All Better and Ready to Get Going!

There are two cliché sayings that have become themes in my life since I’ve been here: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” and “you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone.” But it is the latter that has most recently slapped me in the face. True, pretty much immediately once I arrived in Ghana, I realized the advantages I have living in the US, and I commented on them in my initial two entries. But my commentary concentrated mostly on modern conveniences and cultural differences-- things that I am quite capable of not having while I’m here, but will be so much more thankful for once I get back to The States: decent internet, dairy products, heated water, and a constant flow of water and power. But there is one thing that I realized that I can actually not live without and all my life I have taken it for granted-- my health.

What a difference having your health makes to, well, your life! I’m not going to be a drama queen/ silly American and say I had this epiphany while lying on my death bed in Africa, but I definitely had this realization in my two weeks of lying in bed haha!

When I last posted, it had been 6 days since I fell ill. It is now day 14 and I am FINALLY able to get out of bed without any hesitation, because I now have the strength. Since we last spoke, or more accurately, I spoke and you read, I have had a rough time dealing with my tropical ailment. Although malaria was never confirmed by my blood sample, the doctors are still convinced that I had malaria, for the symptoms that I had, and that my platelet count was unusually low, an effect of malaria, but not exclusive to the parasite. And, the parasite apparently goes in and out of your blood, so at the time of my sample, the parasite could have been chilling in my liver or something. Great, right?

What do I think? Well, I didn’t ever think that I had malaria until about day 12; therefore, I will refer to my tropical ailment as malaria, because I now believe that is what it was. What swayed me? Let me explain in a nutshell…

I was put on this 6 day 3 times a day pill to treat the malaria, and it made me feel horrible. I mean, I didn’t feel like I was getting any better and the days were coming and going with minimal improvement. I wasn’t eating (loss of appetite was a side effect of the pills), I was nauseous constantly which made eating the last thing I wanted to do (also a wicked side effect of the drug), and when I was able to eat, I was vomiting it up either immediately after, or even up to 7 hours later! (again, another perquisite of the drug). So eating was beyond a chore, I could even say painful. I’m eating about 500 calories a day then subsequently losing close to 200 of them. And it’s been like this for a week at this point, so I’m just trying not to wither away. My energy is low, strength is dwindling each day. It got to the point where showering was a feat of its own. Oh yeah, we also didn’t have water and power for 48 hours, so if normal showering wasn’t hard enough for me, bucket showers were extra enticing and enjoyable!

Ok, but I’m not writing this for the sympathy card, or even to bitch and complain and try to prove “how hard my life was,” but it was unfortunate to say the least haha, and that’s really my point.

So on Wednesday I went back to the hospital because you know what? I was still shitty and it had been 10 days. I still wasn’t convinced this was malaria because the medicine I felt was harming more than helping me. After more lab work from more samples taken from me, and 6 hours of waiting, it was decided that my current ill state, was still due to the malaria meds (which I ended 2 days ago, but apparently are still active in my body and still affecting me). So I was given anti-vomiting meds to help keep down the food, and told that I’ll be better in 3-4 days time. Well, despite my skepticism at the time (which I openly voiced to the doctor, might I add! haha jeez I’m so American), I felt better even 2 days after and hadn’t vomited since I left the hospital (for the third time in 10 days). It is at this point that I began to believe that maybe it was malaria; I was definitely feeling better, I was holding down my food, consequently finally feeling A BIT stronger, and this is what the doctor said would happen once the malaria meds subsided. I did have a reaction to the malaria meds, but after they had done their job, and the (painfully tedious) treatment was over, I was cured!

It is day 14 since I fell ill, and although I have not tested my energy/ strength by doing the 20 minute walk to campus in 85 degree heat, I feel like a person again. I want to eat and I like eating. I mean, I went so long without it, I missed it haha! I haven’t touched Ghanaian food yet though. I’m still sick of that! But I went to the supermarket in the city and bought snack foods I’m familiar with. Honestly, I might not be the healthiest person right now, but I’m eating foods that I WANT to eat, and that will STAY down. This is the priority at this point. Nutrition can come later haha.

This is the view from my shower at Green Turtle at sunset. They have gorgeous outdoor showers!

Today was the first time in 2 weeks that I even attempted going to class, and it was a great success! I feel great. Thus far, my professors have been pretty forgiving about me missing 2 weeks of lecture due to malaria.

At this point, however, I yearn to be out of my bed (which if you know me well, I would NEVER say back home!) But there is so much to do here, and time is seriously running out! I have 6 weeks left of classes, then finals, and then I’m leaving Ghana to backpack for 6 weeks! I’ve lost two weekends, and there is no time to waste!

But before I go, let me close with this-- For everyone reading, thank you again for the love and support. I’ve received a lot of surprising get well messages and best wishes from people, which really were heart warming (cliché, but true!) while I was in my lowest point. Thank you again, and really, it means so much!

Also, if you have any questions/ things you want me to touch upon in my next blog, email me! Abellesib@berkeley.edu

Oh, and if you would like me to email you every time I update, email me and let me know!

I am better and ready to get going!

Love to you all,

Stay well, and care for your health!

-Annabelle

Flirting with Malaria

Malaria- recurring illness transmitted by mosquitoes: an infectious disease caused by a parasite that is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Common in tropical countries

Interesting Fact: In Italian, Mal= bad and Aria= Air, so malaria is “bad air.” Originally Europeans who came to Africa thought the air was infected and that’s what killed them. No, it was just the mosquitoes…

It’s funny how things can turn so suddenly out of nowhere; one minute you’re lying on the beach enjoying the ocean breeze and tiki huts, and the next, you’re glued to your bed because your body doesn’t have the energy to move. Well, this happened to me. I spent a lovely weekend at the estuary where the Volta River meets the Atlantic ocean, and my resort was on the peninsula that separates these two bodies of water. All I had to do was turn right if I wanted to swim in the calming river, or turn left if I was craving the powerful salty waves of the ocean. I went with two others: my roommate Laurel and (the now blog famous) Gareth. We had a great time. Although to be honest it could not compare to Green Turtle (the first beach resort we went to).

Sunday we got home, and wow was I tired! I just assumed it was from a weekend in the sun. But as the evening drew on I started feeling feverish and went to bed at 9. I woke up and I was worse, so I didn’t go to class. I slept on and off, but mostly on for close to 24 hours. At this point though, I barely had the energy to lift water in my mouth, let alone walk to the bathroom. I started to think “Hmm, maybe this isn’t heat stroke or the flu…” and my mind started drifting toward thoughts of the potentiality of malaria. Great. So Stacy convinced me that I should probably go to the hospital ASAP, for when it comes to malaria, the sooner the better…

We get to the hospital and they quickly notice how weak I appear. I’m admitted after some time (even at hospitals there seems to be little sense of expediency here!). They take blood and give me a shot for malaria. I’m hooked to an IV which was, from what I can remember from past painful experiences, the most painful experience. Oh, and it only took them 4 times to actually get it INTO the vein. At this point Laurel and Gareth have also arrived at the hospital for support, and they’re cringing at the pain I’m in. Oh well, it’s over now…

So they start treating me for malaria because I’m showing all the symptoms, although the blood has not confirmed it yet. Malaria was never found in my blood but it is possible that I could be hosting it, but it just hasn’t reached the blood yet. Well, that’s the gist I got from the doctor at least. The beginning was the worst, because it was filled with blood, shots, and needles galore. And I actually got used to the IV, I learned how to walk with it gracefully, I could maneuver it in tight spaces, and I even figured out how to dress myself with a 3 inch needle in my wrist attached to a baggie of glucose! I’m telling you, after 36 hours of eating, sleeping, reading, and writing with this IV attached to you, you learn to be one with it.

So finally Wednesday morning I convince them to remove the IV. Oh happy days! Well I sort of just showed them how swollen my wrist was and they felt bad for me so they took it out, but hey, whatever works right?! I then started getting pushy about being discharged. I mean, I have no IV in anymore, I’ve been here since Monday 10pm, and I am now able to take my medication by mouth. What else can they do for me? Nothing but take my money. So I wanted out.

I’m better now. I have an appetite, and I’m able to carry my weight to the bathroom and around the ward. I don’t really know what it was that affected me. Maybe some serious food poisoning, but I didn’t eat anything unusual and what I did eat I shared with someone else. The point is, I’m better now, and I survived, but I probably won’t be able to donate blood anymore, for the fear that I could have carried malaria.

Hey it’s an experience, right? And things could have been worse. All I can do is laugh about it. And it was a very good first time hospital experience in retrospect; the staff always kept a smile on my face, even when they were injecting me with needles and causing me pain. I think that’s a valuable skill, and I definitely appreciated in my time of agony. Very sweet people, Ghanaians are. And I learn this increasingly everyday.

The next day, Thursday-- I wake up completely horrible AGAIN: in a word, shitty. I was sick all day, but I had to force myself to eat because it is crucial that you take the malaria medicine with food. It was an utmost painful day. And what happened? I felt about 90% at the hospital: full of energy, eating again, and ready to go home (campus that is, not The States haha), but here I was as sick as before! What was happening to me?! What was plaguing my body so? WHYY?!

Dinner comes round and I force myself to eat. It has never been so hard for me to eat rice before in my life. I kept telling myself, “Keep eating, you need a big meal, it’ll be good for you, just do it.” Well it proved more difficult than I thought it would and I subsequently just threw it all up. My mind and my body I guess really did not want food. This was the breaking point for me-- I guess it was time to go BACK to the hospital. Wow, how depressing. How I despised the thoughts of being strapped to an IV, sleeping in the hospital, and having my day planned around THEIR schedule for me…

I was weakened and defeated. I went to the Emergency care in the hospital and the same doctor who checked me in the first night was there again tonight. How wonderful! Because she was familiar with my condition going in on Monday and now this would just be an update for her. I told her how shitty my day went and she understood everything. She told me that everything I was feeling-- nausea, cramps while consuming food, and loss of appetite-- were all side effects of the anti-malaria meds I was taking. What a relief! I thought I was getting sick all over again, but no, it was just side effects. I convinced her that I was well hydrated and there was no need to keep me overnight. She believed me and commented that I looked A LOT better than I did Monday. I guess that’s not saying much as on Monday I was brought in a wheelchair because I didn’t have the energy to walk/ barely talk, but now I was able to walk and actually have a conversation. She prescribed me anti-biotic, which I will be on for a week, and anti-cramping meds for when I eat.

I’m still low energy, and have been in bed since Sunday night. It is now Saturday. It’s still hard for me to eat but I am getting better each day, a little at a time. I just want to be better. I want to not be in bed. I want to travel. I want to like eating again. I want to be able to walk 20 mins to class without needing to rest.

Ghana has not disillusioned me yet!

I’m ready to keep going on this African Adventure! Health come back to me!

Lots of love,

Annabelle

Over the Culture Shock-- Let the Adventures Begin!

I’m in a tropical paradise and no one even knows it. Ghana is like this hidden jewel, with weather and scenes comparable to Mexico and Hawaii. This weekend I took a 5 hour trip to the western coast and it was amazing. Imagine an all inclusive resort, eco friendly, and famous for the Green Turtles that lay their eggs every year on their shores. The dry sand feels like caster sugar beneath your feet and as you approach the water the sand becomes more like compacted brown sugar, sticking to your feet with each step. The water is clear, you look to your left and you see nothing but the coastline, no buildings, no skyscrapers; you look to your right and all you can see in the distance are cliffs and a small seaside village about a 20 minute walk away. Tropical paradise. The Green Turtle Lodge where we stayed is owned by a British couple, so it was nice to have some familiar and greatly missed foods over the weekend (French Toast, salad, and curry). This lodge has one road leading to it, which from the closest small city still takes about 30-40 minutes, depending on how your taxi can handle the unpaved and hilly road. We were a group of 7 people and we slept in tents on the beach. Despite the sand that was inevitably and perpetually in our tents, I slept well and had no complaints. It cost $4 a night per person for the tent, (you could get an adorable bungalow for $20 a night, but we’re broke and don’t mind the sand!) and food cost a total of about $15 a day. So basically, I felt like I was at a luxury resort in Mexico for a total of $25 a night. Honestly this would probably be close to $100 a day in Mexico! It was amazing and we all want to go back. It is really expensive for Ghana standards, but we’re American, so it’s a relatively great deal for us. It was interesting though that there were no Ghanaians staying here. It was very much an Obruni spot, with most people there under 30 years of age. After this weekend I want to travel so much more. I want to see all that Ghana has to offer!

So now that I’m over the culture shock, I can move on to tell you what I’m up to and how life is here for me. Everything is wonderful and I’m loving the life I’m creating for myself. First off, I am legal here so I have the freedom to go wherever I please because I’m no longer restricted by age. Unfortunately, the harsh reality will hit once I get back to the states, for I will still be 19, but for now I’m enjoying it while I can! All this really means for me is that when there is nothing really going on, my friends and I can just go to the marketplace, hang out under the stars with bats flying overhead and get a domestically brewed beer. There are no late night spots here like frozen yogurt, coffee, or even restaurants for that matter, except for bars and clubs; therefore, it is nice that even if we have nothing to do, at least we can get a change of scenery accompanied by a cheap drink.

I feel like there is always something to do though, whether it’s going to the local salsa club, listening to reggae at a nearby beach, or just hanging out in someone’s room after a long exhausting day of walking in the heat. Fortunately I like, or maybe more accurately, I’m not annoyed by/ can stand the company of most people in my program, so it’s really easy to hang out with people. (wow that was harsh, ok I ENJOY most of the company, and of those that I don’t, I’m not necessarily bothered by them haha)

How are classes? I really love my classes. I decided when I got here that there is no point in taking classes that I won’t enjoy because I want to have the most positive experience I can here (although I am in a US history class here and it is probably the worst class I’ve taken, but more on that will follow!) So the classes that I’m taking are Xylophone for Foreigners, Philosophy of Human Nature, Textile Design (we get to dye our own fabric!), Colonialism and the African Response, and History of the US and Russia 1860-1939. All my classes are enjoyable for different reasons, but what makes my US class and Philosophy class especially different is that in classes of about 70 and 300 respectively, I’m the only Obruni. So I stand out. Big time. Oh well, at least I get noticed, right?! Haha

This is what I can tell about the education system here in Ghana, and it’s quite disappointing. I wouldn’t say that Ghanaian schools encourage memorization, (ie. No analyzation of facts given, just regurgitation), but that is how lectures are set up here. A prime example would be from my depressingly remedial, and on the verge of plain insulting, US/ Russia History class. My first lecture started off like this-- Prof: “Students write this down.” I’m thinking he wants us to write down a quote or something to look up. He says a couple sentences. Then a couple more and I’m thinking, why am I writing all this stuff down?! It wasn’t until like 20 mins of copying VERBATIM what he was saying that I realized “OH NO! THIS is how he lectures!!!” So basically he has typed up a few pages, which compares to a section written in a history book (dry, basic facts recounting the event), in which he reads sentence by sentence, while every single student is supposed to write every word he says. Oh the best part-- he let’s us know when it’s a full stop or comma. Thanks professor, I really feel like I’m learning so much.

My other history class however, is in the normal lecture style that I think most of us are familiar with: he lectures according to a fairly clear outline and we write what we deem important. However, our grade in the class is based on 4 open book tests and our final. This is the first time I haven’t had to write a paper in a history class and it astounds me! When are we supposed to interpret the facts ourselves and share our theories with the professor? Apparently that just isn’t a concept here. Maybe our tests will call for some analytical skills, I thought. Wrong. I took my first open book test and it was straight regurgitation of the readings. How boring.

Although I love the information that my professors give me, for it is quite interesting (minus US History), it’s unfortunate that students here are expected to take what is given to them without question and they are not expressly encouraged to “connect dots” or deduce from the information given. So are Ghanaians smart? Well yes, they know a lot. But it also depends on what your parameters are for measuring intelligence…

I’ve discussed this issue of teaching/ learning style with the other UC students, and we all agree and notice it. We don’t mean to seem elitist, but we didn’t really realize how great the UC education system was until we came here. But like I said before, I love my classes, I’m just noticing different teaching styles and expectations that are different…

I don’t do much in the day here except go to class and do errands, but for some reason I’m basically never home and I like that. Errands here take forever because campus is so SO large and with the heat it takes extra long to walk. Let’s just say, you know your campus is large when there are busses, tro-tros, and taxis driving around campus to take you point A to B. And surprisingly a lot of Ghanaians are more willing to take a cab from one dorm to another than us Americans. Also my dorm is far from central campus, being about 20 mins walk away, so most of us hang around central campus all day until our classes are done and we all run into each other throughout the day, so it is always easy to find someone to kill time with you!

Still loving it here! And two friends and I are taking a trip two hours east to where the River Volta and Atlantic Ocean meet. We’re staying at the “Estuary Resort” in Tiki huts and sanded floors on the beach! It’s another relatively expensive weekend, (it’s $7 a night!) but it should be completely worth it! The only way to get there is by a 30 min boat ride downriver from the closest town! Secluded beaches, here we come!

All my best,

And thanks for reading!

-Annabelle

P.S. Wanna check out my xylophone professor and see the type of xylophone I'm learning to play?!
Check it out-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sWoYc9C0AU

ok, I couldn't actually load the video so I don't know if it's any good, BUT that's my professor and you can search similar videos if interested!

Getting my Groundings-- and loving it!

In the short time that I’ve been here, I have learned to never leave my room without the essential items-- bug spray, canteen, washcloth, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, small bills/ change. These additions to my purse I think reveal much about the environment in which I am now living. So what can one deduce from looking in my purse? Well we’ll start with the obvious, bug spray. This is a malaria prone region, with lots of mosquitoes and other bugs that bite, so it’s always good to have this with you. This way, you can be protected whenever you feel vulnerable.
My water canteen: Ghana is on average 75-90 degrees and extra humid, making the heat even more heavy, and assuring that you will be sweating all the time; basically, I don’t remember what it’s like to not be perpetually sticky at this point. You wake up sweaty, you take a cold shower which relieves you from the heat for the moment, but once your clothes are back on, you’re sweating by the time you walk out the door and you will be for the rest of the day until late evening. There is no relief here. I have a fan in my room, but that just moves the air around. Air conditioning here is a rare luxury that only a few offices (no classrooms) have. It’s a hard life!
Washcloth: I guess more accurately titled, my “washcloth” should be referred to as a sweat-rag. When I first got here, I saw a couple people from my program whip out a bandana or such and wipe the sweat from their faces. I just figured they’re Americans and can’t handle the heat. Sure I was sweaty, but I didn’t want to seem like a weakling to these Ghanaians! I would just use my shirt to freshen up. After a week or so of being here, I noticed that all Ghanaians walk with rags to grab their sweat, and really, it was just a practical thing; hey, everyone sweats, even the natives. So I have now bought myself a small towel to make myself less sticky and more presentable throughout the day.
Toilet paper: I mentioned this in my last entry, but public toilet paper is a rarity in this country, so I always have to come prepared. As long as you provide me a toilet, I can provide the rest. And this bring me to my next item, hand sanitizer. You never know if you’re going to have running water in your bathroom, and even if you do, it’s quite a shocker when soap is provided, so I now cannot leave the house with sanitizer.
Small bills/ change: When you get money out of the ATM here, the machine spits out 5 and 10 cedi bills. This obviously differs from the US ATMs which only release multiples of 20. And believe it or not, it is so hard to get change for a 10 here! A lot of people won’t take them because they don’t have the change. The reason for this is that food and everyday things that I buy are so… cheap? Lowly priced? I mean, I buy dinner for about 50 cents to 1.50, and the market stalls I go to don’t have the change to give me. Tonight I bought dinner for 40 cents and the lady didn’t have change for my 1. I sometimes don’t get it because I know they sell things all day, but I don’t complain, I just make sure I walk around with small change.

This next part is basically an extension of my last entry, elaborating upon cultural differences and idiosyncrasies. Tap water here is undrinkable, so when I first got here, bottled water was the way of life. But unlike any other country I’ve been to, there is also another type of purified water here; water sachets. These plastic square balloons of water have to pass Ghanaian government water standards to be sold; however, there are some brands that could be fake and forge the “Ghana purification seal” on the sachet, so you have to be very weary of the ones you drink. Complicated and dodgy, right? That’s what I said! Well I haven’t had a problem yet, but I know a couple of people who did. These sachets are like square water balloons that you just bite off a corner and squeeze into your mouth. They have about the same amount of water as a small water bottle, but are so much cheaper! About 2 US cents. Just think, 2 cents for a water bottle!
Taxis- Well I’ve never been to New York, but I think I can say that Accra has the most taxis that I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen more taxis than I have seen privately owned vehicles. Unlike in the states, and everywhere else I’ve been for that matter, the taxis here call for you, they don’t wait for you to call them. Basically, whenever taxi driver see a group of obrunis walking on the side of the road, whether in or out of campus, taxis will honk at you to let you know that they want to give you a ride. We decline the offer, but go through the process 6-10 times before we reach our destination. I’m telling you, every taxi that passes us will inevitably honk at us. It’s a lot of honking!
Tro Tros- These privately owned vans hold about 25 people give or take a few. They are the alternative, though the predominant form of transportation here. They’re cheap and get you where you need to got between the hours of 6am- midnight. It costs about 20 cents on average for a ride, but it depends on distance. Getting on a tro-tro though is sometimes too hectic for its worth. They are usually jam packed with people and you don’t know where the tro-tro is headed unless you ask (the driver yells out the window to let everyone know, but us obrunis can never understand what they’re yelling!). People who want to get on the tro-tro, wait at the stop, then run with the vehicle before it even stops to assure that they are the first to get a place on the tro-tro. Initially, we obrunis weren’t assertive enough to keep up with all the Ghanaians and their ways of claiming transportation, so we had to resort to a taxi to get us where we needed to go. However, we have gotten a little more assertive and are using the tro-tros as our main form of transportation. It’s just so cheap, and once you get the hang of it, it’s really not intimidating or even a big deal anymore.

Well in my time here, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m always going to be just a little bit dirty, or just not 100% clean. Hand washing my laundry, bucket showers and the perpetual sweating, and the dirt that attaches itself to your sweaty ankles, guarantees that I will not be 100% clean for more than the few minutes following my shower. I don’t have internet all the time, and I have to allot a certain time for when I can make the trek to the internet café, and even when I do get there, I can’t be surprised when I find out that it’s not working. But you know what? I’m ok with this. It forces me to live in the moment and totally immerse myself with what is happening right now in the place that I am. I don’t really know what is going on in the world, this is true. So yes, my ignorance in world affairs is only expanding, but I can’t do much about that. For once, I’m just living my life day by day, going with the flow of everything around me. It’s definitely a change, being here, but all you can do is embrace it, because dwelling on what you’re lacking, is just, pointless and leads to unnecessary misery. And unfortunately, some people in my program haven't come to the same realization that I have...

Enjoy the pictures!
Annabelle

P.S. The Pics- These are just a sample of some of the things I've seen while I've been here. I'll start top to bottom:

1. This is me and Stacy at the highest Waterfall in West Africa. We were only able to be at the bottom of it because we didn't have time to do the full hike to the top. But it was still absolutely INCREDIBLE!

2. My friend Garreth at the first marketplace I went to. I'm just trying to relay the hectic nature of the market, but I'm not sure if the chaos can really be captured on film, but I tried!

3. Wili Falls- The same waterfall as #1

4. Some adorable kids we met on Kumasi, a region in central Ghana. They are famous for their traditional craft villages.

5. Just an example of people walking down the road holding items--- on their heads! An everyday occurrence and norm here in Ghana

6. A monkey from the monkey sanctuary that I visited. The monkeys are very good with people and very clever. Adorable!

7. Stacy doing the canopy walk in Western Ghana Cape Coast

P.P.S. Want a sample of the music that is plaguing all the bars and clubs here in Ghana? Check this out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnDlN7R73oQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH8mCqASZQI

I couldn't find the official videos, well they wouldn't load for me, but I gave you the songs at least and you can find the vids if you're that interested!

Akwaaba! Welcome to Ghana!

Akwaaba! Or Welcome (home)!

This was the first thing I saw when I got off the plane on January 6 in Accra, and immediately it put a smile on my face. How excited I was to finally be here. It was an 18 hour plane ride with a 4 hour layover in Dubai. Although I was only able to be in the airport, I was instantly impressed with the architecture and was so upset that I couldn’t venture beyond the walls of the airport. And with the world’s tallest building so close, yet so far, it was extra tempting to leave!
I’ve been here for 2 weeks now, yet I don’t really know where to start. I honestly don’t feel that I’ve done much in the time that I’ve been here, yet my days have been starting at 7am and ending around 11pm. The first 2 weeks have been dedicated to orientation. We wake up in the morning, have lectures on Ghanaian topics for 2-4 hours, and then do an activity; however, the activities were spent mostly on the bus, hence my feeling of not actually doing much yet. Despite that I haven’t done much, I’ve experienced so much (culturally) in my two weeks. Let me break it down as briefly as I can:

Sewage. They have an open sewer system here. Unlike our gutters which are hidden beneath the sidewalks and behind iron grates, there are literally open trenches that range from 10-20 inches wide and 1-3 feet deep. At night they just appear to be black patches of dirt, so I’ve come too close to stepping/ falling into one. I’m just starting to get used to the whole concept of open pits on the side of the road. It’s becoming natural to just step over them every time I cross the road.

Washrooms. No one and nowhere here provides toilet paper and soap. It’s a foreign concept here, and I don’t understand it. I still don’t know if people just don’t wash their hands after the bathroom, or if it’s just expected of everyone to bring their own soap and toilet paper. I obviously have learned to never leave the house without either of these. My dorm doesn’t provide it, gas stations definitely don’t, and bars/clubs it is rare for any to be left. It is also a treat if the washrooms have running water. I’ve learned the trick of filling a bucket of water, then quickly pouring it into the toilet to force flush it. I never knew you could do that!

Markets. I still haven’t seen a supermarket and I’m not sure if they exist here. I’ve only gone to marketplaces, but the marketplaces here are so… well they have EVERYTHING. They honestly are just as useful and have the same types of things that Target has in the states. I mean, if I want dinner. Go to the market place. Lotion? Marketplace. Pillow? Marketplace. Mirror, bucket, soap, sponge, notebooks? Can all be found in the marketplace down my road. These markets are all open-air-outdoor, with people selling items in cramped spaces of about 6x6 feet, but hey, it gets the job done! And I love supporting the locals.
I ventured outside of campus to Medina Market which is just absolutely massive. It was what you imagine African markets to be, but didn’t actually think they exist. Women walk with buckets on their heads, selling anything from water to bread, to fabric to jewelry. My friend even bought some octopus off the top of a woman’s head. It’s still humorous when someone will come over with some food and I’ll ask, “That looks good, where did you get it?” and the response usually entails a shrug accompanied by “I don’t know, some woman’s head.” But yes everyone here, men, women, and children, use the strength of their necks to transport large and heavy items. I wish I could learn this skill because seriously, it is just so convenient!

Food. God am I already sick of the food. I got sick my third day here and it was BAD. But I’m better now. Since then I’ve been hesitant of eating the chicken here. I’m favoring the vegetarian diet just because the chicken hasn’t ever really seemed appealing. It’s definitely hard finding food here when you’re a vegetarian because they really like their gizzard, goat, and beef. I’m left eating beans everyday because that’s the only slightly nutritious food they have for vegetarians. But I switch up my carb here and there; one day rice, next yams, maybe plantains, and sometimes potatoes. But yes same thing everyday, carbs and beans, and sometimes if the bean lady (Ruby) is closed, I turn to straight carbs for the evening. Oh and I can get a huge meal of rice, beans, plantains, and noodles (all on the same plate and quite tasty) for the equivalent of $1. ONE DOLLAR for a full meal! Life is good.

Dorms. I live in the International Student Hostel (ISH) on campus. Out of the 34 girls in the program only 4 were able to move into the Ghanaian students’ dorm. Stacy was one of the lucky ones whose name was pulled out of the hat! ISH is supposedly the nicest dorms on campus but they’re nowhere near comparable to the dorms that UC students are familiar with. And compared to the places I’ve seen in Ghana, I know these are relatively nice and quite deluxe, so I’m not complaining.

Washing. Everyone here washes all their clothes by hand. Fill up a bucket, rub the cloth together, scrub some more, rinse, ring out, and hang. Sounds simple enough, but laundry is seriously like an active couple hours of work. There’s no press a button, wait 30 mins, place in the dryer, wait an hour and you’re done. It’s actively scrub for an hour, rinse, ring out for 30 mins, then hang up on the clothesline. And then afterwards you’re so exhausted and with the heat and humidity you’re working in, you’re day is done because you’re so tired! Haha I took a nap after my first load…
The power has been out in my so-called “deluxe” dorm for 3 days now. No running water. No power. No fan! To begin with, there is no heated water on campus, but most of the time it’s fine because on average it’s 75-90 degrees here with about 60% humidity. But night showers are the worst! Cold showers after 11pm are so uncomfortable. Well with this power outage, we had to take bucket showers and bring water with us every time we wanted to wash our hands or brush our teeth. There is a spigot in the courtyard where you can get water. Bucket showers aren’t to bad! They take a little longer and you’re not really sure if you got all the soap/ shampoo/ dirt off your body, but they do the trick! Last night I had to shower at night, so I had a relaxing candlelit bucket shower. I’m getting the hang of this!

Being white and a foreigner. As I walk down the street, I often hear the word “Obruni!” This means “foreigner.” Children yell it, because they are so fascinated with these people of light complexion. They yell, and most of the time just want you to say “hello!” and a smile back. However, we have been targeted by children who approach us sweetly and then after charming us, ask for a cedi (the national currency) because they are hungry… When adults yell “Obruni!” they mostly want one thing, your money. But I’ve had a lot of very sweet encounters with Ghanaian vendors at the market place, who initiated conversation by yelling Obruni, so it’s not always about your money.

All in all, I’m coming to love this place. The people are sweet (for the most part), I’m slowly getting my groundings, and just getting more comfortable (and embracing) that I stick out as a foreigner. I’ve never been conscious of my skin color before, but definitely being here, makes you realize how much you stand out, and because you can be spotted so easily as foreign, people definitely try to take advantage of you.

Keep in touch!
Email me with comments and questions and I’ll try to add photos ASAP! (Can’t find the USB cable and hope I haven’t lost it!)
-Annabelle

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010! I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s (and I hope I get to hear about it!). My New Year’s was memorable but not exactly epic. But before I get to that, let me just fill you in on our last 2 days in London.

So we changed housing all 3 nights and by the time we reached my Grandparents home in Suffolk, we were completely wiped out, sore, exhausted (mentally and physically), and ready to have a home for 4 nights. The night of the 30th, we went to the Christmas Market at Hyde Park in central London. This is a German tradition, in which every Christmas a carnival is set up just as every kids’ fantasy. There was a huge Ferris wheel, German wieners, German candies, carnival games, rides, live music, and everything one imagines a carnival should be. Honestly, I felt like I was a Disneyland and I was 8 years old again, excited for anything and everything. There was even an outdoor ice rink! Stacy and I were completely enthralled by the scene, despite the bitter cold, and freezing rain. We left with no sensation below the knees and elbows, but it was absolutely worth it!

The 31st. It didn’t feel like New Year’s Eve when we woke. I think we had just been so caught up the past couple weeks with finishing classes, packing, and then constantly moving, that we never had a chance for it to hit us that the year was actually over. First thing was first though, we had to go to the next hostel which was situated near to the night’s venue, and that was literally diagonally across town, involving 3 subway transfers with ALL our luggage. Yikes! Well, we did it and we made it. But it was long and semi painful to say the least. The hostel was shoddy. We were in a room with 8 people and it still wasn’t cheap. About $100 for the both of us, but like I said, it’s New Year’s in London and that’s just what happens.

New Year’s eve. Alright, it’s finally here. We’re getting ready and we’re getting more and more excited. We leave for the venue and it’s literally freezing. We’re wearing jackets and gloves with our New Year’s outfits underneath, but we’re seeing women on the streets wearing skirts, cardigans, and heels! Are they CRAZY! It’s one thing to be used to cold weather, but it was literally 0 degrees and the roads were iced over! That’s just stupid.

As we show up to the arena we see more women in heels and dresses. No jackets, no cardigans, nothing. What is wrong with these British folk?! When we get to the arena we see that the arena is actually open to the public for bar-hopping and dining and that not all these people we were seeing in 4-inch heels were attending the concert. Alright, their outfits make a little more sense I suppose. As we’re eyeballing all the restaurant-bars and getting really excited that we’re legal in the UK and can actually go inside, we realize something crucial; we forgot our ID’s. No ID’s, no entry. Wow. Go us. The ONE time we’re legal and we can’t utilize it. How… unfortunate.

After we got over that depressing detail, we decided to embrace the night that was to come. Calvin Harris, Deadmau5 (pronounced dead-mouse), and Justice. God, were we excited! As we walk in, Calvin Harris starts his set. He is amazing! Stacy and I have seen the other two, so this was the guy we’ve been yearning to see. Stacy, being her small little self, actually maneuvered her way (and dragging me along) to about the equivalent of the third row (it was general admission and no seating). AMAZING! And again, Stacy being her manipulative self at concerts was dancing and jumping so much on this guy in front of her that he finally told her to get in front of him and he left. Now, we were FRONT ROW. I’m talking, pushed up against the bar separating the stage from the crowd. And it’s for Calvin Harris, the man we wanted so desperately to see. And he was amazing. We stayed there for his whole set and then Deadmau5 came on after. Still front row!

We left after Justice but still before the whole concert was over. What can I say; we were tired from the past few days of travelling.

As we were walking home however, a beautiful thing happened. It started to snow. It’s 4am on New Year’s and it’s snowing gently. And even better, it was Stacy’s first time seeing snow. Perfect timing, right? A beautiful end to a beautiful night.

We got a few hours of sleep then made our way to my Grandparent’s. It’s nice being here. We’re finally having warm meals, comfortable beds, and actually resting. Something I don’t think we’ve done since before finals. What a welcome change of pace!

See you next in Ghana,
Annabelle

We Made It!

When I was younger, flying Virgin Atlantic to get to England was one of my favorite parts about making the trip. They cater to every kid’s desires. I walk on board and I am gifted a bag/backpack of goodies and then once the flight starts I have a cornucopia of movie, television, radio channels to choose from and an endless amount of Super Nintendo games right on my own personal television! Sleeping on the plane? Never an option when you have so much entertainment to take advantage of! Well, this was what I was looking forward to this time round. Well all my hopes came crashing down when the captain made his “Welcome” announcement explaining the two hour delay. Apparently, the map that tracks our route and location had to be disabled due to the new fear imposed by the Nigerian terrorist attack. Since the map is connected to the whole entertainment system, the whole entertainment system, movies, Nintendo, and all, was disabled. Oh the horror! So Virgin was restricted to just one movie at a time, which was painful and disappointing. And another note, they now lock the bathrooms 20 minutes before landing, again as a response to the latest terrorist attack.

On a side note, I never understood why American airlines could never make a decent cup of tea. No, creamer is not the same thing as milk. Virgin had these cute little tubes of milk that one could use to put in their tea. What a concept! I don’t know why American airlines only offer half & half! American could learn a thing or two from the Brits. ;-) Well, I had three lovely cups of tea on Virgin, which were very soothing.

Stacy and I are in London now, and although we thought we packed lightly, and in retrospect we did for 7 months travel, but when you are moving around from airport to tube station to hostel and all over again, our 50 pound suitcases and 35 pound backpacks are not so mobile. We get some stares from passersby, probably thinking we’re novice American travelers who packed all our lives into our bags for a 3 week trip or something, but that’s not the case as we all know.

Stacy and I are getting really excited for New Years! But we’re staying in 3 different places for our 3 nights in London, and we dread the move from place to place. But hey, it’s what you have to do when you’re on a budget. The place we stayed at last night literally doubled their prices for the 30^th and 31^st, knowing that tourists will pay the extra bucks for a place to stay. Not us, we’re too broke for that! So we’re moving on to the next location, despite the dread of the actual moving process.

Be in touch after New Year’s! Don’t forget to email!

Cheers,
Annabelle (and Stacy)

P.S. I provided a map of Africa last post, and now it's time to quiz your knowledge of the continent we will be spending 7 months! Have a little fun and check it out!

http://www.sporcle.com/games/africa.php