John's Next Step

The posts on cultural differences between America and Ghana will be delayed a week.  First, I would like to get a little more information and compare my thoughts with other volunteers and the locals. Second, I've been in Accra to get my ears checked out for the week and will not be leaving until Monday.  My ears are better than I expected.  It was not a burst ear drum – just a nasty fungal and bacterial ear canal infection.  I will not bore you with more details.... I left Nandom on Monday afternoon and arrived Tuesday morning.  About 16 hours on a bus.  I was able to give a math review on Monday before I left but otherwise missed the last week of class (exams) at my school, a staff meeting, two funerals, and other functions.  It is not until I leave that I sometimes realize how busy I get at my site.  I did bring the ICT exams to grade.  I had about 120 or so to grade and got through them all by Thursday.  I'll have math exam...

The mission of the Peace Corps is to promote world peace and friendship. We have three goals (paraphrased): Provide skilled volunteers to train and support the host country nationals Provide an understanding of America and its culture to host country nationals Provide an understanding of the host country and its culture to Americans This blog is part of the way that I fulfill the third Peace Goal and some of the second goal. Recently, my conversations with locals have focused on life and culture in Ghana and in America. Certainly, I've barely begun to know and understand the culture in Ghana even with the persistent questions I have been asking. Similarly, my understanding of American culture is filtered by my narrow experiences and does not represent some great universal truth or judgment, but just my opinions at the moment. My opinions of myself, Ghana, the United States, and the world change over time. And, of course, none of this is the o...

All Volunteer Conference The Peace Corps requires a mid-service training as well as a mid-service medical review. Some countries only have one type of volunteer once a year while other countries bring all the volunteers into the country at the same time. So it is pretty easy for these countries to schedule the mid-service meeting and exams. Peace Corps Ghana has three groups of volunteers – education, health, and agriculture that come into the country four months apart. They schedule mid-service medical exams for each group  – but they would require three mid-service meetings which would be redundant and not allow all volunteers to meet. Therefore, they have an “all volunteer meeting” once a year. This means that some people are getting a “mid-service” meeting and other people may have only been volunteers for 3 months. All volunteers have the opportunity to attend two “all vol” meetings during their two years of service. Some of the volunteers at the meeting - mos...

Happy Easter to all. I am in a predominately Catholic community so Easter is a big event. There are the usual services include washing of the feet on Thursday – something that is a bigger deal because most people walk on dusty ground with sandals  (flip flops actually if my sister reads this post). There is also the Stations of the Cross and service on Friday. Saturday vigil mass is also very popular. The spirit of Easter and the joy of the Resurrection is certainly present In the community. However, I have not been able to fully participate in the services this year. I'm been having some minor problems with my stomach and intestines on Thursday during the day and night. I thought I was over it – but it came back seriously on Friday night and into Saturday morning. It was uncomfortable and annoying – but nothing truly serious. I'm doing to normal thing of waiting it out for a few days and laying low. Hopefully, the “cleansing detox” treatment is effective and I...