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Published: November 10th 2008
11/9/08
This week started with a trip to Kumasi on Monday with the school’s soccer team to watch them play in the regional qualifying tournament. The school rented a benz-bus to transport the players and supporters to the games. The benz-bus is legally allowed to carry 27 people when it is completely full. We managed to squeeze 55 people onto the benz-bus for the hour and a half ride to Kumasi Girls SHS. If you do the math, that is an average of more than 2 people per seat. We literally looked like a clown car at the circus when everyone piled out of the bus. Luckily I got to ride in the front as the token white guy, where it wasn’t too crowded. The ride was not only extremely crammed, but also the noisiest ride I’ve ever taken. The students sang the entire ride while one student banged 2 pieces of wood together and another student blew a whistle in intermittent burst. The travel accommodations weren’t exactly conducive to preparing the players for the game.
Seven schools in the Ashanti Region met at Kumasi Girls SHS to play a one day single elimination tournament with the top 2 teams advancing to the Milo Games (Regional Championship). We almost weren’t allowed to play because our team didn’t have a printed copy of the team roster and a picture of the team with the headmaster. ABSEC recently got a new sports master and the previous one failed to inform anyone of the new protocol. We did have the students’ school i.d. cards though, and after a couple hours of running around, making phone calls, and pleading, the officials finally agreed to allow us to play provided we presented the documentation ASAP.
In our first round game we were by far the better team. We created a number of quality opportunities, but went into halftime tied 0-0. Early in the second half the other team took the lead by scoring against the run of play off a corner. We continued playing well and got the equalizer with just 5 minutes left in regulation. At the end of the game we were tied 1-1 and consequently went straight to penalties. After a couple misses by the other team, we had an opportunity to win the game with our 5th shooter but the keeper made a nice save and forced a 6th shooter. We lost the shootout when our 6th shooter sent his penalty over the bar. Apparently, this is the third year in a row that the school has failed to qualify for the Milo Games by loosing in a shootout. The game after ours also went to a shootout, and it was the longest shootout I’ve ever seen. I lost count, but I would guess that they went around 20 shooters before they had a winner. A police officer almost made us unload on the way home because the benz-bus was obviously over capacity, but he let it slide and we safely made it home.
Then there was the U.S. presidential election. Everyone wanted to know if I got to vote, and unfortunately I did not. Most Ghanaians were surprised when I told them that usually less than 50% of people vote for the president. I also spent a long time explaining the Electoral College and the more I talked about it, the more I think it is a retarded system. It makes so much more sense if we used the popular vote, but that is really the point because I didn’t get to vote and it’s never going to change anyway. Instead of waiting up all night listening to the numbers come in on the BBC like some crazy people, I just went to bed. When I got up at 5am to go on my daily run I turned on the BBC just in time to hear Obama’s acceptance speech. I was impressed with the speech and I’m anxious to see how things go because it seems like a lot of people have high expectations of big change, and I’m curious to see how people react if things don’t go as well as they expect. I personally thought it was comical that Kenya made the day after the election a national holiday. They do realize he is the US President right? I’m glad this election is over because I really don’t like politics and maybe I’ll stop getting asked so many damn questions about it. I am thoroughly surprised how interested people in a small town in Ghana care about who the president of the USA is. In all reality, who the president is probably won’t affect my life as an American in Ghana very much if at all, and it won’t affect their lives what so ever, but they are still interested.
We started mid-term break on Wednesday after the students had 2 classes. They might as well have just gone home the previous day. The biggest news about the break is that I will finally be teaching the form 1 core math classes when the students return from mid-term. On Thursday a fellow math teacher and I went to Prempeh College in Kumasi for the Mathematical Association of Ghana Ashanti Region Conference and Workshop. The conference reminded me a lot of training. Things could have been a little more efficient, but it was more organized than most things in Ghana. It was very enlightening to go and I plan on attending more conferences in the future.
The rest of the break has been pretty relaxing. Ironically enough, I read my first Michael Crichton book the same week that he died. I also found out that my first fridge that I took back has sold and I’m going to get my money tomorrow. I honestly didn’t expect the fridge to sell in the 2 years that I’m going to be in Ghana. I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch because I still don’t have the money yet, but I could possibly see a ceiling fan in my future if things work out.
With the difficulty many people have had getting calls to go through to me I have investigated a possible solution. It is possible for me to get internet through a cell phone and then I might be able to use skype to talk to people in the States for free. I’m not sure if the internet would be fast enough for skype to work but I figure it is worth a shot. The problem is that I need a phone with GPRS and Bluetooth, which is almost every modern phone in the states, and they are pricy in Ghana on a PCV budget. So if someone has an old cell that can receive data and therefore access the internet, has Bluetooth, and takes a sim card that they would like to give me for Christmas that would be nice. Or if you want to buy an unlocked phone off ebay, that would work too. This is plan that may not even work, so it’s not worth spending a lot of money though.
Thanks for all the messages and comments after the last blog too. It is nice to see you are actually reading what I have to write. Sadly, I have no poop story this week, but I’m sure I’ll have more to come. Here is something interesting though; when I got back from the math conference I found that the security guards had killed a decent size green mamba at the school. Don’t worry, they are rare in my area, and I am careful to watch where I walk. I have a picture you can see over Christmas. Also, one of the teachers put up a scarecrow to keep the birds from eating the corn he planted at the school. The ironic thing is that the scarecrow is a bamboo pole with and an actual dead crow tied to the top. I have pictures of that too. Over and Out.
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Jeff
non-member comment
good to read that you are doing good. not much new around my house just lots of hunting and quad rides. mad madder has been working on names and she should have andrew down when you get home for x-mas.