The Beginning (March'11):
Friday March 25th, 2011:I decided to keep a log, so to say, about this upcoming trip I am taking to Ghana. I will be studying abroad for three weeks and i'lll be staying at the Freedom Hotel. (I just Googled "Freedom Hotel, Ghana.") But you can take a look of that place on your own time. I'd rather post my own pictures once I see it's front entrance. I'll be going to Ghana to study-- as the title so says experiencing African culture through the arts. Those arts include, but are not limited too: theater, dance, music, and art. My program director, Dr. Younge, told the seven of us that are going that the citizens of Ghana have no single word for our "American/Western" words like, theater, dance, music, art. What I interpret from what Younge has told me is that their words and definitions are expressions. They just "do." And there just is. I imagine seeing a dance- some sort of dance. I imagine myself pointing to that person or group of people and saying "They are dancing. That is a dance." Then I imagine someone tapping me on the shoulder and saying to me, "What is that word you are using? No. They are not "dancing," they are expressing."
Before I go for Ghana, one of the main things I would like to do is to look up playwrights from Ghana. I want to do this, because while in Ghana, I will be working with and taking workshops with The National Theater of Ghana. I think it would be very flattering, if as an American student, I entered their space with some knowledge of playwrights, whose work they might have performed themselves. I'm going to assume that Ghana will be a country that values respect.
This program will be intense. It even says so in the packet of "general information" provided. Now, I don't want to give away any of things that I will be doing. I did give away workshops with The National Theater of Ghana, but that is what I am truly excited for. I also want to see if I could put a bit of a women and gender studies spin on this trip. Or at least interact and dialogue with the women of Ghana. That would truly be rewarding. Younge also gave us a total tentative break down of everything that we will be doing. I'm going to assume it is subject to change, but there are moments of "open" time. I assume time to explore the area and do what ever you please. I think this is where I find those moments of a WGS spin. We'll see though.
And so there goes my first log entry.
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Saturday March 26th, 2011: I am thinking about taking out a loan to buy a camera for Ghana. I haven't asked what my parents what they think about it. Even though the loan would be in my name, I'd still like to get their approval. I'm sitting across from my friend and (beautiful and wonderful!!) photographer Brooke. She gave me a couple of websites to look at. www.keh.com and www.bhphotovideo.com . So, I'll take a look at those and see if any of those options will work for me. I will say that I am buying this camera for Ghana. I can sell is back for something or hold onto for later endeavors. Because, let's face it, my little Sony Cyber Shot will not do Ghana justice. I also need to do a final project while in Ghana about my time there. Why not capture it through photos? Photos that I will be proud printing. This is getting a little too far in the future, but I can do a $1,000 loan.
I also plan to, if I can get my act together, I would like to print some of my poetry and then sell them. Perhaps that would be a way to fund some of this trip. I believe it would be pretty cheap to print them locally here in Athens. I also asked my friend Alex Costello to do the cover art for it.
Now, let's get my act together.
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Tuesday April 12th, 2011:
It's been awhile since I last updated, but I kind of put Ghana on the side for now. Or I have been. But back on track! I'm taking a class this Spring quarter called The Black Woman. It's an AAS 345 class. We need to write a research paper for the final. I'm going to write about female African-American playwrights. Like Lynn Nottage and Katori Hall. Just to name a couple. So that will be another page on this blog when I am done with it.And so there goes my first log entry.
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Saturday March 26th, 2011: I am thinking about taking out a loan to buy a camera for Ghana. I haven't asked what my parents what they think about it. Even though the loan would be in my name, I'd still like to get their approval. I'm sitting across from my friend and (beautiful and wonderful!!) photographer Brooke. She gave me a couple of websites to look at. www.keh.com and www.bhphotovideo.com . So, I'll take a look at those and see if any of those options will work for me. I will say that I am buying this camera for Ghana. I can sell is back for something or hold onto for later endeavors. Because, let's face it, my little Sony Cyber Shot will not do Ghana justice. I also need to do a final project while in Ghana about my time there. Why not capture it through photos? Photos that I will be proud printing. This is getting a little too far in the future, but I can do a $1,000 loan.
I also plan to, if I can get my act together, I would like to print some of my poetry and then sell them. Perhaps that would be a way to fund some of this trip. I believe it would be pretty cheap to print them locally here in Athens. I also asked my friend Alex Costello to do the cover art for it.
Now, let's get my act together.
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Tuesday April 12th, 2011:
I also got an e-mail today from Education Abroad. It's a sheet specifically about what classes I want to be registered for. The first will be THAR 473: Theatre Development: International Perspectives-- 4 credit hours. I have to pick another. But I'm not sure what to do. Should I choose something that is out of my comfort zone-- like African dance? Or should I try to find a class that will bridge theater and dance into a class that will suit my major. I think I know the answer already. I should probably ask Dr. Younge. I'll do that tomorrow then!
