Happy New Year!Today I went to Confidence’s house around 6:30 am. It was cold this morning and it was still early enough for the fog to be low to the ground…the village is pretty in the morning fog with the sun coming through and the red dirt paths and mud houses.People were boiling yams and cassava to make fufu.People greeted me with “Lale tubu” or something close to that means “Happy New Year.”And then they taught me the response of, “ Babamba lale tubu.” Or something like that.By the time I got to Confidence’s I could mumble something close to the right response and it made everyone very happy.They started pounding the fufu when I got to the house; the whole family was there including brothers, cousins, aunties, etc and the party was in full swing with music blaring and dancing around.Fufu is boiled yam and/or cassava, some use plantains; take the boiled starch and put it in a huge mortar and then pound the crap out of it with a huge pestle and someone splashes water and folds it as one or two people pound it.I have pictures I’ll post at some point.When the pounded dough can be balled, it is done.So while they were pounding fufu, Confidence and I went to the church to decorate with balloons for the service. We returned to her house and ate the fufu with light soup w/ beef.Basically it’s broth with the meat oil and pepe and tomatoes…pretty good.I still like banku better than fufu, but it was nice.People always make fun of the Yevus because we chew our fufu instead of swallowing it…I tried to practice.I made muffins yesterday and took some to Confi’s family; they all liked them and said how sweet they were.
After this I went home to get ready for church and then attended our 3 hour service. But it was fun, we danced a lot.After church…around 1:30, I came home and took a nap because I didn’t sleep last night because people were up praying and chanting until 3 am…geeze.So I woke up and then went down to my supervisor’s house to take them some muffins.I ended up eating fufu with them too and they sent me 2 cokes and a pot of rice, noodles, stew and goat to take home.Sitting there with Fo Nicho and Esther, under the tree in the their compound taking fufu from the communal pots made me happy.It was nice and relaxing and I felt like a part of the family instead of the yevu outsider/spectacle.On the way down to their house I saw a big group of kids and we blew the bubble balloons together and I took a bunch of pics. They had a good time.
After eating with Fo Nicho we went and greeted Boss and hung out on the roadside for a while.Then they started playing le bobo (drums) down at the end of the road so we went down there. I danced with Rose, his daughter and a bunch of the town people. They were leading me around in the dance circle under the big tree trying to teach me the dances…I kept getting rocks stuck in my shoes, tripping over the roots and losing my beat.It was fun. I love dancing here. The drums and the stars made me very happy and it was fun to be a part of the community…yes I was still the white spectacle flopping around in the circle, but it was fun.Some of the women that I usually greet in village would grab me and booty flop me around…it was really hilarious!
So 2011, here we come.A full year in Ghana…no US in 2011 at all..huh…wonder how that will work out.I wish you all many blessings for the coming year.Thank you all for your cards, packages, and emails. It’s really great hearing from you guys…it means a lot to me and it’s good to know that my “normal” life hasn’t completely faded away.
Wow, last post of 2010…crazy. So things have been chugging along here. We had the big meeting with the water sachet group and told them we will start paying them by the purse and that we will learn new things to make.This week I started teaching them how to make the easy headband.It went pretty well.It’s hard to sew through the fabric and elastic with a hand machine…gets kinda gnarly and we broke a few needles. Anyway, we all made one for practice out of the same fabric…so we looked like a tribe with our matching headbands on.I started hopping around and doing an Indian battle cry…I don’t know if they understood what I was doing, but they laughed all the same, and that was the point :)
TMT is still dragging their feet on everything. We had the meeting; Mawuli and I went around to each member and told them to make sure and come…since I went around, they all came. So I opened by saying all the things we said we were gonna do, and then went down the list and showed that the only ones that got done were the ones I did and that that was not ok.The committee is made up of 1 member from each clan…the clan selected their person…the people did not choose to be on the TMT.I pointed this out and said that if they did not want to be on the team and did not want to come to meetings and work to increase the tourism, then we need to re-elect people who are actually interested in tourism. 3 people were automatically like, “I want out.”But then they all started talking in Sekua and I just kinda sat there and picked up a couple words.About 30 minutes later George goes (and he was one who said he wanted out), “Boala, do not worry, we will come.”Yeah right.So the meeting continues and I bitch about how the ladder in cave 6 is still not fixed and that it’s been broken since September and that I bring it up at every meeting.So who is gonna fix it?Who will take charge?Fo Nicho and the other “big men” are starting to get that I am basically and pretty obviously (which you don’t do here) saying that they are all SLACKERS! So he goes, “Oh, I think we will have to blame Mawuli for that.”Mawuli is sitting next me and has this WTF look on his face…but he can’t say much because he is not a big man.So I say it instead, “How is the ladder Mawuli’s responsibility? He is the financial secretary…that has nothing to do with the ladder. The tour guides need to make sure it is fixed. They take the tourists up there, they see it is not fixed…it should be their responsibility.And while we are talking about the tour guides, they need to weed.We are shooting some promotional footage on Saturday and you cannot even use the lookout point because the weeds are so high.They are the ones who directly make money from the tourism and they need to take pride in their work!”So here goes another long discussion in Sekua.The tour guides are actually present; it’s the chief’s 2 sons (conflict of interested…hello) and another kid; they are all 3 around 20 years old.Boss is out of commission because he had a stroke at Thanksgiving and his left side is still not working.(I haven’t mentioned this in the blog before because I didn’t have any real medical details… and apparently I won’t because such things don’t exist here or least don’t get communicated…at least not to me.So please pray for Boss.) Anyway, after a half hour or so of deliberation they decide that we will need to do community labor for the weeding in the future.I say that community labor never gets organized and that we need this done this week. So Mawuli, the guides and I will meet Friday morning and go to the mountain to weed.Ok, fine.I sit there and watch this unfold…here is how things go in my village and from what I’ve heard it is pretty much the norm in Ghana:
-there is an issue (weeding the trails) brought up, the committee discusses it, they say they will have to address it at a future meeting, but the problem is that no one ever shows up for meetings and so it gets put off, and put off, and….It’s maddening!!
The result of this meeting is that we establish that Thomas (a committee member and carpenter) will make the ladder by Saturday and then Mawuli will pay him from the TMT funds.Awesome.We also establish that I will not do anything until other people start doing their part.I explain this very nicely, “ I know that all of you have other jobs and families to take care of and that TMT is a volunteer position.But before we can grow and get enough tourists here so that we can pay a managing team, we have to work for free.We all have to put work in so that we can one day become big.I hope that you all care about the tourism here, I care about it, that is why the Peace Corps sent me here, but I will not work alone.I was sent here as an advisor, but I hold meetings and trainings and people don’t come.If the TMT does not work for the tourism then who will?”So we round out the night by saying that Friday morning we will weed and Sunday night we will have the training that we were supposed to have that night, but I didn’t give because I said there is no point in holding trainings when people won’t do what I train them on…this is Wednesday night by the way.
So….Friday morning Mawuli and I take our cutlasses (machetes) and head to the village to meet the guides to weed. 2 American girls stayed at the guesthouse that night and were going to do the caves that day, so we also needed one guide to take them to the caves.As we are walking (all 4 of us) into the village, we see 2 of the guides on the road.AND THEY TAKE OFF IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION!!!!I’m not kidding!Mawuli yells at one of them and he stops but the other (one of the chief’s sons) is already gone.The one guide and Mawuli are talking…I’m getting pissed so I break in.“Francis, you know we are supposed to weed today; we talked about it on Wednesday.”I raise my cutlass to show we are ready to work. “Wom le lo.” Which means, “come on time.”So now if he doesn’t come it’s super disrespectful to me…I hope that makes a difference.So then Mawuli goes to the chief’s palace to get the twins.And then he comes back and says that the twins are not there and that the chief and the mom were mad because we were disrespectful to the guides by calling them temporary guides at the TMT meeting.BULLSHIT!!!!I was sooooo furious. So Mawuli, the 2 girls and I head up the mountain.I am fuming and huffing and puffing up the hill. I was so mad.So the lil’ babies went home and cried to daddy that we told them they needed to do something…boo f’in hoo!They are lazy!They make money directly from the tourists, they need to make the place look nice….not a hard concept.But because daddy is chief…so I start telling Mawuli that this is bullshit.I hope the whole village sees the white girl going to the mountain to weed and the lazy guides hiding somewhere. I also told him this is why we shouldn’t have the chief’s sons involved in the TMT. As we are walking I’m thinking about how to teach them a lesson. Suspend them…but then who will take the tourists…does anyone even want to be a guide…does anyone in this village even give a shit about the tourism?How much can I piss my chief off before the next two years of my life really suck in his village?So then I start comparing this situation to being in the mob or something.You can’t stand up for what is right because there are people who will make your life hell if you do.And why would I fight so hard when they people I’m fighting for don’t give a shit?!?My inner dialogue is going crazy!
So we get to the part that needs to be weeded and I tell Mawuli to take the girls on the tour and I will weed.As he is telling me he won’t leave me to do it alone, here come the 3 guides!Oh I was so happy to see them.I didn’t want to have to do the inner-self battle of what to do: teach them a lesson or let it go like everyone here always does.Oh, so happy.So Mawuli takes the girls on the tour and me and the guides start weeding.We have a good talk, too.They are concerned for the safety of the trails after cave 6.Yes, that is what we will talk about on Sunday at the meeting, please come.You guys have a lot of good input for the team.Ok.So we weed.The 3 of them leave after the one main part is done.I kinda weeded on my own on the way back down the hill and all of a sudden I hear someone else weeding.One of the twins stayed behind and was weeding with me.I was so happy. So he and I weeded for a long time and he had two small boys come help too.So all was well.We get back to the village and everyone is, “oh Boala, you were weeding. Oh you have tried!”Yes, I have…a sidenote…I believe the cutlass swinging is a major part of the amazingly ripped abs here in Ghana.I suggest we try this at home.
And just so you know, the ladder was made, but still hasn’t been taken to cave 6. And the meeting that everyone was gonna come to on Sunday…they didn’t…this was the Sunday before Christmas :) Ho, Ho, Ho.
Fun Christmas stuff:The week before Christmas the highschool in the neighboring village was gonna have a Caroling night and also a play about HIV and pregnancy.So Mawuli, Confidence, the 2 US tourist girls, and I walked over to Mate (the village).As we are walking down the dark road to the village we start singing Silent Night.Well, Mawuli starts singing in this high-pitched screeching voice, and then Confidence starts singing it in Ewe and we all are laughing and being silly…it was a really fun moment.The play and the two dances were good…we missed most of the caroling because we were 1.5 hours late and this thing actually started on time, but it was good fun!
For Christmas, Chris and I went to Accra and met Nivole. We stayed in a nice hotel with AC and a hot shower!!!! SO NICE.I ate Mexican food and Thai coconut soup!We pulled a limb off a bush in the parking lot, threw some battery operated Christmas lights on it and had a fantastic time; we each had a package under the tree.We skyped with our families on Christmas Eve; I watched Charlie Brown’s Christmas on my computer.Chris got me a kente strip with my full name woven into it…it’s super cute.So after we opened our presents on Christmas morning we went to the Cultural Center(after I got us lost on a tro…I said Tema station…the tro was going to Tema town…not the same thing!!! At all.So the tro dropped us on the side of the highway before we got out of Accra.AndNivole had to comment, “Why did I follow the white people anyway?!”). Cultural Center is a huge craft market with very pushy Rastas…they came up to us as soon as we got out of the taxi and started doing their selling “friend” spiel.I was a bitch and they accordingly called me a mean lady…it’s true...I’m very mean these days, I’m constantly at my limit of bullshit, so any extra just sends me over the edge.But I got 2 mud cloths, which I have been wanting.I talked them down to ½ the price they started out at…which means I’m sure I still paid too much, but I paid what I wanted so I was happy.I also got a kick ass moo moo!I really like it…it’s comfy and the arms are sewn to the sides so if I raise my arms I look like a flying squirrel!We then walked around Liberation Square and went down to the beach where lots of people were playing soccer.Nivole made a good point, “I have never seen so many black people on a beach!”It’s true. Chris and I were the only whities around…it was strange on a beach…
The week between Christmas and New Years has been pretty slow here; I’ve read a lot and started baking in the Coleman Camping Oven that my aunt sent me for Christmas. It sits right on top of my propane burner…Sweet. This week I put up more screen on my windows hoping to keep out those lil’ biting bugs.I was 1.5 windows into it when Innocent came over and took the job from me.Smiling and shaking his head at me, “Boala, get down from the chair, let me help you.”Which means let me do it for you.I love how I can start doing anything and someone else always finishes it.Actually, if you know me, you know I don’t like that…it makes me feel useless…but as Mawuli says, “Oh Jeanna, it is because we love you so much.”…who can argue with that?The next day Mawuli helped me finish the windows, so I baked brownies and took them both some.
I am staying in the village for New Years.They don’t do anything NYE so I’m typing this, maybe gonna start a box of wine and just chill. But I prob won’t make it till midnight here since I’m supposed to be getting an “early” call from Confidence to come pound foo foo.Her brothers were slaughtering a cow today when I left for HoHoe…yum meat!!!From what I can tell, we will pound and eat foo foo, go to church, and then come home and cook more and then take food to each other to “share love.”I baked muffins today to share tomorrow.And I have some balloon things my aunt sent earlier this year…I’ll finally be nice and give them to the kids tomorrow.
Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!Love you and miss you guys.Mia and Angie, Happy Birthdays, Mom and Dad, Laura and Todd, Happy Anniversaries, and Mia and Nick congrats on the wedding!
So the few people I’ve talked to at home recently are probably telling you guys that I’m about ready to hang myself from the nearest mango tree…which is a viable option, but won’t happen…don’t worry.So projects…yeah not really.The Palm Oil women have not wanted to meet…I’ve gone to the chair woman 4 times in the last 3 weeks…I have to tell you that I’m about done trying; honestly I don’t give a crap about palm oil and I really don’t wanna work with the group…the chairwoman chops money and no one really cares about the group.I’ve decided why keep trying to motivate people when I don’t really want to in the first place…I don’t have to work with this group…the last volunteer did, but that doesn’t mean I have to.So I’m gonna make one last effort to talk to a few of the other members tomorrow or Thursday and say (through an interpreter of course), “Ladies, let’s talk for real. Do you really want this palm oil group?I could care less; this is for you, not me.I walk by your houses and see you all cracking nuts on your own…do you really wanna organize a group or just keep cracking on your own.It’s up to you.”I don’t wanna let any of the women down, but it seems to me they don’t give a crap about the group and are only in it because now there’s another white chick in town, but they still don’t wanna meet.In my mind I would think that they’d be like, “Hell yeah, we got someone back here to re-organize us, let’s get our group going again.” And that they’d seek me out…nope!No one seeks me out. I’m running around this village begging people to let me help them????But not bringing money...oh, yeah, ok, that’s why no one’s getting excited….fo’ real.
Tourism team…we should have a meeting tomorrow night.We are supposed to have the TMT meeting on the first Wednesday of each month, which would have been last week.Normally I go to the chairman and say, “Hey are we having our meeting tomorrow???”But I decided not to this month because it’s quite obvious to me that no one cares, so I said nothing.And nothing happened.The next day the TMT secretary found me and said we should have had a meeting yesterday and that I should make sure we have one soon because he knows that I have planned meetings/activities for the group.So I say to Fo Nicho, our chairman, “Hey, George wants us to have our TMT meeting.”“Oh yes, next Wednesday in the evening. We missed it yesterday.”“Uh, huh.Hey Fo Nicho, did you talk to the signboard people to see how much they cost? You know, like you said you would at our last meeting?” (which was on November 3)…the answer was no…in case you were wondering.
So here in lies a large source of my frustration in Ghana (and it’s not mine alone, I know for sure) people make committees, they hold meetings…especially when the white girl nags them…we go through the exercises, careful to make sure that they come up with ideas and not me alone, and then we set goals/make plans based on those ideas, everyone feels real good about it…but, here’s the key, NO ONE DOES A FLIPPING THING TO REACH THOSE GOALS!!!!! NADA!
Why??This is my question.Why am I here?We’re not working on anything.Besides Thursdays (water sachet women) I have to find reasons to go into the village; really!I go in, buy bread, stop at Esther’s or Naomi’s to talk for a while (mostly I just sit because my language skill does not allow me to carry on a conversation…this also sucks hard.And the thing is…I can’t teach myself a language I don’t know…Sekua is not on Rosetta Stone), and so after sitting around I hobble back up to my house and do something until I feel guilty enough again to wobble back to town.I dunno.I’m trying to be creative about starting things, but when there is no interest….
Mawuli still needs to talk to the people about the orphans…he’s waiting for a town meeting or something, I dunno. Confidence came to me the other day and suggested we start teaching the youth how to make batik and tye & dye.She learned how to do all this at trade school.Sounds like a great idea. We’ll need about 350 cedis to get started (if the youth is interested) and then we will teach the kids the skill and sell the fabric to hopefully make a profit that we can then reinvest back into the business until we make enough money to start giving scholarships to kids for school fees or for them to start their own venture…that is the very big picture in the long run.Of course, “you could get the money from an NGO” put a very sour taste in my mouth. But alas I am bored and want to do something….is that bad???I’m thinking that I will suggest she get 150 cedis (her family has some money) and I’ll get the other 200 (I’ll just use my own) and then we’ll start the business and pay ourselves back once it’s turning a profit.If we don’t turn a profit, then we lose our money…that’s business, do you believe in this enough?We’ll see how that goes.She is supposed to talk to the youth this Sunday after church, but I want to go over a few things before she talks to them.
I also want to use the Water Sachet Group as a role model…let me tell you the story and at the end you’ll see my role model lecture…
Next week we will have a meeting at the Water Sachet Group (WSG) announcing that we will start paying the women per purse they make.Up until now (Aki started meeting with them in January I think) the women have been working and the money earned paid for 2 machines and supplies.Now that you awesome US people bought a bunch of purses, we have enough money saved that we can start paying out to the women.So now we will pay them per purse…but only for good purses, so Aki and I are quality control, we will keep track of each good purse made per woman and then pay out at the end of the month.The catch is, we won’t be able to work every Thursday and pay out because we have to sell them as fast as we make them or we’ll have no money in the group.So I think this will be a sore spot for the ladies… BUT on the Thursdays we don’t sew purses I want the bad sewers to come in and practice so that they get better and we will start introducing new products to the good sewers so we can start diversifying our products and seeing different places we can sell them. Since we have some money saved we can use it (small, small) to develop prototypes.So that’s that.We’ll see how it pans out next Thursday.We will also get a local seamstress to come over on some days and give tutorials on the machine, etc.
So here is the role model speech; I’m gonna give it to the WSG and also preach it to TMT and Confidence (and POW if they miraculously reinvent themselves)…something like this…
“Do you see what you have done?You worked hard as a group for almost 12 months, and now you will start seeing the money come.You did not say “give me” to anyone. You did not ask an NGO for money or ask anyone else.You did it on your own!This should show you that you can make money and a good life for your self…on your own…it takes hard work and time, but it will come.This group is a role model to the whole community…I will tell them what you have done, and you should tell them what you have done.You should be very proud of yourselves.It’s much harder to earn your own way than it is to ask for something; but you are more likely to succeed when you earn it yourself.”Or a lil’ somethin’, somethin’ like that.
Anyway. So today Mawuli built (because I wasn’t allowed to help much…I tried) me a bamboo table for my kitchen.I needed more storage/work space.In return, I made him banku and groundnut soup.We are both very happy.I’m still waiting on someone to show me where the good soil is so I can start growing my herbs…I’m tempted to just go in someone’s farm and take some…I don’t think they’re gonna miss it, I don’t need much and I’m tired of waiting on it.
I’ve also decided to go to the headmaster this week and talk to him about the books I’ve heard about that have been sitting in boxes for over year…because we don’t have a library.I’m going to suggest, that I go through and organize them and come to the school once a week for a couple hours and sit and play librarian to anyone who is interested in checking out a book.I’ll keep track of who takes them, etc.Also, I figure this will help me meet the kids; I’ll try to pump them for info on if they want to start any clubs or tutoring or anything…and then I’ll make them pay me in Sekua terms/sentences J Nothing is for free folks…at least not while Boala is your volunteer.
I’ve also started communicating with a 5th grade class in St. Louis. I signed up for World Wise Exchange, which is where I communicate with a class in the US about my experience here in the Peace Corps. So I’m gonna talk to the headmaster here in the village and see if we can get some student-to-student exchange going on.Maybe some pics, letters, etc.
So…anyway. I am trying to think of ways to entertain myself and do some good in the community…I’m trying not to bitch too much without first looking at it from the village’s point of view.I see that the villagers are busy trying to farm and do their other jobs and keep their houses and everything…it’s hard.I understand that.And I also am trying to think of how I need to change my way of thinking and my perceptions.For example, just because I feel guilty because I’m not very busy, doesn’t mean that my village feels like I’m not doing anything…although I can’t ask them because they’d never tell me anything negative.But, whatever. It’s a work in progress and I’m sure it will continue to have its ups and downs.
For Christmas, Chris and I are going to Accra and getting a nice hotel room with real beds and hot showers…fancy.I wanna check out the Cultural Center while I’m there to see if it’s worth taking any of you guys to when you come to VISIT ME!!!!I’ve heard it can be kinda overwhelming with pushy vendors…we’ll see.I think we’ll also catch a movie, do small gift exchange, eat good food, etc.Low key Christmas.Sounds good to me.
So, I think that’s about all for me tonight. I’m sorry I haven’t been writing; I’ve been in a shitty mood and I don’t want you all to think I hate it here…because I don’t.Am I homesick right now…yes…and that’s just how it is.At some point something will start up and I’ll be all happy and excited again and then I’ll write all the good stuff….promise.
Thanks for listening…and please don’t start charging me for the therapy.
j
December 14, 2010
So I’ve been in a better mood this week…thank God!!!
We didn’t have our TMT meeting, again…I tried for 3 days to meet with the headmaster, hasn’t happened yet…and the water sachet ladies did not think practicing was very important… BUT
I did start making a protype for the headband/doo-rag combo that’s pretty cool.The women all wanted mine that I took to work off of.“No, this is mine.I bought it with my own money.I am learning how to make it, and once I learn, I will teach you.Then you can make and sell them and then have money to buy your own!”Confidence just came and talked to me about the batik project.I told her I don’t want to involve an NGO to start because I don’t think our community is responsible with donated money, but I’ll match whatever she will put up in start up money. We’re thinking we’ll both put in 100 cedis of start up capital and then see how we fare for a few months. If it looks promising then we may contact an NGO to expand production.So, we’ll see.
I hiked the mountain this morning with Rhoda (volunteer in next village); the Fulani (cattle herders) set the mountain on fire during dry season so new grass will come up for their cattle…makes the mountain look sad and crunchy L.I took a walk earlier this week to take some pics of these really pretty trees that bloom at the cemetery, I also found a drum in HoHoe I’m gonna buy this week so I can start practicing drumming.Soo…I’m trying to entertain myself in various ways even if it’s not actual work.
When I was walking down the footpath to the village this week a lady came from one of the houses (I always greet them, but I don’t know them) and asked me if I would “snap”aka..take a picture.I explained that I didn’t have my camera, but later in the week I’d come by and do it.So Thursday I’m heading home from the village and I stop at her house…she tells me to go and come… (come later).So anyway, I’m unpacking my stuff and there’s a knock at the door.It is her with her little baby girl (3 mos old).She is wanting me to take the baby’s picture; she has it in a cute lil’ outfit with a booties and a hat.So I take a couple shots and then she goes, “So when will there be prints?” “Uh, well I don’t print in Ghana. I will send the snaps to my family in America and then they’ll send to me. So when I get them, I’ll bring them to you.” “Ok, so when you go there?”“Where? America?” “Yes.” “Oh sister, you are not understanding me.They will mail the prints to me.It will be 2-3 months.” “Oh! The father is coming from Accra for Christmas. That is why I need the prints.” “Well, I don’t print in HoHoe.So I don’t know how much it costs.”And then she said something about money, which I hope meant she is planning on paying for the prints, but who knows. I hate not being able to communicate well.I talked to my friend in HoHoe and he says I can get a digital print for 30 pesawa…not expensive, but I decided I will go to the house and tell the mom how much it costs and tell her to give me the money for the number of prints she wants and then I’ll have them printed when I’m in HoHoe.Now you could be saying, “Boala, you heartless bitch, just give the woman the 30 pesawa!!”But, if I do that, then the whole village will hear about it and every person will be after to me take pictures and print for them.I hate that I cannot just be kind and giving here…at home I’d print the pics and hand them over without thinking about it.But here, I have to gauge every move or else I end up screwed!!!It’s exhausting.
Anyway.I got my Christmas package from mom and dad…THANK YOU!!!Yum, chocolate, and CHRISTMAS TREE CAKES!!!!! I love ‘em!Christmas lights, singing santa, some leggings, deodorants, toothpaste, ton of food and a new silver chains so I can finally wear my necklace again!!!Happy Day.
J
December 16, 2010
I have some more updates, but I've actually been busy this week and will update next week. Just a fun note, this week I bought my new mattress. 15 people, 3 grown cows (with horns), and my new mattress all road home IN the tro...my mattress was bent in half on top the cows and 2 guys were sitting on my mattress...you get the picture. I made home with no horn gouges in the mattress and now I don't get near as many bug bites!!!! :)
Tonight I'm going to the next village over; the secondary school is having Christmas caroling!! I'm excited!
So here is my first breakdown/bitch session in Ghana.Last week I traveled to Tamale (26 hours of travel spread out over 2 days) for Peace Corps training. Trip up went well, had a week with my SED group.After training me and a couple other PCV’s went over to Mole for a safari.Trip there (4 hours) fine. We spent 2 nights, had a good time, saw warthogs, antelope, bushbuck, monkeys and baboons…no elephants, but elephant footprints and poop.The breakdown occurred on the trip back.Our 4 hour journey back to Tamale started at . We catch the bus and head back…we stop to pick up people at Domango and people are literally fighting to get on the bus.People were packed standing, leaning on you and your bags. (we think it was because it was a Monday and all the highschool students were going back to school…they stay in dorms at school like our colleges).So whatever…fine.We get to Tamale, taxi driver tries to screw us on money…we win.We go to the tro station and the dude tries to screw us on the luggage price…we argue, Nivole cusses…that never happens.Finally I give in, she leaves and Chrissa and I load on for the 6 hour ride.This tro is one of the “bread boxes” as I call them.They look like delivery trucks and are packed with seats and a roof rack.Rams are loaded onto the roof along with our luggage. We’re smashed in like f’n sardines.I’m sitting on one of the jump seats…the ones that fold up and then flop down in the aisle…which means I have a half back rest and no ass padding.The woman next to me is coughing and hocking out the window, the woman on the other side of me has her kid’s head flopped over on me making me sweat even more, all of our thighs are smashed together in a sweaty, soupy mess, the guy behind me doesn’t have a back rest at all so he’s always leaning on my back, and the dude in front of me is huge so his seat back mashes back and takes away the 2 inches of leg room I’m supposed to have; his seat was smashing my knees the whole way.I can’t move my legs or put my shoulders back against my seat because we’re mashed too tight.An hour in I want to cry.To make matters worse the tro is a piece of shit and we stop every 45 minutes LITERALLY to add water to the radiator and/or beat the tires with a metal rod to make sure they’re still working.I have never been so uncomfortable and irritable in my life.Chrissa had spit fly on her 3 times from the chick in front of here spitting out the window.The tro was so slow it turned into an 8 hour trip.Luckily, when we stopped half way through, the German couple was so fed up they got out and picked a different car, so I got a slightly better seat…if that wouldn’t have happened, I don’t know if I’d have made it the whole way.
We finally arrive at Kumasi ( a huge city, and it’s dark) and get a taxi; we arrive at the guesthouse we were gonna stay at because it’s cheap….and it’s full.ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?????As we discuss our options with the guy who is running the guesthouse, his friend keeps looking me up and down and by this point I have lost all patience with all things.“Will you please quit looking me up and down, dude?!!!What are you looking at???”He kinda smiles and walks off.“Mister you better keep your friend away from me; I’m in no mood for games tonight.” “Oh, he was just saying if you are stranded….”Apparently here, if chicks are stranded they’ll go home with someone and sleep with them.“Dude, we’re not stranded. I’m never stranded; there’s always options and fucking your friend ain’t one of them!”I was so pissed.
So then we have to get another taxi, which we got ripped off on but because we were exhausted we took it, and went to a different guesthouse and paid twice as much.OMG.Nivole arrives and we all meet at a restaurant split some food and I drink 2 glasses of good red wine even though I can’t really afford it.I was running off 3 hours sleep and a full day of bullshit. I shower and pass out in seconds.
Day 2-Wake up at 6, get my shit together, tell the girls goodbye and taxi to the very crazy huge Kumasi tro station.After several tries, I am directed (with my 40 lbs of luggage) to the right tro shed, where I am promptly fucked with.“It will be 3 cedis for your bag.” “Brother, this is a 1 cedi bag.It costs 1 cedi all over this country. You, me and everyone here knows that.” Because of course all the tro guys come over to stare and/or laugh at the Obruni chick.“You will give me 2 cedis.It is not a lot of money.” “Brother, I am a volunteer; I do not have tourist money. I have lived in this country for 5 months and will be here for 2 more years.I am not a tourist; I know how much this bag costs…it is one cedi. I will pay 1 cedi.”At this point I’m still very polite but firm, kinda playing the cute, know-it-all card.“Ok, 1 cedi.”“Thank you.”Another guy, “Sister why are you sweating so bad?”“I am obruni, whities melt in the African sun. At some point my white will melt off and I will be black like you and will not sweat anymore.”They all got a big kick out of that.So that was not bad.I won!And didn’t even get pissed off.
I had a great ride to Koforidua.Get there after 3.5 hours and have to walk to a different station to pick a tro to HoHoe.There is no HoHoe car.Ok, so I walk back to the main station to pick a car to Kpong. “ Once cedi for the bag.” “Brother, this is a short trip. I pay 1 cedi for long trips, I’ll pay 50 pesawa.” “Ok.” Ok.”So I go off in a corner to smoke (yes I’ve picked it up again.) and the mate comes up and starts chatting me up while his homies sit back at the tro and jaw him on.I’m in no mood to be the entertainment. “Brother, I am tired, I do not want to talk, I’ll be back to the tro when it is full to leave.”Ok…..soo after an hourish we arrive in Kpong.There are only 2 guys in the tro….so it’s gonna take FOREVER to fill.So I go to the urinal. The lil girls who are running it think something about me is fucking hilarious.I’m in no mood.So I pee and head back to the tro.The guy is trying to charge me 2 cedis for my bag.I argue…I win.I pay the mate 5 cedi for my 4 cedi ticket.He later comes back and takes my ticket for whatever reason (I thought he was taking everyone’s or I wouldn’t have given him mine.)After 1.5 hours the tro is full.“Brother where is my ticket and my change.” “I am the driver, I will get you your ticket sister.Do not worry.”I’m thinking bullshit, you’re gonna screw me over somehow, like saying I didn’t pay since I don’t have a ticket.I didn’t pay the luggage guy. I told him I wouldn’t pay him until I had my ticket and change.We get in and leave…still no ticket or change.We get about halfway to HoHoe and they kick me and another girl out in Kpeve because the rest of the peops aren’t going as far as HoHoe and the driver doesn’t wanna drive that far just for us. So he pays another tro to take us.So he kept my 5 cedi for my ticket and luggage and then paid my fare to the other driver…so he didn’t screw me; yeah!!!So now I’m sitting and waiting for this tro to fill.Since it is a short distance tro (1.5 hours) they pack you in 4 to a seat instead of 3 to a seat…the woman next to me stinks like all kinds of funky and there’s baskets of dried fish behind my head.I want to puke.
Finally I arrive in HoHoe a frazzled, sweaty, pissed off mess.I strap on my luggage and walk to the Likpe station hoping I can catch a car down here even though it’s officially closed at this time (5:30ish).I wanted to pick some eggs, a box of wine, and some smokes…I’m wound super tight.And my egg lady is closed.And my cigarette peops.Dammit!!! But there is a Likpe tro!“Boala, where are you from?” “Oh I have been in Tamale for training.” “You did not tell me you were leaving. Oh Boala, you look very tired.” It was Raymond, Confidence’s father.I wanted to cry.So we start down the road and have to stop for someone to pick something up…and there’s a liquor store!!!YESSSS.I buy my boxed wine and I finally get home after 6:30…I started traveling a little before 7 am.
I get home and feel like I don’t ever want to talk to a Ghanaian again.I’m so tired of fighting!!!I’m tired of arguing all the time and getting cheated all the time because I’m white.It really pisses me off.I know it won’t change and normally I just turn it into a game of bargaining, but 2 days straight of all that bullshit just really put me in a terrible mood.Also, I talked to Mawuli and apparently Confidence had to travel a couple days while I was gone so she gave my key to Naomi to feed Monkey. Which is fine, but I wished she would have called me and asked me who I wanted to have the key.I told her before I left that I wanted no one else in the house while I was gone.So I’ll be having a talk with her tomorrow.
Today I went and talked to Mawuli and told him I would be in the house all day and that I wanted to be alone. I’m tired and generally in bad mood and that I’ll greet the village tomorrow.I go visit my supervisor and Esther and tell them the same thing.
So I spent the whole day laying in the house, cleaning, watched 2 movies and chilled.A guy from HoHoe that I know came out to visit even though I told him I wanted to be alone today.I was kinda mean; I actually started crying because I felt like I was defending myself again and all I wanted was to be left alone without having to explain or defend myself to anyone.“ Oh Jeanna, I am so sorry. I just wanted to see you since you’ve been gone so long. I brought you an energy drink and wanted to make you happy.”“I’m not crying because of you; I’m so exhausted and pissed off and I am so tired of arguing everyday just so I don’t get cheated.It’s exhausting; that’s why I told you I didn’t want to hang out today. I WANT TO BE ALONE.”He left.I felt kinda bad; he’s a real nice person and always helps me out.After he left I just started crying and couldn’t stop…nothing in particular; just an overwhelming feeling.I called my friend Chris; and then I was ok.
Anyway, I’m drinking my wine and venting to you fine people.Tomorrow is the water sachet group and they’re always fun!
Thanks for listening.Also, please excuse all the profanity, but it was absolutely necessary, I promise.
J
November 22, 2010
Hello.So the good news is I haven’t killed anyone since my last entry, but the bad news is I’ve been feeling pretty shitty since then…karma???Anyway, Thursday with the women was exactly what I needed; they make me laugh. And Salomay gave me a big hug and bananas, and I danced with the lady that always calls me “Agonome”. Which is coconut oil in Ewe….she thinks it’s hilarious that I got all excited that I found coconut oil in HoHoe…so ever since then she calls me Agonome and laughs hysterically and tells everyone about it.She’s funny.
Anyway, Thursday was Water Sachet Group day, Friday was market in HoHoe, Chris came home with me and Saturday we went to Bakua (next village) to see 2 Pegasus Africa Volunteers who are teaching there.Saturday day I started feeling crappy: headache, queasy, not very hungry.Saturday night I got all dizzy and nauseas and ended up catching a tro home.I’ve felt funky ever since.I was supposed to hike the mountain yesterday, but spent the day lying on the couch. Today I went into the village for a couple hours to talk to people, but still feel funky.
I feel disconnected and like a bad volunteer.I was gone for almost 2 weeks, spent one good day in the village, and have been pretty much huddled up in my house since.Plus I leave Wednesday to go to Accra for Thanksgiving at the US Ambassador’s.So I guess I just feel bad about not being around; I’m gonna go to the PC doctor while in Accra (I gotta go get shots anyway) and will hopefully start feeling better so I can eat a bunch of turkey!!!Accra has a movie theatre and the new HARRY POTTER is playing!!And I heard you can get milkshakes there.Accra is a huge, dirty city filled with all the food we desire and can’t afford…but somehow we still do!I haven’t been to Accra since training, so I have no idea where to go or how to get around, so we’ll see how that goes.
General mutterings:I got a package from Uncle Glenn and Aunt Kathy….THANK YOU!!!Chocolate, just what a grouchy, sick girl needs…it has made me smile!I have my family send me condiment packets from fast food restaurants…light weight and reeking of America.In this package was Arby’s Sauce.Oh, God.At the very sight of that little packet I felt the buttery, toasted bun and delicious warm roast beef melting in my mouth…complemented by the deafening crunch of curly fries and washed down by a fizzy slurp of Diet Dr. Pepper.Ohhhhhh.I don’t even use Arby’s Sauce at home, but the very fact that this lil’ packet sent me into an emotional overload makes me question my sanity.I was almost pissed off…that I couldn’t have it.At that moment it represented everything comfortable and normal.I’ve kind of been in a funk since training; I’m gonna go out on limb and say that that’s normal, but it’s still a super shitty feeling, especially here.I’m feeling anti-social…even with the white people.So I’m trying to decide what to do for Christmas. Do I spend my 2 days leave to go to the beach with a bunch of people, or do I want to spend my holiday (first Christmas ever away from my fam…I’m 28) with a few close people? I dunno. We’ll see.
Is the Peace Corps making me a hermit?I’ve always been very happy spending time alone, but here I wonder if it is gonna become a negative thing.I miss my friends at home; the ones I hand picked because their individual traits were amazing and uplifting and brought joy to my heart and made my mind expand.The ones that I trust my life with and could indeed proclaim that they were 100% real.Ones you can trust not to blab your shit just because they’re bored and need something to talk about. I dunno…like I said…in a funk.
Anyway, things are bumping along here.I figure after I get back from Thanksgiving I’ll try to start getting things started again.While at training I made a list of 13 things I want to work on, in no particular order:
-garden (I got some seeds leftover from a volunteer..I’m starting with herbs planted in watersachets until I can find a place to plant a veggie garden…and build a fence to keep the goats out.)
-make moringa soap with palm kernel oil from women’s group
-start making lotion here like I did at home with local beeswax(once I get my herbs growing) and teach the women
-train POW group on business skills/make bookkeeping visual since they can’t read/write
-check into MTN/Vodafone sponsoring our tourism signboards/brochures
-talk to Ghana Tourism Board manager about visiting our site for an assessment and TMT training
-organize to talk to District Assembly about 30% contribution and tourism center
-start to work with orphans here in Todome (Mawuli just told me about this)
-screen in my front porch so I don’t have to hide inside at twilight
-make bamboo shelf for kitchen (Boss just brought me some bamboo today!)
-start doing yoga in the mornings again (tros got me body all out of whack!!)
-do an AIDS demonstration
-start a girls club
Today I talked to Mawuli and he announced to the church on Sunday that we will be having a community meeting soon and also told them that I would like to start working with the orphans..teaching them, etc.The community meeting will be about AIDS awareness, but he doesn’t want to tell them what it’s about or they may not come.We have to go talk to the chief first though.I asked Mawuli if there is anyone in the village living with HIV or AIDS, and he said he didn’t know.I asked what age people start having sex here in our village…he said 12.Geeze.So…next week I will be buying my very own wooden penis (are you happy Amy?????)…for condom demonstrations of course…not for me personally.I’m sure that shopping experience will prompt a few good stories.I have seen a juju shop by the station selling them.We were told in Peace Corps training that we should be able to procure a wooden penis for 2-3 cedis…so I really hope that they don’t try to rip me off.I really don’t wanna have to fight about a wooden penis at the very crowded tro station, but you know I will.I have been told it is very hard to put a condom on a wooden penis…so I will have to practice…and so will Mawuli…sounds fun, huh? –Katie, remember the Designing Women’s episode, “They’re calling me Mary Jo Shively, the Condom Queen!!!!” ????Just call me Boala, the wooden dick chick.So anyway, Mawuli and I will give the presentation and have the crowd play games that show how easily HIV is spread and how you cannot tell by looking at someone if they have HIV or not.I hope they are receptive to it.
So….I think that’s about all for now.HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!Eat lots and lots.Anner, Mom, good luck on Thanksgiving Dinner…I’m sure you’ll do well and make Granny proud.Love you guys and wish I was there with you.
So today I traveled to Ho so I could mail my Christmas package to the fam. On the way, a woman puked on me in the tro....awesome. The whole tro was like, "Oh, sorry-o." "Oh, sorry for you." Yeah no kiddin. Tomorrow I start travelling to Tamale for In Service Training and get to meet up with all the old SED homies. It's getting hot here; Harmattan is starting and you can see the air getting "cloudy" with dust. It is hotter...I sweat like a crazy person all day now. Monkey is getting big. He killed and ate his first lizard the other day. The Palm Oil Group is reforming and we are gonna start using the shed, we are electing new officers and sounds like we may get it together...but I'm not getting my hopes up. The water sachet group is doing good; they got all the purses sewed for the US order in about a week and half. The Tourism Team is still hard to get together for meetings...so we'll see how that goes. I'm really not in a writing mood lately, so I just haven't been doing it :) But I will post some pics since I'm at the fast internet today.
Happy Birthday P!!!
Love you guys!
j
sunset behind my house
kente strip
drumming and dancing at Tafi Abuife
my house
baby goats at chris's house
pottery at Kpando
potter at Kpando...yes they mean hand made.
couple lil boys in the village. Dixon is the one in his undies; that's my supervisor's son.
Salomay and baby Michaela posing for watersachet pic. I really like Salomay; and Michaela actually likes me! Most of the babies in the village are scared of me...no, not because I'm mean, b/c I'm a whitie.
Pathrine showing off our 3 sizes of bags.
my halloween oufit..handmade o' course. I'm a tree!!!!
women working on sachets
christ was a Kente Party Boy from Jackass...freaking hilarious!!
I have created this blog to share with friends and family once I depart for Ghana, Africa as a Business Advising Volunteer with the Peace Corps.
Staging is June 1-2 2010,
Training is June 3-August 12, 2010, Service is August 12, 2010 - August 11, 2012.
I'm originally from Jefferson City, MO.
