Trip to the North

10/18/2007 After reading, The Only Dance There Is by Ram Dass, I am uplifted. It has renewed my spirit. I took from it so many things that I am still digesting and will continue to for quite some time, I imagine.

One meditation that I found in this book and put to practice this morning was as follows:

While eating, repeat this to yourself silently with each bite:

Reaching, reaching
Lifting, lifting
Placing, placing
Chewing, chewing
Tasting, tasting
Savoring, savoring
Swallowing, swallowing
Digesting, digesting

It was a process that made me deeply aware. Aware of my body, my actions, the food, the nourishment. I want to conitinue this practice of being mindful.

Also, I read a line in the same book which gave the definition for a word that I’ve heard and used many times, but did not know its true meaning.

The word is Namasta, meaning “I honor the light within you.”

What a beautiful greeting. It is already how I feel. I HONOR THE LIGHT WITHIN YOU…
I want to chant Namasta as a mantra today while I walk to and fro through busy Techiman. I hope the vibrations of this repetition and all that it implies touch all whose path I cross. Today, I choose to love and be of service and I am filled with gratitude for this inclination. In the taxis, I have been trying to recognize that we are all one and so I feel quite connected to my fellow travelers, to Ghana, to God when I depart at the station or at my village. It has been a nice feeling to impart silently on those around me. I do not know the affect it has, if any, other than centering and opening my heart. For this I am grateful.


10/26/07 On Wednesday, I returned from a trip to the north with 7 other volunteers. We visited two sites where Peter and Johnny live. They were fun and we learned so many new things.

We also had the opportunity to see what it is like to walk 3 miles, twice daily to fetch water. The dam where women and small girls fetch is located between several villages so that many women can use it and therefore, some walk even farther.

We were also lucky enough to participate in a fun Water Day at the school in Peter’s village. We had an obstacle course and three-legged racing and sack racing and we taught them songs to sing about cleaning your water.

We watched an attempted Guinea Worm extraction, sorry, no pics, I felt too bad for the guy.

We spent five days with no electricity and cooked nightly by candlelight and slept 7 to a room on little mats and laughed so hard. We played Uno and told stories and met village people and ate chop, which is simply local food bought at the station.

I took many pictures of children, they were so candid and the shots seemed to come out really well. I took some pictures of two bulls I came across in the street about to fight, I thought this to be so random and funny. The cows and goats just walk around everywhere, here there are no fences.

Hmm, that’s a pretty powerful sentence… HERE THERE ARE NO FENCES… I’ll have to think about that one.

Anyway, we were basically given the opportunity to experience what life will be like once training is over. Everyone is excited and ready.

A few other things I’d like to mention: I spoke with the girl who I am replacing and she is going to sell or gift everything in her house to me. Which means I will not have to purchase and transport the gas stove and drum, the bicycle, and furniture. She is also leaving me art supplies and books!! I can’t wait to meet her and everyone I will be working with. I’ve been told several times that Jirapa is such a nice place. I feel so lucky. If they only knew how happy I am to be going there. I suppose they will in due time. I have big shoes to fill, Jenelle, the volunteer I’m replacing has had many projects going and I have to opportunity to continue with any that I am interested in as well as begin my own. I found out that there is an internet spot in Jirapa, when it works, and this is thrilling to me. I have committed myself to this blog as a tool and an outlet for myself and I am so excited that I will not have to travel so far to update. All in all, I can’t wait to fill you in on my new home. I will travel there for 5 days very soon so stay posted.

Today, each volunteer had to present a Personal Project to the group on any topic they chose. I chose to talk about West African influence on Louisiana due to the inflow during the slave trade. It was so surprising to me upon arriving here how much Ghana reminds me of Louisiana and especially New Orleans. Well, I discovered that the first slaves were brought there when New Orleans was only one year old, so you can imagine the heavy influence. I won’t go into detail now, but if you are interested in learning more, just email me.

The language classes are coming along wonderfully, something I did not expect and I love learning it. I would write to you in it, but its pretty boring if you don’t know what I’m saying, so just trust me on this one and one day I’ll speak to you in Dagaare in person.

The last thing I want to comment on is how accommodating the Peace Corps has been to me. I did not expect this in the least. I am constantly being asked if I am eating the right food or if I am comfortable or if I am sleeping well, am I enjoying homestay? It never ends. After many years of caring for myself as an adult, I did not expect such considerate care and concern. Most of the Peace Corps staff, in country, are Ghanaian, so this is part of it, they are so naturally hospitable. But also, financially, the Peace Corps covers everything aside from my personal wants. I’ve never really been looked after in this manner before. Its been nice to just relax and not worry about money.

That’s all I’ve got today, check out the pictures titled Field Trip (North). All my love, Erica