Progress in school and small time with pito
The school year in Ghana is divided into three terms. This first term
runs 14 weeks from September 9th to December 12th. The
last two weeks are for review and end of term exams. 14 weeks, the
first week being more a clean up and administrative week so 9 weeks
of teaching. We are about halfway through the first term from a
teaching perspective.
I'm teaching the first year of math and the first and second year of Information Communication Technology (ICT – computers). As with most first year Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) teachers – I've not made as much progress in the first term as I would like. Part of this is being a new teacher with a new accent – so the students have trouble understanding me and I have trouble understanding them. Also, some first year students are not reading and writing English. I'm told that things will improve in the second and third terms. For now – I need to go slow – repeating and adjusting the explanation and examples along the way.
So I'm behind and I will likely keep some students after class on Monday to provide more individual help in math and will likely hold classes on Saturdays to make up the time. I'm going to miss a form two ICT class this week and so will need to make that up regardless. Other teachers are already holding classes on Saturday for the second and third year students.
I don't want to say that all the students eagerly look forward to Saturday classes or that they are always eager to learn. The students here are still young adults with other desires and thoughts common around the world. Still, they are generally respectful and do show up without many complaints.
I'll continue to learn and improve my teaching as the students continue to learn and improve their learning – or maybe that is better said the other way around. Don't know – this is my first year teaching. :-)
Coffee. A nice cup of brewed coffee made with freshly ground beans. Yeah, that is not happening. They have instant coffee here and not a bag of ground coffee in 100 miles or more. I'm actually fine with having a cup in the morning. This surprises me as much as it should surprise those who know Theresa and I. Our coffee was fresh, strong, and generously consumed. I have thought, dreamed, and schemed about how to have “real coffee” in my first few weeks, but I'm now OK with having instant during my time in Ghana – limiting coffee to one cup a day also helps keep my stomach happy.
But I digress. Pito is consumed as part of the local culture, a way to develop and maintain relationships. If someone asks you to join a sitting and share pito it is considered bad form to refuse. You need only take a small sip from the calabash, but refusing is insulting. As people here don't generally take three square meals a day it is also taken for its nutritional value – sort of like the beer brewed from barley by medieval monks. It is said that the Germans “drank their bread”. And of course as with the beer there is also the alcohol in pito.
Pito is brewed all over the area – in homes and at “spots” that sell it. As I ride from my house into town I pass by at least 10 and could vary my route to pass 10 more spots to stop and have a calabash with friends. I generally keep riding. Pito is a very popular drink.
I could refrain from drinking any pito with a excuse like I'm on medicine and there are times when I don't have any; however, I've decided to generally participate – trying to limit intake to half a calabash. This is as more about integrating into the community than the nutritional value of the drink. I'm not so interested in the alcohol content.
My bicycle was back in the shop – which translates to under a tree where Roger's brother works. This time the rear gears have finally failed to ratchet to the wheel. So when I pedaled forward it was the same as pedaling backward – the wheel does not move. This required a new freewheel (mine has six gears) on the back. The price was 6.50 cedis or a little over $2. Surprisingly the ball-peen hammer was not the prominent tool of choice in the repair.
As Roger's brother does a lot of work on my bike and will not generally take my money we all had a beer and I'll buy the next round of pito as well.
Oh, the life of a PCV in Ghana.
Of course, I continue to miss my family and friends, fresh coffee, hot showers, and the like – but I remain happy and content in my decision to volunteer.
Love always,
John
I'm teaching the first year of math and the first and second year of Information Communication Technology (ICT – computers). As with most first year Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) teachers – I've not made as much progress in the first term as I would like. Part of this is being a new teacher with a new accent – so the students have trouble understanding me and I have trouble understanding them. Also, some first year students are not reading and writing English. I'm told that things will improve in the second and third terms. For now – I need to go slow – repeating and adjusting the explanation and examples along the way.
So I'm behind and I will likely keep some students after class on Monday to provide more individual help in math and will likely hold classes on Saturdays to make up the time. I'm going to miss a form two ICT class this week and so will need to make that up regardless. Other teachers are already holding classes on Saturday for the second and third year students.
I don't want to say that all the students eagerly look forward to Saturday classes or that they are always eager to learn. The students here are still young adults with other desires and thoughts common around the world. Still, they are generally respectful and do show up without many complaints.
I'll continue to learn and improve my teaching as the students continue to learn and improve their learning – or maybe that is better said the other way around. Don't know – this is my first year teaching. :-)
Pito, daa, nescafe
The local drink is brewed millet. I'm going to document the process of turning millet into an alcoholic drink in a future post. For now, I just want to give a few thoughts (small time) on the subject. The drink pito is officially called daa in Dagaree. However, Roger and others have other names for it. For example, when Roger says “I need my nescafe” this does not mean the instant coffee available in the country.Coffee. A nice cup of brewed coffee made with freshly ground beans. Yeah, that is not happening. They have instant coffee here and not a bag of ground coffee in 100 miles or more. I'm actually fine with having a cup in the morning. This surprises me as much as it should surprise those who know Theresa and I. Our coffee was fresh, strong, and generously consumed. I have thought, dreamed, and schemed about how to have “real coffee” in my first few weeks, but I'm now OK with having instant during my time in Ghana – limiting coffee to one cup a day also helps keep my stomach happy.
But I digress. Pito is consumed as part of the local culture, a way to develop and maintain relationships. If someone asks you to join a sitting and share pito it is considered bad form to refuse. You need only take a small sip from the calabash, but refusing is insulting. As people here don't generally take three square meals a day it is also taken for its nutritional value – sort of like the beer brewed from barley by medieval monks. It is said that the Germans “drank their bread”. And of course as with the beer there is also the alcohol in pito.
Pito is brewed all over the area – in homes and at “spots” that sell it. As I ride from my house into town I pass by at least 10 and could vary my route to pass 10 more spots to stop and have a calabash with friends. I generally keep riding. Pito is a very popular drink.
I could refrain from drinking any pito with a excuse like I'm on medicine and there are times when I don't have any; however, I've decided to generally participate – trying to limit intake to half a calabash. This is as more about integrating into the community than the nutritional value of the drink. I'm not so interested in the alcohol content.
 |
| A calabash of pito - flies are optional |
 |
| Sitting and talking around pito |
More bicycle repairs
My bicycle was back in the shop – which translates to under a tree where Roger's brother works. This time the rear gears have finally failed to ratchet to the wheel. So when I pedaled forward it was the same as pedaling backward – the wheel does not move. This required a new freewheel (mine has six gears) on the back. The price was 6.50 cedis or a little over $2. Surprisingly the ball-peen hammer was not the prominent tool of choice in the repair.
As Roger's brother does a lot of work on my bike and will not generally take my money we all had a beer and I'll buy the next round of pito as well.
Oh, the life of a PCV in Ghana.
Healthy
I'm healthy. My stomach and intestines have different modes of operation here than in the states. Most of the time I cannot get whole wheat bread (or it has already started to mold so I don't buy it) so I'm left with white bread. I can't get brown rice and can't get the stones out of local rice so I'm left with white rice. I can't get steel cut oats or old fashioned oats so I'm left with quick oats. Summary: I'm very surprised that I'm not getting enough fiber in my diet. I'm working on that – but need to continue to take fiber in tablet form. I'll continue to try to find dietary fiber I can add to my diet. This is a minor problem compared to those who have gotten sick with malaria or other infections and such that requires hospital visits. Again, Peace Corps medical is generally very good treating the volunteers.Of course, I continue to miss my family and friends, fresh coffee, hot showers, and the like – but I remain happy and content in my decision to volunteer.
Love always,
John
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