Spring Break 2010

There was a huge rush of activity (that I can write about later) after Easter Break in April-which is apparently my excuse for not blogging about Bolga. I had a life changing experience up north in Bolgatanga, something that I would struggle to put down in words. There are hundreds of pictures that I fell in love with and managed to get some of them up on facebook (if you're on there, check 'em out).

Bolga was just an area that was SO different from Accra. I felt like it was the Africa that I went to Ghana for in the first place. It was incredibly laid back but sparse in supplies. The people were SO welcoming and I never once heard "Obruni" or something to that effect screamed at me while meandering down the road. This will forever be a place that I felt at peace and will definitely visit again soon. The group of us that went up there spent half of our time at a foster home. Mama Laadi

is the superwoman that is running this place and it would fall apart immediately were she to leave. Somehow she is caring for upwards of 50 children and some of their families. She offers school fees, clothing, food, and for about 20 some children, housing. There is a bus that picks up these kids


(this was actually our truck for the week-so they held off on the bus and we took 'em!)

every Sunday for church and they either walk or ride their bikes to school every day if they can afford it or are sponsored by an outsider (people who wire money to Mama Laadi from the States or Europe-you could be one of these people, just ask me for info and I'd be happy to get you in touch with Mama Laadi herself!). The other half of our 10 days was spent in the villages outside of Bolgatanga. We visited I think 5 schools while we were there-this number may need to be corrected, and brought supplies to build desks! The boys made one at Mama Laadi's and tested it out before leaving...



Looks good! So they made sure they had enough wood, nails, and muscles for 60 desks and loaded it all in the truck! Now these five or so schools that we headed up north to visit were in desperate need of some extra desks. Most of the children are sharing a desk with one or two other students or sitting on the crowded floor-books in hand.



I remember hitting three schools in one day. It was a long day, but totally great! We arrive on the truck and the school (staff and students) comes out to greet us. Chat a bit and commence building because they knew we were coming. This happened during school hours, so the students got to watch and the teachers got to help build! Our guys put 20 desks together faster than I could have imagined!



While they were working up a storm...my friend Anne Clair and I tried to keep the kids from suffocating the boys and their swinging hammers.



At the end of the week...60 brand new desks had been built and placed into schools that needed them like WHOA. So if we only reached about five schools...I bet you can guess that there might be a need still hanging out in the north of Ghana.

(Foreshadowing for summer 2011...)

We came back to Accra on the 15 hour bus ride with swollen feet and a need to rest, but still TODAY (September 8th, 2010) we call each other talking about when we get to go back.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

KATHY BAUHOF IS AWESOME.

I know this isn't NEW information, but I just thought today might be a good day to share that group of words that is ALWAYS in my heart. I've got about 3 things I know for certain.

1. Jesus is the fabulous, fantastic, and only way to get to that wonderful, magnificent, chocolate-filled, acid-free, coffee-smelling, constant-sweatpants-wearing, no work to be done, puppy-dog filled place called Heaven.

2. My friends, my unconditionally loving and giving friends, my friends of all ages, shapes, sizes, and nationalities are what get me through those tough moments with no laughter, no matter where in the world I might be.

3. My Matthew-Hannah-Mom-Dad combination is better for my soul than anything you can find on this earth.

That being said, everyone knows the momma of the family holds everything together. Especially when everyone is falling apart. Kathy has been that lady that holds everything together and she does it flawlessly. I know she has grown tired of the stress that holds down her family members when she has enough things to worry about in her own life, but somehow this superwoman is able to conquer it all. I know I have called her countless times with worries and frustrations only to find out later in the conversation that what I had to deal with was peas and carrots compared to what she, herself was focusing on at the time. She has done this (and so much more) for me, over and over for the last 25 years and I wish there were a better way to thank her from thousands of miles away. I love you Momma. Sorry I can't be with you today!!!

To the rest of you mothers-

There are about 100 of you (outside of my immediate family) that have stepped in in some mommish way in my life...all the church ladies, my friends' mothers, expat. mommas in Ghana, mi mami Tica, my Ghanaian grandma, my aunts, my grandmothers, and sooooo many more. I just want to thank you for being my constant momma-crew. Thank you for your prayers, for your love, and for your never-ending support in whatever I do. I love you all so so so much.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

LOVE,

MEG

It's already MARCH 30th!?!?!?!

Hello all!!! I can't beLIEVE the date right now. Wasn't it JUST Christmas 2009!?!?!? So lately, my mind has been wandering in the June direction. I've realized that my home of 3 years will soon be disappearing from view and that's been scaring me a bit. I remember knowing in August at the start of this school year that it would pass quickly, but I had no idea it would be THIS super-human-fast! My friends and I have talked about it quite a bit in the last week or so, and it's beginning to take over a lot of my thoughts. This last week I walked out of the orphanage after an onslaught of hugs and smiles and "see you next week!"s, and felt some tears coming to my eyes. I realized that in a few months, I'll be doing that for the last time, and there won't be any "see you next week!"s. Some of the kids in the home have been there for the entirety of my stay. This pains me a bit because I want them to be a part of a great family and SOON! Knowing the family that I was blessed with growing up, makes me cringe to think about what those kids are missing. On the positive side of things I have gotten to know some of those kids so well and formed such FUN relationships with them. Hanging out with them for a while has been SUCH a joy. THIS makes it harder to leave. There are also the Lily Street Kids Club kids. These kids are still saying the names of last year's teachers who have left. Like our students at school, these kids have had teachers coming in and out of their lives each year. I hate knowing that I'll just be another one of those teachers. Furthermore, those students at school. You know those students that we see sometimes for more hours a day than their parents do? Those students who know RIGHT when I walk in the room if I'm in a good or bad mood or even whether or not I've had my coffee that morning? Some of those students have been a big part of my ups and downs for the last two years. They've been through thick and thin with me while undergoing some huge decisions and major life changes. They've stuck it out and I love them and am going to miss them like crazy when I leave in June hoping to see them again sometime when they've grown up and have become doctors, writers, teachers, and astronauts.

I know I really shouldn't be worried about this yet, but with only ten weeks to go, the list is building. That list of things I must do before I leave Ghana. More on that later...

On March 6th, 2010, Ghana turned 53 years old. For most major holidays, the entire country seems to congregate on Accra's beaches. On that Saturday, there were people for as far as the eye could see to the east...

and to the west....


It was intense. People were running on the beach, dancing, playing football, trying to swim (while many cannot-it seemed quite dangerous at times), and just being with each other in celebration for their free country. After walking around for a while, enjoying the natural splendor, we did a little tourist-shopping and then we went to a nearby restaurant on the beach. It was beautiful to sit there on the beach eating kebabs like it was any other weekend. Happy Independence Day Ghana!


Oh yeah, and that day, I also bought a sword for my brother for his birthday. I couldn't send it to him in the mail, so I had to take wicked pictures on top of a rock by the ocean. It's like I just pulled it out of a stone or something. Doesn't everyone want a sword for their 21st birthday??? Happy birthday to the best brother in the world!!!! Does anyone know any brother cooler than Matt Bauhof? 'Cuz I sure don't. love you matty

Then on another fabulous weekend, we went up to Kitasi again. Now normally we are clearing land to prepare the area for grass-planting. However, like the last time, we were lugging big buckets full of water up the hill. It was fantastic, and also super hard, work. It was worth it though!!! Do you see what the land has yielded!?



None of this was around just two weeks ago! The foundation has been poured, the walls are being set, and they are continuing to work up a storm to get this place ready for those kids! Below are the buckets we would dump OUR buckets into.

Then this guy would come and dump a bunch of rocks that would get broken up and mixed with the sand to form concrete!

While all of this was going on, Christy was busy teaching the Children of the Light kids, some new ways to count! Tally marks was still their comfortable way of counting, so it was fun to see them using this new method. :)

Biscuits and prizes were given to those who finished quickly with quality! It was a great day up on the mountain.

Then out of nowhere my brother turned 21. It happened so quickly and it blindsided me. Although I'm struggling with feelings about leaving this place, I've been struggling with feelings of missing home. It's obvious that I've missed things. I knew I was going to, and I am completely content with my decision to stay. I know it's where God wanted me and still wants me to be. It came with cons though, as most good things do. My family and friends have been so forgiving with my time away from home, knowing that this is what God wants from me and what makes me happy. However, it still makes my insides churn when I think of the fun family dinners that I'm not able to attend, grocery trips to the store with my mom, pushing down the gas pedal for my dad while his head is stuck somewhere under the hood, laughing until I pee in my pants with my sister, and buying my brother a beer on his 21st birthday. These are all things I'm crazy about missing, not to mention friend's weddings and BABIES BEING BORN. BABIES! I have friends with babies. Anyway, I just wanted to share a picture that's been bringing me smiles lately...

However, in just 11 short weeks, God willing, I'll be able to see them all again. :) I need to remind myself about how lucky I am, when my complaining brain starts to take over. About two weeks ago, two of our high school students from Grand Rapids, MI (one being a girl from the soccer team) suddenly lost their father. Our school held a memorial service and they are now back in the States with family and friends. Many of the students were wracked with grief for their friends. Some knew their father personally and had some great memories to share at the service. Consequently, last Saturday, we had a soccer match. During the pep talk, two of my high school boys suggested that we play the game for our teammate's father. Everyone unanimously agreed. We were scored on first, but my team was dedicated, we had a penalty kick that was missed, but that player vowed to get that goal BACK for Mr. R. He went on to score two goals in the match to turn the game around. The first goal was actually scored by one of our newest players. The team did SOOOOO well!!!! I am SO proud of them. With the score at 3-1. The other team was quite fired up. We began to substitute more players, which we, coaches, believed might have thrown off the rhythm of play-our bad. The other team scored 3 more goals for the win. It was an unfortunate loss because we believe if we had the fitness and a little bit deeper of a bench, we could have won. However, the boys and girls walked out of there with smiles on their faces, knowing that they did their best for themselves, and Mr. R. Way to go team. :)

Then after the game I spent SEVEN AND A HALF HOURS at my friends house, making friends with Beatrice and Grace while they pulled out my scalp to create this monster...

So one thing on that list of things to do before I leave Ghana, was to get my hair braided. CHECK! I chose dark brown and purple to supplement the sandy-brown I was born with. My students, roommates, and parents on skype all flipped out on me because it was such a drastic change, but then they got used to it. One student even told me today I looked like a rockstar. Booyah.

Another thing on the list of things to do, is to spend some more time in the villages outside of Accra. I haven't had too much time lately in my American International world to go up up up in Ghana, where life is quite different. With our Easter break coming up, I have the perfect opportunity. A few friends of mine have spent some time in a town called Bolgatanga which is right before you get to Burkina Faso (18 hours up from Accra). This is the same town where most of the kids that are in the orphanage by my school come from. There is a sister orphanage up north called Mama Ladi's. This is where myself and my friend Anne Clair will be spending most of our week. The others will be taking a lot of time in different villages on the outskirts of Bolga, purchasing wood and building desks for a good number of schools in the area, where many students are found to be sitting on the floor in class. It's going to be a fantastic week. I promise to bring home pictures and fabulous stories to update when I return.

Hey, Jesus came to save us all in a few days 2000-ish years ago...get excited. Spoiler alert: He rises from the dead.

Weekend at the Beach!

I'm gonna try and stay on top of this blogging thing so that it doesn't add up the way it did before! Last weekend a few friends and I went to my favorite beach, Ada. This is that Maranatha Resort-the one with the huts and the sandy floors. Remember that? It's my favorite place to get away from the city and my stresses. There's no internet, hardly any phone service, no electricity, and no showers. All you do all day is lie under the sun and read or chat with your friends. It's a fabulous relaxer and it's only a few hours away by tro-tro. We had a long weekend because of President's Day in the States, praise the Lord for presidents! We arrived at about 10:30 in the morning on a Friday and spent the day in the sun on the beautiful beach. That night we took some pictures. As per usual-a jumping shot is always the way to go...

with the sunset on the coast of the Atlantic...

beautiful ladays!!! Amanda, me, Anne Clair, and Elyse

Anne Clair shot us three from behind. We realized later that it looks like all three of us are going in different directions. We started to tear up when we realized that in about three months, we will be doing just that. Amanda heads to Japan to work at our sister-international school in Nagoya. Elyse is heading to Ohio and I to Michigan. WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO!?!?!

I'll TELL you what we're gonna do. We already decided we're gonna print out this picture and take it everywhere we go. We ALSO decided that we're buying a pair of big baggy sweatpants and creating our OWN sisterhood. That's right Hollywood.

Anne Clair is fabulous. She is DOWNRIGHT hilarious. She's from Mississippi and I wish I had her singing voice and her knack for being able to cook ANYTHING and make it AMAZING. mmmMmmmm. She's also got a huge heart for the Lord's kids and I wish everyone could love them the way she does.

So, we got a couple huts and then realized that it was SO hot we couldn't stand it. We decided to pull out our mattresses and sleep under the stars on the beach while listening to the ocean.

At first you couldn't HEAR the ocean because our laughter was so loud and constant. More jumping karate pictures were in order...

Goofy photos are a must when you're dirty and there are no movies to keep you entertained. We had a BLAST!

Then we decided to alll lay down and take more goofy pictures on our super sandy mattresses.

These are those times when I picture God looking down on us and laughing so hard that his big belly shakes the whole universe.

Speaking of the universe...after the pictures, my friend Elyse, who is the smartest of us all and has an amazing passion for astronomy, told us about how enormous the universe is. She showed us the Milky Way that we're in. She picked out constellations and tried to explain to us 'little' people in simple terms how far away those stars were. She tried to teach us the mathematics of it all and it was gut-busting to listen to her reactions when we tried to explain it back to her. We talked about meteorites and meteors and all kinds of other things I can't remember the names of. The most earth shattering? Learning that....

BILL NYE IS NOT A SCIENTIST HE'S JUST AN ACTOR.

You should've heard the air that got knocked out of our lungs when the realization that pieces of our childhood had been falsified.

Devastation.

Despite this news, we were still able to have a spectacular evening. We even awoke to a gorgeous sunrise and a lightening show that lit up the sky. The rest of the day was as relaxing as the one before. We headed out in the afternoon back to the city and smog and dust and most importantly-to our showers. It was the perfect couple of days and I wish I was there right NOW. Thank you Jesus for the beauty you created with your world and it's phenomena (Elyse taught me that word-it's plural for phenomenon...you shouldn't say "phenomenons" because that's wrong). Nature's awesome. God created it. Get psyched.

Love until next time!

Meg

Back in Ghana-January 2010

Gosh a ton has happened (obviously...it's been just under two months since I've been back-yikes!!) Please forgive the lateness. I'm needing some prayers for productivity lately. My work load is larger than last semester and I've been letting things pile up. I was given another class to teach until the end of the school year and it feels like the work has doubled-even though I know that's not true. Anyway, I know everyone is working hard right now, especially with the economy being the way it is. Please let me know if there's anything I can pray for specifically. I'm realizing how more and more I'm needing to rely on my time with God as I continue to stress myself out with my worldly life.

So not two weeks into being back in Ghana, I got a call from my Ghanaian sister Grace, remember her? We've stayed in contact on the phone once a week since I've been here, but we've hardly been able to see each other. She had told me that she was going to be in Accra when I got back from Jerusalem and she wasn't playin'! She came in the afternoon and hung out with me and my friends for a little while (hardly saying a word). She's quite shy in big groups, but once it was just my roommates and I she started to open up. The girls had somewhere to go for dinner, so while they were gone, Grace and I set up an e-mail account for her so that when I leave Ghana, she'll be able to write back and forth with me. We spent a LOT of time working on my computer. Turns out her hometown doesn't even have an internet cafe, so she had never used a computer before. I had no idea! How do you teach something that you yourself have used all your life like it's an extension of your hands! How do you teach someone to use their hands!!??

It was a challenge, but after a few hours of logging in and logging out of her new account (which is like a post office box) with a new password (which is the key), she could do it on her own!! I logged onto a friend's computer and we wrote a few e-mails back and forth for practice. It was fantastic!! We had so much fun laughing and joking and talking about boys. Grace was my closest girl friend during my first year in Ghana. She kept me alive when I was so far from everyone else. I realized that night how much I'm going to miss her when I leave. Thank you Jesus for bringing her into my life. :)

We took a few goofy pictures for fun (while she wouldn't get off the phone).


I'm not sure if any of you know this, but GHANA WAS IN THE AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS FINALS!!! This is the biggest soccer tournament in Africa and Ghana hasn't been to the finals in years! My friends and I went downtown and stood in the middle of the street to watch it on the big screen. We lost 1-0 but the team really played well! I was proud of them, they just couldn't finish. Classic problem.



So it's sort of a goofy picture of all of us, but we had a blast. :)



I believe I have written about going up to a city north of here, more out in the bush before, right??? Called Kitasi? A co-teacher at A.I.S. has bought some land and has been running a reading/math after school program for the children in her neighborhood. The program is known as Children of the Light. It was been running now for a number of years and recently she has received a grant from New Zealand (her home country) to buy MORE land and to build up a play area with a pavilion! So lately, we have been going up there early on Saturday mornings to pull up weeds, collect rocks, chop out stumps, or lug water/dirt up to the site for construction-all in preparation for this play area. It is incredible to be a part of this, knowing that soon the program will be able to be held on this land with the pavilion, protecting the students from the rain AND the heat!

Once we arrive by tro-tro we hike down about 15 minutes to the site. The view is WONDERFUL and PERFECT when normally we're spending all of our time in the city.



This area that is being cleared will be the play area where the children can run and play games until they're so tired they can't play anymore!



One of the weekends, some of the kids showed up and brought out their self-made slingshots. Our big boys bought them and turned into little boys for a while. They practiced quite a bit, but couldn't even come close to the way those Ghanaian boys could wack a target.



Auntie Jean and two of her cutie-pie kids.



Two weekends ago was the toughest physical work I've done in a while. In the week following our visit, the workers were going to begin making/pouring concrete on the land. Rather than pay some workers to lug-up the supplies, Auntie Jean got her some volunteers! My friends and I spent the day lugging water and/or dirt on top of our heads like our Ghanaian pals. We realized how much easier it is than carrying heavy loads with arms! We ALSO realized that Ghanaians are EXTREMELY talented at balancing. Gallons of water on your head spills when you walk (alllllll over your body), UNLESS you use your arms and body weight to balance it out. Coach, if you read this, I think it would be perfect pre-season training.

First you fill up the buckets...




Then, you balance-walk-lug them up the 5 minute hill.


Then you dump them in these big buckets. After you fill the buckets all the way, your friends named Ben get in to cool themselves off and spill out a ton of the water you spent all day bringing up the hill.



Then the Bens fix it.



Here are the girls luggin' dirt all day. They said it was approximately 30-40 pounds of sandish-dirt. HEAVY! They still looked good doing it! Multi-taskers.

More has happened since I've been back...I'll update soon...I hope :)

Love all!
Meg

Thank you Northbrook!!!

So, I need to thank Northbrook Presbyterian Church. I was given support money from my church family to purchase a projector this summer, and they have not yet been APPROPRIATELY THANKED. Both my school and I are completely grateful for what you were able to provide us with. Before the Epson projector came into our lives, we were passing out 50 song sheets of music at every chapel each week. There was no other option because it was too bright for any of the projectors we had to show up on the wall outside. It doesn't LOOK very fabulous on the wall in the picture, but this projector is a Godsend (LITERALLY!). Everyone can see the words and we can sing new songs (because no longer do we have to reuse song-sheets to save on ink and paper!)

Now with the projector, I'm able to do current events in class, STRAIGHT from BBC. We can take notes together from my computer without having to use up dry erase markers (one per week-it seems). I've been also able to show video clips that the kids just LOVE. I feel like they're grasping concepts faster with this thing. Thanks for helping me to be a better teacher!!!

So, officially, from the staff and students of American International School in Accra, Ghana and from me, THANK YOU for this gift, Northbrook. You're still the coolest, rockin', most awesome church in the world (at least in the places I've been).


With love,

Meg

Deutschland

So after Israel, my flight back to Accra took me through Frankfurt, Germany, so I decided to stay for awhile. :)



I had one pleasant night alone in Frankfurt, then I hopped on a train to Bremen to my friend Dori's house! She picked me up and I settled in for a fabulous Christmas week! Dori (one of Kristy's roommates in Ho in Ghana during my first year here) and her mom welcomed me into their home for a very long time during their Christmas holiday and I'm EXTREMELY grateful. Dori and I spent time touring her town of Bremen...



We went to the Christmas market and had some Glühwein (hot spiced wine that is PERFECT when it's cold out)



We got dressed up and went to a Christmas Eve service that had been what I assume to be a funny-thoughtful skit, however, I didn't understand the majority of it. We had FABULOUS fondu that night with some friends and they gave me great presents even though mine are still in the dumb mail heading towards them two months later. A few days into my visit we headed up to Oldenburg where another of our friends lives, JANE! We met up with her and her boyfriend, Roman, and took a fabulous drive along the coast of the North Sea, where we took a ferry to Bremerhaven.



We spent the day there seeing some sites and going through the Klimahaus. I could spend days describing this 'Climate House' that they set up in Bremerhaven because it is sooooooo cool taking you through every climate in the world! It's really interesting and we spent hours going through it. Here is the link to check it out:

http://klimahaus-bremerhaven.eu/

After spending a bunch of hours in Bremerhaven, we headed back to Jane's parent's house for some amazing food. This is a typical dish from their area, which is usually taken after a day of bowling outside and lots of liquor. We neither went bowling nor had liquor, but it was DELICIOUS none-the-less. mmMMMmmm Potatoes, meat, and cabbage!!!!



For dessert we had candy canes, per Kathy Bauhof. THANKS MOMMA!!!!



After Jane's, we headed back to Bremen. The next day we spent with some other friends that had also traveled to Ghana before or during our stays there. The meeting place? Duh...



I had SOOO many cups of forbidden Starbucks, it was SO fantastic. Jealous?

Hehe...after meeting at Starbucks, 5 of us headed to a Ghanaian restaurant on the other side of town. We passed about 50 African markets/shops on the way and the other four were all excited to "see Ghana again". I was like, "Dudes I'm about tired of Ghana right now." But I played along. We had some yummy Ghanaian food and typical-"I'm coming"-Ghanaian service. This is Simon and some kenkey...



It was quite entertaining to see their excitement build about Ghana. Also, quite interesting to realize was the thought that someday I would be participating in the same thoughts/feelings club. It's less than four months away when I will be heading out of Ghana. It's a scary thought to behold. It makes me nervous thinking about it, so let's not! Moving on...

My last morning in Bremen before heading down to Munich I was surprised with this pleasant sight outside my window:



SNOW!!!
I was sad to leave, because truly it had been a WONDERFUL Christmastime. I am SOOOOO soooo thankful to Dori and her mother for opening their home and for treating me the way they did. Dori took me to the train station and we said our goodbyes. Miss you and love you Dor!

Munich was next. I was to stay with my friend Stefan and his friends and family. We TEN fit in a 2 bedroom flat. The best part? A 10-person game of Monopoly is HILARIOUS and AWESOME. That's right, 20 and ups play wicked board games too!



The next morning we all took a trip to Dachau. This was the first concentration camp and served as a model for building the rest. It was an intense experience that cannot truly be told correctly. This is the sort of thing that needs to be seen by everyone because it's too hard to describe to others.



That night was New Year's Eve. We planned that everyone would cook something to contribute for dinner and we would do a big family style meal. You LAUGH, but I actually DID prepare something...I made my friends some mashed yam! Turns out in the middle of Munich at a train station, they had an African/Asian store. We stopped in and bought some yam. mMMMmm



While the yam was being boiled and mashed. The Germans prepared the schnitzel! It was sooo yummy!



The Romanians provided the desserts and meats and cheeses.



More of the Germans provided....sauerkraut!!!! mmMMMm I love it more each time I eat it!!!



After dinner, we headed out to the square with some fireworks in a backpack and champagne under our arms. Everyone had set up camp to watch the show.



Eventually I realized that the show was everyone bringing their OWN fireworks and setting them off wherever they pleased. Policemen and ambulances were surrounding the square at the ready. As it got closer to midnight people started blastin' stuff off in every direction. I half expected my cheek to be blown off at any minute. It would have made for a good story! Seriously though, the fireworks were EVERYWHERE. It was such a fun celebration! :)



Stefan, his sisters, me, and champagne. FROHE NEUES JAHR!!!



I checked out BMW World the next day. It was like going to the Detroit Auto Show (in the BMW section) except my dad wasn't there. Miss you Dad!!!



Goodness, sorry again for the late-post. I really love Germany though, I think I might live there someday-God willing. I've even recently started learning German from a woman whose two children attend our school. God provides! (He also shuts doors-so pray that the right doors are opened and the others closed). Thanks so so much for reading!!! Happy president's weekend!

Love, love!
Meg