Crosswords by Candlelight... (Just for you, Jason and Holly)

Hello folks! So, today was a frustrating day to say the least, as I tried to go to the internet cafe for a long-awaited Skype date with the family only to find that the internet was down and unable to load Skype. I appeased my frustration with a FanIce, my favorite "ice cream" treat (which tastes more like frosting, thus the appeal) and a slice of Wagashi, which is the local fried cheese (can you tell I've been missing dairy at site?). Now I'm here at the Peace Corps office after eating a satisfying meal of an American-style chicken sandwich and french fries. I mean, if you're going to be in town, you might as well do things with style! :)

Life in the village hasn't changed much since my last post, which is to say that it's still great! The only important piece of news is that the chief finally gave me a local Dagomba name, which people will call me from this point forward. The name is "Mandea" (pronounced Mahn-day-ah) and literally translated, it means "I accept you." I absolutely LOVE the name they chose for me and all that it implies-I think it is a beautiful depiction of my work here and how I hope the community sees me.... As the title of the post suggests, I have indeed been doing crossword puzzles by candelight, as well as plenty of reading and listening to evening prayers, which may sound boring but really is quite nice most of the time. Anyway, I decided that I would devote this post to things that I have observed about both myself and Ghanaians (generally). Now, this is not to be taken as observations about Ghanaian culture as a whole, because I certainly have no authority to speak on that! Rather, these are just some funny and interesting things I've found to be more or less true in my village during my time here so far...

1. Ghanaians love it when us white folks work out.
This statement comes merely from personal observations of Ghanaians' responses to my attempts at exercising, but I have also found it to be true in other volunteers' experiences. For some reason, the people in my village go crazy over the fact that I go for a jog in the morning when I wake up. They wave, they yell, they come over to shake my hand, their smiles are huge and sometimes they even applaud. I'm sure they're just excited that someday I will be a little less squishy and a little more toned like a true Ghanaian (you should see how hard physical labor on the farm affects your body... my goodness), and it only makes me want to work out more when I see their happy faces. The best part about the whole thing, though, is the way they say, "Oh, Mandea, I saw that you were training today. It is so nice that you are training." Yes, the people in my village call my wimpy half-jogging/half-walking attempt at exercising "training," as if I'm preparing for a marathon or something. The men in my compound get very concerned when it rains and I decide to forgo my "training," and they always comment on the fact  that they did not see me go out, which is obviously a strong motivation for me to continue doing it, if only to make the people in my village happy...

2. Ghanaians play cards with passion and flair.
Now, I've done a lot of card playing in my life, but I've never seen people play cards like Ghanaians. No matter where I've visited, the effect of pulling out a deck of cards and playing the ever-so-popular Ghanaian card game called "SPA" makes even the most quiet Ghanaian go wild. There are long, drawn-out reveals, there are cards being slapped on the table left and right, and there is even the occasional shouting match. Actually, come to think of it, I've never seen them play a game of cards without some sort of shouting match. It's absolutely fantastic.

3. Sometimes white people make Ghanaian babies cry.
Some of you have heard about this phenomenon, but I wish to share it here again. Some babies and small children are downright afraid of white people here. Now, it might not help that some mothers tell their children, "Now, if you're naughty, the white girl will take you away to America" and giggle when their children cower in fear and promise to obey, but nevertheless, some children can't seem to handle the fact that our skin is a different color and it just doesn't rub off. There is one baby in particular in my village who is about 10 months old who, when she sees me coming from a distance, is perfectly fine-smiling, even giggling-but as soon as I get close enough to look her in the eyes, it's over. She goes crazy. If I talk to her while I stare at the ground, or a pot of rice, or some distant object, she will be absolutely fine. She actually likes the sound of my voice, I think. But as soon as our eyes meet, her lip starts to quiver in fear and she can't hold it together for more than a few seconds. It really disappointed me at first, because it's going to take a LOT for her to warm up to me, and she's just sooo cute that I want to hold her, but now I'm quite amused by the whole thing. As mothers try to pawn off their screaming children to me and laugh when they run away in fear, I am finding myself laughing along with the women more and more, knowing that someday these babies will gladly jump into my arms (I hope?)

4. My body is clearly adjusting to the weather in Ghana.
This observation comes as a complete surprise to me, and I never would have believed how much I have changed in regards to the weather had it not been for a thermometer that my parents so lovingly sent me in a recent care package. Now, on the days that I walk outside and decide that the wind is too chilly and I need a sweater and a longer skirt, I march back inside, grab that sweater, and take a glance at my thermometer. The other day, after a long African rain (how awesome is it that I can say that?), I went back inside to grab my jacket and looked at the thermometer. Actually, stared at the thermometer and shook it for a while, thinking that maybe I was misreading the thing. You see, it was 84 DEGREES. Yes, you read that correctly, 84. You know, the type of weather that sends Michiganders flocking indoors for the relief of air conditioning. There I was, in a sweater. It felt amazing. I won't even start to think about how I will be feeling when the weather hits the 70s, which I've heard happens.

5. The method in which you get to a destination in Ghana is bound to be more exciting than whatever the destination itself may bring.
If you've ever had the privilege of riding in vehicles in a developing country, you know that it's usually an adventure, no matter how big or small the trip may be. When I spent some time in Honduras earlier this summer, I was amazed at the drivers-swerving in and out of traffic, abiding by no apparent laws of the road. Although Hondurans certainly opened up my eyes to the world of driving outside the United States, they've got nothing on Ghanaians. So what if the road is a two lane highway? You can certainly still pass someone on the road as oncoming traffic speeds directly toward your vehicle, especially if you're passing a motorcycle. I mean, those roads are designed big enough to fit two cars and a bus side by side, right? If you're unlucky enough to ride in a taxi with a speedometer, my only advice is to not look at it. They're going way faster than you'll ever wish you were going, and it only seems to make the rattling parts on the car sound more pronounced. Thankfully though, you will rarely find a vehicle with any sort of device indicating how fast it is going, so no worries there. Once you've caught this cab or tro-tro (think of mix between a mini-bus and a 15 passenger van), you're bound to get a whole cast of characters along for the ride. The top is undoubtedly piled high with baskets, bags, and, of course, the occasional goat enjoying the wind whipping through its fur. The inside of the vehicle will be stuffed with Ghanaians and their belongings, many of them either holding babies on their laps or snoozing on your shoulder (or, if you're lucky, both). They love to greet you and they get very excited when they hear that you speak some of their language, even if it's just a few small words.

So those are just a few of the observations I've made since being here. Of course, there are many more, and I'm sure I'll share some with you in a future post. As always, greetings from Ghana. Nawuuni ni son tuma.