Here is the blog for the third day in Ghana- Feb 15th Lauren's Birthday!!!!
We had a beach side breakfast of banana pancakes (which had an omelet-like look). Two of our friends from the previous night volunteered to escort us through Accra to the University of Ghana. These two men (Richie and Jay) were both about 25 and were working at the hotel in order to make enough money to attend school. Richie attended a polytechnic school nearby and was from Nigeria. Jay was from Northern Ghana and wanted to study at a university.
Now having 2 locals to travel with made negotiations and wandering less stressful and easier. They knew the streets and short cuts well and also were able to get us the cheapest fare for the taxis because Ghanaians usually take advantage of Americans ignorance to average prices. We certainly were approached less by vendors because of our escorts. Jay also had many different “brothers” in Ghana. Jay would call up a brother to get a cab or a brother who attended the university. However, every time he said brother we asked him to clarify whether there was a genetic relationship.
We walked out of the hotel through a shanty neighborhood in order to get to the main market and from there we took cabs to the university. The University of Ghana covers a huge area of land and looks very much like a modern university. Not many of their buildings are very tall but they had many of the same departments as the US. Many of the students were dressed nicely for class because it is treated with more reverence than in the US. We wandered around and played a little on the soccer or football field. Some of the guys wrestled for a bit and there was a lot of fun and laughing.
Jay knew somebody living there and we were able to visit a dormitory. The building had old paint and there were different posters for upcoming events or raising awareness for different issues in between each stairwell. You entered the dorms from a balcony (like a motel) and all their laundry was hanging up outside.
The buildings kitchen was spacious but only with one microwave, oven and sink. Each dorm building is separated by sex to prevent students from doing “jiggy jiggy” as they explained it. The dorm we went into had two bunks for four people but were the same size as an average college dorm in the US. We chatted with two of the students living in that dorm, Francis and George. I had asked them if there was a lot of partying at college and they said their university had a reputation for it! Parties were usually broken up because of noise complaints or disruption of peace instead of illegally drinking.
For those reading this blog and do not know I am a Social Work major and have decided this as my career choice almost four years ago. I am really enthusiastic about this profession and hope to reach out to a lot of people through it. The reason I am now mentioning it is because one of the guys in that dorm that we had talked to was a Social Work major! I was ecstatic to have somebody internationally to share ideas of justice issues with. He told me that the Social work profession in Ghana is not really considered legitimate at this stage; they are still coming to terms with how to handle many of the issues they are facing. He hopes that after he graduates with his Masters (because like in the US you cannot do anything with bachelor’s degree) that the field will become more legitimate. He wants to work to help raise up impoverished
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Everett-Castles and Slave Dungeons
Tuesday, Feb 14, 2012 Ghana
Ghana Day 2- Our second day (February 14th) in Ghana was probably the best day of the entire voyage so far. Cass and I went on a SAS sponsored trip to the Castles and Slave Dungeons of the Ghanaian coast. We set off at the ungodly hour of 7am and drove for 3 hours to Cape Coast, Ghana, to Castle Elmina.
There we were given an extensive history of the castle and its use during the height of the colonization period as a storehouse for gold, sugarcane, spices, and eventually (and most infamously) slaves. We were then taken on a tour of the grisly estate. Such morbid sights included the female slave dungeon were ~300 women were kept captive to live in their own filth for months before transport, the small courtyard where the women were herded out of the squalid chambers for display and humiliation (as punishment for disobedience), and the balcony above it where the Dutch Governor would make his pick of the women to take to his bed.
The Male sections of the dungeon were equally disturbing, as ~700 men were forced into rooms that seemed impossibly small for that number of bodies. The smell of accumulated filth, feces, and death still pervaded the cells, and many of the group were forced to hold their noses to avoid being sick.
In one end of the male dungeon, a small passageway branched out underneath the castle emptying into a room called the “room of no return” in which the slaves were put for several days before their final and inescapable transport onto the boats headed to the Americas and the Caribbean. To enter many of these chambers we were forced to stoop over because the ceilings were not high enough for people to stand upright.
Near the back of the castle were two cell doors which stood next to each other, one tiled in white, the other tiled in black and grey with a skull and crossbones over the doorframe. The one in white was for the white soldiers who misbehaved during their service, and used as a temporary punishment for the unruly soldiers. The inside was dark and stuffy, but a small amount of light permeated from the outside, and there was adequate ventilation to make the stay bearable although unpleasant. The neighboring cell, in contrast, was pitch black with no ventilation save for the bars on the door, as it was here that the more uncontrollable slaves were thrown without food and water until they died of starvation or thirst, as an example to the other slaves who might consider stepping out of line. At times up to fifty slaves could be put in these rooms and the Dutch would sometimes leave corpses in there until all the prisoners had starved to death forcing the captives to sit next to the lifeless bodies of their friends.
Ghana Day 2- Our second day (February 14th) in Ghana was probably the best day of the entire voyage so far. Cass and I went on a SAS sponsored trip to the Castles and Slave Dungeons of the Ghanaian coast. We set off at the ungodly hour of 7am and drove for 3 hours to Cape Coast, Ghana, to Castle Elmina.
There we were given an extensive history of the castle and its use during the height of the colonization period as a storehouse for gold, sugarcane, spices, and eventually (and most infamously) slaves. We were then taken on a tour of the grisly estate. Such morbid sights included the female slave dungeon were ~300 women were kept captive to live in their own filth for months before transport, the small courtyard where the women were herded out of the squalid chambers for display and humiliation (as punishment for disobedience), and the balcony above it where the Dutch Governor would make his pick of the women to take to his bed.
The Male sections of the dungeon were equally disturbing, as ~700 men were forced into rooms that seemed impossibly small for that number of bodies. The smell of accumulated filth, feces, and death still pervaded the cells, and many of the group were forced to hold their noses to avoid being sick.
In one end of the male dungeon, a small passageway branched out underneath the castle emptying into a room called the “room of no return” in which the slaves were put for several days before their final and inescapable transport onto the boats headed to the Americas and the Caribbean. To enter many of these chambers we were forced to stoop over because the ceilings were not high enough for people to stand upright.
Near the back of the castle were two cell doors which stood next to each other, one tiled in white, the other tiled in black and grey with a skull and crossbones over the doorframe. The one in white was for the white soldiers who misbehaved during their service, and used as a temporary punishment for the unruly soldiers. The inside was dark and stuffy, but a small amount of light permeated from the outside, and there was adequate ventilation to make the stay bearable although unpleasant. The neighboring cell, in contrast, was pitch black with no ventilation save for the bars on the door, as it was here that the more uncontrollable slaves were thrown without food and water until they died of starvation or thirst, as an example to the other slaves who might consider stepping out of line. At times up to fifty slaves could be put in these rooms and the Dutch would sometimes leave corpses in there until all the prisoners had starved to death forcing the captives to sit next to the lifeless bodies of their friends.
Monday , Feb 13, 2012 Evening in Ghana
Cassie-At night, I grabbed dinner at a nice fast food place and got fried rice. We stopped into a local bar after dinner and there was this one very friendly women and a bunch of others sitting around. Many of the SAS kids were sitting with each other but I took this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone. I began to try and chat with the women. In retrospect, I found that the women were not as open to try and talk to me as the men. I guess it may be a cultural thing that they like to keep to themselves. However, the one woman was very friendly and outgoing and danced with one of other girls. Two of the younger girls were cutting food for a stew. They work here after school to make money.
The women asked us what day of the week we were born on because people have different names based on what day they were born. They also began to ask us about our boyfriends and if we were married. Apparently, usually by age 20 girls are married.
After this the group, I was with went to an Internet Café and I waited with a friend because I did not have my laptop. We started talking to the security guard who was 21 and had attended college at the University of Cape Coast (in Ghana). We were really amused by his readiness to not do his job to talk to us. Two Mormon missionaries came by who were our age and the person I was with started asking them some questions for his religion class. They gave us a copy of the Book of Mormon to read. As a part of their religion, they have to do a two year mission in another place and where they are sent is random. We also met an Italian pilot that is centered in Ghana. It was interesting; every white person that we saw and talk to was from another country. Usually places that have been colonized have a mix of whites and blacks.
I forgot to mention earlier that public school is only funded through junior high. After junior high, school needs to be paid for. There is not a lot of focus on social services in Ghana.
We learned in our cross cultural psychology class that in these cultures, lighter skin is seen as more attractive and many African men desire to bed white women. At one point, a man confronted me and asked “are you from the United States” and then “can I have your number”. I also heard from other girls that men (even police officers) were offering to buy the women from the men.
I have also noticed a very different type of driving in each of the countries we have been to. Ghana driving has been the worst so far because of all of the traffic. Cars are literally parked for 20 min and then move an inch. I will never complain about rush hour again! The cabs will drive on the wrong side of the road to pass trucks and they make their own lanes. There are also huge potholes in the roads which makes it even more dangerous. At one point we saw a car go right off the side of the road because they were speeding.
The women asked us what day of the week we were born on because people have different names based on what day they were born. They also began to ask us about our boyfriends and if we were married. Apparently, usually by age 20 girls are married.
After this the group, I was with went to an Internet Café and I waited with a friend because I did not have my laptop. We started talking to the security guard who was 21 and had attended college at the University of Cape Coast (in Ghana). We were really amused by his readiness to not do his job to talk to us. Two Mormon missionaries came by who were our age and the person I was with started asking them some questions for his religion class. They gave us a copy of the Book of Mormon to read. As a part of their religion, they have to do a two year mission in another place and where they are sent is random. We also met an Italian pilot that is centered in Ghana. It was interesting; every white person that we saw and talk to was from another country. Usually places that have been colonized have a mix of whites and blacks.
I forgot to mention earlier that public school is only funded through junior high. After junior high, school needs to be paid for. There is not a lot of focus on social services in Ghana.
We learned in our cross cultural psychology class that in these cultures, lighter skin is seen as more attractive and many African men desire to bed white women. At one point, a man confronted me and asked “are you from the United States” and then “can I have your number”. I also heard from other girls that men (even police officers) were offering to buy the women from the men.
I have also noticed a very different type of driving in each of the countries we have been to. Ghana driving has been the worst so far because of all of the traffic. Cars are literally parked for 20 min and then move an inch. I will never complain about rush hour again! The cabs will drive on the wrong side of the road to pass trucks and they make their own lanes. There are also huge potholes in the roads which makes it even more dangerous. At one point we saw a car go right off the side of the road because they were speeding.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Pictures From Brazil
A "Big Ass" Bug that appeared on the boat in the Amazon.
Ev and Cassie on the Amazon Riverboat.
Cassie at the Opera House, Manaus, Brazil
The Meeting of the Waters.
Cassie at the Orphanage with an Anaconda!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Accra, Ghana-Lunch and Street Vendors
Monday Feb 13,2012
On the first day we took a bus into Accra, I was so exhausted, I slept the whole time (imagine me sleeping on the bus!). I made that journey a couple of other times and got to see the sights and the people. Everett had to get his India visas so I travelled with a group of people without him.
We had lunch at a restaurant on pure African time. I was afraid to get a native meal because I doubted I would eat the whole thing, so my friend Chelsea and I got a joll of rice and a pizza to split. I also had ordered a coffee.
The rice came out first and it was so spicy, we had to take breaks eating it and eventually couldn’t eat anymore. An hour later my coffee came out with an omelet. I had only asked for coffee but I guess he was confused that I was having coffee without breakfast. The coffee was powered (like instant coffee) with real sugar cubes. So my friend and I ended up splitting the omelet and toast too. I think an hour after we had finished eating, our pizza arrived. We were able to eat all that food because there was such a long wait. The pizza was okay but nothing like pizza at home. It was wonderful and relaxing to have a meal that slow, I know not everyone felt that way but we able to talk a lot.
Many ordered the national dish which is fufu. It is served with a hand bowl to wash your hands because it has to be eaten without silverware. Fufu looks like dough but it is a maze and is actually very bland. It needs to be dipped into the soup and is served with either chicken, beef or another meat. That soup is the part with taste- it is also really spicy.
After that we took a cab to the market and because we were white, we were constantly being approached to buy things. The women all hold things on their heads. The men don’t do it as much but they do it to help their mothers or when they were trying to sell things. We had two boys approach us and they both had a rack of sunglasses on their head.
The market was simply streets of people sitting on the sidewalks selling their wares. The market varied from everyday items like razors, dustpans, clothes, and pencils. They come out here every day and wait for someone to come by and purchase their merchandise and afterwards, they have to pick up everything only to return tomorrow and sell again.
The hagglers and street vendors here are very aggressive and have a lot of successful tactics to get your money. They start a conversation with you get to know you and then flip out their wares. They welcome you to Ghana and ask you how it is. They are very persistent and won’t leave. Some guys followed my friends for a long time so eventually you buy something to get them off your back. Also they will put your name in a bracelet or written somewhere and say it’s a gift from Ghana… that you need to pay for. It is also culturally acceptable to bargain, so it has taken me a lot of time to get used to this aggressive way of buying and selling. In the beginning, I tried to be polite and say no but by the last day, I was saying no right off the bat. I did not like to be that way and denying them my attention but it was just getting ridiculous. In order to bargain with them (to get them to lower the price), you have to walk away and say you’re not going to buy it. Then they will lower the price to what you want. I started to get the hang of it near the end of our visit.
The schools we passed by-all the children had uniforms. The girls in Ghana are required to have short hair until they graduate high school to show they are a minor. All of the kids looked the same. I wondered how much it costs for the kids to have the uniforms. Also the uniforms help to disguise the financial differences between the kids. The private schools are separated by gender. Many parents send their kids to private schools so that the children are not tempted to engage in sexual behavior and also to keep the girls away from guys with bad intentions.
On the first day we took a bus into Accra, I was so exhausted, I slept the whole time (imagine me sleeping on the bus!). I made that journey a couple of other times and got to see the sights and the people. Everett had to get his India visas so I travelled with a group of people without him.
We had lunch at a restaurant on pure African time. I was afraid to get a native meal because I doubted I would eat the whole thing, so my friend Chelsea and I got a joll of rice and a pizza to split. I also had ordered a coffee.
The rice came out first and it was so spicy, we had to take breaks eating it and eventually couldn’t eat anymore. An hour later my coffee came out with an omelet. I had only asked for coffee but I guess he was confused that I was having coffee without breakfast. The coffee was powered (like instant coffee) with real sugar cubes. So my friend and I ended up splitting the omelet and toast too. I think an hour after we had finished eating, our pizza arrived. We were able to eat all that food because there was such a long wait. The pizza was okay but nothing like pizza at home. It was wonderful and relaxing to have a meal that slow, I know not everyone felt that way but we able to talk a lot.
Many ordered the national dish which is fufu. It is served with a hand bowl to wash your hands because it has to be eaten without silverware. Fufu looks like dough but it is a maze and is actually very bland. It needs to be dipped into the soup and is served with either chicken, beef or another meat. That soup is the part with taste- it is also really spicy.
After that we took a cab to the market and because we were white, we were constantly being approached to buy things. The women all hold things on their heads. The men don’t do it as much but they do it to help their mothers or when they were trying to sell things. We had two boys approach us and they both had a rack of sunglasses on their head.
The market was simply streets of people sitting on the sidewalks selling their wares. The market varied from everyday items like razors, dustpans, clothes, and pencils. They come out here every day and wait for someone to come by and purchase their merchandise and afterwards, they have to pick up everything only to return tomorrow and sell again.
The hagglers and street vendors here are very aggressive and have a lot of successful tactics to get your money. They start a conversation with you get to know you and then flip out their wares. They welcome you to Ghana and ask you how it is. They are very persistent and won’t leave. Some guys followed my friends for a long time so eventually you buy something to get them off your back. Also they will put your name in a bracelet or written somewhere and say it’s a gift from Ghana… that you need to pay for. It is also culturally acceptable to bargain, so it has taken me a lot of time to get used to this aggressive way of buying and selling. In the beginning, I tried to be polite and say no but by the last day, I was saying no right off the bat. I did not like to be that way and denying them my attention but it was just getting ridiculous. In order to bargain with them (to get them to lower the price), you have to walk away and say you’re not going to buy it. Then they will lower the price to what you want. I started to get the hang of it near the end of our visit.
The schools we passed by-all the children had uniforms. The girls in Ghana are required to have short hair until they graduate high school to show they are a minor. All of the kids looked the same. I wondered how much it costs for the kids to have the uniforms. Also the uniforms help to disguise the financial differences between the kids. The private schools are separated by gender. Many parents send their kids to private schools so that the children are not tempted to engage in sexual behavior and also to keep the girls away from guys with bad intentions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)