Okay cultural correspondence class, here are the answers to all of the questions you guys emailed me. You can also look at some of the pictures as answers to the questions as well!
Nautica- Do you like eating the fufu?
> Tatyana - Do you like taking cold showers?
> Rita - Are you having fun?
> Emily- What stuff have you learned in Ghana?
> Orianna - Did you ever get to meet Barack Obama?
> Jalen - Have you ever seen a sunbow?
> Shy - What do you like best about Ghana so far?
> Destiny - Have you seen a Diana Monkey yet?
> Reagan - Do you spend a lot of money in Ghana?
> Kilikena - Why did you choose to learn about Ghana?
> Nyasia - Have you seen a grasscutter?
> Satchel - How did the basketball tryouts go?
> Kayla - Did you choose to go to Ghana or did someone choose it for you?
Why?
> Alexander - Who have you met?
> Jashane - What other interesting things have you seen?
> Samuel - How long did it take you to get to Ghana?
> Michael - Is the sand sculpture you took a picture of still there? How
long did it stay there? Do you know the name of the person who built it?
Carlos - What kind of trips are you planning to take?
> Roemello - Are you learning any words in Twi?
Nautica:
Fufu is okay. I don’t dislike it, but it isn’t exactly my favorite either. It has a weird texture to it and you can’t chew it, you have to swallow it whole. It kind of tastes like mash potatoes except stickier.
Tatyana:
The first week I hated taking cold showers, now I absolutely (well not absolutely) love them. Before I came to Ghana I was not really excited about taking cold showers, but I didn’t realize how refreshing they are. Ghana is hot all of the time, so naturally I (and everyone else here) sweat a lot. By the time I get in the shower, I am already hot and sticky, so the cold water is really refreshing and cool.
Rita:
Of course I am having fun!!! Can’t you tell by the pictures!!! I am loving every bit of Ghana and this experience. Of course not everyday is a sunny day as some days are good and others aren’t as great, but it is really a life-changing experience. Sometimes things move way too slow here, but I am learning how to be patient and take in the frustrations as well as the good times as they come. Actually just this past weekend some friends and I went to the Volta Region, a beautiful region located on the eastern side of the country. There, we saw monkeys, a pineapple farm, walked into Togo (which is the country to the east of Ghana) and saw a waterfall!
Emily:
I have learned a lot about Ghana. Just to give you the brief answer, I have learned how to do some of the African traditional dances, I have been learning how to do African drumming, and I am learning about the various tribes and cultural practices here in Ghana. I have learned what fufu and banku is as well.
Orianna:
No, I haven’t met Barack Obama. I have seen his wife before, she came and gave a talk at NC State last semester.
Jalen:
Yes, I am pretty sure I saw one this past weekend actually in the Volta Region. I went to a waterfall and took pictures of a rainbow/sunbow at the bottom of the waterfall.
Shy:
The thing I like best about Ghana so far is the relaxed pace of life. Life moves much slower here as compared to the US, and granted that gets frustrating sometimes I enjoy taking things slow and one day at a time. It is really relaxing. But to be honest there are a lot of things I like about Ghana, including the food, the people, the beach, the various attractions such as the monkeys and waterfalls.
Destiny:
Yes I have seen several Diana monkeys and I have even fed them bananas. Hopefully I can figure out how to post videos because I took videos of them eating the bananas.
Reagan:
Unfortunately, yes I have been spending a lot of money in Ghana, but I am cutting back and budgeting much better. Everything here costs and the expenses add up. To be honest, I haven’t been going to the mall and shopping or anything, but when you have to buy food, pay for laundry, pay to ride in Tro Tro’s and taxis, and pay for phone minutes, the money really does start to pile up.
Kilikena:
I chose to learn about Ghana because I have always been interested in Africa and Ghana seem like a good place to go to learn some things about African culture. I looked up the University of Ghana and their program and I was highly impressed and I realized I wanted to have that experience. From a personal point of view, I felt as though I needed a certain “roots” experience and the African experience was good for that. Also, I am really passionate about helping people and there are several opportunities here to get involved in the community and help people.
Nyasia:
No, I have not seen a grasscutter in person yet, but I have seen pictures of them.
Satchel:
The basketball tryouts are going good so far actually. The coach is not going to officially announce the members of the team until sometime next week so wish me luck. Actually on Sunday I went to a neighboring city called Tema and played in a basketball league. The coach has a team in the Tema basketball league and to get extra practice he asked all of the players to join his team. I didn’t take any pictures of that on Sunday, but I will definitely have pictures and videos of my games for you to see.
Kayla:
I chose to go to Ghana myself, no one chose it for me. Actually, I originally thought about going to Mexico, but after doing some research, I fell in love with Ghana and changed my mind.
Alexander:
I have met a lot of people, including many international students from all over the world. I have met people from different states in the US, including California, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Michigan. I have also met international students from Norway, England, Ireland, and Germany. And I have met many Ghanaians so far that come from different places in Ghana.
Jashane:
Besides pineapple farms, monkeys, and waterfalls, I have seen both women and men carrying all sorts of things on their heads. I have seen very colorful traditional African outfits and I also have briefly seen three funerals in passing. At the funeral everyone wears black and at one funeral there were people marching down the street playing trumpets. I saw an acrobat performance group on the beach the very first time I went, and they were able to do all sorts of interesting backflips and other moves.
Samuel:
I took a flight from RDU in Raleigh to New York, which took about two hours. The flight from New York to London took 6 hours and the flight from London to Accra took 7 hours. So overall I was in the air for 15 hours!
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Michael:
I don’t believe the sand sculpture is still there. I am not totally sure how long he keeps the sculptures standing before he takes them down. I am sorry but I don’t know his name either, but he is really talented.
Carlos:
Trips I am planning on taking include trips to other parts of the country, including Cape Coast to go on canopy walks and see the old castles, the Volta Region again to do more exploring at the waterfall and through the mountains, hopefully to Mole National Park in the Northern Region so I can see elephants, Kumasi – home and capital of the Ashanti people and also a beautiful city in the Ashanti Region known for arts and crafts, and other places that I haven’t thought of yet. Also, I may be able to take a trip to the Ivory Coast and possibly Nigeria if I make the basketball team.
Roemello:
Yes, I am learning some words in Twi, but of course I still have plenty of practicing to do. So far I can only say good morning, how are you doing, see you later, and thank you.
