20 Points to Sum up my Trip to Ghana:

1)   I stick out like a soar thumb. In the markets, people often touch my skin or grab my arm to pull me in to buy their products.  

2)   People always ask me if I am a Christian, or if I believe in Jesus Christ.

3)   People, both on and off campus, always ask me for my phone number.

4)   I have received a few marriage proposals.

5)   Most people here assume that I am financially well to do because of my skin color.

6)   I take tro-tros, or oversized minivans, to travel around. Tro-tros can hold about 15 to 20 people. I have been doing a lot of traveling.  

7)   Ghana’s scenery is beautiful. The country is covered in greenery, but is also covered with trash in several parts.

8)   Where I am living, water and power are sporadic. There is never hot water. 

9)   It is so humid here!!

10)                  It is possible to keep kosher here. I am doing just fine. Although it took some time for my stomach to adjust to the food here. The pineapple here is amazing! I love Red Red, which is made with black eyed peas and red palm oil or tomatoes, and is served with plantains.

11)                   People often assume that my hair is a wig, and ask me how much I paid for it.

12)                   People call me “Obruni,” or “white person” all the time as if “Obruni” is the name on my birth certificate.

13)                   I am the only person in all of my classes who is left-handed. Ghanaians are trained to become right-handed even if they’re naturally left-handed. Also, it is considered disrespectful to eat with the left hand.

14)                   Even though Ghanaians and Americans both speak English, there are still several communication barriers. It took me a while to adjust to the Ghanaian accent. Additionally, American and Ghanaian expressions, sarcasm, and directness in answers differ greatly from one another. Often, Ghanaians will tell people what they think they want to hear, and not what is actually correct.  

15)                   Ghanaians see time differently than Americans. Here, many events, programs, classes, or meetings will start and/or run late. It seems that time here is seen as something that never runs out. 

16)                   I have met other international students from all over the world. About 10% of the university is international.

17)                   President Barak Obama is everywhere! I have passed by the “Obama Hotel,” the “Obama College,” the “Obama Bar,” and see “Obama biscuits” everywhere. Additionally, pictures and paintings of him are sold everywhere. A couple people have tried to sell me their products and told me to buy them for Obama and give them to him when I get home.

18)                   I see images of President Barak Obama and Ghanaian president John Atta Mills standing side by side. To me, these images appear photo shopped.

19)                    African dance is a blast! I can’t wait to break it down at my dance teacher’s wedding next week. ;-)

20)                   In Ghana, it’s important to remember to go with the flow. Things often do not turn out the way you plan. 

Aburi Botanical Gardens and Boti Falls

     This past weekend I traveled with some friends to the Botanical Gardens in Aburi, which is part of the Eastern Region of Ghana. I had been to the gardens once before, but couldn’t stay away from their beauty. It took us 90 minutes to get to the falls, even though some Ghanaians said it would take 30. This happens often, so when they told me 30 minutes, I assumed 60. I have learned to double the amount of time given to me. Perhaps the Ghanaians told me what they thought I wanted to hear.

     My friends and I also traveled to Boti Falls, some waterfalls in the eastern region. They were also gorgeous. We took a hike around the falls, as well. Check out the pictures.   


Here are some pictures from the Gardens: 

Climbing a Tree in the Gardens

Here are some pictures from the Waterfalls:

Clearly we were excited about seeing the falls...

Historic Sites in Accra (Ghana's Capital)

A few weeks ago, my Ghanaian friend took me to the historic sites in Accra. The nerd that I am, I was so excited to see them. Besides, why would I travel to a country for half a year and not visit its historic sites?

     We first went to the National Museum, which exhibits a collection of Ghana’s and West Africa’s historical artifacts, from farming tools to pottery to drums. I was so grateful to have gone with my friend, because he answered all of my questions and explained a lot about the artifacts in the museum. We then went the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, which is the final resting place of the first president of the Republic of Ghana, Presdient Nkrumah, and his Egyptian wife, Fathia. Apparently Fathia is Anwar Sadat’s sister. Adjacent to the mausoleum is a mini museum with pictures of Nkrumah by himself and with other world leaders, especially communist leaders including the leaders of Russia, China, and Cuba, since Nkrumah was a Marxist. The museum also displays some of his old furniture. The walls of the museum are decorated with Egyptian art.

     After the museums, we headed to the Centre For National Culture, which is locally known as the Arts Centre. Vendors there sell all types of artwork including woodcarvings, drums, cloth, leather bags, beads, and imported items from surrounding countries. I didn’t buy anything, but I one vendor approached me and told me to buy his drum to bring back to Obama.

   

Correction!

Videos work. They just take forever to load. Have a good day.

Correction!

Videos work. They just take forever to load. Have a good day.

Ramadan Festival II

     It appears that the videos I took cannot be displayed on my blog, but here are a couple of pictures that I took through the crowds:

Ramadan Festival

I saw a Ramadan parade downtown this past Wednesday, August 31. People rode down the streets on horses and some carriages, and every few minutes a gun was shot off to scare people and move them out of the streets. Thousands of people crowded around the parade and took out their phones and cameras to film the parade. Many people held their cameras on my friends and me for several seconds, most likely because we stuck out as the only white people. I took tons of pictures and videos too. They capture the crowds and madness of the situation quite well if you ask me. I was getting pushed side to side as I was filming. I am trying to upload some videos. Hopefully they'll work when posted on my blog.  

Oguaa Fetu Afahye Festival

Hi Ya’ll:

     I’m sorry I haven’t written for a while. The internet is often down here. Where do I begin? This past weekend I traveled to Cape Coast in central Ghana for the Oguaa Fetu Afahye or Cape Coast Festival. People filled the streets to the point where I struggled to walk and had to guard my bag with extra caution. The Ghanians hold the festival every year in September to pay homage to the local dieties, and to celebrate the New Year. People wore all types of clothing from beautiful multicolored African wear to what appeared to me as clown costumes. Some people cross-dressed, and some painted their entire bodies in red, green, and yellow with black stars to match the Ghanaian flag. People danced African dances, sang African songs, and played African instruments and music in the street while the chiefs were brought out in large thrones that rested on top of people’s heads! OUCH! One white woman performed in one of the dances, and the Ghanaian next to me asked if she was my sister. I replied, “Of course! How did you know?” Not to mention, this woman was probably old enough to be my mother.

     The festival eventually moved through the streets and to a local park, where more African dance and music were performed. I love the sound of the drumming! During the second part of the ceremony, several people gave speeches, and the president of Ghana, John Atta Mills, made an appearance. Yes – I saw the president of Ghana! He was just a few steps in front of me. I was able to get close to him, as one Ghanaian next to me left the festival early, and kindly let me use his pre-paid seat.   

     At night, the streets were packed! I saw different dance groups perform both African dance as well as what seemed like American hip-hop.

     All in all, the festival was super fun! It helped me observe more Ghanaian culture, and has placed me one step closer in understanding the Ghanian lifestyle.

     Here are some pictures from the festival. Enjoy!

Wli Falls

     I just returned from the Wli (pronounced "Vlee") Falls, which are near the Volta Region, a region in Eastern Ghana. They are beautiful! I plan to return to the Volta Region sometime soon to explore it further. Here is a picture of the waterfall. The water falls from a height of approximately 1,600 feet. 

Classes

     I started classes today. Weird. My psychology class lasted for about 1 hour, one half the time for which classes normally last. There are only 4 white people in my psychology class, including myself. We are all American, and all stand out. My sociology class was canceled for today, so I have nothing to report about that one. Before school started, some student assistants at the University took us on a campus tour. Here are some pictures of the campus from the tour and from my own explorations around the campus. The campus reminds me a bit of my university at home, since both are covered in greenery.

Exploring the campus with some friends. I just can't get enough of the sociology department....

 

Markets in Accra

Hey Ya'll:
     Here are the pictures of 2 of the markets in Accra. Both were super packed!!

Madina Market in Accra

Makola Market in Accra

More pictures from the Botanical Gardens:

     Here are some more pictures from the Garden at the University of Ghana. Enjoy. 

I was not expecting to see a horse. 

This tree looks like it came out of a story book. 

Exploring the University of Ghana campus

I start classes tomorrow (Monday). AHH! I can’t believe it. I’m a bit nervous, because everyone’s English here is heavily accented, and I’m afraid I’ll have difficulty understanding the professors’ lectures. Sometimes, I can’t tell whether they’re speaking English or Twi, the language spoken in much of Ghana, including Accra. 

            I registered for 4 psychology classes, one sociology class, and African dance, which I’m super stoked for. The University of Ghana dance department calls the dance class for which I signed up “Obruni dance class,” as many exchange student opt to take it.

          I went around the campus hunting for my classrooms yesterday, and with some friends, stumbled upon the Botanical Gardens on campus. I believe that many of the plants in the Garden are used for research, but I can’t get over how gorgeous the Garden is! I even came across a horse while exploring the garden. Check out this one picture! I have to add the rest in a separate post.  

      -Rachel =]

Kakum National Park

1)               While in the central region, my group and I visited Kakum National Park, which consists of tropical rainforest. I could not get over the beauty of the park. I wish my pictures could portray the beauty that I was fortunate enough to see in person.

     We walked across hanging bridges in the park known as the “Canopy Walk.” The bridges are 130 feet above the ground, which provided me with an aerial view of the rainforest. I was hoping to see some wildlife too, but only saw a millipede (or maybe it was a centipede….I’m not quite sure) and some lizards, which are actually super cool looking!! 

       Here are some pictures: 

Here is a picture of a lizard. So cool!!

I'll write more soon! Sending you all much peace and love!!

Love, 

Rachel

    

Central Region of Ghana

1)              My group and I traveled to the Central Region in Ghana. The drive was beautiful, as we had a view of the beach for much of the drive! In the Central Region, we visited a castle in Elmina which first established as a trade settlement, but then was used by the Portuguese and later the Dutch to transport slaves during the Atlantic slave trade.

     The trip to the castle moved everyone in my group. Some started crying. I felt that visiting the castle helped bring a more vivid image of slavery to my mind. Additionally, it is so easy to forget that slavery occurred in Africa when I am living in a part of the continent that has been developed over the years and has a growing economy. 

     Here are some pictures: 

Sending you all much love!!

Love, 

Rachel

And.....More Traveling.

Hi All!

     I’m sorry I haven’t blogged in a while. Let me catch you up on my stay in Ghana. 

1)   On Thursday, My group and I visited Makola Market in Accra. That place is packed! I don’t think I understood the meaning of the word “crowded” until I visited there. It seemed like the market was pretty big too. There were so many people there buying and selling products, from food to shoes to fabric for clothing to nail polish to electronics. As a white person, I attracted a lot of attention, and people grabbed my arms right and left to get me to purchase their products. They also kept shouting “OBRUNI” at me to attract my attention.

     When we decided to return to campus, we hopped in a tro tro, or a passenger mini-bus that seems like an over-sized van. The tro-tro wasn’t starting, so 4 men began pushing it from the back to jump start the engine. They pushed down a long street with about 30 or so people in the tro tro. Even with the pushing, the tro tro failed to start, so we all hopped on another one and made it back to campus safely.

Kumasi!

Hey Ya'll:
     I just returned from Kumasi, a city located in Ghana's Ashanti region, which is one of the ten regions of Ghana. It is a bit north from where I am in Accra, but is still considered to be in the south-central region.
When we explored Kumasi, we were surrounded by Ghanaians like crazy! They all want Americans to buy items from their shops. It got kind of overwhelming. Haha. But it is fun to bargain in shops, which is very common here. We went to a weaving factory, where we saw people weaving complex designs so quickly I could not even see their fingers moving! It was pretty cool. They sometimes stamp designs on their weaves with an ink that they make out of wood that is burned and then watered down. We had a chance to see them make the ink. I saw some pieces of cloth that had stamps of Barak Obama on them. Haha.
     Additionally, we took a boat ride at Lake Bosomtwe, a lake a bit southeast of Ghana. There are many villages near the lake, and most people in those villages are farmers or fisherman. The water was gorgeous, but not necessarily safe for Americans to swim in.
     I'll write some more soon.
    

-Rachel =]

Check out this Monkey! He always seems to be around. =]

        
                                       

So far in Ghana...

     I've been in Ghana for about one week now. Weird. While I am amongst the wealthier part of the Ghanaian population, compared to my life in America, I am still not living a luxurious lifestyle. The water runs sporadically, and is only cold. I also need to spray myself with DEET every day and take anti-malarial medication and multivitamins. I've pretty much been living on rice, fruit, and plantains (similar to bananas) so far since I keep kosher and can't eat the meat here. I've already been called "Obruni" a couple of times, which literally means "white person," but applies to all tourists no matter their race/ethnicity. One local who works at the airport also told me he loved me. Haha.
     Nonetheless, so far I've been having a really great time! I am in the middle of a 2-3 week orientation. We've been taking classes about Ghanaian culture, history and society (I was already familiar with much of what was taught in my classes, as I researched the country beforehand). We've also been taking African drumming and dance classes, which have been a blast!! I'm still surprised my EAP group took a liking to the dance classes. Soon, however, life in Ghana will become a lot more difficult. Right now, we Americans are receiving a tremendous amount of help from the EAP (education abroad program) office here, but once orientation concludes, the office here will provide us with some assistance but definitely not to the extent that they are helping us now.
     We've also been traveling a bit. The other day, we toured the campus. IT'S HUGE!! It reminded me of my university a bit, because both are very green. Since Ghana has a tropical climate, the campus is gorgeous. I am looking forward to walking it every day. =] I will post pictures of it. Later, we visited downtown Accra, Ghana's capital. People came up to our van while it was sitting at a red light or in traffic, and were tapping on the windows to see if we wanted to purchases what they were selling. This practice is quite common, not just with tourists, but with all people - people do their shopping while sitting in traffic. Our tour guide gave his cell phone number to one of the vendors, who followed us to the WEB DuBois museum located in Accra.
     I really enjoyed the WEB DuBois museum. The Ghanaians have a museum dedicated to him, as he lived in Accra for many years of his life, and contributed greatly to the Pan-African movement, or the movement that seeks to unify all African people into one unit.
     Last night, we went clubbing in Accra, Ghana's capital. Of course, we received many stares and a lot of attention. Haha. Today, we went to the beach, and then had another dance class which is always fun!
     Anyway, more to come! Hope life is great outside of Ghana. =] Sending you all much African love! Pictures to follow! The internet is pretty slow here.

Love,

Rachel

Ghana Prep!

Wow! I cannot believe I'm heading to Ghana in about 2 weeks. It still hasn't hit me, but I'm trying to prepare for my trip in advance (but of course, I'll probably end up packing at the last minute). I'm becoming more and more excited as days progress, but I'm nervous too. I've made numerous contacts who have given me advice and tips for my trip. Nothing I do prior to my travels will completely prepare me. I will have to adjust to the Ghanaian lifestyle and culture once I arrive. Shalom for now. =]

-Rachel