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!