August 10, 2014
I have now been in Ghana for a week and a half...and the first thing i should say is Akwaaba - which means welcome in Twi - the main Ghanian dialect...our guards of our apartment building, most of the staff at school and most of the local Ghanaian teachers speak Twi....but there are many other dialects as well..i have been told there are 46...but am not sure that number is correct....but i am trying to learn some Twi to be able to get better prices and bargain, as well as to just make people smile....things i have noticed in my first week and a half....
people are friendly....and have the best smiles...when you say hello...they say hello...and if i try and say something in twi...they love it :)
i can handle the weather in the rainy season...which is now...although i guess this was the worst rainy season they have had in awhile...i would say out of these first 12 days, it has been overcast for 10 of them....today is looking nice, so we are headed to a local hotel with a pool, next to the beach....this weather that i am loving will change soon though...and then i know it will be HOT!!!
smells are strong here...whether they be good or bad...they are just strong....open drainage, cooking stands, fruit trees, people....just a place filled with smells...some good, some bad....all strong....
the school is made up of very helpful people...and tries to keep people happy...i have started with the biggest group of new people they have ever had...and all of us have a lot of teaching experience...and many of us have been overseas for more than 8 years....which means we know the routine and getting used to a new place...but it also means we know what we want and that we ask for it in the beginning....this has been an eye-opening experience for them with 29 new folks all at the same time....hopefully that won’t happen again....i start classes tomorrow and am excited to be hanging and teaching kids again....i need them to come though...because the stress of getting things ready and not having what i need is a pain in the arse...it will all come together, one way or another...and the one thing i do know, is how to teach :)
the people i have started with are cool and from all over...we have single women, one single guy, couples with kids, couples with out kids, single moms with adopted kids....its a good mix....seems to be an older more experienced group, so i am definitely not the oldest this time around...which i like....i have lots to learn from these folks and look forward to working with all of them....the returning teachers seem cool as well...many are only in their second year here in ghana, as there was a mass exodus last year...but they have had many experiences overseas as well...its an experienced bunch....which is great for my division and for starting a middle school....
last but not least...i know folks have been hearing a lot about ebola in the news....and that it is now in four african countries - liberia, sierra leon, guinea and nigeria....there have been NO reported cases in ghana...ever...to this point and we had a british dr. from one of the clinics come and speak with us about this epidemic....the country’s doctors and authorities are taking good care of ghana....and have stopped flights to and from guinea, sierra leon and liberia....they are keeping a close watch on the situation in nigeria and will take necessary action if needed.....the school also has a plan....and at this point everything is fine and doing okay....i will let people know if something happens, but they are prepared here...and will take good care of me and the others if something arises....thanks for all of the concern...and yes, it is being followed and watched and discussed everywhere i go...but things seem to be well taken care of at the moment....and i know what to watch out for...i will take precautions....thanks again for all of the concern....
let’s go to the pictures.....these are some of my favorites from the first few days of experiences....i am also showing off my new apartment, which is huge...and i am living in the same apartment building as the three other single ladies of the group....it’s called melrose place...and yes, it came with that name....hopefully it will not be like a tv drama....but the four of us have the four apts in the building and have started off on the right foot...we have been laughing a lot....i have also included pictures of my classroom, the school and some shots from around town and our trip to the beach last weekend....it was about an hour away :)
the shot above is my living room....i like the colors and the couch is rather comfy....which is good...now if i could just get internet at the house....one of the reasons this update is taking so long to get out to you....no internet at home at the moment....keep those fingers crossed that it happens soon though :)
next up is my kitchen...electric/gas stove/oven combination....it’s a huge kitchen compared to the one in china and has everything i need at the moment....i have a bunch of cooking things coming in my shipment, which is supposedly in the port and the shipping company is helping to get things together....we’ll see when this happens...but they have my passport, which is always a good sign....
and finally the main bathroom....if you look really closely you will see a round toilet seat on a square toilet...why??? who knows....it’s probably what they could find...but it works just fine...i do hate my shower because it is hand held....but i am hoping to get this fixed soon and jerry-rig something so it is up higher and i do not need to hold it...talk about making a mess ;)
the shot above is my classroom....huge and empty at the moment...as you can see, i have a smartboard...hopefully it will be happier with me than my last one in china :) i have lab benches and stools for the kids and lots of wall space that i will fill up with kids work asap...only thing i do not have is gas....so i am not sure how we work that with some of the labs...will need to ask...i teach middle school with one other woman and have two lab techs, who all seem to be cool folks :) the other teacher and i seem to be quite similar...so it should be fun - i am teaching 3 - 6th grade classes and 2 - 8th grade classes....
the shot above is the view from my classroom, i am on the second floor and this is looking out over the courtyard of the middle school part of campus...for folks who worked here, some of you have not seen this building....so i have included it mainly for you....
and this particular shot is of the entire building for middle school...i will be posting more pictures, but they are for folks who worked here previously, mainly because they just opened a high school only building as well...although band and art are in that building too...nice place and people seem to be happy about working in there...i guess we’ll see what the kids think soon enough....
the shot above is from one of our orientation activities...they had drummers and dancers come and play with us...and the guy in the front...emmanuel (ema), is quite the dancer...we had actually gone out with him over the weekend prior to this...what fun :) we all got up and danced as well :) i might take the african dance class with ema after school...we’ll see
these next few shots are from trips we have taken around town and dinner out....the first is just funny....we were in a parking lot behind a grocery store and this signage was everywhere....men pee everywhere in this town....and i mean everywhere...not women...to help you with the money...GH 50.00 = 50 cedis...the current exchange rate is 3.5 cedis to 1 USD....so 50 cedis = 14 dollars....i have to tell you that we saw pee-stains...but no exchanging of money....so who knows if this is really, real :)
in the picture above you see two my colleagues having a local dish called banku...there is a big bowl of water and liquid soap because this is a dish you eat with your hands....and you must wash your hands to start...the banku is the triangular thing on the separate plate...kind of like polenta...but not made of corn meal...and you pick it up with your fingers (in small pieces) and dunk them in the other part of the dish you see...the food can be really spicy...but i have liked it so far...they eat chicken and beef and fish (usually tilapia), plus they have some vegetarian sauces to go over rice...palava has been my favorite so far...it is spinach with a red sauce...but red-red is good too...i am not 100% sure what is in it...i have also had a bunch of jolof rice....which is rice with a red spicy sauce...but is all cooked together like a stir fried rice....so far the food is tasty and i have no problem finding things to eat...they have the salty plantain chips for sale on every corner, just like in ecuador...and of course i am already addicted to them :)
last weekend we took a ride across the coast to a beach called bojo beach and then went further up to a place called big millies...the shot above is bojo beach...it has been set up for tourists mostly...but is a really nice spit of beach, that is kept clean and watched over...as you can see, it was an overcast day...which was good by me :)
we watched some guys head out for fishing on the boat above...this weather is considered cold to ghanians...so i have seen many folks with jeans and long sleeved shirts...i think its perfect and am dreading when it will not be “cold”....
this shot is from big millies section of the beach...you can see fishing boats and things for sale...this was not really a section to go swimming in, although some of the locals were playing around in the water....a few sections down though, you could swim....this was a really quick trip we took though, so no real swimming for me....
big millies is a place where many backpackers go, so lots of music and things for sale can be found there...seems to be a big party place on the weekends too...i am sure we will get up there again soon...as it was close and easy to get to...
when we were at the big millies area, i actually did not eat there...i went instead to the place you see above...it was a cool place, with a garden, coffee shop, pool and a few bungalows...it was run by an italian family and they actually made homemade pasta and pizza...talk about tasty...plus, it was the perfect place to just chill....i can see myself heading back there over a weekend to just get away from accra....so i can also go party at big millies, but then head up the street to have tasty food, swim in a pool and sleep without the music going all night....yea!!!!
these last set of shots are from around town....the first is at a hair dressers...they were braiding this woman’s hair...and said it was going to take 2 hours to do it...i think it was weave...they really wanted me to get one...but i said no...i like my hair the way it is ;)
this has been one of my favorite shots so far....a mom and her daughter just chillin’....ghanians really do wear traditional cloth and clothes all the time...although these two were a bit more dressed up for a funeral around the corner....but i love all of the colors of the cloth here and am excited to have some shirts and such made...not going the dress route...but really these clothes are stylin :)
i thought the lid of the honey jar was funny...“honey is health, and health is wealth” ...this is a very religious society here and they take being healthy and having god watch over you to do so, very seriously....everyone goes to mass on sundays and the biggest division of religion is christianity...although there are muslims here too...not sure what else...but everyone who is christian goes to church on sundays...otherwise they are looked down upon by the members of their community....
the next shot is a bit weird, but i had to include it....so most of the products here, like all over the world, are made in china....and many of them are extremely poorly made...so just to show you what i mean, i have included this picture....this was a plastic pitcher i was given to settle in by the school...very nice of them....but when i added hot water to the pitcher...it literally started melting and changing it shape...obviously i will not drink out of it, but it still stands and now has made a funny piece of art for my house...the other funny thing that happened was when i added hot water to a coffee mug my first morning and it cracked all the way up the side...what a way to start :) but you just roll with it and buy a newer and better one....
and of course, the last shot....me with the two main types of local beer...there are a few others around...but mostly you can find club and star...just make sure you keep the bottle cap and the bottle...the cap to keep the flies out of your drink and the bottle so you can return it and get money back....love that system....as you can see, i am adapting and smiling so far....which is a very god sign....
so there you have update number one from ghana....hope you have enjoyed the intro...more soon i hope, but things here are about to get super busy with the start of school...i can’t believe my very short summer is over...but it was good and i am happy to be where i am...now on with the show :)
i promise to keep folks updated about the ebola situation....but it is not here in ghana...so i am okay...i will also keep you posted on the adventures i take in and around accra...i am not sure what i am doing for october break...but we’ll see...maybe staying in ghana and exploring...maybe not...just not sure :) i do know for winter break i am headed to south africa with some friends...which should be great...but for now, i am trying to get to know my new home and have as many experiences i can...
drop a line and say hi and ask questions if you have them...hopefully i will be able to answer better when i have internet in my house...at the moment i need to rely on school, which is a pain...but that will hopefully be remedied soon...until next time :)
have a fab day :)
dani
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