"It's feeling like Christmas"

I heard a Ghanaian say "It's feeling like Christmas" as the outside weather was feeling more dry and hot here in Ghana. It was so foreign to me to have this feel like Christmas at all. But it's coming right around the corner. We have one week left of classes and then a month of exams. My exams are fairly spread out with about one exam a week. I will have time to do some traveling. Hopefully I'll get to Togo and Benin next weekend with a group of people. They speak French there, so it will be interesting.

It has been such a long time since I have written a blog so I'll update a bit of what has been going on here.

Politics are a daily topic with the US elections at a close, and the elections for Ghana are right around the corner, everyone is involved. I walk around and hear "Obama" chanted towards me. I smile and wave; and I can see everyone is looking to the US to see how the next four years will go.

I was in class just yesterday, and I experienced a great spontaneity of the work and learning as a student in Ghana, as I was elected to give a presentation on a topic I know nothing about next Monday. And I was informed that some of the information will probably be on the final exam. Everyone speaks English here, however, most people cannot understand me when I speak and especially when I speak fast, so the presentation should be interesting. I had almost traveled this weekend, good thing I didn't!

I have just started trying to cook Ghanaian local foods. It's becoming costly, because what I spend 6$ on, I can get at the local market for under 1$. I had hoped to being back some of the foods to the States. We'll see how that goes. I just secured a Banku making event with a classmate. Banku is a staple food here in Ghana, made out of cassava and sometimes mixed with corn. It has a sour taste and more slimy texture. It is supposed to be eaten with one's hands and usually with soups. The first time I ate it was in the first couple weeks in Ghana and I didn't like it and haven't had it since, so here is for round two!

I am continuously learning about the food crops in Ghana which gives me the importance of staple crops in Ghana and West Africa. We have to do research projects either on a specific crop disease or on specifics of a crop or local environmental practices and I've found it isn't an easy gather of information. Since Ghana is a developing country much research hasn't been conducted and financial support for more research is also lacking. Much research must be manually conducted and is not an easy internet source search. Professors and students alike are noting the importance of research in the development of Ghana and all of Africa. It's amazing to see the impact these students are making now and the projected impact each will make in the future.

Back to a weekend of relaxation and studying.