One of the most touching things I remember from teaching was a phrase the KG2 teacher, Mr. Richard (who was actually only NINETEEN, and we still called him Mr. Richard. Weird.) had his kids repeat. It's a quote that they attribute to one of their presidents, but that I've seen from various authors. It goes:
"When you educate a boy, you educate an individual. When you educate a girl, you educate a family. When you educate a family, you educate a country."
This is touching on so many levels. First of all, hearing so many little voices assert this was just... breathtaking, for me, at least. Second, it was a MALE teacher who was ensuring that these children grow up realizing the importance of girls' education. It reminded me of a movement called "The Girl Effect." One of my professors last fall showed us their promotion, and it was SO AWESOME. If I haven't made you watch it yet, please take the time to look at it, it's so cool, from both a people-perspective and just pure advertising genius, haha:
http://www.girleffect.org/
Enjoy!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Home again, home again, jiggity jig...
Let's just begin with this quote from Anne:
"My flight was delayed. I probably would have been worried if it had been on time."
I definitely would have been.
Our last few days in Ghana were nothing short of perfect. Wednesday and Thursday, we were able to keep doing what we had been doing the entire four weeks: basically whatever we wanted. We usually rotated between teaching, computer/administrative work, and goofing off with the kids. Especially the last option as we realized our time was quickly coming to an end. The kids were so adorable, at the beginning of the week we think the teachers told them that we'd be leaving on Friday, so they all kept saying, "Madame, do not leave! Madames, when are you coming back?" I really fell in love with these little munchkins. (Shout out to my ACAD girls: I literally wanted to put them on a cupcake. They were like little marshmallow children) After being home a few days, I really realize how much I miss them loving on us all the time. And as Anne was saying, that REALLY indicates just how much we adored them, because I can honestly say that we had no problem with them touching, pinching, stroking, pulling on, and even biting (chomp chomp haha) us, despite the fact that, sadly, we'd seen many of them climbing in the trash dump outside the school at one point or another. The last two weeks were especially wonderful, because we got to know the kids individually, know their personalities and quirks, and see them as people. Especially in the Stage 3 class, one of my favorite things to do was just sit and watch them interact with each other, joking and laughing and bickering sometimes but always making me smile.
The first day we went to school, a little boy, Nathaniel, was in there because he had fallen and broken his arm. Because the cast wasn't very stiff, he stayed home for a while, and when he came back to school, he spent the day in the headmaster's (John's) office. Needless to say, for a five year old, this is a very boring place. So this week, while the other was working on the computer, either Anne or I would play with him and read to him on one of the couches. Until Thursday, he was SO timid. While most of the kids would always do glamour shots and goof off in front of the camera, he didn't even smile! Thursday, though, suddenly he had a PERSONALITY. Literally, he just babbled on and on and on and danced and sang. It was so hilarious. Anne has a great video of him and the son of one of the cooks, Kojo.
While catching up with everyone, I always get the request, "Tell me EVERYTHING!" I have no idea how to do that. In Ghana, I saw a completely different, beautiful, heartbreaking world. Every day I saw more poverty than I have ever seen, but I also saw the most grateful and content and giving people. We saw thirteen year old boys with machetes. We saw street children living in trash. But we saw the happiest, most faithful people I have ever been blessed to meet. These people GET life. Their first thought is ALWAYS, how can I help this person? When Anne and I arrived, they loved us. They didn't wait to get to know us, they just LOVED us, with all their hearts. We were welcomed by their country, while if they had come to America, they would most likely have been looked away from or provided with minimal help (at best) or scorned at because they were foreigners trying to make a life here. Even at the airport, when the security guards were searching our suitcase and asked "How did you see Ghana?," their eyes lit up when I would gush about the beautiful, welcoming people. They have such pride in their culture and in their hospitality. It's beautiful.
Being home, I miss the little, simple things. Like being home with Anne, just sitting and reading or journaling or just... sitting. Like falling asleep at 10 o'clock and waking up at dawn with roosters. Catching a taxi that I was pretty sure would break down before we made it to Abura. Paying less than a quarter for a huge meal, served in newspaper. Going to school and witnessing TRUE LOVE and adoration from the children. And the simplicity of everything. Anyways, I'll probably keep posting about Ghana, and I'll definitely put up pictures. And then, in a week, I'll leave for Peru! I'm not sure what the internet will be like there, but I'll do my best to update often. Hope you're all doing well!
love, geales
oh, and a note about our flight home. Ha. So Anne and I left our apartment at 2:30am. Meaning, we went to sleep around 11 and woke up at 12:30 to shower, finish packing, and attempt to clean our apartment. Our bus was, unsurprisingly, 30 minutes late (Ghana time, woo!!) But besides that the first leg of the trip went well--it was so cool watching the sun rise as we drove through the countryside!! What a beautiful last glimpse of Ghana :) It was really bizzare leaving in the middle of the night though, because, eerily, we knew that when the sun came up that morning it would appear as if we'd never have been there. Well, it's a weird thought for us. We arrived at the bus station in Accra around 6:30am, which was nice, because everything was just starting up. Anne and I found a street vendor selling Ghanaian donuts, bo froot (sp??), pronounced Bohfroo, which were DELICIOUS, so much more dense than American style donuts and not too sweet, but definitely not the best thing to eat right before you travel. Ooops, oh well, they were worth it, haha. Anyways, then we caught a cab to the airport, which was probably the most confusing airport EVER, but we made it fine, haha, and all of the officials were very nice and eager to help us, especially, as I said earlier, after we commented on the hospitality of Ghana. WE were very lucky to get out of Accra on time, considering now the rainy season is in full swing, bringing torrential downpours every morning. As in, once we couldn't even leave our apartment because it was raining so hard and was so windy! But we got out fine and it was definitely one of the best flights I've been on. The flight attendants were so kind and genuinely helpful, the seats were bigger than normal, and the movies were great. Even the food was REALLY good--they served us FanIce!! A perfect last Ghanaian snack :) The flight flew by (ha, no pun intended) and we even landed about 40 minutes early.
At this point we were like, great, we'll have plenty of time to get through customs. (On a side note, the New York customs is a lot easier to go through and quicker and more rational than the ATL airport. Just saying...) Well, we could have been five hours late and still have been fine. That's right. Five hours. Our flight from JFK to ATL was delayed from 9pm to 2:45AM!! Which really wasn't that bad, actually it was hilarious because at this point Anne and I had slept about 2 hours thursday night and barely 5 the night before, and maybe 1 or 2 on the plane over (for some reason we couldn't sleep, we really regretted that at this point...) so we were DELERIOUS. It was absolutely hilarious, because each time our flight was delayed more we would just crack up. No one else thought it was as funny but honestly, what can you do? Nothing. So we laughed, and we talked about Ghana and the funny things the kids did and had a blast. When the flight finally did take off, however, we were ready to get some sleep. Not ready to part ways, but ready to shut our eyes.
"My flight was delayed. I probably would have been worried if it had been on time."
I definitely would have been.
Our last few days in Ghana were nothing short of perfect. Wednesday and Thursday, we were able to keep doing what we had been doing the entire four weeks: basically whatever we wanted. We usually rotated between teaching, computer/administrative work, and goofing off with the kids. Especially the last option as we realized our time was quickly coming to an end. The kids were so adorable, at the beginning of the week we think the teachers told them that we'd be leaving on Friday, so they all kept saying, "Madame, do not leave! Madames, when are you coming back?" I really fell in love with these little munchkins. (Shout out to my ACAD girls: I literally wanted to put them on a cupcake. They were like little marshmallow children) After being home a few days, I really realize how much I miss them loving on us all the time. And as Anne was saying, that REALLY indicates just how much we adored them, because I can honestly say that we had no problem with them touching, pinching, stroking, pulling on, and even biting (chomp chomp haha) us, despite the fact that, sadly, we'd seen many of them climbing in the trash dump outside the school at one point or another. The last two weeks were especially wonderful, because we got to know the kids individually, know their personalities and quirks, and see them as people. Especially in the Stage 3 class, one of my favorite things to do was just sit and watch them interact with each other, joking and laughing and bickering sometimes but always making me smile.
The first day we went to school, a little boy, Nathaniel, was in there because he had fallen and broken his arm. Because the cast wasn't very stiff, he stayed home for a while, and when he came back to school, he spent the day in the headmaster's (John's) office. Needless to say, for a five year old, this is a very boring place. So this week, while the other was working on the computer, either Anne or I would play with him and read to him on one of the couches. Until Thursday, he was SO timid. While most of the kids would always do glamour shots and goof off in front of the camera, he didn't even smile! Thursday, though, suddenly he had a PERSONALITY. Literally, he just babbled on and on and on and danced and sang. It was so hilarious. Anne has a great video of him and the son of one of the cooks, Kojo.
While catching up with everyone, I always get the request, "Tell me EVERYTHING!" I have no idea how to do that. In Ghana, I saw a completely different, beautiful, heartbreaking world. Every day I saw more poverty than I have ever seen, but I also saw the most grateful and content and giving people. We saw thirteen year old boys with machetes. We saw street children living in trash. But we saw the happiest, most faithful people I have ever been blessed to meet. These people GET life. Their first thought is ALWAYS, how can I help this person? When Anne and I arrived, they loved us. They didn't wait to get to know us, they just LOVED us, with all their hearts. We were welcomed by their country, while if they had come to America, they would most likely have been looked away from or provided with minimal help (at best) or scorned at because they were foreigners trying to make a life here. Even at the airport, when the security guards were searching our suitcase and asked "How did you see Ghana?," their eyes lit up when I would gush about the beautiful, welcoming people. They have such pride in their culture and in their hospitality. It's beautiful.
Being home, I miss the little, simple things. Like being home with Anne, just sitting and reading or journaling or just... sitting. Like falling asleep at 10 o'clock and waking up at dawn with roosters. Catching a taxi that I was pretty sure would break down before we made it to Abura. Paying less than a quarter for a huge meal, served in newspaper. Going to school and witnessing TRUE LOVE and adoration from the children. And the simplicity of everything. Anyways, I'll probably keep posting about Ghana, and I'll definitely put up pictures. And then, in a week, I'll leave for Peru! I'm not sure what the internet will be like there, but I'll do my best to update often. Hope you're all doing well!
love, geales
oh, and a note about our flight home. Ha. So Anne and I left our apartment at 2:30am. Meaning, we went to sleep around 11 and woke up at 12:30 to shower, finish packing, and attempt to clean our apartment. Our bus was, unsurprisingly, 30 minutes late (Ghana time, woo!!) But besides that the first leg of the trip went well--it was so cool watching the sun rise as we drove through the countryside!! What a beautiful last glimpse of Ghana :) It was really bizzare leaving in the middle of the night though, because, eerily, we knew that when the sun came up that morning it would appear as if we'd never have been there. Well, it's a weird thought for us. We arrived at the bus station in Accra around 6:30am, which was nice, because everything was just starting up. Anne and I found a street vendor selling Ghanaian donuts, bo froot (sp??), pronounced Bohfroo, which were DELICIOUS, so much more dense than American style donuts and not too sweet, but definitely not the best thing to eat right before you travel. Ooops, oh well, they were worth it, haha. Anyways, then we caught a cab to the airport, which was probably the most confusing airport EVER, but we made it fine, haha, and all of the officials were very nice and eager to help us, especially, as I said earlier, after we commented on the hospitality of Ghana. WE were very lucky to get out of Accra on time, considering now the rainy season is in full swing, bringing torrential downpours every morning. As in, once we couldn't even leave our apartment because it was raining so hard and was so windy! But we got out fine and it was definitely one of the best flights I've been on. The flight attendants were so kind and genuinely helpful, the seats were bigger than normal, and the movies were great. Even the food was REALLY good--they served us FanIce!! A perfect last Ghanaian snack :) The flight flew by (ha, no pun intended) and we even landed about 40 minutes early.
At this point we were like, great, we'll have plenty of time to get through customs. (On a side note, the New York customs is a lot easier to go through and quicker and more rational than the ATL airport. Just saying...) Well, we could have been five hours late and still have been fine. That's right. Five hours. Our flight from JFK to ATL was delayed from 9pm to 2:45AM!! Which really wasn't that bad, actually it was hilarious because at this point Anne and I had slept about 2 hours thursday night and barely 5 the night before, and maybe 1 or 2 on the plane over (for some reason we couldn't sleep, we really regretted that at this point...) so we were DELERIOUS. It was absolutely hilarious, because each time our flight was delayed more we would just crack up. No one else thought it was as funny but honestly, what can you do? Nothing. So we laughed, and we talked about Ghana and the funny things the kids did and had a blast. When the flight finally did take off, however, we were ready to get some sleep. Not ready to part ways, but ready to shut our eyes.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Last few days in Ghana!
Hello everyone!
I hope all is well! Anne and I have been enjoying a wonderful, beautiful last week in Ghana. We think this will probably be the last time we can get internet, so this will be my last update before we touch back down in New York! We'll be leaving our apartment at 2am Friday morning to catch a 10am flight from Accra to NYC, and then Anne flies to New Orleans and I fly to Atlanta, both arriving around 11pm/midnight... a long day, haha.
This weekend, Anne, I, and all of the teachers from the school we're working at visited Kakum National Park. We rode all together in our own "tro-tro" which is essentially a 15 passenger van stuffed until it looks like one of those cartoon vans that almost explodes. No lie. Ours was SO nice, though, especially compared to the ones we usually see, which are essentially held together by bungee cords and fly down the road, hopefully reaching their destination intact, haha. But the park was BEAUTIFUL. Anne, sweet girl that she is *sarcasm* told all of the teachers of my fear of birds. And heights. So all the way up to the canopy walk, I was bombarded with "WATCH OUT HERE COMES A BIRD!!!!!!" but it was actually really funny. And we saw NO birds, and the view was totally worth any fear. I can't even describe it. And as we were walking along (the canopy walk is basically 2 by 4s suspended between 7 platforms. Yeah, don't look down) it started raining. Not hard, but enough to make it surreal. It was such a cool feeling. And even better was being able to be around the teachers as they goofed off with each other. Theyre such a fun group! And they loved taking pictures with our cameras. Like, glamour shots. It was hillarious--I think I laughed the entire time. And the ride home was AWESOME. The teachers had brought our drums and just started a sing along, singing lots of really upbeat gospel sounding songs. Everyone was singing and Anne and I just laughed along.
Anne and I really enjoyed the rest of our break, too. Sunday we went to church with John and then chilled at home. Monday, we went to a seamstress and were measured for a "surprise" from the school. Even that was a really cool experience. It was this really small open air room, and the seamstresses just took their time, chattering along as they measured us. As we were leaving, one asked my name and then said, "I would like to be your friend. Will you accept?" Their friendliness here is just so deliberate and genuine and touching. I think that's definitely what I"ll miss most here.
Anne and I spent the rest of the day doing administrative work for the school. It's really great when we can do computer stuff since they aren't really used to dealing with data and our experience really allows us to complete more work in a shorter amount of time, so we've been really happy to help them transfer student records to a computer. Then, last night, John took us to his village to meet his family and see his house. We thought that she was just going to teach us how to fry plantains, but she not only did that, but she also cooked us a whole meal!! She was the epitome of a warm, welcoming grandmother. She even chastised John about not bringing us to her sooner and told us to be very careful eating the street food so we don't get sick. And she cooked us more food than I've ever seen in my LIFE. And his famiily just treated us like we were the most important guests ever, it was so touching. As we were sitting on their patio, listening to the frying plantains and old, crackling radio and watching the sun set against the hills and forest, it just seemed so peaceful and perfect and... like Africa. Ahhhh, love it. So needless to say, Anne and I ate so much we felt like we were going to burst. On the walk home, we met up with one of the other teachers, and after about 10 minutes of talking about how full we were, we saw a FanIce bike. Let me explain the goodness of FanIce... it's basically heaven. It's the richest, most delicious and frothy vanilla ice cream known to man. And it is the perrrrrrfect thing in Ghana. It's the only cold and creamy food Anne and I eat here, so we love it. Anne and I got ice cream bars for ourselves and John and Issah, the other teacher with us, and the guy didn't give us change. When Issah realized this, he literally ran after the bike man and made the man give us change. It was probably one of the funniest moments EVER.
Well, my time is running out but for the next few days Anne and I will be teaching at the school and eating as much delicious Ghanaian food as possible!!
I hope all is well! Anne and I have been enjoying a wonderful, beautiful last week in Ghana. We think this will probably be the last time we can get internet, so this will be my last update before we touch back down in New York! We'll be leaving our apartment at 2am Friday morning to catch a 10am flight from Accra to NYC, and then Anne flies to New Orleans and I fly to Atlanta, both arriving around 11pm/midnight... a long day, haha.
This weekend, Anne, I, and all of the teachers from the school we're working at visited Kakum National Park. We rode all together in our own "tro-tro" which is essentially a 15 passenger van stuffed until it looks like one of those cartoon vans that almost explodes. No lie. Ours was SO nice, though, especially compared to the ones we usually see, which are essentially held together by bungee cords and fly down the road, hopefully reaching their destination intact, haha. But the park was BEAUTIFUL. Anne, sweet girl that she is *sarcasm* told all of the teachers of my fear of birds. And heights. So all the way up to the canopy walk, I was bombarded with "WATCH OUT HERE COMES A BIRD!!!!!!" but it was actually really funny. And we saw NO birds, and the view was totally worth any fear. I can't even describe it. And as we were walking along (the canopy walk is basically 2 by 4s suspended between 7 platforms. Yeah, don't look down) it started raining. Not hard, but enough to make it surreal. It was such a cool feeling. And even better was being able to be around the teachers as they goofed off with each other. Theyre such a fun group! And they loved taking pictures with our cameras. Like, glamour shots. It was hillarious--I think I laughed the entire time. And the ride home was AWESOME. The teachers had brought our drums and just started a sing along, singing lots of really upbeat gospel sounding songs. Everyone was singing and Anne and I just laughed along.
Anne and I really enjoyed the rest of our break, too. Sunday we went to church with John and then chilled at home. Monday, we went to a seamstress and were measured for a "surprise" from the school. Even that was a really cool experience. It was this really small open air room, and the seamstresses just took their time, chattering along as they measured us. As we were leaving, one asked my name and then said, "I would like to be your friend. Will you accept?" Their friendliness here is just so deliberate and genuine and touching. I think that's definitely what I"ll miss most here.
Anne and I spent the rest of the day doing administrative work for the school. It's really great when we can do computer stuff since they aren't really used to dealing with data and our experience really allows us to complete more work in a shorter amount of time, so we've been really happy to help them transfer student records to a computer. Then, last night, John took us to his village to meet his family and see his house. We thought that she was just going to teach us how to fry plantains, but she not only did that, but she also cooked us a whole meal!! She was the epitome of a warm, welcoming grandmother. She even chastised John about not bringing us to her sooner and told us to be very careful eating the street food so we don't get sick. And she cooked us more food than I've ever seen in my LIFE. And his famiily just treated us like we were the most important guests ever, it was so touching. As we were sitting on their patio, listening to the frying plantains and old, crackling radio and watching the sun set against the hills and forest, it just seemed so peaceful and perfect and... like Africa. Ahhhh, love it. So needless to say, Anne and I ate so much we felt like we were going to burst. On the walk home, we met up with one of the other teachers, and after about 10 minutes of talking about how full we were, we saw a FanIce bike. Let me explain the goodness of FanIce... it's basically heaven. It's the richest, most delicious and frothy vanilla ice cream known to man. And it is the perrrrrrfect thing in Ghana. It's the only cold and creamy food Anne and I eat here, so we love it. Anne and I got ice cream bars for ourselves and John and Issah, the other teacher with us, and the guy didn't give us change. When Issah realized this, he literally ran after the bike man and made the man give us change. It was probably one of the funniest moments EVER.
Well, my time is running out but for the next few days Anne and I will be teaching at the school and eating as much delicious Ghanaian food as possible!!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
One week?!?
Okay, so now Anne and I are really freaking out because we've realized we only have ONE WEEK left of this paradise. This trip has been more than either of us have dreamed and can't imagine leaving it behind! But anyways, the past few days have been fairly uneventful. Sort of.
So Monday night, right when we were about to start doing laundry (an experience in itself) our WATER went out. So basically Anne and I were not only gross from travelling all day back from the Volta Region (a 13 hour journey... we left the hotel at 2:30 am and returned to our apartment at 3:30pm) and we didn't have any clothes. We kept thinking it would come back on, but eventually we just bit the bullet, went to bed, and hoped that it would be back on by the next morning. I woke up around 5:30 the next day to run, but luckily checked the water before I left. No water. Luckily (for us and the rest of the world) Anne and I were still able to make coffee using the bags of water we've bought to drink. And it really wasn't that bad--we've gotten used to a little grime and sweat haha. Later that afternoon, though, Anne saw the landlady and she came to fix our water--THANK GOODNESS! Tuesday was a really funny day at school though. It had poured all Monday night and was still sprinkling Tuesday morning when we left to walk to school. Not anymore than it's rained before, though. Well, we get to school and there's almost no kids, and the teachers are just hanging around (although that actually happens on a regular basis. They're all pretty laid back) near the entrance. Apparently almost none of the kids have decided to come to school Tuesday because of the rain. Grrreat. Haha, so Anne and I get to just chill with the kids and basically go to whatever classes we want. I taught the 8 or so kids that were in the Nursery 2 class (about 4 years old, some I think are 3). And by taught, I mean I said letters, they repeated them, and then I read them a great story about a chameleon who finds a friend (touching) and we had an in depth conversation about the noise an elephant makes. Such cuties! When their teacher came in, I headed up to the Stage 3 class, where Anne was having all the kids read aloud. After a while, though, the kids just wanted us to read, so we did. I have to admit story time always has been and always will be my favorite time. And as cheesy as it sounds, it was so fun watching the kids get into the story and the picture it was painting. Kids stories in Ghana are blunt, though. In the one we read, the King flat out says that he will behead the rabbit, very matter of fact-ly. Instead, though, all the little animals just pull on his ears to punish him for lying. Whew.
We did find out Tuesday night that the kids are actually on holiday Thursday (today) through Monday, so we won't get to see them again till Tuesday. We're really upset, especially since next Thursday is our last day. But we're trying to make the best of it and slept in until an unheard of 7:30am this morning and relaxed, before heading into Cape Coast, where we are now. We're going to go have lunch and then head back to our village for drumming and dancing lessons! Anne and I are finally catching on, woo, and having the BEST time. It's like being a part of the cool kids club when the teachers all join in and the kids just start dancing and jumping and laughing!! They kids are SUCH good dancers and they get so into it. I swear I saw a three year old break dancing and I got so jealous. But good news, I think being here has slightly improved my rhythm. Either that or I just stopped caring about rhythm... haha.
Yesterday the kids finished up their mid-term examinations. Anne and I spent most of the day watching stage three complete their exams and then grading and recording the grades. It really provided great insight to the differences in education in America to education in Ghana. The Madame explained the purpose of the exams as not to learn the level of the children but instead to learn how the school is doing and what the school needs to improve upon. It was also really interesting, and sad, to see the disparity among the children. For example, some children clearly understood everything, while others struggled to even provide an answer that related to the question. Most of these children seem to understand when you talk to them in class, but I think the written exam really throws them for a loop. Plus, so much of the education is relayed in an auditory manner... what about the kids who need to write everything down or see it done? Or read it? It's just interesting, because I think there are certain things that are valuable here that I think would be great integrated into the American educational system, but I also wonder how this educational system could be improved, especially given the limited resources. All that being said, please understand that I think CEJOCEP International School is doing amazing, blessed work for these children, and I think nothing but the best of the school and everyone who pours their life into it.
Before exams started on Wednesday, Anne and I got to watch the worship service. It's so cool watching all the little children get into the songs or the sermon one of the teachers, Mr. Richard (who we recently found out is just NINETEEN!) gives. They all raise up their hands and close their eyes and dance, just going with the praise music and getting excited about... God. And, there's this clap rhythm they always do in class when a student does something amazing or gets a really hard question right. And yesterday morning, one of the teachers yelled out, "Clap for Jesus!" and they all did that clap. I think that's what got me the most.
This weekend Anne, John, Mr. Essah (one of the teachers who's been helping us learn to drum--very patient, thank goodness!), and I, and hopefully Amanda, another UGA student who's working at an orphanage outside of Cape Coast, are planning to visit Kakum National Park and try out the canopy walk, which was created as a US AID project. Essentially, we'll be walking REALLY high on REALLY thin walkways/rope bridges as I understand it, through the rain forest. So it should be a beautiful view. However, the park is also known to be the home to countless birds. So let's think... heights + birds= my two greatest fears. faaaaaaaaaabulous. haha, but we're here and it should be amazing so I'm DEFINITELY doing it.
Anyways, my time's almost up, but I hope everyone's doing well and Anne and I send our love! Let us know how you're doing, too!
Monday, June 15, 2009
This one time, in Africa, we were COLD!
That's right, folks. Anne and I were COLD this weekend. We traveled to Hohoe, which was about a 9 or 10 hour drive, for the weekend to visit the Wli Falls and Afadjado Mountain, the highest free-standing mountain in Ghana. It was definitely one of the most eventful times we've had!! We stayed in a great little hotel with AIR CONDITIONING on Saturday and Sunday nights. Sunday morning, we woke up and ate at the hotel's restaraunt--WONDERFUL crepes and of course instant coffee, haha. Then, we took about a half hour taxi ride through the African rainforest to the small village where Wli falls is located. The drive was beautiful, and though we tried to capture the feeling with pictures and words, Anne and I have decided that it's impossible. Our theme song for the weekend was John Mayer's "3x5," specifically the lines "You should have seen the sunrise/with your own eyes" and the part where he talks about fitting life into a picture frame. You just can't appreciate the view as much unless you're sitting in a broken down, smoking taxi, layered with pounds of deet and sunscreen, listening to the birds and frogs and watching goats and chickens and roosters dart across the dirt road. These are the moments when our hearts just fill to the brim with amazement... I can't even describe the feeling. Ah! That morning we hiked for about 45 minutes to the Wli falls. This is the highest waterfall in all of western Africa, and the view is spectacular. My knees buckled just looking up to the top, and the splashing water sent this mist throughout the whole opening where it was. The water was freezing and SO clear and clean. We had a great guide through the whole hike, too, who pointed out the avacadoes, palms, bananas, pawpaws, cocoa plants, etc. There were so many butterflies, too. And going into the forest was incredible--it's silent except for the sounds of crickets and animals and frogs wandering around. All of the sights seem like someone's let you in on this incredible secret, and you just want to be able to keep it forever.
After the hike, Anne and I wandered around some shops that were near the tourism center, which is where you set up to hike with a guide and everything, and found some BEAUTIFUL glass and handmade jewelry. Then, we went to a small hotel we had read about in the guidebook to have lunch. The owner was so kind--she came out and sat and talked with us for a while, and her hotel was just like this oasis of calm looking out over the mountains and the jungles. We could see the waterfalls from our table under the covering!! Up next on our agenda was the REAL hiking, the mountain. We were definitley NOT prepared for what was ahead of us, haha. At the shops we had met a group of canadians who had just finished hiking. They asked if we'd ever hiked a mountain before, and we, thinking of Cinque Terra (which WAS taxing...) just kind of brushed it off. Well, this was no Cinque Terra. This was straight up. The whole way. Fear of heights? Yeah, conquered that. We hiked it in about 40 minutes, which our guide was VERY impressed with, and were thoroughly exhausted at the top. But the view was worth it, without a doubt. From the top of the mountain, we could see Togo, which is just north of Ghana, and all these little villages surrounding the mountain. It looked like a toy map, all these little brown huts in clearings spaced out around the mountain. We could even see Lake Volta. It was staggering.
Here's where it gets EXTRA interesting. So, we get down the mountain and ask for the tro-tro (it would be our first... we've been terrified to take one so far) to take us back to Hohoe. Well, guess what, no tro-tro on Sunday. What about a taxi? Nope, no taxi, either. Motorbike? SURE! One of the men that worked at the mountain offered to take us back to the village where Vli was where we could probably get a shared taxi or tro tro (and did). On a motor bike. Anne and I have the new found laid-back-ness/risky-ness, so we say sure. Before seeing the bike. So they bring the bike out... and spend thirty minutes trying to make it work. Great. Do we back out? No, of course not. They finally get it going. So let me describe said bike... it's old, the foot rests are falling off, and, oh yeah, it's built for two. A driver, and a passenger. So where do I ride? The grate on the back. ohh yeah.
So we head off, the driver in the front, Anne in the middle (with a broken footrest), and me on the grate, with my legs wrapped around Anne and the driver and my arms clinging to Anne for dear life, my shorts flying up and showing probably much more than is decent in any country. The road between the mountain and the falls is quite bumpy, so I have to admit I buried my head in Anne's back until I got used to the feeling of almost falling off. But once I did, I realized this was one of the most incredible experiences EVER!
We were riding a motorcycle. Through tiny, hut filled African villages. Through the rainforests. With the mountains on either side of us. WHILE THE SUN WAS SETTING! Can life get any sweeter? No. I can't even describe the beauty of that trip... the sun creating first a yellow and then pink hue throughout the clouds that brushed across the sky, the waves and amazed look as we rushed past villagers relaxing and working outside, and the occasional moment of panic when we swerved to avoid a goat or a pot hole or even... a tro tro (huge van that came a little too close for comfort...) Top ten moment? I'd say so.
So Anne and I head back to Hohoe, have dinner, and get back in the hotel room. Anne goes into the bathroom to wash off her feet...
Anne: Okaay, don't panic.
Geales: Well that doesn't sound good.
[Enters the bathroom, my ENTIRE bag of toiletries has somehow ended up... in the toilet]
MY FIRST AID! MY COMB! MY ADVIL.... MY CONTACTS!!!!!
And then Anne laughs so hard I have to leave the room... well, anyways. It was quite an end. To quite a day.
My time's out, but I hope everyone is doing well! Anne and I are still enjoying every blessed minute here and learning so much and seeing so many beautiful places and people! Lots of love!
And... Happy birthday Granddaddy, I love you!!
After the hike, Anne and I wandered around some shops that were near the tourism center, which is where you set up to hike with a guide and everything, and found some BEAUTIFUL glass and handmade jewelry. Then, we went to a small hotel we had read about in the guidebook to have lunch. The owner was so kind--she came out and sat and talked with us for a while, and her hotel was just like this oasis of calm looking out over the mountains and the jungles. We could see the waterfalls from our table under the covering!! Up next on our agenda was the REAL hiking, the mountain. We were definitley NOT prepared for what was ahead of us, haha. At the shops we had met a group of canadians who had just finished hiking. They asked if we'd ever hiked a mountain before, and we, thinking of Cinque Terra (which WAS taxing...) just kind of brushed it off. Well, this was no Cinque Terra. This was straight up. The whole way. Fear of heights? Yeah, conquered that. We hiked it in about 40 minutes, which our guide was VERY impressed with, and were thoroughly exhausted at the top. But the view was worth it, without a doubt. From the top of the mountain, we could see Togo, which is just north of Ghana, and all these little villages surrounding the mountain. It looked like a toy map, all these little brown huts in clearings spaced out around the mountain. We could even see Lake Volta. It was staggering.
Here's where it gets EXTRA interesting. So, we get down the mountain and ask for the tro-tro (it would be our first... we've been terrified to take one so far) to take us back to Hohoe. Well, guess what, no tro-tro on Sunday. What about a taxi? Nope, no taxi, either. Motorbike? SURE! One of the men that worked at the mountain offered to take us back to the village where Vli was where we could probably get a shared taxi or tro tro (and did). On a motor bike. Anne and I have the new found laid-back-ness/risky-ness, so we say sure. Before seeing the bike. So they bring the bike out... and spend thirty minutes trying to make it work. Great. Do we back out? No, of course not. They finally get it going. So let me describe said bike... it's old, the foot rests are falling off, and, oh yeah, it's built for two. A driver, and a passenger. So where do I ride? The grate on the back. ohh yeah.
So we head off, the driver in the front, Anne in the middle (with a broken footrest), and me on the grate, with my legs wrapped around Anne and the driver and my arms clinging to Anne for dear life, my shorts flying up and showing probably much more than is decent in any country. The road between the mountain and the falls is quite bumpy, so I have to admit I buried my head in Anne's back until I got used to the feeling of almost falling off. But once I did, I realized this was one of the most incredible experiences EVER!
We were riding a motorcycle. Through tiny, hut filled African villages. Through the rainforests. With the mountains on either side of us. WHILE THE SUN WAS SETTING! Can life get any sweeter? No. I can't even describe the beauty of that trip... the sun creating first a yellow and then pink hue throughout the clouds that brushed across the sky, the waves and amazed look as we rushed past villagers relaxing and working outside, and the occasional moment of panic when we swerved to avoid a goat or a pot hole or even... a tro tro (huge van that came a little too close for comfort...) Top ten moment? I'd say so.
So Anne and I head back to Hohoe, have dinner, and get back in the hotel room. Anne goes into the bathroom to wash off her feet...
Anne: Okaay, don't panic.
Geales: Well that doesn't sound good.
[Enters the bathroom, my ENTIRE bag of toiletries has somehow ended up... in the toilet]
MY FIRST AID! MY COMB! MY ADVIL.... MY CONTACTS!!!!!
And then Anne laughs so hard I have to leave the room... well, anyways. It was quite an end. To quite a day.
My time's out, but I hope everyone is doing well! Anne and I are still enjoying every blessed minute here and learning so much and seeing so many beautiful places and people! Lots of love!
And... Happy birthday Granddaddy, I love you!!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Yay for street food!
Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in so long, but thankfully it's just been because we've been so busy! Anne and I have fallen into a wonderful routine here in Kakumdo Village. Last weekend, Anne and I visited an ecolodge about two and a half hours from here and had a wonderful time. We left early Saturday morning for "Green Turtle Lodge," which we'd heard nothing short of marvelous things about. Because of the remote location, the owners have little access to phone or email, so when we left, we weren't even sure we would be able to have a room! I'm so glad we went anyway, though, because it was one of the most beautiful, serene places I've been. We drove through tiny ocean villages and forested areas before reaching this little nook in which Green Turtle is situated. Imagine ten or so quaint little huts, lots of trees, wooden covers with tables under them, and an open/bar or restaurant. Though there were certainly people there, it was impossible not to feel serene and, if you wanted, alone. The beach was, unlike those in Cape coast and Accra, pristine. Anne and I took beds in one of the dormitory style rooms for less than the equivalent of $5 per night! And the food. Ohhh man. After living off of cookies and rice for a week, the plentiful veggies and fruits were HEAVENLY. My favorite was Sunday morning French Toast made from Baguettes drizzled with local honey, served with fried plantains and COFFEE, which neither Anne nor I had tasted since leaving the states. And their guacamole was so fresh and delicious. And chocolate fondu... ahhhh it makes my mouth water just thinking about it!! Plus, there was a book exchange. Yay for fellow nerds because I'm running out of books to read... That being said I'd love any suggestions for when I get back... :)
We returned to Kakumdo rested and ready for another week, though we were so exhausted we fell asleep around SEVEN that night. It was totally worth it though, haha. Teaching has been wonderful. The kids are still happy to see us, but no longer feel the need to completely bombard us, though I still get tugged, and even bitten. Yes, chomp chomp chomp :) haha. But they're adorable and certainly one of the best parts of being here. Since today was Friday, it was all fun and games. The culture professor taught Anne and I on the drums for about an hour, while the kids played field games and the teachers joined in, alternating between drumming and refereeing various races. Finally Anne and I were dragged into one of the relays. It was so fun because we tied and so all of the kids just rushed us and started hugging and screaming. Then all of the teachers took the drums and started playing. The kids got so excited and we switched off learning dances and teaching them swing dancing. I can't even explain how much fun it was. The music was so loud and everyone was just laughing that you didn't even really think about anything else, you just kind of went with the music. It didn't matter that we (or, I. Anne has pretty good rhythm) didn't have rhythm or know their dances perfectly, just let loose and had fun. The kids just loved watching us dance thought whatever we did was hilarious--from disco moves to the scuba moves to just moving and jumping. Pure bliss. I just can't even explain how happy it made me! It was definitely one of my favorite memories.
I find it so hard to believe that yesterday marked the halfway point of our journey. In two weeks, Anne and I will be boarding another plane, leaving behind Ghana, though definitely not for good. As many people told me, the first week was definitely slow, but the second week was the fastest week I've ever had. And probably the most meaningful. The first week of the trip, we adjusted. We took in all of the new sights, new customs, and definitely got freaked out by overly friendly taxi drivers and the like. This week, though, we're still soaking it all in, but we're taking new meaning from each interaction. The people of Ghana have the most beautiful souls. Everywhere we go, we are greeted like the most important guests. An old man we walk by each day on our way to school never fails to tell us, "Welcome," as we walk by. And the smallest of gestures will cheer us up when we're stressed about making it home before dark. The other day Anne and I were in a grocery (which is really a small building about the size of a closet with three walls and a porch) and looking at candy. We asked the girl, who looked about two years younger than us, what they were, and she tried to describe them. Then she took one, handed it to us, and offered for us to try it. No one would do that in the states. Well, almost no one. Then, as we were walking out, saying thank you, she said "You are always welcome here!" Being a stranger in a strange land, Anne and I are realizing how much these little things really do make our day. Hardly a few hours pass when we don't go "Awww" because someone seemed to really care about us, despite only having met us three minutes prior. The people here just value human interaction in a way that either I just don't see every day or that is truly unique. It's not about how someone can help you, it's about how you can help every single other person out there. It's such a refreshing, humbling, and beautiful viewpoint. Ah. gosh, I really do love it here. When we arrived, one of the men who helped us referred to this as "Sweet, sweet, Africa" and Anne and I decided we really hoped we would feel the same adoration for this beautiful place, and speaking for myself, I do. And I can't imagine how much I'll love it even more after another two weeks!
Ok, so off of the sentimental stuff... Anne and I have made several GREAT discoveries in the past few days that have REALLY changed our quality of life, haha. One: Instant coffee. I'm sure it's nothing like the coffee in America, but it's caffeine, and it's hot, and it's strong. And it has made our mornings SO SO SO much easier, haha. Two: Fresh. Bread. In the village area across the street from Anne and I, a woman bakes bread in a clay dome that is absolutely DELICIOUS. It's this sweet, white, pure, fluffy bread. Anne and I can eat a loaf in about 3 minutes flat. It's nice just to have a starch besides rice... Which brings me to our third savior: street food. After originally avoiding these little pieces of heaven in fear of something like South Korea, Anne and I finally bit the bullet and tried street food. Roasted corn on the cob, rice and black eyed peas, fried plantains, and fried yam balls. It's such a nice, satisfying change from rice, and so good to get some protein and vegetables and... ah, it's safe to say we'll probably be eating that 6 out of 7 nights per week.
Well, I'm about out of time but I will certainly try to update again in a few days! Hope everyone is doing well, I'd LOVE to hear from you, just shoot me an email. This weekend, Anne and I are going to Hohoe (Ho-hoy) and the Wli Falls, the highest waterfall in Ghana. Should be GORGEOUS! Lots of love!!
We returned to Kakumdo rested and ready for another week, though we were so exhausted we fell asleep around SEVEN that night. It was totally worth it though, haha. Teaching has been wonderful. The kids are still happy to see us, but no longer feel the need to completely bombard us, though I still get tugged, and even bitten. Yes, chomp chomp chomp :) haha. But they're adorable and certainly one of the best parts of being here. Since today was Friday, it was all fun and games. The culture professor taught Anne and I on the drums for about an hour, while the kids played field games and the teachers joined in, alternating between drumming and refereeing various races. Finally Anne and I were dragged into one of the relays. It was so fun because we tied and so all of the kids just rushed us and started hugging and screaming. Then all of the teachers took the drums and started playing. The kids got so excited and we switched off learning dances and teaching them swing dancing. I can't even explain how much fun it was. The music was so loud and everyone was just laughing that you didn't even really think about anything else, you just kind of went with the music. It didn't matter that we (or, I. Anne has pretty good rhythm) didn't have rhythm or know their dances perfectly, just let loose and had fun. The kids just loved watching us dance thought whatever we did was hilarious--from disco moves to the scuba moves to just moving and jumping. Pure bliss. I just can't even explain how happy it made me! It was definitely one of my favorite memories.
I find it so hard to believe that yesterday marked the halfway point of our journey. In two weeks, Anne and I will be boarding another plane, leaving behind Ghana, though definitely not for good. As many people told me, the first week was definitely slow, but the second week was the fastest week I've ever had. And probably the most meaningful. The first week of the trip, we adjusted. We took in all of the new sights, new customs, and definitely got freaked out by overly friendly taxi drivers and the like. This week, though, we're still soaking it all in, but we're taking new meaning from each interaction. The people of Ghana have the most beautiful souls. Everywhere we go, we are greeted like the most important guests. An old man we walk by each day on our way to school never fails to tell us, "Welcome," as we walk by. And the smallest of gestures will cheer us up when we're stressed about making it home before dark. The other day Anne and I were in a grocery (which is really a small building about the size of a closet with three walls and a porch) and looking at candy. We asked the girl, who looked about two years younger than us, what they were, and she tried to describe them. Then she took one, handed it to us, and offered for us to try it. No one would do that in the states. Well, almost no one. Then, as we were walking out, saying thank you, she said "You are always welcome here!" Being a stranger in a strange land, Anne and I are realizing how much these little things really do make our day. Hardly a few hours pass when we don't go "Awww" because someone seemed to really care about us, despite only having met us three minutes prior. The people here just value human interaction in a way that either I just don't see every day or that is truly unique. It's not about how someone can help you, it's about how you can help every single other person out there. It's such a refreshing, humbling, and beautiful viewpoint. Ah. gosh, I really do love it here. When we arrived, one of the men who helped us referred to this as "Sweet, sweet, Africa" and Anne and I decided we really hoped we would feel the same adoration for this beautiful place, and speaking for myself, I do. And I can't imagine how much I'll love it even more after another two weeks!
Ok, so off of the sentimental stuff... Anne and I have made several GREAT discoveries in the past few days that have REALLY changed our quality of life, haha. One: Instant coffee. I'm sure it's nothing like the coffee in America, but it's caffeine, and it's hot, and it's strong. And it has made our mornings SO SO SO much easier, haha. Two: Fresh. Bread. In the village area across the street from Anne and I, a woman bakes bread in a clay dome that is absolutely DELICIOUS. It's this sweet, white, pure, fluffy bread. Anne and I can eat a loaf in about 3 minutes flat. It's nice just to have a starch besides rice... Which brings me to our third savior: street food. After originally avoiding these little pieces of heaven in fear of something like South Korea, Anne and I finally bit the bullet and tried street food. Roasted corn on the cob, rice and black eyed peas, fried plantains, and fried yam balls. It's such a nice, satisfying change from rice, and so good to get some protein and vegetables and... ah, it's safe to say we'll probably be eating that 6 out of 7 nights per week.
Well, I'm about out of time but I will certainly try to update again in a few days! Hope everyone is doing well, I'd LOVE to hear from you, just shoot me an email. This weekend, Anne and I are going to Hohoe (Ho-hoy) and the Wli Falls, the highest waterfall in Ghana. Should be GORGEOUS! Lots of love!!
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