During our morning assembly I am the only one who did not know how to: march, sing their songs (and there are a lot of them), recite the Lord's Prayer or Ghana's Pledge, sing the school song, and their National Anthem, etc. We also have to bow/curtsy to our headmaster (principal), and greet every adult with "Good Morning/Afternoon Mr./Mrs. So-n-So". If we don't do this, we get in trouble, serious trouble.
Some funny /different highlights from the first three weeks:
1. A kid asked me "What's all over you face?" I was confused for a second then realized, oh, it's my freckles. I said "These are freckles." He said "They're not supposed to be there, are they?" I said, "Yes they are. They're permanent." The kid said "Oh, okay." and walked away.
2. My science teacher taught us how to stretch our face. He told us not to laugh because it was a great way to get through the day, without getting face cramps. :) It included a lot of cheek-puffing, tongue-sticking out-ing, weirdness. (we couldn't help but laugh!)
3. During break I went to the bathroom (they call it a washroom). A girl ran up to me and asked "Are you going to urinate?" Awwwkward. I responded "Yes, I am going to urinate." trying not to smile.
4. If you read my blog post "Tidbits from Orientation" you'll understand this one: My Religious and Moral Education (RME) teacher calls me "Americana", and all my other teachers call me "Obrunee". According to the school rules, they should all be caned!
5. My RME teacher called on a boy who was unable to answer a question. She yelled "If you are unable to tell me (the answer), I will crucify you!" Ummmmm, okay.
6. ALL of our work must be completed in blue ink (even math!), or you will get a big fat ZERO followed by a question mark. In the States, the teacher would ask you nicely to redo the work in pencil.
7. Math is the easiest subject for me. We were doing our class exercise and I finished the work in less than a minute. When I stood up to turn in my work, they were all surprised. As I walked back to my seat they all started clapping. I did NOT know what to do to that, so I just sat down quickly and started reading.
This has been a real adjustment for me. I'm still wondering if I will ever get used to it.
Wow, Hannah. This post made me want to laugh out loud and hug you at the same time. Apparently the kids at your school are not shy about asking personal questions. Sometimes when something crazy or unpleasant is happening to me, it makes me feel better to think, "well, at least I can write a blog about it!". So I guess I'm hoping some more crazy stuff happens to you, cause I love reading your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteWay to be in math. May I also applaud your excellent work. Next time they applaud, take a bow before sitting down. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah! Your post really made me smile :) Things are pretty different in Ghana, huh? Although you may never understand/agree with some of the differences, I promise you'll get used to most of them. Oh, and a little something that will make Ghanaians laugh...when they call you Obruni, you can call them Obibini, which is basically the opposite of Obruni. They'll think it's funny, although probably not your RME teacher, so probably best to stick with Mrs. So-n-So with her. Can't wait for your next post!
ReplyDeleteKatie Adams
Wow, that's quite the school experience! I had no idea school would be like that over there. Very interesting. I love reading about you're adventures!
ReplyDeleteFun stories, Hannah. I think #1 is my favorite. :)
ReplyDelete