Just About FOUR Months

It's the 24th of December which means two GREAT things:

Christmas is just ONE DAY AWAY!!!!

and

I have been in WEST AFRICA for just about FOUR months!

So OBVIOUSLY some SUPER sweet stuff has happened...let's RECAP.

HOUSING
For over three months, my home was in North Kaneshie, a 'suburb' of Accra, that has that small town feel. I got to know the closest store owners, the butcher, the phone call lady, the many security door men, and a couple man-cows which are apparently called 'steers'. My room was comfortable and homey and by the time I left I knew where everything belonged and how a Ghanaian household should be run.

FAMILY
My Ghanaian family really helped me to understand this country's culture. When I had questions, they were always open to answer them. Grandpa runs his house in a strict military fashion. This sometimes encroached on my independence but taught me how to properly clean my room. I know that's something my former college roommates would have appreciated had I learned this skill earlier. Grandma was the nurturer whenever I had bad days. She gives GREAT hugs and knows directions to EVERYWHERE in Accra. After the first month, John (Grace's brother) moved to Peki (close to Ho) to attend a training college. Amkye (Grandpa's nephew) became quieter because he missed his partner in crime, but used this time to crack down on his art. My friendship with Grace (amazing cook) blossomed. I realized, it has been four years now that she has been living in a house without any girls her age to relate to. The only time she goes out of the house is to buy something that is needed for her cooking. This leaves little time for girl talk. So as we became more comfortable with each other, the boy stories, tears and constant laughter (she has the best laugh) started to come out. I've spoken with her on the phone almost everyday since I have left for the holidays. She became a very strong part of my new family.

FOOD
Initially, food was my biggest struggle. Not just the new tastes and textures, but the family sized helpings I was being served. In regards to the size of the helpings, I must say a little bit of the people-pleaser in me has died, thank goodness. As for the new tastes and textures...things that, I must be honest, originally may have made me gag, are my new cravings. I came away from North Kaneshie with a few recipes and new taste buds! :) Having lived in a Ghanaian household for three months, you'd think that I've tried it all, but no. Just two days ago I took my first bite of cow intestine, yes that's right, had all those intestine little finger-lookin' things on it too. Mmmm. One bite was enough of that one, thank you.

SCHOOL
Gosh, was this a struggle with the introduction of corporal punishment into my school diet. However, something I so desperately needed to learn in the States was to be a teacher first and friend second. In a Ghanaian school, if you are a friend first, they'll EAT...YOU...ALIVE. So it was nice this semester to find my personal balance of discipline in the class room. Lesson learned. Each experience I go through is just another chance for me to mold the look of my future class. So Kaneshie Presby School? GREAT opportunity for LOTS of learning. The students and teachers I have met and established relationships with are each incredible in their own way and have filled up my heart to the brim! :)

NEW THINGS
I keep my room clean and organized.
I cook from scratch. NO REALLY!
I LOVE the smell of freshly ground nutmeg.
MY JAMIE IS ENGAGED!!!! CONGRATS JAY AND PETER!!! :)
Realization: As a white girl, I can't go anywhere without being noticed and consequently shouted at. If I ever see Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie someone remind me to keep on walking. Let us celebrities have our peace people! :P hehe

CHURCH
I became a regular at the English speaking service at Kaneshie Presbyterian. It starts at 7am (which means leave by 6), but I am USUALLY guaranteed a sermon I am able to understand. So, getting up early is certainly worth it, especially when I get to hear the hymns I've heard growing up in a completely different language. Church services will normally take the energy right out of me, so my spiritual 'fill' has been coming mostly from my prayer time and those day to day God moments that are so frequent. I can honestly say I have never seen God so obviously like I have during my time here. During those stressful culture-crazy moments where I flip out and go bonkers, it's always a treat when God will all of a sudden jump right in my face and remind me of His presence. He's the reason I'm here and He never lets me forget it.


So, tomorrow is CHRISTMAS my favorite day of the year EVER!!! We're doing a BUNCH of fun stuff for Christmas which I'll write about soon, when I update you all on how my stay in Ho is going so far (GREAT!). For now, I've got some Christmas cooking to do and laundry to wash. The 27th is the day we begin our travel up to the Northern region and there's plenty to do!! So I pray that your Christmas seasons are full of laughter and family (probably the two best things in alll the world-family includes your FATHER by the way). I miss you all sooo much. Make sure you give my family lots of love this Christmas for me!!!

With BUNDLES OF CHRISTMAS CHEER :)
Meg

December

Hi everyone! Normally, I struggle and stress to find a theme in order to 'properly' post on my blog. But for this one I decided to shoot straight from the hip...or my fingers.

Let's work through this chronologically...
About four weeks ago is when I was moved up to the Primary Four class in school. Deciding not to grade papers for various reasons left me with time to observe, brainstorm about a possible project for the school's library, and work together with various subject teachers to teach a few lessons of my own. For that first week, I realized what a big difference it made to move up just two grades from two to four. The students were much more receptive to my American-English and classroom management techniques. The next week I was given permission to spend my afternoons organizing and working with the library. It took about a week to weed out the book jackets without insides, the novels with the crucial middle three chapters torn out, and the five graphing calculator manuals (I have yet to find a graphing calculator). Being a bookworm (ever since my elementary school librarian gave me a stack of chapter books when I fell sick with the chicken pox), I was heartbroken at the sight. The partnering church on the compound of the school is also slightly disappointed with the library facilities and would like to see it improved. Which is quite convenient (God) considering I'm in love with books and have the afternoons in which to work with them! The last two weeks I've been able to reorganize and take inventory of the books we DO have, which will help in deciding what is lacking. That way the church can partner with the school to make some much needed additions!

Also, a few weeks ago, our volunteer regime took a hit :( Nadine, one of the other YAVs (Young Adult Volunteers) up in Ho, the more rural village Northeast from here, has been struggling with a fever and headache for quite some time. She had been tested and treated for a few possibilities, but just couldn't seem to kick that fever. So, after moving through the list of last resorts, it was finally decided that she would return home to Pittsburgh to get that self of hers better. This way she can fully recover and have the strength and energy to return and get crackin on some new projects! :) The last I've heard is that she arrived safely at home, is struggling with culture shock, and is looking forward to getting all of this figured out so she can get healthy and back to Ghana. So prayers for Nadine's health would be greatly appreciated. We miss her like CRAZY down here!

My current housing situation is actually about ready to change. It turns out that my Ghanaian Grandma and Grandpa's ACTUAL grandson is coming from London at Christmastime...to stay. Apparently his behavior is not up to par at his current London school. This calls for some Ghanaian discipline! He will be attending a school in Accra and will of course need to reside with his grandparents. With Nadine's currently vacated room in Ho, this situation is working itself out just fine. It will also be great to see what the girls have been working on, and hopefully I'll be able to plug in there for a few weeks. This will give us plenty of time to see what the Big man upstairs wants my next step to be. :) Although, I will be missing my Grandpa and Grandma, and my Amkye and Grace like CRAZY, this does create new opportunities that I might not have had before. So I'll be needing some prayers in that department. Just trying to figure out what my next move will be, and that the decision is made for HIM and not ME. 'VIVA...' if you know what I mean.

I apologize that it has been so long since my last update. I can promise you it won't be the same for this next month. I will hopefully be traveling around Christmas to do some venture in the North of Ghana, turtles, monkeys, elephants, and hippos are possible sights in the near future. Can I say I'm GIDDY WITH EXCITEMENT without sounding like a little girl??? So if all goes well, I'll be able to paint some SUPER fun pictures with words here pretty soon!! I miss you all so much and I'll be updating VERY soon...PROMISE.
With love,
Meg