I have returned from ghana. but its not over. the journey has just begun

It's not great that I won't see kpoeta again in a jiffy

What a wonderful weekend it has been! Katie and I left around 5:30 am on Friday and made it to Sokode by 9! There we met with Togbe (chief) and Alice (the pastor and head of the kindergarten) we discussed the plans for the kindergarten school as well as interviewed Togbe on the grasscutters. It was great to hear what positive effects the Heifer project is having in the village. How lucky are we to be working with such friendly people. We had lunch at Goldfinger again (on Togbe’s tab) and then sat around a bit until we caught tro tro’s to Kpezde. Dr. Amadhe’s brother planned to meet us there by 4 and amazingly (considering this is Ghana) he did! We barely made it to Kpoeta as our cab died on the way and rolled down the hill. Luckily we did arrive though and quickly got settled in Dr. Amadhe’s beautiful home. Soon we were greeted with a delicious meal set before us by the chief’s wife , Christian’s wife, and mother. After eating more than our fill we settled in for an early evening.

Saturday we woke up to a delicious breakfast and then went to the chief’s palace. I can not possibly capture what it is like to interact with the chief and elders. There is a lot of time where no one talks, but simply sit in each other’s company. We of course were given tons of bananas and coke and talked about our visit and the clinic. We watched some news about the election which was to take place the next day and then when Barney came on, we watched. Classic moment in life right there.

In the afternoon we went to a beautiful waterfall in Kpoeta that the people desparetly want to be visited by travelers. We took dinner and went to bed early as Katie and I were both feeling exhausted. Christian was the dearest companion. He is one of the cutest most upbeat people you will ever meet. He constantly is on. “That is great” and “I’ll be back in a jiffy”.

Sunday we listened to the radio about the election and also went around town. Katie did interviews for her project and I played with kids. What fun! We were of course given more coke, bananas, and the dreaded malta. We got to take another tour through the clinic, spend time with the chief and learn more about Kpoeta. I got pretty far in The lord of the rings (all 3 books) and we listened to news about the election. We were sad to go to sleep since we knew it was our last night. We woke up to another ginormous breakfast followed by of course waiting for the car. I showed Christian how far I was in the book and I have never seen such excitement over such a thing. “Congratulations show much” That’s great” and he literally jumped with excitement. It was so sad to leave him. And kpoeta. I can’t believe that is the last trip. I sincerely hope that I will be able to return again,. Christain says he will call us when we are back in the US. I can’t wait. J What wonderful relationships I have made here!

forever...

As my time in Ghana comes to a close I am more than ever reflecting back on what this semester has meant to my life. This semester has forced me to change so many things about myself. I have had to admit to areas where I need help and judgments I didn’t know I was making. And I believe now, more than ever, that life is about people.

It has been small moments, barely noticeable to anyone else that have worked their way into my heart and mind. I have had to learn how to be patient. Well really more than patient, I have had to learn how to be okay with not being in control. There is no step by step process to study abroad. You cannot get an A in living in a 3^rd world country. You will never have a day go “as planned.”

Queuing hours in line to register for classes. Sitting for seemingly endless hours in tro tros not moving. Waiting for friends to meet for lunch. Standing in a market while your vegetables are picked out one by one. Laying in bed because its too hot to move and the electricity isn’t working. I still like a schedule, I won’t lie. But I am much more able to be flexible, to accept that I have no control over the direction my day will take. I wish I could take credit for getting there myself but I can’t. It was the Ghanaians laughing and talking pleasantly no matter how slow registration went. It was the children who were excited that they were able to sell water to us while we traffic stopped. It was knowing that the friend you are waiting for is probably making someone else’s day by stopping to talk. It was the women in the market who barely make enough money to survive yet took the time to ask about my day. It was my roommate apologizing for the electricity outages as if she had personal responsibility. I can’t recall an instance where people got irritated about aspects of life that were out of their control. I needed help letting go of that control.

Before I came here I would have never said that I thought my way of life was better than anyone else’s, but somewhere deep inside I admit now I thought so. There is no right way to live. Living in a brick house isn’t more right than living in a mud hut. Just because something is necessary in my world does not mean it is necessary for everyone else. Despite the knowledge that I was gaining so much from our partnership in Kpoeta building a health care center, I think I was discrediting Kpoeta, Ghana, the world. How often do I admit I have a problem, ask for help, and receive it with thanks. How did I not see that asking someone to work with you is one of the greatest acts of humility. I think the US could use a little of that. We might find we have a lot of areas that need improvement. Yes Ghana needs better sanitation systems, higher functioning technology, better health care and nutrition, and well-funded education. But Ghanaians know how to live simply, they are masters at making the best of a situation, they know how to work hard and then let go. I always believed that different cultures had things to teach other, but that goes deeper than I ever knew. I feel lucky that I might get to act as a bridge between 2 cultures for someone else.

When I felt lost here it was people, not books, maps, or any object that made me understand. When I felt alone I had people in all different areas of my life remind me of their presence. When I wondered about where I fit in this big world, it was people who showed me. I still have a lot of questions about my life. What am I going to do when I grow up? When will I settle down? Where am I going to live? Why is there so much pain in the world? How will I decide where I should be? It seems the only question I don’t have is WHO I am going to be. I am going to be a person who has compassion for the world and myself. I am someone who is going to ask questions. I am someone who loves to learn. I am someone who finds joy in people. And I am someone who needs people.

“You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.” (Frederick Buechner)

I have carried my loved ones with me here, and I will carry the new loves in my heart back. And no matter where this life takes me, I know that part of who I am is the family and friends I carry inside my heart.

It will be sad to say goodbye to Ghana, to Sophie. But I know that I am taking them with me wherever I go. You cannot forget what has become a part of who you are. And I know they are part of WHO I am. Forever.

oh and here are some links to photos from the past month or so

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001559&l=2dc6e&id=1462410022

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001586&l=2e95f&id=1462410022

THANKSGIVING

I could not be more thankful for my thanksgiving in Ghana! While I missed being at home with friends and family, I had the opportunity to share the joy of a holiday about being with the people you love and being thankful, with people who I love and am thankful for. And really, what better place to cook your first thanksgiving than in a third world country?

The day before thanksgiving Shane, Katie, and I went to Lydia’s house (the assistant registrar) and checked out her kitchen. She had an oven and a stove (both gas) with the only setting being 1, 2, and 3. We were super excited though because we have not seen an oven in 4 months. Ghanaians don’t really use them. After discovering the oven, we went to Shoprite to pick up all the ingredients for thanksgiving. We made an emergency call to Katie’s mom to figure out how to cook homemade stuffing and also the most important. How exactly do we cook a turkey, oh and it’s not a whole turkey just random leg pieces?

Armed with a list we set to conquer the store. We found 4 packages of turkey legs (probably the world fattest and most skin colored and bony). We found bread, we got juice, potatoes, cream, whole peppercorns, and spices. Then we went to the market and got some green beans, onions, garlic, and apples. Thursday morning we set out at 9 am carrying all of our good’s over to Lydia’s house. For some reason she trusted us by ourselves to produce a thanksgiving dinner for 11 people. We started with the turkey. Katie and I used our hands to rip the skin and then stuck garlic, spices, pepper, and lemon zest under the skin. We poured apple juice around the turkey leg, covered it in tin foil and crossed our fingers. Directions, repeat 4 times because you only have a pot for one thing and the oven is really small. While we were pounding the pepper by hand and spicing up the turkey, Shane was busy peeling potatoes and boiling them. Using a spatula, cream, and lots of butter Shane smashed away at the potatoes and filled two huge containers. We were really excited. The first turkey came out great, but b/c of the skin situation and our lack of utensils we had to use our hands to pull off the meat. Oh and did I mention we at didn’t have running water or electricity?

I made the stuffing by ripping up French bread, using chicken bouillon cubes to make chicken broth, and then sautéing onions, apples, raisins, and walnuts. Mixed it all together and baked for a delicious stuffing!

Katie made a chocolate cake from a mix and we made jello!! We made green beans and gravy and set out the cranberry sauce transported from London!

At the time of dinner we had quite the spread. We had Sophie, Shane’s roommate pasquel, Lydia, Allison and her roommate, and Lydia’s 2 cousins and 2 nieces. We shared the history of thanksgiving and explained it was a day not a place (haha there seemed to be some confusion). We also all stood in a circle and shared what we were thankful for this year. Sophie said she was thankful for her new best friend and I pretty much wanted to cry and leap across the circle to give her a big hug. I am so thankful for her.

The food was delicious and we were stuffed as any person should be on thanksgiving. Sophie and the other Ghanaians really enjoyed the food and stuffed themselves as well. I am a little sad that I didn’t get to have any pie or sweet potato casserole but the day was an overwhelming success. Cleanup was a little tricky but we had running water for a bit so we were able to fill some buckets up with water and team work washing by pouring water out of the buckets! Go Ghana!

I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful that I know what it is like to love someone who had a completely different background and world experience. I am thankful that I know what it is like to jump and dance because the electricity is working. I am thankful for laughter when the water isn’t running or when life feels difficult. I am thankful for the perspective that allows me to know that there isn’t a right or wrong way to live. I am thankful that I can see beauty in the world. I am thankful that I am not blind to the pain. I am thankful for those I love and for those I don’t know who have still impacted my life. I am thankful for life and all the wonder of the world. And, I’m thankful my first exam is over

your home is all the places your heart is

So I have finished my last big trip in Ghana. Its insane to think that I have less than a month left here. Here’s some statistics from our trip.

1 trip

2 countries

3 people

6 days starting at 5 am or earlier

9 days

40 km on a bike

55+ hours in buses

Day 1

We started out last Friday a little after 5. We got to circle but unfortunately our bus did not leave til 8. Eventually we got on the road to Tamale. Katie and I were in the back row which was most unfortunate because the backs are straight up. I was lucky though b/c there was an empty seat beside me and the guy next to that kept making sure no one sat there. I took Tylenol pm so I was able to sleep for about 6 hours of the trip and my seatmate kept tucking me in. so cute. After 13 hours in a bus we arrived in Tamale. A random Ghanaian helped us to find our hotel which turned out to be disgusting. The bed was of course covered in a single sheet that probably has not been changed in years. There were no working outlets, no running water, and the world’s hardest smallest double bed (not great for 3 people who have not had running back at school for over a day).

Day 2

We made do though and got up at 3:30 to walk to the bus station to find a bus to Mole national park. That turned out to be quite a process but eventually we got a private tro tro and made it to Mole by 9 0r 10. We had a delicious lunch and I swam in a pool! Mole hotel was by far the nicest place we have ever stayed in Ghana. Our room had 3 single beds, with sheets and pillows! We had a western toilet and a shower and a sink. Unbelievable. We all took naps and then went on a nature walk. We saw tons of baboons, monkeys, antelopes, and water bucks. Unfortunately NO ELEPHANTS! What the bejeezer! It was still really cool though but I really wanted to see an elephant. After a dinner of rice, of course, we went to bed because guess what time we needed to wake up? 3:30!

Day 3

We took that 3:30 am bus back to Tamale. It was quite a bumpy ride and unfortunately I could not sleep. A women got on the bus beside Shane shortly after 4 and was in labor. She had 3 other young girls with her and looked to be about our age. She didn’t make a sound during contractions just grasped her leg and someone else’s. She must have been waiting for the bus to take her to the midwife or something. I can’t imagine. That bus is the only form of transportation going that way and some days it is hours late! I am glad we were on time for her!

Day 4

Immediately upon getting to Tamale we got a tro tro to Bolgatanga. Even though being in transit so much is sort of unfortunate, we got to see so much of the landscape of Ghana. The north is so much drier and the type of housing changed to almost solely mudbrick houses with thatch roofs. There also appeared to be much more poverty in the north—very tattered clothing and a much larger presence of clearly donated clothes bearing names of American schools and locations. We found a really yummy restaurant in Bolga and because lunch was so good (but took forever to arrive) we ordered dinner. We went to our hotel and it was so adorable and nice. The communal showers and bathrooms were super clean and the bed had sheets!

Day 5

Woke up after an excellent nights sleep at 6ish and got a bush taxi to Paga. There we met this cute little man who was our guide. He gave us a mini tour of the village and let us try on some traditional hats and bow and arrow stuff. Then we got to see the crocs! In this village killing a crocodile is the same leads to the same punishment that killing a human does. The crocodiles roam freely and they say they do not harm humans. We bought 2 chickens and with them coaxed a few crocs out of the water. I held one of the tails and even gave it a kiss! Paga was a ton of fun and super interesting.

We walked to the border where we met a Canadian volunteer who spoke French and shared a cab with us to Po, Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso looked so different from Ghana driving in. For the entire hour we did not pass through a single legitmate village only sporadic clusters of about 10 mud huts all enclosed within one circle. There was clearly no running water or power. Po was a village but very modest. We got delicious Fanta’s though and got to use a hole to go to the bathroom. Burkina Faso does Fanta really well. We continued on to Ougodougou (pronounced Wagadogoo). This was a big city and appeared more modern than what we have seen in Ghana. Interesting that there are such extremes in a country. Riding motorcycles/bikes is the thing to do here. Very interesting.

Finding a hotel was quite a task. Shane knows a wee bit of French and I am sometimes to understand because some words are similar to Spanish. Together we do not even come close to communicating well. We wanted to find a cheap hotel so we started asking around. Eventually we came across a guy who seemed to know someone who spoke English. His sister worked in a high class perfume shop and knew a small amount of English. At first she thought we were trying to find a bank to change money (clearly our communication skills were lacking) but after some charades we understood one another. She said that she and her brother would take us on their motorcycles to a place they knew, but then their taxi driver friend arrived. So the brother and the taxi driver took us to this hotel which was cheap as we like. The hole bathroom was a little gross and had no light, but our room had a shower (even though it lacked a door) so we took it. David (taxi driver) somehow communicated that he would be back to take us to dinner, which was amazing considering our limited French and his almost nonexistent English. He came back and there was a kid in his front seat, which we thought was his and that he was dropping him off at home before he took us to dinner. False, it was his sister-in-laws son and he took us to her house to meet her. Titi went to the U of Ghana so she spoke English and we had a blast sitting in her house and talking. Then David took us, and ate dinner with us at a random restaurant. Katie and I split a very mysterious pizza which had vegetables, eggs, and some undetermined meat, possibly grasscutter. After dinner I had to go to the bathroom but when I went to leave the door wouldn’t open. The door had no knob or anything but somehow it had locked itself. I was banging on the door and shouting at the top of my lungs but no one heard me. Eventually when Katie and shane were ready to leave Katie came to check on me and found me. I was so relieved! She somehow explained to the cook what happened and he used a knife to set me free. Apparently david had heard me but didn’t know how to tell Katie and shane! Haha, I would get stuck in a bathroom.

Day 6

We took yet another bus to Bobo. This is the second largest city in Burkina Faso towards the west. We decided to take a tour of the old village which is a mix of Islam and voodoo. Our tour was quite interesting considering our guide’s translation of French to English was sometimes humerous. There were times of beautiful kids and I spent most of the tour playing with them. Outside of the mosque I met these two little girls and I played and took pictures with them. Later when I saw them the little girl came running over to me and jumped into my arms. I WANT A BURKINABE BABY!!! Its amazing how much you can communicate without words especially with kids.

Day 7

This was an adventure of a day. All week shane and Katie had been discussing the plan to ride bikes 17 km to this waterfall in Banafora (about an hour and half outside of bobo). I was too embarrested to mention that I have not been able to ride a bike since knee surgery and was growing more anxious by the day. Eventually though, the time arrived and we had our bikes. A Burkinabe guy on a motorbike had agreed to lead us to the start of the trail to the waterfall. The road had been described as a pleasant dirt road. False. As we left the town Katie, Shane, and our guide stopped at the top of the hill since that is where he was going to leave us. As I crossed the street I realized that I could not stop.

As I careened straight for them I said “I don’t know how to stop!” and promptly fell right over after crashing into a bush. Our Burkinabe man was quite distressed and picked the bike off me and was concerned about my bleeding knee, arm, and shoulder. Shane and him went back to get a new bike and we continued our trip. The seat of this new bike was unfortunately much too tall and not very comfortable. We could not for the life of us find the waterfall and eventually had to get a farmer to lead us there. Once we finally arrived, exhausted and hot, we were pleased with the gorgeous waterfalls. We had lunch underneath mango trees and then played and explored the waterfalls and rocks. All too soon we had to head back. I switched bikes with Katie since her’s was shorter, but unfortunately was less stable. We were booking it back and acquired the company of another Burkinabe biker who persistently attempted to communicate with us despite our inablility to answer him. About 45 minutes into the ride we got to this roped off area and had to go along this hilly rocky edge. False, I am not that skilled. It was a major man down situation. I massacared my hands, re-opened up my knee, and got a baseball size bruise on the inside of the other knee. But I had know choice but to laugh at myself and keep going. Suffice to say I was quite excited when we got back and I could hold a cold Fanta between my bleeding and sore hands. It was still really fun though and feel excited that I have re-learned how to ride bike!

Day 8

Another travel day. We moseyed around Bobo until our bus left for the border. I re-read for the 3^rd time A thousand splendid suns which was amazing as ever. We arrived at the border in the dark and of course met a friend who was eager to help us. The immigration office in Burkina Faso was lit solely by the flashlight held under the chin of the lone officer. Classic Africa. Then we went to the Ghana office which had real lights—classy! Once back in Ghana we found a hotel with the classic name of “by the power of God hotel.” We met another friend who helped us to get bus tickets for the bus the next morning. He kept talking to people who had seen the driver and we went from place to place in search of him. However, the town was quite wild because the former president Jerry Rawlings was due to arrive anytime and people were ecstatic. Eventually we found the driver asleep in a random building and he told us the bus would leave anytime between 2:30 and 5—“Africa time 3:30”. So we set our alarms for 2 am which would have been more upsetting if our bed hadn’t been filthy and hard and the bathroom or “pitch” hadn’t smelled awful and been a hole filled with visable cockroaches and god knows what.

Day 9

Having become complacent to bus rides, this 8 hour trip was fine except for the worse bathroom I have used my entire trip here. Words can not describe that experience, but suffice to say I will not miss that aspect of my time here. We arrived in Techiman and shnae split off to go see some caves and Katie and I went to Nkoramaza. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. We stayed at a place called Hand in hand which is a home for physically and mentally handicapped Ghanaian children. It was started by a dutch man and they take individuals who were abandoned or not functioning in hospitals as is common in Ghana because children are needed to work in family’s so children with special needs often are abandoned. The center was beautiful and boasts a workshop where many of the children make beads, necklaces, bags, and even kente. What pride they showed when pointing out their work. Katie and I played with beautiful children who were full of life and celebrating the exisistence that had almost been taken from them. I loved carrying the children, holding their hands, smiling into their eyes, and singing with their sounds. There were kids with autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and everywhere in between. One little girl, age 4, had been born without arms or legs. Her mother tried to throw her in the bush but the nurse rescued her and took her to hand in hand. Her beautiful smile and sweet “hello, goodbye” capture your heart. She does not need limbs to change hearts and brighten lives. I made some purchases from the store, had a wonderful shower, a delicious dinner, and decided that I want to come back. I would love to stay as a long-term volunteer there. What a meaningful and excellent place. Ahh, I want to go back now! Its hard for me not to smile when I think about it. (you should look it up—they have a website—look up Hand in Hand Ghana)!

Day 9

Today we woke up at 6:15 (late for this trip) and then got on a tro tro to Kumasi where we picked up another tro tro to Accra, and then another one back to campus. I loved coming back to Sophie and getting a giant hug. What a wonderful home I have here. It’s good to be back and crazy to realize I do not have too much longer.

If Home is where the heart is, I must have 2 homes because pieces of my heart are going to stay here forever!

You know you are in africa

you know you are in africa when...
1. rice is breakfast lunch and dinner
2. you can buy anything from shoes to pineapples to pots and pans off of women,s heads...without leaving your vehicle
3. you comfort yourself by saying its only your pee splashing on your legs in the gutter bathrooms
4. no one finds it odd that young children are wandering by themselces carrying an infant and selling items
5. you drink and eat out of bags
6. peeing in public is perfectly acceptable
7. entire villages are aware of your presence and shout exitedly in there language about your whiteness
8. people you do not know and can barely communicate with want your name address and telephone number
9. it is more common than not for a restaurant to not having any of the items on their menu besides rice and it is normal for it to take an hour to serve you
10. your taxi driver tqkes you to his house to meet his family and then proceeds to eat dinner with you

somedays all you can say is...this is africa...i love it

Wonderfully Uncomfortable. Normally those seem like a contradiction in terms but I have found that it is the best way to describe Ghana. It is uncomfortable to sit in a tro tro for hours while someone is preaching in twi. At the same time though it’s wonderful, to see the excitement and joy with which Ghanaians approach a trip that anyone else would see as long and frustrating. It is uncomfortable to be pointed out for being white constantly and to be overcharged, but at the same time it is wonderfully to experience the openness about race. I find it uncomfortable to have every taxi and tro tro driver asking me “where are you going” but it is wonderful to watch as they consistently stop what they are doing and get you where you need to be even if it is not with them. It is uncomfortable to sleep in intense heat under a mosquito net, but it is wonderful to be grateful for that—knowing that so many are out in the open without a fan. It is uncomfortable to be sick and miserable to have malaria, but it is wonderful to have firsthand experience of a health care system that is not like my home experience. It is uncomfortable to sit in hard wooden chairs during a 2 hour straight lecture, but it is wonderful to be in a class of Ghanaian’s and understand the education system. It is uncomfortable to go without showering because of a lack of running water and to know that even if there is water, it will be cold. However, it is wonderful to be thankful for every cold drop of water that helps was away the dirt, dust, and sweat inevitably covering you every day. It is uncomfortable to eat and drink food that I do not like because it is being offered to me and it would be rude to turn it down. But it is beyond wonderful to experience the hospitality and invitation of chiefs and others who by most standards are “poor”, but are wealthy in giving, love, and generosity.

I would not trade this semester’s experiences for the world. I have never been more uncomfortable in my life. But I finally understand that uncomfortable is not inherently a bad thing, in fact here it is WONDERFUL!