FLASHBACK - Who Needs Food?

Do you ever find yourself focusing a lot on food?  Special meals for the holidays, favorite meals as a child, or your favorite restaurant...I remembered dreaming a lot about the first meal we'd all have when we came back home from Ghana.  We had eaten so much of the same kind of food during our time there.  As time went on we must have talked about the foods that we missed from home almost every night at dinner.  It occurred to me though a few days ago that I never really thought about the drinks that I had in Ghana.  More so than even food though, my experience with drinks in Ghana hold some of the fondest, and often funniest memories!  It was around drinks that friendship was built for me there...not necessarily food like it might be here in the United States.

Some drinks just seemed to taste better in Ghana than they did at home.  Some say it's because they are made with real sugar and served in glass bottles...maybe it was the laughter and friendship shared while enjoying them that made them taste so much better.  Fanta and Coke were a real staple.  Some I had never tried before visiting Ghana like Alvaro, Malta and Vitamilk, and others reminded me of home - enjoying a good local beer with friends.  

You could always tell what kind of day I had had by what I was drinking.  Let me translate for you...

Orange Fanta: Was my treat to myself after having a good day at placement and looking forward to another day out in the villages. http://www.fanta.com/en_US/pages/landing/flavors.html

Vitamilk: Vitamilk on the hard days when all I wanted was a cold glass of milk to remind me of comforting cookies and milk from home.  

http://www.greenspotco.com/interbus/default.asp?topic=product&dataid=106

Gulder: My favorite African beer, was always a fun way to celebrate friendships on the weekend with music and dancing at a local hangout Obama Gardens.  http://gulder-nigeria.com/homepage.html

Malta: A local favorite it seems...I avoided as much as possible, though I did feel honored to have been given it as a gift of thanks after a community presentation (more to come on this soon).  It is an acquired taste I think for most people from the US as we don't really have anything like this at home.

http://stores.xnicstore.com/-strse-651/Malta-Guinness/Detail.bok

Alvaro: This was a non-alcoholic carbonated drink.  It came in different flavors like Pineapple and Passion Fruit.  It was always good for when you were having a special meal.  Pineapple was my favorite!

http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/101092931/Alvaro_Soft_Drink.html

Flashback-Flash Me!

Have you ever taken for granted being able to verbally communicate with someone?  As a social work student I have had experiences where I had clients that I was unable to communicate with through words.  It was a challenge, but I found creative ways to express myself and receive the child’s expressions as well without using verbal language.  Sometimes we would use pictures, drawings, or objects to communicate.  Other times a simple smile or hand gesture would be enough to build an understanding. 

I suppose I had considered the idea that I would be traveling to a part of the world where others may not speak the same language as me.  I realized long before I left that I would have to make a good faith effort to speak the language of the region that I was living in to gain the respect and trust of people living there.  At times it felt uncomfortable to not be able to share in the language that others were speaking.  At other times it was frustrating to not be able to quickly and easily soothe someone’s concerns as I stumbled through explaining it half in Ewe and half in English and an extra 1/3^rd in hand gestures or pictures.  I was mainly frustrated with my own self perceived incompetence in using all of my resources to communicate effectively.  After a few weeks though, I began to see the humor in it.  It is quite funny how even small phrases or words can take on so many different meanings in different cultures.  Some of my favorite stories to share with friends and family at home were these “simple miscommunications”

• Woman of the Night:  One day a gentleman in the community had called me a woman of the night.  Initially I was quite put off by this comment as in the United States this implies somewhat illegal and less than mainstream behaviors.  After a few moments and questioning him some more I found that, he simply intended to tell me that he had seen me walking out after dark with some friends.  I chuckled with this realization that a miscommunication had occurred especially in light of the fact that it got dark around 6:30pm where we lived.
• Food Poisoning:  A handful of us living in the house became ill one week.  I assumed it was likely something that I ate that my stomach simply didn’t agree with.  It was nothing that I hadn’t experienced before.  Others became much more ill than I was and we all became concerned.  One person had mentioned that the illnesses may be caused by food poisoning.  This alarmed a lot of people as they began to run through their heads why someone would want to poison and harm volunteers.   Food poisoning for us meant that we may have eaten some spoiled food…another simple miscommunication and an opportunity to share a laugh.
• Flash Me:  This was one of the first miscommunications that I encountered.  I was at a local hang out and spending time with some newly made friends when one gentleman said to me… “Just flash me!”  I was completely caught off guard by this.  In the United States someone would likely take this to mean that they were asking you to expose body parts to them.  Red faced I asked , “What?!? I’m not sure I just heard you right.”  To which I got the reply, you know flash me with your phone…it all began to make sense now!  Flash me meant ring me or call me on my phone. 

Here are a few other brief tidbits to keep in mind:

Washroom = bathroom or where you would use the toilet

Fine = if someone says they are fine this is a good thing and they are often doing well

Chips = French fries

Rubber = plastic bag

You are Welcome = more often used as a sign of greeting.  It is a respectful way to welcome someone who has come to see you and is much more often used than Hello or Hi

FLASHBACK...My Flashbacks

To be honest I have been titling my posts since I have been home FLASHBACK with a line afterwards explaining some characteristic that had stuck in my mind from my trip to Ghana.  Most of the time though I seek out a story to remember or think of fondly and begin to describe it as I remember it.  There are times however, when there is a sense of a flashback washing over me.  A true flashback in a sense.  For a moment it feels like the flashback has sought me out.  I was in class yesterday and one of the students next to me pulled out of her backpack...a small thin black bag with handles.  Inside was a smaller clear bag filled with pastries and snacks.  I immediately focused in on this little bag of tasty treats and it was as if I had been transported back to Ghana for a short moment.  In the city that we lived in it was common for everything you bought to be wrapped up neatly in a black "rubber" (the word they often use to refer to a plastic bag).  Some of my favorite things to discover wrapped up neatly in one of these bags were the snacks from local vendors.  All piping hot and wrapped in a small clear bag inside the black bag.  Deliciously fried yams smothered in hot chili pepper sauce, boiled peanuts, and more!  Don't be fooled though...not all black bags are created equal.  There was one instance where a treat of "oily fish" had been wrapped up tightly in newspaper and given to me in the very same type of black bag.  Needless to say, this did not come to mind as my favorite snack of all during my flashback.  They are small, salty, whole fish that are cured in oil-not my kind of snack.  None-the-less the foods that we were able to get out in town and at the resorts were delicious!  From this fond flashback I went directly to remembering the delicious fish that we had out at a cafe in Ho, and the mouthwatering Singapore noodles we had at Volta Hotel overlooking Lake Volta.  What mouthwatering treats!

Spicy Tilapia

Singapore Noodles

FLASHBACK - Moved by the Sounds of the Drums

Have you ever been called to follow the beat of a drum?  Have you heard the booming sounds of music and followed them to see where they are coming from?  In the first week of living in Hohoe for the summer the staff arranged a wonderful drumming and traditional dancing session.  It started off with a group of dancers and drummers from a local village and before we knew it they had welcomed us into a circle to dance with them.  It was a beautiful experience, but imagine this...as we were focusing intently on figuring out these unfamiliar moves, what we didn't notice is, that groups of children from our neighborhood had come to peer in through the wall, the front gate of the house, and even come into the yard to watch.  At the sounds of the drums they too began to stomp their feet, move their arms and dance gracefully to the sound of the music.  Can you imagine?  We all wondered how even the smallest children could be so connected to the culture and music as to have such fluid and well timed dance moves.  What an amazing experience!

FLASHBACK - The Beauty

There were countless things that captured my heart in Ghana.  Not the least of which being the love and character of the many wonderful people that I met during my time there.  I think about them on a nearly daily basis and find myself wondering if the impact that I had on them could be nearly as deep as the impact that they surly had on me.  I expected in some way to fall in love with Ghana before I departed on my trip, but had no idea the transformation that was in store for me during my time there.  I became a wholly different person.  Sure the "me" I have always been is still inside of me, but the way that I think, what and whom I think about, and my goals in life have transformed considerably.  That is the one thing I was not completely prepared for.  I had spent so much time concerned about being prepared with the "things" that I would need for my trip and was quite unprepared for considering how different my life would be upon my return to the United States.  Beyond all of this transformation came a transformation in my ability to retreat.  Prior to my trip I had not understood in conscience or in practice how to truly be alone, at one with my surroundings, or at peace with much of anything.  I am the type of person who cannot simply turn off my thoughts at night.  I struggle sleeping, have never been able to quiet my mind long enough to meditate, and constantly think, worry, and ponder.

Ghana taught me something new about myself.  I had long since given up on being able to turn off my thoughts. I had given up on finding peace within myself and committed my life to helping others find peace.  While I was surrounded by people almost every second of my five week journey, I somehow gained an ability during that time to retreat within myself.  On the exterior my fellow travelers may have never guessed it as I was my usual talkative self...but inside I was deeply contemplating life without having a single formed thought around it.  My mind was quiet like it had never been before.  I can't explain the transformation.  I am not equipped with the knowledge or language to put words to it, but I somehow became different.  At home now, I long to be alone for just a moment in silence to be a simple part of the world.  I rarely get this time, but when I do I know better now how to cherish it.  I believe that there is something special about the spiritual experience that I had in Ghana.  I often question what it was about my experience in Ghana that was so touching for me.  For this question; I have no answer.  These few pictures are all I have to try to put this experience into something more tangible for others to see, feel, and understand.

FLASHBACK - To Live is to Eat

I know you've been dying to find out...what is the food like?!?  Well the long and short of it is - it depends on where you are.  The food here overall is quite good.  At the home base breakfast is usually boiled eggs (mmm fortunately I love these), avocados, and fruit like mango or pineapple.  Lunch is usually chicken pieces (usually the legs), red sauce (a very delicious somewhat spicy red tomato sauce good on chicken or rice or come to think of it...just about anything!), white rice, seasoned up stewed black eyed peas, sometimes cucumbers and sometimes pasta.  Dinner is just about the same as lunch, but every once and a while we're treated with some beef, potatoes or green beans and we all rejoice!

Out in town we don't do much eating.  We do enjoy a drink or two at the local watering hole called Obama Gardens (or Obama's).  They have a great non-alcoholic drink here called Alvaro and it comes in pineapple, pear or passion fruit flavors.  It is really delicious!  Among our favorites as well are Vita-Milk, Orange Fanta, and the ever available Coca-Cola. Two of my favorite snacks out in town are fried yams with a chili condiment and boiled peanuts!  The food on the weekend trips is usually to die for!  When we visited Lake Volta we ate at a restaurant inside of a nice resort hotel.  The food was beyond compare.  Truthfully it was likely good average food in general for a restaurant but because we are so accustomed to eating so much of the same thing everyday it makes it feel like a truly special treat!  The only problem is choosing what you want from the big menu.  YUM!  I chose Singapore noodles and spring rolls and went home full and joyful!  My tummy and soul were fed!  I do miss being home, cooking, running to the grocery store late at night to satisfy a craving, and sharing in a potluck with friends!

FLASHBACK - The Animals

It is amazing what simple things in life that you notice when you look long and hard enough to see them.  Every morning I wake up early.  A beautiful little rooster and his hen girlfriend have made the bushes outside of my window their little den.  When the sun is up (5:30am - no daylight savings time in Ghana), I am up too!  The rooster welcomes in the day with a big crow and alerts me that it's time to begin my routine.  Most every morning I get myself ready and go sit out on the porch step until it's time to leave for my placement.  As you watch...first a few people might happen by.  Some on their way to their shops, others hauling water, and even still some carrying wood or on their way to the market.  The children begin filing by in their uniforms ready for schools.  All smiling and generally happy to be greeted with Ndi (Good Morning!)!

Then the races begin.  The roosters all find themselves the nicest looking hens and attempt to woo them.  Up and down the road they run one after the other - the hens almost always outsmarting or out running the roosters in any case.  Next come the dogs.  The dogs here are not quite like our dogs at home.  They are markedly more independent - some with homes some just roaming the neighborhood.  Many of them have a bit smaller head and larger stature than the average dog at home.  They are usually a bit thinner, have long legs, slender bodies, and big ears to keep alert.  Truthfully, you are never really sure if they are staring at you wishing they could get closer for attention...or wondering what you might taste like.

Just before the driver pulls in to take me to placement the lizards begin emerging for the day.  They crawl out of little homes - cracks and crevices and make their way into the sun.  They dive into the moist mud created by the night's rain and find a place to hide from the busy feet of the children still passing by.  There is no other place like it.  In Ghana the animals all tend to roam much more freely than at home including the goats, sheep, and cattle that people own.  They appear to have their favorite grazing spots that they travel to almost like going to work in the mornings and then they head back home to their owner's land at night.  It's really quite simple, but simply amazing.  I still think to myself every day...it must be a good life to be a goat in Hohoe.

FLASHBACK - A Lesson in Honking

Each Flashback post is a post from my journal while living in Ghana!

I live in a city called Hohoe.  By standards here it is a city and at home it might be considered a very small city or large town.  It is a very busy place.  It comes alive each day with many people and important municipal offices. It is a bit smaller than the capital of the Volta Region, Ho, but is still quite a busy place.  Each week on Mondays and Fridays a market comes to town with vendors selling anything that you can imagine from fabric to smoked fish to vegetables and shoes!  These are by far the busiest days and the days when you hear the most honking.  Honking has its own language in Hohoe and Ghana in general.  Each honk has a different meaning and can tell you a lot about the interaction between two tros (vans), taxis or bystanders.  Here is my quick translation from honks that our friends use to help get us safely from one destination to another.  

1. A Medium Length Honk = I'm coming through look out
2. A Short Honk = I'm behind you and you are driving way too slow so I'm coming around
3. A Few Short Honks = HI!!!!  and is usually followed by the taxi driver stopping for a chat with a friend
4. A Long Honk = I told you to get out of my way and you didn't and now I'm going to zoom past you
5. Lots of Short Honks = Get out of the way goat (you can also substitute chicken, duck, or sheep here and it would be about the same)

Amazingly enough the system seems to work fairly well.  While I am told that there is a considerable issue with traffic accidents it seems like the honking system grabs people's attention and tends to get you through town pretty speedily.  One of my favorite taxis was a Ford Escort that had recycling stickers from Red Hook, NY and a New York State inspection tag.  What a weird feeling to see something that reminds you so much of home, so far away.  

What were the road conditions you ask?  They were challenging.  Only the main roads in town and on the highways were paved.  The roads leading to villages were often clay.  Both the clay and the paved roads suffered from some disrepair from the heavy rains that would often erode them and leave potholes and rivets much larger than anything we even see in the Northeast US.  On the highways there are a series of speed bumps as you enter each town/city which can be quite jarring when riding in the back seat of a Tro.  None-the-less we made it to every destination that we needed to often with a laugh and a smile about the adventures of traveling on the open road in Ghana.

What is Next for My Blog

Well, as you can see technology in Ghana got the best of me.  The Internet was fairly unreliable and very slow and the computer that we were working on as interns was often needed for more important work than my blogging.  With all that in mind, I am a bit behind on my blogging.  Here's what I am thinking...every other day I'll post a blog from my journal about what life was like, through my eyes, in Ghana.  On the opposite days I'll post a blog entry or video about my re-acclimation to life here in the United States.  So many travel blogs seem to end when the person arrives back in the comfort of their own home, but it is my estimation that much of the culture shock and readjustment of traveling will be now...during my first few weeks back in New York.  Today is a great day to reflect on this readjustment period.  I am one week into being home and we have experienced an earthquake, a hurricane, the grocery store, driving again for the first time with US driving rules, and the thrill of a local county fair (the most terrifying of which by far was the grocery store oddly enough).  More to come about my trip and about the work that I hope to be doing over the next year!

REFLECTION TIME – THE SIMPLE THINGS

Today I went running.  It hit me that I was running in Africa when all I
saw ahead was a clay road and a tree covered rainforest mountain top.
What a beautiful place.  As I was running two small boys on a bike rode up
next to me.  Most people here are very friendly.  They greeted me and
asked “where are you running to?”  It struck me for a couple of reasons.
1.    Time here is very different than in New York.  People are much more
lenient about times and often do not keep to a schedule.  We call it Ghana
time.  If you want to leave by 7…say you want to leave by 6 otherwise
you’ll likely leave at 8:30.  No one goes anywhere in a hurry.  The idea
or phrase of “running to work” doesn’t really exist here in Hohoe.  You
don’t run, literally or figuratively, anywhere.
2.    It was funny for someone to ask me where I was running to instead of
who I was running from…ha!
3.    It is so easy here to make a quick friend with a little bit of music
playing on your arm.  It’s the simple pleasures here that you remember to
enjoy especially with kids around.

THE MUST HAVES OF MY TWO HOMES

Things I miss about home:
1.     My husband Mikey and my adorable doggie Bubbles
2.    My family and friends
3.    Cheetos
4.    Soda – Especially Stewart’s Grape Soda
5.    Running water (and a warm shower)
6.    Technology that is speedy – still haven’t learned patience yet
7.    The smell of fresh cut grass
8.    Sheets that don’t feel wet all the time (It’s very very muggy here in
the wet season)
9.    Jeans
10.    Stewart’s Ice Cream
11.    Taylor Family Dinner Sundays
12.    Driving
13.    Milk and Cheese…YUM!!! I so very much miss Cheese

Things I love and will miss about Africa:
1.    The smiling children
2.    Being called a Yevu (sounds like YAYVO) – White person
3.    The honking (there is a honk for everything here I’ll translate in
another post)
4.    The mangos and avocados…they taste so much better here
5.    Buying fabric at the market from some amazing women!
6.    Obama’s … it’s a great little hangout and lots of people here seem to
LOVE Barak Obama so I think it’s interesting
7.    All the smiling staff here…they truly take on a role of caretaker of us
and it is amazing.  I have never trusted people so much that I knew for
such a short period of time.  They are some of the most dedicated, fun,
and caring people I have ever met.
8.    The sounds of church starting at 9am on Sundays and running until noon.
They celebrate so passionately.
9.    Pushing through the market to get 4 yards of fabric for only 10
Ghanaian Cedis…Score!
10.    The friendliness of people here in Hohoe
11.    The dogs that huddle in the potholes on the clay roads at night and
look so content to be in the company of other dogs.
12.    Lizards that make their way into the house to eat all the big bugs
that fly in…handy little critters they are!
13.    My mosquito net…I’ve actually come to like sleeping under it.  It
gives me a sense of security in kind of a strange way.
14.    The sound of rain, crickets, and frogs at night.  Who needs a sounds
relaxation CD when you have the real thing.

THE MEANING OF THE WORD NEED…

When you live without amenities for a while you start to realize how
blessed you are to have them.  Sunday was my first time doing laundry in
Ghana.  Here at the home base we don’t have laundry services or a
washer/dryer.  Instead we use good old well water captured by a bucket, a
large bar of soap, elbow grease and a big tin bowl to wash away the smells
of a long week of work under the African sun.  The trick is…do laundry
before you really need it.  Despite how warm you might think it is in
Africa, Ghana is a very moist humid place in the rainy season and it can
take a few days for things to really dry.  Thankfully I wasn’t sure what I
was doing at first and didn’t dive in with all of my clothes at once so
while I’ll be wearing the same thing to placement on Monday that I did on
Friday…at least they will be dry!
Speaking of amenities – we don’t always have running water in the houses.
Water is very scarce here even though it seems like it rains every night
and most days.  Worse than no water is the idea that water must run uphill
a bit to get to the house that I live in across the street (more of a dirt
path really) from the main house.  All this comes up to meaning that water
pressure, enough to run a shower, is a rare and wonderful treat.  Instead
we take bucket showers.  We capture rain water from a big bin (looks like
a trash can in America) fill a small bucket and do whatever you have to,
to work your magic, and get as clean as possible.  You never truly feel
clean here.  When you have skin like ours you find yourself sweating a lot
more than the people who are from the region.  It’s both an amazing and
gross thing all at the same time.  The only day I have truly felt clean
was the day we went to the waterfall and water blasted all over me from
what seemed like a mile above in the sky.  I look forward to coming home
to a hot shower with plenty of shampoo and body wash and no rationing of
any of it.  What a luxurious treat!

OH THE FUN OF IT ALL!

 Wow! It has already been one week since I first came to Africa. It is so funny because I expected to be completely overwhelmed by how new everything would look. It is a bit overwhelming to be so far from home without the company of family and friends, but the sites and sounds somehow still feel very familiar. I’ve made my home here in Hohoe – unpacked, gone to the market and the bank, enjoyed meals with my new CCS family, and begun buying fabric to have some dresses made. On Tuesday we visited the Wli waterfall. It was a nice shady walk in and when we saw the waterfall it was breathtaking. It is nothing like anywhere else I have ever been! The water rushes so hard down the fall that even if you only get close to it, it takes you breath away (no literally…you feel like you can’t breathe). What an amazing and powerful force! The water felt so good. That was the day I felt the cleanest since I’ve been here for sure (our home often runs out of water-we do a lot of baby wipe baths). Yesterday, we went to Lake Volta for a day trip. It was AMAZING! First we stopped at a resort on the lake and took in some views. Then we went to lunch at Hotel Volta where they had a TV, air conditioning, and great food! Then we took a boat tour of the lake and visited the dam that created the lake. Fishing is the primary way of survival for people that live on the lake and a good source of income in a country where that type of consistent income can be rare for families. Next, we visited a place where they make glass Cedi Beads. They make most of them out of recycled bottles and some imported glass. I have a new appreciation for the bracelets that I have been buying for anywhere from 1 to 3 Ghanaian Cedis ($1 = 1.46 Ghanaian Cedis) and all the work that goes into making them. Finally we enjoyed dinner at the Hotel Volta again, a live band, and some soda (we usually drink water so soda is a real treat) and boarded up for the 2 hour ride home. What a blast!!!

20 Days Until Departure - Learning the Language

So I have this totally weird feeling this week.  Maybe you've experienced it before too?  I am REALLY excited for my trip to Ghana, but just in this week have been kind of dreading the day that I leave.  It sounds really stupid, but I have wanted to travel to Africa for so long, and now that it is happening I am almost dreading it because I don't want it to be over too soon.  That sounds kind of silly, but I think it might just be a natural part of the excitement and emotion of doing something new for the first time.

To ease my mind I am starting to really get into practicing some of the more common phrases of the local dialect Ewe.  It's been really fun so far.  It is definitely something I've had to work on as my pronunciation was a bit off on my first try with some of the words.  It is such a beautiful language.  I've always found languages to be fascinating and wondered how one gets started...how does a community come to a collective agreement on the sound and meaning of a word.  I guess this is why there are people who devote their entire lives to studying languages.  Learning languages has always been something that I have struggled with.  There are a number of things that come naturally to me, but that is not one of them.  Driving my commitment to learn is the feeling that this is important both to show my commitment to respecting their local culture, but also to prove to myself that I can meet a challenge.  I know I will be self-conscious about how I pronounce things so I have been really giving myself a pep talk that any attempt is better than no attempt!  Let's hope I can get a few of them right!

26 Days Until Departure - YIKES!

I almost cannot believe that there are only 26 days until I depart for Ghana!  It sounds like a lot until I realize there are only 3 weekends between now and then, and they are filling up quickly!  I'm beginning to get truly nervous.  I think that I have been avoiding doing much about my trip since my original push because I wanted it to seem like it was farther away.  Now, it is time to wrap up the last minute essentials including, researching for my program placement, learning a bit of the every day dialect, packing, purchasing the last few important must have items, and completing things like my photo biography and recipe cards to give out as thank yous. 

The program that I am a part of does not allow you to give gifts to your program placement staff or consumers.  It is really a safeguard for them because gifts like that to a funded program could look much different than the spirit in which they are given.  It's a bit hard to swallow because gift giving feels so natural when you feel that someone has truly inspired or changed your life.  In the end though it is a good and reasonable rule for the safety and vitality of our host organizations.  Instead I will make something for people that I meet.  I decided to make recipe cards, hand written that they could take home.  I'll do all kinds of recipes including substitutions where needed for the resources that they have at hand. 

I'm also planning to bring cards with my address on them (business card style) as I hear that many people will ask for it to become pen pals.  You have to use your own judgement about what you feel is safe to give out.  In my case I will hand them out to those I've become close with in Ghana and have a level of trust with.  In any case I think it would be a nice notion to have a pen pal again.  There is something to getting a piece of mail (other than a bill) addressed directly to you, hand written.  It just makes you feel good - and there's nothing wrong with that!

36 Days Until Departure - My Visa is Approved!

Have you ever applied for a visa to travel abroad?  I had never done that before.  The farthest that I had ever traveled was Canada.  Being the lucky traveler that I was at the time, I had never had to apply for a Visa because New Yorkers were able to enter Canada with only their Driver's Licence or Birth Certificate.  This was the first time that I had to complete an application for a Visa.  It wasn't a hard application, but there were many requirements of things that needed to be attached.  None of those were hard to fulfill, but none-the-less I worried nearly non-stop that I would forget to attach an important document that might hold up the process. 

With visa applications it is all  about timing.  Many of the visas are time limited so you have to apply far enough in advance to be sure you have some wiggle room should you not complete the application correctly, but not sure far in advance that your visa will run out while you are still in country.  Somehow, by the grace of the Ghanaian Consulate I managed to time it just right.  I received my Visa today complete and approved only one week after having submitted it.  Not only was that FAST, but such a relief to have one of the most vital parts of the trip preparation complete and in hand! 

Don't forget everyone!  Tomorrow is our Bowl-a-Rama to go to Ghana event being held at Spare Time in Latham, New York.  $20 for adults and $15 for children under 16.  Please come and bowl and enjoy 2 games of bowling, shoe rental, a slice of pizza, and a drink!  The start time for bowling is 12 to 1pm.  It will be a blast!  There will also be a 50/50, Chinese Auction, Silent Auction and bowling prizes!!!  Come one, Come all!!

59 Days Until Departure - Bowl a Rama Event!

Hi Everyone!  I almost cannot believe that there are less than 2 months before my flight departs New York for Ghana, West Africa!  What an amazing time I have already had connecting with friends and learning so much about smart ways to travel before my trip.  I hope that you'll be able to join me for the Bowl-a-Rama to go to Ghana event that we'll be hold June 11th at Spare Time in Latham. 

87 Days Until Departure - The Luggage Dilemma

Just as quickly as it shipped, it's being returned.  Today, day 87, marks the day of the luggage dilemma.  I am thinking, if it is this easy for me to hide behind the luggage bag that I ordered...it is likely too big!  I tried to put the bag on my back and it was so big that I couldn't bend my knees while wearing it. 

I am going to Ghana-I don't need to pack everything AND the kitchen sink.  Thankfully  my flight itinerary doesn't require that I pack myself in the bag.  Seeing that both of these are the case, this bag is just plain too big!  It is a lesson learned and TRAVEL TIP-It can be hard to order luggage online without a frame of reference for size.  Be sure to order from a company with a liberal return policy.  I found Sierra Trading Post to have decent bags, with a great price, and a wonderful return policy! 

The new bag is already on order and should be here soon.  Hopefully it will be more fitting-quite literally! 

97 Days Until Departure - Fundraising is Baffling!

There are less than 100 days until my departure to Hohoe, Ghana.  Measuring anything in parcels of 100 can give you all kinds of different impressions.  100 pennies - not so many, 100 Ferrel cats - whoa there,  now that's a lot!  When quantifying the days as less than 100 the overall effect is that I'm struck at how quickly the time is going.  In a little over 3 months I'll be starting out on the adventure of a lifetime!  I am traveling with a non-profit organization called Cross Cultural Solutions (based out of New York State).  They ask that volunteers and interns pay a program fee (this program fee does not include costs that come directly from the traveler including airfare, passport, visa, travel equipment, phone and Internet, and general additional free time expenses) that helps promote sustainable long-term volunteer/intern presence in the area.  All sponsorship contributions made on a traveler's behalf are tax deductible and we are encouraged to fund raise.  I have to admit, I am at a lost as to where to start!  That is my challenge for this week.  I am considering doing a bowling fundraiser and a direct appeal to local companies that we patron.  Any other ideas?  Anyone interested in helping to plan an event?

If you're interested in supporting my trip to Ghana and sustainable long-term volunteerism in the Volta Region to benefit local women, children, and elders in the community please visit my sponsor page.  All sponsorships are tax deductible.  I cannot thank you enough for following my adventures and for the generosity that you as friends have always shown myself and our communities. 

https://my.crossculturalsolutions.org/Sponsor/SponsorshipPercent.aspx?PageId=P1_T6&FName=Theresa&LName=Taylor&username=ttaylor

Many Blessings, Theresa

106 Days Until Departure - My First Passport!

It's official!  I received my very first passport.  It's fresh, neat, and clean and ready to be stamped for the very first time!  One step closer to the big trip!

108 Days Until Departure - Weather Check!

Are you sick of the winter weather of New York?  I had a really good sense of humor about all of the snow that we've gotten this year up until this week.  I was really enjoying the beauty and fun of having the snow around.  Even Bubbles (my 25 pound ball of energy - a.k.a my dog) enjoyed bounding through the snow and coming up with a glacier on her nose.  The fun and laughter is over.  Bubbles and I are ready for the Spring that we've been promised with walks in the countryside and sunny days.  Unfortunately, it looks like this dream will have to wait for a while.  It's going to snow again on Friday.  I thought it would be a nice enticement to see what the weather will be like in the capital Accra, Ghana. 

Weather report for this week for Accra, Ghana:
http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/65472.html

Weather report for this week for Troy, NY:
http://www.weather.com/weather/5-day/Troy+NY+12180

So very much looking forward to Ghana, and not just for the warm weather!

112 Days Until Departure - Hurry Up and Wait

Have you ever felt like something you really wanted to do was never going to come?  I got this same feeling before my wedding.  We had planned everything so well so early that the last few months before the wedding seemed like they would never end, and I had just about nothing to do during them.  I'm doing it again...so I was very good about starting my planning for my trip to Ghana right away.  I applied for my passport, booked my flights, got all of my vaccinations, had my annual physical (which for me is like once a decade) to make sure there wasn't anything seriously wrong with me that I'd find out about 10,000 feet in the air, and read through all of my pre-departure materials from the sponsoring organization.  Now...I'm waiting.  Waiting for my passport to come in, waiting to fill out my Visa application (since there are time limits that I have to be careful of), waiting to pay my program fee (I don't mind waiting for this so much), and waiting to hear about my placement.  I decided today that I'm sick of waiting!  I'm going to start the work on my photo biography today!  I'm not sure what the lesson here is, other than, there is always a certain amount of "hurry up and wait" that you have to deal with in life.  Maybe this is teaching me patience.  Culturally Ghana and many other countries move at a different pace than we're accustomed to in New York.  This is a good lesson to learn...PATIENCE!

117 Days Until Departure - Inspired by Music

This week has been kind of a dreary week.  The weather hasn't been great, it has been snowing all day, and I have been fighting a fever and menacing aches and pains that I'm sure are from the live oral Typhoid vaccine I've been so dutifully taking for about 3 days. 

I decided that on a dreary week like this, it was time to liven up with some inspirational music.  Nothing gets me more in the mood to travel, see the world, and experience great wonders than some African or African inspired music!

Vocal Version of the Ghana National Anthem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9I-OccKtVk&playnext=1&list=PLF79276CF5ADC4063

Toto - Africa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NuA7AripfU


One of my first music related memories was my Mom playing her favorite Paul Simon tape.  Maybe this helped develop my love for learning about Africa and my dream to travel there someday.

Paul Simon - Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OafqYNCzq5U

Paul Simon & Miriam Makeba - Under African Skies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB26L8nbRiw&feature=related


One of my favorite things to go to sleep to at night are African Lullabies.  This is one of my all time favorites!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElBmQXrqVdg

125 Days Until Departure - Getting There is Half the Battle!

The most nerve wracking part of this trip thus far has been trying to secure flights.  I thought that the most stressful part would be boarding the flights, but I'm starting to wonder if it's actually booking the flights that's the most stressful.  In order to arrive on time on July 16th for my departure date, I will have to leave Albany International Airport on Friday July 15th.  The entire trip will consist of at least 12 hours of flying, and anywhere from 4 to 11 hours of layover. 

It looks like the trip there will be uneventful with a quick 1 and a 1/2 hour flight to Washington Dulles Airport, a layover long enough to enjoy a bit of the city if I'm brave enough to leave without worrying about missing my next flight, and an 11 hour flight to Accra, Ghana.  It's the flight home that's quite exciting. 

Departing Accra on Saturday August 20th late in the evening and arriving the next morning in Frankfurt, DE.  Then off to Chicago O'Hare Airport and finally landing in Albany International just in time for dinner!  How peculiar, I thought, that I would fly into the East Coast just to fly to the Midwest and back to the East Coast.  Imagine if I had not thought more about this.  Frankfurt, DE...DE...not Delaware!  Germany!!  Imagine my surprise if I had thought I was landing in Delaware when in fact I had landed in Germany!  My layover will not be long enough to enjoy Germany, but none the less I can add it to the countries I'll be traveling through while away, and surely there will be enough time to grab a magnet at the airport gift shop! 

For the record...as far as I can tell, there is no Frankfurt, Delaware, but there is a Frankford, Delaware.  I'm sure it's a wonderful place, but I'm also quite certain there is not a major international airport there!

126 Days Until Departure - Vaccinations Galore!

There are two main reasons I can think of that you might have a particularly sore arm.  The first of which is you did something clumsy and silly that you wouldn't admit to anyone.  The other...a Tetanus shot.  Yesterday was the day of vaccinations.  On the list was Tetanus, Polio, and Hepatitis A.  You know they warn you that the Tetanus shot will make your arm sore, but it's funny how I laughed it off and thought - "How bad could it be?"  Well the answer is - not that bad, but bad enough to not make me want to do it again.  Next up is a Yellow Fever vaccination, a round of oral medicine to prevent Typhoid, and a round of oral medication while in country to prevent Malaria.  From what I understand the oral medications can cause vivid nightmares and hallucinations.  How interesting!  I'll be sure to share if I see anything exciting.  This brings me to my next travel tip:

Travel Tip #2: Be sure to budget for your pre-travel health care needs!  Call your health insurance provider to verify if they will cover your pre-travel medical needs.  Many health insurance companies will not cover your visit, vaccinations, or oral medication for travel preparation - they are considered elective procedures because they are not normally medically necessary.  If you have not had your annual physical for the year, check with your doctor to see if he/she would be willing to combine the visits so that your insurance company is more likely to cover the cost of the visit.

129 Days Until Departure - My Ghanaian Name

I've always loved learning about Africa.  I'm not sure that I can explain why I feel drawn to Africa.  It's a gut feeling. Over the years, if I have learned anything, it's to follow my gut.  Is there anything more personal than a name?  I've always felt lucky that my name was unique and that not many people my age shared my name.  Consider the people that you admire or that have become famous, and often the most personal thing that we can recall about them in a split moment is their name. 

Are you familiar with Kofi Annan?  He served as the Secretary General of the United Nations for many years as I grew up.  Aside from his political views and his work on the African content as a diplomat to the United Nations, his name is the most personal thing that I know about him.  Kofi Annan is Ghanaian.  In Ghana your given name relates to the day of the week on which you were born.  Kofi (male born on Friday) Annan...

While there are some variations, my Ghanaian name would be Adwoa (for Monday - female) Theresa.  I was born on Monday September 3rd. 

131 Days Until Departure - Photo Biography

My husband and I were beginning to discuss plans for my departure to Ghana.  I was completely taken aback by how much I need to get done before I leave.  I have to give the credit to my husband on this great idea. 

Consider this tip #1 for traveling abroad, especially for doing volunteer work with youth: Bring along a photo-biography of yourself.  In areas where you may not speak the primary language visual or sight cues can help the discussion along!  When a child says what is ...  like in your country, you can show them!  It's a great way to share your life story!

I'm starting my photo-biography this week and plan to keep adding to it as I go.  I don't want to forget significant things in the collection of photos that will tell my life story.  Things even as simple as the change in seasons can't be overlooked!  Let me know what you think is important for me to include to tell the story of my life, life in the United States, and life in upstate New York?

WHAT ARE THE TOP 2 THINGS YOU THINK I SHOULD INCLUDE IN MY PHOTO-BIOGRAPHY?

134 Days Until Departure

Today marks 134 days until my departure to Ghana, West Africa.  On March 1, 2011 I finalized my enrollment in a 5 week internship in social services in Hohoe, Ghana.  Hohoe is a rural town in the Eastern portion of the country.  I do not know what my placement will be yet.  There is still much to do to prepare for the trip, but it feels like it's just around the corner.  I nervously applied for my passport on Wednesday.  Truthfully, I was surprised at how easy the process was.  The most nerve wracking part of course, was getting my picture taken, and surprisingly that wasn't even that bad!  I reflected a little today on what a whirlwind of emotions a trip like this carries with it.  I will be traveling for the first time on a plane...for the first time internationally...for the first time alone.  This trip is going to be filled with many firsts-it's time to embrace and appreciate the newness of it all!