Walking Barefoot and Non-Stop Painting

So the whole barefoot thing is only slightly metaphorical.  Now that I have been at my school for just a bit over 3 months, I can say that I am starting to feel right at home.  I feel that I am becoming more a part of the staff, my relationships with the students continue to grow, the language isn’t such a problem (the local language is a different story), and I have continued to make many improvements in my classroom and home as well as some within the school.  All of these things have contributed to my “barefoot” analogy. 

But really, I have been forced to walk around barefoot several times since my tattered 8-year old sandals keep falling apart on me. 

It all started when a Kindergarten student with an intellectual disability started following me around.  He hears perfectly but cannot speak so they decided to bring him here for school.  This kid is a goofball and apparently he is fond of me.  One day, he flat tired me and that was when the trouble with my sandals started.  I have glued the straps back in place several times since and eventually they always break off again.  I know they probably won’t last through my service, but I am not ready to give up on them just yet. 

Taken right after a bath,
so most of the dirt should be gone.

Another reason for going barefoot is to help with my tan lines.  I haven’t worn socks or shoes in over 6 months and my feet look like they have skin from 2 different ethnicities on them.  Or maybe that’s just the dirt. 

My feet get so dirty anyway, so what’s the point in wearing sandals?  With the seasonal change, my feet have begun to sweat a lot more too.  I can be sitting in my house with my feet up and they will still start to sweat.  Walking in sandals becomes an exercise that somehow involves Slip-and-Slide practice. 

The students all respond the same way when I walk around without sandals.  First they stop and stare at my feet, then they ask me “sandals where?” then, as I walk away, they cluster in groups and continue to stare.  This behavior is typical whenever something unordinary happens, which is very often around me.  Apparently adults here never walk barefoot, unless they are a vagrant or something. 

Adinkra Symbols

As for the painting, I have probably painted every day for the past 2 weeks.  First I repainted a color mixing mural in my classroom.  Then we relocated the library so I went and added some Adinkra Symbols, which are the traditional symbols that you see everywhere here.  Next, I started working on an Alphabet mural for the Kindergarten room.  And finally, the other day, I started repainting my bedroom. 

 

The Kindergarten classes are each getting the Alphabet and some Numbers painted on their walls.  The first set of letters took my 4 days so the whole project will last a good while.  I’m taking it slow so I don’t run out of things to do too quickly.  The kids don’t know about the murals so I will be excited to see their reaction when they return after the holidays. 

The paint in my bedroom has been a process. 
You can’t just go to a store and pick out your color from hundreds of swatches in various finishes like you can in the States.  Here, you get a choice between Easter shades of red, yellow, green, blue, white, peach and grey.  So I picked up a Powder Blue and added a little black paint, green paint, and purple and green batik dyes until I was happy with the color.  I painted my first wall and then discovered that the paint color was changing as it sat longer.  By the time the first wall was finished, I decided I hated the color.  The next day, I dumped a ton of green dye in until I knew I liked the color.  I’m happy with it, but now my sponge roller shredded so I have to go and buy another before the work can continue.  Painting a room is the States never seemed easier!

Recent Developments

• ·      Today marks 6 months in Ghana
• ·      Haven’t cut my hair (except for the back) yet
• ·      First term of school is now over
• ·      Sadly, I lost my first student.  She passed away while I was gone on PC business
• ·      I painted my house
• ·      I think I am done giving out my number.  I seem to have attracted a few clingy friends/fiancés. 
• ·      The Harmattan has begun and with it, dust everywhere, dry lips, seasonal cough, etc. 
• ·      I have easily read 40 books since I have been here.
• ·      I just celebrated Thanksgiving with some other Volunteers.  We even had a turkey.  It cost 200 cedis, or $100.  Expensive bird! 
• ·      Projects:
  

o   The students just completed their second football net. 

o   We are relocating the library soon, which will free up a lot of space in my classroom!

o   Soon, I will start painting Sign Language Numbers and Alphabet for the Kindergarten classes. 

o   I may have mentioned the Vocational Building earlier.  There has still not been any progress with it.  Very frustrating.  

A student in the nose box.  He didn't know I snapped this, much to the delight of the class.

Bad Decisions and Worse Consequences

I know it’s been a while since my last post.  Let me take you back to the reason it has been so long.

Against all reasoning, I went for a nice little swim in the dam near my house late September.  At some point during my excursion, I cut my foot open.  Then, since I am really stupid, I went for a swim again the next day.  You can imagine my sunburn after that. 

Within a few days, I knew I had problems.  I was continually running (and not the exercise version), I had developed a UTI, pink eye, sinus infection, blurry vision, sprained ankle, and spots all over my skin.  It was time to call the doctor. 

They were worried I had some serious stuff so I went to the hospital for tests and started an antibiotic.  Eventually everything cleared up and I was fine.  Until, the kids at school all started passing around a seasonal cold, which I am still fighting off. 

To top all of that off, my power was out for 5 days during my illness(es).  It’s usually not that big of a deal but I was having to wash dishes by candlelight.  Not very easy when I also don’t have a sink.