Adventures in Northern Ghana

 Bright and early the journey to Northern Ghana began on October 22, 2010. The bus was full on 10 adults and 5 little ones. Starting at 5:30am we travel to see the Monkeys at Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Nkoranza District of Brong-Ahafo. As we arrived a tour guide explained that the sanctuary consisted of 500 Mona and 200 Black and White Monkeys. The sanctuary itself consists of eight communities combined. The communities are Boabeng, Boabeng, Fiema, Akrudwa, Busunya, Konkrompe, Senya, Yefri.The monkeys were fascinating to see up close. It almost reminded me of a movie walking through a forest area and monkeys jumping from tree to tree. They were very aggressive in obtaining bananas. One actually grabbed one from me by jumping about 4 feet. I was shocked and amazed. It was also very interesting to learn that some of the monkeys live to be 50 or 60 years old. On these grounds the moneys are also buried when they die and the land is marked. As a whole these monkeys are treated as human beings by the people in the communities. Once the monkeys took all our bananas we loaded the bus and headed to Tano Boase Sacred Groove.

The Groove was a sight to see and it was a physical work out that was unexpected. The tutor guide explained the great history of the land and the people who use to reside on it. Once the introduction was over we begin to climb the different mountains. On this journey there were infants on their mothers back to the older generation and it was a sight to see everyone climb the mountains. In the mist of climbing all these mountains there were a lot of flies and insects along with the weather being very humid. Once we were done climbing the mountains, it was great to know you had accomplished great tasks and you wanted to know where some water was. We loaded the bus again for our last stop of the day at Kintampo Water Fall.

As we headed to Kintampo Water fall we enjoyed our lunch of Jollof Rice and Chicken. It was sometimes hard to eat with the bumpy road but it made the experience that much more unique. Once we arrived we were able to tour the three different waterfalls. The major waterfall consists of going down 152 steps prior to getting there. The site was beautiful and relaxing. The waterfall is 70 meters long prior to hitting rocks beneath it. I enjoyed taking my socks and shoes off and entering the waterfall and feeling the mist of the water as it fell. The Kintampo Water Fall was definitely a great way to end the trip. Overall everyone was exhausted after climbing 152 steps to get to the bus.

The journey back to Kumasi was relaxing and everyone seemed to have enjoyed there day. I enjoyed this experience adventuring into different parts of Ghana during my study abroad experience. I am looking forward to some more journeys in the future. 

Personal Development

                Week after week, I have the chance to view my personal growth in life. When I first arrived in Ghana I was Shanaya L. Johnson, daughter of Rhonda Allen and Curtis Johnson II, honors college student, but behind the titles who was Shanaya? In my life I have always aimed for perfection in an imperfect world. I have enjoyed accomplishing goals but I never thought it would become my life at one point. I was to the point where everything was about what I had to do for school or work. I took very little time for myself or the simple things in life. As I got settled in my Hostel on KNUST campus, I was truly able to see my life and the changes I wanted to make to enhance it. One thing about Ghana is most things are very calm and relaxed. There is never a rush to do anything; and life is just easy going. This has been the perfect environment for me to obtain academic, social, and spiritual balance.

                Prior to this semester of school, I had limited balance when it came to school. It seems as if I studied more than I needed to and was stressed most of the time. Now I look back at situations and can only laugh. There were times at North Carolina A&T where I thought classes could not get any worse or the world was over when wireless internet was not working for a day.  I look at all those different moments now and say it was not that bad. I guess this goes with the saying you do not miss something until you lose it.

In the mist of balancing my life, I have been able to broaden my arisen my meeting so many different people. It is very fun to meet people from a different part of the world; you can always learn something new and find similarities amongst the differences. When students were able to see that I was a foreign student they instantly want to know my name and where I was from. As much as I enjoy learning about the culture here they enjoy asking me about the American culture. It is also funny that Ghanaians are very knowledgeable about the US as a whole. Sometimes people have discussed different subject matters with me that I was not even knowledgeable about. It shows me that other Nationalities put more time into knowing global news. Most individuals want to know how I like the country and what are some major differences from the U.S.  It seems every day I am meeting different people and I am to the point where I am unable to remember names but I remember faces. As a result, I have learned that amongst different nationalities everyone wants to be happy and have adequate monetary security.

Currently, the teachers are still on strike but we will know if the strike will continue any day now. The students as a whole want the strike to end so they can continue the academic year. If the strike does not end the entire academic year will be deferred and students will have to come back next August to repeat the same courses.  As for me being an international student, I truly do not know what my options would be in regards to if the semester was deferred. I have just been hoping for it to end as it earliest convenience.

This weekend I will be attending an excursion to Northern Ghana to site see some more of this beautiful country. Look for the updates on the excursion next week. 

More Adventures in Ghana

Time is flying with this past Tuesday making 2 months that I have been in Ghana. Currently, lecturers at KNUST have been on strike for over a week to obtain owed funds from Ghana’s Government System.  The students are hoping for classes to start soon as possible so the semester will not be extended. Once classes resume students will be writing Mid-Semester Exams. I am very interested to see my results on Mid Semester Exams since the academic system here is different than North Carolina A&T academic system. I have spent time adjusting to the differences and I am ready to put the pencil to the paper.

As I have approached the midpoint of my study abroad experience, I have definitely gained more strength, courage, and confidence. I have adjusted to a daily schedule that starts at 6am and ends at 12am. When I first arrived I did not know how the students were able to start their days so early and end them early. With time I have adapted to their schedule and I am enjoying every minute of it. It feels great to have accomplished most of daily tasks by dinner time and not just beginning them. I call it getting the most out of day. I hope to apply trait to my academic life at NCA&T.

Over the past week I was able to visit the local lake in Kumasi name Lake Bosomtwe. It was a beautiful view and very relaxing. There are twenty four villages that surround the lake which makes it unique. The tour guide explained that there are two theories on how the lake was created. One theory says a huge meteorite formed the lake. The second theory states it is a crater of an extinct volcano. Both theories are pretty interesting. On the property of the lake fresh tilapia and palm wine is sold by vendors. The fish was very good and the palm wine was an exotic taste. Within in each village there is a resort for guests to stay at. The resorts were very nice and look to be a great place for relaxation.

This past Sunday I attended my first Football Game (Soccer) where Ghana played against Sudan. The ending score of the game was 0-0. The stadium held approximately 45,000 people. I t was definitely a sight to see. The entire time I was there it look like it was going to rain and when the game ended it started t o pore down. In the mist of this happening everyone began to run to places to stay out of the rain. After taking shelter for about 30 minutes my friends and I tried our best to catch a taxi back to campus. As we walked through the rain we were unable to find a taxi. Either there was already 6 people sitting in 4 seats or the taxis were done for the night. It took roughly hour and half to walk back to campus in the rain. Once I got back to my dorm I had mud all the way up my back. My clothes were ringing with water. This is an experience I will never forget.

 Keeping an open mind and positive attitude will get you through anything.

Being an International Student and recognizing the Diversity on Campus

                It is fun being an international student. Typically I am asked what country are you from and how long will you be here? I am unable to count the amount of students I have meet over the course of time I have been here. They also like to ask do you remember my name. I always remember faces but the names do not always stick. I feel like the students know me better than I know them. They remember my name better than I can remember their names even though they do not always pronounce it correctly. Quite frequently students visit me, call me, text me, or send me a message on facebook just to check on me. There has also been a few times when students assumed that I was in some additional classes and they would call me ask if I was okay because I did not show up for class. The students are very observant of their surroundings and the people within them.

 Students have been very interested to know about me and the United States as a whole. Many students have the desire to obtain their Masters or/and PhD at a university in the US. I tend to hear students say they pray that they have the opportunity to go the US in the future. It is many students dream to cross the borders of the US and learn about the American Culture. Growing up I always heard about people from other countries really wanting to come to the US and now I am witnessing it firsthand.

Even though majority of the students at KNUST are Ghanaians there is diversity with students from other African Countries. The second largest population of students is Nigerians with Nigeria being a neighbor geographically. I never imagine that I would be able to distinguish between students based on what African Country they originated from but, most of the time it obvious. Differences typically come from how an individual dresses, speaks, and their ego. Ghanaians are very humble soft spoken individuals for the most part. Nigerians tend to be more outspoken and adventurous. Nigerians students resemble the typical American student more than a Ghanaian student.

When it comes to campus life students tend to primary socialize with people from their home country. Campus housing is even organized where Nigerians have separate residential halls on a particular side of campus. Even though the students attend the same classes and live on the same campus their interactions with one another are limited. As I have become familiar with different students here they are very fast to tell you what country they are from. I am still unsure the exact reasons but many Ghanians and Nigerians do not have positive comments to say about one another. I hope one day that students here will be able to look past their difference and find the similarities amongst their origin diversity.  It has been pleasure to learn about the cultures of all students.

As a result, being an international student I am learning something each day that is sharpening my mind for the future. This study abroad experience is an eye opener to life outside my own culture and country.