It's a calabash, duh.

Greetings,
I had my African Popular Music class today. First music class I have taken in a very long time so it is a good change of pace, not saying I follow too much but I find bits to enjoy about it. Then spent my afternoon doing some reading in the sun outside. This evening celebrated a friend's birthday with some coconut cake and a movie.

I thought I would pass along this op ed piece entitled News Good Enough to Bury from the NY Times that was written this past August.
If you don't have time to read it I thought there was a pretty revealing quotation I will share with you.

While I was in Ghana, I read a paper called The Daily Graphic. One day,
it had two ads on successive pages, the first about broadband Internet becoming
available in the central city of Sunyani from a company called Care 4U, the
second about the “high incidence of open defecation in Ghana.”
“Most
affordable! Feel the speed!” said the first ad. The second, from a Ghana
sanitation monitoring agency, estimated that “more than four million people in
Ghana defecate in the bush, open drains, water bodies, or fields” and suggested
means to stop the practice.
Two images of an African nation — modernizing or
primitive: I know which comforts the continent’s stubborn stereotypes. Africa
Ascendant is not yet a slogan that sells. It will be.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/opinion/21Cohen.html?_r=1&oref=slogin


It is a very common for people to defecate in open areas but also to relieve their bladder quite publicly. At the same time, as the article mentions, there is a strong trend of modernization occurring. I believe that Africa will undoubtedly be the region to watch in the coming years in the international scene.


Anyways have to get to bed semi early. I am headed off to a Liberian Refugee camp tomorrow. It is about a two hour tro tro ride away. If I have not yet explained a tro tro I apologize. I must take a picture soon. It is a means of ramshackle public transportation in sketchy vans with about 30 people smooched in. Plus side? They go about everywhere and a 1 hr trip on average cost 85 cents. Nice.

Bedtime.

-Ellie

"Looks like somebodys got a case of the Mondays" (thats why I obviously had to write this on Tuesday)

Hello Hello,
I have decided to smuggle this baby into the states. This is baby Emerald from my homestay and I just had to post this picture.

Sidenote: baby Emmie took a poopie in the bath moments after this picture was taken.

Monday is always my busy day so I am glad this past Monday was filled with some wonderful and just intriguing classes and discussions.

9-12 am Globalization and the African Continent. Everyday more and more the teacher reveals her extreme anti Western mindset. I believe that everyone has a right to their own opinion and obviously there are a lot of problems with the Western world's involvement in developing nations and elsewhere but sometimes her statements are contradictory or not based in fact. Simple examples range from her saying that a McDonalds should never and would never survive in Ghana because Ghanaians do not understand the concept of putting something inbetween two pieces of bread and thats just silly. Within the same class period she discussed how her family ate sandwiches for lunch most times and didn't have time for traditional Ghanaian food. Well I may be biased because I am an avid supporter of sandwiches but I think locals could grasp the concept of meat sandwiches and I do believe I see it in many restaurants already(Ghana really isn't closed off from the outside world.) She also felt that the concept of land being seen as a commodity could never occur in Ghana because it has always been communal element in their lives. She then went on to describe some people selling land for ludacris prices around the country. It is so important to be exposed to these types of opinions to know that they exist, even among the educated professionals. Analyzing why these ideas occur is just as meaningful to our education as anything else and it definitely spurs on great conversations and arguments.

12:30- 2:00 Twi Class. A struggle.
Here's a little taste of some tribal language lessons. I am providing an example of the bargaining process that is very much so an element of day to day life in Ghana.
Ankaa wura bra! Orange seller come here!
Mepe ankaa paa. I like oranges a lot.
MepaakyEw, wei yE sen? Please, how much is this?
Ne bo>(letter that doesn't exist on keyboard but looks like half circle facing left) yE den. It is expensive.
Te so! Reduce the price!
EyE dE? Abere? Are they sweet? Are they ripe?
Ma me sidi mmienu. Give me 2 cedi worth.
Sikanoni. Here is the money.
Madaase pii. Thank you very much.

The bargaining, buying, and interaction that is involved is a conversation unto itself. Lets just say that giving people the benefit of the doubt in most cases is a habit I have had to break since coming here. It is a sad truth that most times when interacting with a stranger you are either concerned of an ulterior motive or being cheated in some way. At times you wonder is this conversation genuine or is it just occurring because I look like an opportunity to cash in on? Many students share the same sentiments but it is just a reality you learn to deal with.

3:30- 6:00 Global Connections: Accra. My normal teacher who is actually the former mayor of Accra was in Germany on business so our substitute teacher was a fantastic Harvard professor. She taught a very thorough class discussing histories of many different tribes and villages in Ghana including her own families history(her father is Ghanaian and mother is African American). She also talked about many of the intricacies and quirks of the Diasporian relations in Ghana. Many stories are preserved through an oral history and she felt it was important to take note of where there might be alterations in the truth. In the case of her family history she mentioned how a stigma was developed in Ghana during the time of the civil rights movement of the US about having ancestors that were involved in the slave trade. This triggered her families' oral history to transform from having her ancestors be people who freed the slaves instead of actually being the people who captured them.
She believed that there is something behind every belief and that fact at times is overrated.
"Sentiment is a clue to deduce further cultural history."
"Never underestimate the impact of your own identity in the history or narrative you are extracting"

Phenomenal class and again more great viewpoints to understand and learn from.


6:00- 7:30 Screening of documentary analyzing the experience of bringing a multi ethnic group to Elmina Slave Castle(made by the associate director of the NYU in Ghana program). A heated discussion of course followed.
There is a lot to be said about how race plays into my time here in Ghana. Is this my first time truly being a racial minority of a country? Yes. First time being seen as a minority in almost every situation I encounter? Yes. Seeing my role as a white female here puts a whole different perspective on top of everything else.
A new context is needed for understanding our identities here. But it is so much more than that. Our identities in the States come into play as well. We are a diverse group of 41 students trying to figure out how we exist not only in this country with Ghanaians but with each other.

Every one's racial baggage may not get checked on the plane but it definitely chooses to come along for the trip whether you like it or not.

All for now.
Attempting to figure out plans for fall break in October ideas range from a trip to Kenya or Mali or adventures in Ghana. Maybe turtle conservation on a beach along the Western coast? Sounds like heaven.


All the best,
Ellie

How Domestic.

Back from the homestay.

I stayed with a family that consisted of a grandma named Auntie Augie, 24 year old mother named Patience, her 10 month old baby girl Emerald. The family was wonderful. They were very kind and welcoming. We made a lot of food, ate a lot of food, met some of the neighbors and neighborhood children, ate a lot of food, bathed Emerald, did some of my Twi homework(one of my tutors was a 7 year old), oh and we ate some more food(with our hands of course).

So I don't really know what I was pounding since it doesn't have a translation for English but it was a type of vegetable and pepper I believe. The mash was then added to water then strained so that the paste was kept for the base of a stew which had fish and snails in it. BIG SNAILS.

Yes you do just crave to get into it and mash it up but do believe that it gets to be tedious work.

This is my friend Joy being taught how the women here wrap there babies around them with fabric. Baby Emie with Joy on the are on the left and Patience and Auntie Augie to the right.

I have not put up the homestay pictures yet but I have added some more pictures to my September album from last weekend.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wheresbowski/GhanaSeptember

Now I am off to write some papers for my classes tomorrow. No more cultural exchanges to help me procrastinate. Blast.

Best,

Ellie

Off to weekend homestay

Hey All,
I will be staying with a Ghanaian family for the next three days. I am hoping to get some help with my Twi homework. It should be an interesting experience. The director was stressing that it may not be enjoyable, but it will be "maturing". mmm Well prepare for rain, pray for sunshine.

Added some new pictures of the canopy walks.

-Ellie

Ignorance Wrapped Inside of Innocence

Just a quick update while my internet is fast before I head to my African Popular Music class at the University of Ghana.

This past weekend was a whirlwind of emotions for our group. We took a trip to Elmina and Cape Coast, two towns about 2 and half hours west of Accra on the coast. On Saturday we toured the Elmina Castle which durring the time of the transatlantic slave trade held slaves captive before they were shipped off for the Americas. I was able to upload some pictures of this experience and the sights that we saw. It is quite hard to articulate all of the emotions that a place like that can evoke for people. http://picasaweb.google.com/wheresbowski/GhanaSeptember

Saturday afternoon we visited Kokum National Park to do a canopy walk which consisted of suspended rope bridges through the tops of the trees. It was very beautiful and interesting to see the fear some people had to overcome just to get out onto the bridges. I will post the rest of my pictures as soon as I can because again, so hard to describe that experience. When departing the Park we went to a restaurant that was suspended on stilts above a crocodile pond. Awesome. I took video of that and will pass that along at some point.

Saturday night stayed at Coconut Grove Beach Resort. BEAUTIFUL. Palm wine tasting and a bonfire to cap off the day.

Sunday lazed around the pool and ocean and did some much needed homework.

Fantastic weekend.

Miss you all.
Hope to write again soon.

Flip Flops and Blood Tests

Hello hello,
It has been a week. A week filled with some splendid experiences, stories to follow of course.

My first impressions of my courses, now that I have gone to all of them, is good. The average class size is literally 5 students per class with some pretty great Ghanaian professors. My Twi language course is going to be a toughie, my language learning skills are, um, I just wouldn't say it is a strong point of mine. All apart of the learning experience eh?

My Politics of Sub Saharan Africa class is taught by the head of the Political Science department at the University of Ghana. He is content to talk on matters concerning anything that we may be curious about in our new home of Ghana. Our last class ran an extra 30 minutes (mind you the classes are already 3 hours long... so....ya.) A student debated with the prof about how the traditional family structure of Africa is based around taking care of the whole community and how it has had to transform into the Western way which consists of taking care of the nuclear and maybe some of the extended family. I believe she was trying to convey that with this transition of motives within society the whole community is now unable to rise up together and individuals have succumb to the dog eat dog system of the Western world. It was a viewpoint which had not considered before and I decided I would send it along to my readers in the 'Western world' to chew on. Now I don't want to get too political on this one but since it is my blog I thought I would quote a little Sage Francis on this one, " The rich get richer till the poor get educated."

Controversial discussions tend to rise up in most classes quite often, which can get difficult but it allows for people to definitely think about other perspectives.

Last Thursday night was a little birthday celebration for one of the boys and most of our group went out for some live music and dancing. Sweaty crowded fun. I met a 20 something year old girl from Holland who is staying in Ghana to teach for a year or so. She was very nice and introduced me to all of her Ghanaian friends. Then apparently one of her friends had eyes for me and my dimples(? which I really do not have.) Then the whole group just had to dance and so I couldn't decline my new friends. Ever been set up with a 40+ Ghanaian man with a pot belly? Good times. Then I left.

Friday night we had a "social mixer" which involved our group mingling with some students from Ashesi U and U of Ghana at one of our dorms. The music got bumpin and yet another dance party began. I wore my new dress that was handmade just for me. Loverly. I went home around 12:30.

The next 48 hours was an experience of sorts. I didn't sleep at all Friday night--- chills and stomach pains. Saturday morning I decided not to head to the beach with my friends for fear of my symptoms getting worse even though I wasn't really concerned----yet. If it was only certain health issues without a fever and dizziness I wouldn't have gotten worried but this didn't seem like a normal bout of developing world dietary change.... After some convincing late Saturday night I called our nurse who thankfully is on call 24/7. Headed to the hospital- taxi driver got lost on way to hospital-felt like I was going to lose the contents of my stomach on said taxi driver. Arrived at the hospital proceeded to vomit on a nice grassy spot outside of a nurse's office(because the hallways are really outside....try to imagine not pretty cement wrap around porches along strips of one floor buildings with waiting rooms and office doors along the sides.)

I really don't know how to describe the hospital. Breezy? Casual? Chill spot? Yes I think those descriptors could work just fine for an outdoor bar as well. Anyway I don't think Ghanaians frequent the hospitals all too much either but I know that there ended up being 14 or so students from my program who had to make a visit there this weekend. Are you still reading? Well here is where the subject line comes into play. I had to get my blood drawn and it was definitely the first time I had that done by someone in flip flops. Diagnosis? They couldn't rule out malaria but signs pointed to a bacterial infection(bad food/water poisoning.) I got some prescriptions and was on my way in one piece. Sunday and Monday morning were still pretty rough on my body but I am on the other side now and feeling fabulous. I hope to not do that again but hey I thought I should share that great weekend. Hope yours was great :)

Where'sBlogski?

Hello Friends,
It's been a while eh? I've been caught up in some things which have seemed to deter my blog posting abilities - both internet connectivity frustrations (hmm more like realities of the developing world) and just the laid back way of life around here. Ah just my speed, sllllooow. Side note, but completely relevant, when they want you to not show up late for something here they say, "Please try to be a little bit on time, you know not too much." Time is important but the way in which you use it seems to be at one's own pace.

Another difference I have noticed is cell phone usage. Hey your cell phone rings during your lecture, yup pick it up, you are leading a tour through a wildlife reservation and your friend calls, yes you are picking it up, traditional drumming performance? no problem- that phone wants to be answered. I have almost never seen a call ignored. What I try to imagine is what those few people who get ignored are thinking, now that seems like rejection in Ghana.

Saturday was pretty eventful. We headed off in the morning to Torgorme village where we were shown around a different side of Ghana. As we arrived about 20 of the village children were all clustered together as curious about us as we were about them but still too shy to really come close at first. (It was almost the exact same situation you can image from middle school where the boys and girls were on separate sides of the gym floor. Silly and harmless.)

The day included a welcoming drumming and dance, getting introduced to the elders and the chief, a naming ceremony(mine is Yaa Lor Lor, meaning love always), another dance party, and then either learning about bead making, weaving, or fishing. While waiting to go out in the fishing boats we had time to sit and interact with the children and people of the village. The main language of the region is Ewe and the children primarily speak that but most of the villagers spoke English as well. As we spent time in the village no matter where you were a child wanted to hold your hand. They weren't asking for anything, they just wanted to stand or sit with you and hold your hand. It was an enjoyable morning and good to get out of the city.

Hmm little did most of us know what we were in for after we left Torgorme... Dressed in flip flops and jeans we had a two and a half hour hike in front of us. Luckily I think that most people who choose to come to Ghana have the "sure why not?" kind of attitude. So we set out for the Shai hills through an expanse of grassy savannah and woodlands to see some caves which use to serve as the cheif's palace until the Shai people were ejected by the British. These caves were filled with bats and the smell was reminiscent of hampster cage. In this wildlife sanctuary we ventured through we were able to spot a herd of antelope, lots of birds, and some olive baboons. The wildlife is pretty sparse in the southern region of the country and many of us hope to visit a more expansive park called Mole National Park in the north.

Well Sunday was exciting because my roommate and I went to the dressmaker. I picked out some awesome fabrics and am getting 2 dresses made so far. We then took a little walk through the market in our town. Working through the second week of classes now and some prove to have pretty controversial topics to discuss. I guess not too much dozing off...

all for now....

My love,
Ellie

posted some new pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/wheresbowski