January 27, 2010
AnnLouise and I slept at the House last night. Got there after it was dark and Fire, their puppy, walked us half way there. They were playing bingo and cards. Cho-go pooped in his pants so I helped wash him and get new clothes on. Then Clement threw a huge tantrum and was trying to ALMOST literally kill Elivs Jr., Sammy, and Joseph. I tried to pull Clement away thinking they were just having a usual fight, but he fought back and got away instantly. So Annluoise grabbed Clement and went to the other room. I tried to maintain the rest of the children in doing what there were previously doing. A few minutes later, I went to go check on Clement and AnnLuoise but so did a lot of the kids come too. So right when Clement saw Elvis his body tensed and he again tried to hit, punch, push, and scream at him. So once again, AnnLuoise grabbed him, threw him over her shoulder and brought him the outside steps. I shuffled all the kids back into their room and sent them to bed without a story last night. 15 minutes later I went to check again. There, Annluoise told me about how much Clement is picked on. He is 8 and the other boys are older, like 10 and 11. They always speak fante so we don’t know what they are saying but Elvis obviously knows what he is doing. I saw the three poke their head out the porch, when they should have been in bed and I asked them what they were doing. They wanted to go to the bathroom, all of them. I said no, you can go in the bucket you use at night because both AnnLousie and I knew that they were just trying to agitate Clement again. So we let them out and Elvis deliberately walked in front on Clement laughed and smiled. Clement again went rigid. So when the boys went back in, Clement decided to follow. AnnLousie and I decided to let him go and see what happened. Well, Clement threw a pretty good punch to Elvis’s shoulder and he hit the ground I grabbed Clement, sat him on the porch with me, and rocked him until he fell asleep. Once everyone was pretty tired and the lights were out, we both thought it was safe to lay Clement in his bed. It is just not healthy for a young boy to be picked on so much and have his life result in anger. So we are trying to think of what can be done. Paul, one of the older ones, who is neutral in the situation, uses violence and yelling to punish the kids. That is what he was raised to use, that is what has been used on him. It is all so sad. The kids will pick up flip flops and hit each other all the time. I hope some day that the violence will diminish. The rest of the night I of course didn’t sleep. I tossed and turned, just thinking or not thinking. It made me laugh when I unknowingly tried to cuddle with AnnLousie and she gently and friendly pushed me backed.
At 3, some random number tried to call me. I hung up the first 3 times but answered the 4th because maybe it was important. Well, we couldn’t hear each other and it didn’t sound urgent, and I didn’t want to wake the kids so I just hung up. He tried to call another 10 times before I just turned off the phone. It’s weird, but it seems that a lot of people have no concern about time, night or day.
Cho-go then wet his bed around 5, we washed and cleaned him and waited for everyone to get up around 5:30 or 6. We got two new kids yesterday too. Emauel, 13, and and a young girl around 11 or 12 named something like Annibell. They have already felt somewhat at home and have blended very well.
Elvis Senior came by this morning and showed and taught us some things that had not yet been mentioned. It was very helpful because when you come and go, you just usually guess at what you are supposed to be doing. So we are getting into a routine now. The kids made their beds so that they don’t get beaten. I haven’t witnessed a bad beating yet so I don’t know what I will do when I see it. I pray no child I know ever gets one. I then helped Cho-go eat his ground nut porridge. I think that was one of the first times I have feed a baby. I realized how little I have been around young children and what a blessing it is for me to be around this wonderful kids. I am really falling in love with them. But it is hard. Not knowing or being comfortable around kids to just jump in, but I think I know enough that I am doing okay. The volunteers are very helpful.
We then left and walked with some of the kids to the bus station. I am now at home and very tired. I am going to go buy some sugar and dairy and other things at Cape Coast. I just think to help buy the sugar would be nice because I use a lot to add flavor to the oatmeal and starch pancakes. And the dairy because it is an instant meal.
So I am very tired. Only a few hours of rest but I will just wait until tonight to sleep. I mentioned to Elvis Senior today that I am experienced in music, and he said that I should teach the children gospel music. So I was hoping that maybe mom and dad, you could look at that gospel hymn book, photocopy some pages, and email them to me and maybe even send a few through the mail that would be great. Just easy ones with simple English. I don’t know yet what I can do, but I thought that was a great idea. I have been thinking about what I can leave the kids to permanently stay in their lives. Because so many people come in and out of their lives that sometimes you wished the kids wouldn’t get so attached to you because you are just going to leave them. But maybe music will give them something more than just what I am doing now. Maybe Saturday or Sunday music classes. And they are starting to call me Madam Lauren, so they are getting to know my name. And I am getting better too. Elvis Senior said that we are also going to be getting two more kids this or next week as well.
I am slow trying to include the picture of where I am staying. There is the Shower and toilet. Also where I wash my clothes in the hand sink. Everything drains to a hole to the side of the house. There is then the kitchen which smells like mold because the plantains and yams are put on the ground for a long time. Then the hall with the fist door you see on the left being my room, the second door is Pee-Pee’s where I stayed the first night, on the right in the Incooms room and the door straight ahead is the hall. That is their family room. Outside is what their house looks like. With a coconut tree and I think plantain trees. You can see where we hang our clothes to dry.
And here is some more fante. Blah menas come here. Da means sleep. So at night, we say “Da” and the kids say “Men Da” meaning no sleep. “men” means no. So “Men di” means no eat. Wah-flo-wha-den means what is your name. I need to learn “By God’s Grace” because that is the usual answer or How are you “Wa-han-te-sane?”
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
January 25, 2010-- Washing Clothes, Ouchy Hands, Stupid Malaria Pills!
January 25, 2010
I have decided the thing I miss most about home other than family and friends: a washer and dryer. Today was the roughest day for my hands yet. There should be some pictures on facebook now. But both of my hands were bleeding a little but everything is just rubbed raw. So when I put on hand sanitizer like I do often, OUCH!!!! So I even try not to make a fist or anything. But it is teaching me a lot about myself and discipline. I woke up this morning and headed to The House. Bathed Cho-JO and Priscilla and did laundry and hung them to dry. Most of the clothes are put on the greenery on the ground to dry though. I left then to what I thought I was going to the clinic but I was just so tired. I have decided to go to the clinic Tuesday and Thursday morning. I hope it works for them that I am going to make a schedule and not come every day. Elivs asked me “Why haven’t you been to the clinic?” And at first I was worried I have disappointed someone, but I think that I should only do what I can and I can do that. I need to give time and attention to the kids without wearing myself thin. Also, I will be starting to teach music classes at Pastor Incoom’s school maybe starting Thursday or Friday. This will be fun. It will be ages from Preschool to 12 years old. I don’t know what we will do, but I will figure it out. Teach them the sounds of music, little history, reading music, writing music, singing. But all basic enough for kids. He says they will try and get a piano in a month or so. So when I got home, I ate some bread and asked for oatmeal. I have also decided to not be so quiet about what I need, like eating. So I am working hard on having them teach me to make food instead of serving. So I hope I don’t come off as demanding and mean, but rather just letting them now I am hungry or something. I then slept until 1:30. I was so tired. I got up, peeled 4 oranges, 2 for me and one each for Mr. and Mrs. Incoom. They said I did a good job so that lifted my spirits. I then went back to the orphanage where the German girls, Annika and Theresea had brought paper, pens, and tracer things for the kids to color. It was very fun. I then got the call from mom telling me more about the side effects of the anti-malaria pill I was taking. We decided that I should go buy something else in Cape Coast and get off of that. It had some crazy side effects so I am glad we found out about it early. I then met with the bishop for a little bit and asked for Brother and Sister Saunders phone number to talk to them about the new Pill I will be taking. Then got a mailing address for the Incoom’s place in Cape Coast. Then I got my measurements for a shirt and a dress that a lady will be making. I will stop by next Tuesday for it. I hope it works out well. They call me Yaa (Thursday) instead of Lauren. I then decided to by some chocolate Hazlenut truffle to lighten my spirits and give me some energy. It was good, but it was 20 pesewas, so pretty expensive. I think I will just go and buy a big bag next time I can. For the rest of the night, I will eat some dinner. I am slowly getting my appetite back. I haven’t been eating much the two weeks since I have left home. So that is good. And I also like all but one food items: the fish. I will also go wash. The kids made a mess of me today. After that, I am going to Elvis’s house to talk with the girls about plans to go to Volta region this or next weekend and also about Cape Coast on Wednesday. I also asked AnnLuoise if I could get the Ghana music she had received since she was here so maybe I will grab that. I am still tired so hopefully I will be able to get some sleep. It is hot at night and it is not my bed so I don’t sleep to well, but it will work out. I am just glad to be here and I pray that I will be optimistic and keep an open mind to everything. I am trying hard to learn the language, but I keep forgetting what I learn. So the locals are trying to teach me, but I get tired of it very quickly when the speak fante instead of English to me, thinking I have already learned it. But I must be patient. The other thing I have learned Wa-home-te-san? What is your name? Thanks for everything!!! I will continue to be safe and travel safe!!! Thanks for the reminder mom and dad!!! Love you!!!
I have decided the thing I miss most about home other than family and friends: a washer and dryer. Today was the roughest day for my hands yet. There should be some pictures on facebook now. But both of my hands were bleeding a little but everything is just rubbed raw. So when I put on hand sanitizer like I do often, OUCH!!!! So I even try not to make a fist or anything. But it is teaching me a lot about myself and discipline. I woke up this morning and headed to The House. Bathed Cho-JO and Priscilla and did laundry and hung them to dry. Most of the clothes are put on the greenery on the ground to dry though. I left then to what I thought I was going to the clinic but I was just so tired. I have decided to go to the clinic Tuesday and Thursday morning. I hope it works for them that I am going to make a schedule and not come every day. Elivs asked me “Why haven’t you been to the clinic?” And at first I was worried I have disappointed someone, but I think that I should only do what I can and I can do that. I need to give time and attention to the kids without wearing myself thin. Also, I will be starting to teach music classes at Pastor Incoom’s school maybe starting Thursday or Friday. This will be fun. It will be ages from Preschool to 12 years old. I don’t know what we will do, but I will figure it out. Teach them the sounds of music, little history, reading music, writing music, singing. But all basic enough for kids. He says they will try and get a piano in a month or so. So when I got home, I ate some bread and asked for oatmeal. I have also decided to not be so quiet about what I need, like eating. So I am working hard on having them teach me to make food instead of serving. So I hope I don’t come off as demanding and mean, but rather just letting them now I am hungry or something. I then slept until 1:30. I was so tired. I got up, peeled 4 oranges, 2 for me and one each for Mr. and Mrs. Incoom. They said I did a good job so that lifted my spirits. I then went back to the orphanage where the German girls, Annika and Theresea had brought paper, pens, and tracer things for the kids to color. It was very fun. I then got the call from mom telling me more about the side effects of the anti-malaria pill I was taking. We decided that I should go buy something else in Cape Coast and get off of that. It had some crazy side effects so I am glad we found out about it early. I then met with the bishop for a little bit and asked for Brother and Sister Saunders phone number to talk to them about the new Pill I will be taking. Then got a mailing address for the Incoom’s place in Cape Coast. Then I got my measurements for a shirt and a dress that a lady will be making. I will stop by next Tuesday for it. I hope it works out well. They call me Yaa (Thursday) instead of Lauren. I then decided to by some chocolate Hazlenut truffle to lighten my spirits and give me some energy. It was good, but it was 20 pesewas, so pretty expensive. I think I will just go and buy a big bag next time I can. For the rest of the night, I will eat some dinner. I am slowly getting my appetite back. I haven’t been eating much the two weeks since I have left home. So that is good. And I also like all but one food items: the fish. I will also go wash. The kids made a mess of me today. After that, I am going to Elvis’s house to talk with the girls about plans to go to Volta region this or next weekend and also about Cape Coast on Wednesday. I also asked AnnLuoise if I could get the Ghana music she had received since she was here so maybe I will grab that. I am still tired so hopefully I will be able to get some sleep. It is hot at night and it is not my bed so I don’t sleep to well, but it will work out. I am just glad to be here and I pray that I will be optimistic and keep an open mind to everything. I am trying hard to learn the language, but I keep forgetting what I learn. So the locals are trying to teach me, but I get tired of it very quickly when the speak fante instead of English to me, thinking I have already learned it. But I must be patient. The other thing I have learned Wa-home-te-san? What is your name? Thanks for everything!!! I will continue to be safe and travel safe!!! Thanks for the reminder mom and dad!!! Love you!!!
January 24, 2010-- Reverend Incoom's website
"Oh and if you wanted to check out Pastor Incoom’s website http://www.facebook.com/l/02cc4;www.internalhopefamily.webs.com. It is under construction so it might be down but if you can see anything that is what he is doing!!!!"
January 24, 2010-- Bum Rocks and Loud Church
January 24, 2010
So today was an early start. I got to bed around 1 or so and woke up every now and then and got up at 6 am. I am going to go get a fan soon. I thought I would be okay, but now I am thinking for 15 cedi, it would be very nice. I got up so early because I needed to do laundry, and then Fred was taking me to go see the rock where the giant named Asebu placed his fingers and made scratches in the stone. I kept asking Fred if they really thought the Giant story was true, and I think he really believes it. While I was at the Monkey Sanctuary last week, the lady who owns it took us to the top of the hill and showed us a granite stone where students came and studied it as a project. They concluded that the stone was super old and that the original people during that time would sharpen their knives and blades in a certain fashion that would make lines and big groves. They looked like people had sat down with their bums, and the other rock that Fred will show says that there is where the giant sat down. So I find it interesting that he really does believe the myth as truth and not the study of science, but I still admire his faith. Nowadays, there is a fight between faith and science, implying how can you have faith if it cannot be proven or it can be proven false? So I admire him in that respect. After that, I read my scriptures, fell asleep and got a ride to church with the Incooms. I was late because they start at nine but so did Pastors church, so I think in the future, I will catch a choo-choo or more likely a taxi. Church was good though. It is a two-story square building with a very nice sign. The bottom is about as big your living room plus a bit more. They had just barely become a branch so there was about 20 or 30 people there. It was different. Fans were going, people talking in mainly Fante, and those that invited to have me sit with them were very friendly. The doors to outside including the noise were open for airflow so the kids would just run and the mom just let the baby cry. So I guess that is common between countries, huh? ^_^ But The sacrament had already been passed when I got there so I walked in when the Bishop was doing his announcements. I guess he had welcomed me but I wasn’t really sure. The men I met would continually talk and where I was from, etc. and I felt so rude because I wanted to say “shush” but it is common to talk to newcomers, and plus, I really was just glad to have someone talking to me. After Sacrament meeting, the Bishop and first councilor invited me to go upstairs and join in a quick meeting. There I met The Bishop, First councilor, 2nd councilor, Relief Society President, Young Womens, Sunday school President, and they all welcomed me. I gave them my basic information so that they could introduce me next week. I wasn’t really sure where to go next so I just went to the adult Sunday school where I sat with the 1st counsilor’s son. Again, people would just be talking to me and the lesson was being taught. I asked at one point for him to translate, but he took so long and was too loud that I decided to not ask for translation again. So I didn’t understand but it was so hard. I knew that people had questions and I could contribute, but only the language was our barrier. After Sunday school, I was going to go to Relief Society but I was told by the nice Missionary Couple from Logan Utah, Brother and Sister Saunders, that they only speak fante. So I joined the combined young men and womens. They wanted me to teach the lesson but thankfully it turned out I didn’t need too. By the end of church I felt a little more at home. I decided to talk and get to Sister Saunders while Brother Saunders was driving everyone home one car load at a time. It was very nice. I told her I was homesick and that if it was okay, she might just be my mom away from home for a little while. She shared some things with me, and it was so wonderful and such a blessing to be able to come here. The bishop also lives in Asebu so maybe I will start seeing him around. He seems like a very good man and that he is trained in the gospel. So I started to walk home, thinking “Maybe I will walk, it would take about an hour or take a taxi for 4 cedi, but they drove by and packed me in on their way. I guess that The 1st Councilor’s son wants to bring the Missionaries to the orphanage and also teach ICT. He is very eager so I just encouraged him to come visit the Orphanage before making plans so we exchanged numbers. I have already handed out about 10 or so business cards. They have been very helpful. Jessica, my nurse friend, left to go back to Cape Coast University so I will miss seeing her. She was such a good friend. I am glad that I am making friends around the town and also the church. Whoever said I would start feeling at home was right I think because I am starting to eventually although, I am still making some mistakes. For washing clothes, there were two wash bins and I thought, “Well that is what I use at the orphanage, so I will just use those again.” So I used them and later Bertha said “We are sorry to inform you but, but those bins are for PePe’s spirit. So they only wash PePe’s cloths in their for his spirit. I don’t understand but I respect it. But that is going to make laundry a little harder now because no I will just have two buckets. Bummer, but that’s okay. We will make it work. I will be so thankful for a washer when I get back. I came home before the Incooms and turned on the Discovery channel. It was a little slice of home there. I also had some jerky I brought because I hadn’t eaten, I didn’t know what to cook or how to cook, and I needed to take my malaria pill so I just opened one of the four packages. Once they got home, I continued to chill and read my book. Berth cut open the top of a coconut and Mrs. Incoom brought me 4 small bananas for lunch, and I had about a cup and half of rice for dinner. When Bertha came in my room to pick up the plate, she saw the extra school supplies I brought that I haven’t found a use for yet. I had decided that the kids already had so many things and school supplies and the school doesn’t use them, that I would just hold on to them until I found a purpose for them. But she got excited, and I found out that she didn’t have anything for school tomorrow. Since she had left her family and school to come help out the Incoom, and I guess her family was robbed or something happened so that she couldn’t get paper and pencils and other things, I told her to take some. She was so happy. “God bless, God Bless. Thank you” and she was so happy giving me hugs and just her face lit up. So I am glad they are going to where they will be used. Plus, I still have some more if I works out that I find someone else needs them too. The mosquitoes have started eating me alive now. My ankles are the worst. Probably about 12 bites just on my ankles. Bummer. So tomorrow I will set my alarm to help Bertha get up early and do chores around 4 am so that she can leave for school around 6:30. So this week will be interesting. The Saunders want to come see the orphanage too, so I will have to talk to Ester to make sure that is okay. I believe it would be but of course I will check. I don’t know about the ICT training or missionaries yet, but I hope it will work out.
So today was an early start. I got to bed around 1 or so and woke up every now and then and got up at 6 am. I am going to go get a fan soon. I thought I would be okay, but now I am thinking for 15 cedi, it would be very nice. I got up so early because I needed to do laundry, and then Fred was taking me to go see the rock where the giant named Asebu placed his fingers and made scratches in the stone. I kept asking Fred if they really thought the Giant story was true, and I think he really believes it. While I was at the Monkey Sanctuary last week, the lady who owns it took us to the top of the hill and showed us a granite stone where students came and studied it as a project. They concluded that the stone was super old and that the original people during that time would sharpen their knives and blades in a certain fashion that would make lines and big groves. They looked like people had sat down with their bums, and the other rock that Fred will show says that there is where the giant sat down. So I find it interesting that he really does believe the myth as truth and not the study of science, but I still admire his faith. Nowadays, there is a fight between faith and science, implying how can you have faith if it cannot be proven or it can be proven false? So I admire him in that respect. After that, I read my scriptures, fell asleep and got a ride to church with the Incooms. I was late because they start at nine but so did Pastors church, so I think in the future, I will catch a choo-choo or more likely a taxi. Church was good though. It is a two-story square building with a very nice sign. The bottom is about as big your living room plus a bit more. They had just barely become a branch so there was about 20 or 30 people there. It was different. Fans were going, people talking in mainly Fante, and those that invited to have me sit with them were very friendly. The doors to outside including the noise were open for airflow so the kids would just run and the mom just let the baby cry. So I guess that is common between countries, huh? ^_^ But The sacrament had already been passed when I got there so I walked in when the Bishop was doing his announcements. I guess he had welcomed me but I wasn’t really sure. The men I met would continually talk and where I was from, etc. and I felt so rude because I wanted to say “shush” but it is common to talk to newcomers, and plus, I really was just glad to have someone talking to me. After Sacrament meeting, the Bishop and first councilor invited me to go upstairs and join in a quick meeting. There I met The Bishop, First councilor, 2nd councilor, Relief Society President, Young Womens, Sunday school President, and they all welcomed me. I gave them my basic information so that they could introduce me next week. I wasn’t really sure where to go next so I just went to the adult Sunday school where I sat with the 1st counsilor’s son. Again, people would just be talking to me and the lesson was being taught. I asked at one point for him to translate, but he took so long and was too loud that I decided to not ask for translation again. So I didn’t understand but it was so hard. I knew that people had questions and I could contribute, but only the language was our barrier. After Sunday school, I was going to go to Relief Society but I was told by the nice Missionary Couple from Logan Utah, Brother and Sister Saunders, that they only speak fante. So I joined the combined young men and womens. They wanted me to teach the lesson but thankfully it turned out I didn’t need too. By the end of church I felt a little more at home. I decided to talk and get to Sister Saunders while Brother Saunders was driving everyone home one car load at a time. It was very nice. I told her I was homesick and that if it was okay, she might just be my mom away from home for a little while. She shared some things with me, and it was so wonderful and such a blessing to be able to come here. The bishop also lives in Asebu so maybe I will start seeing him around. He seems like a very good man and that he is trained in the gospel. So I started to walk home, thinking “Maybe I will walk, it would take about an hour or take a taxi for 4 cedi, but they drove by and packed me in on their way. I guess that The 1st Councilor’s son wants to bring the Missionaries to the orphanage and also teach ICT. He is very eager so I just encouraged him to come visit the Orphanage before making plans so we exchanged numbers. I have already handed out about 10 or so business cards. They have been very helpful. Jessica, my nurse friend, left to go back to Cape Coast University so I will miss seeing her. She was such a good friend. I am glad that I am making friends around the town and also the church. Whoever said I would start feeling at home was right I think because I am starting to eventually although, I am still making some mistakes. For washing clothes, there were two wash bins and I thought, “Well that is what I use at the orphanage, so I will just use those again.” So I used them and later Bertha said “We are sorry to inform you but, but those bins are for PePe’s spirit. So they only wash PePe’s cloths in their for his spirit. I don’t understand but I respect it. But that is going to make laundry a little harder now because no I will just have two buckets. Bummer, but that’s okay. We will make it work. I will be so thankful for a washer when I get back. I came home before the Incooms and turned on the Discovery channel. It was a little slice of home there. I also had some jerky I brought because I hadn’t eaten, I didn’t know what to cook or how to cook, and I needed to take my malaria pill so I just opened one of the four packages. Once they got home, I continued to chill and read my book. Berth cut open the top of a coconut and Mrs. Incoom brought me 4 small bananas for lunch, and I had about a cup and half of rice for dinner. When Bertha came in my room to pick up the plate, she saw the extra school supplies I brought that I haven’t found a use for yet. I had decided that the kids already had so many things and school supplies and the school doesn’t use them, that I would just hold on to them until I found a purpose for them. But she got excited, and I found out that she didn’t have anything for school tomorrow. Since she had left her family and school to come help out the Incoom, and I guess her family was robbed or something happened so that she couldn’t get paper and pencils and other things, I told her to take some. She was so happy. “God bless, God Bless. Thank you” and she was so happy giving me hugs and just her face lit up. So I am glad they are going to where they will be used. Plus, I still have some more if I works out that I find someone else needs them too. The mosquitoes have started eating me alive now. My ankles are the worst. Probably about 12 bites just on my ankles. Bummer. So tomorrow I will set my alarm to help Bertha get up early and do chores around 4 am so that she can leave for school around 6:30. So this week will be interesting. The Saunders want to come see the orphanage too, so I will have to talk to Ester to make sure that is okay. I believe it would be but of course I will check. I don’t know about the ICT training or missionaries yet, but I hope it will work out.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
January 21, 2010-- Fufu, Fish & Grasscutter Rodent-eating
January 21, 2010
I missed writing yesterday but it was a good day. We made bracelets yesterday. And I also tried FuFu yesterday. I think you are going to have to try it sometime. Wow!!! It is different. I have found out that I can’t eat the fish here. I just lose my appetite with the smell and/or taste of it. So instead of getting the Okra with fish, I got the Okra with grasscutter. It is some kind of rodent. It tasted like Chicken. I was also introduced to Jessica, Tina, and Auntie Mary at the Clinic. I will hopefully be able to start there soon. The thing that most surprised me yesterday was the children though. I have come to understand that they no longer say please and thank you. They just take things. I was talking to Elisabeth, a volunteer who came here 6 months ago, and she said they did not used to be like this. They would be gracious and kind about everything. Now she says, because of how the volunteers treat them (some would say spoil them) they have some to expect everything. Goergina would take the gifts and puts them in a closet. That closet is really full of toys and other things that have not yet been used. That really surprised me. Georgina, one of the workers at the orphanage, left today. So Theresea and Annika stayed at the orphanage last night and tonight. Last night, we went to oasis to celebrate because 4 of the 6 USA volunteers were leaving. We had Choco Banana Smoothies which were pretty good. But around 12 when I was in bed, I started getting stomach cramps. So I didn’t sleep well and when I woke up at 6:00 to finally get up after not sleeping, I discovered I was nauseous and had to use the bathroom a lot. So I took something for my stomach (Thanks dad for making me bring it) and went on my way to the clinic this morning. As it turns out, we were supposed to start and go to houses this morning but there was a women in labor, and we couldn’t leave until Auntie Mary came and relieved the other girls from that job. I was very tired and still not feeling well so they told me to sleep on their bed. I did and when I woke up with Aaron’s call, I discovered that we no longer were going to go so I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t have spent that time with the children but that is okay. I knew that laundry was needing to be done, and it feels like parts of my hand have only one layer of skin left until they bleed so they are pretty sensitive.
The rest of today went well. AnnLouise, Asha, Annita, Theresea and I went to cape coast. I used the ATM, bought fabric, went to this store were volunteers like us are working to support come children in Baobab. It was very nice. I had an avocado sandwhich and it was pretty good. The pineapple here is so good!!! The fruit is just fresher. We eat oranges that are green and pale yellow inside but they taste amazing. You eat it by cutting the outside skin to make sure you are not sucking on dirt or anything and cut a little top. There you will suck and sweeze the whole orange out. After the juice is gone, you can open it up and eat the insides. I like eating it that way. Fresh orange juice!!! I am becoming very good friends with the community and volunteers. I keep thinking about how I am going to go visit Northern Ghana but I haven’t figured out a plan yet. I want to see it but I will need about a week I think and I can’t travel alone, so I am not sure yet. Today, at the orphanage, I helped collect water, played Red Rover and Red light Green light with the Kids and helped them do homework. They also started playing tug-a-war and one boy got a bad rope burn. We turn pink with a rope burn, but this burn was weird. It was white. So anyways, I pulled out my handy-dandy first aid kit and we got it resolved. I then came home and learned partially how to make banku. Umm, yumm I guess. I am very tired and want to go to bed earlier so I will go over to Elvis’s house and hopefully email this very quickly and be on my way to sleep. I am also buying some books while I am here and reading them. I am excited for this weekend. We are going dancing tomorrow and I want to travel to Accra and see some things so we will see how the weekend goes. And for tonight, I had the family try some jelly bellies. They say they are very good. We are going to work on all of it the next few nights. That was a great idea!! Love you!!!!
I missed writing yesterday but it was a good day. We made bracelets yesterday. And I also tried FuFu yesterday. I think you are going to have to try it sometime. Wow!!! It is different. I have found out that I can’t eat the fish here. I just lose my appetite with the smell and/or taste of it. So instead of getting the Okra with fish, I got the Okra with grasscutter. It is some kind of rodent. It tasted like Chicken. I was also introduced to Jessica, Tina, and Auntie Mary at the Clinic. I will hopefully be able to start there soon. The thing that most surprised me yesterday was the children though. I have come to understand that they no longer say please and thank you. They just take things. I was talking to Elisabeth, a volunteer who came here 6 months ago, and she said they did not used to be like this. They would be gracious and kind about everything. Now she says, because of how the volunteers treat them (some would say spoil them) they have some to expect everything. Goergina would take the gifts and puts them in a closet. That closet is really full of toys and other things that have not yet been used. That really surprised me. Georgina, one of the workers at the orphanage, left today. So Theresea and Annika stayed at the orphanage last night and tonight. Last night, we went to oasis to celebrate because 4 of the 6 USA volunteers were leaving. We had Choco Banana Smoothies which were pretty good. But around 12 when I was in bed, I started getting stomach cramps. So I didn’t sleep well and when I woke up at 6:00 to finally get up after not sleeping, I discovered I was nauseous and had to use the bathroom a lot. So I took something for my stomach (Thanks dad for making me bring it) and went on my way to the clinic this morning. As it turns out, we were supposed to start and go to houses this morning but there was a women in labor, and we couldn’t leave until Auntie Mary came and relieved the other girls from that job. I was very tired and still not feeling well so they told me to sleep on their bed. I did and when I woke up with Aaron’s call, I discovered that we no longer were going to go so I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t have spent that time with the children but that is okay. I knew that laundry was needing to be done, and it feels like parts of my hand have only one layer of skin left until they bleed so they are pretty sensitive.
The rest of today went well. AnnLouise, Asha, Annita, Theresea and I went to cape coast. I used the ATM, bought fabric, went to this store were volunteers like us are working to support come children in Baobab. It was very nice. I had an avocado sandwhich and it was pretty good. The pineapple here is so good!!! The fruit is just fresher. We eat oranges that are green and pale yellow inside but they taste amazing. You eat it by cutting the outside skin to make sure you are not sucking on dirt or anything and cut a little top. There you will suck and sweeze the whole orange out. After the juice is gone, you can open it up and eat the insides. I like eating it that way. Fresh orange juice!!! I am becoming very good friends with the community and volunteers. I keep thinking about how I am going to go visit Northern Ghana but I haven’t figured out a plan yet. I want to see it but I will need about a week I think and I can’t travel alone, so I am not sure yet. Today, at the orphanage, I helped collect water, played Red Rover and Red light Green light with the Kids and helped them do homework. They also started playing tug-a-war and one boy got a bad rope burn. We turn pink with a rope burn, but this burn was weird. It was white. So anyways, I pulled out my handy-dandy first aid kit and we got it resolved. I then came home and learned partially how to make banku. Umm, yumm I guess. I am very tired and want to go to bed earlier so I will go over to Elvis’s house and hopefully email this very quickly and be on my way to sleep. I am also buying some books while I am here and reading them. I am excited for this weekend. We are going dancing tomorrow and I want to travel to Accra and see some things so we will see how the weekend goes. And for tonight, I had the family try some jelly bellies. They say they are very good. We are going to work on all of it the next few nights. That was a great idea!! Love you!!!!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
January 19, 2010-- Pineapple and Braids
January 19, 2010
Today was a very interesting day. I woke up at 6:15, was a little late to the orphanage, but I guess there is really no late and on time here. It was good to have Annita and Teresa there today. We washed cloths and my knuckles were almost rubbed raw. After that, I ran to Cape Coast to grab some cloth. I got some other things too but I really just wanted to get a feel for the town and also how it is to travel alone. I asked everyone if it is okay, and they said it is perfectly fine during the day. When I got off the Choo-Choo a guy was like “What are you looking for?” I said “Pineapple” and he took me right there. I bought the pineapple and left some money, and she ran after me to give it back to me. The people are wonderful. I got help finding a CHoo-Choo back to Asebu but any guys help. I braided my hair today, and it took 6 hours. I thought is was going to only take 3 hours, and that I would be able to go back to the orphange so I was really sad that I couldn’t. I even got emotional for a bit too. While the lady was braiding, Reverend Inccom was doing some kind of spiritual cleansing behind me I think. Because she started “ahhing” really loud. I am not sure what happened. Maybe I will ask later. When I was getting it braided, 5 or so girls stopped by the watch. They all called me friend. The hair dresser also called me friend, and we spoke for a bit. I gave her my card. After, Bertha and I played football for awhile. Then I ate dinner. I had oatmeal with sugar and jam to give it flavor and bread with jam. I then went over to Elvis’s house to read a paper-- one of the US Girls is writing about afterschool programs for the Free School that is being built. I now need to take a shower because I am very dirty and very tired. Tomorrow, I plan to work hard and learn much. I hope that I can start doing the medical clinic and school soon. I love you!!!
Today was a very interesting day. I woke up at 6:15, was a little late to the orphanage, but I guess there is really no late and on time here. It was good to have Annita and Teresa there today. We washed cloths and my knuckles were almost rubbed raw. After that, I ran to Cape Coast to grab some cloth. I got some other things too but I really just wanted to get a feel for the town and also how it is to travel alone. I asked everyone if it is okay, and they said it is perfectly fine during the day. When I got off the Choo-Choo a guy was like “What are you looking for?” I said “Pineapple” and he took me right there. I bought the pineapple and left some money, and she ran after me to give it back to me. The people are wonderful. I got help finding a CHoo-Choo back to Asebu but any guys help. I braided my hair today, and it took 6 hours. I thought is was going to only take 3 hours, and that I would be able to go back to the orphange so I was really sad that I couldn’t. I even got emotional for a bit too. While the lady was braiding, Reverend Inccom was doing some kind of spiritual cleansing behind me I think. Because she started “ahhing” really loud. I am not sure what happened. Maybe I will ask later. When I was getting it braided, 5 or so girls stopped by the watch. They all called me friend. The hair dresser also called me friend, and we spoke for a bit. I gave her my card. After, Bertha and I played football for awhile. Then I ate dinner. I had oatmeal with sugar and jam to give it flavor and bread with jam. I then went over to Elvis’s house to read a paper-- one of the US Girls is writing about afterschool programs for the Free School that is being built. I now need to take a shower because I am very dirty and very tired. Tomorrow, I plan to work hard and learn much. I hope that I can start doing the medical clinic and school soon. I love you!!!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
January 18, 2010-- Possible Earthquake and Soccer Ball
January 18, 2010
Well, today has already been very exciting and it is just 5 in the morning!!! At 4 o’clock am, Berth came running in my room, slipping on the lights, and saying “Come, Come. We must leave. Turn off the lights when you come. Follow me.” So I grabbed my phone and my top layer shirt and follow her outside. Elisabeth and the boy from the US, the Incoom family and Elvis were outside waiting. So I followed them. I found out that the whole town was gathering in a field because there was going to be an earthquake. Now I do not know yet how this information came. Elvis said that some friends called from Accra and said there had been an earth quake there. So the people were scared that the earthquake would come to Asebu. I just sat back and enjoyed the experience. Once we were in the field, about a 5 minute walk in the dark, people began talking and I called Aaron and my parents to see if they could check the news reports or other reports to see if there had been an earthquake. Maybe their belief about this earthquake came from the earthquake in Haiti awhile ago, which is nowhere near here. But either way, we were all waiting in the field, nearly the whole town at 4 in the morning. Around 4:45, they starting mentioning something about Fm Radio. So I guessed that someone checked the Radio and everything was okay, so we were then allowed to go back home. I found out that the 6 US people are doing research papers in specific areas. Some are focusing on Experiential Education, others on after-school programs. While we were there, they jokingly said that they could take surveys here and interview people. They began to talk about how illogical the whole thing was. North Africa has not had many earthquakes, especially recently they said and to gather the whole town by word of mouth or by a dream or whatever is what doesn’t make since. I saw it as science verses tribal. This is how the people have lived their whole life with this community idea. They gather together and sing and praise God and pray together. I can still here the singing. Maybe they are praising and thanking God that the earthquake did not come. At some point I heard that our town was praying it would hit this other town and this other town was praying that it would hit us. Either way, Elisabeth was wondering how they could improve the people. How they could change the way they handle things like this. I think it is good to educate people and bring new ideas. This is also the way this people has lived their whole lives and to change that might be very hard. Either way, I am home now and it is 5:20 and the whole town is up now. The rooster is already awake and I am sure the goats will start baa-ing soon too so I will see if I can get some sleep or not. This has been a great wonderful, learning experience night.
As the day has gone on, the whole town is still talking about it. Mrs. Incoom says “I will always remember this day. Ghana. Oh Ghana. Ghana.” They love to laugh. Frod comes over often and so he told many funny things. They say that all of Ghana knew about last night and that it had never happened before. They explained to me that it doesn’t matter who started the rumor you just don’t really ask. But to do the neighborly thing and humble thing, if someone tells you news, you tell it to all your neighbors. So I think that is how it started. Excepted it went all over Ghana, including North Ghana.
So I got 10 minutes of sleep before my alarm clock went off at 6. I went to the Orphanage and tried to learn what I will be doing. I will be bathing the two children and dressing them because they are not yet old enough. I will help cook, clean dishes and we did some laundry. I was there until 9. The Annita and Teresa were too tired this morning but they are going around 2 or so. I am planning on going around 1 or 1:30 and then go with the Incooms to their after-school organization. I am very excited about that. Earlier today, I went to go fix the soccer ball that has a hole in it. I went to the local shoe fixer that also does soccer balls. He invited me to take a seat. It took about a half an hour in a hot lean-too-ish looking building. He was very good at what he does and very kind because he offered me a seat. While I was waiting an old man and boy around my age came in and sat down. The old man, being around 60 or so, says, “I want to marry you.” So I of course laughed it off and the rest of the men in the little shop laughed too. Then they went to talking in Fante. I could catch some English words and looks every now and then knowing they were talking about me. Two times a new customer would come up and he would talk like old friends to them. All I could catch was “Wife, marry, America, Obini.” It was very funny. He asked the young man who came with him why he does not talk to me. He said “I am not afraid of anything. But I am not in her class.” It took me be surprise as I was just listening and not participating in the conversation. When he was almost done fixing the ball, he said ‘How old are you?” I hesitated but in the culture you must respect the elderly and your community and I did not want to give any offense. Plus, this community has welcomed me. So I answered 19 and everyone laughed. The boy mentioned something about the old man being the wrong age. So the old man again said “I have always wanted to marry and American women.” I laughed it off again and said “I have a boyfriend.” And a laughter went through the whole place.
After the soccer ball, I went to go buy more minutes. I was tired of just buying one at a time for 5 cedi so I decided to stock up and get 4 minute cards for 20 cedi. This made him very excited to see that he was getting such good business. Walking home, everyone wants to talk and ask me my name. Some elderly people stopped me on the way to the orphanage and would speak to me in Fante and thinking I would understand. Thankfully one lady caught on and said things in English. They told me their names. Sometimes you are known by what day you were born. So the man was born on Wednesday and his name was something and Sunday was the other lady and that was a name. I was born on a Thursday so I said my name is Yaah. At least I think that is how it I said at least. After I fixed the soccer ball and paid 3 cedi which seemed responsible, I went back and played some soccer with Bertha and Sister Incoom. I am really feeling at home here now. For lunch I had bread sandwiched with cooked egg, tomato and onion, like an omlette in a sandwhich. It was so good. The bread here is amazing. It is even better then homemade bread in America. I think it because of how it is ground by hand, mix by hand, and cooked by hand in a stove made by hand it is amazing!!!
Well, today has already been very exciting and it is just 5 in the morning!!! At 4 o’clock am, Berth came running in my room, slipping on the lights, and saying “Come, Come. We must leave. Turn off the lights when you come. Follow me.” So I grabbed my phone and my top layer shirt and follow her outside. Elisabeth and the boy from the US, the Incoom family and Elvis were outside waiting. So I followed them. I found out that the whole town was gathering in a field because there was going to be an earthquake. Now I do not know yet how this information came. Elvis said that some friends called from Accra and said there had been an earth quake there. So the people were scared that the earthquake would come to Asebu. I just sat back and enjoyed the experience. Once we were in the field, about a 5 minute walk in the dark, people began talking and I called Aaron and my parents to see if they could check the news reports or other reports to see if there had been an earthquake. Maybe their belief about this earthquake came from the earthquake in Haiti awhile ago, which is nowhere near here. But either way, we were all waiting in the field, nearly the whole town at 4 in the morning. Around 4:45, they starting mentioning something about Fm Radio. So I guessed that someone checked the Radio and everything was okay, so we were then allowed to go back home. I found out that the 6 US people are doing research papers in specific areas. Some are focusing on Experiential Education, others on after-school programs. While we were there, they jokingly said that they could take surveys here and interview people. They began to talk about how illogical the whole thing was. North Africa has not had many earthquakes, especially recently they said and to gather the whole town by word of mouth or by a dream or whatever is what doesn’t make since. I saw it as science verses tribal. This is how the people have lived their whole life with this community idea. They gather together and sing and praise God and pray together. I can still here the singing. Maybe they are praising and thanking God that the earthquake did not come. At some point I heard that our town was praying it would hit this other town and this other town was praying that it would hit us. Either way, Elisabeth was wondering how they could improve the people. How they could change the way they handle things like this. I think it is good to educate people and bring new ideas. This is also the way this people has lived their whole lives and to change that might be very hard. Either way, I am home now and it is 5:20 and the whole town is up now. The rooster is already awake and I am sure the goats will start baa-ing soon too so I will see if I can get some sleep or not. This has been a great wonderful, learning experience night.
As the day has gone on, the whole town is still talking about it. Mrs. Incoom says “I will always remember this day. Ghana. Oh Ghana. Ghana.” They love to laugh. Frod comes over often and so he told many funny things. They say that all of Ghana knew about last night and that it had never happened before. They explained to me that it doesn’t matter who started the rumor you just don’t really ask. But to do the neighborly thing and humble thing, if someone tells you news, you tell it to all your neighbors. So I think that is how it started. Excepted it went all over Ghana, including North Ghana.
So I got 10 minutes of sleep before my alarm clock went off at 6. I went to the Orphanage and tried to learn what I will be doing. I will be bathing the two children and dressing them because they are not yet old enough. I will help cook, clean dishes and we did some laundry. I was there until 9. The Annita and Teresa were too tired this morning but they are going around 2 or so. I am planning on going around 1 or 1:30 and then go with the Incooms to their after-school organization. I am very excited about that. Earlier today, I went to go fix the soccer ball that has a hole in it. I went to the local shoe fixer that also does soccer balls. He invited me to take a seat. It took about a half an hour in a hot lean-too-ish looking building. He was very good at what he does and very kind because he offered me a seat. While I was waiting an old man and boy around my age came in and sat down. The old man, being around 60 or so, says, “I want to marry you.” So I of course laughed it off and the rest of the men in the little shop laughed too. Then they went to talking in Fante. I could catch some English words and looks every now and then knowing they were talking about me. Two times a new customer would come up and he would talk like old friends to them. All I could catch was “Wife, marry, America, Obini.” It was very funny. He asked the young man who came with him why he does not talk to me. He said “I am not afraid of anything. But I am not in her class.” It took me be surprise as I was just listening and not participating in the conversation. When he was almost done fixing the ball, he said ‘How old are you?” I hesitated but in the culture you must respect the elderly and your community and I did not want to give any offense. Plus, this community has welcomed me. So I answered 19 and everyone laughed. The boy mentioned something about the old man being the wrong age. So the old man again said “I have always wanted to marry and American women.” I laughed it off again and said “I have a boyfriend.” And a laughter went through the whole place.
After the soccer ball, I went to go buy more minutes. I was tired of just buying one at a time for 5 cedi so I decided to stock up and get 4 minute cards for 20 cedi. This made him very excited to see that he was getting such good business. Walking home, everyone wants to talk and ask me my name. Some elderly people stopped me on the way to the orphanage and would speak to me in Fante and thinking I would understand. Thankfully one lady caught on and said things in English. They told me their names. Sometimes you are known by what day you were born. So the man was born on Wednesday and his name was something and Sunday was the other lady and that was a name. I was born on a Thursday so I said my name is Yaah. At least I think that is how it I said at least. After I fixed the soccer ball and paid 3 cedi which seemed responsible, I went back and played some soccer with Bertha and Sister Incoom. I am really feeling at home here now. For lunch I had bread sandwiched with cooked egg, tomato and onion, like an omlette in a sandwhich. It was so good. The bread here is amazing. It is even better then homemade bread in America. I think it because of how it is ground by hand, mix by hand, and cooked by hand in a stove made by hand it is amazing!!!
January 17, 2010-- ChooChoo's, Rainforest and Monkeys
January 17, 2010
Today we woke up at 6:30 and left in a taxi because there are not as many Choo-Choos on Sunday. We then got to Cape Coast and rode a Choo-Choo to Kakum National Park. We walked on the bridge that is built right next to the canopies of the trees. We did not see any animals but the scene was beautiful. Pictures could not even do it justice. The trees are so big!!! We then went and saw the Monkey sanctuary. It is a husband and wife who run it with some workers. They are Dutch. They have been working every day, no stops for 6 years. They do everything by hand. Everything!!! And it was HUGE!!! There were monkeys, these animals that are like a mix between a hiena and a cat, so they call them something cat. She said they are very dangerous. They have some turtles. The locals eat the turtles and so they are happy to get them. Along with the snakes. The snakes run wild there and every snake is poisonous. Although, a snake will leave once it feels the vibrations in the ground. There used to be porcupines but a snake ate one and the other one died from loneliness. The lady how gave us our tour was wonderful and very funny. We signed the guestbook, and there were many names there. It was a wonderful place. Oh, on the way to Monkey Sancuary, we took a choo-choo that was already full. So the two German girls shared a bench in the car with two others, and I took the seat of the man that closes the door and collects the money. With Choo-Choos, you have the driver and the money collector and they split the cost at the end of the day. Well, since I took his chair, the car was already going and he was just holding on very casually going 25 or so and then he slid in and closed the door just a little. I was almost outside off the choo-choo so I braced myself. I have a picture of what it looks like in the inside. I will get more soon. So that was scary. On the way back, we got a really cheap taxi. One cedi each. Well, his taxi broke down 3 time over a ten minute drive. In Ghana, there is no rush, so we would just wait. I felt so bad knowing that his car was his income, and it wouldn’t last much longer. Once back in Cape Coast, we took another Choo-Choo to Asebu. I bought another FanYogo. I got the Strawberry frozen yogurt/milk thing this time. It was very good. So we got back and the Incoom family was still at church so the house was locked. I went across the road to Elvis’s place where the other girls were locked out too but only for a few minutes. We went inside and laid on the floor. I got to talking with Annita, who is one of the German girls, about religion. She talked religion in Germany and how she worships and I told her a little about what religion in like in America and about the Book of Mormon. She says that she will someday come to America. Annita and Tereasa have been so wonderful to me. They have taken me under their wing the last few days. I am so grateful them. I hope I can pay them back and let them know how much I appreciate it. I talked to Elvis about working in the medical clinic in town. I hope that works out. It would be nice to see medicine in a different perspective. I also hope that I can teach in the schools too. I am planning on doing a fundraiser when I get back. Places in town and IFHS and BYU-I. I plan on buying things like bracelets, painting, books, music, cloths, carvings, and selling them for a 100% fundraiser for the new orphanage before the community takes back the building. Yesterday night, Mr. Incoom said that he might be getting malaria. So Mrs. Incoom gave him some Tylenol for the headache and asked me if I had any Malaria pills. I told her that they are a preventative. So if he has it it will do nothing now. But these people are so giving, I could not say no. I will have plenty for while I am in Ghana and then I might need just a few more when I get back. Well, it is Sunday, and I am very tired. I ate Banku and Okra today. One is a sticky ball of mash that is okay sweet and okay tasty but very bland. The other is a very hot spicey soup. I started coughing at first but you get used to it. You eat with your hands so they brought out a bowl of water, soup, and paper towel for me. So you tear off a piece and dip it in the sauce and it balances well. Not that it wasn’t good, but once I try new foods here, I lose my appetite. So I could not finish the meal, and I felt like I had wasted so much. I need to do better in ordering food and never wasting after seeing how people live here. They never waste anything. Today at the Monkey Sanctuary, I saw an almond tree. For one little almond, they have to work so hard to crack open one little nut. I also saw a passion fruit. And then pineapples. I new they did not grow on trees but I had no idea how they grew. So they grow in the ground on top of this little bush of leaves and the pineapple grows straight out of it. Well, I think I might go up to the Orphanage for a while and maybe talk with the US girls some more. For the rest of the night, I read a book I bought, I slept longer then I meant to and went over to Elvis’s house to borrow Elisabeth’s internet. It costs .75 cedi per hour and it is very slow. It takes about 2 minutes to load the next page if you are lucky. Elisabeth and Elvis were talking and making plans. Elisabeth is 25 and started her non-profit organization 2 years ago. She now has a board and everything. They build school and orphanages and other things that are in great need. So when she was talking with Elvis, they were talking about budget. She was very realistic about money and management. Elvis was very hopeful that they would get enough funds by donations. They will be starting an internet café to earn some money. And the 6 US people, one of them is a guy I found out, they are building the new school now. Elisabeth said according to the budget, she only wanted to have kindergarten through 3rd grade. Elvis could not see why she didn’t want to have k-5 instead. He thinks that the school should teach more because he will find funds but Elizabeth thinks that paying the teachers starting out and other things, they will not have enough money. They also were planning on boarding needy children. Elvis does not think boarding the kids is important. As I listened, I was also confused why having a roof over your head was not as important as other things but maybe it is cultural and he understands the people more. But either way it was a powerful conversation but it did not get too heated. After coming home, Bertha cooked me fried plantain and rice. I like this dish. I could eat it anytime. And I am not sure if I have already mentioned this but the first day I met the kids, I learned very quickly to not bring anything that you do not want to be broken, taken, or given away. One girl would not give me back my glasses and kept bending them and one lens popped out and I fixed it later but it is no use getting mad about something so small. I need to learn. So I will not be wearing my glasses over there. I might bring them in a case just in case though. Many kids would take off my Breast Cancer awareness bracelet and would wear it in a way to keep it. So while I would have given it to him, another kid looked over and saw that is was not his and made him give it back. So I have taken that bracelet off. The other thing that happened my first day was a dance for the dead. Someone sister had died and a group of people went around the town in white, black and red colors and danced and playing music and sang. They come up to you and ask for money. I did not know what to do so I gave them 1 cedi and they danced and sang for me and moved on. Later, when Annita and Teresea and I were leaving they were coming down the road and we all hurried because they will always ask the white person to donate to help buy the coffin. I think that is all I have forgotten.
Today we woke up at 6:30 and left in a taxi because there are not as many Choo-Choos on Sunday. We then got to Cape Coast and rode a Choo-Choo to Kakum National Park. We walked on the bridge that is built right next to the canopies of the trees. We did not see any animals but the scene was beautiful. Pictures could not even do it justice. The trees are so big!!! We then went and saw the Monkey sanctuary. It is a husband and wife who run it with some workers. They are Dutch. They have been working every day, no stops for 6 years. They do everything by hand. Everything!!! And it was HUGE!!! There were monkeys, these animals that are like a mix between a hiena and a cat, so they call them something cat. She said they are very dangerous. They have some turtles. The locals eat the turtles and so they are happy to get them. Along with the snakes. The snakes run wild there and every snake is poisonous. Although, a snake will leave once it feels the vibrations in the ground. There used to be porcupines but a snake ate one and the other one died from loneliness. The lady how gave us our tour was wonderful and very funny. We signed the guestbook, and there were many names there. It was a wonderful place. Oh, on the way to Monkey Sancuary, we took a choo-choo that was already full. So the two German girls shared a bench in the car with two others, and I took the seat of the man that closes the door and collects the money. With Choo-Choos, you have the driver and the money collector and they split the cost at the end of the day. Well, since I took his chair, the car was already going and he was just holding on very casually going 25 or so and then he slid in and closed the door just a little. I was almost outside off the choo-choo so I braced myself. I have a picture of what it looks like in the inside. I will get more soon. So that was scary. On the way back, we got a really cheap taxi. One cedi each. Well, his taxi broke down 3 time over a ten minute drive. In Ghana, there is no rush, so we would just wait. I felt so bad knowing that his car was his income, and it wouldn’t last much longer. Once back in Cape Coast, we took another Choo-Choo to Asebu. I bought another FanYogo. I got the Strawberry frozen yogurt/milk thing this time. It was very good. So we got back and the Incoom family was still at church so the house was locked. I went across the road to Elvis’s place where the other girls were locked out too but only for a few minutes. We went inside and laid on the floor. I got to talking with Annita, who is one of the German girls, about religion. She talked religion in Germany and how she worships and I told her a little about what religion in like in America and about the Book of Mormon. She says that she will someday come to America. Annita and Tereasa have been so wonderful to me. They have taken me under their wing the last few days. I am so grateful them. I hope I can pay them back and let them know how much I appreciate it. I talked to Elvis about working in the medical clinic in town. I hope that works out. It would be nice to see medicine in a different perspective. I also hope that I can teach in the schools too. I am planning on doing a fundraiser when I get back. Places in town and IFHS and BYU-I. I plan on buying things like bracelets, painting, books, music, cloths, carvings, and selling them for a 100% fundraiser for the new orphanage before the community takes back the building. Yesterday night, Mr. Incoom said that he might be getting malaria. So Mrs. Incoom gave him some Tylenol for the headache and asked me if I had any Malaria pills. I told her that they are a preventative. So if he has it it will do nothing now. But these people are so giving, I could not say no. I will have plenty for while I am in Ghana and then I might need just a few more when I get back. Well, it is Sunday, and I am very tired. I ate Banku and Okra today. One is a sticky ball of mash that is okay sweet and okay tasty but very bland. The other is a very hot spicey soup. I started coughing at first but you get used to it. You eat with your hands so they brought out a bowl of water, soup, and paper towel for me. So you tear off a piece and dip it in the sauce and it balances well. Not that it wasn’t good, but once I try new foods here, I lose my appetite. So I could not finish the meal, and I felt like I had wasted so much. I need to do better in ordering food and never wasting after seeing how people live here. They never waste anything. Today at the Monkey Sanctuary, I saw an almond tree. For one little almond, they have to work so hard to crack open one little nut. I also saw a passion fruit. And then pineapples. I new they did not grow on trees but I had no idea how they grew. So they grow in the ground on top of this little bush of leaves and the pineapple grows straight out of it. Well, I think I might go up to the Orphanage for a while and maybe talk with the US girls some more. For the rest of the night, I read a book I bought, I slept longer then I meant to and went over to Elvis’s house to borrow Elisabeth’s internet. It costs .75 cedi per hour and it is very slow. It takes about 2 minutes to load the next page if you are lucky. Elisabeth and Elvis were talking and making plans. Elisabeth is 25 and started her non-profit organization 2 years ago. She now has a board and everything. They build school and orphanages and other things that are in great need. So when she was talking with Elvis, they were talking about budget. She was very realistic about money and management. Elvis was very hopeful that they would get enough funds by donations. They will be starting an internet café to earn some money. And the 6 US people, one of them is a guy I found out, they are building the new school now. Elisabeth said according to the budget, she only wanted to have kindergarten through 3rd grade. Elvis could not see why she didn’t want to have k-5 instead. He thinks that the school should teach more because he will find funds but Elizabeth thinks that paying the teachers starting out and other things, they will not have enough money. They also were planning on boarding needy children. Elvis does not think boarding the kids is important. As I listened, I was also confused why having a roof over your head was not as important as other things but maybe it is cultural and he understands the people more. But either way it was a powerful conversation but it did not get too heated. After coming home, Bertha cooked me fried plantain and rice. I like this dish. I could eat it anytime. And I am not sure if I have already mentioned this but the first day I met the kids, I learned very quickly to not bring anything that you do not want to be broken, taken, or given away. One girl would not give me back my glasses and kept bending them and one lens popped out and I fixed it later but it is no use getting mad about something so small. I need to learn. So I will not be wearing my glasses over there. I might bring them in a case just in case though. Many kids would take off my Breast Cancer awareness bracelet and would wear it in a way to keep it. So while I would have given it to him, another kid looked over and saw that is was not his and made him give it back. So I have taken that bracelet off. The other thing that happened my first day was a dance for the dead. Someone sister had died and a group of people went around the town in white, black and red colors and danced and playing music and sang. They come up to you and ask for money. I did not know what to do so I gave them 1 cedi and they danced and sang for me and moved on. Later, when Annita and Teresea and I were leaving they were coming down the road and we all hurried because they will always ask the white person to donate to help buy the coffin. I think that is all I have forgotten.
January 16, 2010-- The Castle
January 16, 2010
I had a great night sleep last night. The Weather was cool. The beds do not have sheets so I am going to go buy clothe sometime. I slept with my towel last night. Not because it is cold but because I just like having the feeling of bed sheets at night. I helped Bertha with one chore today. Sweeping the hall (Family Room), the passage way (Hall) and areas to the door and bathroom and shower. It is a local broom not the kind we have. It is made out of a handle full of branch about 18 inches long tied together at the hand. You sweep bent down. It does a pretty good job. They complemented me so I hope I did a good job too. I want to help clean the house to feel more a part of the family and I feel like I am serving. I think it is part of the culture to have your daughters serve the rest of the house. Bertha cooks and clean for everyone most of the time. I feel bad but she is so wonderful. After, I said good bye to the two Norwegian Girls. Bertha took me to where I will buy water and other supplies in the town. Every Saturday in Asebu, there is a market so the one large street was full with people. I did not go because the two German girls were waiting to leave soon. We walk back and Bertha carries the heavy water. The two girls and I had to the corner to grab a Choo-Choo (pronounces like the sound a train makes). We go to Cape Coast, costs about 60 pesewa. The Pesewa is the coin. You have 5, 10, 20, 40, 50 pesewa. There are no seats and they do not leave until the Choo-Choo is full. They drive very crazy. From Cape Coast we took another Choo-Choo to Elmina. Again, everyone is a crazy driver but it works for them. They honk to let you know they are coming and to move or to say I am taking people and many other things. This driver clipped a little boys bike, and he feel over. There was an “awe” and the driver stopped and looked back to make sure he was okay. He was but annoyed. It is scary but there have been many times people are almost hit, and they are going from anywhere from 10-50 miles. In Elimna, we visit the Oldest Castle in Ghana. It started with the Portuguese who came to trade. Then the Dutch came. After a short time, it became a slave trade castle. There was a room where slaves were beaten, and a room for anyone who was disobedient would go into the room that had only the door for light and air and it has a skull over it. If you tried to run away or snapped at the guards, you were not just beaten, but put in this room to die. They did not feed you. You knew if you went in that room you would die. Our tour guide put us all in these rooms and closed the door. There is a room where the new slaves weree branded on the hand. They would separate men and women/children. The guards would pull the women from the cells and rape them all the time. The Governor would stand from his balcony, choose a woman, they would bring her out and with a well wash her. She would head up the stairs where he too would rape many women of his choosing. If the women we disobedient, they would bring that women out of the cage into front of the other women and chain her to a iron ball. Here, they would beat her. Mind you, the whole time this place is extremely hot. They would only give maybe two meals a day to just barely keep them alive. Every three months a ship would come to bring them to America, the Caribbean, and other places. The men and women would finally see each other after this whole time in bondage. They brought them to a room with a door called “The door of no return”. It used to be a regular short entryway to the see before it was a slave castle, but when it became a slave castle, the made the door way in such way that only one skinny person could leave and enter the boat. It was called the door of no return because this was the last horrible thing the saw before going on the ships. One number of how many total slaves were captured and sent away is anywhere from The Castle is 12,000 to 20,000 people. The estimated ratio is that only 1/3 of the people lived long enough to be sent away. So around 36,000 to 60,000 people were taken as slaves, beaten and tortured. It was a very hard place to go too but I appreciated it very much.
Many people call us “obini” meaning white. The children love to touch our hands. Everyone tries to sell us stuff. The men come up to us and want to know our name, where we are from, how long we have been here, etc. This is one way so that we can buy stuff but also more of an advance. I met Richard today and he was very persistant. He was selling sea shells. It is polite to talk for a little bit but then you must move on a say “I have no money” or “Thank you” or “I am in a hurry” and sometimes you just ignore. The ocean smelled good, but not the ports. It smelled of dead fish. It was very beautiful-- you will see in the pictures. We watched the boats. One man was pushing his boat to the other side, and the back hit another boat and he fell in. Everyone perched on the bridge, which was 20 or so, started to laugh so loud. They are a happy people. After the castle, we went to eat. I ordered grilled fish and rice. The rice tasted like Mexican rice and the fish was a fish. I mean teeth, head, eyes, fin and all. The fish tasted very good except the occasional bone. That meal was 8 cedi and the small water was 80 pesewa. Around 8 dollars in US. It was sad to see that only white people eat at the restaurants except the occasional black person. We then went to the beach and sunbathed. I was in my regular cloths but thi other girls brought their bikinis. After a quick rest I decided to videotape a little. Of course I drew the attention of the kids who love to get their picture taken. So they danced in front of the camera. They then just asked flat out many time “Obini, can I have money”. We then got a Choo-Choo to Cape Coast and I got some money withdrawn from an ATM. We bought some Fan. It is frozen milk. It was very good. There is FanVanilla, FanStrawberry, and FanChoco. It made him happy that we bought 3. When waiting for the next Choo-Choo to Asebu we saw him again and he waved to us with a big smile. They are a happy people. The choo-choo back was full. You fit 15 total people. Well, at some points there was 20 or 21. The more they pack in the more money they get. Once back, I came home and took a shower. I bought a Fante Language book so that I can start to learn a little Fante. And I also bought a childrens book that is called “The Cross Drums.” It had the word drum on it so I decided that maybe Derek might like it. I will read it tonight. I also got a post card. I then got some toilet paper in Asebu. The lady might have ripped me off. I payed 1 cedi for two rolls. But I am too embarrassed to ask Bertha if I did because I do not want to insult anyone. So since she offered, I will just have her get the next roll. Everything is keeper for those who are not “Obini.” It is very funny but very true. The Shower is nice. It drops from a faucet. You want to make it quick to use less water. So you wet your hair, turn it off. Get your shampoo and conditioner if you want it this time, then turn it on and quickly get the dirt off everywhere else. It directly drains to the street. For the bathroom, you bring your own toilet paper in and out. You only go in the toilet and throw you toilet paper away in a bin to the nest of it. The toilet collects everything I guess. I do not know yet how they release it. I am now unpacking my bags and I tried to pump up the soccer balls. The red one works great but the blue has a hole in it. So I will ask the family if there is something I can do. Tomorrow, we are leaving for Katkamcon National Park, if that is the name. I have decided to go and miss church because this will be the only time I can go because every volunteer has gone already, and I do not think anyone new is coming after me.
So I helped make dinner tonight. Mrs. Incoom killed and skinned a local chicken. I helped her cut it up. I would hold and stretch a piece and she would hit it with the knife. I had to keep telling myself, “This is not gross” or else I would get nauseous. So I helped hold the chicken as she cut and we broke the bones to smaller pieces. She cut of the toes and is keeping the feet for the young girl, Bertha, because it is healthy for her. The Baby PePe is going to have the lever. She cleans out the bowl for that which was filled with rocks and such. She taught me how to cut and clean the chicken. It was mainly all new so I did not retain all the information but I will try harder next time. We also had mashed plaintains. They have the right amount of spicy. I asked Bertha to teach me how to make it later. So with the chicken, she cooked it in a soup with tomato paste, salt, water, nutmeg, and one other locally grown plant. She called it something like a yellow egg and blended it. It is not a pepper and you can eat it plain but I am still not sure if we have it in America. The soup was very good thougt. We also had a side of rice. Mrs. Incoom says that once I learn more, I will be able to make dinner for everyone. I am nervous but excited. Cooking in the kitchen is hot. You are in a cement room with one window where it is hot outside and one door which is equally humid and hot in the house. But when you go into the kitchen, they have a gas stove which makes the room at least 15 degrees hotter. You can tell a significant difference. The women over here are amazing to always serve the men and do this. I hope the men realize how much work and sacrifice they do. It is getting late now so I am going to call it a night.
I had a great night sleep last night. The Weather was cool. The beds do not have sheets so I am going to go buy clothe sometime. I slept with my towel last night. Not because it is cold but because I just like having the feeling of bed sheets at night. I helped Bertha with one chore today. Sweeping the hall (Family Room), the passage way (Hall) and areas to the door and bathroom and shower. It is a local broom not the kind we have. It is made out of a handle full of branch about 18 inches long tied together at the hand. You sweep bent down. It does a pretty good job. They complemented me so I hope I did a good job too. I want to help clean the house to feel more a part of the family and I feel like I am serving. I think it is part of the culture to have your daughters serve the rest of the house. Bertha cooks and clean for everyone most of the time. I feel bad but she is so wonderful. After, I said good bye to the two Norwegian Girls. Bertha took me to where I will buy water and other supplies in the town. Every Saturday in Asebu, there is a market so the one large street was full with people. I did not go because the two German girls were waiting to leave soon. We walk back and Bertha carries the heavy water. The two girls and I had to the corner to grab a Choo-Choo (pronounces like the sound a train makes). We go to Cape Coast, costs about 60 pesewa. The Pesewa is the coin. You have 5, 10, 20, 40, 50 pesewa. There are no seats and they do not leave until the Choo-Choo is full. They drive very crazy. From Cape Coast we took another Choo-Choo to Elmina. Again, everyone is a crazy driver but it works for them. They honk to let you know they are coming and to move or to say I am taking people and many other things. This driver clipped a little boys bike, and he feel over. There was an “awe” and the driver stopped and looked back to make sure he was okay. He was but annoyed. It is scary but there have been many times people are almost hit, and they are going from anywhere from 10-50 miles. In Elimna, we visit the Oldest Castle in Ghana. It started with the Portuguese who came to trade. Then the Dutch came. After a short time, it became a slave trade castle. There was a room where slaves were beaten, and a room for anyone who was disobedient would go into the room that had only the door for light and air and it has a skull over it. If you tried to run away or snapped at the guards, you were not just beaten, but put in this room to die. They did not feed you. You knew if you went in that room you would die. Our tour guide put us all in these rooms and closed the door. There is a room where the new slaves weree branded on the hand. They would separate men and women/children. The guards would pull the women from the cells and rape them all the time. The Governor would stand from his balcony, choose a woman, they would bring her out and with a well wash her. She would head up the stairs where he too would rape many women of his choosing. If the women we disobedient, they would bring that women out of the cage into front of the other women and chain her to a iron ball. Here, they would beat her. Mind you, the whole time this place is extremely hot. They would only give maybe two meals a day to just barely keep them alive. Every three months a ship would come to bring them to America, the Caribbean, and other places. The men and women would finally see each other after this whole time in bondage. They brought them to a room with a door called “The door of no return”. It used to be a regular short entryway to the see before it was a slave castle, but when it became a slave castle, the made the door way in such way that only one skinny person could leave and enter the boat. It was called the door of no return because this was the last horrible thing the saw before going on the ships. One number of how many total slaves were captured and sent away is anywhere from The Castle is 12,000 to 20,000 people. The estimated ratio is that only 1/3 of the people lived long enough to be sent away. So around 36,000 to 60,000 people were taken as slaves, beaten and tortured. It was a very hard place to go too but I appreciated it very much.
Many people call us “obini” meaning white. The children love to touch our hands. Everyone tries to sell us stuff. The men come up to us and want to know our name, where we are from, how long we have been here, etc. This is one way so that we can buy stuff but also more of an advance. I met Richard today and he was very persistant. He was selling sea shells. It is polite to talk for a little bit but then you must move on a say “I have no money” or “Thank you” or “I am in a hurry” and sometimes you just ignore. The ocean smelled good, but not the ports. It smelled of dead fish. It was very beautiful-- you will see in the pictures. We watched the boats. One man was pushing his boat to the other side, and the back hit another boat and he fell in. Everyone perched on the bridge, which was 20 or so, started to laugh so loud. They are a happy people. After the castle, we went to eat. I ordered grilled fish and rice. The rice tasted like Mexican rice and the fish was a fish. I mean teeth, head, eyes, fin and all. The fish tasted very good except the occasional bone. That meal was 8 cedi and the small water was 80 pesewa. Around 8 dollars in US. It was sad to see that only white people eat at the restaurants except the occasional black person. We then went to the beach and sunbathed. I was in my regular cloths but thi other girls brought their bikinis. After a quick rest I decided to videotape a little. Of course I drew the attention of the kids who love to get their picture taken. So they danced in front of the camera. They then just asked flat out many time “Obini, can I have money”. We then got a Choo-Choo to Cape Coast and I got some money withdrawn from an ATM. We bought some Fan. It is frozen milk. It was very good. There is FanVanilla, FanStrawberry, and FanChoco. It made him happy that we bought 3. When waiting for the next Choo-Choo to Asebu we saw him again and he waved to us with a big smile. They are a happy people. The choo-choo back was full. You fit 15 total people. Well, at some points there was 20 or 21. The more they pack in the more money they get. Once back, I came home and took a shower. I bought a Fante Language book so that I can start to learn a little Fante. And I also bought a childrens book that is called “The Cross Drums.” It had the word drum on it so I decided that maybe Derek might like it. I will read it tonight. I also got a post card. I then got some toilet paper in Asebu. The lady might have ripped me off. I payed 1 cedi for two rolls. But I am too embarrassed to ask Bertha if I did because I do not want to insult anyone. So since she offered, I will just have her get the next roll. Everything is keeper for those who are not “Obini.” It is very funny but very true. The Shower is nice. It drops from a faucet. You want to make it quick to use less water. So you wet your hair, turn it off. Get your shampoo and conditioner if you want it this time, then turn it on and quickly get the dirt off everywhere else. It directly drains to the street. For the bathroom, you bring your own toilet paper in and out. You only go in the toilet and throw you toilet paper away in a bin to the nest of it. The toilet collects everything I guess. I do not know yet how they release it. I am now unpacking my bags and I tried to pump up the soccer balls. The red one works great but the blue has a hole in it. So I will ask the family if there is something I can do. Tomorrow, we are leaving for Katkamcon National Park, if that is the name. I have decided to go and miss church because this will be the only time I can go because every volunteer has gone already, and I do not think anyone new is coming after me.
So I helped make dinner tonight. Mrs. Incoom killed and skinned a local chicken. I helped her cut it up. I would hold and stretch a piece and she would hit it with the knife. I had to keep telling myself, “This is not gross” or else I would get nauseous. So I helped hold the chicken as she cut and we broke the bones to smaller pieces. She cut of the toes and is keeping the feet for the young girl, Bertha, because it is healthy for her. The Baby PePe is going to have the lever. She cleans out the bowl for that which was filled with rocks and such. She taught me how to cut and clean the chicken. It was mainly all new so I did not retain all the information but I will try harder next time. We also had mashed plaintains. They have the right amount of spicy. I asked Bertha to teach me how to make it later. So with the chicken, she cooked it in a soup with tomato paste, salt, water, nutmeg, and one other locally grown plant. She called it something like a yellow egg and blended it. It is not a pepper and you can eat it plain but I am still not sure if we have it in America. The soup was very good thougt. We also had a side of rice. Mrs. Incoom says that once I learn more, I will be able to make dinner for everyone. I am nervous but excited. Cooking in the kitchen is hot. You are in a cement room with one window where it is hot outside and one door which is equally humid and hot in the house. But when you go into the kitchen, they have a gas stove which makes the room at least 15 degrees hotter. You can tell a significant difference. The women over here are amazing to always serve the men and do this. I hope the men realize how much work and sacrifice they do. It is getting late now so I am going to call it a night.
January 15, 2010-- Arriving in Asebu Village
January 15
There is a lot to share today. Last night I slept wonderfully. Although I only slept 2-3 hours, I felt very energized. I kept waking up to make sure I hadn’t missed Elvis’s call. He came around 6:20 this morning and we drove off on Cape Coast Road heading to Asebu. It took about 2-3 hours. I am not really sure about time any more. It is true that everything is very relaxed. It makes the transition easier. Along the way, Elvis and I talked about politics. He said that there are two major parties, something like the Democrats and the Patriots. So the NDC and the NPB parties. He is NPB. He is a very popular guy. He gets phone calls all the time. Their phone calls are very different from our own. There say things very blunt and keep them short. I’ve noticed that it is acceptable to not say good-bye but to just get the point across. I told Elvis that my mom is a politician. He got interested in that. I also said my dad is a lawyer. I don’t think the profession of a lawyer is as prominent as a politician down here. We also talked about the schooling and education programs. There is the basic school, junior school, and high school. You start at the age of 5. Once you get to junior school you take a test. This test is the same everywhere in Ghana. If you do not pass you do not get into High School. To take the test, you have to do all 3 years again, so you can imagine that once you fail the test, your education in Ghana is over. We also talked about gender roles. Women cook and clean, men do not. Both can provide for the family, but usually the man. Elvis says that there are still some who view women as slaves. He says his wife will be his partner, his equal. He started an organization when he was 16; something called the “Youth Assembly” or something. It gets the youth activated in the community. He is so giving. He gave me his philosophy of life. He does not save for anything or for the future. He always gives. What he gets, he gives back immediately. He says that his mother died when he was 6. He did not know his mother. So he had to provide and pay for his school. He says that he has been hungry a few times. He knows how it feels. That is why he does everything for others. Because he knows how it feels. Once you have that passion in your heart, you must do it for others. He also shares that everything you do, you must benefit the community; benefit humanity. That is why he is not impressed with some LDS members. Because they have so much money, he wonders why they do not give back more, why they spend and save money it instead of giving it. The drive was very nice. He likes Obama. All of Ghana does. He visited just a few months ago too. Today, I think the Africa Cup is going on and Ghana is playing today. We also filled up some gas along the way. I wasn’t sure when I was supposed to pay so I offered to pay the gas. Once I did, I realized that that is what he wanted but could not ask but wanted me to offer. It was funny to see how many cops pulled over cars for any reason. You can get pulled over for anything. They will find something wrong with your car and will say ‘here is your ticket and we will go to court.” This is where you bribe them. You bargain a price to let the ticket go. This is usual and what you are supposed to do. The police keep the money. That is why every time we passed someone getting pulled over we laughed because really it could have been us.
We then drove into Asebu. It is small and very nice. Elvis pointed out along the way that they are building a new school. I hope to make a fundraiser because now they need to build a new or phase because the government or someone is taking back the building. If they do not build one, the children are on the streets. So this is my passion for the fundraiser. We drive up to the house, which is fairly nice and big. I meet my family. I forget their name now but he is a Minister. He has started a youth program so that if a child is not good at school they can be good at something else. He wants the kids to use their talents to benefit the community and make a life of themselves instead of turning to drugs and other forms of money making. He has one organization here and one in Nigeria. So he travels a lot and will not be home much. In Nigeria, he met this 13-year-old girl that was already into prostitution to make a living, and he invited her to join his program so that she can have a better life and use her talents. He seems like a very wonderful person. His wife is wonderful too. She is so caring. She sings gospel music and they recently did some recording so they are hoping to produce their CD soon. Bertha cooked me some pancakes, which tasted like crepes but instead of wheat flour they had some kind of starchy fruit for the flour. It was very good but I could only have one. My stomach still isn’t back and I have been forcing myself to eat. I gave them my present-- some beef jerky and first aid kit. I sat down with the wife and went through the whole things with her. It seems like she has never seen one before. They seem to like it.
After I met and talked with the family, Elvis came back from his meeting, and I met two new ladies. One is married to one of the old senators who once thought of running for president. Novena, Elvis’s friend, came with us to pick up some drinks for the children tonight. Tonight we are having a party for two of the female volunteers that are leaving. We then drove through the market streets, saw the ocean and also where President Obama spoke to them in April. We drove by the castle and the bank that has an ATM. I just got done sitting under the tree with the wife. Betrtha, her 14-year-old daughter, cut open a coconut that came from their tree. I drank the juice and spooned out the meat. It was very good. She told me that I would be eating a lot more fruit here. She was eating a plantain that was boiled. I met Frod. He is a nice young man who says he comes here often. The Minister is his spiritual leader. There are lizards crawling all over the buildings and even in this right now. Goats are every in the streets and all the school children have uniforms. We have some roosters outside. They will wake us up at 4:30 I guess. Everyone carries everything on top of his or her head. The people are so beautiful too. The children always smile and wave and say something I can’t understand when I drive by. I wave in a motion where I would have my fingers straight in the high like to give a high five and then curl my fingers instead of waving back and forth. Elvis told me not to do that because curling the fingers means you are telling the children to come. So now I gave raise my hand and say “Hello”. The only cultural thing I am not to do in pass anything with my left hand. I have a hard time remembering this, and I am sure I have done it already but I believe that everyone is being patient with me. The left hand is dirty and you must not shake or pass anything with it. Elvis also taught me their handshake. I have not used it with anyone yet but I know how to do it!!
It is so very hot. I plan on having my hair being braided sometime soon. The humidity makes the hair uncomfortable. The house we live in is very nice. They have a TV with 150 channels. Some of them are USA channels. They have a modem… so they Internet but they are charged per months so if I use it with them, I help pay my portion. This is what I will most likely do. We also drove up to the orphanage. The children were at school, but I got to meet Auntie Ester and Auntie Georgina. Georgina is around 50 or 60 and Ester 30 or 40. I am going to sleep without a fan tonight. I will see later if it is too hot or not. I will most likely buy one later but I will try it out for one night to see how it goes. While we were in Cape Coast, we drove by an LDS chapel. It was a real LDS chapel with a steeple and everything. I will maybe go and visit there sometime, but I will visit the closest one to me first. I am very excited to go to church. I think church will really make me feel at home. Everyone already considers me family. I meet two other volunteers that are living at Elvis’s house. They are two German girls in their teens. They have been in Africa already for a few months but were in a different country. They have been here for a week. They are already really relaxed. This gives me comfort knowing that maybe in a week everything is going to be fine and normal. Frod was telling me how Asebu got its name. Here is what I can remember.
Asebu had another name years and years ago but it was very small. Just a few houses. A giant named Asebu something came to town. He was very very very big. When he sat on a rock, his fingerprints were left in the rock. I guess I am going to go see those rocks sometime later. Back when the tribes were fighting, the Fantes and I think the Asantes, we are Fante, he help decide to make this land Fante land and stop the war. His teeth were so strong that when he ate maze, it was too soft. He would add gravel because his teeth were so strong. Or maybe that’s another guy. But someone in the stories he told sat down on a rock, and he made groves in the rock in the form of feet and also his behind. During this whole conversation, we were laughing. People love to laugh here. They are some of the happiest people I have ever met. I believe they are so happy because 1 they believe in Christ and celebrate it as a community, 2 you can always hear music. Music is always playing and if there is music, they are dancing or moving to the beat. 3 They have chosen to be happy. They are a remarkable people.
The Party was a blast for the kids. It was a very special day… Elvis called it an early Christmas. They had a super nice dinner. Two fried chicken pieces and a big thing of rice with spicy sauce. The sauce took my breath away at first. Then the two Norwegian girls that are leaving, Anna and Camellia, had family come during Christmas and the family brought backpacks and other school supplies for the kids. They were very happy. They also got soda pop and a piece of candy. The orphanage was a lot of fun. I helped the children with their schoolwork, sat and talked, refilled the water, and meet some other kids. They said they will stop by sometime tomorrow and teach me Fanti. They tried to teach me the handshake better but I am not very good. The children also received a ping-pong table from a donation. They wrote and colored thank you cards. A huge storm came and it poured. It was beautiful but the roads get very dirty and muddy. We walked back to Elvis’s home after cleaning up at the orphanage to watch the African Cup. It is Ghana vs. another country. They call it football, and I forget that I call it soccer. While watching the game the kids would play a tickle game and want to sit in your lap all the time. Two kids that are very friendly would almost fight to receive my lap. Oh I forgot, when I walked first up to the orphanage, I believe it is Isabella was running to one volunteer but decided to come to me and have her carry me. I am not sure how the other volunteer handled it because after that auntie Georgina made the other two go to work as I looked after the children. Tomorrow the German Volunteers, Teresa and the other girl, are going to travel to Cape coast and do some sight-seeing. It was hard to explain to the family that I could not drink their fine tea or coffee, that only water and juice. I believe they are good people and did not take it as an insult but I hope I can talk to a member and have them tell me how to live here. I pray I am given the strength to endure. The children are wonderful and I want to help.
There is a lot to share today. Last night I slept wonderfully. Although I only slept 2-3 hours, I felt very energized. I kept waking up to make sure I hadn’t missed Elvis’s call. He came around 6:20 this morning and we drove off on Cape Coast Road heading to Asebu. It took about 2-3 hours. I am not really sure about time any more. It is true that everything is very relaxed. It makes the transition easier. Along the way, Elvis and I talked about politics. He said that there are two major parties, something like the Democrats and the Patriots. So the NDC and the NPB parties. He is NPB. He is a very popular guy. He gets phone calls all the time. Their phone calls are very different from our own. There say things very blunt and keep them short. I’ve noticed that it is acceptable to not say good-bye but to just get the point across. I told Elvis that my mom is a politician. He got interested in that. I also said my dad is a lawyer. I don’t think the profession of a lawyer is as prominent as a politician down here. We also talked about the schooling and education programs. There is the basic school, junior school, and high school. You start at the age of 5. Once you get to junior school you take a test. This test is the same everywhere in Ghana. If you do not pass you do not get into High School. To take the test, you have to do all 3 years again, so you can imagine that once you fail the test, your education in Ghana is over. We also talked about gender roles. Women cook and clean, men do not. Both can provide for the family, but usually the man. Elvis says that there are still some who view women as slaves. He says his wife will be his partner, his equal. He started an organization when he was 16; something called the “Youth Assembly” or something. It gets the youth activated in the community. He is so giving. He gave me his philosophy of life. He does not save for anything or for the future. He always gives. What he gets, he gives back immediately. He says that his mother died when he was 6. He did not know his mother. So he had to provide and pay for his school. He says that he has been hungry a few times. He knows how it feels. That is why he does everything for others. Because he knows how it feels. Once you have that passion in your heart, you must do it for others. He also shares that everything you do, you must benefit the community; benefit humanity. That is why he is not impressed with some LDS members. Because they have so much money, he wonders why they do not give back more, why they spend and save money it instead of giving it. The drive was very nice. He likes Obama. All of Ghana does. He visited just a few months ago too. Today, I think the Africa Cup is going on and Ghana is playing today. We also filled up some gas along the way. I wasn’t sure when I was supposed to pay so I offered to pay the gas. Once I did, I realized that that is what he wanted but could not ask but wanted me to offer. It was funny to see how many cops pulled over cars for any reason. You can get pulled over for anything. They will find something wrong with your car and will say ‘here is your ticket and we will go to court.” This is where you bribe them. You bargain a price to let the ticket go. This is usual and what you are supposed to do. The police keep the money. That is why every time we passed someone getting pulled over we laughed because really it could have been us.
We then drove into Asebu. It is small and very nice. Elvis pointed out along the way that they are building a new school. I hope to make a fundraiser because now they need to build a new or phase because the government or someone is taking back the building. If they do not build one, the children are on the streets. So this is my passion for the fundraiser. We drive up to the house, which is fairly nice and big. I meet my family. I forget their name now but he is a Minister. He has started a youth program so that if a child is not good at school they can be good at something else. He wants the kids to use their talents to benefit the community and make a life of themselves instead of turning to drugs and other forms of money making. He has one organization here and one in Nigeria. So he travels a lot and will not be home much. In Nigeria, he met this 13-year-old girl that was already into prostitution to make a living, and he invited her to join his program so that she can have a better life and use her talents. He seems like a very wonderful person. His wife is wonderful too. She is so caring. She sings gospel music and they recently did some recording so they are hoping to produce their CD soon. Bertha cooked me some pancakes, which tasted like crepes but instead of wheat flour they had some kind of starchy fruit for the flour. It was very good but I could only have one. My stomach still isn’t back and I have been forcing myself to eat. I gave them my present-- some beef jerky and first aid kit. I sat down with the wife and went through the whole things with her. It seems like she has never seen one before. They seem to like it.
After I met and talked with the family, Elvis came back from his meeting, and I met two new ladies. One is married to one of the old senators who once thought of running for president. Novena, Elvis’s friend, came with us to pick up some drinks for the children tonight. Tonight we are having a party for two of the female volunteers that are leaving. We then drove through the market streets, saw the ocean and also where President Obama spoke to them in April. We drove by the castle and the bank that has an ATM. I just got done sitting under the tree with the wife. Betrtha, her 14-year-old daughter, cut open a coconut that came from their tree. I drank the juice and spooned out the meat. It was very good. She told me that I would be eating a lot more fruit here. She was eating a plantain that was boiled. I met Frod. He is a nice young man who says he comes here often. The Minister is his spiritual leader. There are lizards crawling all over the buildings and even in this right now. Goats are every in the streets and all the school children have uniforms. We have some roosters outside. They will wake us up at 4:30 I guess. Everyone carries everything on top of his or her head. The people are so beautiful too. The children always smile and wave and say something I can’t understand when I drive by. I wave in a motion where I would have my fingers straight in the high like to give a high five and then curl my fingers instead of waving back and forth. Elvis told me not to do that because curling the fingers means you are telling the children to come. So now I gave raise my hand and say “Hello”. The only cultural thing I am not to do in pass anything with my left hand. I have a hard time remembering this, and I am sure I have done it already but I believe that everyone is being patient with me. The left hand is dirty and you must not shake or pass anything with it. Elvis also taught me their handshake. I have not used it with anyone yet but I know how to do it!!
It is so very hot. I plan on having my hair being braided sometime soon. The humidity makes the hair uncomfortable. The house we live in is very nice. They have a TV with 150 channels. Some of them are USA channels. They have a modem… so they Internet but they are charged per months so if I use it with them, I help pay my portion. This is what I will most likely do. We also drove up to the orphanage. The children were at school, but I got to meet Auntie Ester and Auntie Georgina. Georgina is around 50 or 60 and Ester 30 or 40. I am going to sleep without a fan tonight. I will see later if it is too hot or not. I will most likely buy one later but I will try it out for one night to see how it goes. While we were in Cape Coast, we drove by an LDS chapel. It was a real LDS chapel with a steeple and everything. I will maybe go and visit there sometime, but I will visit the closest one to me first. I am very excited to go to church. I think church will really make me feel at home. Everyone already considers me family. I meet two other volunteers that are living at Elvis’s house. They are two German girls in their teens. They have been in Africa already for a few months but were in a different country. They have been here for a week. They are already really relaxed. This gives me comfort knowing that maybe in a week everything is going to be fine and normal. Frod was telling me how Asebu got its name. Here is what I can remember.
Asebu had another name years and years ago but it was very small. Just a few houses. A giant named Asebu something came to town. He was very very very big. When he sat on a rock, his fingerprints were left in the rock. I guess I am going to go see those rocks sometime later. Back when the tribes were fighting, the Fantes and I think the Asantes, we are Fante, he help decide to make this land Fante land and stop the war. His teeth were so strong that when he ate maze, it was too soft. He would add gravel because his teeth were so strong. Or maybe that’s another guy. But someone in the stories he told sat down on a rock, and he made groves in the rock in the form of feet and also his behind. During this whole conversation, we were laughing. People love to laugh here. They are some of the happiest people I have ever met. I believe they are so happy because 1 they believe in Christ and celebrate it as a community, 2 you can always hear music. Music is always playing and if there is music, they are dancing or moving to the beat. 3 They have chosen to be happy. They are a remarkable people.
The Party was a blast for the kids. It was a very special day… Elvis called it an early Christmas. They had a super nice dinner. Two fried chicken pieces and a big thing of rice with spicy sauce. The sauce took my breath away at first. Then the two Norwegian girls that are leaving, Anna and Camellia, had family come during Christmas and the family brought backpacks and other school supplies for the kids. They were very happy. They also got soda pop and a piece of candy. The orphanage was a lot of fun. I helped the children with their schoolwork, sat and talked, refilled the water, and meet some other kids. They said they will stop by sometime tomorrow and teach me Fanti. They tried to teach me the handshake better but I am not very good. The children also received a ping-pong table from a donation. They wrote and colored thank you cards. A huge storm came and it poured. It was beautiful but the roads get very dirty and muddy. We walked back to Elvis’s home after cleaning up at the orphanage to watch the African Cup. It is Ghana vs. another country. They call it football, and I forget that I call it soccer. While watching the game the kids would play a tickle game and want to sit in your lap all the time. Two kids that are very friendly would almost fight to receive my lap. Oh I forgot, when I walked first up to the orphanage, I believe it is Isabella was running to one volunteer but decided to come to me and have her carry me. I am not sure how the other volunteer handled it because after that auntie Georgina made the other two go to work as I looked after the children. Tomorrow the German Volunteers, Teresa and the other girl, are going to travel to Cape coast and do some sight-seeing. It was hard to explain to the family that I could not drink their fine tea or coffee, that only water and juice. I believe they are good people and did not take it as an insult but I hope I can talk to a member and have them tell me how to live here. I pray I am given the strength to endure. The children are wonderful and I want to help.
January 14, 2010-- From Idaho to Ghana!
The whole flight was very long. It took 26 hours and a migraine followed me the whole way. It was beautiful to see the farm country as I flew from Salt Lake City to Chicago. The Great Lakes seemed what looked like waves frozen in ice formations. Chicago was a huge airport, the biggest I have gone to. The plane from SLC to Chicago was very small. One isle and two rows of chairs on each side. Thankfully I had two seats to myself. The plane from Chicago to Frankfort, Germany was huge. It was a Boeing 777. 5 seats in the middle and 2 on each side. That was an 8-hour flight, and I tried very hard to sleep because it was Ghana’s nighttime but I could not. I meet Jessica, who sat next to me. She is originally from Germany and visiting for business and I also meet I think David. He is in the Army and going to the base there. The wait in Germany seemed very long. It was nice thought to be able to call family and friends. One the way over I was amused by how many times I was asked to make my orange juice a mixer. I had forgotten you could drink alcohol when you are 18 in Germany. The last flight is from Germany to Accra, and I just really wanted to get there. Waiting in the terminal was fun. I got to see many Ghanaians heading back home and meet some other volunteers. The flight to Ghana was also long because now I wanted to sleep but I shouldn’t because it was daytime for Ghana. I get to Ghana, having met a volunteer and we stuck side by side to make sure each of us got our things together. Got my Visa stamped and went a bought a phone, SIM card, and phone minutes. Getting off the plane was so different from Idaho weather. It was humid and hot, even though they call this the dry season. Elvis, my coordinator, to pick me up was not there, so I became a little worried. Many people offered taxis, and some called me over as if to Say “I’ll give you ride” so someone who worked there helped me call Elvis. My phone did not work at first so we used his. After I hung up, his friend next to him said, “Tip”. O gees, I knew that a tip was not required, and they were just getting money from a tourist, so I argued a little politely can gave one cedi, or one dollar since they buy minutes and it is not like our cell phone services.
Elvis finally comes, and he brought his friend, I forget her name now, but she is very nice. We get in the car and traffic is horrible. We wait in a round-about for 25 minutes with what was supposed to be one lane going around the circle to 3 lanes. People just honk to communicate to other drives and the merge you just put yourself out there so that you are only an inch away from the bumper. If you do not do that, you don’t get in. Many cars would zoom by going the wrong direction honking their horn and flashing their lights. It was a common thing I saw 3 times on the way to the hotel. The houses are metal sheets or thin wood. Everything is very different. You have street vendors that walk between the cars of traffic selling everything and anything from toilet paper to chocolate to cell phone minutes. I talk with Elvis and find out he is active in his faith and is a politician. He wants to start a Sister City program with Idaho Falls and Ghana. We get to the hotel, and I find that it would look very unsafe in America, like a place you would never find yourself, but it is one of the safest around. I have a room to myself with a bucket of water to wash and curtains to pull over the windows that have only a screen. I trust Elvis to put me in a safe place and the people I meet out front seem very nice. I can tell this is a very nice hotel because it has an electric fan in the ceiling and two beds and tile floors that are green and brown. I do not feel at home yet though. Elvis says that all volunteers are like family; we are all family. They bought me chocolate and water. I wanted to save the chocolate for a later time because my stomach was in knots all day, and I realized that was kind of an insult to not at least try some. I hope they understand, which I am sure they do. Cars are honking and humming outside, and we are getting up in around 7 hours, 5:30 am to travel to the orphanage. My host family’s father is a priest, and they have a baby. They are Christian. I am very excited to learn. I believe that once I get my feet underneath me, I will be fine. Given a week, I think I will never want to leave this place. This is such an amazing experience. I just need some more sleep to fully appreciate it.I love you all so much. !!!!
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