Linda!

You may not know this, but as part of the scholastic culture of Ghana, children are "caned" in order to discipline. To any average American, this sounds like and appears to be a form of abuse, as I myself initially could not bring myself to look when it was occurring. As I am slowly emerging myself into this culture that varies from the American culture in every way possible, I am beginning to realize that tradition is tradition, culture is culture, and it would be offensive for a tiny spec of a human being like me, in retrospect, to try to change their ways. As I am writing this, I realize that I am portraying the Ghanaian in a negative light, but the teacher I work with specifically, Linda, is the nicest most jubilant woman I have ever met. She's always smiling and the moment she walks into the classroom she is trying to lift the children's spirits in song and dance. And she never gets tired! It's amazing. I find myself having to sit down a lot, but that's beside the point. Often the children have a difficult time listening to me when I am trying to stop a conflict because I am not an authority figure to them because I do not cane. One day Linda put the stick in my hand and put her hand over it and tried to teach me how to cane the young children and I ran away laughing because I could not do it. She was laughing at me, but it was a laugh of confusion as much as it was a joke of my inability. I explained to her that caning was illegal in the United States and that people could go to jail for doing it. She was in shock. She had absolutely no idea. She furthermore kept asking questions as to how we discipline kids, how we get them to listen if we don't hit the. And how can anyone blame her? All she's ever known is caning. She was caned, her mother was caned, her mother's mother was caned and then-some; inside and outside the classroom. This conversation was very light, as she stood their in awe of what seemed like the strictest country in the world to her. This isn't a case of ignorance or arrogance...this is a complete lack of education. She know's nothing outside of the Ghanaian culture, outside of the African world, and it's not her fault. Linda asked me one day "What is the United States like compared to Ghana?" And though I answered happily, I was saddened that she hadn't a clue what life was like outside her own. Even though I don't travel often I have an idea of  what other cultures are like. She has no way of knowing. I tried my best to explain but overall I gave a materialistic picture; we have malls instead of markets, all concrete roads instead of dirt, movie theaters everywhere. I want Linda to be able to come to the U.S, not only for her herself to be exposed to another world, but to pass on what she has seen to the students she works with. Of course, traveling is too expensive of a cost for her to handle, but I want to try to make it happen. She is a wonderful person! On a lighter note, the excursion this weekend was amazing (minus the traveling)! I cant believe I was 50 yards away from an elephant and monkeys were hanging by the pool with us as if it was not a big deal!