TOP 10 THINGS I WON’T MISS ABOUT GHANA
10) Bargaining. Sometimes it’s just plain tiring to bargain for every little thing from a banana to a 3 minute taxi ride. Except when you’re in traditional stores, this is what you do. An added annoyance is that MY price starts higher that Ghanaians because I’m ‘obruni’ (white). I’ve developed a thick skin and can bargain with the best of them now. I’ve learned the right phrases: ‘Give me your LAST price’, ‘There are many other taxis’, ‘I am a teacher I live here”..and I know about what I should be paying so I rarely get taken…any more ;) You know come to think of it, it’s sort of fun and a challenge, maybe I won’t miss this as much as I think!
9) Washing clothes by hand. Although my arm muscles have gotten firmer from wringing, I have to say I’m going to go home and really appreciate that old machine in the basement.
8) Burning trash and trash in general. Trash burning is widely practiced and anything imaginable, toxic or otherwise, gets burned. The fumes from a fire can be overpowering. The Ghanaians have got to deal with the issue of trash and littering. Trash cans are rarely visible on city streets and never visible in villages. I will say my school does a good job of dealing with the trash and the students generallyput the trash in provided containers.
7) Taxis. They have been my main means of transportation although I've ridden in everything! I won’t miss the wobbly wheels, grinding gears and lack of shocks in cars with no seat belts, cracked window shields, non functioning speedometers that often run on petrol with the tank in the trunk of the car. Special shout outs to my best drivers: Richard, Emmanuel I, Emmanuel II, and Joseph!
6) Dust and Dirt. Sweeping the floor has to be done daily and dusting off every object has to be done every few days. Never known as a stellar house keeper myself, I think my friends and family may be surprised when I come back and appreciate a CLEAN house ;) Hear that kids???
5) Caning of students for discipline. This is a hard one. It’s seen less and less in the urban areas but it still goes on everywhere. They have to stop this. I did a lot of ‘modeling’ this year.
4) The 5AM siren that resounds through the campus every day of the week (and at random times in the middle of the night after power outages). Although it’s sort of like the trains in my back yard-I eventually sleep through them. A siren though is a bit tougher to incorporate into a dream!
3) Water/power outages. We’ve all had power outages after thunderstorms and know how inconvenient they are. Power outages here are infrequent but more common than at home and they come with no warning. On those really hot days when I lose my fan, or ice, or my computer, and sundown is everyday at 6PM, it’s inconvenient at best and annoying at worst. BUT, far more troublesome is the loss of water which we don’t have too often at home. We take water for granted in the US-try going without for a day-it’s tougher than you imagine. I’ve learned to keep 2 buckets on hand at all times and of course a case of bottled water is always in my kitchen.
2) ‘Ghana Time’. The phrase ‘Ghana Time’ is a widely accepted comedic response by Ghanaians to their own tardiness which is a way of life here. Coming from a society where class starts at 10:01 and if you are 10 minutes late to an appointment you are often sent home, it was hard to ease into the ‘plus or minus’ an hour thing. I’ve taken busses that are scheduled to leave at one time and leave 2 hours late. (The best was the announcement at a bus terminal recently, “Due to personal reasons, we will be leaving 30 minutes late”. Which, by the way, was an hour.) Some teachers routinely show up from 5-30 minutes late for class, a meeting called for 10 AM might start at 10:45, and people routinely wander in very late to church services, classes and other gatherings.
AND NOW, the number 1 thing I WON’T MISS ABOUT GHANA…
1) Ants and bugs in general! A story that happened just yesterday says it all. I toasted and ate a slice of bread. It was good so I went back and was about to toast another when I saw a few ants at the top of the toaster. “Ew”, I thought…I took the toaster to the sink and turned it upside down and banged it and watched, to my disgust, HUNDREDS of ants pour into my sink. The more I tapped the more they poured into my sink. Ugh. I put the toaster back and sprayed the sink with RAID. I then began to clean out the sink. I moved a bowl and floating on the top was a dead lizard. “OK this is truly disgusting”, I thought, and at the same time wondered why that toast was so good…….
OK this is a long blog-go get your coffee or beer before you read the next 10. But don’t skip them.
You still there? Good.
TOP 10 THINGS I WILL MISS ABOUT GHANA
10) Colorful clothing. The wax print fabrics and batiks the Ghanaians wear, especially the women, are lovely. The streets often look like a sea of colors.
9) Singing and drumming. Music permeates this society. The students sing, in lovely harmonies, every morning in assembly, people sing spontaneously on tro-tros and church services are heard in the distance all Sunday long. This is the same with drumming. The students will sometimes take drums and just start ‘jamming’. A drum is the key instrument in any band or group and often there are many different types. I’ll often walk by someone alone just drumming away in their own little zone.
8) Little children. Although I have been working with teenagers there have been many instances where I’ve been able to read or play with young children. Watching children play and seeing them smiling in doorways or hiding behind their mothers has been priceless. Note: I’ve also (as have many of my obruni friends) made little kids cry when they are startled by my white face. I always carry around a small bag of little toys to give out when I travel-finger puppets, balls etc. The children are so incredibly appreciative for simple gifts.
7) Falling asleep to African noises. Tree frogs that sound like Baritones, all sorts of birds, and of course distant drumming can easily make me drift off under my mosquito net.
6) Plantain Chips. The absolute best snack food. Long strips of plantains salted and fried and sold in plastic bags off of heads of vendors-price about 30 cents-yum.
5) Living simply. Those of you who know me well know I’m not a camper. I have the claim to fame of sleeping inside a van with my sister-in-law, Jane, under the Big Sky of Montana in July because I was too cold. I’ve always enjoyed conveniences and never particularly loved ‘roughing it’. Now I’m not saying I want to go back and go cross country camping, but I’ve learned to cook and eat simply, do many things by hand, and ‘make do’ with the resources I have at hand. This is especially true in teaching. Yes, I have this computer and I have taken advantage of some nice hotels and restaurants but basically I’ve lived a low key life for 11 months it’s been good for me.
4) My wild dogs. In January I mentioned that a mother had given birth to 4 puppies near my house. Well there are two surviving puppies (dogs now) and a mother who, against the traditional ‘dog roles’ in Ghana, have attached themselves to me. As a rule Ghanaians don’t let dogs in their homes and if they are pets they stay outdoors and fend for themselves food wise. They are not taken to vets and are constantly getting in fights, roaming in packs and inbreeding. I offered the puppies water in the hot months early in the year and I feed them food occasionally. Although I let them remain wild, they sleep on my porches, bark at strangers and welcome me home. I’ve taught them to ‘sit’ when I have a dog treat which amazes the Ghanaians around because most are afraid of dogs. Last week one of them followed me to class and slept outside the classroom door (to the wonder of the students) for 2 hours until I was done. The assistant head mistress said she would like to take care of them when I leave. :)
3) Students that have a love of education and a true respect for teachers. Please don’t interpret this as bashing US kids. I have many wonderful students at home who love learning. But it’s different here. Education is the ‘way out’ for many, it’s taken seriously. Generally the students are serious about their studies and work hard. Before the term ‘breaks’ I would have students come to my door for a list of topics for the next term so they could start studying. Often free time is spent studying. They respect teachers. I’ve had kids run across a field to help me carry a light bag. They stand when I enter the room (I actually stopped that fairly early on-it was too much). I’ve had students thank me for the lesson that day. I haven’t had a single discipline problem with 193 students.
2) Time. I’ve had all the time I have ever dreamed of this year. It’s been wonderful to have days where there is absolutely nowhere I have to be, nothing I have to do, and no one I need to tend to. I’ve had time to read, to write, to listen to music, to think, to observe, to sleep! I have been able to travel almost at will and I’ve had time to be alone.
1) Friendships. From my friend and teacher/mentor, Jennifer, to the banana lady at ‘The Stomach Knows No Holiday” fruit stand I’ve made lasting friendships. I’ve met fascinating Fulbright teachers and students, embassy people, Peace Corps volunteers and ex-pats. I’ve befriended teachers and their families and people on the street. I now have this whole Ghana part of me that will be there forever.
2 comments:
I love your blog, what will I ever do when you leave Ghana??
Hey Leslie -- thought of you today when I saw that Ghana was a trending topic on Twitter. Here's an image.
Dona
Post a Comment