Day 23 in Ghana

Yesterday I got to experience some of the raw experiences of African culture... and I loved it! Myself along with Professor Wyatt (Prof) traveled to an area called Fooshegu in which we took part in the funeral of a Chief. There was loud gun firing, drumming, dancing and drinking. We walked about the area in somewhat of a staggered line as other individuals and children in the area joined in the line. It was wonderful.
This was also my first day wearing traditional Ghanaian clothing which allowed me to blend in and also to stand out to those who were not accustomed to me wearing the clothing! It was truly a great feeling and I certainly plan on wearing the clothing any time we travel to participate in traditional Ghanaian events/activities.
Last week, I mentioned to Dr. Susan Herlin whom I refer to as "Chief" that the library at the Zo-Simli junior high school is what I would call "nonexistent." The library is a small room with large shelves in which collect dust. The books that are there are in boxes, unavailable to the students whom have expressed to me that would like to read books during their free time. So Chief has connected me with a young man who works at the Northern Regional Library here in Tamale. Us along with another young man whom is skilled with his hands have set up a plan to improve the library. Chief has agreed to sponsor this plan. This would include building new shelves, fixing the ceiling, and most importantly, strategically organizing the books so that they can be available to students to read or check-out.
I am glad to be able to teach the students English, but it is even more fulfilling to me to leave knowing that there was improvement to the school as well. My mother always used to tell me no matter where you are, you take pride in what you have. In other words, the Zo-Simli school may need more improvements than many other schools, but if they have a library in which is taken care of, a library that the students enjoy and can take full advantage of, that is what is important. I look forward to seeing my suggestion come to fruition thanks to the help of Chief and everyone who puts forth effort to participate.

Perm - by Shane Scott

Where to start…the trip to Perm was unbelievable, amazing, wonderful, interesting, and the list could go on and on.

When I was first informed of the trip I was slightly hesitant – a free trip to Russian? All expenses paid? – is this some kind of scam. As it turned out it was completely legitimate and needless to say the trip exceeded all expectation tenfold. First and foremost I would like to thank everyone involved that helped make the trip happen, from the Sister Cities Organization, to our translators, and everyone in-between that planned and executed this extraordinary trip. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

The trip was only 6 days in total with about a day and a half of travel time (around a 24 hour flight including layovers just to get there) but it seemed like we were there for at least 10 days. The guides managed to fit as much as possible into our stay as we embarked our 16 to 17 hour days daily which made the trip that much more interesting and exciting.

Our first full day in Perm we were lucky enough to go to school # 84, a secondary school in central Perm (I think). For me this was one of the most memorable parts of the trip: As soon as we arrive we were greeted by a group of smiling Russian teenagers all were shirts that read ‘I speak English’. As they lead us inside the school we were again greeted by an even larger group of high-school-aged kids who gave us the warmest welcome I have ever received. It was bit overwhelming at first but certainly a great experience. As the group of us took our seats we (the Americans) individually introduced ourselves and the school child, all in unison, welcomed us with their newly learned English.

Shortly thereafter, we watched a brief slideshow about the history and wonders of Perm. Following the slideshow the children were unleashed upon us to ask questions, in English, about anything they pleased. Some of the more popular questions included: ‘what do you think of Perm?, ‘Do you like Perm?’ (Difficult questions to answer at the time because we hadn’t even spent 24 hours in city yet), ‘How long have you done extreme sports?’ and plenty of others. It was incredible interacting with these teenagers and I was thoroughly impressed with their English. It made me realize my limited intellect as I can barely master English, let alone another language, while these kids were capable of speaking multiple languages.

After the question-answer session, which last quite some time, we head outside to plant trees with the school-age-children. I planted a Birch Tree with two kids( whose name slip my mind currently). I think planting of the trees symbolized a bond between Perm and Louisville. After the well documented tree planting event we were treated to Russian snacks…

As a side note: I’m always one who loves to try new things and experience new cultures. This being said, I was thrilled to bite into some interesting and unique Russian cuisine. I grabbed a plate full food and began investigating what I had grabbed and the one item that caught my attention the most was a crepe (Russian pancake) filled with caviar. I had never tried fish eggs before but I had heard good things about them so I took a generous bite. Well….it was certainly not what I expected. It was incredibly salty, slimy, and other textures that I do not have words. As I began to try to swallow, tears began to flow from my eyes and my gag reflex was in full effect. I didn’t think I was going to be able to hold it down but out of respect for a new city and new food I managed to swallow it and put a smile on my face. I didn’t attempt to eat any more Russian snacks while at school # 84.

Following the caviar incident we were swarmed by Russian students asking for e-mail addresses and facebook pages. I wrote down my e-mail so many times that my hand started to cramp. After several moments of exchanging contact information were we asked to make a circle in the school court yard. As we formed the circle loud Russian techno (all the music that I heard in Russia was techno) began to play and the teachers and the children began doing a dance which they instructed us to do. I wish I had a picture or even a video to show everyone this dance. I’m pretty sure I laughed the entire time but it was so much fun. I distinctly remember a few words from the song: ‘American boys are American Joys’.

Preceding our dance party on the playground we were invited back into the classroom where we were bombarded with requests to sign the Russian teenager’s shirts, hats and papers. It was unbelievable, here I am, some ‘American boy’ who is nothing special signing autographs for a bunch of high school aged girls – I felt like a celebrity. We must have signed autographs and interacted with the kids for at least an hour before we had to leave school # 84.

I truly do not have words for how incredible, eye opening, and thankful I am for that experience with those kids at school # 84. There is no doubt that it was a once in a life time experience and could not be more thankful that I was a part of it.

Amazingly, this little excursion at the school was only a fraction of our first day. After the school we went on a tour of Perm and all it had to offer, followed by a session at the skate park, followed by a café, followed by a bunny hop contest, followed by dinner. As I mentioned earlier our schedules were packed from morning till evening.

The hospitality of Perm and its residents was incredible. Everyone that we ran into was helpful, kind, and giving like I have never experienced before. I would like to thank all the locals at the skate park who welcomed us to their park and made our time at the Perm Extreme park an excellent one. I would like to thank the Mayor of Perm for coming out to the skate park and interviewing us and taking the time to greet the Americans, it was humbling experiences. Most of all I would like to thank our translators and guides who had to put up with 7 American boys for 6 days. I know it must have been difficult but everyone did and amazing job and made our stay the BEST possible stay I could have dreamed of. Thank you again for an adventure of a life time!!

I apologize if my thought are a bit jumbled and scattered towards the end of this post, it's just I could most likely write another ten pages on our first day alone and who knows how many pages about the trip in its entirety because I had such an amazing time. But I doubt anyone truly wants to read that much about one trip to Perm, nor do I have the time to write so extensively on this trip at this time.

Thank you to everyone involved that allowed me this opportunity!

-Shane

Day 20 in Ghana

Yesterday I conversed with some of the individuals whom I see around the palace during the day. I was speaking with one of them about the importance of a person's name in Ghana. It predicts so much about a person, it can even warn others! So of course I asked him for a local Dagbani name. My name is "Anam-Zoya." So I have created my whole name as Adrianna Renee Anam-Zoya.
He told me many of the names are chosen by a person's birth. I told him that my mother labored sixteen hours when I was born and I suffered an infection at birth because I was such a large baby. He was so surprised when I told him I was the only child. He said, "In Ghana we believe that such a long delivery can result in the death of the baby or the mother, but God spared you both, which means you were born a child of much greatness."
I told him that when I was still an infant, my mother in the midst of prayer lifted me up in the air as if to give me back to God. She was so grateful to have me as her gift that she was giving me back. My Ghanaian friend then said, "Ah, so the sky must be your limit." So the name "Anam-Zoya" means "the sky is the limit, God's love for me is boundless because I was put on this Earth to make a difference, therefore my successes will have no limit."
So of course after this conversation, I was speechless and in total amazement. The Dagbani people are so wise and have such strong value systems. I then told my friend about my mother. I told him how much I admire her. He said, "a woman who could labor for so long must be very strong and very great." So he has named my mother Vivian Lacey, "Pa-Wuni" which means "Woman of God." The significance of the names is absolutely incredible. So now my students call me "Anam-Zoya," along with other Ghanaians. So when I introduce myself I say "My name is Adrianna. Please call me "Anam-Zoya" and the respect that comes along with the name is unexplainable. After all, they know that I was given this name for a reason. They always smile at me and nod in approval. So I am official in Ghana now that I have a Dagbani name. It makes this journey to Ghana go deeper than before. My friend repeated "Anam-Zoya, Anam-Zoya, Anam-Zoya is your name now that you are home."

Day 18 in Ghana

I stare at the clock in the bottom right corner of my laptop and see the time is 7:13PM, this clock is still set to the time it is in Lexington, KY, so the current time in Tamale is 11:14PM. I am writing at a time where I usually get ready for bed because the internet here is about as reliable as the wind blowing my 8th eyelash on my left eye. Probable. So I figure I should write before I lose my connection again!
It's hard for me to believe I have been in Ghana for almost three weeks now. Time seems to be moving so quickly. I am still working with the Zo-Simli students on speech writing. The topic is for them to give speeches on what they would like to see improved at their school. I secretly wished I could give my own speech to an audience of individuals of anyone who would listen... Once again, considering all of the factors that help students learn from an American perspective. The air conditioning, cushioned chairs (it's easy to squirm a lot while sitting on hard wood), new chalkboards, new desks, bathrooms, more books for the library, transportation system, computers, a place to eat lunch such as a cafeteria, and the list goes on. However, I am sensitive to the fact that I am looking through my lens through an American perspective. A place where the students' comfort and resources are the main priority. It seems as if many of the girls are discussing in their speeches some of the above mentioned ideas. So this poses the question: How does one propose ideas of improvement without the incredible stench of an American way of doing things? Food for thought, and believe me, I am still "chewing" on this one.
I find that some of my best experiences in Ghana come about when I take walks with some of my Ghanaian peers into town. The interactions I have with these people are the most wonderful encounters. Whether it be a seamstress, a cook, a drummer, a child, or a goat, I always seem to walk away with something different whether it be a simple thought or a smile.

TV can be educational - I'm a witness

Last week a delegation of five TV & Film Bureau directors arrived in Louisville from our Sister City of Jiujiang, China. It was a flying visit; as part of what seemed to be a whirlwind tour of the USA and Canada....so the pressure was on to make Louisville stand out as the best city on their trip! I had been told by the Jiujiang Foreign Affairs Office to organize anything that was convenient but that's not the way we like to do things at Sister Cities....

After a lovely dinner at Yachings on the first night - where the waitress seemed puzzled by our request to eat 'Chinese style' and share several dishes, we let them rest up for the evening. The next day I had organized a tour of FOX 41 studios - I thought this might be of interest to them given their career area but I never expected for it to be such a hit. The tour itself was great, the control room and behind the scenes was far more interesting that I had expected but we were fortunate enough to bump into the Programming Director who invited the group back to his office. What ensued was a 45 minute discussion about American television, production, ownership and cable networks. Never have I personally learned so much during a delegation’s visit. The group fired question after question eager to learn more about how things are done in the U.S - a small quarrel broke out (I can only assume this was the case not being able to understand the language however the intonation indicated some disagreement) over disbelief that the Cable companies pay the networks for their programs and not the other way around. Once cleared up they had more questions. Harry Beam, the FOX41 director honestly seemed to enjoy sharing his knowledge with the group and even went so far as to color code that days TV schedule to indicate the variety of programs; such as news, syndicated programs and FOX shows. I really can't thank him enough for the time he dedicated to the group. Afterwards we were given the privilege of viewing a live news production in the studio and before that the lead up to it in the control room.

After lunch across the river, looking back on our lovely skyline we embarked on a tour of downtown, hitting all the places you would expect. Everything was a delight to the group, with requests to stop for photos opportunities at every location.....with one exception.....the world’s largest baseball bat. I realized that I did not have a group of baseball fans in tow, as they waved us on indicating they would not need a photo. They made a last minute request to visit a cinema and so we headed to Baxter Avenue - all the way there I contemplated how I was going to blag our way in free of charge. It seems having a group of five Chinese individuals in suits standing behind me was enough to validate my request and in we went. I'm not sure how long we spent looking inside the various screens but I am certain that we took a photo of everything inside - from the seating, to the signage, to the concession stand, to each and every poster. I came to learn that Jiujiang might be building a new cinema complex - so watch this space for a Baxter clone!

We just had time to grab their luggage from the hotel before heading back to the airport. Before they left I insisted that they all return so we can show them more of what Louisville has to offer - I found myself disappointed that we weren't able to extend the trip, this truly was such a fun group. I hope I can track them down if I'm ever in Jiujiang!

Thank you to Sean Zhang and Momo Wang who interpreted for me and without either of which the visit could not have been a success.

On a side note, it is these types of exchanges that have lead to a trust and respect between Louisville and Jiujiang. It is directly because of these interactions and the relationship that have been created between our cities that we have been able to establish the Young Scholars Program. This fall eight degree seeking students will enroll in Bellarmine and Hanover colleges for four year degrees. Next year we expect to increase that number and also expand to include other local colleges in Louisville. Over the next four years this will generate over $1.8 Million dollars in tuition fees for our area and until now that money has gone to California - who have recruited the top students throughout China. Now we are able to go into the high schools ourselves and bring that talent to Louisville. This has been made possible through tireless efforts by Sister Cities volunteers who have nurtured the relationship since its beginning. You know who you are, thank you for all that you do for our City.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Sister-Cities-Needs-Your-Voice.html?soid=1105757923604&aid=GVqn4uZVows

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Sister-Cities-Needs-Your-Voice.html?soid=1105757923604&aid=GVqn4uZVows

Day 13 in Ghana

Today and yesterday morning at the Zo Simli School, I created a lesson plan of my own, which I was very proud of. The English Master instructed me to discuss with them, some of the elements of speech writing. Yesterday I taught them about informative speeches and today we covered persuasive speeches. Speech writing in itself takes a completely different perspective in Ghana than in the United States. In Ghana, there seems to not be much emphasis on conveying a message in a speech, but more so in the art of how it is delivered, and who is delivering it. However, the English Master and myself have been collaborating very well in giving the students both cultures of speech writing.
I had them repeat a phrase that happened to come to me while I was lecturing. "The best speech is an effective speech." Most American students at the college level are familiar with the differences between informative and persuasive speeches. They are also familiar with some of the structuring tools. Therefore we discussed the concepts of an introduction, main points, conclusion, and even a thesis statement- which they grasp more as the "theme" of the speech. They took notes on my lecture and then the English Master taught them from somewhat of a different angle. The biggest difference is the idea of the thesis statement. What is it that you want your audience to take away from this speech? In Ghana, this is not necessarily an important factor.
This has also been my first time experiencing tropical rain which comes down much harder than the rain I am used to in the states. I picture a giant bucket or water hose spraying the area. It rains so hard and loud, it can wake one up in the middle of the night, or make it hard to even carry on a conversation!
The Dagbani language is quite fascinating and I have been able to learn many of the standard greetings here. Generally almost everyone speaks English, however, you find that a vast majority when conversing with one another speak Dagbani. There is an English-Dagbani dictionary here at the palace that I want to read just for some more phrases. The culture here is remarkable in that its uniqueness is truly is moving.