Just a Typical Day.

I have fallen into a routine ever since my last post. As some of you know I have started my Ghanaian teaching career in the past few weeks. I have postponed writing about my experience until I felt I had captured the full affect. While I know there are many new experiences to come, I have been privy to many things that I most definitely need to share. So here I have put together a "short" story about "Just a Typical Day" in my Obruni (remember that means white person) shoes.

The Ghanaian sun seems to rise earlier on the weekdays. Normally I wish to push it right back down where it came from but not today. This is a typical school day and I must get up at this 5am hour if I wish to be at school on time. Because my new diet consists of mostly carbs and...carbs, I use THIS time to run. Before the whole city comes to life with street vendors and talkative neighbors, I attack the rocky dirt road, willing myself to work hard if only for 15 minutes. Back to the house to stretch and have a quick shower where I have fallen in love with Pantene's 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner for its speed. Breakfast consists of Corn Flakes and toast. After I throw my towel on the line to dry and straighten up my room, Grace always asks if I have eaten and if I am full. My answer is always, "Yes, thank you" and she closes the gate behind me as I start my trek to school. I only walk a short distance to the Tro-Tro stop where many people await the same 12-passenger vehicle as I. Usually it takes about 15 minutes to catch a car, if it is a longer wait I must resort to a more expensive taxi ride. This is normally shared with 3 other passengers so the cost is lowered. After about 20 minutes I tell the driver or the boy who collects the fare on the Tro-Tro, "Mate, Mepa wo kyew, mesi wo Polyclinic" which tells them "Mate, please I will drop at Polyclinic" which is the name of my stop. After I squish through the laughing passengers (an Obruni who speaks Twi?) I'm on the ground walking about 10 more minutes to school. Calls of Obruni usually follow me wherever I go, which I have learned to ignore but as I near the school "Obruni" morphs into "Teach-ah Adjua". These calls, I am happy to receive with a smile because they are coming from the yellow and blue uniformed students from Kaneshie Presby School where I have been introduced as a guest teacher with my day name, Adjua. This particular day has a surprise in store though I don't know it yet. The teacher I have been assisting for the first week has come down with Malaria so she is currently at the hospital. This is one of those moments where you say TIA (this is africa), send up a prayer for Auntie B in the hospital, and feel the rush as the shock of 44 six and seven year olds in my care alone sets in. It is now 7am and the world doesn't stop for my problems. I begin to collect todays feeding and studies fee [feeding-for their lunch if they didn't bring one; studies-for the teachers pay, I think] in a currency that I am still struggling to adapt to. We manage to get through the next three hours with a few songs (thank the Lord I went to church camp-p.s. Dr. Mick: if you could e-mail me that revised camp song book that would be GREAT), many rounds of 7-up and a skewed football version of hang man I hastily created. During our 30 minute break I am briefed by the teacher next door with the agenda today. I quickly realize it will not fill the last 4 hours of our schedule. This is when I wish I had Mrs. Heinrichs and Mrs. Cowger on speed dial. After break, we review our math from last year and begin to look through our reading book. It is my duty to mark the 44 Math books one-by-one while the students stand in a line before me. you can imagine the "happy" chaos that ensues. Thankfully, I have in my possession a "cane" which I have chosen not to use on the hands of the students but it makes for a perfect attention getter when rapped heavily on my desk. Usually sometime in the early morning a worker from the cantine (or cafeteria)comes to ask what I will take for lunch. So, by 12 when I have given the students their lunch tokens and they have skipped from the classroom to leave me with my thoughts, and older student would have so graciously brought my lunch to me. My lunch hour is used for planning and visiting with my new young teacher friends, whose advice I welcome gratefully. 1pm starts the next 2 1/2 hours of handwriting practice, English study, and any other ideas God decides to bless me with. As 3:30 rolls around, the kids have sung their closing song, swept the concrete floor, and bounded out of the classroom, leaving me to padlock the door, breathe a sigh of relief, and start my journey back home. Being that my school is so close to the market, every Tro-Tro that passes is generally full and leaves me to take a taxi or to start walking. And because it's not raining and I have a good pair of walking sandals, I start the hour and 15 minute walk towards home. I am happy to use this mode of transportation though because when I walk I HAVE to stop to take a break. And why not do it in the air conditioned internet cafe? Seeing as though today is an exceptionally hot day (remember, 6 degrees above the equator here...) I think that's just what I'll do. I walk in and say hello to my friends Richard and Elliot, buy a ticket and begin to read and type. This here is where I have found my weakness. Adjusting to my new schedule, a new culture, and an entirely new way of life are the sort of things that will drive a girl to find comfort. My struggle is instead of walking to the internet cafe where I can always expect MANY messages of love and comedy and words from HOME (thanks to all of you incredible people), I need to keep walking and use that time to continue building relationships and a support system here in Ghana. All that is to say instead of every few days, my internet browsing may turn into a less frequent event.

After my time has run out I start to make my way home. On the way, I have begun to make friends with the store owners I pass. There is one in particular whose name is Kwami, that I always take advantage of. You see this is where I get to stop, take off my shoes and juggle the football with Kwami's three young boys. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't walk past because those boys can see me coming (anyone can see me coming) and the ball is out and ready when I arrive. After a short time I sadly say I must be going home and pass the last few blocks a little sweatier than before.
Finally home, I am greeted with a kind smile and more likely a jeering "Afternoon, Teacchhaahh Addjuuaaa". I am asked what I will have for dinner, then I make my way to my room where I flip on BBC radio and more importantly the fan. It's about 6pm and I have done a little reading before I am called to dinner. It usually takes a while to finish my mound of rice or friend yam balls. Then my favorite part of the day commences. I make my way out to the back where my friends' quarters are. I sit, watching Amachi do his art homework or Grace make funny phone calls to friends or watch a little football with John. Basically "we are jovial" just laughing and having a good time after a full day. Soon Grandpa will call us in for our nightly prayer and Bible study time before we make our way to our beds. I my bed, before I sleep, I think about my family and friends and how much I miss them. But I always fall asleep with much comfort, knowing no matter WHAT struggles and stresses I might have, I am exactly where God wants me to be.

Thanks for reading...for those who need something lighthearted...


Here are some funny greetings I have received when walking to and fro:

What's up, white lady!?!
How are youuuuu????
Are we having fun today!!??
White! Hey white!!

And my personal favorite:

George Bush! How are you???

Haha...normally, I just keep on walking with a straight face, but I couldn't help the laughter that busted out of my mouth when I heard that one!