first week

Well, well, well what can I say? I have been here for 6 days now and I have experienced so much. Adom was sick our first night here…which terrified me. He woke in the middle of the night crying and walking aimlessly, he wouldn’t answer me at all, he was sweating and had a fever. He seemed as if he wanted to throw up but didn’t. He was crying so loud that Steve came downstairs to check on him and he told me that their youngest daughter just finished throwing up. I think he may have picked something up before coming here and also that night he had to take his malaria pill - which may not have agreed with him. I may try and give him one more dose and if he doesn’t work well with it I will have to switch his medicine to another kind. That night I wondered if I made a huge mistake by even coming to Africa. Here I am in the middle of the night with my baby crying and I am just so scared. I began praying and wondering if I should just maybe go home…it definitely became an option.

The next day I had my briefing at the public affairs office. I gave Adom some medicine (Tylenol) that morning and he seemed to be fine as the day went on. I also got a different malaria medicine for myself because I didn’t like the way the mefloquine made me feel after one dose. Mefloquine is the medicine that is usually prescribed for anti malaria but it can cause some bad reactions in a small percentage of people. When taking mefloquine some people may have kidney problems, some may experience extremely vivid dreams, some may experience psychological problems and in some cases people have had suicidal tendencies. After taking one dose I didn’t necessarily experience any of these problems but I did feel a sense of aggression that made me uncomfortable. I cant really explain how I felt I just didn’t like it. Another fulbrighter and I went to a local pharmacy and picked up a local anti malarial called daraprim. It cost 35,000 cedis for six weeks worth of pills the exchange rate is 9095 cedis to 1 us dollar. I also bought Adom some amoxiklav, which cost 70,000 cedis and I did not need a prescription to get it. I just told the pharmacist what was going on with Adom and she gave me the medicine. Wish it were that easy in the U.S. Later that day Sulley (who I am working with) came to get us and he took us out to Medie pronounced med-eee-yeah. I like Medie in that it is far from the city with all of the sounds and exhaust and smoke but I am somewhat concerned that being so far away from the city may cause a problem because if we get sick we may have a ways to go to get to a doctor or clinic. During traffic it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to get from Accra to Medie. Since all of my bags would not fit into Sulley car I had to leave some at the house of the Bucheles and Sulley and I planned to get them the next day. Before Sulley came for me Susan’s husband Steve took me to Osu so that I could get a cell phone and a voltage stabilizer…this will prevent my computer and other equipment from being damaged. The cell phone was 420,000 cedis about $45 This included a cute little basic phone with flashlight and a card for the phone (kind of like t mobile) and 50 units which were gone after calling mom. When I called her on Wed she said that she was just about to call the Embassy to check on me ;-) it is free for me to receive calls so you guys should go and buy a calling card from a gas station or on the internet (about $5) and call me! My number is 0246781839 I think the correct way to dial the number from the U.S. would be 011233246781839, oh by the way I can get text messages too and they really make my day ….so send me some…the voltage stabilizer was 450,000. It was kind of weird walking around Osu with Adom and Steve who is white. Since I have been here I have experienced some people thinking that I am from here. It is only when I open my mouth that they can tell that I am not. So I bet some people thought that Adom was our child…funny…


While we were walking back I fell down and hurt my ankle on one of those sewage drains…this came after fussing at Adom for carelessly jumping over them, my ankle is still sore…..still no rest for the weary I have already begun dancing and I haven’t even been here 1 week…there is a performance on Tuesday at the house of an American ambassador. So I have been dancing Bamaya, kpalango, and I think I may learn some more today…yesterday was the first day dancing. The culture shock has set in and I shed some tears today…just frustrated and tired.


Adom wanted to go to a school close by where the boys that live in the same house as us go. The name of it is Acropolis. Sulley took us by there and I talked to the headmaster (a woman who all the children call mommy) From the time we got there until we left the children were so amazed by Adom they just kept touching him and pulling on his shirt and laughing. They kept calling him “Obruni coco…Obruni coco” I saw a different side of my son. He stuck his chest out and threw his arms behind him and was fighting every little person he could …he just kept getting into fights……he even tried to take up for Julius (one of the boys who lives with us who is 10)

We then went to look at another school called Silicon Valley International School. The web address is www.siliconvalleyinternationalschool.com. This seemed to be a better option since Adom would not be the only child of his skin color…I saw at least 2 more and then I also saw a little girl who must have been Indian or something. When we got to the school Adom was tested and he didn’t do very well even though his teacher in the U.S. tested him and said that he was reading on a fourth grade level and comprehending what he read on a 3rd grade level. The principal says that this always happens with children from other countries…….they basically teach different…so Adom will be in a classroom with children younger than him, four years old and then some his age. If they see that he does well then they will move him up. My main concern is that he learns. I know that he wouldn’t have at the other school. There was too much fun and fighting (which has somehow become fun to him) and running around to do for Adom, he just didn’t seem to gel well. I am sure that if I would have put him in this school with time he would have been fine … but I don’t feel like we have a lot of time for a major adjustment and I really want to make this transition as easy as possible for him.

We decided to get Adom a tutor so that he will excel. Sulley worked with Adom some yesterday and he talked to a tutor today. He may get tutoring 3 times a week. The school cost about $300 US the first term and about $200 each term afterwards and there are 3 terms in a year…my grant does not cover his educational expenses so I had to use some of the money to pay for that. After the second day of class, Adom teacher who everyone calls Auntie Mary decided to put him up to KG which is kindergarten…keep in mind Adom tested at a 4th grade reading level in US but he is somewhat behind here…some of this can be attributed to the traveling, I mean we haven’t even been here 1 week but really they just teach the children different here. We have also been talking to the director of the school and the principal about me teaching ballet to the students there. They seem interested but they are concerned of what will happen to the children once I leave. They say that 10 months is too short…will I come back because after I leave the children will just be bumping their heads not knowing what to do. They are so protective of the children, which is good. The director asked me to teach ballet to his daughters…

On Saturday we woke early to the village boys waiting for Adom to go and play soccer. They waited for him to put on his soccer uniform from when he played in Tallahassee (about 4 seasons) and then he went to the local field. I could tell he felt like a champ. Before they played they all just took off running around the field and before I knew it Adom was off running too. Most of the local boys only had on shorts and nothing else no shoes no shirt. Adom on the other hand was wearing his red, black, and white soccer uniform and long soccer socks and cleats. I didn’t want the shin guards on because I felt it may be too much ;-). At any rate he didn’t care and they didn’t either…he played hard and they were all older than him and seemed to take special care to him. I think he likes it here so far. There is always a baby around for him to play with and he LOVES babies. There is also always some little boys to play with. Adom had three skate boards and he gave 2 away to Julius and Bismark…the boys that live here. He kept the other one so they usually all play on it. Also the boys have created a game called “rough play” which they love and I HATE…they basically beat up on each other and laugh … I don’t see how this is fun but Adom loves it. He’s playing with older boys and they are usually pretty light on him. Today 9/26 he was swinging on they arms of two chairs and apparently he fell and hit his head on the concrete tiled floor. I was in the kitchen when I heard the distinct yells and cries of my baby …….when I made it to him a saw a huge bubble developing on his head and I just felt kind of numb…not knowing what to do. Here I am in Africa. And I guess I didn’t mention that where I am staying is far away from the city (Accra) it takes about 45 minutes to get to the city and besides it was night time. This is when fear and a feeling of being stupid sets in…like what was I thinking and what am I doing???????? Well Julius got some ice and everybody seemed to appear from no where and check on him. Of course I was praying to dear God internally. They assured and re assured that he would be okay and that it would go down…I wondered if I needed to get him to a hospital and even if I did what they could do. The knot is still there and I am just believing that it will go down. Actually it was a time for the family to tell stories of other incidents that may have happened to them. I just hope and pray that everything will be ok. I may not get much sleep tonight. Ahhhhh the joys of being a mother!!!!! Sleep one hour watch Adom for 10 minutes, sleep one hour and a half watch Adom 5-10 minutes this will go on all night. Oh well it’s all part of the job and boys will be boys I am just praying no brain damage….i gave him a small test and asked him to count to 20 and he counted to 100 while laying down and dancing…so I guess he is ok ;-)

I have been dancing already. For my research I have been talking with Sulley and have decided to focus on 2 dances from the north and 2 from the south. I will look at bamaya, fume fume, bawa, and kpalongo. I will travel to the northern region (Tamale) to look at the dances in the villages as well. I will sit in and take part in rehearsals here at the Dagara Music Center in Medie and look at the same at the University of Ghana Legon. I will also set a contemporary piece on the dance ensemble here at the Dagara Music Center. Before I set the piece I will teach them a class. I may also be teaching ballet at another school in Accra. Sulley wants to set up a performance for the t.v. station. It’s all so very exciting and hard to separate life from study…the trick here is that life is study…what a pity ;-) no really it is hard to decide when to break out the camera or to write and when to just live.

Speaking of live, I am getting used to it. There are about 2 or 3 mountains or huge hills here behind where I am staying. We keep planning to go up the mountain…Julius told me that there is a pineapple farm on the mountain and they cost about 1,000 cedis which is robbery considering how good I remember those pineapples being when I was here last summer. The thing I like most about where I am is the thing that I like least…I don’t like being so far away from everything…just like tonight he fell right on his head and now I am sitting here looking at this big know on his head….but in the city there is so much exhaust from all the cars and so much noise and SOOOOOOOOOOOO much traffic….in fact just for me to make it into the city in Sulley’s car as a passenger takes about 45 minutes. I wish something could give

Today I took the plunge and ate some of the food that was cooked here at the house. Up til now I have been eating things that I bought from town and heating it or something that I already had. Basically cans of soup, noodles, and such. Well I tried the yams with soup (tomato, chicken, egg, bell pepper) IT WAS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD. Oh my goodness. But I got so full so fast. I have been trying to avoid eating the food because I don’t want to get sick but I feel fine and it was really good. I even gave Adom some. He says he didn’t like it but I could tell that it tasted ok to him he was just trippin because it was new and different.

On Sunday I cried. I missed home and people. Keep In mind that where I am living I am the only one from US. Well on Monday I saw a red bird….so meaningful. I felt better and it was a good day. My feelings of culture shock can best be described as feeling closterphobic and trapped in Ghana but it is ok now a little better…I just have to keep focused on why I am here …so many reasons

Tomorrow I will try the tro tro Eddie will come with me so that I know what I am doing next time. I hope this is a good enough update and that you enjoy the pics I took…I am going to bed or should I say I am going to go and stare at Adom’s head.

Angel

i tried to put the pics but they were taking too long...i will try later