New Placement = New Problems

Unfortunately, there was a bit of a kafuffle while trying to get to Peter Piper's as the host (let's call him "The Chief" for anonymity) wanted Kim & I to stay at his new secondary school Golden Gate for a week and then, and only then, decide whether we wanted to teach there or at our original placement. But as soon as I arrived at Golden Gate I realized that it was not where I wanted to spend my next 5 months and, after confirming with Kimberly that she felt the same, proceeded to subtly let The Chief know that we were set on Peter Piper's. However as soon as they realized we did not want to stay at their preferred placement, The Chief and the Head Pastor began persistently to try and convince us that it would be in our best interest to stay, not understanding that we were uncomfortable teaching 17 and 18 year olds, that their approach to discipline was distressing and that the isolation of the school was suffocating. The only positive part of the "Golden Gate Experience" (apart from the children who really were lovely - we played a huge game of soccer with them on our first day and they where ecstatic) was Juanita (or as Kim insists it's spelled Whaneta), The Chiefs 2nd wife who treated us with respect and made sure we had everything we needed, and her 8 month old son O’Hara, who is the cutest baby boy I have ever laid eyes on and enjoys pinching my "Ghost Skin" and squealing delightedly.

By Monday we were so overwhelmed by the situation at Golden Gate that we called up our closest mates in Takoradi, Sam (The Stud) and Robbie (The Daddy), and went out for a drink telling them our sob story, and then forgetting all about it with Star Beer and good conversation such as:

• Uncomfortable Movie Dates (Which led to a demonstration of the "Yawn and Stretch” technique.)


• First, and worst, Kisses.


• Traditional Scottish Dance Moves (The YoYo, and Boomerang ect.)


• Ghana, and how much we love it here.

Unfortunately it gets dark in Southern Ghana very quickly and we had a lot of trouble getting back to the school, upon arrival we discovered that the message we gave to the Head Pastor, about our night out, was not given to The Chief and he had no idea where we had been. It just added insult to injury the next day when, being so frustrated by the situation at Golden Gate, we had to bring our problems to a higher power and were finally moved to Peter Piper's, where we belonged.

I will now strive to use all the skill I gained during my fruitless year as a writing major, in order to paint a picture of where I will be; eating mangoes for breakfast, sleeping under a mosquito net and teaching literature for the next five months: Painted a dull yellow, the school is built in a rectangle around a dusty courtyard. The walls surrounding the property are topped with shards of broken glass in order to discourage thieves from entering, though I doubt any criminal would dare challenge Christopher, the Warden who has a constant frown plastered across his face(though he explained to me yesterday this is only because he is so hungry.)

The school is constantly expanding, and a new building on the far left is slowly being built by day workers, many of them siblings of the students, right now it is a pale stone grey with spike shooting out of the top waiting for more layers to be added.
The classrooms are 3 walled and consist of the mere basics, a chalkboard 40 chairs and 40 desks, every time I walk past, or DARE to step into one of them, the children run at me waving their arms in the air and screaming: “Madame! Madame Glowy!” – They have great difficulty pronouncing the “Klah” in my name, “Madame Kim” they manage with great fervor however.
In one corner, beside an old broken-down Ferris wheel is a large cage where Mr. Darcy, a large white monkey with an erectile dysfunction, resides (Not knowing his true name Kim & I decided to christen him after the brooding Jane Austen Hero as he often looks rather pompous & morose). The children enjoy taunting him by throwing garbage into his cage and yelling in Fante, which has unearthed a fear a humans, but yesterday he allowed me to approach his feed him water out of an old margarine case. Today he shocked us all by grabbing a bird that was hopping nearby and happily biting its head off! This is not good news for Jesus (Hay-Zeus) the cocky Parrot, whose cage is adjacent to Mr. Darcy’s.
Kim & I share 2 rooms – a small chamber consisting of a bunk bed and table which frequently has the odor of urine as it is beside they Boys urinal. And a living area, which we have made quite homely with pictures of friends and family, fake flowers and colorful scarves. This room contains a fridge (which FINALLY works!!! Cold Bagged water all around!), a wardrobe (Kim and I picked up hangers and clothing baskets for a couple Cedi in Market Circle* in order to organize our few outfits.), a table with two chairs and a silly lace table cloth, and a shelving unit which we have filled with our various belongings (Mostly books and a ridiculous amount of fist-aid materials). Over all is a beautiful and cheerful place and I couldn’t be happier.

So, now I am sitting in an Internet cafe in the middle of Takoradi listening to my roommate Kim chat happily with her best friend for the first time since we've arrived. It's an astonishing 38 degrees, I've been bitten to bits by mosquito's and haven't had a proper shower in 6 days - Before you start picturing my as a blistered filthy mess I must explain that the water tank connecting my placement is empty and therefore I have had to become fully Ghanaian and wash myself with buckets of water that we collect from the other side of the property (that is we collect it when we can, there is always a student anxious to help us out who refuses to take no or "Dhabi"* for an answer).

* “No” in Fante