Questions from America

Questions for Ms. Cockle and her students from Mrs. Caruso’s 1st and 2nd period class:

1. What does the food taste like? A lot of Ghanian food is starch-based. Lots of carbohydrates: white rice, boiled or fried yams, fried or boiled plantains (giant bananas), fu fu (pounded cassava, yam, or plantain that is about the consistency of raw bread dough). The starch foods are then covered in or dipped in a hot stew of meat and/or vegetables. There are other foods, too, like pineapple, apple, mango, banana, and watermelon. Typically, for breakfast, I eat bread with peanut butter (which is called "groundnut paste"), for lunch I eat white rice with beans or stew on top, and for dinner we eat either boiled yams and stew or spaghetti noodles and sauce. My favorite thing to eat here is frozen chocolate milk, called FanChoco. It comes in a plastic bag. You tear the corner of the bag off with your teeth and then you drink/eat the milk out of the bag.

2. Do the kids easily understand you? Most of the time the older students - (above grade 3) understand me. I do talk more slowly, though, as English is their second (or third or fourth) language. I've also learned a few Twi words and sentences to use in the classroom. Like to say "Sit down" I say "Ten Ah Say." To say "Be Quiet" I say "May Wanno." And to say "Stop," I say "Jye." I have also learned to say things in English the way that people here say them. For example, in America we say, "I will be right back." In Ghana, they say, "I am coming." In America, if I want to hand you something, I say, "Here." or "Take this." In Ghana, they say, "Collect."

3. Are people patient with you as you learn the customs? Yes. Most people are patient with me. It is important to never shake someone's hand with your left hand, wave with your left hand, pass money with your left hand, or eat with your left hand. Your left hand is used when you use the bathroom, so it is always considered unclean. I always try to be aware to use my right hand for all of these things, but since I am left-handed, sometimes it is difficult. It is very important to greet someone when you pass them on the street. I try to remember this. I don't want people to think I am being rude. I say "Hello. How are you?" about a million times a day! Also, since I speak a few words in Twi, some people assume I can speak a lot of words in Twi and are confused when I don't know what they are asking me.

4. Do you wear clothes like the people in Ghana? Yes. Ghanian people wear beautiful clothes. They have a special type of dress that is made from beautiful cloth. There are two pieces, a top and a skirt. I have had two dresses made by a seamstress. She has also made me two other shirts and is working on matching pants and shirt for me. Many people in our village tell us we are true Ghanians when we wear our African clothing.

5. What are the houses made out of? Many of the houses are made out of cement blocks and then covered with cement for extra strength. They have roofs (rooves?) made of tin. There usually aren't glass windows, just open holes or screens. Some houses are made of mud and have a thatch roof.

6. Do students chew gum? Are there gum jars? Students chew gum. You can buy gumballs for very cheap. There are no gum jars. =( Do you think I should start one?

7. Is candy a really special treat to a kid or is it pretty common? Candy is a fairly special treat. Especially foreign candy. There is candy here, but it's not very good. Ghana produces chocolate, and it tastes ok. I call it "CHALK-o-late," because it's texture is really chalky. There are small hard candies, which are called "toffees" but they don't taste very good, either. One is called "Tom's" and it really tastes like a bad cough drop. One candy I like is a coca-cola candy. It tastes just like Coke. Whenever I get candy in the mail, I try to share with the boys in the house or give some of it to my students as a reward or treat.

8. Have you seen Asian people in Africa? I have seen a few Asian people here. Asians are also considered "Obruni" or white, though. Isn't that funny? Anyone who is not black is considered white.

9. Do people eat seafood other than just fish? I think so. I've been to restaurants that serve lobster and shrimp, but I think mostly tourists eat that. The people of Ghana mostly eat fish as their seafood.

10. What kind of sports are there? Football (Soccer) is THE sport in Ghana!!! Everyone is obsessed with it!!! Kids will play football with anything they can possibly kick. Volleyball is also popular. The boys at my house love to play ping pong (they call it T.T. for table tennis).

11. What kind of musical instruments are played? The main musical instrument played in Ghana is the drum. There are all kinds of drums, and they have amazing sounds. You can hit them at different spots (with your hands) and they make different sounds. There are some string instruments, too, but I don't know what they are called. Kind of a cross between a harp and a guitar.

12. Are there dentists and hospitals? How about if you have eye problems? There are hospitals. I'm not sure about dentists. If you have a medical issue, you always have to go to the hospital. I imagine if you had a dental problem or an eye problem, you would have to visit the hospital, too.

13. Is there a problem with drug abuse in Ghana? I don't know the statistics, but as with anywhere, there are people who use drugs. The main drugs I hear about people using are alcohol and marijuana.

14. Are students allowed to be punished with hitting or physical force? How are students disciplined? Students are allowed to be punished with hitting and physical force, although at my school it's technically not allowed (though it still happens). The main method is called "caning." A teacher uses a cane (stick) to hit the child if he or she is misbehaving. Another punishment is for a student to kneal on the cement floor with their arms in the air until they can behave appropriately. Remember, they wear shorts or skirts to school, so it hurts!!!

15. How many students are in each of your classes? I teach in three different grade levels (4, 5 and 6). The P4 class has 34 students, I think. P5 has about 20, and P6 has about 25.

16. How far do they travel to get to school? All students walk to school. There aren't any buses. I'm not sure how far the farthest walk is, but I think students walk from over 30 minutes away.

17. Is it expensive to attend your school? It costs 8 Ghana Cedis per term (about 8 dollars). There are three terms. The children can also pay for "canteen" (lunch) which is about 15 cents per day.

18. How long is the school day? Students are encouraged to be at school as early as 7 a.m. to help clean the schoolyard and classrooms. School starts officially at 8:00 and classes go until 2:00 p.m. There are extra classes after school a few days a week that students can pay to attend, as well.

19. Do students have to attend every class? Attendance is taken in first period. After that, it isn't taken. Students come and go as they would like, sometimes leaving to go home or to market. Many students do not attend any classes on Mondays, as it's market day and they have to help their family with the sales. Many students leave class to get food and often miss much of what is going on in class.

20. What do students do for lunch? Like in America, some students bring their lunch. Others purchase lunch in the "canteen" or kitchen, and others go out to buy food outside of the school.

21. How far are you from the coast? It takes at least five hours by car to get to the coast.

22. Where do people get or buy clothes? There is a big used clothing market here. Many clothes come from Europe and America. At the market on Mondays in Ejura, you can find all kinds of "Western" clothes. Also, many Ghanians have clothes made by seamstresses. Again, fabric is sold at Monday market and then you can choose what kind of clothes you want made. I've had two dresses, two shirts, and matching pants and shirt made.

23. What music do people listen to? Akon is huge here. Also Shakira, Shakira. And Celine Dion (seriously). Lots of American music. Also, Reggae is big. Lucky Dube is/was a popular Reggae artist who lived in Ghana. He was shot and killed shortly after I arrived. Another type of music that originated in Ghana is called High Life. You can search on iTunes for these songs...

24. What kind of shoes do people wear? Flip flops are the most popular. Plain flip flops. Fancy flip flops. Plastic flip flops. Leather flip flops. They are called slippers here. Mostly they're worn around the house and while doing errands. There are all kinds of other shoes, too, just like in America. Tennis shoes, boots, dress shoes. But, mostly, flip flops are the most frequently worn.

25. Do any students have pets? Some students have a cat or dog as a pet.

26. Are there any American stores or businesses in Ghana? (Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.) Not that I have seen.

27. What are some American foods/brands that you have seen in Ghana? I have seen Pepsi, Sprite, Coke, and Fanta. I have seen some Dove beauty products. Johnson and Johnson baby products. That's about all. There are a lot of "fake" brands like Adidas and Nike. I saw one pair of tennis shoes that had both the Puma logo and the Nike logo on them. Confusing!

28. What does a cedi look like? Kind of like a dollar bill, except it is red with Ghanian pictures on it. I will send you one.

29. When was the last time you had chocolate? Ghana is a major producer of chocolate. Cocoa beans are one of it's biggest crops. We can get chocolate anytime we want. But, I actually don't like it very much. It's very chalky in texture. I probably ate it about a month ago. I do drink hot chocolate almost every morning, though. =)

30. Do you have a refrigerator? Yes. We have a refrigerator at the house. Unfortunately, we have been without electricity for over two months, so we don't use it.

31. How hot is it there? It's usually in the 80's or 90's during the day and then probably in the 60's or 70's at night. Some really hot days were over 100.

32. What language do they speak on the TV? English is the national language so mostly English is spoken on t.v. I haven't watched too much t.v. though, so I'm not sure if there are shows where the local language (Twi) is spoken.

33. What language is spoken in the house? English and Twi

34. Do people date in Ghana or are there arranged marriages? This has been a hard one to figure out. I don't think people date like they do in America. Kids in school don't really have boyfriends and girlfriends, like kids in middle school sometimes do. I think more of what happens is that when you reach a certain age (like 20) or you finish with SSS (Senior Secondary School) then you kind of start thinking about getting married. Kids I have talked to have told me that they will look at their church or school for someone they would like to marry. I don't know too much about engagement or marriage ceremonies, either. I will try to find out more and let you know. I do know that Ashanti tradition requires a man to present a stool (chair) to the woman he intends to marry. Maybe like an engagement ring?

35. “Will you marriage me?” (They loved reading about this on your blog!)


Questions for Ms. Cockle and her students from Mrs. Caruso’s 5th and 6th period class:

1. What does food taste like? Lots of starch and carbohydrates. Rice, oatmeal, cooked veggies, kind of bland tasting. Not a lot of different spices to use.

2. What’s your favorite food or dish? I really like rice and beans. Or a fried egg sandwich.

3. Do the students wear uniforms? Yes. The uniforms are a pink and black shirt with a black skirt for the girls and black shorts for the boys. Do they like them? Yes and no. I think some like them because they always know what they are wearing everyday. But, also, I am sure they get bored of the same thing everyday.

4. If you could change something about the way you live, what would you change? Why? (For Ms. Cockle and the students to answer) I would definitely want to have electricity. I think that's the only thing I would change here. Really, it's not too bad.

5. What kind of games do kids play? Kids play Ampe, a clapping and kicking game. They play a game with rubberbands where they shoot them at sticks propped up against a wall. They play card games. They play football (soccer) with anything they possibly can.

What sports? Football (soccer), volleyball, riding bicycles...

6. What kind of art is there? Lots of paintings and woodcarvings. Beads are popular in Ghana, too.

7. What do people wear outside of school? Same things you wear - jeans, t-shirts, shorts...

8. Do you assign a lot of homework? Nope!

9. What other ethnicities live there? Almost all are from Africa. There are people from all over Ghana who live in Ejura. There are quite a few people from Nigeria in Ejura, as well. There are a couple of Indian men who live here. The volunteers at the house are the only white people that I know of who live in Ejura.

10. What is the daily schedule for school? School starts at 8 and ends at 2. There is a break at 10:10 for a half hour and then a forty minute lunch break at 12:40. The classes are 40 minutes long.

11. Has your skin gotten any darker? Yep. I have a nice tan. =)

12. What music do the kids listen to? They love AKON and Shakira. There's lots of cool Ghana pop music, too.

13. Does anyone have videogames? Not many people that I know of. Videogames are available, here, though. Most kids play outside all day long, though.

14. Does anyone know how to play American football? Not that I have seen.

15. Do students read a lot? Not a lot. There are not a lot of books available to them. There is a library at the house, though, so they can check out books to read. There isn't a bookstore or library in the town of Ejura.



Thank you so much to Mrs. Caruso's and Ms. Barut's classes for the awesome student profiles you sent recently. I received them in the mail and am so excited to hand them out to my students!!! Your writing was excellent and I liked how you explained your favorite foods!!! The pictures were great, too!!! Let me know if you have more questions.

-Ms. Cockle

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