Wednesday, January 13, 2010

You're All Lucky You Can't Smell Me From the US!

I am currently redefining the word dirty. Even after my 8-day spree of no showering in India, nothing compares to the utter filth coating my body at this very moment. My feet are literally brown from dirt, not to mention my face, body, and clothing. Nothing is spared by the ever present Ghanaian dirt. In fact, there's probably some up my nose at this very moment, but I'm too scared to check, I'd rather be ignorant of my internal filth.

It doesn't help that it's a million degrees outside with intense sun and high humidity. The sweat actually acts as an adhesive for the dust, it's quite impressive actually. I'm estimating that by the end of my stay here people will no longer be calling me obruni (the Twi term for white person), instead they will have to call me brown person!

Speaking of Twi, I started my Twi class yesterday, even though the registration period started today. I've learned a ton of new words already but my favorite is tikya, pronounced teachah. And yes, you guessed it, it is the word for to teacher. Pretty awesome.

Other than Twi, I'm not in any other classes yet. Today I began the registration process, which consisted of me trekking around the enormous campus to each and every department that I'd possibly like to take a class in. There is no such thing as on line registration here, let alone any centralized database of updated courses offered this semester. Therefore, to register you must first go to each department to simply look at the list of classes they will offer. Once you have seen all the departmental lists (which by the way are stapled onto very well hidden bulletin boards) you must create a list of courses you'd like to take. Then, you go back to those departments a week later, when they eventually post the time tables, and see if there are any scheduling conflicts among the courses you selected. Finally, you go back AGAIN to each department and register by writing your name on a list of students enrolled in the class.

Needless to say, I had a long day! But I'm starting to know my way around campus, after hours of wandering it would be scary if I didn't!

Must shower before the dirt eats me alive... Nante yie (Twi for good bye, literally translation: walk safely)!

2 comments:

  1. ohhhh the dirt, you really learn to love and embrace it huh? i swear i still think i have ghanaian dirt in my toes and the bottom of my feet, a year later (not sure if that is a commentary on the tenacity of ghanaian dirt or my hygiene skills). glad to see you have settled down well! best of luck with your classes, let me know how you like the dance classes there! i did not take one, but a bunch of my friends did, and they said that they have never sweat as much as in those classes
    take care adamfo!
    much love,
    meg

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  2. I think Im gonna try to take xylophone too!

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