Okay, an update:
I was super busy all of april vacationing and generally having too much fun. Now I'm tired and ready to get back to normal boring life at site, teaching science. Right after classes ended, Corey Serena Meghan and I went up to Ouagadougou and met Lauren, then we all travled into Mali and hiked Dogon Country for 6 days. Fun francaphone times, great scenery, and so amazing to see my friend again. Afterwards, traveled back down to Ghana, hung out at my house and then Lauren and I went to Robert's wedding. Fun fancy dress, ghana church times! Then Lauren and I went to Tenzug, Paga and finally back to Ouaga where she flew back to the us, despite ash clouds and such. I went home for one day and then set off for Ho, in southern Volta region of Ghana for the All Volunteer Conference at a very fancy hotel. After allvols, we had cos conf so basically i was there for 2 weeks. Finally, working my way back up to Sirigu and I will be back at it this week. I am happy and tired and getting excited about finishing my pc service. More on what i'll do next in another post. for now, look at facebook for pics of all these adventures etc.
Love to all,
-Toby
Monday, May 10, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Dusty day
Yesterday and today it has been so dusty that it seems like we are in a fog that covers everything. Even at noon, the sun seems like a hazy glow and doesn't give the normal scorching heat that i'm used to. Don't get me wrong, it's still way hot, like 100 degrees or more every day, but with the sun obscured, it doesn't all get through. I know the UVs will still get through so i'll still get burned if i sit outside to long.
It has been hot and dusty for a while now. some nights it is really not pleasant at all. Lying in bed all sweaty (not from exertion) and no place is cooler. ok, I could sleep outside, that gets a little cooler, but where i live, i would have to deal with all my students showing up and wanting to clean and fetch water at 5am. That's not the way i usually like to wake up. No lights, no fan so i just sit and pretend i'm in a sauna and i like the hot and really sweaty food.
Air is so hot, even at night and even inside. The other night I was trying to light a candle and the candle bent over while i was holding it. The wax was so pliable that i could bend it into the letter S and it wouldn't break, so i made it stand up and lit it that way. The best is when you are sweating so much that it drips into your food while you're eating, then you don't have to add as much salt as usual. I wish i could say that it is getting to the end or that it is almost over, but i'm pretty sure it is going to be like this all through April. By the end of april, hopefully we will start getting rains and the heat will reduce some. Until then, i deal.
School, we are in final exams for term two. That means i have a week to go, then 200 test papers to mark, and then vacation. After vacay, one more school term and that's it. I'm getting close to the end and i'm excited.
I'm also excited for vacation. Lauren is coming and we are going to hike in Dogon Country with some other PCVs. It is going to be great to see her, and the travel should be super cool, too. I'll take lots of pictures. After that, it's All Volunteer Conference, and that will be a blast as well. It certainly was last year. After that, COS conference. I'm super busy all the month of april so i hope i can fit everything in that i want to do. Robert's wedding is in there too!
Love etc,
-Toby
It has been hot and dusty for a while now. some nights it is really not pleasant at all. Lying in bed all sweaty (not from exertion) and no place is cooler. ok, I could sleep outside, that gets a little cooler, but where i live, i would have to deal with all my students showing up and wanting to clean and fetch water at 5am. That's not the way i usually like to wake up. No lights, no fan so i just sit and pretend i'm in a sauna and i like the hot and really sweaty food.
Air is so hot, even at night and even inside. The other night I was trying to light a candle and the candle bent over while i was holding it. The wax was so pliable that i could bend it into the letter S and it wouldn't break, so i made it stand up and lit it that way. The best is when you are sweating so much that it drips into your food while you're eating, then you don't have to add as much salt as usual. I wish i could say that it is getting to the end or that it is almost over, but i'm pretty sure it is going to be like this all through April. By the end of april, hopefully we will start getting rains and the heat will reduce some. Until then, i deal.
School, we are in final exams for term two. That means i have a week to go, then 200 test papers to mark, and then vacation. After vacay, one more school term and that's it. I'm getting close to the end and i'm excited.
I'm also excited for vacation. Lauren is coming and we are going to hike in Dogon Country with some other PCVs. It is going to be great to see her, and the travel should be super cool, too. I'll take lots of pictures. After that, it's All Volunteer Conference, and that will be a blast as well. It certainly was last year. After that, COS conference. I'm super busy all the month of april so i hope i can fit everything in that i want to do. Robert's wedding is in there too!
Love etc,
-Toby
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Funeral Season
So around here, dry season is the time for funerals and Ghanaians celebrate funerals in a bigger way way than almost anything else. Important people that died this year, (and everyone is important to somebody) get celebrated in a three day event that draws huge crowds from far and wide. Sometimes, families wait for quite a while before having a funeral for their relative, even several years. These days, there isn't so much to do, so funerals are all the time. Every weekend there is a funeral somewhere, drumming and dancing and drinking and eating is going on, usually within earshot of my house, almost constantly.
I went to visit my good friend and housemate Robert and attend the funeral of his fiance's mother. Women's funerals and men's funerals are different, mainly in the types of dancing. Men's funerals may have a War Dance, but there wasn't one of those when i went to this funeral. There are plenty of variations, I'll describe the one i went to recently.
Funerals are put on at the family house of the deceased and family and friends from all over the country come to them. Preparations start 3 days before by brewing pito, which takes three days to ferment. On the third day, the funeral starts and everyone arrives. Visitors bring gifts for the family of the deceased, often alcohol or other beverages. They also bring animals like fowls, guinea fowls, goats and sheep. The animals are food, of course. and are usually slaughtered and fed to the masses. You have to give the animal alive, though. Giving someone a dead animal is strange and suspisious.
Groups of drummers and dancers arrive and perform for tips, people eat and drink a lot, hang out and offer condolences. The atmosphere is not normally sorrowful, it's rather like a carnival. People come from the surrounding communities and there are people selling all sorts of things, plenty of snacks and drinks. Let me stress: lots of drinking. There are sad people, of course. The funeral will have people designated as "chief morners" whose job is to be sad while everyone else has a good time and works hard. The dancing and masses of people are exciting. Sometimes there are fireworks too.
At the end of the first day, lots of tired, full, drunk people sleep all over the place and where ever they can find space. The next day, many say goodby and go back to wherever they came from. They get parting gifts of food and drink. The second day is more for family and they spend the time relaxing in the home, preparing food, cleaning up from the night before, and dancing. The woman's family arrives in the evening and there is more dancing and celebration. Since in a traditional Ghanaian marraige, the woman goes and lives with the man's family, the wife's family is separate and not the same as the rest of the family and guests.
On the third day, the woman's family travel back to their place, and they take the spirit of the woman and the funeral back with them. Before they go, they dance and go around to the neighboring houses to say goodbye to them. They carry gifts and a few belongings of the deceased woman. The neighbor houses also give gifts, food and drink mainly. Animals(food) are common gifts.
After the family leaves, the funeral festival is over and people can go back to their regular work. next week, there will be a funeral at someone elses house and you can go have a good time there.
I had fun at Cynthia's mother's funeral and I enjoy going to funerals occasionally in Sirigu, but there are so many that i don't go all the time. I also attract alot of attention and at a big funeral there are lots of people from out of town and they don't know me so they tend to get bothersome or annoying. Drunk strangers want to talk to/harrass white people, especially white women (which i'm not). But it's not so bad and certainly interesting. Next time you come to visit me, I hope we can go to a funeral so you can check it out.
I posted some pictures from the funeral and other pics on facebook
Love,
-Toby
I went to visit my good friend and housemate Robert and attend the funeral of his fiance's mother. Women's funerals and men's funerals are different, mainly in the types of dancing. Men's funerals may have a War Dance, but there wasn't one of those when i went to this funeral. There are plenty of variations, I'll describe the one i went to recently.
Funerals are put on at the family house of the deceased and family and friends from all over the country come to them. Preparations start 3 days before by brewing pito, which takes three days to ferment. On the third day, the funeral starts and everyone arrives. Visitors bring gifts for the family of the deceased, often alcohol or other beverages. They also bring animals like fowls, guinea fowls, goats and sheep. The animals are food, of course. and are usually slaughtered and fed to the masses. You have to give the animal alive, though. Giving someone a dead animal is strange and suspisious.
Groups of drummers and dancers arrive and perform for tips, people eat and drink a lot, hang out and offer condolences. The atmosphere is not normally sorrowful, it's rather like a carnival. People come from the surrounding communities and there are people selling all sorts of things, plenty of snacks and drinks. Let me stress: lots of drinking. There are sad people, of course. The funeral will have people designated as "chief morners" whose job is to be sad while everyone else has a good time and works hard. The dancing and masses of people are exciting. Sometimes there are fireworks too.
At the end of the first day, lots of tired, full, drunk people sleep all over the place and where ever they can find space. The next day, many say goodby and go back to wherever they came from. They get parting gifts of food and drink. The second day is more for family and they spend the time relaxing in the home, preparing food, cleaning up from the night before, and dancing. The woman's family arrives in the evening and there is more dancing and celebration. Since in a traditional Ghanaian marraige, the woman goes and lives with the man's family, the wife's family is separate and not the same as the rest of the family and guests.
On the third day, the woman's family travel back to their place, and they take the spirit of the woman and the funeral back with them. Before they go, they dance and go around to the neighboring houses to say goodbye to them. They carry gifts and a few belongings of the deceased woman. The neighbor houses also give gifts, food and drink mainly. Animals(food) are common gifts.
After the family leaves, the funeral festival is over and people can go back to their regular work. next week, there will be a funeral at someone elses house and you can go have a good time there.
I had fun at Cynthia's mother's funeral and I enjoy going to funerals occasionally in Sirigu, but there are so many that i don't go all the time. I also attract alot of attention and at a big funeral there are lots of people from out of town and they don't know me so they tend to get bothersome or annoying. Drunk strangers want to talk to/harrass white people, especially white women (which i'm not). But it's not so bad and certainly interesting. Next time you come to visit me, I hope we can go to a funeral so you can check it out.
I posted some pictures from the funeral and other pics on facebook
Love,
-Toby
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Vacation Pics on Superbowl Sunday!
I posted new pictures on Facebook from vacation with the family.
Today is superbowl sunday, but i won't watch because it comes on at 11 pm tonight and i have classes to teach tomorrow. I hear the Who are the half time show, you'll have to tell me all about it another time.
I'm back to the teaching and it's going well. Also painting the world map on my school, that's fun. My time here is winding down, feels like i only have a little to go, its acutally about 7 months. oh man. when i come back, we should hang out.
love, Toby
Today is superbowl sunday, but i won't watch because it comes on at 11 pm tonight and i have classes to teach tomorrow. I hear the Who are the half time show, you'll have to tell me all about it another time.
I'm back to the teaching and it's going well. Also painting the world map on my school, that's fun. My time here is winding down, feels like i only have a little to go, its acutally about 7 months. oh man. when i come back, we should hang out.
love, Toby
Monday, January 18, 2010
Long Vacation
I guess I'm not technically on vacation anymore, but I'm still away from site and it feels like so long since I've taught any kids anything at school. My family visit ended and all have gone back to the mighty us, overall it went amazingly well and we did a lot of cool stuff. It was so wonderful to see my family.
We took our time traveling south from Sirigu, spending a day in Bolga to go to the craft village and market and getting clothing made by Rashid. He made a cute skirt for my mom and a very colorful shirt for my dad, Jamie got some nice stuff made too. We went down to Tamale and spent some time in the market there. Mom made some people mad by taking their picture without permission, but that happens. We went out for excellent chinese and invited my ...friend Mercy and some other pcv teachers who were around to join us. It was nice to see them and my parents enjoyed meeting some of my friends. We traveled by bus and tro but the travel was hard on my fam, I knew it would be. Long legs and sore backs suffered.
In Kumasi we stayed in a hotel by a park with really big cows in it. Jamie and I went out for a pub crawl with the guys for Kyle's Birthday. Happy birthday, dork. Next day we continued on to Cape Coast where we chilled and relaxed on the beach and spent several days. My family liked the beach a lot. I feel like I have filled my beach quota for the rest of my service, but i imagine I'll end up there again anyway. I hope Lauren doesn't want to go to the beach. jk. My aunt and uncle flew in for a week and joined us in CC. We went to Kakum natioal forest and walked on the canopy walk early in the morning. It was beautiful and really high, certainly a cool place to see. We had our binoculars at the ready, but we didn't see much for wildlife, dad was a little dissapointed there. We also toured the castle and enjoyed the beach resort night life. I danced with some rastas at the beachside club, the other white people danced some too. There was one african woman present for a short time, and she wanted to dance with me, she was a good dancer but i found out later that she was married. Her husband bought me a drink.
Jamie took a tro back to Accra a week before the rents went back, and we stayed another night at a fancy beach resort, like i said, a lot of beach time. Then we traveled up to Koforidua, stayed in a nice place and visited the bead market. Dad found a good spot to watch birds by the hotel and he was happy. I watched Fight Club and Juno on satelitte TV. Then we went back to Accra and they all flew back home. Except me, I'm still in Ghana.
I'm so happy that my family was able to come see me and experience what i am doing here. I know now that I will be able to talk to them about more of the challenges I faced here and they will know what i'm talking about. The trip was a hands down success. They got sick for only a day each, nothing serious. We visited all the main places we planned. Travel was rough at times, but we got where we needed to go. They also tried most of the local food I love, although we did eat at some pretty fancy expensive places too. I feel a little spoiled on food.
Now I'm getting myself back into mindset to teach and be a poor pcv again. I'm still in Accra for VAC and won't get back to teaching until next week, but it feels more noraml for me now. It also feels like the whole experience is accelerating. Only about 7 months to go, two school terms and lots of visits and events to fill the gaps. I've got to start making serious plans about what i'm doing after this. looking for a job, maybe back to school, where should i live? anyone want to hire me? I'll get back to yall about all that, but i'm always open to sugguestions.
Love and kisses,
-Toby
We took our time traveling south from Sirigu, spending a day in Bolga to go to the craft village and market and getting clothing made by Rashid. He made a cute skirt for my mom and a very colorful shirt for my dad, Jamie got some nice stuff made too. We went down to Tamale and spent some time in the market there. Mom made some people mad by taking their picture without permission, but that happens. We went out for excellent chinese and invited my ...friend Mercy and some other pcv teachers who were around to join us. It was nice to see them and my parents enjoyed meeting some of my friends. We traveled by bus and tro but the travel was hard on my fam, I knew it would be. Long legs and sore backs suffered.
In Kumasi we stayed in a hotel by a park with really big cows in it. Jamie and I went out for a pub crawl with the guys for Kyle's Birthday. Happy birthday, dork. Next day we continued on to Cape Coast where we chilled and relaxed on the beach and spent several days. My family liked the beach a lot. I feel like I have filled my beach quota for the rest of my service, but i imagine I'll end up there again anyway. I hope Lauren doesn't want to go to the beach. jk. My aunt and uncle flew in for a week and joined us in CC. We went to Kakum natioal forest and walked on the canopy walk early in the morning. It was beautiful and really high, certainly a cool place to see. We had our binoculars at the ready, but we didn't see much for wildlife, dad was a little dissapointed there. We also toured the castle and enjoyed the beach resort night life. I danced with some rastas at the beachside club, the other white people danced some too. There was one african woman present for a short time, and she wanted to dance with me, she was a good dancer but i found out later that she was married. Her husband bought me a drink.
Jamie took a tro back to Accra a week before the rents went back, and we stayed another night at a fancy beach resort, like i said, a lot of beach time. Then we traveled up to Koforidua, stayed in a nice place and visited the bead market. Dad found a good spot to watch birds by the hotel and he was happy. I watched Fight Club and Juno on satelitte TV. Then we went back to Accra and they all flew back home. Except me, I'm still in Ghana.
I'm so happy that my family was able to come see me and experience what i am doing here. I know now that I will be able to talk to them about more of the challenges I faced here and they will know what i'm talking about. The trip was a hands down success. They got sick for only a day each, nothing serious. We visited all the main places we planned. Travel was rough at times, but we got where we needed to go. They also tried most of the local food I love, although we did eat at some pretty fancy expensive places too. I feel a little spoiled on food.
Now I'm getting myself back into mindset to teach and be a poor pcv again. I'm still in Accra for VAC and won't get back to teaching until next week, but it feels more noraml for me now. It also feels like the whole experience is accelerating. Only about 7 months to go, two school terms and lots of visits and events to fill the gaps. I've got to start making serious plans about what i'm doing after this. looking for a job, maybe back to school, where should i live? anyone want to hire me? I'll get back to yall about all that, but i'm always open to sugguestions.
Love and kisses,
-Toby
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Koy Family comes to Ghana!
What a dramatic title for a blog entry!
We've been having fun and not too many snags. Here's a quick overview. Mom, Dad, and Jamie arrived in Accra after lots of bus, plane and airport time and passing through London. they got in a few hours late, so i had fun hanging out it Accra airport waiting for them (not really). We stayed in a pretty nice hotel in Osu and then went to Adda Foah for a few days, stayed at Maranatha beach camp. Dad liked the sand and friendly staff. Jamie and I danced with Antoinette, mom took pictures with her new camera.
Traveled back to Accra and struggled to get cash, missed the Forex by a few minutes and the African ATM did not agree with the people in the bank back in Stevens Point, but we got enough money to buy plane tickets. We took the flight from Accra to Tamale, GHc262 one way, about an hour flight. It was actually really nice, just like any flight. We did have to get up at 4 am but it all worked out pretty good. We saw Andy in the airport with his family, too, doing the same thing we were doing. I spent more money than i make in a month (my parent's money actually) to travel for 1 hr to a place it would normally take me 12 hrs on a bus to reach. Pretty cool. also cool to get from Accra to Sirigu all in one day.
We relaxed in Sirigu, went to the market, sat on some crocodiles and met my good friends. Bismark took us on an excellent tour of his family home, and we got a chance to see some traditional dancing at the Natunia festival. My parents stayed at SWOPA and Jamie stayed with me at my house. We tried some food. Mom likes red red. Jamie had some stomache issues one day, dad said it was from the goat, but we disagreed.
Now we are traveling back south, Bolga today, Tamale tomorrow, Kumasi and Cape Coast after that. Rashid is making us some nice ghanawear and we'll get some gifts and things in the market. maybe a basket or a pot. We'll meet more friends along the way. hope they all can handle long bus rides, we'll use STC mostly.
Love and etc to all,
-Toby
We've been having fun and not too many snags. Here's a quick overview. Mom, Dad, and Jamie arrived in Accra after lots of bus, plane and airport time and passing through London. they got in a few hours late, so i had fun hanging out it Accra airport waiting for them (not really). We stayed in a pretty nice hotel in Osu and then went to Adda Foah for a few days, stayed at Maranatha beach camp. Dad liked the sand and friendly staff. Jamie and I danced with Antoinette, mom took pictures with her new camera.
Traveled back to Accra and struggled to get cash, missed the Forex by a few minutes and the African ATM did not agree with the people in the bank back in Stevens Point, but we got enough money to buy plane tickets. We took the flight from Accra to Tamale, GHc262 one way, about an hour flight. It was actually really nice, just like any flight. We did have to get up at 4 am but it all worked out pretty good. We saw Andy in the airport with his family, too, doing the same thing we were doing. I spent more money than i make in a month (my parent's money actually) to travel for 1 hr to a place it would normally take me 12 hrs on a bus to reach. Pretty cool. also cool to get from Accra to Sirigu all in one day.
We relaxed in Sirigu, went to the market, sat on some crocodiles and met my good friends. Bismark took us on an excellent tour of his family home, and we got a chance to see some traditional dancing at the Natunia festival. My parents stayed at SWOPA and Jamie stayed with me at my house. We tried some food. Mom likes red red. Jamie had some stomache issues one day, dad said it was from the goat, but we disagreed.
Now we are traveling back south, Bolga today, Tamale tomorrow, Kumasi and Cape Coast after that. Rashid is making us some nice ghanawear and we'll get some gifts and things in the market. maybe a basket or a pot. We'll meet more friends along the way. hope they all can handle long bus rides, we'll use STC mostly.
Love and etc to all,
-Toby
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