Teaching in GhanaTeaching in Ghanahis blog details our day-to-day lives, thoughts and ideas, and observations and challenges during our year at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, West Africa. If you are planning an extended trip, a semester abroad, or are just curious about life 
Articles
Technoculture
2008-03-01 14:13:00 Nothing changes culture like technology. From the printing press to the personal car to the internet, social revolutions have invariably followed technological revolutions. As the reaction to this blog demonstrates, Ghana stands at a crossroads between technology first (e.g. American model) and “social harmony” first (e.g. Chinese model). Time to get back to helping Canada navigate ... More About: Reflections , Author , Stephen
Back to the old Blog
2008-03-01 02:04:00 Now that I?m back in Canada, I think I?ll go back to my old blog. There isn?t much more to say about the trip. I?ll go back to blogging about Canada. The irony of this all is that while I was writing my normal blog, I desperately wanted people to read what I had to ... More About: Reflections , Blog , Author , Back , Terri
Blogging in Ghana
2008-02-28 18:29:00 One of my research activities for my sabbatical was to write this blog. The best way to learn about Web 2.0 is to do it! Some quick observations… First, blogging is hard work. Internet access issues aside (which did add a huge stress), blogging is writing, and writing is hard. I remember what a journalist in ... More About: Ideas , Reflections , Blogging , Ghana , Author
It?s nice to be invisible again
2008-02-27 17:37:00 We have previously discussed racism against blacks around the world on this blog. Ironically, Africa is one of the most racist places I have visited. Everywhere I went, it was Obruni this, China that, Ching-Chong, etc, etc. Even some of the commentators on Ghanaweb felt it was necessary to bring in our Chinese ancestry. Whether ... More About: Reflections , Author , Nice , Stephen , Invisible
C-C-Cold
2008-02-27 14:29:00 One of the drawbacks about having plans change part way through a trip is the ability to adequately prepare. Since we were originally supposed to return in June, not a single article of winter clothing made it on the packing list. After Stephen?s abrupt termination, coming home before the flowers bloomed suddenly became a necessity. ... More About: Travel , Cold , Author , Terri
So long, and thanks for all the fish
2008-02-24 13:09:00 This will be the final post for this blog from Ghana. I’m sure there will be several more posts in the upcoming months as we readjust back to life in Canada — the return culture shock should provide as many interesting observations on life in Ghana as the initial culture shock of arriving. To summarize, ... More About: Travel , Fish , Author , Long , Stephen
Fond Farewells
2008-02-24 13:09:00 So it?s been a week of fond farewells (University Administrators notwithstanding). In general, it?s been nice of people to show us their support. I?m disappointed that Ghanaweb decided to post the blog that they wanted to post as opposed to asking us which blog incited everything. Such is life sometimes. I will definitely have fond memories ... More About: Ideas , Travel , Author , Terri , Fond
Developing High Value Skills
2008-02-23 20:24:00 Vhlupien brought up a good point about getting someone (perhaps an MBA) to develop the little fruit drying business we started. Although it would be great to get expertise, I want to explain a little why I don?t want to head in that direction. I feel that it?s very important to develop the high value skills ... More About: Author , High , Skills , Terri
Are you getting it?
2008-02-23 19:49:00 One of the small adjustments of travel is to get used to the local phrases. For example, “You are welcome” is an equivalent greeting to “Hello”, and the most common response should be “Thank you”. For the longest time, I just responded with confusion. In particular, if the customs agent at the airport greets you ... More About: Travel , Author , Stephen
One last trip to Accra
2008-02-22 20:02:00 Stephen needed some data from the Akosombo dam, so we took one last trip to Accra yesterday on our way to getting it. He?s hoping to do some optimization for them in terms of electricity and water use. In general the pollution makes it hard for me to enjoy Accra but this time, we had ... More About: Travel , Author , Trip , Terri
Radio Station
2008-02-19 18:09:00 My phone rang earlier today and a man identified himself from a local radio station. He wanted to speak to Stephen so I handed the phone over. I knew some students were trying to take Stephen?s story to the media but I never imagined they would succeed. I suppose they were angry at the way ... More About: Radio , Ideas , Author , Station , Terri
Have a good travel agent
2008-02-19 16:12:00 When Terri and I wanted to get our flight home, we sent an email to our travel agent. She called Lufthansa and informed us of their procedure — go to their office and book your flight. Well, I’m not doing something as complex as a booking a flight over the phone (especially a cell phone ... More About: Travel , Agent , Author , Good , Expenses
The Obruni Sales Agent
2008-02-18 16:39:00 In contrast to the time I wasn?t allowed to go purchase materials (as costs are always inflated when white folks are around), I am now obliged to go introduce potential retailers to the dried fruits we make. The reason is that Ghanaians apparently don?t support each other?s businesses. I?m guessing it has to do with ... More About: Agent , Sales , Author , Terri
Starting to pack
2008-02-18 16:29:00 The official souvenir count is just over 90 items. That includes clothes, carvings, books, trinkets, and just about anything else you would call a souvenir. Our friends here have asked how we are going to get it all back. It will definitely be a full week of packing, but I don’t think we’ll have much ... More About: Travel , Author , Stephen , Pack
The computer science and IT department
2008-02-17 13:17:00 For the past year, they have been my home away from home. Our visitors when we had malaria, our rides to the beach when we wanted to get away, my resources for teaching and research, and more than anything, our friends and colleagues. Thank you all for a wonderful stay, and I hope the projects ... More About: Science , Travel , Photos , Department , Computer
We?re spending too much
2008-02-17 13:16:00 I went to the bank with a friend a while back to get some cash. My friend thought I was taking out the money to make a big purchase somewhere. He couldn?t figure out why I wanted that much cash — for the record it was just a thick wad of 5?s. In order to ... More About: Author , Spending , Expenses , Terri
You don?t want to make money?
2008-02-16 11:57:00 Since our arrival here, we have encountered some very bizarre retail situations where merchants have declined to make money off of us. I?m not entirely sure what to attribute them to so I will recount some particularly memorable ones that have happened to me or my friends here. My friend and I were in town looking ... More About: Money , Make Money , Author , Make , Terri
Seeing the world from a different angle
2008-02-16 11:30:00 I have just finished reading Robert Kagan’s “Paradise & Power — America and Europe in the New World Order”, and I think two contexts have made it that much more interesting to read. First, living in a West Africa and seeing the vestiges of British and French imperial power, it is much easier to grasp ... More About: Ideas , Author , The World , Stephen
Project Update III
2008-02-15 18:03:00 Hurray, the first batch of solar dried fruits has gone into the dryer. So here?s Stephen in front of our dryer (which is based on some research done by some great folks back home). The advantage that we have over them in Canada is 1) the African sunshine, and 2) the heat that comes along ... More About: Project , Author , Update , Terri
Valentine?s Day
2008-02-15 17:47:00 Happy belated Valentine ?s everyone. The second holiest day in the capitalist calendar nearly passed me by without notice. That is until my friend here invited me over for a ?chocolate? day potluck. She had a visitor from the U.S. who has been reading our blog, and I got the best unexpected Valentine?s Day gift ever ... More About: Ideas , Travel , Author , Terri
Blame Europe
2008-02-15 17:46:00 It’s almost like that South Park song, “Blame Canada”, but there’s a pervading theme of “Blame Europe ” here (as we have gleaned from reading several sociology text books and a fair amount of print media). Don’t get me wrong, I believe that Europe should shoulder a significant amount of responsibility…at least in a historical sense. ... More About: Ideas , Author , Stephen
“Ohh” vs. “Eh”
2008-02-13 18:33:00 There’s no denying that I’m a true Canucker. The number of times I’ve caught myself saying “eh” is ridiculous. It’s particularly bad when Americans catch me doing it and laugh at me. At least most Ghanaians aren’t aware of the habit. In Ghana, rather than saying “Eh” at the end of practically every sentence, people ...
The lab rats
2008-02-13 17:35:00 Partly because John (the Head of the Computer Centre) was our host, partly because I was the visiting professor in computer science, and partly because I’m a techie myself, Terri and I had a great relationship with the staff in the computer centre. Earnest repaired two lap tops for us, George handled all sorts of ... More About: Rats
French Classes
2008-02-12 17:57:00 The campus is alive again and I?m starting to feel a sense of sadness now that we?re so close to leaving. I decided not to disturb the course instructors by sitting in on the French classes for a mere week before going, but as I trot past the French department with classes in session, I ... More About: Travel , University , Classes , Author
Prosper and Mr. Sobonzee
2008-02-12 17:37:00 It took a few months for our chalet to become home, but home it has become. For that, we wish to thank Prosper and Mr. Sobonzee. Prosper manages the UCC chalets, and everytime we have a request (an ant infestation that Terri wants gassed, new kitchen cupboards, light fixture repairs, a new ceiling fan, the ... More About: Travel , Photos , Author , Stephen
John, the good host
2008-02-11 05:01:00 Living up to the reputation of Ghanaians being hospitable people, John (the Head of the Computer Centre at UCC) has been an amazing host to us. Every time something goes wrong (Terri getting malaria, Terri getting malaria again, Stephen getting malaria, Terri having an allergic reaction, etc), John is the first person we call. ... More About: Travel , Author , Host , Good
Sika
2008-02-11 05:01:00 What makes a trip better than meeting good friends? When we first arrived, it was the warm hospitality of the Centre for International Education that made us feel very welcome. When Sika knew we were coming, she bent over backwards to ensure that our accommodations were looked after. The best part about ... More About: Ideas , Author , Terri
Internet access
2008-02-10 13:19:00 For those of us addicted to highspeed internet, an extended stay in Africa can be cause for serious withdrawal. The fibre backbone to Africa is still in the works, so all sorts of bottlenecks can exist. The first bottleneck is your ISP. UCC’s satellite based ISP delivered all of 1.5 Mbs before it went bankrupt. ... More About: Internet , Travel , Author , Access , Stephen
For Women Only
2008-02-10 13:19:00 If you?re not a woman, don?t read on — you have been warned, and I take no further responsibility… I thought I?d touch on a few girls only topics that might be handy for anyone travelling. We of course have issues that men don?t have to deal with so I hope this helps. Periods ? Tampons ... More About: Women , For Women , Travel , Medical , Author
Nature?s Natural Bowls
More articles from this author:2008-02-09 13:09:00 My neighbour gleamed with excitement at seeing something so familiar to her. She asked me, ?do you know what those are?? pointing to some large fruits on a tree. Happily she explained that they are nature?s natural bowls called ?Calabash? (not entirely sure if that?s how it?s spelt). You saw it in ... More About: Nature , Travel , Events , Photos , Natural 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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