"Going abroad was something that I have been looking forward to doing since I started college"
May 18 - So, there it was, folks. My 17 weeks abroad has ended. For everyone who was so worried about it being so long until I returned, well, here i am! It is very surreal to me. To see fully paved roads and such intense infrastructure is a huge change. People actually abiding by road rules, ha, that is definately a huge change. My experience was great. Ghana, as a whole, was enjoyable.
Accra was not the nicest city, but any city that is packed to the brim with people has the downfall of being overly crowded, polluted, and dirty. I think if I was in Kumasi or Cape Coast, it would have been a different story because those two places are really beautiful, but I am not going to complain, my time was fabulous.
I can't say I am going to miss everyone in Ghana, beacuse I already do miss everyone. My friends who I made that live in the states are easily see-able. Some may be far, but a cheap plane ride is easily attainable. As for my Ghanaian and Nigerian friends that I met and love so much is a different story. For now it is all about buying phone cards and coming to grips with the fact that that is how I am going to be communicating with them, until (knock on wood) the next time I see them.
Going abroad was something that I have been looking forward to doing since I started college, and I, in no way, regret my decision.
I am attaching the last picture here (above). It is of my friends and I when one day we decided to get matching fabric and get shirts made with it and romp around the city and go to the mall and take professional pictures.
"I don't want to leave"
Apr 20 - Things over here are great. This past weekend we took our last program field trip to the Volta Region. It is a place in Ghana called Ho. The main attraction there is the Wii falls. It is a beautiful waterfalls that we were actually able to take a 25 minute walk to and then swim in!
It was very amazing to be able to be standing right under the falls, very surreal. The following day we went to a monkey sanctuary where people could hold half banana's and the monkeys climbed onto a tree branch, held onto the banana, unpeeled it, and then eat it. It was very human-like to observe.
That was really the extent of our trip, but it was very relaxing to be in the lush water region as opposed to the crazy hot hustle and bustle of Accra.
It is now down to less than a month until I come home. For all of you, I am sure that sounds fabulous, but for me, it is sad. I dont want to leave :)
"Everyone was playing drums and singing and dancing the entire 90 minute game."
Apr 6 - My program took us on a trip to Kumasi this past weekend, which is where there are many Kente fabric making places. Kente cloth originated in Kumasi. There fabric is so expensive, they don't even sell it in yards, they only sell it in strips. It was a 6 hour bus ride from Accra to Kumasi. We went to two Kente fabric markets once we got there. We stayed at a really fancy hotel called the Golden Tulip, where the Ghanaian national soccer team players, The Black Stars, were staying. It was fabulous. We were running around the hotel trying to see all of these sexy football players. Then on Sunday we went to the Black Stars game. It was an amazing site. So much pride and enthusiasm. Everyone was playing drums and singing and dancing the entire 90 minute game. The Black Stars defeated Benin 1-0.
The next day we just left and came back to Accra. Things have been pretty typical and nothing too exciting in school. I got my hair braided on wednesday, well, they aren't braids, they are twists. I am going to attach a picture. other than that, nothing too much is going on. only like 2 weeks left of classes, then review week, and then finals. all 4 of mine are in may, so i have some time.
"We try to avoid the heat at all costs."
Mar 4 - We took a bus from Accra to Tacoradi, which is a 4.5-5 hour bus ride. Then we took a tro tro for 2.5 hours to a place called Bayin, where we stayed in a little stilted hut. Five of us stayed in one room and it was crammed and hot but it was right off of the beach. We got there on friday night and on saturday morning we took a 30 mintue canoe ride to a village on stilts over a body of water.
We met with the chief who briefly told us about the history of the village, and then we left and went back to our humble abode and had a sun-filled day in the beach. The march and april heat is definately fastly approaching. It is 1:20 pm right now and 90 degrees. Crazy hot. We try to avoid the heat at all costs.
We are excited to take a trip to Togo and Benin once we get our passports back. One of my close friends on the trip has many contacts in both of those countries so we should have free places to stay.
"I thought it was just one long bridge ... noooo!"
Feb 16 - We went on a trip to cape coast last weekend, which was really nice. It was a 3.5 hour bus ride there and once we arrived, we checked into our hotel and chilled out for a little bit and then had lunch, after that we split into two groups and went to two different slave castles.Very intense experience.
Later that day, we went back to our hotel, had some down time and had a little debriefing about what we had experienced that day. Basically there will be no change in this world unless people like us (on our trip who are humanitarians) stand up and try to change this world.
The next day we went to Kakum National Park where we hiked for about 10-15 minutes to get to the canopy walkways where we crossed over 7 canopy walkways. I thought it was just one long bridge..noooo. Seven of them! They bascially just looped around. Petrifying, let me tell you!
Feb 9 - Favor, I am starting volunteering on wednesday at a nursery for kids ages 1-3 and they are greatly lacking toys, arts and craft supplies...things that make a nursery run properly. I was asked to see if any of my friends from back home could send me packages with markers, coloring books, toys...anything that you guys think would be useful for a nursery. If you guys can't contribute anything, i completely understand, but it would mean so much to me and to the kids. Thanks!
Here is the address if any of you can contribute anything..
Zoe Baylin c/o Kwasi Gyasi-Gyamerah
Private Mail Bag 31
University of Ghana
Legon, Ghana
West Africa
Feb 3 - School is in full effect. Classes are only once a week, which is amazing, but they are for 2 hours. So boring! Sitting that long on hard wooden chairs is not my cup of tea, but hey, I guess it is all part of the experience! I am taking two political science classes, one about ghana's foreign policy and the other about human rights in Africa. I am taking a psychology class about social issues in contemporary psychology, and a sociology class about development and underdevelopment. Along with those, I am taking my language class (Twi) which is very different, but isn't as bad as I would have expected. The level of education is lower than what we are used to, simply because the level of secondary education prior to college here is lower.
My birthay was fabulous and I spent it with some amazing new friends! We went to the beach which is something I have never done before, since it is in january! It was a nice change. The day after my birthday we went on a field trip to a bead factory and then a wood carving factory and then botanical gardens. All which were quite lovely. On the 15, I think they are trying to get us all tickets to a soccer game!
Ghana is hot, as I have said before! it is just so humid! I have been sick for the past week because of the dryness! At first it was just allergies last monday, and it progressed into sickness, blah. hopefully it will be gone within the next few days!
Jan 16 - Ghana is hot. lol. It has been in the 90's almost every single day. There is red dusty stuff all over the ground that just gets in your toes and blah, so we are constantly feeling sticky and gross, but I meann, I'm sure once we get in our routines, it won't be so bad. Registration for classes started on wednesday...which is an absolute joke. You have to go around to the departments you want, find the classes and times posted on a sheet of paper outside and then you register inside. Problem is, alot of classes have yet to post time tables so alot of us have not registered, so we are getting it all done today which is the first day of classes, but I believe that is a norm! I have my first language class today, its monday through thursday from 4 to 6, but its only for 6 weeks. Classes here only meet once a week for 2 hrs, which I think is nice and the only way we get a grade is through a paper or final in may, so we shall see about this!
We stayed in a beautiful hotel for 3 nights when we first got here, and then we moved to our permanent places on monday. I am living in the international student hostel. It is so pretty. My roommate moved in on friday, her name is Patience. She seems really nice, but quiet. As one of my friends said today, "Zoe, if anyone can be put up to the task of breaking someone out of their shell, it is you" and that is coming from someone who met me 11 days ago, so I can do it!
We have had a alot of different orientation things going on. We have had a few lectures by professors about Ghanaian history, quite interesting stuff. We also had a cooking class at someones house and we learned how to make plantains and some sauces. Campus is huge, but I know I will get used to it because that's what I thought of penn state at first.
We all have been resting a lot. Something we have learned is that everyone hear walks alot, but it is slowly, so there is no dying of dehydration or heat stroke. We take taxis and tro-tros, which are little vans that should fit between 10 and 12 people, but they cram as many as possible, sometimes up to 20, but it is teh equivalence of like 20 cents to take a ride. They just recently had a redenomination of money, so it is essentially one cedi to 1 dollar, which makes my life so much easier!
"Can anyone tell me how to pack for 4 months?"
Jan 5 - The big day is approaching, and fast, might I add. Three days is the count right now. My flight leaves from Dulles at 630 pm on Jan 8. I have a 7.5 hr flight from there to Amsterdam, where I will be arriving around 5 am and having an almost 6 hour layover. There are a lot of things to do in that airport, so hopefully I do not find myself too bored. Hopefully I can plug the computer in and get some internet action. I then get back onto a plane and have a 6.5ish hour ride to Accra, the capital of Ghana. I will be arriving, their time, at 730pm. I am apparently suppose to get all of my stuff and meet someone outside holding a CIEE board...oh man, that could be crazy.
I have not yet started to pack, but I did a lot of organizing today. Packing is the next step. Can anyone tell me how an overpacker is suppose to pack for 4 months?
Former Abington Orientation Leader to study in Ghana Spring 2009
Zoe Baylin, an Orientation Leader at Abington for the past two summers, has been accepted to study in Ghana in the Council for International Educational Exchange program. Now a student at University Park, Zoe knew she wanted to study abroad from a young age. "I cannot wait to venture out into the cities and villages. If possible, I want to do some volunteering," she said.
She will be studying at the Legon campus near Ghana's capital city, Accra, and while there will soak in as much of Ghana's culture as possible.
Zoe's curriculum will include political science courses which coincide with her Health Policy and Administration major.
More info about Penn State's International programs.
More info about study abroad opportunities at Penn State Abington.
