Sooo ...
The power went out this morning and proceeded to stay out for the next 7 hours. I was going to stay-in and have a relaxing day in my room … but with no power, it gets hot ( due to the fact that there is no electric fans running in our rooms) and thus there is practically nothing to do.
So a group of 24 students decided they wanted to go and visit a Liberian Refugee camp. It was about a hour and half away and contrary to belief is still in Ghana and NOT Liberia. There was a large war in Liberia which has since ended but numerous people would flood to Ghana to escape the violent conditions.
We took Tro- Tros the whole ride there. Tro- Tros are these large van like vehicles that multiple people pile into and are packed (but comfortably) that go to main part of town at a VERY cheap price. We only paid 1.30 cedi for an hour and half drive there… so about 3 cedi round trip.
When we arrived I expected conditions to be like they are shown on T.V. and in the movies (like tents set up everywhere and people begging for help). To my surprise it was the complete opposite. People had been there a long enough time that they actually had houses; or at least what they call houses we would call “shacks” and a lot of local Ghanaians have moved in. Their reason for the recent rise in Ghanaians in the refugee camp is that the Ghanaians pay for the houses and that way the Liberian refugees have actual money in their hands. Otherwise it was practically a little village.
I had met one lady who had come to Ghana in flee of Liberia in 1990. She stayed for ten years but in 2000 went back to Liberia. She stayed there for 5 years but found it incredibly hard to get back into the system. So she left Liberia to return to her 3 children in Ghana and now runs the refugee woman’s empowerment portion of the camp. She says her home and people need her here.
So we got to see their office central office. In the office there were 12 sewing machines in which the Liberian refugee women make purses and learn to make dresses. They offer free classes to all the woman and there are 32 women in the camp and they are in need of more sewing machines (which run about 80 cedi for one sewing machine).
They also offer scholarships to the refugee children, along with a woman empowerment group that is also being run at the camp. After the tour we stayed, had lunch, and played with some of the children. On the way back the Tro –Tro was again packed and it was a very loooong hot and sweaty ride home.
We arrived back and to my surprise had power back! I took the most amazing shower (which is my favorite part of the day).
I ended the day with a sausage shish –kabob and a mango.
Tomorrow I have no class so I am headed to a school that needs help teaching the children English and is 10 minute ride away from campus on a Tro-Tro.
I can’t wait to have more details soon.
Hope everyone is doing well. Miss you all!!
~Stacie~
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
No Electricity, No Water .... Earthquake?! ... making the best of everything
Hey guys,
So sorry it has taken me sooo long to update this. The past couple of days have been CRAZY. I currently am sitting in the international office writing to you because I have no electricity (thus no internet). We also have no water so I got to take my first official bucket shower. In which you get water from a spicket in our courtyard and carry it to the showers to bathe. It was not that bad. The only part that is quite awful is that everyone still uses the bathrooms so they smell horribly, because we cannot flush.
We are going on our 4th day with no electricity and no water. I am not sure why we have such problems with it. My only thought is that we as foriegners use too much electricity. I have talked to a couple locals and they never seem to have a problem with no electiricity/water.
Other Adventures:
Sunday we toured Accra the capitol of Ghana. It was really cool we went to the burial site of their first president and got a tour of his life. We went to the beach was absolutely breath-taking.... just like the movies. We also saw a palace and the American Embassay (don't worry I didn't take any photos). The reason why I didn't take any photos is because they didn't inform us to bring them so I forgot mine back in the hostel (dorm). But not to worry I will take pictures of my room and the surrounding area and post them soon!
During our tour on Sunday our group got dropped off at a local market in order to experience more of the culture of Ghana for 15 minutes. The second we got off the bus all the locals SWARMED us. They were touching and talking to us and were very pushy. They wanted us to buy something from each one of our stands. Chelsea, my friend and I saw these amazing intricate paintings on canvas. The guy who claimed he was the painter made us look through them all and when we saw some we liked he set them aside. So by the end we had like 10 paintings set aside. We told him we were just looking and not interested in buying.
Unfortunately, he would not take that for an answer. He informed us it was Sunday and that we would get a good price. He started off by saying that one painting normally ran for 20 cedes (Ghana's currency). We were told because we are white they jack up the prices very high and we MUST barter. We should pay no more than 55% of their first offer. So Chelsea and I picked out our favorite painting. He rolled them up and put them in our hand and told us we would make a very good deal for us. His first offer he said normally one painting is $20. We bartered and said we would take 2 for $20 paying $10 each. He said no, no, no, I will do 2 for $25. At that point we were very stressed and many locals were still very close around us and we didn't feel comfortable (clutching our purses). So I told Chelsea we should walk away. So we did and the second we did the guy said fine fine and immediately started rolling them up. He said we will give them to you for 2 for $20. As soon as we paid and people knew we had money everyone just wanted us to come in and look, all saying that "looking was free" but in reality when you looked they all just said I will make you a very good price. When we finally got back to the bus we had local students that had been showing us around the campus and had been with us the whole week and wanted to see what we had bought. When we showed them and they asked us how much we paid.... they were shocked, one local said that it wasn't TOO bad but the other said she would not have paid more than 5-6 cede for one painting. Basically we are OBVIOUSLY still learning.....
The best part of the whole expericence was that the painter said his name was Joe... and when we got back to the bus, we looked at the bottom of the painting at the signature. Chelsea's said "Joe" mine said "Evan" .... So something tells me he did NOT paint these!
Next adventure on Sunday was off to buy our necessities... pots pans to cook with, toliet paper, buckets to shower with, towels, pillows, mosquito nets, anything anyone needed. So I gathered my items: bucket, cutting board with knifes, soap for washing clothes, pins to hang photos.... and toliet paper that was suppose to be 0.50 pesawas (Ghana's coins) At this point I was exhausted from traveling all day and experiencing everything and not being able to shower. So I proceeded to check out. My total came to $13.00 and I only had $12.00 on me so I had to return my cutting board and knifes. I went to the bus and everyone was like ohh how much was the toliet paper. I was like oh it was a really good deal only o.50 pesawas. and they were like ohhh nice! Until a girl said oh, I thought they were 0.50 pesawas a rolls. I proceeded to check my reciept only to find out she was right! I got charged 5.00 cede for the cheapest toliet paper ever! Basically I am STILL learning.....
SO END OF STORY I was exhausted, sweaty, hott, and just wanted a shower! So we hung out for a while and went to bed around 11. It was hard to fall asleep especially because of the mosquito net that makes conditions extra hott and with no electricity we had no ceiling fans running at night. So when we finally were asleep we got rudly awaken at 3:30am by pounding on our door. It had been our friends from the floor above. They were frantic and told us that we had to get out of our room because there is an earthquake warning. So we quickly jumped out of bed and pounded on our neighbors doors to wake them up and went outside. No one knew what was going on and everyone was complaining and just wanted to go to bed. We stood outside for about one hour and finally called our coordinator. She informed us that it was a joke that had come across the radio and the whole country of Ghana thought it was true. Soooo... my night/day was truly the most eventful thus far.
Needless to say the next day was rough and I am not sure I have had a good nights sleep yet. But it has to take awhile for my body to adjust to such different experiences. Even with everything said I am having a very very good time. The locals are soooo friendly here and I am learning soooo much! On accident I keep using my left hand to wave or to recieve things with and that is very much an insult in Ghana. The right hand is what should be used to shake hands, wave, and recieve things with. Soooo much still to learn.
Well I think this is intense enough for now. There is rumor that we have electricity back already but that was said yesterday too. So if that is the case I hope to write more soon!!
Miss everyone!!!
~"Amma" (Saturday-born) Stacie~
So sorry it has taken me sooo long to update this. The past couple of days have been CRAZY. I currently am sitting in the international office writing to you because I have no electricity (thus no internet). We also have no water so I got to take my first official bucket shower. In which you get water from a spicket in our courtyard and carry it to the showers to bathe. It was not that bad. The only part that is quite awful is that everyone still uses the bathrooms so they smell horribly, because we cannot flush.
We are going on our 4th day with no electricity and no water. I am not sure why we have such problems with it. My only thought is that we as foriegners use too much electricity. I have talked to a couple locals and they never seem to have a problem with no electiricity/water.
Other Adventures:
Sunday we toured Accra the capitol of Ghana. It was really cool we went to the burial site of their first president and got a tour of his life. We went to the beach was absolutely breath-taking.... just like the movies. We also saw a palace and the American Embassay (don't worry I didn't take any photos). The reason why I didn't take any photos is because they didn't inform us to bring them so I forgot mine back in the hostel (dorm). But not to worry I will take pictures of my room and the surrounding area and post them soon!
During our tour on Sunday our group got dropped off at a local market in order to experience more of the culture of Ghana for 15 minutes. The second we got off the bus all the locals SWARMED us. They were touching and talking to us and were very pushy. They wanted us to buy something from each one of our stands. Chelsea, my friend and I saw these amazing intricate paintings on canvas. The guy who claimed he was the painter made us look through them all and when we saw some we liked he set them aside. So by the end we had like 10 paintings set aside. We told him we were just looking and not interested in buying.
Unfortunately, he would not take that for an answer. He informed us it was Sunday and that we would get a good price. He started off by saying that one painting normally ran for 20 cedes (Ghana's currency). We were told because we are white they jack up the prices very high and we MUST barter. We should pay no more than 55% of their first offer. So Chelsea and I picked out our favorite painting. He rolled them up and put them in our hand and told us we would make a very good deal for us. His first offer he said normally one painting is $20. We bartered and said we would take 2 for $20 paying $10 each. He said no, no, no, I will do 2 for $25. At that point we were very stressed and many locals were still very close around us and we didn't feel comfortable (clutching our purses). So I told Chelsea we should walk away. So we did and the second we did the guy said fine fine and immediately started rolling them up. He said we will give them to you for 2 for $20. As soon as we paid and people knew we had money everyone just wanted us to come in and look, all saying that "looking was free" but in reality when you looked they all just said I will make you a very good price. When we finally got back to the bus we had local students that had been showing us around the campus and had been with us the whole week and wanted to see what we had bought. When we showed them and they asked us how much we paid.... they were shocked, one local said that it wasn't TOO bad but the other said she would not have paid more than 5-6 cede for one painting. Basically we are OBVIOUSLY still learning.....
The best part of the whole expericence was that the painter said his name was Joe... and when we got back to the bus, we looked at the bottom of the painting at the signature. Chelsea's said "Joe" mine said "Evan" .... So something tells me he did NOT paint these!
Next adventure on Sunday was off to buy our necessities... pots pans to cook with, toliet paper, buckets to shower with, towels, pillows, mosquito nets, anything anyone needed. So I gathered my items: bucket, cutting board with knifes, soap for washing clothes, pins to hang photos.... and toliet paper that was suppose to be 0.50 pesawas (Ghana's coins) At this point I was exhausted from traveling all day and experiencing everything and not being able to shower. So I proceeded to check out. My total came to $13.00 and I only had $12.00 on me so I had to return my cutting board and knifes. I went to the bus and everyone was like ohh how much was the toliet paper. I was like oh it was a really good deal only o.50 pesawas. and they were like ohhh nice! Until a girl said oh, I thought they were 0.50 pesawas a rolls. I proceeded to check my reciept only to find out she was right! I got charged 5.00 cede for the cheapest toliet paper ever! Basically I am STILL learning.....
SO END OF STORY I was exhausted, sweaty, hott, and just wanted a shower! So we hung out for a while and went to bed around 11. It was hard to fall asleep especially because of the mosquito net that makes conditions extra hott and with no electricity we had no ceiling fans running at night. So when we finally were asleep we got rudly awaken at 3:30am by pounding on our door. It had been our friends from the floor above. They were frantic and told us that we had to get out of our room because there is an earthquake warning. So we quickly jumped out of bed and pounded on our neighbors doors to wake them up and went outside. No one knew what was going on and everyone was complaining and just wanted to go to bed. We stood outside for about one hour and finally called our coordinator. She informed us that it was a joke that had come across the radio and the whole country of Ghana thought it was true. Soooo... my night/day was truly the most eventful thus far.
Needless to say the next day was rough and I am not sure I have had a good nights sleep yet. But it has to take awhile for my body to adjust to such different experiences. Even with everything said I am having a very very good time. The locals are soooo friendly here and I am learning soooo much! On accident I keep using my left hand to wave or to recieve things with and that is very much an insult in Ghana. The right hand is what should be used to shake hands, wave, and recieve things with. Soooo much still to learn.
Well I think this is intense enough for now. There is rumor that we have electricity back already but that was said yesterday too. So if that is the case I hope to write more soon!!
Miss everyone!!!
~"Amma" (Saturday-born) Stacie~
Friday, January 15, 2010
First Post from Ghana :)
Hey everyone!!
So I have arrived in Ghana, Africa and have internet in my room. The instant we landed the plane windows fogged up ... and when we stepped out it was like a sauna; super humid and very muggy. Your skin is always sweaty and sticky. However, night time is the best, there is a cool breeze that blows through our windows. It just stormed about 2 hours ago and you could see the storm coming from a distance and it took 5 minutes until it was officially down pouring. All the roads are dirt-covered so they immediately became flooded. Good thing mom packed me a poncho!! :) Bad thing cuz it rained there are now more mosquitoes around! Hopefully pools of water don't stay around long.
The first day we got in it was late so we were advised to take a shower before bed to make us feel better. My roommate (who is from Tennessee- and is SUPER sweet) went to take one and I was still organizing things in my room. Well I got everything settled and went to go to the showers only to find her in the sink washing her hair with very little water. When I asked why she told me that during her shower the water went out. So we had no water to shower with. We asked another girl who had been here a semester before and she said that last semester they were out of water for over a week cuz there was a shortage in the area ... so either you had to take a bucket shower or go to another building that may or may not have water. So far the water-shortage issue has not happened again this week.
Most of this week was filled with touring this ginormous campus that has an estimate 30,000 people attending it. The buildings are super far away might take me like 20-30 minutes to get to some of my classes by walking, which is so much further away then my gated Edgewood College. The rest of the week has been full of lectures on culture, safety, ettiquette and medical safety.
In particular today we went to this HUGE market in Medina. We were obviously the only white people around where as on campus you run into a few other foreigners there and people are more used to seeing white people. People at the market were very friendly and kept teaching us Twi (a common language spoken here). Everyone wanted us to buy something from them and others would just ask us if we would give them money. White people are called "Bruni's" so far little kids have come up to us bright eyed and waving yelling "Bruni, bruni, bruni!!" All of the children/babies are sooooo precious!
The food here isn't too bad. The first day we got here everything we incredibly spicy but now my tastebuds have adjusted and I am actually liking the food. The main staple here is rice served with sauce with either chicken or beef. So that is relative to what I eat every meal. Thus far as far as foreign food goes I have tried yam balls, fried plantains, and fresh pineapple from the market.
The craziest thing I have seen thus far is that there is a monkey tied to a tree in somones front yard so basically, they have a pet monkey!!! How crazy is that!!
Well I think this is enough for now. I miss everyone soooo much, please help me stay in contact with everyone with brief comments through email or facebook! I'll be updating often ... Take care!!
:)
So I have arrived in Ghana, Africa and have internet in my room. The instant we landed the plane windows fogged up ... and when we stepped out it was like a sauna; super humid and very muggy. Your skin is always sweaty and sticky. However, night time is the best, there is a cool breeze that blows through our windows. It just stormed about 2 hours ago and you could see the storm coming from a distance and it took 5 minutes until it was officially down pouring. All the roads are dirt-covered so they immediately became flooded. Good thing mom packed me a poncho!! :) Bad thing cuz it rained there are now more mosquitoes around! Hopefully pools of water don't stay around long.
The first day we got in it was late so we were advised to take a shower before bed to make us feel better. My roommate (who is from Tennessee- and is SUPER sweet) went to take one and I was still organizing things in my room. Well I got everything settled and went to go to the showers only to find her in the sink washing her hair with very little water. When I asked why she told me that during her shower the water went out. So we had no water to shower with. We asked another girl who had been here a semester before and she said that last semester they were out of water for over a week cuz there was a shortage in the area ... so either you had to take a bucket shower or go to another building that may or may not have water. So far the water-shortage issue has not happened again this week.
Most of this week was filled with touring this ginormous campus that has an estimate 30,000 people attending it. The buildings are super far away might take me like 20-30 minutes to get to some of my classes by walking, which is so much further away then my gated Edgewood College. The rest of the week has been full of lectures on culture, safety, ettiquette and medical safety.
In particular today we went to this HUGE market in Medina. We were obviously the only white people around where as on campus you run into a few other foreigners there and people are more used to seeing white people. People at the market were very friendly and kept teaching us Twi (a common language spoken here). Everyone wanted us to buy something from them and others would just ask us if we would give them money. White people are called "Bruni's" so far little kids have come up to us bright eyed and waving yelling "Bruni, bruni, bruni!!" All of the children/babies are sooooo precious!
The food here isn't too bad. The first day we got here everything we incredibly spicy but now my tastebuds have adjusted and I am actually liking the food. The main staple here is rice served with sauce with either chicken or beef. So that is relative to what I eat every meal. Thus far as far as foreign food goes I have tried yam balls, fried plantains, and fresh pineapple from the market.
The craziest thing I have seen thus far is that there is a monkey tied to a tree in somones front yard so basically, they have a pet monkey!!! How crazy is that!!
Well I think this is enough for now. I miss everyone soooo much, please help me stay in contact with everyone with brief comments through email or facebook! I'll be updating often ... Take care!!
:)
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