Takoradi, Ghana Bloggy
I'm still in Ghana, but working at the MIT- Media Lab Center for Bits and Atoms Fab Lab at the Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI).
My Contact Info: Stayed at Planter's Lodge in Takoradi (Excellent)
What I Love about Ghana...Everything and Everyone!

Monday August 9, 2004
Awe, I am starting to feel sad again. I can't imagine not waking up under the African sky. I can't imagine going one day without hip-life of hi-life :( I can't imagine going one day without saying "Chale, I de go come"-the beautiful pidgeon better known as broken english. Speaking of languages, I started speaking in Spanish this week as a protest to people talking to me only in Fanti. I think they are starting to understand. And I made up my own broken English language called "A-Chicky-boom"  So I say things like "Chale, I de chicky boom boom" which means, well who knows what it means.

SundayAugust 8, 2004
Oh so it's been a week. This week I was alone at the Fab lab and you know the hours are long like 7:30am-9:30pm, so I used my energy wisely. I really wanted to enjoy Ghana, but I am starting to get really tired. Anyway, I am having a fantastic time...just need break..for a sec...

So I went to this Street Jam party Sat night with one of my friends. It was fantastic! Beautiful! So many people out and it was alllll good! I love it. I ended up meeting another friend there too, a girl. So it was funny cause we were 2 girls and one guy, so some people were saying to the one guy "Ovuh-Load"! meaning overload....which means he has more girls than he can handle. That was cute. And then we left the street party to go to a club which again was in the street...well it was so packed so everyone was just dancing in the street

Friday night at BBJ was cool, except we were short on finances so I had to the people at the door, so that we could all get in. So it was all good!

Oh this was funny, one night I was walking down the street after lab hours with some students from the lab and well...I was talking with one of my male students and apparently someone thought we were having some type of relationship dispute and yelled out of their car window to me "Leave him"!

Sunday July 29 6:58 am
Just got back from the club for rizzle! It was off the chain. We kind of club-hopped that is we went to one club partied for about 1 hour and then went to another. Yeee-haaaww! the first club we went to was Paragon and it was a nice place but it was attracting a much more adult crowd and I'm just a kid ;) So we decided to leave and go to BBJ! What a great decision! It was sooooo much fun and we danced almost all night. At around 4:30am we went to the downstairs part of the club to watch a movie. I saw a nice big African spider waddle its way across the screen/wall. I am really trying to learn all the dance moves cause they are sooo hot. I did not tell you how going out came to be. Well basically after we closed the Fab Lab Sat evening, we all decided that we should meet up and go out around 10pm. So of course I went back and fell asleep, and of course I received a few visitors around 10pm. It was cool though. So we left the club around sunrise! My dream came true that was to party all night until the break of dawn in Ghana. And then go watch the sunrise. And we did exactly that. We rushed to the beach and "watched" the sunrise. It was actually quite foggy so we could only see specks of the sun. But it was still beautiful. Big Smile :)

The language thing is so weird. It's as though everyone desperately wants you to speak Fanti just because. Not for any real reason, but only just because. So sometimes they will speak it right at you and then ask do you understand what I said...and of course I am like no.

I really do not want to leave Ghana. What should I do?
Chale, I am really considering staying in Ghana. If not, then I need to come back soon. I am so in love with the people here. The good and the bad.

At the Fab Lab
It's so amazing that eventhough the Fab Lab is closed on Sunday, when I arrived I saw some students I think are from the community and they followed me in! They are so anxious to start up Linux and go to Open Office Draw. Right now there are about 3 boys. I suspect more people will come. But let me get started preparing projects for the week.

Saturday July 29

Alone in Ghana
Ok so now I am pretty much alone in Ghana for a week. I am still on the fence about when I should leave to go back to the US, but for now I am preparing to leave at the planned date on Aug 7 around 10pm.

At the Fab Lab
There is some celebration today for the welding students. There are very few females maybe 2 or 3. I guess since everyone knows I am from the US and some have heard about my clubbing adventures lastnight...then well... let's just say my personal space was filled with about 10 TTI male students. We were just talking about the MIT program and about the US in general. But I felt very embarrassed and shy because all the guys would just stand over me and not say much. So I was like...ok what's going on. Anyway, it's weird how people just stare at anything your are doing and I mean anything. Even when I type in MS Word people are staring. But uh ok. I am brewing up some good plans for this next week, so stay posted.

There are quite a few, maybe about 4, really sharp male students and about 3 really sharp female students. It's going to be hard to select who the lab assistant will be,  but it's a good thing. i can;t believe how fast the people here are at learning.

I just sliced my finger on a piece of copper trying to set up the modela. I can't seem to locate the first aid kit so i"m just going to use rubbing alcohol and cotton. Yay I get to use the first aid kit that I bought.

I went to the end of the year ceremony for the welding students. It was crazy. Because just as I was entering the room one of the professors speaking stopped his speach and introduced me. And I was sooo embarrased. I had to walk down a room full of welding men and just a few welding women... and everyone was clapping. So that's the  beginning of my experience of working alone in Ghana.  So I was introduced as a fab Lab member and the rest is history. At the end of the ceremony pictures were being taken. So I was asked to be in one or two photos and then I was pulled around to be in like 20 photos. A little interesting and again embarrassing, but ok.. Anyway, we all decided that we will go out tonight. I went for a club nap and was awakened tonight by 3 visitors from TTI, who are ready to party! So I will see you later. Damn I love my hip-life music! Wait 'til I show you all the grreat dance moves.

Clubbin in Takorizzle!
Man the club BBJ in Takoradi was soooo hot! It was one of the nicest clubs I have seen ever! It was really nicely laid out with great lights, DJ, and more. There even is a cinema downstairs. It's located on a hill so there is a great view of Takoradi from outside the club. The hip-hop and hip-life was grrrreeeeaat! Let me tell you how I got there. First I was talking to one of the female students about going out  Friday night. She was like Yeah! So I was like Yeah! especially I have not been out with a Ghanaian woman before. So I figure a girls night out. Anyway, yadda, yadda, I fall asleep around 9pm. And I remember vaguely telling the student that if we go out, and that is "if", then I would like to go out around 10:30pm or so. Well, you guessed it! She shows up with one of her girlfriends at our hotel/lodge. She also has two guys who are driving with her (her brothers). So I'm taken out of my sleep, which is now officially a club nap, and I get ready to go pah-tay! So I get ready while the girls are waiting in Amy's room and the boys are waiting in the car. And we head off to the club BBJ. Wow! things look grrreaat. The club is real nice. The bos pay for us to get in...we all get served free energy drinks. It' s all good. We arrived at the club around 11:30pm and it was empty. So I checked out the indoor cinema which is downstiars in the club. There were a few people watching music videos. Anyway after about 1 hour the club was jumpin off da chain! So you know..... ;)

Thursday July 29
Oh wow. So Amy had to take care of some business, so I had to teach the two morning Fab Lab classes. Wow. what an experience. Going from almost full prepared lectures while teaching the AITI curriculum at Legon to no prepareation teaching at the TTI Fab lab....this is great. I know I have to teach these students so I am quickly learning how to devise a lecture, and by the way there is no white board and no time to prepare slide, for the TTI Fab Lab students. Also, many TTI professors and staff come in and hang around too. No pressure :) It's much more beaurocratic here because we have to interact much more with the Faculty here. Also, we are really encouraging the students to dream and think out side of the box. Wow. I am teaching the students Linux too and I have not used it since welll many years back. But I do use it periodically so I know the basic commands. This is so crazy, but so great. I am really proud of MIT and the programs that they are implementing all over the world. Especially MIT-AITI, and the two Media Lab projects that I am aware of, the Computer Club House, and the Fab labs.

More Kokompe
Wow the kokompe is this amazing place for non-traditional learners and inventors to invent and fix things. They use machines, they make machines, they invent everything. It is soooooo... amazing and impressive. We brought a vortex tube that can seperate compressed air into hot air and cold air, that shoots out of either end of the tube. When the people at the Kokompe saw it it was as though "You felt the  world moved a few degrees" in the words of Professor Neil Gershenfeld.

We, Amy and I, went to Market Circle yesterday. It was very nutty. I have not really had the chance to experience Ghana without having a Ghanaian with me...shout out to Ato! Anyway, amy is an Asian American super smart woman who is one of Neil's graduate students. She and the amazing Sherry Lassiter, known as Lass, landed in ghana to set up the fab lab. Anyway, Amy and I went to market circle, which is apparently where all the women in the area work. I am having two more skirts made. I think I should start making some shirts since it's cold in Boston and I hardly ever wear skirts.

Getting internet access is super hard since there is none at TTI and since we work generally from 7am - 9pm, no reall fixed time for lunch or dinner either. But hey, we work it out. I so desperately want to check out the Ghana 2004 yahoo group so I can communicate with the adorable MIT-AITI Ghana 2004 students. I also am dying to make my hip-life interactive streaming site and my streetz of Accra game, but time is such a rare commodity.

Oh yea. There have been 2 lizards in my room in the past 2.5 days. I just asked some of the Fab Lab students how I should get rid of them. One student just said "Please, Aisha, but they are harmless". Awe so cute!
Ok I am going to show them the Modela soon. bye for now. Ok I'm back. i am now at an internet cafe. The internet is beyond slow here so who knows if and or when I will get to upload this. I notice much more of a language bariier in takoradi than Accra. Maybe it's just that less people fully speak english or maybe most of my experience in Accra was guarded by Ato, who could speak the local language.

More Market circle
Ok so let me say more about market circle. Of course it was kind of nutty like any market. Where the sewage ran all through the walking path to the market.. So many people were haggling Amy and I and calling Amy Obroonie (however you spell it). Also, apparently on a number of occasions people would come up to Amy and yell at her in the local Fanti language. It seemed all in good fun or whatever...but still kind of weird. Anyway, communication with those back in the US is so limited because currently Amy does not have her cell phone, but she should get it back later today. And the internet is just plain a rare commodity. There is no amazing Busy internet, that I know of, in Takoradi. Oh I have gotten off topic. Yea so the market circle was kind of cool. I bought a bra, so that was fun ;) And i bought some fabric and will be having, yet another, skirt made. I definitely need to make more shirts...didn't I already write about this? Anyway, I am at the internet cafe just waiting for any type of connection so now i'm just writing anything that comes to mind. I pick up my skirt from market circle near #6 tomorrow. And I pick up my other skirt from this random tailor called "Tailor" who does his work in some house like thingy in the hallway. We will see what happens. I got the fabric as a gift from one of my students in my class.

I really would like to talk to my loved ones. I miss you RB. And I need to download my flight info. I am still on the fence about when I should go back to the US. Did I say that the room at Planter's lodge is like a 1 br apartment. It has a seperate sleeping area from the living area and a refrigerator. It's reallynice minus the lizards and other crawly creatures. I feel a bit less safe just being a girl and hanging out with just one other non-Ghanaian girl. But apparently Amy is used to backpacking all over the world. either solo or with a group. so I do find comfort in that... Ok so apparently the inernet just comes and goes and currently its a go...so they tild me to hang out for a long while or just come back later. Aaarrrgh...it took so much to get here now..hmmmm...

Wednesday July 28
Holy cow. Finding time for anything is almost impossible. I am pretty tired from all the work, but it's so great so I keep going. Anway, I am trying to bridge the network between the TTI Fab lab and the TTI computer lab which are conveniently adjacent. So it's an easy task. I am so tempted to install the AITI Java software and get busy teaching again. Especially since so many people have asked for private programming lessons. I am figuring I can teach them Python as I learn it. I think I am supposed to be in Accra this weekend, but I just may not make it. Amy is so adventuresome. She is one of those 150 mile hiker type people, so it's going to be a crazy experience.  Iam jumping all around this blog so please forgive me. I barely have time to sit down and write. But I hope to smoothen up that process...or not Anyway, getting the internet is SUPER HARD currenlty in takoradi. Just because of the work hours and having to find a internet cafe. By the way Sekondi-Takoradi is soooo much calmer than Accra. I actually kind of miss Accra. And I never have considered myself a city girl. But I truly enjoy the Ghanaian people. Although there are a few sketchy people, so it's not all perfect, but the people are much more pleasant than I could ever imagine.

The Psychology of the Ghanaian
I am just speaking from my observations and experience. Ghanaians are extremely brilliant, intelligent and smart. I have not encountered people that can learn concepts so quickly. Truly gifted. The only thing I see holding them back is their timidness. They also tend to wait for direction from someone, rather than just explore. Exploring is what the Fab Lab is all about. Expliring and dreaming. So i think that the Ghanaians that i have interacted with have not been asked the questions "What are your dreams?" "What do you want to invent?" "What are your life goals?". It's taking the students some time to warm up and really think about those questions, but i think the faculty and everyone involved in the Fab Lab project is very excited about encouraging Ghanaians to dream. I think they are ready to change the world!!! And I am dead serious. I am so serious that I am considering sticking around Ghana for some time to teach and help. But I do have some important responsibilities back in the US, so.... The airplane ticket is so expensive to get to Africa. Without these two MIT opporutnities I may have never made it to Africa. I am so happy to be here :) Oh yeah about the psychology...so yea...everything that I said above is what I have observed from my interactions with the people of Ghana.

Whazzzuuup Ghana! Man it's beautiful here in Takoradi. I just finished having the last lunch with Prof Gershenfeld, Amy and friends before Prof goes off to the US. The lunch place is a chinese restaurant called Joy. It has real Shang-hi chefs too! It's on a cliff off the ocean. Just beautiful. I have been searching for a not so public beach. I am truly happy and blessed to be here. What a change from my super tumultuous year. Passing of loved ones, writing thesis, and my sista. This is truly a gift from Ghad=God. Ok, so I am not a fan of all the creepy crawly lizards and such, but hey. Anyway, let me talk about the Fab lab and related stuff. i also will fill in my kokompe section below. So the Fab lab is great. There is a Modela, Laser cutter, and Vinyl cutter and 3 linux machines and more. The main students are probably ages 16-14. But since the Fab lab is for the community we have all ages come in. So the little kids, who are absolutely brilliant and adorable, come in the lab in the afternoons. And many of the adults, like teachers and such come in too.

Tuesday July 27
Finding time to do anything has been hard, mainly because of how worn out I am. But hey I love teaching and I love learing so I'm going to keep on , keeping on. Anyway, it's quite overwhelming walking into the Fab lab with Neil and Amy. Especially since I have not been doing the Fab thing since the How To class, but I am so excited to be here. I am literally getting thrown into stuff and many things have changed since the How To class, such as cam.py, site.py,  rx.py.

Kokompe!
Aye, yi yi Chale! The Kokompe was off da heezy. So apparently the Kokompe is the hang out for all the mechanics and non-traditional inventors. A great place to go to talk to people about the Fab Lab project. So we have been walking around with the mayor and chief by our sides. It's nutty. The people we met there were mainly men. They were soooooo.... cute. That experience had to tie for first place with the most cutest, adorable things I have ever experienced. It's tied with the AITI students

Monday July 26

The TTI is a compound-like campus. It is very well maintained and all the buildings are colored red, yellow, green. And it appears to be associated with the Germans. So I assume Germans help fund and run TTI. The students so far seem very shy and nice.