First Week Impressions

8/27/11

Well, I’m on the road to Cape Coast! I landed yesterday after a long time of traveling and I have met all but one person so far, the last one is supposed to be arriving today. Last night, when we arrived at the airport, it was a rush and a mad log jam of people to get through. It probably could have been more efficient, but whatever. When we finally got through customs and picked up our luggage, we met up with Ebo Sam, our faithful coordinator, and our driver for this journey. As we were leaving the airport, I was singled out by people outside because of my rather obvious American identity, and many people were offering me taxis to hotels and such. There were about five guys who helped load our luggage onto our bus, and they did it because they wanted me to pay them for their services. I wasn’t going to do that, so I lied and said I didn’t have any money on me, although I had eight bucks. I know, I’m a terrible person.

After this little annoyance, we left the airport and headed to a nearby hostel near the University of Ghana Accra campus. We met up with Daniel Avorgbedor, who is heading up the program and doing the lectures. He is a genuinely kind and nice man, and he has one of the greatest laughs I know. He led us through a little bit of dinner and orientation, but I was tired, since I am cursed when trying to sleep in moving vehicles, and I wasn’t really paying close attention to the details. The dinner consisted of rice and fried chicken and some fresh fruit. After our dinner and brief orientation, we went to our rooms for the night. Being the only guy, I got a room to myself at the hostel, which was really nice.

Everyone in the group I am travelling with are nice and friendly. Only one has yet to show up, and she should be arriving sometime today I think. The people in Ghana are also very friendly and welcoming people, and the few I have met so far are all just great people.

Right now, I am on the road to Cape Coast, about a two to three hour drive. Travelling through Accra reminded me of driving through Mekele and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The correct way to drive is very aggressively and boldly. If you are even the slightest bit hesitant, you will lose. That is the nature of the thing. It’s kind of fun, because I can observe and not worry about being the one responsible if something happens, which doesn’t seem to happen anyway. Also, in Accra, people are everywhere and they go wherever. People will be walking in the middle of the street trying to sell things to people in the cars. Well, when I get to Cape Coast, I will spend a few days at another hostel that is called the Ocean Lagoon, and on Tuesday I will meet my host family and begin my homestay. This is where things will really get started. It should be fun, and I’m looking forward to the challenge! I guess that is all for now.

God Bless

Jon Steen

8/30/11

Well the home stay has now begun. I have moved into a home that is only a five or six minute walk to the SIT building, which is quite nice. There are a few of us from our group in the area, so we will figure out how to walk together once we know the area better. This homestay can basically last until I leave in December, so it is a big deal. When I go to Komenda for my village stay (Sept. 18-25), Accra (Oct. 2-7), northern trip to Wa, Tamale, and Kumasi (Oct. 15-25), and to Benin (Oct. 29-Nov. 3) I will leave my homestay and travel with the group again, as I did for the first few days. Also, between Nov. 5 and December 3, I will be working on my Independent Study Project (ISP), or thesis paper, so I may end up traveling a little bit during that time.

My family is very nice. I have moved in with the Kum’s, and I have two sisters and a brother living here. There are more siblings, but they have moved out because they are too old to really be living with their birth-parents anymore. There is also Mama and Papa Kum, who are acting as parents for me for the next few months. They have hosted SIT students for about ten years now, and they absolutely enjoy bringing people into their home to exchange better cultures.

On Saturday, there is going to be a huge festival, which commemorates the beginning of a new year. Ghanaians do not celebrate certain things because of calendar ties, however. They happen when it is logical for them to happen; when the time seems proper to celebrate. For example, there are birth celebrations, wedding celebrations, funeral celebrations, and celebrations of the coming of age. This festival is the one of the biggest of the year, and apparently it is a blast. Everyone has been getting really excited about it. There are smaller festivities throughout the week, but the climax of the celebration will be on Saturday.

Class officially starts tomorrow, which is kind of scary. Because of the nature of getting used to the time change and also to get to know the other members of the group, we have had a few days of orientation where we visited Brenu Beach, Kakum National Park, and did other activities. Now vacation has to be over. It kind of feels like the end of Welcome Week at Bethel, when the freshman realize that it is no longer a crazy time but in fact time to do school work.

One thing that I think is rather odd as a college student is the timing of this culture. What I mean is that Ghana has twelve hours of sunrise (6-6) year round, and their lives have as a result been shaped around that. Everyone goes to bed here around ten o’clock or so, and wakes up around 5 or 6. I am up only slightly later, but I have yet to stay up past midnight here, simply because I am just too tired to do it. I usually wake up around 7-7:30 so I can get up and ready by my 8:30 class at the SIT office. Right now, it is just after 9 p.m., and I am already starting to fade a little. Call me lame, but that is how I have adjusted my sleeping pattern.

God Bless

Jon