To the Bat Cave, Batman!

Have about 22 minutes on this computer so I'm hoping to use 10 to update this thing. I just got back from a wonderful trip to Bouyem Caves which is around 45 minutes away from Techiman. Got to do a lot of hiking, climbing, and literally being surrounded by bats. Think of Batman Begins. It really was like that. It has also given me new respect for their awesome sonar senses as not one of them crashed into us as we filled up the caves and just flew around us. It was a great experience.

As a side note, I would love to share pictures of the caves with you guys, but in all honesty uploading pictures here seems like it would take days just for one and more money than I could ever really spend on a Peace Corps salary so I'm really thinking that all of you will have to wait until I get back. I will try to be descriptive as possible in these updates.

So far, so good during training. Some of it is redundant, though, as they basically have assumed that we have all come in uneducated and culturally insensitive. We had a 3 hour lecture the other day that basically summed up Social and Behavioral Aspects of Global Health. Oh, yes, how fun was that class, my fellow trop medders? Think a male version of Dr. MacIntyre. But I got to visit the District Assemblies, which was very cool and extremely useful towards what I will be doing at my site since I am helping establish a bunch of wat/san/health programs there since it will be the new district capital. I have a bunch of other projects that I must do during training including a personal project presentation (PPP) that requires me to do research into the culture that I will be living in and then present that research; and a SCOP project (Small Community Outreach Program, get use to the acronyms now guys) that requires me to go out and educate the community about HIV or vaccinations or whatever health topic of my choice. We also have to be trained in SHEP, which is another education program focused mainly on HIV/AIDS. To be honest, I am half looking forward to doing all these things. In all honesty, I just want to get training over with and get to my site. I'm sure I'll appreciate the experience I will receive from these projects, though. I guess I'm still feeling slightly burned out from school and doing something remotely academic is just draining.

Also got 2 marriage proposals this week. I'm seriously going to count them and see how many I end up with by the time I leave here. Apparently, marriage proposals by single Ghanaian men (no matter the age) is very common here as they all want to come to America. Got one from my host mother's brother which was slightly disturbing and then a random man in a taxi. So how you handle it is basically joke about it, because the proposals are never really that serious. I just tell them to send 6 cows home and then we can talk.

So the one problem that I never foresaw I would have here in Ghana is eating. And, no, I don't mean it in the way that I get sick, but that I can't eat as much as the average Ghanaian here. I never thought I would have a problem downing food, but they seriously stuff you here. I have to constantly tell my family to make my food "kakra kakra" which means "small small" in Twi. It is week 2 and I am not sure if they are getting the fact that I don't eat as much as them. They consume a lot of starches and carbs to keep them energized since their occupation is farming and I don't think they understand that I don't exert as much energy in the day as they do. It almost makes me dread going home sometimes because I'll know I'll be facing a plate full of fu fu, which is basically yams pounded together to create this massive sticky ball. I have to be strategic on how much I eat per day just to satisfy them.

Also, 6am is now the new 9. Everyday I have been getting up at around 5:30 to 6 in the morning because that's basically when the Ghanaians get up and they definitely aren't quiet about it. It has taken me awhile to get use to this schedule, but now I think I actually enjoy it. I'm going to try and start running, since I feel like I have all this penned up energy.

Alright, folks, gotta go. 5 more minutes on this computer. Keep the emails coming. I wish I could respond back to everybody, but it's hard when time is limited here. Also, send me letters!! I promise I will write back. I do have time on my hands here and writing has been a great stress reliever for me especially when I am homesick or just plain frustrated with things that go on here. I will send my permanent Ghana address when I receive it at site.

Missing everyone,
Karen

PST

AKWAABA!

That means welcome in Twi. I know it has been awhile since I have updated, but internet is hard to come by here and it is very slow. A lot has happened between when I landed in Accra and now. I am currently in Techiman doing my pre-service training. It has been quite the adventure the past two weeks and it feels like I have been here for months. Ok, exciting news first. . .I FOUND OUT WHERE I AM GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS!!! I will be placed in a village called Wechau in the Upper West Region of Ghana. My village is close to the border of Ghana and Cote d' Voire. It is actually the district capital of the Wa West district. I will be working on helping establish a data management system regarding health and diseases. It somehow ties in with surveillance which is perfect, since that is what I am interested in. I will also be working with Malaria and Trachoma, which is the whipworm I believe. All you trop medders, correct me if I am wrong. I will also get to work with a clinic there, which is pretty exciting. My language will not be Twi, but Dagaare.

I will get my own house and. . .get this, A FLUSHING TOILET!! Yes, laugh if you must, but once you've been using filthy latrines for the past 2 weeks, you would appreciate anything that flushes. I have learned how to take a bucket bath and I must say it is very nice. It also shows how little water you really need to clean yourself. Ghanaians are very clean people. They bathe at least twice a day.

So that is my site! I was so nervous to find out, but extremely excited the moment they told me. I can't wait to go visit, but that will have to be almost a month from now. I am living with a Ghanaian family who are very nice and cooks me way too much food. Lesson number one in telling Ghanains what you like to eat: don't get over excited about it. I told them how much I love rice and they gave me enough rice to feed 3 people and then they seemed confused when I couldn't finish it. It makes me feel horrible since they will always ask, "Why didn't you finish?" And it almost sounds like they are accusing me of being wasteful, but I know it is really because they want to make sure that they are giving me food that I like.

What I have seen of Ghana is beautiful. I got to visit the Upper Volta Region last week on what they call a Vision Quest. I stayed with a current volunteer for 3 days and it was a great inside look on what volunteers do here. The Upper Volta Region is gorgeous! It is so lush and green. Reminded me a bit of New Zealand for those who have been there. I'm going to make a side comment here about the transportation in Ghana in one word: HORRIBLE. Basically, you take this beat up looking van called a Tro-tro to get where you want to go. They will fill it up to over the max meaning if there are only 6 seats available they will do whatever they can to fit 12 people. Yes, Peruvians, does this sound familiar? Also, they will not leave until the tro is filled to it's max capacity, which makes for very frustrating travels since you may have to wait for hours to leave. I have definitely been forced into positions I never thought possible in a car. And you will be in this position for hours. The best Tro riding story I have is when we all had to get out of this Tro to cross a flooded road knee deep in flowing dirty water because it could not cross with all of us in it. Schistosomiasis here I come! It was a classic African experience. One that I am sure I will have again.

Ghana is only the size of Oregon, but because transportation, not to mention the roads, are so bad, that it may take days to get from one town to another, so it feels like a large country. I am loving it here, though. Oh, and Ghanaian women are awesome in terms of how hard they work. Try carrying an 80 pound water bucket on your head with a baby on your back. It is quite a sight to see.

Ok, folks, I must sign off as I only have a few more minutes on this computer. I really miss everyone and wish you all were here to experience this with me. I hope to update again soon.

Mah-co,
Karen