Canopy Walk

Today we visited Kakum National Park and literally walked across the forest canopy on a series of seven suspension bridges hovering about 100 feet off the ground. We were told that it would be unlikely that we would actually see any of the park's elephants, monkeys, or antelope, as our people noise would scare them deep into the forest. (The park does offer an overnight stay in a treehouse with a guide, during which you take out your flashlights in the dark to view the animals.) The guide informed us that there are only four such canopy walks in the world, with the other three being in China, Malaysia, and Peru.

We do see some interesting wildlife here at our hotel, Hans Cottage Botel. In fact, I've not only seen multiple crocodiles here but even touched one today! (Picked up its tail). There are also lots of lizards around and huge pens of rabbits that are used for ... you guessed it ... rabbit soup!

This afternoon we watched the Cape Coast Dwarfs football (soccer) team play. Talk about passionate fans! Cape Coast lost, and some poor loser fans flooded onto the field and started punching the referees. The police stepped in to protect them (half-heartedly), but it was definitely disconcerting to watch. Our host teacher Raphael was there with us and ushered us out quickly at the end of the game.

I now know from personal experience the meaning of the term "African time". Things happen when they happen, and sometimes that is a bit unpredictable. For example, when you go to a restaurant, it usually takes quite a while for the waiter or waitress to take your order. Then, you wait for your drinks. Then you wait for your food. Then you wait for your bill. Then you wait for your change. The entire process might take an hour and a half, or two. If your ride is supposed to show up at noon, it might be 12:15, or it might be 12:30 or it might be 12:45. But whatever happens, everything will be o.k. It's African time. Our host teachers have told us that one of the things they enjoyed the most about their exchange time in the U.S. was that things happened at their scheduled time. Tomorrow we are scheduled to report to Wesley Girls School at 9 a.m. (or 9:30 or 9:45 ...whenever Justice comes to pick us up and we get there!)

The Door Of No Return

Today we walked through the Door Of No Return at Cape Coast Castle, where West African slaves were shipped to the United States, the Caribbean and South America. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour includes a museum, male and female slave dungeons below and the Governor's quarters above. Standing in the dungeons where hundreds of thousands of slaves were held for months, tightly packed, with no light, no care, little food, is a very sobering experience. The Door Of No Return is the term for the former passageway from the castle to the slave ships that were moored in the harbor. President Obama and Michelle Obama placed a plaque at the castle at the time of their visit in 2009.

The Ghanaian government is now promoting a "Door of Return" by offering lifetime visas and relaxed citizenship requirements for descendants of formerly enslaved Africans.

While here in Cape Coast, our host teachers have contracted a car and driver for us to use for transport. As many people do not own personal cars here, using tro tros, taxis and hired drivers is very common. Our driver is named Justice, and not only is he a masterful driver in Ghanaian traffic but he entertains us with knowledgable narration.

Cell phone technology has definitely diffused to Ghana. Like the U.S., people are constantly on their mobile phones. Calling across cell phone networks is very expensive, and there are five dominant networks, so many Ghanaians own multiple cell phones, or have phones with ports for multiple sim cards. Phones will ring and people will pull two or three phones out of their pocket to answer one. Ghanaians, as well as many other Africans, can even bank on their cell phones. For countries with large informal economic sectors such as Ghana, this is a great way to increase connectivity and accessibility!

Tomorrow we will visit Kakum National Park in the morning and attend a Ghanaian soccer match in the afternoon. Cape Coast is playing. Monday it's back to school!

Wesley Girls and Mfantsipim

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.

Journey to Cape Coast

One of our van drivers, Bruce, greeted us this morning by wishing us a happy International Women's Day. The following Gandhi quote is popular here:

"When you educate a man, you educate an individual. When you educate a woman, you educate a nation."

Driving in Ghana is an edge of your seat experience. Today myself, three other teachers and Susanna from IREX journeyed from Accra to Cape Coast by van to spend five days with our partner teachers in Ghanaian schools. A Ghanaian road is filled with transport trucks, tro-tros (vans), taxis, cars (mostly Japanese), motorcycles and the occasional bicycle. Although there are posted speed limits, few drivers respect them, and basically, the largest vehicle dominates. Traffic is extremely congested and this effect is multiplied by many, many people on foot "hawking" (selling) every imaginable thing to passersby. I am amazed by the women with huge, tall loads on their heads and babies on their backs neatly wrapped in kente, batik, or as Ghanaians say, "tie and dye" cloth.

After arriving in Cape Coast, we checked into our hotel (just outside of Cape Coast) and took a taxi in to Cape Coast to explore. One of our partner teachers, Michael, came to the hotel to welcome us tonight. Sounds like they have a great week planned.

Ghana's President John Atta Mills met with President Obama in Washington, D.C. today.

Centripetal Forces

When we study Political Geography, we discuss the differences between nations, states and nation-states. One of the continuing challenges for the African continent has been the absence of stable nation-states, in part due to the political boundaries established by former European colonial powers at the Conference of Berlin in 1884-1885. Boundaries that were created were mostly geometric and ignored pre-existing cultural boundaries.

So, one question I've been thinking and talking with people about is how has Ghana avoided ethnic conflict? It is estimated that there are more than 100 ethnic groups and 80 languages. The most common answer: Ghana has purposefully and systematically worked to create a national Ghanaian identity. This has been accomplished unintentionally over the years through intermarriage among ethnic groups and intentionally through the public education system and National Service Scheme.

From kindergarten on, Ghanaian children are taught that they are first Ghanaian, and secondly, a member of their ethnic group. Under the current educational reform, in grades kindergarten through two, children are taught 80% of the curriculum in one of the eleven "approved" native languages and 20% in English. Beginning at grade three, this is flipped to 20% in the native language and 80% in English through Junior Secondary School. All Senior Secondary School and post-secondary instruction are in English. English serves as one lingua franca for all ethnic groups.

All university graduates are required to dedicate a year of service to their country - a type of domestic Peace Corps. This posting includes volunteer work in the areas of agriculture, health, education, local government, rural development, or youth. Grads are assigned to a service position that may be located in any of Ghana's ten regions, thereby exposing them to that region's ethnicities, languages, etc., and helping to inculcate a sense of national unity.

This national unity was evident at the March 6th Independence Day celebration and in every conversation we've had with Ghanaians since we've been here.