and it was awesome.
Kakum National Forest in Ghana was an adventure, for sure. So I'm going to leave it at that until I have more time on this computer, perhaps tomorrow or later tonight, when I will go into more detail about the trek there and back from Legon!
*We also did a canopy walk in the trees there. I hate to say it, but you should be jealous. The rainforest at 5:30am is a breathtaking place.
Ghana is fantastic. You take the good with the bad, but that's life.
I can't believe I will be at home at this time next week. Strange.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
UPCI Sunday
UPCI = United Pentecostal Congregation International.
This morning I went to church with Justina, one of the Ghanaian girls here working on the project. She is a member of UPCI and it's two doors down from her home in Madina.
It was a very charismatic service, the pastor was welcoming and thanked the lord for "bringing sisters to join us today. " It was a unique experience- we came a half hour late to this almost 3 hour service, so we missed the dancing portion, but we were there for the sermon and the prayer session. Members of the Pentecostal church pray aloud and at the same time, each man and woman to his or her own prayer of choice, out loud, while the band is playing and the pastor is praying as well. The pastor prayed over us, even me, and placed his hand on my head, asking the Holy Spirit to intensify in my earthly body, among other things. I enjoyed the service immensely, it was such a different experience. Even though I was silent for the entire prayer portion, I was taking in everything around me, and experiencing the amount of emotions pouring out from every individual. The pastor was very welcoming and even bought the 5 of us who attended soft drinks at the end of the service. He came over to chat with us and invite us back. We might go back in two weeks. I for sure want to attend the Catholic church while I'm here, and maybe the Interdenominational church as well, I've heard it is very enjoyable and they are welcoming too.
We had another meeting for our Photovoice Project too, we are going back to the Market tomorrow to meet with the women there again and give them cameras this time. I've been on Facebook chat for the last two hours, chatting with some people I miss very much, so that has been really enjoyable. I can't wait to see everyone and get hugs!! :)
Tonight we are headed to Osu for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Hopefully it will be good. I'm very curious as to what they will have.
Bye for now!
Oh, and I'm going to training tomorrow again as well.
Love you and miss you all!
This morning I went to church with Justina, one of the Ghanaian girls here working on the project. She is a member of UPCI and it's two doors down from her home in Madina.
It was a very charismatic service, the pastor was welcoming and thanked the lord for "bringing sisters to join us today. " It was a unique experience- we came a half hour late to this almost 3 hour service, so we missed the dancing portion, but we were there for the sermon and the prayer session. Members of the Pentecostal church pray aloud and at the same time, each man and woman to his or her own prayer of choice, out loud, while the band is playing and the pastor is praying as well. The pastor prayed over us, even me, and placed his hand on my head, asking the Holy Spirit to intensify in my earthly body, among other things. I enjoyed the service immensely, it was such a different experience. Even though I was silent for the entire prayer portion, I was taking in everything around me, and experiencing the amount of emotions pouring out from every individual. The pastor was very welcoming and even bought the 5 of us who attended soft drinks at the end of the service. He came over to chat with us and invite us back. We might go back in two weeks. I for sure want to attend the Catholic church while I'm here, and maybe the Interdenominational church as well, I've heard it is very enjoyable and they are welcoming too.
We had another meeting for our Photovoice Project too, we are going back to the Market tomorrow to meet with the women there again and give them cameras this time. I've been on Facebook chat for the last two hours, chatting with some people I miss very much, so that has been really enjoyable. I can't wait to see everyone and get hugs!! :)
Tonight we are headed to Osu for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Hopefully it will be good. I'm very curious as to what they will have.
Bye for now!
Oh, and I'm going to training tomorrow again as well.
Love you and miss you all!
Friday, May 21, 2010
AWESOME.
Day in 5 bullet points, since it's 11:30 here and I have to wake up at 5am tomorrow morning:
1. 1st day of training with the U-G Women's Volleyball team. Great fun, as it turned out to be my roommate Franka and I for about an hour and a half before the Men's team showed up. (The girls showed up later...) The coach was instructing me on form, technique, etc. I am very sorry that I will not be here through June 10th, as he was interested in training me and teaching me the game so I could compete with the University of Ghana Women's Team in the Ghana University Games- about 6 or 7 of Ghana's top universities are coming to U-G from June 4-10 and playing tournaments. I wish I was around. That would be amazing! Regardless, he seems willing to train me- so I am so happy about that. 5:30 AM and 3PM Two-a-day's anyone? For now I will stick with the 3p as much as possible, as 5:30 is a stretch for at least a couple of days....
2. We just returned from the Street Dance 2010 Africa Semifinals. Wow. Totally America's Best Dance Crew, but all the crews are Ghanaian. It was an amazing competition! First round, all the crews had to dance to BEP's Boom Boom Pow, and the second was to their own mashups. Second round was much better. The amount of energy, people rushing the stage...it was such a fun experience.
3. Went to Madina Market this morning to make the initial contacts for our Photovoice project...I realize I have been lacking in the department about describing the project...one day I will describe more of it in detail. For now, we paired up and talked to different women. Franka was lucky enough to draw us the Cloth ladies, the ones who sell all the beautiful printed fabric at the Market. I haven't bought anything from them yet, but I know I will be back at least 5 more times, so I have time. I did buy a pair of small earrings, as my pearl earring for my third hole (cartilage piercing) fell out. Ah, I was devastated when I discovered that this morning. Especially since I didn't think to bring extras. And that earring I bought today is no good. I'm afraid the hole is going to close if I don't get to the mall soon. I think I will head there on Sunday if possible, as I need a gold or silver stud...which there is no way to find at the market- everything is costume jewelry. Who would have thought this would be so complicated? Huge bummer. I was also trying to avoid going to the mall...too commercial as I would rather support the market women. Alas, in a situation like this, I can't help it.
4. Dinner tonight was a fried chicken drumstick, a slice of watermelon, and curried rice!! I was so excited, I actually finished everything- first time since I've been here since the portions are huge when it comes to rice and starches (Franka tries to feed me all the time, she thinks I don't really eat...I'm just nowhere near used to the amount of food they give you here yet!)
5. We are going as a group to Cape Coast tomorrow all day- waking up at 5 to be on the bus at 6. No worries, planning on sleeping more on the bus and additionally, planning ahead and setting everything out. We are going to Kakun National forest and the slave castle, also, potentially the beach. Psyched.
Good night! OH, I also can't believe that my stay is almost halfway over...I have so much to do and see, ah I am not going to mention it again.
Have a good night, Ghana, and good evening in Michigan! :)
1. 1st day of training with the U-G Women's Volleyball team. Great fun, as it turned out to be my roommate Franka and I for about an hour and a half before the Men's team showed up. (The girls showed up later...) The coach was instructing me on form, technique, etc. I am very sorry that I will not be here through June 10th, as he was interested in training me and teaching me the game so I could compete with the University of Ghana Women's Team in the Ghana University Games- about 6 or 7 of Ghana's top universities are coming to U-G from June 4-10 and playing tournaments. I wish I was around. That would be amazing! Regardless, he seems willing to train me- so I am so happy about that. 5:30 AM and 3PM Two-a-day's anyone? For now I will stick with the 3p as much as possible, as 5:30 is a stretch for at least a couple of days....
2. We just returned from the Street Dance 2010 Africa Semifinals. Wow. Totally America's Best Dance Crew, but all the crews are Ghanaian. It was an amazing competition! First round, all the crews had to dance to BEP's Boom Boom Pow, and the second was to their own mashups. Second round was much better. The amount of energy, people rushing the stage...it was such a fun experience.
3. Went to Madina Market this morning to make the initial contacts for our Photovoice project...I realize I have been lacking in the department about describing the project...one day I will describe more of it in detail. For now, we paired up and talked to different women. Franka was lucky enough to draw us the Cloth ladies, the ones who sell all the beautiful printed fabric at the Market. I haven't bought anything from them yet, but I know I will be back at least 5 more times, so I have time. I did buy a pair of small earrings, as my pearl earring for my third hole (cartilage piercing) fell out. Ah, I was devastated when I discovered that this morning. Especially since I didn't think to bring extras. And that earring I bought today is no good. I'm afraid the hole is going to close if I don't get to the mall soon. I think I will head there on Sunday if possible, as I need a gold or silver stud...which there is no way to find at the market- everything is costume jewelry. Who would have thought this would be so complicated? Huge bummer. I was also trying to avoid going to the mall...too commercial as I would rather support the market women. Alas, in a situation like this, I can't help it.
4. Dinner tonight was a fried chicken drumstick, a slice of watermelon, and curried rice!! I was so excited, I actually finished everything- first time since I've been here since the portions are huge when it comes to rice and starches (Franka tries to feed me all the time, she thinks I don't really eat...I'm just nowhere near used to the amount of food they give you here yet!)
5. We are going as a group to Cape Coast tomorrow all day- waking up at 5 to be on the bus at 6. No worries, planning on sleeping more on the bus and additionally, planning ahead and setting everything out. We are going to Kakun National forest and the slave castle, also, potentially the beach. Psyched.
Good night! OH, I also can't believe that my stay is almost halfway over...I have so much to do and see, ah I am not going to mention it again.
Have a good night, Ghana, and good evening in Michigan! :)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
loving the eternal sauna called ghana.
So I'm going to quickly catch you up on what's been happening in my life here over the past couple of days. I have no idea when the last time I sat down and blogged was, I only know it was too long ago, so here's your quick glimpse into my life here in Ghana.
1. My hair is braided as of Saturday, about two feet long and red. It's gorgeous; I love it. Pictures can be found via the group blog here: http://gieughana.blogspot.com/ <- more details about many of the group activities can be found here. Take a look as soon as you're done reading this post!
2. Banku is quickly becoming one of my new favorite foods, with okra stew.
3. I was chosen to have a fantastic experience and meet the Queen Mother of Madina Market- one of the huge Markets here around Accra. Repped not only UM, but the US. Great experience.
4. Woke up to rain and horses whinnying outside of my window the other day. That was incredible, I thought I was seeing things.
5. Saw monkeys today. Took lots of pictures. One reminded me of Jason. ha!
6. World Cup mania everywhere. Exciting and I've seen so many jerseys everywhere, many people support Manchester and Arsenal, of course, I'm excited whenever I see an Arsenal Jersey.
7. I handwashed my own laundry. Quite an accomplishment.
8. Went to a film festival here on Tuesday night, saw three films- all documentaries: one on prayer camps, one on the former Emperor of Ethiopia, and the third on the first female journalist in Senegal. Very well done, they were fantastic.
9. Don't want to think about how much time I have left here, too sad.
10. The UG girls in our group are great. My roommate Franka, particularly, is something else.
11. Had pizza the other day- much smaller and less everything- similar-ish to Silvio's in Ann Arbor as far as the crust goes, tried two pieces of Hawaiian and wished I had my camera with me.
12. I'm exhausted and heading to bed early tonight. Sad, but needs to happen more here. The sun drains your energy!
13. I'm keeping track of how far I walk each day, thought it would be an interesting experiment, so I bought a pedometer before I left Michigan and have worn it each day I've been here. The first day we were here, we walked almost 7 miles, since then it's been about 3-5 a day. It's a good workout.
14. According to Franka, this morning when I woke up, she decided that I looked "very white" today. So I'm trying to change that, but for some reason I'm not really tanning? I have a little color. Hopefully this weekend's excursion to Cape Coast will change that! I don't look like I'm in Africa right now. I might as well be in Michigan or something where the sun doesn't shine in May.
15. I need to buy more dresses.
16. Did I mention how warm it is here? I think I'm going to lose 5 pounds of just sweat while I'm here, seriously. It's intense- thus, the sauna.
17. You should really check the group blog.
18. I see so many gorgeous printed fabrics everywhere I go- Shif would be in absolute heaven.
19. Speaking of Heaven, it 's interesting that almost every open shop in all of the markets has something to do with "god" in it's name. One of my favorites thus far is " God's time is the best" - makes me think and reminisce about Kairos.
20. Also about religion here in Ghana- I did not realize the extent of Christianity that exists here. It's such a culture shock from the US.
21. Music. People here like country music! Jacci, yes, many Africans like country! Also, Rihanna is easily the most loved female artist here.
22. "Swagger" is our group's favorite song.
23. American music is so influential, I hear it everywhere. Very familiar songs, though it's a totally different context and experience to hear them here instead of with friends back home.
24. Victoria, I promise I will buy you a dress soon.
25. I'm excited for the Cape Coast trip on Saturday. We are going to Kakun National Park, it has a canopy walk and waterfalls, and we are also visiting a slave castle. Should be an emotional but good day. We also have to wake up and be ready to go by 6am...least favorite part, which should be a surprise for none of you.
That's it for now! Check the group blog I posted in the first point! :D
1. My hair is braided as of Saturday, about two feet long and red. It's gorgeous; I love it. Pictures can be found via the group blog here: http://gieughana.blogspot.com/ <- more details about many of the group activities can be found here. Take a look as soon as you're done reading this post!
2. Banku is quickly becoming one of my new favorite foods, with okra stew.
3. I was chosen to have a fantastic experience and meet the Queen Mother of Madina Market- one of the huge Markets here around Accra. Repped not only UM, but the US. Great experience.
4. Woke up to rain and horses whinnying outside of my window the other day. That was incredible, I thought I was seeing things.
5. Saw monkeys today. Took lots of pictures. One reminded me of Jason. ha!
6. World Cup mania everywhere. Exciting and I've seen so many jerseys everywhere, many people support Manchester and Arsenal, of course, I'm excited whenever I see an Arsenal Jersey.
7. I handwashed my own laundry. Quite an accomplishment.
8. Went to a film festival here on Tuesday night, saw three films- all documentaries: one on prayer camps, one on the former Emperor of Ethiopia, and the third on the first female journalist in Senegal. Very well done, they were fantastic.
9. Don't want to think about how much time I have left here, too sad.
10. The UG girls in our group are great. My roommate Franka, particularly, is something else.
11. Had pizza the other day- much smaller and less everything- similar-ish to Silvio's in Ann Arbor as far as the crust goes, tried two pieces of Hawaiian and wished I had my camera with me.
12. I'm exhausted and heading to bed early tonight. Sad, but needs to happen more here. The sun drains your energy!
13. I'm keeping track of how far I walk each day, thought it would be an interesting experiment, so I bought a pedometer before I left Michigan and have worn it each day I've been here. The first day we were here, we walked almost 7 miles, since then it's been about 3-5 a day. It's a good workout.
14. According to Franka, this morning when I woke up, she decided that I looked "very white" today. So I'm trying to change that, but for some reason I'm not really tanning? I have a little color. Hopefully this weekend's excursion to Cape Coast will change that! I don't look like I'm in Africa right now. I might as well be in Michigan or something where the sun doesn't shine in May.
15. I need to buy more dresses.
16. Did I mention how warm it is here? I think I'm going to lose 5 pounds of just sweat while I'm here, seriously. It's intense- thus, the sauna.
17. You should really check the group blog.
18. I see so many gorgeous printed fabrics everywhere I go- Shif would be in absolute heaven.
19. Speaking of Heaven, it 's interesting that almost every open shop in all of the markets has something to do with "god" in it's name. One of my favorites thus far is " God's time is the best" - makes me think and reminisce about Kairos.
20. Also about religion here in Ghana- I did not realize the extent of Christianity that exists here. It's such a culture shock from the US.
21. Music. People here like country music! Jacci, yes, many Africans like country! Also, Rihanna is easily the most loved female artist here.
22. "Swagger" is our group's favorite song.
23. American music is so influential, I hear it everywhere. Very familiar songs, though it's a totally different context and experience to hear them here instead of with friends back home.
24. Victoria, I promise I will buy you a dress soon.
25. I'm excited for the Cape Coast trip on Saturday. We are going to Kakun National Park, it has a canopy walk and waterfalls, and we are also visiting a slave castle. Should be an emotional but good day. We also have to wake up and be ready to go by 6am...least favorite part, which should be a surprise for none of you.
That's it for now! Check the group blog I posted in the first point! :D
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Day 3 (and day 2)
Ah! So Ghanaians are super friendly, as I mentioned earlier. Today's assignment was very different from what us UM students were expecting as far as a first assignment went for this project.
Today, on Day 3, we had to pair up and go out into campus, the markets, anywhere, and approach women and start a 5-10 minute conversation with them. I was a bit skeptical at first on how that would help us, but as soon as we started talking to people, I totally understood. What a great first experience approaching people! Our first day was a tour of campus, the second day was a tour of Accra, the capital of Ghana, and today was the first day out on our own, exploring totally by ourselves.
*Note: Yesterday's venture into Accra was extremely eye-opening. The levels of poverty in the city was nowhere near what I was expecting personally. It was an exhausting day, touring the city in a U-G bus...We ate lunch at a chop bar (which is nothing like a chop house). Susan, our faculty advisor, ordered us a bunch of food to sample and try ranging from the pseudo-familiar chicken sauce and rice (very similar to Chinese food- chicken and green veggies in a brown sauce) to fufu and banko. The fufu and banko are each mashed-up yams or groundnuts, I believe, that are made into a doughy substance, boiled and eaten in a soup. Google them to learn more about them, I'm not going to go into huge detail on them here. Also, red-red (whole black-eyed peas in a red spice sauce) seems to be the most popular dish in Ghanaian culture, as it is served in all of the markets, restaurants, and everyone seems to eat it pretty regularly. ((side note. I love that no matter what I am talking about, I need to explain about the Ghanaian food I'm trying. Well, we do all know I'm turning into a foodie...and now much more as well)) For dinner last night we went to the night market by our hostel (dorm) and got chicken pieces on skewers and I bought some sweet bread. The bread here is great. I love it. For breakfast this morning, I bought some butter bread, which is the same, just without the sugar. For lunch I had some frozen chocolate milk (they freeze it into a bar like ice cream) with the rest of my butter bread and for dinner I grabbed some ginger cookies (straight ginger, much stronger than gingerbread...these I will definitely be purchasing and bringing back to the states, so amazing and strong, they make your tongue tingle). The best thing I had today was a beverage called sobolo. It is a tea-like beverage where they boil some leaves to get the flavor out, then they add ginger and some other spices, plus some sugar to sweeten it a bit. It tasted like a combo of Tazo Passion Tea mixed with Espresso Royale's Ginger Dragon Tea. Delicious. Of course it's my new favorite thing. I seem to have a lot of favorites here. ;)
Back to the tour of Accra yesterday...there was a great store we went to see called Global Mamas, which is Free Trade (Julia, I know you approve!) that had all sorts of dresses and garments made out of kente cloth (a famous Ghanaian cloth) as well as other designs. I also bought another dress last night, from a student here that sews on the side. This dress was premade before I tried it on, different from the one I ordered on Monday and am having custom-made. The best thing is that they both cost the same! Only 10cedi, and they are so beautiful. The funniest part about visiting Global Mamas were the hawkers outside. They are everywhere in Accra! They will harass you and try to get you to buy their wares, no matter what. Ebony, my roommate here, was asked by one selling bracelets for her name, and by the time we left the store, he had already made one with her name in it, except he thought her name was Evelyn. Fail. He told her it was free, but she needed to give him something 'from her heart'. Definitely free by no means. Great experience, and super amusing. I'm slowly getting used to all the stares and the way that the men here are very forward as well as aggressive when they are talking to you, particularly the hawkers, but also some of the boys on campus. No worries, though, they won't do anything, they will just do anything to get you to buy their stuff so they can make some money.
Today's walk around campus speaking to women was great, I joined a U-G student, Melinda and we walked all around and I got to meet and talk to many of her friends here. Also along with us were two girls in our UM group, Marti and Steph, who is Melinda's roommate. We had quite a bit of fun with this, and got to have some quite insightful conversations with two of her friends in particular, Latisha and Catherine. We talked with them for quite a while about anything ranging from sports (soccer!) to dating and marriage in Ghana. My roommate Franca is planning on filling me in more on this later this week when she moves in and telling me how everything works in her ethnic group, the Ikkan. I can't wait until she can move in, she is so outgoing and busy all the time. Funny. Our pairing could not have been better. Regardless, the four of us girls walking around had a great adventure, wandering into all the libraries on campus as well as the all-girls dorm, Volta Hall, and we went inside U-G's B-school. It is also super intense and quiet. One of the most interesting things about U-G's libraries is that you have to check your bags at the door. You cannot eat or bring water into the libraries as well, since it could damage the books. They seem very conscientious about keeping things intact for the future. They had east stack and west stack, so similar to the libraries at UM. It was a good time.
We ended our evening tonight with a talk by a UM professor who visited for a week. Dr Marvin McInnis spoke to us about mental health and depression. A very nice segue into our project, indeed.
Oh! We also went to an art gallery yesterday and I fell in love with a painting (typical). However, it is sadly 10,500 cedi, so I will never be able to afford it. So I bought a strand of beads instead. They are beautiful, also.
That is it for my night. I love you all and I can't wait to show my pictures when I get back to the states!
Good night from Ghana! :D
Today, on Day 3, we had to pair up and go out into campus, the markets, anywhere, and approach women and start a 5-10 minute conversation with them. I was a bit skeptical at first on how that would help us, but as soon as we started talking to people, I totally understood. What a great first experience approaching people! Our first day was a tour of campus, the second day was a tour of Accra, the capital of Ghana, and today was the first day out on our own, exploring totally by ourselves.
*Note: Yesterday's venture into Accra was extremely eye-opening. The levels of poverty in the city was nowhere near what I was expecting personally. It was an exhausting day, touring the city in a U-G bus...We ate lunch at a chop bar (which is nothing like a chop house). Susan, our faculty advisor, ordered us a bunch of food to sample and try ranging from the pseudo-familiar chicken sauce and rice (very similar to Chinese food- chicken and green veggies in a brown sauce) to fufu and banko. The fufu and banko are each mashed-up yams or groundnuts, I believe, that are made into a doughy substance, boiled and eaten in a soup. Google them to learn more about them, I'm not going to go into huge detail on them here. Also, red-red (whole black-eyed peas in a red spice sauce) seems to be the most popular dish in Ghanaian culture, as it is served in all of the markets, restaurants, and everyone seems to eat it pretty regularly. ((side note. I love that no matter what I am talking about, I need to explain about the Ghanaian food I'm trying. Well, we do all know I'm turning into a foodie...and now much more as well)) For dinner last night we went to the night market by our hostel (dorm) and got chicken pieces on skewers and I bought some sweet bread. The bread here is great. I love it. For breakfast this morning, I bought some butter bread, which is the same, just without the sugar. For lunch I had some frozen chocolate milk (they freeze it into a bar like ice cream) with the rest of my butter bread and for dinner I grabbed some ginger cookies (straight ginger, much stronger than gingerbread...these I will definitely be purchasing and bringing back to the states, so amazing and strong, they make your tongue tingle). The best thing I had today was a beverage called sobolo. It is a tea-like beverage where they boil some leaves to get the flavor out, then they add ginger and some other spices, plus some sugar to sweeten it a bit. It tasted like a combo of Tazo Passion Tea mixed with Espresso Royale's Ginger Dragon Tea. Delicious. Of course it's my new favorite thing. I seem to have a lot of favorites here. ;)
Back to the tour of Accra yesterday...there was a great store we went to see called Global Mamas, which is Free Trade (Julia, I know you approve!) that had all sorts of dresses and garments made out of kente cloth (a famous Ghanaian cloth) as well as other designs. I also bought another dress last night, from a student here that sews on the side. This dress was premade before I tried it on, different from the one I ordered on Monday and am having custom-made. The best thing is that they both cost the same! Only 10cedi, and they are so beautiful. The funniest part about visiting Global Mamas were the hawkers outside. They are everywhere in Accra! They will harass you and try to get you to buy their wares, no matter what. Ebony, my roommate here, was asked by one selling bracelets for her name, and by the time we left the store, he had already made one with her name in it, except he thought her name was Evelyn. Fail. He told her it was free, but she needed to give him something 'from her heart'. Definitely free by no means. Great experience, and super amusing. I'm slowly getting used to all the stares and the way that the men here are very forward as well as aggressive when they are talking to you, particularly the hawkers, but also some of the boys on campus. No worries, though, they won't do anything, they will just do anything to get you to buy their stuff so they can make some money.
Today's walk around campus speaking to women was great, I joined a U-G student, Melinda and we walked all around and I got to meet and talk to many of her friends here. Also along with us were two girls in our UM group, Marti and Steph, who is Melinda's roommate. We had quite a bit of fun with this, and got to have some quite insightful conversations with two of her friends in particular, Latisha and Catherine. We talked with them for quite a while about anything ranging from sports (soccer!) to dating and marriage in Ghana. My roommate Franca is planning on filling me in more on this later this week when she moves in and telling me how everything works in her ethnic group, the Ikkan. I can't wait until she can move in, she is so outgoing and busy all the time. Funny. Our pairing could not have been better. Regardless, the four of us girls walking around had a great adventure, wandering into all the libraries on campus as well as the all-girls dorm, Volta Hall, and we went inside U-G's B-school. It is also super intense and quiet. One of the most interesting things about U-G's libraries is that you have to check your bags at the door. You cannot eat or bring water into the libraries as well, since it could damage the books. They seem very conscientious about keeping things intact for the future. They had east stack and west stack, so similar to the libraries at UM. It was a good time.
We ended our evening tonight with a talk by a UM professor who visited for a week. Dr Marvin McInnis spoke to us about mental health and depression. A very nice segue into our project, indeed.
Oh! We also went to an art gallery yesterday and I fell in love with a painting (typical). However, it is sadly 10,500 cedi, so I will never be able to afford it. So I bought a strand of beads instead. They are beautiful, also.
That is it for my night. I love you all and I can't wait to show my pictures when I get back to the states!
Good night from Ghana! :D
Monday, May 10, 2010
First full day in Ghana!
A post I wrote earlier on another blog that I started...hah today's been something else. Good, but definitely story-worthy. I apologize for its length, but I believe it's well worth the read. :D
**How you know that the computer you're working on has a virus: As soon as you boot up, it notifies you that it has a Trojan Horse.
Good to know, but W-O-W. This computer's been hacked.
Since there's no way I want to log into any of my accounts (for good reason, really) I'm not giving it anything to go off of right now, so I started another blog. Which hopefully will just include this day. If for any reason any other computer I log into has a Trojan Horse (which I thought were eliminated years ago? Shows how much I know) I will update this blog instead, since it's linked to an email address that isn't important.
Regardless, a summary of what's happened so far:
1. Breakfast- Fried Egg on a Roll with a Sausage link (Chicken) - 1.40c
2. Lunch- Chicken with Chips (Fries) -4.50c
3. Water and buying it- so interesting! Water comes bottled for about 1.00c (a bit less than an American dollar) but the best and cheapest way to buy drinking water is in a bag. These bags of water are plastic, sealed on all sides and only cost .05p at max. Oh, an explanation of the c/p's: c=cedi (pronounced CDs), the Ghanaian unit of currency, equivalent to about 1.38c = $1 US (that was the rate at the money exchanger anyways, which I just found out was a bit lower than the actual conversion rate today -1.42) and p = pesewas (sounds like pesowa), like the American cent.
(Check this link to see a pic of the Bagged H2O- http://api.ning.com/files/JaQMg6Of5kAqsEnnOTULD7MNPSH4QmCunY1sl4EyBxhJwh9gRL4*XItAqunZnsKo/waterinGhana.jpg )
So this bagged water is the equivalent of 400mL, and it's extremely cheap. Therefore, my two acquired water bottles are going to keep getting refilled this week with bagged water. It's funny, one water bottle (at least for me) is for drinking out of while the other will be used for brushing my teeth, as we can't use the sink water. A new experience, though every day I am more and more glad that I grew up camping, not much of this is outside of my comfort zone. Drinking out of water bottles, showering in very state-park-like showers, its all normal, just that I will be doing it for a month here!
4. Toilet paper is a luxury. I had no idea. They recommended that we bring toilet paper with us, but guess who forgot? Luckily, when we checked into our rooms last night we were each given a sheet and a roll of toilet paper. I guess I'll be buying more during my stay here.
5. Ghanaian roommates- don't have them yet. We will be meeting the girls tonight at our Welcome Kickoff dinner at 6pm. Can't wait! Can't wait for the food or to meet them. The food should be very good tonight, as our faculty mentors arranged this meal for us. Also on the note of food, it is going to be easy to get protein, it just is going to highly depend on the cost. My chicken at lunch today was a leg- served with half a plate of chips (fries) and a side of coleslaw. Note to self: Get rice instead whenever possible. They eat a TON of rice here, as well as plantains.
5. Street Markets. They exist. Everywhere. Everyone sells different things, from food to electronics, beverages, and there are a ton of beauty salons at different locations within the street markets. Joyce, the first Ghanaian girl who stopped in to give us a tour of campus (which is huge) said that you can get your hair braided for about 8.00cedi. You can also get extensions braided in for about 15.00cedi. That's incredible compared to the rates in the US! The demand is high, but the amount of people who sell the same things is higher, so prices are much lower for services such as this. Mani/pedi here is about 5.00cedi as well. That's less than $5 US. Incredible! However, if anything, I would get my hair braided, not too trusting of mani/pedi... I'm even for some strange reason thinking about dreads...we shall see what happens. I do know that whatever I would choose needs to be out before I start work when I get back. Going to Pixel (now Liquid Thread) with dreads...Elena can pull it off, but I would never try.
6. The lengthy plane ride here. Wow. So this plane ride took up over an entire day of life. Technically it was two plane rides, the first was 8 hours from Detroit to Amsterdam and the second, from Amsterdam here to Accra. In between the two was a six and a half hour layover, which turned into an 8.5+ hour layover due to rerouting the plane since apparently the second Icelandic volcano started? Whatever it was, it took forever. I can now direct you to anywhere within the Schoepel (Amsterdam's airport). I also didn't nap. At all. I slept for about 3 hours on the first flight and an hour nap on the second. Needless to say, I was exhausted upon arrival at 9:30pm Sunday and by the time we went through customs and arrived at our hostel -the ISH (International Student Hostel) - it was already midnight. And we met as a group right after. I probably went to bed at about 2:30am and was awakened at 6am accidentally, but fell back asleep and woke up for good at 8am.
7. Showers- Wicked awesome. Every day is going to be a long one, with lots of cold water showers. I'm thinking I'll probably shower at least twice a day, at minimum here. Which is great, since it feels amazing. The heat is intense, way more than I was expecting. I thought caddying would have prepared me for the heat, and it has, but not anything to this extent. No worries, though, I'll just drink a ton of the water bags!
8. World Cup- Everywhere there are ads for the World Cup, everything from the phone companies to Coke... it's great. There is Black Star fever right now down here. I'm hoping to buy a jersey before I leave. And the SIU guy from Turkey who sat next to me on the plane thought I was sweet since he had never met a girl from the US who knew teams and was excited about World Cup. I was shocked, but we discussed England's chances, and my growing support for the Black Stars while his team of choice is Argentina. Passed the time well on the plane, that's for sure.
9. Laundry- Simply put, I am going to be doing my laundry SO OFTEN. I want to learn how to properly handwash things. Can't wait.
10. Tomorrow- we are going to the actual city of Accra (Right now we are at Univ. Ghana Legon) so touring around the city is going to be great.
I can't believe I've had so many adventures since Saturday. Happy Belated Mother's Day, Mom xoxo!
Besos!
**P.S. I just got back from our welcome dinner where I got to meet my roommate. Her name is Franca, short for Francesca I think. She's super tall and a volleyball player for U-Ghana. You have no idea how excited I was when she asked me if I wanted to train with her while I'm here. Oh wait a second, let me think about that....YES! When we were walking around here earlier today on a campus tour, I was wondering if any girls even played sports, and I am so so glad to hear that they do. And now I will get to play volleyball. And hopefully some soccer. Score! :D
**How you know that the computer you're working on has a virus: As soon as you boot up, it notifies you that it has a Trojan Horse.
Good to know, but W-O-W. This computer's been hacked.
Since there's no way I want to log into any of my accounts (for good reason, really) I'm not giving it anything to go off of right now, so I started another blog. Which hopefully will just include this day. If for any reason any other computer I log into has a Trojan Horse (which I thought were eliminated years ago? Shows how much I know) I will update this blog instead, since it's linked to an email address that isn't important.
Regardless, a summary of what's happened so far:
1. Breakfast- Fried Egg on a Roll with a Sausage link (Chicken) - 1.40c
2. Lunch- Chicken with Chips (Fries) -4.50c
3. Water and buying it- so interesting! Water comes bottled for about 1.00c (a bit less than an American dollar) but the best and cheapest way to buy drinking water is in a bag. These bags of water are plastic, sealed on all sides and only cost .05p at max. Oh, an explanation of the c/p's: c=cedi (pronounced CDs), the Ghanaian unit of currency, equivalent to about 1.38c = $1 US (that was the rate at the money exchanger anyways, which I just found out was a bit lower than the actual conversion rate today -1.42) and p = pesewas (sounds like pesowa), like the American cent.
(Check this link to see a pic of the Bagged H2O- http://api.ning.com/files/
So this bagged water is the equivalent of 400mL, and it's extremely cheap. Therefore, my two acquired water bottles are going to keep getting refilled this week with bagged water. It's funny, one water bottle (at least for me) is for drinking out of while the other will be used for brushing my teeth, as we can't use the sink water. A new experience, though every day I am more and more glad that I grew up camping, not much of this is outside of my comfort zone. Drinking out of water bottles, showering in very state-park-like showers, its all normal, just that I will be doing it for a month here!
4. Toilet paper is a luxury. I had no idea. They recommended that we bring toilet paper with us, but guess who forgot? Luckily, when we checked into our rooms last night we were each given a sheet and a roll of toilet paper. I guess I'll be buying more during my stay here.
5. Ghanaian roommates- don't have them yet. We will be meeting the girls tonight at our Welcome Kickoff dinner at 6pm. Can't wait! Can't wait for the food or to meet them. The food should be very good tonight, as our faculty mentors arranged this meal for us. Also on the note of food, it is going to be easy to get protein, it just is going to highly depend on the cost. My chicken at lunch today was a leg- served with half a plate of chips (fries) and a side of coleslaw. Note to self: Get rice instead whenever possible. They eat a TON of rice here, as well as plantains.
5. Street Markets. They exist. Everywhere. Everyone sells different things, from food to electronics, beverages, and there are a ton of beauty salons at different locations within the street markets. Joyce, the first Ghanaian girl who stopped in to give us a tour of campus (which is huge) said that you can get your hair braided for about 8.00cedi. You can also get extensions braided in for about 15.00cedi. That's incredible compared to the rates in the US! The demand is high, but the amount of people who sell the same things is higher, so prices are much lower for services such as this. Mani/pedi here is about 5.00cedi as well. That's less than $5 US. Incredible! However, if anything, I would get my hair braided, not too trusting of mani/pedi... I'm even for some strange reason thinking about dreads...we shall see what happens. I do know that whatever I would choose needs to be out before I start work when I get back. Going to Pixel (now Liquid Thread) with dreads...Elena can pull it off, but I would never try.
6. The lengthy plane ride here. Wow. So this plane ride took up over an entire day of life. Technically it was two plane rides, the first was 8 hours from Detroit to Amsterdam and the second, from Amsterdam here to Accra. In between the two was a six and a half hour layover, which turned into an 8.5+ hour layover due to rerouting the plane since apparently the second Icelandic volcano started? Whatever it was, it took forever. I can now direct you to anywhere within the Schoepel (Amsterdam's airport). I also didn't nap. At all. I slept for about 3 hours on the first flight and an hour nap on the second. Needless to say, I was exhausted upon arrival at 9:30pm Sunday and by the time we went through customs and arrived at our hostel -the ISH (International Student Hostel) - it was already midnight. And we met as a group right after. I probably went to bed at about 2:30am and was awakened at 6am accidentally, but fell back asleep and woke up for good at 8am.
7. Showers- Wicked awesome. Every day is going to be a long one, with lots of cold water showers. I'm thinking I'll probably shower at least twice a day, at minimum here. Which is great, since it feels amazing. The heat is intense, way more than I was expecting. I thought caddying would have prepared me for the heat, and it has, but not anything to this extent. No worries, though, I'll just drink a ton of the water bags!
8. World Cup- Everywhere there are ads for the World Cup, everything from the phone companies to Coke... it's great. There is Black Star fever right now down here. I'm hoping to buy a jersey before I leave. And the SIU guy from Turkey who sat next to me on the plane thought I was sweet since he had never met a girl from the US who knew teams and was excited about World Cup. I was shocked, but we discussed England's chances, and my growing support for the Black Stars while his team of choice is Argentina. Passed the time well on the plane, that's for sure.
9. Laundry- Simply put, I am going to be doing my laundry SO OFTEN. I want to learn how to properly handwash things. Can't wait.
10. Tomorrow- we are going to the actual city of Accra (Right now we are at Univ. Ghana Legon) so touring around the city is going to be great.
I can't believe I've had so many adventures since Saturday. Happy Belated Mother's Day, Mom xoxo!
Besos!
**P.S. I just got back from our welcome dinner where I got to meet my roommate. Her name is Franca, short for Francesca I think. She's super tall and a volleyball player for U-Ghana. You have no idea how excited I was when she asked me if I wanted to train with her while I'm here. Oh wait a second, let me think about that....YES! When we were walking around here earlier today on a campus tour, I was wondering if any girls even played sports, and I am so so glad to hear that they do. And now I will get to play volleyball. And hopefully some soccer. Score! :D
Friday, May 7, 2010
1 day.
Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana Ghana
Can you tell what's on my mind?
I'm psyched.
Yet I've been playing French electro-rock for the last half hour while I'm finishing up my paperwork and such. How that makes any sense, I haven't the slightest idea.
Can you tell what's on my mind?
I'm psyched.
Yet I've been playing French electro-rock for the last half hour while I'm finishing up my paperwork and such. How that makes any sense, I haven't the slightest idea.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
An aside.
Cutest. Thing. Ever.
*was perusing puppy pictures and stumbled upon this gem. awwwwwww......
Nerves.
I have them. And they're bouncing around so much right now.
Ah, but Hale Irwin (whoever you are*) puts it into perspective.
"If you're not just a little bit nervous before a match, you probably don't have the expectations of yourself that you should have"
Thanks for that, Irwin.
*Appropriate. Hale Irwin's a PGA Tour golfer. Story of my life.
Ah, but Hale Irwin (whoever you are*) puts it into perspective.
"If you're not just a little bit nervous before a match, you probably don't have the expectations of yourself that you should have"
Thanks for that, Irwin.
*Appropriate. Hale Irwin's a PGA Tour golfer. Story of my life.
2 to go!
Something to share with the world. I got this from my 6th grade Geography teacher and just re-found it today while cleaning.
You're special. In all the world there is nobody like you. Since the beginning of time, there has never been another person like you. Nobody has your smile. Nobody has your eyes, your nose, your hair, your hands, your voice, your talent. You're special.
No one sees things just as you do. In all of time there has been no one who laughs like you, no one who cries like you. And what makes you laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anybody else, ever.
You are the only one in creation with your set of natural abilities. There will always be somebody who is better at one of the things you are good at, but no one in the universe can reach the quality of your combination of talents, ideas, natural abilities and spiritual abilities.
Through all of eternity, no one will ever look, talk, walk, play, think or do things exactly like you. You're special. You're rare. And, as in all rarity, there is great value. Because of your great rare value you need not attempt to imitate others. You should accept- yes, celebrate- your differences. You're special. Continue to realize it's not an accident that you're special. Continue to see that you were created for a very special purpose, one that no one else can complete as well as you. Out of all the billion of applicants, only one is qualified, only one has the best combination of what it takes. Just as surely as every snowflake that falls has a perfect design and no two designs are the same, you are different and very, very special.
Puts things into perspective, doesn't it? I like it. I think you're special, too. :D
You're special. In all the world there is nobody like you. Since the beginning of time, there has never been another person like you. Nobody has your smile. Nobody has your eyes, your nose, your hair, your hands, your voice, your talent. You're special.
No one sees things just as you do. In all of time there has been no one who laughs like you, no one who cries like you. And what makes you laugh and cry will never provoke identical laughter and tears from anybody else, ever.
You are the only one in creation with your set of natural abilities. There will always be somebody who is better at one of the things you are good at, but no one in the universe can reach the quality of your combination of talents, ideas, natural abilities and spiritual abilities.
Through all of eternity, no one will ever look, talk, walk, play, think or do things exactly like you. You're special. You're rare. And, as in all rarity, there is great value. Because of your great rare value you need not attempt to imitate others. You should accept- yes, celebrate- your differences. You're special. Continue to realize it's not an accident that you're special. Continue to see that you were created for a very special purpose, one that no one else can complete as well as you. Out of all the billion of applicants, only one is qualified, only one has the best combination of what it takes. Just as surely as every snowflake that falls has a perfect design and no two designs are the same, you are different and very, very special.
Puts things into perspective, doesn't it? I like it. I think you're special, too. :D
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
So close.
Today my to-do list of things to complete before I left turned into:
Call Apple about computer
Figure out everything airline-related & confirm my flights
Stop by A2 to pick up my computer, take to Apple Store
Visit J while in A2 and take a walk around the Arb
Best part of the day, hands down, was visiting J. It's going to be tough not having much contact with friends & family down in Ghana, and although we said goodbyes on Saturday, a couple hours together today was so great! That's one of the things I am looking least forward to- missing the people I love.
The other thing I'm not looking forward to down there is getting sick. Traveler's sickness is unavoidable. I'm just hoping that it passes quickly! I bought Pepto-Bismol pills today to last me the whole trip in preparation for my stomach resisting some of the food I eat. The two things I keep forgetting to buy are a flashlight and powdered Gatorade. Oh well, I will have them by the time I leave, though maybe writing them over and over again will help me remember...
I'm also trying to finish Arrested Development tonight! It's been far too long, and I have a night with not much to do, so I only have 4 more episodes left. B, you better be proud of me. It's taken a year, but it's finally going to be over tonight. And then we can discuss Season 3.
:)
Call Apple about computer
Figure out everything airline-related & confirm my flights
Stop by A2 to pick up my computer, take to Apple Store
Visit J while in A2 and take a walk around the Arb
Best part of the day, hands down, was visiting J. It's going to be tough not having much contact with friends & family down in Ghana, and although we said goodbyes on Saturday, a couple hours together today was so great! That's one of the things I am looking least forward to- missing the people I love.
The other thing I'm not looking forward to down there is getting sick. Traveler's sickness is unavoidable. I'm just hoping that it passes quickly! I bought Pepto-Bismol pills today to last me the whole trip in preparation for my stomach resisting some of the food I eat. The two things I keep forgetting to buy are a flashlight and powdered Gatorade. Oh well, I will have them by the time I leave, though maybe writing them over and over again will help me remember...
I'm also trying to finish Arrested Development tonight! It's been far too long, and I have a night with not much to do, so I only have 4 more episodes left. B, you better be proud of me. It's taken a year, but it's finally going to be over tonight. And then we can discuss Season 3.
:)
Monday, May 3, 2010
Countdown: 4.5ish
Ridiculous. You can tell it's getting close for me to leave since my room is an explosion of art, college and everything else right now. On the bright side, however, I ran errands today and managed to accumulate 8 pairs of awesome capris (yes!) and a number of tops for the trip as well as some cute ones for work in Chicago. 18 items under $100. Have you ever heard me sing the praises of Salvation Army's Thrift Shops? This is one of those (numerous...) times. Amazing. I am debating right now whether or not I'll leave any of my stuff in Ghana- clothing, shampoo, etc.- and I'm not quite sure yet. I think I'll decide that when I'm actually down there and whether or not I will be able to find someone that can use it. My gut says to leave things, but we will just have to see! I have also been thinking about taking down some art supplies that I know I don't have much use for anymore. Who doesn't need art supplies?!? I may be biased, but I'm pretty sure everyone likes to color.
On a bright note, I also found out from my dentist that I am still cavity-free. Huzzah! 21 years and counting...
Additionally, I wanted to share with you another component of our research project. We will be performing some research using a method called Photovoice where we instruct our subjects on how to use cameras and teach them how to construct photos that represent thoughts, feelings, and even their day to day living situations. They will return the cameras to our group, we will print their images, and then they will discuss them with members of our group and explain what the images mean to them. I cannot wait for this part of the project. Employing a research method such as Photovoice intensifies the emotional component of our project. I am more excited than anything to find out more about these girls, but am also more than a little curious to see what kind of an impact our group will have on them. Only time will tell....
Tomorrow should be a busy day- call Apple Care to see if they will give me a shortcode with which to fix my slowly dying laptop, call Delta & KLM to confirm flight times and seats on the planes (4 of them!) and set up frequent flyer miles with both of them... caddy @ Men's League at OHCC (maybe?) ...and still keep unpacking and doing more and more laundry. The goal is to be completely unpacked and organized by Wed, so I can pack for Ghana on Thurs and begin packing for Chicago. Crazy crazy stuff! Oh, by the way, if you are confused as to why I need to pack for Chicago, it's because I'm moving there the day after I return from Ghana. Whoa. Yep, I'm interning there again for the summer! So I will be in Chicago from June 8- mid-August.
I'm so excited. This summer is going to be crazy busy, but great.
:D
On a bright note, I also found out from my dentist that I am still cavity-free. Huzzah! 21 years and counting...
Additionally, I wanted to share with you another component of our research project. We will be performing some research using a method called Photovoice where we instruct our subjects on how to use cameras and teach them how to construct photos that represent thoughts, feelings, and even their day to day living situations. They will return the cameras to our group, we will print their images, and then they will discuss them with members of our group and explain what the images mean to them. I cannot wait for this part of the project. Employing a research method such as Photovoice intensifies the emotional component of our project. I am more excited than anything to find out more about these girls, but am also more than a little curious to see what kind of an impact our group will have on them. Only time will tell....
Tomorrow should be a busy day- call Apple Care to see if they will give me a shortcode with which to fix my slowly dying laptop, call Delta & KLM to confirm flight times and seats on the planes (4 of them!) and set up frequent flyer miles with both of them... caddy @ Men's League at OHCC (maybe?) ...and still keep unpacking and doing more and more laundry. The goal is to be completely unpacked and organized by Wed, so I can pack for Ghana on Thurs and begin packing for Chicago. Crazy crazy stuff! Oh, by the way, if you are confused as to why I need to pack for Chicago, it's because I'm moving there the day after I return from Ghana. Whoa. Yep, I'm interning there again for the summer! So I will be in Chicago from June 8- mid-August.
I'm so excited. This summer is going to be crazy busy, but great.
:D
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Countdown to the Excellent Adventure: 6.
Essential Items to Pack include a flashlight and my favorite toilet paper. Hah. That's quite good to know up front.
I'm very excited but nervous about my trip. I leave in less than a week and I am trying to get everything ready, last minute shopping for clothing, toilet paper and other essentials, and making sure I have all my documentation on-hand so the Ghanaian officials aren't threatened by lil me.
It's crazy, but I can't wait.
Also, for those of you who aren't sure of where I'm going, or why, I am travelling to Ghana through a UM program called GIEU. Our team of 14(ish) undergrad girls, 2 faculty advisors and 2 grad students are going to be working with counterparts in Ghana from the University of Accra . We will be working with young adult women there in Accra amd raising the importance of mental heath awareness.
I will detail more later, but for now I must enjoy some guacamole and start unpacking. Until then, adios.
I'm very excited but nervous about my trip. I leave in less than a week and I am trying to get everything ready, last minute shopping for clothing, toilet paper and other essentials, and making sure I have all my documentation on-hand so the Ghanaian officials aren't threatened by lil me.
It's crazy, but I can't wait.
Also, for those of you who aren't sure of where I'm going, or why, I am travelling to Ghana through a UM program called GIEU. Our team of 14(ish) undergrad girls, 2 faculty advisors and 2 grad students are going to be working with counterparts in Ghana from the University of Accra . We will be working with young adult women there in Accra amd raising the importance of mental heath awareness.
I will detail more later, but for now I must enjoy some guacamole and start unpacking. Until then, adios.
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