Mayi Mava

Conclusion

Mr. Padhiar completed his Peace Corps service in Ghana on August 10, 2011.. He will forever remain a Peace Corps Volunteer

It has been just about 2 months since I ended my service, it was a truly beautiful experience.. Friendships, lessons, and memories which I hope to keep forever

And I thank you, the reader, for allowing me to share some of my experience with you

Each Peace Corps volunteer is required to write a Description of Service (DOS, in the 3rd person).. The DOS serves as the official Peace Corps reference for returned Volunteers.. It describes the Volunteer's training and select overseas activities in non-evaluative terms

I leave the reader with my own DOS from Ghana (with some minor edits):

Peace Corps Volunteer Manish Padhiar

Description of Service

Ghana 2009-2011

Ghana is a West African nation of 24 million people. It became the first sub-Saharan colony to achieve independence in 1957. With a GDP per capita of less than $1,100 and an average life expectancy of 57 years, Ghana is listed as a developing country.

Peace Corps Ghana traces its roots and mission to 1961, when President John F. Kennedy sent the very first 50 Peace Corps volunteers to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in Ghana. Celebrating its 50th year in Ghana, Peace Corps is more vital than ever with volunteers working at the grass roots level in education, health, and agribusiness.

Pre-Service Training (PST)

Mr. Padhiar arrived in Ghana on June 4th 2009 to begin an intensive PST program. The 10-week training program was held in the lush hills of the Eastern Region of Ghana. Mr. Padhiar lived in the small farming community of Old Tafo with a loving host family where he was introduced to new foods, languages, norms, values, jokes, etc. – in short, a new culture. Sticky balls of starch, chicken alarm clocks, “Akwaaba!”, loud indistinguishable music, and cramming 6 into the backseat were all part of Mr. Padhiar’s new life. In addition to his homestay experience, his formal cultural and technical training included:

 100+ hours instruction in Èʋegbe (local language spoken at his site)

 50+ hour of area studies (history, economics, and cultural norms of Ghana)

 2-week teaching practice at a host high school (teaching methodology, classroom management, rules & regulation of the Ghana Education Service)

Having satisfied all training competencies and achieving an intermediate-high level on Èʋegbe, Mr. Padhiar was sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer on August 12th 2009.

Tsiame, Keta, Volta Region

Mr. Padhiar was assigned to live in Tsiame located in the southern municipality of Keta in the Volta Region – approximately 150 km east of Accra. The approximately 5000 residents are primarily subsistence farmers and many are master-weavers of colorful yet simple & elegant kente cloth. And as the traditional military headquarters of the Anlo-Èʋe tribe, Tsiame is the site of the enstoolment (or enthroning) of any chief in the Anlo community.

Mr. Padhiar was provided with a humble two-room accommodation in the Deme part of Tsiame. His first month in Tsiame was spent trying to set up his house and learning the layout of the village. Mr. Padhiar immediately started to develop personal bonds with several town folk, particularly the local waakye (rice and beans) seller whom he soon regarded as his site mother.

Tsiame Senior High School

With a passion for education, Mr. Padhiar enthusiastically started his service as a Science Educator at Tsiame Senior High School. The school was established in 1997 to provide idle youth in town the opportunity to further their education. It consisted of two-buildings with six classrooms and a daily attendance of ~150 students.

The local senior high schools in Ghana consist of three academic levels (or “forms”) – the American equivalent of 10th through 12th grades. In all his official duties, Mr. Padhiar reported directly to the Headmaster – whom he regarded as a mentor throughout his service.

Mr. Padhiar cultivated life-long friendships with his fellow Ghanaian teachers over his two years. Mr. Padhiar especially enjoyed sitting under the cashew tree in his school with them to share meals, enjoy the cool breeze, and discuss issues ranging from classroom discipline to world politics.

Teaching

At times the only science teacher in the school, Mr. Padhiar taught General Science to all three forms. He was solely responsible for all material and course development, including creating original & creative lesson plans and visual aids. He also faced the daily challenge of managing classes of 60+ students, many of whom had failed their high school entrance exams, and many of whom were older than he. However no matter the situation, Mr. Padhiar always maintained a positive atmosphere in his classroom.

A year into Mr. Padhiar’s service, Tsiame SHS was furnished with a new computer lab (with satellite internet connectivity) by the Government of Ghana school connectivity program. Happy to have the opportunity, Mr. Padhiar spent countless hours training students (and teachers) on the fundamentals of computers and the internet. In a town with about a half of the population still living in mud-brick houses and straw roofs, there was high-speed internet availability a few feet away – a stark example of the reality of his service with which Mr. Padhiar was forced to come to terms.

Boyeyey Club

In addition to formal teaching, Mr. Padhiar and a fellow teacher started a life-skills club at Tsiame SHS (Boyeyey Club) to develop confidence within students. Activities included a vegetable garden, tree planting, poster competitions, and a mural. The club demonstrated the feasibility of and introduced the proper cultural practices for growing vegetables in an area otherwise not known for such farming. Lettuce, squash, peppers, cucumber, beans, and groundnuts were in plentiful supply during the club’s growing season!

The club’s crowning achievement was the completion of a 30’ x 15’ World Map mural to beautify the campus in August 2011. With a lack of even a globe or world maps, students (and teachers) were ignorant of the geography of the Earth. “What country is the blue?” asked one student referring to the ocean. As the map took form, Mr. Padhiar took delight in watching community members staring, pointing, and discussing world geography.

Basketball Court

As a member of the school’s Sports Committee, Mr. Padhiar and several interested students raised money to construct a basketball court. A half-court, made of laterite stone, was completed June 2011. The school now includes basketball as part of their sports program.

Secondary Activities

Spelling Bee

“Definition please?” “Please, use the word in a sentence?” were questions Mr. Padhiar heard constantly during the time he spent coaching the students of the local Tsiame JHS in preparation for the 2011 Spelling Bee. With the help of the JHS English teacher, he coached a group of 10 students over the course of 2 months for the Volta Regional Bee held in November 2010.

One of JHS spellers was successful in the Volta Regional Bee, and they traveled to Accra together in March of 2011 to tackle the National Bee. Though Godfred was knocked out in the second round, Mr. Padhiar is certain that Godfred (and other students) took away with them the confidence that comes from training and preparing for such an event.

Mr. Padhiar also worked closely with the Spelling Bee executive team in Accra to identify best ways that Peace Corps volunteers might support the Ghana Bee.

Students Taking Action Reaching for Success (STARS) Conference

Mr. Padhiar had the unique opportunity to interact with Ghanaian companies and international organizations in the capital of Accra as the Fundraising Coordinator for the 2011 STARS Conference. The conference was a Peace Corps Volunteer-supported leadership conference for 60 exemplary Ghanaian senior high school students. It took place in June at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology college campus in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. The conference focused on leadership skills, female empowerment, HIV/AIDS education, and the realities of tertiary education.

As the Fundraising Coordinator, Mr. Padhiar was responsible for the procurement of all corporate donations for the event. He managed professional relationships with members of the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service and a slew of corporate sponsors, including Nestle Ghana Limited, Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Tullow Oil, and HFC Bank.

Peace Corps Volunteer Trainer (PCVT)

In June 2010, Mr. Padhiar was selected to be a trainer for the incoming group of Peace Corps trainees. Along with training staff and fellow PCVTs, Mr. Padhiar helped to shape and implement the Pre-Service and In-Service Training programs with primary responsibilities in the Education sector. Official duties included the development of lesson plans and facilitation of sessions.

During PST, eleven Science Education trainees looked to him as a link between training sessions held in Kukurantumi in the Eastern Region and the reality out in the field. His valuable input in the need for Education volunteers to “get in the field” during training was a significant addition to future training program design.

He continued his duties as a trainer at IST where he was responsible for reconnecting with each volunteer as well as their community counterpart to discuss lessons learned and help shape a plan of action for work and projects they hoped to accomplish at their various sites.

Serving in the role of a PCVT was an excellent opportunity for Mr. Padhiar to reflect on his own initial aspirations for joining the service.

Project Advisory Council (PAC) Member

Mr. Padhiar was also chosen as a volunteer representative of Science Education at the PAC meeting in early 2011. The committee consisted of prominent figures of the Ghana Education Service, staff from sister international volunteer agencies, fellow Peace Corps volunteers, and Peace Corps executive staff. The goal of the PAC was to evaluate the current over-all project plan of the Education sector of the Peace Corps in Ghana and provide guidance for future alterations. Mr. Padhiar added valuable personal experience from his service to help establish the role of education volunteers in the Ghana.

Cultural Exchange

Peace Corps was established to promote peace and friendship through the understanding of cultures. Mr. Padhiar traveled to all ten regions of Ghana. He witnessed the wide spectrum of cultures that is Ghana: from the grand Asante culture to the industrious Eves to the peaceful Gonjas; from the pre-dominantly Christian south to the Muslim north; from traditional village life to the cosmopolitan Accra lifestyle. In particular, Mr. Padhiar integrated in to the Anlo-Èʋe community of Tsiame.

Daily Activities

Though Mr. Padhiar’s teaching duties were demanding, he found time to join the Tsiame people in doing daily and seasonal activities. On numerous occasions, he went to farm where Mr. Padhiar used simple tools such as a cutlass and hoe to plow the land as has been done for centuries. He also went to the Keta lagoon to set fishing traps and fish with a net – a memory that Mr. Padhiar hopes will never fade.

Southern Volta is well-known for one specific food – akple (cooked corn dough). Akple, sometimes taken for all three meals a day by the locals, quickly became Mr. Padhiar’s staple dish for supper.

Traditional Society

As most societies in Ghana, Tsiame is traditionally governed by chiefs and the opinion leaders of the area. Mr. Padhiar developed strong bonds with various opinion leaders, including the Chief, the Queen Mother, and the Assembly man. Mr. Padhiar actively sought their guidance and views on the development of the school and the town. And more importantly, he got to know intimately the structure of the traditional leadership and learn the history & culture of the Tsiame people through numerous conversations.

Traditionalists – people who follow the beliefs of their ancestors – are thought to be uneducated and uncivilized. However, appreciative of the richness of their customs & beliefs, Mr. Padhiar on many occasions joined them at their ‘church’ – aptly named Sankofa (translated from Twi to mean "go back and take"). There he would enjoy the beat of the local drumming and dancing, in which he frequently took part.

Hiplife Music

A small but meaningful part of Mr. Padhiar’s service was his passion for the increasingly popular Hiplife music scene in urban centers. Hiplife, which finds it roots in jazz and hip-hop, was found blaring on speakers through the country – in restaurants & stores, on all public transport, and on most mobile phones. Mr. Padhiar was introduced to Hiplife literally on the first day in country and continued to explore its lyrics & beats throughout his service. This provided Mr. Padhiar a more complete & meaningful portrait of Ghanaian social culture.

Close-of-Service

For his dedication and service, Mr. Padhiar was honored with a personal plot of Tsiame land from Togbui Shikabli. Mayi Mava (“I will go and come” in Èʋegbe) were the last words to his mother at his site in Ghana.

Mr. Padhiar has become a citizen of the world. Because of his Peace Corps experience, he has become sensitive to differences in cultural values, comfortable sitting on sand floors and talking to tribal leaders, happy to share a bowl of akple with friends, and in awe of the struggles of financially-poor people who manage to maintain their dignity and care for their children.

Mr. Padhiar completed his Peace Corps service in Ghana on August 10, 2011. He will forever remain a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Untitled

Introduction

A lot of major events have transpired since my last post.. Here are just a few glimpses:

Going Home

For those that do not know, I went home-home (LA!) for a few weeks during my school break.. I wish I had made that visit under different circumstances, but that is life

Here are some thoughts on how the trip in its relation to my Peace Corps experience:

The trip forced the realization that my time in Ghana is very limited.. 2 years! But with months quickly passing me by.. I now have only 10 months left!

Moreover, I missed my life in Ghana in that short period.. The simple, natural surroundings and people.. However, I didn’t miss the food that much – I was too busy gorging some American favorites :).. Although I did get sick for part of the trip and didn’t get a chance to taste all the flavors I had hoped ;(

I am definitely not ready to call my Peace Corps time quits.. There is still much I have to learn and still much I hope to accomplish.. The “much to accomplish” part is what I am worried about.. It took me all this time to just get used to life, and yet with only 10 months left, I still have a lot of items on my “To-Do List”:

- improving my teaching

- starting my Boyeyey Club

- doing the World Map project with my students

- learning to weave kente-cloth

- go fishing in the lagoon

- teaching kids bhangra! ;)

With 10 months left, the trip home also forced me to realize the giant shift in my lifestyle coming in the near future.. An even more intimidating shift than the original one from life in the US to the one is Ghana.. For my Peace Corps experience was somewhat structured, whereas the next stage in life is completely open to the imagination

However, I will not bore/confuse you with my jumbled thoughts the next steps in my life, but it is terrifying to start planning for a life 10 months in the future!

One thing I have already started to develop is a POA (plan-of-action) for coming back to visit Ghana!

JZ

Another major event was the visit of 2 friends (J and Z)! I have to admit, it was a lot of work than I had expected.. As a rural volunteer, you quickly forget the little difficulties you faced in the transition period from the US to Ghana.. Those little difficulties become “normal” as I tried to explain in the last blog

My own standards for cleanliness, punctuality, food have changed dramatically.. That makes planning a trip for 2 US citizens a bit tricky.. Rather very tricky!

Though stressful at times, I was delighted to have 2 friends come and visit.. There are very few people who even think about visiting a friend in such conditions and I am glad I have 2 who not only thought about visit, but acted upon their thoughts.. Thanks guys :)

Here is a brief overview of the trip:

- Accra

- Tsiame (my site) – A chance to see first hand the rural lifestyle.. One afternoon, we were all dragged into dancing the “chicken dance” at a funeral event.. We, however, did forget to visit my school!

- Atimpoku – A nice relaxing visit on the Volta River front.. We took a speed boat to go look at the Volta Dam (generates the majority of power for Ghana!)

- Old Tafo – A quick stop over to see my Home-stay family

- Kumasi – The capital of the Asantes.. People sometimes refer to Kumasi as an “urban village”.. It reminds me of Mumbai due to the sheer number of people in the market there.. Here, we visited some shrines and got to see a glimpse of the Asante king during a visit to his Palace!

- Techiman – A hidden monastery.. Peaceful, serene, and it has the most incredible views from top of these huge boulders

- Cape Coast / El Mina – The castles at both the places tell chilling stories of the slave trade that transpired there.. We also visited Kakum National Park – with its 40 foot high canopy walk!

1^st NOTE: To read an experience directly from one of my friends, scroll down to the end of this blog entry for their guest blog section :)

2^nd NOTE: As the reader already is aware, pictures are this blog’s forte.. Only enjoy.. There are some on Facebook

School!

School official began September 27^th – after a 2 week nation-wide delay due to inadequate infrastructure for a new 4-year high school education system that was being implemented

Much debate has ensued on the change from a 3-year high school system to a 4-year one and back to a 3-year one.. Note that the students in the incoming class will be doing 3 years of high school, whereas the students already enrolled will be doing 4 years.. A bit confusing even for volunteers here :/.. And a lot debate focuses on current facilities – which cannot support the new incoming freshman class.. Sadly, many people say it is more of a political issue than an educational one

The new freshmen class have started, sluggishly, to pour in (Note: Enrollment will probably last a few months).. I love the look of fresh faces :)

I have also.. FINALLY.. Started my BC Tsiame (Boyeyey Club of Tsiame) with some of the students in the school.. Our first project is what else but a garden in the school :).. I have some more things in mind, but those will have to wait.. Maybe bhangra lessons ;).. I will keep my readers updated on the projects

Scripps Spelling Bee

A small side project I am doing is working with the primary/junior high schools here to enroll some students into the Ghana national Spelling Bee (associated with the Scripps Spelling Bee in the US).. One contestant from Ghana will compete in the finals at Scripps!

We (the English teachers and I) have completed the School Bees and some winners were selected.. We now are in the process of training them to compete in the regional level.. Hopefully, we can have at least 1 representative to the national level in Accra in February!

Boyeyey Gardens

Most of the nursery was eaten by snails! Thus, only the seeds that we planted directly are growing.. American Sweet Corn is doing just fine here and the Squash is doing incredibly well in the African continent.. I bought some local seeds to supplement the lost nursery.. I have my fingers crossed :)

Fin

And so I end another post.. Short, sweet, and very late

Enjoy

Year In..

Home Sweet Home
It feels great being back in Tsiame.. We just finished up the year with finals this past week.. The month of August marks my 1 year anniversary as Tsiame as my Home.. It has been a hell of a year.. An experience I wouldn’t easily give up.. And yet, I know I have plenty to learn.. Boyeyey!
So the 1 year anniversary got me thinking.. Thinking about the reasons for joining Peace Corps.. And if I was on the track.. I am not too good at analyzing.. Or at least not too good at expressing them in written word.. I do, however, have something for the blog

Re-Connect
Disclaimer: In hindsight, I should have posted these at the beginning of my blog to frame the reader’s experience.. Enjoy.. The following compositions were part of my application (the headings provide the subject at hand).. Thus, the following will (hopefully) be in proper English, and not all this.. smiley face crap ;).. Well, in the name of transparency, here it goes.. O by the way, the compositions are dripping with naiveté ;)

1. Cross-cultural Experience:
I was born into a small town in the heart of South India called Coimbatore in the state of Tamil Nadu. Although the major language in the state was Tamil, I attended an English school, studied Hindi as a second language, and spoke Gujarati (because of our West Indian ancestry) at home. With language being a major barrier between cultures, my understanding of so many languages illustrates the variety of cultures I was exposed to at a very young age. Though I did not know it at the time, this background allowed me to understand the many differences inherent in people because of their ancestry and culture.
The most significant cross-cultural experience was yet to come when my parents decided to move to the United States in September of 1994. I was an 8-year-old kid who found himself lost in a completely different melting pot. Although I spoke English, it was as if they spoke a different language in America: people spoke with a different accent, used different words, and enunciated differently. The cultural disparity did not stop at the way we spoke English, but extended to how different people looked, ate, and thought.
It was a tough but rewarding experience to learn and adapt to the norms and customs of American society. Because of my unique childhood, I never saw ‘culture’ as a means of exclusivity, but rather as a different way of addressing the same questions in life. However, many kids in American schools were not as open minded and did not see different cultures with the same tolerant mind I had. Initially, they saw my culture and appearance as something unusual and so were hostile towards it. The most common tease toward me was the character of Apu from the Simpsons – people would either imitate Apu in front of me or would tell me to imitate him for their pleasure. And though I do not consider this a healthy cross-cultural experience, it was the understanding that I carried over from my childhood that helped me develop patience and love towards my peers. Moreover, it created a drive in me to understand my own traditions so that I could convey that our differences are not conflicting.
My current perspective of life and culture is significantly based upon the multifaceted combination of my upbringing in India and my parent's decision to immigrate to the United States. Exposure to various people and thought processes was key in defining ‘culture’ in an open manner – for I believe, culture is both up to the individual and to the community. The differences in culture should act to enrich society as a whole and add diversity to our lives. In addition to tolerance and acceptance, a major trait I owe to this experience is respect; I respect and love each and every person not only because of our similarities, but also because of the differences that make us all unique. These qualities have led to me to apply to the Peace Corps because I see this experience as an opportunity to expand and develop these characteristics even further.

2. Motivation Statement:
Simply put, my goal in life is ‘to live a life that is worth living’. But what kind of life can be defined ‘worthy’? My parents have ingrained in me the importance of giving back - not only by monetary means, but also by my actions and intent. My upbringing in India and immigration to the United States has developed in me an open-minded and respectful attitude toward all cultures. With those teachings, I define my life to be ‘worthy’ if I am able to offer my services to make a positive difference in the world.
When I learned of the Peace Corps, I saw it as an ideal outlet to allow me to pursue my goal of giving something back. I know that I am not going to change the world with my service, but my two years will hopefully improve the lives of a few souls including mine. And though it seems natural to me to join the Peace Corps, many of my family and friends are a bit more skeptical. A standard question that comes up when I tell someone that I am interested in the Peace Corps is: Why do you want to leave everything behind?
My response to them has been that, I do not think I am ‘leaving’ anything behind but rather think of my two years as ‘gaining’ an experience of a new culture and life views. ‘Leaving behind’ is the complete opposite of what I see as a genuine Peace Crop experience; rather, I see it as an opportunity to take the love, beauty, knowledge, and morals I have experienced in my life and share it with someone else and vice versa. The beauty of the Peace Corps is that I will have little or nothing in common with the local people of the country I will work in; the idea of connecting with someone just by the fact that we are both human carries with it a transcendental aspect to the Corps which I greatly admire. I would love to put into greater practice this idea of relating to and communicating with a person without any expectations which is a subject that I have been constantly exposed to through a spiritual movement called "Swadhyay" or self-study.
Another reason I want to volunteer for the Peace Corps is that I will get to go abroad and gain an experience that is unattainable in the United States. There is so much information and awareness that I would like myself to be exposed to, which is impossible through mere travel or reading. Peace Corps will allow me to interact with a community in a structured environment and provide me with a platform to communicate with people of a different background than myself and help build a better life for their community. I see the Peace Corps as a medium through which I can ‘give back’ and at the same time shape my world-view in a positive manner.

3. Aspiration Statement
[Note: This was written just prior to my departure and sent for review by Peace Corps Ghana office – not part of the original application.. I don’t remember the 5 categories, but still a interest read-thru :)]
A: “The toughest job you’ll ever love.” With this tagline, it seems that a Peace Corps volunteer requires a certain kind of self-confidence – a confidence that allows him to see past the hardships to the fruits of his service. I hope to use this self-confidence to guide me through my two years of service.
What fruits do I particularly hope from my service? Well, simply put, I hope to build self-less relationships with the local Ghanaians; to make a positive difference in the local community – be it to one person or to the whole town. Other than that I have no particular expectation other than I expect my service to be nothing like I imagine it to be while writing this statement.
I have learned in the past few years that the world does not revolve around any singular person. We are all in this together, so why not make the best of it for all of us. Thus, in addition to self-confidence, patience and flexibility are also important attributes to me. I intend to go into my service with not only a tolerant mindset, but one that accepts other cultures for what they are (other ways of life). “Respect” of culture and all human beings will be at the forefront in my mind.
In particular, I hope that my experience in tutoring and education will allow insight into my assignment as a Math/Science Teacher. Though there may be countless differences between the American and Ghanaian education systems, I hope to feed off the commonalities. For example, the unquenchable inquisitiveness of children/youth is true the world over and I hope to use that to my advantage as a teacher.
B: My former director gave me the following advice when he heard about my Peace Corps service: “Listen.” As a manager, he had learned from his experience to listen to what his employees wanted. He imparted this knowledge onto me: listen before you act. Patience and cultural awareness play crucial roles in working together, but I believe they come after truly listening to what the community wants from you (as a Peace Corps volunteer).
In addition, I hope not to impose any unsuitable American paradigm (of education or culture) upon the students or the local community. To work effectively, I know will have to gain respect for the culture and people of the community and vice versa.
C: I was born into a small town in the heart of South India (Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu). The state language there was Tamil, school was taught in English (with Hindi as a second language), and Gujarati was spoken at home (due to my West Indian ancestry). I was bombarded with a variety of language (and hence cultures) at a very young age. However, my most significant cross-cultural experience came when I moved to the United States (Sept 1994). I was an 8-year-old kid who found himself lost in a completely different melting pot. Although I spoke English, I thought the language here was alien: people spoke with an accent, spoke really fast, used different words, enunciated differently, etc. The cultural disparity did not stop there, but extended to how different people looked, ate, and thought. And tolerance was not universal – children tend to bully that which they don’t understand; countless times did I get made fun of for being Indian (be it because of my skin color or my accent). Though by no means a health cross-cultural experience, I did learn the importance of patience and understanding in cultural crossroads. I have come to understand that ‘culture’ is by no means a question of exclusivity, but rather as a different way of addressing the same questions we all have of life.
The knowledge gained from my past experiences will help me to adapt to the culture(s) of Ghana. I hope to learn and understand the cultural norms and mores of my community rather than blinding following suit. I believe this approach is not only more effective in adapting to a culture, but will also enrich my Peace Corps experience as a whole.
D: Technical, language, cross-cultural, health, and safety training – these are the training issues outlined in the Ghana Welcome Book. All 5 issues seem to be crucial to train a prepared volunteer on his 2 year service.
During pre-service training, I intend to focus on the skills that deal with culture. Language is the key to unlocking the world of beauty and knowledge otherwise locked within the local community. I hope to focus my efforts to develop my language skills the best I can. In addition, knowledge of indigenous Ghanaian norms will be an important step in allowing the local community to trust me and become comfortable with my presence. As a Teacher, the respect and trust of the community is a primary issue of concern and I hope to rid these as soon as I can when I arrive at my community of service.
I don’t expect to learn every nuance during the 10 weeks of pre-service training, but rather a foundation of policies, skills, and resources necessary to successfully begin my 2 years of service.
E: Independence, leadership, tolerance, understanding, gratitude, etc. – the Peace Corps service will no likely help foster and develop these qualities. These are standard and seem almost automatic with service, and all of which I hope to call upon after my service ends.
Additionally, I hope my experience will help to define my future goals after service. A standard question that comes up when I tell someone that I am serving in the Peace Corps is: Why do you want to leave everything behind? My response to them has been: I do not think I am ‘leaving’ anything behind; rather I think of my two years as ‘gaining’ – gaining a knowledge and experience of a new culture and life views.
My professional and personal aspirations center on the idea that I should never stop learning. I see my service as an opportunity to take the love, beauty, knowledge, and morals I have experienced in my life and share it with someone else, and vice versa. As I stated earlier, I probably will have little in common with the local people of Ghana; the idea of connecting with someone just by the mere fact us being human carries with it a transcendental aspect to the Corps which I greatly admire.
That being said, I know my Peace Corps service will have a direct positive impact on my personal and professional goals. Whether I choose continue down an international path of NGO development work or return home to graduate schooling or back to my former job, the Peace Corps will set a precedent of learning which I hope to never give up during my lifetime.

Analysis
Like I stated earlier, analysis is not my forte.. So, I am just going to leave you with this.. My naiveté is not completely dead (I hope not) :)

Blackstars
Before we get to my self evaluation.. I just want to say how happy people are here for defeating the US in the World Cup.. I still hear about how Ghana is superior to the ‘great’ America in football.. Enjoy enjoy.. I tell them I was supporting Ghana (the locals never believe me).. I am absolutely happy Ghana won that game
But! But! But! The way that the Blackstars were knocked out of the tournament was a tragedy.. The cheap Uruguayans! If you saw the game.. It was amazing.. It went to overtime.. And Ghana (with seconds left on the clock) shot the ball directly at the net.. But! This player - Suaraz - on the Uruguayan side blocked the ball with his HAND! CHEAP! And it turned out that the Blackstar player missed the ensuing penalty kick! Obvi! Asamoah Gyan! O how that hurt.. They then went on to play penalty kicks.. And Ghana ended up losing.. :/
It was absolutely heart-breaking to see Ghana (the last remaining African team) go out with the ball inches away from a victory ;(
Here is a link to the handball at the end of the game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUWZuioV_DY
And here is a link to FIFA's recap of the whole game:
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=249718/match=300061508/summary.html

INTERNET!
O and by the way, a government sponsored program recently furnished Tsiame Senior High with 20 new computers (though the Windows on them doesn’t pass the genunine test :/), a laser printer, and a year of free satellite INTERNET!.. ONLY ENJOY IN LIFE!

PS
I’m lost in the “The Hidden Library of Individuals” too! ;P
Boyeyey!

GHANA vs. USA!

My Apologies
It seems like it has been ages since my last blog entry.. I’ve used the internet many times, but I just didn’t have enough time to write out my thoughts for the blog :/
Thus, my apologies.. My apologies to all of you who keep up with my blog (i.e. MOM! ;)).. I will my best to post at least once a month! Enjoy
So, one reason I wasn’t able to keep up was the fact that I was on VACATION! Woot woot! 4 weeks of freedom.. Or I had thought.. In fact I was ridiculously busy the whole time! And still am! :/

Easter
The school vacation coincided with the Easter holidays.. And during Easter, Tsiame is a BUSY place.. It is a time for “home-coming”.. Welcoming all those Tsiame people who have moved to the city to come back “home” (for what they consider the most holy time of the year)
Let me give you an idea of how busy it gets:
1. An out-door DANCE CLUB! Yup, a dance club opens up during those few days.. Loud music, alky, dancing, disco lighting! It’s ridiculous.. I went one of the nights to check it out.. It was hopping
Half my students were there, so I didn’t really dance or anything.. Though I really wanted to :).. I’m in love with Hip-life music! (as it is called here).. If anyone is interested, let me know :)
But just imagine a out-door dance club in this usually quiet little town of a few thousand in the middle of nowhere.. Ah enjoy, I guess everyone just loves to dance! :)
2. Easter is also time for the annual DURBAR for the communities in this area.. A durbar (for those that don’t know – I didn’t know until Easter!) is a meeting of the community to discuss the development of the community.. All the chiefs and opinion leaders of the community are present.. This year’s durbar in Tsiame focused on Education.. The board of the senior high school was raising money to buy type-writers for the school.. I don’t exactly know why they wanted type-writers and not computers, but they collected over GHC 3000! Boyeyey!
NOTE: I don’t remember if I have explained this in any earlier blog, but Ghana (and I assume the rest of sub-Saharan Africa) has a very intricate governing system.. Power is held with the federal government of Ghana (democratically elected).. But it is shared on the local level with the tribal Chiefs -- traditional leaders at the rural community level.. Each community will have a main Chief and many Sub-chiefs.. And even a Queen Mother! And the durbar is one of the main events held by the community and its leaders for their own development :)

Nomadism
For most of the break, I was traveling for a variety of reasons:

1. GES Teacher Training Workshop
Two teachers in the all the Core subjects (English, Math, Science, Social Studies) from all senior high schools in Ghana were asked to come to a week long workshop.. The whole project was funded by Agricultural Development Bank (or something like that).. The purpose was to train Ghanaian teachers to be better teachers in their respective fields.. But being one of two science teachers in my school (by the way, we are both volunteers!.. The other one being a Ghanaian national service volunteer), I went along not knowing what to expect.. It turned out to be an awesome experience.. I got to meet the science teachers from the surrounding schools.. Some of the highlights included:
- Getting taught about ‘biotechnology’.. It’s a new topic added to the senior high school syllabus (so they were catching up the science teachers on the topic).. It was interesting to see the topic being taught without even the teacher himself never having been exposed to the biotechnology industry.. But he called on me to clear up some ideas.. I was happy to talk about my favorite biology topic :)
- Getting into a discussion (alright fine, argument) about the role of “God” in a biology classroom.. Especially in treating the topic of Evolution.. Growing up in a very religious (yet peaceful) country, people here do not really separate Church and State (e.g. Wednesday mornings are “Worship” time at my school).. All in all it was a good discussion/argument.. No feelings were hurt :)

2. All-Volunteer Conference: At the end of April, we had a week-long union of all the Peace Corps volunteers in Ghana.. I don't remember too many of the details, but it was a blast to meet volunteers from all the different parts of Ghana (I am all the way in the south-east corner, so it highly unlikely for me to casually meet up with people from the northern regions.. Enjoy).. I do remember that the event was sponsored by PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan Fund for AIDS Relief).. Thus, we had an exhausting dose of how to incorporate HIV/AIDS activities into our service here

3. STARS! = Students Taking Action Reaching for Success!
I talked about this on the last blog.. It was absolutely wonderful! Thank you for all of those that contributed thru the website!
Let me give you a quick overview:
I took 2 very bright students from my school.. One boy (Bright) and one girl (Elizabeth), both in their second year of SHS.. The conference was held in Kumasi (a bit far from my site), but we stopped in Accra for a day.. I took the kids to the National Theatre there.. There was some women’s day event going on there.. And they were testing people for malaria and HIV/AIDS.. All of us got tested for malaria.. And one of the students was brave enough to test of HIV/AIDS.. From there we headed to the University of Ghana, Legon campus.. And finally to the Accra Mall.. Now this may seem small to you, but it these kids never had seen a university campus before.. And this is the only major Mall in Ghana (I wish I could have taken them to see a movie :/.. Next time :))
The conference itself started Monday (May 31st) and continued till Friday (June 5th).. There was a different focus each day of the conference.. For example, one day was dedicated to on how to be a good leader.. Another focused on HIV/AIDS.. Then there was Tertiary Education day.. Guest speakers from various backgrounds were chosen to inspire the students to pursue higher education and become a leader in their community.. In addition, there were night activities, such as a talent show and a dance party, which really let the kids get loose and enjoy themselves.. The conference surpassed all my expectations.. This was probably the first time for most of the students might have a chance to leave their region and see another part of Ghana.. The first time to see a university campus.. The first time to interact with students from across the country.. I had a great time watching the students have fun (and learn)
The week after the conference.. The students presented what they learned during the conference to their fellow pupils in the assembly hall.. It was amazing! Elizabeth, usually very quiet and timid, was able to go up in front of the whole student body and give a presentation on leadership (I like to think the conference gave her that confidence).. Moreover, the 2 students even did a whole little HIV/AIDS spiel.. And a condom demo! In front of the whole student body! And teachers! Obviously, the auditorium went into an uproar during the demo.. But it was absolutely heart-warming to see the students take what they learned in the conference and apply it in their lives
Again, thank you to all the people who were able to donate! :)

4. Training Redux
Lastly, I applied.. And was chosen (somehow).. To be a trainer for the incoming group of trainees this year to Ghana (I'm at the training site as I write this :))
I'm getting to re-experience the training I had during my first 3 months.. Except from the side of the training staff team.. My goodness, it is hard to coordinate things here in Ghana.. Ridiculous.. Enjoy though.. Patience :)
The new trainees have arrived and are basically going through the same experiences (e.g. the starchy food, the constant attention, the Homestay families) as my training group had.. The trainee group is 70+ youthful, energetic Americans ready to take on the challenges of Peace Corps life in Ghana.. I love their positivity!
Observing the new group of trainees has highlighted for me the 'new normalcy' (as our Country Director calls it).. I hardly find the little things of Ghana strange now.. The attention, the goats and chickens, the bare taxis, the go-when-the-car-fills public transport system, the goats and chickens on top of tros.. Its all just life now
Only enjoy in life
The new group has also reinforced my view that Peace Corps is primarily a personal journey.. Sure the infrastructure for the Peace Corps is provided by the US government (aka the US taxpayers.. Thanks guys ;)).. But as this new group, my group was just one of many that have come to Ghana since 1961.. There have been thousands of volunteers that have completed their service in Ghana (NOTE: Ghana was the first country in which Peace Corps volunteers started.. And guess what, they were all Education volunteers :)).. Not to say, Peace Corps volunteers aren't making any difference, rather all difference/experience happens at the grass-roots level at your individual site.. And I love the fact that even though I am one of thousands of volunteers, the core of my Peace Corps experience is completely unique to me :)
Moving on.. Just a few days ago, I found out I am going to have some new neighbors at site! It won't just be Derek and I in Southern Volta.. 3 of the new trainees will be coming to the surrounding areas.. The closest is going to be science teacher going to the senior high school in my taxi town (Abor)!
In addition, the 3 weeks I'm spending at the training site is allowing me to re-connect with my Homestay family.. I had missed them.. And their food.. So much :)
Home Sweet Home
I can not wait to get back to Tsiame after all this traveling! I miss my school.. my students.. my Site Mom.. my house.. my neighbors.. my Peace Corps life :)

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP - SOUTH AFIRCA
Coming to the most important segment of the blog ;).. World Cup fever has infected Ghana.. I hope all of you in the US are following the games.. The country comes to a halt during all the Ghana games as everyone finds a TV to watch their beloved BLACKSTARS take the field
The World Cup started June 11th.. In South Africa.. And the first round (group stage) is about to come to a close
Yesterday, both Ghana and the US qualified to go to the round of 16.. And guess what?! GHANA faces the US (1 game elimination!).. The game commences at 6:30 pm this Saturday(Ghana Time)! (I'm rooting for Ghana :).. ‘When in Rome..’)
Sadly, Ghana seems like it is going to be the only African team to make it to the second round.. This is especially disappointing as this is the first World Cup on African soil :(.. But on the positive side, the Blackstars now have the support of the whole continent :)
I leave you with a link to the official World Cup song to get you into the spirit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRRXXWLviI0&feature=related

NOTE:
For those of you following.. You now know some highlights of my life in Ghana, if you could send me updates of your life.. That would be wonderful, just so I don't lose all contact :)
As always.. Only enjoy in life

How fast does Milk BURN?

Introduction
I blame the tropical sun! Its too hot to sit inside my house.. Thus.. I haven’t written anything blog till now ;(.. My sincere apologies to my followers (i.e. my mom!) ;)
Anyway, today is a spectacularly gloomy day.. No sun, still hot, but not so much.. Thus, I write this blog :)

IST
In-Service Training (IST).. All the teachers were asked to bring a teacher from our school that you felt somewhat close to.. I took the Economics teachers.. Its been so long that I unfortunately do not remember much of what we went over during IST.. We did go over how to apply for money for projects (see STARS conference below :))
My favorite part of IST was going to visit my Home-stay family.. This training was at our Pre-Service Training (PST) site.. My Home-stay mom (her name is Rosemond) was just the same.. No English, but full of laughter.. It was great to be back with the family after so many months away from them.. It reminded me of how much I loved their company.. And food.. Comfort (the daughter) made me her signature egg sandwich.. I almost cried

Avatar
Well after IST, the Econ teacher and I were traveling back to Tsiame.. And we had to stop in Accra.. It seemed like a great idea of take him to the Mall there (the one and only mall in Ghana and maybe even West Africa – excluding Nigeria).. And on top of that, I wanted to treat him to a movie in the mall movie theatre
The only problem was which movie to take him to.. ‘Avatar’ was playing.. And having heard rave reviews about it.. I decided to go for that one
Let me tell you straight out.. I was not a fan of the movie (and even if I saw it in 3D, maybe I’d appreciate the effects, but the story was so cheesy).. Enjoy enjoy
Anyway.. Just try to imagine watching Avatar with a person who doesn’t really see American movies.. Has no concept of sci-fi or CGI.. Never been to a mall or a theatre.. He told me that he liked the movie.. But I know he did not get the concept of the other planet stuff.. During the movie, I would take my eyes from the screen to his face.. It was hilarious, he had a blank face with eyes wide open not knowing what the hell was going on

The Kitchen is now OPEN
The biggest change in my life right now is food.. I started cooking for myself in the past few weeks.. O my goodness.. It’s a huge chore.. I’m already dreading making dinner for tonight as I write this.. A meal doesn’t just include the process of cooking.. The following is the short version of what I go thru each time I cook:
Decide – It takes me about an hour to decide what I want to eat (well it also has to correspond to what I can actually make)
Gather – I don’t have a fridge, and it is way too hot inside my room to keep veggies or any perishables.. So before every meal I will go gather ingredients from a local stall (usually tomatoes, onions, garlic, eggs)
Prep – Because of the lack of my culinary experience, I have to prep everything before I turn on the stove (I added this step recently, as I kept burning everything :/).. Enjoy in life :)
Cook – Finally I start cooking.. Depending on what it is (egg sandwich, vegetable stir-fry, pasta, navratan korma), it takes anywhere from 15 mins to 2 hours! (I got the egg sandwich down to a science)
Eat – Eating.. My favorite part! I devour anything I make.. And usually make too much so I invite the local kids (who spy on me while I am cooking) to join in :)
Clean – Dishwashing.. My least favorite part! There is no sink.. Enough said
Bath – By the time I cook and eat and clean.. I am a sweaty mess.. So I usually have to bath by the end of the nightly dinner event :)
All in all, it takes about 3-4 hours! I miss FAST-food :/
(P.S. – Thank you to the Thakar and Pandit families for their many instant meals! And MOM! Boyeyey! :))
Milk burning.. So coming to the title of this blog.. How fast does milk BURN?.. Well, I don’t know.. But it sure it burned to a crisp after an hour :/.. One of the first days I started cooking for myself, I was able to get a hold of some cow’s milk (hard to get here).. And I wanted to boil it before I drank it.. Put on a low heat.. And then went to grades some papers while it was coming to a boil.. Well, I was so into my work, I completely forgot about the milk.. It just kept on boiling/burning.. Finally someone knocked at my door asking if I was roasting anything inside.. I turn around and the pot is pure black.. The white of the milk was completely gone.. I had never seen anything like it before
I have come very far from that initial stage of milk burning.. I have successfully cooked many edible foods (sometimes a little burned ;)).. From rice and tomato stew to pasta to even navratan korma.. My favorite thing to cook (because it’s easy and fast) is the “versatile egg”.. Scrambled, omelet.. Well those are the only types I cook :).. But I can make a mean Egg Sandwich.. Esp. when avocados are available.. Mmmm.. You are all invited!

A Blow-Dryer, a Kimono, and a Telescope
So I recently purchased the above named items in whim.. It was awesome.. From where? Well there is this other volunteer organization.. The acronym is JICA.. Japanese International Cooperation Agency.. Its Japanese people volunteering in countries abroad for 2 years (we call it the Japanese Peace Corps).. Well somehow I ended up at one of their meetings in Accra.. Very strange to be in Ghana and end up in a meeting full of Japanese people.. The departing JICA volunteers were selling all their belongings.. I was lucky enough to snag a blow-dryer (to keep my hair smooth and full of volume), a kimono (cause it looks totally awesome), and a telescope (to gaze at the stars.. I just wish I knew how to use it :/)

School
The school is nearing the end of the Second Term of the year.. We are about to take our exams.. They are being typed as I write this.. And I don’t mean on a computer.. By the TYPIST on a TYPE-WRITER! They are going to use an old time copying machine to make copies from the stencil the typist types the exams on.. This should be interesting
Some of the highlights of this past term include:
The school held its athletics at the beginning of the term.. Where the students compete in different track and field events.. 100 m, 200 m, 400m, X-country, relays, high jump, javelin, etc. It was great to watch the students compete and perform.. UNTIL, the Sports Master challenged the other teachers to a 100 m race.. Being the youngest, I thought I could beat the other teachers.. So I joined.. O what a mistake! Those guys are fast! Well, I could have still competed (and even won).. But I tripped at the beginning and then fell tumbling in the middle of the track (which was half dirty and half grass).. Now this was in front of not only all the other teachers and students, but most of the town (as they came to see the events).. Embarrassing to the max.. Enjoy in life
I was able to borrow a microscope from the neighboring school.. The kids did a science “practical” in which they saw animal and plant cells under the microscope.. To someone who has studied in the US, I did not fully understand the significance of having Teaching and Learning Material (TLM, as they are called).. In my school, we had many microscopes, and each of the students learned how to handle the instrument.. I completely took that for granted.. Here, my school doesn’t have a single TLM for science.. And that simple act of looking the microscope made it much easier for the kids to connect what we were learning in class about CELLS to life outside the classroom.. I’m hoping I also see an improvement on their test scores
Lastly, in the second week of March, all the schools in the district brought all their athletes and competed in all the sports and athletics events.. I went for a few days, but it was great fun.. About 70 students from each school (10 total schools), and some teachers.. If you have seen ‘Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander’, it’s exactly like that! Except our school wasn’t anywhere near the winner end’s.. Over-all we got LAST place :).. But hey, we are by far the smallest school in the district.. Next year, I want to take a Basketball team (yeah, they had Basketball!).. Just need to make a makeshift court at the school.

STARS
Talking about school.. There is this conference that is coming up that volunteer’s host every year.. STARS = Students Taking Action Reaching for Success..
A bunch of volunteers bring 2 students each from their respective communities (Senior High School students) to participate in a week-long conference.. It is unfortunate, but this is the last thing I am typing :/.. I got 5 mins left in the internet café..
But here is nice little blurb on the official Peace Corps website:
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=641-291 (I hope it links :/)
I will definitely be taking 2 of my brightest and best students
That website above is also the official funding website.. hint hint :)

TIA
“Peace Corps types only stay around long enough to realize they’re not helping anyone. Government only wants to stay in power until they’ve stolen enough to go into exile somewhere else. And the rebels, they’re not sure they want to take over. Otherwise, they’d have to govern this mess. But TIA right?
Whats TIA?
“This is Africa”
[A scene Blood Diamond]
Now, I don’t believe the Peace Corps part.. But it seems like the “TIA” part is ingrained in people here.. The teachers and I are get into (friendly) arguments about various things.. The day before I watched Blood Diamond, we were arguing about how the student body president was appointed even after the students rejected him in voting.. At the end of an hour of going back and forth.. One teacher finally says “This is Africa.. This is how it is done here”.. He says this as if things in Africa can’t be changed because this is how it has been done in the past..

Peace Corps Times
“I believe in the power of the day to day, the simple yet otherwise impossible conversations, the truths that I speak and live that affect the people around me as I learn from the truths around me, in turn.”
[So-Youn Kim (PCV in Morocco) – RIP]
Her quote speaks volumes for the way I perceive my Peace Corps service.. Its not about “Development” and “Aid”(in the terms people use to describe the actions of the United Nations and World Bank).. Its more about the grass roots level.. Learning another way of life, making self-less relationships, the “day to day”..

The Joy of AC
O how I miss thee.. Air Conditioning.. “Day to day”

Conclusion
To all the people thinking about joining the Peace Corps (e.g. MOM?):
“Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed—doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language.
But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps—who works in a foreign land—will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace.”
[John F. Kennedy]