Can you hear me now?

Actually, can I hear now?  The answer is yes, but not so well.

I've been having some problems with wax buildup in my ear canals. I've got q-tips, peanut oil, hydrogen peroxide, and a syringe so one might think that I should be able to do a halfway decent job keeping them clean. However, it is not so.

When I was in Accra on Friday the doctor noted some wax build up in my left ear – but the important thing was to get my eyes checked – and that took most of the day.  I was not back in time to get my ears cleaned. I could have stayed in Accra tell Monday (rather than leave Saturday) – but then I would have missed school on at least Monday and the site visit that had been scheduled for months. So I left Accra hoping things would work out.

Earlier this week I started having ear pain that over the counter stuff countered, (the pain was not so bad). Certainly, ear canal issues - rather than inner ear issues. Then on Thursday I woke up to find that I had hearing loss in both ears. I can still hear sounds, but not low volume and certain tonal sounds – so I effectively have ear plugs.

Now – I need to decide what to do. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in Ghana are given the book “Where there is no doctor”. This book provides basic medical techniques for a variety of conditions.  More symbolically, it reminds the PCV that he/she may not be close to a doctor.

Some volunteers in Ghana are close to the Peace Corps doctor – an easy afternoon visit – others like me are a good distance away. So good medical care when you can get it – but let things work out naturally is also encouraged.

I'm neither willing nor encouraged to risk my long term health in the name of service. But – I can't and won't be taking the overnight bus for every little thing. So – should I go or should I stay?

I could pack my bag and go to Accra again and have to doctor take a look and clean out my ears on Monday. It is certainly annoying enough and the doctor would not doubt approve it. However, that would mean missing school on Monday, Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday – my last few days of teaching.

After Easter I will be going to Tamale for a mandatory “All Volunteer” conference. I've talked with the doctor and we agree that as annoying this is, it is something than can wait a little over a week. He can see me and clean out me ears during the conference. So, I'll teach my classes, participate in the Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter services in my community and then pack my bags for the conference.

This is one of the trade-offs that PCVs have to make. It is the same trade-off the many people in America have to make, particularly those without decent health insurance or who have a doctor that takes a week to get an appointment.

We all make such decisions all the time. We might look back on things and wish we had done something different – but at the time, “in the now”, we can only decide based on a rational assessment of the situation. For me today – it means waiting a week. Hopefully, it will be fine.

So my plan is to finish my last week of teaching for the term. Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays. The rest of Easter week the students will be doing “revisions” - going over notes and pages tests to prepare for end of term exams. Teachers, generally don't teach this week.  I'll be at the conference during that time.

I'll be back the following week for end of term exams, grading, calculating class ranking, and start of second term break. As mentioned before – we don't have a big summer break – but three relatively even semesters (terms) and breaks between.

I'm going to Tamale next week.

Peace Corps Ghana has three sectors of service: education, agriculture, and health.  Volunteers for each sector come into the country for training in a group – so in my group there were only education volunteers, then only agriculture volunteers, then only heath volunteers. Three sets of training groups each year.

As volunteers have two years of service each training group is about half of the volunteers for the sector in country, but one sixth of the total volunteers in country.

The three months of training gives you time to get to know, and love, or tolerate the other people in the training group.  You do meet other people in your sector as current education volunteers train new education volunteers – and so forth. One might also meet random other volunteers serving in the region or in one of the service centers. We also have in-service training and other opportunities for volunteers from different sectors to meet and get to know each other.

Some people will stay a few extra days to a medical trip, find in-service training, or other reasons to get away from site.  Other people, like me, prefer to stay at site, rather than travel - and cut trips as short as possible.  A “site rat” - a volunteer who prefers not to travel. They also tend not to meet many other volunteers.

“Hello, my name is John, and I'm a site rat”

There are other site rats in country – some young and some older. But, we are in the minority. Most volunteers like to travel and there are people who are not so comfortable at their site and prefer to visit other people or places – any other people, any other place, any time – all the time. These people tend to find reasons to stay at the Peace Corps offices or make other trips. I don't know the term for the opposite for “site rat”.

There are two major reasons for having an All Volunteer conference once a year in Ghana.  First, is the common training for volunteers in all sectors.  We need to be updated with new rules and new information about projects and funding opportunities.  Second, the conference is a chance to meet and socialize with ALL the volunteers in country.  The meeting is mandatory so force site rats to travel or come up with a really really really really good excuse.

I am looking forward to the meeting – in part to meet some of the older volunteers and compare notes and issues. I will also looking forward as always to chatting with younger volunteers. I would have liked to have had the conference after school was over, but generally speaking there is not much teaching during revision week. (I might have been teaching during revision week – but then if I was not going to see the doctor during the conference – I might also be traveling sooner and missing classes anyway.)

Palm Sunday

Today is Palm Sunday.  Yesterday, I saw people sharing palm leaves that they took from some local trees.  There are plenty of palm trees in southern Ghana, but relatively few in my area.  I wonder if they were planted in part to supply leaves to this predominately Catholic area.

The mass in the Cathedral was nice today.  And as the second mass that I go to is in English it is easier to follow.  As we have mass under the tree every other week - we'll have Easter Mass outside.

So that is my news and post for the week. As health problems go – this one is not major. Otherwise – I'm doing fine – missing family and friends; busy with – enjoying – and being frustrated by the work and the time he in Ghana.


Happy Easter and love always,


John