Last weekend my host father was installed as the Arch Deacon of Kenyasi's Anglican Church. My brother Adu had borrowed a truck from one of his NPP buddies. It was Adu, Kwadwo, Junior,Kwasi, Wess, and me in a 5 seat truck. It wasnt stuffed though, no until two other big Ghanaian ladies got in, then it got crowded! Adu was driving with Kwasi on Kwadwo's lap. and Wess Me the two 230+ lbs ladies and Junior on my lap. If we were to have crashed, we wouldnt have gone anywhere! haha. we pretty much sprung out when we parked. it was about an hour drive. The installation started an hour late(thats Africa for you). And lasted 3 hours. It didnt seem that long though. The ceremony was different. It was all in Twi, so i had know idea what they were talking about. Afterwards we ate and just chilled out. I met Junior and Kwasi's parents though! They were very very nice. My host parents kind of unofficially adopted them. Theyve been living with my host parents for the past 3 years. They havent seem them in over a year so they were very excited to see them! I bought some cookies for Kwasi and Junior to give there other younger siblings. It seemed like they miss their village. Luckily on the way home, Kwadwo and one of the ladies didnt ride home with us, so i got to roll shotgun with Junior on my lap. haha. Adu was freakin flying down those hills though. He hit almost 160 km/hr which is somewhere around 90mph. I looked to the back seat and Kwasi was holding onto Wess for dear life! It was so funny!
The teachers at school are freakin lazy. i hate to say it,but unfortunetaly its true. Everytime i walk by the teachers lounge, they really are lounging.Not only are they lounging, theyre watching tv!At least once a day, a teacher doesnt show up to class. One day we only had one teacher come! And the teachers have to have the class captain come and get them! Its pretty ridiculous. And TASTECH is one of the best schools in Sunyani! It sounds bad, but my general outlook on school is kind of negative. I mean theyre teaching us about computers on blackboards. But i really shouldnt say that, because theyre using all their resources to the best of their abilities! I try and stay as positive as i can, but it can only go a certain extent! Most of the students are cool though. Except this one guy that gets on all three exchange students nerves. And the food is very good, and very cheap. You can get a good amount of food, and a couple bags of water for under 1 Gh Cedi.
Speaking of money, Ghana redenominated its currency in Summer 0f '07. But alot of times they still use the old currency. ie.- 500 old cedi is 5 new peswas, 180000 old is 18 new Gh Cedi, or 10000 is 10 new Gh Cedi. Its kind of confusing for an obroni because you have to do the conversion on a dime in your head.
Well, i sent in my absentee ballot for the US Presidential election. It wasnt what i expected it to look like. I thought maybe it might have the candidates pictures and maybe a bio(i guess i have high expectations. lol.) but it was just a yellow piece of paper with the candidates names. But i was(and still am) excited because my first time voting will be in Ghana. I voted for the candidate that i thought would lead America for the better not only for the present, but for the future. I want my kids to be able to prosper and not have to worry about economic problems and what not. I also voted for this candidate because he seems to be looking out for people my age. The four issues i tried to concentrate on were: the war in iraq, the economy, the environment, and homeland security, and i agreed with all the opinions of the candidate i voted for.
Some people here think white people are superhumans and are made of money, especially the kids. Theyll touch me like i feel different or something, and ask me for money, which i dont give them because if one white person gives them money theyll think every white person will give them money. Which sounds bad, but like im not made of money. And its not like theyre giving me some sad face and asking for money, this is how they literally say it: "Obroni, give me money!". Its like jeez, at least act like your going to be thankful for it! And it doesnt help that my name is Rich! lol.
I hope your doing well. Take care!
-Rich
P.S. I just realized this, I kind of seem to talk bad about Ghana in my blog. But I want you to know that Ghana is such a beautiful place. Both its people, its culture and environment! Im just trying to point out some of the differences between my home country and my host country. I feel as though Ghana has made me more mature already, and its only been a month and a half! I just thought I'd tell you this before you think that I hate Ghana, because it is an awesome country!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
10-5-2008 Sunyani,Ghana
I think I just had a revelation! I dont think it was from God, maybe just my innerself. Well it could have been from God, he just sent it through my innerself. Im not quite sure, im pretty finite. haha. But i just realized that I, as well as alot of other people, need to control their emotions. Because if you don't, youll soon be taken over by that emotion. And and by that time, you wont be thinking about more important issues. I think that emotions are just a test from God. And you just have to overcome these tests, learn from them, and move on, becasue if you dont youll always be dwelling on that test.
I guess i should have told you why i got this revelation. I woke up at 5:30 am to blasting music from Adu, and i got extremely pissed off. I kept trying to go back to bed, but i just kept dwelling on the fact that someone would have music blasting at 5:30 in the freakin morning! I got to the point where i was just fuming. I wanted to rip someones head off. Then it hit me like a pile of rocks, why would i get to the point of being angry over a simple thing like that. I shouldve just got up, and asked Adu to turn it down, and go back to bed. So i said a quick prayer for forgiveness( i had a few choice words in my head for him) and calmed down. Im glad i realized this now, so now i know if i dont control my emotionsm, ill start becoming irrational. Which will eventually lead to making bad choices. And of course, life is full of choices!
I guess i should have told you why i got this revelation. I woke up at 5:30 am to blasting music from Adu, and i got extremely pissed off. I kept trying to go back to bed, but i just kept dwelling on the fact that someone would have music blasting at 5:30 in the freakin morning! I got to the point where i was just fuming. I wanted to rip someones head off. Then it hit me like a pile of rocks, why would i get to the point of being angry over a simple thing like that. I shouldve just got up, and asked Adu to turn it down, and go back to bed. So i said a quick prayer for forgiveness( i had a few choice words in my head for him) and calmed down. Im glad i realized this now, so now i know if i dont control my emotionsm, ill start becoming irrational. Which will eventually lead to making bad choices. And of course, life is full of choices!
Monday, October 6, 2008
10-1-2008 Twene Amanfo Secondary Technical School (TASTECH)
Well i left 1 month ago. I feel as though ive finally hit my stride and am now getting into the groove of things. It really only took about a week to get my homesickness to go away, but it was a very hard week. I thought it would never go away! But i just made myself realize that im going to be here for 10 month, and also realized that this trip was a pretty penny, so why waste any time mopping around wishing i was at home! I wont say that i dont have feelings of homesickness every once in awhile, but thats to be expected. And im feeling very comfortable. Ive started knowing where things are at, where to take taxis to, and people are starting to realize that im not just a tourist, im here to stay. I still get called "obroni" 50 times a day though. lol. Ive also started school so i feel as though im in a rhythm.
Speaking of school, its a whole nother beast than school at DUB C(WCHS, if youre not a student there). Ill just mention a few things. They wear uniforms, which ill wear in the next few weeks. They cane the "stuborn"(its like the teachers fav word) students, and its no tap on the wrist. Its a wind-back-and-hit-them-in-the-head-about-5 times kind of caning! The students have a stationary room and the teachers come to us. which can lead to a pretty boring day since your not walking to classes every 90 min like in the states. And sometimes teachers dont even show up, youll just end up sitting in the class for awhile with a bunch of kids speaking Twi. A few days ago, we only had 1 teacher come to class the whole day! luckily my fellow American lent me a book(The Kite Runner, if you havent read it, its awesome!) a few days ago, which i read the whole day.
Since ive been in Sunyani, ive seen like 5 white people other than Wess and Iris. So i stick out like a sore thumb! Everywhere I go i can feel the eyes on me. and its funny cause sometimes people will know me but i wont know them! For example, a few days ago i was walking home and this man in a car driving on the other side of the road from me stopped, waved, and said "Hey Richard!" I waved back at him and he drove off, but i had no clue who he was! That happens on a regular basis. I feel kind of embaressed when that happens because theyll say "Hi Rich" and i wont know there names. haha but the kids here are pretty obnoxious, its not like when grown ups say "Obroni" to me, the kids say "OBROOOOOOONI!". haha i kind of laugh though.
Im 215 lbs, so im not a small guy, but i dont consider myself fat. But good Lord do people love calling me fat and big. At first i was offended when theyd say that. Id just give them a Chuck Liddell stare and walk away. but then someone told me that its good to be big. So now, i just force a smile out when someone tells me that. Its still annoying though.
My little brothers are really cool. and very hard working! Everyday they wake up at 5:30 to clean the house. Its incredible. When i was that age, i was struggling to get up, let alone do chores before i go to school! Then after school they do more chores, and cook and clean after dinner. And they clean the whole weekend practically. They barely have time to hang out. I dont think they get appreciated enough, but they dont seem to mind. They do a lot for me during the week, so i repay them by hanging out with them and helping cook and clean as much as possible, also helping with their homework. and they dont get lunch money so on fridays and sometimes during the week i get them an icecream of something of that nature. Theyll grow up to be very hard workers!
I hope all is well! Ill talk to you soon!
Speaking of school, its a whole nother beast than school at DUB C(WCHS, if youre not a student there). Ill just mention a few things. They wear uniforms, which ill wear in the next few weeks. They cane the "stuborn"(its like the teachers fav word) students, and its no tap on the wrist. Its a wind-back-and-hit-them-in-the-head-about-5 times kind of caning! The students have a stationary room and the teachers come to us. which can lead to a pretty boring day since your not walking to classes every 90 min like in the states. And sometimes teachers dont even show up, youll just end up sitting in the class for awhile with a bunch of kids speaking Twi. A few days ago, we only had 1 teacher come to class the whole day! luckily my fellow American lent me a book(The Kite Runner, if you havent read it, its awesome!) a few days ago, which i read the whole day.
Since ive been in Sunyani, ive seen like 5 white people other than Wess and Iris. So i stick out like a sore thumb! Everywhere I go i can feel the eyes on me. and its funny cause sometimes people will know me but i wont know them! For example, a few days ago i was walking home and this man in a car driving on the other side of the road from me stopped, waved, and said "Hey Richard!" I waved back at him and he drove off, but i had no clue who he was! That happens on a regular basis. I feel kind of embaressed when that happens because theyll say "Hi Rich" and i wont know there names. haha but the kids here are pretty obnoxious, its not like when grown ups say "Obroni" to me, the kids say "OBROOOOOOONI!". haha i kind of laugh though.
Im 215 lbs, so im not a small guy, but i dont consider myself fat. But good Lord do people love calling me fat and big. At first i was offended when theyd say that. Id just give them a Chuck Liddell stare and walk away. but then someone told me that its good to be big. So now, i just force a smile out when someone tells me that. Its still annoying though.
My little brothers are really cool. and very hard working! Everyday they wake up at 5:30 to clean the house. Its incredible. When i was that age, i was struggling to get up, let alone do chores before i go to school! Then after school they do more chores, and cook and clean after dinner. And they clean the whole weekend practically. They barely have time to hang out. I dont think they get appreciated enough, but they dont seem to mind. They do a lot for me during the week, so i repay them by hanging out with them and helping cook and clean as much as possible, also helping with their homework. and they dont get lunch money so on fridays and sometimes during the week i get them an icecream of something of that nature. Theyll grow up to be very hard workers!
I hope all is well! Ill talk to you soon!
PS. The photo is of me and my host brothers!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
9-23-2008 Sunyani,Ghana
My first day of school was a few days ago. Ive decided to go on the Visual Arts path. I figured i might as well do something dealing with the Ghanaian culture rather than doing a science, math, or business course. The students in the class are very cool. I think its about 30 people, with only 4 girls, so all i hear all day are testosterone filled jokes. haha. Everyone is very curious about the american culture. Which i enjoy telling them about. But usually they want to know my political and religious views.
When they ask about my political views i tell them that i consider myself an independent because i agree with some republican views and some democratic views. and of course they want to know who i want to win the presidential election. when i ask them they usually tell me Barack Obama, well thats actually the only answer theyve given me. and actually they give me legit answers, not just "Because hes black.". I know no ones vote counts but the american vote, but i think most of the world wants Barack Obama to win.
As for religion, its everywhere, which i dont mind at all. they pray at school, and there is a student chaplain, and he preaches to us on mondays,wed, and fridays. hes pretty good for only being aloud 5 minutes. My economics teacher asked me one day, and i think everyone pretty much put what they were doing aside to here what me and my fellow american had to say. I told him that i wasnt any particular religion and that i believed all true religions have different names but they all contained the same truths. I also told him that i believed all people go to heaven but its whether your close or far from God in the afterlife. He replied "We'll be good friends this year." so i though that was pretty cool!
Some other things about school. The desks are the most uncomfortable things ive ever sat on. Its like sitting on a 2"x4" for 3 two hour sessions, without any leg room. its like im being punished for 6 hours. Those things are the work of the devil. lol.
Ok, if you dont want to hear a pretty nasty story, then skip these next few lines. My friend Innocent, no seriously thats his name, told me that sometimes a thief will get burned alive if they get caught. I didnt believe him one bit. then the today he brought in this newspaper, and the headline said "Burned Alive", with the most graphic picture of a dead burned man as the cover picture. i about threw up in my mouth. I guess the guy had stolen ONE PLASTIC CHAIR and he was tied up in chains, dragged 800 yards then burned alive. civilized, i think not. and actually the mayor of the town had ordered him to be burned, obviously he denied it and got away with it. It was terrible.
Me and wess were going to visit another AFS student in Nkoranza on saturday, but ended up not going because the bus never came, so we ended up going to Eusbett hotel. Its where all the white people go when they stay in Sunyani at least thats what my host bro told me. I still didnt see but 1 obroni. But it was heaven! they had american food! I was never so excited to get a pizza in my life! it was ghanaian pizza but it was still great! I asked for pepperoni and they gave me chicken. lol
One thing about the variety of food here, or i guess lack of variety i should say. Every dinner i either eat yams, plantains, rice and tomato sauce or fufu, or a combo of all. Its pretty annoying to eat the same thing over and over again, but i didnt come here to get pampered did i? and the portions here are freakin massive. my mom for breakfast gave me 7 plantains, and pretty much made me eat them all, then gave me some leftover rice. Im 215 lbs, but thats a lot of food! haha. but ive been getting used to the Fufu lately. and i kind of enjoyed it much to my surprise. Im glad im gettin used to it, because ill be eating it for the next 9 1/2 months!!!
Ill end on a pretty funny story. One of my teachers asked me what sport i played. I said i wrestle at my high school. and everyone went nuts when i said that. they thought i did wwe! they started pretending to throw chairs and other crap like that. I got kind of pissed off after awhile and luckily i had a video of one of my matches on my camera and showed it to them. then they realized. now they want me to show them moves. ahaha.
I hope you and your family are doing well!
Take care!
By the way, my appologies(s/p) for not adding as many photos as i said. there are a few photos lower down on this same page. enjoy!
When they ask about my political views i tell them that i consider myself an independent because i agree with some republican views and some democratic views. and of course they want to know who i want to win the presidential election. when i ask them they usually tell me Barack Obama, well thats actually the only answer theyve given me. and actually they give me legit answers, not just "Because hes black.". I know no ones vote counts but the american vote, but i think most of the world wants Barack Obama to win.
As for religion, its everywhere, which i dont mind at all. they pray at school, and there is a student chaplain, and he preaches to us on mondays,wed, and fridays. hes pretty good for only being aloud 5 minutes. My economics teacher asked me one day, and i think everyone pretty much put what they were doing aside to here what me and my fellow american had to say. I told him that i wasnt any particular religion and that i believed all true religions have different names but they all contained the same truths. I also told him that i believed all people go to heaven but its whether your close or far from God in the afterlife. He replied "We'll be good friends this year." so i though that was pretty cool!
Some other things about school. The desks are the most uncomfortable things ive ever sat on. Its like sitting on a 2"x4" for 3 two hour sessions, without any leg room. its like im being punished for 6 hours. Those things are the work of the devil. lol.
Ok, if you dont want to hear a pretty nasty story, then skip these next few lines. My friend Innocent, no seriously thats his name, told me that sometimes a thief will get burned alive if they get caught. I didnt believe him one bit. then the today he brought in this newspaper, and the headline said "Burned Alive", with the most graphic picture of a dead burned man as the cover picture. i about threw up in my mouth. I guess the guy had stolen ONE PLASTIC CHAIR and he was tied up in chains, dragged 800 yards then burned alive. civilized, i think not. and actually the mayor of the town had ordered him to be burned, obviously he denied it and got away with it. It was terrible.
Me and wess were going to visit another AFS student in Nkoranza on saturday, but ended up not going because the bus never came, so we ended up going to Eusbett hotel. Its where all the white people go when they stay in Sunyani at least thats what my host bro told me. I still didnt see but 1 obroni. But it was heaven! they had american food! I was never so excited to get a pizza in my life! it was ghanaian pizza but it was still great! I asked for pepperoni and they gave me chicken. lol
One thing about the variety of food here, or i guess lack of variety i should say. Every dinner i either eat yams, plantains, rice and tomato sauce or fufu, or a combo of all. Its pretty annoying to eat the same thing over and over again, but i didnt come here to get pampered did i? and the portions here are freakin massive. my mom for breakfast gave me 7 plantains, and pretty much made me eat them all, then gave me some leftover rice. Im 215 lbs, but thats a lot of food! haha. but ive been getting used to the Fufu lately. and i kind of enjoyed it much to my surprise. Im glad im gettin used to it, because ill be eating it for the next 9 1/2 months!!!
Ill end on a pretty funny story. One of my teachers asked me what sport i played. I said i wrestle at my high school. and everyone went nuts when i said that. they thought i did wwe! they started pretending to throw chairs and other crap like that. I got kind of pissed off after awhile and luckily i had a video of one of my matches on my camera and showed it to them. then they realized. now they want me to show them moves. ahaha.
I hope you and your family are doing well!
Take care!
By the way, my appologies(s/p) for not adding as many photos as i said. there are a few photos lower down on this same page. enjoy!
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