--I’m pretty sure now that I don’t want to be a diplomat or Foreign Service Officer. They really do live in a bubble, walking between the embassy and their gated compounds, eating American food, and working in a cubicle. I can do that back in the states. If I live abroad, I want to live in a breezy tenement with a six floor walk-up.
--Upon returning to Savelugu after Thanksgiving, one of the deaf teachers pointed happily to his arms and stomach and then made this puffed-up blowfish face…and then pointed to me. He was telling me I looked fatter, which here in Ghana is a compliment. But, ya know, as a westerner, I was back at my house doing my ‘Zumba Latin Cardio Party’ workout DVD within a few hours.
--My students won’t let me water my own garden. Every time I try to carry a bucket of water toward my garden, I have 3 students running after me, taking over. To assuage my guilt for having students do my work for me, I’ve started giving soda or brownies to my garden helper, Amedeba, every week. He’s thrilled, but has no idea why this crazy white lady is rewarding him for his labor.
--I made a flash card game as a review before the final, and although I will admit that I am giving the students candy if they get a correct answer, they all LOVE it. They are crazy excited, and even if they don’t know the answer or are just guessing, I can tell that some things are clicking. And I think the visual reinforcement is really crucial. It’s so great to see them all so animated and engaged. This week has been one of the most fun for me for this reason. I’ve also started thinking about what my school needs most, and what I can ask for in grant requests---at the top of my list are visual materials, laminated posters, bulletin boards, etc. When I asked the other teachers what the school needs, the best they could come up with is a ping pong table. Really?!? You don’t even have textbooks, and you want a ping pong table?
--I went to the Fire Festival in Diare on Monday night. Every Dagomba town in the Northern Region has a Fire Festival to celebrate the new year. The entire town (okay, mostly the men) light torches, and march toward a big, chosen tree, and then they throw the torches into the tree, lighting it on fire. Then they march to the Chief’s Palace, where they dance around the door for a while. When that group is finished, another group lights their torches and walks to the tree to set it on fire. There is lots of drumming, and occasionally someone fires a rifle into the air. Don't miss the two videos I posted to the right!
--The dust has arrived; welcome to Harmattan. It’s been cool (!!!) in the evenings and early morning, but…the dust! The air is thick with it, my nose is dry, and my house has layers of dirt that accumulate virtually overnight.
