Most Likely the Last Blog

Hola to all,
I am really sorry to everyone that I haven't put up photos, and will probably not put up anymore photos. For those who I don't know-your friends and loved ones will come back from Ghana with amazing photos and stories to share. And for those who I know, I will of course share all the photos. It might take a couple days...but it will happen. However, something is going on with my memory card from the entire time of my ISP, so I will have to figure that out. My Dad said it's fixable, even though when I put it into my camera it says "No Image." Also, technology just got frustrating after I downloaded Ghanaian music from Kwame, from SIT, and weird folders would show up on my USB, but it still worked. And just a few days ago Annie downloaded the music onto her USB and when she went to look at her paper later that day, she couldn't open the file. And in attempts to fix it, something happened-and everything got erased, all of her photos from Ghana and her ISP. But Aleah's Ghanaian friend, Enoch, was able to fix it and she got it back today, photos and all. I felt SO bad. It didn't really mess with mine, so I didn't know how bad the virus was. And there's no virus protection on Madeline's laptop, so it'll have to hold on until I'm back...
I'm finished with my paper today, all I needed to do was print and bind it. I got stressed out these last few days over my paper because a lot of people finished early and I felt like something was off with it...Last night I went over the whole document and made some small changes, which made me feel better. I also only have the photos that I put on the blog from ISP, to put in my paper-which kind of stinks.
I have SIX days left in Ghana. It doesn't feel like it all, especially since I've been stressed about the paper-and a lot of us are planning on staying in a hostel on the beach for a night and spending all day Sat. on the beach. I also have these weird rashy-spots on my upper arms and chest. It doesn't hurt, sting or itch. And they aren't raised. I think it has to do with the Sun, and I'll just have to get a cream back in the States. There's always a magic cream!Then Sunday is when presentations start, and I am 4th in line!
From here on out life is going to be crazy!! For those who are interested, here's a rough outline of my summer:
May 11: US, 8.35pm
May 12: Dad Day
May 13: Mother's Day
May 14: Scholarship is Due (but I need to get a hard copy of a reference letter from my prof. in Bham before this day. And I'm unsure if Alex will be able to come down and bring it...so might have to make a quick trip to the Ham before this day)
May 15: IREX photo contest deadline-hopefully see Claire
May 16-18: Bellingham
May 19-20: Dad's Wedding
May 25-28: Sasquatch (and Alex's brothers graduation on the 27th)
May 31: Mad's 17th bday!
June 12-18: Trip with Mom
June 19: Summer Classes's Start
June 27: My 21st!
SOSOSO crazy. I don't know how all this happened. Plans just started piling on top of each other and before I knew it-my calander was full. I think I'll be okay....ha
So, last night was the most ridiculous thunderstorm ever! It was THHHHEEEEE loudest thunderstorm I have EVER heard in my life. Actually all of the loudest thunderstorm's I've ever experienced have been here. But first the rain woke me up and there was constant flashes of lightening. Like 4 in a row, then a 20sec. break, then 4 flashes, etc. Real creepy. So, I wake up and Sierra's not laying next to me, which at the time I didn't think was weird...lol. But then the thunder was SO loud that I literally thought that the sky was ripping in half while at the same time 5 million whips were whipped at once, all right over my house. And this happened a couple more times. There was one that increased my heart rate so fast, that I was actually scared. Just the awesome power of Earth, and it's capabilities. How is a sound that loud created in the SKY!? what?!
Anyways, I will see ALL of you SOSO soon! Can't wait to eat cereal, yogurt, cheese, MEXICAN FOOD, salads, chips, bagels and much more.

Tamale...

Yesterday the power went out around 6pm and it is dreadfully hot in the room without the fan on. So I laid outside on the mat and stargazed. But before I fell asleep I brought it into the "hallway" (there is no main door, so it's partway outdoors) where sisters Sala, Salma and Mariam were laying and watching a movie called "Impossible" for the third time. It is the cheesiest movie; it reminds me of Limited Too haha. But I'm going to download it on to my usb and share it with everyone!! So, everyone slept in the "hallway" and Sala and I shared a mat and Salma slept to the right of me. It was the worst night of sleep in a long while. I put on bug spray but they were still attacking me, and everyone, so everyone was itching and figeting. Then, in the middle of the night Sala and Salma would switch off sleeping on me...or their legs would reach across my body. At one point I had to roll Sala off of me. At the time it wasn't too humorous, but looking back on it, it was pretty funny. So, I didn't sleep that well at all, and I was the second to last person awake-and felt so silly. But, when I picked up my pillow to roll up the mat there was a large, but dead cockroach right under my pillow!! I just stared and stared at it; thinking, how did it die there? Is my head that heavy? How did I not feel it? Did it crawl on me? That is disgusTTING! So, now I'm a little nervous about sleeping tonight, especially since the lights still have not come on, which means we're probably sleeping outside again.

But after breakfast I went to TICCS (Tamale Institute for Cross-Cultural Studies) which had a modest library. I grabbed several books to read for my ISP paper-mostly on women in Africa. I got really excited because with a strong possibility of minoring in Cultural Anth. I still hadn't found my area of interest, or focus. Not that it's necessary, but it helps to know what you're interested in for research, etc. Anyways....I think it would be really interesting/fun to study motherhood around the world. I feel like I learned alot about society, economics, relationship, etc. just through observation and interviews about mothers and women. I also want to ask Ed Vajda, the prof. who started the Mongolian lang. program at school if he is traveling to East Asia or Russia anytime next year. He does research on language and preservation, but he visits locations that are very difficult to travel to. And since I'm not planning on having a job next year, might as well do something during my breaks! I also decided that I want to see if there is a graduate program anywhere for Visual Anth., either that or just photo. So, anyways, I thought alot about new and exciting plans for the future, which I am quite good at!

When I came home lunch was prepared and it was beans sitting in palm oil. I ate it, but drained the oil from each bite of beans and put the beans on saltine-like crackers I bought at the market. They just use SO much oil for every meal. Yesterday for dinner they made me talia (pasta) and the noodles and the sauce were sososo oily. They were delicious, of course, but I felt 50 lbs. heavier afterwards. That's probably why I've been going to sleep at 7pm every night! Tonight I told Sala that I would just have PB&J for dinner, which is fine with me-maybe the bread will soak up the oil!

Also, the power is still out because I think something blew...I'm not sure, but I saw them fixing it when I left. 

So, today is my last full day in Tamale and I will go to the market to buy gifts for Aunti Fati and the family. And on the way here I definitely got hit by a side window on a van, because I got a ride on Abraham’s (Mariam’s husband, who lives in the same house as me) motorcycle…it didn’t hurt, was just shocked! Anyways, by Friday I will be off to Kumasi and then Cape Coast where I will meet up with friends and we will have a good time!

Life so far...

Hello all!
I made it safely to the city-I have no idea how. The morning I left Gumo there was a really bad motorcycle accident on the main road in front of the village. Motorcycles are very popular in Tamale, and very very few people wear helmets. Walking around the city you can see an entire family on one bike. Or a woman with a child in front and a baby tied to her back. It's pretty crazy. So, in Ghana anyone's business is everyone's business, so there was a huge group of people surrounding the accident. I caught a glimpse of one of the men who got hurt and he had a shirt tied around his head-I'm sure there was a huge gash in his head. They got him into a taxi, to the hospital and the men were delibirating something. About an hour later, they were piling buckets of dirt and rocks onto the road. It took me awhile to realize they were making a speed bump. In the States a community would have to go through so much paperwork, decision-making, etc. for a speed bump to be put in place. But here, the elders and men of the village decided to create one-right then and there. It was funny at times because there was no warning for vehicles, and their work was constantly interrupted. And a few taxi's had to make a few attempts to get over the bump.
Then, it took awhile to leave Gumo, but Asana, Auntie Azara and Rukaya kept me company. Taxi's don't usually pass through Gumo early in the morning, so we sat for a while waiting. At least we had good entertainment from the speed-bump construction, and people would approach me and ask "Why didn't you tell me goodbye?"- people that I've never seen before... Asana and Auntie didn't want me to take a 'lorry' a truck/bus vehicle; so instead they called down a motorcycle...I don't know what they were thinking either. But, I know what you're thinking mother-how could I get on the motorcylce, without a helmet, with my big backpack, when a bad accident just happend? I don't know, adventure...! It was terrifying at first, especially going over the speed bumps. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of how ridiculous I looked. But somehow the driver and I made it safely to where I was meeting Sala.
I'm staying with Aunti Fati and Sala, two SIT staff members. I'm sitting outside now under a tree for shade. Their home is surrounded by trees and there are chickens, roosters and pigeons everywhere! I'm really glad I decided to stay here-it's really peaceful and I've been able to meet more wonderful people. It was also interesting transitioning from a village to the city for several reasons. I sleep on a bed inside, but everyone sleeps on the ground..and last night I could not get to sleep. ( I also don't sleep with a bug net, because I think I would get heat stroke..haha so let's hope I don't get malaria in the last week I'm here!)
 I might've been overstimulated from a tv show playing on the laptop, and Bad Boys 2 playing on the TV, all at once. But I was also incredibly HOT, I could not stop sweating and I was wearing only underwear! Also, the kids sleep in here until 6.30 or 7, where in the village everyone was up by 5am. They also watch TV alot here, but it's never really loud, which is nice. Two nights ago we watched the new King Kong, which was really weird..Selma, an older girl really got into the fighting scenes-it was great fun!
There are four young kids here, which makes it difficult at times to do my work, but yesterday they would NOT leave me alone, so I gave them 2 flashcards each and mechanical pencils that I brought. They sat down at the table with me and they made drawings while I typed. Success!
I'm finished with my observational research, I'm just doing interviews in the city now and trying to finish typing it. It's supposed to be 30 pages, but who knows if I'll be able to make it that long...I want to finish it early because many of us are going to meet up in Cape Coast and enjoy our last few days here! It's SO crazy to think I have less than 3 weeks here. I haven't been thinking about it much (which makes it go by faster) because I've been worried about finshing my paper in time and spending time with my friends before we disperse across America. The goodbyes are going to be the saddest! I think our group is the best, from what I've heard, because none of the girls are super catty-everyone gets along with everyone.
I might try and upload photos one last time before the plane ride home!

Photos from Gumo

Here are some photos during my ISP time so far. I have become very close with my family in Gumo. They were so sweet and accommodating, even if they didn't really understand why I was there...but I'm so glad I stayed in a village where everything is way more calm and everyone knows each other. This last week I will spend in the city with Sala, an SIT staff member, to do book research and hopefully write my ISP! Wish me luck!

Morgan, Annie and I on our way to Kumasi from Accra.

Annie and Morgan on the bus that was like riding 1st class  in an airplane!

I forget what these are called, but they are ddelicious! Tastes like peanuts, pepe ginger mixed together

"Zabla" or henna, on a little girl. The older women here, put it on their feet.

Casual cow...

Working at the Shea Butter mill.

The hut on the right is where I "live" with Auntie Azara. The hut on the left is the kitchen.

Baby!

Shea Butter, in final stage.

Putting new roofing on-they do it about every 2-3 years.

I was so wigged out by this giant frog that my 'brothers' had tied to their bike...

Moses leading Annie and I to the farm...he's carrying yam to plant.

Auntie Meri and Auntie Fati mixing Shea Butter. Everything is manual labor except for the grounding of the Shea nuts.

Asana, my friend in Gumo carrying firewood to the mill.

Most awkward photo-me with my Auntie

Can I please take you home with me? Rukaya, my sister-LOVE her!

Drying the wash in the sunset

Moshi, my sister, climbing a Baobab Tree to get the leaves for soup.

Auntie Azara, Auntie Meri and Auntie Fati, my "mothers"...cutting firewood

Zinabu, my little sister. Cutest smile ever!

Gumo and ISP

I don't have photos to post right now, but here's what's been going on with not much elaboration; because of limited time....

I sleep outside, on the ground in a compound with a polygamous family; the husband is away traveling.
I bathe outside, twice a day. In the morning I have warm water, and it feels amazing!
I have been wearing the same skirt everyday (my black Isis skirt, for those who know what I'm talking about); and I will leave it with the family.
My stomach doesn't want any more Ghanaian food; so I've been eating pb&j sandwiches, oats and pasta.
There was a dead mouse in my hut that made it super smelly
I saw a UFO (swear!)
I'm reading 'Contact' by Carl Sagan and 'The Social Animal'
I get up around 5.30 every morning
A chicken got caught in my bug hut
Interviews are very difficult here
It's one million degrees everyday, but the evenings and mornings are cool
There is someone from the PeaceCorps in the village-Joshua
I visited a farm yesterday, and saw how they plant yams and casavas.
I tasted the worst orange drink here; Africa Fun
I've had more marriage proposals than I can count on both hands
I can't tell if I'm gaining or losing weight...
I haven't looked in a mirror in more than a week
I also haven't used a toilet in more than a week...

Anyways, I'll try and get photos up soon!!

First two days of ISP

               The first two days of ISP have been very long. On 03 Apr. Annie, Morgan and I left Legon from a taxi to the bus station. We ended up taking the "Enterprise" bus which was 22 Cedis. But it felt like riding in first-class on an airplane. There was so much room and you couldn't feel the bumps at all! It was luxury at its finest in Ghana. We left around 1, but got to Kumasi around 7 because of traffic...When we arrived in Kumasi it was pouring so so so hard and we ran to a cab, to take us to Asokore Mampong, where we were staying in a guest house for the  night. Just that few minutes outside I couldn't see with my glasses on and my hair was drenched. For dinner we went to Kandy's with Kwame, Jesse and Emily. We got fried rice to eat and I tried a Savannah Dry, a hard cider from South Africa. It was very tasty!! It was a fun fun night; especially when back at the hotel Almost Famous was on.

                The next morning we went over to Kwame's and had breakfast. We got to the station around 9am. Annie, Morgan and I went to the bathroom, got an egg sandwhich and snacks for the road. We were ready to hit the road...6 hours later...

                It took us a little bit to figure out the process of acutally getting a ticket. The process was to get a card (voucher) in order to get a ticket. But people couldn't get tickets until a bus came. So, it ended up being lots of people racing to the booth to pay for a ticket before the bus was full. I don't think they controlled the number of cards they gave out, so there was usually a competition to get a ticket. There weren't that many employees there which made everything more difficult. Only 1 bus came before we got on one, but it waited awhile for the bus to come, to get a ticket, to get on the bus, etc. Ghana is the waiting game for everything. This big, orange bus was less than the comfort of the first bus. Us three sat next to each other in a row. We ate a lunch of "cream" crackers, avocado and apple, with Annie crafting the art of spreading the avocado without breaking the cracker. Then, for the rest of the trip we read, I'm reading "The Social Animal" now, listened to music and attempted to sleep. None of us slept well at all, of course. My eyes were the heaviest, but I could not, for the life of me, fall asleep; which is very unusual for me. We finally got into Tamale around 10.30pm and overpaid a taxi to take us to our hotel.  Morgan and I got "Indomie" noodles, which are like raman noodels, for a late dinner (One packet has 1,140 mg of sodium..yipeeeee). Eventually we fell asleep. We woke up around 8.30 am, an hour later than we had planned, but the extra sleep was much needed. It took us a while to get the day started...at first we were planning on going to the market, but we just procrasinated real good. Fuzzy, an SIT staff member took Morgan on his motorcycle to an orphanage she's going to work at. Then we planned for Samatha (Sala) to pick us up at 3 to go to the village. Annie and I bought SO much food for our time in the village since we'll be cooking our own food.

Here's a list!: Carrots, 2 pineapples, peanut butter, bread, salt, jam, 2 packets of noodles, oil, garlic, ginger, hobnobs (oat crackers), cream crackers, avocado, peanuts, and I think that's it.

                Right now, we're waiting to go to the village, and I'm real nervous/excited!!!

Volta Region, Cape Coast and Tamale

Tomorrow morning I leave for Kumasi and then to Tamale to begin my ISP. It will be nerve-racking at first, but as time goes I hope I'll be apart of the family I'm living with (in a mud hut with a thatch roof). Updating will be hard because I'll be 30min. from the nearest Internet Cafe. Only 38 days left in Ghana; time has gone by SO fast and this last month will whizz by. But I also can't wait to see and hug everyone that I love! And also eat food that I've been craving: greek yogurt, blueberries, cereal, cheese, cookies, brownies, mexican food, chinese food, sushi, almonds, soy milk, cereal, cereal, cereal....

 

 

                              A welcoming sign on the beach near the Volta Region, we all made sure we contained ourselves.

                                         

                                         A fisherman at the beach, fixing a net.

                                              Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast

 

                                                       View from the castle

                                             Anna is happy on the canopy walk in Cape Coast!
                                      Apparently there are 600 species of birds there. I saw zero!

                                       Anna (unsure if she was in the photo..), Sierra, Aleah and me!

Early morning at the beach.

Sala holding a guinea fowl for sale. Guinnea fowl are usually given as presents 

in Tamale

Women pounding shea nut seeds to make into shea butter.

Me pounding shea nut seeds! Only women make shea butter, and is primarily made in Northern Ghana

Warthogs are weird...

WHAT! Elephants: wild, huge, beautiful

We are giving thumbs up to each other!

We were very happy girls!