Sunyani, Ghana 6-9-2009

Hi Everyone!
Well just 24 days left in Ghana! Its getting a bit surreal. All this sitting, waiting, wishing for the past 9 months has almost come to an end. At this point I'm getting a little bit sad to leave. Ill miss a lot of things in Ghana, but especially my host family. They've taught me what Ghana is all about and I love them not only for that but for their love, kindness and hospitality. Its been a difficult 9 months, but I've learned so much from it!


I had received a comment on my last blog- my three regrets. I personally thought I did a good thing by admitting my mistakes and learning from them, and in turn trying to fix them in my last 2 months. Ghana has made me into a rather passive person, but at the same time its made me into a person who wont take you-know-what. I was not insulted by this comment-you can read it for yourself- because as Proverbs 12:16 says "...A prudent man overlooks an insult." So rather than argue with this person who I've never met in my entire life, Id just like to defend myself(and Wes as well, because I feel bad for pulling him into this).
Number 1: I unintentionally made it sound like myself and Wesley spent every second together and spent no time with Ghanaians. Which is completely incorrect and I sincerely apologize. I had said we spent a lot of time together, but I didn't mention that we also didn't spend a lot of time together. I made it sound like we'd get breakfast everyday and go to the Internet cafe everyday. Not true: Only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Also, from mid-October up until Easter Break we would rarely ever see each other on the weekends. You also have to understand that when I wasn't at school, I was with my host family. Its not that I didn't try to make friends, but I'm very content with being with my host family. Instead of hanging out with friends, I thought it was more fun and productive to help cook, clean and help out around the house; enjoying my families company. Not only that, but I play football with the kids of my junction numerous times a week. So its not like I wake up, go to town with Wesley, go home and go straight to my room. I spent a lot of time with Wes and enjoy his company- and still do-, but I also spend a lot of time with Ghanaians. I take Junior and Kwasi to watch football matches, I take them to the market, I buy them things that they need. That being said I am NOT, and have NOT secluded myself.
Number 2: To tell someone they are a bad representation of AFS is absolutely atrocious. Any exchange student with AFS who leaves their comfort zone and home, to live in a new place to learn a new culture for 10 months as a teenager, is NOT a poor representation of AFS!


Now to the real reason of this blog!
In this blog I have three topics for you: Teaching, Traveling and Malaria.


Teaching:
Well, I had been going to school for the past 8 months. And after Easter break, I realized that I had received all the credits I needed to graduate. So I decided to make the change to teaching English to Primary students-Basics 4-6- at Junior and Kwasi's school, South Ridge Model School. I wanted to see what the other side of the classroom felt like. Right away I felt much more productive and rewarded. I was planning on just teaching English to Basic 2, but the teacher seemed rather oblivious to the fact that I wanted to teach. So the Headmistress then took me to Basic 4 where I taught for one day. Then, the next day she pretty much gave me a mandatory recommendation that I should also teach Basics 5 and 6, which I was all for. I teach each class- about 25 students each- for and hour each day, from 7:45 to 11:45. I'm enjoying it so much! They're a great group of kids that work hard and pay attention, but at times they're hard to control. But partly thats my fault for trying to use my broken Twi which makes them laugh uncontrollably. haha. But at the same time its mutual, because some of the things they say are hysterical! It is hard to get them to contribute sometimes though because they've become so intimidated by teachers. Especially B-4, because their regular teach- despite the fact that hes a nice guy- is rather harsh on them: "You lazy girls!", "You stupid boys!", "You wont make it to B-5!", while caning the students who answer a question incorrectly. Obviously I'm not going to do that, but they don't really think I wont. So it can be difficult at times. Initially I was planning on teaching Basic 2 , under the heat of Juniors pressure. And Kwasi told me "DO NOT TEACH BASIC 5!" So when I left Basic 2 for Basic 5, they were both mad at me! haha.

Traveling:
So, Ive been all over Ghana for the most part. But Ill just give you my impressions on the three largest cities in Ghana: Accra, Kumasi and Tamale.
ACCRA- The largest and most populous city in Ghana. A very lively city with a great nightlife. I had gone there for about a week in March and it was a bit surreal going to a massive city with a lot of things to do with so many white people walking around. In 5 days I didn't get called obroni once, and literally the first thing I hear when I get off the bus in Sunyani is "OBRONI!" haha. I enjoyed pretty much everything about Accra, other than the traffic. Its absolutely horrid in Accra. To get from one part of Accra to the other can take over two hours, while crammed into a trotro! Other than that Accra is amazing.

Kumasi-By far my favorite city in Ghana. It has a very Ghanaian feel to it to a pretty modern city. The Garden City of West Africa is by far the cleanest city ive been in in Ghana-In Ghanaian standards that is. The people are very friendly and helpful. The transportation and traffic is bearable and affordable. And Kumasi sits in a position in Ghana that is in decent distance to alot of major cities in Ghana. Kumasi has a very lively atmosphere to a very chill, enjoyable city.

Tamale-Its the third largest city in Ghana, but has a very small town feel to it. Its not a bad town, but my least favorite of the three. There wasn't much to do when I was there, but it had a nice feel and the people were nice. A very very hot place to be, but luckily the place we were at had AC. One thing that really impressed me was the fact that the people of Tamale spoke such good English! Better than people in Accra and Kumasi. The reason being, I believe, is that there are so many different languages that they need a common language. I think thats also the reason for some conflict in the North. Also, Islam is the main religion. Which is very interesting to see a mosque on every corner instead of a church.

Malaria:
So, I went 9 1/2 months with out getting malaria, then within 30 minutes, I got it. I got it this past Thursday evening. I felt normal all the way until 5pm when I started getting weak, fatigued and had diarrhea. During the night I woke up numerous times to use the toilet. I woke up around 7 am and new I had Malaria or food poisoning -from the 10 mangoes I ate on Thursday(I will never touch a mango again). That morning I would wake up go to the toilet, go back to sleep, over and over again. Around 10 am Adu took me to the Hospital. I wouldn't have been able to go if it weren't for Adu. I was so weak that I could barely roll up the window of his truck. I got a lot of blank stares as I wobbled into the hospital drenched in sweat. The hospital was a nightmare. Its an open hospital so everything you had to do, you had to walk to another part. So we first filled out the paperwork, then walked to the nurses office, walked to see the doctor, saw the doctor, walked to the lab, got blood taken, waited for the results(Malaria it is) walked back to the doctors office, walked to the pharmacy, Adu had to go into town to buy the malaria injection(THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE MALARIA INJECTION AT A HOSPITAL ON THE CONTINENT WHERE MALARIA IS MOST PREVALENT!), I passed out on a chair while he got the meds, walked back to the injection room, got the shot in my right cheek(its still numb) and after 3 hours, I got to go home! Friday was the most miserable day Ive lived in Ghana. Ill name a few of the symptoms: fatigue but couldn't sleep, weakness, diarrhea, headache, neck ache, loss of appetite, fever, nausea, irritable. It was miserable(though I found it odd that through all the pain and suffering, I was craving a box of Cheez-its!) But Saturday up to today Ive felt fine other than a lingering stomach ache. My stomach is in a lot of pain(not anymore, but on Saturday and Sunday), but I couldn't use the toilet. It was because of Dehydration, but I couldn't drink anything. Its been a lot better lately. At first I was feeling bad for myself, but now I just laugh at myself and think of it as my official stamp on my trip to Ghana. So I'm just laughing at myself and think that in 22 Ill be enjoying the Tennessee humidity(Ill even enjoy the humidity! haha!)