At the #1 largest waterfall in West Africa. Ghana, Volta region
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
New Ghanian Family, and African Cup/dance class/ school/haircut/homesickness/physical sickness
New Ghanain Family, and African Cup/dance class/ school/haircut/homesickness/physical sickness
About a week ago, I got a call from some Ghanaian cell phone number asking if I was Jason and that they wanted to meet me. Apparently, since my mom is a vice principal back in the states, one of her student’s family lives here in Accra, Ghana. After my cell number made it to the Ghanaian family, they sort of adopted me. Two brothers, Isaak and Parez, drove 45 minutes to pick me up at the University and took me away deep into the heart of Accra, Ghana near a small fishing village (Coco Beach) where they lived. Upon arrival I was enthusiastically greeted by the rest of the family, Aunts, cousins and family friends all excited to see me like I was a long lost brother. The family surprised me with a picnic on the beach. The Aunt made about 8 Ghanaian dishes just for me to sample. The entire family would watch as I sampled the foods to see if I liked it. All the food was amazing (something that I have not experienced much of at the University) except for one dish. After giving it a taste, I hesitantly asked what it was. The Aunt smiled and said sea slug. Yes, you read correctly….. sea slug. So my appetite was pretty much ruined at that point but I didn’t want to appear rude so I continued to eat the pounds of food they had prepared. I swear these are the nicest people I have ever met. They said that if I ever needed anything they are here to help and I am officially part of their family. They even have planned weekend trips to take my peers and myself on around Ghana and want to make a lobster dinner next time visit. They welcomed me to stay in their house and hit up some Ghanaian clubs/ reggae concert/ see a Ghanaian national soccer game. The Aunt and sister call me once a day just to check in and make sure everything is going well… They didn’t even know me yet dedicated so much time, and money to throw me a little welcome party. The family lives in a stone house behind their little candy shop which looked like it may not have had running water or electricity. What an amazing experience! I got to meet the village locals and for the first time actually feel like I was not just a tourist but actually part of a Ghanaian family. They wouldn’t even let me pay for gas even though I insisted. $20 to them could mean several days of working but they said I was the guest and to save my money for souvenirs.
After the tour of the small poor fishing village, I went back to their home and had Coconut wine, ate bankou (spicy fried plantains) and watched Ghanaian music videos (similar to a low budget BET or MTV music video) They then drove me 45 minutes back to campus and dropped me off. I felt so much better knowing that there was someone I could go to in case there was an emergency or I just needed help. I visited them again yesterday and they took me to “Reggae Night on the Beach” which was a lot of poorly sung Bob Marley but was definitely fun.
Today Ghana beat Nigeria in the semifinals for the African Cup and I swear the entire nation of Ghana when absolutely crazy. Cabs were laying on their horns. All the Ghanaians in the Hostiles were frantically sprinting around screaming at the top of their lungs the Ghanaian anthem. Students sprinted up and down the street next to the hostile with huge Ghanaian flags. I even saw two cars doing celebratory donuts in the dirt parking lot crash into one another. They both got out, laughed about it, and got back in their respective cars and continued doing donuts in the parking lot. No joke, Its was the craziest thing I had ever witnessed. They were not even upset they had just crashed! The entire city went crazy from this soccer win. I can only imagine what will happen if we win the African Cup this Sunday. The people here live and breathe soccer. I have already had 2 classes canceled because they were during a soccer match. We haven't quite reached that point with the Sacramento Kings.
Dance class
As you may have know from previous posts I have been demoted twice from dance class and am now placed in “remedial” African dance with 17 year olds. Me being the only white and 21 year old in the course it is pretty much a "let's stare and laugh at the white boy" class. The dance professor has reached a point where he doesn’t even give me suggestions anymore. He has resorted to just laughing while I attempt to dance like the other Africans.
____________________________________________________
I don’t understand school here
To be honest, it just doesn’t make sense. Some professors read off a script and repeat each sentence like 3 times while everybody transcribes the lecture. That is when professors are so kind as to grace us with their presence. A quarter of the time they just don’t show up or show up late. I don’t even know if I am correctly registered which makes me nervous but apparently things just “work themselves out here” whatever that means. Whenever I have an important administrative question – the reply is always just don’t worry about it, it should work itself out.
I think I am taking:
1. Xylophone
2. African Drumming
3. Traditional African Dance
4. Poli Sci – Problems of Development in Africa
5. Poli Sci – Africa within the global system
6. Poli Sci – Methods of Political Research
7. Poli Sci – Modern Western Political Thought.
_______________________________________--
Haircut
Nothing here is ever just a mundane experience. My hair was so long that I finally gave in and went to a local barber. Both of the barbers argued over which one of them would be able to cut my hair. I told them I just wanted a trim. Of course they are not used to cutting white man's hair so I now officially look like "50 Cent." My hair is borderline shaved with a straight bang line in the front (similar to most African American haircuts). It looks absolutely ridiculous (a white man with a black mans hair cut) but it's definitely nice to not have long sweaty hair. I will try and upload some pics of this beautiful new fashion. I’m sure you will get a kick out of it.
_______________________________________________
Homesickness has finally hit me.
I was sick to my stomach and thought I had to vomit (likely from eating something that had gone bad. I ran to the bathroom only to find that there was no electricity nor running water so I couldn’t even see the toilet nor would I be able to flush. So, I sat at the edge of my bed in the heat (about 98%) and just waited for the sickness to pass. It's times like these that I really miss the small things we take for granted in the US. Sanitary food / ability to use the bathroom/ and a fan.
I also have dreams every night I am back in the States. When I wake up in the morning I am the most homesick. I would love to just see my family/ friends/ and my puppy (Buddy Holley) for just a weekend and return back to Africa. I was able to Skype my mom and dad with a 20 second delay but it was still so nice to see them. My mom and dad e-mail/ call me daily updating me on Sacramento and just to check in. Many of my friends also send me messages. I am so lucky to have so many people that care about me and honestly those are the people that are keeping my sanity here in Africa. Thankfully, my homesickness only lasts for about an hour or two every day and then I become busy with the day. I absolutely have no regret choosing Ghana to study. As hard as it is to adapt to an impoverished lifestyle, I can honestly not a day goes by where I don’t have an amazing experience to write about. So, to all my readers – please continue to e-mail me at jmanholley@msn.com. I LOVE hearing from you and look forward to short time I am able to obtain internet every week. Its about 10:40pm and I still have some reading to complete before lecture tomorrow at 7:00am so off to work. Miss you all!
Best,
J
PS this weekend we are taking a fieldtrip to the waterfalls and monkey sanctuary in the Volta region. I think that is where the Ga or Ashante tribe lives so that should be interesting so expect some cool stories. Also many have asked me to upload more pictures. I have some AMAZING Pics but it takes about an hour to download each Pic with this internet here but I will do my best.
About a week ago, I got a call from some Ghanaian cell phone number asking if I was Jason and that they wanted to meet me. Apparently, since my mom is a vice principal back in the states, one of her student’s family lives here in Accra, Ghana. After my cell number made it to the Ghanaian family, they sort of adopted me. Two brothers, Isaak and Parez, drove 45 minutes to pick me up at the University and took me away deep into the heart of Accra, Ghana near a small fishing village (Coco Beach) where they lived. Upon arrival I was enthusiastically greeted by the rest of the family, Aunts, cousins and family friends all excited to see me like I was a long lost brother. The family surprised me with a picnic on the beach. The Aunt made about 8 Ghanaian dishes just for me to sample. The entire family would watch as I sampled the foods to see if I liked it. All the food was amazing (something that I have not experienced much of at the University) except for one dish. After giving it a taste, I hesitantly asked what it was. The Aunt smiled and said sea slug. Yes, you read correctly….. sea slug. So my appetite was pretty much ruined at that point but I didn’t want to appear rude so I continued to eat the pounds of food they had prepared. I swear these are the nicest people I have ever met. They said that if I ever needed anything they are here to help and I am officially part of their family. They even have planned weekend trips to take my peers and myself on around Ghana and want to make a lobster dinner next time visit. They welcomed me to stay in their house and hit up some Ghanaian clubs/ reggae concert/ see a Ghanaian national soccer game. The Aunt and sister call me once a day just to check in and make sure everything is going well… They didn’t even know me yet dedicated so much time, and money to throw me a little welcome party. The family lives in a stone house behind their little candy shop which looked like it may not have had running water or electricity. What an amazing experience! I got to meet the village locals and for the first time actually feel like I was not just a tourist but actually part of a Ghanaian family. They wouldn’t even let me pay for gas even though I insisted. $20 to them could mean several days of working but they said I was the guest and to save my money for souvenirs.
After the tour of the small poor fishing village, I went back to their home and had Coconut wine, ate bankou (spicy fried plantains) and watched Ghanaian music videos (similar to a low budget BET or MTV music video) They then drove me 45 minutes back to campus and dropped me off. I felt so much better knowing that there was someone I could go to in case there was an emergency or I just needed help. I visited them again yesterday and they took me to “Reggae Night on the Beach” which was a lot of poorly sung Bob Marley but was definitely fun.
Today Ghana beat Nigeria in the semifinals for the African Cup and I swear the entire nation of Ghana when absolutely crazy. Cabs were laying on their horns. All the Ghanaians in the Hostiles were frantically sprinting around screaming at the top of their lungs the Ghanaian anthem. Students sprinted up and down the street next to the hostile with huge Ghanaian flags. I even saw two cars doing celebratory donuts in the dirt parking lot crash into one another. They both got out, laughed about it, and got back in their respective cars and continued doing donuts in the parking lot. No joke, Its was the craziest thing I had ever witnessed. They were not even upset they had just crashed! The entire city went crazy from this soccer win. I can only imagine what will happen if we win the African Cup this Sunday. The people here live and breathe soccer. I have already had 2 classes canceled because they were during a soccer match. We haven't quite reached that point with the Sacramento Kings.
Dance class
As you may have know from previous posts I have been demoted twice from dance class and am now placed in “remedial” African dance with 17 year olds. Me being the only white and 21 year old in the course it is pretty much a "let's stare and laugh at the white boy" class. The dance professor has reached a point where he doesn’t even give me suggestions anymore. He has resorted to just laughing while I attempt to dance like the other Africans.
____________________________________________________
I don’t understand school here
To be honest, it just doesn’t make sense. Some professors read off a script and repeat each sentence like 3 times while everybody transcribes the lecture. That is when professors are so kind as to grace us with their presence. A quarter of the time they just don’t show up or show up late. I don’t even know if I am correctly registered which makes me nervous but apparently things just “work themselves out here” whatever that means. Whenever I have an important administrative question – the reply is always just don’t worry about it, it should work itself out.
I think I am taking:
1. Xylophone
2. African Drumming
3. Traditional African Dance
4. Poli Sci – Problems of Development in Africa
5. Poli Sci – Africa within the global system
6. Poli Sci – Methods of Political Research
7. Poli Sci – Modern Western Political Thought.
_______________________________________--
Haircut
Nothing here is ever just a mundane experience. My hair was so long that I finally gave in and went to a local barber. Both of the barbers argued over which one of them would be able to cut my hair. I told them I just wanted a trim. Of course they are not used to cutting white man's hair so I now officially look like "50 Cent." My hair is borderline shaved with a straight bang line in the front (similar to most African American haircuts). It looks absolutely ridiculous (a white man with a black mans hair cut) but it's definitely nice to not have long sweaty hair. I will try and upload some pics of this beautiful new fashion. I’m sure you will get a kick out of it.
_______________________________________________
Homesickness has finally hit me.
I was sick to my stomach and thought I had to vomit (likely from eating something that had gone bad. I ran to the bathroom only to find that there was no electricity nor running water so I couldn’t even see the toilet nor would I be able to flush. So, I sat at the edge of my bed in the heat (about 98%) and just waited for the sickness to pass. It's times like these that I really miss the small things we take for granted in the US. Sanitary food / ability to use the bathroom/ and a fan.
I also have dreams every night I am back in the States. When I wake up in the morning I am the most homesick. I would love to just see my family/ friends/ and my puppy (Buddy Holley) for just a weekend and return back to Africa. I was able to Skype my mom and dad with a 20 second delay but it was still so nice to see them. My mom and dad e-mail/ call me daily updating me on Sacramento and just to check in. Many of my friends also send me messages. I am so lucky to have so many people that care about me and honestly those are the people that are keeping my sanity here in Africa. Thankfully, my homesickness only lasts for about an hour or two every day and then I become busy with the day. I absolutely have no regret choosing Ghana to study. As hard as it is to adapt to an impoverished lifestyle, I can honestly not a day goes by where I don’t have an amazing experience to write about. So, to all my readers – please continue to e-mail me at jmanholley@msn.com. I LOVE hearing from you and look forward to short time I am able to obtain internet every week. Its about 10:40pm and I still have some reading to complete before lecture tomorrow at 7:00am so off to work. Miss you all!
Best,
J
PS this weekend we are taking a fieldtrip to the waterfalls and monkey sanctuary in the Volta region. I think that is where the Ga or Ashante tribe lives so that should be interesting so expect some cool stories. Also many have asked me to upload more pictures. I have some AMAZING Pics but it takes about an hour to download each Pic with this internet here but I will do my best.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Orientation Paper on Ghana's Culture
Into The Heart of Ghanaian Culture
The White Sheep
Over the course of our two week EAP orientation, we submerged ourselves in the heart of Ghanaian culture, including music and dance, social interaction, and dress. While focusing primarily on these three key elements of Ghanaian culture, this dissertation further emphasizes the unique Ghanaian experience through the eyes of an outsider or "obruni" as I am so often referred. I chose to intertwine my objective personal experience (thoughts, feelings, and attitudes during the duration of the orientation) in addition to the more objective cultural information learned from lecture and personal observation, in order to provide the reader with a complete understanding of my unique cultural experience as the "white sheep."
The white sheep is a play on words of a saying we have in the United States. Usually, in American culture the “outsider," or one who does not fit in, is referred to as the "black sheep." I find that everywhere I go here in Ghana I am usually the one white person in sight. I am the white sheep, the outsider. On the other hand, I am also finding that every day I am adapting and infiltrating more and more into the heart of this beautiful Ghanaian culture. I begin this dissertation with Ghanaian music and dance because I find this cultural component to be at the forefront of the Ghanaian community with its unique emphasis on family and unity.
Traditional African music and dance is a wholesome and spiritual event intended to be enjoyed not just by the individual but by an entire community brought together for the purpose of enjoyment and unity. Whether the genre is reggae, American hip hop, or traditional drumming and African music, the Ghanaian culture across the nation is universally filled with dancing and music. Our dance professor during orientation, Oh Nii Sowah, explained that African traditional dance is about trust, unity, storytelling, reliance and most of all having fun. I find the contrast between Ghanaian and American music very interesting. Ghanaian music emphasizes peace and unity, while American hip hop often depicts drugs, sex, and violence. I wish that the rest of the world could take note of the deeper meaning behind African music, and live by those ideals. These aspects of Ghanaian dance and music (unique to Ghana and Africa as a whole) were revealed to me from the moment I stepped onto the bus at the Accra airport. We were all taught a simple African song, and it was at that very moment that it finally sunk in that I was actually in the heart of Africa. There seems to be an abundance of drumming and African music everywhere I go. In fact, little did I know when I left the United States I would not need an alarm clock in Ghana in order to wake up in the morning. I wake up every morning around 7:00 a.m. to the sound of Ghanaian drumming in the halls of the ISH (International Student Hostel). I experienced the abundance of African music and dance not only during our orientation classes with the dance professor but even on the long bus ride to Kumasi (as depicted in picture – "African drumming on the bus to Kumasi"). The heart-warming dancing and drumming class has been by far my most memorable experience during orientation. So much can be learned of this culture's depth by our “hands-on" musical experience, which cannot be learned from a text book about Ghana. Several of the dance maneuvers involve one's throwing himself or herself into the arms of another (possibly even a stranger) with complete trust that they will make the catch. Furthermore, many of the dances our EAP group learned included the joining of hands across an entire cycle (which is highly symbolic of unity and “oneness”) as we all move in sync with one another. No person is left behind; rather each is cared for by the greater group or community.
In this manner I feel that African traditional dance and music resembles much of what I have experienced of Ghanaian culture. Upon our arrival, our student assistants during orientation, including Eben, Michael, and Grace, made all of us feel like family. This was true even though we all felt the high voltage of culture shock of leaving one culture only to be plopped down right in the middle of another. The Ghanaians were all so extremely hospitable and went out of their way to ensure that we were all so very comfortable. I am starting to realize “akwaaba” does not simply mean "welcome" in Twi. Rather, it encompasses the adoption of outsiders into Ghanaian culture. I am often greeted by fellow Ghanaian students with the words "akwaaba my brother," meaning welcome to our Ghanaian family.
I now turn to social interaction, the second major tenet of Ghanaian culture. Within the realm of social interaction I analyze the role of family, gender roles , social scripts, taboos and cross-culture interaction. At the forefront of Ghanaian social culture is the concept of the family. The “family” includes not only blood relations but friendship and extended relatives. In an orientation lecture titled “Ghana, The Land and Its People,” Dr. Osman Alhassan emphasized that family is the most important and vital aspect of Ghanaian culture. He mentioned that Ghana is not like the Unites States where one could call 911 and have an ambulance pick them up within minutes. In Ghana, a friend or part of the family would drive you to the hospital. In Ghana you are much more reliant on your family for support, and for helping one another out in a time of need. The communal family relationship is clearly evident even in the way most Ghanaian families eat their meals. Unlike the United States, where a dinner may consist of a McDonalds fast food meal all by themselves, in Ghana the family eats out of the same bowl, at the same table, and at the same time. This Ghanaian type of strong family interaction is a rarity in the United States. My Ghanaian roommate further explained to me that in Ghana there is not “old person's homes” or convalescent homes, rather the elders are taken care of by their family. The use of the words brother and sister are often used by Ghanaians because in their culture "friends" are also part of their family.
Over the course of orientation I observed numerous gender-specific social differences between Ghanaians and Americans. The men seem to be very outgoing and excited to meet the obrunis with great interest in our American culture. It is important to note that when it comes to interactions with "men,” my experience as a white male is quite different from the experience of a white foreign female. Professor Irene Odotei warned us during her lecture on “The Challenges of Living in Ghana” that the men here are good people but many men are extremely proactive and upfront about expressing their interest in the foreign women. These words of wisdom became reality upon our arrival at the Kumasi craft villages (Bonwire, Ntonso, and Ahwi). At least seven of my fellow female friends from the EAP group were given marriage proposals by Ghanaian men they had just met at the craft villages. My personal interactions with Ghanaian men have been very positive. For example, on the fourth day of orientation I got completely lost on my way back to the ISH (International Student Hostile). Two Ghanaians offered to walk me twenty-five minutes across campus to ensure I reached my destination safely. As I walk around school I am constantly stopped and asked “Are you OK?” which is the Ghanaian way of checking in and making sure I am having a good time. The Ghanaian students seem to go to great effort to show hospitality and kindness toward our EAP group.
The female Ghanaians are very much more reserved than the males. I have noticed that other than giggling as I walk by, most student Ghanaian women will not take the initiative to make conversation with me. At first I assumed they did not like obrunis or they were a little scared of me because I am so different, but I later learned that it is taboo in the Ghanaian culture for a women to appear extremely outgoing when interacting with a man they had just met. I was told in lecture that as long I take the initiative and greet the female Ghanaians first, they will begin to open up and accept me as a friend.
During the lecture portion of orientation we touched upon just a few of the social taboos in the Ghanaian culture such as using your left hand to greet another individual. The left hand is supposed to be only used for private matters such as in the washroom “bathroom.” Furthermore, I learned the hard way that giving someone the thumbs up and then immediately putting the thumb down is a sign of great disrespect. (Similar to “flipping someone the bird” as we say in the United States.) The lecture on this matter was a little too late for me because upon arrival I gave the customs security guard a thumbs up and received a very hateful stare. Lastly, if someone offers you water it is rude not to accept, even if you do not want any water, and it is rude to stare an elder in the eye when he or she is talking. This taboo is quite different in the United States because we are taught exactly the opposite, that it is a sign of respect to look someone in the eyes while conversing.
For me, being the "white sheep" brings with it numerous exciting social experiences and unfortunately some negative experiences as well. For example, I love it when young children come up to me and ask to touch my blonde hair because blondeness is a rarity in Ghana. The pure Ghanaian curiosity and zest to learn more about America is a promising sign that Ghana is truly a nation of one people without discrimination. In the lecture “History of Ghana,” Mr. Edem Adotey emphasized that even though the nation of Ghana consists of over forty ethnic groups and five major ethnic divisions, including the Ewe, Ga-Adange, Guans, Akan, and Mole with numerous languages the ethnic and religious divisions, all are tolerant of one another. It is common for a Ghanaian to know 2, 3, or even 4 languages in order to communicate from people of different territories or “tribes.” Furthermore, the tour guide of the Manhyia Palace, where the King resides, explains that the Ghanaian royalty work together to solve social ills. While the President holds supreme jurisdictional power, the parliament and president understand the necessity to work hand in hand with the tribal royalty in order to best benefit the people. The culture seems to be more inquisitive than judgmental, a model much of the world could benefit from following.
I often find it fascinating how much the educated Ghanaians know about American politics and culture yet am honestly disappointed about how little most of America knows about Ghana and about Africa in general. For example, I smile every time I see a billboard which says Akwaaba Obama (Welcome Obama). On the third day of orientation I actually saw a hotel called "Hotel Obama" and there is even a Ghana food product called "Obama biscuits." These frequent visual reminders of Ghanaian partnership and friendship with America made me feel more at home in Ghana.
One of the most memorable of all of the cross-cultural, social experiences of tolerance I have ever encountered in my lifetime happened during our orientation visit to the Elmina Slave Castle. The slave trade, extraction of African natural resources, and African exploitation, are a dark part my American history. Furthermore, since Ghana did not become independent from England until 1957, I expected the tour of the Elmina Castle to be highly critical of the British and other Europeans/Americans for the atrocities committed against their people during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. To my surprise this was not the case. In fact, I was greeted with hugs, handshakes and Ghanaians yelling "Akwaaba" from afar. Our tour guide mentioned that the purpose of the tour was not at all about blame but more about learning from our past. He mentioned several times, “The past was the past and we must learn from Ghana’s history in order to not let the same mistakes happen again.” The tour guide gave us one quite memorable quotation, “Forgiveness is advancement and healing. Blame is the devils tool to inflame the viscous cycle of hatred, racism, and enslavement.” This social and cultural mentality of tolerance whether it is about religion, race, gender, or nationality, is abundant throughout all of Ghana. In only two short weeks of orientation it became very apparent to me that Ghanaians are an accepting culture from which the world has much to learn.
On the other hand, I noted that there are some rather striking misconceptions about white foreigners among some of the Ghanaian people. Being a white male is definitely a double-edged sword. While it does lead to interesting experiences as described above, the experience of being a minority is not always positive. For example, on our EAP excursion to Kumasi, many of the Ghanaians automatically assumed I was rich because of the color of my skin. They begged for money for food, pens for school, water, school books, etc. After I stepped out of the bus in Kumasi, at a craft village named Ntonso, I was swarmed by men yelling at me to go to their shop. Some men grabbed by shoulder or arm and yanked me away to go to their particular businesses. This experience deeply saddened me because of the perception of richness and abundance many Ghanaians have about Americans. In reality, just because I am white does not make me wealthy. I am just another poor college student like many of the Ghanaian students here at the University.
Much of the Ghanaian perception of American youth and the non-educated class comes from American hip-hop music. For example, on my way to the JQB for an orientation lecture on registration, a young boy stopped me and asked if I had a gun and if was I was a rich gangster. Confused, I asked the boy why he had that perception of me. His reply was that that’s what they sing about America in the rap songs. Though I was frustrated that Ghanaian children had this “idealized” view of the USA with abundant drugs, sex and money, it occurred to me that many Americans (even my college friends at UCSB) think all of Africa is a wild bush full of giraffes and elephants similar to the motion picture “The Lion King.” After completing this orientation I am very delighted to break down these misperceptions and ignorance of each other’s culture.
In addition to Ghanaian music and social interaction, the third critical component of Ghanaian culture is the colorful dress. Similar to African music/dance, the Ghanaian clothing is full of great meaning and symbolism. Our orientation arts and crafts lecturer, Professor R.T. Ackam explained that each stamp which is pressed into the fabric (made from bark and other natural resources) has symbolic meaning. For example, some symbols stand for unity, friendship, reciprocity, and even short proverbs and inspirational stories. These beautiful and colorful fabrics can be worn to everyday events and some are saved for special events such as church, weddings, or funerals. The traditional cloth-making process is long and arduous but truly does show the color and brilliance of Ghanaian culture.
It is critical to note that Ghanaian culture is extremely complex and not limited to the three categories I chose to expand upon in this dissertation. I could spend numerous pages on Ghanaian food, media, and celebrations, and how they affect the fabric of life here in Ghana. These aspects are all deeply embedded in the essence of the Ghanaian culture. But I selected music, social interaction, and dress because these aspects were highly emphasized during orientation and electrified my interest. In addition, these three cultural subdivisions each have the common theme of the richness of life which I believe will always be the center of my Ghanaian experience.
Every single day here in Ghana has been a day full of "firsts" - my first bucket shower, my first fufu, my first experience of the true kindness of a people who are very aware of the differences among men but who choose to ignore it. And yes, there have even been some sad "firsts" as well. I was asked by a seemingly starving five-year-old orphan girl to let her come back with me to the Unites States. And when I experienced my first serious spider bite, I saw for the first time the detrimental effects of polio, and other diseases and the difficulties which Ghana has in their hospitals and treatment centers.
The totality of all of these experiences are life changing and I know that they have already made me a better, more well-rounded student with a broader global understanding of the realities of life around the globe. One of the most profound lessons I learned from the EAP orientation is that even though many Ghanaians suffer from malnutrition and poverty, the crime rate per capita is lower than that in the United States (source Wikipedia). Even though many are faced with harsh living conditions, the Ghanaian culture exuberates richness, kindness, acceptance, and appreciation for all that is good.
I would like to thank Aunty Irene, Aunty Sharon, all of the Ghanaian student leaders and coordinators who made this great experience possible. I will take what I learned about Ghanaian culture and acceptance back to my home and use Ghana as an example that, even against all odds, a world free from racism, hatred and contempt is definitely possible.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jason R. Holley
The White Sheep
Over the course of our two week EAP orientation, we submerged ourselves in the heart of Ghanaian culture, including music and dance, social interaction, and dress. While focusing primarily on these three key elements of Ghanaian culture, this dissertation further emphasizes the unique Ghanaian experience through the eyes of an outsider or "obruni" as I am so often referred. I chose to intertwine my objective personal experience (thoughts, feelings, and attitudes during the duration of the orientation) in addition to the more objective cultural information learned from lecture and personal observation, in order to provide the reader with a complete understanding of my unique cultural experience as the "white sheep."
The white sheep is a play on words of a saying we have in the United States. Usually, in American culture the “outsider," or one who does not fit in, is referred to as the "black sheep." I find that everywhere I go here in Ghana I am usually the one white person in sight. I am the white sheep, the outsider. On the other hand, I am also finding that every day I am adapting and infiltrating more and more into the heart of this beautiful Ghanaian culture. I begin this dissertation with Ghanaian music and dance because I find this cultural component to be at the forefront of the Ghanaian community with its unique emphasis on family and unity.
Traditional African music and dance is a wholesome and spiritual event intended to be enjoyed not just by the individual but by an entire community brought together for the purpose of enjoyment and unity. Whether the genre is reggae, American hip hop, or traditional drumming and African music, the Ghanaian culture across the nation is universally filled with dancing and music. Our dance professor during orientation, Oh Nii Sowah, explained that African traditional dance is about trust, unity, storytelling, reliance and most of all having fun. I find the contrast between Ghanaian and American music very interesting. Ghanaian music emphasizes peace and unity, while American hip hop often depicts drugs, sex, and violence. I wish that the rest of the world could take note of the deeper meaning behind African music, and live by those ideals. These aspects of Ghanaian dance and music (unique to Ghana and Africa as a whole) were revealed to me from the moment I stepped onto the bus at the Accra airport. We were all taught a simple African song, and it was at that very moment that it finally sunk in that I was actually in the heart of Africa. There seems to be an abundance of drumming and African music everywhere I go. In fact, little did I know when I left the United States I would not need an alarm clock in Ghana in order to wake up in the morning. I wake up every morning around 7:00 a.m. to the sound of Ghanaian drumming in the halls of the ISH (International Student Hostel). I experienced the abundance of African music and dance not only during our orientation classes with the dance professor but even on the long bus ride to Kumasi (as depicted in picture – "African drumming on the bus to Kumasi"). The heart-warming dancing and drumming class has been by far my most memorable experience during orientation. So much can be learned of this culture's depth by our “hands-on" musical experience, which cannot be learned from a text book about Ghana. Several of the dance maneuvers involve one's throwing himself or herself into the arms of another (possibly even a stranger) with complete trust that they will make the catch. Furthermore, many of the dances our EAP group learned included the joining of hands across an entire cycle (which is highly symbolic of unity and “oneness”) as we all move in sync with one another. No person is left behind; rather each is cared for by the greater group or community.
In this manner I feel that African traditional dance and music resembles much of what I have experienced of Ghanaian culture. Upon our arrival, our student assistants during orientation, including Eben, Michael, and Grace, made all of us feel like family. This was true even though we all felt the high voltage of culture shock of leaving one culture only to be plopped down right in the middle of another. The Ghanaians were all so extremely hospitable and went out of their way to ensure that we were all so very comfortable. I am starting to realize “akwaaba” does not simply mean "welcome" in Twi. Rather, it encompasses the adoption of outsiders into Ghanaian culture. I am often greeted by fellow Ghanaian students with the words "akwaaba my brother," meaning welcome to our Ghanaian family.
I now turn to social interaction, the second major tenet of Ghanaian culture. Within the realm of social interaction I analyze the role of family, gender roles , social scripts, taboos and cross-culture interaction. At the forefront of Ghanaian social culture is the concept of the family. The “family” includes not only blood relations but friendship and extended relatives. In an orientation lecture titled “Ghana, The Land and Its People,” Dr. Osman Alhassan emphasized that family is the most important and vital aspect of Ghanaian culture. He mentioned that Ghana is not like the Unites States where one could call 911 and have an ambulance pick them up within minutes. In Ghana, a friend or part of the family would drive you to the hospital. In Ghana you are much more reliant on your family for support, and for helping one another out in a time of need. The communal family relationship is clearly evident even in the way most Ghanaian families eat their meals. Unlike the United States, where a dinner may consist of a McDonalds fast food meal all by themselves, in Ghana the family eats out of the same bowl, at the same table, and at the same time. This Ghanaian type of strong family interaction is a rarity in the United States. My Ghanaian roommate further explained to me that in Ghana there is not “old person's homes” or convalescent homes, rather the elders are taken care of by their family. The use of the words brother and sister are often used by Ghanaians because in their culture "friends" are also part of their family.
Over the course of orientation I observed numerous gender-specific social differences between Ghanaians and Americans. The men seem to be very outgoing and excited to meet the obrunis with great interest in our American culture. It is important to note that when it comes to interactions with "men,” my experience as a white male is quite different from the experience of a white foreign female. Professor Irene Odotei warned us during her lecture on “The Challenges of Living in Ghana” that the men here are good people but many men are extremely proactive and upfront about expressing their interest in the foreign women. These words of wisdom became reality upon our arrival at the Kumasi craft villages (Bonwire, Ntonso, and Ahwi). At least seven of my fellow female friends from the EAP group were given marriage proposals by Ghanaian men they had just met at the craft villages. My personal interactions with Ghanaian men have been very positive. For example, on the fourth day of orientation I got completely lost on my way back to the ISH (International Student Hostile). Two Ghanaians offered to walk me twenty-five minutes across campus to ensure I reached my destination safely. As I walk around school I am constantly stopped and asked “Are you OK?” which is the Ghanaian way of checking in and making sure I am having a good time. The Ghanaian students seem to go to great effort to show hospitality and kindness toward our EAP group.
The female Ghanaians are very much more reserved than the males. I have noticed that other than giggling as I walk by, most student Ghanaian women will not take the initiative to make conversation with me. At first I assumed they did not like obrunis or they were a little scared of me because I am so different, but I later learned that it is taboo in the Ghanaian culture for a women to appear extremely outgoing when interacting with a man they had just met. I was told in lecture that as long I take the initiative and greet the female Ghanaians first, they will begin to open up and accept me as a friend.
During the lecture portion of orientation we touched upon just a few of the social taboos in the Ghanaian culture such as using your left hand to greet another individual. The left hand is supposed to be only used for private matters such as in the washroom “bathroom.” Furthermore, I learned the hard way that giving someone the thumbs up and then immediately putting the thumb down is a sign of great disrespect. (Similar to “flipping someone the bird” as we say in the United States.) The lecture on this matter was a little too late for me because upon arrival I gave the customs security guard a thumbs up and received a very hateful stare. Lastly, if someone offers you water it is rude not to accept, even if you do not want any water, and it is rude to stare an elder in the eye when he or she is talking. This taboo is quite different in the United States because we are taught exactly the opposite, that it is a sign of respect to look someone in the eyes while conversing.
For me, being the "white sheep" brings with it numerous exciting social experiences and unfortunately some negative experiences as well. For example, I love it when young children come up to me and ask to touch my blonde hair because blondeness is a rarity in Ghana. The pure Ghanaian curiosity and zest to learn more about America is a promising sign that Ghana is truly a nation of one people without discrimination. In the lecture “History of Ghana,” Mr. Edem Adotey emphasized that even though the nation of Ghana consists of over forty ethnic groups and five major ethnic divisions, including the Ewe, Ga-Adange, Guans, Akan, and Mole with numerous languages the ethnic and religious divisions, all are tolerant of one another. It is common for a Ghanaian to know 2, 3, or even 4 languages in order to communicate from people of different territories or “tribes.” Furthermore, the tour guide of the Manhyia Palace, where the King resides, explains that the Ghanaian royalty work together to solve social ills. While the President holds supreme jurisdictional power, the parliament and president understand the necessity to work hand in hand with the tribal royalty in order to best benefit the people. The culture seems to be more inquisitive than judgmental, a model much of the world could benefit from following.
I often find it fascinating how much the educated Ghanaians know about American politics and culture yet am honestly disappointed about how little most of America knows about Ghana and about Africa in general. For example, I smile every time I see a billboard which says Akwaaba Obama (Welcome Obama). On the third day of orientation I actually saw a hotel called "Hotel Obama" and there is even a Ghana food product called "Obama biscuits." These frequent visual reminders of Ghanaian partnership and friendship with America made me feel more at home in Ghana.
One of the most memorable of all of the cross-cultural, social experiences of tolerance I have ever encountered in my lifetime happened during our orientation visit to the Elmina Slave Castle. The slave trade, extraction of African natural resources, and African exploitation, are a dark part my American history. Furthermore, since Ghana did not become independent from England until 1957, I expected the tour of the Elmina Castle to be highly critical of the British and other Europeans/Americans for the atrocities committed against their people during the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. To my surprise this was not the case. In fact, I was greeted with hugs, handshakes and Ghanaians yelling "Akwaaba" from afar. Our tour guide mentioned that the purpose of the tour was not at all about blame but more about learning from our past. He mentioned several times, “The past was the past and we must learn from Ghana’s history in order to not let the same mistakes happen again.” The tour guide gave us one quite memorable quotation, “Forgiveness is advancement and healing. Blame is the devils tool to inflame the viscous cycle of hatred, racism, and enslavement.” This social and cultural mentality of tolerance whether it is about religion, race, gender, or nationality, is abundant throughout all of Ghana. In only two short weeks of orientation it became very apparent to me that Ghanaians are an accepting culture from which the world has much to learn.
On the other hand, I noted that there are some rather striking misconceptions about white foreigners among some of the Ghanaian people. Being a white male is definitely a double-edged sword. While it does lead to interesting experiences as described above, the experience of being a minority is not always positive. For example, on our EAP excursion to Kumasi, many of the Ghanaians automatically assumed I was rich because of the color of my skin. They begged for money for food, pens for school, water, school books, etc. After I stepped out of the bus in Kumasi, at a craft village named Ntonso, I was swarmed by men yelling at me to go to their shop. Some men grabbed by shoulder or arm and yanked me away to go to their particular businesses. This experience deeply saddened me because of the perception of richness and abundance many Ghanaians have about Americans. In reality, just because I am white does not make me wealthy. I am just another poor college student like many of the Ghanaian students here at the University.
Much of the Ghanaian perception of American youth and the non-educated class comes from American hip-hop music. For example, on my way to the JQB for an orientation lecture on registration, a young boy stopped me and asked if I had a gun and if was I was a rich gangster. Confused, I asked the boy why he had that perception of me. His reply was that that’s what they sing about America in the rap songs. Though I was frustrated that Ghanaian children had this “idealized” view of the USA with abundant drugs, sex and money, it occurred to me that many Americans (even my college friends at UCSB) think all of Africa is a wild bush full of giraffes and elephants similar to the motion picture “The Lion King.” After completing this orientation I am very delighted to break down these misperceptions and ignorance of each other’s culture.
In addition to Ghanaian music and social interaction, the third critical component of Ghanaian culture is the colorful dress. Similar to African music/dance, the Ghanaian clothing is full of great meaning and symbolism. Our orientation arts and crafts lecturer, Professor R.T. Ackam explained that each stamp which is pressed into the fabric (made from bark and other natural resources) has symbolic meaning. For example, some symbols stand for unity, friendship, reciprocity, and even short proverbs and inspirational stories. These beautiful and colorful fabrics can be worn to everyday events and some are saved for special events such as church, weddings, or funerals. The traditional cloth-making process is long and arduous but truly does show the color and brilliance of Ghanaian culture.
It is critical to note that Ghanaian culture is extremely complex and not limited to the three categories I chose to expand upon in this dissertation. I could spend numerous pages on Ghanaian food, media, and celebrations, and how they affect the fabric of life here in Ghana. These aspects are all deeply embedded in the essence of the Ghanaian culture. But I selected music, social interaction, and dress because these aspects were highly emphasized during orientation and electrified my interest. In addition, these three cultural subdivisions each have the common theme of the richness of life which I believe will always be the center of my Ghanaian experience.
Every single day here in Ghana has been a day full of "firsts" - my first bucket shower, my first fufu, my first experience of the true kindness of a people who are very aware of the differences among men but who choose to ignore it. And yes, there have even been some sad "firsts" as well. I was asked by a seemingly starving five-year-old orphan girl to let her come back with me to the Unites States. And when I experienced my first serious spider bite, I saw for the first time the detrimental effects of polio, and other diseases and the difficulties which Ghana has in their hospitals and treatment centers.
The totality of all of these experiences are life changing and I know that they have already made me a better, more well-rounded student with a broader global understanding of the realities of life around the globe. One of the most profound lessons I learned from the EAP orientation is that even though many Ghanaians suffer from malnutrition and poverty, the crime rate per capita is lower than that in the United States (source Wikipedia). Even though many are faced with harsh living conditions, the Ghanaian culture exuberates richness, kindness, acceptance, and appreciation for all that is good.
I would like to thank Aunty Irene, Aunty Sharon, all of the Ghanaian student leaders and coordinators who made this great experience possible. I will take what I learned about Ghanaian culture and acceptance back to my home and use Ghana as an example that, even against all odds, a world free from racism, hatred and contempt is definitely possible.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jason R. Holley
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Alarm Clock
I do not need an alarm clock here in Ghana because every day I wake to the sound of African drumming.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
African Dance Class
I forgot to mention in the short novel I just posted …about my dance class experience. Ok so, as many of you know or may have heard - I am terrible at dancing and have no rhythm. Yes, I dance like a white boy. Anyway, I went to my traditional African dance class and after the class the professor came up to me and asked if I would be interested in the "fundamental" dance class and maybe the level 2 wasn’t quite my speed. All the Ghanaians are ridiculously amazing at dancing and my skill ends at the macquerina (don’t know how to spell that dance) – I have never felt more out of place it was soooooo funny. Glad there is no video evidence. I am proof white boys cant dance. All of the other Ghanaians in the class busted out laughing. I was demoted to an easier class.
Earthquakes/no electricity or running water/ and white boy
Hello all!
First of all, I would like to apologize for not being able to update this blog as frequently as I had originally intended. I have so many stories/experiences that I would like to share. Yesterday I wrote for 2 and a half hours and was just getting ready to post a huge blog and the electricity went out across campus so I am going to give it another shot. Hope you enjoy!
To be a minority...
For the first time in my life everywhere I go I am a complete minority. The girls giggle as a I walk by and the boys shout out "Ubroni," (meaning white boy). I am constantly stared at everywhere I go and it is hard to say if they are stares of contempt or just curiosity. I am completely lost about 90% of the time. While English is the national language - their "African" accent is extremely hard to understand. EVERYTHING here is different and simply does not make much sense to me. Example - it is socially acceptable for professors to just not show up for class or show up like 50 minutes late. Everything here in Ghana is in slow motion - the way people walk/eat/EVERYTHING (likely because it is like 105 degrees all day with humidity and if people move fast they would die of heat stroke. If a class starts at 4pm that really means 5pm or later. Being the only white person is some of my classes of 400+ has been quite an experience. In my political science classes anytime the professor mentions Obama or the US he stares directly at me or, on occasion, asks in front of the entire class "Lets see what the Ubroni (white boy) thinks." It is difficult to explain but the culture here is strongly family and friend based. EVERYBODY goes out of their way to be extremely nice and hospitable to me. Example: a couple days ago I was completely lost and this Ghanaian student approached me and asked if I was OK (I must have looked in a panic). After explaining how I was lost - the guy stopped whatever he was doing and walked me about 20 minutes to my dorm and told me that I shouldn’t walk alone at night. He offered to buy me a beer with his friends on the way home and I hung out with about 8 other Ghanaian students before he walked me the rest of the way home. Since the beers are only about 30 cents I bought everybody a beer and they were SOOOOO grateful. Their perception of the US is only from what they hear in music/ see in movies. So as you could imagine they think we are all hard-core rich gangsters with beautiful women everywhere - it is pretty interesting.
Living, food, housing, friends
I have been without running water and electricity for about 5 days at the dorms. It didn't really hit me hard that I was in Africa until I took my first bucket shower in the pitch black showers. Culture shock hit me like a brick wall as I stood in the corner of a dark shower, stark naked and poured little cups of water on myself, unable to fully rinse off the soap and shampoo from my body. I am getting used to living in a constant state of sweat and grime. Gross, I know, but it is just the way things are over here. The heat is overwhelming. My one complaint about my experience in Ghana is the constant heat- about 105 degrees without air-conditioning. When I am lucky and am blessed with electricity I can plug in my fan/ but most of the time i sleep in a pool of sweat. Yummy - It sounds bad but I am starting to get used to it.
Food
The food consists of 2 ingredients, fried chicken and rice. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I love sampling every bit of food and am starting to find my favorite food joints. One restaurant insists on giving me free food every time I drop by. Again, people here are ridiculously nice. They also have fufu (another name for this spicy soup and ball of wheat mix). On the bright side, an entire meal costs about $1. It's amazing. It's not too bad but I am really craving Carls Jr. and Sushi and Panda Express.
Housing
About two days ago at 4am I awoke to mass chaos, screaming, and pandemonium through the dorms. The porter (security guard) pounded on my door an said a major earthquake was coming and we must all evacuate or the building would come down on us. My first reaction when I heard the pandemonium was that Ghana was under attack and I was very freaked out. After all 400 or so students evacuated, we huddled around a radio which explained most of Legon in Accra, Ghana had been evacuated but it was just a prank.
Some UC students have found cockroaches in their beds – others have found bed bugs. I was pleasantly surprised by a foot- long iguana in my cabinet so that was nice. About a week ago I saw a monkey in the trees and am pretty sure I heard hyenas attack a dog last night. It reminded me of the "Circle of Life" song in the Lion King.
Health
I am feeling pretty good, probably dehydrated. I was bitten by a spider and have two pretty gross looking cankers on my arm. I went to the university hospital which was quite an experience. The clinic was hot, stuffy, full of mosquitoes and VERY sick people. When I finally got called in to the dimly lit doctor's office there was blood on the bed, and knives sitting out- likely from the last operation (Which I heard for about 20 minutes of hard core screaming) which made me a little nervous to go in and see the doctor. A little different from Kaiser Permanente. One of the girls from my program said that she went in to that same hospital and complained of a bad sore throat. The doctor said that her tonsils were inflamed and she might have tonsilitis. The only problem is that the girl didn’t even have tonsils ( had them removed a year earlier) So, long story short I don’t know how much to trust the doctors here. They said my arm looked septic (whatever that means) and I should go on antibiotics. I decided a give it a few more days to heal and save the antibiotics for when I really need them .
About 8 people out of 30 students from the UC schools have gone to the hospital with symptoms of malaria. But I am going strong and smother myself with repellant every day!
Friends/experiences
Beach trip. On Sunday a group of my new friends and I traveled about 3 hours by tro-tro (a bus that fits about 12 people but crams about 20). After nearly getting in about 8 accidents we made it to the beach. We played with about 10 little Ghanaian children about 6 years old. One little girl probably 5 or 6 yr/old would not let go of me and was infatuated with my hair. I asked where her parents were and she said she didn’t have any. I saw her eating a left over plantain that was left on the ground and my heart melted so I went and bought her some chicken and a bottled water. She pleaded with me to stay or take her with me when I told her I had to go back to school. I spent the rest of the day feeling real depressed because I felt that there is so much poverty and starving children yet I was basically helpless and could not help all of them/ buy all of them lunch. It is truly amazing how these children and even adults that live in extreme poverty/ sleep in shacks without roofs have a culture centered around hospitality. Some of the children made me a bracelet and when I offered to give them a few dollars they said, "No." It was a gift.
On Saturday we went to the outside market which was literally packed with thousands of Ghanaians scurrying around shoulder to shoulder. It was an amazing experience, but am still not used to everybody staring at me like I was bigfoot or something.
I played football (soccer) with the locals and got showed up. I think that their under 12 team could beat our UCSB college team.
We went to see the slave castles where much of West Africa exported slaves during the trans Atlantic slave trade. This was a very emotional experience . You read about the slave trade in school but actually seeing the cells and inhumane conditions the slaves were kept is truly a life changing experience. We followed the route the slaves took in the dungeons, rape rooms , underground cannals and sewers, the path the slaves took and ended by the ocean where the ships took the slaves to the Americas and Europe. That experience is still weighing heavily upon me – and I am ashamed of the cruelty of mankind.
I have a Ghanaian roommate who is VERY cool. He looks a little like Cuba Gooding Jr. and am pretty sure he is extremely popular. He seems to know EVERY Ghanaian and in turn I am meeting so many new Ghanaian friends through him.
My UC EAP friends are amazing. Everybody is so adventurous and down to go out and travel. I think I am definitely making some lifelong friends. We have gone out to the clubs a couple of nights and are pretty much celebrities everywhere we go. One bartender said I looked like Eminem and asked if I could rap in front of the bar. On my trip there are 26 girls and 4 boys which sounds amazing right? Well I have come to the conclusion the rule of diminishing marginal utility also applies to the amount of girls you live with. You reach a saturation point where there is just to much girl talk.
Starting next week I plan on volunteering at a school for Orphans and the mentally challenged. I think I am going to teach English and am VERY excited to get out into the community!
Classes
I started classes on Monday. Yesterday, my professor for political research showed up and told everybody class was canceled because Ghana was playing in a soccer match. I understand only about 20% of what is said and feel a little out of the loop when a professor makes a joke and EVERYBODY laughs except for the 2 or so white students whom are completely confused. In fact, I am in an incessant state of confusion here in Ghana. Nothing ever works correctly the first time. Registering for classes took about 11 hours and I still have no clue if I am actually registered. Apparently you don’t really know if you are in the class for sure until after the semester is over and you wait to see if you received a grade. Pretty crazy. It sounds weird but I sort of LOVE the mass confusion, I think its really entertaining and funny. If you I didn’t have a sense of humor about nothing ever working – I would go crazy.
Culture
When I go exploring I feel like I am stepping right into a National Geographic photo shoot. It is sort of surreal and it often takes by breath away that I am really in the heart of Africa. I see women carrying massive, heavy baskets on their heads. I unfortunately see starving children with large pot bellies. I see mud and brick huts. My favorite part of the culture here is the traditional dress. The men and women wear these beautiful colorful togas and are always very well dressed. I find it amazing that amongst such poverty much of the nation puts a lot of care into how they look.
Apparently giving the thumbs up sign is equivalent to flipping someone off so I am pretty sure I uninintentionally offended some people.
In one conversation with a local Ghanaian she asked what the tribes were like in the US, and I explained that we are not really separated into tribes which was an interesting conversation. EVERYBODY here absolutely loves OBAMA and I definitely saw a billboard here of Obama shaking hands with Jesus and the sign said, "One World."
Closing remarks!
I know this was long but it a decent summation of my past few weeks. I know I will remember and experience more adventures in the days that come so I will try and update the blog whenever I am able. I miss all of you so much. I didn’t realize how much I took my family and friends for granted until I came here. Even though I have been away from reality (ex when Josh, Sam and I went to Costa Rica) I feel so much farther from everybody. When the plane landed I felt like I was stepping down onto a completely different planet. The soil is red like Mars and yes, I look completely different from everybody. Anyway, I love and miss you all. I hope to spread what I learn here when I come back to the states. I already feel like I am changing which is weird to self reflect and think about but is such an amazing feeling. Keep in touch. While homesickness creeps up on me a little more every day, I know that I am having the experience and adventure of a lifetime, which helps me cope.
Best,
Jason
First of all, I would like to apologize for not being able to update this blog as frequently as I had originally intended. I have so many stories/experiences that I would like to share. Yesterday I wrote for 2 and a half hours and was just getting ready to post a huge blog and the electricity went out across campus so I am going to give it another shot. Hope you enjoy!
To be a minority...
For the first time in my life everywhere I go I am a complete minority. The girls giggle as a I walk by and the boys shout out "Ubroni," (meaning white boy). I am constantly stared at everywhere I go and it is hard to say if they are stares of contempt or just curiosity. I am completely lost about 90% of the time. While English is the national language - their "African" accent is extremely hard to understand. EVERYTHING here is different and simply does not make much sense to me. Example - it is socially acceptable for professors to just not show up for class or show up like 50 minutes late. Everything here in Ghana is in slow motion - the way people walk/eat/EVERYTHING (likely because it is like 105 degrees all day with humidity and if people move fast they would die of heat stroke. If a class starts at 4pm that really means 5pm or later. Being the only white person is some of my classes of 400+ has been quite an experience. In my political science classes anytime the professor mentions Obama or the US he stares directly at me or, on occasion, asks in front of the entire class "Lets see what the Ubroni (white boy) thinks." It is difficult to explain but the culture here is strongly family and friend based. EVERYBODY goes out of their way to be extremely nice and hospitable to me. Example: a couple days ago I was completely lost and this Ghanaian student approached me and asked if I was OK (I must have looked in a panic). After explaining how I was lost - the guy stopped whatever he was doing and walked me about 20 minutes to my dorm and told me that I shouldn’t walk alone at night. He offered to buy me a beer with his friends on the way home and I hung out with about 8 other Ghanaian students before he walked me the rest of the way home. Since the beers are only about 30 cents I bought everybody a beer and they were SOOOOO grateful. Their perception of the US is only from what they hear in music/ see in movies. So as you could imagine they think we are all hard-core rich gangsters with beautiful women everywhere - it is pretty interesting.
Living, food, housing, friends
I have been without running water and electricity for about 5 days at the dorms. It didn't really hit me hard that I was in Africa until I took my first bucket shower in the pitch black showers. Culture shock hit me like a brick wall as I stood in the corner of a dark shower, stark naked and poured little cups of water on myself, unable to fully rinse off the soap and shampoo from my body. I am getting used to living in a constant state of sweat and grime. Gross, I know, but it is just the way things are over here. The heat is overwhelming. My one complaint about my experience in Ghana is the constant heat- about 105 degrees without air-conditioning. When I am lucky and am blessed with electricity I can plug in my fan/ but most of the time i sleep in a pool of sweat. Yummy - It sounds bad but I am starting to get used to it.
Food
The food consists of 2 ingredients, fried chicken and rice. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. I love sampling every bit of food and am starting to find my favorite food joints. One restaurant insists on giving me free food every time I drop by. Again, people here are ridiculously nice. They also have fufu (another name for this spicy soup and ball of wheat mix). On the bright side, an entire meal costs about $1. It's amazing. It's not too bad but I am really craving Carls Jr. and Sushi and Panda Express.
Housing
About two days ago at 4am I awoke to mass chaos, screaming, and pandemonium through the dorms. The porter (security guard) pounded on my door an said a major earthquake was coming and we must all evacuate or the building would come down on us. My first reaction when I heard the pandemonium was that Ghana was under attack and I was very freaked out. After all 400 or so students evacuated, we huddled around a radio which explained most of Legon in Accra, Ghana had been evacuated but it was just a prank.
Some UC students have found cockroaches in their beds – others have found bed bugs. I was pleasantly surprised by a foot- long iguana in my cabinet so that was nice. About a week ago I saw a monkey in the trees and am pretty sure I heard hyenas attack a dog last night. It reminded me of the "Circle of Life" song in the Lion King.
Health
I am feeling pretty good, probably dehydrated. I was bitten by a spider and have two pretty gross looking cankers on my arm. I went to the university hospital which was quite an experience. The clinic was hot, stuffy, full of mosquitoes and VERY sick people. When I finally got called in to the dimly lit doctor's office there was blood on the bed, and knives sitting out- likely from the last operation (Which I heard for about 20 minutes of hard core screaming) which made me a little nervous to go in and see the doctor. A little different from Kaiser Permanente. One of the girls from my program said that she went in to that same hospital and complained of a bad sore throat. The doctor said that her tonsils were inflamed and she might have tonsilitis. The only problem is that the girl didn’t even have tonsils ( had them removed a year earlier) So, long story short I don’t know how much to trust the doctors here. They said my arm looked septic (whatever that means) and I should go on antibiotics. I decided a give it a few more days to heal and save the antibiotics for when I really need them .
About 8 people out of 30 students from the UC schools have gone to the hospital with symptoms of malaria. But I am going strong and smother myself with repellant every day!
Friends/experiences
Beach trip. On Sunday a group of my new friends and I traveled about 3 hours by tro-tro (a bus that fits about 12 people but crams about 20). After nearly getting in about 8 accidents we made it to the beach. We played with about 10 little Ghanaian children about 6 years old. One little girl probably 5 or 6 yr/old would not let go of me and was infatuated with my hair. I asked where her parents were and she said she didn’t have any. I saw her eating a left over plantain that was left on the ground and my heart melted so I went and bought her some chicken and a bottled water. She pleaded with me to stay or take her with me when I told her I had to go back to school. I spent the rest of the day feeling real depressed because I felt that there is so much poverty and starving children yet I was basically helpless and could not help all of them/ buy all of them lunch. It is truly amazing how these children and even adults that live in extreme poverty/ sleep in shacks without roofs have a culture centered around hospitality. Some of the children made me a bracelet and when I offered to give them a few dollars they said, "No." It was a gift.
On Saturday we went to the outside market which was literally packed with thousands of Ghanaians scurrying around shoulder to shoulder. It was an amazing experience, but am still not used to everybody staring at me like I was bigfoot or something.
I played football (soccer) with the locals and got showed up. I think that their under 12 team could beat our UCSB college team.
We went to see the slave castles where much of West Africa exported slaves during the trans Atlantic slave trade. This was a very emotional experience . You read about the slave trade in school but actually seeing the cells and inhumane conditions the slaves were kept is truly a life changing experience. We followed the route the slaves took in the dungeons, rape rooms , underground cannals and sewers, the path the slaves took and ended by the ocean where the ships took the slaves to the Americas and Europe. That experience is still weighing heavily upon me – and I am ashamed of the cruelty of mankind.
I have a Ghanaian roommate who is VERY cool. He looks a little like Cuba Gooding Jr. and am pretty sure he is extremely popular. He seems to know EVERY Ghanaian and in turn I am meeting so many new Ghanaian friends through him.
My UC EAP friends are amazing. Everybody is so adventurous and down to go out and travel. I think I am definitely making some lifelong friends. We have gone out to the clubs a couple of nights and are pretty much celebrities everywhere we go. One bartender said I looked like Eminem and asked if I could rap in front of the bar. On my trip there are 26 girls and 4 boys which sounds amazing right? Well I have come to the conclusion the rule of diminishing marginal utility also applies to the amount of girls you live with. You reach a saturation point where there is just to much girl talk.
Starting next week I plan on volunteering at a school for Orphans and the mentally challenged. I think I am going to teach English and am VERY excited to get out into the community!
Classes
I started classes on Monday. Yesterday, my professor for political research showed up and told everybody class was canceled because Ghana was playing in a soccer match. I understand only about 20% of what is said and feel a little out of the loop when a professor makes a joke and EVERYBODY laughs except for the 2 or so white students whom are completely confused. In fact, I am in an incessant state of confusion here in Ghana. Nothing ever works correctly the first time. Registering for classes took about 11 hours and I still have no clue if I am actually registered. Apparently you don’t really know if you are in the class for sure until after the semester is over and you wait to see if you received a grade. Pretty crazy. It sounds weird but I sort of LOVE the mass confusion, I think its really entertaining and funny. If you I didn’t have a sense of humor about nothing ever working – I would go crazy.
Culture
When I go exploring I feel like I am stepping right into a National Geographic photo shoot. It is sort of surreal and it often takes by breath away that I am really in the heart of Africa. I see women carrying massive, heavy baskets on their heads. I unfortunately see starving children with large pot bellies. I see mud and brick huts. My favorite part of the culture here is the traditional dress. The men and women wear these beautiful colorful togas and are always very well dressed. I find it amazing that amongst such poverty much of the nation puts a lot of care into how they look.
Apparently giving the thumbs up sign is equivalent to flipping someone off so I am pretty sure I uninintentionally offended some people.
In one conversation with a local Ghanaian she asked what the tribes were like in the US, and I explained that we are not really separated into tribes which was an interesting conversation. EVERYBODY here absolutely loves OBAMA and I definitely saw a billboard here of Obama shaking hands with Jesus and the sign said, "One World."
Closing remarks!
I know this was long but it a decent summation of my past few weeks. I know I will remember and experience more adventures in the days that come so I will try and update the blog whenever I am able. I miss all of you so much. I didn’t realize how much I took my family and friends for granted until I came here. Even though I have been away from reality (ex when Josh, Sam and I went to Costa Rica) I feel so much farther from everybody. When the plane landed I felt like I was stepping down onto a completely different planet. The soil is red like Mars and yes, I look completely different from everybody. Anyway, I love and miss you all. I hope to spread what I learn here when I come back to the states. I already feel like I am changing which is weird to self reflect and think about but is such an amazing feeling. Keep in touch. While homesickness creeps up on me a little more every day, I know that I am having the experience and adventure of a lifetime, which helps me cope.
Best,
Jason
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Bucket showers, Earthquakes, No Electricity/Water
Hello all
I sincerely apologize \I have bot been able to post as frequently as I had intended. The electricity and water have been out over the past 4 days so I have been pretty much out of contact with the outside world. I have been doing reading homework on my seemingly 1800's antique wood desk by candle light. I feel like I traveled back in time a few hundred years but to be honest its actually pretty interesting not having all the comforts we take for granted back home.
Living in poverty
The standard of living is not at all what we are used to back home. There are positives and negatives about living in a poverty stricken nation such as Ghana - likely similar across Africa. The plus factors are: I can eat an entire meal for $1 and beer is only 60 cents. Nobody is pretentious and everybody is so nice and willing to help their neighbor at any cost. The culture here has a strong emphasis on the family and the importance of friends. Anytime anybody needs help even for the slightest of things (ex. if I am lost and can't find a class) the local Ghanaians will stop whatever they are doing and walk me to my destination. Just yesterday, I couldn't find a place to get dinner so I asked a local where to go and he said follow me - he took me about 20 minutes away to his favorite market and offered to buy my dinner. This is the mentality of every local African I have met. They bend over backwards to help you.
While there are positives to living in Ghana (which do greatly outweigh the negatives) here are some of the negative aspects of living in a poverty stricken area.
Over the past 4 days I have taken showers out of a bucket in the pitch black of night. This was the first time I felt real homesick. Since is about 105 degrees here with humidity I am never fully clean and all I wanted to do was wash off only to come back to the dorms to find out the water is still out and power off. I am coming to apreciate all the small things we take for granted in the US.
Experiences over the past week.
A group of friends and I took a tro-tro
I sincerely apologize \I have bot been able to post as frequently as I had intended. The electricity and water have been out over the past 4 days so I have been pretty much out of contact with the outside world. I have been doing reading homework on my seemingly 1800's antique wood desk by candle light. I feel like I traveled back in time a few hundred years but to be honest its actually pretty interesting not having all the comforts we take for granted back home.
Living in poverty
The standard of living is not at all what we are used to back home. There are positives and negatives about living in a poverty stricken nation such as Ghana - likely similar across Africa. The plus factors are: I can eat an entire meal for $1 and beer is only 60 cents. Nobody is pretentious and everybody is so nice and willing to help their neighbor at any cost. The culture here has a strong emphasis on the family and the importance of friends. Anytime anybody needs help even for the slightest of things (ex. if I am lost and can't find a class) the local Ghanaians will stop whatever they are doing and walk me to my destination. Just yesterday, I couldn't find a place to get dinner so I asked a local where to go and he said follow me - he took me about 20 minutes away to his favorite market and offered to buy my dinner. This is the mentality of every local African I have met. They bend over backwards to help you.
While there are positives to living in Ghana (which do greatly outweigh the negatives) here are some of the negative aspects of living in a poverty stricken area.
Over the past 4 days I have taken showers out of a bucket in the pitch black of night. This was the first time I felt real homesick. Since is about 105 degrees here with humidity I am never fully clean and all I wanted to do was wash off only to come back to the dorms to find out the water is still out and power off. I am coming to apreciate all the small things we take for granted in the US.
Experiences over the past week.
A group of friends and I took a tro-tro
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
7th day in Africa
So much to say, so little time!
In short,
*No running water so I took a shower out of a bucket last night.
*I chose to live in the non international dorm to completely submerge myself in the culture here.
*8 out of 30 UC students have already gone to the hospital (possibly for malaria/ food poisoning).
*It's about 105 degrees here with the humidity.
*I am having an amazing time. I know the above sounds not too pleasant but it's all part of the Africa experience. Living here in Ghana is definitely the crash course Africa experience but it really has made me realize how lucky we are in the United States. I am hopefully going to come back tomorrow and go into more detail/add pics but, in short, the following are several questions my dad asked and I think they might be interesting to everybody.
Do you like your roommate?
Yes, he is an actual Ghanaian student. It is a little hard to understand everything he says but he is going to explore Ghana with me!! He is running for President of UG (University of Ghana) and seems to be the most popular buy on campus so I am meeting a bunch of new people every day! They call me Ubroni = white boy in Twi.
I'll get to the rest of the questions tomorrow!
Goodnight,
J
Who do you hang out with? Are they fun? Do the school officials run you around a lot? Do you get time to yourself to go to the store and stuff? Is the school very far from someplace you might want to stroll around like a market or something? What kind of monkey did you see and how far away was he? Are they going to take you out in the countryside or the jungle or to little towns away from the city? Have you tried your water purifier yet? Any mosquitoes? Did you put up your bed net? Do other people have bed nets? Mom wanted to know if you bought a fan yet. And where did you get the toilet paper? Is it very expensive to buy stuff over there with the American dollar? What kinds of houses did the people wear who were in the slum areas? What did they wear? Have you had any problems yet? Did you find out anything about your classes or anything?
In short,
*No running water so I took a shower out of a bucket last night.
*I chose to live in the non international dorm to completely submerge myself in the culture here.
*8 out of 30 UC students have already gone to the hospital (possibly for malaria/ food poisoning).
*It's about 105 degrees here with the humidity.
*I am having an amazing time. I know the above sounds not too pleasant but it's all part of the Africa experience. Living here in Ghana is definitely the crash course Africa experience but it really has made me realize how lucky we are in the United States. I am hopefully going to come back tomorrow and go into more detail/add pics but, in short, the following are several questions my dad asked and I think they might be interesting to everybody.
Do you like your roommate?
Yes, he is an actual Ghanaian student. It is a little hard to understand everything he says but he is going to explore Ghana with me!! He is running for President of UG (University of Ghana) and seems to be the most popular buy on campus so I am meeting a bunch of new people every day! They call me Ubroni = white boy in Twi.
I'll get to the rest of the questions tomorrow!
Goodnight,
J
Who do you hang out with? Are they fun? Do the school officials run you around a lot? Do you get time to yourself to go to the store and stuff? Is the school very far from someplace you might want to stroll around like a market or something? What kind of monkey did you see and how far away was he? Are they going to take you out in the countryside or the jungle or to little towns away from the city? Have you tried your water purifier yet? Any mosquitoes? Did you put up your bed net? Do other people have bed nets? Mom wanted to know if you bought a fan yet. And where did you get the toilet paper? Is it very expensive to buy stuff over there with the American dollar? What kinds of houses did the people wear who were in the slum areas? What did they wear? Have you had any problems yet? Did you find out anything about your classes or anything?
Thursday, January 7, 2010
I MADE IT!!!
I don't have much time because I had to sneak out of the orientation to the internet cafe but I wanted to let everybody know I made it to Africa. The internet, water, and power all come and go. This is definitely more hard-core Africa than I imagined (but it truely so, so amazing). Its like visiting a different planet. I will have greater detail later on how everything is. In short - it is amazing. I feel like I am a celebrity, everybody wants to learn more about me. The blonde hair is pretty much a red flag that I am not from around these parts. Its very hot and when I walk down the street, I have little Ghana kids follow me and want to touch my hair. I already have several National Geographic pictures I have taken that I hope to upload soon. Everybody is so nice (the Ghana students and my EAP group). Hope all is well back home. I can't wait to tell you all of my adventures that I have already had within the first few days.
J
J
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Last Day At Home
Well... the day is finally here. After so much angst and anticipation, especially over the past year - I am finally taking off to Accra, Ghana. The plane takes off from San Francisco at 4pm today. To be honest, it is a very weird feeling knowing that my life is going to completely be turned upside-down in exactly 48-hours from now. I know I should be nervous, but I'm not. I'm more nervous about the small things like how am going to know where to go once I arrive in the Ghana airport and how I am going to find my way to the University. That being said, I feel so ready to explore and experience whatever comes my way. While I am not nervous about Ghana itself, I do already feel homesick for my family and friends. It didn't really hit me that I was actually going to Africa until I said goodbye to my sister tonight. I looked at her one last time before she got in the car and shut the door because it struck me that I wouldn't see her again for a long while. I wish her the best of luck in the rest of her murder trial. I can already sense by the extra long hugs and the "Let's let Jason decide what he wants for dinner." conversations - my parents are very nervous about my departure. I can't even count how many times my mom has said, "Don't forget to pack this, put this on, remember to do this, careful of this, et." I am so grateful for the opportunity my parents have provided me. It know my trip has been a great monetary and emotional sacrifice -and I vow to make their investment worth it my taking every opportunity to experience new things.
My going away party at home was great. Several of our family friends dropped by and wished me good luck and hugged me tight and were reluctant to leave and say goodbye... like I was on my death bed or something. I must admit that made me a little nervous about leaving. It's funny, in a way it felt like I attended my own funeral with people leaning over and saying goodbye. The irony is that that this is the START of a great adventure and experience, not the end. I told everybody not to worry, Ill be safe and return better than I left. The same was true for my UCSB going away party. I would never have expected the emotional goodbyes and even tears from my friends at school. Thanks you guys for throwing that party - you're awesome! Even though I am only ghan (sad attempt at a joke) for the rest of this academic year- seeing the impact of my departure on my friends from college and home has truly shown me the generosity and closeness of my Fair Oaks and Santa Barbara community. I understand I don't have too many stories yet to share but I thought it was important to post one last message in the States because I don't know exactly when I will be around internet again. I will try and post something tomorrow when I arrive in Dubai for the 8 hour layover. I am about to embark on 23 hours of flight! Talk to you all soon.
J
My going away party at home was great. Several of our family friends dropped by and wished me good luck and hugged me tight and were reluctant to leave and say goodbye... like I was on my death bed or something. I must admit that made me a little nervous about leaving. It's funny, in a way it felt like I attended my own funeral with people leaning over and saying goodbye. The irony is that that this is the START of a great adventure and experience, not the end. I told everybody not to worry, Ill be safe and return better than I left. The same was true for my UCSB going away party. I would never have expected the emotional goodbyes and even tears from my friends at school. Thanks you guys for throwing that party - you're awesome! Even though I am only ghan (sad attempt at a joke) for the rest of this academic year- seeing the impact of my departure on my friends from college and home has truly shown me the generosity and closeness of my Fair Oaks and Santa Barbara community. I understand I don't have too many stories yet to share but I thought it was important to post one last message in the States because I don't know exactly when I will be around internet again. I will try and post something tomorrow when I arrive in Dubai for the 8 hour layover. I am about to embark on 23 hours of flight! Talk to you all soon.
J
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