I've been wanting to write a new post for the past two days, but lack of internet at key creative moments has slowed the process. The days are going by in a rush and are so packed with orientations and getting to know people and the campus that it has been a whirlwind that is almost still surreal to me. Everyday I feel so blessed to know that this is going to be my home for the next few months in a completely different world.
I met my group on Thursday night for dinner and I was somewhat disappointed about the lack of blacks in the group. Out of forty-one students seven are African-American. I've had mixed feelings about it because anyone whose ever spoken to me knows I'm not in anyway prejudice, but the experience you get as a "black American" coming to Africa is very different from the experience that white Americans get when they come here. The consensus when we discussed why people choose Ghana out of over 100 other different places offered was that all of the black students came to find something of their history or of themselves that they wanted to get closer to and most of the white students came to be different from their friends who were going elsewhere ( mainly Europe). Granted I do commend them as well as all of the black students including me for stepping out of their comfort zone to come somewhere new, but I definitely sense more of a meaning to it in the black students. Besides certain little things, most of my group members are cool interesting people, and I do think that many of us are here to embrace the cultural experience, which matters most to me. Our coordinators are so fun and helpful it's nice to have people who love their jobs be in charge of helping you in a completely new experience. I'm definitely ready to get out of the group mentality though and just do things with some people because to be honest unless your one of my good friends..I really don't want to go to the slave castle with thirty something white people, but anyways I hope that didn't sound harsh.
Besides the numerous orientation events with my group I've been spending most of my free time with the UPENN family (Hayling, Ashley, Jason) and two girls from my group who are mad cool Francesca and Camille. We went on our first late night excursion Thursday and went clubbing with Francesca's cousin and friends. After being bamboozled one of the friends and going to what we later found out was a teenage club we went to another one with off age people ( and many over age possible grandfathers). I can honestly say that I haven't had that much fun going to a club in over a year. We were being completely outlandish and wilding out to every song but we couldn't help it. The atmosphere was cool the music was good and everyone was just having a good time, besides the old dudes trying to hit on us I have no complaints, good thing for having Jason around he is our protector. We also had some minor hitches as we went from place to place that night. After stopping at one of the night police barriers one policeman having a bad day decided to pull over our taxi for having four people in the back, and unfortunately for us the second car of people we were with also had four people in the back so that didn't help. After some convincing he just told us to go and everything was cool. That was one of the funnest most random nights ever and it was only the first week. Last night was alot more chill..we went to eat.. and Hayling and Camille almost choked on the spices..but the food was great and the conversation was good, some of Nana's friends that he met in Ghana came to join us, my cousins came with us as well and we came back to my house for a little bit. I'm so excited to keep meeting such cool people, and when school starts it should get even more interesting...stay tuned :).
I met my group on Thursday night for dinner and I was somewhat disappointed about the lack of blacks in the group. Out of forty-one students seven are African-American. I've had mixed feelings about it because anyone whose ever spoken to me knows I'm not in anyway prejudice, but the experience you get as a "black American" coming to Africa is very different from the experience that white Americans get when they come here. The consensus when we discussed why people choose Ghana out of over 100 other different places offered was that all of the black students came to find something of their history or of themselves that they wanted to get closer to and most of the white students came to be different from their friends who were going elsewhere ( mainly Europe). Granted I do commend them as well as all of the black students including me for stepping out of their comfort zone to come somewhere new, but I definitely sense more of a meaning to it in the black students. Besides certain little things, most of my group members are cool interesting people, and I do think that many of us are here to embrace the cultural experience, which matters most to me. Our coordinators are so fun and helpful it's nice to have people who love their jobs be in charge of helping you in a completely new experience. I'm definitely ready to get out of the group mentality though and just do things with some people because to be honest unless your one of my good friends..I really don't want to go to the slave castle with thirty something white people, but anyways I hope that didn't sound harsh.
Besides the numerous orientation events with my group I've been spending most of my free time with the UPENN family (Hayling, Ashley, Jason) and two girls from my group who are mad cool Francesca and Camille. We went on our first late night excursion Thursday and went clubbing with Francesca's cousin and friends. After being bamboozled one of the friends and going to what we later found out was a teenage club we went to another one with off age people ( and many over age possible grandfathers). I can honestly say that I haven't had that much fun going to a club in over a year. We were being completely outlandish and wilding out to every song but we couldn't help it. The atmosphere was cool the music was good and everyone was just having a good time, besides the old dudes trying to hit on us I have no complaints, good thing for having Jason around he is our protector. We also had some minor hitches as we went from place to place that night. After stopping at one of the night police barriers one policeman having a bad day decided to pull over our taxi for having four people in the back, and unfortunately for us the second car of people we were with also had four people in the back so that didn't help. After some convincing he just told us to go and everything was cool. That was one of the funnest most random nights ever and it was only the first week. Last night was alot more chill..we went to eat.. and Hayling and Camille almost choked on the spices..but the food was great and the conversation was good, some of Nana's friends that he met in Ghana came to join us, my cousins came with us as well and we came back to my house for a little bit. I'm so excited to keep meeting such cool people, and when school starts it should get even more interesting...stay tuned :).
3 comments:
i wasn't raised on these spices... it ain't my fault!!!
Hello Ama,
It is nice to see that you all are enjoying yourselves. I more importantly am impressed with your candid comments on what you believe are the shared cultural experience black students will have on the trip as opposed to your white counterparts. Your words echo the emotions my study abroad friends and I had in Ghana.
Say hi to Ashley for me!
Aisha S.
i cannot be your protector forever. u seen how them girls are. someone better protect ME!
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