First Impressions.

Hi, I'm alive and in Ghana and about to write a huge post to squelch any curiosity one might have about my experience thus far. Classes don't start till next Monday, so for now I'm just orientating and registering and figuring out life here. I'm finding I'm starting to miss certain things, like driving around in my Civic listening to Needtobreathe and hugging my friends and calling my mom whenever I want to. But for the most part, this is an amazing adventure!

Cheers.

BEGIN.

I am a huge Jane Austen fan. Always have been. I remember one time in high school I read all her novels within a week or two of each other. I'd stay up reading until 3 or 4 am and sometimes squeeze in a BBC film adaptation, just in time to make it for school at 7:22 am sharp the next day. 

Now to modern day, and the reason for this anecdote. Austen first decided to call Pride and Prejudice "First Impressions." (It was later changed to Pride and Prejudice, and I suppose that title ended up fitting the story best.) But here, for my first account of this glorious place, I will borrow Austen's idea in a way, and list my First Impressions… of Ghana. 

Drumroll.

1. the red clay

There is no brown dirt here. It's all red clay, and so every day I feel like I'm down South in Mississippi visiting my mom's family. If it weren't for the nostalgia and the awesome way the red clay contrasts with the green trees and grasses here, I'd get mad at the red clay. Because it makes all my shoes gross and leaves my sandal-clad feet looking 10 shades darker than the rest of my body.

2. the developing nature

Since Ghana has been free from British control since the 1950s, it's proud of itself as a country and an identity. They don't identify by skin color here, like we do in the US. They identify by nationality, and within the country by tribe. Either you're Ghanaian or you're a foreigner. There are tribes of course under the Ghanaian identity but that seems to be less emphasized. My friend Astchu said that his favorite thing about Ghana is its peace. He said, "The peace here has let our country develop and become great, because it's not worried about bombs or fighting wars." 

A great deal of conversations I've had since arriving here have centered around the discovery of oil in Ghana, capitalism, exports and imports, lack of infrastructure, and China. China is taking over the world (duh), aka investing in resources here and taking it away from the people; one professor from the Univ of Ghana called it modern-day colonialism. More on this later to come, but for now I'll continue my Impressions.

It's mind blowing to be in a developing country and in West Africa, definitely a culture shock if I let myself think about it too much. The lights can go out for hours, other times they flicker. I bought a bucket to keep in my room because the water can go out at any time, in which case a bucket baths would become necessary. This is a little too outdoorsy for some people on my program, but whattteevverr. Losers.

Huge uncovered gutters 2 feet wide and 3 feet deep line every street, so you've gotta watch out for those when you walk around. This makes pedestrian adventures at night especially adventuresome. 

There are no speed limits, nor lines on the road, and pedestrians don't have the right of way. Ever. So driving here would be so fun! ..In my opinion, at least. Some people drive, but most catch taxis (after they bargain a good price) or the tro-tro, which is a passenger van that fits in at least 20 or 25 people at a time and charges a flat rate of 50 pesewas (a pesewa is a Ghanain coin).

3. the food

Ah, food. Spicy food. Fried plantains. Mangoes. Need I say more? The food has been spectacular. I eat a mango a day, at least, and cut it open with my Swiss army knife. haah. The food was REALLY great for the first week or so-- lots of rice, spicy soups, chicken, and such-- but then I moved into my room in the hostel and am now in charge of cooking my own meals. Eventually I'll learn recipes and cook with my floormates (hopefully this week) but for now I'm surviving on mangoes and fresh bread and vanilla crackers and oranges. Nutritious. For now I visit the Night Market or Bush Canteen for food, which are two market places on campus. 

4. when holding hands is acceptable

The program I'm with has run us through several days of orientation, and on top of that, 8 or 9 Ghanaian students have dedicated their semesters to, well, being our friends and hanging out with us. We've had a lot of bonding time and have gotten into some interesting conversations! The guys here are a lot more friendly initially than the girls, but the girls warm up too after a while. Everyone is very sincere.. I have warmed up to the humor and culture pretty well.

One thing I find funny, compared to American culture, is how Ghanaians handle relationships. Several of my guy friends here have held my hand or my friends' hands, especially when crossing the street. They'll also put their arm around me, or any girl, randomly. Partly it's the man's role here to protect, and from what I gather, it's also a sort of male-dominance cultural thing. Regardless, it is normal interaction between friends here, no matter if one is a foreigner or not. Once a couple decides to date or court, however, the hand-holding and touchy-feely stops. Ghana pretty much has a no public display of affection policy! It is VERY rare to see a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife show affection in public. So if you see people holding hands, you can almost bet your money they're just friends. 

5. it's said "chree" not "twee" 

I've started learning a little bit of Twi, the largest spoken language in Ghana. Most everyone speaks it, and also speaks a variation called Pigeon that mixes Twi and English. In Twi, I know how to say "thank you" and "I would like to buy…" and "water" and "thank you." I also know how to ask for a price reduction when bargaining. "Te so kakra": reduce it a little. Everyone knows English, but people cut you more of a deal if you throw in a little Twi.

So really, I'm set if all I need is water at a reduced price. Thank you.

6. baby there are sharks in the water

The water. I brush my teeth with it and shower in it, but that's about it. No one here drinks it, because the piping system isn't all that great and can carry typhoid, cholera, et cetera. 

So, everyone drinks water in a bag or a bottle. The bottle is more expensive, so I bought a pack of 20 or 30 water bags for 1.5 cedi. That's less than a dollar! Water is so cheap here. If you went to my elementary school, and you're reading this, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say the bagged water is exactly like the bagged milk we used to get in the lunch line. cough Chad and Rich cough.

7. i sit under trees, look at the stars, and smoke weed

Okay, I don't really. But this was one girl's, my neighbor Rachel's, first impression of me. She said I'm really chill and outdoorsy so she thought I was one of those kids who got stoned while chillin out under the stars around a campfire. Not too far off, Rachel, except for the fact that I'm still a sheltered soul and haven't smoked the stuff… BHAHA it's probably the greatest first impression story I've ever gotten.

8. the dancing here

We went out, and I tried to learn how to dance like a Ghanaian. I failed. They dance to Azuntu music, and reggae. How do you dance to reggae? Exactly.

Don't worry though, I'm not leaving without a fight. I'll learn, master, and bring my skill back to Amurrica.

9. when the internet isn't all that global

You might have noticed the lapse in blog posts, and if you're really observant, the lack of action-- or sporadic action-- on my Facebook profile. That's because I don't have internet in my hostel unless I want to pay for it, and the nearest free wifi is a 25 minute walk away. My mom just called my international phone wondering if I was alive because she hasn't heard from me in a few days. Sorry, madre, for the scare. I'm alive and well.

10. the Hama Tan, or why the sky is grey

I haven't seen blue sky since arriving here seven days ago. This is because Ghana is in the Hama Tan season, when European winter winds blow across the Sahara Desert and carry all the sand into the atmosphere. All of West Africa is covered right now! The sky looks cloudy all the time, visibility is poor, and dust covers everything. When it clears it'll get REALLY hot; March will be the hottest month, and then it will begin to "cool off" as I prepare to return to the states.

11. this campus needs a PRT

Sidenote to Chad and Rich again: I'm not kidding you, this campus is bigger than WVU's campus. Well, maybs, if you could cram the downtown campus and main all together. Anyhow, take note, broskis. I'm getting a taste of what you dealt with in Morgantown and I have mad respect for you. Ghana needs a PRT.

It takes 30 to 40 minutes to walk from one side of campus to the other. There is a shuttle, but it costs money and I don't know how to use it yet or how often it runs. I'm sure that will soon change. Regardless, that is neither here nor there. Campus. is. huge. It's like its own city. It's weird to go to a school with at least 20 or 30 football (soccer) fields (or dirt patches) around campus, and street vendors, and marketplaces, and cotton trees. Yep, cotton TREES.

12. i promise i'll end soon but first i wanna talk about CHURCH

There are so many churches here. And I thought South Africa was religious.. Ghana wins, hands down. The whole city shuts down on Sundays. Taxi cabs don't run as much, stores are closed, campus closes. The kids doing homestays went to church with their host families, if they felt comfortable. Our program director told us that people here find it mind boggling when someone doesn't go to church. They're becoming more welcoming of Islam and of course the traditional African religions. There's a very small Jewish community here. Anyhow I'm excited to start going and compare Ghanaian church worship styles with the ones I'm familiar with in the US. And I'm preparing myself for lots of drumming.

13. the only time i like snails

Snail mail is the best. Several of you asked for my address so if you've decided you really wanna send something, send me an email/Facebook and I'll give it to youuuu

14. Nets-4-Nets

That's the only  organization I know about that gives out mosquito nets, but now that I sleep under one I realize just how important they are in the prevention of malaria. It's really fun to sleep under a mosquito net, in case you were wondering. Add it to your bucket list.