So, it's been a while since my last blog post. This internet is very unreliable and UNC webmail hasn't worked in about a week.
I had my first week of classes last week. I'm signed up for traditional African dance, post-conflict peace building transitional justice, comparative ethics in religion, social work and law courts, social work and human rights and U.S. policy towards Africa.
Taking classes here has been an interesting experience. I've come to realize that most things here are very relaxed and hardly ever on time. I've had my comparative ethics in religion course twice so far, and the professor has yet to show up. It's very aggravating because the campus is sprawling and it takes me about twenty to thirty minutes to get to class, only to sit in a classroom for over an hour waiting/ The classes I have had are very different from classes at UNC. Without technology like laptops, projectors or power point, most of my classes have been comprised mostly of direct dictation. In my U.S. policy towards Africa class, we spent forty five minutes copying down word for word what the professor was saying, as he repeated half of each sentence twice. I felt like I was in high school again. I guess it makes sense that without reliable access to the internet or computers this is the most efficient way to teach.
My traditional African dance class has been fun but lots of work! African dance is so different from ballet, cheerleading or any other form of dance or movement I've experienced. The posture is hunched over and our hands are supposed to be constantly limp. There is much stomping, jumping and rolling. There are no counts for the moves and the teachers never break down the movements for us. We're expected to watch them a few times and then jump right in. I promise to get Michael to video tape Catherine and I in our dance recital so y'all can all have a good laugh. :D
As of an hour ago, we have running water again!!! The water here goes out approximately every day or every other day. When we do have running water, about 70% of the time it's brown. I'm hoping that the brown water is somewhat safe, because there's really no way of getting around it. If anything, this semester abroad will make me appreciate basic things like running water.
The UNC study abroad group has formed a ritual every week. This sacred ritual is called terrific Tuesdays. The only American fast food restaurants we've found are connected to a gas chain called Bonjour. Connected to the Bonjour are the Pizza Inn, Chicken Inn and Creamy Inn. On Tuesdays at the Pizza Inn, pizzas are buy one get one free. Unfortunately, there is no way of calling ahead or getting delivery. We normally go and wait for about an hour and a half to two hours for our pizzas. Many of the food places here take about an hour from the time you order to the time you get your food.
Other than Terrific Tuesdays, we've been eating multiple times a week at the night market, which is just down the road from our hostel. The night market consists of about half a dozen food vendors who open at night to serve dinner. When you order your good, you specify how much of each dish you would like in terms of cost. I generally always get fifty pesewas of noodles with spicy (pepper) sauce, thirty pesewas of salad, and a hard boiled egg. This meal generally comes out to cost around one CD, or eighty U.S. cents. When you get your food, you sit at large picnic tables under covered tents. The night market is noisy and I enjoy the bustling atmosphere.
Saturday, a group of us traveled to the Accra Mall to see "Up". It was weird being in a movie theater, it was super Western and probably nicer than most of the theaters in Greensboro (but much smaller). The movie was great! I recommend it to everyone!
Interesting story:
On Sunday, Catherine, Katy, Michael and I (the four of us are always together), traveled to Cocoa Beach to lay out at the pool at the Ramada Inn (this is the beach that is covered in trash, feces, etc. so we stick to the pool). We hailed a taxi on campus, as usual, and agreed on a price, seven CD. It's very important to always agree on the price of the ride before you get into the taxi, or else the driver can charge you whatever she or he wants. The taxi ride seemed normal until our taxi driver pulled over twice to ask directions to Cocoa Beach. We were irked because the driver had told us he knew where he was going, and he was taking a long time. After he spoke to the second person for directions, he got back in the taxi and starting driving, only to inform us that the beach was farther away than he thought and that the price of seven CD was no longer good. We started to argue with him, we've been to this pool two other times and never paid more than seven CD for a ride. We finally told him to pull over so we could find someone else to take us. This is when things got ugly. He refused to pull over and started yelling that we needed to pay him more. We asked him to pull over again, and he sped up and continued to drive. Things escalated and soon we were yelling at him to pull over. He finally pulled over then Michael flung open the door and acted like he was going to jump out of the taxi. As soon as he pulled over, he yelled that we had to pay him for driving us there ( he had only driven us a short distance to ask for directions). We refused and soon we were arguing with him on the side of the road. A security guard and two random street vendors joined in. Eventually, we paid the driver a few CD in coins so he would leave us alone. We ended up taking a tro tro the rest of the way to the beach.
Anyway, not much else interesting has been going on. We are traveling to the Volta region on Friday morning for four days. I'm really excited! We will be hiking up a mountain, seeing waterfalls and visiting cities in the region. I'll have much to report when I get back!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Lack of water, litter and Obama
Since my last post, a few interesting developments have occurred.
Firstly, this is officially day four of having no running water in the dorm. Until two days ago, the other International Students Hostel had water, but that ran out. I will spare the gritty details of what the bathrooms are like here, but let's say I have been doing everything possible to avoid them. I've never been in a situation where something as basic (or at least what we consider basic) as water has been in jeopardy. Lacking running water makes even simple tasks very difficult. To take a shower, we have to lug huge buckets of water across a parking lot and sponge bathe. Let's just say that if I had no access to running water, I would never have long hair. I never realized just how much water I need to shampoo and condition my hair. The officials of the dorm have promised us that the water would be turned on every day that it's been out. One thing I have noticed in Ghana is that you hardly ever get a straight answer about when something will be done. Most of the time it is an estimate that is inevitably always too short.
Saturday, we traveled to Accra Mall to replenish our supply of groceries. So far, I have been to the Accra Mall three times. Every time I go, there is a group of beggar children, who look Indian?, ranging in ages from 3-14. These children ALWAYS run up to us, throw their arms around us and cling to us until we either throw them off, or they get bored and realize we're not going to give them money. What's super aggravating to me is that we can always see the parents lying underneath a shady tree, doing nothing and yelling at their children to get money from shoppers. So, this particular day, I decided to buy a loaf of bread at the grocery store to give to the children. I at first was going to buy them candy or chips, but then decided I should probably buy them something more nutritious (Mommy, this is your influence!). When I handed the loaf to the 10 year old beggar boy, his face lit up and he gave me a huge, bright smile when he said "Thank you". I felt great about having given this child a meal until I saw him hand the bread over to one of the parents, and the parent shove the bread into a backpack and yell at the boy to go beg again. I feel terrible for these children and it's always shocking how many young children (some looking as young as 6) I see working, begging or selling things on the side of the road.
Yesterday, many of the students in my program and I traveled to Cocoa Beach, which is supposed to be nicer and less tourist-y than the other beach we've been going to. We went to the beach entrance, where the people standing in front asked us to pay 2 cd each to enter. We watched as literally ten Ghanaians passed through the entrance without being charged. We asked the men why we had to pay and the others didn't, and they asked us where we were from. When we answered that we were Americans, they told us that when Obama had visited Ghana, he hadn't given Ghanaians any money to clean the beaches, so we had to pay. Aggravated, I tried to explain that America does NOT have extra money to give Ghana to clean beaches, and that we need it for our own national debt! We all were tired of being ripped off and decided to go instead to a pool with beach access. The pool was very nice and we went down to the beach to walk along the shore. When we got down to the shore, we saw that the beach was literally covered in litter. We saw everything from empty water bottles to shoes to TV remotes. It also smelled like sewage and we quickly returned to the pool. The black rock that lead up to the water and the sand were so beautiful, but it was hard to see past all of the nasty trash everywhere. This experience made me very appreciative of the cleanliness of America.
Firstly, this is officially day four of having no running water in the dorm. Until two days ago, the other International Students Hostel had water, but that ran out. I will spare the gritty details of what the bathrooms are like here, but let's say I have been doing everything possible to avoid them. I've never been in a situation where something as basic (or at least what we consider basic) as water has been in jeopardy. Lacking running water makes even simple tasks very difficult. To take a shower, we have to lug huge buckets of water across a parking lot and sponge bathe. Let's just say that if I had no access to running water, I would never have long hair. I never realized just how much water I need to shampoo and condition my hair. The officials of the dorm have promised us that the water would be turned on every day that it's been out. One thing I have noticed in Ghana is that you hardly ever get a straight answer about when something will be done. Most of the time it is an estimate that is inevitably always too short.
Saturday, we traveled to Accra Mall to replenish our supply of groceries. So far, I have been to the Accra Mall three times. Every time I go, there is a group of beggar children, who look Indian?, ranging in ages from 3-14. These children ALWAYS run up to us, throw their arms around us and cling to us until we either throw them off, or they get bored and realize we're not going to give them money. What's super aggravating to me is that we can always see the parents lying underneath a shady tree, doing nothing and yelling at their children to get money from shoppers. So, this particular day, I decided to buy a loaf of bread at the grocery store to give to the children. I at first was going to buy them candy or chips, but then decided I should probably buy them something more nutritious (Mommy, this is your influence!). When I handed the loaf to the 10 year old beggar boy, his face lit up and he gave me a huge, bright smile when he said "Thank you". I felt great about having given this child a meal until I saw him hand the bread over to one of the parents, and the parent shove the bread into a backpack and yell at the boy to go beg again. I feel terrible for these children and it's always shocking how many young children (some looking as young as 6) I see working, begging or selling things on the side of the road.
Yesterday, many of the students in my program and I traveled to Cocoa Beach, which is supposed to be nicer and less tourist-y than the other beach we've been going to. We went to the beach entrance, where the people standing in front asked us to pay 2 cd each to enter. We watched as literally ten Ghanaians passed through the entrance without being charged. We asked the men why we had to pay and the others didn't, and they asked us where we were from. When we answered that we were Americans, they told us that when Obama had visited Ghana, he hadn't given Ghanaians any money to clean the beaches, so we had to pay. Aggravated, I tried to explain that America does NOT have extra money to give Ghana to clean beaches, and that we need it for our own national debt! We all were tired of being ripped off and decided to go instead to a pool with beach access. The pool was very nice and we went down to the beach to walk along the shore. When we got down to the shore, we saw that the beach was literally covered in litter. We saw everything from empty water bottles to shoes to TV remotes. It also smelled like sewage and we quickly returned to the pool. The black rock that lead up to the water and the sand were so beautiful, but it was hard to see past all of the nasty trash everywhere. This experience made me very appreciative of the cleanliness of America.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Sickness, Beaches and Fabrics
So, I'll recap from the beginning of the week so I can finally be up to date.
Tuesday: I got very sick from either bad food or a 24 hour bug. This resulted in me freaking out that I would either have to go to a hospital here, or die alone in Africa. This was obviously very dramatic, but at the time seemed real. It was an interesting experience to be very sick in a foreign country without having any family or friends to take care of me.
Wednesday: On Wednesday Michael (my friend from Greensboro) and two other girls (Catherine and Katy) and I went to La Bodi beach for reggae night. We had a blast! There was a large stage set up in the middle of the sand, where many different local reggae bands played. The music was an interesting mix of reggae, hip-hop and rap. Everything had a great beat and I had so much fun dancing into the night with my friends and locals we met! Unfortunately, there are some Ghanaians who come to reggae night specifically looking for tourists to try to date/hook up/get money from. Luckily, we had a few local friends who kept these people at bay. The process of getting back to our hostel that night was also quite an experience. As we exited the beach, about eight taxi drivers ran up to us, offering different prices to take us home. These drivers were relentless. As we haggled with one driver, at least three others would jump right in our faces to offer a lower price. We finally agreed up on a price, and Michael climbed into the backseat of a taxi. As soon as he did this, another driver ran up, slammed the door and started yelling in Twi (the local language) at the driver. Soon there were about five drivers all yelling at each other, while poor Michael was trapped in the taxi which soon started to drive away. Luckily, one of our local friends ran over, Michael was able to get out of the taxi, and we walked across the road to catch a ride.
Thursday: On Thursday Michael, Catherine, Katy and I traveled to the town of La Paz. La Paz is much more rural than Accra or Legon, and we walked through the villages and saw many street vendors and restaurants. While there, we ate in a tiny shack where we basically sat in the back of a kitchen. Despite the sketchiness of the structure, the food was the best I've eaten so far. The chicken and rice were spiced and the coleslaw-ish dish was fresh. The cook was very excited to have Americans in his restaurant, and wanted to know if we liked the spices, if we would come back, etc. As we walked through the villages, we saw many children playing soccer and some really cute kittens! Unfortunately, the sewage in rural areas is literally a latrine a few inches deep that runs in the middle of all of the roads. The smell is definitely something you have to get used to. Later, we stopped in a small bar/ restaurant, where American hip-hop was blaring on the radio. It was surreal to be in the middle of rural Africa and yet hear music I have on my ipod. Oh, globalization.
On our way home from La Paz, Catherine and I bought FanChocos, which are basically frozen chocolate soymilk in plastic bags you open by ripping them with your teeth. They remind me of what a dairy freeze pop would be like.
Friday: Today, we woke up early and traveled to a medical clinic to register. The process of registration took about two and half hours, during which we had nothing to do but sit and wait. After this, we traveled as a group to Medina to buy fabric. (Side note: there is a woman who comes to our hostel three times a week who makes BEAUTIFUL clothes out of African fabrics for $3-8). The Medina market was so alive with vendors selling literally everything you could think of, from whole fish to luggage to manicures. We spent the afternoon browsing for fabrics and taking in the sights. Now, I am back at the hostel, using the internet cafe here and getting hungry for a dinner of bananas, peanut butter and doritos. None of you really have any idea how delicious this meal sounds to me. Also, last night we made grilled cheese and chicken sandwiches in the hostel, and this was also a joyous occasion of American food. Also, the hostel across from us just opened a cafe with chicken burgers and milkshakes. Excitement!!!
Hopefully I will be able to upload my pictures soon. So far, I have only been able to use desktops, so when I am able to use my laptop, expect many pictures!
Tuesday: I got very sick from either bad food or a 24 hour bug. This resulted in me freaking out that I would either have to go to a hospital here, or die alone in Africa. This was obviously very dramatic, but at the time seemed real. It was an interesting experience to be very sick in a foreign country without having any family or friends to take care of me.
Wednesday: On Wednesday Michael (my friend from Greensboro) and two other girls (Catherine and Katy) and I went to La Bodi beach for reggae night. We had a blast! There was a large stage set up in the middle of the sand, where many different local reggae bands played. The music was an interesting mix of reggae, hip-hop and rap. Everything had a great beat and I had so much fun dancing into the night with my friends and locals we met! Unfortunately, there are some Ghanaians who come to reggae night specifically looking for tourists to try to date/hook up/get money from. Luckily, we had a few local friends who kept these people at bay. The process of getting back to our hostel that night was also quite an experience. As we exited the beach, about eight taxi drivers ran up to us, offering different prices to take us home. These drivers were relentless. As we haggled with one driver, at least three others would jump right in our faces to offer a lower price. We finally agreed up on a price, and Michael climbed into the backseat of a taxi. As soon as he did this, another driver ran up, slammed the door and started yelling in Twi (the local language) at the driver. Soon there were about five drivers all yelling at each other, while poor Michael was trapped in the taxi which soon started to drive away. Luckily, one of our local friends ran over, Michael was able to get out of the taxi, and we walked across the road to catch a ride.
Thursday: On Thursday Michael, Catherine, Katy and I traveled to the town of La Paz. La Paz is much more rural than Accra or Legon, and we walked through the villages and saw many street vendors and restaurants. While there, we ate in a tiny shack where we basically sat in the back of a kitchen. Despite the sketchiness of the structure, the food was the best I've eaten so far. The chicken and rice were spiced and the coleslaw-ish dish was fresh. The cook was very excited to have Americans in his restaurant, and wanted to know if we liked the spices, if we would come back, etc. As we walked through the villages, we saw many children playing soccer and some really cute kittens! Unfortunately, the sewage in rural areas is literally a latrine a few inches deep that runs in the middle of all of the roads. The smell is definitely something you have to get used to. Later, we stopped in a small bar/ restaurant, where American hip-hop was blaring on the radio. It was surreal to be in the middle of rural Africa and yet hear music I have on my ipod. Oh, globalization.
On our way home from La Paz, Catherine and I bought FanChocos, which are basically frozen chocolate soymilk in plastic bags you open by ripping them with your teeth. They remind me of what a dairy freeze pop would be like.
Friday: Today, we woke up early and traveled to a medical clinic to register. The process of registration took about two and half hours, during which we had nothing to do but sit and wait. After this, we traveled as a group to Medina to buy fabric. (Side note: there is a woman who comes to our hostel three times a week who makes BEAUTIFUL clothes out of African fabrics for $3-8). The Medina market was so alive with vendors selling literally everything you could think of, from whole fish to luggage to manicures. We spent the afternoon browsing for fabrics and taking in the sights. Now, I am back at the hostel, using the internet cafe here and getting hungry for a dinner of bananas, peanut butter and doritos. None of you really have any idea how delicious this meal sounds to me. Also, last night we made grilled cheese and chicken sandwiches in the hostel, and this was also a joyous occasion of American food. Also, the hostel across from us just opened a cafe with chicken burgers and milkshakes. Excitement!!!
Hopefully I will be able to upload my pictures soon. So far, I have only been able to use desktops, so when I am able to use my laptop, expect many pictures!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
End of Week One
To continue my last post:
Last Saturday we took a driving tour of Accra, the capital city in Ghana. We also attended a funeral in a rural area of Accra. This was a very interesting experience. Ghanaian funerals are days long, and each day is a different event. By the time the burial and reception occur, it is a joyous occasion to celebrate the deceased's life. Many of the children in the village seemed to be amazed / afraid of us. At the house where the reception was held, we made friends with a few local children who talked to us about soccer and let us take a picture with them. While at the reception, we were served rice and a spicy sauce, fried chicken, and soup with an entire fish in it. No joke, apparently the heads are the "best parts", especially the eyes. I did not partake in this dish, but I did capture the moment on my camera.
On Sunday we headed to a beach near Accra. The sand and water are beautiful! We were given beach chairs to sit on and many local artists came around and displayed their artwork and handicrafts. On the more exotic side, teenage boys walked around carrying ball pythons (much bigger than Baby snake!) and small monkeys. There was also a troop of boys who looked to be about 13-16 in age who put on a show by eating broken glass. I really couldn't watch it, and it upset me imagining how painful it was for them to earn money. On the brighter side, the sun is INTENSE!! We were there for about 2 hours, and I used sunscreen, and I am still burnt today. We also met a few locals on the beach who invited us to come to the beach tonight for live Reggae music!
I finally finished signing up for classes today. It was a long process in which you had to physically travel to each department to sign up. I am particularly excited about taking a traditional African dance class.
We were able to go to the grocery store yesterday, and I bought CHEESE!!! and pb&j, also chips and fruit. Needless to say, I am very excited.
Anyway, my time is running out AGAIN! This internet is painfully slow. Sorry to everyone who had been emailing / facebooking me, it's hard to get everything done on these computers! Hopefully I will be able to upload pictures soon!
Last Saturday we took a driving tour of Accra, the capital city in Ghana. We also attended a funeral in a rural area of Accra. This was a very interesting experience. Ghanaian funerals are days long, and each day is a different event. By the time the burial and reception occur, it is a joyous occasion to celebrate the deceased's life. Many of the children in the village seemed to be amazed / afraid of us. At the house where the reception was held, we made friends with a few local children who talked to us about soccer and let us take a picture with them. While at the reception, we were served rice and a spicy sauce, fried chicken, and soup with an entire fish in it. No joke, apparently the heads are the "best parts", especially the eyes. I did not partake in this dish, but I did capture the moment on my camera.
On Sunday we headed to a beach near Accra. The sand and water are beautiful! We were given beach chairs to sit on and many local artists came around and displayed their artwork and handicrafts. On the more exotic side, teenage boys walked around carrying ball pythons (much bigger than Baby snake!) and small monkeys. There was also a troop of boys who looked to be about 13-16 in age who put on a show by eating broken glass. I really couldn't watch it, and it upset me imagining how painful it was for them to earn money. On the brighter side, the sun is INTENSE!! We were there for about 2 hours, and I used sunscreen, and I am still burnt today. We also met a few locals on the beach who invited us to come to the beach tonight for live Reggae music!
I finally finished signing up for classes today. It was a long process in which you had to physically travel to each department to sign up. I am particularly excited about taking a traditional African dance class.
We were able to go to the grocery store yesterday, and I bought CHEESE!!! and pb&j, also chips and fruit. Needless to say, I am very excited.
Anyway, my time is running out AGAIN! This internet is painfully slow. Sorry to everyone who had been emailing / facebooking me, it's hard to get everything done on these computers! Hopefully I will be able to upload pictures soon!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Akwaaba!
Hello!!
I will be using this blog to update everyone about what I'm doing while spending a semester abroad at the University of Ghana in Legon.
After a six hour flight from JFK, and an eight hour flight from Frankfurt, Germany, I arrived in Accra, Ghana Wednesday evening. We took a bus to campus, and soon encountered the unique driving experience of Ghana. As far as I can tell, there are absolutely no right-of-way laws here. People just turn out in front of other cars, swerve in and out of lanes, and do NOT yield to pedestrians. Also, there are dozens of people walking in between cars selling anything from bottled water to soccer balls.
We spent most of the next few days orienting ourselves on campus, and learning how to get around using taxis and tro tros (large VW vans which travel from station to station). Hardly anything here has a set price,and it is essential to haggle when buying anything from food to taxis to clothing. I am staying in a dorm for international students, and the rooms are very nice and spacious. The downside is that there is no hot water in the showers. On the humorous side, my door was getting stuck along the frame, so a maintenance man came and literally sawed off an inch from the bottom using a rusty tool.
The local fare is mainly a mixture of meat (which is generally fried),rice and plantains (which is basically a cross between a banana and a potato). Generally everything comes with a spicy sauce on the side. I have not encountered any cheese or milk in any Ghanaian restaurant, and I find myself daydreaming about nachos, quesadillas, grilled cheese, milk, etc. However, the tropical fruits here are delicious! The pineapples, mangoes and bananas are all very sweet and cheap.
All of the Ghanaians I have met so far have been very friendly and helpful. I have also been experiencing a taste of the local culture by attending a local funeral and festivals.
I have much more to write, but my time at the internet cafe is running out. I will update more later!!
I will be using this blog to update everyone about what I'm doing while spending a semester abroad at the University of Ghana in Legon.
After a six hour flight from JFK, and an eight hour flight from Frankfurt, Germany, I arrived in Accra, Ghana Wednesday evening. We took a bus to campus, and soon encountered the unique driving experience of Ghana. As far as I can tell, there are absolutely no right-of-way laws here. People just turn out in front of other cars, swerve in and out of lanes, and do NOT yield to pedestrians. Also, there are dozens of people walking in between cars selling anything from bottled water to soccer balls.
We spent most of the next few days orienting ourselves on campus, and learning how to get around using taxis and tro tros (large VW vans which travel from station to station). Hardly anything here has a set price,and it is essential to haggle when buying anything from food to taxis to clothing. I am staying in a dorm for international students, and the rooms are very nice and spacious. The downside is that there is no hot water in the showers. On the humorous side, my door was getting stuck along the frame, so a maintenance man came and literally sawed off an inch from the bottom using a rusty tool.
The local fare is mainly a mixture of meat (which is generally fried),rice and plantains (which is basically a cross between a banana and a potato). Generally everything comes with a spicy sauce on the side. I have not encountered any cheese or milk in any Ghanaian restaurant, and I find myself daydreaming about nachos, quesadillas, grilled cheese, milk, etc. However, the tropical fruits here are delicious! The pineapples, mangoes and bananas are all very sweet and cheap.
All of the Ghanaians I have met so far have been very friendly and helpful. I have also been experiencing a taste of the local culture by attending a local funeral and festivals.
I have much more to write, but my time at the internet cafe is running out. I will update more later!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)