Classes

The past week has been the first week of class. Also a time to finish up registration. Yes I know it's crazy that we can still register for classes. I was scrambling around campus all week still trying to figure out what to take. See it's not like back home where there's a simple online procedure months in advance. The time tables for class are scattered about the university on boards at each department (some weren't even up until right before the first day of class). So researching for classes can literally take days (which it did). And most of the time, there are a few errors in the times or lecture hall, so nothing is for sure. To register, I had to walk in the department offices, fill out a form and give them a passport size photo (I still don't know what for). Then I have to fill out a course registration form that lists all my classes, which I turn into the International Office and they register everything online for me (which is a plus, because trying to get on the internet here can be a pain). On the upside of the chaos of registration, I know my way around campus extremely well thanks to all the walking back and forth each day.
Some of the classes have been very interesting. Some not, specifically the math unfortunately. I've noticed that math professors here love to teach theory and do little to no examples, so it's been a little difficult. The philosophy classes have been cool though. More discussion and less note taking. I'm also auditing a guitar class, which is so much fun. Somehow I've been lucky the past week seeing as how I only had one class where the professor didn't show up for the first session. A lot of my friends had at least 2 or 3 or more classes canceled last week b/c of no-shows. What's funny is that this is normal here. That's why a lot of local students don't come to class the first week because there's a good chance the professor might not show, and even if they do, it's basically just a syllabus day.
This is a good representation of how Ghanaians perceive time. Everyone here is so chill about just about everything. It's not unusual to be late to almost everything. It was frustrating at first, but I kind of like it because I feel like I'm never in a rush. It is tough though when I really need something, like information for registration or a bank account to be opened up as soon as possible, because there's no telling how long it can take. And when someone says they will meet you in half an hour it means an hour or two most likely. Oh well. If you can't keep a go with the flow attitude here you'll never survive. What's great is that if someone ever asks me where I've been I can use the excuse, "Come on, don't you know we're on Africa time?"

Last days of orientaion...

So to pick up from the last post...Wednesday was pretty awesome. From the beach the past Sunday we were told by some locals about the reggae night that takes place every Wednesday, so we (my ISEP group) decided to check it out. Getting there was an experience itself. Waiting a long time for a taxi, then arguing over the price when we got picked up. No biggie though, we got to the beach around 10:30ish. The music sounded great! Lots of people hanging out. Some were dancing, some sitting. Eventually a lot of us went up and danced. Reggae is so fun to dance to because it's so chill, a lot less crazy than club music, so we were up and about for a while. Met a lot of cool people out in front of the stage. I'm not gonna lie, some of the men were a little creepy, but for the most part everyone's there just to have a good time. Reggae night was probably one of the most fun things I've been to so far.
Thursday I took my first ride on a tro-tro. A tro-tro is basically an old van used for public transportation around town. From outside it looks a little sketchy, but it's actually really fun. You just stand at the bus stop and yell out to the conductor (or fee collector) asking where they are headed and depending on your destination you hop on. It's pretty crammed. Those things probably fit around 15 people or so. And the ride is bumpy and shaky because of the roads and the absence of any effective road laws. But it's a great way to get around, especially because it's so cheap. The average ride costs 30 to 50 pesawas, which would be about 20 to 35 cents in American money.
This weekend we went on the trip I was really looking forward to. Over to Cape Coast to see the slave castle and then to Kakum National Forest to go on the canopy walk. The castle was quite a historical highlight. We got a tour of the castle, the bedrooms, the dungeons, everything. I couldn't get over walking around a place that so many people had fought in and suffered in many many years ago.
Kakum might be the second best thing I've experienced next to Reggae night. We hiked up a trail in the rain forest to the canopy walks. They're like rope bridges held by massive trees that overlook the forest. It was amazing! One of my friends in the group kept saying "Bobby we are so lucky to be here!!" And I couldn't agree more. It was hard to believe I was really in Africa walking over a rain forest. What an extraordinary blessing.
I'd like to step aside from the attractions and share some about the culture shock and the people so far but I'll save that for the next post b/c it looks like this one got a little lengthy.

Orientation Week

So sorry I've neglected to write anything the past several days I've been here. My group has been so busy. And please forgive me if these posts are sloppy. Never blogged before. So anyway it has been amazing so far. Ghana is such a beautiful country. So much tropical plant life and exotic animals. Flying in on the plane seeing the country side right outside of Accra was really cool. The airport was the first surprise. It was so much smaller than I imagined. And getting through didn't take that long. I guess they don't get nearly as many flights through the area like Washington Dulles does, which is where I departed from. I met up with my group at the Accra airport and loaded up on a bus. They took all our bags and tied them to the top of the bus! Then we rode through the insane traffic to the International Hostel on campus. There's not really a speed limit on the roads so everyone really has to watch out for themselves. And people just walk out in the middle of the street any time they need to cross. Also, anytime you make a stop at an intersection, there are people that come up selling all kinds of food. And as a group of American students, we definitely attracted a lot of attention.

The hostel is really nice. Two beds to a room like normal, and every room has an outdoor balcony. There's no air conditioning, but the fans do just fine (until the dry season comes). The biggest difference I've noticed about the dorms here is that everything is outdoor based. There is nothing that is completely sealed off so there's always plenty of fresh air. And the courtyard is really nice. There's a little kitchen/restaurant on the bottom floor that most students hang around, so there's always someone to talk to.

The campus is amazing. So beautiful. Most of the technology isn't quite as advanced as on most campuses in the US, but the atmosphere of the school itself makes up for it. It kind of reminds me of Duke the way it is so spread out with lots of trees and plants. Just think of Duke and African-ize it! It's funny to see the reactions of locals as we tour the campus. Most Ghanians are very friendly if you say hello, and some just gave us weird looks as we passed buy. One thing we've been taught to remember is to always greet people when you enter their vicinity. This sounds simple but let me give you an example. If you were to walk inside an office and pass the person at the front without a greeting and then come back needing something, they would be less likely to help you. Or if you come across a group of people and speak directly to one person without acknowledging the others, they will be insulted. Luckily I haven't crossed these lines yet but I will have to keep remembering.

Probably the craziest thing I've experienced so far is the downtown market on Oxford St in Accra. Once our bus pulled up, people were swarming around us to sell their merchandise. I have never gotten so much attention in half an hour's time. If I even started to talk to someone who greeted me, they assumed I was going to buy something. They were very pushy and good with their words. What was so fun about it was the bargaining. There's no set price on anything. They would give a price and it was up to us to get them to lower it. Usually best to offer them half of what they propose, then play it from there. One guy on the street asked me my name once I got off the bus, then 20 minutes later, he had threaded a bracelet with my name on it, so I definitely bought it, after settling on a price with him.

This is just the beginning! It has been a lot of fun so far. The other students in my group as well as the others living in the International Hostel are really nice, and our student guides our great people. I'll post again sometime soon. The Ghanian students move in soon, and classes start on monday. Can't wait!