A few ways to help....

Hello!
So normally, during this time of the year, I post my annual note telling you about the Relay for Life, and my involvement in the event. However, this year, I'm actually working hard toward two causes, UCSD's annual Relay for Life through the American Cancer Society, and a trip to Honduras during my spring break with the Global Water Brigades. My involvement in each has been a great experience, and since I love them both, I'm hoping you'll love one too! If you can help me out in either way, I would very much appreciate it (and so would some other people....)! A bit more about each.....

1) The annual Relay for Life is an 24-hour event through the American Cancer Society, organized to "celebrate" the lives of those who have had cancer, "remember" those who have lost the fight, and "fight back" through awareness, education, ACS services, and fundraising for research! This will be my 5th relay, my 4th at UCSD, and my 3rd as a part of the planning committee - this year I'm in charge of recruiting and organizing an estimated 120 teams that come from campus clubs, organizations, the greek community, residence halls, and groups of friends who unite around the cause. I LOVE this event, and its given me some of my best memories from UCSD. It will be held this year on April 10-11. You can go to my personal website at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/anitajohnson

2) The Global Brigades is a student-led organization that sends students on week-long trips to Honduras and Panama. UCSD students are dedicated to the cause medicine, public health, dental, water, or the environment (other universities have others too). Why Honduras? It is, the 2nd poorest country in the Western hemisphere, and our aim is to help villages where more than 75% of the inhabitants have parasites and other water-born illnesses. **Why** did I get involved? As I plan to graduate in the spring with my BS degree in Environmental Chemistry, I have been wondering what my best and favorite use of my degree would be, but every chemistry career I have considered has left me with lingering images of my time in Ghana, and a Ghanaian's access to clean water and air. So, I've tentatively decided to pursue a masters degree program in Environmental Health. Other than helping build water structures and promote sanitary living habits, my hope is that this trip will help me learn about the real environmental health problems that developing countries face, and an outsider's efforts to help! To learn more about the Global water Brigades, go to http://www.globalbrigades.org/project/water/what-is-a-brigade/ or, to help the community that I will be helping, you can go to my page at https://fundraising.intelis.com/gbl/AThons/Home.jsp?Person=cc0d0bb8125608211c11021628578425&Event=cc0d0bb8120f9a7f25a10016197f083d

Thank you SO much for your support, it means so much to me, but even better, your donation really will help many more!

Have a GREAT week! Let me know if you have ANY questions, or call me 858-602-8874
-Anita

OBAMA in GHANA!!!! (and clinton in kenya!)

SO ----
He came, he saw, he didnt conquer. I have to admit, i was SUPER stoked about it, until i found out how short (~24hrs) it was, and when i heard his speech and found out he mispronounced "Accra" (ps, its ah-CRA, not AH-cra).....and that his speech was pointed at Africa in general more than i'd have liked, but thats a WHOLE other rant of mine....

BUT -- i wish i were there. i wish i could have seen how excited everyone was, even though i'm sure not more than a handful of non-politicians were able to. i read a few articles about how obama paraphernalia were selling like crazy on the streets etc, and i can totally see it happening. i also have flashbacks to the night obama was elected, staying up so late and how excited everyone was! i wish i had seen it!

some interesting sites/articles:
the obama song i heard a LOT while i was there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L85YF0pyPH0
what EVERYONE should know about ghana: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1023444.stm
about why GHANA>NIGERIA --VERY interesting http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8096002.stm
a ghanaian's take on why GHANA was selected over another African country: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8138641.stm
on the street excitement: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8143018.stm

gosh i had a lot more on this, sorry guys!

AND ON TO CLINTON IN KENYA
so she was there last week, and a couple things to note on that:

I think its funny that people got all excited (above) and were all proud of ghana for that being the first african country that obama went to, to prove that its the shining example of democracy, BUT THEN the secretary of state visits kenya, where democracy has not really been democracy in the past few years, and has even been a shining example of non-democracy and resulting ridicule. I remember we (the americans) almost laughed at all the songs on ghanaian radios etc promoting peaceful elections (songs, speeches, etc) until we remembered why: thousands of kenyans had died in 2007-2008. why? well, lots of reasons, but the political leaders actively promoted violence against opposing parties. ghana, in promoting peace (and ignoring some amount of fraud, im sure!) was actively marking itself as different from kenya (and zimbabwe, but im not going into that here.....they too had crappy elections recently that ended in power sharing)...... so does anyone else find it funny that both countries are proud to host the respective leaders, and the VERY different reasons why each was visited?

I also find it interesting that the first African woman and first environmentalist to win the Nobel Peace Prize (2004), Wangari Muta Maathai, is Kenyan. Isnt it strange that the country that produces a Nobel Peace Prize winner erupts into election violence in just 3 years? We all have the good, the bad, and the ugly, sorry guys :(

One more comment about the visit - Clinton has been criticized for her response during an interview to a question that asked something about her husband's opinion on an issue (turns out there was a misunderstanding/mistranslation, but she reacted to what she was told). she answered "my husband is not the secretary of state, I am"...... I'm no feminist, but I gotta say I am more than i was a year ago. Especially in such a male-dominated society, I believe that she had every right to be defensive, especially in her position.

sorry that this is a bit late, and if the links dont work anymore :(

PEACE out guys :-D

Gambaga - the witch village!

hey you!

so i posted some pics of ghana on facebook, one of which was from gombaga, a "witch village" up in the northern region. i captioned the picture with the fact that i really couldnt explain the place in the small space provided for the caption, but that i was open to questions about it. well, i got a question! and the answer was too much to not share!

SO: ive heard a few stories (class, bradt guide, what ppl there told me) and have my own opinion on it - here's a mix!

i heard about it first in my "african traditional religions" class. the deal is that although christianity and islam are both infinitely more dominant than "traditional religion" in ghana, there's still a lot of the spirituality intermixed (as im sure you know). SO when someone is accused of being a witch, they are generally sent to this village in the northern region (which is where christianity is much less common, islam and traditional beliefs are more common). here, the village chief performs de-witchifying rituals and they are cured, but because the home village will not accept them back.

so they stay in the witch village. children/family and possessions are rarely brought with them, and they rarely if ever get to return to their home village (transportation difficulties is also a contributing factor here- it could easily take a day or 2 to get to the village from home). this depends on the age of the woman, children, and how upset the home village is -more on that in a sec....

different opinions on the place:
1) it is a safe place for them to go. the witch village is somewhat separate (by the main road) from the rest of the larger village, and the people of the larger village know whats going on. this is as opposed to the physical injury that can result when women are accused of being witches. someone (dont remember where its from) told me that a woman who tried to return after decades in the witch village, to her home village came back without ears. yikes.

2) it is a prison, without a judicial system to govern it, or an end to the prison sentence. apparently, humanitarian organizations have attempted to analyze it further for this reason, but obviously it it still open. its interesting tho- when my friend and i said we wanted to visit, to look at the village (as we were staying in the surrounding village with that in mind), they had no problems with pictures but made VERY sure that we just wanted to look (ie, we just wanted to tour it, we were not investigating it).

3) the living conditions of the place are inhumane. this is a really interesting point. life in the north is MUCH different than in the (more urban) south/coast. (i think i wrote a blog about this before, and much closer to when i was there, but anyway--) MUCH less developed: fewer and worse roads, more agrarian, less running water, buildings were generally rounded huts with hand-thatched roofs.

however, no urban slums. no european cars passing by large sprawls of huts with metal panels for roofs. no men in suits and ties passing cripples who nobody pays attention to. no (ok, far fewer) people yelling at each other. although im sure there is still wealth hierarchy, its much less obvious up in the north. EVERYONE lives in the same huts, gets their water from the same pump etc.

SO, people from the outside (ie our world or the south) might think that the quality of living is poor. it is. but its the same as the surrounding 50 miles.

4) observation: the 2 guys who were leading us around the witch village had a very short, specific answer to all our questions, responded in an "of course" way. this was pretty normal for guys to talk to ME (as a woman) like that, but they did it to Kurtis too. nobody was willing to talk about what happened to bring the women here, how they were "cured", how their life was similar or different, or how long they'd been there. :( no, the women there did not look happy, but i really cant make a judgement about their happiness based on a short visit. also, as i said before, things were very similar to the rest of the normal village, and there were no physical barriers separating the "witch" from the "non-witch" parts.

so, my opinion? hm. i would def have to investigate better, but considering the fact that humanitarian groups have done SOME work and its obviously not a torturous prison, i cant complain too much. obviously, i sympathize with the women, and if i could, i would think of a better way to deal with the women, but i've seen what ghanaian public opinion can do to someone.

[university students forcefully paraded a thief around campus in his underwear, throwing water at him, turning his black skin red, and singing about his theft so that EVERYONE would know what he did, and other students stopped and took note of who he was!..... a crowd of adults at a tro-tro (bus stop) beat up (to bloody) a thief who stole a friend's phone out of her pocket]

i can only imagine the problems they have encountered in their lives, and while their lives definitely took a turn for the worse (esp since they were separated from their families - SO important in society). *i also think its interesting that the people of the surrounding village are convinced that the chief's cleansing does something to "cure" them, but the home village doesnt. hmmmmm*

i cant change an entire culture's mind about witchcraft, then i'll just remember that i am an observer, and if nothing else, those womens' lives made an impact on mine.... and yours?!?!?!?!?

have a great summer - isnt it crazy to think that i started this blog almost exactly a year ago?!?!?!?!? TOTALLY blowing my mind!!!

"How to write about Africa"

Not my own writing, but I wish it were...I just had to post it bc its amazing...

Always use the word 'Africa' or 'Darkness' or 'Safari' in your title. Subtitles may include the words 'Zanzibar', 'Masai', 'Zulu', 'Zambezi', Victroria Falls` 'Congo', 'Nile', 'Big', 'Sky', 'Shadow', 'Drum', 'Sun' or 'Bygone' Zimbabwe. Also useful are words such as 'Guerrillas', 'Timeless', 'Primordial' and 'Tribal'. Note that 'People' means Africans who are not black, while 'The People' means black Africans.

Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress.

In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don't get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn't care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular.
Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat; monkey-brain is an African's cuisine of choice, along with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all manner of game meat. Make sure you show that you are able to eat such food without flinching, and describe how you learn to enjoy it—because you care.
Taboo subjects: ordinary domestic scenes, love between Africans (unless a death is involved), references to African writers or intellectuals, mention of school-going children who are not suffering from yaws or Ebola fever or female genital mutilation.
Throughout the book, adopt a sotto voice, in conspiracy with the reader, and a sad I-expected-so-much tone. Establish early on that your liberalism is impeccable, and mention near the beginning how much you love Africa, how you fell in love with the place and can't live without her. Africa is the only continent you can love—take advantage of this. If you are a man, thrust yourself into her warm virgin forests. If you are a woman, treat Africa as a man who wears a bush jacket and disappears off into the sunset. Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated. Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed.
Your African characters may include naked warriors, loyal servants, diviners and seers, ancient wise men living in hermitic splendour. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous travel-guides, and prostitutes you have slept with. The Loyal Servant always behaves like a seven-year-old and needs a firm hand; he is scared of snakes, good with children, and always involving you in his complex domestic dramas. The Ancient Wise Man always comes from a noble tribe (not the money-grubbing tribes like the Gikuyu, the Igbo, Zulu, Ndebele or the Shona). He has rheumy eyes and is close to the Earth. The Modern African is a fat man who steals and works in the visa office, refusing to give work permits to qualified Westerners who really care about Africa. He is an enemy of development, always using his government job to make it difficult for pragmatic and good-hearted expats to set up NGOs or Legal Conservation Areas. Or he is an Oxford-educated intellectual turned serial-killing politician in a Savile Row suit. He is a cannibal who likes Cristal champagne, and his mother is a rich witch-doctor who really runs the country.
Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She must look utterly helpless. She can have no past, no history; such diversions ruin the dramatic moment. Moans are good. She must never say anything about herself in the dialogue except to speak of her (unspeakable) suffering. Also be sure to include a warm and motherly woman who has a rolling laugh and who is concerned for your well-being. Just call her Mama. Her children are all delinquent. These characters should buzz around your main hero, making him look good. Your hero can teach them, bathe them, feed them; he carries lots of babies and has seen Death. Your hero is you (if reportage), or a beautiful, tragic international celebrity/aristocrat who now cares for animals (if fiction).
Bad Western characters may include children of Tory cabinet ministers, Afrikaners, employees of the World Bank, those thugs from USA. When talking about exploitation by foreigners mention the Chinese and Indian traders. Blame the West for Africa's situation. But do not be too specific.

Broad brushstrokes throughout are good. Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life—but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause.
Describe, in detail, naked breasts (young, old, conservative, recently raped, big, small) or mutilated genitals, or enhanced genitals. Or any kind of genitals. And dead bodies. Or, better, naked dead bodies. And especially rotting naked dead bodies. Remember, any work you submit in which people look filthy and miserable will be referred to as the 'real Africa', and you want that on your dust jacket. Do not feel queasy about this: you are trying to help them to get aid from the West.

The biggest taboo in writing about Africa is to describe or show dead or suffering white people.

Animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters. They speak (or grunt while tossing their manes proudly) and have names, ambitions and desires. They also have family values: see how lions teach their children? Elephants are caring, and are good feminists or dignified patriarchs. So are gorillas. Never, ever say anything negative about an elephant or a gorilla. Elephants may attack people's property, destroy their crops, and even kill them. Always take the side of the elephant. Big cats have public-school accents. Hyenas are fair game and have vaguely Middle Eastern accents. Any short Africans who live in the jungle or desert may be portrayed with good humour (unless they are in conflict with an elephant or chimpanzee or gorilla, in which case they are pure evil).

After celebrity activists and aid workers, conservationists are Africa's most important people. Do not offend them. You need them to invite you to their 30,000-acre game ranch or 'conservation area', and this is the only way you will get to interview the celebrity activist. Often a book cover with a heroic-looking conservationist on it works magic for sales. Anybody white, tanned and wearing khaki who once had a pet antelope or a farm is a conservationist, one who is preserving Africa's rich heritage. When interviewing him or her, do not ask how much funding they have; do not ask how much money they make off their game. Never ask how much they pay their employees.

Readers will be put off if you don't mention the light in Africa. And sunsets, the African sunset is a must. It is always big and red. There is always a big sky. Wide empty spaces and game are critical—Africa is the Land of Wide Empty Spaces. When writing about the plight of flora and fauna, make sure you mention that Africa is overpopulated. When your main character is in a desert or jungle living with indigenous peoples (anybody short) it is okay to mention that Africa has been severely depopulated by Aids and War (use caps).
You'll also need a nightclub called Tropicana, where mercenaries, evil nouveau riche Africans and prostitutes and guerrillas and expats hang out.
Always end your book with Nelson Mandela saying something about rainbows or renaissances. Because you care. Dont forget Mugabe.

FOOOOOD (w/ lots of pics!)

this is based on a paper that i had to write for my orientation class!! enjoy!!


I had never eaten Ghanaian food before I got there!
Turned out that food was an AMAZING part of my experience ~ i learned SO much, from how to order it, how to eat it, how to prepare it, and most of all, how to share it!!!!



Jollof rice - this yummy rice that has been cooked in tomato/spicy stew, so it has both of these qualities and sometimes extracts still in it - DEF a favorite staple in my diet. The first time I ate it, I was on the bus outside of ISH, and as I opened my Styrofoam container, I realized that I had no idea what I was about to eat.



Fufu is of a dough- consistency and you eat it with your hands, dip it in the stew, and swallow without chewing. (perfect for me, right? not exactly, while its good, i preferred other things while I was there, BUT now I REALLY want some!)


this has NOTHING to do with this post but yes, this is a <$0.20 SHOT of gin. heh.... several brands too!

When I ordered banku for the first time. I put on my best adventurous mindset, but was almost rejected! The man first asked “But what if you don’t like it?” I was REALLY frustrated by this response and wanted to scream at him. or cry. but i did get it eventually ;) banku is similar to fufu but made with different crushed grains


FUFUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!

It ALWAYS felt AMAZING to be invited to food. Everyone did it, but it always made me feel so welcome. The only way that I have found to make eating food an even more enjoyable experience has been to share it with someone. Ghanaians seemed to be professionals at this.

Research Project

Hello all,
so i realized that i never posted my independent research project. yes, it is 30+pages. - i very seriously doubt any but maybe 1-2 of you are interested in reading it, but even if you just want to read a word or two to see what i spent so much time on..... and if you DO want to read SOME, i would suggest reading the table of contents first ;)
http://anitajohnson08irp.blogspot.com/

much <3 as always,

-anita

UCSD!!!!!! :-D

helllloooooo from sunny SD!!! (well, it JUST went behind a cloud but thats ok...)
so i know i was really bad at posting that i got back, but this thing called fast internet in my room really does wonders!
its actually been quite a journey down here.... as i might have mentioned, i didnt have a place to live down here until a few days before christmas, and i never received confirmation of this however.....
i drove down with my parents, arriving at UCSD just after dark on saturday, called the # to meet the RA, who first told me they couldnt find my folder. yikes, but ok... when i was able to meet her, i got a set of keys, but she told me not to unpack bc there wasnt ANYBODY's name on the room so i might have to move. blah. fine. after hanging with some cool peeps all night, but NOT meeting my roommates, i got to reunite with my newman center peeps at mass! By sunday night, i had met all 3 roommates, kim, sunny, and kelly, but my room was rapidly decomposing because i was still not unpacking, but had 4 classes on monday, 2 of which actually required work in advance! lame! ( aka, point #1 that i'm not in kansas anymore, toto....)
point #2: i dont know all the white people here. granted, i am sill most definitely a minority to all the asians, but it was definitely strange to drive around campus and stare at all the oburunis (white ppl/foreigners, who are no longer foreigners, i realize.... well, maybe they are, but ya....)...
point #3: campus is DANGEROUS!!! people walk so fast! and there are ppl on BIKES and SKATEBOARDS (ok, myself included for the first time this morning, but its been a few days) - totally almost got run over by a biker and jumped in fright at another one on monday!
point #4: 1st lecture, bio was a bit of a trip - the prof had a microphone, my seat was comfy, and he used a powerpoint. woa.
point #5: i had to do pre-lab work BEFORE lectures started.....whaaaaaaat? add that to the stress of not being able to move in and being asked a ton of questions on what activities i'm gonna get involved in this quarter....blaaaaaaaah!
point #6: i made a conscious decision to go print some papers for my lab at the library BEFORE i went to check about my room because i was SURE i was going to have to sit and wait for someone for way too long! nope! i just talked to one person, she said everything was fine with my room, and apologized a million times that i had to wait for less than 5 minutes. woooot!
but the whole unpacking thing took a while- i still ahve a box of kitchen stuff that hasnt made it downstairs yet, but i rearranged everything to my liking, and FINALLY today felt at home when i finally set up my speakers! woot! soooo excited
anyway, ive had a really really good week. i've been very social, catching up with people before the quarter eats up all of our time, and its been absolutely amazing. i'm so happy!!!! i'm actually still enjoying my classes, (ochem lab, analytical chem lab, intro to policy analysis (polisci), and 2 frosh courses, bio and physics) especially since the labs look to be much less hassle than the one i took last quarter, and we're finally able to use what we've learned in class, not just spew numbers! or maybe they're just so refreshingly interesting after all this history last quarter hehehehe....
i also really like my apt- its pretty much smack in the middle of campus, i can almost see 2 of my lectures from my room, and its only a 5-10 min walk from i-house! the kitchen and living rooms are less than half the size of last year, but not really tripping about that bc my cooking buddies are still in the beautiful i-house/erc apts...woot! everything's working out with the roommates, we dont really hang out, but that works too!
anyway, its been a really good week for transitions too - a lot of decisions, comparing my life in ghana to here, and what parts (incl personality traits) i want to keep or will be able to keep. i def have a different view on a lot of things, which i know, is like the reason for studying abroad, right? but i really wasnt expecting it, bc its not about my worldview, like i called european colonialists bad names before, was into the social justice and a more balanced learning of the world BEFORE i left. that hasnt changed much, but other than laughing more at people who whine, emo people, racial remarks, and people who watch youtube vidoes all day, (all of which might go away eventually), i think i have changed. i didnt have internet in my room til tuesday afternoon, and i didnt have my printer set up til yesterday, and i didnt freak out. i think i managed to become more patient and calm for the time being, but we'll see if those things continue throughout the quarter....and beyond!! heh. some of that i really hope so! but i could really use a less expensive meal around here, or a bit more downtime before classes go crazy on me heh, but its all good, right?
thanks for listening again! much <3, and since i'm not sure if i'll be posting more, please do email me at ajatucsd@gmail.com or my aim and skype names are both ajatucsd so please do let me know how things are going with you!

peace,
anita

Back on track?

Hey!
So i guess for lack of stories on CNN about american students going missing in ghana, you realized that i'm back in california, which is completely true! i got back without any problems, actually nice flights, considering one was overnight to london and the other was the very long journey from london to SFO.
culture shock has been ok, much better than i expected. first difficulty was the damn COLD! the first time i left the house after i got to modesto i literally changed my shirt 3 times because i couldnt figure out how to dress myself. the concept of wearing 2 layers of clothes took a while to get used to! in ghana, i pretty much trashed all my white clothes because i sweated in everything, but the white was less conspicuous!
i'm still scared of the speed of life but i've gotten over american driving a bit more. First meal was definitely a burrito, and i still cant get enough of them, but maybe i should stop because my stomach isnt adjusting as quickly as my appetite! I'm still on my malaria medication (for 30 days after i get back), which isnt difficult, but i definitely dont miss the mosquito nets or being itchy from the knees down all the time! exciting!
i leave for UCSD on saturday, which is really nice, i cant wait to get down there, but i'm still really scared of it! its been really nice to get to see all the family etc, but there's def more life waiting for me down there! i'm taking 2 labs which will be interesting, but i'm pretty scared of the workload. to be completely honest, academics in ghana were absolutely nothing in comparison with UCSD. i only spent 11 hrs/wk in class, had a only 2 papers (one 5 pages, one 2) and 3 tests before finals; this quarter, i'll spend at least twice as many hours/week in class (thanks, labs), and actually have to study! crazy how that works out!
another huge shock has been general sticker shock! lets just say i sometimes got 10 cedi (almost $10) bills from the atm, and couldnt exchange the dang things! i spent about $3.00/day on food; try paying for your $.50 bowl of fufu! angry ghanaian women! yikes! although i ate out at nice restaurants WAY too much in south africa, i think i only paid more than $5.00 for a meal MAYBE 5 times since orientation ended, and now i go to fast food and my $5 almost disapears! boo!
anyway, its all good down here, i just realized i hadnt sent out any updates in a while! oh and make sure you check out the bbc news website, africa section, to see what happens with the election! maybe i'll get into that later when i have fast internet instead of mom and dad's dialup.....!
hope your new year has gotten off to a great start, and hope to see you soon if i havent already!

-me!

One more time.....

hello!
its my last day in ghana, and dont worry, this is the only time (10 min) i'll be spending on the internet today. i've gone on my last tro-tro ride, been to the market for the last time, (hopefully) been grabbed by the arm for the last time, was called by the name "obama" again, argued over prices, a miscommunication settled by hand gestures, and been told "feel free" by one person while getting yelled at by another for doing the same action.... good start to my day! actually it was really fun, and i was able to laugh at a lot of things that are normal occurances and apprecaite them one last time - people walking down the alleyways of the market with loudspeakers preaching the gospel and/or singing, bells, horns, the call "one cedi, one cedi, oneone cedi", "akosua!" (a ghanaian girls' name, but somehow its used for any white person when they dont want to use "oburuni", tro-tro ride that involved drivers yelling at each other for space, "purewater", "plantain chips" "ap ap apple", "mate, busstop" "yeees yog-hort", "milomilomilomilo", "agoo" (a call for attention, generally when some manual cart is going to run you over), "mtn, tigo, onetouch!" (the different pay-as-you-go phone companies - they stand anywhere, in the street or market or whatever, selling cards).... wow this probably doesnt make any sense
sorry, but anyway, i would say that i have to go to say goodbye to people, but almost everyone has left. most ghanaians moved out over the weekend, the EAP-ers on the group flight left last night, and most people who are spending the break traveling have also left. i'm really sick of saying goodbye. i feel like thats all i've done since last week. anyway, its totally been worth it, i've gotten to see almost everyone! woot!
aight but its time to go spend my last 8 hrs on campus! yay! perhaps one last bowl of fufu?

so, here's the deal...

hey guys,
so i have a blog started, entitled "halloween, volta ladies in the volta region, and politics" but life has moved on now, and i actually just came back from a few days in Togo (the country to the east of Ghana- ghana is about the size of oregon, and togo is about 1/3 of that size! oh and ps they speak french there!)! i had a super great time, and was also able to stop by Kpando (in ghana - pronounced Pando)in the Volta region, which was really nice too! hmmm, see a pattern? the volta region is absolutely beautiful, and the people are so nice! i'm not seen as someone to interrogate or as a "$", but instead, people are just super helpful and i love it so much!
anyway, i'm back to reality now, (boo!) - i have finals on the 2, 3, 5, and 12th of december, and my independent research project (30 page paper) due on the 9th...although i AM almost halfway done with the paper, i really do need to study for my exams! i also have 2 more places to visit on my "to do" list, and my flight leaves on the 16th~ yikes, time is getting organized!
so i guess the point is that i'm kinda putting blogging on hold - thats not a promise, bc of course i dont hate, i procrastinate, heh...but no worries, i have the entire flight from accra to london and then from there to SFO to write really long stories about my time here (that i can type up to post!), and also ones about broader issues that i keep referring to- gender inequalities, ghanaian education system in general, politics (elections are dec 7), my research paper, and everything else! woot!
anyway, so i'll be back in california dec 17th (around noonish, i think) and will get back to SD after the weekend before classes start! i really look forward to seeing you all!
but for now, hellooooo research paper! ;)(and happy thanksgiving! haha)

still behind! -the north: witches, motorbikes and what not!

helloooo!!!!
wow, time is going by really quickly! i have my last lectures today, my twi final next monday, the rest of the month off, and then 4 finals in december! yikes! not sure if i'm ready for the countdown to begin....
3 weekends ago (ya i'm really behind, sorry) kurtis and i decided to trek all the way up north, almost to burkina faso, mostly to see how it is up there and also be history nerds haha... so it was a 15 hr bus ride up to bolgatanga (bolga) so we left on wed. Dunno if it was just bc we were spending 15 hrs on the bus, but we really enjoyed the movies- i really want to visit nigeria now just to see the acting scene, bc its absolutely fascinating. the best part about them, aside from their incredibly low budget, predictable plot (the prince falls in love with the village girl, but his mother doesnt allow it, but they end up together anyway; and/or all problems are solved with the loud prayer and the incantation of "IN THE NAME OF JESUS!"), and the fact that there is part 1....AND 2..... AND, if you're lucky, part 3! is how incredibly excited the entire bus is about it - not just laughing at jokes, but telling characters OUT LOUD what to do, cheering for them, etc....empassioned is the best word i've found for it - its pretty amazing!
As we went farther north, the scenery changed a lot - accra itself is really really urban, not very nice looking in most places, but when you get out, (and to the E and W) its really green/tropical/beautiful.... and turns out when you go even FARTHER north it turns into savannah.... kurtis likened it to california's central valley, which i gotta agree with in a lot of ways, cept its one of the least developed places i've been! no large fields of crops, but just grasses and trees growing...! very very different from accra in very good ways! Other differences before i tell you what happened:
1) everyone rides motorbikes/bicycles everywhere- we had really unpleasant tro-tro rides bc so much is unpaved/dusty/slow so everyone had it figured out! the best part is that even WOMEN rode the motorbikes! i'll have to explain more later, but ghana is SUPER male-oriented/dominated, and i have never seen a female tro-tro, taxi, or motocycle driver, so seeing so many in bolga was really funny, esp since they're driving these big harley-esque things in their slits and cabas (most formal dress) haha....
2) language: a bunch of us are taking twi, because although english is the official language, twi is spoken by much of the country, (english is almost everyone's 2nd language) and its REALLY helpful to know some basic things.... anyway, they dont speak twi in the north, its not (former) Akan territory. boo. so our skills were completely useless, and we never even figured out the word for white person, or any other basic words that make us better travelers.....it was kinda frustrating, and makes me even more cautious about traveling outside of ghana (ghana is surrounded by french-speakers so if i went there i wouldnt have a CLUE whats going on at ALL!)!!!
3) facial scarring: so btw, nowhere near the majority, but a fair, noticeable number of people have ethnic scars on their face, usually in Accra-area as a .5 inch or so mark under one or both eyes, a bit below the cheekbone. one story i heard is that its a tradition from times of hand-to-hand combat when you need to be able to identify each other (pretty effective, i would say!). anyway, so up north, we saw some crazy-cool scarring. the guidebook described it as "spider-webbed" but it was more like concentric half-circles very close together from around the eyes alllll the way across the cheeks, sometimes with more complex designs in there they were generally much lighter (not as deep) than the ones here! but they were fascinating and i hope they showed up in some of the pics i took, but no promises!
4) a bit more on life in general: it was lower standard of living up north. not gonna lie. many students on campus, esp those who have spent their entire lives in only one or two regions of ghana, have a really bad impression of people up north, so i really havent talked to ghanaians about the trip too much, but it really was def. less developed, way fewer people spoke english (why would they need to? politics are spoken in local languages and the few foreigners who do come are generally volunteers who are staying for an extended time and so learn their language...we got asked mroe than once if we were from the peace corps hah), only in bolga did we see any 2-story buildings, or ones made out of anything but clay and/or natural products and/or sheet metal, and much dustier (not gonna say dirty-cus thats a matter of if you clean the dust/dirt or not!)..... but it was also a really really really nice, calm break from life in accra. we didnt get hassled anywhere near as much! woot!
5) much more muslim; maybe this is why so many in accra have a negative opinion, because religion IS such a big issue, but it was really cool - really interesting to see more elaborate mosques, more ppl in traditional muslim clothes, just a different feel in general! yes, we still did get woken up in the morning to christian music, but also heard the nighttime (and other) calls to prayer just as much! very cool! id really like to go back up to the northwest (we were in the northeast) where they have more historically interesting islamic points!
So our first day up there, we went to sirigu, even closer to the burkina faso border, to where there's a womens craft co-op that is doing reasonably well! it was pretty cool to be taken around the place, but honestly there wasnt anything else to do other than the tour/museum (as cool as they were), and it took a really long time for the tro-tro to fill up (there and back). the tro-tro ride there was one of the most unpleasant ever - it was about an hour over pretty bad dirt road, in a modified midsize car, meaning that ther was a second row of seats added to the back. however, instead of 3 in each row, the driver made 4 of us squish in each row except his, meaning that not only could i not move my feet bc of the cargo, and i was getting hugged by the ppl next to me (ok not tooooo abnormal) but also were hitting our heads on the roof, and got a thick layer of dirt on us. also, 3 of the women in the 2 seats we large, middle-aged women with children on their laps. so if you count them, there were 14 of us! everyone was complaining, and the guy's car almost broke down too! hahaha o ghana....
The next day we went to gombaga, where there is a witches camp. the ride there was also pretty exciting, as we were traveling in a HUGE tro-tro that fit 40-60 (dunno how many ppl were riding on the top) people in it, when i realized that, as slow as everything was going, at least we werent gonna get there and have our day ruined by rain! it hadnt rained in weeks! as i also laughed at how nice it was that the windo next to me had no window in it, bc the breeze felt AMAZING, oh yes, it started to POUR! the old woman next to me got really angry as we both tried to hide, and everyone laughed at us (including kurtis), and tried to get us to move, but there really wasnt room :( finally, the lady grabbed a prayer mat from the empty seat in front of us and we held it against the window. oh ps, its made out of STRAW!.... oh but ps, it dried within 15 minutes of when the rain stopped and we got out of the tro-tro... hahahha
anway, so we got to gambaga after a wild goose chase to find a wall built in the 16th century, which would have been cool but our only directions were "to the left of the dam" and nobody seemed to be able to lead us there, but we DID find it!!! haha witchcraft is a big deal here, so this camp is actually for women who have been accused of being witches can go, to avoid being killed by their village. apparently, they arrive, and the chief performs some type of ritual so that they're not witches anymore, (something involving killing chickens and alcohol, suprise, suprise) but since their village wont accept them anymore, they stay there. there's apparently been some issues from humanitarian orgs who believe the place is like a prison- that would be an arguable point, given that people dont really leave, except that their standard of living, while low, is barely, if any, lower than that of the rest of the village! actually, when we met the chief, and he asked us what our mission was. when we responded that we wanted to see the camp, he asked us (through his interpreter) "do you have a problem?.... or do you just want to look?" hahahahahhahahahaha we assured him that we were just history students traveling...
so the camp itself was relatively large, with a couple hundred people in it, but it was really difficult to get an idea of what people thought about being there: everything was done through the interpreter, the chief's son, who often didnt even ask the woman the question, and just answered it himself, and anyway he could have said whatever he wanted us to hear! still, it was cool to check the place out - i had heard about it in my study of religions class, so it was super cool! the ride back was less eventful until we got onto a tro-tro that had to be push-started (by all the guys in the tro-tro -- maybe there IS an advantage to being a girl?) several times on the way...
we got back to bolga relatively early and went to tongo, which was a really cool little village but the tour was really bad, but it was cool to see. a ghanaian who looked at my pictures of the chief's palace (where his extended family lives, taken from his roof) he asked if people actually lived there. i said yes, and he was completely amazed - its this huge labrinth of small huts/houses that has no planning and cant be too sanitary and what is running water? dunno. it was a really pretty, mountainous area, so it was really nice to see!!! good times!
when we returned to bolga, we were already feeling a bit strange/out of whack, and we both woke up the next morning to our 15 hr bus ride back feeling super sick. go us. luckily, the movies were from the same producer as the "chart-smashing" ones we watched on the way up! woot! we got back to accra, and ended up getting a free ride from some guy who'd been on the bus w/ us! woot! but our luck ran out when we got home and the water was out :( we were SO dirty and sick for the next couple days but hey, gotta say it was pretty awesome! woot!
have a awesome day and i'll try to catch up a bit more! sorry!

you like my man obama?

So you think you live in an obama city, state, or now country? dude! catch up! i live on an obama CONTINENT.
Ok, sorry, just had to get that out. i know i'm still behind on telling you about some of my adventures, but i dont think that in a few weeks, you'll want to hear anything more about the elections!
So first off, yes, i voted via absentee ballot and the embassy. So i'm also assuming that you all have heard about how wildly popular obama is here in africa. we've been barraged with obama gear since our first days here - from bracelets to shirts filled with his face (with "ghana" written on the bottom) to signs and random people on the street asking us if we support him. Well, most of our group is from california, and we're all students so we havent run into much trouble...haha... there are SOME mccain supporters here, generally the ones who know more about the issues and realized that he is much much more in line with their social beliefs, but i also believe that some of them are just trying to be cool/different, and some are trying to see if we'll mention anything about the candidates' race in the process.....
in terms of state elections, i really had to do some research (aka read the pamphlet and talking to people at home) to figure out some things, and even then didnt entirely.... but in a lot of ways i'm really happy i wasnt in california- i know things got pretty emotional sometimes, especially on the big issues, but i was able to not get caught up in the arguments! i also didnt mention either of the 2 big props to ghanaians - both abortion and being gay are illegal, and completely accepted as the right decision- the fact that we would have prop 4 and 8 would get all those obama supporters confused again....haha
anyway, so this whole 8 hr time difference was NOT conducive to watching coverage, but somehow we all went somewhere (oh, ya, we ARE still in ghana= i dont ever know where we are!) i think where the NYU students are? to watch the election results, beginning with the bus ride over after 9pm.... the first bus to the place was full, but we ended up getting on the 2nd with a bunch of commonwealth boys (the all-boys/frat-like hall), having to stand bc there were so many of us, and the c-wealth boys SANG the ENTIRE way, mostly in twi, but it was SUPER fun because everyone was SO excited! turns out it was a HUGE event, with a really large screen projecting CNN, and a bar/lounge area with more regular tvs.... it was SO exciting to hear all the projections come in, and everyone (several hundred people, probably about 70% students/under 30) cheered like crazy - and when they asked for mccain supporters, i dont think they found more than 10 or so haha....either that or they wouldnt admit it anymore!
It was fairly frustrating tho because the first polls didnt close until 11pm our time, and they didnt make final projections until 4 am! after cheering when the annalyst projected obama's win in california (duh, but we had to show our state pride!) after he got ohio (around 3-3:30?) and essentially clinched it, but that was cool with me! didnt really sleep much bc i got up early to check the props, but didnt get very definitive answers (boooo!) and now its time for lecture, and its our last one for this class, so i really need to go!!
ps its our last 2 weeks of classes- how crazy is that?
much love from obama-land....!

Updates, updates, and more updates!

Wow! i'm super-duper behind on updating you on my life but its been going pretty well!
So, I guess it was 3 weekends ago, some friends and i were going to go on an outdoors-y trip to the volta region (its SUPER pretty over there!) but then we found out that the national soccer team, the Black Stars, was going to play a World cup qualifier against someone (nobody really knew who, but hey...) in Takoradi, so we went west instead! We had an interesting time getting there, as the mate on the tro-tro made ups get off WAY too early and we ended up walking a lot and getting hassled a lot which is really lame but whatever...
So we got up saturday m orn ing in time to get to the stadium (even tho we dididn konw where it was) by 8am, several hours before the game was to start, bc we had no idea about how to get tickets. we got there, and it was really kinda crazy- the stadium was really nice and seemed pretty new, and there were TONS of people there already. we ended up getting in the expensive (10cedi, not 2) line, but it really didnt matter.... it was also crazy cus at first, i was in one of the s mallest minorities of my life - of course, i'm always racially very much in the minority, and ghanaian society is very very VERY male-dominated (that'll have to be an entire post itself!) but all of that was WAY even more so at the game! We decked ourselves out in ghanaian gear, from jerseys to hats and flags and balloon thingys...which was SUPER fun but we got super mixed reviews from people - we got a lot of "oh! you love ghana! i love that!" but also really annoying racial remarks like one guy who told us in twi that they should let all the black people in first and us not at all.... boo.... anyway...
so the line we were in aimed for the box office building with windows m ost of the way up, so we figure people will go in through the DOOR to get in or hand their mon ey and get their tickets through the window....but of course not! so the box office got super full of people, and we realized it might be super difficult to get tickets.... until people started climbing in through the WINDOWS to get in.....for a while most people were getting pushed back outside by the people in, but after failing to give mo ney to some people inside, we realized we were completely screwed. eventually, a guy in line with us showed us a guy who was willing to jump through the window and get tickets for us for an extra cedi each.... we say ok, but by that time, a bunch of our friends had called asking us to get tix for them (10 in fact) but the guy wouldnt get that many, so we just gave him our money and waited outside the line, along with a bunch of other people who did the same thing...so we were waiting, i'm starting to get kinda worried, cus its getting SUPER crazy in there, when a TON more people suddenly start jumping through the window, cept this time nobody was pushing them out! so it became a MASS of people jumping into the window! whatever, their problem, right? until i hear a bunch of yelling and turn around in time to see the police (wearing motorcycle helmets) charging towards us, literally pushing people out of the way! AHH! so we ran out of the way and watched them start hitting people down off the windows! a friend of mine actual ly almost got hit with the handcuffs they were swinging! yikes!
within a few minutes, there was the neatest line formed in front of the box office, with the police in a more fomidable line next to them....and i'm now even more worried: 1) how is the guy going to get out now? 2) how will he find us? (oh wait, we're white jk....VERY difficult to forget, apparently ), 3) what if he just wanted o ur 11cedis/person and run (but if he were going to do that, he would have taken the money for all of our friends' tickets, huh) 4) if he doesnt come back, there's no WAY we would be able to get back in line! boo....
but somehow, the guy came back with our tickets! wohoo!!! so we got into the game!!! woot! it was pretty crazy.... it would have been cooler if there had been a bit more competeition (we played lethsoto) but we won 3-0 which was SUPER cool! we didnt really get hassled at the game (everyoe was too excited) but after the game, walking the very long walk back to the hotel was not too fun- not necessarily negative comments but just a lot of drunken twi aimed at us, but its REALLY tiring to hear "oburuni, et te sen?" incessently! boooooooo ! but the game really was cool, and i'm SUPER glad we went!
the next day we (isaac and jackie, btw haha) headed out in search of adventures, and def found one! btw, it was sunday, aka everything including most tro-tros werent working, so we had some interesting encounters with taxi drivers but ended up getting in one that took us to this random little village, prince's town, which was WAY down a poor, unpaved road! the driver claimed to be the son of the chief, who we tried to meet, but he wasnt there.... but then we somehow got on a tour of the old slave castle - who knew? anyway, it was BEAUTIFU L there, a lot like cape coast, where you see a beautiful coastline after coming out of a room where thousands of people died! incredible! we also got to ride in dug-out canoes out into a huge lagoon surrounded by a bunch of wildlife, and the other boat actually got to see some monkeys! woot! but wow it was beautiful!
so the next weekend, (ps the weeks have been absolutely FLYING by here- monday-wed i have 1-2 hrs off between getting up at 6:30am and getting back to my room after 7:30...then thurs/fri are spent catching up on errands, schoolwork and/or traveling....) the EAP center took us to a festival in the Eastern Region, less than 2 hours away-- turns out there are MOUNTAINS surrounding us- who knew? haha anway, only about 15 of us went, which was nice, bc it wasnt toooo big of a group! we got there and it was a lot like a somewhat more tame cape coast festival- chiefs being taken around in big chairs carried by 6-8 people with tons of drummers, firing guns, of course singing, dancing, really hot..... but it was pretty cool bc instead of following the parade, we got really really cool seats (UNDER THE TREE ;)) right next to where all the dignitaries' chairs were st up, and where they all processed by to sit down! aka it was a lot less stressful- ! (exciting!) we even got to see the presidential candidate for the (now ruling) NPP (new patriotic part y)- Nana Akofo-Addo!!!!! crazy crazy npp supporters! Too bad the paramount chief looked mad at the world the entire time, but hey...ahhhhh good times!
anyway, but more general updates on life: starting the few days before the festival, the phone network that all the EAP students use was down (for like 3 days, no calls/txts/anything), then the power was out that weekend, and then the water was out for a few days, then back in time for me to leave the following wed for a trip (sorry, saving that for a new blog!) but then went off again like 15 min before i got back...but i got kinda sick off something i ate while i was there so i've been kinda sick and the water's been off almost all week: why am i saying all of this? its life in ghana! there's always SOMETHING slightly different, if not wrong or slightly incovenient, then just plain strange! (ps when the water has been out this week, it comes on at least once a day or so to fill up the gigantic tanks (poly tanks) so we DO have water, you just have to fill/haul buckets for anything you need!
aw and one more anecdote about life before i forget: i'm sure by now you're getting some kind of idea one way or the other about how nice/etc people are here and/or how welcomed i am- but before you do, this is the best example i've got right now: so thursday night i was going to go to bed, when i remembered i had to get my laundry from the line outside- i got downstairs, and realized that it was starting to RAIN!!!! yikes! so i RAN all the way across the large rectangle of rooms in my hall to where the lau ndry l i nes are, and quickly got them all in my basket, and back under some cover...btw NO ghanaian girl would ever get her hair wet (bc its chemically straightened or has extensions that smell when they get wet), so no matter how much/little i care about getting wet or not, its j ust not a good idea for me to walk back in the pouring rain, so i decided to wait it out. within a few minutes, a girl came from behind me (girl #1) and asked what i was doing, and i explained that my laundry had been on the line and i didnt want to get it wet by walking back in the rain!; she gave me a sympathetic smile and said that i could pass around under the very narrow overhang all the way back to my block, but i was surprised that it was large enough (bes ide the fact that it would look like i was staring into a bu nch of peoples' rooms!) and hesitated to follow her. before i could, another girl (girl #2) also came from behind me and said "oburuni, ___?" with an angry scorn on her face. boo! it wasnt the normal "et te sen" or "wo ho te sen" or the other phrases i know or can respond to, and she didnt look happy so i said, "i'm sorry, i dont undersand everything you're saying" she laughed at me and said that she asked me what i wanted. i told her the same story, but she just shook her head, popped up her umbrella, and walked away laughing at me. that got me angry enough that i didnt want to see ANYONE any more, so i made a beeline to the overhangs and walked as quickly as i could through the wet and rocks back to my block. BOO! ANGER!!! but as soon as i got back to where my block meets the longer one, i almost ran into girl #1, who had put down her load and was carrying TWO umbrellas- one for herself and one to give me when she found me! awwww it made me SO happy! i didnt know either girl before that night: i feel like that kind of thing happens a lot here - for every person that is really rude/angry/trying to cheat me, there's someone else out there who has my back ;) woot!
much love to you all, hope you had a good halloween, and HAPPY NOVEMBER!!!!!!

PICTURES! (ok only 3)

Cape Coast Festival! bunch of cool people REALLY close to one of the most important chiefs! woohoo!!!

















Obama is REALLY popular - i mentioned this guy in a blog- he's selling frozen strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla ice creams (fanmilk) but loves obama anyway!





















Cape Coast Castle - isnt it pretty? oh but wait, millions of people died here :( very very sombering.

FOOD!!!!!!!!

hey everyone,
this is a paper that i had to write for my orientation class (with modifications) - more of an extended reflection, but it had to be 8 pages so thats why its so long- i understand if you dont want to read it but i wrote it and didnt feel like having it go to waste..... the first is about the foods i've tried and learning what they are and how to eat them, while the 2nd half + is more interesting in my opinion, is about INVITING people to food and SHARING it! WOOHOO!

Before I came to Ghana, I read a description of traditional Ghanaian foods. I realized that I had never tried any of them, and a million more questions came into my head. I wondered how and where to get them? what kind of people ate them? how expensive they would be? and of course, how much I would like them compared with other foods I’ve had? and compared with those that would be available in Ghana? After a month-long stay in South Africa, and an adventure of an airplane ride to Accra, I had forgotten about all the foods I had read about, and came to Ghana with an unprepared stomach.

At my first meal that Saturday night, I was given rice and asked if I wanted chicken or fish. I decided on fish, but realized a bit too late that my plate contained an actual fish, skin and bones and all. I just stabbed my fork in the fish and attempted to eat it. I failed. This was neither my first jolt to reality at being in Ghana (after driving on the left side of the road in SA for a month, going back to the right here in Ghana was an experience!) nor my first failure in eating food, but both were very far from my last. Even now, I know my failures in eating the right food in the right way are far from over, but im SUPER excited about that.

Jollof rice - this yummy rice that has been cooked in tomato/spicy stew, so it has both of these qualities and sometimes extracts still in it - is so far my favorite staple in my diet. The first time I ate it, I was on the bus outside of ISH, and as I opened my Styrofoam container, I realized that I had no idea what I was about to eat. Although the first few spicy bites surprised me, I really enjoyed it. I really didn’t know that I would be able to eat as much of it as I wanted!

During orientation, as we ate more and more Tasty Treats, mangos or other fruit, plantains, chicken, egg sandwiches and other foods without understanding how to otherwise fend for ourselves, our conversation often turned to food. We commented on how much we would pay for a cup of coffee or cheese or a burrito or a salad, our favorite international restaurants, and how much we missed it all. We talked about these things CONSTANTLY.

As orientation ended, there was a mad rush to find new foods and new places to eat them. I remember being at the corner shop at the bush canteen (where i now eat at least 3 mornings/week), reading the foods painted on the front, and being unable pronounce those foods, let alone know from what they were made or how they would taste. I was afraid to try to order fufu and other foods. this was not because I didn’t want to try them, but because I did not know how to order or eat it. This caused a slight problem. After avoiding trying fufu with the whole large group, I snuck in for the leftovers that my colleagues did not enjoy. That first meal reminded me of the paper I had read before. I wondered what I was eating but was incredibly happy that I was going out of my comfort zone to try something new. Fufu is of a dough- consistency (someone want to wikipedia it for me for better description?) and you eat it with your hands, dip it in the stew, and swallow without chewing. (perfect for me, right? not exactly, while its good, i prefer other things)

My first success at the bush canteen was successful only because of the kindness of the lady who sold me a mango. I was with the other Anita, who was and still is much more able to confront people with her best Twi, and interact with them in a positive way as they explain the language properly. I, on the other hand, only knew that I should not walk and eat at the same time, so when we were finished buying our food, we looked for a place to sit. We were not sure if we could eat at the benches where I now know to order fufu, so we looked for somewhere else to sit, but were unsuccessful. We sat on some steps with our food until the mango lady asked us, with a look of disbelief, what we were doing! She ushered us over to her own bench behind her small stand and told us to eat while she stood. As I pledged to do better next time and try to sit somewhere else, I was incredibly grateful for her hospitality and also pledged to remember her name and continue buying her fruit.

A more startling first came when I ordered banku for the first time. I put on my best adventurous mindset, but was almost rejected! After having to be told how and where to sit at the Central Cafeteria, I learned the menu for the day. When I heard banku, I jumped at the opportunity to try it, but the waiter was not so keen on the idea. He first asked if I wanted rice and chicken, but when I repeated that I wanted banku, he protested further, and asked if I had taken it before. I responded with a firm no, but added with a smile that I would very much like to try it. However, he still protested, asking, “But what if you don’t like it?” I was REALLY frustrated by this response and wanted to scream at him. or cry. I really love to eat and I was determined to have a good day, enjoying food that I had never tried before. I was tired of not knowing what to eat and feeling awkward every time I ordered. Did he not want me to learn something? Did the waiter really want me to stick to chicken and rice? I eventually did get my banku (the best I have had here) and the waiter taught me how to eat it with my hands and wash them before and after eating. banku is similar to fufu but made with different crushed grains.... again, wikipedia it bc i'm really bad)

The payoff of every one of my awkward experiences with food is that I will not ever make the same mistake twice. I will remember that wakye is pronounced “wa-che,” that I do not have to yell when ordering food from Akuafo, and to always have exact change for the food in JQB (or better yet, never order ANY food from there bc they're really mean!). I will never forget how much fanmilk costs (and how wonderful yougurt that has been frozen tastes or vanilla ice cream with fresh pineapple), that I should stand while waiting for my food to come at Volta, and that “sauce” is usually called “stew” so as to not be confused with sausage. Luckily, you don’t even have to ask for it most of the time because it is just added. The Central Cafeteria to date has my favorite jollof rice, the name “red–red” is extremely broad (red beans in red oil with fried plantains and gari= AMAZING in volta, ok in other places), and fried plantains are more expensive but taste better than they look. Fortunately, I’ve only had two meals that I was not able to finish.

The other payoff of trying new foods in Ghana, is the reaction and resulting respect from Ghanaians who ask me about it. A conversation with a prospective friend often begins with the question if I’ve been enjoying Ghana. When I responded with an enthusiastic “Yes!” the next question is often if I have been trying all the food. After another enthusiastic “Yes!” I get the classic list of fufu, banku, kenke (also eaten with your hands, a corn/maize base, not fermented, my favorite of the three), jollof, wakye, red –red, (and recently cerelac - a baby food that everyone eats but denies how much they love it) contumere (wow dunno about that spelling), the question of how I found each one, and if i've learned to cook any. While the conversation is getting a bit old, I love the welcome that I receive just for enjoying my food! I was extremely disappointed when a volleyball teammate of mine listed several foods that I still have not taken, not to mention the fact that I feel stupid and culturally behind every single time I talk to that girl, but that is a different story!

Although I have had different foods in the different regions of Ghana that I have visited, I could have gotten the basic staples of Ghanaian diet in any of the places. However, each chop bar (food stand) can be very different and offer some food that is distinctive. While in Kumasi, we were still on our Tasty Treats diet, but on a trip to Wli Falls, I had some of the best pasta of my life (which took the maker over three hours to cook). A first glance at the street by our hotel in Cape Coast made us search for somewhere else, but over the few days I tried several interesting foods! I was introduced to an amazing rice porridge that looked scarily like a substance that I cant stand, and also to a lady who sold what I thought was red-red, but the only difference was a lack of red oil. I was disappointed that I did not get to try the frozen kenke that I heard rave reviews about, but instead accidentally got a really good chocolatey substance that was probably the cold version of my favorite hot drink, Milo.

In Cape Coast, while some in our group were enjoying some European-style dishes that they had not otherwise been able to obtain since coming to Ghana, I enjoyed finding hidden places to eat, often having to open a pot myself to see and understand what was inside. Similarly, I once told Kenneth that I did not care where we went to eat, assuming that he would find the most hygienic place possible. We ended up stopping for some really good food that even I raised my eyebrows as we watched her wash our plates. After we had eaten some of it, he commented, “this is the most sketch place I’ve ever eaten at!...And you get to share it with me, Anita!” I know that I might have been a bit more careful about my food then as well as at other times, but when in doubt, I always follow the best advice I have received: if the food is supposed to be hot, then make sure it is hot; if it is cold, it might not have been cooked well enough or more likely its been sitting around collecting bacteria and flies. and no, i havent been sick yet (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!!) but everyone i know has been to the hospital either themselves or taking their friend (myself included), but that again is another story, and everyone has recovered, thanks.

I was also told before I arrived that if you are invited to eat someone’s food, it is impolite to say no. This was only the tip of the iceberg of my confusion on how to invite and handle the invitation to food. As much as I try to always be polite, I’m still unsure as to when exactly to invite someone. The boundary line of who to invite is incredibly blurry to me.

Once, a friend of mine bought some chocolate from a corner store, and while the clerk was getting what I wanted, she offered me some of her chocolate, so I ate some. When I turned around to leave, the man behind me asked irritably why he had not been invited to eat it. I felt so sorry that I had forgotten to invite him that I tried to buy my own and share it with him, but the bigger problem was that I was even more confused about the situation than usual. Why he was mad at me instead of my friend, who had since left? It was not my chocolate to offer, but was I supposed to offer everything I ever put in my mouth? But I also realized from this experience that I need to be very aware of my surroundings at all times. I have inadvertently offended SO many people!

In an even more confusing adventure, I was walking between blocks in Volta Hall, carrying my freshly made cup of Milo, when I passed a girl - as she passed, she asked if she was invited. With a start, I realized that I was making a HUGE social mistake, so I quickly replied with my best, “Of course, I’m so sorry!” She wheeled around obviously as startled, and asked if I was being serious. Although my confusion was mounting, I again said “of course” and offered to hand it to her. She mumbled something about getting a spoon, walked quickly away as I stood with a smile on my face. But again, she stopped at the doorway and said “I am really invited?” Again I assured her that I really did mean what I said and that she was invited. She gave me another really confused look and said “Oh, I didn’t think you actually meant it, I didn’t think you actually were going to share, but I have to go! Goodbye!” Although I still have not figured out the entirety of that experience, I now know to invite food to people I am walking past, no matter what. Maybe this is why you are not supposed to walk and eat at the same time – you would have to stop and tell every person that they are invited!

I have now learned more about invitations to food. After trying a few times to ask the personally more comfortable question of “would you like some?” I realized that there was a big difference between this question and the formal “you are invited.” On the few occasions that I have gotten the timing correct, I was confused at the response of “thank you” (which to me implies that you will take some). However, I realized that they are thanking me for the offer, and that because the whole ordeal is generally just a formality, the no in my response of "no thank you" is completely unnecessary.

It does still feel really good to be invited to food. Everyone does it, but it still makes me feel so welcome. Even people like the ladies who clean Volta Hall, a lady who was selling me food outside the Legon annex and a young child who had just received the free food that I was handing out, offer me their food. As much as I still get scared about being polite with my food every time I eat, I love the welcome, to not only the food but also the country and its culture, that I feel each time I am around someone else’s food.

Probably my best friend here, Elizabeth, has Ghanaian roommates. At first, every time I visited her, someone in her room was cooking. However, since the very first visit, I have been intrigued by both the style in which they cook and also the social aspect of sharing food. As I previously mentioned, I have been adventurous about trying food, but I had never watched it being prepared, except for pounding the fufu and cutting of a mango. The girls never seemed to put in more than one ingredient in at a time, and seemed to spend the majority of their time waiting to put something else into it or stir it. They never seem concerned about the food sticking, going over, or being otherwise ruined, and can go about their night seemingly without thinking about it. However, by dinner time, a delicious meal is ready!

Sharing food has always been a favorite pastime of mine (DUH). The only way that I have found to make eating food an even more enjoyable experience has been to share it with someone. Ghanaians seem to be professionals at this. I love seeing a boy walk through a dinning hall toward a large, rowdy group of boys carrying a large bowl piled high with food to share together. I was even more excited to share my own first large plate of food with Ghanaians. About seven of us had been conversing about their love for American boys at my friend’s dorm, when I realized that the food that someone had prepared was finally ready, and they were all gathering to eat it. I assumed my most unassuming position on the bed, not expecting to be included in the food. A sharp, “Anita, why aren’t you eating with us? Get over here and eat!” brought me to my senses. They were just as excited about sharing food together as I was!

When I commented about my inability to cook in Ghana, they were all shocked and amazed, but I assured them that I desperately wanted to learn, and asked for their help in teaching me. In fact, I have been asking every Ghanaian girl that I become friends with to teach me how to cook! I finally got the opportunity, and now I can make Ghanaian stew! It was so fun to prepare, and I've made it a ton! I've also taught a bunch of my friends, and we have stew nights quite often- YAY fun times! As the Ghanaians told me before, its actually a very simple process, so I think it will be fine. I have also learned how to make groundnut (peanut) soup, but i've only helped to make it, and havent done it on my own at all! that'll take a decent amount more work! My next endeavor is to turn my stew-making skills into jollof rice, and also to make contumere and emotuo (rice balls!)!!!!!

thanks to those of you who survived this saga, i dont feel like i wrote it for nothing anymore....!

sorry!

hey,
so i just realized that i gave you a really terrible description of the cape coast festival, and i didnt even talk about the last day of the festival and that my last blog was pretty terrible overall.
so.
saturday morning of the festival was the parade. that's about all we knew about the day, and just showed up on a really busy street and tried to get seats. people wearing similar colored clothes kinda came together with their drums and horns and guns (that were all SUPER loud!) and started singing and dancing - one guy with a really large flag that reminded me of color guard in high school cept WAY more muscular/talented/not gay. anyway, the parade started and we watched it all go by - some of the chiefs/important people walked with drummers/horns in front and behind, with someone carrying an umbrella over their heads, but most were carried on their own very large chairs (some almost like canoes, with a girl standing dancing in front the ENTIRE time - like for hours on end) carried by 4-8 men. my favorite were the ones who were followed by drummers who played on drums carried on the heads of their colleagues. aka a large drum sitting horizontally on someone elses' head while another guy hits it as hard as he can. ya. intense. even more fun was when the crowd got really excited and cheered a lot, they would spin the chief around and bounce up and down! aaaah! i think i might have freaked if i were him, but all the ones i saw do it were super excited!
so when about the end of the parade passed us, we joined it (as did a lot of other people!) the music never stopped, and we did a buttload of dancing. / a common situation : we're walking along with smiles on our faces, we pass a bunch of people dancing and they shout "oburuni, why arent you dancing?" and take our hands (or otherwise dance) with us but laugh cus we arent doing it right so we stop and they say NO NO NO! keep going! so ya, lots of dancing..... WAY fun! cus any way that you dance was generally accepted so lots of free-styling... heh....
so i eventually go separated from the group, and walked around with a little girl for quite a while, who of course, every time she saw a white person said "THERE THEY ARE!" but i made it to jubilee square, where president koufour spoke (in TWI, dangit!) but i met some really cool guys from Univ cape coast who helped me out and explained a lot of the day to me, which was super cool!
afterwards, i walked back down the beach towards the castle, and ran into my friend kenneth, and when we saw a chief being carried away, we said what the heck, lets FOLLOW him! hahahahahhaha..... the party was even crazier than ever, but it got a bit too crazy when we were each surrounded by 4 girls dancing on us and i had to shove them as hard as i could several to get them off. so we went to get some food and lets just say he told me "this is the most sketch place i've ever eaten... and i get to share it with you!" hahahahhahaha oh festival....!
i also met a guy selling fanmilk (ice cream etc) out of a crate balanced on his head, wearing an obama 08 shirt. i (asked first and) took his picture as i bought one from him- its one of my favorite ghana pictures so far haha. speaking of pictures, i really am getting closer to actually posting some. i promise, and also this blog will be a heck of a lot better after i post some pics/video of what happened!
this last weekend i went to a show put on by a crazy christian group on campus. scratch that, they're not crazy for here, they're actually quite normal, but i went cus my friend was in it and i figured what the heck..... it was comprised of super cheesy dances of people in matching outfits and then a play about a journey of slaves, and one by one they get picked off by the devil (who had very large (hopefully fake) red nails that i could see from very far away) for doing very small, minute things wrong. of course he was defeated in the end, because of the POWER OF JESUS. i can handle that, via laughing at the whole thing. however, afterwards, we all(several hundred peopl) sang a song that went something to the tune of "we are traveling, we are on our way to heaven, only christians can go there....". i flipped. i kinda realized why i cant stand the exclusiveness of christianity > others that i feel here: the phrase "only christians" sounds a lot to my like "only whites" or "only blacks". pretty much the lamest thing i've ever heard of. anyway, it kinda ruined my evening. oh and ps preachers/evangalists come to individual rooms to do what they do. im also fine with that, cept that it kinda interrupts what you are trying to do with your day and they really talk down to you like you dont know what you're talking about. boooooo. the flip side of that is that people really accept me and are happy that im christian, and are surprised when i actually say something intelligent. however, i tend to avoid these situations and havent made much of an effort to get involved in my church past sunday mass, cus even they scare me a lot!
aight, much love to you all, hope you have a SUPER month of october, and i'll TTYL!

All right, all RIGHT!

ok, so lots of catch-up but here goes!
so i actually have been on the verge of busy in the last month or so since i last posted. its really easy to be bored here, but somehow i manage to fill up my time pretty well ;) sports generally meet "5:30-7:30am and 4-6" or so, so that in and of itself ate up a lot of my time for a while, especially during the "fresher" games, when i had 4 games in a week! luckily, however, people dont care quite so much anymore, so i've been taking it a bit easier :-D
I also started volunteering at the university hospital this week. im not really sure what to think of it yet. they put me in the childrens' ward, but they dont really have anything for me to do. its generally just one or two nurses, and then a herd of nursing students, and then me. when i went in, they told me to get a lab coat as my uniform. this is/was problematic because 1) im the only one who wears one - the students all have matching, fitted 50s-60s style outfits, 2) it makes me look like im trying to be a doctor, 3) getting one was problematic - when i asked where i could find one and the response was "i dont know"...and it went on from there...3) i dont really do anything, but its really hot, esp in the afternoon.
i mostly spend my time waiting for someone to come in, and then watching the nurse put an IV into the screaming child, and then wait for something else to happen. i would love to at least interact with the kids SOME, but (almost) all of their mothers are around all the time, and even if they are awake and alone, they just kind of stare at me :( but we'll see what happens - just before i was going to leave i watched them administer nighttime medications, so there was actually something to do, but they were all speaking twi, so it was just a little more interesting to watch..... however, most of the students said they go to a different university and are just on vacation right now so maybe when they leave in the next few weeks i'll be of some help!
anyway, so at the beginning of this month, we (our EAP group) went to Cape Coast for a festival! it was SUPER SUPER fun- as usual, we had no clue what to expect about it in any way, but had a great time. gotta admit, it was SUPER strange to be back with the big group of about 70 of us. it was REALLY good to see a bunch of ppl that i dont really hang out with anymore but after spending SO much time with ghanaians in my classes and sports, and only a handful of American friends, it was crazy to be around so many americans again!
the first night we were there, we all set off in different directions in search of food, drink, and traditional rituals. heh, i think we were all successful! you can get good, cheap food and drink absolutely anywhere here (see my blog to come - i had to write an 8 page paper about something in Ghana and i chose FOOD!) and the festival did not disappoint!! the same mob of people singing and dancing on and around a pickup, circled around us more than once, trying to get us to dance with them! people had pretty much taken over the streets so you could walk anywhere without being afraid of being hurt. However, we were warned (w/ horror stories) about pick-pocketers EVERYWHERE. we were totally minimalists, but even when i kept my hand in my pocket around my phone the entire time we watched a fetish ritual/dance the guy next to me kept telling me to be careful.
speaking of Ghanaians, they were SO nice to us, it was embarassing some times. Any time we were in a big crowd of people trying to get a better look, someone would push us forward and yell in twi for people to move so that we could see. SUPER embarassing, and i think most of us spent a good amount of time explaining that it wasnt necessary, but when you get pushed/shoved SO much, its not entirely possible! But the good side to that is we could always ask what was going on - how people were dressed, what was being poured on the ground, what was being said in twi, etc and we'd get an earful of a response haha....
The next day our program said that we were going to watch a bull sacrifice and go to kakhoum park for a canopy walk (wow guys, i really cant spell, sorry!). After getting up at a decent hour (ok so 8 am is officially nice for me after waking up at 5:30 every day!) we went to the Cape Coast Castle, which we had toured on our previous trip to CC. However, we spent more than 3 hrs waiting for the procession etc to start- BOOO.
anyway, we followed a mob of people leading the bull away. wow, did i ever mention how much i love being in a mob of crazy people?!??!?!? everyone was super excited (cept possibly the bull, who got tired and decided to sit down halfway through) as we walked/ran up and down streets yelling and singing, and a bunch of the chiefs came through too (ID'd by the fact that someone was holding a giant umbrella over them) hehe.... but by the time we got to the place for the slaughter, it was CRAZY packed, and i didnt even know that the bull was dead until i got knocked really hard, almost off my feet, as they wheeled it out of an enclosure! if i had ANY personal bubble space before then, i really dont anymore! for all you animal lovers, yes, the bull was eaten, with the most choice parts going to the paramount chief and priest(esse)s etc!
anyway, so by that time we were almost too late to go to kakoum, but we made it! the canopy walk was not quite as high in parts as i was expecting (something said 40m) but in parts it DEF was, and the fact that there were SO many people on them was not too heartening for me. they were pretty stable, and i got some really cool pictures, but im not sure its the outdoor activity for me! i was much happier on the mini-hike back ;)
anyway, back in legon (campus) it was REALLY good to be back. as much of an amazing time that i had in CC, (and although i havent been traveling much, i would really like to more) it was really good to get back to campus. everyone welcomed us back, from the porters, my teammates, the ladies who clean (or just sit around doing nothing) volta hall, other friends, and get back into a regular schedule! i really did feel welcomed back! awww ;)
ive also been cooking a TON lately, like a LOT,
on the academic front, things are getting better. a lot of the classes have been pretty disappointing to most people, but 2 of mine are actually good, plus twi is going better than expected, and my independent study project is going even better! i was planning to do a history project on the history of epidemics, but its morphed into looking at sanitation and environmental health policy 1900-1920 or so. i honestly was mad at myself for being a history major for a while bc i thought "why the heck would you go to ghana to study in the LIBRARY, which is probably not as good as the US (which it isnt in most ways) and not do field research etc blah this is lame....." BUT once i got here, i realized that it actually is an important topic here. my advisor is a really cool american professor who really keeps me in line and helps me out a LOT. i also realized that although the journals etc arent catalogued well, and and are therefore really hard to find, if you just roam through the library long enough they have CRAZY cool/old books! granted, you have to read every torn-off, dirty, insect-hole-d label, but ive found some really cool stuff, and the head of the history dept is really into my work too. WOOT! so i've been traveling to the medical school library a lot, which makes for a long day, but its been really rewarding so far!
anyway, i gotta head out, but yes, im alive and very well! for future reference, my facebook has been uber tempermental lately, so its better just to email me ajatucsd@gmail.com or comment here orrrrrr i made a skype account (ajatucsd) and although i dont have a computer, i can borrow one and we can try to meet up there, let me know!
oh, and i've been listening to BBC radio news a lot, and what the HECK is going on with the economy??? DUDE!!! washington mutual??? seriously???? jeez, americans!
haha, hope everything is going well, esp those of you who are just starting classes again!
peace!

-meeeeeee