Site Week

We traveled to Kumasi for Counterpart Workshop, aka, finding out where we will live for the next 2 years and with whom we will work alongside. 

On the first day we had site announcements, where I learned I will be working at Gbeogo (pronounced: gBway-go) School for the Deaf, in the Upper East Region.  My counterpart was also announced and I was happy to learn that he is one of the more charismatic people at the school (according to the previous volunteer).  He is also the person I will be living next to, along with his 2 children. 

On the final morning, I had to get up at 3:30 in order to have time to pack and load the PC Bus to the Kumasi Metro Station.  In Ghana, the time zone is GMT also commonly known as Ghana Man Time.  This can easily be explained as having no sensitivity to time.  The bus was set to leave for the station at 4 but that didn’t happen.  By the time we loaded everything and got to the station it was 5:30. 

The station was very chaotic.  Tickets are sold first-come-first-serve so there is always a mad rush at the ticket counter when the call goes out.  Unfortunately we missed the first bus and had to wait for the second.  By the time it came around, it was close to 7 and we still had to pay for luggage and squeeze everybody onto the bus.  I was charged a few cedi for my bags and we placed them in a pile to be loaded.  Our mistake was standing right next the luggage and letting them know they were mine.  Because Obroni (White person) are perceived as rich, they began to ask for more money to load my bags. Thankfully my counterpart took care of the situation as I snuck on and took my seat.

The busses in Ghana are just like every other mode of transportation.  They cram as many people onto them as possible. There are seats for 5 across, as opposed to the 4 in the US, and it is normal for a sixth to sit on top of something, such as a bag, bucket, or anything else you find.  There is an unspoken rule that during transit, if a passenger needs to go to the bathroom, the driver is obligated to pull over and people can relieve themselves.  This is right about the time I though a riot was going to break out:

One person needed to go to the bathroom and the driver wouldn’t stop.  Instantly, everybody started shouting at the driver and arguing with each other.  People started standing up and waving their arms around.  My counterpart joined the “conversation” and finally the driver pulled over.  You would think the people would stop talking about the issue after the bus was stopped, but they continued to shout for minutes afterward. 

We stopped at a rest stop for food and I had to pay to use the bathroom. For the first time in my life…

We continued along the road and 2 other riots occurred about the same exact issue from before.  Ghanaians are really passionate people. 

I finally reached my site after about 10 hours sitting on a bus.  For a country the size of Oregon, it sure take forever to travel across it.  I hopped in a taxi and drove down a short road to my school.  The surrounding landscape is very flat but there are some amazing hills/mountains and Baobab trees, which 

are impressive. 

My school is nestled sort of in the middle of nowhere.  It is really secluded and thus, very quiet!  My house is very comfortable and comes with a full living room set, everything I would need in a bedroom, a gas stove to cook on and I even have running water for showers and the toilet.  This must be why people call Peace Corps Ghana Posh Corps…

I got to hang out with the current volunteer and we went to a local gem, Oasis.  It is a small resort place (I think) that was designed and built by the nicest couple ever.  They cooked us Guniea Fowl burritos and brownies one night and we got to hang out in a previous volunteers vacation home.  Also a gem. 

BTW, I ate dog for the first time.  And its brain.