Cashew Workshop.
I will be in the southern half of Ghana and therefore for three days I had to be in a conference room talking about cashews. Cashews do not grow near me. I have nothing to do with cashews. They tried saying it wasn't all cashew because there was a business aspect to it, although the business part was a bit entertaining for about 10 min because me and my counterpart would get the worksheet done in two minutes and then talk about how to do it better. I felt bad that he left from a training for our farmers to come to this workshop that had very minimal application our project. He had such a wonderful attitude towards the whole thing it made me feel bad about feeling bad. His perspective was that any training is a training and you can get at least the experience of sharing ideas out of it. Im telling you I have lucked out on getting an amazing counterpart. Although I was half heartidly trying to pay attention and get something out of the training I was not happy, I did not feel great and the food was pretty bad, the vegetarian plate (that was just the rice without the chicken) was always 20 min later then everything else. This led me into the habit of scarfing down an entire plate in 5 min because I just wanted to get out of there and begin the digestion process of vegging out a while. I did like meeting some of the volunteers that were involved with the cashew project mostly to hear their stories about being at site and their projects. OH I remembered a highlight, Cash and Carry. Now I know what you are thinking and no its not an actual cash and carry. BUT it is a larger street shop that does carry some obruni items like SHAMPOO something I have wanted to get my hands on. They carried almost everything you need to get by including spices, noodles, tomato paste, ect. the basics and then some. The biscuit selection was pretty large and included digestives which I almost went for but somehow I held back because the prices are a bit high. How could I forget the bar up the street from Cash and Carry its called Hooters! Once again not the same, however, they did have cheaper beers than at the hotel and it was on the second story of the building making it a prime place to people watch. It was somebodies birthday while we were in town and so we went and had a few beers. Although im sure its hard to believe the place was not all that packed (or at all) because it was a Tuesday night. The obrunis had the run of the place. I can say that we were glad to be moving on from Techiman. Excited to head north and excited to see something new, not excited about the van ride.
Spiritual revival center
Yep, for a whole week we would be staying at the spiritual revival center. It was so much better then it sounds. The area was absolutely beautiful the draw back was that we were in the upper east. It was extremely hot but in the morning until about 8 or so and in the evenings after 4:30ish the temperature was really very comfortable. The scenery is very different from the south with more grasslands and less green trees. There are not as many hills so you can see for miles. I was looking forward to seeing the northern part of Ghana because I don't think I will be able to get up there very much. It really is a whole different place, one of our trainers went as far as to joke that we were in Burkina Faso and welcomed us back to Ghana when we traveled back down south. Our first night at the center was so quite because there was only half the group, it was so peaceful, just what we needed after a long uncomfortable bus ride. I really enjoyed the evenings when we were done with dinner it was pretty dark out and it made for great star gazing. Looking up at the stars remindes you that you are somewhere different it was odd to not see the ushuall sky that Im so used to seeing. It made me a little sad because I loved it so much but also made me want to learn about the constalations that we can see from here.
Bees!
So people in Ghana take care of their bees at night. Kinda creepy right, especially if you have never worked with bees before, but it was actually quite nice. In the evening its cooler so your not dieing in the suits and supposedly the bees are more relaxed. About 15 of us set out on the bee hive harvest mission and man oh man we learned a lot. We learned about Ghanaian culture, their attitudes towards bees, how not to harvest honey, and that walking in the dark for 10 min not knowing where you are going is rather surreal from the safety of a bee suit. After we arrived at the bee hive and opened the rather rotten top-bar hive the bees were not as aggressive as we anticipated. African honey bees are supposed to be more aggressive than honey bees back home but these were not. There wasn't any capped honey in the hive and no brood. This is pretty odd for the amount of bees that were there so we think that maybe the hive was abandoned and the bees that were there were robber bees stealing what was left of the honey. It makes sense that the bees were not as aggressive because they were not protecting their hive just stealing from it. I believe that I learned a lot from getting to go out to the hive see the bees and the comb but we learned more from the people in our group that have kept bees before. Without their knowledge I think we would all be confused and would make lots of mistakes if we decide to start hives. Later in the week we were able to talk to an "expert" about how to take care of bees and it only added to the confusion so I think a lot of us will be talking to others in our group and doing our own research. Although the whole bee keeping topic was confusing I think many of us still want to keep bees and do it correctly, at least im excited about it!
Thanksgiving Crocodiles
Thanksgiving was a day off but it was scheduled to take a trip up to Paga home of the crocodile ponds. Its a tourist trap alright but hey its ok for us to take one day to be tourists for heavens sakes we will be here 27 months integrated into the community! Anyways it was pretty great we got a small talk about how they came to have these crocodiles and the importance they serve in the community. It is believed that they protect the people of Paga and the locals even swim around in the same ponds without any incidents. So after their speal they called one of the largest crocodiles out of the pond by making whistling noises and carrying a chicken. A few of the smaller ones came out first and were sent back in because we wanted to touch the big one! It finally came and all of us got to pick up the tail and squat over the back end of this croc. It was cool but thats kinda all we did. A few people bought chickens to feed them which was entertaining and a horse came by to give little rides. Overall it was cool but really an odd series of events. But hey I can say Ive touched a crocodile now!
Thanksgiving dinner was amazing. After we got back from the ponds we all chipped in and cooked up a storm. It was great we had sweet potato dish, biscuits, veggie stew, turkey, guinea fowl, apple pie, apple crisp, wine, beer, mashed potatoes. It was a feast! We also dressed up for the occasion which meant putting on our two yards and sticking turkey feathers in our hair! The lights went out right before dinner which made it a beautiful candle lit dinner. Very relaxing but kinda hot because the fans weren't on. It was amazing how everybody worked together to get dinner done and it turned out perfectly! Not excactly the thanksgiving at home but the best thanksgiving Ghana has ever seen I think! That evening I called home to everybody at the Eide thanksgiving, it was great to hear everybody in such happy spirits and ready to get to eating! I miss thanksgiving at home but as my mom says there will be more holidays back here so make the most of them in Ghana. Not going to lie its kinda hard but realizing I have strong support back home makes it all worth it.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Alright well its been awhile and a lot has happened so lets take this opportunity to get a little caught up. Just because my mind is a little backwards ill start off by saying that today November 8th 2011 is the first day I have traveled by myself in Ghana. I successfully made it to the PEPFAR site in pretty good time. I had to leave Nkurakan by trotro to Koforidua and get a trotro to Nkawkaw from there I was instructed to take a car up the mountain to Nkwatia. Instead I got on a trotro which is cheaper and it turned out ok but I'm lucky that they understood where I wanted to go because I surely didnt! I told them I needed to get off by the police station and they did just that. There were actually two Ghanaian guys walking the same place and so I chatted with them a little and they were going to try to get admission for the younger one. As I walked into the school area I understood why they would want to come to school here. Its pretty big and from what I can tell a fairly good school. The peace corps volunteer I am visiting is a teacher here, I think math and science. Anyways when I left my site this morning I wasent sure what today was going to be like but so far so good!
Counterpart workshop
I left home stay with all of my belongings piled in one of the Peace Corps Land Rover. Luckily Masse was picked up first and therefore our stuff got to be inside the vehicle, Agynasin people had to put all there stuff on top of the car and tie it down. Luckily everybodies stuff made it to Kumasi well before we did! The pick up time was supposed to be around 12 but due to delays because the AC wasent working we didnt actually leave until around 2 which turned out ok for the local economy because as americans we all just went and bought a few snacks and sat around for 2 hours. Half the bus ride was without AC so the windows were open and hair was fling everywhere. Another side effect of that is the sun was hot on our faces specifically my forearms and collar bone which turned out to be burnt that evening. We got to stop at Kumasi sub office for a little bit, enough to use the bathroom and take a quick peak around and oh man is it sweet! Lots of books, seating areas and a TV to watch movies oh and did I mention a real kitchen with an oven! I think i might need to run up there a couple times to bake some cookies! We arrived at the hotel we would be staying at for the next four days and besides having everybody's things in our room the place was amazing! AC in the rooms a swimming pool, hot water, and a shower spicket. I did have a few complaints which include the room smelling very strong of a "room refresher ball" which was put in our sink and bathtub, it reaked! I caught on a few days into it and threw them in the trash can.
The counterpart workshop was good. I say that with a bit of a sigh because it was so long and I dont really think I got much out of it other than meeting with my counterpart. Through the day we had sessions on topics that we have already covered but had to go over again because some of the counterparts are new to Peace Corps and everybody needs to be on the same page. It wasent all horrible because we participated in energizers and breaks for snacks but I didn't know you could get so tired from not doing anything! The event was sponsored by PEPFAR which in the Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief started by President Bush. The HIV/AIDS sessions were interested at first but dragged on. The topics we covered on domestic violence and household societal norms was interesting and brought out many cultural differences, good and bad. Ghanaians do respect women to a point but if a husband and a wife are not getting along its the woman that leaves or is forced out of the house. They try to work though many problems but most of the time the issues are just forgotten and people just have to get over their problems. I haven't had to experience this first hand which is good but that also means I dont know much about it other than what the counterparts brought up at this conference. In the evenings when we should have been practicing our languages most of us where either grabing a drink poolside or on the wifi that was in the hotel. Dosent sound too bad right! But all good things do come to an end and by the fourth day I think we were all ready to get out of there.
SITE VISITS!
About half of our group had to get up and go very early in the morning in order to make it to their sites by night fall. The rest of us got up and had breakfast then made it to the road side to catch a cab. My counterpart and I were the last ones to be standing there and when some PC cars drove by I think they felt sorry for us and picked us up to give us a ride to the trotro station. It was nice of them if they knew where they were going but that wasent really the case. We stopped at a fill station and got a car to take us which was much easier. Transport was pretty easy and everybody tells you where to go even if you dont know where you want to be going so I was happy my counterpart was there to help me go in the right direction. We made it to Nkurakan by early afternoon and went to the office to met everybody. Joshua who runs Krobodan was out so we waited around for a bit and I got to chat with Debora who is a lady that helps around the office but she wasent feeling very good that afternoon so we just talked a bit. After meeting Joshua and Fred we went to the part of Krobodan that I will be working with just a little which is the beads company. I met some of the ladies who were making the bracelets and stringing the beads but also my site mother who is in charge of quality control. After stopping my Joshuas house and meeting his dog that he actually adopted after one of the volunteers left. I loved seeing that they are taking care of them after the volunteer leaves because I really want to get a dog but I think I wont be able to take it when I leave especially if I want to travel a bit before I land back in the USA.
So I ended the day at my site. my place. my home for the next two years. that is if everything goes according to plan. I will have 2 rooms to myself and share the bathroom and living/tv area with Rachael my site mom and some of her grandchildren/niece. Its really hard to tell peoples actual relations because everybody is sister or brother. The older one I think might be going to school when i get back but im not sure she is 20 years old and needs to finish up her secondary school. Anyways my bed room is fairly large and I didnt get a close look into the second room because they are still finishing it up and they were currently drying their corn in there. I think I will use that room as a kitchen and maybe a workspace but we will see. I really want to do most of my own cooking. One because I dont want to bother my mom and two because I think I can make food that I will actually like to eat. They have lots of veggies but they dont eat them that often. It was a odd situation, being at site, because I felt like I wanted to just make the place my own and get settled but I had to leave after just 3 days.
The first full day at site I met with Emmanuel (my counterpart) and we were supposed to go out to some of the communities that the program works with. These were new communities and one of the easy first things that they are taught (if they ask or are interested) is vaccinating their chickens from New Castle Disease. The vaccination actually goes into the eye of the bird. It was great to get a little sneak peak into some of the training that they provide. Oh before we headed out we made a stop at the new office building they are putting up. They are currently in a rented house and what their own place for training farmers and to have all their chickens in one basket so to speak. It will be a lot easier to have farmers come to the training spot to see what they are interested in other than having the field officers go out to the communities all the time. I got back home pretty late and had a bite to eat before joining my mom at the kiln. She was busy firing beads that she had made earlier that day, its quite a process and i will post some pictures in the future.
The second day was Sunday. I had decided I was going to try to go to church with my sister. She attends the Presbyterian church and oh man three hours later and two corns in my purse I dont think I will be going back. I enjoyed being welcomed and meeting people but it was very overwhelming and I couldn't understand anything! I think I might go once to my moms church in her village out of respect but already I am not a very religious person and theres not really a middle ground when it comes to religion here. During the service I actually really missed my church back home. I thought it would make me feel more comforted by going to church but really it made me feel more like a outsider. Lesson learned and new experience checked off the list. We made it home by 1 ish and started helping make the beads. They start by putting in a stem and cutting it with a razor to make the hole, then they dip the plates in lye, and fill with ground up glass with some pigments added. The glass comes from bottles from around the community. The plates are then fired for a while depending on what size and shape. Then its my turn to help I pick them out of the plates and put them on the wire. There are close to 500 beads on one wire i think. They then sell the beads to Krobodan for about 60 peswoas (cents) then are paid again for the time they make the bracelets or beads for sale. It seems like a little and it is but it helps make the ends meet.
Monday the third day at site I met with Fred Joshua and Emmanuel to get a better idea on what I will be doing as part of my job. Oh man I was a little sorry I even asked! There is a lot to do! Everything from updating the program paperwork to record keeping of the communities to helping with training of the farmers with bee keeping, rabbits, goats, chickens, also introducing some agroforestry to the crop farmers to decrease the amount they are paying for the land and diversifying what they are growing. There is a lot and it all depends on what the farmers want. I think that was the biggest thing Krobodan already has a great foundation of communication with farmers and telling what is available and what the farmers want in-order to increase profit and diversify their income. It was a bit over my head because I dont know how to do those things yet but I think I will be able to down the road. I am excited to learn all these new things and just need to keep in mind to take one day at a time and to try not to do to many things at one time.
One thing I am struggling with is the three month integration period. I think I will shoot for not getting too busy in the first month and focus on getting situated in my new place as well as make some connections with people in town but i think three months is a bit long. I know peace corps dosent think so but having a NGO already in the communities and having those lines already open makes getting started a lot easier. Also it will be a transition period for Krobodan as well as they start to move. They want to be moved in by Febuary when some of the foundation leaders from Denmark come to visit. Having a new place makes changes a little easier but also forces us to notice flaws in their systems and ways to improve them, which hopefully I will take part in.
FREE MEDICAL CHECK UP!
I traveled from my site to the PEPFAR field training by myself, most trainees traveled in a group to visit their PCVs but since im the only one in the Eastern region I get to travel by myself, i figure its just a head start. Anyways my PEPFAR event was a free HIV testing day. We had arranged for nurses to come to a community and provide HIV testing. It takes quite a bit of organization to get the nurses, chairs, tables, community space, and the ok from the town chief. The chief wants to get paid for everything when really its not work for him. The nurses also want to get a bit extra for doing the job they are already paid for but as a volunteer we don't really have extra money to accommodate those requests. The way a PEPFAR event works is that we write for a grant and budget everything but the community is expected to contribute 30%, understandable right because they are the ones receiving the service but its hard because they want money from you to put on the event! I was glad I didnt have to do much of the coordinating ... or any of it really! My contribution was making fliers that we actually had to print twice because not many people will come if you just say free HIV testing because of the stigma related to the virus but if you say free medical check up with blood pressure weight and HIV testing you will get many more people. So thats what we did on top of an educational HIV flier we made medical check up fliers and went around to most the people in the community handing them out and talking to them about coming to find out what their status is. With my little bit of Twi language I had to talk to old and young community members, most of the time they understood but I got a few laughs at my attempt to communication. The area we did the event at is very educated and has two colleges near by so English is pretty well understood. I was so tired at the end of the day but I think we tested around 100-125 people Im not sure the actual statistics but it was a success!
Adventure to Techiman
The day after the event I traveled to Techiman to start our technical training. Once again traveling by myself is quite an experience. Everybody is so nice and friendly but the trotro that I took to get to kumasi stopped before the station and everybody was told to get off because the traffic was so bad that we could walk faster. So I lugged my backpack out of the trotro and started walking, I didn't actually know where I was going so I just fallowed the sea of people. I finally made it to a station.
Ok wait i need to explain what a station is. When I think of a station with my American brain its a very organized place with signs and seating areas for people waiting. In Ghana its a market like area with massive amount of trotro in lines. If you dont frequent the station very much you have not way of telling where certain trotro are located that are going north or south or to specific cities. So you walk around just asking everybody saying "mee ku Techiman" and just looking lost they tell you or point you in the right direction. This is how most large stations work.
So thats what I did wondered around a very poorly organized parking lot with vendors trying to find the right trotro. The trotro I got on is probably the nicest trotro I have seen in Ghana so far. It had actually comfy seats and enough space for everybody so I guess it was worth the hassle trying to find it! I made it very easily to Techiman considering they actually took us to the station. I took a drop taxi to the hotel we are staying at and to my amazement I was the first one to arrive. Its much easier to travel my yourself time wise but I think it would be better to have a buddy along with you. Some of the groups had up tp 9 people going the same places so traveling took longer just to accommodate everybody.
Technical Training
The first day of technical training we debriefed a lot about our site visits and a little about PEPFAR although that was mostly just us catching up with everybody after not seeing anybody for about a week. Most people had great experiences but a few wernt as smooth which is to be expected, remember we are in Ghana and things rarely work out as planned. After debriefing and a little session on the Food Security Program that most of us are involved in just because of the nature of NRM and our farming counterparts we got to learn how to process Moringa. We learned how to make soap, creams, and nutritional powders. All of them are very easy and take little money to start. However I dont think I will be doing this as a side project unless the ladies at the beads company what to start doing it, but who knows I can ask if its something they want to start and if so I now know how too! Its a pretty easy process and you can change it to make a few different kinds of soap. The draw to it is that moringa is supposed to help with hair growth and help cure skin aliments like bug bites and rashes. If you grind up the dried leaves you can add it to food as a supplement for many vitamins for children and pregnant women. I thought the whole process was very cool and if I dont find a group to make it with lots of other volunteers are already working with women's groups making it so I can just get a couple bars every once in awhile, even better is to get some of the shea butter soap from the northern volunteers!
It is nice to be back together with everybody at a comfortable hotel and hear of every bodies stories. We all have to share about our sites and the struggles of the first few days of trying to learn what our jobs and lives are going to be like as volunteers. Our PEPFAR stories are also very different I think we all did different programs from painting murals to lecturing about HIV/AIDS in schools to my project of doing testing. Its so nice to get a better understanding of the projects that we can run when we get to site and how much effort some of these events actually take.
Its kind of crazy to think that in about a month we will be sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers and begin our service. On the one hand it feels like we have been in Ghana for a long time but on the other hand and in actuality we still have 26 months to be in Ghana. Im looking forward to getting to site and settling into a routine, maybe not even a routine but just slowing down and having the opportunity to actually get to know Ghana from a stable point of view. As trainees we are comfortable being together because that is all that we have known so far but I'm more looking forward to becoming comfortable with my community, my coworkers, and my farmers.
Until next time
Live in Love
Counterpart workshop
I left home stay with all of my belongings piled in one of the Peace Corps Land Rover. Luckily Masse was picked up first and therefore our stuff got to be inside the vehicle, Agynasin people had to put all there stuff on top of the car and tie it down. Luckily everybodies stuff made it to Kumasi well before we did! The pick up time was supposed to be around 12 but due to delays because the AC wasent working we didnt actually leave until around 2 which turned out ok for the local economy because as americans we all just went and bought a few snacks and sat around for 2 hours. Half the bus ride was without AC so the windows were open and hair was fling everywhere. Another side effect of that is the sun was hot on our faces specifically my forearms and collar bone which turned out to be burnt that evening. We got to stop at Kumasi sub office for a little bit, enough to use the bathroom and take a quick peak around and oh man is it sweet! Lots of books, seating areas and a TV to watch movies oh and did I mention a real kitchen with an oven! I think i might need to run up there a couple times to bake some cookies! We arrived at the hotel we would be staying at for the next four days and besides having everybody's things in our room the place was amazing! AC in the rooms a swimming pool, hot water, and a shower spicket. I did have a few complaints which include the room smelling very strong of a "room refresher ball" which was put in our sink and bathtub, it reaked! I caught on a few days into it and threw them in the trash can.
The counterpart workshop was good. I say that with a bit of a sigh because it was so long and I dont really think I got much out of it other than meeting with my counterpart. Through the day we had sessions on topics that we have already covered but had to go over again because some of the counterparts are new to Peace Corps and everybody needs to be on the same page. It wasent all horrible because we participated in energizers and breaks for snacks but I didn't know you could get so tired from not doing anything! The event was sponsored by PEPFAR which in the Presidents Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief started by President Bush. The HIV/AIDS sessions were interested at first but dragged on. The topics we covered on domestic violence and household societal norms was interesting and brought out many cultural differences, good and bad. Ghanaians do respect women to a point but if a husband and a wife are not getting along its the woman that leaves or is forced out of the house. They try to work though many problems but most of the time the issues are just forgotten and people just have to get over their problems. I haven't had to experience this first hand which is good but that also means I dont know much about it other than what the counterparts brought up at this conference. In the evenings when we should have been practicing our languages most of us where either grabing a drink poolside or on the wifi that was in the hotel. Dosent sound too bad right! But all good things do come to an end and by the fourth day I think we were all ready to get out of there.
SITE VISITS!
About half of our group had to get up and go very early in the morning in order to make it to their sites by night fall. The rest of us got up and had breakfast then made it to the road side to catch a cab. My counterpart and I were the last ones to be standing there and when some PC cars drove by I think they felt sorry for us and picked us up to give us a ride to the trotro station. It was nice of them if they knew where they were going but that wasent really the case. We stopped at a fill station and got a car to take us which was much easier. Transport was pretty easy and everybody tells you where to go even if you dont know where you want to be going so I was happy my counterpart was there to help me go in the right direction. We made it to Nkurakan by early afternoon and went to the office to met everybody. Joshua who runs Krobodan was out so we waited around for a bit and I got to chat with Debora who is a lady that helps around the office but she wasent feeling very good that afternoon so we just talked a bit. After meeting Joshua and Fred we went to the part of Krobodan that I will be working with just a little which is the beads company. I met some of the ladies who were making the bracelets and stringing the beads but also my site mother who is in charge of quality control. After stopping my Joshuas house and meeting his dog that he actually adopted after one of the volunteers left. I loved seeing that they are taking care of them after the volunteer leaves because I really want to get a dog but I think I wont be able to take it when I leave especially if I want to travel a bit before I land back in the USA.
So I ended the day at my site. my place. my home for the next two years. that is if everything goes according to plan. I will have 2 rooms to myself and share the bathroom and living/tv area with Rachael my site mom and some of her grandchildren/niece. Its really hard to tell peoples actual relations because everybody is sister or brother. The older one I think might be going to school when i get back but im not sure she is 20 years old and needs to finish up her secondary school. Anyways my bed room is fairly large and I didnt get a close look into the second room because they are still finishing it up and they were currently drying their corn in there. I think I will use that room as a kitchen and maybe a workspace but we will see. I really want to do most of my own cooking. One because I dont want to bother my mom and two because I think I can make food that I will actually like to eat. They have lots of veggies but they dont eat them that often. It was a odd situation, being at site, because I felt like I wanted to just make the place my own and get settled but I had to leave after just 3 days.
The first full day at site I met with Emmanuel (my counterpart) and we were supposed to go out to some of the communities that the program works with. These were new communities and one of the easy first things that they are taught (if they ask or are interested) is vaccinating their chickens from New Castle Disease. The vaccination actually goes into the eye of the bird. It was great to get a little sneak peak into some of the training that they provide. Oh before we headed out we made a stop at the new office building they are putting up. They are currently in a rented house and what their own place for training farmers and to have all their chickens in one basket so to speak. It will be a lot easier to have farmers come to the training spot to see what they are interested in other than having the field officers go out to the communities all the time. I got back home pretty late and had a bite to eat before joining my mom at the kiln. She was busy firing beads that she had made earlier that day, its quite a process and i will post some pictures in the future.
The second day was Sunday. I had decided I was going to try to go to church with my sister. She attends the Presbyterian church and oh man three hours later and two corns in my purse I dont think I will be going back. I enjoyed being welcomed and meeting people but it was very overwhelming and I couldn't understand anything! I think I might go once to my moms church in her village out of respect but already I am not a very religious person and theres not really a middle ground when it comes to religion here. During the service I actually really missed my church back home. I thought it would make me feel more comforted by going to church but really it made me feel more like a outsider. Lesson learned and new experience checked off the list. We made it home by 1 ish and started helping make the beads. They start by putting in a stem and cutting it with a razor to make the hole, then they dip the plates in lye, and fill with ground up glass with some pigments added. The glass comes from bottles from around the community. The plates are then fired for a while depending on what size and shape. Then its my turn to help I pick them out of the plates and put them on the wire. There are close to 500 beads on one wire i think. They then sell the beads to Krobodan for about 60 peswoas (cents) then are paid again for the time they make the bracelets or beads for sale. It seems like a little and it is but it helps make the ends meet.
Monday the third day at site I met with Fred Joshua and Emmanuel to get a better idea on what I will be doing as part of my job. Oh man I was a little sorry I even asked! There is a lot to do! Everything from updating the program paperwork to record keeping of the communities to helping with training of the farmers with bee keeping, rabbits, goats, chickens, also introducing some agroforestry to the crop farmers to decrease the amount they are paying for the land and diversifying what they are growing. There is a lot and it all depends on what the farmers want. I think that was the biggest thing Krobodan already has a great foundation of communication with farmers and telling what is available and what the farmers want in-order to increase profit and diversify their income. It was a bit over my head because I dont know how to do those things yet but I think I will be able to down the road. I am excited to learn all these new things and just need to keep in mind to take one day at a time and to try not to do to many things at one time.
One thing I am struggling with is the three month integration period. I think I will shoot for not getting too busy in the first month and focus on getting situated in my new place as well as make some connections with people in town but i think three months is a bit long. I know peace corps dosent think so but having a NGO already in the communities and having those lines already open makes getting started a lot easier. Also it will be a transition period for Krobodan as well as they start to move. They want to be moved in by Febuary when some of the foundation leaders from Denmark come to visit. Having a new place makes changes a little easier but also forces us to notice flaws in their systems and ways to improve them, which hopefully I will take part in.
FREE MEDICAL CHECK UP!
I traveled from my site to the PEPFAR field training by myself, most trainees traveled in a group to visit their PCVs but since im the only one in the Eastern region I get to travel by myself, i figure its just a head start. Anyways my PEPFAR event was a free HIV testing day. We had arranged for nurses to come to a community and provide HIV testing. It takes quite a bit of organization to get the nurses, chairs, tables, community space, and the ok from the town chief. The chief wants to get paid for everything when really its not work for him. The nurses also want to get a bit extra for doing the job they are already paid for but as a volunteer we don't really have extra money to accommodate those requests. The way a PEPFAR event works is that we write for a grant and budget everything but the community is expected to contribute 30%, understandable right because they are the ones receiving the service but its hard because they want money from you to put on the event! I was glad I didnt have to do much of the coordinating ... or any of it really! My contribution was making fliers that we actually had to print twice because not many people will come if you just say free HIV testing because of the stigma related to the virus but if you say free medical check up with blood pressure weight and HIV testing you will get many more people. So thats what we did on top of an educational HIV flier we made medical check up fliers and went around to most the people in the community handing them out and talking to them about coming to find out what their status is. With my little bit of Twi language I had to talk to old and young community members, most of the time they understood but I got a few laughs at my attempt to communication. The area we did the event at is very educated and has two colleges near by so English is pretty well understood. I was so tired at the end of the day but I think we tested around 100-125 people Im not sure the actual statistics but it was a success!
Adventure to Techiman
The day after the event I traveled to Techiman to start our technical training. Once again traveling by myself is quite an experience. Everybody is so nice and friendly but the trotro that I took to get to kumasi stopped before the station and everybody was told to get off because the traffic was so bad that we could walk faster. So I lugged my backpack out of the trotro and started walking, I didn't actually know where I was going so I just fallowed the sea of people. I finally made it to a station.
Ok wait i need to explain what a station is. When I think of a station with my American brain its a very organized place with signs and seating areas for people waiting. In Ghana its a market like area with massive amount of trotro in lines. If you dont frequent the station very much you have not way of telling where certain trotro are located that are going north or south or to specific cities. So you walk around just asking everybody saying "mee ku Techiman" and just looking lost they tell you or point you in the right direction. This is how most large stations work.
So thats what I did wondered around a very poorly organized parking lot with vendors trying to find the right trotro. The trotro I got on is probably the nicest trotro I have seen in Ghana so far. It had actually comfy seats and enough space for everybody so I guess it was worth the hassle trying to find it! I made it very easily to Techiman considering they actually took us to the station. I took a drop taxi to the hotel we are staying at and to my amazement I was the first one to arrive. Its much easier to travel my yourself time wise but I think it would be better to have a buddy along with you. Some of the groups had up tp 9 people going the same places so traveling took longer just to accommodate everybody.
Technical Training
The first day of technical training we debriefed a lot about our site visits and a little about PEPFAR although that was mostly just us catching up with everybody after not seeing anybody for about a week. Most people had great experiences but a few wernt as smooth which is to be expected, remember we are in Ghana and things rarely work out as planned. After debriefing and a little session on the Food Security Program that most of us are involved in just because of the nature of NRM and our farming counterparts we got to learn how to process Moringa. We learned how to make soap, creams, and nutritional powders. All of them are very easy and take little money to start. However I dont think I will be doing this as a side project unless the ladies at the beads company what to start doing it, but who knows I can ask if its something they want to start and if so I now know how too! Its a pretty easy process and you can change it to make a few different kinds of soap. The draw to it is that moringa is supposed to help with hair growth and help cure skin aliments like bug bites and rashes. If you grind up the dried leaves you can add it to food as a supplement for many vitamins for children and pregnant women. I thought the whole process was very cool and if I dont find a group to make it with lots of other volunteers are already working with women's groups making it so I can just get a couple bars every once in awhile, even better is to get some of the shea butter soap from the northern volunteers!
It is nice to be back together with everybody at a comfortable hotel and hear of every bodies stories. We all have to share about our sites and the struggles of the first few days of trying to learn what our jobs and lives are going to be like as volunteers. Our PEPFAR stories are also very different I think we all did different programs from painting murals to lecturing about HIV/AIDS in schools to my project of doing testing. Its so nice to get a better understanding of the projects that we can run when we get to site and how much effort some of these events actually take.
Its kind of crazy to think that in about a month we will be sworn in as Peace Corps Volunteers and begin our service. On the one hand it feels like we have been in Ghana for a long time but on the other hand and in actuality we still have 26 months to be in Ghana. Im looking forward to getting to site and settling into a routine, maybe not even a routine but just slowing down and having the opportunity to actually get to know Ghana from a stable point of view. As trainees we are comfortable being together because that is all that we have known so far but I'm more looking forward to becoming comfortable with my community, my coworkers, and my farmers.
Until next time
Live in Love
Saturday, October 29, 2011
The success is not the product but the journey!
October 25th
This evening was a glorious evening. I broke out my french press for the first time and man oh man am I happy! It will give me the energy that I need to study and write tonight. So time for a bit of an update.
Friday the 21st was a bit of a rough day for me. One of the trainers stopped by my house in the morning and told me that I didnt need to go to language training in Angynasin and to just stay in my house until the training director came to talk to me. He didn't know what the director was coming to say to me. I sat in my room with the biggest knot in my stomach just waiting for the news. Finally he came and told me that I was placed in a site that was expecting a education volunteer. They gave me a site in the eastern region "near" Boti falls, at least that's what they have been saying as of yet I still don't know what the placement entails. The eastern region does not speak Dagbani, they speak Twi. Not only do I have to change jobs but I have to forget all the Dagbani that I was trying so hard to learn and relearn all the Twi I had forgotten and then quickly catch up with the others that had been studying for the past week. To tell the truth I was disappointed. I really liked my placement. I was excited to be in the Northern region, to help with environmental education, to help with conservation efforts. Now I still wait to find out what is expected of me at this site and my hopes are still high for what is to come. There are pros and cons to this situation. Cons: Im not super close to the organic mango farm that I would have been in the Northern region and I will be the only one in the eastern region from this training group. Pros: the eastern region has two rainy seasons, it will be easier to travel around the southern part of Ghana, and it wont be as hot. One of the first core expectations of a Peace Corps volunteer is to be flexible. I think I have this one down, starting a new language then switching a week into it and all while not knowing what is happening with my site.
Other then that change everything here has begun to be routen. Getting up early to the sounds of sweeping and rosters at 5am, the first chilly cups of the morning bucket bath, the "coffee" or the sugar milk that is slightly flavored with coffee. Ive been able to get up for a run a couple of times which is really nice. I even got proposed to while dripping in sweat on the second one, I dont know what that means other than run faster! The food is still spicy but predictable and lots of starch.The yam is like our potato and their potato is more like our yam, also lots of bread and noodles. Im still practicing English with Effia and Derik just wants to play around. I think Effia is starting to catch on that I need to practice Twi now and she is trying to help when possible but it turns in to laughing at me mispronouncing the words. Its all in good fun and she has such a cute laugh! Other things that have become normal are; taxis breaking down in the middle of the road and waiting while they fix it just enough to keep going, grown women peeing on the side of the road standing up, goat poop on my shoes, the fact that they sweep the dirt paths, water in a bag... everything in a bag, and being called obruni left and right (which means white person, its not derogatory we just respond yefre me Kyndra which translated directly means "we call me Kyndra"). I like the feeling of all these things becoming normal... maybe not the peeing one but still it means that I am starting to feel more comfortable here. All the new experiences have made this place my home for the time being and I just cant wait to get to site and really settle in to where I will be living.
Field Trips
Sorry to jump around (remember I have coffee in my system for the first time in a month). On Wednesday we went to an arboretum a half hour away as a field trip for technical training it was wonderful to get out and see some of the magnificent plants this region has to offer. We got to have our first taste of sweet berry which makes your taste buds go crazy and turns sour tasting things into the sweetest taste! We tried it on some not so ripe oranges and man oh man do they work! We also tried cocoa seeds and they are the same as in Costa Rica, slimy mucus blobs, they taste sweet but the texture thing has got me thrown way off. We continued with a little hike after somebody pointed out a squirrel, the guide then proceeded to kill it with a stick because they are seen as pests here, so that was a good start. We got to see some amazing trees and I posted some pictures on facebook but they dont really give the true glory of these plants. It was a quick tour and I dont think I remember very much from it on the information aspect because it was so quick and I was distracted by looking around. It was great timing for a excursion out of the communities for a breath of fresh air and a little bit of a change of pace.
Sunday we went to Boti Falls on a optional field trip. It was amazing. The falls were beautiful. The water rushing down and creating a mist of warm spray on your face. It was nice to be wet from something other then sweat. The atmosphere was very different from in the communities because there was very few people there other than us. It was almost too touristy. The walk to the falls was just a set of stairs. The hike was a lot more interactive with some steep climbs and slippery descents. The height of the hike was a beautiful outlook area. We got to just sit and take it all in. We are in Africa. We are in Ghana. Sometimes it dosent seem like it but its moments like that one that make everything real.
As of right now (saturday oct 29) my placement and job discription is waiting for me at my home stay. I feel kinda bad becuse we got out of language class early today (because we are that awesome) and so me and Terri went to New Tafo to get on the computer and pick up a dress she had made. Its really awesome and I think I will get one when Im back in town after we are done traveling around the country for a month. But our training director wanted to give it to me personally because he wanted to explain some things but I just missed him. We actually passed him on the road... bad timing on our part. Oh well! So I will be making some calls later tonight and hopefully the word will spread quickly.
Sunday we leave Masse and our home stay families to go for the counterpart workshop and site visits next week then technical training for three weeks! I am very excited! We get to actually get out there and figure out what we are in for at our site and with our jobs! Our first stop is the KSO Kumasi sub office which should be pretty great and a bit of home feeling we will have AC and limited wifi of a secure line! Other then that we don't know where we are going or doing specifically its always a mystery!
Until next time,
Live in Love
October 25th
This evening was a glorious evening. I broke out my french press for the first time and man oh man am I happy! It will give me the energy that I need to study and write tonight. So time for a bit of an update.
Friday the 21st was a bit of a rough day for me. One of the trainers stopped by my house in the morning and told me that I didnt need to go to language training in Angynasin and to just stay in my house until the training director came to talk to me. He didn't know what the director was coming to say to me. I sat in my room with the biggest knot in my stomach just waiting for the news. Finally he came and told me that I was placed in a site that was expecting a education volunteer. They gave me a site in the eastern region "near" Boti falls, at least that's what they have been saying as of yet I still don't know what the placement entails. The eastern region does not speak Dagbani, they speak Twi. Not only do I have to change jobs but I have to forget all the Dagbani that I was trying so hard to learn and relearn all the Twi I had forgotten and then quickly catch up with the others that had been studying for the past week. To tell the truth I was disappointed. I really liked my placement. I was excited to be in the Northern region, to help with environmental education, to help with conservation efforts. Now I still wait to find out what is expected of me at this site and my hopes are still high for what is to come. There are pros and cons to this situation. Cons: Im not super close to the organic mango farm that I would have been in the Northern region and I will be the only one in the eastern region from this training group. Pros: the eastern region has two rainy seasons, it will be easier to travel around the southern part of Ghana, and it wont be as hot. One of the first core expectations of a Peace Corps volunteer is to be flexible. I think I have this one down, starting a new language then switching a week into it and all while not knowing what is happening with my site.
Other then that change everything here has begun to be routen. Getting up early to the sounds of sweeping and rosters at 5am, the first chilly cups of the morning bucket bath, the "coffee" or the sugar milk that is slightly flavored with coffee. Ive been able to get up for a run a couple of times which is really nice. I even got proposed to while dripping in sweat on the second one, I dont know what that means other than run faster! The food is still spicy but predictable and lots of starch.The yam is like our potato and their potato is more like our yam, also lots of bread and noodles. Im still practicing English with Effia and Derik just wants to play around. I think Effia is starting to catch on that I need to practice Twi now and she is trying to help when possible but it turns in to laughing at me mispronouncing the words. Its all in good fun and she has such a cute laugh! Other things that have become normal are; taxis breaking down in the middle of the road and waiting while they fix it just enough to keep going, grown women peeing on the side of the road standing up, goat poop on my shoes, the fact that they sweep the dirt paths, water in a bag... everything in a bag, and being called obruni left and right (which means white person, its not derogatory we just respond yefre me Kyndra which translated directly means "we call me Kyndra"). I like the feeling of all these things becoming normal... maybe not the peeing one but still it means that I am starting to feel more comfortable here. All the new experiences have made this place my home for the time being and I just cant wait to get to site and really settle in to where I will be living.
Field Trips
Sorry to jump around (remember I have coffee in my system for the first time in a month). On Wednesday we went to an arboretum a half hour away as a field trip for technical training it was wonderful to get out and see some of the magnificent plants this region has to offer. We got to have our first taste of sweet berry which makes your taste buds go crazy and turns sour tasting things into the sweetest taste! We tried it on some not so ripe oranges and man oh man do they work! We also tried cocoa seeds and they are the same as in Costa Rica, slimy mucus blobs, they taste sweet but the texture thing has got me thrown way off. We continued with a little hike after somebody pointed out a squirrel, the guide then proceeded to kill it with a stick because they are seen as pests here, so that was a good start. We got to see some amazing trees and I posted some pictures on facebook but they dont really give the true glory of these plants. It was a quick tour and I dont think I remember very much from it on the information aspect because it was so quick and I was distracted by looking around. It was great timing for a excursion out of the communities for a breath of fresh air and a little bit of a change of pace.
Sunday we went to Boti Falls on a optional field trip. It was amazing. The falls were beautiful. The water rushing down and creating a mist of warm spray on your face. It was nice to be wet from something other then sweat. The atmosphere was very different from in the communities because there was very few people there other than us. It was almost too touristy. The walk to the falls was just a set of stairs. The hike was a lot more interactive with some steep climbs and slippery descents. The height of the hike was a beautiful outlook area. We got to just sit and take it all in. We are in Africa. We are in Ghana. Sometimes it dosent seem like it but its moments like that one that make everything real.
As of right now (saturday oct 29) my placement and job discription is waiting for me at my home stay. I feel kinda bad becuse we got out of language class early today (because we are that awesome) and so me and Terri went to New Tafo to get on the computer and pick up a dress she had made. Its really awesome and I think I will get one when Im back in town after we are done traveling around the country for a month. But our training director wanted to give it to me personally because he wanted to explain some things but I just missed him. We actually passed him on the road... bad timing on our part. Oh well! So I will be making some calls later tonight and hopefully the word will spread quickly.
Sunday we leave Masse and our home stay families to go for the counterpart workshop and site visits next week then technical training for three weeks! I am very excited! We get to actually get out there and figure out what we are in for at our site and with our jobs! Our first stop is the KSO Kumasi sub office which should be pretty great and a bit of home feeling we will have AC and limited wifi of a secure line! Other then that we don't know where we are going or doing specifically its always a mystery!
Until next time,
Live in Love
Monday, October 17, 2011
An update from training
Training has been a journey in itself.
Home Sweet Homestay
Home stay announcements. A bit nerve raking, these are the families that we will be living with for the next 3ish months. Technically it broken up a bit, we have 2 weeks at home then we are traveling for almost all of November. December we are back with home stay parents for our final weeks of training and swearing in. I have been with my home family for about 4 days now at the beginning I didnt know what to do with myself. Meals were prepared for me and I was told to eat by myself near my room or in the common area where the TV was put on for me to watch a Spanish soap opera translated to English. A nice sentiment but really? So to clarify in Ghana eating is not a social activity. In America you are the loser if you are sitting alone eating a meal, it was a weird transition at first. I have gotten used to it a bit and now I try to take my time because I cant slow down due to conversing. I have to pace myself. Another thing I have to adjust to with my home-stay family is that they are a young family the wife is only 29 and the father 35 with two small children an 8 month old baby girl and a 5 year old little boy. There is another little girl that will turn 9 soon that helps take care of the baby. I think she is the daughter of the fathers brother but its hard to tell because it seems like everybody is related somehow, mostly because everybody is called Aunt/Uncle or Brother/Sister. Making somebody else home your home is a really tough thing to do especially when you don't speak their language, know practically nothing about their culture and are only 7 years younger then my supposed to be mother. The young family has their hands full most the time and doesn't really hang out too much so its hard to find a good time to make conversation. I have tried asking to help prepare food and clean up but Im just told to sit. I have weaseled my way in the past couple nights The little girl has been using me to practice English. We went through her entire notebook last night and today practiced with some banannagrams! The kids are pretty entertained by everything I do. Some of the little ones like to touch, pinch and poke my skin just because its something they have never seen.
No Meat?
Being a vegetarian in Ghana has not been hard at all. Everyday my host mom makes me eggs for breakfast and at least one other meal. I think its because she dosent know what to make for me. I have yet to try Fufu or Bankoe the staples that most Ghanians have quite often. Im am looking forward to trying them and see if I actually like it but I have a feeling its a little bit of an acquired taste. The things I an missing out on are the mystery pieces of meat in many of the soups and the endless amount of fried, dried, smoked, or boiled Tiliapia. Although I am not eating it I am already sick of the smell from the markets. Fish, like clams, stains the air with a smell that lingers for years. I might be exaggerating a bit but really its bad. Learning to like every form of starch is a must for living in Ghana. Rice, yam (white like a potato), plantain, noodles (spaghetti = macaroni) are the base of every meal which is topped with large amounts of oil. The food is pretty spicy as well. So on top of it being a constant 90 degrees out side they expect me to eat hot spicy rice. Sweating is an activity from 7:30 am after bucket bath number one until 7:30 in the evening when its time for bucket bath number 2.
Movin up in life!
I received my site placement! I will be living in the Northern Region of Ghana a bit north of Tamale for 24 months of my Peace Corps service. My job description gives a tiny bit of information for me to go on until I meet my counter part, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION! There are multiple parts to the description including starting a tree nursery and wood lot for the community of 1000 people speaking Dugbani. I am very excited about the placement even though the two years will be spent without running water or electricity. Not to worry the nearest town is only 2 miles away where im sure I can charge up and get all the thing I need.
Good Morning, Maachai, Dugbani
Being thrown into twi was hard enough but now I am expected to remember all the twi as well as learn all Dugbani! Oh what have I gotten myself into?! I have to be proficiant at a intermediate level by the beginning of december and while not being able to practice with my family. There are 5 of us that are learning this language so at least I have others to practice with. I hope it goes well becuase without the language the projects and all they could be is going to be thrown out the window.
Home Sweet Homestay
Home stay announcements. A bit nerve raking, these are the families that we will be living with for the next 3ish months. Technically it broken up a bit, we have 2 weeks at home then we are traveling for almost all of November. December we are back with home stay parents for our final weeks of training and swearing in. I have been with my home family for about 4 days now at the beginning I didnt know what to do with myself. Meals were prepared for me and I was told to eat by myself near my room or in the common area where the TV was put on for me to watch a Spanish soap opera translated to English. A nice sentiment but really? So to clarify in Ghana eating is not a social activity. In America you are the loser if you are sitting alone eating a meal, it was a weird transition at first. I have gotten used to it a bit and now I try to take my time because I cant slow down due to conversing. I have to pace myself. Another thing I have to adjust to with my home-stay family is that they are a young family the wife is only 29 and the father 35 with two small children an 8 month old baby girl and a 5 year old little boy. There is another little girl that will turn 9 soon that helps take care of the baby. I think she is the daughter of the fathers brother but its hard to tell because it seems like everybody is related somehow, mostly because everybody is called Aunt/Uncle or Brother/Sister. Making somebody else home your home is a really tough thing to do especially when you don't speak their language, know practically nothing about their culture and are only 7 years younger then my supposed to be mother. The young family has their hands full most the time and doesn't really hang out too much so its hard to find a good time to make conversation. I have tried asking to help prepare food and clean up but Im just told to sit. I have weaseled my way in the past couple nights The little girl has been using me to practice English. We went through her entire notebook last night and today practiced with some banannagrams! The kids are pretty entertained by everything I do. Some of the little ones like to touch, pinch and poke my skin just because its something they have never seen.
No Meat?
Being a vegetarian in Ghana has not been hard at all. Everyday my host mom makes me eggs for breakfast and at least one other meal. I think its because she dosent know what to make for me. I have yet to try Fufu or Bankoe the staples that most Ghanians have quite often. Im am looking forward to trying them and see if I actually like it but I have a feeling its a little bit of an acquired taste. The things I an missing out on are the mystery pieces of meat in many of the soups and the endless amount of fried, dried, smoked, or boiled Tiliapia. Although I am not eating it I am already sick of the smell from the markets. Fish, like clams, stains the air with a smell that lingers for years. I might be exaggerating a bit but really its bad. Learning to like every form of starch is a must for living in Ghana. Rice, yam (white like a potato), plantain, noodles (spaghetti = macaroni) are the base of every meal which is topped with large amounts of oil. The food is pretty spicy as well. So on top of it being a constant 90 degrees out side they expect me to eat hot spicy rice. Sweating is an activity from 7:30 am after bucket bath number one until 7:30 in the evening when its time for bucket bath number 2.
Movin up in life!
I received my site placement! I will be living in the Northern Region of Ghana a bit north of Tamale for 24 months of my Peace Corps service. My job description gives a tiny bit of information for me to go on until I meet my counter part, ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION! There are multiple parts to the description including starting a tree nursery and wood lot for the community of 1000 people speaking Dugbani. I am very excited about the placement even though the two years will be spent without running water or electricity. Not to worry the nearest town is only 2 miles away where im sure I can charge up and get all the thing I need.
Good Morning, Maachai, Dugbani
Being thrown into twi was hard enough but now I am expected to remember all the twi as well as learn all Dugbani! Oh what have I gotten myself into?! I have to be proficiant at a intermediate level by the beginning of december and while not being able to practice with my family. There are 5 of us that are learning this language so at least I have others to practice with. I hope it goes well becuase without the language the projects and all they could be is going to be thrown out the window.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Waiting and wanting... (7 days!)
At the moment there are seven days until I leave Seattle on a plane bound for staging in Philadelphia. While I am in Philadelphia for just over 24 hours I as well as all the other volunteers in my training group will sign contracts, waivers, and release forms. During this overwhelming time we will be trying to get to know each other and get a better grasp on what is actually happening.
What is actually happening?
It's that same answer that I have been using for the last 2 months... I don't know! I often get a funny look from people when I say this, you know the look that says "Are you crazy? You are leaving for over 2 years and you dont know what your doing?!?" All I can say is "yep, thats kinda how the peace corps rolls". I have gotten used to it, Im actually totally ok with not knowing, Im just not ok with explaining why Im ok about not knowing. When I decided to become a Peace Corps Volunteer I knew it was going to be a long process and something that would challenge me from beginning to end. I didn't know how it was going to effect me before I even leave for Ghana but all I can say is that I'm ready already! Come on lets go! It was really nice to have a few weeks after my summer job at Camp Kirby to see everybody that I love and do all sorts of fun stuff but now without school or a job I find myself with not much to do. Sure I could be preparing but its not the night before just yet! So with all that said I am slowing making a pile of things in my room. I don't actually need many more things, so the waiting game continues.
Heres a run down of my pile or at least the charismatic mega-fauna of the pile.
On a different note just because I love seasons so much. Today was the most beautiful fall day. Everything about a fall storm is amazing, sitting at my desk with rain pounding against the glass and watching the trees get blown around by gusts that would snatch the umbrella out of your hand, that is if people in Washington ever used umbrellas. I drank some wonderful local coffee and got wet walking around downtown looking for nothing in particular. Another day of "not doing anything" went without a hitch. Im going to miss fall and winter but Im looking forward to soaking up as much vitamin D as possible while I can!
Until next time
Live in love
What is actually happening?
It's that same answer that I have been using for the last 2 months... I don't know! I often get a funny look from people when I say this, you know the look that says "Are you crazy? You are leaving for over 2 years and you dont know what your doing?!?" All I can say is "yep, thats kinda how the peace corps rolls". I have gotten used to it, Im actually totally ok with not knowing, Im just not ok with explaining why Im ok about not knowing. When I decided to become a Peace Corps Volunteer I knew it was going to be a long process and something that would challenge me from beginning to end. I didn't know how it was going to effect me before I even leave for Ghana but all I can say is that I'm ready already! Come on lets go! It was really nice to have a few weeks after my summer job at Camp Kirby to see everybody that I love and do all sorts of fun stuff but now without school or a job I find myself with not much to do. Sure I could be preparing but its not the night before just yet! So with all that said I am slowing making a pile of things in my room. I don't actually need many more things, so the waiting game continues.
Heres a run down of my pile or at least the charismatic mega-fauna of the pile.
- Shoes that don't have holes in them. I will miss my holy shoes very much but all good thing must come to an end. So instead I am a chaco wearing, merrell sporting, toms loving PCV.
- Journals and books. I have made two journals. One has turned into "My Life Story" mostly notes, lists, and things I should not forget, the other is turning into more of a photo journal. My pile is on top of my boxes of books from Bellingham so I have yet to pick out a few for my travels.
- Clothing. I dont like clothing very much, especially because I dont know what I'm supposed to wear in Ghana. Skirts and couple pairs of pants and some t-shirts are in the pile currently.
- Hammock! I hope to be using this for most of my time in Ghana if, of course, I have a place to hang it. It has a mosquito net and little bag to put things in and easy in and out opening.
- Misc. items. New water bottle, camp towels, binoculars, multi tool, frying pan and knifes, duct tape, head lamp, and french press. Yep I dont think I'll be able to make it through 2 years with out some good coffee and I dont really want to risk it.
On a different note just because I love seasons so much. Today was the most beautiful fall day. Everything about a fall storm is amazing, sitting at my desk with rain pounding against the glass and watching the trees get blown around by gusts that would snatch the umbrella out of your hand, that is if people in Washington ever used umbrellas. I drank some wonderful local coffee and got wet walking around downtown looking for nothing in particular. Another day of "not doing anything" went without a hitch. Im going to miss fall and winter but Im looking forward to soaking up as much vitamin D as possible while I can!
Until next time
Live in love
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Beginning and The End
Alright this is it. I have made a blog. After thinking about different ways to communicate throughout my journey in the Peace Corps this is what I have decided will work best. I hope to keep this updated to the best of my ability.
Anyways, the beginning and the end.
This is the beginning of the next chapter of my life. Peace Corps Ghana. Natural Resource Advisor. Im not quite sure what it all mean just yet but its happening whatever it is! Im trying to learn all there is to know about Ghana and beginning to pick up a bit of Twi, one of over 70 languages they speak in Ghana. It is only the beginning there is much to learn and experience. I think its going to be a long road, probably dirt with a few pot holes but hey Im not used to anything else!
This is the end of a chapter in my life. College. Bellingham. United States of America. It has been a great one filled with fun times with fun people. I would not change one bit of it. I loved living in Bellingham with all it has to offer, I hope to return someday. I loved school for all its long nights and frustrating exams it has given me the foundation to grow and apply what I have learned in the real world and that what Im off to do. I have spent to many hours memorizing mechanisms and writing abstracts it time to just do something.
A blurb from my aspirations statement. I dont understand what they are looking for by asking me this. I can not see into the future and honestly I don't want to.
Until next time,
Live in Love
Anyways, the beginning and the end.
This is the beginning of the next chapter of my life. Peace Corps Ghana. Natural Resource Advisor. Im not quite sure what it all mean just yet but its happening whatever it is! Im trying to learn all there is to know about Ghana and beginning to pick up a bit of Twi, one of over 70 languages they speak in Ghana. It is only the beginning there is much to learn and experience. I think its going to be a long road, probably dirt with a few pot holes but hey Im not used to anything else!
This is the end of a chapter in my life. College. Bellingham. United States of America. It has been a great one filled with fun times with fun people. I would not change one bit of it. I loved living in Bellingham with all it has to offer, I hope to return someday. I loved school for all its long nights and frustrating exams it has given me the foundation to grow and apply what I have learned in the real world and that what Im off to do. I have spent to many hours memorizing mechanisms and writing abstracts it time to just do something.
A blurb from my aspirations statement. I dont understand what they are looking for by asking me this. I can not see into the future and honestly I don't want to.
E: How you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends.
My experience serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer will greatly influence my personal and professional aspirations but as of right now I don’t know in which ways that will occur. I think I am selling myself short of the full experience by trying to predict how I will feel in two years. I expect to be challenged, I expect to grow, and I expect that these will influence the rest of my life in many ways. Changes will occur in the way I live my life, what I will want to study, and things that I will want to do with my life. Once I begin this experience, journey, adventure, or plainly, job, I will have a better understanding of how my life aspirations are effected. Until then I will continue to aspire to live, learn, and love.
Until next time,
Live in Love
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