The Great Shoe Crisis

The Great Shoe Crisis 9/18/2016

    
    Yes, there are many people in the world that are in desperate NEED of shoes. However, I don't feel that it is always the crisis that we perceive it as. 

    I admit, before I saw the light and hopped on the minimalist bandwagon, I couldn't even tell you how many shoes I owned. I am too ashamed to even estimate the number of shoes I had. Or, how about the number of shoes that I bought and only wore once? Yikes, I wasn't even into designer shoes, imagine if I was?! Anyway, I currently have 4 pairs of shoes and I couldn't be happier. 

     I must say, one of the things that I find most striking in Accra is how people dress, even if it's a quick trip to the market. It's the opposite of a quick trip to Walmart back home, where people wear jammies, throw on a pair of slippers and shuffle out the door with bed head. In Accra, people will wear a pressed dress shirt, slacks and dress shoes, even in the heat of the day. The women wear handmade dresses with the most vibrant prints you ever did see. Everyone looks fresh to death ALL the time.

     In the rural villages people still dress in fine clothing. Many of them are laborers so they may dress a bit more casual, but everyone is always presentable. So here is my shoe story. I used to feel bad for all of the children that ran around barefoot in the rural villages, I felt for some of the adults who were shoe-less as well. I felt bad until I climbed the highest mountain in Ghana. I had my fancy Keen hiking shoes on and I carried a Camelbak filled with water and snacks. I arrived at the top in awe of the spectacular pantomimic view before me. I had just hiked the highest mountain in the entire country! I was on top of the world! I didn't mind being completely winded, or the sweat that was stinging my eyes, or the fact that I smelled like the ape exhibit at Brookfield zoo. I was marinading in my sense of accomplishment. This is when I heard a sound behind me. I turned around to find 3 small boys that had just reached the summit of Afadjato mountain....the highest mountain in Ghana. They were not dripping in sweat, they were not carrying any water and they weren't wearing shoes! And, they came up the backside of the mountain that was way more steep and rugged! They also didn't seem to share my sense of accomplishment, they were hanging out like they had just meandered to the corner store for a soda!
     I have another shoe story. On campus, we have a private elementary school. One morning I was walking across campus to class. The elementary school students were on the track and they were practicing track and field events. I saw these kids effortlessly bounding over hurtles, sprinting and practicing the long jump. I stopped to admire their speed, agility and grace. Can you guess what I noticed? Half the kids weren't wearing shoes! It didn't seem to slow them down a bit. As a matter of fact, it was the kids without shoes that were performing the best! Ha, my mind wandered to a track at an American elementary school, I can only imaging the fancy, brand new shoes that those kids would be wearing and I could also picture them struggling to get their lazy butts over these hurtles. 
     I appreciate that there is a need to have shoes in certain circumstances, I wish the men on the construction crews here would all wear shoes. But if you look at the trend in our fancy American shoes, many people are opting for the minimalist style and there is also a movement to go barefoot as much as possible for the health of your feet. I almost feel like the hiking kids I saw and the elementary school students prefer being barefoot. Shoot, my favorite thing to do at the end of a long day is to kick off my shoes!    

Signed, Sealed, Delivered....Not Yours 9/11/2016

     


    This was better than Christmas morning! I was notified that I had not one, but two packages from home waiting for me at the post office. I couldn't have cared less about what was inside these packages. I was just excited to open them and feel the love that had traveled across the lonesome ocean to find it's way to me.

    If I had received a package back home, I would have hopped in my Jeep, flipped the top back, blasted my music, rested my arm out the open window with my hair blowing wildly in the wind, as I drove 10 glorious minutes down Historic Route 66 to fetch my packages.

     I need to stop thinking these thoughts. Here is the reality of my new situation and my guide on how to pick up a package from the post office in Ghana. First, you need to find a tro tro that is headed towards Circle. When you safely arrive at Circle you exit the tro tro and turn your backpack around and carry it across your chest. Pick pocketing is a cherished past-time in this part of town. Now you need to get directions to the post office, GPS isn't a thing here and neither are addresses.

     This is the fun part. People give directions here like you are going on a treasure hunt. You start by aimlessly walking around until someone grabs you by the arm and says, "Where are you going?!" For this to happen, it usually takes about 30 seconds, maybe a full 60 on a slow day. When the locals see an Obruni walking around they assume you are lost and they are usually right. So this is the part where I tell him I am looking for the post office. He turns me around and points up the road and says, "tracks." I'm so excited, my first clue! "Tracks," could be a street name, a restaurant, a sign, or actual tracks. You won't know until you find it, but you'll know it when you see it. And I'm off....

     Nice! I come to a set of train tracks that doubles as a motorcycle roadway. Here I approach the man standing beside the tracks. In Ghana you cannot walk up to anyone and just ask for what you need. It has to go like this, "Hello, how are you? Please, I am looking for the post office?" Now this guy points down the tracks and says, "Tasty." Another clue!!!! I thank him, he blesses me and I continue on my way.

     I follow the tracks, and the rules of the road. Pedestrians never have the right of way, so I am constantly dodging the motorcycles that are flying by on the train tracks. Oh, oh! I see it, Tasty is a food stand. I stop in, and ask for directions. My day just got a little better, they are selling cold water! When is the last time I had cold water? I couldn't remember. Mmmm,cold water spilling down my throat. A little piece of heaven on my urban safari. So the "Tasty" lady directs me to Vodafone, this is their Verizon.
     I find Vodafone just up the road. Vodafone is not the next clue, of course Vodafone is also the post office. Makes perfect sense in Ghana, where else would you expect to find a post office? I made it, that wasn't so bad....I stand in a long line. The room is so stuffy, I can feel the beads of sweat trickling down my back. Once I get to the front of the line, I am instructed to go upstairs and and make a photo copy of my ID. OK, no problem. Photo copies in hand I make my way back down the stairs. Back in line, oh boy, I can hardly wait. I hand over my package notification slip and am directed to another line to pick up my packages. This is my favorite part....
     So, I was informed that I would have to pay a "small tax" to collect my packages. I am happy to pay a small fee for some love from back home. This customs guard hands me package number 1. I have to open it in front of her so she can ensure that I am not smuggling in any goods from overseas. Let me take a moment to tell you how much I love my parents, and I can only imagine what they think my living conditions are like here. Now pay attention to this part, feel free to estimate the value of the contents with me.... A handful of Ziploc bags, travel packets of tissue, glow sticks, hand sanitizer, some travel snack packs, a hair clip and a cute sundress. So after examining the contents the woman calculates the estimated value of my box and the "small tax" I will need to pay.
     Things like this are a little less than official. She scribbles a few notes on the paper and tells me that one of my two packages will cost 97 Ghana cedis. This is when "Chicago Jenny" made her appearance. I said, "What????!!!!" Perhaps I raised my voice. "Small tax", right? For 97 cedis I can go out to a gourmet dinner, have a fancy cocktail and take public transportation to and from. This was not a "small tax" and this was only one of two packages and I would never pay that much for Ziploc bags! So I push the box back to the woman across the counter and I tell her that I know it's free to send it back. Send it back and I'll get my Ziploc bags when I'm back stateside. This is when I got in trouble. I was reprimanded like a child for disrespecting a governmental official and for raising my voice. She then peered at me over the top of her glasses and told me I was being disrespectful, she was just doing her job and what I should have said was, "can we bargain?" Ha, what was I thinking, of course, that should have been my first thought... bargaining with the governmental official at customs. Silly me!
     I took a deep breath, apologized for raising my voice, I pasted a very insincere smile across my face and asked her what kind of deal she could give me for both of my packages. I was able to get her down to 70 cedis for the two. I walked out of their feeling like I had still gotten totally ripped off, but hey, at least I have Ziploc bags full of love. 
    The best part was when I returned about 6 weeks later for yet another package, this time I brought my patience, my smile and only brought 30 cedi with me, I wasn't gonna get taken again. So I walk in, head held high, ready to bargain with more government employees. I hear a voice beside me say, "it's you again." And there she is peering at me over her glasses.  
    

Honeymoon to Hostile

Honeymoon to Hostile 9/4/2016

     In the beginning, my semester abroad felt a lot like vacation. Everything was so new and so exciting: the people, the food, the music and the adventures. Nothing felt uncomfortable, I was happy to ditch my old routine, my list of things to do and I enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone. I was on my own little honeymoon and I was laughing at all of the silly, adorable idiosyncrasies of my new culture. Right around 3 weeks my honeymoon stage abruptly ended and I entered the hostile stage.

     I found myself craving a meal that I could devour without having to worry about crunching on a bone or an eyeball, I wanted food that I recognized, I wanted food that I could cook in MY kitchen. I began to miss MY bed. I missed hot water and lingering in the shower. I missed regular bowel movements. I missed driving, I missed going where I wanted, whenever I wanted. I missed working out in MY gym!!!!!! I didn't necessarily feel "homesick," I felt "comfortsick." Everything and anything that was routine or comforting in my life back home didn't exist here. 
     My basic needs, such as; eating, sleeping, working out, hygiene and sense of social connection had all been completely disrupted. I found myself feeling very displaced. Back home my schedule was booked out days in advance. Here I was not working, my school schedule was less demanding, I didn't have a house to take care of. I was not used to having so much free time. I needed more purpose!       

Gender Studies

Gender Studies 8/28/2016

     Unfortunately I have to drop my gender studies class, as it does not transfer to NAU. Another life lesson, I can't tell you how much I have learned about myself and the culture here in Ghana after only one day in class. Gender and sex are viewed differently within every culture around the world; the roles we play, how we view ourselves and our place in this great big world. 
     On my first and only day in my gender studies class, we were asked to contribute our definitions of gender and sex. As an American student I was initially appalled by what I heard. One woman raised her hand and stated that she believed women were born subservient to men. Another raised her hand and stated that women in positions of power have supernatural powers. Her reasoning, men are born to be strong leaders, women are not and therefore must have supernatural powers in order to be a leader. These are not the beliefs of everyone here, but they are the beliefs of some. 
     I could not keep my hand down or my mouth shut. When called on by the professor I stated that I believed men and women were equal and they have different things to contribute but both contributions are equally important. When I finished sharing my perspective I was immediately surrounded by an uproar of laughter, this was apparently the most ridiculous thing I could have said. 
     For the next few days I would reflect on this experience and I would get myself all worked up. How could anyone believe that someone is better than them or that their values and beliefs were better or worse than anyone else's? Insert foot in mouth... Jennifer, how can you believe that your thoughts are better than anyone else's? Because I am ethnocentric and I need to calm down.      Ghana is a progressive, developing country, many people come to the University of Ghana from very small villages far from the city. Religion is a huge part of the culture here. Ghanaian people are born into a culture that is different from mine, their life experiences are different from mine. It didn't feel very good to have a classroom of people dismiss my thoughts, and I should not dismiss the thoughts of others. I believe in enlightenment and empowerment. Everyone needs to know that there are different schools of thoughts and different ways of life. I believe it is important to have the freedom to choose which beliefs and values you want. But in the end the choice is up to you. I am attempting to dismount my high horse, open my mind and grow a new set of eyes that are less judgmental and more receptive to the beautiful people and culture that now surrounds me. I can look around and see so many strong, beautiful, driven , hardworking women. It is my wish that one day all women will view themselves with the same respect and strengths that I see.

      

Obro Tro

Obro Tro 8/21/2016

     So, as I mentioned earlier an obruni is the Ghanaian word for a foreigner. The next word I have for you is "tro tro." This is a form of Ghanaian public transportation. I hesitate to compare it to a bus. It is more like organized chaos on wheels. When I first heard of the tro tro, I vowed never to set foot on one, it sounded like a death trap. 
     The tro tros travel on designated routes. There is the driver that drives the tro tro. Then there is the mate. He collects the money and hangs out of the van as it careens through the streets and he shouts things like "Cra Cra Cra" meaning that they are headed toward Accra. Or the mate might be shouting "Circ Circ Circ," which obviously means that they are headed towards the "circle" where you can transfer to a different tro tro. The third person you will always find on a tro tro is some random woman that silently sits beside the driver and she somehow never breaks her stare, even when the tro tro drives off the road to pass a car in the fourth lane, this is terrifying when you realize there are actually only two lanes of traffic. 
     The tro tro costs around 1 cedi. That's about twenty five cents state side. I think about how much people spend to try skydiving, swimming with sharks, bungee jumping, climbing Mount Everest. I can risk my life and be an adrenaline junky for only twenty five cents! So once you have successfully entered the tro tro you immediately become very close to those around you. It's a lot like being in a can of sardines. Come to think of it, tro tros usually smell a lot like sardines on the inside...remember, ac isn't a thing here. After that you hold on and enjoy the ride of your life! 
      I would advise against a window seat. When the driver thinks it's necessary to actually stop at a red light(also assuming that the traffic lights happen to be working that day)the local women balancing baskets on their heads now have the obruni trapped. These women will come to your window and stare you down until you cave and buy whatever it is that they are selling. Could be sugarcane, could be coconuts, could be tiger nuts, could be gum,could be water, could be q-tips, could be toilet paper, could be a chicken, could be some foreign substance in a foreign container, maybe a steering wheel cover, phone credit perhaps. Who needs Walmart, this brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "window shopping". 
     My first few weeks in Ghana felt like one long ride on what I now call my "Obro tro," I found myself holding on for dear life, not sure where I was going, not sure what I was eating, not sure who was around me, I wasn't sure about anything really. It's been a lot of over stimulation and I'm exhausted all of the time. But I am now an obro tro junky!!!    

     

Jenny In Wonderland

    

Jenny in Wonderland 8/14/2016

     Guidebooks...who needs 'em? My friends and family were shocked to learn that I hadn't read a single book on Ghana before my travels. I'm glad I didn't. I dove in with few expectations and I couldn't be happier with my decision. Nothing could have prepared me for this journey. Like the story of Alice in Wonderland, nothing is as it seems. Nothing works as you would expect it to. It is what it is and you have no choice but to live in the moment and go with the flow. Stress is not a thing. Thirty minutes late is considered early. Women pee in urinals. Toilet paper is a luxury. There is no such thing as warm showers. I have forgotten what air conditioning feels like. You flip the switch down to turn on a light. All doors open in. Surprisingly, I have never seen a bug in my dorm room. The sun almost never shines in the wet season. The children rarely beg for money or food, they beg for pens because school starts next month and they cannot attend school unless they have pen and paper. Good luck finding a meal that doesn't include rice and plantain. Good luck finding an overweight Ghanaian. Professors don't attend class for the first two weeks. You're not registered for classes, no problem. You have to haul water pouches from the market to your dorm if you want to drink. Sidewalks are called obruni traps, an obruni is the Ghanaian word for foreigners. It isn't uncommon for the locals to shout obruni at you when you pass by, especially while jogging. Only obrunis go for jogs.Internet is something you are lucky to have for about 5 minutes a day. My friend lost his wallet and someone returned it to him with all of it's contents. The children are the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The music is entrancing. The dancing is amazing to watch. I get goosebumps when I eat pineapple and avocados. Describing Ghana to someone is like describing art to a blind person, music to a deaf person or love to someone that has never experienced it.    

  

University of Ghana

University of Ghana 8/5/2016

     I dream big, sometimes I bite off more than I can chew. Well, I did it again. I have talked with other students that have studied abroad. They apply for the program, they purchase a plane ticket and off they go. 

     Africa was an undertaking. This was a very challenging process. I also need to keep in mind that I had relocated to a new city to attend NAU and knew no one when I moved up here, I had to find a job, a place to live, make friends, attend college for the first time in over a decade. My plate was already full and there were times when Africa seemed like an additional stress that I could easily remove from the equation. 

     Vaccinations, visa application, putting the next 17 weeks of my life on autopilot, communication and course approval from NAU, UG and USAC. I certainly had my hands full. I fly out a week from today. I still have a few things remaining on my list of things to do, but I am so glad I've hung in there. I can't wait to accomplish two life goals, travel to Africa and graduate this December!

Taking the First Step

Taking the First Step 7/31/2016

     Jenny Knox here. A few years back I decided to take the snow-globe that I resided in and shake the hell out of it. I applied for a visa to Australia. I was going to learn to surf & dive and I was going to backpack around Australia for a year! I was thrilled by the idea, but quickly realized that although this would be the adventure of a lifetime, where would I be at the end of the year, other than broke? That is when I decided to put my time and money to better use and finish that degree I had always desired. I applied to Northern Arizona University and was accepted. Little did I know, my life was about to change forever. 

     I packed my bags and moved to Flagstaff, Arizona where I didn't know a single person. During my time at NAU I have always felt that my advisor and every single teacher I had was genuinely concerned about my success and happiness. I was meeting with my advisor when I told her how I had planned on backpacking Australia, that is when she suggested a study abroad program. What?! Finish my degree and travel, could this be possible?  Fast forward a year and a half later; I have a 4.0 GPA and I will be spending my last semester studying at the University of Ghana in AFRICA! Africa, A dream I had forgotten all about while I was living in my snow-globe.