Since I don’t have access to the internet on a daily basis right now I’ve combined all my posts into one, so they are probably going to be long but I hope you enjoy!

Friday June 27^th, exact time unknown

Format

 

So here I am, sitting in the Frankfurt airport, surrounded by many of my sleeping comrades. I have no really idea how long we have been traveling, all I know is that my laptop is telling me it is 2:02am but here it is somewhere between seven and eight in the morning. This has to be the longest day of life ever!

 

So we got up early this morning to check out for 8am Ottawa time and head to the airport. Our original flight was supposed to leave at 3pm but a few days ago it was bumped up to noon. Anyway, we got to the airport, had a few troubles with overweight luggage but they let us through and we were on our way.

 

Flight #1- Ottawa to Toronto! So this was the shortest leg of our journey but not the easiest. It was an extremely bumpy ride for the duration of the flight. I watched a bit of tv for the hour long flight and didn’t really have time to do anything else. We arrived in Toronto with plenty of time to waste, about four hours worth. Most of that was spent grabbing some lunch, watching the Euro Cup game (not sure who ended up winning though), looking around the souvenir shops and chatting.  I picked up a few extra books to read on my journey and also some Swedish berries- for a sugar fix I will probably need in the next six weeks.

 

Flight #2- Toronto to Frankfurt! I just spent almost eight hours on the biggest plane I have ever seen in my life. I was very impressed. The plane we took was like three planes put together and there was even a “downstairs”- which I ventured to but only found washrooms, but still what other plane has a basement? I thought I would sleep of most of the ride but that did not come to pass. It’s kinda funny to lose most of a day to time change so I don’t think my body understands what time it should be right now. As we left Toronto, the sun was setting but we flew into a beautiful sunrise when we approached Frankfurt (I don’t know if this is actually true, but that’s what it felt like). Anyway the flight was not very eventful. I was in that state where you are too tired to read or do anything productive but can’t fall asleep, so I spent the eight hours watching anything and everything. I watched three movies- “The Other Boleyn Girl”, “Definitely, Maybe” and “Jumper”. I also watched a documentary on the Great Wall of China and its history and an episode of “Joey”. Since it was such a long flight we were served supper and breakfast. By the time breakfast came around I was in that state of being so past tired that everything is extremely funny. At least my flying buddy, Lindsay, could relate. We spent most of the flight attempting to read the German that was plastered everywhere, one of which is the title of this entry. You will have to ask Ben to whip out his mad German skills to translate it for you. Then later, when breakfast was served, we could not contain ourselves because part of our breakfast was a small bun, which we misjudged to be nothing more than the top of a muffin. We then proceeded to laugh and discuss why they would only give us the top of the muffin and who received the other half. When we finally realized that it was actually a whole bun, laughter ensued- it was a true Seinfeld moment. So that is my trip thus far. We have a few more hours to wait in Germany and then we set off on our last stretch- Frankfurt to Accra, with a quick stopover in Lagos, Nigeria- but sadly we don’t get off the plane so I can only experience Nigeria from afar. I foresee more movie watching and maybe if I’m lucky, sleep!

 

Friday June 27^th 10:44pm

 

So I have finally made it and to tell the truth I feel a little home sick and lot out of place. Our last flight was not bad; I really either slept or listened to music. It was really nice when we had to refuel in Nigeria because they opened the doors and even though we were not allowed off the plane, we breathed in some fresh Nigerian air before continuing on. All I can say is that that fresh air was well received because when we walked off the plane in Ghana, it was another story. It was not really hot but more like warm and wet. I don’t think I could ever fully explain but it was so humid it might as well of been raining. I doubt I will get used to it in the next six weeks. We then picked up our bags and headed for the outside, where our counterparts would be waiting. I walked outside and we greeted with a crowd of people, many of whom were holding signs. I found my counterpart quickly; Aminatu, who was dressed in hot pink and sequins from head to toe, holding a sign that read: “Louise H.”, which I assumed to be me. She was extremely friendly and practically jumped the gate to hug me and in the next instant was walking towards the bus with my bag. One we were on the bus we got to share some information but mostly I was so overtired and stunned by Ghana that I could not tear myself from the window. I don’t think I saw one stop light the whole drive but I saw people by the hundreds, waiting for buses on the side of the road. I can not even attempt to describe to you what Ghana is like; words alone cannot do it justice. The dorm that we are currently staying in is pretty open, there is no door to the inside, and the hallways are practically out in the open. The actual door you enter is that to your room. I dropped my stuff off in my room and we headed to the dinning hall for supper. There we had a great meal and got to know each other a little more. Since we all had such a long day, we did not stick around very long after supper and instead headed back to our rooms. I just officially had the coldest, darkest shower of my life. Apparently our bathroom light has decided to burn out and since I just really wanted a shower, I braved the darkness with my trusty flashlight. As well, I don’t think the only temperature for shower water here is cold because no matter what I tried it was not getting any warmer. So I survived what will probably be the first of many very cold Ghanaian showers. Tomorrow the Ghanaians are taking us exploring in the city which will be exciting. Wish me luck!

 

Culture Shock at the Market

Saturday June 28th 10:14pm

 

So first full day in Ghana is over and let me just say that it was a rough one. We were awoken at five in the morning by the song of singing. Ghana has two main religions; Christians in the south and Muslims in the north. Both my room mate, Usamatu, and my research partner, Aminatu, happen to be Muslim, along with a few others in the program. Anyway, their first prayer of the day is at five o’clock and it begins with singing. That was fine, it was kind of a nice way to start the day off. However, when I went down for supper, I was not feeling well at all and it just went down hill from there. All morning I felt horrible and for a bit all I could think of was going home. I know that sounds a bit dramatic but it as how I felt, until I remembered all that I had learned in my training session in Ottawa. We had learnt there that it is normal to react harshly in new situations but not to let the whole experience be damped by it. I talked with a few of the others and they weren’t feeling to well either, so we all decided to just take some gravol and get on with the day. Afterwards, the day got a whole lot better; it just started off really shaky.

 

After breakfast and a session on health and safety, we all piled into the bus and headed for down town Accra. The city is huge and people are everywhere! First we stopped at a stadium where political assemblies are held, which also happens to be on a beach. While the Ghanaians just watched us with blank expressions, we Canadians ran down to the beach to let the waves roll over our feet. One of the Ghanaians, “the Rev”, actually said that if we looked towards the horizon really hard, we Canadians from the East coast could possibly see our homes, we all waved just in case. Then we headed for one of the many markets and it was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It felt like we were the only ones there, out of the thousands, who were not trying to sell something. There were cars and people everywhere, the noise was deafening and the side walks were practically falling apart while you walked. I ended up buying some fabric because a lady is coming to the residence tomorrow to take our measurements and make us dresses, I’m very excited! I think the best part of the trip to the market would have to be the group of kids we saw on the way out. They must have been no older than five or six, and as we left they waved to us and when we waved back they erupted in giggles.

 

Once everyone was back from the market, we jumped back on the bus and grabbed some supper. After supper, we drove around Accra for a while. It is a very beautiful city but even all its beauty can’t hide the poverty. There are little shacks on the side of the road everywhere and whenever the car stops people file into the road, taping on your windows, attempting to sell you something. It could be anything, from sunglasses, to shirts, to candy or water, or even “Obama ‘08” bracelets in the Ghanaian colors. At first it’s amusing, for lack of a better word, because they are friendly and are just trying to get your attention, but after a few minutes of being hounded it becomes very uncomfortable. It’s tough being the person on the bus but I know that it’s even harder than I can ever imagine, being the person on the sidewalk.

 

To end the night, we went to a church service, in which one of the guys, Javier, was playing the guitar. It was really fun and lively, and a shout out was even given to the Canadians, who appeared out of nowhere. So now I am in bed and ready for some sleep.

 

PS- I just remembered one of the best stories of the day. We had to stop, on the way to the market, to get pictures for some government forms we have to submit this week. Anyway, upon doing so we found out that our visas are actually only good for thirty days, which means that we have to get our visa extended or we will be forced to live in Ghana illegally for two weeks. Don’t worry too much though, Marc-Andre, our internship coordinator, says it will most likely be very easy to do.

Monday June 24^rd 10:04pm

So tomorrow is our last day of training before we head off to Ghana and I now feel much more prepared for our seminar. Yesterday we met a man from Ghana who answered all our burning questions and cleared up a few issues for us, which was really helpful. Afterwards we headed home and went out for supper. Since it was Saint Jean Baptist in Quebec, half of us decided to make the trip over to Gatineau to celebrate. It was incredibly fun! I felt like I was back in Chicoutimi with all the music and language. We ended up watching the concert from an extremely muddy section on the field, where my shoes kept getting sucked into the mud. We were not really sure how to get home but we were lucky enough to find a route map and a bus that took us right back over to Ottawa and practically to the hotel’s front door. I will have to say the bus ride home was probably the best part of the night. If ever there was a moment of silence on the bus, someone felt the need to fill it by yelling “Vive le Quebec”, or singing. Twice the whole bus broke out into song and I can proudly say that both times I sang along because they were songs I had learned in Chicoutimi. It was a really great night and I’m glad that I had the chance to experience it. See you don’t even have to leave the country to experience a different culture!

This morning however, I had a hard time getting up. It was day three of our training and it consisted of presentations concerning WUSC and Uniterra and how each organization runs. Afterwards we had a doctor come in to talk to us about tropical diseases. Apparently trauma is our biggest worry in Ghana and she told us to be careful and don’t do anything we would not do at home. We were also informed that tomorrow we will be having a luncheon with former seminar participants and I’m pretty excited about that. Guess who went to Ghana 51 years ago with the WUSC seminar!?!?…Pierre Elliot Trudeau! How random is that! It was funny to think that now I am part of something that is bigger than simply this seminar. Years from now, I might have the opportunity to meet with students who will be embarking on the same journey as me and help them in their preparation. In six weeks I will be a WUSC international seminar alumni, just like Trudeau. It’s kinda fun to think that far into the future but I don’t want to wish the seminar away. This evening was kinda a lazy one. My room mate Bethany and I took a nap, then we all went out to supper and then just sat around and talked. Tomorrow will be our laundry and packing day since we take off Thursday afternoon for our massive day long flight to Ghana. At least we have a few hours to chill in Frankfurt along the way!

June 22^nd 2008 11:28pm

So the second part of my summer travels has begun and I am currently sitting in my bed at the Doral Inn in Ottawa, reliving my first day of Ghana prep. I suppose I will start off with my lovely flight out of Halifax last night, which was of course delayed. First the plane broke down in Ottawa before coming to pick me up so it was pushed back over an hour and then, when the plane finally landed, we were not allowed to board due to a thunder and lightning storm that was taking place. So about three hours late I finally boarded my flight to Ottawa. I’ve decided though that it was all worth it because as we flew out of Halifax I watched the most beautiful sunset you could ever see and have chosen to remember Halifax the way it was in that instant for the rest of my travels. When I landed in Ottawa, I felt really lonely but I grabbed my bags, hopped in a cab and headed to the inn. There I ran into a bunch of fellow participants and we pretty much spent the night sitting in the lobby talking.

This morning I woke up bright and early, grabbed breakfast and headed to the WUSC office down the street for day one of training. We did some cultural training today, focused on some situations that might arise and how to deal with them. It was definitely an eye opening experience. Today was just about different cultures in general but tomorrow we are going to focus on Ghana specifically. After our training session, we all went out for supper together and then toured around Ottawa. We went to the Parliament building and I witnessed first hand the hundreds of stray cats that strangely have homes build for them there. One of the guys wanted to go ask if “Stevie” was in but we decided it would be best not to make trouble our first full day in Ottawa. Then we walked home and congregated in one room, where we played those silly icebreaker games you hated in school but for some reason love later in life. It was a pretty great first day and I have to say the people I’m with are awesome; this is definitely the trip of a lifetime!

Friday June 13^th 10:47am

So here I am, my last day in Chicoutimi. Right now I’m sitting here with Andrea, listening to music and trying to get the last bit of studying in. Yesterday was a really good day. My class finished our group project and watched our movie three times because it’s that funny. I never did get to edit it but I think I like it better with all our bloopers still included. For lunch we went as a class to St.Hubert’s which is kinda like a French Swiss Chalet. Afterwards I met up with Andrea and a few of the guys from her class on Rue Racine where we got ice cream and sat on the vieux port for a while. Andrea and I were going to buy Lisette a bouquet of flowers to say thank you but the shop was closed when we got there so we had to go elsewhere, where we bought some nice pink flowers for her to plant in her garden. Other than that we bought her a card and also a new key chain. We somehow managed to break the one her extra key had been on so we bought her a new one with a whale on it from when we went to Taddousac. Last night was a pretty laid back night. We packed, swapped pictures and studied. Anyway I should probably get back to studying and I’ll see you all soon!

French Word of the Day

Mec: So it was Anisha who introduced us to this word and it has become a commonly used word in Chicoutimi. It’s just a slang word for “guy” but usually you will hear it in a phrase such as…”Ou est le beau mec?”

Thursday June 12^th 7:34am

So I am writing this post this morning because I did not have time to write last night because we were too busy having one of the best nights ever! Yesterday in class we were busy filming our class project and in the afternoon me and a few others were going to edit it but the camera was not compatible with my computer, we did not have a firewire and multiple other things went wrong so our project is still sitting in my backpack, on the mini DV tape. Yesterday afternoon was pretty relaxed. Most people were practicing for the upcoming recital and for the rest of us there was not really anything to do. The recital was definitely interesting. There were a few dramatic skits, interpretative dance, the gig and a choir. After the recital we went to Le Bistrot which is right next to the school for some dancing and a few rounds of volleyball. Afterwards, Anisha, Taylor, Andrea and I headed to McDo for some early morning grub. At the end of the night we crawled into our beds and did not wake up again until the alarm went off at 7 this morning.

French Word of the Day:

Bistrot: So this is kinda a French word but in Chicoutimi it is more than that. If you are ever a student at UQAC you will know that the Bistrot is more than just a place to go to hear really bad karaoke but also to play volleyball and hangout. C’est super fun!