Thanksgiving and Fire Festival

--All the PC volunteers in Ghana were invited to the American Ambassador’s house in Accra for Thanksgiving. At our own expense, almost all of us made the journey, despite it meaning that we would be away from our sites for a full week during the school year. Many of us were able to stay with diplomats in their residences in Accra. I stayed with a veteran diplomat who has led a really interesting life, stationed in several different African countries over the last 26 years or so. While staying with her, I swam in the embassy pool and enjoyed hot showers, a comfortable bed, and air conditioning. Not to mention the cheese and ice cream. The embassy commissary is like walking into an American grocery store—it even takes dollar bills, of which I had none. Thanksgiving dinner itself was very tasty, but the highlight of my trip to Accra was meeting the diplomat, and her two loveable, plump American cats.

--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.

Rice balls and groundnut soup (I don't eat the meat), courtesy of Faustina

we traveled to see Mark's homestay family, and this is Nana; he's a real troublemaker, classic ADD

Mark's homestay mother, Faustina, and her son Nana

Thanksgiving dinner at the Ambassador's house

FanMilk presenting school supplies and a check for 2000 cedi to my school (for art supplies)

my tough headmistress in orange in the center, and my best student, Kwabane, on her left

they asked me to get in this one

Cutest kid ever. She was sitting down in the bucket, and I ran outside to take her photo, and then she started to think she was doing something wrong and got up.

haute cuisine Ghana-style: half of a FanMilk chocolate ice cream with homemade brownie

just throw that goat over your shoulder

Fire Festival kids, Diare

Fire Festival

Fire Festival

Fire Festival

Fire Festival (that's all the dust in the air!)

Fire Festival

man showing off at the Fire Festival

My entire school watching a presentation by the UN Human Rights Commission

more Thanksgiving photos

PC volunteers at Thanksgiving