Acids and Bases

Elective Chemistry, Form 4
Practical #1
Acid-Base Titration

THEORY

One common type of chemical reaction is acid-base neutralization. All neutralization reactions follow the same basic formula:

H⁺ + OH^- → H₂O

Acid + Base → Water

When acid and base have completely reacted and the solution is neutral (pH = 7), the end point or equivalence point has been reached. In order to determine the end point of a reaction, a process called titration is used. In titrations, acid is slowly added to base just until the solution has been  neutralized.

My boys just doin some chemistry.. Studs!

An indicator, which has no effect on the reaction, is added to the base to signal the pH of the solution.

(pH )         2       3       4       5      6      7      8      9       10      11

(Color)      Pink   Orange   Yellow      Green   Blue   Violet

Trials 1, 2, and 3

Good.. Better.. Best!

Titration is a very useful technique in a chemistry laboratory. For example, the unknown concentration of a base can be determined from a titration with an acid of known concentration.

Concentration = Amount of Substance (moles) / Volume of Solution (dm³)

In this particular experiment, hydrochloric acid, HCl will be titrated against ammonium, NH₃. The formula for this neutralization reaction is as follows:

NH_3(aq) + H₂O₍₁₎ → NH₄⁺_(aq) + OH^-_(aq)

NH₄⁺_(aq) + OH^-_(aq) + HCl_(aq) → H₂O_(l) + NH₄Cl_(aq)

OBJECTIVE

Determine the unknown concentration of a solution of NH₃ from a titration with 1.8M HCl.

METHODS

Perform three (3) trials of the following procedure:

1.) Using a plastic funnel, carefully add 1.8M HCl to the burrette.

2.) Record the starting burrette volume.

3.) Using a 100mL graduated cylinder, measure 20mL NH₃ into a 250mL beaker.

4.) Add 5-10 drops of Harris Indicator to the NH₃.

5.) Open the burrette stopcock so that acid flows in a slow steady stream into the beaker containing the NH₃ and indicator. Swirl the contents of the beaker as acid is added to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed.

6.) When the solution turns yellow, immediately close the burrette stopcock. Record the final burrette volume.

:) I am SO proud! (:

PS. The reason this is so impressive... These boys had never been in a chemistry lab before.

A Few Slight Misconceptions

Ghanaians admire America very much. They hold our nation in the highest esteem. The face of Barack Obama graces the front cover of many of my student's notebooks. I have even seen one notebook displaying the portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Ghanaians also love American music. In particular, Celine Dion, Micheal Bolton, and Akon. Along with their great affinity for America, they also have a great curiosity. As my students have become more comfortable around me, they have started asking more questions about me and the United States. Some of these questions have been very serious, regarding culture, government, or economics. Other questions have down right stumped me. Example: How do the tall buildings in New York City with so many levels not fall over since the earth is spinning so fast? Uhhhhh we have good engineers? I honestly didn't know how to answer.

Others questions.. still other questions have been so flipping funny that it has taken everything within my power not bust up laughing on the spot. Today, I'd like to share a bit of that humor with you. Here are some of the questions about America and/or white people that my students wanted cleared up:

• “If I go to America, will I get too cold and die?”
• “Do all Americans have a million dollars?”

• “So, in America, you don't eat fufu or banku or ampesie or tuo zafi... What do you eat?”
• “I heard white ladies don't breastfeed.” Ya know... this kid was sort of right. Why are we so darn weird and uncomfortable with breastfeeding in America?
• “Do you run [get diarrhea] every time you eat Ghanaian food?”

• Do you know President Barack Obama?
• One of my girls, who is such a peach, said this to me a few weeks ago, “Madam.. There is something I have wanted to know... Do white women get pregnant?” I told her it was all just the same. She nodded and concluded very thoughtfully, “So that means white women do menstruate.” Hahahahhhaah, yes, unfortunately.
• [I made pancakes and offered some to a couple of my female students who happened to visit] “...But if we eat that... won't we vomit?”
• “Do all Americans have guns? Do Americans shoot you with their guns if you miss-speak English?”

Food.. Yay for Macronutrients!

There are three primary macronutrients, defined and differentiated by their chemical structure, that living organisms consume for energy: fat, carbohydrate, and protein. 

I estimate that an average Ghanaian's total caloric intake is 20-25% fat calories, 65-70% carbohydrate calories, and 10% protein calories.** Here, breakfast, lunch, and dinner follow the same formula: a large lump of carbohydrate (fufu, rice balls, banku, TZ, or ampesie), some oily soup or stew, and a small portoin of meat, fish, or a hard boilded egg. Let us consider an average meal prepared here in Menji... A mound of fufu (one or two softball-sized servings of straight starch), abenkwan (a bright red soup prepared from palm nuts, which have a high oil content), and a chewy chuck of goat meat (usually two to three ounces including the skin, bone, fat, and connective tissue). Approx 20:70:10. Another example, let us consider a normal Ghanaian “snack.” Meat pies are scone-sized and shaped peices of pasty stuffed with a meaty-oniony filling. These devils are sold on the street at around $0.33 USD. 25:65:10.

**NOTE: I will use macronutrient ratios throughout this post. So be ready for X:Y:Z, where X is the percent of total caloric intake obtained from fat, Y is the percent obtained from carbohydrates, and Z is the percent obtained from protein. Also, as different as a Ghanaian's diet is from that of an American, the relative macronutrient content is surprisingly similar... very interesting!

As you all are probably aware, I might have a slight obsession with the world of human “health.” I'm an avid runner and athlete, I'm fascinated by the study of nutrition, the Body Worlds exhibit was the single coolest thing I have ever seen in a museum, and I love to cook and eat “healthy” foods. Last winter when I was living in Indiana, I changed my diet drastically by starting something like the “Zone Diet.” Essentially I was trying get a macronutrient-balanced diet / approximatelyequal calories from each of the macronutrients / 30:40:30. I ate alot of lean proteins (fish, egg whites, poultry, dairy), vegetables, fruits, olive oil, whole grains, and almonds. I really liked the way I felt and looked. Then later in spring, with a little persuasion from Caleb (OK well alot of persuasion), I started including more fat, specifically fattier proteins (more nuts, fatty meats, whole eggs) while also cutting dairy and gluten. Hello bacon and almond milk. My macronutritent ratio was around 40:30:30. And I have to tell you guys, I felt even better. I had great energy, my skin was clear, I didn't get hungry, I ran faster and longer, and the tendonitis in my right knee had all but disappeared. As much as I wanted to punch Caleb every time he threw out the obnoxious buzzwords “zone-paleo,” there truly was tangible basis (feeling and looking f'ing fantastic) to eating that way.

Furthermore, most mornings I was eating fruit, bacon, and eggs over easy, which had been fried in the bacon fat... HELLO best breakfast EVER.

So you see, there is a conflict in the type of meal I was preparing in the states and type of meal that is prepared here in Ghana. In one day, my macronutrient ratio went from 40:30:30 to 20:70:10. How has my body reacted to this abrupt and rather extreme swing in macronutrient intake? Well, let's start with the negatives.** 1) I've noticed a loss of lean muscle mass. My clothes are looser but my triceps suck. 2) I don't stay full. 2.5) I get incredibly hungry and fussy if I don't eat every 4 hours. 3) My overall energy level is slightly lower.... which probably isn't a bad thing for all the people who have to deal with me :).

**NOTE: I cannot attribute all of these reactions soley to the change in diet. I have not lifted weights since May. Which, is a seriously confounding factor. The changes listed above probably have as much to do with the diet change as with the lack of strength training.

Let's move to the positives. 1) I'm generally in a happier mood. I read an article once about carbohydrate consumption and the subsequent release of endorphins. I don't know neuroscience though, so I'll stop there. 2) I'm learning to appreciate and enjoy the foods produced by the land around me. All that hubbub about “locally grown” foods... In America, hipsters (not environmentally friendly people or hippies, but hipsters) like to talk about locally grown foods to be cool and trendy. It used to really annoy me. However, now that I live in Ghana, I've realized that there is something truly fulfilling about eating the foods your neighbor grew on his farm or slaughtered with his machete. 3) I LOVE RICE. Rice makes me happy. I think this will be a life-long love affair. [Dad, you've always been right on target with your obsession with “rice-based meals”] Rice to me is like fufu to a Ghanaian. It's like pizza to a college dude. It's like pasta to an Italian. It's like a cheesesteak to a Philadelphian. It's like a croissant to a Frenchman. I think you get the point.

So you see, I'm beginning to understand the diet that makes my body and mind happiest... From what I can tell, it is meat/fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts /seeds, rice, oils, and a healthy dose of salt. Between living on the equator and running or playing volleyball daily, I sweat alot. Plus, as Auby would tell you, I straight up like salt. Nom!

Realistically, if I do my own cooking using the foods available in the market, I think I can get my ratio to around 40:35:25. I don't think I can get my protein number much higher. Why? Well A) I can't really afford it and B) I can't cut fat in lieu of protein like you can in the States. I can't just pick up a bag of Tyson skinless bonesless chicken breast. And also, I won't throw away egg yolks or cut the skin/fat off meat. I live in Africa... you don't throw away anything, let alone good food! I think it is a practice that I will take back to America with me. It reminds me of the Native Americans... Use everything. It's satisfying. Waste not, want not.

You might have noticed that bread didn't make the cut. I think I was onto a good thing cutting gluten. The more I read about it, the more I wish those damn ancient Mesopotamians or Egyptians or whoever hadn't figured out how turn wheat into food. I will write an entire post on that one day. For now, let's just leave it that I will be avoiding wheat. Since I live in Ghana, I don't have to worry about the dairy/lactose issue, as milk products do not exist in this country. I guess besides the crappy canned and powdered milks. Another food group I won't bother debating is legumes. I've maybe had three legume-containing meals since coming to Ghana in early June. For all you Ghana-knowledgable folk, I NEVER eat red-red or waakye. And it's not because I don't like them. Because I do like them. I just never eat them. I don't know. ....I really miss hummus, somebody send me some dried garbanzos.

Before ending, I want to tell you about three really neat parts of my Ghanaian diet.

1. Everything is completely natural. My diet contains ZERO manmade crap... pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, preservatives, shelf-life stabilizers, genetically-altered anything, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, emulsifiers, or any other chemical. Furthermore, virtually everything is grown/ raised locally, probably within a few kilometers of my house. It's like what the Trader Joe's people wish they could say about their diet.
   AND...
2. My diet includes some really healthy, delicious, and interesting fats!
   1. Palm oil is made from milled palm nuts, which are little bright red-orange “nuts” that grow in clusters on palm trees. The oil is the same bright red-orange color as the berries, has a rich but mildly fruity/nutty flavor, and is LOADED with micro-nutrients, particularly vitamin A. I like to fry eggs in palm oil for breakfast. It adds a full, rich flavor to the eggs, much the way bacon grease does.
   2. Coconuts contain a healthy dose of lauric acid, making them a new craze in the health community. This medium chain fatty acid increases HDLs while lowering LDLs. Yay for healthy blood chemistry! More importantly that that though, I can buy a fresh coconut on the street for 30 cents, drink the milk, then eat the flesh, and it is so yummy!
   3. Avocados are incredible. They are nutritious beyond compare. I won't get into why, it would take too long. Go look it up. And yes, avocados are widely available in the US, and yes, I have always been an avocado-lover. But here... they are larger, more delicious, and are grown just down the road. I eat avocado at almost every meal now. As a matter of fact, sometimes I'll eat an avocado (with a little salt, of course) as the meal. It is fun experimenting with new ways of incorporating avocados into my cooking.
3. I consume close to zero sucrose (refined white sugar). I take my tea unsweetened, I prefer eggs to pancakes in the morning, and desserts are few and far between in Ghana. The only sweets I ever consume here are bolfulut (deep-fried, baseball-sized, unglazed doughnut things) and Fan Ice (a sweet icecream-like product). However, neither of the aforementioned items are available in Menji, so byebye sucrose! I'll take monosaccharides from pineapple, papaya, and honey thank you very much.

I will close now by telling you this: I'm about to go to Nsawkaw to buy some aponkyenam (goat meat) to BBQ, then make some guacamole and homemade hot sauce.

LIFE AND FOOD IN GHANA, YES!

-Ama Fati

I WANT ONE

Who put that link on my "Mef Dreams" post?

Because I LOVED that article.  Fascinating!!  I want to own one.  Although I would probably only share like 2% of my dreams.  Out of fear that someone would admit me to an asylum.

So anyway, thanks for the fun read! If anyone ever has interesting article recommendations (esp tech/science), definitely post them! [:

Advice from Bub

I journaled this, but thought I should share it with you guys. It is the advice my 12-year-old host brother, Emmanuel, gave to me the Sunday before I left homestay a few weeks ago. He is an old man in a young boy's body.  I think it is what Grandpa would say to me if he were still around and were Ghanaian. Anyway, Bub sat me down in the yellow plastic chairs outside my room and said:

“Ama, Ama [my Ghanaian name], listen.. You are leaving home now, and you will not have me to watch you. So you must be a good girl. A very good girl! And do not forget what I told you. You can't just go walking about. No! You must be careful. You must be very careful, because some of these people are no good. Those people, those people are no good at all! You have to watch for them. You must be a good girl and be very, very safe. You must find a good boy, too. Yes, a good boy! But you must stay away from the black boys. They are lazy. And some of them are rotten. Some of them are no good at all. You must find a good white boy. Like you. A good, good boy who works very hard. You must be safe and you will be very happy.

Ok, yes, Ama, you will be a very good girl.  Now go.. Go pack your things.”

How funny is that?  A 12 year old said those things.  I think I'll call him tomorrow to check in and let him know I've heeded his advice :]

Bub Masterson

Mef Dreams

The malaria prophylaxis given to me by the Peace Corps is a once-weekly 275 mg mefloquine hyrdochloride tablet. It has worked so far, because I don't have malaria. Well, ok, actually I do, but I don't and won't show symptoms, because the prophylaxis keeps the blood pathogen level low. However, it is not the fact that I won't die of malaria, in all seriousness, the best part of taking mefloquine is the dreams. I have always had fairly cool dreams, but since starting mefloquine my dreams have become more perspicuous, vivid, and creative. I remember these wild dreams almost every morning and in great detail.

The reason I am writing a post today is the mef dream I had last night. I sent Raven a text about it immediately upon waking, because I knew she would appreciate the truly awesome nature of this dream. It is (and I hate that frat boys ruined this word talking about getting stupid drunk and passing out in their own vomit) EPIC.

The setting of the dream is a dark, frigid night in a small rural town nestled into the side of a mountain on the coast of Norway. A terrible blizzard is raging across the landscape.

Now, the plot. You can't write this shit.

I am battling an über-evil super villian, who has been destroying villages across the countryside. He is cloaked in all black, and his face hidden by a disfigured red mask. He as well as I have powers of flight and super strength. He can control the blizzard. I can control water, although only weakly. We are battling at a farmhouse down by the water. I summon and attempt to drown him in a tidal wave. But before the wave reaches him, he freezes the water, turning it into sharp daggers of ice, which he sends hurtling in my direction. I dodge all but one of the frozen shards, which leaves a large bloody gash across my cheek. I try again to create a tidal wave, but my powers have weakened. I can only summon small, gentle waves to the shore. The villian in black picks up an old barn and hurls it at me. The barn crashes into my body, and I go flying through the air with the barn towards the mountain. I can stop neither myself nor the barn. I am crushed into snow and rock on the side of the mountain by the barn. Everything is dark. I think I am dying. But, slowly and painfully, I work my way out. I am exhausted. But then I have an idea. I rip off a piece of the barn's sheet metal roof. I snowboard through the air on the piece of metal down the side of the mountain, and because of the blizzard's powerful gusting winds, I pick up incredible speed. The snow and wind burn my face. As I get to the bottom, the villain picks up a massive slab of concrete with which I know he could destroy me. But I am so close. I am only a few yards away. I kick away the piece of metal. The sheet metal spins through the air and cleanly decapitates the villain. The slab of concrete drops from the air onto his body.

Then I wake up.

I couldn't make that up if I wanted to.

Thank you mefloquine for allowing me to defeat the darkest, most sinister of Norwegian evils in my sleep.

The M3PP

 The Peace Corps assigns every volunteer a member of his or her community as a “counterpart.” During our two years of service, our counterpart functions as our business partner, adviser, volunteer-to-community liaison, and friend. Although we are assigned this counterpart initially, we may choose to change or add counterparts. The counterpart I was assigned is my high school's ICT teacher, a man named James Kwadwo Tannor.

James is the best counterpart ever!

Why? He is very aware that Ghana is a developing nation, and wants to do everything he can to help... which includes being incredibly supportive of me in my work with the Peace Corps. He is a forward thinker. He has both passion and work ethic. He is efficient. He is intelligent. He is resourceful. Basically, if you need anything done or reasonable advice, ask James. He advocates women's rights and gender equality. He truly listens to, respects, and values my opinions. This doesn't sounds like a big deal, but here in Ghana it is, especially for a young female working with an adult male.

And James isn't the best counterpart in terms of only work, but also on a person-to-person level. He is so kind and hospitable. Right now, until I can obtain my own, I am using his spare mattress, refrigerator, cooking pots, and several other items. Until yesterday, I was even cooking with his stove and gas tank. He invested his personal funds so that the school could provide me with toilet facilities, a Peace Corps requirement. Furthermore, he is helpful on a level I can't even begin to describe... He's helped me travel, meet the elders of Menji, hang my mosquito net, buy food, cook food, communicate (I'm not exactly fluent yet!), set up my oven, buy electronics, hang my curtains, put up a laundry line, … and you know, just be a person living in Ghana. Also, he has an absolutely adorable family. His wife's name is Millicent, his son is Edmond (3 yrs), and his daughter is Grace (2 weeks). Yes, Grace is brand new :)! Her naming ceremony was just last week.

I am introducing you to James now for several reasons. He is my counterpart, so I will be working closely with him for the next two years, and thus mentioning him frequently. And also, I want you to know something about him before I tell you the product of our conversation a few days ago.  I haven't really done much with this idea yet, but I wanted to share the roughest draft with you guys, so you can see how the project progresses.

Anyway, now that you know James, here is what we came up with...

MENJI THREE PART PLAN (M3PP)

Peace Corps Ghana

Volunteer Betsy Conway

Counterpart James Kwadwo Tannor

Location Menji, Brong Ahafo

GOALS

Keep Menji Agricultural Senior High School (MASS) students in Menji and occupied during academic holidays.

Provide financial and social opportunities for students. Educate students on farming techniques. Educate students on sexual health and HIV/AIDS. Reduce teenage pregnancy rate. Reduce AIDS transmission rates.

BACKGROUND

MASS operates on a trimester-based academic calendar. The students are in session for three months, then are allowed a one month break. During the breaks, many of the students move to larger cities, namely Kumasi, to work menial jobs. They do so to earn money, although very little, and also because living in a small rural community is not “fun” or “cool”.

TARGET GROUP

MASS students, particularly those who move to the cities during academic holidays. The M3PP will benefit both males and females by providing increased economic, social, and educational opportunities.

A specific target group of the M3PP is the “kayayei.”  Kayayei is the local term given to the group of girls, as young as six years old, who throughout Ghana move from their homes in rural communities to the larger cities to engage in menial work. These girls usually work as market porters, selling food or other goods on the the streets. As they are often homeless for extended periods of time, they are subject to theft, rape, and coercion into sex work.

METHODS

Part 1. The PEPFARM. The “PEPFARM” will be a student owned and maintained farming operation. MASS is in possession of uncultivated, unused land southeast of the school's campus. Using funding from PEPFAR, a fence will be installed around the land to protect against grazing animals such as goats. The remainder of the funds will be used to purchase seeds, tubers, etc for planting. Students interested in participating will be gathered, and individual plots within the PEPFARM will be allocated among students. The farm work will be the sole responsibility of the students: clearing, tilling, planting, maintaining, and harvesting. Throughout the process, other Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) will visit Menji to give agriculture lectures and demonstrations as well as HIV/AIDS seminars. The produce harvested from the PEPFARM can be used for both consumption and selling in the market. The PEPFARM would provide students with three essentials: food, work, and money.

Part 2. The Mooney Volleyball Club. Because Menji is a small rural community, life is a little less “exciting” than life in a city. The Mooney Volleyball Club would provide a much needed fun, social aspect to life in Menji. Tantrum Volleyball is an American volleyball clothing company owned and operated by Scott Mooney, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Scott has agreed on behalf of Tantrum to sponsor a volleyball club in Menji. Students could form teams, hold practices, and host tournaments. Eventually, neighboring high schools could be incorporated to form a league.

Part 3. The Girls' Girls. As a personal project, I want to establish a chicken coop. I will provide the funds for the coop, chickens, food, and upkeep, while the female dormitory students will provide the labor necessary to maintain the coop. I will keeps some eggs and the students may use or sell the remainder.

SUMMARY

The M3PP is designed to keep MASS students in Menji during academic holidays and away from potentially dangerous menial work in the cities. Part 1. Plots of land within the PEPFARM, a PEPFAR-funded farming operation, will be given to students to cultivate produce crops for sale and/or consumption. Part 2. The Mooney Volleyball Club will give a fun, positive, social aspect to students' lives. Part 3. The Girls' Girls chicken coop will provide work, food, and money for the female dormitory.

CONCLUSION

The most difficult part of implementation will be applying and waiting for the PEPFAR grant. All other parts of the plan are already in motion. The school currently owns land for the PEPFARM, which the students can begin to clear in the meantime. Several PCVs have shown interest in giving agriculture lectures, demonstrating farming techniques, and/or conducting HIV/AIDS seminars. Tantrum Volleyball has already agreed to sponsor the volleyball club. Finally, other PCVs have volunteered to help in construction of the coop, which will be built as soon as possible.

Ain't Life Funny

From what I've experienced thus far, Ghanaians don't really tell jokes, they don't really use sarcasm, and in general they don't really go out of their way to be humorous. At first I thought that Ghanaians just aren't very funny people. But every day that goes by, I realize that Ghanaians don't have to try to be funny, because life in Ghana is funny on it's own. The best way to explain what I mean is examples...

• On the reg, I will be walking down the street and a child (who is squatted over the ditch taking a deuce, mind you) will wave, say good morning, want to know my name, and how I am doing.
• A chop bar (fast food kiosk thing) in Takoradi advertises “PORK SHOW” on their sign... hahahah what?
• A six foot blonde speaking an African tribal language.
• Ghanaians LOVE Michael Bolton...WTF
• In Ghana the greeting process is very structured and fairly lengthy compared to that of the greeting process in America. As I was walking through Old Tafo one night a few weeks ago, I went through the greeting process with an elderly man only to realize at the very end that he had been peeing throughout the entire exchange.
• The other day David and I were on a tro in the far backseat. We were talking about something benign like the trees or the weather, when all of a sudden a weird guttural animal noise comes from directly underneath our seat. We look at each other like, “WTF was that!” and start cracking up. Turns out there was a cute little goat hanging out down there.
• Amit heard an adult woman yell at a little boy who was loitering around her store, “Fuck off you fucking kid."  Don't mess with her, I'm telling you.
• I saw a car traveling about 80 mph with 2 sheep standing on top of it. I don't even know if they were tied down.
• The other day Caitlin was in a cab, the car hit a bump, the key fell out of the ignition, and the car kept going.
• A goat just strolled into my living room, pooped, and walked out. Literally 5 seconds ago.
• This one is a favorite among my fellow volunteers... I have a Ghanaian name. “Ama” (pronounced ah-mah) is my first name, which indicates that I am a female born on a Saturday. My second name is “Fati” (pronounce fah-tee), a Muslim name given to me by the elders of Menji, which means gift from God. Thus, my Ghanaian name is “Ama Fati.”
• One of the teachers at my school said to me this morning, “Look at this guy,” (putting his hand on the noggin of a ~9 year old boy), “He is so funny. Sometimes he can be so annoying that I just have to beat the shit out of him.”
• A chop bar in Koforidua is painted with the words “Mind God, Not Your Wife.”
• Unclean water or unsanitary food prep or any number of things can lead to diarrhea. A Peace Corps volunteer pooing their pants is funny no matter what type of sense of humor you have.
• Condom demonstrations are an important and universal part of HIV/AIDS education programs. Common on, a giant wooden penis? Ahhhhhahahhaa I die laughing thinking about the guy who carves and paints wooden dicks for a living.

So you see what I mean? None of these things were meant by any means to be funny. They were just a regular moment in a regular day. But, sometimes I just have to crack up at the amusing nature of life in Ghana.

Oh hey there.

7 Breath Taking Days

Day 1 (Saturday, August 27)... Good Bye Ceremony.  The Peace Corps office in Kukurantumi hosted a get together for the 69 volunteers and their host families.  It was mostly a thank you to the people of Kukurantumi, Old Tafo, Anyinasin, and Maase for giving us a home for the past 3 months.  All of the volunteers were in beautiful Ghanaian clothing and head wraps.. some matching their host parents.  The host families were presented with gifts from the Peace Corps, a set of cooking dishes.  After the celebration, we went home and Cube made me my favorite dinner of jollof  (spicy tomato-y rice) and chicken.  Bub and I played our favorite game of bottle cap soccer.

Day 2... All day packing and gift exchange.  I gave my host father a watch, my host mom a set of dish towels (hand-knitted by Janers), my sisters bracelets, and I gave Bub a harmonica.  They presented me with a beautiful piece of pale green cloth with gold and silver embroidery.  I think I will eventually have it made into a dress.  I cried a lot this day.

Day 3... Travel to Accra.  All volunteers met at the hub site in Kukurantumi and loaded onto buses which hauled us to Accra, specifically Valley View University, the place I spent my first 5 nights in Ghana back in June.  I drank wine and played volleyball with the friends I've been growing so close in the past months.

Day 4... Swearing In at the US Ambassador, Don Teitelbaum's. Big white house with lush green lawns, large patios, and a pool.  The ceremony took up most of the morning and afternoon.  Speakers included the Country Director of Peace Corps Ghana, the Ambassador, the Regional Director of Peace Corps Africa, and Ghana's Director of foreign affairs.  We were sworn in as the 50th group of Peace Corps volunteers in Ghana, the oldest Peace Corps program in the world.   Furthermore, the first PCV's were math and science teachers... :)  In the afternoon we drank aperitifs, ate hors d'oeuvre, and chatted. Also, I was welcomed by the current Brong Ahafo volunteers who were also in attendance with a shot of whiskey and a machete.  Not kidding.  After the celebration, we went back to Valley View to spend time together drinking and having fun.

Day 5... Accra with David.  David and I decided to take a personal day in Accra, so from Valley View we got a ride with a couple of dudes in a pick- up truck.  When we asked their names, one replied something that sounded like "My Wiener."  I got really car sick.  Ew.  They dropped us off next to the Accra Mall, which was exactly where we were headed.  We cruised around a little bit, then found pizza and ice cream.  Following food, we went to get drinks at an incredible sports bar called Rhapsody.  Of course, I had wine and he had beer. We watched a rugby match on TV... All Blacks vs somebody.  Finished drinks, then went for an afternoon matinee of Captain America.  Shout out to Ryan Cook.  The movie was perfectly entertaining as was the company.  Popcorn and all.  Following the movie, we returned to Rhapsody for another beverage and dinner.  I had more wine and a calamari salad.

Important note: David has quite the affinity for talking to strangers.  He says it's a good way to 1) hear interesting stories, 2) make new friends, and 3) network.  And he's right.  Continuing with the story.

David steps out to take a call, and down the bar I see a group of 50 to 70 year old men drinking vodka and red bull.  To make things even better the vodka was contained in a skull shaped bottle.  Shout out to Auby.  So, taking a page from David's book, I decide to chat up these fellows because they looked too funny not to!  We end up talking awhile with these guys, who are incredibly interesting, kind, intelligent, and successful human beings.  We might have taken shots of Jäger with them. And a particularly nice man with whom I had been talking, Walter, invited us for dinner Friday night.  We exchanged numbers and parted ways.

Day 6... President of Ghana.  Along with all the other volunteers, I dressed up nicely after breakfast and got on the bus to the main Peace Corps Office in Accra.  We hung around there awhile.  Biddle and I left to walk around the grocery store near by to stare at cheese and ice cream and seafood and all the other lovely things unavailable in rural Ghana.  Around noon, we got on the bus again, and they took us to the presidential castle in Accra where we had lunch in the gardens. The president of Ghana, John Atta Mills, addressed us, thanking us for our service to his country.  It was an incredibly special ceremony to be a part of.  I feel very honored to have met and been thanked by the President of Ghana.  I did not and will not take his words for granted.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=624712#!/photo.php?fbid=909999421898&set=at.900488766328.2382067.19701239.625355&type=1&theater

Day 7... US Embassy and South Africa.  David and I tagged along with a couple of current volunteers to the US Embassy to a party hosted by US Marines.  Burgers, wine, beer, YES.  I mostly chatted up Marines while David made connections with USAID people.  I also got to say hi to the Peace Corps Ghana Country Director and the US Ambassador who were also in attendance.  Furthermore, I was invited to the Marine Ball at the embassy in a few months... Count me in.  That evening, David and I called Walter, the South African businessman.  He sent his driver "Bismark" to pick us up.  We then proceeded to spend the evening talking, eating, and drinking with a group of ten-ish South Africans. Walter made paella on the grill (oil, onions, peppers, tomatoes, rice, broth, chicken, shrimp, and scallops.  It was a really fun evening of talking with many intelligent and successful people who have very happily made their home here in Ghana.  It was inspiring to hear their stories of hard work and finding happiness.

Needless to say, my batteries are recharged and I'm ready to take on PC in rural Ghana.  My next blog will likely be very different... Maybe something about scrubbing bat poo with my bare hands.

LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU XXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXO

Roosters Suck

This was just going to be a private email to Holly, but I thought that a story of this caliber needs to be shared with the world.

**Important note: Arnold is Holly and Dad's rooster.  He's a total asshole.


HollzBallz,

Greetings!! How's everything been going? Nursing school, Jacky, the chickens, the cats? Well I wasn't going to come to the internet cafe today, because it's an hour trek, but I did because something happened this morning that I HAD to tell you about.  So actually there's 2 things that I want to tell you about, I'll start with the slightly less thrilling of the two things.

1.) I found box wine... That's right.  A one liter box of "Don Garcia" which is just cheap red table wine that actually tastes pretty darn good.  And by cheap I mean CHEAP.  A 1 liter box costs 3 Ghana cedi = 2 US dollars.  HELL YES.

2.) Yesterday, after a month of travel, I returned to my host family in Old Tafo.  My host dad proclaimed that he would slaughter a chicken in honor of my coming home.  So I thought, sweet, we'll slaughter a hen, eat it, and it will be delicious.  This morning, when I got up my host brother, Emmanuel or Bub Masterson as I call him, told me it was time to kill the chicken, so I got my camera ready for action.  Host dad walked over to where the chickens were standing together in a group and with incredibly agility snatched up - not one of the hens - BUT THE ROOSTER.  I starred in disbelief as he held the massive rooster in one hand by the base of its wings. 

Important note: During every morning and evening meal, I had to watch this damned rooster have sex with the chickens (definitely against their will) more violently and more frequently than Arnold ever does!  Not only that, but also the jerk crows right outside my room every morning starting at 4AM without fail.  Thus, I have come to hate him even more than Arnold.

So host dad had previously prepared for the slaughter by getting ready a large bowl of boiling water, a massive knife, and large pot of water boiling over the fire.  He walked slowly over to the knife and bowl of boiling water.  He put the chicken on the ground, kept its wings pinned together under one foot, pinned its feet under his other foot, held its head in one hand, and the knife in the other.  With an incredibly swift movement he deftly sliced halfway through the roosters neck.  He continued to hold it still for about 2 minutes, while it bled out into the bowl of hot water.

When it was done bleeding, he took the rooster over to the pot of bowling water and tossed it in.  He left it to boil approximately ten minutes, then pulled it out with a stick.  He proceeded to then completely decapitate the rooster and very skillfully de-feather the body. 

It was such an incredible process, I had to tell you about it.  Especially since we talked about slaughtering Arnold at least once a week.  So tonight I am going to eat rooster, FRESH rooster for dinner.  I will pretend that at the same time you are roasting or maybe bbq'ing Arnold.

MISS YA, BYE FOR NOW :)
Betsy

PC Ghana... Best Decision EVER!

First internet access in over a month!  Time for some serious updates.

I traveled for most of July.  And am STILL traveling actually!  I'm currently in Takoradi, a coastal city in the Western Region.  So here's what's been happening...

Sunday, June 3... Travel to Techiman, Brong Ahafo Region for language training.  We (me + 8 other trainees + 2 trainers)|** stayed in a small community called Ofurikrom outside Techiman with host families.  I totally scored as I got to stay with one of the sub-chiefs and his family.  ("Nana" means chief) So he went by Nana Adams.  His wife's name is Grace; everyone called her Madam Grace.  There were 2 daughters, Ayissa (26) and Kessewwa (13).  Ayissa studied Nutrition at the University of Tamale and is now a chef.  So she cooked for me all week, and the food was AMAZING.  Also, her sense of humor was hysterical, so we joked about men, sex, and booze all week. 

So during the week we did classroom style learning and practical learning (in the market, etc).  I feel like my Twi really improved!  But that's less exciting so I'll tell you more about the good stuff.

Joe, a current volunteer who works with cashew farmers around Techiman, is the bomb, so we hung out with him a lot.  We were all craving an American food fix so we made hot dogs (sort of) and guacamole/ plantain chips at his house one day for lunch... Another night we went over there to drink and managed to construct a very crude but effective game of beer pong.  And for those of you that know me, mixed drink pong, of course.

But I have to tell you the absolute coolest thing we did that week was visit the magic caves.... A older dude named Kwaw walked us around and told us what was what... First we walked up to a beautiful, peaceful teak forrest with rays of light streaming through the canopy onto the soft rich brown earth.  Then Kwaw started yelling, and honestly at first, it scared the shit out of me... I thought "holy shit, wtf is he doing??"  Then he turned to us and explained that he was alerting the spirits of our coming.  Ok, sweet, good idea.  So we walked through the teak trees to a rock mountain/boulder ... Just picture a rock the size of a high school gymnasium.  In the rock there was an opening to a cave about 30 feet high.  We walked into the opening and Kwaw starting clapping like a crazy man and again, scared the shit out of me.  Then a swirl of bats came flying around and out of the cave.  He pointed back into the cave and explained that the chiefs and kings of the old days are buried in there.  Also sweet, hundreds of years worth of dead guys.  And not just any dead guys, African tribal leaders at that. So anyway, we left the cave, and made our way to the top of the gym-sized boulder-mountain.  The view was incredible!  Sort of in between savanna and rain forest.  Oh, also, on the way up to the top we had to crawl through a 10 foot section of cave, an area in which one is not permitted to talk.  That is because the cave is magic and was historically used to protect people in times of war, so the opening can magically close up in case of an attack.  There are magic words that close the opening to the cave, but over the years those words have been forgotten... So to avoid accidentally uttering the magic words and being crushed by rocks, you just don't talk at all!  Spencer bumped his head and accidentally tested out the words "oh fuck." Fortunately they didn't end up being the the correct magic words.  Whew!

**The other trainees I traveled with were Bird, Biddle, Sam, Paul, Amit, Spencer, Ernie, and Tasha.  We called ourselves the "Techi Men."  Our trainers were Papa Moses and Michael.

Ugh, have to leave the internet cafe, but I promise I will post more soon!!

εte sεn (what up)

Hi everyone!  First, I'm sorry I haven't written more!  I don't have internet access in my host family's town or at the PC training site.  Today is a free day so after meeting the chief of my town this morning at the palace (yeah), a few PC buddies and I grabbed a tro (shitty old van) to Koforidua to use the internet cafe.  Also I am too tall for the seats in the tro, my patellas hurt.

Anyway, everything here is great.  I love the people (Ghanaians AND other PCVs), teaching, the food, my town, and life in general.  My host family is a blast. Margaret is my "sister" and Emmanuel is my "brother."  They speak decent English as they have had classes in school.  Emmanuel actually went running with me the other day.  He pooped out about a mile in, but he said he wants to keep going with me until he gets good at it.  Next time I'm here I'll upload some pictures of my town, family, and new friends!

I think I am assimilating nicely.. I am wearing a duku right now (head scarf wrap thing), I'm picking up more and more Twi, I've started cooking Ghanaian foods with my host mom, and this morning I carried water from the spigot in a bucket on my head.

Teaching... I taught high school chemistry this past week!! The high school is called OMESS (Oyoko Medthodist blahblahblah). We talked about orbitals, electron configuration, and a little about isotopes.  In the beginning of the week, I was a little nervous and talked too fast, but by Friday, things were going so smooth.  I LOVE my students.  They are intelligent, disciplined, respectful, and have great work ethic.  In fact, I love the teachers that I work with at OMESS also.  I could write an entire post about this dude named Ernest. In fact maybe I will sometime. I sort of wish I could stay at OMESS for the next 2 years...

Some other PCVTs and I with Intense Ernest

OH SPEAKING OF THE NEXT 2 YEARS... I got my assignment!! My school is in the Brong Ahafo Region in a town called "Menji."  Believe it or not you can actually find it on Google maps so check it out.  It is latitudinally in the middle of the country, but longitudinally out to the far west... almost to the border of Cote d'Ivoire.  In 2 weeks, I get to go visit for a week to check things out!! I am very excited :)  Just a few kilometers north of Menji is Bui National Park, which is home to warthogs, baboons, crocs, antelope, and various species of monkeys.  If you know anything about me, you know that I will be there as frequently as possible.

So I want to talk about food now. Since I am obsessed with diet and exercise, I was a little worried about nutrition before I got here.  But my macronutrient composition at meals is surprisingly superb.  Generally lunch and dinner consist of a starchy carbohydrate (cocoyam, plantain, cassava, or rice) with a big bowl of red/orange/yellow meaty stew... which might contain tomatoes, onions, palm or soy oil, peppers, peanuts (way tastier than it sounds), cabbage, carrot, kontonmire (like kale), various spices/ seasonings, eggplant, eggs, chicken, goat, or fish. Then on the side I might get avocado, pineapple, mango, or banana.  For breakfast I fry a mixture of eggs, cabbage, carrots, onions, and peppers in oil and eat it on a piece of bread.  Ghana bread kicks the ass of American bread.  I brought a giant stash of green tea, so that hasn't changed about me :) Still a few mugs of green tea every single morning.  Oh and also, the food is cooked in a pot over coals outside.  Oh and also, Ghanaians have flame-retardant hands.

Ok my time here is running out and I am getting hungry.  I miss you all, I love you, and I'm thinking of you.

Betsy

I'm in Ghana!!!

Hi everybody!

This is my first internet access since arriving in Ghana a week ago, so I wanted to check in with everybody and let you know that I am OK and HERE!!!

Currently we are training at the Peace Corps Center at Kukurantumi, a community a few hours northwest of Accra, the capital city of Ghana.  My host family lives in Old Tafo, which is a few minutes drive from Kukurantumi.  I am staying the Afra household with Mamee Rosemondo and Papee Osso and their two children Margaret (16) and Emmanuel (12).  I'm going to finish this post with some things about Ghana in list form...

• Everything, everywhere, and most importantly everyone is way nicer and more amazing than I ever imagined.
• The food is freaking yummy.  My mameee made me this amazing dish last night that included chicken tomato onion bell peppper spicey pepper (everything is SPICEY!!) cabbage carrot rice and spices.
• There are chickens and goats everywhere... EVERYWHERE.
• When you talk to any one, or need anything from anyone, or walk into a store, or even just past them on the street... you greet them.  And in the morning you ask how they are doing.  People care very much about the status of each other.
• They love volleyball... SCORE.  Good thing I brought the ball Emma and I stole from Columbus East in high school.
• All the kids yell OBRUNI and point as we walk by.... It means white person.  It's not offensive or bad, they just want to get our attention and talk with us!  I say "Daabi daabi daabi!! Yefre me Betsy!"  which means "No no no! My name is Betsy!"  They love it.  They crack up and say "Oh hello Betsy!"
• The Peace Corps trainers (Ghanaian and American) are the bomb.  I cannot wait to work with them more!!
• I've had both beer and the liquor.... The beer (StaR) is A.O.K and the apateshi is horrid and potent.  And I will drink more.
• I love and miss you ALL!!

Write more later!
Betsy

Address

For the first three months of service in the Peace Corps I'll be in training with other volunteers.  Send me presents and letters and an airconditioning unit (jokes!)...

Betsy Conway PCT
Peace Corps Ghana
P.O. Box 5796
Accra-North, Ghana
West Africa

Tomorrow is the day I've been waiting a year for.

Good Bye America

This is a special post as it will most likely be my last before leaving for Ghana.

I'd like to keep this simple, so there are three things I want to tell you about.

1.) I'm almost done packing.  I have 2 years of life contained in a large wheely suitcase and a large backpack.  I've made countless checklists, but I think I've finally got everything I need, including a 10" saute pan, wash clothes knitted by mom, 2 year supply of feminine products, knee length skirts, a ton of bandaids, and a quotebook.  I also have a journal to write down all the really good stuff that I don't want to post online.

2.) I will definitely miss some stuff.  You know what I just decided that I will miss ALOT? Getting my teeth cleaned every 6 months by Debbie at Dr. Cummings's office.  Best dental hygienist/ denist ever.  Other things I will miss include Bear the Dog, Heinz ketchup, any and all malbecs, the Indianapolis Colts, air conditioning, rhubarb, El Nopal, harassing Jackson, JPP, Taco the Chicken.... I won't even begin to launch into a list of the people I will miss :|

3.) You should stop reading now if you either:
A. Don't know my family at all,
B. Get weirded/ grossed out easily,
C. or Have never had a pet.

This Memorial Day weekend we had a wonderful get-together at Dad's house.  Mom came over, Annie and Melena came, Caleb was there, Tito and Henry even came down for the festivities.  We were only missing Smudge.  It was such a fun evening.. We had a bonfire in the backyard, played latterball, roasted wienies, drank wine, and cremated Ulysses.

WHAT???

Ulysses was my pet python, whom I received as a gift when I was 11 years old.  I love reptiles, snakes in particular.  He lived in a nice, comfortable terrarium in our house, ate rodents, and like to go on walks up and down the stairs.  Ulysses lived a lovely life, and passed away at age 12 this past winter.  When an animal - human or other - dies, you have two options: burial or cremation. In a conversation with my brother Wesley the day after Ulysses's passing, we decided that the only funeral appropriate for an 8 foot python would be a funeral pyre.  For some sick and yet unknown reason, everyone else was game to the idea.  It was a frigid snowy winter day though, so his funeral had to be postponed.  So we put Ulysses outside in the deep freezer.

Our story resumes this past weekend at the family's Memorial Day celebration, when the fire is burning bright and incredibly hot.  Dad retrieved Ulysses from the freezer and placed him in his plastic garbage bag coffin on top the raging bonfire.  The group stoked the pyre and watched in fascination as Ulysses's body incinerated. [And no, it didn't really smell at all.] We finally retired inside to play a game of Balderdash.  The next morning, the fire ring contained nothing but a pile of powdery grey ashes littered with bright white vertebrae and ribs.

And there you have it: a serpentine cremation.  Rest in peace, Ulysses.

My Gastrocnemius

Disclaimer:  This story is completely unrelated to Ghana, but this my blog, so whatever.

My calf has incurred more physical trama in the last few weeks than a person's calf should ever in an entire lifetime.

The first incident... it was one drizzly April morning after a big storm the night before.  I was leaving the house to head to work.  If you've never been to my house, you must understand that I have a very long driveway; the house is in the middle of a country block.  So, I drove past the fields, around the corner, and by the woods where the honeysuckle and blackberries grow... there is was. There was a large tree down across the driveway, that I suppose was knocked down the evening before in the storm.  It was blocking almost the entire width of the driveway and was approximately 22 inches in diameter.  In addition to the larger log blocking my way, there were also 2 smaller trees (or maybe they were originally part of the big tree, there is no telling) across the driveway approximately 8 inches in diameter.

What happened at this point in the story I cannot explain.  I got my gym clothes out of the back, changed right there in the driveway, and had at the logs.  I decided first to take on the smaller logs.  So I picked up the end of one over my should and started dragging it to the edge of the driveway and into the woods.  Success.  I approached the other smaller log.  It was Y-shaped.  I went about removal in the same way, but this time when I got it to the edge of the driveway, I dropped it.  I dropped it right on my left calf.  A little nub of the log got me in the calf like I've never been gotten before.  So I sat down and inspected my wound.  1) It was awesome, 2) My calf hurt like heck.

The second incident... Our story continues some 2.5 weeks later, when I decided to go for a harmless run, a route I've run so many times before.  From Dad's house to the old grave yard is approximately 1.5 miles, so roundtrip you get a nice 5k. I run down the road, over the interstate, and toward the graveyard.  At this point I'm on pace to run a 22 minute 5k. I was feeling good.  In my ears, I had on LMAFO... Loud.  Which was partially the problem, because then it happened.  With no warning what-so-ever, a sharp stinging pain hit my left calf.  I turned back to see a big angry yellow dog, unclamp its yapper from my poor tattered calf.  I thought, "Are you kidding, this means I have to stop running."  Then the blood started.  Also, my blood looks like cherry Kool Aid, like in a grade D horror film (see below). I hobbled to the nearest house, a nice old lady took me inside and cleaned up my leg.  Whatever she used was blue, smelly, and stung worse than "Jakey"s fangs.  Then we got in her boat-sized black Caddy and she drove me home.

 I might have bled all over her kitchen floor, but her damn dog ruined my run.  And my calf.  This thing is going to be sore for another 2 weeks.  I am POed!

I don't go running in my Nikes... I go bleeding.

American Boys

Two great American boys I plan to share with Ghana:

1. Peyton Manning
2. Justin Bieber

Yesssss

Friends Update

I was thinking, and I left out someone important, someone who has helped me in a lot of ways over the years.  Our friendship has been totally random, with no direction to speak of.  But when Penn sucked, she said, yo let's be roommates. When it sucked again, she said, come home with me to California. When it sucked more, she said, let's take a cooking class.  When it sucked yet again, she said, we're going to dance the night away. 

Jesse Yeager, your dedication as a friend has been a light time and time again. 

Best facebook relationship ever.

Friends

I can't stop thinking about a particular part of my aspiration statement.  My-self analysis is never terribly detailed nor accurate, but... I think I got this one right.  Here is the paragraph I'm talking about.

"There is something that is both a strategy and also a very important goal to me during my service in the Peace Corps: friendship.  I think the best way for me to adapt to a new culture is through friendship.  I want to be a friend and an integrated part of the community.  I don’t want to be “the new Peace Corps volunteer,” I want to be “Betsy.”  I’ll need open communication, honesty, dependability, many hours getting to know my new friends, and many hours of letting them get to know me.  I feel and function best in life when I am a friend and have a friend."

Friendship has always made me a bit of a mess in the head.  I have plently of friends, but "best friends" are few and far between.  I really click with a very few people..  

At age 12, I met Hoang Doan.  It didn't take long before we were stuck together with super glue.  I mean literally, I think once we actually glued our thumbs together.  When we started the transition from children to sort-of real people, circa high school, we remained incredibly close.  During the weird awkward teenage years, we floated in and out of social cirlces but remained best friends.  Hoang got my sense of humor and I hers, we had the same interests, we had similar goals, and we had (and have) quite high aspirations for ourselves.   I had other great friends in high school, but none quite like Hoang. 

When we left for college, we drifted apart... which is as is sad as it is my fault.  During my first two years at Penn, I meandered around different groups: athletes, science nerds, and even the fashion society.  I had friends, but never anyone like Hoang, and certainly not a "group" (ie Seinfeld, Friends, etc.).   Although it doesn't sound like a big deal, it totally sucked.  I didn't feel like I fit no matter where I turned, and it made me sad.  I considered transferring approximately once weekly. 

Then, I made the single best decision of my college career...I studied abroad, 1/2 for adventure and 1/2 just to get AWAY from Penn.  And where better to do those two things than Australia??  While abroad at James Cook University, I met my first "girl group."  ATown, Christa, MB (HOLLER).   I will always remeber that semester as full throttle living life.  I was sailing, swimming, drinking fruity wine, dancing, playing rugby, studying (I swear), hiking... and I was doing it all with a GREAT group of people.

Apparently I was on a roll, because a few months after returning to the US, Carolyn Mooney asked me to play on the Penn women's club volleyball team.  I said yes (reluctantly), and the rest is history.  I stayed with the team through the end of my senior year, and more importantly, Carolyn became my best friend.  We had amazing teamwork on the court,  cooked delicious dinners together, went out together, shopped together, studied together, hit the gym together... There I was again living life!  At the school that I thought I had bitterly hated, none-the-less. 

Throughout the the course of senior year, Carolyn and I fell into what would become the second "girl group" of my life. Sarah, Court, Romy.  Again I was going here and there, do this and that, never taking one second to breath, full on LIFE.  I want to write more thoroughly about the unique dynamics of this group later (or pass that task off to Carolyn), because these people have changed my life.  You have changed how I live and treat myself.   Because we came together and formed such solid, amazing, inspiring mesh, I can say

"Yo World, Betsy Conway is living life!" 
And I say it knowing you got my back.

Love always, Betsy

Aspiration Statement

Here is the Aspiration Statement I wrote and sent to the Peace Corps Country Center in Ghana.

ASPIRATION STATEMENT

Betsy Conway

Ghana

June 6, 2011

My primary aspiration over the next 27 months is to build upon the amazing legacy of the Peace Corps in Ghana.  The bond between the United States and Ghana is a relationship I don’t yet comprehend, but the magnitude is something extraordinary.

A:  What are the professional attributes you plan to use and aspirations you hope to fulfill during your Peace Corps service?

Since my assignment is high school science, the professional attribute I plan to use most is my broad and thorough academic background.  Science is my passion, and I have spent years gaining knowledge of biology, chemistry, and physics.  There is still so much in every area of science I have yet to learn, but I have a strong foundation to support me in teaching. 

I consider myself creative, and I plan to use creativity to my advantage in the classroom.  I know in Ghana we won’t have the luxuries of an American high school, like fancy lab equipment.  I plan to use my imagination and ingenuity to give my students the absolute best learning experience possible.

My primary goal in teaching is to make a positive impact on my students.  Some teachers in my past, I learned little from and barely remember.  On the other hand, a particular few teachers stand out in my life as having been a major mentor, friend, and role model.  I want to be that kind of teacher; the kind of teacher that teaches in a way that students remember.  The teachers I loved best share characteristics: charisma, love of knowledge, kindness, and reliability.  I want to bring those things to my teaching.

B: What are your strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs?

 Although I have read and reread all of the materials with which the Peace Corps has provided me, I think it is impossible to fully understand the “expressed needs” of my community until I experience them.  I have to be honest, I’m unsure of what to expect as a teacher in the Peace Corps.   Though, from what I’ve learned teaching teenagers in America, the only one thing you really can expect is the unexpected!

I do, however, have a few specific strategies for myself in approaching this assignment:

1. I expect myself to approach every day and every task with a positive attitude.  I am a naturally a positive person, and I want this quality to shine every day.  It’s easy to lose a positive attitude under stress, but I will overcome whatever difficulty no matter how great and remain true to myself.

2. I will give the people I work with and the things I do 100% of myself.   I didn’t sign up for this to do it half-heartedly.  I feel I have a lot of energy, skill, and passion to give, and I plan to share it all.  If I fulfill this expectation, these next two years should be the most exhausting of my life. 

3. I will remain flexible.  I don’t think this goal will be as challenging as the first two, because I am not a creature of habit.  In fact, I dislike routine.  I am always opening new doors and trying new paths.  Regardless, I expect myself to be ready and willing to embrace change.

4. I expect myself to always strive to move forward.  A good friend of mine regularly reminds me, “If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward!”  And he is absolutely right.  There is no standing still in this world; there is only forward and backward.   No matter the challenges I face in this assignment, I expect myself to always push on forward!

I do actually have one expectation of my assignment as a Peace Corps teacher.   That is challenge.  I expect to encounter challenge, whether great or small, every single day.  Challenge is having new experiences and walking difficult or untrodden paths.  I know that might be my every day as a Peace Corps volunteer.

C: What are your strategies for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background?

My main strategy for adapting to a new culture will be starting this experience with no presumptions or bias.  I should not spend time my time creating expectations, but rather preparing myself for change and challenge.  I am an amenable, adaptable person naturally, but I know this experience will test just how far I can flex. 

While I learn about a new culture, their customs and norms, I will practice what I learn.  As I learn a new way of saying “hello” or eating supper, I plan to practice it.  I might make mistakes, but I will not be timid, and I will certainly not give up!

There is something that is both a strategy and also a very important goal to me during my service in the Peace Corps: friendship.  I think the best way for me to adapt to a new culture is through friendship.  I want to be a friend and an integrated part of the community.  I don’t want to be “the new Peace Corps volunteer,” I want to be “Betsy.”  I’ll need open communication, honesty, dependability, many hours getting to know my new friends, and many hours of letting them get to know me.  I feel and function best in life when I am a friend and have a friend.  

D: What are the skills and knowledge you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project?

I imagine the pre-service training will be a flood of information and advice. As far as training to be a teacher, I am not worried.  I want to focus on culture and language study.   I want to know the people as well as three months of exposure and study will allow, so that I may serve them better.  I want to be a part of my community in every way possible. 

E: How do you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends?

 I don’t want to just be alive. While I am here on earth, I want to live life. And I know, no matter what happens while I am in the Peace Corps, that the next 27 months of my life will be living.  In that way, I was made for the Peace Corps.  The Peace Corps has a simple but challenging mission statement, demanding only the best of performance of their volunteers.  I have made these goals my own, and I will strive every day to accomplish them.  What I mean to say is that if I give this experience my all, when my service in Peace Corps ends, I will leave with greater expectations for myself professionally and personally than I am now even able to conceive.