Sunday, June 17, 2012

week 1: preservice training in Anyinasin, Ghana


I have just completed the end of my first two weeks in Ghana.  With no internet and a very particular phone that the peace corps sold me, or rather brought some vendor. We are required to own one so that they can contact us and visa versa.  Our first week was at a dormitory at Valley View University.  Where they tried to prepare us for homestay pre-service training.  We practice Ghanaian Twe, Visited with the US Ambassador and our Peace Corps Country Director; got to know each other (there are twenty five education volunteers in our group); and shopped in Accra.  While there we also learned how to take bucket baths and do our laundry.
Angel, me and Bob, Trainees near construction at Valley View University, Accra, Ghana
On Monday (6/10) they bussed us to our homestay families where I stay in a nice room with a family.  Each volunteer has his or her own family and we are one of their children while we are here.  The kids look out for us and the mama feeds us and makes sure we are cared for.  We greet everyone we meet on the way to our classes which are held either in a large Presbyterian church or a large Methodist church.  Each day is full with instruction and we have each presented two short lessons one to  other Peace Corps volunteers and one two an actual Ghanaian Junior high school class.  Next week we will begin Practicum teaching where for one week I will teach some regular 70 minute math classes while my partner teaches science.  Then for a week I will teach science.  All under the direction of working Ghanaian teachers and four working volunteers who have come in from their assignments to instruct us.

My homestay sister, Amma, in front of the house
where i will stay for the next few weeks of training
So far I have taken a bucket bath every night, but my sister has kindly offered to do my laundry (yea!)  Last night my homestay father, Atoko asked me if I liked warm or cold bucket baths.  I said cold was okay, but I would prefer it to be a little warmer, so he sent my sister (Amma) to put some hot water into my bucket.  Oh!  If I had only known!   It was wonderful.   I miss everyone a lot, especially since I have not had the chance to e-mail anyone.  But I am very busy with language and teaching practice and trying hard to do a good job for this part of my training. 

Saturday, June 2, 2012

week: 0

Tonight I'm in Leonardtown, Maryland, enjoying a weekend with Matthew, his son Chris, and daughters: Addie and Frankie.  Michelle and Alexis went to the beach to celebrate Lexi's 16th birthday. A severe thunderstorm last night gave way to to a lovely day for a l-o-n-g baseball game and a graduation party for one of their friends.

The past week was full, beginning with a Memorial day with Dan's family.  It rained us out so we fried the chicken while Dan played with the National Guard Band in Tacoma.  Last minute packing and visits with friends packed the remainder of the week, but left me enough time to see a great preview performance of "As You Like It" in Seattle and see Dan lead 4 middle school choirs and 4 bands in a great performance.  Monday I check in for Staging and Tuesday night, 25 of us fly to Accra.  I will update this again when I get a combination of a little spare time and access to some kind of computer–which may take a while.

Goodbye to my late blooming dogwoods & rhodies;  Chris did get two good hit in this game, but not this one.
Matt, Addie and Frankie show off at the Leonardtown Ballfield--June 2, 2012