rather spend 10cedi to go to a show then spend 20cedi to go hang out at a bar where I will just watch everyone else get drunk and be idiots. The three of us are making plans for the next weekends, which should be fun.
I am leaving in about a half hour for my weekend trip. Happy Valentine's Day!
Midge
Andi and I and then Dehlia joined us in going to see the production of Run for Your Wife. Can I just say I haven't laughed that much in a very very very long time if ever. It was very interesting to see theater in a different country sitting in the outdoors enjoying a production well done. I have never seen the show or read the script before but there were so many cultural differences that were changed for the production- most of them I think I got. There is a show next weekend and then two the following week. For 2.00cedi about 1.50USD you can not beat a night out. I rather spend 10cedi to go to a show then spend 20cedi to go hang out at a bar where I will just watch everyone else get drunk and be idiots. The three of us are making plans for the next weekends, which should be fun.
I am leaving in about a half hour for my weekend trip. Happy Valentine's Day!
Midge
Friday, February 13, 2009
So about a month in I guess I can do this
So I have been here for about 5 weeks so I guess I can do this listing. Just a fact they say it takes about 21 days for your taste buds to change. I will do this before I leave as well- but I figured this would be a fun little entry for a day of nothing....I was going to go the market- but I don't think so today- lol (see laziness later)
Things I will Miss when I go back to the States:
-Glass bottles of soda (but Diet Coke is hard to find and they charge more for it)
-Friends that I have made of both Ghanaian, American, and European.
-The culture- which now i feel I am a part of in the way that I can
-Peacefulness of daily life
-"laziness" not having to worry about deadlines and what time you get somewhere- IT IS SO HARD FOR ME...
-The souls of people. Some one asked me at the woodcarving village what I liked most about Ghana and I said the souls of the Ghanaian- he shock my hand and told me 'god bless'... This land is beautiful, the people are beautiful inside and out.
-Jollof Rice.
-Food from the Vegan Stand in the Night Market
-Egg Sandwiches- (breakfast)
Things I will not miss-
-bug spray before bed
-clean feet- I think my feet are 4 shades different then my body- no matter how much you scrub
-Malaria pills daily
-Diet coke-
-Sand in your mouth- and you dont know how it got there.
-Hand Washing laundry- even though its not that bad- just takes time
- Not having access to 'real' cheese and milk.
Thats it at this time- Working on my independent study and reading for the rest of the day.
Things I will Miss when I go back to the States:
-Glass bottles of soda (but Diet Coke is hard to find and they charge more for it)
-Friends that I have made of both Ghanaian, American, and European.
-The culture- which now i feel I am a part of in the way that I can
-Peacefulness of daily life
-"laziness" not having to worry about deadlines and what time you get somewhere- IT IS SO HARD FOR ME...
-The souls of people. Some one asked me at the woodcarving village what I liked most about Ghana and I said the souls of the Ghanaian- he shock my hand and told me 'god bless'... This land is beautiful, the people are beautiful inside and out.
-Jollof Rice.
-Food from the Vegan Stand in the Night Market
-Egg Sandwiches- (breakfast)
Things I will not miss-
-bug spray before bed
-clean feet- I think my feet are 4 shades different then my body- no matter how much you scrub
-Malaria pills daily
-Diet coke-
-Sand in your mouth- and you dont know how it got there.
-Hand Washing laundry- even though its not that bad- just takes time
- Not having access to 'real' cheese and milk.
Thats it at this time- Working on my independent study and reading for the rest of the day.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thursday Evening
Today has been good-
I passed my drum exam- not that it is really anything to pass or fail if that makes sense. We as a class passed- I don’t know what that really means but okay! I got my Twi exam back 19/25 which is good.
The concert was fun. Not what I expected it was a mix of African and western music so not as traditional as I thought it was going to be. It was still fun and hanging around with friends under a sky full of stars makes for a great evening.
I purchased two more of my books- which aren’t books they are photocopies because the access to books here is so limited they photocopy which the librarian in me is questioning the copyright infringement there but oh well. Right? (Only about 2USD for two plays you cant beat that).
So Bethany and I (and a few others not sure exactly yet) have decided that one of the boys Emmanuel must go to school. For a child to attend school here its about 150cedis or about 100USD per term. Each school varies, and first semester is usually more because of books and supplies that need to be purchased. Both him and his sister Sarah are at the Teshie Orphanage. Emmanuel have up his schooling this year so Sarah could go. She is 17 and he is a few years younger (we think 15). He is very bright and should be in school. So we are all going to pitch in and pay for him to go to school and also get him supplies. If anyone would like to send pens to me- regular old BIC pens (ask for the address if you don’t have it- you would need to send them in the fluffy envelopes which is about 9.00USD to send if light weight), I want to get the orphanage pens. Pens are over 1USD per. It is so expensive for the people here. The children here don’t beg for money they beg us for pens so they can take their exams. One thing I wanted to do here before leaving was to make a true difference to one person’s life. This is a way of doing it. Bethany and I are also going to pay for Emmanuel’s education until he finished senior-secondary school, which would be 3 more years. So on Monday we are going to go and tell the Mother that we want to do this and that we want to get him enrolled as soon as possible because he is a term behind, but we can help him to get caught up. Sarah and I really clicked she is 17. Her studies are focused on Math and Science though those are more of my stronger subjects but it has been so long since I did these types of problems. So I am going to re-learn and help her. Bethany was helping more of the 3rd and 4th graders with work. Its fun to help with school work when its not yours.
Random- I think i meet the first homosexual Ghanaian of the trip. Just aside. Homosexuality is not spoken about here and not really accepted- its like the military of dont ask dont tell. Because there is such a European influence here it is sometimes hard to say but I think he might have been- things like this I dont even think about walking around but then when I start to write its like hmmm... Oh the things you can think.
I guess that is it for now.
Midge
I passed my drum exam- not that it is really anything to pass or fail if that makes sense. We as a class passed- I don’t know what that really means but okay! I got my Twi exam back 19/25 which is good.
The concert was fun. Not what I expected it was a mix of African and western music so not as traditional as I thought it was going to be. It was still fun and hanging around with friends under a sky full of stars makes for a great evening.
I purchased two more of my books- which aren’t books they are photocopies because the access to books here is so limited they photocopy which the librarian in me is questioning the copyright infringement there but oh well. Right? (Only about 2USD for two plays you cant beat that).
So Bethany and I (and a few others not sure exactly yet) have decided that one of the boys Emmanuel must go to school. For a child to attend school here its about 150cedis or about 100USD per term. Each school varies, and first semester is usually more because of books and supplies that need to be purchased. Both him and his sister Sarah are at the Teshie Orphanage. Emmanuel have up his schooling this year so Sarah could go. She is 17 and he is a few years younger (we think 15). He is very bright and should be in school. So we are all going to pitch in and pay for him to go to school and also get him supplies. If anyone would like to send pens to me- regular old BIC pens (ask for the address if you don’t have it- you would need to send them in the fluffy envelopes which is about 9.00USD to send if light weight), I want to get the orphanage pens. Pens are over 1USD per. It is so expensive for the people here. The children here don’t beg for money they beg us for pens so they can take their exams. One thing I wanted to do here before leaving was to make a true difference to one person’s life. This is a way of doing it. Bethany and I are also going to pay for Emmanuel’s education until he finished senior-secondary school, which would be 3 more years. So on Monday we are going to go and tell the Mother that we want to do this and that we want to get him enrolled as soon as possible because he is a term behind, but we can help him to get caught up. Sarah and I really clicked she is 17. Her studies are focused on Math and Science though those are more of my stronger subjects but it has been so long since I did these types of problems. So I am going to re-learn and help her. Bethany was helping more of the 3rd and 4th graders with work. Its fun to help with school work when its not yours.
Random- I think i meet the first homosexual Ghanaian of the trip. Just aside. Homosexuality is not spoken about here and not really accepted- its like the military of dont ask dont tell. Because there is such a European influence here it is sometimes hard to say but I think he might have been- things like this I dont even think about walking around but then when I start to write its like hmmm... Oh the things you can think.
I guess that is it for now.
Midge
Yesterday
Yesterday was the middle of the week blues again- haha
I read and caught up on emails for most of the day. It was nice to relax. I then went to a highlife concert with a few friends. It was a lot of fun- the music was not what i was expected it was American and European influenced a lot. I thought it would be more of a traditional concert but it was fun.
This weekend we are going to Ada Foah. It is a resort area, it should be nice! I will be sure to take pictures of the sunny beaches and the lagoon.... Sorry for all of you who are in the cold and snow right now- I have forgotten so much of what month and date it is that i forgot about February vacation for most of you.
Aunt Elaine you can share with Steven's class. That's fine.
Thats it for now.
Test results should come today from Twi- we will see.
And test in drumming today.
Midge
I read and caught up on emails for most of the day. It was nice to relax. I then went to a highlife concert with a few friends. It was a lot of fun- the music was not what i was expected it was American and European influenced a lot. I thought it would be more of a traditional concert but it was fun.
This weekend we are going to Ada Foah. It is a resort area, it should be nice! I will be sure to take pictures of the sunny beaches and the lagoon.... Sorry for all of you who are in the cold and snow right now- I have forgotten so much of what month and date it is that i forgot about February vacation for most of you.
Aunt Elaine you can share with Steven's class. That's fine.
Thats it for now.
Test results should come today from Twi- we will see.
And test in drumming today.
Midge
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Tuesday
Hello valid readers...
Today started with Play Analysis and Drumming. I really enjoy the play analysis class, but because I missed part one there are defiantly a few things that i need to get myself caught up on, but i will be fine. Drumming just got a lot more complicated as we started our second song- I think i will have to do a lot more practicing outside of class time! Basically my only homework for now. We didnt get our Twi exams back but we are suppose to get them on Thursday which I can not wait to see how I did.
I dont have any classes tomorrow but I am going to start to plan the Mole National Trip because the ISEP trip will not be running because there are not enough people. This should be a challenge but there are a few of us heading up the planning.
This weekend I will be going to Ada Foah which is the spot where Lake Volta and the Atlantic ocean meet- We are most likely staying in huts on an island- tropical paradise any one for Valentine's Day?
Tomorrow evening I will be attending highlife (style of Ghanaian music) that the professors of the Music department are putting on. There are a few other people i believe from my group going so it should be fun.
Bethany and I went to the orphanage on Monday afternoon/evening. The kids are all very respected and you can tell they are well cared for. We will be going on Mondays to help with school work and what ever else we might be able to help out with. Most of the kids are in school so that is where the help is most needed, they can basically entertain themselves or complete their chores. I think I might try to find the Habitat for Humanity in Accra to see if there might be something for me to do there. There is a lot of free time here. It is giving me opportunity to get reading and independent study things done.
I am working on getting the new album of photos up- they should be up most likely by afternoon Wednesday America time...
Thats it for now.
Midge
Today started with Play Analysis and Drumming. I really enjoy the play analysis class, but because I missed part one there are defiantly a few things that i need to get myself caught up on, but i will be fine. Drumming just got a lot more complicated as we started our second song- I think i will have to do a lot more practicing outside of class time! Basically my only homework for now. We didnt get our Twi exams back but we are suppose to get them on Thursday which I can not wait to see how I did.
I dont have any classes tomorrow but I am going to start to plan the Mole National Trip because the ISEP trip will not be running because there are not enough people. This should be a challenge but there are a few of us heading up the planning.
This weekend I will be going to Ada Foah which is the spot where Lake Volta and the Atlantic ocean meet- We are most likely staying in huts on an island- tropical paradise any one for Valentine's Day?
Tomorrow evening I will be attending highlife (style of Ghanaian music) that the professors of the Music department are putting on. There are a few other people i believe from my group going so it should be fun.
Bethany and I went to the orphanage on Monday afternoon/evening. The kids are all very respected and you can tell they are well cared for. We will be going on Mondays to help with school work and what ever else we might be able to help out with. Most of the kids are in school so that is where the help is most needed, they can basically entertain themselves or complete their chores. I think I might try to find the Habitat for Humanity in Accra to see if there might be something for me to do there. There is a lot of free time here. It is giving me opportunity to get reading and independent study things done.
I am working on getting the new album of photos up- they should be up most likely by afternoon Wednesday America time...
Thats it for now.
Midge
Monday, February 9, 2009
The weekend (sort of in brief)
This is an entry for Thursday to Sunday/Monday
So today was a great day- (Thursday)
This morning I had drumming. We have finished the first song and we are going to be tested on it Tuesday- I think I am good- I am planning on purchasing my drum this weekend so Monday morning I can practice!
I came back to ISH took a little nap. It is so hot here today that your body just needs to shut down every once and a while. I also attempted to make a list of the people and things that I wish to get them…. Lets say its impossible for this moment.
Mallory, Andi, JohnnyKansas, Jess, my friend Israel (Ezra) from class and I decided we were going to go out for dinner tonight. It was a lot of fun. We went to Osu which is about a 40 minute trotro ride from Legon. So on our way back to Legon from Osu we got onto a trotro and just because the guys that we were out with are gentlemen they let the 4 girls onto the trotro first- the back row was empty so the 4 of us sat down and as we were traveling I sat there and looked at the ‘picture’ of the trotro. The four girls are Oburonis in the back row. I know that the comparison is not the same because we were not forced to sit in the back, but I had a sense of the day of segregation and the separation of races would feel like. I know that I can not express in words the way that it felt sitting there. I will think about it more….
It is about 11pm here (writing this) and I am ready for bed- I have to wake up at 515am to leave in the morning for Kumasi (Kumase- city under the Kum tree)- I might have wrote this whole entry for no reason cause I might not post it until next week- oh well.
Midge
It is now Sunday night and here is a recap of the weekend. We left late (if that wasn’t a surprise but this was a little uncalled for… what ever I know patience is a virtue). Our first stop was the Manhyia Palace. It was built in 1926 as a ‘gift’ from the British after taking one of the Asantehene Chiefs, Prempreh II into exile. We were not allowed to take pictures so that’s all I am gonna say about that.
Our next stop was the National Cultural Centre which is a fair trade market with almost every craft that you want. I bought a nothing on my first visit because I knew we were going back (at this point I thought after we were going to the carving village because I wanted to get a drum and I saw one that I really liked). Just walked around and looked at prices because most places do not allow bartering here. We then headed to our ‘guest house’ which was on KNUST campus which is the Kwame Nkrumah (recognize the name?) University of Science and Technology- the little bit of the campus we say was beautiful. It’s the second best school according to our guides compared to Legon- not sure if that is bias or not? It was a very nice place that we stayed.
Saturday morning started with a few errands which did not involve the whole group, one was very frustrating because it wasted an hour of 32 of the 38 of us that were on the trips time. I know we are all a group but plans should have been made outside of the groups travel. We then went to the Kente Weaving Village-Bonwire. The fabrics are very pretty but it is not my style that is for sure…. I did buy some though. Two shawls- one is a gift and one is for my as a wall decoration. I also bought some basic purple and yellow fabric to have a drum bag made out of. (for the drum I still do not have.) We then headed to the
??????? (I have to find the name of this one). It’s a village where they take Kente weaving and stamp it which an ink found from a tree’s bark. We were able to pick out up to 3 symbols of the 150 in traditional Asante beliefs and make a strip of fabric. I have to get the guide to the symbols I can not even remember the ones that I picked. After lunch at a local restaurant we headed back to the Cultural Center and the Kejetia Market which is estimated to be the largest in West Africa. After thinking about the drum all night I bought it. I love it, until you see it, its hard to explain it have an elephant and butterfly on the base and has a red, black, and natural stains on it. LOVE IT!!! So now I can have a bag made for it! I also bought a few paintings. I did not make it to the market because the guy I bought the drum from and I made good conversation about fair trade and the sales in America of goods. It’s great to be able to talk about things that affect both ‘worlds’ of mine. We headed back to the hotel for the night.
We then headed out Sunday morning where we went back to the Cultural Center because some people were not happy about Saturday because we were told it was closed by a local and it wasn’t- but if they were so lazy in going to look they would have seen it wasn’t- so we went back which ended up being great for me because I went into one of the shops that was closed on Saturday and found some great things- I am not going to share because I want all of these things to be a surprise for people!
Our last stop before getting on the 280km drive back to Accra was the Ahwiaa village or wood craving. All of the things are so beautiful it was hard not to buy everything. I got many different things here to. No telling…. The sales men would be in line waiting for you and would get angry if you didn’t go in their shops- not in a bad way- we had a time limit. The bargaining was good here. Andi and I had a great system down. We got some great deals together.
We then headed back to Accra we got back at 9pm which was a miracle. I didn’t think we would get back till 11pm or so. I unpacked- looked at what I bought and then went to bed. It is now Monday morning as I write this, I am a little tired, but cant be for long because Bethany and I are heading to Teshie today to go to the orphanage to see what we can do with them. I still think I might look into another spot and work with two groups. I saw the Kumasi Habitat for Humanity- I wasn’t quick enough with the Camera though. I am going to look for the Accra branch and see if they might have some office work to do. For one I really do not have clothes to build in here or shoes.
That’s it for now. Midge
So today was a great day- (Thursday)
This morning I had drumming. We have finished the first song and we are going to be tested on it Tuesday- I think I am good- I am planning on purchasing my drum this weekend so Monday morning I can practice!
I came back to ISH took a little nap. It is so hot here today that your body just needs to shut down every once and a while. I also attempted to make a list of the people and things that I wish to get them…. Lets say its impossible for this moment.
Mallory, Andi, JohnnyKansas, Jess, my friend Israel (Ezra) from class and I decided we were going to go out for dinner tonight. It was a lot of fun. We went to Osu which is about a 40 minute trotro ride from Legon. So on our way back to Legon from Osu we got onto a trotro and just because the guys that we were out with are gentlemen they let the 4 girls onto the trotro first- the back row was empty so the 4 of us sat down and as we were traveling I sat there and looked at the ‘picture’ of the trotro. The four girls are Oburonis in the back row. I know that the comparison is not the same because we were not forced to sit in the back, but I had a sense of the day of segregation and the separation of races would feel like. I know that I can not express in words the way that it felt sitting there. I will think about it more….
It is about 11pm here (writing this) and I am ready for bed- I have to wake up at 515am to leave in the morning for Kumasi (Kumase- city under the Kum tree)- I might have wrote this whole entry for no reason cause I might not post it until next week- oh well.
Midge
It is now Sunday night and here is a recap of the weekend. We left late (if that wasn’t a surprise but this was a little uncalled for… what ever I know patience is a virtue). Our first stop was the Manhyia Palace. It was built in 1926 as a ‘gift’ from the British after taking one of the Asantehene Chiefs, Prempreh II into exile. We were not allowed to take pictures so that’s all I am gonna say about that.
Our next stop was the National Cultural Centre which is a fair trade market with almost every craft that you want. I bought a nothing on my first visit because I knew we were going back (at this point I thought after we were going to the carving village because I wanted to get a drum and I saw one that I really liked). Just walked around and looked at prices because most places do not allow bartering here. We then headed to our ‘guest house’ which was on KNUST campus which is the Kwame Nkrumah (recognize the name?) University of Science and Technology- the little bit of the campus we say was beautiful. It’s the second best school according to our guides compared to Legon- not sure if that is bias or not? It was a very nice place that we stayed.
Saturday morning started with a few errands which did not involve the whole group, one was very frustrating because it wasted an hour of 32 of the 38 of us that were on the trips time. I know we are all a group but plans should have been made outside of the groups travel. We then went to the Kente Weaving Village-Bonwire. The fabrics are very pretty but it is not my style that is for sure…. I did buy some though. Two shawls- one is a gift and one is for my as a wall decoration. I also bought some basic purple and yellow fabric to have a drum bag made out of. (for the drum I still do not have.) We then headed to the
??????? (I have to find the name of this one). It’s a village where they take Kente weaving and stamp it which an ink found from a tree’s bark. We were able to pick out up to 3 symbols of the 150 in traditional Asante beliefs and make a strip of fabric. I have to get the guide to the symbols I can not even remember the ones that I picked. After lunch at a local restaurant we headed back to the Cultural Center and the Kejetia Market which is estimated to be the largest in West Africa. After thinking about the drum all night I bought it. I love it, until you see it, its hard to explain it have an elephant and butterfly on the base and has a red, black, and natural stains on it. LOVE IT!!! So now I can have a bag made for it! I also bought a few paintings. I did not make it to the market because the guy I bought the drum from and I made good conversation about fair trade and the sales in America of goods. It’s great to be able to talk about things that affect both ‘worlds’ of mine. We headed back to the hotel for the night.
We then headed out Sunday morning where we went back to the Cultural Center because some people were not happy about Saturday because we were told it was closed by a local and it wasn’t- but if they were so lazy in going to look they would have seen it wasn’t- so we went back which ended up being great for me because I went into one of the shops that was closed on Saturday and found some great things- I am not going to share because I want all of these things to be a surprise for people!
Our last stop before getting on the 280km drive back to Accra was the Ahwiaa village or wood craving. All of the things are so beautiful it was hard not to buy everything. I got many different things here to. No telling…. The sales men would be in line waiting for you and would get angry if you didn’t go in their shops- not in a bad way- we had a time limit. The bargaining was good here. Andi and I had a great system down. We got some great deals together.
We then headed back to Accra we got back at 9pm which was a miracle. I didn’t think we would get back till 11pm or so. I unpacked- looked at what I bought and then went to bed. It is now Monday morning as I write this, I am a little tired, but cant be for long because Bethany and I are heading to Teshie today to go to the orphanage to see what we can do with them. I still think I might look into another spot and work with two groups. I saw the Kumasi Habitat for Humanity- I wasn’t quick enough with the Camera though. I am going to look for the Accra branch and see if they might have some office work to do. For one I really do not have clothes to build in here or shoes.
That’s it for now. Midge
Thursday, February 5, 2009
I got eaten alive last night!
So last night is the fist night that I knew I wasnt in the USA anymore. I woke up this morning with multiple bug bites on my arms and a few on my forehead- I did have bug spray on but they are very itchy and the cream doesnt help :(
I took my Twi test last night- I think I did okay- not 100% but I really dont think any of us will. Which is scary is that means that the class is 1/3 of the way done. With two more tests we will be done. (This class has to be done before finals because of the way that finals are scheduled here, so its only a 10 week class). My drumming class is the same way and the final will be before April 27th when finals begin. I really would like to know when my other final is going to be hopefully it will be early in the schedule so after that I dont have to worry about being around campus. Here's in brief what happens. There are 3 final slots a day for about 3 weeks. There is a schedule that comes out but it is not final EVER. So there is a possibility if you travel you would not know about the change and miss a final because it got changed over night. So if both my finals happen early then i dont have to worry about a change and can travel or volunteer! Get it?
This is my last post until either Sunday night (afternoon America time)/Monday (sometime). We leave at 6am tomorrow to go to Kumase (Kumasi for Caitlin to mark the map...) Thats all for now.
Midge
I took my Twi test last night- I think I did okay- not 100% but I really dont think any of us will. Which is scary is that means that the class is 1/3 of the way done. With two more tests we will be done. (This class has to be done before finals because of the way that finals are scheduled here, so its only a 10 week class). My drumming class is the same way and the final will be before April 27th when finals begin. I really would like to know when my other final is going to be hopefully it will be early in the schedule so after that I dont have to worry about being around campus. Here's in brief what happens. There are 3 final slots a day for about 3 weeks. There is a schedule that comes out but it is not final EVER. So there is a possibility if you travel you would not know about the change and miss a final because it got changed over night. So if both my finals happen early then i dont have to worry about a change and can travel or volunteer! Get it?
This is my last post until either Sunday night (afternoon America time)/Monday (sometime). We leave at 6am tomorrow to go to Kumase (Kumasi for Caitlin to mark the map...) Thats all for now.
Midge
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
2/4/09
Wow- time here goes sooo slow but then goes so fast. i cant believe that i am in week 4 already and its half way done. Today Bethany and I went to the Teshi orphanage and of course the person we had to see wasnt there so we are going to go back by trotro on Monday and hopefully meet the mother and some of the chidren. It is a very nice looking place for an orphange. We will see how everything goes. They do have a very large library which I loved seeing when we walked in!
I have my first exam in Twi tonight. i am a little nervous but I know I will do fine. That means no Thursday night class which is nice. i have to pack for this weekend. I guess this is the weekend to shop! So i am very excited about that!
Get ready for more pictures and such on Monday or so- it is weird to just finally get the last batch up and have the next set almost ready- i had a little scare with my camera this morning but its fine- a lot of electronics have been doing some funky things here...
Again- please ask questions I feel like i just babble on...
Hello to Sammi too! for some reason this morning I woke up and immediatly started to think about Garfield. i miss him dearly- his birthday is coming up maybe that is the reasoning.
I guess that is it for now- The middle of the week is very dull to write about...
Midge
I have my first exam in Twi tonight. i am a little nervous but I know I will do fine. That means no Thursday night class which is nice. i have to pack for this weekend. I guess this is the weekend to shop! So i am very excited about that!
Get ready for more pictures and such on Monday or so- it is weird to just finally get the last batch up and have the next set almost ready- i had a little scare with my camera this morning but its fine- a lot of electronics have been doing some funky things here...
Again- please ask questions I feel like i just babble on...
Hello to Sammi too! for some reason this morning I woke up and immediatly started to think about Garfield. i miss him dearly- his birthday is coming up maybe that is the reasoning.
I guess that is it for now- The middle of the week is very dull to write about...
Midge
Monday, February 2, 2009
Photo Site Update!
As of Tuesday 2.3.09 All photos are on Picasa- there are three albums!
So not sure what is going on with some of the links- some people have said that on the second link they couldn't see all the photos so here is the link again. There are pics of the inauguration party, Aburi, Botanical Gardens and the Durbar- If you saw those then you saw them all, if not try again.
Here is the 2nd albums link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/midge.mij/UGSpring2009Pt2?authkey=EB2Q02gorKE&feat=directlink
This is the 3rd link which is for the Cape Coast trip from this past weekend, there are about 200 photos (depending on when you read this they might still be uploading its very slow- so also check back later if you do not see all 200 photos):
http://picasaweb.google.com/midge.mij/UGSpring2009Pt3?authkey=sYP__dPrPa0&feat=directlink
Sort-of a long day of class tomorrow will post an update later in the evening my time (Afternoon EST). Please let me know about the links- I hope they work for you all. Wednesday Bethany and I are going to the Teshie Orphanage to get in about volunteering hopefully they will have something fun for us to do. They are saying they need help tutoring which I would be interested in. We will just have to see. We go to Kumasi this coming weekend get ready for more pictures!
Thank you for comments!
Midge
So not sure what is going on with some of the links- some people have said that on the second link they couldn't see all the photos so here is the link again. There are pics of the inauguration party, Aburi, Botanical Gardens and the Durbar- If you saw those then you saw them all, if not try again.
Here is the 2nd albums link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/midge.mij/UGSpring2009Pt2?authkey=EB2Q02gorKE&feat=directlink
This is the 3rd link which is for the Cape Coast trip from this past weekend, there are about 200 photos (depending on when you read this they might still be uploading its very slow- so also check back later if you do not see all 200 photos):
http://picasaweb.google.com/midge.mij/UGSpring2009Pt3?authkey=sYP__dPrPa0&feat=directlink
Sort-of a long day of class tomorrow will post an update later in the evening my time (Afternoon EST). Please let me know about the links- I hope they work for you all. Wednesday Bethany and I are going to the Teshie Orphanage to get in about volunteering hopefully they will have something fun for us to do. They are saying they need help tutoring which I would be interested in. We will just have to see. We go to Kumasi this coming weekend get ready for more pictures!
Thank you for comments!
Midge
Friday Saturday and Sunday- The first weekend of February- OMG
FYI: Photo link should be up by the end of the day (EST time) and I will place link up when its ready....get ready!
Well to start off this has been a very emotional and adventurous weekend in many senses. I will begin but I can not promise this will be long or short.
So this weekend was one of our first ISEP run weekends. Our Trip was to Cape Coast for a few different activities. So we left Saturday morning at 9am to make the 150km (ish) trek to Cape Coast- First we hit about 2 hours of Accra traffic (some of the worst in the world in my non-humble opinion). We made it to Cape Coast University for lunch around 13:30. We had a nice lunch and then headed to Cape Coast Castle.
It was built by the British in 1665. Originally a trading post in the early 17th century after reconstruction in the 18th century the castle became a trading post for slaves. The castle was home to nearly 70,000 slaves every-year. It is estimated that 1,000,000 slaves went through the walls of this castle- some making it on ships and some to never see the light of day again. Walking into the chambers and feeling the presence of all of the men and women is a feeling that I will soon not forget. Walking through the Door of No-Return knowing that I could return was something that was life altering- knowing that I will never have to face a world like that these poor souls faced. The pictures will not give a true sense of the castle or the building because most of the rooms are underground and the light was limited to one to three small openings. Once I am able to get photos up I will try to explain this more. Then being able to step into the governors room which was two floors above the slave holdings- he had 15 windows with a view that many of us would pay for today. One of the worst parts of the building is the first Anglican Church in Ghana was built onto of the men’s holdings which when the church community entered the room they would walk by the hole where food would be thrown to the slaves and guards would keep watch- they could hear the men as the worshiped. The goodness of man kind should never know this again. This tour ripped pieces of my heart out. This was more emotional then I ever thought it would be. As we stood in the condemned cell (no air, food, or water was given to the slaves) I was having a hard time breathing even though the door was open. The slaves were placed there to die- the thoughts that must have been in that room as I looked from face to face or my friends, brothers and sisters. It was shocking as we stood in complete silence. The quote that is placed on the entrance to the male’s side “In Everlasting memory- of the anguish of our ancestors- may those who died rest in peace, may those who return find their roots. May humanity never again perpetrate such injustice against humanity we the living, vow to uphold”- Such a powerful message in such few worlds, if only every human being could live by this- our world could be such a better place.
Okay, I think that is enough about that for now (I bought a book about all of the castles to show when I get home as well)- We then headed to the Hans Cottage Botel (no I did not spell it wrong) which is where we stayed for the night- all in all a very present stay. We ate dinner and breakfast with Crocodile’s swimming around us (see pictures). A relaxing night catching frogs in the swimming pool and listening to remakes of Bob Marley songs.
Sunday morning started by a Canopy Walk through Kakum National Park. It very fun to walk “on-top” of the rain forest- 7 rope suspended bridges connect 9 trees as you get to see the view of the rain forest like no other. Even the people both in our group and not in our group that were afraid of heights made it. (Pictures will be up for you to see)
We then headed to the Anomaba Beach Resort which was about an hour away – back towards Accra to have lunch and to relax of the beach- and I CAN DO THIS TYPE OF BEACH! It was nice- it has umbrellas and little huts to relax under- Calling my parents from the beach might not have been the nicest thing to do since it is snowing at home. But oh well! :) It was a nice way to reflect on the things that had been done over the weekend. (Auntie Ro and Wayne you would love this place, want to come for a visit?)
So on some other notes:
Final schedules (tentative) came out- the only one listed for me (so far) is April 29th- So I would love to know when the other one is going to be- because maybe some travel plans can be made…
I still do not have a room-mate and the way it is looking I will not be getting one, but nothing officially from the hostel manager.
Over this weekend it showed some of the real personalities in the group. Both of the meals that we (the students) had to pay for were all put onto one bill- which anywhere is crazy- there are 40 of us. So there were some people that were really pissing me off because for some reason Jack, Andi, and I were got asked to coordinate the payment and people were being very attitude- with us- its not our fault, I just dont understand the actions of some of these people. Life is to short to dwell on this but wanted to vent for a second.
Two of the girls in our group auditioned and got parts in a community type production that will be here on campus in a few weeks of Vagina Monologues- which is really cool. There are 7 productions being produced on campus this semester- I found out there are 1,000 theatre students at this school- and the same people seem to be getting leads here- just like may other places I know- isn’t that interesting…I can not wait till they start running to see shows.
Midge
RIP J. Izzi- you were a good man.
Well to start off this has been a very emotional and adventurous weekend in many senses. I will begin but I can not promise this will be long or short.
So this weekend was one of our first ISEP run weekends. Our Trip was to Cape Coast for a few different activities. So we left Saturday morning at 9am to make the 150km (ish) trek to Cape Coast- First we hit about 2 hours of Accra traffic (some of the worst in the world in my non-humble opinion). We made it to Cape Coast University for lunch around 13:30. We had a nice lunch and then headed to Cape Coast Castle.
It was built by the British in 1665. Originally a trading post in the early 17th century after reconstruction in the 18th century the castle became a trading post for slaves. The castle was home to nearly 70,000 slaves every-year. It is estimated that 1,000,000 slaves went through the walls of this castle- some making it on ships and some to never see the light of day again. Walking into the chambers and feeling the presence of all of the men and women is a feeling that I will soon not forget. Walking through the Door of No-Return knowing that I could return was something that was life altering- knowing that I will never have to face a world like that these poor souls faced. The pictures will not give a true sense of the castle or the building because most of the rooms are underground and the light was limited to one to three small openings. Once I am able to get photos up I will try to explain this more. Then being able to step into the governors room which was two floors above the slave holdings- he had 15 windows with a view that many of us would pay for today. One of the worst parts of the building is the first Anglican Church in Ghana was built onto of the men’s holdings which when the church community entered the room they would walk by the hole where food would be thrown to the slaves and guards would keep watch- they could hear the men as the worshiped. The goodness of man kind should never know this again. This tour ripped pieces of my heart out. This was more emotional then I ever thought it would be. As we stood in the condemned cell (no air, food, or water was given to the slaves) I was having a hard time breathing even though the door was open. The slaves were placed there to die- the thoughts that must have been in that room as I looked from face to face or my friends, brothers and sisters. It was shocking as we stood in complete silence. The quote that is placed on the entrance to the male’s side “In Everlasting memory- of the anguish of our ancestors- may those who died rest in peace, may those who return find their roots. May humanity never again perpetrate such injustice against humanity we the living, vow to uphold”- Such a powerful message in such few worlds, if only every human being could live by this- our world could be such a better place.
Okay, I think that is enough about that for now (I bought a book about all of the castles to show when I get home as well)- We then headed to the Hans Cottage Botel (no I did not spell it wrong) which is where we stayed for the night- all in all a very present stay. We ate dinner and breakfast with Crocodile’s swimming around us (see pictures). A relaxing night catching frogs in the swimming pool and listening to remakes of Bob Marley songs.
Sunday morning started by a Canopy Walk through Kakum National Park. It very fun to walk “on-top” of the rain forest- 7 rope suspended bridges connect 9 trees as you get to see the view of the rain forest like no other. Even the people both in our group and not in our group that were afraid of heights made it. (Pictures will be up for you to see)
We then headed to the Anomaba Beach Resort which was about an hour away – back towards Accra to have lunch and to relax of the beach- and I CAN DO THIS TYPE OF BEACH! It was nice- it has umbrellas and little huts to relax under- Calling my parents from the beach might not have been the nicest thing to do since it is snowing at home. But oh well! :) It was a nice way to reflect on the things that had been done over the weekend. (Auntie Ro and Wayne you would love this place, want to come for a visit?)
So on some other notes:
Final schedules (tentative) came out- the only one listed for me (so far) is April 29th- So I would love to know when the other one is going to be- because maybe some travel plans can be made…
I still do not have a room-mate and the way it is looking I will not be getting one, but nothing officially from the hostel manager.
Over this weekend it showed some of the real personalities in the group. Both of the meals that we (the students) had to pay for were all put onto one bill- which anywhere is crazy- there are 40 of us. So there were some people that were really pissing me off because for some reason Jack, Andi, and I were got asked to coordinate the payment and people were being very attitude- with us- its not our fault, I just dont understand the actions of some of these people. Life is to short to dwell on this but wanted to vent for a second.
Two of the girls in our group auditioned and got parts in a community type production that will be here on campus in a few weeks of Vagina Monologues- which is really cool. There are 7 productions being produced on campus this semester- I found out there are 1,000 theatre students at this school- and the same people seem to be getting leads here- just like may other places I know- isn’t that interesting…I can not wait till they start running to see shows.
Midge
RIP J. Izzi- you were a good man.
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