January 27th and 28th

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Today was a day full of exhilaration and new events, although my roommate has not yet arrived!

The first exciting thing was the Internet was up so we walked to the IPO office to get online and register for classes. We walked pretty much the entire afternoon back and forth between buildings.

We went out to a new club Aphrodisiac, which was a blast. It was ladies night so it was free to get in for females, but the drinks were expensive so I decided not to drink. The guys were great dancers and less intrusive then the men at home. It is entertaining to reflect on the events of the night because they differences between Ghanian men and white men are extensive. When one of the three white men in the club came up to you to dance, it would always be from behind and you would know they were white immediately. First, because they couldn’t dance and second, because the Ghanian men always ask you to dance or take your hand while looking at you. Other differences appear in their form of dance also, Ghanian men always find the beat of the music and they take lead right away!

I also did laundry for the first time today and when it dried it had a pungent odor, so it as a failure. Everything is extremely stiff and rough against my skin, it took me forever and I hope I improve my skills in the future. I was hoping to do my laundry with people, but no one wanted to join me.

Some of the individuals here are getting frustrated with the way the Ghanian’s treat us, but it hasn’t seemed to faze me much. Our campus is now packed and there are people all over the place. Wherever we walk we get stared at and whenever we speak we get laughed at. People will talk to us in English, turn to their friends say something in Twi, and then laugh. When we ask what they are laughing at, they reply that it isn’t at us, although we know that it is. The men become so overpowering at times, we are constantly getting unwanted attention that not only bothers us, but frustrates the Ghanian women. These issues have appeared in our daily lives, but it is nothing more difficult than adjusting to a new community. I am not having much trouble adjusting, not having the Internet has not affected me greatly, but I will be so excited when the modems come in so we can use the Internet more often. Not having a TV has not hit me hard at all, I have not longed for it in anyway. Although I do miss the food at home and the ability to drink the water it is nothing I cannot overcome.

The program we are working with is amazing and the people have worked really hard to help us become adjusted. The u-pals come out with us all the time and they let us know how much we should be paying for our clothes and taxi rides to ensure we are not getting ripped off.

Other details I have learned about the culture : ) Even if an elder is wrong (ex: the dean told us the wrong information for dance classes) and a student realizes the elder is making a mistake is not permitted to correct them without being disrespectful.
Most individuals attending the university are much older than the average age of college students in the United States. And once they graduate they are required to do a year of community service before going into a career.
The city is very biblical: church is three hours long. Everywhere you go you can read about God or the Quran. Quotes are written on the back of the taxis, tro tros, on walls, and in all other places where words can be written.
Ghanians don’t rush through life, everything is slow. The service is slow, the speed people talk, the speed people walk is all slow. The students do not join many clubs or pack their schedules tightly; they live leisurely lives and have a lot of free time. (which is ironic because all I do here is run, I have no time to even sleep.)
Ghanians always dress nice and men always where pants. They sweat a lot, but it doesn’t seem to faze them. The men wear button up shirts and nice slacks almost everyday, it is incredible how put together they are. They iron everything and they always look neat.
You barely ever receive utensils when given food because all Ghanians eat everything with their hands including rice and they share one large plate of food.
Everything they eat is spicy, really spicy and many times they will say it is bland.
The men believe that American women only come to Ghana for good sex and nothing else. They perceive us as objects they will eventually obtain and sadly some Americans do not help to improve our image.
I was wrong earlier when I wrote Ghanians don’t eat strange food. Although they typically eat the same four or five meals, I have learned that liver, gizzard, cow feet, and cow intestine are easily accessible.

I am really enjoying myself here and becoming more in tuned with the customs of the local people.

Things I used to take for granted:
Refrigeration
Cold easily accessible water
Toilet paper
Internet
Electricity at all times
Assortment of food

Friday, January 28, 2011
Getting Lost

Today I woke up at around 8:00 to start registration, which I utterly failed at. I got hopelessly lost for over an hour on campus with no idea where to go or what to do. My heart started to speed up and I was getting so nervous. Although I made sure not to show it on my face, so no one would know I was turned around. I finally found my way back to where I came from, so two hours were lost but I got some much-needed exercise in. I got back to my room by ten thirty and I met up with Hannah to go look at timetables, again. We succeeded in figuring out our classes and registering at the separate departments before we returned to the room and got ready to go to the beach. We went to Lebodi Beach for a couple of hours, but it was very hectic and there were men harassing us to buy things constantly. The water was beautiful and so was the sand, but it was not as enjoyable as a typical day at the beach because of the constant harassment. Also people are known for using the ocean as a washroom (bathroom) because you have to pay to use the actual washroom. The horses go to the bathroom all over the sand and the sewage is dumped into the water, so it is not always sanitary.

After we got back we got ready to go to a welcome dinner, which was a blast. We went back to Chez Afrique, ate dinner, and danced for several hours. We danced to all different types of music from reggae to gospel and it was incredible to watch so many Ghanians dance in sync with one another. By the end of the night two Ghanian women had danced with Sarah and I, which is a huge break through for us abrunis.