Finding Sea Shells

This past weekend I went to a beach just outside of cape coast.  To get there I took a trotro to a junction where I walked about 20 min to the beach.  Walking down to the beach it looked perfect.  There were palm trees lining the golden beach which was perfectly clean.  The water bright blue and crashing on the beach and around rocks.  I immediately ran right in and swam for a half hour, it was so refreshing.  After swimming I decided to walk down the beach a ways.  I loved the feeling of the sand on my feet, it was literally a perfect beach.

As I walked I started to come across more and more trash on the beach and in the water, eventually there was so much that I could barely walk with out stepping on something.  In front of me was an old net twisted with a shirt with some princesses face on it, there was also a clock twisted up in it all.  Right next to my left foot there was an pink stuffed toy and the heel of an high heel shoe.  Behind me I had stepped over a huge pile of so many colors from cloths and countless other things all torn up and tangled togather.  A ways of to my right there was an old mattress, with many holes in it.  It was sad to me how quickly the beach that had been so clean had become so thrashed.  

As I kept walking I started looking more closely, and I found some of the most beautiful shells I have every seen amidst all the garbage.  If there was a big clump a trash usually there were more shells, because the trash kept the shells from being swept away by the water.

As I walked I started to think, that this beach was actually representing my exchange.  As I thought about it, it kept making more, and more sense.  The initial beach I had arrived at had been perfect, it was so clean and picturesque.  And my life in Alaska had been pretty much perfect, I had loving family and friends, and so much to be thankful for.  On that beach I had gone on the walk I search of an adventure just like I had when I decided to come to Ghana.  

This exchange has been very challenging for me, and more than once I just wanted to go back home, I just wanted life to be easy again.  So with the beach like my exchange I found lots of trash every where and longed to go back to that perfect beach.  But then I looked closer and I found beautiful sea shells expecially next to the largest pieces of garbage.  I've learned on this exchange that after the hardest days there is a beautiful reward.  What I learn here I could never have learned back home.  On the perfect beach there were no shells it was just sand.  So I found that even though something is harder, even when things just suck, you find that you gain invaluable things that you never could have if life had been perfect. 

So I guess my point with the beach is that even though this exchange is hard and it sometimes feels impossible, the shells make it worth it.  I want a life that is up and down not just steady, cause that's how I'm going to grow, learn, and love.  So right now I'm off to find some more sea shells in this exchange.

International education week

I was chosen as 1 of 65 kids to go to 12 amazing countries for the 2016-2017 year with the YES abroad program.  I now want to encourage students all over the United States to apply for this program (the application is due December 1).  This program is run by the State Department and gives full scholarships to all students accepted.  

I am currently on my exchange in Ghana, Africa and it is an experience that is so unique, and so amazing that I know it will be a part of who I am for the rest of my life.  You experience wonder, amazement, confusion, loneliness, sadness, love, friendship and so much more.  There are so many aspects of the country that you experience and learn about.

The host family is the base of your exchange, they are the ones who will be most important to you on exchange.  The host family also gives you a deeper understanding of the culture.  My family is always smiling, asking me at every opportunity how I am doing.  My Mom wakes up every morning at 4:30 and makes lunch for my little sister and I to take to school. My Dad always is so happy to see me that I always feel so much better around him.  My little sister holds my hand through the market, making me feel like one of the family.  My sister that is my age is away at boarding school but when she sees me she gives me the biggest hugs, and jumps up and down with excitement.  With this exchange you learn of the love and kindness of people who never met you but then take you in as their own child.  

School is an experience, sometimes maybe it feels like you are not learning much academically, but what you are learning can never be put on a transcript.  School is where you make friends who are so interesting and different you could talk to them all day.  My school is very different from what my school in the USA is like, but with that I'm truely understanding how school is for so many other kids.  My school is a boarding school, and I'm the only white person there.  Being the minority is a crazy but amazing experience.  School lets you be with so many other kids your age who you can learn so much from.  

The markets are a huge part of Ghana.  In the market I can buy dresses, tomatoes, credit for my phone, toilet paper, and some plantain chips all in less than 10 yards.  walking through the market is actually one of my favorite things to do.  The variety of venders is incredible and I can't help but stop at most of them.  I will never get to taste all the amazing food sold on the street, most of it is carried on people's heads on trays or in boxes until someone wants to buy some.  In the market you see so many people dressed in their brightly colored African prints.  But the best thing is the kindness of the people, always asking if you are lost, wanting to know your name and if you'll be their friend, and laughing with happiness when I can speak a little of their local language.  One time I was trying to get to a shop to buy stuff for my Mom, and when some ladies asked where I was going I told them, they laughed and said I was very far away.  They immediately flagged down a taxi for me and made sure the driver did not make me pay to much, I'll always remember them even though I don't even know their names.

Transportation here in Ghana is hectic but kinda fun.  The most common way to get around is by trotro, which is a bus people are constantly getting on and off.  It is very cheap, but you can't be scared to get cozy with your neighbor cause they pack people into them. To get on a trotro you stand on the side of the road and when one passes you use hand signals to show where you are going and if that trotro is going the same way they will pull over for you to get on.  Usually when they pull over you have to jump out of the way or they will hit you.  You can also take taxis. Most the time you take shared taxis which are not too expensive.  With a shared taxi it is similar to a trotro just smaller.  You can also charter a taxi to take you exactly where you want to go, but this is definitely the most expensive option.  Getting places is a whole exciting experience in of its self when your on your toes trying not to get hit, while also trying to get a ride to the right place.

With living abroad you get to learn much more than you'll ever know.  You get to break stereotypes about your country, and also the people you meet will break the stereotypes you had about them.  While living abroad you grow so much stronger, you become more your own person.  You will be building bridges and tearing down walls.

A visit to the hospital

Don't be alarmed by the title I am perfectly fine.  On October 27th I woke up with a very soar throat, which in the USA I would have taken cough drops and gone to school, or if I was feeling lazy would have convinced my mom to let me stay home.  Because it is Ghana it was 4:30 am that I went into the kitchen to tell my mom who was cooking that I had a soar throat, she told me I needed to go to the hospital, I thought that was overdoing it but she insisted.  Since she was going to Accra for the day she left the house by 5.  I slept until 8 (and cried because I was homesick) then I caught a taxi to my moms work in town where my dad and one of my moms workers met me, they then took me to the hospital which is literally 100 yards from my moms work but I had never noticed it before because it is behind all sorts of run down Ghanian homes and other buildings.

I am not writing this to explain what happened to me but to share what going to the hospital is like for all Ghanaians.  I don't know how it is all run but I'll try to explain it as best I can.  The hospital is small, you sign in and wait outside.  When you sign in you show an insurance card or pay some money.  For me, my dad took me to the female recovery room where there were about 4 beds with sick people in them.  The nurse in there sat next to a computer and she asked me what was wrong I told her and she typed it in to the computer. Then took me to another room where another person and nurse were and she weighed me and took my temperature.  She then sat me in a room with about 40 others one at a time we went into one doctors office, each patient taking about 2 min.  When it was my turn the doctor just said go to the lab, this was after I waited for about 1 1/2 hours.  I didn't really know what was going on but I went and sat with about 50 others waiting out side the lab.  The same nurse who helped me in the begaining called me into the female recovery room again, where I saw the nurses giving soda and fried food to the patients.  I was sat down on a bed next to a girl with tubes coming out of her wrist, across from us were two little girls who also had tubes coming out of them and were asleep.  The nurse all the sudden was tying some rubber tube around my wrist tightly, then I saw the needle in her had and realized it was for me.  She turned my hand over cleaned it then put the needle in and withdrew my blood.  She put a cotton ball on it and told me to hold it on my hand till it stopped bleeding.  I went and sat outside with my dad we sat there for three hours I slept most of the time, most others there did the same.  Around 1 the same nurse told me they needed my urine and she gave me a small container. After giving it back to her I sat again for another half hour.  Through all this I was never told why this was happening, or if anything was wrong but it seemed like that's the experience for everyone who goes to the hospital.  When results come from the lab it is for about 20 people so we all go back to the one doctor who tells us what's wrong, so after waiting for another hour I was told I have a small infection, but no malaria.  So the doctor sent me to the pharmacy which is in the same building where I go some vitamin c, again after waiting for another hour.  So after sitting all day at the hospital I learned that I could have gone and bought oranges instead.  But it was really eye opening to see the medical system here, it really shows how privileged we are in the USA.  The things that stood out to me were that everyone there looked fairly wealthy.  There is no such thing as appointments you only go to the doctor when needed.  Getting into the doctors office involved lots of arguing between patients cause everyone wanted to finish as soon as possible.  I had a needle stuck in me, and no one told me why it was happening the only reason I knew was because I saw the needle in her hand.  If you need serious medical attention you must go to Accra, where they have more resources.  Even though for medical reasons the visit was pointless, I'm glad I got to experience that part of Ghana. 

Religion

A key part of Ghanian culture is religion, and everyone I've met since arriving here has been religious.  Not in the USA standards of religious, but more intense like going to a church or mousque 3 or more times a week, and praying everyday.  The people here are Muslim or Christian, there are some other religions but they are not very common.

I go to church with my family and it is a lot of singing, dancing, discussing, and praying.  It is a really amazing experience to watch how much things like God and Jesus move people spiritually.  Since I'm not religious it can sometimes be amusing to watch the people in church, but I don't think any less of them because of what they believe.

      I've grown up in a world where there are hundreds of ways to believe, your beliefs can be completely unique to you and that is ok.  In the USA I called myself Jewish even know I don't believe in God or many other spiritual things, I am culturally Jewish.  When people in the USA asked what I believed in I would say I believe in love and nature.  I have no issue with any set of beliefs, as long as your a good and moral person, than I respect the way you believe. 

      Here in Ghana I can't tell people I'm Jewish because then they automatically assume I believe in God, and that's not true.  Once I tell people I don't believe in God they ask in a very confused manner, "well then how was heaven formed?"  I would assume that someone who doesn't believe in God would also not believe in heaven, but here that idea is so unheard of that it just can't be fathomed.  Another common question is "if you don't believe in God who do you think created you?" I usually answer that I believe in evolution, and many times have been told that evolution is a delusion.  Usually at this point I just say "well we have different beliefs I respect yours and I hope you respect mine" and so far everyone has said they respect my beliefs.

My family is Christian and very religious.  They know that I support gay rights, and am pro-choice with abortion as well as some other things that go against the bible, and they respect that even if they don't agree.  I'm glad they know because I don't want to hide my beliefs, I want them to love me for all my beliefs not just the ones I think they will agree with.  My mom and me have had many discussions about religion, we usually don't agree but there is no tension.  One of the big things we have discussed is moral.  My mom says she try's to do everything as best she can and show as much love as she can because on judgement day God will look at all her sins and all the good things she has done.  She doesn't understand that even though I don't believe in judgement day I still do good, she thinks that if I truely didn't believe in judgement day then I wouldn't care about who I hurt or what I did in my life because no one will punish me after death.  

In school there is a lot of religion which is weird for me coming from the USA, where religion is a touchy subject in school.  Here everyday before school starts there are prayers.  Many teachers talk about God in class, I'm in a class called Christian religious studies (CRS), which is pretty much just readying the bible.  One of the weirdest things though is that before every physics class the teacher has us pray, which just seems so out of place.  And in ICT (information, communication, and technology) we pray at the end of class.  At break very commonly students come to the class rooms and preach to us, which was definitely shocking the first time that happened.  Many have told me to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior, or to believe in God.  I have asked some of them why and non have given me a very clear answer, or they say that if I don't I'll go to hell.  They don't say this in a mean way, they say it more as, they really don't want me to go to hell.  Mostly though people just don't understand, it doesn't make sense, in there world religion is part of everyone's life, if you aren't religious something is wrong so they really want to help you.  

            Another thing is the bible is law.  So when I talked to one girl we got on the subject of gay rights.  The said she would have no issue with gay people but the bible said it was wrong so there for she was not ok with it.  I've also heard when people learn that I don't believe in God, heaven, or hell,  "but the bible says they are real.", they would never think I don't also believe in the bible.  Through all this learning of religion I may change some of by beliefs or not, but I'm ok with either.

      Even though I don't think I'll every be particularly religious, I am really happy to learn about religion, since it is such a big part of so many people's lives around the world.  This country is sometimes called the most religious country.  Not because of how religious people are but the % of people who are religious is the highest.  I'm learning lots and working through this exchange day by day.  Miss all my family and friends. 

Times flying, one month gone

I have completed the first month of the ten I will be spending on exchange.  This is so shocking to me it feels like I've been here barley a week.  But there are things that are normal now that definitely were strange when I got here.   

All my blog posts have been about big things such as arriving in country, a big celebration, my host family, and school but for this blog I would like to just focus on one day, a common day.  

Today you will learn about my day, today October 12th.  I was going to wake up at 4:55 to finish some notes, but when my alarm went off I decided to sleep in until 5:30, which is the latest I can wake up to get to school on time.  When my alarm went off for the second time I groaned and picked up my phone and turned on Three Little Birds by Bob Marley to motivate myself.  First I clumsily put my contacts in, which caused me to cry because I poked my eye really hard.  After the contact ordeal I went to the bathroom, and like usual the toilet was not flushing, so I got the bucket from the shower room and went down to the chicken barn place where our water tank is.  As I waited for the bucket to fill with water I checked in on the 550 baby chickens my dad brought home from Accra this past weekend, they are so cute, but by Christmas they will all be killed for selling.  Once the bucket was full I hauled it up to the house and came in the kitchen door so as to not spill water in the living room.  To flush you just pour the water in the toilet and it usually flushes pretty well.  After dealing with the toilet, I went and got another bucket for my shower.  Since getting to my family I have taken two bucket showers a day one in the morning and one in the evening.  This morning taking the shower I flinched when I poured the water on my head, the water was so cold.  The good thing about it being cold is that it is very effective in waking me up.  After my shower I came back to my room and changed in to my uniform and put my belt on with the assistance on a sewing pin.  After getting dresses I brushed my teeth, and took my malaria medication.  Once presentable I packed my backpack with everything for school except my lunch an water bottle. 

          Most mornings I have two eggs and a less sweet form of hot chocolate.  To get the eggs I went down to the barn, then came back up and fried them while water heated up for my drink.  My mom was also in the kitchen like she is every morning making me and Gladis (my little sister) lunch for school, so I greeted her with a smile and a good morning hug.  Once my breakfast was ready I brought it to my room were I ate and played games on my phone.  When I finished my food I filled up my water bottle by biting a sashe and pouring the water into the bottle.  Once I was completely ready to go I got my lunch from the kitchen which was vegetable rice with some tomatoe sauce and fish, all cooked Ghanian style.  With everything I needed for the day I headed out yelling goodbye to my mom.  I put my school shoes on and headed out.  My dad wished me a good day as I passed him leaving our "yard."  I left my house around 6:40, and I walk to school everyday which takes me about 15 min so today I arrived at 6:55.  Most boarding students (which is a every one) go to assembly in the morning at 6:20 but I don't.  So this morning everyone was just getting out of assembly  when I arrived, so I arrived at class with everyone else.

             My first class this morning was core math which is like pre-algebra so I already know most of it, but that is ok because so many other things in my life are new.  Math is from 7-8:20 then we have a break that is 20 min were many kids go eat breakfast in the dining hall but I don't and neither does my best friend here Idira, we just talk, copy notes, or finish up homework.  Today Idira was really tired and not feeling to well so she slept and I coppied notes.  Our next class was social studies where we're learning about conflict and peace.  But today got sidetracked and the teacher started telling us how homosexuals are unacceptable, then went on to explain rape very poorly.   I sat very tight lipped through that class because saying what I believe would not help anyone, it is very hard for me to not speak up because I'm used to standing up for what I believe.  That class was from 8:50-10:10, and then we had English from 10:10-11:30.  In English we discussed what literature is then started reading a play.  Everyone who had forgotten the play at there dorm had to go around the school and pick up 100 pieces of trash which was over half the class, so like 25 kids.  I did not have the play but that is due to me not being here last term so I got to stay and read out of Idira's book.  After English we had geography from 11:30-12:50.  It was the first time with this particular teacher and I think unfortunately he is not very good.  He asked a question and when 8 different people could not answers instead of explaining the answer he got them all in trouble.  So for the whole class my stress level was very high and I could not think clearly, thankfully the one question I answered I got correct.  After geography everyone expressed dislike, because not many people learn well under that high of stress.  

         Thankfully we had second break next which is a half hour.  Technically your not supposed to eat in class but I do everyday.  Me and Indira share my lunch because my mom gives me so much and Indira does not really like the dinning food.  We ate today and talked to lots of kids.  Indira's twin sister came and talked with us and I talked to many others who wanted to be friends with the white girl.  The last class of the day was CRS but the teacher showed up a half an hour late, had us do some class work while she left for another half hour.  So that class had a lot of talking and little work done.  School got out at 3:20, everyone went immediately to siesta, I talked to the PE teacher before heading home because of a verbal quiz he gave yesterday that I did not do well on.  I think it is because he says the question and gives you 10 sec to answer, and most of the time I can't understand his accent.  Thankfully PE won't matter when I go back to the USA and I only have it once a week.  

         My walk home is always pretty good, I pass by three stalls were the people know me and greet me everyday or have a full conversation with me.  To day the first lady I passed talked to me for a few minutes while I tried to figure out her broken English.  What I could tell is that she wanted me to study hard for school.  The second stall has a girl who talks to me, but today she was sick so she was not much into talking.  The third stall has three ladies who try to teach me Fante every time I pass by, and today was no exception.  

         I got home and got some food then lay down for awhile and played some games on my phone and now I'm writing this blog.   This was not a remarkable day, it is just like my others days.  What is special about today is that it is the first day since I got to my host family that I have not been homesick, so that is pretty great.  I hope it lasts I'm guessing it won't but it is a start.

Differences between Ghana and the USA

I'm going to make a list of everything I have found different about Ghanaian schools from schools in the USA.

•Most schools are boarding schools

•All schools have a uniform

•All students must have the same haircut (except for me)

•Teacers move classes instead of students 

•All classes are lecture style

•Caining is used commonly for punishment

•Schools start earlier and end later 

•The course you take will determine what job you get in the future instead of deciding in college

•Coleege means high school here and they call college universities only

•No phones are aloud at school

•Most kids have never used a computer in school.

•Most kids memorize classes instead of understanding them.  

•Teachers are treated with lots of respect and can take calls in class, can come late, and can not even show up for class

•Kids don't date or hang out

•Students are less independent

•Notes and homework can only be done in pen, no pencils

•Homework is done in assignment books, if you forget your book do the work on 2 attached pieces of paper because to give a teacher one piece of paper is disrespectful 

  

Differences in living in Ghana to living in the USA.

•Almost all people here are black

•Markets are how you shop, no grocer stores or malls

•You can take trotro or taxi almost anywhere you want to go for about the equivalent of 25 cents.

•When you see someone, even if they don't know you they will ask "how are you?" And you respond "I'm fine, how are you?"  

•Most people carry there things on there head, propane tanks, food, lumber, ect.....

•Food is spicy and fried

•Most people eat with there hands

•Cooking over charcoal outside is very common 

•It is coo on for blackouts to happen, also water will not always come out the faucet 

•I can't drink tap water 

•Almost everyone is fit because of there life style

•Ghanains eat the biggest meals

•Everyone wakes up at 4:30am

•My family watches a lot of TV

•Kising, hugging, and holding hands with the opposite gender is very uncommon in public

•Girls hold each other's hands all the time and so do boys

•I have to be home by 6 every night 

•Sweeping is done with a bundle of grass

•Dogs and cats are treated like pets in the USA, they just eat scraps 

  

There are many more things that I will probably have to explain later but for now here are the lists.

1 in 2300

       My school in Cape Coast is called Aggrey Memorial, it has about 2,300 kids and almost all of them board there.  My first day there was Thursday the 22nd.  But on the 20th I went to Aggrey with my contact person Mr.Forson, we went there to get my uniform which turns out is over ten outfits.  My school uniform that I wear on normal days is a purple dress with a yellow collar, I got two of these plus purple belts for each.  I also got two Friday dresses (which are much more comfortable) plus the two belts, I got two more dresses for special occasions these too have belts.  Then there are two shirt and skirt combos that I'm not sure what they are for.  Also given to me was gym cloths, I have very pink jerseys for gym class then another jersey that is white with red outlinings which is for my house at the school, Luccil.

       I was told next to nothing before heading to school the first day, all I knew was the outfit I was supposed to wear.  I woke up at 6am because Mr.Forson had told me that the school started at 7:30.  My mom drove me to school for the first day and I arrived at 7:05.  I did not even know what classes I was taking or where any of the buildings that I needed were.  I knew one thing, where Mr.Forson's house was (he lives on campus with his wife, because he is a teacher at Aggrey).  So I headed to his place, when I arrived the gate was closed, I had no idea what to do. Some boys who go to Aggrey just walked in the gate though, I'm not sure what they were doing because they immediately left.  After they left I went in through the gate, I could hear voices inside the house but I just stood there until I got enough courage to say loudly "hello."  I heard Mr.Forson tell me to come in, he and his wife were doing morning prayers so I awkwardly sat on the couch until they were done.  When they had finished prayers he told me that he needed to get ready then we would go to the school.  By then it was 7:20 and I was worried that I would be late to my first day of school.  Well like I had dreaded he was not ready to go until 7:45.  We walked to the class buildings there are three ( I think, there could be more that I don't know about).  We stood outside the administrative building, he was just talking to other teachers, and I was confused on when and where I would be going to class.  Mr.Forson stopped 2 girls to explain to me what classes I could take.  The thing about classes in ghana is that you choose a course and then you take all the same classes as the other kids in your class, the teachers move around instead of the students.  So in the end I decided on a general arts course call 2 Art 4.  2 because it is a form 2 class arts because it is general arts and 4 because each course has many variations.  

       I was showed to class where a very kind girl helped me get through my first day, now I sit next to her everyday and she helps me a lot.  These are my classes:core math, economics, Cristian religious studies, government, geography, social studies, PE, biology, english, information communication and technology, agriculture, physics, and chemistry.  Also I learned after the first day is that school assembly starts at 6:20am and school actually starts at 7am not 7:30, which means I get up at 5 or 5:30 every morning.  School has two breaks one after first hour that is 20 min for boarders to eat breakfast then a second break later in the day for lunch and that on is 30 min, school gets out at 3:20 so that is sitting at very uncomfortable desks for 8 hours a day, which is really hard for me, also I have not received any of my text books for my classes.  Thankfully Mr. Forson works at the school because without him I'd be so lost.