title here

Well...where has the week gone? Suddenly everything is going by so quickly. It will be eleven pm and I am lying in my room wondering what I did the whole day. Here I am though, with another check list of topics to include in this week's blog. First off...Happy Birthday Mom (yesterday)! The time difference is taking a tole on available talk time to the U.S. but I am glad I was able to wish you a happy birthday this morning.
Now...starting last weekend: on Saturday I attended a wedding. I was invited by Isabella and Issac (or Kofi is his Ghanaian name). Issac is Isabella's organization coordinator and also this person she was living with. The person getting married was Issac's stepmother's sister, Akia (I know I am spelling her name wrong). Because Issac and the rest of his family are fairly well-off I was told this wedding was a bit more extravagant than most Ghana weddings. We arrived and were immediately given seats in direct view of the bride and groom (who that this point were saying prayers about their engagement (they were not even in proper wedding attire yet). A man sat down next to me and tried to explain what was going on (because of course everything was in Twi). Overall I just looked around at all the beautiful traditional African clothing and enjoyed the sunny day. One thing to mention, Issac had yet to show his face, Isabella and I had gotten a ride from his stepmother. After the engagement "party" the couple changed clothes and everyone walked to the church. Akia looked stunning! After a half hour of having no idea what was said the ceremony was over and everyone walked up in a line to congratulate the couple. Then we walked back to the place we were originally and it was time to party (mind you it was just 12:30 pm). Isabella and I were wondering where Issac was since he had missed the entire wedding but he suddenly appeared and asked us to come outside. Here is where I witnessed the most romantic thing I could imagine...Isabella's boyfriend (who I have heard SO much about) pops out of a taxi at the wedding. He had arranged with Issac to surprise her and he had gone to get Ali (the b/f). I thought Isabella was going to faint when she saw Ali! (I know this doesn't have a whole lot to do with Ghana but I am simply sharing last week's events). Anyhow the rest of the wedding was equally shared by the bride/groom and Isabella and Ali. Everyone wanted to see these two love birds dance and enjoy themselves. We arrived home around 3pm and I left the reunited couple to themselves.
The rest of the weekend I mostly relaxed, talked to my parents and went through all the supplies Catherine had left me to use with the children. On Tuesday morning I joined Martina and Klara on the Columbus school bus (which leaves at 6:30 am and returns after 8am). This school bus should be referred to as a deathtrap on wheels and the last thing any child should be allowed in. While I know see how vital it is (by picking up 40 plus children from many surrounding villages), it is literally falling apart and the amount of exhaust that comes into the bus practically forces you to stick your head out of the window so you won't suffocate. The hardest part is passing many other school buses on the way and realizing that Columbus needs help! Not all the school buses look like this...but Columbus is a work in progress (and is only 4 years old I believe). We were greeted by smiling faces of all the children, and quite a few girls from the classes I teach cram onto the same seat as me. This is a good sage way into explaining more about the school building itself. I think I mentioned something about it before but just to clarify: there are no windows in this "building." It is pretty much a cement structure with a roof but no solid floor (just dust) and no proper rooms (just cement blocks to break apart the "rooms"). Therefore, you can hear the what is going on in each classroom and often the young ones are so loud it is hard to teach. Tuesday was a good day however, it was Isabella's last day but she had raised money from home to purchase materials for the school before she left. She and Ali brought $400 dollars worth (or whatever the Norwegian currency is) of workbooks, English/math books and pencils. She pretty much left everything in my care and said farewell but she knows I will make sure they are put to good use. And I have, everyday this week I have been using the textbooks and the children enjoy having anything new.
My tutor program is coming together. Each day I have taken children out of classes 3, 4 and 5 and worked with them on a more individual bases (while still covering what the teacher is covering with the rest of the class). I see improvement in some children but in others I see they are so far behind, I need to really work with them one on one. When this happens I simply write their name down for future reference. Hopefully in the next two weeks I can get my own schedule started and find the time to work with these kids individually. I am having trouble finding enough time while in school however. I am mainly working with classes 3, 4 and 5 but within each class is anywhere between 6-15 students that could benefit from one on one time. I am also being called by the teachers of the younger grades to help them as well. I will get myself on a solid schedule and will figure it out. I will say that I have even MORE respect for anyone in (or preparing to get into) the teaching field. Teaching is difficult!
In addition to school time, I have been working with the ten or so children that live at Columbus. We have been doing homework together or simply writing and practicing reading. The kids really want to learn! They would rather spend their "free time" getting help to read or trace letters than play. I think I will be able to see improvement in these children the most. I am making time to play with the kids as well. The other night I was teaching some of the girls "slide," this is a hand clapping game that all American girls learned on the playground in grade school. They all had fun and kept lining up to play with me. Then the girls taught me a hand clap game that they play in Ghana.
I see that I have just 4 minutes left for my Internet time (and still so much to write!)...I am pretty sure I will make time to write more this weekend. Until then...thank you so much for all your comments! I am having problems with the pictures but will work in it. check back soon for more!
-Afia