February 24, 2010
We woke up and did the usual. This time, Ester bathed before Junior, who needed to get ready for school. So that was a little disrupting. But then she got ready for the day, and I asked her if she was going to help wash now because we always wash alone (giving the hint that you need to start helping or we will stop all together with your chores) She said she was going to take Co-Joe to the clinic to get his vaccination, part 1 of 3. But it was 7:40 a.m. ,and they wanted her at 9 so I knew that it was another way to get out of working. But that is okay for today, and we washed.
After washing, I came home and actually made homemade pancakes!!! Thanks, mom, for the recipe. I was able to get baking powder, and I used evaporated and powdered milk for the milk. They tasted pretty good!!! So it was an American breakfast today. I had scrambled eggs, four pancakes with peanut butter (no syrup and you know how much I love syrup. I should have brought a bottle) and a glass of milk.
Mrs. Incoom and I then talked about how her ICT class that she teaches is going well but that it is hard. Imagine trying to teach students how to type and how to click and drag an Icon on a computer if you have never either seen or touched a computer. So she asked if she could borrow. I said yes, knowing that she would take such good care of it. And I told her that on any day she needed it to just let me now. It is so surprising. I thought I would only come here to help the kids, but it seems that no matter where you go, your neighbors, loved ones, strangers, and even yourself will always need help. I like it. The Incooms are my family forever.
I then took a tro-tro to ABK (abakrampa) and met an old guy who insisted on getting me to Asebu. Of course he did this is thinking I would pay for him. But I laughed it off knowing that I have been asked many times to pay people’s fares. I got to Asebu and started teaching the older kids. We did the usual songs, and then I taught them music theory. We reviewed 5 lines, treble clef, notes, and then I taught them Whole note, Half Note, Quarter Note, and Eighth Note. I was concerned once I started that they would not understand, so I made up a game. I said every time I say Whole Note it means you clap four times, because in music it gets four counts. A half note gets two claps, quarter one clap, and eighth note doesn’t get a clap. So we played a game using the Pennywhistles. Again, Mom and Dad, I am so thankful for you making me learn music and then bring the Pennywhistles to Africa. You have blessed me and in turn, blessed many lives. With the Pennywhistles, I grabbed three kids from the line and then I would say Whole Note. And they would blow four times. If someone did not blow four times, they were out and the next person would come. We went through the whole class doing this until we got to the winner. I then had them blow out tunes Like Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, or Mary Had a Little Lamb, again trying to connect them to realize what music is. I am also trying to teach them not to hit or push one another. They push and shove so hard here, not like kids at home. So when they push, we stop singing or playing games. I am trying to teach them that.
I then took a tro-tro straight to Asebu, much cheaper, on 70 pesewas or known as 7000 (seven thousand) in the old currency. You need to know both here. It is strange when I hear someone say a piece of bread is 10,000. But it means only 1 cedi. I am glad they changed the currency. After that, I worked on the video I am working on for Noble, the famous gospel singer. I showed Annika and Elvis, they said it would be great. I am so grateful for Elder Miller and the Miller family for introducing me into film making. I only know the very basics, but that is so helpful here. Oh and Fred also bought me a donut thing for on the way to Asebu. It was nice of him because I was hungry. It was like a whole half a loaf cooked in oil, I think palm oil though. So it is so unhealthy but it tastes good every once in a while.
I then headed up to the House around 3. I helped hurry the kids with homework and sewed on a couple of badges to the kids uniforms. We then went to Elvis’s house to watch the rest of Lion King. Annika bought fresh fruit, watermelon, pineapple, and oranges and some ground nuts, for the kids. This was kind of her farewell party so she wanted to give the kids some things they usually never have. They actually didn’t like the watermelon too much because they are not used to it. It was good, but when it came time for her to say goodbye she cried a little. Angolina did not want to leave her side, and she started crying. I think it was Angolina’s first time having to say goodbye to a volunteer. She must have made an attachment. She stayed at the gate until I had to close the door, waiting to see the last glimpse of Annika. It was so sad. But Annika and the others are okay. Annika will call me often while I am here to check up on the kids I think. I then ate a dinner that the girls served at Elvis’s. It was a good local dish.
I then came home where Fred was not feeling well. I gave him water, a toffee for quick sugar level and a vitamin. I hope it helps. I will then have oats tonight I think for dinner and then go to bed as early as possible. Tomorrow morning, I will go to the House for a short while, interview Annika and then travel with her and maybe Mrs. Incoom to Accra in Sammy’s taxi. Sammy is a good local friend of Elvis’s. Mrs. Incoom is also going to Accra and might travel with us even on the Metro. So I will be gone until Saturday night so don’t worry about me not emailing or anything. And I will call when I get back on Saturday!!! Everyone laughs now when I am gone overnight to make sure that I have called my mom. It is really funny!!!! But it is so wonderful to know how concerned you are. But Friday will mark my half way completion. It is crazy that I have been counting up the days and now I start to count down. 3 months seems long when you think about all you could do but here, it is so short. Because there I so much to do. Some days are so long, but at the end of the day, you realize it was too short. I love the kids too much I think!!! Hahaha… it is going to be hard to say goodbye. I am not excited for it. I think it might be the hardest bye-bye for me. I love you all so much!!! Have a great night.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Feb 23-- HIV/AIDS teaching and Goodbye, Jessica,
February 23, 2010
The day started out usual. Woke up at 6 and left for the House around 6:20. We got there and found out that the place had not been cleaned by Ester. And that also Ruth was sweeping, which is Ester’s job. So we were a little disappointed in her because she is getting paid for it so we again decided to not wash again. I later found out that Junior had talked too Ester. Ester was saying out loud “Oh! Those white women did not wash the clothes this morning!” Junior said “Ester, it is your job to wash. When Goeorgina was here, you would wash.” Then Ester said “Well Georgina isn’t here.” So my assumptions were right earlier about how I was thinking that Ester was getting used to our service and was using us and not working herself.
After breakfast I went to the clinic around 8. I got there and then left for the school around 9 after taking a few vitals; someone’s blood pressure again was around 150/80. Walking up there, the nurse and I were talking. She told me that I would be giving the shots. So when we got there we sat down next to the teachers. We all opened the AIDS flyer for when they give lectures about HIV/AIDS awareness. WOW!!!! It is very blunt. Here, sex is not an uncomfortable or secretive thing. In fact, nothing really is. The culture is just blunt.
So I got there and I administered about 40 tetanus shots to young women ages from 14-18. The fear of needles is similar here. Although, I wonder since they usually never see them, I think they fear them a little more. Mrs. Incoom came up also because she teaches ICT classes there and took a few pictures too. I will try and get those to you soon.
After that, I left to go hang up my clothes. Around 11:45 I headed to Cape to Meet Jessica. Jessica is leaving to live in Accra from now on for the rest of my stay and so I wanted to take her to lunch before she left. So Instead of going straight to eat like I was planning because I needed to Met Austin to exchange pictures, she met me in the next town from where I took a taxi from Cape to Barabonsa. She met me and then we walked to her hostel. A hostel is where school students live. So this was second and third year girls hostel for the nursing school. It was crazy to see Ghanain dorms. It was like college… I guess because it was. But very small, very hot. In fact, they weren’t really rooms. The ceiling was left open to let air flow to everyone so all of the hall was connected. It was really good for me to see. To understand the differences more in Ghanain and American schools. We are so lucky in America. Even just a household living is so different. I am so appreciative of everything I have at home. I pray that I will never take advantage of the washer and dryer, my huge room, bed, running water, flushing toilet, having a door for the bathroom. Even having a mirror is a luxury too.
So we waited in her room and watched a movie and played a game for a bit until we decided to leave. We took a taxi back to the northwest side of Cape and went to a Bar and Grill to eat. Now the bars are different here. Every place is either “fast food” (which in Ghanain means 10 or 15 minutes is fast) or it is a bar or chop bar. It serves food in the day, and at night it becomes a dance place. So it is safe to go to. I got fried rice and chicken and Jessica got Potato Chips (French fries) and chicken for 6 cedi each. And we both got Alvaro Pineapple Pop. There is also this thing they do here. They have the lettuce that is cut up real small and they put ketchup and mayo on it. It is very interesting as a dressing but actually, I like it. It is only a small amount though to give it flavor.
So I bought the meal and we headed out. We had such a great talk. I am really going to miss her so much. She has become such a good friend of mine. She is smart, beautiful, talented, and a good person in general. I pray that her goals can come true and practice medicine out ide of Ghana. I also found out that she is treasurer for her class as well. So she is the kind of person to notice and care for everyone, everyone also knows her as the kindest, hard working person too. She isn’t out right out-going but she is confident. While talking today, she gave me great advice that I seem to have forgotten. I was telling her about how I couldn’t decide whether to do law or medicine and if medicine, what kind. She said “Pray to God. He knows everything.” Coming from her mouth, it meant something to me and struck me hard. That all this time I was trying to figure out something without the Lord. But Jessica invited me to come to Accra with her and travel the city some time. So I will definitely do that one of these weekends. She said she and her two cousins will go with me to the mall, which I have heard it is like an American mall.
After lunch, I took a tro-tro to Yomarnsa Junction and then another to Asebu. Of course, the usual Obroni attention. I am trying to learn patience with it because most of it is given in kindness. Getting there, I hurried to the house because I was almost an hour late. I got there and Annika was walking down with Co-Joe and Junior to give Co-Joe his vaccination shots. Ester was supposed to go to the Clinic with Co-joe this morning too. I just wonder what she does all the time because I usually don’t see her working anymore. But tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday, Co-Joe will get his vaccinations.
I then helped Ruth with her heat rash. It is just everywhere. I keep thinking about just giving them my fan but I know that I will not be able to sleep without it. I feel horrible because sometimes they cry of the itch and pain from it. So when I will leave, I will leave them my fan. I would go buy them one, but the problem is there are two rooms and you need to get a big one. So that would cost around 100 cedis to get two good fans. After we left the house, I came home and Mrs. Incoom taught me how to make fried rice. I have ALWAYS wanted to make good fried Rice. And this stuff is good. Here is how I made it:
Little oil in pot and heat. Cut up onion and brown the small onion pieces. Put in 2 cups of white Rice Uncle Sam. Mix around for a little bit. Once mixed, add water to about one or two inches above the rice, depending. Mix in Dark Soy Sauce and salt until you like the color and taste. Let cook with a lid for 15-20 minutes. Once finished, pull off heat and cover. While doing this, cut up green beans, carrot, and spring onion. Then in pan, heat up oil and place vegetables in pan until cooked. Then add a little Maggi Seasoning Sauce. Mix. Add rice. Mix. Add Maggi Seasoning Sauce until it tastes right. Then you are done.
I made it for the family tonight too. I am kind of proud and very full!!! I am so going to keep this recipe. For the rest of the night, I will finish emailing, making the fundraiser video, and working with Bertha on ICT and Mrs. Incoom with pictures. Love you and have a great day!!!
The day started out usual. Woke up at 6 and left for the House around 6:20. We got there and found out that the place had not been cleaned by Ester. And that also Ruth was sweeping, which is Ester’s job. So we were a little disappointed in her because she is getting paid for it so we again decided to not wash again. I later found out that Junior had talked too Ester. Ester was saying out loud “Oh! Those white women did not wash the clothes this morning!” Junior said “Ester, it is your job to wash. When Goeorgina was here, you would wash.” Then Ester said “Well Georgina isn’t here.” So my assumptions were right earlier about how I was thinking that Ester was getting used to our service and was using us and not working herself.
After breakfast I went to the clinic around 8. I got there and then left for the school around 9 after taking a few vitals; someone’s blood pressure again was around 150/80. Walking up there, the nurse and I were talking. She told me that I would be giving the shots. So when we got there we sat down next to the teachers. We all opened the AIDS flyer for when they give lectures about HIV/AIDS awareness. WOW!!!! It is very blunt. Here, sex is not an uncomfortable or secretive thing. In fact, nothing really is. The culture is just blunt.
So I got there and I administered about 40 tetanus shots to young women ages from 14-18. The fear of needles is similar here. Although, I wonder since they usually never see them, I think they fear them a little more. Mrs. Incoom came up also because she teaches ICT classes there and took a few pictures too. I will try and get those to you soon.
After that, I left to go hang up my clothes. Around 11:45 I headed to Cape to Meet Jessica. Jessica is leaving to live in Accra from now on for the rest of my stay and so I wanted to take her to lunch before she left. So Instead of going straight to eat like I was planning because I needed to Met Austin to exchange pictures, she met me in the next town from where I took a taxi from Cape to Barabonsa. She met me and then we walked to her hostel. A hostel is where school students live. So this was second and third year girls hostel for the nursing school. It was crazy to see Ghanain dorms. It was like college… I guess because it was. But very small, very hot. In fact, they weren’t really rooms. The ceiling was left open to let air flow to everyone so all of the hall was connected. It was really good for me to see. To understand the differences more in Ghanain and American schools. We are so lucky in America. Even just a household living is so different. I am so appreciative of everything I have at home. I pray that I will never take advantage of the washer and dryer, my huge room, bed, running water, flushing toilet, having a door for the bathroom. Even having a mirror is a luxury too.
So we waited in her room and watched a movie and played a game for a bit until we decided to leave. We took a taxi back to the northwest side of Cape and went to a Bar and Grill to eat. Now the bars are different here. Every place is either “fast food” (which in Ghanain means 10 or 15 minutes is fast) or it is a bar or chop bar. It serves food in the day, and at night it becomes a dance place. So it is safe to go to. I got fried rice and chicken and Jessica got Potato Chips (French fries) and chicken for 6 cedi each. And we both got Alvaro Pineapple Pop. There is also this thing they do here. They have the lettuce that is cut up real small and they put ketchup and mayo on it. It is very interesting as a dressing but actually, I like it. It is only a small amount though to give it flavor.
So I bought the meal and we headed out. We had such a great talk. I am really going to miss her so much. She has become such a good friend of mine. She is smart, beautiful, talented, and a good person in general. I pray that her goals can come true and practice medicine out ide of Ghana. I also found out that she is treasurer for her class as well. So she is the kind of person to notice and care for everyone, everyone also knows her as the kindest, hard working person too. She isn’t out right out-going but she is confident. While talking today, she gave me great advice that I seem to have forgotten. I was telling her about how I couldn’t decide whether to do law or medicine and if medicine, what kind. She said “Pray to God. He knows everything.” Coming from her mouth, it meant something to me and struck me hard. That all this time I was trying to figure out something without the Lord. But Jessica invited me to come to Accra with her and travel the city some time. So I will definitely do that one of these weekends. She said she and her two cousins will go with me to the mall, which I have heard it is like an American mall.
After lunch, I took a tro-tro to Yomarnsa Junction and then another to Asebu. Of course, the usual Obroni attention. I am trying to learn patience with it because most of it is given in kindness. Getting there, I hurried to the house because I was almost an hour late. I got there and Annika was walking down with Co-Joe and Junior to give Co-Joe his vaccination shots. Ester was supposed to go to the Clinic with Co-joe this morning too. I just wonder what she does all the time because I usually don’t see her working anymore. But tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday, Co-Joe will get his vaccinations.
I then helped Ruth with her heat rash. It is just everywhere. I keep thinking about just giving them my fan but I know that I will not be able to sleep without it. I feel horrible because sometimes they cry of the itch and pain from it. So when I will leave, I will leave them my fan. I would go buy them one, but the problem is there are two rooms and you need to get a big one. So that would cost around 100 cedis to get two good fans. After we left the house, I came home and Mrs. Incoom taught me how to make fried rice. I have ALWAYS wanted to make good fried Rice. And this stuff is good. Here is how I made it:
Little oil in pot and heat. Cut up onion and brown the small onion pieces. Put in 2 cups of white Rice Uncle Sam. Mix around for a little bit. Once mixed, add water to about one or two inches above the rice, depending. Mix in Dark Soy Sauce and salt until you like the color and taste. Let cook with a lid for 15-20 minutes. Once finished, pull off heat and cover. While doing this, cut up green beans, carrot, and spring onion. Then in pan, heat up oil and place vegetables in pan until cooked. Then add a little Maggi Seasoning Sauce. Mix. Add rice. Mix. Add Maggi Seasoning Sauce until it tastes right. Then you are done.
I made it for the family tonight too. I am kind of proud and very full!!! I am so going to keep this recipe. For the rest of the night, I will finish emailing, making the fundraiser video, and working with Bertha on ICT and Mrs. Incoom with pictures. Love you and have a great day!!!
Feb 22nd-- Fries, Computers and HOT Peppers!
February 22, 2010
For dinner I ate french fries. I walked over to Elvis’s to spend some time with Annika and see if she wanted any. I told Elvis that I cooked them myself and he said “Why?” like why do you cook for yourself when they should be doing it. I said that I want to cook for myself and that I like it. I think it shocked him to see that a volunteer liked to cook most of her meals. So I finished the 2 kilo of potatoes because they were beginning to sprout. I can now see why people say Idaho has the best potatoes. They taste different here. So I can’t wait for good ‘ole Idaho potatoes.
I also taught Bertha some things on the computer. She is interested in learning how to work computers and type better so when I have free time and I am not too busy, I will teach her what I can. I also asked Mrs. Incoom if that would be alright, and she said that that would make her happy. She was teaching her before but then got too busy with Pe-Pe.
I feel asleep and then someone was at the front door trying to get in. I am not sure who it was because I was tired, and I didn’t want to get up and check it out so I just waited for awhile until I felt safe again. I think maybe it was only a neighbor trying to say hello to Pastor or something.
I then woke up a few minutes to my alarm as usual and slept for a little longer and took a shower. I then met Annika and headed up to the House around 6:20. The kids were almost all ready for school so that was super early. So all we really did was wash some clothes and dishes, and I fed Co-joe this morning. They had rice porridge, which is good because it has sugar. They like it too. We then left a little after 8. I got home and had Oats with bread. I put sugar and powdered milk in it. After breakfast I watched a little Discovery Channel. I do not watch TV that often but I decided to watch a little bit of Dirty Jobs.
I took a power nap for ten minutes and then met Annika to go to Cape Coast at 10. There she went to the internet Café, and I went to find a backpack. Berth told me it should be around 5 cedi. So when they told me 20 cedi, I knew that was more than just a rip off, but an Obroni price. So I tried to be nice and joking and be friendly with them, letting them know the bag was for Bertha, a girl in school. But they were unreasonable. So they pointed me another direction. On my way there, I met a church member, Brother Imbrah’s son. I asked him and he said that he would help bargain one for me. The bargain started at around 15 cedi for a small, simple regular backpack that would sell around 10 or 15 dollars in the US. But it was not worth 15 cedi. So he bargained and bargained for me and I again explained it was not for me. So the price got lowered to 7 cedi. I was so grateful to have him do it because I just knew I would never get a fair price because of my skin color. Sad, but true. It is how they make their money so I cannot blame them on trying to make a living.
After that, I bargained for more toffee for the kids and a little for myself too!!! ^_^ I definitely got dad’s sweet tooth!!! I also bought baking powder for pancakes. But they do not have teaspoons for measurements. So if one spoonful is a tablespoon, what would be a good comparison to a teaspoon? I will probably just guess. I also got a bra for 2 cedi because mine are being ruined pretty bad and to ruin a cheap one is better than to ruin ones I like. I then met Annika at one of the tro-tro stations. We got home and I made some spaghetti and oats. I talked to Mrs. Incoom and Pastor about teaching Berha ICT (computer training) and also about the backpack I bought her. They were excited about the idea. I told them about the weekend and they too were a little disappointed about how the kids were treated. I really enjoy the Incooms. They are lifelong friends for me. Long past I leave here, I will stay in contact with them. We talked about the next time I will come back. And I said maybe 5 years. But I want to come sooner than that. Because they said that when I come, they would house me and anyone else, like family or friends. Of course, paying for electricity and food, but they said we were invited. They really want to meet you mom and dad. They say you should just come now!!!! But I also told them that if they ever come to Idaho, that they are welcome in our home as well. I then went to meet Annika to go the House around 1:45, but there I gave Elvis the extra money from the weekend. I accidently put some of Elvis’s money mixed in with mine and I felt so bad but we re-calculated what I needed to give him, and we were okay.
Elvis was able to get some clothes for the kids, book, and toys. With some of the clothes that don’t work for the kids, he gives to the local children who do not have clothes. We then went up to the house and I started to help mash Chili Red Hot peppers or something like that, onions, and tomatoes. But I got some pepper juice just on my knuckles, and they are still burning. It feels like hot oil is on my skin, and it has been about 3 or 4 hours since I mashed them. So the peppers are extremely hot. I am just waiting for the burning to go away and also trying to not touch my face. Because it is hot and I sweat, I have touched my face a lot and the pepper has gotten and burned my face as well. But it won’t wash off so bummer. ☹
I then helped with him and played with the kids. We left around 5:30 and got home. I ate boiled plantain with beans. Mrs. Incoom will teach me fried rice tomorrow or something. We will watch a movie with the kids on Wednesday at Annika’s farewell party. She is going to have fruit salad for the kids then. For the rest of the night, I will send this email and shower, maybe watch a movie or tv and go to bed early hopefully. Because I will go to the clinic tomorrow and also go to lunch with Jessica. Jessica is one of my local friends I met. She is a nurse and will be leaving for Accra soon, and I might not see her again. That will make me sad. She has been an angel to me.
For dinner I ate french fries. I walked over to Elvis’s to spend some time with Annika and see if she wanted any. I told Elvis that I cooked them myself and he said “Why?” like why do you cook for yourself when they should be doing it. I said that I want to cook for myself and that I like it. I think it shocked him to see that a volunteer liked to cook most of her meals. So I finished the 2 kilo of potatoes because they were beginning to sprout. I can now see why people say Idaho has the best potatoes. They taste different here. So I can’t wait for good ‘ole Idaho potatoes.
I also taught Bertha some things on the computer. She is interested in learning how to work computers and type better so when I have free time and I am not too busy, I will teach her what I can. I also asked Mrs. Incoom if that would be alright, and she said that that would make her happy. She was teaching her before but then got too busy with Pe-Pe.
I feel asleep and then someone was at the front door trying to get in. I am not sure who it was because I was tired, and I didn’t want to get up and check it out so I just waited for awhile until I felt safe again. I think maybe it was only a neighbor trying to say hello to Pastor or something.
I then woke up a few minutes to my alarm as usual and slept for a little longer and took a shower. I then met Annika and headed up to the House around 6:20. The kids were almost all ready for school so that was super early. So all we really did was wash some clothes and dishes, and I fed Co-joe this morning. They had rice porridge, which is good because it has sugar. They like it too. We then left a little after 8. I got home and had Oats with bread. I put sugar and powdered milk in it. After breakfast I watched a little Discovery Channel. I do not watch TV that often but I decided to watch a little bit of Dirty Jobs.
I took a power nap for ten minutes and then met Annika to go to Cape Coast at 10. There she went to the internet Café, and I went to find a backpack. Berth told me it should be around 5 cedi. So when they told me 20 cedi, I knew that was more than just a rip off, but an Obroni price. So I tried to be nice and joking and be friendly with them, letting them know the bag was for Bertha, a girl in school. But they were unreasonable. So they pointed me another direction. On my way there, I met a church member, Brother Imbrah’s son. I asked him and he said that he would help bargain one for me. The bargain started at around 15 cedi for a small, simple regular backpack that would sell around 10 or 15 dollars in the US. But it was not worth 15 cedi. So he bargained and bargained for me and I again explained it was not for me. So the price got lowered to 7 cedi. I was so grateful to have him do it because I just knew I would never get a fair price because of my skin color. Sad, but true. It is how they make their money so I cannot blame them on trying to make a living.
After that, I bargained for more toffee for the kids and a little for myself too!!! ^_^ I definitely got dad’s sweet tooth!!! I also bought baking powder for pancakes. But they do not have teaspoons for measurements. So if one spoonful is a tablespoon, what would be a good comparison to a teaspoon? I will probably just guess. I also got a bra for 2 cedi because mine are being ruined pretty bad and to ruin a cheap one is better than to ruin ones I like. I then met Annika at one of the tro-tro stations. We got home and I made some spaghetti and oats. I talked to Mrs. Incoom and Pastor about teaching Berha ICT (computer training) and also about the backpack I bought her. They were excited about the idea. I told them about the weekend and they too were a little disappointed about how the kids were treated. I really enjoy the Incooms. They are lifelong friends for me. Long past I leave here, I will stay in contact with them. We talked about the next time I will come back. And I said maybe 5 years. But I want to come sooner than that. Because they said that when I come, they would house me and anyone else, like family or friends. Of course, paying for electricity and food, but they said we were invited. They really want to meet you mom and dad. They say you should just come now!!!! But I also told them that if they ever come to Idaho, that they are welcome in our home as well. I then went to meet Annika to go the House around 1:45, but there I gave Elvis the extra money from the weekend. I accidently put some of Elvis’s money mixed in with mine and I felt so bad but we re-calculated what I needed to give him, and we were okay.
Elvis was able to get some clothes for the kids, book, and toys. With some of the clothes that don’t work for the kids, he gives to the local children who do not have clothes. We then went up to the house and I started to help mash Chili Red Hot peppers or something like that, onions, and tomatoes. But I got some pepper juice just on my knuckles, and they are still burning. It feels like hot oil is on my skin, and it has been about 3 or 4 hours since I mashed them. So the peppers are extremely hot. I am just waiting for the burning to go away and also trying to not touch my face. Because it is hot and I sweat, I have touched my face a lot and the pepper has gotten and burned my face as well. But it won’t wash off so bummer. ☹
I then helped with him and played with the kids. We left around 5:30 and got home. I ate boiled plantain with beans. Mrs. Incoom will teach me fried rice tomorrow or something. We will watch a movie with the kids on Wednesday at Annika’s farewell party. She is going to have fruit salad for the kids then. For the rest of the night, I will send this email and shower, maybe watch a movie or tv and go to bed early hopefully. Because I will go to the clinic tomorrow and also go to lunch with Jessica. Jessica is one of my local friends I met. She is a nurse and will be leaving for Accra soon, and I might not see her again. That will make me sad. She has been an angel to me.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Feb 19-21 Hunger and Moree Beach
February 19-21, 2010
I think when I go home, I will miss eating their delicious homemade bread!!! I love just having to buy a whole loaf anywhere on the streets for one cedi!!! But that is just a random thought.
There were so many things that happened this weekend. Like last weekend being the most scarey, this weekend was the most frustrating yet most rewarding too. It is so strange. Being here, I am always thinking. And I think that the children, my host family, my friends, Ghana, is changing me and changing me for the better. It is so strange to be able to feel self-confidence grow inside your elf in such a short time. It is strange to start building love and concern and dedication to people you have barely known for long but know them so well already. I now feel a little bit more proud of myself. It is so strange. I am starting to see people in a different light as well as myself. I am starting to see people not just as a figure that has feelings and passions and dreams, but I am seeing them more in myself. Instead of trying to see differences in everyone, I see more similarities.
I have always wanted to be a more friendly person-- someone who you could walk up to and feel comfortable around. I don’t know all of the reasons why I feel that I am changing but I know a huge part of it is the people. The way people live here and are is so extraordinary. To me, they have so little; to them, they have just enough. To me, they used to be just too friendly and too exhausting by how much compassion they automatically have; to them it is a way of life to be a good neighbor and friend to everyone. While I have seen the poverty of a third world country and I appreciate more of what I have at home, I am more surprised now to see that maybe their daily compassion and love for each other and the Lord is something all together so different. At home, everyone I know is friendly and tried to do good. But here, you always ask how the other person is doing, you truly care. You see so many people giving all that they have to help others, when in the end, they will need help themselves again. It is this circle of compassion that has me bewildered. How can such a people be so happy by having so little and yet at home, we have so much and the communal friendship is so different? It is so hard to explain but maybe you can understand the base of what I am saying. I am particularly saying that I have fallen in love here. Everyone I pass becomes my friend. Everyone of the children in part of my family now. I now have this maternal instinct in me that needs to defend for them; take care of them. I am so thankful to be here. I feel that being in a third world country, I have never been more personally blessed in spiritual and mental growth until now. It almost seems that what we lack they have gained and what they lack we have gained.
Well, moving on from the confusing inner thoughts and back to this weekend. Friday was good. We woke up and went to the House at 6:30 as usual. Around 7 I started to look for where the food was cooking so I could help with that. I asked Ester where it was, and she started laughing. So I knew to not get angry but to also befriend her in the conversation. Anger doesn’t do much here. I asked her again, and she said that the kids were fasting. I asked why. She laughed and after asking and asking her and the kids, I found out the kids had no clue and that Ester didn’t have food to cook. I was confused because Elvis had just drive up two days before with sacks full of food. So I talked with the kids who had huddled in the back room and talking about what was happening. I then went to go talk with Ester. This is where part of my maternal instincts came in. I tried to keep calm and respectful, but I also knew that a young, white women talking to an Older local would be offensive in any way. So I asked her why. She said no food, and then she walked to the kitchen. She showed me that there was not enough ground nut powder for soup for everyone. But then I pointed to the three huge bags on the floor. She said, coffee, rice and corn. Now I realize, why would they have a body size bag of coffee? Hmm…. Anyways. Looking at that I said “You could have cooked rice. You could have cooked corn.” She looked at me like “OOookkkaaayyyy….” And then left. The kids left for school after getting their toffee that was infested by ants because it was left on the bottom of the fridge. Annika and I were SOOOO frustrated. I have never looked into so many children’s eyes that I called my own look so hungry. I knew they barely eat already and to have no food until dinner was a painful thought. So we let them go and Annika and I decided that if Ester does not want to cook, then we do not want to wash. So we said “goodbye, Ester” and in a rough voice from here after just giving her a short lecture/disappointment, she said bye. We then left her to wash all the clothes and ten beds sheets that were to be washed for the kids who were coming to Accra the next morning.
I then headed home to eat and dress to get ready to go to the beach. We wanted to go yesterday, but it didn’t work out. When I arrived at Elvis’s, Annika told me what happened when Elvis was told that the kids went hungry this morning. He went to this room, slammed the door, grabbed his phone and came back out. He called Ester, yelled at her in Fante, it must have been obvious why. He then explained to Annika that he had given her plenty of money to buy the kids food a few days ago and that she had some to cook even this morning. So it was true. She had food, but did not want to cook.
So Annika and I then left for the beach. We went to Moroee Beach. I borrowed Annika’s extra bikini bottoms and then wore a shirt on top. We bought a soda at the hotel so that we were customers and could sit on the chairs and keep our stuff there. We sunbathed for awhile and got some healthy sun. I then went to go swimming for my first time in Ghana, and second time ever in the ocean. It was so sad. It was the most trashy water I have ever seen. Plastic wrapped around my body. I would run my hands threw the water and come up with water bottles and plastic bags attached to me. But I wanted to play for a little bit longer. It tasted salty too and the water was warm. So Moree Beach is pretty nasty but I am excited for next weekend. When Annika is going to Accra to fly home and we will go to one of the nice beaches up there. I am going to try and find an appropriate swim suit here next time though.
After the beach, we called the taxi to come and pick us up. We then went back home and I washed and then headed up to the house. Elvis had said that we must choose ten kids to come to Accra to perform for a fundraiser for them. Before he said he would chose but now we do. We are the ones to look at their faces of the ones how could not come. So we decided the oldest. So it was Paul, Elvis Junior, Samuel, Joshua, Emmanuel, Joseph, Ruth, Grace, Margaret, and Angolina. We pulled them outside to tell them the plans for the weekend. Clement followed and then started crying realizing he was not going. I can understand how a child would be so upset. It would be an overnight party, and he was not chosen. It is worse than being chosen last of the recess football team. We told those going to pack their bed sheet (so kindly washed by ester ^_^), towel, sponge, toothbrush, comb, Sunday clothes (or their nicest cloths) and shoes. It was a little hassle to get them to finish. Then Clement continued to cry, and Christy was silent about it all. Pouting is one thing, but she wasn’t pouting really. She was just generally sad and that broke my heart. I didn’t want to pick and choose the kids but it had to be done. So we did not take Co-Joe, Priscilla, Christy, John, Clement or Charity. We then had the kids hurry and rush and wash their clothes and get ready so we could watch a movie.
Elvis Senior came by to talk with Ester again. I guess he is going to try and come up in the mornings to check to make sure she cooks every morning. I am nervous about Ester now. She is anger sticken that I hope she doesn’t take it out on the kids. So we brought to the kids to the Guesthouse (Elvis’ house), and they were so hungry. Junior didn’t want to come because he was to tired! Since when would these kids pass up watching a movie? NEVER!!! So I bought them bread because they hadn’t really eaten anything substantial. I hate the look in my children’s eyes when they are hungry. We then found out the Elvis had taken to key to Cape. We asked before he left, and he said it was with the girls that work there, but it wasn’t. So we called him and waited an hour. Annika and I were so frustrated. The kids had not eaten, they were promised a movie and now could not watch it. So Annika called it off, and we decided to send them home. It was getting late and they needed to bathe before eating plus they had an early morning to leave at 6:30. But they didn’t want to go. Their excitement for the day was promised and we could not deliver. I felt so bad and Annika was so frustrated so I decided to bring my laptop to the House, and we would watch Lion King there. I was so tired but it needed to be done. I then left Annika there about in tears from everything that had happened today. But I walked up with the kids.
I think when I go home, I will miss eating their delicious homemade bread!!! I love just having to buy a whole loaf anywhere on the streets for one cedi!!! But that is just a random thought.
There were so many things that happened this weekend. Like last weekend being the most scarey, this weekend was the most frustrating yet most rewarding too. It is so strange. Being here, I am always thinking. And I think that the children, my host family, my friends, Ghana, is changing me and changing me for the better. It is so strange to be able to feel self-confidence grow inside your elf in such a short time. It is strange to start building love and concern and dedication to people you have barely known for long but know them so well already. I now feel a little bit more proud of myself. It is so strange. I am starting to see people in a different light as well as myself. I am starting to see people not just as a figure that has feelings and passions and dreams, but I am seeing them more in myself. Instead of trying to see differences in everyone, I see more similarities.
I have always wanted to be a more friendly person-- someone who you could walk up to and feel comfortable around. I don’t know all of the reasons why I feel that I am changing but I know a huge part of it is the people. The way people live here and are is so extraordinary. To me, they have so little; to them, they have just enough. To me, they used to be just too friendly and too exhausting by how much compassion they automatically have; to them it is a way of life to be a good neighbor and friend to everyone. While I have seen the poverty of a third world country and I appreciate more of what I have at home, I am more surprised now to see that maybe their daily compassion and love for each other and the Lord is something all together so different. At home, everyone I know is friendly and tried to do good. But here, you always ask how the other person is doing, you truly care. You see so many people giving all that they have to help others, when in the end, they will need help themselves again. It is this circle of compassion that has me bewildered. How can such a people be so happy by having so little and yet at home, we have so much and the communal friendship is so different? It is so hard to explain but maybe you can understand the base of what I am saying. I am particularly saying that I have fallen in love here. Everyone I pass becomes my friend. Everyone of the children in part of my family now. I now have this maternal instinct in me that needs to defend for them; take care of them. I am so thankful to be here. I feel that being in a third world country, I have never been more personally blessed in spiritual and mental growth until now. It almost seems that what we lack they have gained and what they lack we have gained.
Well, moving on from the confusing inner thoughts and back to this weekend. Friday was good. We woke up and went to the House at 6:30 as usual. Around 7 I started to look for where the food was cooking so I could help with that. I asked Ester where it was, and she started laughing. So I knew to not get angry but to also befriend her in the conversation. Anger doesn’t do much here. I asked her again, and she said that the kids were fasting. I asked why. She laughed and after asking and asking her and the kids, I found out the kids had no clue and that Ester didn’t have food to cook. I was confused because Elvis had just drive up two days before with sacks full of food. So I talked with the kids who had huddled in the back room and talking about what was happening. I then went to go talk with Ester. This is where part of my maternal instincts came in. I tried to keep calm and respectful, but I also knew that a young, white women talking to an Older local would be offensive in any way. So I asked her why. She said no food, and then she walked to the kitchen. She showed me that there was not enough ground nut powder for soup for everyone. But then I pointed to the three huge bags on the floor. She said, coffee, rice and corn. Now I realize, why would they have a body size bag of coffee? Hmm…. Anyways. Looking at that I said “You could have cooked rice. You could have cooked corn.” She looked at me like “OOookkkaaayyyy….” And then left. The kids left for school after getting their toffee that was infested by ants because it was left on the bottom of the fridge. Annika and I were SOOOO frustrated. I have never looked into so many children’s eyes that I called my own look so hungry. I knew they barely eat already and to have no food until dinner was a painful thought. So we let them go and Annika and I decided that if Ester does not want to cook, then we do not want to wash. So we said “goodbye, Ester” and in a rough voice from here after just giving her a short lecture/disappointment, she said bye. We then left her to wash all the clothes and ten beds sheets that were to be washed for the kids who were coming to Accra the next morning.
I then headed home to eat and dress to get ready to go to the beach. We wanted to go yesterday, but it didn’t work out. When I arrived at Elvis’s, Annika told me what happened when Elvis was told that the kids went hungry this morning. He went to this room, slammed the door, grabbed his phone and came back out. He called Ester, yelled at her in Fante, it must have been obvious why. He then explained to Annika that he had given her plenty of money to buy the kids food a few days ago and that she had some to cook even this morning. So it was true. She had food, but did not want to cook.
So Annika and I then left for the beach. We went to Moroee Beach. I borrowed Annika’s extra bikini bottoms and then wore a shirt on top. We bought a soda at the hotel so that we were customers and could sit on the chairs and keep our stuff there. We sunbathed for awhile and got some healthy sun. I then went to go swimming for my first time in Ghana, and second time ever in the ocean. It was so sad. It was the most trashy water I have ever seen. Plastic wrapped around my body. I would run my hands threw the water and come up with water bottles and plastic bags attached to me. But I wanted to play for a little bit longer. It tasted salty too and the water was warm. So Moree Beach is pretty nasty but I am excited for next weekend. When Annika is going to Accra to fly home and we will go to one of the nice beaches up there. I am going to try and find an appropriate swim suit here next time though.
After the beach, we called the taxi to come and pick us up. We then went back home and I washed and then headed up to the house. Elvis had said that we must choose ten kids to come to Accra to perform for a fundraiser for them. Before he said he would chose but now we do. We are the ones to look at their faces of the ones how could not come. So we decided the oldest. So it was Paul, Elvis Junior, Samuel, Joshua, Emmanuel, Joseph, Ruth, Grace, Margaret, and Angolina. We pulled them outside to tell them the plans for the weekend. Clement followed and then started crying realizing he was not going. I can understand how a child would be so upset. It would be an overnight party, and he was not chosen. It is worse than being chosen last of the recess football team. We told those going to pack their bed sheet (so kindly washed by ester ^_^), towel, sponge, toothbrush, comb, Sunday clothes (or their nicest cloths) and shoes. It was a little hassle to get them to finish. Then Clement continued to cry, and Christy was silent about it all. Pouting is one thing, but she wasn’t pouting really. She was just generally sad and that broke my heart. I didn’t want to pick and choose the kids but it had to be done. So we did not take Co-Joe, Priscilla, Christy, John, Clement or Charity. We then had the kids hurry and rush and wash their clothes and get ready so we could watch a movie.
Elvis Senior came by to talk with Ester again. I guess he is going to try and come up in the mornings to check to make sure she cooks every morning. I am nervous about Ester now. She is anger sticken that I hope she doesn’t take it out on the kids. So we brought to the kids to the Guesthouse (Elvis’ house), and they were so hungry. Junior didn’t want to come because he was to tired! Since when would these kids pass up watching a movie? NEVER!!! So I bought them bread because they hadn’t really eaten anything substantial. I hate the look in my children’s eyes when they are hungry. We then found out the Elvis had taken to key to Cape. We asked before he left, and he said it was with the girls that work there, but it wasn’t. So we called him and waited an hour. Annika and I were so frustrated. The kids had not eaten, they were promised a movie and now could not watch it. So Annika called it off, and we decided to send them home. It was getting late and they needed to bathe before eating plus they had an early morning to leave at 6:30. But they didn’t want to go. Their excitement for the day was promised and we could not deliver. I felt so bad and Annika was so frustrated so I decided to bring my laptop to the House, and we would watch Lion King there. I was so tired but it needed to be done. I then left Annika there about in tears from everything that had happened today. But I walked up with the kids.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Feb 17th--Wonderful Day, Music, Interhomly
February 17, 2010
Today was such a wonderful day. I woke up throughout the night again, but that is just usual so I think so I am getting used to it. Woke up 3 minutes before my alarm at 6 and then got up. I then met Annika to walk to the house. At the House, I was just having so much fun with the kids this morning. We got there, and then I just acted like I had known the kids for months or years. It was nice. So we helped them bathe, I washed dishes from last night’s dinner, I served the food, I gave “toffee” or candy to the kids that we bought yesterday at Cape Coast (they like the yogurt strawberry kind like me… I’ll bring some back for you to try), and then I bid them all farewell. It was nice because some mornings if one of the kids aren’t happy, them a lot of them aren’t, but today was good.
I then started to wash clothes. It was the usual hour and a half. Ester has stopped helping us wash now because I think she figures that we will do it anyways even without her help so she sometimes sweeps and mops now and gets ready for the day, but so far that doesn’t really bother me. She still helps a ton when it is needed.
I then saw that 3 kids had not eaten breakfast. Every morning they always have ground nut soup. And it is very bland so I can understand some of them just deciding to skip out. But in the future I will not hand out toffee unless they have eaten.
After washing, we left around 8:45. I walked home and cooked some oats. I then waited for pastor to drive up with me to the school. The school was SO MUCH FUN!!! I spent about an hour with the older kids and like 15 minuteswith the younger… oops…^_^ But with the older kids we sang Twinkle, Twinkle, If you’re happy and You Know It, Hokie Pokie, London Bridge, Ring around the Rosies, Mary had a Little Lamb, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, The wise man Built his House Upon the Rock, Down by the Bank of the Hankie Pankie, and then I taught them Patty Cake. So thanks to everyone who made suggestions about the children’s songs. It really helps. I then started with music theory. We reviewed five lines (meaning that there are 5 lines when your read music) Treble Clef, what a note is and then I drew out Mary had a Little Lamb in music to try and show them that what they were seeing can be written down. Like English or any other language, music is also a written language and not just spoken. But what is amazing about music, is that it is universal. So I tried to explain that to them, and I think a few of the older ones are getting it. And then I pulled out the three tin whistles I brought. Thanks mom and dad for making me bring them. I had all the kids play it. Of course, I pulled out my hand sanitizer and did the best I could to wash the mouth piece before each kids played. They really liked it. Each of them would blow the melody of Mary Had A Little Lamb. Some would move their fingers to imitate what I did before. It was super cute and super high and loud!!! ^_^ It was great. I then played a little tune to show them that the penny whistle is beautiful and to maybe interest them if any of them want to learn. I am thinking of leaving one of them here for the school. Pastor wants to get all musical instruments to show the kids what is out there and to maybe strike an interest if any of them want to play.
I then went to play with the little kids. We sung almost all the same songs and then I left so that I could catch a ride with pastor. It took about and half and a half to get home for a half hours travel because he kept stopping and talking with people, which I thought was great. It is a good example of how to be a good friend and neighbor to everyone. He then talked to me more about what he does. I found out that the Incooms have no personal income. That they came here 7 years ago knowing that Pastor would preach for free and not except money from the congregation because everyone is so poor here. He just wanted to serve them. So they say they have been blessed by people giving them things like their one small red car and their one 4 by 4 that were given to them, also Pastor is a part of many programs that sponsor and other random things. I also learned that through his organization, one of his projects is to help young women to progress in their education instead of being fooled into either teenage pregnancy (which is a problem here also like at home, except I think maybe a little bit more prominent) or else dropping out of school and having no real future. So he has sponsored 8 girls so far. He says “adopt” them. So he pays for their education. One is in the University, two are in or near high school. So I think that is wonderful. He also has a project to start teaching the women who sell items along the streets to learn marketing logistics or something similar that they can expand their business. He also stopped in Abakrampa to show me where an ICT (the computer classes they teach here) are going to be held. They want to have an internet café there to bring in more income. So students from around and also the community will be able to advance their knowledge in ICT. I haven’t seen one computer in any school yet. All they do is learn that the thumb goes on the space bar and that the left pointer finger goes on the “F” key and so forth without ever seeing a computer. It is crazy, but that is how it is. So he is trying to get computers for the classes and for the school. He says that with his program, Interhomly Academy, that he has it certified in social welfare or something so that if someone sends a computer, that shipping and handling are free and that the person who donates will be able to say it was a charitable cause. That is so great!!! He then showed me his office in Abakrampa and in Asebu. He then mentioned that he was talking with his directors of his organization that they were thinking of making me an ambassador for their organization for the United States. I asked him what that all entailed. He said that while I might be the first ambassador they have had, they have all the documentation set up and everything. So that if I was doing a fundraiser in the States, I could legally represent them. And then they also want volunteers to come and teach in the school. Everything from math, English, music, sports, art. So that when a volunteer becomes interested in coming, I will be their coordinator in the states to advise the volunteer to be coming since I have already been there. They would be housed with the Incooms or if there is a lot with another host family, would pay like I did to come, but maybe cheaper. They actually have a website that I have not checked out yet but here is the link. So I am not sure if I want to do that yet, but I am really thinking about it. Today, I started thinking about what I can do when I get back. I thought that maybe doing a one time thing to fundraiser would be good enough, maybe 500 or a thousand if I am lucky. But I started thinking, “maybe I can set up something official?” I know that I am young and in school, but maybe I can set up an organization, legitimate and all, to fundraiser and get the word out about Ghana and volunteering. I know that it takes a lot of paperwork but seeing the American group come that was only started three years by Elizabeth when she was 21 or 23, I think I could do it. They started after 6 months of paperwork, got it official, then got a board of directors and so forth. They went to high school and spoke and advertised and got volunteers that way. Now, they have made enough money to build I think 2 or 3 school buildings. So I know that maybe it doesn’t seem a lot, but to build a simple building here costs tens of thousands, and with many making only 10 dollars a day, you can imagine how hard that would be... so I will continue to think about it. But here is the link again: http://www.internationalhopefamily.webs.com/
Today was such a wonderful day. I woke up throughout the night again, but that is just usual so I think so I am getting used to it. Woke up 3 minutes before my alarm at 6 and then got up. I then met Annika to walk to the house. At the House, I was just having so much fun with the kids this morning. We got there, and then I just acted like I had known the kids for months or years. It was nice. So we helped them bathe, I washed dishes from last night’s dinner, I served the food, I gave “toffee” or candy to the kids that we bought yesterday at Cape Coast (they like the yogurt strawberry kind like me… I’ll bring some back for you to try), and then I bid them all farewell. It was nice because some mornings if one of the kids aren’t happy, them a lot of them aren’t, but today was good.
I then started to wash clothes. It was the usual hour and a half. Ester has stopped helping us wash now because I think she figures that we will do it anyways even without her help so she sometimes sweeps and mops now and gets ready for the day, but so far that doesn’t really bother me. She still helps a ton when it is needed.
I then saw that 3 kids had not eaten breakfast. Every morning they always have ground nut soup. And it is very bland so I can understand some of them just deciding to skip out. But in the future I will not hand out toffee unless they have eaten.
After washing, we left around 8:45. I walked home and cooked some oats. I then waited for pastor to drive up with me to the school. The school was SO MUCH FUN!!! I spent about an hour with the older kids and like 15 minuteswith the younger… oops…^_^ But with the older kids we sang Twinkle, Twinkle, If you’re happy and You Know It, Hokie Pokie, London Bridge, Ring around the Rosies, Mary had a Little Lamb, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, The wise man Built his House Upon the Rock, Down by the Bank of the Hankie Pankie, and then I taught them Patty Cake. So thanks to everyone who made suggestions about the children’s songs. It really helps. I then started with music theory. We reviewed five lines (meaning that there are 5 lines when your read music) Treble Clef, what a note is and then I drew out Mary had a Little Lamb in music to try and show them that what they were seeing can be written down. Like English or any other language, music is also a written language and not just spoken. But what is amazing about music, is that it is universal. So I tried to explain that to them, and I think a few of the older ones are getting it. And then I pulled out the three tin whistles I brought. Thanks mom and dad for making me bring them. I had all the kids play it. Of course, I pulled out my hand sanitizer and did the best I could to wash the mouth piece before each kids played. They really liked it. Each of them would blow the melody of Mary Had A Little Lamb. Some would move their fingers to imitate what I did before. It was super cute and super high and loud!!! ^_^ It was great. I then played a little tune to show them that the penny whistle is beautiful and to maybe interest them if any of them want to learn. I am thinking of leaving one of them here for the school. Pastor wants to get all musical instruments to show the kids what is out there and to maybe strike an interest if any of them want to play.
I then went to play with the little kids. We sung almost all the same songs and then I left so that I could catch a ride with pastor. It took about and half and a half to get home for a half hours travel because he kept stopping and talking with people, which I thought was great. It is a good example of how to be a good friend and neighbor to everyone. He then talked to me more about what he does. I found out that the Incooms have no personal income. That they came here 7 years ago knowing that Pastor would preach for free and not except money from the congregation because everyone is so poor here. He just wanted to serve them. So they say they have been blessed by people giving them things like their one small red car and their one 4 by 4 that were given to them, also Pastor is a part of many programs that sponsor and other random things. I also learned that through his organization, one of his projects is to help young women to progress in their education instead of being fooled into either teenage pregnancy (which is a problem here also like at home, except I think maybe a little bit more prominent) or else dropping out of school and having no real future. So he has sponsored 8 girls so far. He says “adopt” them. So he pays for their education. One is in the University, two are in or near high school. So I think that is wonderful. He also has a project to start teaching the women who sell items along the streets to learn marketing logistics or something similar that they can expand their business. He also stopped in Abakrampa to show me where an ICT (the computer classes they teach here) are going to be held. They want to have an internet café there to bring in more income. So students from around and also the community will be able to advance their knowledge in ICT. I haven’t seen one computer in any school yet. All they do is learn that the thumb goes on the space bar and that the left pointer finger goes on the “F” key and so forth without ever seeing a computer. It is crazy, but that is how it is. So he is trying to get computers for the classes and for the school. He says that with his program, Interhomly Academy, that he has it certified in social welfare or something so that if someone sends a computer, that shipping and handling are free and that the person who donates will be able to say it was a charitable cause. That is so great!!! He then showed me his office in Abakrampa and in Asebu. He then mentioned that he was talking with his directors of his organization that they were thinking of making me an ambassador for their organization for the United States. I asked him what that all entailed. He said that while I might be the first ambassador they have had, they have all the documentation set up and everything. So that if I was doing a fundraiser in the States, I could legally represent them. And then they also want volunteers to come and teach in the school. Everything from math, English, music, sports, art. So that when a volunteer becomes interested in coming, I will be their coordinator in the states to advise the volunteer to be coming since I have already been there. They would be housed with the Incooms or if there is a lot with another host family, would pay like I did to come, but maybe cheaper. They actually have a website that I have not checked out yet but here is the link. So I am not sure if I want to do that yet, but I am really thinking about it. Today, I started thinking about what I can do when I get back. I thought that maybe doing a one time thing to fundraiser would be good enough, maybe 500 or a thousand if I am lucky. But I started thinking, “maybe I can set up something official?” I know that I am young and in school, but maybe I can set up an organization, legitimate and all, to fundraiser and get the word out about Ghana and volunteering. I know that it takes a lot of paperwork but seeing the American group come that was only started three years by Elizabeth when she was 21 or 23, I think I could do it. They started after 6 months of paperwork, got it official, then got a board of directors and so forth. They went to high school and spoke and advertised and got volunteers that way. Now, they have made enough money to build I think 2 or 3 school buildings. So I know that maybe it doesn’t seem a lot, but to build a simple building here costs tens of thousands, and with many making only 10 dollars a day, you can imagine how hard that would be... so I will continue to think about it. But here is the link again: http://www.internationalhopefamily.webs.com/
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Feb. 16th--Cooking Food, Beatings & Discipline
February 16, 2010 Part 2
Annika and I then went to Cape Coast. I bought some candy for the kids and got more powdered milk and evaporated milk. We got back and then I had lunch. I ate spaghetti and egg and then some oatmeal. I am finally cooking for myself, and I can control when I am hungry. So I am no longer worried about being hungry anymore. What a blessing. In fact, Mrs. Incoom sat me down after I got home from the House and told me to never ever worry about when and what I eat. To just feel at home and not be hungry. I was happy to have that conversation with her.
At the house, I helped do home work with a reward of 2 stickers for anyone who finished their homework. So everything was going great until Elvis Senior showed up. Then the kids ran inside to clean up their rooms. They know that if their rooms aren’t clean that they are beaten by Elvis. When Elvis showed up, Annika was helping go through all of the kids’ clothes to throw away old cloths and give them new ones. So Elvis came inside and did some talking with the kids and then started caining them. Annika said that she had to leave the room because she could not see it. I could hear it outside because I was just on the other side of the wall. Then Elvis called Annika back to tell about how Clement and Elvis and Jospeh got in a fight this morning. Clement was being so hard to work with. Then I came in wondering why no one had come back to finish their homework. I then saw Elvis beat the children. Annika was going through Joseph’s bag of clothes. And for every shirt or pants that were dirty, we would get a cain on the calf of the head. I just wanted to grab that stick and break it in half.
Then we finished homework once he left. That took awhile, but I was proud of the kids because all of them did it. Joshua got beaten today in school because his homework wasn’t done, and then Elvis Senior found out and then Elvis beat him again. So I really need to work harder to make sure the kids who have homework get it done. Then I got home and made dinner. YUMMY!!! I made a carrot, tomato, onion, and cabbage omlette. It was so good. Then I had a side of cabbage and green beans. And then more oatmeal because I was still hungry.
I then came over to Elvis’s place to hang with Annika because neither of us like to be lonely. And some good news. Elvis knows one of the most popular Ghanian Gospel singers, and he is doing a fundraiser for the kids. This weekend, we will take 10 of the oldest kids to Accra and stay over Saturday night. Sometime during our stay, there will be a performance where the kids will probably be on stage. They have it set up that if you text some number, it will automatically withdraw 50 pesewas that is put into an account that will be given to the kids. So that is a great thing to do. Plus, Annika and I will come to help take care of the children.
Well I love you all so much and thanks again for everything that you are doing. I really appreciate it!!! Love you!!! Oh, and I was thinking. I came here to love the kids, right? I came with the idea that all I could is just love the kids with all my heart. But I have realized that loving them is the easy part. It is disciplining them that is the hard part. Because they are so used to violence, you have to find a way and be creative to find a way to discipline them while being their friend yet in charge. I am learning a lot.
Annika and I then went to Cape Coast. I bought some candy for the kids and got more powdered milk and evaporated milk. We got back and then I had lunch. I ate spaghetti and egg and then some oatmeal. I am finally cooking for myself, and I can control when I am hungry. So I am no longer worried about being hungry anymore. What a blessing. In fact, Mrs. Incoom sat me down after I got home from the House and told me to never ever worry about when and what I eat. To just feel at home and not be hungry. I was happy to have that conversation with her.
At the house, I helped do home work with a reward of 2 stickers for anyone who finished their homework. So everything was going great until Elvis Senior showed up. Then the kids ran inside to clean up their rooms. They know that if their rooms aren’t clean that they are beaten by Elvis. When Elvis showed up, Annika was helping go through all of the kids’ clothes to throw away old cloths and give them new ones. So Elvis came inside and did some talking with the kids and then started caining them. Annika said that she had to leave the room because she could not see it. I could hear it outside because I was just on the other side of the wall. Then Elvis called Annika back to tell about how Clement and Elvis and Jospeh got in a fight this morning. Clement was being so hard to work with. Then I came in wondering why no one had come back to finish their homework. I then saw Elvis beat the children. Annika was going through Joseph’s bag of clothes. And for every shirt or pants that were dirty, we would get a cain on the calf of the head. I just wanted to grab that stick and break it in half.
Then we finished homework once he left. That took awhile, but I was proud of the kids because all of them did it. Joshua got beaten today in school because his homework wasn’t done, and then Elvis Senior found out and then Elvis beat him again. So I really need to work harder to make sure the kids who have homework get it done. Then I got home and made dinner. YUMMY!!! I made a carrot, tomato, onion, and cabbage omlette. It was so good. Then I had a side of cabbage and green beans. And then more oatmeal because I was still hungry.
I then came over to Elvis’s place to hang with Annika because neither of us like to be lonely. And some good news. Elvis knows one of the most popular Ghanian Gospel singers, and he is doing a fundraiser for the kids. This weekend, we will take 10 of the oldest kids to Accra and stay over Saturday night. Sometime during our stay, there will be a performance where the kids will probably be on stage. They have it set up that if you text some number, it will automatically withdraw 50 pesewas that is put into an account that will be given to the kids. So that is a great thing to do. Plus, Annika and I will come to help take care of the children.
Well I love you all so much and thanks again for everything that you are doing. I really appreciate it!!! Love you!!! Oh, and I was thinking. I came here to love the kids, right? I came with the idea that all I could is just love the kids with all my heart. But I have realized that loving them is the easy part. It is disciplining them that is the hard part. Because they are so used to violence, you have to find a way and be creative to find a way to discipline them while being their friend yet in charge. I am learning a lot.
Feb 12th-- Scarey Tro-tros! To Akasombo
February 12, 2010
Today was the scariest day in Ghana so far. We woke up and left at 6:30. Elvis drove Annika, Theresia, and I to the bus station in Cape Coast. Everything was normal until the bus to Accra came, and then the line that we were patiently waiting for 45 minutes became one huge mob. So the three of us Obronis tried to push our way through all of the line-cutters. Even though everyone knows when a person is cutting in line, no one stops it. I would, but you can just tell that if a local can’t stop it then an Obroni certainly won’t be able to. Because when a local disagrees with something from you, sometimes they will pretend to not understand you or English anymore. Five people were in front of us when the tickets sold out. We waited 20 more minutes until we decided to get a tro-tro for 4 cedi instead of 3 with the bus.
We got the back of the tro-tro so we felt all the bumps. Since there are usually never police cars to control the speed limits, they put speed bumps everywhere, and they are so bumpy!!! Getting into Accra, it was lots of traffic. I mean lots of it!!! People as usual walk in between cars, selling candy, picture frames watches, hangers, feminine products, everything!
Once we got off the tro-tro the fun began. The city was huge with lots of people. Not as friendly as Asebu, and we had to walk with our bags in front of us. We said a sad but happy goodbye to Thereseia and tried to find a tro-tro to Akosombo. . After being told many different things and running around, we took a tro-tro to the circle and got a tro-tro to Akosambo. Again, people misdirect you sometimes, and someone even said that we should head back to the first station we were at because no one here was going to Akasombo, but we found someone.
Again we got the back of the tro-tro. Except the traffic was worse, and the road was terrible. I even got a headache just from how bumpy it was. It then started to rain and thunder. Before it rained though, we were almost into two accidents because the driver was crazy and wouldn’t use his brakes earlier; he would slam on them when it was just close enough. When it started to rain, the driver hit a boy going about 40 or 50 miles per hour. I didn’t know what happened until the driver hit the brakes and launched everyone forward, and I saw the boy roll off the side of the road in pain. Annika and I were so scared and unsure of what to do. I was expecting the driver or the maid (the person who collects money) to get out and help him, but they did nothing. They sat there and just watched. The boy was walking around holding his stomach and hand. He then threw up. I asked “Are you not going help?” “Are you going to bring him to the hospital?” Finally, without assistance, the school boy, around 17, walked to the car and got in. I heard no “sorry’s” or “are you okay” kind of words. We just turned around, and then I figured we were driving to the hospital. We asked the maid, and he said yes. So with the rain and everything, the windows fog so much because of the humidity and you cannot see. No wonder the driver hit him! He can’t see. He didn’t roll down his windows because it was raining so he just uses a rag to wipe the windshield so he can see out.
On the way to the nearest hospital, 45 minutes away, he would swerve because he couldn’t see. Now I understand why people are nervous about tro-tros. So we waited at the hospital for an hour until the driver came back. We wanted to ask how the boy was, but he didn’t understand our question. Being 3 ½ hours behind, we were on our way to Akasombo. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far. We were hungry and tired and wanted to shower. We stayed at the Zito Guest House for 20 cedi a night or 10 cedi a person. I got spaghetti and ordered another meal because I was so hungry, but it never came. So we showered and then went to bed around 8 or 8:30. It was a very nice place but it was a long day. I also found out that the River tour was 30 cedi. I didn’t know it was going to be that much so I will need to go to the ATM. I also washed my hair with conditioner last night. I usually don’t because it is about 9 cedi per bottle, but it felt so good so I think I might get some since I will donate my hair when I get back. I don’t want my hair to be too trashed.
Today was the scariest day in Ghana so far. We woke up and left at 6:30. Elvis drove Annika, Theresia, and I to the bus station in Cape Coast. Everything was normal until the bus to Accra came, and then the line that we were patiently waiting for 45 minutes became one huge mob. So the three of us Obronis tried to push our way through all of the line-cutters. Even though everyone knows when a person is cutting in line, no one stops it. I would, but you can just tell that if a local can’t stop it then an Obroni certainly won’t be able to. Because when a local disagrees with something from you, sometimes they will pretend to not understand you or English anymore. Five people were in front of us when the tickets sold out. We waited 20 more minutes until we decided to get a tro-tro for 4 cedi instead of 3 with the bus.
We got the back of the tro-tro so we felt all the bumps. Since there are usually never police cars to control the speed limits, they put speed bumps everywhere, and they are so bumpy!!! Getting into Accra, it was lots of traffic. I mean lots of it!!! People as usual walk in between cars, selling candy, picture frames watches, hangers, feminine products, everything!
Once we got off the tro-tro the fun began. The city was huge with lots of people. Not as friendly as Asebu, and we had to walk with our bags in front of us. We said a sad but happy goodbye to Thereseia and tried to find a tro-tro to Akosombo. . After being told many different things and running around, we took a tro-tro to the circle and got a tro-tro to Akosambo. Again, people misdirect you sometimes, and someone even said that we should head back to the first station we were at because no one here was going to Akasombo, but we found someone.
Again we got the back of the tro-tro. Except the traffic was worse, and the road was terrible. I even got a headache just from how bumpy it was. It then started to rain and thunder. Before it rained though, we were almost into two accidents because the driver was crazy and wouldn’t use his brakes earlier; he would slam on them when it was just close enough. When it started to rain, the driver hit a boy going about 40 or 50 miles per hour. I didn’t know what happened until the driver hit the brakes and launched everyone forward, and I saw the boy roll off the side of the road in pain. Annika and I were so scared and unsure of what to do. I was expecting the driver or the maid (the person who collects money) to get out and help him, but they did nothing. They sat there and just watched. The boy was walking around holding his stomach and hand. He then threw up. I asked “Are you not going help?” “Are you going to bring him to the hospital?” Finally, without assistance, the school boy, around 17, walked to the car and got in. I heard no “sorry’s” or “are you okay” kind of words. We just turned around, and then I figured we were driving to the hospital. We asked the maid, and he said yes. So with the rain and everything, the windows fog so much because of the humidity and you cannot see. No wonder the driver hit him! He can’t see. He didn’t roll down his windows because it was raining so he just uses a rag to wipe the windshield so he can see out.
On the way to the nearest hospital, 45 minutes away, he would swerve because he couldn’t see. Now I understand why people are nervous about tro-tros. So we waited at the hospital for an hour until the driver came back. We wanted to ask how the boy was, but he didn’t understand our question. Being 3 ½ hours behind, we were on our way to Akasombo. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far. We were hungry and tired and wanted to shower. We stayed at the Zito Guest House for 20 cedi a night or 10 cedi a person. I got spaghetti and ordered another meal because I was so hungry, but it never came. So we showered and then went to bed around 8 or 8:30. It was a very nice place but it was a long day. I also found out that the River tour was 30 cedi. I didn’t know it was going to be that much so I will need to go to the ATM. I also washed my hair with conditioner last night. I usually don’t because it is about 9 cedi per bottle, but it felt so good so I think I might get some since I will donate my hair when I get back. I don’t want my hair to be too trashed.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Feb. 11th--Boils, Crying, Teaching & KenKey
February 11, 2010
John has boils on his head. We took him to the clinic a few days ago. There was a huge thing on the back of his head, and we didn’t’ know if it was a spider bite or what, but they are boils. So we got him pills for it. Also, Co-Joe will be getting his vaccinations tomorrow so that is good to know. Elvis called Ester to make those arrangements.
For today, even though I had talked with Bertha about our deal that I will let her borrow my phone at night so she can have an alarm clock if she will wake me up around 6. But it didn’t happen today, so I will let her use my phone from home for the alarm because she didn’t go to school today because she didn’t get her chores done. It is so sad how the school system works sometimes. Even though a child might be late, they don’t go and learn because they will be beaten hard for being late.
I woke up at 6:40 and headed to the House and helped the kids eat and dress and then washed a lot more clothes. After clothes, we left. Co-joe is such a help and a burden though. He loves to help us wash but a lot of the time he will place clean clothes in dirty water or dirty clothes in clean water. So it is hard but we have to teach him not to do it, but pulling him away and letting him cry about it. Co-Joe has figured out that when he cries, he gets everything he wants. So the volunteers and I are now only picking him up when we think it is healthy. Because he cries about everything and then stops when you walk to pick him up. He is so cute, and we love him so much, but he has learned the crying game.
After that, I came home and learned how they cooked oatmeal. I usually will just heat water and then add oats to the bowl and then water and then wait. But they cook it together and boil it for 15 minutes. It takes awhile, but I am glad that I will be able to do it myself because if I am hungry, I can now eat.
After eating, I went to the clinic. The clinic was great. It started out as usual. Aunti Mary wasn’t there so she might think I didn’t come again, even though I did. I took vitals. I saw a girl with such bad rashes, a lady with elephantitis. Her hand was huge. Not from usual swelling but from that disease. Then I took a BP of a lady at the first time I tried it was 190 over 120 which means she should be having some kind of heart attack or hypertention. But when I read that, I did it again and got the same thing. I was so excited that I knew how to handle her in an emergency if it came to that. I would pop out my nitroglycerin and let her sit and calm down. But I had the other nurse check because I had never seen anyone with that before. She looked at me like “are you sure it was done right?” and so she checked and it was 190/120. It was crazy. I then left around 11 and did my washing and started making bracelets. I bought yarn to make bracelets to sell or a fund raiser when I get back. It will be cheap to make, cheap for people to buy, but really helpful to the kids.
I then went over and interviewed Theresea. She did a great job. I hope it turns out well. I also ate 3 PB and J sandwiches.
We then went up to the house. I helped with homework. It was fun working with Angolina. Angolina and Emanuel are our newest children and they don’t speak English very well and are not literate either. So we teach them every day how to read and write and speak English. So it is fun to come up with lesson plans and teach them and see them improve. We then got a group picture together. I had to hurry to jump in the picture and got in front because it was the easiest open spot, but now I feel bad because I am in front and like I look like a sore thumb. But oh well!!!
We then left the House to go to Elvis’s place around 4:30 to watch Madagascar 2 and have Fanta and homemade popcorn with the kids for Theresea to say goodbye. It was very good and fun.
Tonight, I am going to eat Ken Key which I have heard in like banku, mashed maze and something else. By choice, I don’t like to eat fufu or banku, but I will eat it if it is required. So I didn’t know what Ken Key was when I asked for it. But I guess I should try everything!!!
Later, I will pack for tomorrow. We will be leaving tomorrow at 6 or 7 in the morning. Taking a bus to Accra, saying good bye to Theresea as she heads to the airport. Then Annika and I will travel to the Volta Region.
So I just took my dinner and Ken Key is exactly like Banku. It is just sold alongside the roads. The stew had the fish again mashed in it. I think my face showed it because Mrs. Incoom asked if everything was okay and in the past, I told her that I don’t do well with fish, that I don’t like the smell. But I guess I needed to say it straight, like it makes me nauseous and I don’t like it. So she got a pepper stew instead, and I tried to finish it as much as I could. The fish just smells like it was rotting. Which, I guess one thing they do for a lot of the fish is put it in salt and let it rot for two weeks, so maybe that is why. I don’t know but I hope that I didn’t come off as rude. She said I didn’t and that she understood. But I will also get rice later.
So I am officially 33.3% along the way for this trip. I am feeling at home for sure!!! I love it. There are good parts and bad parts of days but at the end of day, it was always a good day now!!!
John has boils on his head. We took him to the clinic a few days ago. There was a huge thing on the back of his head, and we didn’t’ know if it was a spider bite or what, but they are boils. So we got him pills for it. Also, Co-Joe will be getting his vaccinations tomorrow so that is good to know. Elvis called Ester to make those arrangements.
For today, even though I had talked with Bertha about our deal that I will let her borrow my phone at night so she can have an alarm clock if she will wake me up around 6. But it didn’t happen today, so I will let her use my phone from home for the alarm because she didn’t go to school today because she didn’t get her chores done. It is so sad how the school system works sometimes. Even though a child might be late, they don’t go and learn because they will be beaten hard for being late.
I woke up at 6:40 and headed to the House and helped the kids eat and dress and then washed a lot more clothes. After clothes, we left. Co-joe is such a help and a burden though. He loves to help us wash but a lot of the time he will place clean clothes in dirty water or dirty clothes in clean water. So it is hard but we have to teach him not to do it, but pulling him away and letting him cry about it. Co-Joe has figured out that when he cries, he gets everything he wants. So the volunteers and I are now only picking him up when we think it is healthy. Because he cries about everything and then stops when you walk to pick him up. He is so cute, and we love him so much, but he has learned the crying game.
After that, I came home and learned how they cooked oatmeal. I usually will just heat water and then add oats to the bowl and then water and then wait. But they cook it together and boil it for 15 minutes. It takes awhile, but I am glad that I will be able to do it myself because if I am hungry, I can now eat.
After eating, I went to the clinic. The clinic was great. It started out as usual. Aunti Mary wasn’t there so she might think I didn’t come again, even though I did. I took vitals. I saw a girl with such bad rashes, a lady with elephantitis. Her hand was huge. Not from usual swelling but from that disease. Then I took a BP of a lady at the first time I tried it was 190 over 120 which means she should be having some kind of heart attack or hypertention. But when I read that, I did it again and got the same thing. I was so excited that I knew how to handle her in an emergency if it came to that. I would pop out my nitroglycerin and let her sit and calm down. But I had the other nurse check because I had never seen anyone with that before. She looked at me like “are you sure it was done right?” and so she checked and it was 190/120. It was crazy. I then left around 11 and did my washing and started making bracelets. I bought yarn to make bracelets to sell or a fund raiser when I get back. It will be cheap to make, cheap for people to buy, but really helpful to the kids.
I then went over and interviewed Theresea. She did a great job. I hope it turns out well. I also ate 3 PB and J sandwiches.
We then went up to the house. I helped with homework. It was fun working with Angolina. Angolina and Emanuel are our newest children and they don’t speak English very well and are not literate either. So we teach them every day how to read and write and speak English. So it is fun to come up with lesson plans and teach them and see them improve. We then got a group picture together. I had to hurry to jump in the picture and got in front because it was the easiest open spot, but now I feel bad because I am in front and like I look like a sore thumb. But oh well!!!
We then left the House to go to Elvis’s place around 4:30 to watch Madagascar 2 and have Fanta and homemade popcorn with the kids for Theresea to say goodbye. It was very good and fun.
Tonight, I am going to eat Ken Key which I have heard in like banku, mashed maze and something else. By choice, I don’t like to eat fufu or banku, but I will eat it if it is required. So I didn’t know what Ken Key was when I asked for it. But I guess I should try everything!!!
Later, I will pack for tomorrow. We will be leaving tomorrow at 6 or 7 in the morning. Taking a bus to Accra, saying good bye to Theresea as she heads to the airport. Then Annika and I will travel to the Volta Region.
So I just took my dinner and Ken Key is exactly like Banku. It is just sold alongside the roads. The stew had the fish again mashed in it. I think my face showed it because Mrs. Incoom asked if everything was okay and in the past, I told her that I don’t do well with fish, that I don’t like the smell. But I guess I needed to say it straight, like it makes me nauseous and I don’t like it. So she got a pepper stew instead, and I tried to finish it as much as I could. The fish just smells like it was rotting. Which, I guess one thing they do for a lot of the fish is put it in salt and let it rot for two weeks, so maybe that is why. I don’t know but I hope that I didn’t come off as rude. She said I didn’t and that she understood. But I will also get rice later.
So I am officially 33.3% along the way for this trip. I am feeling at home for sure!!! I love it. There are good parts and bad parts of days but at the end of day, it was always a good day now!!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Feb. 10th--American Food, How It's Gonna Be, Travel
February 10, 2010
So I was able to talk to Elvis last night. Theresea and Annika invited Elvis to go to dinner and me as well, and we picked up Austin on the way to go to Castle Restaurant. Castle restaurant is where all of the Obroni’s go. It is by the beach, has American food, had a classic hut look, and had a guy that played music for tips. He sounded like Bob Marley and played it too. Thersea tipped him 1 cedi to play No women, No cry. Or something like that.
On the drive I addressed Elvis about everything I could think of-- how the kids all have heat rash because they have no fan and how they are suffering for it. So he will get fans. How I was wondering about bringing more of God into their lives. Scripture reading is what I want to do. And also we want to teach them songs. So I will try and do that too. Then about the new orphanage being built and how much and how long it will take. It will cost 40,000-50,000 cedi to finish. But it is to pay a worker to work until the money or funds run out. So the foundation is laid but I definitely want to fundraise when I get back for it. He told me that the new Orphanage will be better. I found out that none of the kids are HIV positive, but there are Orphans in town or nearby that do, but they can’t come because there isn’t a place for them. Elvis told me that the new place will have a separate place for the HIV positive kids to be taken care of properly. So that when they are really sick, the other kids don’t have to be around. Elvis also invited me to come to him and Austin’s next school teaching about HIV awareness. I am very excited. It seems that if Scott did talk to Elvis, that it really helped remind Elvis about his responsibility with me and the other volunteers. I know how busy Elvis is and that he really is a good guy, but I am also just not the easiest person to work with. He has told me once or twice that I can always talk to him about anything. That if I have a problem to always come to him. But I have a problem going to someone that I do not know or yet trust. I am hard to work with that way because I will not openly admit when something is wrong because I just have it in my mind that it will resolve itself or that I will resolve it myself. So I am finding out that I am also at fault for a breakdown of communication. But the most important thing I found out is that Ester or anyone else is not allowed to beat the kids. If the workers, like Ester, have a problem with the kids, they are supposed to report it to him, and he will take care of the problem. But of course, realistically, it is just easier to beat the kids then and not tell Elvis rather then tell him and have him beat them later. So I will talk to him about why he feels it is okay to beat kids soon.
The other thing is that Georgina will not be coming back. She was the head lady there taking care of the kids when I came. She decided to leave for a month’s time. I already knew that she was never going to come back, but Elvis thought she would. Her husband is sick, and she needs to take care of him so he is going to find someone else. Georgina is great with kids while Ester is a little rougher and not as motherly. So I hope Elvis will find a good replacement. It will make it a lot easier on the volunteers as well too.
So for my day, I went to bed around 12 and woke up at 6:30. But I was still so tired. Today was the second most tiring day, first being when I first came here. So I was late getting up there because I now no longer have an alarm because I gave my phone alarm to Bertha to wake up at 4 in the morning now because I just sleep through it. I am going to tell her to wake me up at 6 in the morning, and I will let her have my phone in return kind of thing. I think that will work out best. So I walked up there and did the usual. Woke up kids, helped brush their teeth, make their beds, get them dressed, serve them food and then wash clothrs. Annika was not there because she has been feeling bad ever since last night. Oh and last night… HMMM the food was so good. I got charcoal-cooked chicken with coleslaw, (which I usually don’t like but I will eat kind of salad here now) and then French fries!!! And pineapple juice. There was also a British couple that came and sat down and talked with us randomly for an hour. The man was white and the woman was black and her parents are from Ghana so they are visiting them. They have been around the world and back. It was great. They had landed today and wanted just someone friendly to talk to.
So sorry, back to the rest of the story. We washed and washed about until 9:15. I got back were Mrs. Incoom had kindly cooked me rice porridge. I was supposed to cook it, but I was running late so she was awesome and started it for me. So I did that, replied to Scott’s email, did my washing and went to Asuansi to teach music. It usually is only a half an hour to drive there ,but people were trying to rip me off, called the Obroni price and then I waited for tro-tro, and it took an hour and a half to get there instead. So we started late and ended late. So I got home before 3, hurry and ate more rice, and walked to the house. Annika was still a little nauseous. But we played with the kids, and I helped cook. I was so tired. I shouldn’t be that tired. I need to focus on the kids and delete something else from my days to give them my full attention. So we left around 5:30.
During that time, Scott called me, and we talked about the possibilities of me traveling. Austin, the volunteer, wants to go to Kumasi, so I will go with him. And the him and his roommate want to go to Mole National Park, so I will talk to them more about that and maybe making it a 4 or 5 day thing. But if it doesn’t work out, Scott said that of course I should never travel alone, agreed, and that if I wanted to travel that he would contact Jessica, another director, and travel with me. He said this would be no big deal and that she does it all the time. So I am thinking that it would be healthy for me and fun to go and see Ghana and Africa while I am here. So I might take a week to do that. What are your thoughts? I guess until I talk more with Austin, I won’t really know though.
I got home, took a shower and taught Mrs. Incoom how to make homemade French fries. Considering that I have never made them myself, they tasted pretty great. So she is excited to learn from me and I am excited to learn from her. The more I cook, the more I will know what I can cook. I will cook pancakes or mashed or baked potatoes next. Can you maybe give me some instruction mom on how to best bake or boil a potato here in Ghana? Thanks!!! So they liked it, but I loved them so much I found that I had eaten more of my portion that I should have. So I will make more soon for them.
I am now about ready to go to bed. I am tired but at least tomorrow is Thursday and after that is Friday, and we travel to the Volta region. I am excited.!!! We will leave Friday morning at 7 to take a bus to Accra then to the town I forgot where we will be staying. I will get the information to you soon. But we have our reservations for the guesthouses. We will then on Saturday do the water tour and anything else, sleep there again so we do not travel at night and then wake up Sunday morning, travel back and then go to the Cultural Center Market so that Annika can shop for some more souvenirs before she leaves. Cape Coast is expensive for souvenirs so that is a good idea.
So I was able to talk to Elvis last night. Theresea and Annika invited Elvis to go to dinner and me as well, and we picked up Austin on the way to go to Castle Restaurant. Castle restaurant is where all of the Obroni’s go. It is by the beach, has American food, had a classic hut look, and had a guy that played music for tips. He sounded like Bob Marley and played it too. Thersea tipped him 1 cedi to play No women, No cry. Or something like that.
On the drive I addressed Elvis about everything I could think of-- how the kids all have heat rash because they have no fan and how they are suffering for it. So he will get fans. How I was wondering about bringing more of God into their lives. Scripture reading is what I want to do. And also we want to teach them songs. So I will try and do that too. Then about the new orphanage being built and how much and how long it will take. It will cost 40,000-50,000 cedi to finish. But it is to pay a worker to work until the money or funds run out. So the foundation is laid but I definitely want to fundraise when I get back for it. He told me that the new Orphanage will be better. I found out that none of the kids are HIV positive, but there are Orphans in town or nearby that do, but they can’t come because there isn’t a place for them. Elvis told me that the new place will have a separate place for the HIV positive kids to be taken care of properly. So that when they are really sick, the other kids don’t have to be around. Elvis also invited me to come to him and Austin’s next school teaching about HIV awareness. I am very excited. It seems that if Scott did talk to Elvis, that it really helped remind Elvis about his responsibility with me and the other volunteers. I know how busy Elvis is and that he really is a good guy, but I am also just not the easiest person to work with. He has told me once or twice that I can always talk to him about anything. That if I have a problem to always come to him. But I have a problem going to someone that I do not know or yet trust. I am hard to work with that way because I will not openly admit when something is wrong because I just have it in my mind that it will resolve itself or that I will resolve it myself. So I am finding out that I am also at fault for a breakdown of communication. But the most important thing I found out is that Ester or anyone else is not allowed to beat the kids. If the workers, like Ester, have a problem with the kids, they are supposed to report it to him, and he will take care of the problem. But of course, realistically, it is just easier to beat the kids then and not tell Elvis rather then tell him and have him beat them later. So I will talk to him about why he feels it is okay to beat kids soon.
The other thing is that Georgina will not be coming back. She was the head lady there taking care of the kids when I came. She decided to leave for a month’s time. I already knew that she was never going to come back, but Elvis thought she would. Her husband is sick, and she needs to take care of him so he is going to find someone else. Georgina is great with kids while Ester is a little rougher and not as motherly. So I hope Elvis will find a good replacement. It will make it a lot easier on the volunteers as well too.
So for my day, I went to bed around 12 and woke up at 6:30. But I was still so tired. Today was the second most tiring day, first being when I first came here. So I was late getting up there because I now no longer have an alarm because I gave my phone alarm to Bertha to wake up at 4 in the morning now because I just sleep through it. I am going to tell her to wake me up at 6 in the morning, and I will let her have my phone in return kind of thing. I think that will work out best. So I walked up there and did the usual. Woke up kids, helped brush their teeth, make their beds, get them dressed, serve them food and then wash clothrs. Annika was not there because she has been feeling bad ever since last night. Oh and last night… HMMM the food was so good. I got charcoal-cooked chicken with coleslaw, (which I usually don’t like but I will eat kind of salad here now) and then French fries!!! And pineapple juice. There was also a British couple that came and sat down and talked with us randomly for an hour. The man was white and the woman was black and her parents are from Ghana so they are visiting them. They have been around the world and back. It was great. They had landed today and wanted just someone friendly to talk to.
So sorry, back to the rest of the story. We washed and washed about until 9:15. I got back were Mrs. Incoom had kindly cooked me rice porridge. I was supposed to cook it, but I was running late so she was awesome and started it for me. So I did that, replied to Scott’s email, did my washing and went to Asuansi to teach music. It usually is only a half an hour to drive there ,but people were trying to rip me off, called the Obroni price and then I waited for tro-tro, and it took an hour and a half to get there instead. So we started late and ended late. So I got home before 3, hurry and ate more rice, and walked to the house. Annika was still a little nauseous. But we played with the kids, and I helped cook. I was so tired. I shouldn’t be that tired. I need to focus on the kids and delete something else from my days to give them my full attention. So we left around 5:30.
During that time, Scott called me, and we talked about the possibilities of me traveling. Austin, the volunteer, wants to go to Kumasi, so I will go with him. And the him and his roommate want to go to Mole National Park, so I will talk to them more about that and maybe making it a 4 or 5 day thing. But if it doesn’t work out, Scott said that of course I should never travel alone, agreed, and that if I wanted to travel that he would contact Jessica, another director, and travel with me. He said this would be no big deal and that she does it all the time. So I am thinking that it would be healthy for me and fun to go and see Ghana and Africa while I am here. So I might take a week to do that. What are your thoughts? I guess until I talk more with Austin, I won’t really know though.
I got home, took a shower and taught Mrs. Incoom how to make homemade French fries. Considering that I have never made them myself, they tasted pretty great. So she is excited to learn from me and I am excited to learn from her. The more I cook, the more I will know what I can cook. I will cook pancakes or mashed or baked potatoes next. Can you maybe give me some instruction mom on how to best bake or boil a potato here in Ghana? Thanks!!! So they liked it, but I loved them so much I found that I had eaten more of my portion that I should have. So I will make more soon for them.
I am now about ready to go to bed. I am tired but at least tomorrow is Thursday and after that is Friday, and we travel to the Volta region. I am excited.!!! We will leave Friday morning at 7 to take a bus to Accra then to the town I forgot where we will be staying. I will get the information to you soon. But we have our reservations for the guesthouses. We will then on Saturday do the water tour and anything else, sleep there again so we do not travel at night and then wake up Sunday morning, travel back and then go to the Cultural Center Market so that Annika can shop for some more souvenirs before she leaves. Cape Coast is expensive for souvenirs so that is a good idea.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Feb. 9th--Easiest Sleep and Too Friendly
February 9th
Last night was the easiest night by far for sleeping at the House. No one cried or coughed, Co-Joe didn’t pee or poop until 5 and then Ester didn’t wake any of the kids up or started beating them. Around 5 though we got up and started to fetch water because we were completely out. So it was pitch dark and carrying water. I got a little wet. We then had the kids bathe, brush their teeth and make their beds. I fed Co-Joe and bathed him this morning. He is such a cute baby. After, Theresea left to walk the kids down but I stayed a little after to help with the other kids with Annika. I then left to walk the rest of the kids. Getting home, it was a little before 8 and Mrs. Incoom was not yet awake, so I cooked my own oats and ate that.
By 8 I was leaving and getting on a tro-tro to Cape Coast. There, while I was waiting, I hung out with the kids waiting for the bus until I left. I then took a taxi for 50 pesewas this time… expensive… to the Hospital. It was quick. It only took an hour to get the results, get my vitals, and then wait and meet with the doctor. I feel good and back to normal because of time but the lab results also showed no growth because it was a culture test or something like that. He said, if it happens again, to just come back, which I will. I then left and took another expensive taxi and decided to go buy something.
I then bought some mini donuts holes, bought some soy milk and juice because only drinking water has started to get a little boring, so I will drink juice every now and then. I then bought some yarn so I could start making bracelets here. I then bought potatoes, 2 kilos worth, to cook for my family. I will cook fries, maybe mashed potatoes or really anything that I can do without wasting too much gas.
I then took a tro-tro where, of course, I met someone that helped me awhile ago and he was so friendly, as usual. It gets a little tiring having everyone want to be your friend, but I still like it. And then it was interesting. I saw a young girl and an old women today, at separate times, that … I forgot the name… but you are born without any pigments so your hair is white and your skin is white. But anyways, I saw two people that had all the black features of Ghana, except white skin. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to be in their shoes. To be born from black parents and come out white. Some would call it witch craft maybe, the kids pick on you, people take advantage of you. The list could go on and on. But it was different, because their skin was almost like tanned from the sun but not how I tan. It was actually quite a beautiful skin color. I then got home and the door was locked again.
I dropped my stuff off at Elvis’s place and headed up to the clinic for two hours and took vitals. After, I went back, ate fried yam and headed to the House. It was a nonstop day as usual. We brought about 10 kids to the clinic to see if the rash they had was chicken pox. It was not. Christy had some weird rash and they give her a shot for it in the bum and the rest of the kids had heat rash because the house it to hot at night and they do not have a fan. It is so frustrating that the kids are in so much that they can’t sleep at night because the heat rash hurts because they don’t have a fan. So I am going to talk to Elvis about it. Also, Co-Joe hasn’t been brought to the clinic in awhile because Elvis hadn’t informed anyone that we needed to bring hom for his immunizations. So he will hopefully get his Yellow Fever and Measles this Friday, permitting if Elvis is free to do so.
I then came home and showered off. It felt so good to get off all the dirt. Oh and at the House, before we left, this guy dressed like an American gangster, sorry to be so rude and blunt about it, but he had the gold chains and hankie around his head with a hat to the side, came up to Annika and started hitting on her. She pulled the whole “I only speak German” which made me laugh. But I was starting to get uncomfortable, and I could see she was too so I stepped in and had a very cold shoulder to him as I greeted him. He then proceeded to hit on me saying “We are one, we are one. You are very nice girl. Very nice girl.” But he didn’t mean you are kind, he had an inflection in his voice on the word “nice.” So I just stopped paying attention, and he left. The kids then started to laugh, and so did we.
For tonight, Annika and Theresea invited Elvis to dinner and then invited me to come. So we will go to Cape Coast tonight ,and I also plan on talking to Elvis as well. I am just so busy and so is he that I am having a hard time talking to him now. But I must try harder because Ester hit Junior today. Junior came up to Annika and explained that he was playing with the football too close to the fire where she was cooking that she got mad and grabbed his skin above his left nipple and twisted it. He said it hurt, and I looked at it. On own skin, it would have been red and glassy and almost a bad Indian burn. For him, his skin was glassy enough that you could see where she pinched him from across the yard as he played football with the kids. So I was so angry about that but I cannot talk to Ester because she doesn’t understand English. I have to talk to Elvis. So it has to stop. Well, I hope that I well be able to talk to Elvis tonight though.
Last night was the easiest night by far for sleeping at the House. No one cried or coughed, Co-Joe didn’t pee or poop until 5 and then Ester didn’t wake any of the kids up or started beating them. Around 5 though we got up and started to fetch water because we were completely out. So it was pitch dark and carrying water. I got a little wet. We then had the kids bathe, brush their teeth and make their beds. I fed Co-Joe and bathed him this morning. He is such a cute baby. After, Theresea left to walk the kids down but I stayed a little after to help with the other kids with Annika. I then left to walk the rest of the kids. Getting home, it was a little before 8 and Mrs. Incoom was not yet awake, so I cooked my own oats and ate that.
By 8 I was leaving and getting on a tro-tro to Cape Coast. There, while I was waiting, I hung out with the kids waiting for the bus until I left. I then took a taxi for 50 pesewas this time… expensive… to the Hospital. It was quick. It only took an hour to get the results, get my vitals, and then wait and meet with the doctor. I feel good and back to normal because of time but the lab results also showed no growth because it was a culture test or something like that. He said, if it happens again, to just come back, which I will. I then left and took another expensive taxi and decided to go buy something.
I then bought some mini donuts holes, bought some soy milk and juice because only drinking water has started to get a little boring, so I will drink juice every now and then. I then bought some yarn so I could start making bracelets here. I then bought potatoes, 2 kilos worth, to cook for my family. I will cook fries, maybe mashed potatoes or really anything that I can do without wasting too much gas.
I then took a tro-tro where, of course, I met someone that helped me awhile ago and he was so friendly, as usual. It gets a little tiring having everyone want to be your friend, but I still like it. And then it was interesting. I saw a young girl and an old women today, at separate times, that … I forgot the name… but you are born without any pigments so your hair is white and your skin is white. But anyways, I saw two people that had all the black features of Ghana, except white skin. I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to be in their shoes. To be born from black parents and come out white. Some would call it witch craft maybe, the kids pick on you, people take advantage of you. The list could go on and on. But it was different, because their skin was almost like tanned from the sun but not how I tan. It was actually quite a beautiful skin color. I then got home and the door was locked again.
I dropped my stuff off at Elvis’s place and headed up to the clinic for two hours and took vitals. After, I went back, ate fried yam and headed to the House. It was a nonstop day as usual. We brought about 10 kids to the clinic to see if the rash they had was chicken pox. It was not. Christy had some weird rash and they give her a shot for it in the bum and the rest of the kids had heat rash because the house it to hot at night and they do not have a fan. It is so frustrating that the kids are in so much that they can’t sleep at night because the heat rash hurts because they don’t have a fan. So I am going to talk to Elvis about it. Also, Co-Joe hasn’t been brought to the clinic in awhile because Elvis hadn’t informed anyone that we needed to bring hom for his immunizations. So he will hopefully get his Yellow Fever and Measles this Friday, permitting if Elvis is free to do so.
I then came home and showered off. It felt so good to get off all the dirt. Oh and at the House, before we left, this guy dressed like an American gangster, sorry to be so rude and blunt about it, but he had the gold chains and hankie around his head with a hat to the side, came up to Annika and started hitting on her. She pulled the whole “I only speak German” which made me laugh. But I was starting to get uncomfortable, and I could see she was too so I stepped in and had a very cold shoulder to him as I greeted him. He then proceeded to hit on me saying “We are one, we are one. You are very nice girl. Very nice girl.” But he didn’t mean you are kind, he had an inflection in his voice on the word “nice.” So I just stopped paying attention, and he left. The kids then started to laugh, and so did we.
For tonight, Annika and Theresea invited Elvis to dinner and then invited me to come. So we will go to Cape Coast tonight ,and I also plan on talking to Elvis as well. I am just so busy and so is he that I am having a hard time talking to him now. But I must try harder because Ester hit Junior today. Junior came up to Annika and explained that he was playing with the football too close to the fire where she was cooking that she got mad and grabbed his skin above his left nipple and twisted it. He said it hurt, and I looked at it. On own skin, it would have been red and glassy and almost a bad Indian burn. For him, his skin was glassy enough that you could see where she pinched him from across the yard as he played football with the kids. So I was so angry about that but I cannot talk to Ester because she doesn’t understand English. I have to talk to Elvis. So it has to stop. Well, I hope that I well be able to talk to Elvis tonight though.
Feb. 8th-- Pnut Butter, Icky Men & Major Rain!
February 8, 2010
I set my alarm clock for 4 o’clock this morning to wake up Bertha so she could wake up and get her chores done early enough to go to school, but I slept through the alarm and only woke up at 5:30. I felt so bad. Because now she wasn’t able to go to school today. So I talked with her and told that I keep sleeping through my alarm so I am going to let her have my phone on school night when I go to bed, and then she can wake up and then give me the phone in the morning. Her going to school is just so important. I then went over to get the girls at 5:50 but they were thinking of having me come over at 6:00 when I thought they meant they wanted to be at the House by 6, so we chilled like for another 20 or so minutes. It was very early since I stayed up talking for a little bit and then pastor wanted to talk to me about something I can’t remember at this moment.
After that, I came home and Mrs. Incoom told me that Mom had written her back on Facebook and that she wanted to teach me to cook more. So she took me to the kitchen and made me do everything. If was so awesome!!! Thanks mom!! I told her that I would love to cook for myself most of the time and learn, but it just hadn’t happened yet. So thanks for giving that boost. I lit their propane or whatever stove it is by match, put the palm oil in the pan, heated up the pain. Before that, I cut up two plantains and put them in water with a little salt. You add the plantain once the oil is hot so that the plantain doesn’t soak it up. You wait until one side is brown and then once it looks good you take it out. And then wait for the oil to cool and reuse it. I did a good job cooking, and Mrs. Incoom is such a good teacher and good person. I got so lucky with my host family. Pastor is wonderful, and Bertha is such a sweetheart. I now have two moms away from home-- Sister Saunders and Mrs. Incoom.
After that, I washed my clothes after washing the kids’ clothes that morning from 7-9. My hands are better because the House runs out of the washing powder called omo and that is what beats up my hands. They just wash with soap called KEY SOAP.
After that, I took a tro-tro to Cape. I was on a mission to get American food. So I met my friend, Paul, who helped me before find things around town. I told him I wanted peanut butter. There he took me to a side store. I bought orange juice, ketchup for fries later, peanut butter, raspberry jam, corn flakes, and spread cheese. I was so happy. It turned to cost 23 cedi and 30 pesewas. So it was kind of expensive, but for a one time thing it is worth it. I will probably only get the cheese and peanut butter and jelly again. The corn flakes are way too expensive-- 6 cedi for one bigger bag. But I also went to the Cape Coast Post Office. There, the two men, who were really funny and informative, asked if they could be my Ghana boyfriend. Your package wasn’t here yet but I sent out a few letters. So they will call when it gets here, if it ever does that is!!! Haha…. Oh Ghana.
Also, on the tro-tro to ape Coast a dumby was giving me a hard time. He did the whole “hello” and wave and then pinched his lips making the kissing noise. This noise is meant like hissing to come or pay attention to me. He then signaled with his hands that I should come back to him after I go to town so that we could… um… party. I guess that is how I could say his suggestive gestures. I gave him a really dirty look and looked away, waiting for the tro-tro to leave. He then continued to joke with one of the passengers about the Obroni and how he was playing with me. Then when I got in the tro-tro to head home, there were two men selling FanMilk. I said “No, I’m fine” and ignored them as you do when you don’t want to buy. Well he insisted and I said “no thanks,” and then he was still there so I looked at him and then he brushed his finger under my chin and said something in fante. I slapped as much hand as I could get and said “no” and gave him a dirty look again and gave one to the other boy that was selling, trying to tell him that you don’t allow this to happen again! So that was a load of crap, but those are the few bad nuts. Most people are so helpful. Like Paul, who will just walk around town trying to find what I am shopping for and then walk me to the tro-tro and make sure the driver knows to take care of me and makes sure I get to the right place.
Once at home, at the Asebu Station, there is an old man that works there and collects the fair from the taxis and tro-tros when they use the station. He has helped me a lot by finding the right ride. So this time he said “Welcome back, wife. You are my wife now.” Of course he is just really sweet and knows he is joking. But it just makes me laugh. I think people use wife to me, this person is special to me in someway. Like at church, one of the guys around 23 introduced me to a young woman about age 10 and said “This is my wife. Isn’t she beautiful?” Then he hugged her as an older brother would. So it means different things to different people. But every knows it is joking.
So then I got home and made Peanut Butter and jelly sandwiches. Mrs. Incoom tried a half sandwich, and Bertha tried a whole they liked it enough. I had two and a half with banana on it. OH!!! It was so good!! Since the bread is amazing here, it tastes better. They have sugar bread and tea bread. Tea is cheaper, so that is what they bought this time. And just then when I was writing Bertha knocked on the door, around 2 pm, and said the rain is coming and that I should grab my clothes. Not a second after I had grabbed them and ran inside, it just poured so few seconds and then stopped and now it drizzles randomly. Oh Ghana!!! And then the winds came. The wind blusters like a hurricane for a moment and then stops and starts again. It is so strong that all of the doors in the house swing open from the wind blowing through the window. IT IS SO COOL!!! I got a quick video of it. You can even hear the rain and hear the wind a little little. But it is still going!!! WOW!!!!!
For the rest of the day, I took a quick nap and woke up around 3:30 and walked up to the house. There, I helped wash more clothes and helped with homework and played with the kids. I left about 15 minutes early because I had a slight headache but I was just so tired also. And since I am sleeping there tonight with Theresea, I wanted some extra sleep. I bought a Fanta to give me some extra energy and drank water when I got back home. I then took a shower, and I am waiting to eat dinner. I will then head up to the house. Hopefully it will be a restful night for everyone and not like last time. Although this time, if I ever see a beating I think I know how to handle it, and I will handle it much different from last time. I won’t just sit there like a previous suggestion was. Even though it is cultural and I will try and respect the culture, I agree that I just can’t respect beating a child, especially at home.
I set my alarm clock for 4 o’clock this morning to wake up Bertha so she could wake up and get her chores done early enough to go to school, but I slept through the alarm and only woke up at 5:30. I felt so bad. Because now she wasn’t able to go to school today. So I talked with her and told that I keep sleeping through my alarm so I am going to let her have my phone on school night when I go to bed, and then she can wake up and then give me the phone in the morning. Her going to school is just so important. I then went over to get the girls at 5:50 but they were thinking of having me come over at 6:00 when I thought they meant they wanted to be at the House by 6, so we chilled like for another 20 or so minutes. It was very early since I stayed up talking for a little bit and then pastor wanted to talk to me about something I can’t remember at this moment.
After that, I came home and Mrs. Incoom told me that Mom had written her back on Facebook and that she wanted to teach me to cook more. So she took me to the kitchen and made me do everything. If was so awesome!!! Thanks mom!! I told her that I would love to cook for myself most of the time and learn, but it just hadn’t happened yet. So thanks for giving that boost. I lit their propane or whatever stove it is by match, put the palm oil in the pan, heated up the pain. Before that, I cut up two plantains and put them in water with a little salt. You add the plantain once the oil is hot so that the plantain doesn’t soak it up. You wait until one side is brown and then once it looks good you take it out. And then wait for the oil to cool and reuse it. I did a good job cooking, and Mrs. Incoom is such a good teacher and good person. I got so lucky with my host family. Pastor is wonderful, and Bertha is such a sweetheart. I now have two moms away from home-- Sister Saunders and Mrs. Incoom.
After that, I washed my clothes after washing the kids’ clothes that morning from 7-9. My hands are better because the House runs out of the washing powder called omo and that is what beats up my hands. They just wash with soap called KEY SOAP.
After that, I took a tro-tro to Cape. I was on a mission to get American food. So I met my friend, Paul, who helped me before find things around town. I told him I wanted peanut butter. There he took me to a side store. I bought orange juice, ketchup for fries later, peanut butter, raspberry jam, corn flakes, and spread cheese. I was so happy. It turned to cost 23 cedi and 30 pesewas. So it was kind of expensive, but for a one time thing it is worth it. I will probably only get the cheese and peanut butter and jelly again. The corn flakes are way too expensive-- 6 cedi for one bigger bag. But I also went to the Cape Coast Post Office. There, the two men, who were really funny and informative, asked if they could be my Ghana boyfriend. Your package wasn’t here yet but I sent out a few letters. So they will call when it gets here, if it ever does that is!!! Haha…. Oh Ghana.
Also, on the tro-tro to ape Coast a dumby was giving me a hard time. He did the whole “hello” and wave and then pinched his lips making the kissing noise. This noise is meant like hissing to come or pay attention to me. He then signaled with his hands that I should come back to him after I go to town so that we could… um… party. I guess that is how I could say his suggestive gestures. I gave him a really dirty look and looked away, waiting for the tro-tro to leave. He then continued to joke with one of the passengers about the Obroni and how he was playing with me. Then when I got in the tro-tro to head home, there were two men selling FanMilk. I said “No, I’m fine” and ignored them as you do when you don’t want to buy. Well he insisted and I said “no thanks,” and then he was still there so I looked at him and then he brushed his finger under my chin and said something in fante. I slapped as much hand as I could get and said “no” and gave him a dirty look again and gave one to the other boy that was selling, trying to tell him that you don’t allow this to happen again! So that was a load of crap, but those are the few bad nuts. Most people are so helpful. Like Paul, who will just walk around town trying to find what I am shopping for and then walk me to the tro-tro and make sure the driver knows to take care of me and makes sure I get to the right place.
Once at home, at the Asebu Station, there is an old man that works there and collects the fair from the taxis and tro-tros when they use the station. He has helped me a lot by finding the right ride. So this time he said “Welcome back, wife. You are my wife now.” Of course he is just really sweet and knows he is joking. But it just makes me laugh. I think people use wife to me, this person is special to me in someway. Like at church, one of the guys around 23 introduced me to a young woman about age 10 and said “This is my wife. Isn’t she beautiful?” Then he hugged her as an older brother would. So it means different things to different people. But every knows it is joking.
So then I got home and made Peanut Butter and jelly sandwiches. Mrs. Incoom tried a half sandwich, and Bertha tried a whole they liked it enough. I had two and a half with banana on it. OH!!! It was so good!! Since the bread is amazing here, it tastes better. They have sugar bread and tea bread. Tea is cheaper, so that is what they bought this time. And just then when I was writing Bertha knocked on the door, around 2 pm, and said the rain is coming and that I should grab my clothes. Not a second after I had grabbed them and ran inside, it just poured so few seconds and then stopped and now it drizzles randomly. Oh Ghana!!! And then the winds came. The wind blusters like a hurricane for a moment and then stops and starts again. It is so strong that all of the doors in the house swing open from the wind blowing through the window. IT IS SO COOL!!! I got a quick video of it. You can even hear the rain and hear the wind a little little. But it is still going!!! WOW!!!!!
For the rest of the day, I took a quick nap and woke up around 3:30 and walked up to the house. There, I helped wash more clothes and helped with homework and played with the kids. I left about 15 minutes early because I had a slight headache but I was just so tired also. And since I am sleeping there tonight with Theresea, I wanted some extra sleep. I bought a Fanta to give me some extra energy and drank water when I got back home. I then took a shower, and I am waiting to eat dinner. I will then head up to the house. Hopefully it will be a restful night for everyone and not like last time. Although this time, if I ever see a beating I think I know how to handle it, and I will handle it much different from last time. I won’t just sit there like a previous suggestion was. Even though it is cultural and I will try and respect the culture, I agree that I just can’t respect beating a child, especially at home.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Feb 7th--Playing Piano in Church & Still Hungry!
February 7, 2010
Church was pretty good. I told Bertha last night that I was going to leave around 8:20 or 8:30 so I could get to church and play piano on time for 9 o’clock. I got up and was writing the email and stuff and was waiting at the table like a usually do when I am ready to eat. We are still working out the kinks on how I eat, which is why I am always hungry. But I ate at 8:45 and grabbed some of breakfast out the door to catch a taxi. Again, no one is really working on Sundays so I waited another ten mintues to fill up the taxi to Abakrampa, or known as ABK. I was 5 minutes late and they were already singing the opening hymn. I felt bad about being late, but I knew it wasn’t that big of a deal to anyone but me.
I sat at the piano and played the sacrament hymn. It was Fast and Testimony Meeting. Brother Imbrah, first councilor started with English bearing his testimony, but I think he couldn’t find a lot of the words so he switched to Fante. He was telling a story about how he was healed form his sickness he was having a few weeks ago. I felt the spirit warming up my heart. I then listened to the children as they say “good morning lkdsfskfj (something in Fante)” and the congreation relies “good morning” or they say the equivalent of good morning in Fante, and they reply in fante. The kids memorize scriptures and say “my testimony is John 1 :5 for example or something like that and they quote it and say In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. A lot of kids did that. Then a few adults got up. Then there was a pause, and I was just spacing off until Brother Imbrah caught my vision. He was signaling for me to go. I pointed to myself like “Me? Me?!?” He nodded yes. So I asked again knowing the answer but hoping for something different “ME!!!!” and he said yes to come up. I was planning on learning a little more fante before I bore my testimony but the whole congregation had in their mind that I was going to bear my testimony even if I wasn’t ready. Well, it seems once again, the Lord knows best. Brother Imbrah translated after every sentence that I spoke. And I got teary-eyed a few sentences in. I started to cry a little and we continued. It was just amazing, the gift on tongues. The gospel. The spirit. God’s children able to praise our Heavenly Father through all of our differences and similarities.
After that, I played a little as the congregation ended and was moving to Sunday school. I went through Sunday school reading the lesson and reading scriptures. I did the same with Relief Society. Even though everyone is so excited for me to be there and so welcoming, I just feel over welcomed sometimes. Like, I know I am white and I don’t speak the language and that gives enough reason to be a purple cow for everyone to look at, but I just don’t like the attention I receive in front of huge groups. I just get all nervous and I feel unsettled. I hope I don’t come off as rude, but I really just want to sit there and read my scriptures unless something is in English. But it is just hard when they ask me to put in my input when I have no idea what the conversation was about or what everyone has already said.
After church, we got a taxi and the Sister paid for me. It was so kind of her. I then went home but the door was locked so I chilled with Annika and Theresea. I checked a few times to see if they had come back because I was hungry and wanted to change and grab the stickers for the kids. But they didn’t come home until I had already eaten at Elvis’s house and we were leaving. Elvis has been gone a few days now and none of us are sure where he really is. That’s Elvis for you though. He is a very busy guy with lots to do. At the house, I sewed Christy’s dress and fix Clements bed using a rock as a hammer and borrowing nails that the Incooms lent us so graciously. We hammered in the nails and now the kids can sleep on his thin mattress completely instead of the half bed he had been sleeping in. Annika left early because she was so tired. Theresa is very tired so and I am okay tired. I am just more hungry.
For the rest of night I will type and eat, hopefully a lot and then sleep. I will wake up at 4 to wake up Bertha to start her chores so she can go to school and then at 5:45 so we can walk up to the house early to help the kids get ready. Theresa and I will sleep at the house tomorrow night. Annika and I have started planning our trip for this weeknd to Volta Lake. I am excited. It should be really fun.
Church was pretty good. I told Bertha last night that I was going to leave around 8:20 or 8:30 so I could get to church and play piano on time for 9 o’clock. I got up and was writing the email and stuff and was waiting at the table like a usually do when I am ready to eat. We are still working out the kinks on how I eat, which is why I am always hungry. But I ate at 8:45 and grabbed some of breakfast out the door to catch a taxi. Again, no one is really working on Sundays so I waited another ten mintues to fill up the taxi to Abakrampa, or known as ABK. I was 5 minutes late and they were already singing the opening hymn. I felt bad about being late, but I knew it wasn’t that big of a deal to anyone but me.
I sat at the piano and played the sacrament hymn. It was Fast and Testimony Meeting. Brother Imbrah, first councilor started with English bearing his testimony, but I think he couldn’t find a lot of the words so he switched to Fante. He was telling a story about how he was healed form his sickness he was having a few weeks ago. I felt the spirit warming up my heart. I then listened to the children as they say “good morning lkdsfskfj (something in Fante)” and the congreation relies “good morning” or they say the equivalent of good morning in Fante, and they reply in fante. The kids memorize scriptures and say “my testimony is John 1 :5 for example or something like that and they quote it and say In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. A lot of kids did that. Then a few adults got up. Then there was a pause, and I was just spacing off until Brother Imbrah caught my vision. He was signaling for me to go. I pointed to myself like “Me? Me?!?” He nodded yes. So I asked again knowing the answer but hoping for something different “ME!!!!” and he said yes to come up. I was planning on learning a little more fante before I bore my testimony but the whole congregation had in their mind that I was going to bear my testimony even if I wasn’t ready. Well, it seems once again, the Lord knows best. Brother Imbrah translated after every sentence that I spoke. And I got teary-eyed a few sentences in. I started to cry a little and we continued. It was just amazing, the gift on tongues. The gospel. The spirit. God’s children able to praise our Heavenly Father through all of our differences and similarities.
After that, I played a little as the congregation ended and was moving to Sunday school. I went through Sunday school reading the lesson and reading scriptures. I did the same with Relief Society. Even though everyone is so excited for me to be there and so welcoming, I just feel over welcomed sometimes. Like, I know I am white and I don’t speak the language and that gives enough reason to be a purple cow for everyone to look at, but I just don’t like the attention I receive in front of huge groups. I just get all nervous and I feel unsettled. I hope I don’t come off as rude, but I really just want to sit there and read my scriptures unless something is in English. But it is just hard when they ask me to put in my input when I have no idea what the conversation was about or what everyone has already said.
After church, we got a taxi and the Sister paid for me. It was so kind of her. I then went home but the door was locked so I chilled with Annika and Theresea. I checked a few times to see if they had come back because I was hungry and wanted to change and grab the stickers for the kids. But they didn’t come home until I had already eaten at Elvis’s house and we were leaving. Elvis has been gone a few days now and none of us are sure where he really is. That’s Elvis for you though. He is a very busy guy with lots to do. At the house, I sewed Christy’s dress and fix Clements bed using a rock as a hammer and borrowing nails that the Incooms lent us so graciously. We hammered in the nails and now the kids can sleep on his thin mattress completely instead of the half bed he had been sleeping in. Annika left early because she was so tired. Theresa is very tired so and I am okay tired. I am just more hungry.
For the rest of night I will type and eat, hopefully a lot and then sleep. I will wake up at 4 to wake up Bertha to start her chores so she can go to school and then at 5:45 so we can walk up to the house early to help the kids get ready. Theresa and I will sleep at the house tomorrow night. Annika and I have started planning our trip for this weeknd to Volta Lake. I am excited. It should be really fun.
Feb. 5th-- Fatigue, Children's Names and A Bird
February 5, 2010
I am so stinkin’ tired! But I guess that is why I am here. To give of my time and energy and love. It was a successful day. I work up only a few times last night and then a few minutes to my alarm I woke up and laid in bed until 6:20 and left at 6:30. I waited for Annika to walk up to the House about 20 minutes and then guessed she had already left. Theresa and Austin stayed at the House last night. Now, I don’t know how the sleeping arangements turned out, but I think it worked out fine. Austin said it was an okay night and Theresea didn’t really sleep. Austin said it helped him realize all that we do. He said he brought out his belt last night with no intent to use but only to show it. He said the kids only resound to actions and threats like that. I was a little sad by that. But he is a very good guy doing a lot of good here.
They then left early, like 7 a.m., and Annika and I stayed a little after 8 waiting for Ester to come back after randomly leaving. So we stayed and cleaned and watched after Cho-joe because of course he couldn’t be left alone. We then came home, and I did laundry, had some powdered milk and warmed up leftovers and had something else for breakfast that I forgot about.
I then took a shared taxi to Abacrampa and a tro-tro to a town near Asaunsi, where the school is. Since the tro-tro didn’t want to drop me off at the, school I decided to just head down the road and join the next taxi or tro-tro that passed by instead of walking the whole mile distance. So a nice tro-tro- slash bus pulled over, and he offered a ride for free. He was very nice. I then arrived at the school and met Fred. I then went to the older kids, and we reviewed the songs we last learned. London Bridge, Twinkle Twinkle, Ring around the Rosie, and Hokie Pokie. They also taught me some of their songs. I then did a little music lesson teaching them doe-ray-me-fa-so-la-tea-doe. And after that, the beginning of Amazing Grace. Again, if you could send me children song lyrics that would be great because I am running out of ideas. I also taught them Mary Had a Little Lamb first verse and the Hand Slap game called “down by the banks of the hankie pankie” They liked it but I am running out of ideas, and they learn quick!! So help!! Any suggestions of lyrics would be great!!! After that, I was so tired!!! Fred recorded almost the whole thing too so I will be excited to show you videos!! I then went to the little kids and reviewed the same songs and taught them Mary Had a Little Lamb and also Head Shoulders Knees and Toes.
By then, I was just so out of energy but thankfully, around 12:30 school gets out. So we got a tro-tro, Fred, teacher, and about 5 other kids to head to Abacrampa and then Asebu. Fred bought my bananas and also paid for the trip. It was really nice of him to do that. Once home, I ate toasted bread and egg. And picked up my dress and skirt. They look pretty good. Sicilla did a great job, but I think I could have picked better fabric to fit the design. I think I will get to see fabric better and chose it better. But I really think that once you see it, you might want one too. Because they are so beautiful and depending on the fabric, you can chose something not too crazy and very nice.
After that I rested for about an hour and headed up to the house. The kids welcomed me, and I tried to hug everyone I could and then help them clean and wash. I helped Christy with homework. I felt good knowing that I had made such a good connection with Christy. I think she has come to know me as a loyal friend. Even though I want to be a friend with the kids, I also don’t want to at the same time. Because once you have a friendship I would have to leave and not see them for the rest of their young childhood or longer, that is just too much pain for a little child. So I will have a lot to think about. I then helped peel the oranges. The oranges here are green. But they still taste orange!! Anything orange is good with me!!!!! ^_^ Then fetched water and headed home around 5:30. I washed off all the sweat from the day and eat dinner.
Dinner was boiled plantain and red beans with powdered milk. Two minutes into the meal, I went and threw up so I think maybe my stomach just didn’t like the combo. But I will continue to be wise about what I eat. After dinner, we sat down, we as in Mrs. Incoom and Fred and I, to watch the videos that were taken at the school. I had interviewed Fred, who is a teacher/ principle at the school. We watched that and I am getting so excited to start this new video project. I will interview Mrs. Incoom and Pastor next week or so then I will get a rough draft to show everyone before I leave.
Other random things I forgot to write about is yesterday, John found a bird that had it’s wing broken and of course as kids do, pick it up and play/torment it. I just wanted the bird out of its misery. So we were chillin’ outside when a falcon came down in front of us, like 6 feet away, and grabbed that beautiful green bird with the broken and flew off with it. All the kids were like “WHOA!!!!” It took awhile to register what happened, and then we started to marvel and laugh at the same time. I was just glad that maybe the bird could be taken out of it’s misery sooner than later… or at least I hope. And then as for all of the kid’s names, you have Elvis Junior (Junior), Emanuel who is new and knows very little English, Pricilla, Samuel, Joshua, Joseph, Clement, Christy, Paul, Ruth, Margret, Grace, Angelina, and Cho-joe. I will write later to tell you more about them specifically. I love them so much and thank you for keeping everything in order over there for me.
So now I will be instructing Fred and Mrs. Incoom on how Mac computers work and also Facebook. So even though I am very tired and tomorrow I will be playing piano at the funeral from 8-4, at least tomorrow is Saturday and I can rest. Oh and the pastor and Fred are so so so appreciative of everything I am doing. Like they are so wonderful it almost makes me blush. Pastor said some parents called him after school to say how wonderful it was that I was there. So I feel so welcomed and blown away by how amazing the people are. And I actually haven’t received any email on Facebook from you. So I don’t know when you sent it, but I haven’t gotten any since your last one with Ghana Volunteers email. Thanks love you!!!
I am so stinkin’ tired! But I guess that is why I am here. To give of my time and energy and love. It was a successful day. I work up only a few times last night and then a few minutes to my alarm I woke up and laid in bed until 6:20 and left at 6:30. I waited for Annika to walk up to the House about 20 minutes and then guessed she had already left. Theresa and Austin stayed at the House last night. Now, I don’t know how the sleeping arangements turned out, but I think it worked out fine. Austin said it was an okay night and Theresea didn’t really sleep. Austin said it helped him realize all that we do. He said he brought out his belt last night with no intent to use but only to show it. He said the kids only resound to actions and threats like that. I was a little sad by that. But he is a very good guy doing a lot of good here.
They then left early, like 7 a.m., and Annika and I stayed a little after 8 waiting for Ester to come back after randomly leaving. So we stayed and cleaned and watched after Cho-joe because of course he couldn’t be left alone. We then came home, and I did laundry, had some powdered milk and warmed up leftovers and had something else for breakfast that I forgot about.
I then took a shared taxi to Abacrampa and a tro-tro to a town near Asaunsi, where the school is. Since the tro-tro didn’t want to drop me off at the, school I decided to just head down the road and join the next taxi or tro-tro that passed by instead of walking the whole mile distance. So a nice tro-tro- slash bus pulled over, and he offered a ride for free. He was very nice. I then arrived at the school and met Fred. I then went to the older kids, and we reviewed the songs we last learned. London Bridge, Twinkle Twinkle, Ring around the Rosie, and Hokie Pokie. They also taught me some of their songs. I then did a little music lesson teaching them doe-ray-me-fa-so-la-tea-doe. And after that, the beginning of Amazing Grace. Again, if you could send me children song lyrics that would be great because I am running out of ideas. I also taught them Mary Had a Little Lamb first verse and the Hand Slap game called “down by the banks of the hankie pankie” They liked it but I am running out of ideas, and they learn quick!! So help!! Any suggestions of lyrics would be great!!! After that, I was so tired!!! Fred recorded almost the whole thing too so I will be excited to show you videos!! I then went to the little kids and reviewed the same songs and taught them Mary Had a Little Lamb and also Head Shoulders Knees and Toes.
By then, I was just so out of energy but thankfully, around 12:30 school gets out. So we got a tro-tro, Fred, teacher, and about 5 other kids to head to Abacrampa and then Asebu. Fred bought my bananas and also paid for the trip. It was really nice of him to do that. Once home, I ate toasted bread and egg. And picked up my dress and skirt. They look pretty good. Sicilla did a great job, but I think I could have picked better fabric to fit the design. I think I will get to see fabric better and chose it better. But I really think that once you see it, you might want one too. Because they are so beautiful and depending on the fabric, you can chose something not too crazy and very nice.
After that I rested for about an hour and headed up to the house. The kids welcomed me, and I tried to hug everyone I could and then help them clean and wash. I helped Christy with homework. I felt good knowing that I had made such a good connection with Christy. I think she has come to know me as a loyal friend. Even though I want to be a friend with the kids, I also don’t want to at the same time. Because once you have a friendship I would have to leave and not see them for the rest of their young childhood or longer, that is just too much pain for a little child. So I will have a lot to think about. I then helped peel the oranges. The oranges here are green. But they still taste orange!! Anything orange is good with me!!!!! ^_^ Then fetched water and headed home around 5:30. I washed off all the sweat from the day and eat dinner.
Dinner was boiled plantain and red beans with powdered milk. Two minutes into the meal, I went and threw up so I think maybe my stomach just didn’t like the combo. But I will continue to be wise about what I eat. After dinner, we sat down, we as in Mrs. Incoom and Fred and I, to watch the videos that were taken at the school. I had interviewed Fred, who is a teacher/ principle at the school. We watched that and I am getting so excited to start this new video project. I will interview Mrs. Incoom and Pastor next week or so then I will get a rough draft to show everyone before I leave.
Other random things I forgot to write about is yesterday, John found a bird that had it’s wing broken and of course as kids do, pick it up and play/torment it. I just wanted the bird out of its misery. So we were chillin’ outside when a falcon came down in front of us, like 6 feet away, and grabbed that beautiful green bird with the broken and flew off with it. All the kids were like “WHOA!!!!” It took awhile to register what happened, and then we started to marvel and laugh at the same time. I was just glad that maybe the bird could be taken out of it’s misery sooner than later… or at least I hope. And then as for all of the kid’s names, you have Elvis Junior (Junior), Emanuel who is new and knows very little English, Pricilla, Samuel, Joshua, Joseph, Clement, Christy, Paul, Ruth, Margret, Grace, Angelina, and Cho-joe. I will write later to tell you more about them specifically. I love them so much and thank you for keeping everything in order over there for me.
So now I will be instructing Fred and Mrs. Incoom on how Mac computers work and also Facebook. So even though I am very tired and tomorrow I will be playing piano at the funeral from 8-4, at least tomorrow is Saturday and I can rest. Oh and the pastor and Fred are so so so appreciative of everything I am doing. Like they are so wonderful it almost makes me blush. Pastor said some parents called him after school to say how wonderful it was that I was there. So I feel so welcomed and blown away by how amazing the people are. And I actually haven’t received any email on Facebook from you. So I don’t know when you sent it, but I haven’t gotten any since your last one with Ghana Volunteers email. Thanks love you!!!
Feb 4th-- Huge Spiders & More Beatings
February 4, 2010
So many things happened today. Some good, some bad. But most importantly, at the end of the day, I am pretty happy and I feel at home. The kids have replaced my homesickness with love. I love them so much!!!
I slept alone last night at the House. Annika walked me up there to help put the kids to bed. Ester was not there, which surprised me. What if we didn’t come? The kids would have been left alone! So we got them ready, read them a story to candlelight all huddled together like a family. I then had Fi-Fi (who is a local boy around 21 or so. He used to live at the House, and we think he is a little mentally slow but he is seriously the coolest kid. He comes up to help and lay with the kids all the time) walk Annika home. So Cho-joe (which means Monday in Fante) was crying so much for Ruth, and I waited for him to calm down and then set him in bed. I locked the door by placing the bend nail over the door and waited for Ester. I was so tired from the day that I was about to pass out waiting for her until I saw two huge spiders on the wall. Well she eventually showed up in time for me to get some sleep. Well, I woke up every half hour worried and nervous. I don’t know about what, but I always had to check on the kids. Cho-joe peed his pants, as usual!!! Haha… he is so funny!!!
Then around 4:30 Esther started cooking breakfast and then around 5 in the morning she came in with a stick in her hand, walked past me, and started to beat John. The poor kid was sleeping and had to wake up being hit. The light switched on. He must have gotten beaten about 15 or 20 times he was able to get out of bed to head to the front where Esther wanted him to go. All along the way, she was still beating him. Once in the wash area, you could hear the slapping of skin on wood. I didn’t know what to do. I was told that we could not interfere. I just held the kids that were scared and waited. Around 5:30, I told the kids to get ready for the day. I tried to bathe Cho-joe, but he didn’t want to yet even though he smelled like pee.
Then I heard the stick against skin again. This time it was Christy pinned up against a wall with Esther hitting her. She is just 5 and the sweetest girl ever. She was saying “Ester blah blah blah” with something in Fante. Like a pleading to stop. I felt so bad. 30 seconds later, I just needed to do something so I wouldn’t cry and yell or run or do something. I started to wash dishes. Not a few minutes later, Esther was on Christy again in front of the kids. She beat her a little and then asked her to hold out her hand. There, she had to receive 8 hard slaps. She would flinch, and Ester would get anger, making the slaps harder. I wanted to jump in front and stop, but I was told not to. So after the 8 swipes, Ester sat down and started washing.
Then Elvis got into my pepper spray and sprayed it twice in the girls room. Everyone started coughing and sneezing. Once I found out, I pulled Elvis and explained would it was and that you can’t go and get into people’s things. But in a few minutes, we just started laughing. Then after that quick pause, I grabbed Christy outside so that she could cry. I imagine she was afraid to cry because she might get beaten for it. I pulled her outside and held her in my lap as she cried. It broke my heart as I wiped her tears. She then needed to wash and get ready for school so I asked her if she was ready. She almost was. We waited a little longer. In a minute, we stood up and then she stopped and started crying again. I knelt down and held her shoulders. She explained that Ester does that all the time and some other things I couldn’t really understand. I again wiped her tears and said I love her and that was a strong, beautiful girl. She was brave, and we went inside after I grabbed Cho-joe who had run outside. I didn’t know whether to be angry at Esther or myself, but I asked Annika and Theresa to come early in case I need to leave. They came around 6:30. So we did the usual. Get the kids to bathe, brush teeth, help them dress and shine their shoes, straighten their uniforms, get the food served. Christy lost her socks, and then we found them but they were wet. I was thinking about just making her put on the wet ones but I decided for today she had enough, and I let her get new ones for today. After they left, we had to wash all the bed sheets that were near the pepper spray and other cloths.
I then headed home and decided to go to the regional hospital because I had been feeling bad. The hospital was crazy. I waited for half an hour to get my folder, half and hour to be called the first time to move to the next room. Half hour to be called to get my vital signs, half hour to wait to see a nurse and then waited 30 minutes to see the doctor. There he sent me to the lab where I waited 30 half hour to give them a urine sample and pay. There, I saw a woman I thought was already dead. Her body was so thin she could stand or what seemed to breathe on her own. It crushed me. The whole experience was just so eye-opening. I want to help. They are people just like at home. They have problems and needs, just not the resources. Maybe I need to think more about going into the medical field.
I then took a shared taxi back to Cape Coast for 50 pesewas, bought some candy and tro-tro to Asebu. I meet a lot of very friendly people along the way too. It is so funny, but when you mert the men, they always say “When can I meet you again” or “Come see me again”. They are not so serious more over just a thing to say and if it happens to work out, then great. Once there, I hadn’t done laundry or gone to the clinic and I needed to. So I ate real quickly and headed to the clinic.
After that, I talked with Mrs. Incoom about the beating. She is just as opposed to beating as me. She teaches ICT (computer class), and she is the only teacher to not beat the kids and she has the only class the kids are good at and want to go to. Imagine that!!! She gave me some insight about how to address the problem at the House and how to talk to Elvis and Esther. I just think that if you have to use fear to gain power over someone, then you have no real power. And beating isn’t discipline, it is abuse. And when does the cycle end? It almost never does. I understand it is cultural and in All of Africa so I have to find a balance of keeping my beliefs but also being silent sometimes. I hope though that at least at the House, the beatings can stop. That is their home. A place of refuge. NO child should have to live where they worry about waking up to being beaten, or while eating or playing. It is unhealthy. After that, I went up to the house and played with the kids. Christy didn’t want to do her homework so I went back with her and told her if she did her homework, for only this time, she could have a piece of toffee (candy is called toffee here). So she did it. Beating just doesn’t do it. You can punish other ways, but rewarding a child is one good technique.
We then fetched water (we always carry it on our heads. It really is easier that way) and then we left around 6. So I came home and showered and now I am writing. Since I haven’t really slept at all, I am tired. But not like I could just fall asleep, rather just needing a break. So I will eat dinner and think about today. There are so many things I am learning and need to continually learn. But I can definitely say I want to come back. This is like a second home. I love it. While the food and life style are different, I feel at home still.
And as for next weekend, we are for sure going to Volta Lake to take the water tour. I will go with Annika and her friend. We will leave Friday morning and get to our hotel in a town starting with “A” by dark. On Saturday, we will tour the lake. Since we don’t want to travel at night, we will spend another night at the guest house hotel and travel back Sunday. It will be fun!!!
So many things happened today. Some good, some bad. But most importantly, at the end of the day, I am pretty happy and I feel at home. The kids have replaced my homesickness with love. I love them so much!!!
I slept alone last night at the House. Annika walked me up there to help put the kids to bed. Ester was not there, which surprised me. What if we didn’t come? The kids would have been left alone! So we got them ready, read them a story to candlelight all huddled together like a family. I then had Fi-Fi (who is a local boy around 21 or so. He used to live at the House, and we think he is a little mentally slow but he is seriously the coolest kid. He comes up to help and lay with the kids all the time) walk Annika home. So Cho-joe (which means Monday in Fante) was crying so much for Ruth, and I waited for him to calm down and then set him in bed. I locked the door by placing the bend nail over the door and waited for Ester. I was so tired from the day that I was about to pass out waiting for her until I saw two huge spiders on the wall. Well she eventually showed up in time for me to get some sleep. Well, I woke up every half hour worried and nervous. I don’t know about what, but I always had to check on the kids. Cho-joe peed his pants, as usual!!! Haha… he is so funny!!!
Then around 4:30 Esther started cooking breakfast and then around 5 in the morning she came in with a stick in her hand, walked past me, and started to beat John. The poor kid was sleeping and had to wake up being hit. The light switched on. He must have gotten beaten about 15 or 20 times he was able to get out of bed to head to the front where Esther wanted him to go. All along the way, she was still beating him. Once in the wash area, you could hear the slapping of skin on wood. I didn’t know what to do. I was told that we could not interfere. I just held the kids that were scared and waited. Around 5:30, I told the kids to get ready for the day. I tried to bathe Cho-joe, but he didn’t want to yet even though he smelled like pee.
Then I heard the stick against skin again. This time it was Christy pinned up against a wall with Esther hitting her. She is just 5 and the sweetest girl ever. She was saying “Ester blah blah blah” with something in Fante. Like a pleading to stop. I felt so bad. 30 seconds later, I just needed to do something so I wouldn’t cry and yell or run or do something. I started to wash dishes. Not a few minutes later, Esther was on Christy again in front of the kids. She beat her a little and then asked her to hold out her hand. There, she had to receive 8 hard slaps. She would flinch, and Ester would get anger, making the slaps harder. I wanted to jump in front and stop, but I was told not to. So after the 8 swipes, Ester sat down and started washing.
Then Elvis got into my pepper spray and sprayed it twice in the girls room. Everyone started coughing and sneezing. Once I found out, I pulled Elvis and explained would it was and that you can’t go and get into people’s things. But in a few minutes, we just started laughing. Then after that quick pause, I grabbed Christy outside so that she could cry. I imagine she was afraid to cry because she might get beaten for it. I pulled her outside and held her in my lap as she cried. It broke my heart as I wiped her tears. She then needed to wash and get ready for school so I asked her if she was ready. She almost was. We waited a little longer. In a minute, we stood up and then she stopped and started crying again. I knelt down and held her shoulders. She explained that Ester does that all the time and some other things I couldn’t really understand. I again wiped her tears and said I love her and that was a strong, beautiful girl. She was brave, and we went inside after I grabbed Cho-joe who had run outside. I didn’t know whether to be angry at Esther or myself, but I asked Annika and Theresa to come early in case I need to leave. They came around 6:30. So we did the usual. Get the kids to bathe, brush teeth, help them dress and shine their shoes, straighten their uniforms, get the food served. Christy lost her socks, and then we found them but they were wet. I was thinking about just making her put on the wet ones but I decided for today she had enough, and I let her get new ones for today. After they left, we had to wash all the bed sheets that were near the pepper spray and other cloths.
I then headed home and decided to go to the regional hospital because I had been feeling bad. The hospital was crazy. I waited for half an hour to get my folder, half and hour to be called the first time to move to the next room. Half hour to be called to get my vital signs, half hour to wait to see a nurse and then waited 30 minutes to see the doctor. There he sent me to the lab where I waited 30 half hour to give them a urine sample and pay. There, I saw a woman I thought was already dead. Her body was so thin she could stand or what seemed to breathe on her own. It crushed me. The whole experience was just so eye-opening. I want to help. They are people just like at home. They have problems and needs, just not the resources. Maybe I need to think more about going into the medical field.
I then took a shared taxi back to Cape Coast for 50 pesewas, bought some candy and tro-tro to Asebu. I meet a lot of very friendly people along the way too. It is so funny, but when you mert the men, they always say “When can I meet you again” or “Come see me again”. They are not so serious more over just a thing to say and if it happens to work out, then great. Once there, I hadn’t done laundry or gone to the clinic and I needed to. So I ate real quickly and headed to the clinic.
After that, I talked with Mrs. Incoom about the beating. She is just as opposed to beating as me. She teaches ICT (computer class), and she is the only teacher to not beat the kids and she has the only class the kids are good at and want to go to. Imagine that!!! She gave me some insight about how to address the problem at the House and how to talk to Elvis and Esther. I just think that if you have to use fear to gain power over someone, then you have no real power. And beating isn’t discipline, it is abuse. And when does the cycle end? It almost never does. I understand it is cultural and in All of Africa so I have to find a balance of keeping my beliefs but also being silent sometimes. I hope though that at least at the House, the beatings can stop. That is their home. A place of refuge. NO child should have to live where they worry about waking up to being beaten, or while eating or playing. It is unhealthy. After that, I went up to the house and played with the kids. Christy didn’t want to do her homework so I went back with her and told her if she did her homework, for only this time, she could have a piece of toffee (candy is called toffee here). So she did it. Beating just doesn’t do it. You can punish other ways, but rewarding a child is one good technique.
We then fetched water (we always carry it on our heads. It really is easier that way) and then we left around 6. So I came home and showered and now I am writing. Since I haven’t really slept at all, I am tired. But not like I could just fall asleep, rather just needing a break. So I will eat dinner and think about today. There are so many things I am learning and need to continually learn. But I can definitely say I want to come back. This is like a second home. I love it. While the food and life style are different, I feel at home still.
And as for next weekend, we are for sure going to Volta Lake to take the water tour. I will go with Annika and her friend. We will leave Friday morning and get to our hotel in a town starting with “A” by dark. On Saturday, we will tour the lake. Since we don’t want to travel at night, we will spend another night at the guest house hotel and travel back Sunday. It will be fun!!!
February 2nd-- Lying, Malaria & Games
February 2, 2010
Yesterday at the House, the kids gave me some fresh papaya. It tastes pretty good and sweet. For today, I had another night where I woke up every hour. It was hot even with the fan, and I just couldn’t sleep. Although, last night the power was out for like 6 hours so I couldn’t get the interview done for AnnLouise that I am wanting. But I found out that she is actually leaving tomorrow. She just got her dates mixed up. So I will still be able to interview her.
So I walked over to meet the girls at Elvis’s house around 6:30 and headed out ten minutes later. Theresa came back last night safe and sound from her trip to Tamale. Once we got there, we got everyone ready for school, brushing teeth, bathing, eating, and getting dressed. Joseph has this problem with lying a lot though. He always says he brushes he teeth or that he already bathed or washed his cloths when he doesn’t. So we have to get on him, and he likes the attention. So we try and show in a loving way to get your butt in gear but not give him the attention he gets from complaining. Today, we told me that he lost a pair of socks when I gave some to him yesterday. So I asked him to show me and of course you could tell he was lying. Eventually, we got it out of him that he wanted new socks because he didn’t wash his yesterday. So we were like “Whatever” and just went on with the rest of the morning. He was mopey and wasn’t getting ready until the last minute. So, we feel bad that he might be cained at school but all we can do is do what we are doing. It is hard to always ask the children if they have done their chores or whatever, because they lie all the time, and I hate to check because I want them to know that I trust them and not have to treat them otherwise, but that is just what we have to do.
I then left for the clinic to go pick up the Anti-malaria pills because Christy started shivering and just feeling like crap. But I found out they didn’t have it. I was kind of mad about that. She said, “We have to call Auntie Mary to go buy some.” So, even though you test tons of people, you don’t have it, even though I came yesterday, and they are kids for goodness sake!!! Christy is getting worse. She won’t eat or drink a lot and sweats and has still have a fever. I just don’t want her to get to seriously ill. So I was just a little frustrated.
I then washed clothes and headed back up after grabbing a piece of bread with jam on it. There, I took vital signs again. They again wanted me to be able to just speak Fante, but I decided to try and joke with them to help them understand that how can I speak the language if I haven’t had either time or material to learn? But I might just have to deal with it. I found it interesting that I realized how much lying is excepted in areas in Ghana. Like at the Clinic, when you ask for medical history, like age, birth date, pregnancies or health insurance, they lie all the time. One example was a lady came up, 3 weeks pregnant with 5 other previous children. I asked her birth date she said “13”. I then had to have someone translate to her what I was really asking, and I found out she was trying to say she was 13, then she changed her saying so it was 14. But the whole time she had this joking atmosphere about her like she knew what she was doing but wasn’t going to give up information. So we just made up an age of 34 and made up some other history. There have been quite a few examples of that. That is something I really wish to change if I could. And with the insurance, people will bring insurance that isn’t their own. The only way we can tell is by checking the age. They have no I.D. so the one time I found out is wasn’t her insurance was when she was like 30 or 40 and the insurance was for someone under 15. It just blows my mind. Both that people lie and that medical history will just be made up. But what can I do? Any suggestions?!? ^_^
After that, I came home and did laundry and cleaned my room a little bit. I tried some dairy with sugar and Milo (milo is like chocolate powder to milk chocolate milk) but it still tastes very good, and Mrs. Incoom is gone so I don’t really know what to do about food. So I opened a can of tuna and ate that too. I also checked up on my shirt and dress that I am having Sicillia making. She will be done tomorrow she says. I hope they fit. AnnLouise had a problem with hers earlier. But I will take pictures and see if anyone is interested in something like that. The skirts and dresses are super cute here for pretty cheap. I will also take pictures of fabrics so the family can chose if they want something. I found this cute fabric at Sicillia’s that has pairs of three circles that are brown and blue with a crème background and dots around it. It would make a cute skirt.
For the second part of the day, it was just purely amazing. We went back up to the house and I learned four new games that the children play. I got a few of them on camera. One is like tic tac toe. You grab a rock and etch in the cement or ground this design
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Each person has three stones. You take turns moving your rocks around until you get three in a row placing the rocks in the corner points, including the center. I played with Clement and he was pretty good. 9 to 10 and I won this one. The other game is similar except you have 4 of those designs in one big square, each person has ten rocks and you play it like checkers. Another was colors, Change Your style and Be Like That, and Blink. With colors you have everyone line up in a line, one person tells everyone a color and the lead person in front of the line will yell a color. If she yells “green” and you were told your color is green, you have to run to the safe circle before you’re caught. Change Your style is you start with hand clapping and the leader will yell something like “Change your style and you start dancing and every time they say change your style, you have to change and freeze in place. When they say Be Like That, you don’t move. If you do move your out. And Blink, Annika and Thersea taught. You pair up with a person and get the group in a circle. One person is single and that is the leader. They will blink at someone and that person needs to run to the leader before their partner catches them. If their partner doesn’t catch them, they become the leader.
After the games, the kids were washing their clothes and then starting having a throw the bubbles at each other war. I then got my video camera out, and we just got a lot of shots. I even interviewed Elvis Jr., Charity, Angelina, and Clement. We then needed to leave. I then got the Malaria pills for Christy and Margaret. I called mom to tell them that since I got here, I was hoping and praying that I would have a least one day that I could say was a good day all around. That I was happy all day. Today was a good day. Even with its difficulties, I really loved it.
We then went back up to put the kids to bed. Everything was going great until Elvis Jr. said something short and mean to Clement, and Clement got angry. Clement is always picked on and he is getting really bad anger issues. This time, he picked up a big needle or some piece of metal that was at least 4 inches long and started to climb over to Elvis to stab him. AnneLouise and I grabbed him and put him outside for about a half an hour to cool him down. I talked with Elvis but not in anger. I said “I need to talk to you like an adult.” I think he responded better than the yelling that sometimes happens but we will see. So I talked with Elvis Jr. about him being mean but I am just going to have to watch out for them. So it was a late night, and it will again be an early morning.
And also, I want to make some American dish for my host family. Do you have any ideas? I am pretty sure I can find all the ingredients but there is no oven, just pots and no cheese and soy or powered or evaporated milk. If you have a suggestion, that would be great. Love you!!!!
Yesterday at the House, the kids gave me some fresh papaya. It tastes pretty good and sweet. For today, I had another night where I woke up every hour. It was hot even with the fan, and I just couldn’t sleep. Although, last night the power was out for like 6 hours so I couldn’t get the interview done for AnnLouise that I am wanting. But I found out that she is actually leaving tomorrow. She just got her dates mixed up. So I will still be able to interview her.
So I walked over to meet the girls at Elvis’s house around 6:30 and headed out ten minutes later. Theresa came back last night safe and sound from her trip to Tamale. Once we got there, we got everyone ready for school, brushing teeth, bathing, eating, and getting dressed. Joseph has this problem with lying a lot though. He always says he brushes he teeth or that he already bathed or washed his cloths when he doesn’t. So we have to get on him, and he likes the attention. So we try and show in a loving way to get your butt in gear but not give him the attention he gets from complaining. Today, we told me that he lost a pair of socks when I gave some to him yesterday. So I asked him to show me and of course you could tell he was lying. Eventually, we got it out of him that he wanted new socks because he didn’t wash his yesterday. So we were like “Whatever” and just went on with the rest of the morning. He was mopey and wasn’t getting ready until the last minute. So, we feel bad that he might be cained at school but all we can do is do what we are doing. It is hard to always ask the children if they have done their chores or whatever, because they lie all the time, and I hate to check because I want them to know that I trust them and not have to treat them otherwise, but that is just what we have to do.
I then left for the clinic to go pick up the Anti-malaria pills because Christy started shivering and just feeling like crap. But I found out they didn’t have it. I was kind of mad about that. She said, “We have to call Auntie Mary to go buy some.” So, even though you test tons of people, you don’t have it, even though I came yesterday, and they are kids for goodness sake!!! Christy is getting worse. She won’t eat or drink a lot and sweats and has still have a fever. I just don’t want her to get to seriously ill. So I was just a little frustrated.
I then washed clothes and headed back up after grabbing a piece of bread with jam on it. There, I took vital signs again. They again wanted me to be able to just speak Fante, but I decided to try and joke with them to help them understand that how can I speak the language if I haven’t had either time or material to learn? But I might just have to deal with it. I found it interesting that I realized how much lying is excepted in areas in Ghana. Like at the Clinic, when you ask for medical history, like age, birth date, pregnancies or health insurance, they lie all the time. One example was a lady came up, 3 weeks pregnant with 5 other previous children. I asked her birth date she said “13”. I then had to have someone translate to her what I was really asking, and I found out she was trying to say she was 13, then she changed her saying so it was 14. But the whole time she had this joking atmosphere about her like she knew what she was doing but wasn’t going to give up information. So we just made up an age of 34 and made up some other history. There have been quite a few examples of that. That is something I really wish to change if I could. And with the insurance, people will bring insurance that isn’t their own. The only way we can tell is by checking the age. They have no I.D. so the one time I found out is wasn’t her insurance was when she was like 30 or 40 and the insurance was for someone under 15. It just blows my mind. Both that people lie and that medical history will just be made up. But what can I do? Any suggestions?!? ^_^
After that, I came home and did laundry and cleaned my room a little bit. I tried some dairy with sugar and Milo (milo is like chocolate powder to milk chocolate milk) but it still tastes very good, and Mrs. Incoom is gone so I don’t really know what to do about food. So I opened a can of tuna and ate that too. I also checked up on my shirt and dress that I am having Sicillia making. She will be done tomorrow she says. I hope they fit. AnnLouise had a problem with hers earlier. But I will take pictures and see if anyone is interested in something like that. The skirts and dresses are super cute here for pretty cheap. I will also take pictures of fabrics so the family can chose if they want something. I found this cute fabric at Sicillia’s that has pairs of three circles that are brown and blue with a crème background and dots around it. It would make a cute skirt.
For the second part of the day, it was just purely amazing. We went back up to the house and I learned four new games that the children play. I got a few of them on camera. One is like tic tac toe. You grab a rock and etch in the cement or ground this design
------------
| \ | / |
| \ | / |
| \ | / |
| / | \ |
| / | \ |
| / | \ |
------------
Each person has three stones. You take turns moving your rocks around until you get three in a row placing the rocks in the corner points, including the center. I played with Clement and he was pretty good. 9 to 10 and I won this one. The other game is similar except you have 4 of those designs in one big square, each person has ten rocks and you play it like checkers. Another was colors, Change Your style and Be Like That, and Blink. With colors you have everyone line up in a line, one person tells everyone a color and the lead person in front of the line will yell a color. If she yells “green” and you were told your color is green, you have to run to the safe circle before you’re caught. Change Your style is you start with hand clapping and the leader will yell something like “Change your style and you start dancing and every time they say change your style, you have to change and freeze in place. When they say Be Like That, you don’t move. If you do move your out. And Blink, Annika and Thersea taught. You pair up with a person and get the group in a circle. One person is single and that is the leader. They will blink at someone and that person needs to run to the leader before their partner catches them. If their partner doesn’t catch them, they become the leader.
After the games, the kids were washing their clothes and then starting having a throw the bubbles at each other war. I then got my video camera out, and we just got a lot of shots. I even interviewed Elvis Jr., Charity, Angelina, and Clement. We then needed to leave. I then got the Malaria pills for Christy and Margaret. I called mom to tell them that since I got here, I was hoping and praying that I would have a least one day that I could say was a good day all around. That I was happy all day. Today was a good day. Even with its difficulties, I really loved it.
We then went back up to put the kids to bed. Everything was going great until Elvis Jr. said something short and mean to Clement, and Clement got angry. Clement is always picked on and he is getting really bad anger issues. This time, he picked up a big needle or some piece of metal that was at least 4 inches long and started to climb over to Elvis to stab him. AnneLouise and I grabbed him and put him outside for about a half an hour to cool him down. I talked with Elvis but not in anger. I said “I need to talk to you like an adult.” I think he responded better than the yelling that sometimes happens but we will see. So I talked with Elvis Jr. about him being mean but I am just going to have to watch out for them. So it was a late night, and it will again be an early morning.
And also, I want to make some American dish for my host family. Do you have any ideas? I am pretty sure I can find all the ingredients but there is no oven, just pots and no cheese and soy or powered or evaporated milk. If you have a suggestion, that would be great. Love you!!!!
February 3rd-- Children's Songs, Ants & Beatings
February 3, 2010
It was a very tiring day today. I woke up only a few times last night and got an okay sleep, but just not enough. I woke up a few minutes before my alarm at 5:55. I got up and headed over to pick up the girls. We walked up through the shortcut way (which by the way, a lady sells fan Milk if I haven’t already told you. That just makes Aseibu the best place ever!!) I helped make beds, get the kids washed, wash clothes and dishes. We headed out early around 8, but I was glad because I needed to go Pastor’s Assembly of God primary school to teach my music class. So I ate breakfast and went on my way not knowing what I was really going to be doing. So I “fake-e-o-so-ed” it. I toke a taxi for 60 pesewas when he asked for 2 cedi. So I am getting better at bargaining. Then I got a tro-tro to Asunansi when the school is. He drove me directly to the school for an extra 10 pesewas which was a good deal. Driving by, he yelled to a friend “Ah! This is my wife!”. And of course as you drive by, people always notice you, and the kids always call out obroni! Obroni! So I have just gotten used to waving now.
At the school, Fred welcomed and got me started with the older kids. I found out that they knew “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. The ages for the older group is around 5-8 maybe. So today, we sang Twinkle Twinkle, I taught them London Bridge, Ring around the Rosies, and the Hokie Pokie. They really loved the Hokie Pokie. And the great part is that in Cape Coast, the first bridge to ever be made in Ghana supposedly is called London Bridge, so they can relate to the song… kind of. Fred would translate and teach some of the times. But it was fun. Going to the little age group, 1 year to 4 or so was a lot more difficult. No one knows English, and they don’t really sing along. So you just teach them actions and sing really loud, and they join in on the easy parts. But they are so dang cute!!! O I love the kids. So I was hoping that maybe mom and dad, you could look up the lyrics to children’s song that I might know because I know I know a lot of songs, but I just can’t remember them all and all the correct lyrics. Thanks!!! Then I went back to the older age group since they were back from lunch and we reviewed the songs. They really like Hokie Pokie, did I tell you!! ^_^
So I then said good bye to go look for Fred as to what to do. There the kids are so cute saying “bye-Bye”. The baby of the group, maybe 1 or so, was crying following after me. When I picked him, he had the happiest grin on his face. They are so cute. In Ghana, all of the children are very disciplined. At schools, they are taught English in this manor “How are you? We are fine. Thank you. And You? I am fine also. Thank you.” So anytime you ask someone, middle aged or small, they always so “I’m fine” in a certain way that reminds me of how they say it at school. So it is fun to play along with it.
Fred then rode with me back to the tro-tro station where I got a tro-tro for 40 or 60 pesewas. It was crowed but the people were friendly. One my way over there, an older man mention that I should come back to see him. He said “Come back to see me. Come back to see me!” A lot of people say that to you. Especially the older men. At home, I was very tired. I read a book, ate an orange, ate some crackers and then opened my can of tuna with the knife, having to scrape off all the ants that crawl around everywhere. I have just come to live with ants. Eating, sleeping, washing.
Since Mrs. Incoom wasn’t home, I didn’t really know what to eat so I was just snacking. I then cut a slice of bread and put jam on it. I am going to try and find peanut butter soon so I can make a PB and J. We then said good bye to AnneLouise. I will be very sad to not have her around anymore. She was such a blessing in my life.
I then checked to see if my dresses were ready, but the power was out so they said they couldn’t finish, even though the sewing machines are cranked by hand, but that doesn’t matter. I am in no rush. Well, you really can’t be here. I then took an hour break, headed over to hang with the girls, chilled for a little bit, and we left, got a fan Yogo, Theresa is having Annika making another dress for her so we dropped off the cloth and went to the House. There we helped with homework, washed more clothes making sure their socks and uniforms were clean and played with more Playdough.
Elvis came by. He came up with a stick in his hand. He told us how Joshua was leaving his shoes outside and not taking care of them, and then he should beat him for it. And then he went off about a lot of different things --the whole time beating the table with the stick. Immediately, I just stopped respecting what he was saying at the moment because I will not respond to such disrespect for myself and my fellow volunteers and especially children from such violence. I am very displeased in Elvis for that, but that is what he believes in I guess. Theresa was there also when he was talking and beating his stick on the table and we both asked “Can you throw the stick away or for me I said I don’t use sticks”. So it is different. We stayed until 5:45 and now it is almost 7:30 for when I should leave. I will be staying at the House alone tonight to take care of the kids. I am not too nervous, but I certainly am tired so I hope they are good tonight, but if not, I can’t really change that. I love them so much. While I still count the days to when I get home, I am turning more into counting the days in dread from when I have to leave the children. I want to take them home with me and give them a good life where they can get a good education and be whatever they want to be without being suppressed by the education and schooling they receive.
So it was a good day today. I am tired but that is why I am here. I got a blister from draining clothes, so maybe I will only wash instead of doing the last staining to hang the cloths. But things are good here. I am starting to feel a little bit more at home.
It was a very tiring day today. I woke up only a few times last night and got an okay sleep, but just not enough. I woke up a few minutes before my alarm at 5:55. I got up and headed over to pick up the girls. We walked up through the shortcut way (which by the way, a lady sells fan Milk if I haven’t already told you. That just makes Aseibu the best place ever!!) I helped make beds, get the kids washed, wash clothes and dishes. We headed out early around 8, but I was glad because I needed to go Pastor’s Assembly of God primary school to teach my music class. So I ate breakfast and went on my way not knowing what I was really going to be doing. So I “fake-e-o-so-ed” it. I toke a taxi for 60 pesewas when he asked for 2 cedi. So I am getting better at bargaining. Then I got a tro-tro to Asunansi when the school is. He drove me directly to the school for an extra 10 pesewas which was a good deal. Driving by, he yelled to a friend “Ah! This is my wife!”. And of course as you drive by, people always notice you, and the kids always call out obroni! Obroni! So I have just gotten used to waving now.
At the school, Fred welcomed and got me started with the older kids. I found out that they knew “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. The ages for the older group is around 5-8 maybe. So today, we sang Twinkle Twinkle, I taught them London Bridge, Ring around the Rosies, and the Hokie Pokie. They really loved the Hokie Pokie. And the great part is that in Cape Coast, the first bridge to ever be made in Ghana supposedly is called London Bridge, so they can relate to the song… kind of. Fred would translate and teach some of the times. But it was fun. Going to the little age group, 1 year to 4 or so was a lot more difficult. No one knows English, and they don’t really sing along. So you just teach them actions and sing really loud, and they join in on the easy parts. But they are so dang cute!!! O I love the kids. So I was hoping that maybe mom and dad, you could look up the lyrics to children’s song that I might know because I know I know a lot of songs, but I just can’t remember them all and all the correct lyrics. Thanks!!! Then I went back to the older age group since they were back from lunch and we reviewed the songs. They really like Hokie Pokie, did I tell you!! ^_^
So I then said good bye to go look for Fred as to what to do. There the kids are so cute saying “bye-Bye”. The baby of the group, maybe 1 or so, was crying following after me. When I picked him, he had the happiest grin on his face. They are so cute. In Ghana, all of the children are very disciplined. At schools, they are taught English in this manor “How are you? We are fine. Thank you. And You? I am fine also. Thank you.” So anytime you ask someone, middle aged or small, they always so “I’m fine” in a certain way that reminds me of how they say it at school. So it is fun to play along with it.
Fred then rode with me back to the tro-tro station where I got a tro-tro for 40 or 60 pesewas. It was crowed but the people were friendly. One my way over there, an older man mention that I should come back to see him. He said “Come back to see me. Come back to see me!” A lot of people say that to you. Especially the older men. At home, I was very tired. I read a book, ate an orange, ate some crackers and then opened my can of tuna with the knife, having to scrape off all the ants that crawl around everywhere. I have just come to live with ants. Eating, sleeping, washing.
Since Mrs. Incoom wasn’t home, I didn’t really know what to eat so I was just snacking. I then cut a slice of bread and put jam on it. I am going to try and find peanut butter soon so I can make a PB and J. We then said good bye to AnneLouise. I will be very sad to not have her around anymore. She was such a blessing in my life.
I then checked to see if my dresses were ready, but the power was out so they said they couldn’t finish, even though the sewing machines are cranked by hand, but that doesn’t matter. I am in no rush. Well, you really can’t be here. I then took an hour break, headed over to hang with the girls, chilled for a little bit, and we left, got a fan Yogo, Theresa is having Annika making another dress for her so we dropped off the cloth and went to the House. There we helped with homework, washed more clothes making sure their socks and uniforms were clean and played with more Playdough.
Elvis came by. He came up with a stick in his hand. He told us how Joshua was leaving his shoes outside and not taking care of them, and then he should beat him for it. And then he went off about a lot of different things --the whole time beating the table with the stick. Immediately, I just stopped respecting what he was saying at the moment because I will not respond to such disrespect for myself and my fellow volunteers and especially children from such violence. I am very displeased in Elvis for that, but that is what he believes in I guess. Theresa was there also when he was talking and beating his stick on the table and we both asked “Can you throw the stick away or for me I said I don’t use sticks”. So it is different. We stayed until 5:45 and now it is almost 7:30 for when I should leave. I will be staying at the House alone tonight to take care of the kids. I am not too nervous, but I certainly am tired so I hope they are good tonight, but if not, I can’t really change that. I love them so much. While I still count the days to when I get home, I am turning more into counting the days in dread from when I have to leave the children. I want to take them home with me and give them a good life where they can get a good education and be whatever they want to be without being suppressed by the education and schooling they receive.
So it was a good day today. I am tired but that is why I am here. I got a blister from draining clothes, so maybe I will only wash instead of doing the last staining to hang the cloths. But things are good here. I am starting to feel a little bit more at home.
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