J-Term Diaries: Felicia Herzog

   As the trip progresses, our group becomes more of a family.  By group, I mean all the students, faculty, and our guide along with his assistants.  It really touched me today when departing from the hotel on the mothership (bus), Kofi (our tour guide) called us a family.

   No longer is their distance and shyness from Kofi and his assistants, Yago and Sulley.  They used to sit at separate tables from us during our lunch and dinner, but now they happily join us.  We all chat and enjoy each other's company.  I love to meet and become familiar with people of different cultures.  At first, you might think there's a difference between you and the person, but as you get to know one another that difference of culture dwindles and the person becomes your friend.

   Sulley is one of the warmest people I have ever met.  His smile and presence always makes me happy.  I can openly joke with him and he responds back.  I asked him about his family today while walking to Crafty's studio in Ho.  He stated he has 3 brothers and I asked their ages.  He replied laughing, saying I was trying to be sneaky to figure out his age.  In a way, he was right, but I reassured him that he was young.  We both stated how one another needs to come visit--I again to Ghana, and Sulley to Virginia.  Hand slaps, smiles, conversations, joking...I never thought I would gain a bond with a Ghanaian, even if he is our fellow traveler/helper.  It reassures me that people from the most diverse cultures can come together and bond as friends.     

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   I never thought I'd be a wife at 19, but today was my lucky day.  Not a moment passed as I stepped off the mothership (bus) to the woodcarving village, when my hand was grasped by a Ghanaian man speaking promises of his work.  Swarms of woodcarving sellers flocked around us.  A man named Henry and others constantly tried to drag me to their shops.  My social space was invaded, especially when Henry held my hand.  Manipulating tactics include phrases, such as "You my sister, I give you good price", "I like your style, that's why I give you good price", and "You're a student, I give you good price."  Keep in mind, they'll say anything to make a profit and charge you high prices because you're foreign.  Bargaining skills are a necessity. 

   Walking with Mayjean and Anthony, we eventually roleplayed to have fun and lessen our chaotic surroundings.  Anthony randomly told the sellers that Mayjean and I were his wives.  Mayjean was Susie and 17 (jailbait!) and I was Sally and 19.  The seller enthusiastically clasped Anthony's hand and congratulated him on his selection.  When I asked for a wooden frog, Mayjean rubbed my stomach and said it was for the future baby.  I told her to hush and go make sandwiches for our husband.  We laughed hysterically.  Anthony used us as bargaining tools, stating he couldn't pay more because he had us (two wives) to support.  We were in no way insulting their culture, but loosening up the atmosphere with harmless fun through separate identities.  I'm still waiting for my ring....=P

   The next stop was at the kente cloth village.  Wherever there are sellers, you are treated as a celebrity.  People mob the bus to sell merchandise and see you.  The mothership might as well say "Rich Dumb Americans" on it.  While walking to the kente cloth shop, kids flocked from every direction with memorabilia or begging for money.  It's a horrible feeling to decline, but you have to-you can't help everyone.  Out of nowhere, a little boy (probably 3) takes my hand and walks with me.  All I wanted to do was hold him and take him home with me to rid him of his poor conditions, but I had to be realistic.  Before entering the shop, a boy named Kofi asked for my name and how to spell it.  When leaving the shop, Kofi approached me with a threaded bookmark that read "Felicia."  I was overwhelmed.  Kofi remembered how to spell my name and created the lovely bookmark within 15-20 minutes and didn't ask for payment.  Although I knew he really expected compensation, it was the thought that mattered to me.  I genuinely gave him some money.  Unlike most Americans, these children have to be skilled in crafting and bartering in order to survive, especially at ages as young as 4 or 5.  My celebrity status made me resent my skin color and privileged life compared to the children that surrounded me who deserve a better life and so much more.  

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(For those who don't know, Estes is the name of our cafeteria)

   Everyday for lunch and dinner, repetition of food persists.  Chicken, rice, and fried plaintains always fills the buffet table.  Today was the breaking point.  My stomach felt absolutely sick just from the smell of the food.  The smell was even embedded in my hotel towel, which almost made me gag.  I couldn't eat, I couldn't look at the food.  I wanted to scream, "For the love of God, can we have some variety!?"

   The next day, drool almost escaped my mouth when my eyes targeted an egg roll in front of Rodney.  The egg roll was delicious!  All I wanted was 20 more and my lunch would be perfect, but of course the same food was served.  For the most part, I refrain from eating and feast on my snacks, which are limited.  I hope to survive the next week!

Weight loss time! =P 

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   The business of selling in Ghana is completely different from the States.  It revolves around vendors and markets on the side of the road.  There's no private space as people bombard you, the people are constantly persistent, and most of all, you have to bargain.  No one prepared me for this cultural difference when arriving at the fishing village outside the Elmina Castle (historical trade and slave port).  We were fed to the wolves and barely lasted 15 minutes when we were free to explore for 30 minutes.  Gestures of need, want, and anguish filled the atmosphere in the village.  My ears rang with shouts of "one cedi" from children.  As I caught up with Linda on the bridge for support, a Ghanaian man spoke to her in his local language from a distance.  I ignored him and focused on taking pictures.  Linda and the man's distance became closer and the man suddenly took her camera.  My heart froze and I ran to her.  Luckily, she gained her camera back.  The man made the same move on Anthony's (our photographer) camera, but he wasn't successful.  The uneasiness filled my body.  Unwelcomed faces and gestures came from every direction.  I soon escaped with others back to the shelter of the mothership (bus).  Fear captured me for the first time.  How could I be so naive?

   Fortunately, I learned from that experience.  The next day we visited the Elmina Castle and I was more prepared as we exited.  My eyes were now open for the expected and unexpected.  My comfort zone needed to be challenged, which helped me to further my understanding and embracing of the culture.   

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I like to think that everything happens for a reason.

   After waiting for our bus to arrive for breakfast for thirty minutes, Mayjean, Jake, and I ventured from the hotel.  As my feet hit the red dirt and the hot, burning, polluted air filled my lungs and nostrils, I started to feel alive.  The smell of burning results from the burning of trash because there's a lack of infrastructure for garbage.  While passing Ghanaians, I was conflicted between whether to greet them or walk by, especially since most Ghanaians wouldn't make eye contact with me.  The cultural difference created a communication barrier.  A smile filled my face when I heard the chattering and laughter of school children in a three-story pink building called Court Prince Academy.  All the children wore uniforms.  The school even had a quote of the day.  Even though I didn't physically interact with any of the Ghanaians, walking down the dirt roads and among the people created my first sense of reality in Ghana.

   Fortunately, our bus got into a minor accident and the group was separatd into two trotros.  A trotro is a van used for public transportation with a window at every row of seats.  About fifteen or more people can squish into one.  Riding in a trotro enabled us to blend into the culture, instead of driving in a huge "golden" charter bus that everyone noticed.  My senses were active unlike on the window-barred, climate controlled bus.  I was able to smell and taste the air and hear the commotion of people selling, bartering, conversing, and even preaching on a microphone and megaphone.  We finally had direct level contact with the sellers in the middle of the street.  Several people bought Ghanaian memorabilia from them.  The trotro was an advantage to reduce our social distance with society.  Besides the heat and sweat, almost everyone preferred the trotro over the bus.

   We ate at the Miklin Hotel for breakfast which was delicious.  The Miklin Hotel was very nice and was our original hotel before Maglab Hotel.  Unfortunately, due to the Africa Cup, the government cancelled all reservations at hotels in order to accommodate and house the referees and soccer players.  Our meager accommodations in Cape Coast the next day were beneficial in the bonding of our group.  The chatels we stayed in were like camp so most people stayed outside and hung out with one another.  At night, Prof. Jefferson invited the group to his room for relaxation and conversation.  We stayed up for hours laughing, sharing ideas, and furthering our knowledge of each other.  Instead of focusing my social interaction with just the Ghanaian people, I neglected to pay attention to my fellow travelers until that night.  

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It still hasn't hit me that I'm in Accra,Ghana! I might be traveling around, but I keep asking myself, "Is this real?" This is probably due to the fact that this is my first journey outside the country. To make this trip seem more real to me, I think I need more interaction with the people. To give a brief overview of my trip so far...

I stayed up all night until our bus departure at 5am on Jan. 13th because I was so anxious and to have an easier sleep on the 13 hour flight to Ghana.  After all the procedures and waiting for the flight, we finally left at noon that day.  There was a layover to pick up more passengers in NY and then off to Ghana.  The flight was a continuous switch between sleep and eating and sneezing...unfortunately, I have a cold. Great timing, eh? Finally, we arrive in Ghana, Africa at 6:30am Ghana time, which was 1:30am Ashland time.  It was already 80 degrees and humid.  Once I stepped off the plane, I was mesmerized by the sun.  The sun was so bright and lit up the entire sky.  I've never seen a sun like that at home. After exchanging money, collecting luggage, and going through customs, we had arrived with our guide, Kofi, who was very warm and nice. Luckily when we exited the airport towards our bus, the Ghanaians didn't swarm us as I was told to expect.  There was only constant stares and people who would want to carry your luggage in order to make a tip.   After leaving the airport on the bus,  I didn't feel culture shock, but I opened my mouth too soon.  When driving to the hotel, I couldn't believe the sights.  The first thing I noticed, which was advertised everywhere in the airport as well as on billboards and in vendors in the city, was the pride of the Africa Cup.  Billboards with football (soccer) players everywhere and vendors selling numerous styles of shirts representing Ghana for the Africa Cup.  Let's just say the Africa Cup is bigger than the Superbowl.  I didn't experience culture shock until we left the more modern part of the city.  Everyone seems to sell.  There are vendors every inch you travel, selling everything and anything, such as microwaves, refrigeradors, mops, furniture, irons, cars, clothes, blenders, food, shoes, phones, and so forth.  People would be standing in the middle of the streets balancing water, food, etc. on their heads to sell to the drivers.  Also, trash filled the sides of the road on the red dirt where grass was nonexistant.  The absence of grass and abundance of red dirt was shocking as well as the bumper-to-bumper traffic.  Although I may have seen these sights on television or in magazines, nothing can really prepare you for reality.  I just gazed out the window of the bus, not being able to intake all the visuals that were processing through my mind.

After an exhausting and long journey, I passed out on the bed at the Maglab Hotel.  By the way, the hotel room was very nice.  Fortunately, I roomed in a triplet with my friends, Mayjean and Linda, because we got a bigger room than the others.  Unfortunately, I couldn't sleep forever because we had a welcoming dinner at 8pm.  The dinner was delicious, consisting of chicken with spices, cabbage, fish, rice, and fried plaintains.  Our American ways were shown when after eating a bunch of us played a fun game of UNO. 

I was soon beckoned by a cold shower and sleep when arriving back at the hotel.  Tomorrow awaits a day of travel to the University of Ghana in Accra and time for reflection and embracement of my new surroundings.

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