Internet access is an issue in Cape Coast, so my ability to read e-mail and make entries may be limited. Although the hotel has an "Internet Cafe", it is usually closed and the connection is very slow. I also think pictures will need to come after I return ... I figured out a process but the Internet speed is thus far too prohibitive.
Today we had a great day with our host teachers. Raphael and Kate at Wesley Girls and Michael at Mfantsipim ("brother" school to Wesley Girls) provided us with a tour of both campuses. We met the Headmistress and Headmaster and several teachers and students in leadership positions (called prefects) at each school. Barb and I will be working at Wesley Girls and our U.S. teacher colleagues Aaron and Jenn at Mfantsipim.
Both Wesley Girls and Mfantsipim are Methodist boarding schools founded by missionaries during the colonial era, but under the Ghanaian education system, they are government funded and follow the national syllabus and curriculum. Students become eligible based on their exam scores at the end of Junior Secondary School (equivalent to our Junior High). Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is the most famous alumnus of Mfantsipim.
Because today was a day full of introductions, we had a great opportunity to solidify our understanding of Ghanaian greeting customs. First, you are greeted with "Akwaaba" (welcome), shake hands (always with your right hand), then sit down. This is followed by a second round of hand-shaking with guests seated and hosts working their way around the room. Introductions then begin with the person to the right of the host. If possible, the host should be introduced by someone just below him or her in the organizational hierarchy.
Ghanaian naming conventions include the day of the week that a child was born and their birth order. For example, having the name Kwame means you were born on a Saturday, and having the name Kofi means you were born on a Friday. The Mfantsipim Headmaster gave me a homework assignment: find out the day of my birth. I figured out it was a Thursday. Therefore, my Ghanaian name will be Aba. I know he will ask me for the answer the next time he sees me!
Monday through Thursday we will actually be in classrooms with teachers. Each school has also planned special dinners and cultural evenings for us next week. This weekend we will visit two famous sites in the Cape Coast area: the Cape Coast Castle and Kakum National Park.
