I realized that I haven't talked hardly at all about my classes here at UG, despite the fact that this trip is "study" abroad. So I thought I'd go through each of my classes and fill you in on what I've been doing all semester.
AFRICAN DRUMMING: Yes, I took a drumming class, something that was way out of my comfort zone, but I ended up loving. I loved it so much, I bought a beautiful drum that dad so kindly took home for me when he left. This class was an all-Obruni class (all international students) so none of us felt completely incompetent. We spent the majority of the semester working as a full class and learning the 4-5 parts of 3 different songs. For each song, there is the bell part (which keeps the rhythm for all the other parts), the rattle, one or two supporting drum parts, and the master drum. Near the end of the semester, we each chose which song we wanted to be tested on and were split into those three groups to focus on our chosen parts. For the exam, we would be split into groups of four, one for each part (bell, rattle, supporting, and master), and we would play the song four times, rotating parts until we had each played each. Unfortunately, this was a lot harder than it sounds. Not only did we not know our specific group until the final class period (so we couldn't really practice much together), but just getting all the parts to fit together, was REALLY hard. We could each play each part individually really well, but playing them all at the same time was near impossible. It sucks, because when it fits together, it sounds really awesome, but when it doesn't, it sounds awful. Yesterday was our exam. My group was up first. Amazingly, it went pretty well, and there were some parts where I definitely felt the groove! I was much happier afterward than I thought I'd be. We are supposed to find out our grades by the end of next week (we'll see....)
ENGLISH IN GHANA: Every major has what they call Core classes for each level, classes that are mandatory for that specific semester. In the English major, there is a core grammar class and a core literature class. I took both. Being core classes that all 4th-year English students have to take, both were BIG lectures. 200-300 people. This was my first experience with big classes. The biggest class I've had at Truman was General Health, and that only had about 100. This class, the grammar class, was focusing on the history of English usage in Ghana and what makes Ghanaian English unique to all other varieties of English. I was excited to learn the linguistic side of it. Living here, I've obviously picked up that Ghanaian English is different from American English, and I thought it would be really interesting to pinpoint these differences. Unfortunately, we only got to this liguistic point in the last 2 classes. The rest of it was devoted to the history of English (and thus, Education) in Ghana. While this was pretty interesting, I was still disappointed we didn't work more linguistically.
GHANAIAN LITERATURE: I was super pumped for this class. This is why I came to Ghana! (well, not really, but still exciting as a World Lit Major.) This was the other core class, so again, huge lecture. But the professor was really personable and walked up and down the aisles while talking, which made it better. I think the coolest thing about this class was the books that we read. I've found that many of the authors I've read this semester have been from Accra, or at least lived here at some point, and use this in their work a lot. Thus, there are countless references to the University and to different places around the city that I have been to. This character goes to spend a day at Labadi Beach with his sweetheart (I've been there several times!), this character is rushed to 37 Military Hospital (I drive past that on a regular basis!), this character gets ice cream at Frankies (where I have eaten lunch, twice!). It's strange being so connected to the text, and at the same time, odd that this doesn't happen more often to me. Is Ghana that much smaller than America that I know more about it in these past few months than I've known of America for the past 21 years? In any case, it's really fun to read this way.
Side note: During my studies here, many of the authors I read for any of my classes, and the people we talk about (in my English in GH class, for example), have all attended or worked at this University. University of Ghana-Legon is the university in this country (not that it's the only one, but the most important). The important people of Ghana have all walked the same streets I do every day. It's a strange and exciting feeling. I think I would feel similarly if I went to Harvard or Yale or something. It's cool.
ISLAM IN WEST AFRICA: As a religion minor, I wanted to take some sort of religion class, and honestly, this is the one that fit in my schedule. I was okay with it, though, because Islam is one of the major religions that I haven't studied much. As the class got going, though, I discovered much the same disappointment I had with my English in GH class. It was much more history and much less religion. I had assumed we would be discussing the religion of Islam and how it is practiced in W. Africa. Instead, we studied the history of Islam emerging and developing here. In fact, we didn't even get very far in that respect. The last thing we talked about was in the 18th century. However, during preparation for a group presentation, I met several really great Ghanaians. We had a group of five, three guys and one other girl. These three guys were the first (and some of the only) Ghanaian men I met who did not try to hit on me or make me feel uncomfortable. They were genuine, funny, smart, and fun to hang out with. The other girl had such a gentle and friendly personality, that it was easy to get along with her. We met 3 or 4 times to prep for our presentation, and each time one or all of them would walk me back to the hostel, so I wouldn't have to walk alone at night. And now, whenever I see them on campus, they stop me with a caring smile to check on how I'm doing. So for that, I'm really glad I took this class.
NEW LITERATURES IN ENGLISH: If you remember, this is the class I switched into 3 weeks late, after the schedules were all changed. I'm not going to go into the scheduling confusion with this class (except to say that we met at a different time or place nearly every week), because it gives me a headache. But I will say that despite all the confusion, this was my favorite class here at UG. It was a small class, only like 12-15 people, which helped a ton. For those of you (like myself) who do not know what New Literatures in English means, let me describe it for you: it is the new term for literatures of post-colonized societies. We read, for example, lit from Ghana, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean, Nigeria, Canada, and Kenya. The term 'post-colonial' has been rejected due to its limiting nature. By saying post-colonial, it implies a connection to the former colonizer, when in fact, it could have nothing to do with colonialism. Post-colonized societies are making efforts to create new identities, instead of still being attached to colonialism. It's obviously more complicated than that, but you get the generally idea. I loved this class because I felt totally comfortable in speaking up. The professor was really great about encouraging discussion, and one day when I hadn't spoken up, she actually noted it, saying "Emily, you've been awfully quiet today!" On the one hand, it was intimidating being called out like that, but on the other hand, I loved that she knew my name and recognized my contributions to the class. Plus, on an essay we had to write, I was the only one in the class to get an A, so that's sweet.
All right, I think this has gone on long enough. It's been a great distraction from studying. But now I have to get back to the books. My first written exam is in 3 days!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Whiling away the last five weeks...
Here I sit, on a bright, not-to-hot (meaning the sweat is only beading on my face, not dripping down) Tuesday morning, and I cannot believe that I only have four of these Tuesdays left. Where did the semester go? I know that I habitually ask this question when it gets to this point every semester, but when you are in a different country, the shock is a bit heavier.
I am leaving Africa in less than five weeks.
And who knows when or if I will ever be back.
I was having a conversation with a few friends last night at dinner about this very subject and the question was posed: "Do you think you'll come back to Ghana?" I was stunned when the unanimous reply (including mine) was, "Probably not." We all kind of agreed that if we do get to continue our international travel, which we would love, there is so much of the world left to see. It's strange to think, though, that I might never be back here. I mean, I've spent a considerable part of my life here. I realize that time-wise, four months is not much in terms of life span, but experience-wise, I'm guessing my semester here will have a pretty distinct effect on my life. And to leave it forever, a thing of the past? That's hard to swallow.
I would love to be able to share Ghana with my family, not just my current family, but with my future husband and children as well. I know I'll mention it all the time and I know that no one will ever really understand what I'm talking about. But just bringing people to Ghana for a visit, like I did my Dad (who I am still thrilled I got to share a week with here), won't have the effect I want it to. A visit in no way compares to living here.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with this problem. The majority of study-abroaders are probably going through the same situation. It's just hard to know what to do with it.
In the meantime, I am trying to soak in as much of this country as I can in the last few weeks. This weekend, for example, I went with a group of friends to Ada Foah, the place where the huge Volta River reaches the Atlantic. The resort we stayed at (resort is used loosely) was called the New Estuary Beach Club and consisted of a line of huts on the 20m (I'm really bad at judging distances) sliver of beach that separates the river from the ocean. And I mean huts. Just a bed stuck in the sand surrounded by four thatched walls. We laid in the sand, drank soda and beer, and went barefoot for a good 36 hours. It was wonderful. It wasn't really what I was expecting upon coming to Africa, but then again, not much of it is.
I am leaving Africa in less than five weeks.
And who knows when or if I will ever be back.
I was having a conversation with a few friends last night at dinner about this very subject and the question was posed: "Do you think you'll come back to Ghana?" I was stunned when the unanimous reply (including mine) was, "Probably not." We all kind of agreed that if we do get to continue our international travel, which we would love, there is so much of the world left to see. It's strange to think, though, that I might never be back here. I mean, I've spent a considerable part of my life here. I realize that time-wise, four months is not much in terms of life span, but experience-wise, I'm guessing my semester here will have a pretty distinct effect on my life. And to leave it forever, a thing of the past? That's hard to swallow.
I would love to be able to share Ghana with my family, not just my current family, but with my future husband and children as well. I know I'll mention it all the time and I know that no one will ever really understand what I'm talking about. But just bringing people to Ghana for a visit, like I did my Dad (who I am still thrilled I got to share a week with here), won't have the effect I want it to. A visit in no way compares to living here.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with this problem. The majority of study-abroaders are probably going through the same situation. It's just hard to know what to do with it.
In the meantime, I am trying to soak in as much of this country as I can in the last few weeks. This weekend, for example, I went with a group of friends to Ada Foah, the place where the huge Volta River reaches the Atlantic. The resort we stayed at (resort is used loosely) was called the New Estuary Beach Club and consisted of a line of huts on the 20m (I'm really bad at judging distances) sliver of beach that separates the river from the ocean. And I mean huts. Just a bed stuck in the sand surrounded by four thatched walls. We laid in the sand, drank soda and beer, and went barefoot for a good 36 hours. It was wonderful. It wasn't really what I was expecting upon coming to Africa, but then again, not much of it is.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Dadaroo Continued, plus Wild Waterfall
So, I'm back, and just in case you were concerned, I was only about 5 minutes late to my meeting. Pretty good by Ghanaian standards.
To continue with Dad and Jeana's stay: For those of you who don't know Jeana and are somewhat confused, no I did not spell Mom's name wrong. Jeana is a coworker of Dad's and an experienced world traveler. When Mom decided she really couldn't take off that much time from work, Jeana volunteered to escort Dad to Africa, seeing as he's a somewhat less-experienced globetrotter. Although previously I didn't know Jeana very well, it was wonderful getting to know her this past week! She was such a gracious and easy-to-please guest. Give her a Fanta, and she was good to go!
We got back from Cape Coast on Sunday, earlier than we expected as the bus left a half hour early, which is UNHEARD OF in Ghana! On Sunday evening, we hopped down to Osu, Oxford Street, the shopping/restaurant district in Accra. Dad bought his first African print shirt and some other souvenirs and we had some delicious paninis and wraps for dinner. Monday, I took them over to Teshie where I do my volunteer teaching. Michael, the director of the NGO, graciously gave them a tour of Global Civic and allowed them to meet the students there, which I think Dad really enjoyed. Then we went to the school that I actually teach at, so that I could pass out forms for a Pen Pal program I am working on setting up (with students in America), and my students were so excited to see Dad and Jeana and cheered and clapped for them. It was pretty adorable. I'm starting to really love the kids I work with (most of the time), so it was special to see that they cared about me and my family too.
Tuesday, Dad and Jeana attended my drumming class, and took some sweet video that I'm excited to have when I get home! Then we went down to the Cultural Center, which is basically just a big market of arts and crafts for tourists to go to. I don't think Ghanaians actually go there at all. At least, I've never seen any Ghanaian shoppers there... In any case, Dad almost got out of hand with how much he was buying (which was new! usually he hates shopping!), and Jeana was able to trade her backpack for some purchases, so I think all in all it was a good afternoon. Wednesday, their last day in Ghana, we took a trip up to Shai Hills, a beautiful area north of Accra. I've been there twice now, and it is one of my favorite places I've found in Ghana so far. Beautiful rolling hills, one of which you get to hike to the top of and look out over the expansive savannah (think Pride Rock view in the Lion King), and lots of baboons! Although there are 20 groups of baboons in the park, there is one family that stays close to the entrance so you get to see them really close up. We were able to feed them bananas too, and get close views of three babies! The tro tro ride out to the park took much longer than it should have due to bad traffic (why was I surprised?), and Dad and Jeana were about sick of it by the time we got there, but our ride back was much quicker and more enjoyable. We were trying to catch a tro tro back to Accra from right outside the park, and it was proving difficult, until a bright yellow vehicle pulled up next to us and asked us if we would like a ride. His car was sweet, not only because this steering wheel was on the wrong side of the car, but also because the backseat folded down to be in the open air. It was like we were in a truck bed, but there was no wall between the cab and the bed. In any case, it was nice. And this fellow was someone special, we think, because he was automatically waved through all the police stops and we didn't have to pay at the toll booth! He was very kind, and the grown-ups were very pleased.
It was sad to seem them go on Wednesday night, and I almost choked up as I put them in the taxi, but I am so happy they were able to come to Ghana. It was fun (although exhausting!) to be a tour guide for a week! For the first time, I was the knowledgeable one! And I did feel pretty knowledgeable, to tell the truth. But all in all, I feel pretty special to have a dad who would travel half way around the world just to visit his daughter for a week. I'm a pretty lucky girl :)
This weekend, I went with three girlfriends to the Volta Region! We were planning on going all over the region, but ended up just visiting the Wli Waterfalls. We spent a lot of time there because it was just. so. beautiful. I couldn't get over how pretty this town was. Mountains everywhere and views of the waterfalls just from the main road. It was truly breathtaking. We arrived in Wli on Friday afternoon and although we were too late to hike to the falls then, we were able to visit a sweet ostrich farm. Ostriches are BIG. Who knew? We fed them some corn stalks, and Ashley was terrified (she doesn't like animals much...), so overall, it was pretty great. Saturday morning we got up REAL early to meet our guide for our hike. We had decided to go to the upper falls, which is a really strenuous hike basically straight up a mountain for two hours, so we started early to avoid the heat. The hike was really hard and pretty scary, but definitely worth it. I only fell down twice. When we reached the upper falls, we were shocked at the strength of the water. Standing somewhat far away, we were blasted by the water and completely soaked. It felt wonderful. And I think it was the coldest I've ever been while in Ghana! That cold went away as soon as we started hiking back, though, and soon, the wet turned to sweat, so we were fairly disgusting by the time we got back. Which is pretty normal.
All in all, a great week with dad and a great weekend with the girls. I can't believe that 6 weeks from today I will be home with the family. It's crazy how fast this time has flown.
To continue with Dad and Jeana's stay: For those of you who don't know Jeana and are somewhat confused, no I did not spell Mom's name wrong. Jeana is a coworker of Dad's and an experienced world traveler. When Mom decided she really couldn't take off that much time from work, Jeana volunteered to escort Dad to Africa, seeing as he's a somewhat less-experienced globetrotter. Although previously I didn't know Jeana very well, it was wonderful getting to know her this past week! She was such a gracious and easy-to-please guest. Give her a Fanta, and she was good to go!
We got back from Cape Coast on Sunday, earlier than we expected as the bus left a half hour early, which is UNHEARD OF in Ghana! On Sunday evening, we hopped down to Osu, Oxford Street, the shopping/restaurant district in Accra. Dad bought his first African print shirt and some other souvenirs and we had some delicious paninis and wraps for dinner. Monday, I took them over to Teshie where I do my volunteer teaching. Michael, the director of the NGO, graciously gave them a tour of Global Civic and allowed them to meet the students there, which I think Dad really enjoyed. Then we went to the school that I actually teach at, so that I could pass out forms for a Pen Pal program I am working on setting up (with students in America), and my students were so excited to see Dad and Jeana and cheered and clapped for them. It was pretty adorable. I'm starting to really love the kids I work with (most of the time), so it was special to see that they cared about me and my family too.
Tuesday, Dad and Jeana attended my drumming class, and took some sweet video that I'm excited to have when I get home! Then we went down to the Cultural Center, which is basically just a big market of arts and crafts for tourists to go to. I don't think Ghanaians actually go there at all. At least, I've never seen any Ghanaian shoppers there... In any case, Dad almost got out of hand with how much he was buying (which was new! usually he hates shopping!), and Jeana was able to trade her backpack for some purchases, so I think all in all it was a good afternoon. Wednesday, their last day in Ghana, we took a trip up to Shai Hills, a beautiful area north of Accra. I've been there twice now, and it is one of my favorite places I've found in Ghana so far. Beautiful rolling hills, one of which you get to hike to the top of and look out over the expansive savannah (think Pride Rock view in the Lion King), and lots of baboons! Although there are 20 groups of baboons in the park, there is one family that stays close to the entrance so you get to see them really close up. We were able to feed them bananas too, and get close views of three babies! The tro tro ride out to the park took much longer than it should have due to bad traffic (why was I surprised?), and Dad and Jeana were about sick of it by the time we got there, but our ride back was much quicker and more enjoyable. We were trying to catch a tro tro back to Accra from right outside the park, and it was proving difficult, until a bright yellow vehicle pulled up next to us and asked us if we would like a ride. His car was sweet, not only because this steering wheel was on the wrong side of the car, but also because the backseat folded down to be in the open air. It was like we were in a truck bed, but there was no wall between the cab and the bed. In any case, it was nice. And this fellow was someone special, we think, because he was automatically waved through all the police stops and we didn't have to pay at the toll booth! He was very kind, and the grown-ups were very pleased.
It was sad to seem them go on Wednesday night, and I almost choked up as I put them in the taxi, but I am so happy they were able to come to Ghana. It was fun (although exhausting!) to be a tour guide for a week! For the first time, I was the knowledgeable one! And I did feel pretty knowledgeable, to tell the truth. But all in all, I feel pretty special to have a dad who would travel half way around the world just to visit his daughter for a week. I'm a pretty lucky girl :)
This weekend, I went with three girlfriends to the Volta Region! We were planning on going all over the region, but ended up just visiting the Wli Waterfalls. We spent a lot of time there because it was just. so. beautiful. I couldn't get over how pretty this town was. Mountains everywhere and views of the waterfalls just from the main road. It was truly breathtaking. We arrived in Wli on Friday afternoon and although we were too late to hike to the falls then, we were able to visit a sweet ostrich farm. Ostriches are BIG. Who knew? We fed them some corn stalks, and Ashley was terrified (she doesn't like animals much...), so overall, it was pretty great. Saturday morning we got up REAL early to meet our guide for our hike. We had decided to go to the upper falls, which is a really strenuous hike basically straight up a mountain for two hours, so we started early to avoid the heat. The hike was really hard and pretty scary, but definitely worth it. I only fell down twice. When we reached the upper falls, we were shocked at the strength of the water. Standing somewhat far away, we were blasted by the water and completely soaked. It felt wonderful. And I think it was the coldest I've ever been while in Ghana! That cold went away as soon as we started hiking back, though, and soon, the wet turned to sweat, so we were fairly disgusting by the time we got back. Which is pretty normal.
All in all, a great week with dad and a great weekend with the girls. I can't believe that 6 weeks from today I will be home with the family. It's crazy how fast this time has flown.
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