Tid-bits & Update

Wow! A whole week has gone by and no post! It seems the initial novelty of it all has worn off, and daily life seems more and more 'typical' and so I'm having a hard time knowing what to write about!

Everything is going relatively smoothly. The project is moving along and we are getting ready for our first radio shows next week (after Easter Weekend). That will be pretty exciting I think! The team has all been working really hard to get ready for the shows.

Amanda and I are doing really well. We both got a bit sun burnt this past weekend…(she says sheepishly). We spent Saturday at a hotel here in Sunyani that has a pool…and ice cream!! We spent the day swimming (or should I say floating), reading, sleeping, eating and then repeat! Ya, it was pretty rough. We also met some Peace Corp volunteers that are working in the area. It was nice to sit and chat with some other obrunies, although I kept forgetting where we were!
Oh there was also a really funny incident that happened that day. We were in the pool chatting with some Ghanaians, and Michael Jackson’s ‘Make it a Better World’ came over the speakers, so we had a little inter-cultural sing-along! Too funny! (As I write this in the internet café one of the students has the sound track to ‘Grease’ playing! Love it! Where am I?)

Another thing I’ve been meaning to write about is about religion:

I knew before I got here that religion, specifically Christianity is very important to Ghanaians (although there are a number of Muslims as well). I didn’t realize just how important it is. While at home we ask people what they do for a living, or where they live in our first few questions upon meeting. Here in Ghana one of the first three questions that they will ask you is what kind of church you go to. It still sometimes catches me off guard, the bluntness of the question.

We attended our first class (or lecture as they refer to them) last week, and the instructor was late getting to class (in typical ‘Ghana time’ fashion). The first few minutes of waiting were spent with the students milling about and chatting. Then one of the students took the opportunity to go up to the front of the class and lead the class in a short prayer and worship time. The class all joined in and thanked the student afterwards. I am constantly amazed at their dedication and commitment.

We have also attended a few church services here on Campus. They have a student lead interdenominational service with a visiting pastor each week from various churches in Sunyani. The services are a bit like what you would see in a movie of a southern Baptist church complete with the singing, clapping, dancing, and shouting Hallelujah and Amen! It’s a cultural experience all on its own!

Well, if there are any topics that I haven’t written about that you are curious about please drop me a line. I would welcome some topic suggestions! :)

Happy St.Patrick’s Day!