Living in My New Place

Well, I light mosquito coils between the hours of dusk and dawn when I’m out and about, and still manage to get bitten. I have 3 cats but there is still a mouse in my house. I suppose that’s just the way things go.

I’m really excited to be in a house I know will be mine for over a year and a half! I haven’t lived in one place that long since high school. I think it’s probably time.

So I have a veranda that serves as my kitchen, and clothes washing area. From there you enter into the living room, which has a fully loaded bookshelf. Just the way I like it. From there you enter into my bedroom, which is fully equipped with a shower! I have three adorable kittens, who like to lay on me or cuddle up next to me all night long. I appreciate that when I’m awake they will play, but once I go to bed they join me.

I’m adjusting to no lights. I enjoy the candlelit nights on the couch with a kitten or two on my lap. What I have not started adjusting to is early bedtimes. Especially knowing that I will wake up around 3:30 to take my breakfast, and falling asleep can be difficult after that, one might think I would wise up and let my head hit my pillow before 10 pm, but that hasn’t happened yet. I like to organize, clean things up, and listen to music. The time simply escapes me!

I miss my exercise of walking from the guest house to the village, but there are major perks of being able to open my door and see who is around. After Ramadan I have every intention on working out again. Once we have electricity I will also be able to do my work out video on a daily basis. Yea!

All along when asked I have said there are perks to living in the guest house (outside the village) and there are advantages to living in my house. At the guest house I had lights (AKA cold drinks), a toilet and privacy. Not to mention a Dutch student working on his masters who is a very good cook.

At my house I’m in the village, I wash my clothes by hand (which I predict I might not wear jeans as much as they are a pain to wash by hand), I can come and go as I please, and villagers ultimately see my face more.

I am learning how to incorporate tomato and onions into every dish, as those are the vegetables you can pretty much guarantee will be at market. The fun thing is also having the option for local food at night, as there are sellers in the community around nightfall. This is something I generally take advantage of the day before market, when my vegetables are no more.

One thing I have been asked a few times, is what I will do with the house. What kinds of changes? Well, some of the walls are going to be painted. I also want to move some of the furniture around, see if there is another way I would like things to go. It is a very lived in housel, and I like that about it. I am the fourth PCV to live there, so I need to do something that will leave my mark on the house. The same as what the other volunteers have done. Just as the song goes, “I’ll be leaving my mark like initials carved in an old oak tree.. And leave nothing less than something that says I was here” So, here I go.

Day 11 of ‘Ramadan-ing’

Jochem and I are one day ahead of the Dagombas we live and work worth. We decided to follow Mecca, whereas they follow the moon (But not the sun for when it’s time to start and stop fasting.. Yes, it’s interesting!) So we are 11 days in.

I haven’t noticed a change in peoples energy levels or attitudes yet, but I suppose there is still plenty of time for that. As for myself, there is also no real change to be mentioned. It’s funny to think in terms of buying food at market. Vegetables such as tomatoes can be so time sensitive, especially when you consider I have no fridge to store them in. I can only use them at one point in the day. Although I am forced to skip lunch my appetite for breakfast and dinner has not increased. I have been told over and over again that a bowl of fruit and some vegetables is not a meal, although it is what I tend to be eating these days. My dear friend Adam is the only one who is concerned about me in this endeavor. He fears it will make me lean, which I repeatedly tell him I am perfectly fine with.

It’s nice to be fasting around everyone. We don’t talk about food, what we would like to eat, or the simple fact that we’re hungry. I do get some texts around 3:30 or 4 verifying that I’m awake and eating, but that’s it. It hasn’t been hard the few times I have been around non fasters during the daytime hours and watched them eat and drink. With that being said, I am very excited to get a cold, cold, cold, mineral my first market day after the fast is over. My first trip to Tamale afterwards I have every intention on gorging myself on FanIce (similar to vanilla ice cream), FanChoco (similar to a chocolate flavored icey) AND a FanDango (similar to a orange flavored popsicle) and a burger followed up with a cold coke. It may be a bad sign that I’m planning this out now, but that’s my way.

One thing I am considering (and actually think I will make happen) is stopping fast one day late, so my last day of fasting will be the same as everyone in my village. I want the day of the festival to be my first day where I can eat and drink while the sun is out. Jochem and I have every intention on being in the village for the Ramadan Festival. I’m not sure what all the festival has to entail, but I am thoroughly looking forward to it. As already stated, I like having things to look forward to.

My First Day of Ramadan

Jochem and I woke around 4:15am and started to take food and water. I think I can say that for the both of us we were excited that something we have been looking to was finally happening. We talked excitedly as we ate bread, mangos, had water and juice. Back to bed around 5, but first we had to brush our teeth as we are also not supposed to do that during the day.

I got to the village earlier than normal (as of late). I was scheduled to go to a neighboring village to assist with malaria education alongside the peer educators we had educated a few weeks back. 

All worked out, I got ahold of my contact in the village. We were set to do the education after Friday prayer. I caught a ride in a tipper with Megan and Liz. Together at the back we all got thrown every time we hit a bump, which on a dirt, unkept road, is common. I thought it was a great ride. 

I was so proud of our peer educators as they stood in front of their village and taught them about malaria and how to protect themselves and their family.

On our way back we got a ride with a Motorking, sitting in the back with some tied up cows. This ride was scarier as we sat on the edge gripping the railing for our life. After getting thrown around a bit the driver slowed down, but on that dirt road it was still a bumpy, unpleasant, ridiculous ride that I’m glad I got the chance to experience.

At this point in the day I was starting to really notice my hunger and thirst but there was nothing I could do, it was only somewhere around 4pm. I wasn’t getting angry yet by watching others eat, which is good. Jochem came to the village and we gathered some food to break the fast with, besides the watermelon Julie had given us. We took sweet bread and wagashi, to take before dinner. We were both so excited about this, that I didn’t mind the dull hunger pains I was used to at this point.

When we first took water, it was the most exciting and delicious thing. Then the feasting began. And it was good.

Day before the beginning of Ramadan

I woke early and sat with Jochem while he took breakfast before work. We were trying to plan out what we will take for breakfast tomorrow. He wants to take something heavy, thinking it will help prevent getting hungry before sun set. I don’t agree, in total. He joked we should take fufu. The funny thing about that is that yes, fufu is heavy, but it doesn’t keep you full for long.

In Mecca they are starting Ramadan on a Friday (I’m not sure what the date is in the Islamic calendar) and the Muslims in Ghana are going by the moon. By this I mean the Muslims here are not going to be starting the same day as those everywhere else in the world. Jochem and I had already decided we were going to start when Mecca started, on Friday. When I told the guys this they all teased me, ‘Are you in Mecca? No, you’re in Northern Ghana. You need to start when we start’.

I’m starting to wonder how my personality might waiver as I fast. I think I will get grumpy, and try to find ways to pass the time before the night falls. I’m also curious if I will get used to the feeling of hunger, and by the end of the day be convinced that I am in fact not hungry. I think it will be harder to not take water than food. One thing Jochem and I noticed was that we are going to be taking a short weekend trip towards the end of Ramadan. I think there’s a chance at that point we will be so hungry we don’t enjoy ourselves, or want to do the things we are out to do anymore. I’m also nervous we could miss the end of Ramadan in the village, and miss the celebration. I feel the need to be in the village for the celebration.

This will be an experience! I can tell you one thing, I need to find out if you’re allowed to chew gum. If not, I’m going to be in pain.

Preparing to “Ramadan”

With less than a week ‘til the fasting I am anxiously awaiting to see how the month will unfold. I am eager to participate in the religious event, although I know it will be a lot harder than I am imagining it to be. But when else will I have such an opportunity to participate? I have never done such a thing, go from sun up til sun down without taking anything food or water. I am thankful this religious event does not occur during the hot season. If it did I don’t think I would be physically capable of participating.

Being who I am, I am taking it up as a personal challenge to see how long into Ramadan I can fast. I fear I will get a lot of pressure early on to break the fast. On the other hand, my counterpart is excited I will be participating. He sees this as the opportunity for me to convert to Islam. Either way, I will decide when I stop. I think it would be something great if I were able to go all 30 or so days without cheating or breaking fast.

It’s hard to imagine going from sun up ‘til sun down without taking food or drink of any kind, but that is what I’ll be doing. Some of the guys in the village like to say it won’t be a problem for me, they don’t believe that I eat anyway. Which from what they generally see of me, is an understandable thought. I do as my old roommate says, I eat like a rabbit. Plus, in the village I can only take so much of my rice when ever few bites I chomp into a rock. For the sake of my teeth, I hardly eat in the village.

I keep asking guys different rules according to Islam. My counterpart Mohammed was saying that women breakfast around 7pm where men have to wait until 9pm. I thoroughly did not believe him, and instead asked Mohammed AKA Assembly who said that depending on the weather people either break fast at 6 pm or 6:15 pm. I have also been told you take breakfast at 4:30am and need to be done by somewhere 5:15am. According to Assembly you take breakfast between 3am and 4am and need to be done by 4:30 am in time for the Fajir prayer. I hear different accounts, some I believe over others, some I’m not so sure about.