On Saturday, we woke up early to meet with some students from KNUST. My partner, Anthony, and I got along really well from the start. We began with the basics- name, year, major, etc. After that conversation flowed between our families, life plans, philosophies. I enjoyed his company and the good conversation. Anthony is a graduate student majoring in molecular medicine with an undergrad in biochemistry. He has two older sisters and one younger brother whom he directs on the right path sometimes. He serves as the mediator in his family sometimes and is a very personable person. We realized we have many similar traits as well. He believes this is due to the day we were born. We were both born on a Tuesday so instantly, according to the Ghanaians, you will establish a connection.
After breakfast (and eating an omelet with my right hand), we took a walking tour of campus going the opposite direction as everyone. As we continued to talk about music and movies and such, he showed me the bungalows on campus as well as the lab where we met his friend Nathaniel. We continued through the commercial center and Anthony bought me fresh yogurt and peanuts. The yogurt was fantasticly sweet- made from all natural ingredients. The Ghanaians chew peanuts in their mouth and drink the yogurt out of the bag. Surprisingly, it tasted great. We saw the Peace Pole on campus that was built a few years back. At that time, it was the largest Peace Pole in the world. We then made our way through the endless dorms, markets, and academic buildings. Many students were already in the buildings on an early Saturday morning studying. The students’ artwork was amazing. As a final project, the students must make a sculpture out of clay or another material. There were life size chiefs, bulls, and people. We made our way back to the dorm a half hour late of the scheduled time and Anthony gave me some assortment of music and movies. He even gave me music from Dolly Parton, hahah!
Throughout the day, I noticed how chivalrous the Ghanaians are. Everywhere we walked, Anthony would be the one closest to the cars, paying for the taxi or food, offering a hand to a fellow Ghanaian. I respected how welcoming he was and the effort he put in to ensure I had a good time and learned a lot!
Today, Anthony took four of us to church. He called it a charismatic circle- what an experience! Much singing, dancing and praying. But, most importantly, there was a lot of praying aloud which is very different from home. They believe that prayers should be shared- an amazing concept. The Pastor preached about success and making decisions- nothing will just fall into your lap. He even said the American phrase,” the early bird catches the worm.” I enjoyed hearing about the Ghanaian values which were very similar to ours. The Pastor also put an emphasis on being faithful in marriage and finding the right one. Obviously, I did have some points where I felt uncomfortable but everyone was very welcoming and happy to see us there. I hope to go at least one more time if our schedule allows!
As for now, it is nice to have some free time to collect my thoughts and relax. It is much needed after a transition like this! I am sorry I haven’t kept in touch with most of you- I hope this blog will help. The internet here isn’t very strong, so skype does not seem like a logical choice. Feel free to email- I would love to hear from everyone!
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