Go Big or Go Home!!

For those of you who have not heard, I have extended my stay in Ghana for the rest of the year. I will be here until the end of May and I will be spending my Winter Break with my best friend, Katie, in Israel! This may come as a shock to some but I am having the adventure of a lifetime and I feel that there is still so much more for me to learn here.

Saturday my roommate, Ariel, and I headed to Makola Market in Accra. We bought some incredible fabrics that we are going to have the seamstresses make skirts for us out of. The market is pure chaos, full of traders constantly hissing at you or grabbing your arm to catch your attention. My favorite area is the food market on the side of the main road- pigs’ hooves, large snails, and huge fish and crabs stare back at me (and smell too!)

Sunday I did my usual teaching for Exponential Education. We caught a cab to the Accra Sports Stadium to meet up with our EAP group and watch the soccer game between Accra Hearts of Oak and Berekum. The stadium was awesome and it was cool to see how passionate Ghanaians are about soccer. The game ended in a tie and no penalty kicks were taken because it was a season game.

The past week I have been participating in the Inter Hall Competition. Basically, it is a week full of athletic events in which each dorm has an athlete or team represent them in a certain sport. I was selected to represent my hall, Volta, in tennis. From my experiences thus far up at the courts I was not anticipating there to be any competitive girls. However my first round match instantly changed my opinion in that arena. My opponent was straight up skilled. She walked in wearing her Nike shirt, Nike skirt, Nike shoes, and yes, Nike socks. We had quite the crowd gathered around our court and my nerves had my hands shaking all over the place. Despite all the support I had from my Ghanaian brothers, I lost the match 4-2, 4-3. What I did not know at the time was that my opponent was a member of the Ghanaian national tennis team. Apparently the team captain had brought coaches from Accra to watch me play. After the match I was approached and asked to play for the UG team in January at the University Games held in Nigeria. At this point I don’t know if I will be able to do it but I sure hope so! So the tournament continued…I won my next couple matches and I ended up in the championships, playing my same opponent. Yet, she refused to play. When we were supposed to play the match this week she didn’t show up. Everyone is joking that she is afraid to play me- secretly I am afraid to play her! Worse yet, as I waited for her to show up on Monday, the sky turned black. My coach swore that it would NOT rain. A breeze built up, meaning the rain was coming and before we knew it we could literally see the wall of rain moving towards us. And when it rained, it POURED! We were soaked within seconds. We ran for cover but it was too late. When I made it back to Volta I was informed that I looked like a “wet beaver,” great! The only positive part was that I got to have a fascinating discussion with my friend, Zainab, from Kenya. We talked about how tribal affiliations are still extremely important in Ghana and decide who you will and will not be friends with. We also discussed her perspective on foreigners, tourism in Africa, and development. During my lecture that night my professor had to stop talking because she could not b e heard over the thunder. AND late that night I awoke to my room shaking from the boom of the thunder and my bed was wet from the rain (because there is no such thing as glass windows here that close). It was actually scary it was so intense. I kept thinking if they had a hurricane warning system and if I missed the alarm. But don’t worry, the heat is back!

A couple hours ago I got back from my dance midterm. It was a mortifying and unbelievable experience at the same time. For the past semester my class has been learning two traditional African dances. Our class was split into groups consisting of six people- me and my friend, Monique, were the only obrunis in our group...and our sixth member didn’t show up causing for more difficulties. Now let me set the scene. The live band of drummers sat up against the wall next to the panel of judges who sat at an official table with their notepads ready to critique our every move. Directly opposite them was a stage where 150 of my fellow classmates sat watching. Sandwiched in the middle of these two groups were me and my group. The five of us each had a number pinned to our stomachs like we were marathon runners. And then the drumming began… fifteen minutes later I was a slip ‘n’ slide of sweat- but all smiles of course. I think I did okay- nothing near the hip shaking of the Ghanaians but not too shabby. We had a solo part at the end where we were supposed to get creative, let loose, and show the audience what we got. I tried to not let my nerves get the best of me and I just put it all out there. It was nerve-wracking but at the end of the day, I had fun and it is definitely one of those moments that will stick out in my mind when I am back in the States.

Vandal City

      Not once but over ten times now I have been sitting in my room quietly studying when all of the sudden it sounds like a bomb goes off outside. The thundering boom is followed by the sound of drumming and banging pots accompanied by the chanting of a mass of men. I look out my window already knowing who the culprit is by now. The Commonwealth Vandals. The Vandals are my brother dorm. We are known as the only all-male and all-female dorms which have a prestigious reputation so naturally we would link up. The Vandals are notorious for being leaders but also troublemakers. I wish I could tell you what the reasoning is but I have now witnessed over ten Vandal parades. A crowd of around two hundred men wearing their signature bright red shirts, or no shirts at all, surround the perimeter of Volta Hall chanting in Twi, banging pots and pans, drumming, and setting off cherry bombs…this would NEVER fly in the United States. They proceed to break through the Volta gates and gather in our courtyard where they fly a huge red flag with a phallus emblem, classy right? After having their fun they eventually dissipate back up to their dorm. Commonwealth hall is located at the top of the hill on campus where their sign “Vandal City” overlooks the rest of the dorms. No girl should ever wear red (as I have learned the hard way) near the dorm because they will hoot, holler, and harass you with song and dance putting all eyes on you. Just an interesting fact: the Vandals used to be a secret society but the group was disbanded due to problems in the past. You are not allowed to film them and they commonly wear masks in order to hide their identity because it is believed that men admitted into Commonwealth Hall are the future leaders of Ghana. This week the Vandals have marched on our dorm twice and lit fires throughout campus due to their frustration over tuition raises. Some of my friends informed me that two years ago the administration cancelled final exams after the Vandals “poop” bombed the testing area. The crazy part is apparently things are calm now.   

            Friday night I went to an educational movie event hosted in the International Programs Office where we got free snacks wahooo! The movies were one of the jaw-dropping awe inspiring documentaries that left me wondering, what am I doing for the world? The first movie was called Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai. The film takes place in Kenya and surrounds the life of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai whose “simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy.” Unfortunately Maathai passed away this past week but her impact will most definitely not be forgotten in Africa. The second film, Pray the Devil Back to Hell follows the story of courageous Liberian women who came together despite religious difference to end a civil war and bring peace to their devastated country. This film was especially interesting to me because a) I am learning about the formation of Liberia and b) I have encountered many Liberian refugees during my time in Ghana. I plan on visiting the Liberian refugee camp with one of my friends who works there. If there is any way you can get your hands on these gems it will definitely give you a whole new perspective on the world.

            

 Saturday I woke up at 6AM to tag along with my Ghanaian friend, Ama, to attend an event called “The Merryfest” put on by her church in the Eastern Region. Two buses sat in the parking lot outside Volta waiting for students from the University of Cape Coast and the University of Ghana to load up. The beginning was painfully awkward because Ama is a social butterfly and she left me, the lone obruni amongst a hundred Ghanaian strangers, to fend for myself. Luckily when we were boarding the bus a big Ghanaian male grabbed my arm and escorted me on informing me that “I will be sitting with you!” At the time I did not know that I would be sitting in the very back of the bus surrounded by rowdy boys who spent the whole ride drumming and chanting songs that echoed throughout the bus. Just for a visual, none of these boys were sitting. Instead they lined the aisle and squished into the seats, hanging out the windows as they sang and danced away. I must admit, it did not hurt my confidence when these fifty African men decided to serenade me and fought over the chance to sit next to me. I was surprised to learn that the guy who originally pulled me on the bus, Abe, and the rest of the boys all hailed from the University of Cape Coast. Our bus ride was three hours of hot, sweaty, LOUD madness but it was well worth it. We arrived in the Eastern Region at an athletic club that reminded me of the Auburn Racquet Club. The club had a real volleyball court, an empty swimming pool, two nice hard tennis courts (not dirt), and a soccer field. I was the only girl who joined the boys and played volleyball and they sure had no mercy. The best part was by far tennis, though. The boys all chuckled and heckled me when I walked onto the court in my sandals and wearing a little sweater. One of the boys challenged me and by the end of the match we had quite the audience gathering…apparently it is rare for a girl to be able to compete with a boy. I ended up serving hundreds of balls as the boys switched off and tried to return them. After tennis one of my opponents kept making excuses with a guilty smile and promised that someday somehow he would drive to Accra for a rematch- I told him it’s a deal! The strangest part of the Merryfest event was being a celebrity for the day. Everyone wanted a picture with the obruni- most of the time I did not have a clue who the other person in the picture was with me. Of course I had to stand up in front of everyone at one point with a microphone in hand and explain my reasons for being in Ghana. Lunch was delicious- jollof rice, chicken, and salad covered my plate. My little posse and I sat on the grass and joked away. One interesting aspect of Ghanaian culture if food sharing. Five of the Ghanaians were sharing some banku and fish which they just grab with their hands- no silverware and rip some meat and eat away. They forced me to try it and I must admit, not half bad. As I sat on the grass eating my rice one of the guys I had met earlier popped out of nowhere, grabbed my fork out of my hand, helped himself to some of my jollof rice and then washed it down by demolishing my chicken- perfectly normal behavior in Ghana, seriously! Whenever you sit next to a stranger who is eating they will always say “you are invited” and you can dig in without feeling rude. After eating was the football/soccer match. Ghanaians are serious about their football. Each team had jerseys- Cape Coast in red and Legon in blue. They even bought a trophy for the rivalry match. As usual, the match started with a drumming and dancing warm-up. Then the game. Ghanaians are so fast and athletic I am always in amazement. The ball ended up popping halfway in but we found a replacement and continued. The tie game ended in penalty kicks that felt as tense as a World Cup Match. Finally, my own team booted one more in and the goalie blocked one of the opponent’s goals to seal the victory. The Legon squad danced away with the fans jumping along as the Cape Coast boys walked away bitterly. During the game I sat with some Cape Coast girls who got a kick out of my accent when speaking Twi and guaranteed that they would find me a Ghanaian boyfriend by the end of the day. The four hour drive back in traffic gave me a chance to solidify my new friendships. Even though a good portion I will never see again considering they attend a university hours away, my own campus at Legon is starting to feel much smaller due to all the new people I have met.  

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Yesterday was one of those days where the sky opened up and it started pouring out of nowhere. Ariel and I had decided to check out the new market across from the University when the rain decided to come down HARD. All of the Ghanaians were packed under any overhanging available but Ariel and I thought we were above waiting out the rain and set out with our umbrellas. By the time we made it to the market we were drenched from head to toe. We were so dirty we could not decide how we would be allowed to enter the store. So what did we do? We went around the corner from the market and used the dirty trench water to wipe off the red clay stuck to our legs…yes we were desperate. When we entered the store it was as if we were back in the States. We walked through the store with mouths gaping open and eyes wide…the whole time leaving muddy footprints following us. The store has EVERYTHING- well except milk, and Frosted Flakes cost around $20 US dollars, depressing. I made two incredible discoveries here. 1. There is imitation nutella for super cheap imported from France. 2. The store has a gelato stand- heaven! I left the store with a huge smile on my face. I cannot believe how much I have missed grocery stores.

At night we went to our Auntie’s birthday party. Auntie Irene Odotei is a prominent scholar and well known in Ghana. She used to be the head of the UC-EAP program but retired last year but still comes and visits us and treats us as if we are family. When we walked in Auntie Irene came dancing up to me in her sparkly traditional Ghanaian dress, wrapped me in a bear hug and gave me a big wet kiss on the cheek. The food was incredible- all my favorite Ghanaian dishes- jollof rice, fried plantains and yams, banku, fufu, and of course goat! My friend Kojo worked the DJ table and all of the older women who work in the international office everyday were out on the dance floor grooving. I swear everyone here, people of all ages, love to dance. We formed a circle and individuals would take center stage to show their best moves while the rest of the circle clapped to the beat. 65 year old Auntie Irene broke out into the center of the circle and showed off her moves- of course I refused to show my own skills, I don’t think 3^rd grade ballet technique quite cuts it here. Right before we left, Auntie Irene had special requested a woman to cook pancakes for all us California kids. When we left she came up and said “I love you” to me- she truly is like my African momma.

I have finally begun my special study project with Exponential Education. My co-partner Marjan and I tro-troed all over the Agogba and Ashoman areas to find students for our tutoring program. It was pretty fun walking down random streets in the middle of nowhere only to break out into a clearing where a hundred little Ghanaian kids were running around in their blue school uniforms. The kids were precious- just picture all the smiles and waves aimed in your direction. By the end of the day we had spoken with three headmistresses who were to gather students for us. On Sunday, we had our first meeting where we tested the student’s levels in math and English as well as the tutor’s levels. Marjan and I took 2 tro-tros and then walked for a solid mile in the hot African sun only to find ourselves lost. My directions said to turn right at a yam factory but nobody seemed to be able to point me in the right direction. We walked up and down the street only to discover the correct turn was at the starting point the whole time…typical. The kids showed up an hour late- Ghana time!- but that is expected considering they walk miles after church to make it for free tutoring. Overall, the meeting went extremely well. I played a name game with them where you say your first name and an animal that coordinates with the first letter of your name- so I was Heidi Hippo. I learned through this game that “goat” seems to be the most comical animal that exists in their mind. The kids are all super intelligent but definitely need help with basic math and English skills. They are eager to learn and I am confident that they will pick it up quick!

        

The past two nights I have went on excursions to Osu to get some good grub. Osu is in the heart of Accra and is the “ritzy” area where the United Nations building is located. On a Sunday night at 8pm three girls and I had our hearts set on finding Thai food. Success! I had the most delicious pad Thai I can remember in a loooong time. The next night was my friend’s, Amanda, birthday. What did she want to do? She wanted a big group of us to get dressed up as if we were going to prom basically and head out to the first American chain food restaurant that just opened in Ghana- Kentucky Fried Chicken! Genius idea, right? Unfortunately, KFC isn’t the same as in America. Basically, they offer chicken and French fries for way too much money. Yet I managed to get my hands on a soft serve ice cream cone that is practically identical to the ice cream cone of the dollar menu at McDonalds. Both adventures were so worth it!

I started tennis practice the past week. At first I struggled to adjust to the clay (which is actually dirt but they won’t admit it) courts. It just felt nice to be active and meeting new people, even though I am practicing with the men’s team which leads to a large amount of hazing and jokes aimed at my foreign awkwardness. My new nicknames are Venus and Kournikova- their favorite two female tennis players. I was pretty surprised by the skill level of the boys, they definitely know how to play and with great technique! My biggest problem was the sun and heat. My clothes were soaking wet by the time I was done…and then I had dance class after. The next morning I could hardly move because I used muscles I haven’t used in a long time.

On Wednesday nights our program coordinator holds a support group meeting which I obviously attend for the free food! They are actually like big family reunions with intellectually stimulating topics. I have had to perform a rap for the group which was humiliating and discuss the biggest cultural struggles we are having. The best night was last night. Auntie Rose had a caterer make us salads- because apparently after reading our orientation journals she was super disturbed by what we were saying we were eating- mainly bread and night market food (which isn’t always safe). We also watched a documentary on the witches of Gambaga. Yes, witchcraft is still existent in Ghanaian society and the documentary explained how women are often the key targets of witchcraft accusations and are banned from their clans. I definitely recommend checking it out!

Life here is really simple and refreshing. I am starting to have a consistent group of Ghanaian friends who are all offering to take me to their homes to meet their parents (it is very exciting to have an obruni friend apparently) and take me around town to show me the secrets of life in Ghana. My classes continue to challenge me and I have had some very interesting political discussions with Teacher Assistants- but I will spare you the details. I am starting to cook more for myself and ease off the oil and bread. Oh and pretty sure I saw a presidential escort in progress. All I know is about 20 really expensive looking cars drove through campus with police escorts in front and back and in each passenger seat of the car was a military man with a HUGE gun…my money is that it was the president or someone else important for that matter. I'll keep my eye out for him! xoxo