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.