Hello! With limited internet time, and slower than usual connections, I've prepared a little blog in advance. Ahem...
I arrived in Nkawkaw one week ago, on what seemed like a somewhat treacherous trotro ride (though praise the skies, the bus had airconditioning!). Kept forgetting which side of the road Ghanaians are supposed to drive on, since it seems to just be whichever has slightly less potholes and no cars coming head on. How many times have I heard tell of African's poor roads and travel infrastructure, in development class after development class, and now at last my brain, nerves and stomach understand!
It was worth it though: Nkawkaw is beautiful, and a delightful change of pace from the mean streets of Accra. We seem to somehow draw less attention - or at least, there's less grabbing and more simply being greeted. We're also surrounded by tropical vegetation, with beautiful green mountains looming in the distance. Walking through the streets, past vendors, feeling the humidity frizz out my hair it really hit me - I'm in Africa!
For these couple of weeks we're staying in the city with a Catholic parish, in a guest house near the hospital, churches, schools and the Priest's residence (where we also eat). The incredible Father Andy, a young, hip father from the Parish instructs us in Twi, one of the local languages. Usually this occurs in chapel, under the watch of white Jesus, white Mary, and a man I believe to be white Joseph. Though these figures have always been white (or obruni, as the locals would say) in my experience...yet here, that particular racial identity seems supremely ridiculous. It's interesting being in a Catholic community, and particular going to Church last Sunday. on the one hand, its kind of comforting to be in an environment in which I have a sense of belonging (btw I'm Catholic) and in which the mass provides a sense of familiarity in an otherwise unfamiliar environment. Yet it's also challenging, being confronted with my Religion under these circumstances. Listening to a sermon about all the good Catholic missionaries have done in Ghana, I couldn't help but feel skeptical. Mission work is so closely tied to colonialism in my head, and there's a sense that the Church's presence in Ghana is based on a troubled history. A lunchtime lecture on the "sickness" of gay marriage by a visiting priest was also a challenging experience - especially since that's something which doesn't appear to be widely approved of in Ghana. Sometimes I feel like being Catholic is a little bit like liking bad pop music (Backstreet Boys anyone?): it feels good, and comforting and can even have a deep effect on you, but there's a part of you that's a little bit ashamed, or embarrassed rather. I've concluded though, that the Catholic Faith, like anything really, can be used for loving, caring, positive, progressive work - or for oppression. Though I value my Catholic upbringing, I value more having been taught to be open minded towards religion, and others and live according to values and morals rather than doctrine. All in all, Jesus (like Dumbledore and Aslan) are on the side of love and so am I, so I think things between us are cool.
Ok, enough spiritual reflection! In other news....I've been reading Easterly's book "White Man's Burden". I feel Professor Spears would be proud. Though it's only been a week and half and 100 pages in, I already feel like being in Ghana makes me better equipped to read books like this, and to both understand the author's point of view and evidence, and to think critically about his observations. One thing I really appreciate is Easterly's recognition that culture, history and social norms are crucial components of economic systems and need to be included in development. It was a main goal of mine coming here to understand development theory, literature, work etc better, and it feels good to kind of be on the right track. It's gonna be a long process, but I was right that this was something I had to live through if I want to pursue a career in development.
On a different note again, the people here are truly amazing. Father Andy is such a fun and patient teacher, Monseigneur Paul is caring and as for the cook, Auntie Aggie - she's incredible. She cooks us amazing meals, can hold a hot pot without oven mitts, and helps us in our Twi while allowing us to pretend to help her in the kitchen. The food here really is incredible - we are definitely being spoiled. I'm sure this will stand out even more after we've experienced a bit more of simple living, in our villages, and on our own. We finally tried Fufu - plaintain which has been pounded into an elasticy ball of goodness. You rip pieces off and dip them in stew or salsa (as you do with both Banky, and Kenke...a theme!) and swallow it whole. I love it - by far my favourite of the starch balls fondues. This is plantain growing country, so we also get a lot of fried and boiled plantain; they can be hard, kind of like potatoes or ripe, kind of like sugary fried goodness dropped form heaven. Also, a note to Pamela: that Banku aftertaste I was complaining about was all you! (or the box). Jokes. But seriously - I like Banku here!
I saw a rainbow today, and also broke a shelf, but let's talk about the rainbow! One second it'll be sunny and hot and blue sky etc and then the clouds will swoop in (yes, swoop), obscuring the mountain top and unleash their torrents! It's pretty dramatic, as was the thunder. They tend not to last too long, though they do make things very muddy. Interestingly, the rainy season is apparently usually done by this time. I might have to have a chat with Al Gore about this one....
One more week of Twi lessons, then it's off to the villages for real - it got pushed back a bit because we arrived a bit later than originally scheduled. I tend to think I'm progressing pretty well in the language...until I talk to an actual Twi speaker. These conversations tend to stagnate after the general, "Hello, How Are you, I'm Fine, My Name is Jacqueline", if they even get that far. Talking to the school children is particularly fun, since they pretty much just giggle when I say anything at all. This can also be confusing since it's impossible to know if they're laughing because I'm a silly Obruni speaking Twi, or if it's because I've made some kind of embarrassingly stupid mistake. Oh well.
Well, I guess that's all. Overall things are feeling less surreal. I'm setting into the heat, and have learned to wash my clothes by hand and shower with a bucket. All things considered, I think it's really awesome how quickly we can adapt to knew situations - at least temporarily. I know the frustration and homesickness will kick in, but for now I'm enjoying this "up" phase in the transition process. I've had tough moments, and it is hard being in a group and also very noticeable; alone time is hard to come by. But for those moments, there's support, and Isable Allende, and perhaps even the odd FanIce (google it - its awesome stuff and I've no time to explain).
Akyre! (See you later!)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Last day in Accra - tomorrow we leave for Nkawkaw. I decided that since my blogs have been a little vague I'll try to end this section of the trip with an actual account of what I've been up to. Might be easier now that I'm starting to kind of settle in and be a little less overwhelmed by the mere fact of actually being here.
Monday:
First full day in Accra. Woke up, went to the bank to cash travellers checks/change American money to Ghanaian. This took a ridiculously long time since we have three people in a our group who can cash the travellers checks. I should clear up about the cocoa we ate for breakfast, mentioned in the last blog - this is not some chocolate and milk mixture of deliciousness...its a yellow, spicy porridge that has been likened so far to both chai and warm lemonade. It's actually not as bad in Ghana - however I have residual memories of throwing it up during orientation so its kinda hard for me to stomach. It's the only thing so far that I really can't stand though, so I figure that's not bad.
Next we went to Nkrumah Circle (my spelling is probably way off) which has a trotro station, and kinda a huge outdoor market. The street vendors sell just about anything; clothes, food, deodorant, soap, watches, pens, washing machines (not kidding). Many of the areas we go to are like this - full of shop vendors calling out and grabbing. The first day was definitely overwhelming. It's also normal for people to grab your wrist to get your attention which can be a little off putting when it keeps happening. Sometimes I feel like I'm in some medieval movie scene, as the prisoner getting pulled through the crowd of peasants, who grab and jeer - that's putting it way too dramatically...it's more the sense of all the attention and feeling a little lost. I'm pretty sure none of them are waiting to see me hanged or anything though. Just curious, or want us to buy things.
We had to go to another bank as well on Monday to cash more checks. It's kind of weird going from the streets into these banks. Sitting waiting for the others, I felt like I could be in North America. There was water, air conditioning and everyone is wearing suits or business casual wear. It made me really think about globalization and how western culture/buildings/fashion/ etc are becoming so predominant. It's weird, especially somewhere like a bank, which seems like this bizarre symbol of like, 'progress' or development, or financial success or whatever...and that's the place which so far has seemed most North American. I think it speaks volumes about how culture and class are tied together, and how people imbue certain cultures with certain values. It seems like there is still this colonial-esque idea that to become more successful is to become more Western, and it makes me sad...because it equates "development" with cultural conformity. Of course, this isn't universal and is based on one hour in a Ghanaian bank on my first day in the country so lets not get carried away...just...thoughts.....
I don't remember what else that day held in store. We ate street food for lunch, and dinner - Watchey for lunch (rice beans and crazy spiciness) and Rice for dinner (again, with much spiciness!). Both meals were pretty good. You can either eat it right at the stand, or take it home in a plastic bag. Also, I guess I should mention, water comes in these little square plastic bags - you just rip off a corner and drink it by sucking it/squeezing the bag. Personally, I love it.
Tuesday:
Yesterday...let me think..the days seem so long and I lose track....I do remember it being insanely hot - even moreso than the day before. We went to Kaneshi (don't trust ANY of my spelling btw) market - which is this big indoor market. We at Banku for a breakfast, which is like a big dough ball made from kassava, which you rip off pieces of to dip in stew or sauce - we had groundnut (peanut) and it was amazing. The market inside was a little less overwhelming than the outdoor ones, I think mostly just because it wasn't as busy inside. We walked around for a while then met up and bought cloth to wear out of the baths. In the villages, people usually wear cloth, like a sarong, kind of like a robe, too and from the baths. Our facilitators helped us out by telling us what was appropriate to buy so we didn't end up getting hugely expensive cloth to wear just to the baths, making us look super rich/pretentious. For lunch we were on our own, so we went in search of Red Red (beans, with fried plantain). It ended up kind of a giant goose chase, and we ended up giving up and eating watchey again.....right across the street from a red red stand. Darn. But, live and learn. Also demonstrates how easy it is to just become dependent on guides - so its good they've been making us to more and more on our own.
And thennnn, National Museum. I'm not sure how much I really absorbed as I find the heat supremely exhausting to be honest. I remember there was a fan in front of the musical instrument exhibit though...stood there for a bit....There was some interesting stuff on the slave trade which was very interesting, since it was very specific to Ghana. I do like museums though, so I enjoyed myself. And it was also nice to just kind of walk around and read in a quiet building for a bit.
So that night, it was rice again for dinner, then Internet cafe to do my work placement stuff and a brief blog check in. We treated ourselves to fruit for desert and I ate an orange the Ghanaian way: you buy it peeled, then they cut a whole in the top and you basically just squeeze the juice into your mouth. The pulp isn't really eaten (though I had a bit of mine..which was difficult). I half felt like I was in some kind of Tropicana commercial "fresh orange juice, straight from the fruit to your mouth" or whatever. Have to say, it was amazingly delicious, and super refreshing after all the spicy eating. Then we played the bean game and had kind of just a fun relaxing night. yay!
TODAY!!
I actually slept horribly last night...my mind was going a mile a minute, thinking about back home and going back, and missing certain people and just not capable of shutting down. Then it started to rain really loudly and that kind of kept me up as well. Anyway, I slept kind of late this morning, which was ok. We did have to pack up and change rooms though which was a little chaotic. Everyone had cocoa for breakfast, with bean biscuits - but my amazing group got me an extra biscuit so I didn't eat any cocoa. I had a taste, and I think I could work my way up to tolerating it so we'll see if I get it in the village.
We were in charge of getting the trotro to our next destination, which took some asking around. Then we visited the Kwame Nkrumah Museum which was great (Nkrumah was first president of Ghana, see more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Nkrumah:. A lot of the exhibit is outside in this great garden, with a huge statue of Nkrumah, and a huge memorial where his remains are buried. The exhibit was mostly made up of quotations from him which was interesting, to see at tiny bit of his perspective on imperialism, neo-colonialism, development, nationalism and pan-Africanism - mostly from the 1960s. He's an interesting figure and I'd like to learn a bit more about him. He was hugely influential in garnering Ghana's independence, and as I said served as the first Prime Minister. He was also responsible for the building of the Volta Hydroelectrical Dam, as part of his goal of industrializing Ghana so it could become more self-sufficient from the West. He ended up becoming kind of a dictator (well, not kind of, he was one) and being ousted by a coup, but he's kind of made a come back as a national hero. Given this come back I'd like to see if his ideas are still really popular, or if his comeback is more about his status as a nationalist hero. Interesting things to think about...
For lunch we had Kenkey - which is like Banku, but somehow different.....I'm not a huge fan. We had it with pepe, which is kind of like salsa...really spicy salsa. Yeah, the spice is a big theme here. I'm waiting in anxious anticipation for my mouth to get used to it - hopefully by the time I come home I'll be able to compete with my Mum for being able to eat the spiciest food. An ambitious goal, but hey, I've got five and a half months to work towards it!
This afternoon we went to the cultural centre...which is kind of just another outdoor market, but with more of a focus on art and music. One of our facilitators spent some of her free time during her program apprenticing at one of the drum shops, so we kind of got introduced. We also go treated to some drumming lessons, which was pretty cool. I couldn't help thinking to when my choir did a concert of Ghanaian music in high school, complete with drumming and dancing. The comparison of all these middle class white kids, learning from a white lady drummer to just sitting with these young Ghanaian men in their drum shops is kind of too much. I loved doing that concert, and I find it hard to find fault with North Americans who are exposing themselves to different cultures and appreciating Ghanain music...but there's also something uncomfortable about it. We did a workshop on cultural appropriation before leaving, which also made me think of those concerts. I don't know. Even the time those guys took to teach us some drum rhythms doesn't come close, I'm sure, to when they drum themselves. I know it sounds amazing and its crazy to watch their hands, but other than that I feel like I don't really know whats going on - the history, the cultural meaning etc. I had such a great time, but also felt so much like a white tourist getting a drum lesson. It's tough. I'm not really sure what else to say, but it's something I'm going to keep thinking about. When I come back to Accra I think I'd like to go back and look around more, at some of the other stalls as well and kind of check out how much of it 'traditional' and how much is touristy stuff based on traditional art.
After our visit, we went down to the beach just to have a look. There was a lot of garbage and feces on the way down...and a lot of garbage that was visible in the water. It was neat to see the view of the coast though, and all the fishing canoes out on the water.
OK! That's my itinerary so far. And that took 45 minutes, which is insane. I feel like that may have actually just been even more boring than me just rambling out thoughts but there we go. Kudos if you read the whole thing. My time is again almost up, so here are just a couple of other random thoughts:
Thinking about economics: It's odd to walk through the markets and see so many people selling the same thing and not many people buying (at least that I could notice). It makes me really wonder how much street sellers make in a day, especially since a lot of what is sold appears to be products which they themselves have had to buy (rather than making themselves even). It seems such a contrast to the Canadian malls in which I've worked retail for so long. Knowing daily goals for Old Navy and Teaopia, I know that there's no way these people are making that much. Obviously I have no idea how much they do make, but I'm also betting its less than I would make even working at these mall stores at minimum wage.
Ok, so only one random thought for today. I'm excited to get to Nkawkaw, and then village placements. I still feel like that's where it all will actually begin. But I think it will also be really interesting to come back to Accra in January with a bit more insight perhaps. Anyway, that blog took most of my time to peace out for now folks.
Love,
Jac
Monday:
First full day in Accra. Woke up, went to the bank to cash travellers checks/change American money to Ghanaian. This took a ridiculously long time since we have three people in a our group who can cash the travellers checks. I should clear up about the cocoa we ate for breakfast, mentioned in the last blog - this is not some chocolate and milk mixture of deliciousness...its a yellow, spicy porridge that has been likened so far to both chai and warm lemonade. It's actually not as bad in Ghana - however I have residual memories of throwing it up during orientation so its kinda hard for me to stomach. It's the only thing so far that I really can't stand though, so I figure that's not bad.
Next we went to Nkrumah Circle (my spelling is probably way off) which has a trotro station, and kinda a huge outdoor market. The street vendors sell just about anything; clothes, food, deodorant, soap, watches, pens, washing machines (not kidding). Many of the areas we go to are like this - full of shop vendors calling out and grabbing. The first day was definitely overwhelming. It's also normal for people to grab your wrist to get your attention which can be a little off putting when it keeps happening. Sometimes I feel like I'm in some medieval movie scene, as the prisoner getting pulled through the crowd of peasants, who grab and jeer - that's putting it way too dramatically...it's more the sense of all the attention and feeling a little lost. I'm pretty sure none of them are waiting to see me hanged or anything though. Just curious, or want us to buy things.
We had to go to another bank as well on Monday to cash more checks. It's kind of weird going from the streets into these banks. Sitting waiting for the others, I felt like I could be in North America. There was water, air conditioning and everyone is wearing suits or business casual wear. It made me really think about globalization and how western culture/buildings/fashion/ etc are becoming so predominant. It's weird, especially somewhere like a bank, which seems like this bizarre symbol of like, 'progress' or development, or financial success or whatever...and that's the place which so far has seemed most North American. I think it speaks volumes about how culture and class are tied together, and how people imbue certain cultures with certain values. It seems like there is still this colonial-esque idea that to become more successful is to become more Western, and it makes me sad...because it equates "development" with cultural conformity. Of course, this isn't universal and is based on one hour in a Ghanaian bank on my first day in the country so lets not get carried away...just...thoughts.....
I don't remember what else that day held in store. We ate street food for lunch, and dinner - Watchey for lunch (rice beans and crazy spiciness) and Rice for dinner (again, with much spiciness!). Both meals were pretty good. You can either eat it right at the stand, or take it home in a plastic bag. Also, I guess I should mention, water comes in these little square plastic bags - you just rip off a corner and drink it by sucking it/squeezing the bag. Personally, I love it.
Tuesday:
Yesterday...let me think..the days seem so long and I lose track....I do remember it being insanely hot - even moreso than the day before. We went to Kaneshi (don't trust ANY of my spelling btw) market - which is this big indoor market. We at Banku for a breakfast, which is like a big dough ball made from kassava, which you rip off pieces of to dip in stew or sauce - we had groundnut (peanut) and it was amazing. The market inside was a little less overwhelming than the outdoor ones, I think mostly just because it wasn't as busy inside. We walked around for a while then met up and bought cloth to wear out of the baths. In the villages, people usually wear cloth, like a sarong, kind of like a robe, too and from the baths. Our facilitators helped us out by telling us what was appropriate to buy so we didn't end up getting hugely expensive cloth to wear just to the baths, making us look super rich/pretentious. For lunch we were on our own, so we went in search of Red Red (beans, with fried plantain). It ended up kind of a giant goose chase, and we ended up giving up and eating watchey again.....right across the street from a red red stand. Darn. But, live and learn. Also demonstrates how easy it is to just become dependent on guides - so its good they've been making us to more and more on our own.
And thennnn, National Museum. I'm not sure how much I really absorbed as I find the heat supremely exhausting to be honest. I remember there was a fan in front of the musical instrument exhibit though...stood there for a bit....There was some interesting stuff on the slave trade which was very interesting, since it was very specific to Ghana. I do like museums though, so I enjoyed myself. And it was also nice to just kind of walk around and read in a quiet building for a bit.
So that night, it was rice again for dinner, then Internet cafe to do my work placement stuff and a brief blog check in. We treated ourselves to fruit for desert and I ate an orange the Ghanaian way: you buy it peeled, then they cut a whole in the top and you basically just squeeze the juice into your mouth. The pulp isn't really eaten (though I had a bit of mine..which was difficult). I half felt like I was in some kind of Tropicana commercial "fresh orange juice, straight from the fruit to your mouth" or whatever. Have to say, it was amazingly delicious, and super refreshing after all the spicy eating. Then we played the bean game and had kind of just a fun relaxing night. yay!
TODAY!!
I actually slept horribly last night...my mind was going a mile a minute, thinking about back home and going back, and missing certain people and just not capable of shutting down. Then it started to rain really loudly and that kind of kept me up as well. Anyway, I slept kind of late this morning, which was ok. We did have to pack up and change rooms though which was a little chaotic. Everyone had cocoa for breakfast, with bean biscuits - but my amazing group got me an extra biscuit so I didn't eat any cocoa. I had a taste, and I think I could work my way up to tolerating it so we'll see if I get it in the village.
We were in charge of getting the trotro to our next destination, which took some asking around. Then we visited the Kwame Nkrumah Museum which was great (Nkrumah was first president of Ghana, see more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Nkrumah:. A lot of the exhibit is outside in this great garden, with a huge statue of Nkrumah, and a huge memorial where his remains are buried. The exhibit was mostly made up of quotations from him which was interesting, to see at tiny bit of his perspective on imperialism, neo-colonialism, development, nationalism and pan-Africanism - mostly from the 1960s. He's an interesting figure and I'd like to learn a bit more about him. He was hugely influential in garnering Ghana's independence, and as I said served as the first Prime Minister. He was also responsible for the building of the Volta Hydroelectrical Dam, as part of his goal of industrializing Ghana so it could become more self-sufficient from the West. He ended up becoming kind of a dictator (well, not kind of, he was one) and being ousted by a coup, but he's kind of made a come back as a national hero. Given this come back I'd like to see if his ideas are still really popular, or if his comeback is more about his status as a nationalist hero. Interesting things to think about...
For lunch we had Kenkey - which is like Banku, but somehow different.....I'm not a huge fan. We had it with pepe, which is kind of like salsa...really spicy salsa. Yeah, the spice is a big theme here. I'm waiting in anxious anticipation for my mouth to get used to it - hopefully by the time I come home I'll be able to compete with my Mum for being able to eat the spiciest food. An ambitious goal, but hey, I've got five and a half months to work towards it!
This afternoon we went to the cultural centre...which is kind of just another outdoor market, but with more of a focus on art and music. One of our facilitators spent some of her free time during her program apprenticing at one of the drum shops, so we kind of got introduced. We also go treated to some drumming lessons, which was pretty cool. I couldn't help thinking to when my choir did a concert of Ghanaian music in high school, complete with drumming and dancing. The comparison of all these middle class white kids, learning from a white lady drummer to just sitting with these young Ghanaian men in their drum shops is kind of too much. I loved doing that concert, and I find it hard to find fault with North Americans who are exposing themselves to different cultures and appreciating Ghanain music...but there's also something uncomfortable about it. We did a workshop on cultural appropriation before leaving, which also made me think of those concerts. I don't know. Even the time those guys took to teach us some drum rhythms doesn't come close, I'm sure, to when they drum themselves. I know it sounds amazing and its crazy to watch their hands, but other than that I feel like I don't really know whats going on - the history, the cultural meaning etc. I had such a great time, but also felt so much like a white tourist getting a drum lesson. It's tough. I'm not really sure what else to say, but it's something I'm going to keep thinking about. When I come back to Accra I think I'd like to go back and look around more, at some of the other stalls as well and kind of check out how much of it 'traditional' and how much is touristy stuff based on traditional art.
After our visit, we went down to the beach just to have a look. There was a lot of garbage and feces on the way down...and a lot of garbage that was visible in the water. It was neat to see the view of the coast though, and all the fishing canoes out on the water.
OK! That's my itinerary so far. And that took 45 minutes, which is insane. I feel like that may have actually just been even more boring than me just rambling out thoughts but there we go. Kudos if you read the whole thing. My time is again almost up, so here are just a couple of other random thoughts:
Thinking about economics: It's odd to walk through the markets and see so many people selling the same thing and not many people buying (at least that I could notice). It makes me really wonder how much street sellers make in a day, especially since a lot of what is sold appears to be products which they themselves have had to buy (rather than making themselves even). It seems such a contrast to the Canadian malls in which I've worked retail for so long. Knowing daily goals for Old Navy and Teaopia, I know that there's no way these people are making that much. Obviously I have no idea how much they do make, but I'm also betting its less than I would make even working at these mall stores at minimum wage.
Ok, so only one random thought for today. I'm excited to get to Nkawkaw, and then village placements. I still feel like that's where it all will actually begin. But I think it will also be really interesting to come back to Accra in January with a bit more insight perhaps. Anyway, that blog took most of my time to peace out for now folks.
Love,
Jac
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Quickquill Notes
I lied! I'm back today - had to do some work placement stuff online. I only have a couple of quick observations to make...
1. Ads here are a lot less skanky. I noticed that today, watching the billboards fly by. It was like...hey...everyones wearing clothes on those billboards...wtf?! I mentioned this to Hannah and she'd noticed it to - she even saw a skin lotion add and the woman wasn't naked! I would like to know a bit more about why that is...
2. I was cursing my strong gag reflex today for the second time in Ghana (the first was eating cocoa for breakfast - this is not a food I'm found of). This time it was walking through the market near the open sewers. The stench was incredible - almost as bad as walking across a bridge yesterday over a river that smelt like one giant outhouse (probably because it's used as one). I know Kingston's messed up with waste treatment before, but all of a sudden I have a huge appreciation for indoor plumbing.
Ok, my internet time clock is clicking down so that's all for now. I'm hoping as I become less overwhelmed I notice more little observations which I can share and hopefully learn more about.
Jac
1. Ads here are a lot less skanky. I noticed that today, watching the billboards fly by. It was like...hey...everyones wearing clothes on those billboards...wtf?! I mentioned this to Hannah and she'd noticed it to - she even saw a skin lotion add and the woman wasn't naked! I would like to know a bit more about why that is...
2. I was cursing my strong gag reflex today for the second time in Ghana (the first was eating cocoa for breakfast - this is not a food I'm found of). This time it was walking through the market near the open sewers. The stench was incredible - almost as bad as walking across a bridge yesterday over a river that smelt like one giant outhouse (probably because it's used as one). I know Kingston's messed up with waste treatment before, but all of a sudden I have a huge appreciation for indoor plumbing.
Ok, my internet time clock is clicking down so that's all for now. I'm hoping as I become less overwhelmed I notice more little observations which I can share and hopefully learn more about.
Jac
Monday, October 18, 2010
Arrival in Accra
I'm in Ghana! Specifically, I am sitting in an internet cafe in Accra (with somewhat limited timing). We arrived last night, Ghana time, after a very long airplane trip which I not only survived, but during which I was able to watch an episode of Dr Who (trying not to be disappointed they only had a Matt Smith episode available - can't have it all I guess).
My first impressions are pretty basic. Mostly I can't get over the heat and the humidity. We travelled by Trotro for the first time which kind of gave me flashbacks to the minibuses in Ukraine (which I can't remember the name for at the moment). The markets are insanely busy and crowded and a little overwhelming . Our group stands out for sure, and I definetely got pinched (on the arm, don't worry) and yelled at a bit - I'm assuming because people wanted my business, though I can make no guarantee. There's a lot of English speaking, but also a lot of non-English speaking which adds to the whole disorientation thing. I may not be a people person, but I have to say, it's nice having the group around going through it all with me. Awwww.....
Not much else really happened today. Ate some Ghanaian food, got some Ghanaian money, that kind of thing. Got woken up by roosters which was a little odd. To be honest I'm plum worn out at this point. Walking in the heat all day in a brand new city will do that to you I guess, and I'm sure jet lag doesn't help. I know I promised to be more interesting but I guess I'm not really a natural blogger. Um, what else. We're here in Accra until Thursday, when we leave for Nkawkaw to start our language lessons. After a week there, it's off to the village placements - probably the part I'm most worried about/ the part which will be the most interesting. I won't have Internet access during that time so it may be quite a while before I post again. To everyone back home - I miss you all! I'm also feeling really excited about being here and I'm glad I decided to do this. I can already tell it's going to be an amazing trip. Optimism abounds! Not a feeling I'm used to, but I think that's all the more reason to trust it.
Peace
My first impressions are pretty basic. Mostly I can't get over the heat and the humidity. We travelled by Trotro for the first time which kind of gave me flashbacks to the minibuses in Ukraine (which I can't remember the name for at the moment). The markets are insanely busy and crowded and a little overwhelming . Our group stands out for sure, and I definetely got pinched (on the arm, don't worry) and yelled at a bit - I'm assuming because people wanted my business, though I can make no guarantee. There's a lot of English speaking, but also a lot of non-English speaking which adds to the whole disorientation thing. I may not be a people person, but I have to say, it's nice having the group around going through it all with me. Awwww.....
Not much else really happened today. Ate some Ghanaian food, got some Ghanaian money, that kind of thing. Got woken up by roosters which was a little odd. To be honest I'm plum worn out at this point. Walking in the heat all day in a brand new city will do that to you I guess, and I'm sure jet lag doesn't help. I know I promised to be more interesting but I guess I'm not really a natural blogger. Um, what else. We're here in Accra until Thursday, when we leave for Nkawkaw to start our language lessons. After a week there, it's off to the village placements - probably the part I'm most worried about/ the part which will be the most interesting. I won't have Internet access during that time so it may be quite a while before I post again. To everyone back home - I miss you all! I'm also feeling really excited about being here and I'm glad I decided to do this. I can already tell it's going to be an amazing trip. Optimism abounds! Not a feeling I'm used to, but I think that's all the more reason to trust it.
Peace
Friday, October 15, 2010
Last Sleep in Canada
That is, if I end up sleeping at all tonight. I'm getting that pre-departure buzz - the one that will hopefully get me through all the things I've procrastinated doing until now. My bag is upstairs packed, which is actually surprisingly organized for me. I guess it went quickly since its not really a lot of stuff - though it's crazy how much space medication and toiletries take up . This week has been such an experience in itself. I came home from orientation feeling so ready to go, and now it almost feels like that whole prep month never happened. Last week I felt really committed to living simply, embracing the experience of living in poverty. Yet the amount of money I've spent preparing to go live in poverty makes the whole thing feel like a bit of a joke. It really brings home that however much I hope to learn during the next few months, I a will never know what it's like not to have the privileges of a middle class Canadian student. Probably a good thing to realize now - and a theme which I'm sure will come up again.
I am a little nervous about not having said all the goodbyes I wanted. There are a lot of people I meant to e-mail, but for the most part I couldn't really think of what to say. My mind is in such a different place than it was last week - even writing this blog isn't really coming naturally. It's like coming home from a crazy semester at school and just turning everything off because you're so sick of thinking. I feel that way about reflecting and sharing. In a way I'm glad I had this bit of a break, to relax a bit, to just chill and not overthink everything, to sleep in....and also to go back to living the way I usually do with slightly more awareness. A little bit of a practice run for April? We shall see.
Anyway, I'll try to keep this blog up as much as I can in Ghana, and I'll try to be a bit more communicative/coherent/interesting in the future. It's important to me to keep this blog since I feel like I often check out when telling people about my experiences - like, I feel they won't get it or understand or I don't want to get into it so I just say "it was good" or "interesting" and leave it at that. So this is kind of a way of being honest without having to feel awkward or to have to actually speak out loud. Anyway that's the hope....now, to finish my masters applications!
I am a little nervous about not having said all the goodbyes I wanted. There are a lot of people I meant to e-mail, but for the most part I couldn't really think of what to say. My mind is in such a different place than it was last week - even writing this blog isn't really coming naturally. It's like coming home from a crazy semester at school and just turning everything off because you're so sick of thinking. I feel that way about reflecting and sharing. In a way I'm glad I had this bit of a break, to relax a bit, to just chill and not overthink everything, to sleep in....and also to go back to living the way I usually do with slightly more awareness. A little bit of a practice run for April? We shall see.
Anyway, I'll try to keep this blog up as much as I can in Ghana, and I'll try to be a bit more communicative/coherent/interesting in the future. It's important to me to keep this blog since I feel like I often check out when telling people about my experiences - like, I feel they won't get it or understand or I don't want to get into it so I just say "it was good" or "interesting" and leave it at that. So this is kind of a way of being honest without having to feel awkward or to have to actually speak out loud. Anyway that's the hope....now, to finish my masters applications!
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