Quick Catch Up

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I've only got a few minutes, but I'll try to make some progress here.

SO! I'm in Ghana. I've been here for nearly two weeks now which is hard to believe. Let me try to scratch the surface of what's going on.

Travel from the U.S to here was kind of a daze, I didn't sleep much, tried to read up about the country and was pleasently surprised by the gallery of 17th century dutch art, and Van Gogh paintings in the Amsterdam airport. Very interesting mix of people there also. I asked a woman about the gate to the Accra flight and she responded smiling but with a tone of - are you serious- "you are going to Ghana?!". Before we even took off I met Seth, the Ghanaian man sitting next to me, who gave me his card and told me to call on my stay.

I was picked up from the airport by Kenneth Nortey-Mensah and his wife Norah. Ken runs the WWOOF Ghana program and a school here in Accra, both of which were started by his father Ebeneezer. His father dropped his job and turned his home into a school - like my grandma in India 😊 . He was became dedicated to providing education and techniques for sustainable farming to the comming Ghanaians so that they would be capable of possitively affecting their own future (not just having poverty in Ghana or leaving it to go abroad). When he died a few years ago Ken, as the oldest son, came back to keep things running.

So far, I've been staying at Ken's house with him, his wife Norah, their 2 1/2 year old daughter Candy, and Julie who takes care of the house, cooking and the baby (sort of an adopted daughter also). The house and the school are in Teshie, which is a part of the sprawling "Greater Accra Area".

The night they picked me up we stopped at the "Koala Market" for some veggies and went back to the house where I promptly slept for a few days, only to be interupted by a drive to meet one of their friends and get a few beverages at a kindof greasy food place.

Finally early the next week I came-to, and Ken brought me to see the schools. He said that he always brings the volunteers to see the schools, and they have the option of being here or going to the farms- either way he said I should stay here for a while until I'm adjusted. The first morning we went out he was stopped nearly every block by a "Sir, I have a small problem" or "Sir, can I talk to you for a moment". It was time for the children's school fees, and as the head man Ken has to field all of the parents not wanting their kids to be "sacked" for not paying the fees. The pre-k and youngest students are at the original site, but a few years ago Ken got some funding to start building a new building. This (still not complete) building is where the "basic and junior secondary school" students are.

So for some time I have been going to the school during the days. (I know I'm blabbing about things beside the interesting stuff, so I'll try to get to it a bit before I have to go for now). The school has a giant front gate to a small courtyard (of brownish dirt, just like the roads), on the left is the three story building for classes, but the roof and stairs and things aren't done, so the first and second floor are only in use. You can still see the construction in process even though it hasn't been for a LONG time. There is a smaller building to the right where the headmaster's office, the kitchen and "polytank" (of water) are.

To cut it shorter for now, I've been sort of adopted by this classroom and their teacher James, who has become a friend of mine. I started out by just introducing myself and telling them about me, where I'm from, etc. As a non-Ghanaian, I'm pretty unusual (as if i'm not already hehe), and people (especially the kids) really want to know what's going on with me, and what things are like outside of Ghana. They ask me lots of questions about myself, my family, religion, etc. but also things like "what food do you like to eat" and my favorite question which was also the first- "Sir, what pertains in America".

They also always want me to teach them games and songs and tell them stories, so being a camp counselor over the years has prepared me for the job. I sort of combined a few stories of mine with bears and injuries and adventure to make one big story that was a huge hit. Simon says was a raging success wtih the kindergarteners, who also sang some nursery rhymes for me (one of the greatest things that's happened). It's really been amazingto be able to connect with these kids who are comming from a very different "place" than my usual one.

Even though the kids were surprised by me at first now they are all running after me- "Misteh Hajee" at school, and all of over town if they see me. I get calls of "Obruni Obruni" all the time, and a lot of times "Obruni Rasta". Here many people take me as a Rastaman so it's interesting to see connections with people through that.

It's interesting that in the U.S with my turban and not ghost-pale skin, I'm seen as an other (a brown man, or something else); Here- I am a white man. even so I'm ambiguous in a way that people wonder (the rasta bit or somethin else).

The people that I have met so far have done nothing less than treat me like their close friends. I have become friends with James as I said, Faustina, who is the school Secretary, and Laweson who is like a brother to Nani (my teacher, who will be arriving in a few weeks).

(ok, five minutes left, be brief)
I spent the first week at the school.

On the weekend I walked with James and Faustina to the sea and saw the old Ga settlement, where people first moved when they came to Teshie. Funeral day there, crazy amount of people.

Sunday went with Faustina to her church. ..whoah.. more to come on that,

many walks with Laweson

went to school Monday, but Tuesday started comming down with something.
Got sick sleeping for 3 days straight with tonsilitus and a bacterial infection. finally went to a clinic, got some meds, feeling better.

hopefully will go to a farm near cape coast tomorrow.

more to come, bye bye

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