We're in Ghana - July 1

Hi everyone, we’re sorry for the delay in blog posts- our days have been long and we’ve been keeping busy! Our flights (Houghton->Chicago->Atlanta->Accra) went without a hitch, and we arrived around noon, Ghana time, on July 1^st. Our advisors Mary, Bob, and Andrew from Michigan Tech, as well as our Ghanaian contact Emmanuel (our other Emmanuel- not our TA in Houghton) and a few of Emmanuel’s friends greeted us when we arrived in Accra and took us out to lunch at a small restaurant just outside the airport, since we had a few hours before our final flight from the capital Accra to the city of Kumasi. It was so surreal to finally be in Ghana- a place we have been imagining for so long. We dove right in and tried some local dishes- Clayton, Helena, and Mollie all had red-red, a plate of beans with red palm fruit oil, and fried plantains, while Mike and Chelsea had the jollof rice, a rice dish with tomato sauce and spices.

The group at the restaurant near the Accra airport

After our late lunch we flew to Kumasi, the home of KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science and Technology) and FORIG (Forestry Research Institute of Ghana). The drive from the airport to our hotel in Kumasi was probably the highlight of our trip so far. As our expert FORIG drivers wove in and out of the traffic (though “traffic” seems too tame a word for the amount of activity on the roads here), we finally got our first look at life in a country very different from the one we just left. In the city, there are people walking everywhere, crossing the busy streets as casually as if there were no cars at all. Among them, street vendors walk between the cars at the stoplights, carrying their wares on their heads as they offer everything imaginable- from chocolate to toilet paper- to the people sitting in their vehicles. Another striking feature of the surroundings- which can be seen everywhere in the area- is the bright red color of the soil, which is one of the most basic indicators of the fact that we are very far from home.

After our eventful first drive through town, we went out with our advisors to another local hotel to watch part of the Spain vs. Italy soccer game (4-0, Spain), and then had dinner at the hotel restaurant, where we tried mashed African yams for the first time, as well as fried plantains (different from the red-red kind) called kelewele.  Finally, we got to get some rest, since at this point we had been up and traveling for the past two days. Needless to say, we all slept pretty well! 

Running around like crazy and getting internet

Hello World!

We safely arrived in Ghana on Sunday and we have been VERY busy since then. It has been so exciting! Our professors Andrew, Bob and Mary met us at the airport and took a whirlwind tour of our projects sites with them.  This afternoon they went off to the airport and we are now alone in Ghana.  But alone is not the right word, because we have so many good friends already here!  We have had very little time to write so far and spotty internet connection, but we should have some now so we hope to get up a more comprehensive post soon. For now, here's a teaser picture:

Students with our contact, Emmanuel, and village children at the Duasidan Monkey Sanctuary

And we're off!

Airport time!

Cultural Expectations

We now have two days to go until our flight to Ghana! As we mentioned in our last post, we have spent the last six weeks preparing for our trip by learning a bit of the different aspects of Ghanaian culture. Previous Pavlis groups, as well as our TA Emmanuel spent a lot of time telling us about their own experiences. Here's a snippet of what we've learned!

Family

Relationships between family members are a lot closer than in the U.S., typically. One way this can be seen is in how relatives in Ghana are named; your father's brother, for instance, would not be referred to as your uncle, but as another father- and to suggest otherwise would be very disrespectful. The same idea would apply to your mother's sisters - they would also be called your mother. Likewise, all of your cousins would be considered your brothers and sisters. This is one reason why homelessness in Ghana was relatively rare until recently (that is, until greater urbanization and modernization began to set in), because extended families always provided support.

Our TA Emmanuel with his wife Ester and son Adom

Time

Ghanaians often jokingly refer to "Ghana Time"; not as a time zone, but as a way of life! They are typically much more relaxed in regards to punctuality, and it is not at all uncommon to show up two or three hours late to an appointment. So when a friend shows up late to lunch, there's no reason to be angry- just smile and laugh, and everything will work out the way it should.

Food

Ghanaian food boasts many kinds of soups, meat, starchy types of dough, and dishes utilizing the many fruits and vegetables available in Ghana. Some typical meals include: 

Fufu- a dough made from pounding plantains and cassava, usually eaten with soup 

Redred- a dish of fried plantains and oil from the palm tree fruit 

Kelewele- ripe plantain, hot pepper, and ginger 

Grasscutter- a type of large rodent, a specialty of Ghana's!

Banku- made of maize and cassava

Groundnut Soup- a peanut soup, usually served with meat as well

Jollof Rice- rice cooked with tomatoes and red pepper, among other ingredients

An example of a typical meal in Ghana [1]

Sugar is very uncommon in Ghanaian dishes, as are the use of ovens, so there are not many sweet or baked goods. Most meals are prepared on stovetop, and eaten with the fingers- yes, even the soups! ;)

Life and Death

Being married and having children are two of the most important values in Ghanaian society- so much so that when a Ghanaian meets you for the first time, instead of being asked "Do you have children?" you may be asked, "How many children do you have?" Many foreigners in Ghana will also tire of the frequent marriage proposals from strangers - some serious, some not! ;)

Also dissimilar to Western culture is Ghanaians' attitude towards the death of a loved one. Whereas American funerals are typically a solemn affair, funerals in Ghana are extravagant celebrations of life, with much food, singing, and dancing.

A funeral celebration in the Upper Volta Region of Ghana [2]

Social Life

Ghana has often been described as one of the friendliest places in the world- and probably deserves the title! While we have been warned to watch out for "professional friends" who make a living of scamming tourists, the majority of Ghanaians are genuinely eager to help out and meet new people. Of course, this doesn't mean that the sellers in the local market won't raise their prices as soon as an obruni (a white person) walks by, so we're practicing our bargaining Twi! 

Because social life is such an integral part of Ghanaian culture, greetings are also very important - if you do not greet someone when you meet them, they may believe you are holding a grudge against them. Also, left-handers beware; use of the left hand for shaking hands or even waving is considered an offensive gesture.

If you would like to learn more, we highly recommend the following books, which we read and enjoyed in our exploration of Ghanaian culture:

Utley, Ian.  Culture Smart!  Ghana.  New York:  Kuperard, 2009.

Wyss, Susi.  The Civilized World:  A Novel in Stories.  New York:  Holt Paperbacks, 2011.

The last two pictures in this post can be found at 

[1] Erose Blog <http://emmarose91.blogspot.com/2011/04/fufu-originated-from-ghana-where-it-is.html>  

[2] Chip Williams Photography <http://www.chipwilliams.com/#/travels/Ghana_Funeral_Dance>

Dinner With the Class

In preparation for our trip to Ghana, we have been taking a Language and Culture class for the past six weeks. This class is set up specifically for our group, as well as the other Pavlis group, which will be traveling to India.  For the language portion of the class, we split up into our travel groups and meet with a Teaching Assistant (TA) from our respective countries.  Last night our Language and Culture class shared a Ghanaian/Indian meal at our teacher Sylvia's house.  Our TA Emmanuel and his family came as well.  It was wonderful to meet Emmanuel's wife, Ester and his son, Adom, who turned out to be the life of the party!

Emmanuel, his son Adom, the Ghana Group and Emmanuel's "First Lady" Ester

For the dinner we made a West African peanut soup that was a hit with the Americans at the dinner, however it was deemed too sweet due to the creamy peanut butter we used in the recipe.  Speaking of sweet, we have learned that using sugar is rather uncommon in Ghana and that sweets are nowhere near as popular there as they are here.  Some students who have traveled to Ghana before have shared with us that they had a hard time satisfying their sweet tooth, especially with limited access to kitchen appliances such as an oven, fridge or freezer.  Our solution?  No-Bake cookies, made on a stovetop, with ingredients that should be available in Ghana such as peanut butter, chocolate, sugar, oats, milk and butter.  So in preparation for brining American food to Ghana, we made a test batch to bring to the class dinner.  Unfortunately most of the cookies were gone from "taste testing" the first batch, so we ended up making a second batch as well ;)

By the way, don't forget to check out our wish list of items to bring to Ghana.  Items must be ordered by this Friday and are all between $5 and $25!  Thank you so much!

Places

While we are in Ghana, we will be traveling all around the western part of of the country.  For those of you interested in touching up on your Ghanaian geography, here's a Google Map to help you keep track of the places we'll be writing about!

Twi Names

Day of the week names are extremely common in Ghana.  You may recognize a famous Ghanaian, Kofi Annan, with his first name meaning Friday-born.  To find out what day of the week you were born on, enter your birthday into WolphramAlpha and then compare to this list:

Male:
Monday -Kwadwo
Tuesday - Kwabena
Wednesday - Kwaku
Thursday - Yaw
Friday - Kofi
Saturday - Kwame
Sunday - Kwesi

Female:

Monday - Adwoa

Tuesday - Abena

Wednesday - Akua

Thursday - Yaa

Friday - Afia

Saturday - Ama

Sunday - Akosua

Yaw, Akosua, Akua, Yaa and Kwabena

Wish List

Hello Friends!

We are in the last few weeks of project preparations and we have received so much support already, thank you!  However, there are a few crucial items we still would like to bring with us.  All of these items are ones that have been specifically identified as items that would help our project sites immensely!  To help us out with these needs, please visit our wish list where you can also see how the items will be used!

http://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/13SRG3KKZTY3U

Please order any items you would like to by Friday, June 15 so we have plenty of time to receive and pack the items in our suitcases.  We're leaving the 30th, which is fast approaching! As always thanks for all of your support!

Donations

Interested in giving to the Pavlis Institute and supporting our Projects in Ghana?
Donations can be made in the following two ways:

Online
1) Click on the link below:

https://www.banweb.mtu.edu/mtu/mtf/gift/give.xsql

2) Check the third box to direct your Gift to the Pavlis Institute, Ghana Group. See the picture below:

3)  Complete the remaining information in the form and finish by pressing "Make Your Gift to Michigan Tech"

By Mail
1) Make out a check to the order of Michigan Tech
2) The memo should read Pavlis Institute, Ghana Group
3) Mail to the following address:

The Pavlis Institute for Global Technological Leadership

1400 Townsend Drive
722 M&M Building

 Houghton, MI 49931

Any and all donations are truly appreciated!  Thanks for your continuing support!

Meet the Team

Mike, Chelsea, Mollie, Helena and Clayton

There are five of us going to Ghana together and we're getting to know each other really well so we thought we'd share a bit with you!

Name: Mollie Ruth 

Major: Environmental Engineering
Hobbies: Playing Cello, Skiing, Sewing, Hiking and Camping
Project Interests: Shipping school supplies, water testing, biochar, tree planting, hygiene/microbiology lessons
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Fun Fact: I've been to eight different countries (not counting airports)
Biggest Excitement for Ghana: Buying fabric in the markets
Favorite Word in Twi: Fεfε (beautiful) or fεfεεεfε (very beautiful) or fεfεεεεεεεεεεεfε (extremely beautiful)

Name: Michael Carey 
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hobbies: Cars, engines, machines, building, biking, and skiing
Project Interests: Lister Engine, Planting tree's, Monkey Sanctuary
Hometown: Good ol' Shelby, MI
Fun Fact: This summer I'm driving my 40 year old project car as a daily driver, and I've learned that not every "improvement" I think I make is a good idea.
Biggest Excitement for Ghana: Seeing monkeys in real life and trying out the local beer
Favorite Word in Twi: M'adamfo (My friend)




Name: Helena Keller
Major: Chemical Engineering
Hobbies: Cross country skiing, running, knitting, swing dancing, gardening, clarinet and guitar playing (not at the same time...)
Project Interests: Biochar and the Duasidan Monkey Sanctuary projects
Hometown: Elk River, MN
Fun Fact: I have been skiing in July.
Biggest Excitement for Ghana: The music and dancing :)
Favorite Word in Twi: Hyehyeeeehye (very hot - weather-wise)






Name: Clayton Doyle
Major: Electrical Engineering
Hobbies: Banjo, Hiking, Film
Project Interests: Lister Engine Generator and Science Demonstrations
Hometown: Hopkins, MN
Fun Fact: I'm an Olympic-level gymnast and bad at lying.
Biggest Excitement for Ghana: Getting the chance to speak the language
Favorite Word in Twi: m'adamfo (friend)




Name:  Chelsea Uganski
Major:  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Hobbies:  Tennis
Project Interests:  Investigating medical needs/logistics, health and other education, tree planting, monkey sanctuary ecotourism plan
Hometown:  Whitehall, MI
Fun Fact:  I've never been outside of North America.
Biggest Excitement for Ghana:  Experiencing/learning from a different culture.
Favorite Word in Twi: Meda ase (Thank you!)