First Day of School!

(Written August 22nd, retroactively posted internet permitting!)

In my 17 years of school, I have never had a first day like today. The day started out like every other first day. I woke up, got ready, and even took my “first day” photo! 

I had no idea where my classes were because acronyms were used for all of the buildings. For example, I was supposed to go to LLT, but because none of the Ghanaians I spoke with have taken a linguistics course before, none of them knew where the lecture hall was. After some wandering and some very helpful locals, I learned that LLT stands for Linguistics Lecture Theatre. (Keep in mind this was all happening before 7:30 AM because my class was scheduled to start at 7:30 AM.)

Finally I found the classroom… only to find it empty. Later I learned it is totally normal for professors not to show up for class in the first week of the semester, but it is still the duty of the students to sit in the lecture hall for the first 45 minutes of the lecture period in case the class does occur. I was scheduled to have four classes today, but only one of them took place. Some of them do not even have assigned locations yet, even though we are in the first week of school. Like I said, it was a first day unlike any other. 

I’m accustomed to living in California, where time is money, but here in Ghana time is simply time. In Ghana it is senseless to go to a restaurant hungry because on average they take such a long time to bring food that you would be ravenous by the time the food got there. I find this is simply because Ghanaian food takes a long time to prepare. In California there is a saying, “Patience is a virtue.” Well in Ghana it’s a necessity. It’s hard moving from a culture where everything needed to be done yesterday to a culture where things can simply be done tomorrow, but it is most definitely a way to learn patience, which is a skill I’m still establishing. 

I found this photo in a coffee shop the other day, it’s very appropriate for the region. 

In the Beginning...

Hey Everyone! Just got internet access on the laptop for the first time since arriving!

(Written August 8th, retroactively posted internet permitting!)

After 30+ hours of traveling and three flights, we finally arrived save and sound in Accra! We arrived at 5:10 AM local time, and the humidity was so high (100%) that it felt like we covered ourselves in maple syrup and never washed it off. The heat I can handle, but the humidity will take a lot of getting used too. 

Here are five truths about Ghana/Ghanian culture that I have learned in the past 15 hours:

1. Back in the day, before the wonderful invention of toilet paper, people used their left hand to wipe. Although we have the ever so famous TP (or T-Roll, as they say) here in Ghana now, the tradition still stands and it is incredibly rude to do anything with one’s left hand including daily things such as eating, paying, or gesturing. Fortunately for me, writing with it is okay though!
2. The University of Ghana Legion’s men’s handball team is ranked #1 in the country. They haven’t lost a match in six years.
3. University of Ghana is home to the largest library in West Africa, the “” library.
4. The pineapple juice here is delicious. I’ve only been here a day and I’m positive I’m going to miss it like crazy when we leave in December.
5. Ghanians live up to their reputation of being extremely friendly. They are very welcoming.

Tomorrow the two week long culturally intense orientation/immersion program begins. The next two weeks have been mapped out down to every second of every day. We will be learning basic skills such as how to do our laundry, how to eat healthy in Ghana, how to perform African drumming and dancing, and how to speak Asante Twi phrases as well as traveling around the country to places such as Kumasi, and Cape Coast. The orientation is so intense that we get four quarter units for it. (To give some perceptive, at UCLA I would get five quarter units for attending one class for five hours every week for 10 consecutive weeks.)

Time to use what little free time I have to sleep! Good night!

I'm Engaged! Well... Sort Of...

Actually I'm not engaged at all. But I do have my faux engagement ring... a lovely sterling silver ring that I bought for $20. According to numerous sources (including the internet, advice from strangers, and my travel nurse) it is strongly recommended that I wear a "wedding type ring" to limit the number of proposals I'll get on the street. Maybe one day while strolling through Accra (pronounced: uhh-KRAW, or for those linguists out there: [əˈkrɑː]) I'll take it off to see how many (more) wedding proposals I get on the street. Think I'm joking? Check out this post from Pink Pangea titled: "How to Reject Marriage Proposals From Ghanaian Men." (1)

Tomorrow's the day folks! And let me tell you, it really hasn't hit me yet. Other than the fact that my entire life is packed into a giant backpack and a duffel bag, life feels pretty normal. Just working, going out to dinner with friends. You know... normal stuff. But tomorrow, as we embark on our first of three flights to JFK airport, it will all change. All the research and built up excitement from the past year will hit me and once again I will embark on another journey that is not simply "a year of my life" but rather my entire life in one year. Again, I will experience all of the stages of language acquisition that children experience. Beginning from virtually nothing, I will attempt to learn enough Twi (pronounced: tchree, linguists: [tʃwiː]) to haggle at markets and order food at restaurants. Fortunately for me, English is the official language of Ghana; however, Twi is the most widely spoken language (2).  

Pretty soon I'll be sure to provide for you, my lovely readers, a list of things that are in fact NOT weird. Simply different between Ghana and my beautiful home state California. (A lovely Rotary Youth Exchange motto right there! Not weird, just different.) 

In the mean time have any questions? Concerns?! Thoughts? Insights? Or any other type of remark? Be sure to leave it in a comment below!

Now... let's get this adventure started!

P.S. Here's a picture of my dog Chrissy, simply because (like every dog owner) I think she's absolutely adorable. 

Sources: 

(1) Perry, Gena. "How to Reject Marriage Proposals from Ghanian Men." Web log post. Pink Pangea. Pink Pangea, 18 Sept. 2015. Web. 5 Aug. 2016."Akan." 

(2) Languages, Alphabet and Pronunciation. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Aug. 2016.