WOW! What a whirlwind end to my first trimester. By the time this is read I'll be home! In the past 10 days, I’ve given and graded over 200 exams, gone on the school’s ‘Health Walk’, visited one of the largest bead markets in West Africa, and attended the school closing events of ‘Speech Day’, Carol Sing, and Bonfire. I have a few pictures and a bunch of videos that are being un -cooperative so I will work on getting those uploaded next year! The singing, dancing and music that the kids produce is amazing so I'd really like to show some of that. I'll start with the 'Health Walk' two Fridays ago. At 6 AM (have to beat heat!) The entire school and most staff took a long walk for our health. We walked up a main street which was three miles. And then took a short cut back which was 5 miles(don't ask)- . T-shirts and water were donated. The brass band played and most of the 'walking' was in fact dancing. I must admit I had cab fare in my pocket but I was able to make it fine even on the hot bumpy dirt roads .....and I did some dancing too!
Last Thursday Rebecca and I took a 2 hour bus ride up into the hills of central Ghana to a small town called Koforidua where every Thursday AM, what some say is the largest bead market in West Africa, is held. There we met our friend and Fulbright researcher(Art)Andrea, and her Ghanaian beading 'mentor' Emmanuel. There were beads from Ghana but also Mali and Kenya. Some beads were hundreds of years old. Emmanuel told us about the different ways beads were made and he also helped us bargain with the vendors!
Andrea and Emmanuel(to her left)
OK now to the school festivities. Saturday was 'Speech Day' this was a 4+ hour event (in 33C heat-you do the math)during which there were speeches and academic and sports awards given for the last academic year. It was a big deal and townspeople and dignitaries came. There were some student performances too.
Sunday was the Carol Service. This actually turned out to be fun to watch! It was sort of like 'American Idol' of Christams carols. The 4 dorms each sang 2 carols, 1 Ghanaian song, a a song of their choice. Kids acted out dramatically while the singing went on. There were judges who were music teachers from various high schools and colleges in the area. My favorite was the 2 6 ft boys crawling in on the gravel with white sheets over them pretending to be the sheep with shepherds herding them. The last event Sunday was the candlelight (sticks soaked in gasoline) march to the field where the first bonfire ever was lit - while the kids sang the 'Hallelujah Chorus'. There were some issues actually getting the bonfire lit: dousing it with petrol, lighting a tire and throwing it on top, catapulting cannisters of gasoline...all were ineffective...at first. The pile of sticks was at least 15 ft high. I smiled because in the US this would be on the front of a newspaper citing dangerous activities in a high school. My mind flashed back to 4th of Julys in Avalon with my Dad and brothers illegally setting off dangerous fireworks...but that's another story. Anyway, once the fire was lit, they kept throwing petrol on it which made for some amazing mushroom clouds!
So I’m one-third of the way through this ‘adventure’. I will be honest that there have been a few times (only a few) that I’ve wondered-who thought this was a good idea again? But the support from my friends (both in the US and in Ghana) and family have made this a great beginning to my year of a lifetime. Thanks to ALL of you for the e-mails phone calls and support, and special thanks to Pam for the daily checking in on her Mom, Jenny for the weekly on-line bridge games, Tony for the nightly Skype calls, Don and Gail for the great care packages and Tim for organizing the wonderful Thanksgiving box from neighbors/friends. Happy 2009!!!…look for me back here again mid-January!
Last Thursday Rebecca and I took a 2 hour bus ride up into the hills of central Ghana to a small town called Koforidua where every Thursday AM, what some say is the largest bead market in West Africa, is held. There we met our friend and Fulbright researcher(Art)Andrea, and her Ghanaian beading 'mentor' Emmanuel. There were beads from Ghana but also Mali and Kenya. Some beads were hundreds of years old. Emmanuel told us about the different ways beads were made and he also helped us bargain with the vendors! 
Andrea and Emmanuel(to her left) 
OK now to the school festivities. Saturday was 'Speech Day' this was a 4+ hour event (in 33C heat-you do the math)during which there were speeches and academic and sports awards given for the last academic year. It was a big deal and townspeople and dignitaries came. There were some student performances too.
Sunday was the Carol Service. This actually turned out to be fun to watch! It was sort of like 'American Idol' of Christams carols. The 4 dorms each sang 2 carols, 1 Ghanaian song, a a song of their choice. Kids acted out dramatically while the singing went on. There were judges who were music teachers from various high schools and colleges in the area. My favorite was the 2 6 ft boys crawling in on the gravel with white sheets over them pretending to be the sheep with shepherds herding them. The last event Sunday was the candlelight (sticks soaked in gasoline) march to the field where the first bonfire ever was lit - while the kids sang the 'Hallelujah Chorus'. There were some issues actually getting the bonfire lit: dousing it with petrol, lighting a tire and throwing it on top, catapulting cannisters of gasoline...all were ineffective...at first. The pile of sticks was at least 15 ft high. I smiled because in the US this would be on the front of a newspaper citing dangerous activities in a high school. My mind flashed back to 4th of Julys in Avalon with my Dad and brothers illegally setting off dangerous fireworks...but that's another story. Anyway, once the fire was lit, they kept throwing petrol on it which made for some amazing mushroom clouds! 
So I’m one-third of the way through this ‘adventure’. I will be honest that there have been a few times (only a few) that I’ve wondered-who thought this was a good idea again? But the support from my friends (both in the US and in Ghana) and family have made this a great beginning to my year of a lifetime. Thanks to ALL of you for the e-mails phone calls and support, and special thanks to Pam for the daily checking in on her Mom, Jenny for the weekly on-line bridge games, Tony for the nightly Skype calls, Don and Gail for the great care packages and Tim for organizing the wonderful Thanksgiving box from neighbors/friends. Happy 2009!!!…look for me back here again mid-January!
No comments:
Post a Comment