The past couple of weeks I have been learning a lot about life and hierarchies on campus. Each dorm on campus has its own rules and leaders. Commonwealth Hall even has a chief, this chief doesn’t have to go to class he has other people go to class for him. While fraternities and sororities do not technically exist in the Ghana University system they still exist in the social make up of the campus. They even have their own punishment systems for thieves. The person in question is pulled around campus in a cart with a banner around his neck that tells everyone who he is and what he studies. Then he is tossed in a puddle and forced to carry the cart back to commonwealth hall. The thief has the choice of undergoing this punishment or being reported to the school authorities. The school’s punishment for thieves is expulsion. Ghana traditionally has a shame system of criminal justice. Two weeks ago there was an incident that brought this system into a reality. Apparently there was a robbery of a laptop in one of the dorms, the lady that stole left her cell phone by accident and came to retrieve it. The students decided to take the situation under their control and punish her themselves by striping her naked, beating her, and sexually assaulting her….and they video taped it and posted it on YouTube. They thought that this was ok because she was dressed like a prostitute. I will say that not all Ghanaians are ok with this form of punishment however, those that did participate in it were not punished for their actions.
I don’t want this whole post to be depressing so I will leave you with a table to determine your Ghanaian name. There are numerous tribes in Ghana and each tribe will traditionally name their children according to what day of the week they are born on. The following table correlates the day of the week with the Akan language name.
Day Male Female
Mon. Kwadwo Adwoa
Tue. Kwabena Abena
Wed. Kwaku Akua
Thur. Yaw Yaa
Fri. Kofi Afua
Sat. Kwame Ama
Sun. Kwasi Akosua
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
2 Months!
Sorry it’s been such a long time since I wrote. I have officially been in Ghana for just over 2 months! In some ways it feels like a lifetime and others only a couple days. It’s amazing how I am beginning to feel at home here after such a short time. Since I last wrote I have traveled to Togo and gotten pink eye. Luckily the pink eye didn’t last longer than a week. Sickness is a way of life over here by the time I get back to the States I should be able to eat off the floor without blinking.
The group I am with went on a short trip to Togo to renew our visas we only got to spend a couple hours in the actual country. We basically had time to eat lunch. The city of Lome seemed very similar to Ghana with the exception that they speak French and the main form of public transportation are motorcycles. Yes, I rode my first motorcycle that day and I will say I was kind of scared. But I did survive. The first week of May I plan on going back to Togo and Benin.
I only have about 1 month left of school then finals start, which should be an interesting experience. Thus far I have only experienced group projects. These projects have been the most frustrating thing I have encountered in Ghana so far. I always thought I would enjoy living somewhere slow paced that was not concerned with efficiency. I was wrong. These group meetings last hours and little is accomplished. Rather than dividing the work up they will sit and discuss nothing. Eventually the group will have talked enough for somebody to write a paragraph of the paper. Then they will copy a paragraph from the book composed by the professor. At first I was concerned about this plagiarism because in America it is a big deal. When I was talking to one of my friends she said it wasn’t a big deal because they don’t know how to check if it is plagiarized or not and that the book the professor gave us was taken straight off Wikipedia. In some ways I cannot wait to be back in American school.
I will leave you all with a list I made on how you know when you have adjusted to Ghana:
1. When you find a bug baked into your bread and you eat around it.
2. When a fan feels like air-conditioning.
3. When your feet seem permanently stained red by the dirt.
4. When hearing people speak in tongues is a normal occurrence.
5. When you adjust to the heat.
6. When having people stare at you is normal.
7. When malaria doesn’t seem like a big deal.
8. When you accept stomach problems as a part of life.
9. When you wonder why America doesn’t sell water in bags.
10. When you look out your window and your surroundings are familiar.
The group I am with went on a short trip to Togo to renew our visas we only got to spend a couple hours in the actual country. We basically had time to eat lunch. The city of Lome seemed very similar to Ghana with the exception that they speak French and the main form of public transportation are motorcycles. Yes, I rode my first motorcycle that day and I will say I was kind of scared. But I did survive. The first week of May I plan on going back to Togo and Benin.
I only have about 1 month left of school then finals start, which should be an interesting experience. Thus far I have only experienced group projects. These projects have been the most frustrating thing I have encountered in Ghana so far. I always thought I would enjoy living somewhere slow paced that was not concerned with efficiency. I was wrong. These group meetings last hours and little is accomplished. Rather than dividing the work up they will sit and discuss nothing. Eventually the group will have talked enough for somebody to write a paragraph of the paper. Then they will copy a paragraph from the book composed by the professor. At first I was concerned about this plagiarism because in America it is a big deal. When I was talking to one of my friends she said it wasn’t a big deal because they don’t know how to check if it is plagiarized or not and that the book the professor gave us was taken straight off Wikipedia. In some ways I cannot wait to be back in American school.
I will leave you all with a list I made on how you know when you have adjusted to Ghana:
1. When you find a bug baked into your bread and you eat around it.
2. When a fan feels like air-conditioning.
3. When your feet seem permanently stained red by the dirt.
4. When hearing people speak in tongues is a normal occurrence.
5. When you adjust to the heat.
6. When having people stare at you is normal.
7. When malaria doesn’t seem like a big deal.
8. When you accept stomach problems as a part of life.
9. When you wonder why America doesn’t sell water in bags.
10. When you look out your window and your surroundings are familiar.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Classes Update
I am now into the 4th week of classes, so I now somewhat have an idea of how classes are run. Lectures are once a week for 2 hours and tutorials are once a week for one hour. However, nobody goes to tutorials so I am looking at 8 hours worth of school a week. As far as grading goes most of my classes rely only on the final exam and a midterm. Outside of these big tests it looks like I will only have 2 group presentations and one paper. Yes, that’s right, ONE PAPER. After this easygoing semester I will be dreading going back to Berry where I have 6 or more papers a semester. Overall I have enjoyed my classes. I have been learning a lot about religion and development in Ghana. Even though the lectures are 2 hours I find myself engaged for the majority of the time.
As I have seen more of Ghana I found myself wishing that I were studying to be a doctor or teacher, rather than a missionary trainer, because these positions are so needed. The literacy rate is only 60% for all of Ghana and most towns outside of Accra do not have any form of medical care. Needless to say I was finding my choice of career a little worthless because it does not meet important physical needs. That was until I met a girl at my hostel.
This girl has the goal of converting everyone she meets into a Christian, which I might add is a good goal to have, however her methods only cause people to avoid her. I was with a group of friends when she approached and made everyone stop what they were doing and listen to her preach the gospel. And boy did she preach. My friends that had valid questions were shot down and denied. For her there was no room for discussion about the fact of God existing. I had heard my friends talk about this girl before, how she preaches and condemns rather than discusses God and Jesus. It was at this moment I realized that what I want to do is important. You see, her method of sharing the gospel may work in Ghana but to American students she seemed condemning and forceful. Ghana culture is very spiritual; it always has been, so most likely she has never met someone who doesn’t believe in a God therefore she does not know how to minister to them. This encounter was the first time I saw a tangible use for what I am studying. Up until this point I just thought training missionaries would be cool and, in theory, useful. While I may not know where I am going after I graduate, I do know without a doubt that I am doing what God wants me to do.
As I have seen more of Ghana I found myself wishing that I were studying to be a doctor or teacher, rather than a missionary trainer, because these positions are so needed. The literacy rate is only 60% for all of Ghana and most towns outside of Accra do not have any form of medical care. Needless to say I was finding my choice of career a little worthless because it does not meet important physical needs. That was until I met a girl at my hostel.
This girl has the goal of converting everyone she meets into a Christian, which I might add is a good goal to have, however her methods only cause people to avoid her. I was with a group of friends when she approached and made everyone stop what they were doing and listen to her preach the gospel. And boy did she preach. My friends that had valid questions were shot down and denied. For her there was no room for discussion about the fact of God existing. I had heard my friends talk about this girl before, how she preaches and condemns rather than discusses God and Jesus. It was at this moment I realized that what I want to do is important. You see, her method of sharing the gospel may work in Ghana but to American students she seemed condemning and forceful. Ghana culture is very spiritual; it always has been, so most likely she has never met someone who doesn’t believe in a God therefore she does not know how to minister to them. This encounter was the first time I saw a tangible use for what I am studying. Up until this point I just thought training missionaries would be cool and, in theory, useful. While I may not know where I am going after I graduate, I do know without a doubt that I am doing what God wants me to do.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Update
I am sorry that I have not updated in awhile. I am going to try to cover a lot of ground in this blog. So here we go.
I have received a roommate. I would tell you her name if I could spell it. We get along very well which is a big blessing. She is from Accra so she knows a good deal about the city. Some people have had a hard time getting a long with their roommates because of the cultural differences but so far we have not had those problems. I would attribute this to both of us being abroad before.
Ever since I was sick I have been careful about what I am eating. For the most part I have been having rice, chicken, fruit, and an occasional egg sandwich. I have stuck with these foods because they are not spicy. However, I am growing tired of the same foods over and over, so I am going to have to branch out soon. My roommate is determined to help me do this and teach me how to cook.
The ISEP group went on a trip to the Cape Coast 2 weekends ago. We went to Cape Coast Castle and a national park. The castle was originally built for the slave trade by the Dutch then it later changed hands into the English. It was a very sad to see where thousands of humans were treated as animals and sold. The next day at the park was lots of fun because we walked on a rope bridge on the canopy of the rainforest. Unfortunately I did not see any animals.
This Sunday a group of us went to an American bar to watch the Super Bowl. It didn’t start until 11:30pm so I was up until 3:30am. While I am not crazy about the Super Bowl (especially since the Falcons didn’t make it) it was nice to be around other Americans enjoying something from home.
I have recently made a discovery of fast Internet. Now most people would not consider it fast it is a great improvement. I am determined to download some of the messages from a conference I went to. Currently I have been downloading for 30 minutes and have 1 hour and 30 minutes to go. And to think I thought Berry College had slow Internet.
Because a lot of students do not come the first week of classes there was not much lecturing. I am going to update on classes sometime next week once I receive the syllabi and things settle in.
I am going to close out this post by sharing some of the cultural differences I have come across in the past weeks.
• Ghanaians are very hospitable therefore, a greeting could last 10 minutes
• You cannot eat while walking
• White people get a lot of attention
• Ghanaians like to keep their rooms clean
• You cannot use your left hand
Here is a link to my photos for those of you not on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2106284&id=1116150099&l=092bd6f0df
I have received a roommate. I would tell you her name if I could spell it. We get along very well which is a big blessing. She is from Accra so she knows a good deal about the city. Some people have had a hard time getting a long with their roommates because of the cultural differences but so far we have not had those problems. I would attribute this to both of us being abroad before.
Ever since I was sick I have been careful about what I am eating. For the most part I have been having rice, chicken, fruit, and an occasional egg sandwich. I have stuck with these foods because they are not spicy. However, I am growing tired of the same foods over and over, so I am going to have to branch out soon. My roommate is determined to help me do this and teach me how to cook.
The ISEP group went on a trip to the Cape Coast 2 weekends ago. We went to Cape Coast Castle and a national park. The castle was originally built for the slave trade by the Dutch then it later changed hands into the English. It was a very sad to see where thousands of humans were treated as animals and sold. The next day at the park was lots of fun because we walked on a rope bridge on the canopy of the rainforest. Unfortunately I did not see any animals.
This Sunday a group of us went to an American bar to watch the Super Bowl. It didn’t start until 11:30pm so I was up until 3:30am. While I am not crazy about the Super Bowl (especially since the Falcons didn’t make it) it was nice to be around other Americans enjoying something from home.
I have recently made a discovery of fast Internet. Now most people would not consider it fast it is a great improvement. I am determined to download some of the messages from a conference I went to. Currently I have been downloading for 30 minutes and have 1 hour and 30 minutes to go. And to think I thought Berry College had slow Internet.
Because a lot of students do not come the first week of classes there was not much lecturing. I am going to update on classes sometime next week once I receive the syllabi and things settle in.
I am going to close out this post by sharing some of the cultural differences I have come across in the past weeks.
• Ghanaians are very hospitable therefore, a greeting could last 10 minutes
• You cannot eat while walking
• White people get a lot of attention
• Ghanaians like to keep their rooms clean
• You cannot use your left hand
Here is a link to my photos for those of you not on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2106284&id=1116150099&l=092bd6f0df
Monday, January 31, 2011
Classes
First of all I would like to say that I am doing much better both physically and emotionally. I have had a long adjustment period but I am finally starting to feel at home here. Today I start classes. In Ghana the classes are organized different than in the States. You only have class once a week and it lasts about two hours. Here are the classes I am taking:
Monday: Pentecostalism in Ghana 5:30-7:25
Tuesday: No Class
Wednesday: No Class
Thursday: No Class
Friday: Psychology of religion 9:30-11:25; Poverty and Rural Development 1:30-3:25; Archeology, Anthropology, and Cultural Evolution 5:30-7:25
As you can see my Fridays are pretty heavy. I am hoping that since I have three days free that I can do a good bit of volunteer work. I am going to sit down with the director of the program soon and find out where I can best serve.
Monday: Pentecostalism in Ghana 5:30-7:25
Tuesday: No Class
Wednesday: No Class
Thursday: No Class
Friday: Psychology of religion 9:30-11:25; Poverty and Rural Development 1:30-3:25; Archeology, Anthropology, and Cultural Evolution 5:30-7:25
As you can see my Fridays are pretty heavy. I am hoping that since I have three days free that I can do a good bit of volunteer work. I am going to sit down with the director of the program soon and find out where I can best serve.
Catching Up
Because I have not had Internet in a while I am going to combine several posts in one. Enjoy!
Second Thoughts
I have not fallen in love with Ghana yet. Since I have arrived in Ghana I have been wondering why I am doing this. From the moment I stepped off the plane I have been hot. The only relief I have is a cold shower or an air-conditioned bus ride. Many of you know that I do not handle heat very well and Ghana has no exception in my complaints of heat. However, I am slowly adjusted to sweating all the time. I have been adjusting to lots of things here: heat, food, housing, walking, ect. I know that in time I will become adjusted it just might be awhile.
Another issue I have been having is struggling with homesickness. Now I have not gotten homesick in quite sometime. I had like to think that I had gotten it all out when I was younger but apparently that is not the case. I think that it is because I have been thinking long term. I had a hard time unpacking because it made the fact that I will be here 5 months real. While everything was in the suitcase it felt like I was on another couple week trip and would be home in the air-conditioning soon. I have decided to take one day at a time and try not to think too much ahead. I am hoping that once classes start and I get into a routine then I will settle down and relax.
Sickness
Most of you probably know that I am sick. I went to the clinic a couple days ago after having really bad diarrhea. I was at the clinic from 8:45 till 2:30. During those hours I filled out paper work, waited, had my temperature, waited, saw the doctor, waited, had tests done, waited, got the results from my tests, waited, and saw the doctor again. Overall I was impressed with the clinic and the doctors. It turns out that I have a bacterial infection. I am doing much better now doing much better now that I am on medication.
Second Thoughts
I have not fallen in love with Ghana yet. Since I have arrived in Ghana I have been wondering why I am doing this. From the moment I stepped off the plane I have been hot. The only relief I have is a cold shower or an air-conditioned bus ride. Many of you know that I do not handle heat very well and Ghana has no exception in my complaints of heat. However, I am slowly adjusted to sweating all the time. I have been adjusting to lots of things here: heat, food, housing, walking, ect. I know that in time I will become adjusted it just might be awhile.
Another issue I have been having is struggling with homesickness. Now I have not gotten homesick in quite sometime. I had like to think that I had gotten it all out when I was younger but apparently that is not the case. I think that it is because I have been thinking long term. I had a hard time unpacking because it made the fact that I will be here 5 months real. While everything was in the suitcase it felt like I was on another couple week trip and would be home in the air-conditioning soon. I have decided to take one day at a time and try not to think too much ahead. I am hoping that once classes start and I get into a routine then I will settle down and relax.
Sickness
Most of you probably know that I am sick. I went to the clinic a couple days ago after having really bad diarrhea. I was at the clinic from 8:45 till 2:30. During those hours I filled out paper work, waited, had my temperature, waited, saw the doctor, waited, had tests done, waited, got the results from my tests, waited, and saw the doctor again. Overall I was impressed with the clinic and the doctors. It turns out that I have a bacterial infection. I am doing much better now doing much better now that I am on medication.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Welcome to Ghana
Day 1:
1. Landing in Accra
2. Being charged money for something that should not be paid for.
3. Heat rash (It’s just as hot as I thought it would be)
4. Good food
5. Broken fan
The Flight was uneventful. Some how I lucked out and didn’t have anyone sit next to me on both flights. But that didn’t help me sleep, I only got about 3 hours. After 21 hours worth of travel I finally arrived in Ghana. We were picked up by someone from the university and taken to our hostel. A group of us decided to drop our stuff off and walk around. We ended up walking all the way to the library and bookstore (This entailed a longer walk than expected). All I did the rest of the day was eat and rest. For the most part a good first day. But then I got to my room and the fan didn’t turn on. I wanted to cry. Luckily I was so tired that it didn’t matter.
ISEP has had us very busy with orientation and tours. Today we took a tour of the campus and it is HUGE. I guess it would have to be with 22,000 students. I am defiantly going to get a work out when I go to class. I am going to try and update this blog about once a week…so keep a look out for my next post.
P.S. Facebook me if you want to know more about anything or have any questions about anything.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Temperature Change
I have put off starting this blog as long as possible. This is for several reasons: I don't know what to write about since I am still at home and the fact that I do not enjoy writing, especially when other people will be reading it. However I know some people will enjoy hearing about my trip and how God is working in my life so I am going to power through these issues and try out the world of blogging.
Since I have been home I have been enjoying the nice cold weather, which has produced 3 snows. One of which happened to day. As I write this I am sitting by the fire having just accomplished reading The Lord Of The Rings. Looking online I find that the day I arrive in Ghana the realfeel is 93 degrees.....Yep 93 degrees and no air-conditioning. Now for some people this would be a welcome change from the snowy weather but I do not like the heat. In fact, I despise it. So I'm sure your now saying but Hannah, what did you expect in Africa. Well I was expecting heat but it was not until now, that what that truly means hit me. It is the change in temperature that scares me. If I was going from a hot Georgia summer to a hotter Ghana summer I would not be as concerned. In many ways this temperature change mirrors many other changes I am going through in my life. I recently went to passion (a Christian college conference in Atlanta) and realized that sometimes God calls us to make drastic changes in our lives. It will be uncomfortable just as going from 30 degree weather to 90 degree weather will be, but that sense of discomfort should not stop us but propel us. There are several reasons that I am going to Ghana and they all revolve around this concept. I want to push myself beyond the limits I think I have and fully embrace where God is leading me. I currently see myself as a Saul. He never could have imagined or accepted that God could use in such an awesome way. God changed EVERYTHING about him even his name. If God can do mighty work through a killer of Christians then surely he can do awesome works in those that love him. But it all depends on our willingness to change and accept God’s plan. The first big step from 30 to 90 must be taken.
"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have."
Philippians 1:29-30
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