Hi guys!

Sorry I haven’t posted anything in a while. We just got internet recently and we only have a limited amount of time we can use it for. So much has happened since I arrived in Ghana. I don’t think I can fully summarize everything I have experienced but I’m going to at least try. Teaching has been fun. It started off as a struggle because we have about 30 kids in each of our classes, which is a large amount to keep fully engaged and under control for 50 minutes. I was upset at first because I felt like I wasn’t engaging all of the kids enough but then we had a discussion with our group leader about the purpose of this trip and I realized that the purpose is not to have an effective lesson every time or to have every kid engaged at all times. The purpose of us teaching Kwesi said is for the students to understand that even if we look different or act differently than them we are all human which makes us all the same. These kids are not used to seeing foreigners and they look at us like we’re aliens a lot of the time. So the purpose of us teaching is to help the kids be comfortable with us and realize that we are all the same. So there’s no reason to look at us differently.

That said, teaching my classes has still been a lot harder than I anticipated. I manage to somehow use all 50 minutes each time. (Colored pencils always help time fly faster.) I realized that they love learning new games so I have been trying to teach them American hand-clapping games because even though I’m teaching choir these games help teach them about rhythm. I try to connect the class. I tried playing some American pop music for them too but  they said they needed “faster music” to dance to. I guess our music doesn’t have a good enough beat to shake to.

The food here has been great. I’ve tried everything that we have been served and I’ve loved it all. My love for rice has been reestablished because we have rice with every meal and it is delicious. The fruit here is also incredible. The mango is indescribably good and so is the pineapple. When I return to the U.S. I won’t be able to look at fruit or rice the same way.

The last thing I want to talk about is being not just a minority but a spectacle. You may have read from some of the previous posts that people refer to us as “obroni” which means foreigner (or,a lot of times, “white person”). The people here are very blunt and will call you what you are. It’s not meant to be offensive. It’s just the name they use to call us. It gets frustrating a lot of times being an obroni here though because you might be walking through the market and a little child or maybe even an older person will stop in their tracks to literally just stare at you. It makes you feel very self-conscious and almost like there is something wrong with you. My entire life I’ve lived places where I was the majority and for once I understand what it’s like to be the minority. I know it’s not meant to be hurtful but I hate being treated differently or looked at differently because of the color of my skin. I hate when kids stop and point and yell “Obroni!” I’m beginning to just deal with it but it’s a constant reminder that I will never fit in here. I love the culture here, though, and the people are all very nice and friendly.

I think I’ve written enough for now. I will share more later when I get the time. I’m not really sure when that is going to be, but stick with me!

Until next time!

~Arielle

Hey guys!,

I am so sorry that I have not been able to get on here and blog more often. We have been having so much fun in Ghana, and have been pretty busy. It is very hot here. I hope you are enjoyiong the cold weather at home 🙂

Yesterday we drove an hour and a half to go to Cape Coast. We explored the slave castles and gladly lounged at the beach/resort. The resort was so nice. We ate a serene lunch along the ocean. We then sat by the pool and swam for hours.

This morning, we went to a Catholic church service. It was extremely different than the masses I am used to back in the states. It involves a lot of dancing and shouting. It was a very interesting experience to see how others worship.

The trip so far has been everything that people said it was going to be; life changing. The students in Heritage Academy have all been so welcoming and happy to see us. Although I miss home, I am having a blast here in Ghana. It is the trip of a lifetime. I have been keeping a journal every night with things we are doing. It would be a little challenging to upload them all onto here; but I can tell you that we are very much so enjoying ourselves, and we will fill you in on everything when we get back home.

I will see all of you in a week or so!

Bye!

We have internet!

My first week in Ghana has been amazing. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but Ghana has welcomed me, suprised me, and taught me about myself and the world I am in. I was nervous to start teaching but have found it to be amazing (I will upload more about that later!). I have kept my blog in my journal so I can just pop it up on here as I get the time (I have to type it up and there is always a line for the computer so I can’t do it all at once).

Arrival

The plain ride was long and cramped but we all forgot about it as we stepped off the plane onto the hot asphalt of the runway (no more snow!!). The excitment was gone quick. A hot cramped shed awaited us as we took the long walk through customs, each lugging two suitcases (one of donations). Following customs we had our joyous reunion with Kwesi and met Alaska, Heritages driver. Ghahna is hot and the cars are like ovens. Are spirits however could not be stiffeled as we experienced Ghana for the first time through the few hour drive to Heritage.

I just want to say a little about the roads before I get into what I saw out the window. In Ghana the unsaid rule of the road is that you can only drive once you have five more people than you can comfortably fit in the car. Seat belts dont exist and I have seen few cars without cracked windows and mix-matched parts (just to say they would not be allowed on the road in the states). And not to say we don’t have bad potholes but they are nothing compared to the roads here. Cars weeve in and out as they floor it around other cars and bad pavement. It is kinda fun, like a rollercoaster.

I was surprised at how underdeveloped everything was. I had expected the city to look a bit more like a city, the main airport a bit more like an airport. Only a few unfinished highrises graced the air, the ground around them was littered with disorganized shacks. As we drove through the hectic streets I experienced the culture I would soon be immersed in through a window. I saw women with baskets on their heads, clothed in colorful patterned fabric. Men carrying pounds of fish through the market. What astounded me about Ghana was that there were so many children, they are everywhere. Six year olds with one year olds strapped to their backs, young boys playing pickup soccer in the street, girls selling to the cars carrying water pouches and plantain chips on their heads. Everything seemed so chaotic and young compared to my home. Children had a level of freedom and responsibility at age that I had never experienced in the United States.

As we got closer we drove through the villages that many of my students would be from. The villages had a main rode with small shacks that had stores in them facing outwards. Behind these spread out rows of makeshift shelters, roofs of old tin and sides of plywood or handmade brick, all leaning against eachother. Between them was a jumble of clothes lines, children playing or working about, and groups of adults vending, cooking, doing laundry, or simply sitting around.

The glimpses I have seen of this culture through the drive to the house have made me excited and nervous to experience a new way of life and to learn and teach. The poverty and filfth in Ghana is at a level I have never seen and experiencing it for the first time shocked me and humbled me. I hope I can build great relationships with these kids, learn about their culture, and help them throughout the next eighteen days and after.

Fanti word that I will be using: Obroni, it means traveler and is what the local call us white people.

March 6

We got to sleep in until 8 this morning because there was no school. I rolled out of bed to find pancakes and delicious eggs waiting for me. After breakfast, we all got dressed and walked over to the marching grounds at the local education university. As we watched the military march, and kind of listers to the speech being made, we felt raindrops. It is currently the dry season here, but this rain cloud just couldn’t hold it in. As the students began to march, the rain came down harder, and the wind blew it into my body. The students continued to march while others ran for cover under trees and small tents. I embraced every second because I finally wasn’t on the verge of sweating just from standing around. When tree branches started falling we saw lightning, and decided to head home.

When we got to the house I changed into dry clothes and sat on the porch to watch some of the group play soccer with some of our students. The rain didn’t stop football. Everybody came in for PB and J’s for lunch. The living room was dark (the power was out and the sky was grey) so everybody decided it would be a good time to nap. We all fell asleep at some point somewhere in the house and woke up late I the afternoon. We spent the rest of our time playing card games and speaking with locals.

After dinner, we decided to go to town. The rain had finally stopped and there was nothing to do in the powerless house. Bright took us to Jimmycom (a local bar) and we danced outside with very insistent people. Everybody wanted to dance with the white people. In order to keep some of the older men away we lied about having boyfriends, but they taught us some dance moves anyways. After we had enough, we walked back to the house, reflecting on the day as we went. When we got home we settled for watching a tv episode and started a movie. Hopefully we will finish it tomorrow.

March 5

I woke up to my alarm today. I’m surprised that my phone didn’t die overnight, given that it only had 10% battery when I went to bed. We had pancakes for breakfast; a nice way to start our day. As soon as we got to school I could tell it was going to be a hot day. We all sat in the shade for our first reading period, trying our best to avoid the overwhelming sun. One of the students in my second reading period was surprised to know that I had remembered that today was her birthday, and couldn’t stop smiling for the whole time. Today they asked me to read some for them, and then tried to repeat the way I spoke: like an Obroni.

Our first class went very well today. All the kids were in a good mood and seemed to like our introduction to poetry. I was excited about this because I had been a little bit nervous about the lesson plan. It was very difficult to teach because of the constant sound of drumming outside of the classroom. The students were practicing marching for tomorrow, the Ghanaian Independence Day. As soon as it stopped, it was much easier to speak from the front of the classroom.

We spent our free period up in the “point breeze”. It’s a small room up in the high school where there is constant wind. I was glad to have the opportunity to cool off after a long morning. Lunch was delicious. We had red red and plantains (my favorite meal so far). The classes that followed went well and I feel like we are getting closer and closer to the kids. However, I still can’t remember all of their names. Still many come up to me telling me that they are the second Jordan they know. Thanks to a friend, most of the kids already knew I was coming.

We began our work project after school today. We split into three groups: library, painting and cement block making. I decided to go with the painters group. We were asked to paint one of the future classrooms. We were given a bright green color, watered down of course! My arms soon became tired from reaching as high as I could (I was the tallest in the group). After about an hour, we retired our brushes to some if the heritage high schoolers who had been watching us paint. We decided to walk home opposed to taking a cab. Although it was a challenge for my boot, I enjoyed the fresh air. After dinner and group meeting, I showered and rinsed all the green paint off of my body. We spent the rest of the night making friendship bracelets (the only thing we do to pass the time, thanks to Laura), watching episodes of a crazy tv show (thanks to jack) and sitting underneath the stars. The highlight if my day however was talking to somebody from the US. I’m missing all of my friends and family (and proper running water. Although I find comfort in the simplicity of life here).

I am very excited to watch my students march tomorrow, but I think I’m more excited that I get a break from teaching. I have a new sympathy for all of my teachers. Tomorrow I’m going to work on replying to all the students that wrote me notes, and talking my lesson plan through with Erin. Until tomorrow, obronis!