International Superstar

Hey everyone! Long time no post... it's been a while since I have been to a computer and the few times I have had an opportunity the internet connection was down. But, here I am today in Tumu sweating it out in an internet cafe as I keep an eye out the window for any vehicles willing to take me home to Gwollu. Here is what's crackin:



Candy



First off, a big thanks to Suerea for sending me a huge box filled with all sorts of great candy (starburst, blowpops, jolly ranchers, crackerjacks, smarties, etc!) and some Clemson World magazines. I just got the package today and I will surely enjoy all the sweets... thank you so much!



Toilets



To Steve and Leanne, who have each contacted me after finding my blog and told me about their visits to Gwollu... I have greeted the people at the Tituoballa Bonesetters Clinic (specifically Issufu) for you and they say they remember you very well and wish you the best. The latrines that you built there are still in great shape and are a great convenience to the patients at the center and the people of the Tituoballa section. Thanks for writing, I'll do my best to stay in touch! Oh, also Bonnie... G.B., Sulley, and company were very happy that I heard from you. They mention you often and always in a possitive light. G.B. must have told me 100 times he wants a big photo of you (and John) to be hung in the Museum when we get it up and running. John, have you found this blog yet?



Fireworks



So, my 4th of July celebration will most likely not involve fireworks but I will be celebrating. The Peace Corps has Volunteer Area Councils in each of the regions in Ghana and I will be hosting our quarterly meeting at my house in Gwollu next weekend. About 10-15 other volunteers from my region should be coming so we will have our meeting and then celebrate the 4th. I am trying to arrange for some people from my village to come and so some cultural drumming and dancing for us. You can buy little firecrackers in the market in Gwollu so I will have to at lease get some of those. Oh, also the last time I was in Wa I bought an AWESOME shirt/jersey that will make it's Gwollu debut on the 4th. It is like a soccer jersey, which everyone wears here, and on the front and back are huge pictures of Obama's face with the words underneath it "Change We Can Believe In" and the rest of it is the American flag. I was walking with some friends in Wa and saw it at a roadside stand... tried it on laughing and 30 seconds later I owned it for about three dollars.



Visitors



Brad and Gil are coming to Ghana! They will be here August 16-29 and I am pumped! They will be able to see where I live and do a bit of traveling. Their visit will surely be interesting, fun, and hilarious. We'll be sure to take lots of pictures.



Vacation



I will be coming home on vacation for a whole month! My parents booked me a ticket to come back on December 18th and then I will return to Ghana January 18th (where I will stay until Nov. 2010). I will surely spend most of my time in VT with my family and friends there but I also hope to make it down to Clemson for a weekend to visit while I still know some people there. I will want to see everyone and do everything but surely that won't be possible because I have only a month and no money! Let me know what you are up to during that time as we get closer so we can try to meet up. If you can make it to VT to visit me that would be best, and as they say here in Ghana, "You are invited!"



Peace Corps Partnership



I hope to complete my application to the Peace Corps Partnership Program within the next month or so. The program relies on friends and families of volunteers (as well as any other donors) to fund projects that they (the volunteer) design and propose. Most likely the project will involve renovating and finishing parts of an existing structure in Gwollu (the building where I also live) so that it can operate as a proper museum, visitors' center, and community center. I have yet to develop the budget (I hope for it to be between $2,000 and $4,000) but I would like to include funds to create a permanent display in our museum hall (it is currently empty) of historical atrifacts relating to the slave trade and the history of Sisala people. The tourism committee and I are also interested in furnishing two basic bunk rooms to host tourists and other visitors in Gwollu. If possible, we also want to make provisions for hosting community events. Ideally, we would get traditional instruments made, buy a speaker system, and get a television or projector for showing films. When I finish my proposal and it is approved, it will be made available online for anyone to donate. When my budgeted amount is raised, all of the money goes directly to me (or my tourism committee's bank account) for use on the project. I will post a link as soon as it is available. Until then, you can learn more about the program (and see other projects that need funding) at www.peacecorps.gov/contribute. I know the economy is rough, but save up so you can donate to my awesome project... I promise to provide before and after pictures and stories of its completion!



Movie Star

Last week my counterpart, G.B., told me that a film crew would be coming to stay in Gwollu to film some movies in the area that highlighted the Sisala culture. I thought this was cool and that we might be able to meet with them and see them and help them if they needed it. After all, G.B. is the local cultural and history guru... he can recollect songs he learned as a child (in the 1930s and '40s) that were sung to praise the former Chief of Gwollu, Tanjia, at the time the slave defense walls were built. So we went on their first day of filming to see what was up and after talking with G.B. the producers told him they really wanted to use him in their films. So, in the first one he played a Chief's elder and did great; it was really fun to watch. The second day came around "on the set" and they said they had a part for a white man to play. Since I am the only one in the whole district, naturally I was chosen to act the part. I keep joking with everyone in town that they chose me because I am the best white actor in town... they like that. The film was called "The Secret" and the plot involved children in a village and their struggle to convince their Chief to build a school. I play the American volunteer (imagine that) who comes to the village and convinces the Chief to invest in education... I help the village build a school and then a few years later take some students back to America to continue their studies.... so basically I play the hero! Ha ha. Anyway, I have tried not to let all this movie star business get to my head because it's just not easy being famous. Can you imagine when I am on Letterman in 10 years and they pull up a clip of this African film... I'll be so embarrassed! At least the movie business here isn't quite as glamorous as I imagine it is at home... the whole thing was shot in a few days (part in Gwollu, part across the border in a village in Burkina Faso, hence I am truly an "international" superstar) using little home camcorders and no lights, microphones, or fancy director's chair... although the guy in charge did keep yelling things like "silence!" "standby!" "roll tape!" and "action!" which made the whole thing feel pretty legit. After they edit the movies they said they are putting them on dvds or vcds to sell here in Ghana and they will get me copies. I'll keep you updated on when this movie comes out and if I am selected for any other major roles.... Oh yeah, Snoop was in the film too! He follows me (and G.B.) everywhere and it was impossible to keep him out of the scenes so they just went with it and let him roam in and out... I told the guys that Snoop has to be included in the credits and although I cannot accept any royalties, he can.

Hippo Race

I started writing this post in Tumu yesterday and then the internet connection went down before I could finish. I did get a ride home from Tumu, with my District Agricultural Director and as it turns out he was coming to Wa this morning and so I joined him for the free ride (rather than pay for a much more dreadful 3.5 hour bus ride... the roads are just getting worse and worse). Tomorrow a bunch of us from the Upper West are going to help out another volunteer with a community event. She lives in Wechiau, which is 1-2 hours from Wa and has organized an 18k relay race for junior high school students to benefit a social welfare organization. The race will conclude at a hippo sanctuary (it's called "Race to the Hippos") where there will be celebration and entertainment of some sort. Also, some of my students from Gwollu will be performing at a cultural dancing/drumming/drama/poetry reading contest in Wa tomorrow so I will go and support them. G.B. and I helped them and their teachers practice their performances and they won at the circuit and district levels (events at which I was an impartial judge) so tomorrow they will try to win so they can represent the Region.

Well, I think that's about all for now. I've been busy lately which has been great and I am really enjoying my work and my time here in Ghana. At times it can be really frustrating and I don't feel like I am making a difference but it is just that everything moves at a different pace here and even after 9 months (I have been here for 9 months!) it is hard to completely get used to it. Last week I attended my district's 2 day District Assembly meeting, which is the local government body. That was interesting and at times long and boring, but it seems things are finally going to get moving for them now that the new leadership has settled in (after the party shifting election in December) and they seem receptive/supportive of some of my projects. I've been playing volleyball with a bunch of friends almost every day in the evening for the past 3 weeks or so and that has been great (thanks Mom and Dad / Aunt Patty and Uncle Roger for sending the balls!). There is a net at the junior high school in town so a bunch of teachers and some students always come to play. We meet at around 5 and play until it gets too dark. A few weeks ago I also taught computer skills to junior high school students and their teachers who were in Gwollu for a 3 day science and technology workshop... I gave out jolly ranchers for correct answers and felt like such a rock star because of it... if only then I had known a few weeks later I would become a real-life Ghanaian movie star!

That should give you all enough to read (probably too much for most) until I can post again. I hope everyone is having a fun summer at home... send me an email and let me know what's up with you!

Love and miss you all...

p.s.- never been a follower of soccer, but everyone is here so I often watch outside on a 15 inch tv with a bunch of people in Gwollu... last night we saw USA beat Spain to go to the Federation Cup Finals! That game will be Sunday; I plan to be back in Gwollu that day to watch it and surely I'll have to break out the red, white, and blue Obama jersey for that... last night I had a whole part of the village chanting "U-S-A" with me after the big win.

Check It Out: Omar Kicks It Across America

My friend, Omar, came to Ghana at the same time as me to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer and was with me at our training for about 6 weeks before he had to return home to Rhode Island. He didn't want to leave Ghana, but he had to.

Now, he is riding his long board across the country from Memphis to San Diego and blogging his experience at http://kickinitlonger.blogspot.com. Check it out if you are interested, and if you are on his route, give him a meal or a place to stay!

Omar- good luck and have fun, we miss you bro!

More Pictures

People fetching water @ the Croc Pond

CROCS! in Gwollu

Kids dancing on my porch

Burkina Faso Trip

Me @ Burkina Faso Shea Butter Factory

'Smores!

Me, Abiba, and Kardiri (getting happy birthday sung to us)

Me & Maria @ Luckapolooza

Snoop

Long Overdue Update

Hey everyone. Haven't written for awhile I know, but everything is great in Ghana! The last month or so has been a busy and eventful one so here's the scoop:

• Burkina Trip: Last time I wrote I was up in Burkina Faso attending a shea butter trade show with 4 other Ghana volunteers and some from other West African countries. When the trade show ended we decided to stay an extra night to explore the city and have some fun before coming back and it was awesome! We went to a great concert in an outdoor amphitheatre at the French Cultural Centre at night (and to a nightclub after) and the next day we went to see a soccer match between the Burkina Faso national team and Guinea. On the way back to Ghana I also met my closest Peace Corps neighbor... in Burkina Faso! There is a guy volunteering in a community that is only about 14 km away from my village and we met up with him on our way back down. It will be great to have someone only a bike ride away.
• LUCKAPOLOOZA: The weekend after I got back to my site I threw a huge birthday party for myself and my counterpart in my courtyard. 17 other Peace Corps volunteers came up to my site for the weekend and it was a ton of fun. Some of the people even travelled about 18 hours to get there. We had music, food, drinks, and a live xylophone performance. One of my friends got graham crackers, hershey's bars, and marshmellows sent from home and brought them so we had a fire and made 'smores. The Chief of my village also presented my with a live sheep for my birthday! I had some guys across the street from my house kill and prepare it for us. We finished the whole fried sheep within like 20 minutes of putting it on the table.
• Ho Ho Ho Easter: This weekend I went down to the city of Ho, in the Volta region of Ghana, to spend Easter with 27 other volunteers. Our Easter dinner, prepared by some very talented volunteer cooks, consisted of marinated, bake chicken breasts, garlic mashed potatoes, salad, homemade macaroni and cheese, gravy, and brownies for dessert... it was amazing! It was the only time I have had food anything like that in the last 6 months!
• Accra: So now I am in Accra, Ghana's Capital city. I am at the Peace Corps office this morning and then from here I will go and meet with some people from the Ministry of Tourism and perhaps the Member of Parliament from my district to go over some things about my tourism work in Gwollu. I also need to go around and distribute some brochures and posters about Gwollu at some places in the city and meet with the Association of Tour Operators to try to get them to bring more tourists to the Upper West. I got into town last night and went to the Accra Mall... it seemed so American! It seems brand new, has really fancy shops, a food court, air conditioning, and a huge grocery store. Once again, these are all things that I never see any more so it was really weird. Best of all, we went to a movie theater! We paid about 10 bucks, which is like 2 days pay for me now, to see Slumdog Millionaire at the really nice theater in the mall and it was worth every penny!

I will start the 18-20 hour journey back to Gwollu tomorrow and although all this traveling has been a lot of fun (and a much needed break from my very remote site) it will be great to be back "home" again. Snoop is great and growing. I got him his rabies vaccination last week. He ate an entire fried rabbit head a couple weeks ago that I bought on the street for him. He loves eating and has now started growling at his food as he eats it sometimes. A bunch of my friends and coworkers at site are helping to take care of him this week and they have all called to say he is awesome. It's still really hot here, about 100 degrees or so most days (and still like 95 when I go to bed) but the rainy season is about to start so that should cool things down a bit.

I hope all is well at home for everyone. Shout outs to Zoooora for bugging me to make another post and to Mr. Hammond's class for always checking out the blog!

Dog / Burkina Faso

Bonjour!  This week I am in Burkina Faso (the country directly north of Ghana... I live on the border) in the capital city of Ouagadougou helping out at a shea butter industry trade show.  5 of us from Ghana (who are working with shea women's groups) came along with our Associate Peace Corps Director.  It has been a ton of fun to see another country in West Africa.  The national language is French here (as it is in all of the countries bordering Ghana) and the culture/food is also very different.  There are baguettes, croissants, cheese, wine, strawberries, and all sorts of other things that I never see in my rural, remote region of Ghana!  The actual trade show is at an amazing hotel (we are staying at a budget place 15 mins away) with a pool, restaurant, air conditioning, DRAFT BEER, elevators, wireless internet (I am sitting in the lobby bar right now on my laptop) and all sorts of things that are exciting if you haven't seen them for months!  

I got a dog!  His name is Snoop and he is awesome.  He is really easy going and he never leaves my side.  He eats whatever I do and loves to chase toads, chew on my socks, or just relax in my courtyard.  Since I am out of town this week my friend in Gwollu, Kardiri, is taking care of my house and Snoop.

Me and Snoop:
So much has happened since I last wrote but I have to get going... today is the last day of our conference and so there is about to be a cocktail party (with live music) by the hotel pool... can't miss that!

I will try to write some longer/more interesting posts soon and get them up... Love and miss you all!

Balu in Gwollu

Quick post because I am in Tumu for the afternoon so I have a few minutes with some really slow internet!

I got a name: The chief and his elders called a meeting last week and gave me the local name, Balu. They said the meaning of Balu is a shrine that sits in front of each compound and guards it against bad things and brings good fortune.

Bike, check. Fridge, check. Snoop Dawg, no dice. My bicycle arrived on top of the bus! After all day waiting for it the bus pulled up right where they said it would. Then, the guys unloading it tried to charge me an extra buck to bring it down. After I told them that I would climb up the bus and take it down myself before I gave them any more money (and started up the ladder) they laughed and carried it down for me. I have now gotten it repaired (a couple times) in Gwollu and it is currently working pretty well. I just got my fridge yesterday! My friend, "Captain," is a driver for the chief and so he picked it up in Tumu and brought it to my house for me. It works great and even has a little freezer compartment so I can make ice! No dog yet. I went to get the one that they said they would give me but then there was some confusion. The guy (who I don't even think was the actual owner of the dog) that I had talked to asked me to pay him the equivalent of about 20 dollars for the puppy. While that would be cheap in the U.S., it is absolutely ridiculous here, where a puppy is usually free or maybe 50 cents. I was angry that he was trying to cheat me (I even offered to pay 2 bucks!) so I will not be getting that particular dog. I will find another one soon enough.

Haircut! Yesterday I went to the barber shop in town and buzzed all my hair off again. It feels a lot cooler already. The guy finished with my hair, looked at my beard that was then way longer than my hair, and asked if he should also cut that off. It hadn't been my plan, but I said "go for it." So the beard is gone! I had it for like 8 months I think, so even I was surprised to see what was underneath.... I look like I am am 15! The barber (who actually was 15) shaved my beard with nothing but a razor blade that he held in his hand... no shaving cream or anything. It was quite an interesting experience, but it was one of the better haircuts and best looking shaves I have probably ever had, and it cost 70 cents!

Here comes the heat! It is starting to get a lot hotter here in the Upper West Region. For a few weeks the temperatures were (relatively) really low and there were strong winds, so it was nice. But, now the heat is on... The hottest time here is usually March and April and I am already beginning to feel it. People laugh when I say it is hot now and tell me they can't wait to see how I handle March/April. That should be fun.

Foreigners! So last time I travelled 4 white people came to my town to introduce themselves and visit me, but I was gone! They are also volunteers and they live in Tumu (where I am now for bank/internet) which is about 32 k away from me. There is a guy from Italy, two women and one man from the U.K., and a guy from California. They said they gather in Tumu on Friday nights (along with some other foreign volunteers) and so sometime I will come and meet/join them. They also said that if I have to stay in town they have a place for me to sleep. It will be really nice to meet them and have some other foreigners close to me to hang out with now and then because the closest PC volunteer is about 1.5 hours away in another small village.

That's all for now... gotta go sit under a tree and see if any cars passing will take me home! I will write again when I get the chance.

Update (Finally!)

It has been so long since I have been able to use the internet! I have been living in Gwollu for about a month now, so here's what I've been up to (breifly):



-My place is awesome... I got some covers made for my furniture (kind of looks like leopard print, very nice!) and I put down some linoleum flooring (called "carpet" here) in my main room so my place is very comfortable.



-I have been named "Speaker of Parliament..." Different groups of men frequently sit (during the dry season when they are not farming) in the same place together somewhere in town and they call their groups "Parliament." So one of my first days in town some guys called me over to sit and talk with them in front of a hardware store. Ever since I have stopped by almost every day and so they (half jokingly) have dubbed me the speaker of their parliament. It's awesome.



-I got a bike... and a fridge... I hope. I am just returning from Tamale where I got a bicycle. The bike was "new" and seemed pretty nice but already (in 1 day) the chain has broken twice and the front tire has popped twice. That was just from me "trying it out" after the guy (who I paid) "fixed" it. Argg... it was a very frustrating purchase. AND continues to be... this morning I travelled from Tamale to Wa on a very overcrowded bus and they refused to take my bicycle on board anywhere. SO, I had to SPRINT about 1k down the road (and then back, to catch the bus as it was pulling away) to put my bike (and pay someone) on top of a different bus which I was TOLD will arrive across the street from this very internet cafe "sometime today." Don't worry, I've got the internet cafe guy on the lookout for me. We'll see if this bus/bike arrives and what type of condition it is in! Oh and the fridge... I gave a fridge repair guy $100 to go and get me a fridge in Kumasi... But I do kind of know the guy... so I am pretty sure he will return (with a fridge) later this week, as he promised!

-I just used a seriously GROSS public latrine in Wa. When you gotta go, you gotta go. Thankfully I was smart enough to at least travel with my own toilet paper so that I didn't have to use the one small piece of newspaper they offered me. There were tons of little worms and bugs all over... I think I have said enough on this subject.



-Cowboy Hat! My friend and I both bought Indiana Jones style cowboy hats in Tamale for $2 this weekend. They are awesome.



-SNOOOOOP DAWG. I am getting a puppy tomorrow. There were a few across the street from me and so they are saving me a male for when I get back tomorrow. He will be named Snoop.



-Election Results: After some relatively minor disputes/revotes/allegations the Ghana Presidential Election is finished. Professor John Evans Atta Mills, the National Democratic Congress Candidate, has been sworn in as President. The NDC has not been in power in Ghana for 8 years (the NPP has), so this move will be sure to change some things up. I watched the swearing in event on TV with some friends in Gwollu... it was really cool.



-No Local Name Yet... My community has still yet to officially give me a local name (I think it has been due to a combination of procrastination and election stuff, other events, funerals in town, etc.) but I think this week we are having some sort of event/ceremony. People in town have been suggesting names to the Chief and my counterpart so some areas of town are already calling me various Sissala names. What they will ultimately decide I don't know, but the debate has been pretty heated as I hear certain people lobby in support/opposition of specific suggestions. Mostly though, I am known as "Mister Adams." The kids, and my night watchman, also just call me "master" which is a little awkward/funny. In Ghana (and perhaps other places) "Adams" is a Muslim name. Since almost everyone in my town is Muslim, they seem to be very excited/confused when they learn my name is "Adams" (they always add the "s" even if I don't, so I just go with it). So I am ALWAYS being asked if I am a Muslim and I have to politely explain that I am not and that "Adam" is considered a name of no particular religion in the U.S.



-CROCS! I mentioned in an earlier post that my town has sacred crocodile ponds... I checked them out and they are awesome! 100+ crocs live happily right down the street from my house. Since it is the dry season, their pond is getting low and so many of them come out frequently to just lay/play in the sun. There are some nice trees to sit under next to the ponds so sometimes I just go to watch the crocodiles. You can get really close to them and they don't bother people at all. All sorts of people go in the water to fetch barrels full of it in the very same pond where all the crocs are. Some of the kids even know that one of the biggest ones will allow you to grab its tail (and they do it!).

Alright, my time here at the internet cafe is running out so I will go. Still no bus/bike (yikes!). Oh well, it will all work out... always does! I likely will not be making it to a reliable/functional internet connection very often so I appologize in advance for not responding to emails or posting frequently. I hope everyone had a nice holiday season... to all those in the snow, if I could send you this 100 degree heat I would!