The first term of my second school year in Ghana is mostly over---I've given all my exams, and finished grading. Today is the Ghanaian presidential election, so we are all in "Stand Fast" at our sites through Monday morning, waiting to see if all will be peaceful. 

I recently watched an American television show called Jungle Gold, that is about the current gold rush in Ghana (who knew?).  It is the worst portrayal of Ghanaians, Americans, and America I have ever seen. It sentimentalizes these white, body-builder, debt-ridden, country-raping American thieves, who come to Ghana to pillage the country and take all its gold, plowing over anything and anyone in their path, in order to pay back their million dollar debt.  Well boys, maybe you should sell your fancy cars and houses instead of coming to Ghana to destroy the forest, leaving nothing but a gaping mud pit.  It's really the antithesis of everything we are working for as PC volunteers. Shame on the Discovery Channel for producing such crap.  

Looking back to July, I finally got my hands on some of the good group photos from the Leadership Camp.  

Two students, the one on the right is Fatima, who everyone thinks is my child because I brought her to the school (they ask me in sign language, 'did you give birth to her?') ...and I paid for this uniform.  Way overpriced, if you ask me.  

My project, Lines Stand Up.

This is my awesome P4 student, David.

Working on a new mural.

My neighbor, Ignatius, surrounded by his giant pile of maize.  

One of my students and her beautiful coil pot.

I finally made fufu.  These are the cut yams, ready to be boiled.

We killed a guinea fowl for the groundnut soup. I don't eat meat, so I mostly did it for my student, Kwabena, who gave me all the yams.  

De-feathering

Kwabena insisted that we cook every part of the guinea fowl, including head and feet.  He eats the bones too.  

Pounding fufu on a rainy night.  Great exercise.

Painting using only q-tips.  This class, P5, is really crazy and disorderly, but the moment I handed out the paint, they became completely silent and focused on their work.  I wished I had more witnesses. 

Finished wall mural.

One of my star art students, Ganiyu, trying to look tough.

Amedeba, another good student, and he's very handsome, don't you think?

Rahim Iddrisu, a great artist, also trying to look tough.

Rosarius, in the green t-shirt, wanted me to take his picture in his newly painted classroom.

Students pretending to be hard at work.

This kid is quite a character, and has the most beautiful blue eyes.  He sits with me while I'm painting.

Yay, paper bag turkeys!

Butterflies with glitter.

An American foundation gave hearing aids to every student at my school, and also to students from the three other deaf schools in the north.  However, only a small fraction of the students actually benefit from the hearing aids, and they all make a high pitched whining noise (feedback), which sounds like a forest of cicadas while I'm teaching. It's a little distracting, you might say.

We made water sachet coin purses in class.

Mural of the fruits and vegetables of Ghana, many of which my students have never tasted.

We made masks and added feathers, but most of the feathers just ended up in students' hair.

We visited Mark's homestay mother, and this is her son, Nana, in his new smock that we brought him from the north.

Peace Corps friends, at Thanksgiving dinner at the American Ambassador's house in Accra.

My homestay diplomat, Sara, and Mark and I, after Thanksgiving dinner.  

With the American Ambassador at his house.  That strained look on my face is me trying to suck in my Thanksgiving food belly.  

Yes, there is an Irish Pub in Accra.  Very strange.  

My students standing in front of a review game we played.

Masks!

A primary 2 student made me this drawing of Savelugu Market Day.

Another mural wall in Primary 1.

We have swings with the Ghana flag painted on them!

I'm going to repair this old world map mural at my school.  

Junior, David, and Rasheed, trying to look tough (teachers' sons).