Weekly Post #6: I don't really do Azonto

Chune of Week:

Kolom--Buk Bak

Hello All!!!!

I know its been a super long while since I've posted. And I sincerely apologize! 

Where do I start. I ended last post discussing The Crew's Taco night! Major success! I wish I had taken pictures but taco night was a true blessing. Olisa and I spent a pretty penny preparing food for some of our friends. We made steak tacos. Sooo tasty! Many Ghanians didn't know what tacos were, so it was a pleasant surprise to know that they really enjoyed our food!!

That following week, I did a lot of nothing to be honest. Just hung out with my friends. The university workers are still on strike, and things don't really look like they are improving to me honest. lol. I just hope my credits transfer! Thats all I really care about. These are the courses I'm "enrolled in" are:

---Twi (Twi is the most commonly spoken dialect in Ghana)

Widely spoken around the country, learning the language has been OK. Learning is relative though... I feel like I'll have a VERY basic knowledge of the language  by the time I leave. At this point...I'm ok with that. 

---Geography of Gender and Development in Africa

This class is very interesting. Lol. Even though it's at 7 AM in the morning, it is bearable because of the men in the class. Using this class and my personal experience as reference, Ghanian men still have very chauvinistic ideals. Startling and offensive, but this class is still very funny. I'll provide one of many examples. One man raised his hand and couldn't understand how/why women in the Western World (America) were still struggling for upward mobility, because according to him "America invests a lot of money and time in women's equality."  According to him, the reason for women's inequality cannot be due to societal and social barriers but because must be because of BIOLOGICAL INFERIORITY. To say I was shocked and appalled was an understatement. lol. I didn't even know what to say or do. That comment woke me up for sure! The lecturer is pretty cool. Class is decent.

---History of Ghana in the 19th and 20th Century

This class has only really met once in the 4 weeks "classes have been conducted". Super big. Super boring. Super hot. Super side eye. Moving on...

---History of Western Medicine in Ghana

This honestly may be ONLY class I actually learn ANYTHING IN. Pretty self explanatory. The lecturer is pretty hardcore (according to Ghanian standards). A lot of reading, but I can't complain. I've actually missed learning.

---Landmarks in African American Literature

This class is also pretty self explanatory. Its interesting to note that Ghanians know NOTHING about African American history. Very ironic. I think I will be doing more teaching than learning. I'm going to educate.


The weekend before last we visited Cape Coast to see the slave castles. Very touching and interesting experience for a number of reasons.

Thats about all I have time to update for now! My laptop battery is dying and the internet in Ghana has little to be desired.


I'll post a few pics a bit later.


I'll try to update you all more frequently!

If you want to contact me, do it through e-mail or bbm! My blackberry is the most functional piece of technology I have here in Ghana. My e-mail is shelbie@gwmail.gwu.edu and my BBM pin is 21DC30E2.


Love you all.


--Shelbs.

PS: The chune of the week is my favorite azonto song. But you may be asking "Shelbie, why dont you do azonto?" To be honest I like the music, but I dont so much care for the dance...at all. Im not a huge fan of Ghanian nightlife to be honest. No-BUENO. Its kinda dry...but whatever. Peace!

Weekly Post #5: They LOVIN the crew...

Chune of the Week:

Crew Love--Drake ft The Weekend

Hello Everyone!!

I know its been a minute since I really sat down and spoke to you all but its been so busy here in Ghana...and school hasn't even really started yet (more on that later).

Let me pick up where I left off.

Last week Wednesday I got my hair done. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I paid a total of about 28 cedis total for the hair and the labor. Thats a total of about 16 American dollars. Thats CRAZY. lol. It got medium/small sized box braids that go down to my booty. Sigh. I love my hair. 

I went from this...

To this.... (Ghanian humidity is no joke!!)

To this... In about the span of a week. God is good...all the time.

(Why yes, that is my mosquito net in the background.)

The particular night in which I took this picture, I had BLAST!!! The crew and I went to this bar for this man named Keith's party. Who would have thought that Keith's birthday party would pop so hard. Big up yuhself Keith. lol. The bar/lounge was called Appetite. Super chic. I digged the vibe. They provided free drinks for a bit while we were there. We chilled, saw and interacted with some bait, and bounced to the next spot...Bella Roma in Osu. lol. This place was live. They had a pretty good mix of music (for Ghana that is). We were all in some type of state so that made the fun even better. I wont go into the intricate details of the night, but we all had a fantabulous time.

(The Crew and I! Thanks again for a great night Keith!)

Moving forward. I think most everyone in my program has forgotten that we have come to Ghana to STUDY abroad. lol. The class registration process at UG is a huge headache and hassle. But I've been doing a pretty good job (in my opinion) to register for courses that will fill major requirements back at GWU. School technically should have started on Monday, but Ghana works at a very slow pace AND the have been some faculty strikes on campus, classes haven't even really started...at all. I attempted to attend two classes yesterday with fail. I will try again next week. Most Ghanian students havent even fully moved onto campus yet. When in Ghana, do as the Ghanians do...slow your roll, bruh.

I have attended two classes though. African Dance Techniques and my Twi class. Both I enjoy. African dance is truly awesome. Its fun, interactive, and a serious workout. I would post a pic of me in action, but I look sweaty and gross, so I think not. Twi class is awesome as well. I'm taking my Twi learning very seriously. Although English in the official language of Ghana, Twi is most widely spoken. It comes in very handy when trying to bargain as well as understand what creepy men are saying about you. I digress.

I am about to head out to buy some groceries for Sunday night. The crew and I have dubbed Sunday nights "American food night." Last Sunday Syd and Yvonne threw down and made some slamming American style spaghetti. This weekend Olisa and I are attempting taco night. lol. This should be interesting. I dont get the vibe that there are a lot of Mexican options in Ghana, but we are going to give it a try. A lot of our Ghanian man friends haven'e ever really heard of tacos. They are about to be in for a TREAT. 

Talk to you guys real soon.

Love you all,

Beezy!