robinray
Robin Ray Joined: July 5th 2009
Logged in: October 28th 2010
Logged in: October 28th 2010
Lovies!!!! MWAH
Travel Blog Posts
Sunset at ISH
Hey people of the world who happen to check out my adventure in Ghana: I recently was reviewing all the blogs I had written last school year and got super reminiscent. I also realized I never found the time to give a farewell to my beloved home in GHana. I think I was more than ready to come home at the time I was leaving and I know for sure I did not feel sentimental about the place by any means. Africa, Ghana, the developing world in general can wear you down in ways you would not believe. I was tired of being hot, tired of being harassed, tired of those damn ant-bites every day, and tired of the food. I needed to go home. But now I'm home, and I miss my red-red! I was ... read more
Looking back at Busua Beach
Hey all, This is just a quickie update on life here... All (school, friends, social life) is well. I have been traveling a little bit on the weekends, since I'm trying not to miss too much school this semester. I'm taking a plant and animal ecology class that's pretty intensive and has four hour labs every week, so I guess in this way, I am more focused on school this time around. The lack of homework and once a week lectures still make engaging in my education challenging, but I am really enjoying what I have learned about development and international politics. Gues that poli-sci minor wasn't such a bad idea afterall...though last semester my Poli classes were pure misery...but I digress.... My French friend, Stephanie, and I traveled to Busua- which is where I spent ... read more
Etsiapa School
Here are some photos of some of my internship experiences.... hope they load properly!... read more
Etsiapa School
NOTE: no pics due to slow internet, sorry. -RR As I mentioned in a previous blog (9th of February??), I have started my internship at the UN University's Inst. for NR in Africa. Here's a brief account of my most recent activities.... On the trip to the central region, we ended up working with three schools in the area; one in Elmina, and two in Cape Coast proper. My boss (and probably the coolest lady in West Africa!), Yvonne, and Samuel, the director of a partner NGO (Centre for Environmental Analysis) talked with teachers for students as young as 6 up to about 6th grade level. In some cases, we got to speak with the students directly. We talked with them about how to form environmental clubs on their campuses, what kinds of impacts they could ... read more
NOTE: Posted sans pictures because internet is too slow, sorry. -RR One of my most favorite classes this semester is called Strategies of Development in Africa. Call me a nerd, but I think it's really cool to learn why and how a society functions (or doesn't). Especially when trying to understand how to address environmental concerns, like me. In this class, I am learning the different theories and history of development in different African nations, and so I was thinking in this frame of mind when our CSU group went to visit a cocoa farm and a botanical garden last Saturday (2/27/10). It was interesting to see tangible effects of colonialism in several instances, both at the Tettah-Quarshie's Cocoa Farm and later on at the Aburi Botanical Gardens. We took an informal walking tour of Tettah ... read more
February 7th 2010
I am writing this little diddy from my hotel room in Cape Coast and I'm like teetering on the edge of my seat. Though the jitters are partially due to the fact that I've had like three cokes today (they taste so much better when they don't have corn syrup in them and come from glass bottles), I'm jumpin' around like a Mexican jumping bean because Sam and I are officially starting our internship with the United Nations tomorrow! By a stroke of (true-to-Ghanaian-fashion) luck, last week Sam randomly went by the director's office (Yvonne) on her way to class. If you recall from my older posts, we were supposed to be interning with Yvonne last semester, working to develop training manuals and seminars for teachers for environmental education. Specifically, we were to work with climate ... read more
Hey y'alll! I found my Belgian friends' blog info and link to their pics....which are stunning! While their blog is in dutch, their pics aren't....so please check them out at http://afrikatrip.jalbum.net/ if you want to see some really really awesome photos from all over West Africa. Thanks Dries and Lode, safe travels back to Europe! Blog (if you're willing and able to read Dutch:): afrikatripdriesenlode.waarbenjij.nv More later (about my life :)... Love, Robin... read more
GH vs. Mali
In the spirit of Ghana securing a place in the African Cup of Nations final this week, I am going to be sharing my Ghanaian football experiences with you! If you're like me, and didn't know what the African Cup of Nations even is...you can follow Ghana's national team, the "Black Stars" at http://www.ghanafa.org/ Ok, anyone who knows me, knows I am not so into sports. Unless there is beer involved (it's not that i even like beer that much, I guess I just get bored!) But when in Rome.... Or better yet: when in Africa, WATCH FOOTBALL. And by football, I mean "futbol" which means "soccer," of course. I've been to two games since I've been here: the first in Accra; the second, in Kumasi. The first was a qualifying match for the world cup ... read more
Well well well if it isn't time for classes to begin already! School here at University of Ghana officially started January 17th, but as you may have come to understand (as I have) by now, that we're not actually starting until this week. Some of you may be wondering how the travels and Christmas break was for me? Hmmm... about the time off for school...well, at best we can say it was an interesting time. I say this because as I only got to travel to Togo and a little bit within Ghana. You see, it may sound a bit pompous to say I ONLY traveled to Togo and throughout Ghana during the break, but the truth of the matter is my friends and I were planning a "West African tour" of various countries surrounding Ghana. ... read more
"Tro" story
Bonjour all, Well, finals have officially ended for me, the last was on Saturday. As I have mentioned, the school system is very different here, including how they do finals. Basically the examination period is three weeks long, and the exams consist of around 3-5 essay questions about the subject. You are given 2 1/2 or 3 hours to "write the exam," which comprises your grade for the entire semester. YIKES! I think I did allright, I am always overly critical of myself, so I probably did better than I thought, but there was one test that really gave me a run for my money. There are so many rumors floating around campus that no one actually grades the foreign students' exams, and they just give us good grades. I really hope that's not the case...except ... read more
