Adalai

Adalai is one of our front desk clerks. She is the happiest person I have ever met. She always has a warm smile for everyone and looks out for the students here making sure they don't hook up with unsavory characters. Many days when I drag myself to the dorm, hot and tired, she has greeted me with a warm smile and a friendly wave.

Leticia, Martin and Me

Well, the dorms are almost empty and quiet. Most of the International students have gone home and are travelling. The Ghanaian students are taking finals and studying away. It feels weird that it is Christmas and it is so hot. All around holiday music is playing and decorations are up. Christmas Ghana style.

I'm leaving for vacation on Monday and really getting excited. Of course, packing is always a problem for me. Egypt is cool at this of year and I read very conservative so I'm trying to figure out what clothes to take. Will return to Ghana on January 3, 2011.

Wishing everyone a wonderful, peaceful and prosperous New Year.

Adwoa.

Four Months

Yesterday made four months since we've here. I had my last final and glad that it is over. I did pretty good, but I could have done better. Next semester I intend to do much better. Those students who are here for one semester are leaving next week. Will be sad to see some of them that I've made friends leave. Many parents and relatives are here visting their children that are here studying. The noise levels have gone up quite a bit in the dorm now that classes are over. The Ghanaian students don't take their exams until later in the month, so many are busy studying away. The international students will be all finished with exams by the end of this week allowing for student to catch flights home. I am so glad that I am staying. I would be very sad to be leaving now.

I've had my days when I wanted to leave and even spoke to my CSU coordinator about it. Of course, she made me rethink that decision and I know that I would regret it to leave now. So, with all this time off until classes start on January 26, 2011, I'm doing some Summer cleaning (it is Summer here), and getting ready for my trip to Egypt. I will be leaving on December 20th and I will be there until January 3, 2011. I will then return to Ghana for one week and then going on a road trip being sponsored by the French Club to Burkina Faso/Senegal/Mali and the Gambia. Also during my time off, intend to get to know Ghana a little better and take a couple of weekend trips to different parts of the country.

I'm becoming more confident at getting around the city alone and love taking tro tro around the city and taking in the sights and sounds of Africa. Feel like Ghana is home and while walking back to my dorm yesterday after exams, I saw a wedding reception that was being held on campus. When I looked at the people and how beautiful they looked in their traditional African clothes and all the culture that exists here, I get sad thinking about leaving this place. A part of me is eager to get back and get on with my life back in the States and then another bigger part of me wants the carefree, incredibly beautiful life that I have here. I've been entertaining the thought more and more of possibly coming back one day to live here. Not sure what the future holds for me so I'm trying to live more in the moment and just enjoy the place I'm in right now.

Annual Giving Thanks Dinner

Today was the Annual Giving Thanks Dinner put on by the African-American Association of Ghana. I went with two girls from my hostel. It was so nice. It feels so strange to be here during a major U.S. holiday, especially since it is so hot. I feel my body getting used to the omnipresent heat. Many of the members with friends and family came out. The food was soooooooooo good. I feel like I died and went to heaven. It was nice to meet more members and hear their stories of living in Ghana. There is so much potential in Ghana to soar in so many areas. I was talking to a friend and he was telling me that he paid 50 cedi a month for his small studio apartment. Fifty cedi is about $45 U.S. dollars. I could not believe it. It is a nice place though the bathroom is outdoors. He also said I could get a nice place with indoors bathroom for 200 cedi a month, which is only $142.00 U.S. dollars.

There was dancing, lots of laughter and I had a good time sitting out in the warm air (I did apply my bug spray). Farita, who is also from the Bay Area, and I both mentioned how cold the Bay Area temps probably were now. On the way back, we got a ride from this brother and he dropped us off at 37 station and I went and got a couple of things from a grocery store. I then went and caught the tro tro and the girls had gotten on it already. Listening to the banter between the riders in Twi was so delightful and I marvel at how strong many Ghanaians are. Now that the whether has turned hot, riding the tro tro is a whole nother experience. I was so cramped that it felt like my legs were going to break. But, hey, can't beat .50 pescas I guess.

Rode back and walked to the hostel with this young man from Nigeria who has been accepted to Yale University. The lightening was unreal. It gets dark every night around 6:00 p.m. since we've been here. It took a little getting used to when we got here in August. Living so close to the equator is quite an experience. The sun is so intense some times and you can feel how close you are to it.

In the midsts of finals. One on Monday and two on Saturday and I am through. Students are preparing to leave mid-December and many people are gearing up for vacations. I will savor all of the experiences I have here in the upcoming months so that this experience can be indelibly marked in my heart.

Me and Vanessa Mixon, President of African-American Association of Ghana

Sat with this couple during dinner. The gentleman owns a restaurant in Osu and the woman was here visiting from Los Angeles.

Saying Grace

Farita And Kim

Listening To The Elders

Love talking to elderly people in Ghana. They offer such insight into life and I've learned so much from them in the short period i've been here. Their words of wisdom will stay with me long after I leave Ghana.

Weekend

This past weekend, Leticia and I went to a fund raiser that was put on by the African-American Association of Ghana. Most of the proceeds were given to a local Children's Home. There was a beautiful dance performed by a former student from the University of Ghana and a young man from a local dance company. A comic from the UK also performed. The main event was a play entitled "The Saga of the Returnee." It was about a man that leaves Ghana and goes to the U.S. to attend college and who ultimately returns to live in Ghana. It was so funny!!!! He had the entire audience laughing throughout. Many of us who are from the U.S. and now live here could really relate to the differences in cultures and the adjustments one must make when they leave the country they were raised in from birth to live elsewhere. He had me on the floor when he described an African-American minister giving a sermon in a Black church.

Afterwards, we tried to catch a taxi and, of course, he tried to jack up the rates. We started talking with a Ghanaian couple and we all walked a bit to a street where we would be able to get a taxi and the Brother negotiated a good rate for us. It was so nice walking and talking with them and we were pleased to learn that the Brother was a recent graduate from the University.

Kente Cloth Weaving Factory

Tings

-It's HOT!!!!!! This humidity is killing me. As people have done since the beginning of mankind in Africa, I'm having to plan my days around the heat and staying in my room or in the shade during the hottest parts of the day. I freeze water nightly and carry it around with me throughout the day. It does not help when the water in the dorm goes out for two days. The bathrooms stink to high heavens. Went to the dorm down the road and took a shower the other night. As I walked back to my dorm under the beautiful African night sky, I prayed never to forget this expereince.

-Our weekend trip to Togo was cancelled because not enough people signed up for the trip. I was disappointed, but It is good because I can spend time studying most of the weekend. I'm determined to get all this material down so that I can do well on these finals.

-The final exam schedule was posted this week. I have my Archaeology and Religious studies finals on December 3rd and my other Archaeology final on December 4th. The date for the Twi final is yet to be determined. Papa Peprah said that we could pick what will be on the final.

-I was walking across campus the other day and my Archaeology professor stopped and waited for me and we chatted for a moment. I thanked him for always stressing during his lectures that we need to pay more attention to the environment. He invited me to his office to chat when I had more time. It felt so good to realize that I'm becoming a familiar face on campus. Also met with a group from my other Archaeology class--Human Origins--to work on our report from our field trip that we took two weeks ago. It was so nice to finally get to know the other students on a one-on-one basis, and I'm so impressed at how smart and intelligent many of the students on this campus are.

-Found the track and am loving running/walking around it every evening. At sunset, you get a beautiful view of Legon where our campus is located. I have lost 25 pounds so far and it feels good to finally trim down. Giving up my Starbucks habit was hard to do, but I can see the many benefits that not drinking my daily dose of Vente Soy Mocha is bringing me.

That's it for now. Gotta run to the market and get some fruits for my morning smoothies. Everything is bargained over here, so I'm practicing my Twi and putting on my game face. LOL. Mepaakyew Eye Sen? - Please, how much is it?

Blessings All!!!

Random Thoughts

There are so many ways in which I see that who I am is not a fit with Ghanaian culture. Once again, a man tried to get in front of me in line. Not only did he jump ahead of me, but there was a long line of people patiently waiting. It is such an affront to me when they do that, and I always have such a viseral reaction to just go off. He pushed his merchandise in front of mine and once again, I pushed my things in front of his. Once again, a nasty stare and disbelief that a woman would challenge what appears to be a common practice here. I don't care how long I'm in Ghana, that will never be o.k. with me. What is the problem with standing in line and waiting your turn just like everyone else? What makes you think you're so special that you can jump in front of everyone else in line? I looked at him and said UNBELIEVABLE!!

Me And My Personal Trainer, Lydia.

This is how I usually look after one of our workouts. LOL.

Kobe And Leticia

It's Been Three Months

I'm savoring each day here now because it is going to be over really soon. The students that are here for one semester are getting ready to leave next month. I'm so glad that I opted to stay for two semesters. This experience is getting richer and deeper the longer I stay here. Ghana feels like home now and the thought of returning to the U.S. makes me sad. The days are hot and muggy, but I'm slowly getting used to that as well. I've started going to the campus gym and have a personal trainer and I'm starting to trim down a bit. She urged me to start preparing my food and she went to the market and brought me a whole bunch of fruit and a blender and makes me delicious soups so that I can stop eating out. I love my personal trainer, Lydia. She is no nonsense and when I start to complain that I can't go on, she'll allow me to stop and then say, you own me.

Classes will be over in the next couple of weeks and then we'll have our finals. Looking forward to the break so that I can see more of Ghana and travel to Senegal and the Gambia. Yesterday I saw the biggest lizard since I've been here and he was heading towards my room. Leticia was coming out of her room and saw it too. We were cowering in fear and I cracked up because we are 100 times bigger than that lizard. I keep telling her if I see one in my room, I'm moving in with her.

Through it all, I am so glad that I did not let my fear of the unknown stop me from coming to Ghana. I'm learning so much about people, life and myself and know that this experience is making me a much better person.

Leticia's 22nd Birthday

We went out last night to celebrate Leticia's 22nd birthday. We went to Joker's nightclub which is in Accra. We had alot of fun. Wishing you many, many more birthdays Leticia!!!!

Tisha, Shaye and Nana.

Erin.

Nana and Shaye drove all the way from Tema and met us at Jokers for the festive occasion!

Coco, Leticia and Dena.

The Birthday Girl and Teniesha.

Melissa, Stephanie (sorry I got you Stephanie) and Desiree. We had a ball dancing!!!

Melissa

Coco and Dena.

Desiree is with the University of California program. She arrived for orientation ahead of her group and attended orientation with our group (California State University). We adopted her and she is now one of us.

Little Denise (Denise Lopez)

Teniesha lives in my dorm. She is with the University of St. Louis, Missouri-Africa program. She will be leaving in December. Will miss you girl!

Shaye, Leticia and Me.

Field Trip

Today, my Archaeology class went on a field trip to Shai Hill Reserve. We drove about 1 1/2 hours from campus. Our professor wanted us to observe baboons and write up a field report. Unfortunately, only a couple of the total population would come out from their hiding spots. It was a beautiful ride and walk around the park nonetheless. We stopped at a restaurant afterwards and had lunch and headed back to campus. It was nice taking a trip with my class-mates and getting to know some of them better.

This was the subject of our investigation.

These are two of my classmates from the Anthropology Department. They have saved me many a day in completing assignments and figuring out the in's and out's of campus life.

The gentleman in the striped green and black shirt is my archaeology professor, Mr. Nkumbaan. The other fella with the white hat was our tour guide. The others are students taking copious notes because we have to write up a report for our field trip.

These are some of my classmates from the Archaeology Department. In the middle is Patricia who is the class President. She befriended me early in the semester and helped me get acquainted with the Archaeology Department.

The Strike Is Over

Classes have resumed and the strike is over. The campus is back to being busy and full. It was good to be back in classes yesterday. I heard that the semester will be extended for three weeks, but I was told to check at the International Students' office to make certain. There are only a couple more weeks until exams so I'll be very busy trying to learn everything I need to be successful.

Weekend Trip

This weekend the Sociology Department sponsored a trip to Lake Nzulezo and the Amansuri Village, which is also known as the village on stilts. The village is in the Western Region and took us six hours to get there. We left campus at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. (We were supposed to leave at 12:30 a.m. I've adjusted to Africa time surprisingly well). Unfortunately, the air conditioner was on full blast and I've come down with a nasty cold.

The ride to the village took 45 minutes and was facilitated by our guide. There were three or four people per canoe. The scenery was unreal!!!It was so quiet and peaceful and I enjoyed every moment of it. The guide told us that the village was first founded by settlers that came down from Mali and that it has been inhabitated for the past 600 years.

Village School

Our Mode of Transportation

The ride was breath taking!!!!

Our Very Capable Guide, Evans

Getting Ready

Upcoming Attractions

Some Students From My Dorm

Mohammed and Nameba