Go DJ!

7-8-10 @ 9:35p

I’m looking forward to the memories of right now…

I’ve just realized that I did not explain what I am doing in Ghana. For those of you who know what I did in South Africa, this is the same program but in Ghana. The Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change (ICGC) at UMN has an undergraduate Global Issues Honors Consortium (GIHC). The students come from Tougaloo College in Mississippi, UMN Twin Cities campus, and UMN Morris campus, and Dillard from my cohort but not this year. They have undergone over a year of intensive coursework and research training and now are here in Ghana taking part in lectures delivered by Ghanaian professors and traveling. They are expected to build on a research paper they produced over the last year and add an element that includes a Ghanaian perspective (if possible). Some of the topics include; skin bleaching, interracial relationships, HIV/AIDS among women, the impacts of the oil industry on the developing world, religious preservation, governmental medical experiments, and more. Every trip they take a graduate mentor/teaching assistant, and I’m that person!

I went to Cape Coast and visited two slave castles/forts and the Slave River. Let me say it was an emotional experience and I don’t have it in me to write about it right now. I’ve written in my journal extensively and will do so again tonight. Hopefully tomorrow I will get the words and courage to revisit the experience.

I am thankful that my pop was a DJ growing up and that my brother is now. I have found my new talent. I am a self-proclaimed IPOD DJ! I kid I kid. No, in all seriousness, I learned a lot in rural MN in the middle of a snowstorm with my pop DJing for all white folk. If nothing more, I learned what songs people will dance to.

Hopefully today was my last trip to the hospital. The student with the stitches had them removed and another needed medicine for a rash. I find extreme joy in bargaining the price with the taxi drivers. I tell them there is no traffic so they will lower the price, as if I know. HAHA. It’s so amusing to me for some reason.

We had lunch on the beach today. While we were waiting for our food some of us changed into our swimming trunks and jumped in the Atlantic. Riding the waves and diving into them was refreshing. Lunch was followed by a nap on the chair listening to waves. It was great! We played with crocodiles the day before. Talk about a rush. The young ones are feisty and ‘misbehave’ as the employees said. I ran from it when it started to move my way and realized I left my beer. So of course I went back for the beer. I mean hey, I had only taken one sip. Couldn’t have a flag on the play for alcohol abuse.

Sorry for the long time without blogging. We did not have internet. I’ll update you on the castles tomorrow.

The life and times of amo…