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[isa-in-accra]

Halfway Done and Birthday Fun

More photos here!

I cannot believe how quickly time has passed, but with midterms over and spring break on the horizon, we are officially at the halfway point in our semester! Most of the weekend was spent studying and preparing for our exams and spring break trips, but we did make time to be together as well.

A few of us take Traditional Drumming over at the University of Ghana, and one of our professors announced that there would be a dance performance on Saturday. We are friendly with a couple of the UG dance majors, having met them at the NYU dance workshop and then seeing them every week before our drumming class, so we decided to attend the show. It was beautifully done and afterwards we got to say hi to some of the dancers we knew. Somehow I got roped into going to one of their evening dance classes at some point during the semester, so hopefully a few of my friends would be willing to tag along with me so I don’t make a fool of myself alone!

After the show, Alexis, Imani, and I met up with the rest of House 3 (Shakota, Anne, and Natalie) at a nice restaurant called Coco Lounge. Natalie is going to Europe over spring break and will be turning 21 there, so we wanted to celebrate early before we all went away on vacation. I was extremely underdressed for this place – I wore wedges and a nice pair of shorts with a white t-shirt (because I’m lazy) only to read a sign when I got there that said “DRESS CODE: no shorts”! Fortunately this was not enforced strictly and we had a great meal that finished with a big strawberry cake and birthday song for Nat. Happy early birthday Natalie, I love you!

The next morning, Imani and I woke up at 5 am to go to the radio show she produces as part of her internship. She and I are working on a project together for our documentary filmmaking class, so I tagged along that day to help film the show and interview the host, Agnes Ntow. Agnes was born in the States to Ghanaian parents and grew up in the Chicago suburbs. It was great to meet another Chicago girl here in Ghana, and I was definitely able to relate to some of her sentiments about fusing her cultural background with her upbringing in the West. I had so much fun experiencing the “behind-the-scenes” aspect of Agnes’ radio show. She is a great host and a fascinating interview subject. Here is a link to her bio on the YFM page, and you can download the YFM app if you want to listen to her show! It airs on Saturdays and Sundays from 6-9 am Accra time.

I only have class Monday through Wednesday, so midterms are over for me. Today and tomorrow I will spend catching up on work and running last-minute errands. I leave for my spring break trip to São Tomé on Saturday with my friends Grace and Anna and I am so excited! I’ll miss the House 3 squad while we’re all away, but I can’t wait to hear their stories and see pictures from their trips to Europe and around Ghana. Time for me to start packing!

[isa-in-accra]

Independence Day in Ghana

More photos here!

March 6th is Independence Day in Ghana, and this year marks the 60th anniversary of Ghana's liberation from colonial powers. We saw signs of the country preparing for the celebration all week, from art on the street to banners and balloons in our local Shop-Rite. Ghana is a fairly patriotic country already; national pride runs high and the Ghanaian flag is evident everywhere whether it is Independence Day or not, so this extra burst of spirit was a lot of fun to see!

Classes were canceled for the national holiday, so the 6 of us in House 3 came up with a few ideas of how to spend the day, none of which included doing all the homework we neglected over our weekend trip.

We knew there would be parades and events happening around Accra and in Black Star Square, but were told that going to those is somewhat similar to going to the ball drop in NYC – basically, not the M.O. of most locals. Lots of people go to beach for the day, and we thought that sounded like the perfect way to spend our Monday too.

Natalie has a Ghanaian friend from her church in NYC whose sister Afua is opening her own resort here in Ghana. She owns a beautiful piece of property on the coast and did a fantastic job of developing it, complete with a lovely name: Cliff Haven.

She very kindly invited Natalie plus the 5 of us to spend the day at Cliff Haven free of charge. She sent for a driver to pick us up at 9:30 and take us to the resort, which is about 45 minutes away from where we live in Accra. The property is perched right above the Atlantic Ocean, with steps leading down to an easily-accessible and absolutely beautiful beach. Some parts, such as the pool and the garden, are still under construction, but I know they will look great when they’re finished!

We were given 2 rooms to drop our stuff, shown the bar if we needed drinks, and brought out to the beach, where I promptly removed my shoes, ran into the ocean, and did not come back out until I was told to do so. It has been quite a while since I’ve been able to swim in an ocean, and compounded with my disappointment at Labadi Beach a few weeks ago, I was especially eager to spend time in the water. It was perfectly clean and the temperature of the water was very warm. Some staff members turned on the resort’s speakers, which were so loud that I could hear the music playing even as I was neck-deep in ocean water. It wasn’t easy to dance and tread water at the same time, but I made it work.

Since we arrived early, we had a huge stretch of beach all to ourselves for the entire morning. We swam, danced, took photos, exfoliated (sand is a natural exfoliant!), and tanned. Natalie and Alexis both have DSLR cameras and I have a GoPro, but somehow all 3 of us forgot to bring our equipment. I’m convinced it was our subconscious telling us to simply relax & enjoy what was in front of us, and I was more than happy to oblige.

After a few hours on the beach, nearly all of which I spent fully submerged in the ocean (and simultaneously earning the nickname Isa the Sea Snail), we toweled off and sat down to a lunch buffet that Auntie Afua and her staff spent all morning preparing for us. The food was delicious and there was so much of it: French fries, fried yams (better than French fries), Jollof rice, white rice, chicken, tilapia, grilled pork, 3 different kinds of spicy salsa, and salad with some of the best avocado we’ve had here. I stuffed my face before running right back to the beach and jumping into the ocean again.

Around 3 pm, the waves began to get a bit more choppy and rough as the tide came in, so we decided to pack up from the beach and wash up in the hotel rooms. Afua is an interior designer by trade, so the rooms and the resort itself were all beautifully designed and stocked with amenities. Once all of us were showered and rested, the driver who brought us in the morning took us back home to Labone.

As we drove back, we noticed some huge storm clouds rolling in that had gotten much bigger and darker since we saw them in the morning. We arrived in Labone just before the rain started, so naturally 3 of my friends decided to run up the road to go get cupcakes. I sent them off with my raincoat and umbrella, which they just barely grabbed before sprinting out of the compound to The Cupcake Boutique. They did not beat the rain this time, but they did get cupcakes, so they called it a win anyways.

I had a truly perfect day. I’ve enjoyed nearly every minute of my time here, including the challenging moments, but it was nice and clearly necessary to dedicate a full day to unwinding and de-stressing. Big thanks to Auntie Afua for her kindness & generosity, and to Natalie for inviting me along & providing me with one of the most relaxing days I’ve had in months. If you are ever in Ghana, I highly recommend staying at Cliff Haven Resort in Greater Accra! It officially opens this Easter.

Also, I would like to wish the country of Ghana a very happy (and very belated) Independence Day. Words will never be able to describe the connection I feel to this incredible country and its big-hearted people. Here’s to another 60 and many, many more!

[isa-in-accra]

ADANU Build and Village Homestay Part II: Living Like a Local

TONS MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS AMAZING EXPERIENCE HERE!

After we finished our construction work for the day, we had a short break before meeting up with our host families. Some of the older kids in the village taught us a few of their favorite games, some of which weren’t that easy to master! It was a nice way to relax a little after the hard day of work.

About 30 minutes later, it was time to meet our host families. ADANU grouped the NYU students on one side and the host moms on the other while Mypa read out each student-family pairing one by one. My host mom was a woman named Sesi Etorman, and she was absolutely wonderful. We both discovered quickly that we loved to laugh, which was a good way to break through a pretty intense language barrier.

 Sesi helped me gather my things and move them to her house, which she shared with her two kids Evelyn (12) and Hilary (6), as well as her aunt and a few other family members. After sitting with her family under the shade of a tree for a while, Sesi took me to get washed up before dinner.

We were told in advance at our orientation that our evening wash would be done via bucket bath. The bathing stalls are free-standing structures scattered throughout the village. They are essentially 4-walled stone cubes with a small corridor-like entrance, no top, and a drain near the back wall. There is no running water, so water has to be brought in buckets from the village’s water source. Some of my friends actually fetched their bath water themselves and tried their hand at carrying the water on their head with the help of their host moms. I was spoiled by Sesi, who brought me a bucket herself.

I came prepared with my own shampoo, conditioner, soap, and towel. The walls of the bathing units are not very high; if I stood up straight, my chest and everything above it would likely be exposed. I decided the best solution would be to squat in a corner. I was slightly paranoid the whole time that someone would see me, but everyone respects one another’s privacy during bathing. My arms were so weak by the end of the day that even lifting the bucket over my head was a bit of a struggle, but I managed quite well and left feeling extremely clean. The cold water actually came as a relief after being under the sun all day, and it did its job of washing off all of the sweat, concrete, and dust that had collected up since 9 am.

I finished up my bucket bath and changed into a clean set of clothes before joining my host family back outside. Hilary, her cousin Mekwiya, and some of the other kids in the village brought over a workbook to teach me some Ewe words and demonstrate the English they knew as well. Sesi and Evelyn had already started preparing the family’s dinner of okra soup and banku, so I sat by them as they worked. Sesi’s sister Belief also introduced herself and helped prepare the food. Belief spoke fluent English in addition to Ewe. She was also able to speak and write in Twi because she attended school in Kumasi. She showed me a fruit that I unfortunately forgot the name of, but it’s orange on both the outside and the inside. It has a hard shell that you slam onto a stone to crack it open down the middle. The stringy meat inside is then pulled out and cooked with maize. I’ll post a picture of it; maybe someone will know what it is!

All of the food was prepared outside. A large stone served as the cooking surface, where a fire made from sticks was heating a pot suspended by more rocks. Sesi began slicing okra into a bowl, which would be the main ingredient in the okra soup. Palm oil, fish, a sweetener, salt, and ground red chili peppers with onion were also added. Under a tent off to the side, Evelyn stirred the ingredients of the banku (maize and cassava) together before bringing the dough over to Sesi for her to finish mixing over the fire. They let me try my hand at cutting the okra, smashing the peppers, and stirring the banku, but I somehow managed to do everything wrong. After comparing my experience with my friends and finding out they had similar ones, I felt a little less embarrassed! NYU and ADANU provided us with a great dinner of plantains, white rice, chicken, spinach stew, and sliced oranges, but some of the host families (mine included) sent us with baskets of food they had cooked for us to try. Most of us had banku with some sort of accompanying stew: okra, palm nut, etc. My friend Anne’s host family caught and killed a grasscutter, a type of bush meat that is considered a delicacy amongst the villagers. Despite watching the entire process of the animal being killed and cleaned, she bravely tried a bite of it! I tried a small portion of mine as well, but we were cautioned against eating a lot of it in case our stomachs didn’t react well. After dinner, the NYU Accra staff lead us through a debriefing session in which we shared our experiences and asked some questions.

I don’t think I have ever been more dehydrated in my entire life than I was that day. Before I left that morning, I went to the bathroom around 5:50 am. All day, I was drinking water constantly – I went through 6 1.5 liter bottles by myself – but did not even feel the need to use the restroom until 9:30 pm that night. My body was using every last drop of water that entered it.

After dinner, we attended a bonfire and dance performance set up for us by the village. Once again, we joined the women in the dancing circle while some of the men played the drums. Around 9:15, one by one, our host moms came to collect us so we could get some sleep after the long day. The village was pitch-black at night; the only light was that emanating from the bonfire we were leaving behind. I was stumbling over rocks and grass even with the light from my phone on, but Sesi, Hilary, & Evelyn either have incredible eyesight, know their village like the back of their hand, or both. Sometimes I would shine my light on the ground and see bugs about the size of my hand, which was both amazing and terrifying.

ADANU has several mattresses stored for volunteers to use when they spend the night. My mattress was on the ground next to the bed used by Sesi, Hilary, & Evelyn. We were told to bring our own sheets and pillow, but Sesi let me use one of her bedsheets, which was a beautiful piece of printed fabric.

Despite all of their kindness and my clear exhaustion, I unfortunately did not sleep well. Anyone who has been to my house knows that my mom and I keep the AC on full-blast year round. Our NYU housing back in Accra has AC as well, which is very lucky. Sesi’s home in her village did not. I was very comfortable on my mattress, but sadly was very restless from the heat. I was also still extremely dehydrated, despite drinking another entire liter of water before going to bed. When I did fall asleep, it would be for 2-hour intervals before waking up again. During those 2-hour intervals, I would literally dream about unscrewing the cap from my water bottle and drinking more water. I made sure to rehydrate the minute I woke up the next morning, which was around 6 am.

Before breakfast, I spent some time with some of the kids from the previous evening, including Hilary, her cousin Mekwiya, and their friends Desmond and Goshwe.

Breakfast was served by ADANU, and it included a full spread of sausages, bread with different spreads, pineapple, eggs, coffee, and tea. I was primarily focused on drinking water at that point, but enjoyed the food as well.

After breakfast, all of us returned to our host families to begin getting ready for church. Ghana is a very religious country, and its primary religion is Christianity. This holds true in villages as well.

All of us were dressed in traditional Ghanaian church wear by our host moms. The traditional outfit is a two-piece with a matching top and skirt and a piece of cloth draped over the shoulder, plus a hair wrap and some jewelry. Sesi found a green and maroon outfit for me, made sure it fit, then wrapped my hair in a beautiful printed cloth. This is too much information, but she even let me borrow a bra – I only brought sports bras, which looked awful with the beautiful outfit Sesi had picked for me to wear. Meanwhile, Evelyn brought me a piece of blue fabric to drape over my shoulder, while a different mom let me use one of her necklaces. I loved every component of the outfit, but the part I enjoyed the most was the hair wrap. I really did not want to take it off. My long, thick hair intensifies the heat around my neck, face, and back, and for some reason I insist on keeping it down 90% of the time. That morning was the first time I didn’t feel completely suffocated by it. Sesi laughed at how much I was enjoying myself in the wrap!

The church service was beautiful. As usual, drumming, dancing, and singing were heavily involved. Two members of the Salvation Army also joined the service. Hilary and Mekwiya shared the chair on my left, while a little girl named Susan fell asleep in the chair to my right! Despite not understanding most of what was said, I felt very moved by the service. The spirit of the people and their zest for life was inspirational to say the least, and I began to feel overwhelmed by this understanding compounded with my growing thoughts on the events of the weekend.

 We left church slightly early to complete our final debriefing session before heading back to our host homes one more time to change, pack up, and say goodbye. Bidding my host family farewell was a very emotional experience for me. So many people – my host mom, sisters, cousins, aunts, and more – came together to make sure that I was comfortable for the short time I spent with them. Despite a very large language barrier, I felt a bond with several members of the community and won’t ever forget them. I hope to see them again one day! Who knows, it could happen.

As we boarded the bus home, our host families helped us pack our things and gave us one last round of hugs. The NYU Accra staff passed out boxes of another round of catered lunch (the amazing Jollof, chicken, and vegetable stew), and members of the village waved as we set off on the drive back to Accra.

I have had a very difficult time processing this trip both emotionally and mentally, much more so than the Cape Coast trip. For one, I find voluntourism to be an incredibly problematic and paternalistic practice. I was very appreciative of NYU’s awareness of this issue and its subsequent efforts in finding a NGO that sought to distance itself from that label through making community involvement a priority. I enjoyed the construction work and felt a huge sense of satisfaction seeing the progress that we made, but then felt guilty leaving with so much work left to be done. My temporary satisfaction means very little in comparison to the fact that the school is not anywhere near being done, even though I know it will be finished eventually because of the community’s determination and the guidance of ADANU.

I was struck by the strength of the community and their tight-knit bonds, but for them it is as standard as eating and breathing. Togetherness is an accepted fact of life, not a lauded rarity.

I also could not help but be amazed by the willingness of the villagers to share with me everything they had despite not having very much, which I realized is a slightly paternalistic thought as well. The members of the village do not, I’m sure, have the same view I do, seeing as they are on the other end of the exchange. To them, sharing with me their possessions was the normal thing to do, whereas I viewed it as a commodity emphasized by my comparatively high volume of possessions. I felt similarly about the fact that we stayed in the village for only about 24 hours. The contrast between our daily lives and those in the village is stark, and it was clearly a novelty for us to experience their lifestyle. While I believe the experience was meaningful & necessary and I do not regret any of it, I do wonder about the “how the other half lives” element of it all. Situations and thoughts such as these are not easy to work through, but a willingness to engage and think critically are the best ways to move forward and gain a deeper, more well-rounded understanding of the world we all share.

As was told to us before we left, most Ghanaians live in villages like Hehekpoe. They enjoy their lives (a point that was emphasized to us), but lead very different ones to those who reside in bigger cities. Life in Accra is just as authentically Ghanaian as life in a rural village, but they are truly two separate worlds. To understand Ghana as a whole, it is imperative to get out of Accra and see how most of its citizens live. I am very glad that NYU and the NYU Accra team recognizes this and ensures that we have exposure to all aspects of Ghanaian life, not just the comfortable one we live in our corner of Accra.

Much of this past week has been spent reflecting on the weekend. I am proud to attend a school that values all people, cultures, and ways of life. I am touched by the intense generosity and kindness of the Hehekpoe people. I am appreciative of my own life and circumstances in a way that I was not before, and I think about my time in Hehekpoe very, very often.

To the Hehekpoe community, ADANU, and NYU Accra, akpe (thank you in Ewe)! My stay in Ghana, perspective on the world, and life in general have been so positively influenced by all of you.

I hope I articulated my feelings clearly. If anyone has any opinions or ideas they would like to share, please feel free to reach out. I would love to hear your thoughts.

[isa-in-accra]

ADANU Build and Village Homestay Part I: Building Community

More photos here!

We took our second NYU-sponsored trip recently, which involved helping a village community build a junior high school and staying overnight with local families to experience life in a rural village. The experience was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and NYU’s planning was fantastic as per usual.

The weekend was organized in partnership with a Ghanaian NGO called ADANU. The word “adanu” means “wise collaboration” in Ewe, the language of the most prominent ethnic group in Ghana’s Volta Region. ADANU works with village communities in the Volta region to erect schools, bathrooms, and other buildings that the community may want or need. Community involvement is at the center of each project, as all of the members of the village play a role in the process. ADANU organizers meet with the village elders and heads, while other village residents participate in the construction work. The sustainable nature of this model is very clear: erecting these buildings not only provides the community with strong physical foundations for education and a higher quality of life, but it builds community spirit and resilience while also teaching construction skills to the residents of the village. I’ve linked ADANU’s website here if you’d like to take a look at this amazing organization for yourself, and maybe even get involved somehow.

Our trip took place in a village called Hehekpoe, which is in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region. The orientation took place one week before the trip. We met with Mypa Buckner, ADANU’s Director of Operations, who explained the sequence of the weekend and what our tasks would be. NYU Accra staff was also on hand to give us some packing tips, notes on etiquette, and basic phrases in Ewe. We were also advised to bring a small gift for our host families, so I used a package of Lindt chocolates that I brought from the States (thanks to my wonderful mother for making me bring all of those, you always know best!) and bought a coloring book, workbook, and set of crayons because we were told that every family would have young children.

Just like the last trip, I managed to wait until the last minute to do laundry and pack, subsequently got less than 5 hours of sleep, and just barely made it on the bus on time. I was actually  close to sleeping through my fourth alarm that morning until Anne came into the room and flipped on the lights so I’d be forced to get out of bed.

The bus ride from Accra to Hehekpoe was about 3 and ½ hours, and while it would have been wise for me to sleep, I stayed awake for the whole ride. I have a feeling that I just can’t bring myself to sleep on these bus rides because of how vivid the scenery is. I’m constantly worried that I’ll miss something! With my Afrobeats playlist streaming through my earbuds, I stared out the window as city turned to country and towns became more sparse as we drove deeper into the eastern side of Ghana. Rock formations dotted with greenery and thin, flat trees sprouting out the sides took the place of buildings, while some stretches of road were almost completely empty save for the occasional truck or van. Kids huddled together on mats under the shade of large trees, and motorbikes sat lined up as their drivers awaited customers for the day (one day I’m going to try one of these). Driving is truly one of the best ways to see a country; I could’ve sat on the bus for 3 more hours if it meant seeing more of Ghana’s landscape out the window.

 When we arrived at the village, several of the village children came up to the bus to greet us and lead us into the village. A few of them held our hands and introduced themselves in what was clearly well-rehearsed English (“My name is…”). We had about 5 minutes to set our bags down, drink some water, and split into groups for our first task. The community members had already been working all morning to mix concrete using sand, water, and rocks, so it was our job to move the mixed concrete into the trenches that had already been dug to form the base of the building. Several large bowls were set aside for this task, and a group of village men was responsible for shoveling the concrete into the bowls. I would then grab a bowl, sometimes with a friend if it was too heavy or large, and bring it over to the trenches where I would pass it off to another man who would throw the concrete mix into the trench and pass the bowl back to me. The system was actually very organized and efficient, which was reflective of ADANU’s expertise but also the willingness of the community to work together and work hard. All of us felt inspired to work with the same enthusiasm and energy as them.

After about an hour of construction work, we were treated to a welcome performance by members of the community. There was drumming, singing, and dancing, the latter of which we joined in at the encouragement of some of the community members. Mypa, as one of the few fluent Ewe speakers on our end, officially introduced us to the village, who formally introduced themselves to us through the village chief and elders. The chief welcomed us, thanked us for coming, and prayed with us for a successful trip. We were then presented with gorgeous beaded bracelets that had been handcrafted and painted by women in the village. The bracelet was put on our left wrist by some of the women elders, and it signified our new status as members of the Hehekpoe community. I was reluctant to wear mine during the construction work because of how scared I was that it would break, but luckily it stayed intact. I still wear it every day.

By the time we finished with introductions, morning was rapidly moving to afternoon as the sun beat down in full force. The next part of the construction involved mixing more concrete, meaning that our job was to collect the materials necessary and deposit them at the mixing site. I started off by moving sand from the large pile that a truck had dumped earlier over to the mixing site. Once again, men were tasked with shoveling the sand into bowls that we would then carry over, empty, and take back to get more sand. I wasn’t even doing the hardest part of the work (the shoveling), but I was sweating like I never have before. My eyes actually began to burn at some points as sweat literally poured into them along with dust from the sand flying around.

The next task was easily the most challenging: hauling rocks. Like the concrete and sand, we would take the same large bowls over to the pile of rocks, men would shovel rocks into the bowl, and we would transport it back to the mixing site. For a reason that I’m sure is completely valid but that I will never know or understand, the rocks – the heaviest component in this system – were significantly further away from the rest of the building materials and site itself. My left arm literally gave out at one point because I couldn’t handle the weight of the rocks in the bowl, even as another person helped me carry them. Thankfully, the man I was working with was an ADANU employee who was very patient with me and my nonexistent upper-body strength. The most incredible part of this task was that while I was struggling to move a bowl with the help of 1-2 other people, I saw some of the village women with larger, heavier bowls of rocks on their heads. I really encourage you to think about that for a second ­– balancing a bowl of rocks on your head and walking with it. A lot of the women actually worked harder than several of the men in the village. All of us were so inspired by the physical strength and mental willpower of these truly awesome women.

I did my best to work straight through the afternoon and only stop during lunchtime, because I knew that if I took any breaks longer than what was mandated I wouldn’t be able to start back up again. Lunch was delicious; it was catered by a woman hired by NYU Accra and ADANU to prepare our meals. We each received a Styrofoam box of Jollof rice (the best one we’ve had here, Alexis and I agreed), fried plantains, vegetable stew, and chicken plus cubed pineapples for dessert. Our lunch break was about an hour, which gave us plenty of time to relax a little before going back to work. I made sure to drink lots of water, even though I don’t think I could have physically drank enough to feel like I wasn’t going to faint at any given second.

After lunch, we worked for a few more hours. All of the rock-hauling and sand-dumping resulted in a new batch of freshly-mixed concrete, so we went back to our original task of moving concrete from the mixing site to the trenches. All of the NYU Accra staff members who came along – Victor the internship coordinator and Gifty, Eyram, and Chris the CRAs – helped with the construction as did the members of ADANU who accompanied us. Having so many familiar faces encouraging us along with the new faces from the village who were equally as motivating and kind created a fantastic environment despite the intensity of the labor. One man, as he shoveled concrete into our waiting bowls, started a bit of a chant to motivate his peers. “Fast working! Fast working!” he would say as he shoveled. As he said it, I could see the men pick up their pace even more, despite little to no rest time and the direct sunlight that was hitting them since 6 that morning.

As the afternoon graduated to evening, we wrapped up the construction work. The men finished shoveling the last bits of concrete while the women washed the bowls that had been used all day. I chugged my fifth 1.5-liter water bottle & attempted with very little success to salvage a hair clip that I had forgotten was clipped to my shirt and had accidentally dipped into a bowl of concrete. The next part of our stay was just beginning!

[isa-in-accra]

Stepping Out

More photos here

I’m almost caught up on blog posts! I have some that I’ve been working on for a while, but the next few are going to be updates that should keep me up to date until I inevitably fall behind again (next week is midterms and then spring break!).

Last weekend (2/24-26) was pretty low-key. We went to the gym, stocked up on our favorite salted plantain chips from a local shop called Judifoods, and tried the pizza here after all of us started craving a slice from our favorite spots in New York. We also went out a couple evenings. On Thursday evening, some of us went to a friend’s apartment for a small get-together and on Saturday we went to a rooftop party organized by a group called Roof on Fire Accra. Held on the rooftop of a mall, the venue was decorated with lights and equipped with a full bar, DJ booth, dance floor, and kebab station – personally, my favorite part. The DJ, who was actually my friend Imani’s friend from work, played all of our favorite Afrobeats songs. We danced all night, and came home at 4 am with sore feet & sweaty hair.

All of us had a late start on Sunday, choosing to sleep in before starting homework. I went to the academic center to try and be more productive, but ended up getting caught in a rainstorm on my way back. Since then, I’ve kept my umbrella in my backpack at all times!

[isa-in-accra]

Cape Coast Trip Part 2: Kakum and Concert...Kind Of

Lots of photos here!

The tour of Elmina Castle took quite a toll on all of us, and it was clear that everyone needed time to decompress from the emotionally-charged morning. Fortunately, NYU has been running this trip for years and knew what to expect, which is why the next event of the day they had planned for us was the famed canopy walk at Kakum National Park! I had Kakum on my list since before I left for Ghana, and I was so happy to see that NYU had made the arrangements for us to go.

The canopy walk is comprised of 7 bridges that dangle from the trees. Suspended over the rest of the park, they put you at eye-level with the treetops! I didn’t realize how high up we were during the quick hike up to the first bridge – it was only after I had stepped onto the bridge that I looked down and couldn’t even see the ground!

The bridges are very safe (I think), but for extra safety measures only 6 people are allowed on each bridge at a time. Luckily for us, our house has exactly 6 people in it so the House 3 squad took on the canopy walk together. The bridges are purposefully designed to shake and wobble as you walk across them, which was a bit unsettling at first but turned out to be lots of fun as we got more comfortable. Luckily I got accustomed to the bridges pretty quickly, so I had lots of time to to look around and enjoy the stunning view. By the end, a few of us wanted to go right back and do it again!

A delicious dinner was served back at Coconut Grove, where we had some free time to check out the beach and pool as well. We were also given our roommates - I got lucky and ended up in a room with my friend Navika! Despite our exhaustion, a group of us (myself included) decided to go to a Shatta Wale concert at Cape Coast Sports Stadium. To make a very very long story very very short, it did not go as planned…at all. And after all of the hassle to get in (and then get out), we never actually saw Shatta Wale, despite being in the stadium for 5+ hours! I’m still glad I went, though, because it made for a great story afterwards and I got to spend time with my friends. Feel free to ask if you want the full story; it’s an interesting one for sure!

The next morning, we were again treated to a wonderful brunch at Coconut Grove. I helped myself to the fresh pineapple and papaya. Some of my friends and I decided to make one last visit to the beach before we headed back to Accra.

The weekend was one of my best ones here. At times it was pretty tough, at others it was intensely eye-opening, and at even others it was purely fun. All of the events were perfectly planned & executed, and I learned so much in a very short time. I’m so grateful to NYU and the NYU Accra staff for working hard to put trips like this together for us. It is a privilege to be here and be given these opportunities, and I feel lucky to be part of this incredible group for the semester.

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Cape Coast Trip Part 1: Elmina Castle

Lots of photos here!

About two weekends ago, NYU took us on the first of a few school-sponsored weekend trips! We traveled by bus to Cape Coast, a southern fishing port and the capital of Ghana’s Central Region. At 6 am, we all boarded the bus half-asleep and set off for the 3-hour ride. Despite waiting until 1:30 am to pack and getting less than 3 hours of sleep that night, I stayed awake for the entire ride and was very glad I did.

Admittedly, I am not as well-versed in geography as I should be, and didn’t realize how diverse Ghana’s geographic landscape is. We passed several large hills, many of which had huge houses perched on top. Soon after, the landscape changed from deep browns and reds to bright greens and blues as patches of greenery gave way to an absolutely stunning coastline. White waves crashed cleanly over rocks and sand as fishing boats drifted along the shore. The only obstruction to my view were rows of skinny palm trees whose leaves were lifted by the sea breeze. And unlike Labadi Beach, the water and beach at Cape Coast looked completely clean.

Before our first activity of the day, we were treated to a beachside brunch at Coconut Grove Hotel, which is where we would also spend the night. Some of us noted the stark contrast between the luxury of the hotel and the poverty of the surrounding town, creating a sense of discomfort and provoking a line of thought that would come to define our time in Cape Coast. We are very lucky to be treated so well by NYU and the NYU Accra staff, who organizes these trips and ensures that all of our accommodations are to a very high standard.

After brunch, we set off for Elmina Slave Castle, which is the oldest and largest slave-trading post in West Africa as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most of us caught a glimpse of the castle on our way into Cape Coast, as it’s quite hard to miss. The castle is massive, and sits high above the rest of the town. I immediately began wondering what it must be like to live with the shadow of such a horrific past looming over you every day. Later during our tour, our guide explained that most residents – 80%, to be exact – around the castle have never even been inside of it, and that he is working to change this pattern.

Elmina Castle gets its name from the Portuguese, who erected and named the fort São Jorge da Mina, or St. George of the Mine. Called La Mina (the mine) for short, Ghanaians mispronounced it as El Mina, and the name Elmina stuck.

The castle has a 535-year history. It was owned by the Portuguese for 135 years, the Dutch for 235 years, and the British for 85 years. The different colors of the bricks on the castle designated who built which portions; the parts of the castle in red bricks were built by the Portuguese, while the Dutch used yellow bricks. Ghana gained its independence in 1957, meaning that the country has owned the castle for about 60 years. In the words of our tour guide, “I dare say that we will catch up.”

The castle was filled with striking contrasts. We were shown a balcony on which the governor would stand and wait for all of the slave women to be marched out and displayed in front of him. He would then choose a woman, who would be forced to go upstairs with him into his private quarters. Opposite this balcony was the church the Dutch built in the castle.

Another contrast became evident when we viewed two jail cells: one for the white soldiers guarding the castle and one for the slaves. The cell for the guards was large, ventilated, and meant as a temporary punishment for guards who behaved out of line. The cell for the slaves was small, cramped, dark, and without ventilation. Slaves sent to this cell never emerged again. It was in this cell that we all broke down, as our tour guide simulated the experience by closing and locking the door so we could feel what it was like to be trapped.

I appreciated our tour guide’s blunt presentation of the information – he did not hold back, and made sure we understood the full extent of the horrors that his ancestors endured. We were told stories of sexual abuse, rape, beatings, and torture. We saw the original bars used on windows and doors so that slaves could not escape. We stood in the same spot that women who were publicly humiliated did, before they were forced up to the governor’s chambers to be at his mercy. We took a moment of silence to remember and honor those whose lives were lost in one of the most cruel and shameful practices in human history. To stand on the same ground as the men and women who suffered through slavery and hear about their experiences was traumatizing to say the least but so, so important to do.

The tour ended in a room called “the room of no return,” which was the final stop for Africans who survived living in the castle long enough to be put on boats to the West, where they would live out their lives as slaves. We had the privilege of walking through this area on our own free will; slaves who passed through this section of the castle were chained to one another as they exited the castle and entered the boats.

The intensity of the experience is difficult to put into words, but all the more reason for everyone to visit this site for themselves. As our guide mentioned several times, understanding and exploring the past is the only way to avoid repeating it.

Never again.

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Internship Change

Due to irresolvable scheduling conflicts, I switched from working at the Legal Resources Centre to La Yahoushua Junior High School. La Yahoushua’s students range in age from 12 to 15 years old, but classes are divided by skill level rather than age. So far I have met the director, assistant director, and a handful of teachers & students. Everyone has been very kind and welcoming, and spending time with kids always makes my day. I absolutely love working and talking with them. Right now I am mostly observing classes and grading papers, but I hope to expand my tasks as I learn the ropes of the school.

On my first day, I was sent in to observe a French class. The teacher, who was lovely and let me read some of the questions out loud to the students, sent for one of them to get me a chair. When he returned, he asked if I wanted it near the teacher’s desk or in the back of the room. Not wanting to be a distraction and not knowing how this teacher liked her classroom to operate, I had him set it by the teacher’s desk. Less than 30 seconds later, the same boy got up from his seat, tapped me on the shoulder, and pointed to his friends, who apparently all asked for me to sit in the back with them. The teacher was perfectly fine with it so long as I was comfortable, so I agreed to move. All of the boys were so sweet and very chatty. After class, they were given a 30-minute break which they used to crack jokes and talk to me about the NBA, my life in America, and how I like Ghana. They were happy to hear how much I loved it, and were already asking if I planned on coming back after I leave in May! They gave me a quick tour of the school grounds, showing me the canteen where they get their snacks & lunches, then taking me back to the teacher’s office so I could begin grading papers. One boy even walked me part of the way home when I left for the day!

I went back the next morning, which was a Friday. I typically wouldn’t work on Fridays, but I’m trying to get accustomed to school quickly to make up for lost time. I had been out late the night before and was dragging my feet a little as I walked to work, but when I approached the school one of the boys from the previous day saw me, and then I heard a small chorus of “Isa! There’s Isa!” and a few hands sticking out of the window waving hello. By the time I walked into the office, with the help of another student who showed me the way, my mood had shifted completely and I forgot all about my exhaustion from >3 hours of sleep the night before. Later in the day, I was coming back home from the gym with my friends and a group of three boys from the school were walking in the other direction. I was looking down at my phone, but my head snapped up when I heard one of them say “Isa”!

I really believe that we can a lot from kids (even though I still consider myself one), and I find the age range of 12-15 to be particularly fascinating. I enjoy hearing the students’ thoughts and opinions about their own lives and futures, and I look forward to getting to know them more over the next three months.

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Getting Around in Ghana

I began a short-lived internship at the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) a few weeks ago, during which I was able to fully acquaint myself with Accra’s various modes of transportation.

The week prior, the NYU Accra internship coordinator gave me specific instructions on what type of transportation to use. I live in the Labone neighborhood and the LRC is located in Dzorwulu, which is anywhere from 30-45 minutes away depending on traffic. The internship coordinator advised me to walk to Labone Coffee Shop, take a shared taxi to “37,” take another shared taxi from 37 to Abelenke, get off on the way to Abelenke at Dzorwulu Traffic, then walk to the LRC office from there. Let me break that down.

Labone Coffee Shop: A restaurant up the road from our dorms that doubles as a station for shared taxis. Shared taxis: Taxis with a set destination for a set price. About three to four people who are all going to the same place can take a shared taxi, as they are often cheaper than chartered taxis and more comfortable than tro-tros. Shared taxis wait in the station or at their stop until the taxi is full, and only then does it leave. They have cardboard signs on their windshield showing where each one is headed (ex: Labone, 37, etc.), so you have to pay attention and read carefully! 37: 37 really deserves its own blog post. It is a massive station in Accra that is essentially a dirt lot that holds tro-tros, shared taxis, and chartered taxis. I would liken it to Grand Central Station in NYC in that it is a transportation hub used by all types of residents. It is also a marketplace of sorts, with stalls and sellers set up along the edges. For someone who is not familiar with it (me), it can be very overwhelming. Abelenke: A place. I’ve never been here and apparently should never be there, since I was expected to exit the shared taxi before it reaches this destination. Dzorwulu Traffic: Literally a traffic light in the middle of a busy intersection in Dzorwulu. All taxi drivers are able to get to this point; it was then up to me to direct them to turn right at the intersection and drop me off at the top of the dirt road where my internship was located.

Luckily for me, one of the days I worked was Monday from 1-5 in the afternoon. My class at the University of Ghana on Mondays ends at 12, so the NYU van picked us up in Legon (the neighborhood that UG is in) and dropped me off at 37 on the way back to the NYU dorms. From there I took a chartered taxi to get to my internship on time. When the van stopped to let me off, a taxi driver had already approached me before my body was fully even out of the van. By the time I reached his taxi, I had negotiated a reasonable price with him. After I finished work, I walked to the tro-tro station up the road from the LRC, got in a tro-tro to 37, and took a chartered taxi home.

Tro-tros are the cheapest – and perhaps the most widely-used & popular – mode of transportation in Ghana, similar to how the subway is used in NYC. They are essentially large vans that operate as minibuses by traveling fixed routes with several stops along the way. Like shared taxis, tro-tros often leave stations only when they are filled to capacity. Tro-tros have two workers in them: the driver and the conductor, who collects money from riders, operates the door, and shouts out each stop. You have to listen closely, because the names of the stops are so familiar to both the conductor and the passengers that they’re often slurred a bit as they’re said. I like to double-check with the conductor before I get into a tro-tro, just in case. Tro-tro passengers, like NYC subway riders, run the gamut of Ghanaian residents. You could be seated between a businessman and a mom with her baby on her back, amongst a group of schoolgirls on their way home, or right behind the conductor. Tro-tros are also privately maintained, which means each one has a bit of its own character. They are often decorated with stickers (typically related to Christianity), and some are more well-maintained or clearly newer than others. Our CRAs advised us to wear long pants or look very carefully at the seats before we sat down so that we do not scrape our skin on a piece of rusty metal.

When I returned to work on Thursday, I attempted to find the shared taxis at Labone Coffee Shop, but for some reason could not find a single one. All I could find were chartered taxis, so I took one of those to 37, then took another one to my internship. I ended up being 45 minutes early to work because I took the easy (and more expensive) way out by using chartered taxis, but I’m sure if I had located and waited in a shared taxi I would have arrived much later. Coming home that day was, in my opinion, a success; I again walked to the tro-tro station by the LRC, took a tro-tro to 37, then managed to locate the shared taxis at 37 and was the last person to get into one headed to Labone. A couple of taxi drivers directed me towards the shared taxis when they saw my confusion and obvious unfamiliarity, which I really appreciated.

While adapting to this unfamiliar system poses its own challenges & occasional frustrations, I am making the most of the learning process and reminding myself that at one point in my life I didn’t know how to drive, and at another point in my life I thought I would never figure out how to use the NYC subway. Learning a new transportation system takes time, but is a critical aspect of immersing oneself in a new country, city, and culture. I welcome the challenge!

Photos: just a few of the thousands of tro-tros in Ghana. These were taken across the street from 37.

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Staycation

More photos here

I apologize for the extreme delay in my blog posts! Classes and internships are in full swing by now, and the limited free time we have has been spent exploring Accra. This post is from 2 weeks ago – I’ll be posting a bunch within the next few days to try and catch up!

Our weekend was very low-key. On Saturday, my housemates and I slept in before spending the afternoon at La Palm Resort in Accra, where we sat on lounge chairs in the shade and swam in the pool. We had been there the night before as well for drinks and live music, but it was fun to go during the day so we could use the pool facilities. We also saw the setup for a large Ghanaian wedding at the resort!

On Sunday, the CRAs hosted a cooking class for us. My group made red-red, a traditional Ghanaian dish of beans in a tomato, onion, and pepper-based sauce. The dish can be vegan or contain animal proteins such as tuna or beef. It is always eaten with fried plantains, which we made as well. One Ghanaian told me that the dish actually cannot be considered red-red if it is not accompanied by fried plantains. For dessert, we had my favorite – sliced pineapple. I also got to try bissap, a drink made from pineapple, hibiscus flower, and vanilla. It has a pretty purple color and a very strong flavor!

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Cultural Quirks

Now that I’ve been here for almost a month, I’ve collected a small list of cultural differences I’ve noticed between Ghana and the United States. I’m sure I’ll notice several more as I go deeper into the semester, but here are just a few that I’ve found interesting!

1) The gutters and drains are open. In the States, I am used to the drainage system being out of sight and out of mind. Here, you have to be careful as you walk along the road, or you may fall into it! Some portions are covered, but most are not, so walking along some roads can be a challenge. On a quiet road like the one our house is on, there is plenty of room to walk. However, on a busy road, you have to be careful not to walk too close to it and get hit by a car, but you also can’t walk too close to the other side, because you may step into a drain. To my understanding, the channels are open as a means of draining off rainwater. Unfortunately, this has also created a problem of occasional open urination and defecation. It is not common – especially not in nicer neighborhoods such as Labone (where I live) – but it does happen and is an issue the country is working to resolve.

2) Chickens, and occasionally goats, roam free here. In Sri Lanka, I became accustomed to seeing stray dogs running around Colombo, and I’ve heard from my friends who have traveled to parts of India that cows often share the road with people and cars. Here, it is chickens and goats. There are several chickens in our neighborhood. Once, as I was walking home, I saw a mother hen and about ten of her adorable chicks. There are no goats near me, but there is a very sweet stray dog who sleeps under a car parked near our house. He is a cutie and I love seeing him when I step out!

3) Ghanaians love Obama. They love him as much as I love him – maybe even more. They love him so much that a hotel in Accra was renamed “Hotel Obama,” and a local politician with a completely different name has branded himself as “Obama” in an attempt to curry favor amongst the locals. This “Obama” is actually quite unpopular, despite several red, white, & blue signs put up all over Accra with his face, real name, and “OBAMA” printed at the top. It goes to show how much Ghanaians respect the real Obama, from what he symbolizes to what he stands for. With all that said, though, Ghanaians still view him as a white man – in the eyes of Ghanaian people, he is as much of an oburoni as I am.

4) People carry goods on their heads. Both men and women walk around with baskets of fruit, glasses, laundry detergent – whatever they are selling, really – on their heads and nothing ever falls. It is truly amazing to see. Most of the time it is merchants who practice this, but I have seen some women who carry their possessions on their heads out of what seems like pure convenience. It leaves your hands completely free. Needless to say, many Ghanaians have fantastic posture and balance. I’ll try to get a picture of this one day!

5) The streets are their own marketplace. On busier roads, especially at times with high volumes of traffic, men and women will walk up and down the rows of cars (often with their wares on their heads) and try to make sales with the commuters. Sometimes they will even tap on the windows of cars and vans. They sell laundry detergent, sunglasses, candy, gum, fabric, and more. I have also seen some young children doing this, which makes me sad to know that they are not in school. I’ve never bought anything this way, but sometimes my friends and I will give a little money to the kids (some are simply begging and not selling anything), and one time I saw a businessman buy some laundry detergent from one of the vendors. The transaction was completed just in time, as the light turned green!

6) Ghanaians are soft-spoken. My friend Imani actually noticed this way before I did. In America, many of us speak quite loudly, and make it one of our main priorities to be heard at any cost. Ghanaians follow a very different philosophy. They speak at much lower decibels – so much so that we occasionally have to strain our ears to hear them, especially if their accents are strong as well. This is not true of everyone; I am shouted at probably every day by a taxi driver trying to get me into his vehicle, but generally Ghanaians speak in a softer, quieter, and lower tone.

7) Peanuts are called groundnuts. Groundnuts are one of Ghana’s best and most important crops. Right near the gym we go to, there is a huge stand dedicated completely to the sale of groundnuts and groundnut butter. I’ve sampled plain groundnuts and groundnut butter, both of which are delicious.

8) A typical greeting is a handshake that ends with a snap. At home, handshakes are typically reserved for first-time meetings or formal settings. Here, it is the beginning of a friendly greeting that finishes with a snap off the other person’s finger. Does that sound complicated to you? It’s apparently very complicated for me, because in the three weeks I’ve been here I haven’t managed to do it successfully one single time. All of the security guards at the academic center and our dorms are working on teaching me. I’ll be sure to post if I ever master it...

9) The people here are incredibly friendly. I am planning to dedicate a separate post to this topic because I have been moved to tears more than once by the kindness of Ghanaian people and the openness of their affection towards me and one another. Just the other day, for example, my friends Alexis and Anna and I were leaving the academic center and we stopped to say hello to one of the NYU drivers, Peter. Peter was eating his dinner of banku and spicy soup and, despite having just enough for one person, offered all of us a taste so we could experience Ghanaian food. It’s little gestures like this one (and larger ones too) that really characterize the sincerity and goodness of the people here. However, good judgement must always be exercised, because some people here a little too friendly. The same day, the three of us were halfway home when a car pulled out of a nearby driveway and stopped in front of us. The two men inside told us they wanted to “propose an offer of friendship” and then offered to drive us home. We politely declined. As nice as people are, it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry.

10) IT’S HOT. I know this isn’t a cultural difference, but when you’re from a place where winter lasts for nine months out of twelve, it’s a big adjustment. I am sweaty all the time here. I apologize for that mental image. I’m not going to complain though, because I know that this climate is the only reason that I have access to my beloved pineapples and mangoes.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some differences – as you’ve probably noticed, there are a lot! I will be sure to add to this list as I notice more. Some of the culture shock is wearing off a bit, and I am slowly settling into a nice daily routine. Even so, every day is an adventure, and I love it that way!

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Working for the Weekend

Check out more photos here

Even though most classes here only meet once a week (for 3 hours each session), we were all exhausted by the end of our first week of classes. I spent most of my weekend finishing up some homework and sleeping in for the first time in two weeks.

Thursday was one of our CRA’s birthdays. Her name is Gifty and she is fantastic. She lives in House 3 with us and is always around to make sure we have everything we need, so we decided to throw her a little celebration. We all signed a card, got her a gift, and invited everyone over to House 3 to sing Happy Birthday and eat cake. It was a wonderful evening dedicated to an absolutely wonderful person.

We had an early wakeup call the next morning, as NYU Accra organized a Traditional African Dance workshop for us. Both a lecture and practical were given by Terry Bright, an assistant lecturer at the University of Ghana and a very skilled & knowledgeable dancer. Terry taught us about several types of Ghanaian dance, from its most traditional forms to more contemporary ones that have evolved with the culture. The lecture was very informative and helped me understand how many ways dance plays a role in Ghanaian life. It is used to celebrate, to mourn, to rejoice, to inform, and everything in between.

After the lecture, we went outside to the courtyard of our academic center where two drummers and some University of Ghana dance students were waiting for us. Terry and his students lead us through several dance moves, which a majority of us (myself included) struggled to master. By the end of the hour-long practical, we were sweaty and exhausted but incredibly happy. African dance is a full-body workout that flexes both muscles and the brain. Even if I didn’t nail all of the moves, I had a lot of fun moving to some of the best dancing music I’ve ever heard.

I have really been enjoying Ghanaian music, and I’m lucky that my housemates do too – we have a playlist to which we are constantly adding. Ghana has done a very good job adapting and evolving its culture to fit the times; music and dance here feel very modern but with roots in traditional sounds and moves.

 On Saturday a few of us spent some time at the gym and had smoothies made with super fresh fruit. I split a “Chunky Monkey” with my friend Natalie, and it had three amazing local ingredients in it: bananas, cocoa, and groundnut (peanut) butter. For dinner, my housemates and I went to Zion Thai, a restaurant that was recommended to me by a friend who spent a semester in Accra two years ago. The food was great and we were seated outside (my favorite) in a corner booth that was literally built into the side of the restaurant. From my seat, I could watch as day wound down in the neighborhood and the scene shifted from a relaxed evening to a bustling night.

Sunday was dedicated to sleep and homework, but on the way back from the academic center we stopped at a restaurant called Zen Garden where I had one of the BEST smoothies I’ve ever had. It had mango, almond milk, mint, and a few other local fruits (papaya passionfruit and pineapple I think) in it and I’m already thinking about when I’ll have my next one. Our waiter also gave us a pizza on the house for us to try!

Unfortunately we did not make it to the pool this weekend, but we did have some movie nights and made plans for the pool next weekend instead. Back to classes for now!

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Anne’s Videos

While I’ve mostly been sticking to photos on this trip, my housemate Anne has been making amazing videos of her time in Accra so far. We’re together often enough that these are a really accurate representation of what I’ve been up to as well. I’ve linked them below if you’d like to see!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6KcPaTvuNg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghD1vcMWDY0

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PHOTO UPDATE

I finally found time (and WiFi) to put up some pictures! All of the photos I have taken so far can be seen on my secondary blog: isa-in-accra-photos.tumblr.com. I have also gone back and added a few photos to each post on this blog, but the majority are on my other page.

The WiFi at our academic center is much stronger than in our dorms, so I can only post photos when I’m at the academic center. From here on out, posts here on my main blog will include some photos as well, but my second blog is dedicated completely to them and will always have more pictures than this one.

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Update

My backpack broke.

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Buying (and Bargaining for) a Backpack

If you’ve known me for a month or longer, you know that one of my favorite possessions EVER is my purple North Face backpack. I received the backpack as a hand-me-down from a very dear family friend, and I have used it every year since I began the 6th grade in 2008. It’s safe to say I’ve had my backpack longer than I’ve had a majority of my friends. It fits everything ­– textbooks, laptops, projects, outfit changes – and I think it’s magical. My parents offered to get me a new backpack for high school, but I refused. When the main zipper on the bag broke halfway through my senior year, I cried and then took the backpack to a tailor who put an industrial-strength zipper on it. My parents offered again to buy me a new backpack when I left for college, but again I wasn’t interested.

I am sad to say that my beloved backpack did not make the trip to Ghana with me.

I was mostly worried about it getting ruined beyond repair, but it also wasn’t very practical to pack a backpack in my suitcase (I traveled with a small roll-on suitcase and a small purse). After a few days of carrying my books in an old bag from Free People (as in the ones they give you your purchases in) and several “I SHOULD HAVE JUST BROUGHT MY NORTH FACE” texts to my mom, I finally gave in and decided just to buy a backpack here.

 Anne and I went to do some grocery shopping, and on our way to the Oxford Street Mall (most grocery stores seem to be in malls here) we passed some stalls full of items in colorful prints. After we did our groceries I convinced Anne to come with me so I could buy a backpack from one of the stalls because the patterns and colors of the ones hanging in the front looked so nice. As we got closer, none of the backpacks really appealed to me so we turned to leave, only to find four men running out of the stall, begging us to come back in and promising they had more backpacks available. After some back and forth, Anne and I agreed. Luckily, they were true to their word and I ended up finding one that I liked. I was able to get the price down from 85 cedis to about 60 cedis, but I think if I negotiated more skillfully I could’ve gotten it for even less. For reference, the conversion rate is about 4.2 Ghanaian cedis (GHC) to 1 U.S. dollar (USD).

Anne has been on the lookout for a particular blue and white dress, and she was able to find it at this market. I liked it so much that I asked for one too, and again we were tasked with negotiating down the price of both. We ended up getting both dresses for 120 cedis instead of the original price of 185 cedis. While all of this happened, we were also all getting acquainted. The man who seemed to be in charge introduced himself as Slow. “Slow, like ‘slow down, car!’” in his words. Slow told us that we were his sisters from another mother and showed us videos of his brother, who plays the drums in an African band and lives in Pennsylvania. Slow enjoys Rastafarian culture and texting in his family group chat.

And while all of THAT happened, one of the other men, Kwame, unbeknownst to us, was already halfway through weaving my name into a bracelet that I by no means ever asked him to make. I literally turned around to leave and Kwame had already woven the “I” and “S” into the bracelet, so what choice did I have but to let him finish?***

Kwame told me the bracelet was 35 cedis, but Anne (who also received a personalized bracelet from Kwame) and I knew we had already been suckered into buying too much. She suggested we get these for free since we already bought three things (and had been ripped off all three times). Kwame said he understood because “no one supports the artists,” and of course ended up getting 30 cedis from us because we felt bad.

Kwame is from a small village in Kumasi, and he told us to go there and visit his brother’s shop. We will probably never do that but we are going to Kumasi later in the semester and I’m really looking forward to it.

 Despite the fact that we probably did get ripped off, I still consider the day a success because I love my purchases and we had two very nice taxi drivers whose numbers I took down for future reference. Sadly I didn’t eat any pineapples today, but I did have an amazing, not-too-sweet and not-too-sour mango. I am so lucky to have a fruit stand run by the kindest woman just a few steps from where we live, and I’m already dreading surviving without it when my 4 months here is up.

Looking forward to the weekend! I think my housemates and I are planning to spend the day sitting by the pool at a local resort.

 ***Obviously I had a lot of choice in the matter but I chose to let him finish. I kind of wanted the bracelet once I saw it being made and I think they definitely knew that.

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Classes Begin

My first class of the semester was Intensive Twi, which is taught by University of Ghana professor Kofi Saah. Aside from a year or two of Mandarin Chinese lessons, I have never studied a language that was not a Romance language, so learning Twi should be a very interesting experience. The alphabet used is the same as the English alphabet with a few characters added in, and many of the pronunciations are very different to English. This is exemplified even in how the language is pronounced. English speakers may read the word “Twi” as “twee,” but it is actually pronounced more like “chwee.” There are several distinct sounds made by combining two letters that would not be the same in English, and I welcome the challenge of training my brain to recognize them instead of resorting to anglicized pronunciations.

Repetition also plays a key role in the Twi language. One example of this is the name of the local Ghanaian restaurant we ate lunch at during orientation, called Didi Pa. The Twi word for “eat” is “di,” so the restaurant repeats “di” for emphasis. “Pa” means “a lot/much” so the restaurant’s name is literally “eat a lot!”

Twi lessons have also given me great insight into Ghanaian culture. We have focused much of our time on appropriate greetings, which vary based on time of day, occasion, and the people involved in the conversation. By that I mean the greeting for someone older than me would be different to the greeting for someone my age, and gender is factored in as well. As a younger person, I also would not ask an older person how they are doing. It is instead considered the privilege of the older person to ask me, the younger person, how I am doing. This is the complete opposite of what is considered polite back home; sometimes I have been reminding myself constantly not to slip up and follow any hellos here with “How are you?”

Here are just a few basic Twi phrases I have learned:

Maakye – This means “good morning” and is a shortened version of the longer Memo wo akye. It is pronounced “maa-cheh”

ɛte sɛn? – This literally means “How is it?” and is a way of saying “How are you?” casually. I would say this to someone my own age, but sometimes adults in the neighborhood will say it to me as well. The character “ɛ” may look like an E, but it is a special Twi character that makes the sound “eh.” The response to ɛte sɛn? is ɛyɛ, which means “fine” or “good.”

Me da ase – This means “thank you.” It is said like “meh-dah-si.”

 My friends and I try to use basic Twi whenever we can, which so far has involved a lot of “Me da ase,” because everyone here is so kind and friendly!

 After classes, my friend Anne and I headed to the gym. Because NYU in New York provides us with a gym, it is required for all NYU abroad sites to provide its students with access to a gym as well. We in Accra are very lucky to get free memberships to Pippa’s Gym, a very nice facility about 10 minutes away by taxi. Anne and I decided to try a “kick workout” class, and were surprised by the intensity of it! I’m definitely hoping to take advantage of my membership this semester.

One frustration I have been experiencing is the practice of negotiating cabs. Accra is primarily a driving and walking city. This means that to get most places, we have been taking taxis (unless it is a large group of us being taken to a NYU-sponsored event; in that case, the NYU-owned vans drive us). There is no shortage of cabs here, and it is common for drivers to honk and even yell across the street to ask you if you need a ride. Taxis in Accra are very different to those in NYC. First of all, taxi drivers here do not know addresses. Saying the address of a destination or even the name of the destination itself is completely ineffective. Instead, you must use certain landmarks near your destination that are guaranteed to be recognized by the driver. Landmarks are typically schools, financial institutions, restaurants, or other distinct and popular locations around the city. I always name a certain bank that is near our housing facility to the driver, and from there I am able to navigate him the rest of the way to the house.

Before even getting in the cab, however, the fare must be negotiated and agreed upon. There are no meters on Ghanaian cabs, and every driver has his own idea of how much getting to a certain destination costs. He names his price based on a number of factors including distance, time of day, and, as I’ve experienced, whether you are a local or a foreigner. The general rule of thumb is to get the price down to at most half of what the driver initially suggests. If I tell a taxi driver that I am going to Oxford Street Mall in Osu, which is not far from our housing facility, the driver will say “20 cedis.” That is a complete rip-off, and he is doing it because I am an “oburoni/obruni” (affectionate term for a foreigner). I would then try to negotiate the price down to about 8 cedis, but probably end up settling for closer to 10. Our CRAs advised us to pay around 7 cedis to get to Pippa’s and back, but Anne and I could only successfully manage to get the price down to 10 cedis there and 15 cedis back. Negotiating with Accra taxi drivers is certainly a learning experience, but luckily I have four months to practice.

 On Tuesday I had my first session of Documenting the African City, which is a documentary filmmaking course offered at NYU Accra. We shared some hilarious childhood stories, watched a short film and accompanying documentary by NYU alum Zippy Kimundu, and discussed what is in store for us in the coming months. Film equipment is provided to us as is editing software and computers. By the end of the semester, we will have produced a short 5-minute documentary film and a longer 10-minute one, and I am already looking forward to the final products.

 I have made it my personal mission to eat at least one whole pineapple a day here, because they are small enough for me to do so and they’re absolutely delicious. Nothing in the world, in my opinion, compares to fresh local fruit. Anne and I bought some mangoes and pineapples from a fruit stand just down the road, and I have a feeling that is where most of my money will go this semester…