The Art I Live

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Ghana week 1

Week One: An Introduction to Ghana

Sorry for the delay in progress. Like most things here my internet is inconsistent and some what faulty. I have a hard time loading photos. I suppose they will come when they get ready.


So I’ve been living in Ghana for one week now.

When I arrived here last week my program CIEE took us to a hotel and we started our orientation. Upon getting off the plane, I realized for the first time since I began planning this trip that I would actually be in Africa for four months. The air smelled different, the dirt was red, the people were all brown and black. When I exchanged my money at the airport I received cedis with brown faces printed on them. I knew this place would be much different than home or any place I’d ever been. When I went to get my luggage I remembered what I had been told about people offering to “help” you with your luggage. Many people were standing by but I managed to grab my bag and take it to the van for our program participants without any trouble. I later learned that other people in my program were charged fees by pretend bag handlers, someone tried to steal a bag, and others were haggled on there way to the car.

As we drove through Accra, the capital city, I was amazed by the amounts of things people carried on top of their heads. (dress pants, bottles, peanuts, toys, food, water….and so many more things) All of these things were for sell. I was surprised by the many cars that zoomed past us. There were a range of cars from raggedy taxis to top of the line vehicles. I even saw a hummer.

The first few nights here we stayed in a great hotel with all the normal amenities you would expect at an American hotel. The food was great. All the dishes are very spicy and include rice. I also had very sweet pineapples and ice cream for desert.

After the hotel stay where we were coached on how to live in Ghana and what and whom to avoid we arrived at the University of Ghana to our dorms. Let’s just say the dorms were a lot more humble than our hotels. For the first time in my life I slept under a mosquito net. After the first night I took a bucket “shower” because there was no running water. I saw the poverty that plagues this country but the pride of it’s people. I rode the crowded public transportation which is called a tro tro (over crowded minivan) I have even bartered for the cost of food and taxis. I over came the maze that is registering for classes at a university very new to internet usage. (ie: going to every building you want to take classes in and signing up). I’ve survived being lost in translation with people who don’t understand my fast speech and people I can’t understand because of their accent. I have a lovely room mate who is also American.

I am often frustrated and thinking critically about what it means to be an American studying abroad in Africa. That includes the colonial history and present realities that both countries face as I exist between the two at this time. I have yet to really acquaint myself with the primary customs here but I am adjusting just fine. I am documenting everything to the best of my ability (ie: constantly writing). I’m having a hard time remember to never use my left hand for anything because here it is deemed the “dirty hand” and people find it very disrespectful if you hand me things are signal using the left hand.

For our official ceremony we when to a wealthy side of town to a beautiful restaurant and danced and ate great food. There were mansions and very beautiful homes. It goes to show that there are two sides to every coin. Ghana and Africa is so much more than what is portrayed on American television.

On campus, I’m constantly hustling around to find what I believe is “safe” food. The result has been eating too many potato chips (ie: French fries). I went to the Accra Mall today, which is like any mall you’d find in the US and brought some groceries to get me through this week. Soon I will tackle washing my laundry by hand.

I can’t forget to mention that I have a cell phone here that looks like a basic calculator from back home! (lol) and I also the other young women I’ve meet in CIEE have been a great support system in helping me cope with the day to day challenges here.

Well in conclusion, I’m doing well. God is good and I have a lot to learn. There are many things that are great and others that are not so great but you have to take the good with the bad and learn as much as possible. I start my classes tomorrow. I have a history class on the history of colonialism and the African response, a sociology class on Ghanaian women, two English classes (graduation is still the primary goal folks!), and a drumming class.

By the way I forgot to mention I took a dance workshop here and it was Amazing! The professor told us if you come to Africa and do not dance you have never lived. Boy did I live in that moment! We danced until we sweated then kept on dancing. It was very communal and fun.

Major over all reflections: our past are apart of our present existence, "People are people every where", "the deep call unto the deep", "this experience sure beats the school of education back home"

Until next time,

Living is Learning.

Camea

3 comments:

leslie.t said...

Love love reading your post. I'm living through you until I take that first step. I'm so glad you are settling in and just LIVING AND LEARNING. im telling you this experience will just open so many doors. Im so excited for you.
p.s. keep dancing, so when we meet again i can learn some moves :)

Camea "The Promise" Osborn said...

thanks leslie. You are all my love!

Kweku said...

I Miss Ghana, and I'm glad I can relive my experiences in a way through your posts. I am very grateful!!!! :)