tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31049531115934932852024-03-05T11:41:01.251-08:00Karen's PlanetWritings of Saint Lucia, Ghana and life in general. A Peace Corps Volunteer in St. Lucia, visiting faculty in Ghana and grandma for life.
This is a look back at the details of my travels and a document for my grandchildren. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
This blog does not express views of U.S. Peace Corps, Webster University, my family, dog or any institutions named or linked to these pages. It's life observation as I interpret it.Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.comBlogger299125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-60696787360695007742022-09-24T22:38:00.005-07:002022-09-24T22:44:14.716-07:00AdellI opened Facebook and among the notices and posts I read that it was Adell's birthday. I opened her page to find she passed just a couple weeks before. Adell and her husband Jay moved to Sadona a few years ago and I lost personal touch but there was always the occasional message back and forth.The first time I met Adell, I walked into her classroom to do an internship in Community Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-68772300707000899392019-07-20T12:53:00.000-07:002019-07-20T12:53:29.247-07:00DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!Years ago when I was a new Peace Corps Volunteer the Country Director came for a visit to see my village and to check on my projects. After a walking tour around the village she said, "Karen, are you safe here?" I was taken off guard. Of course I feel safe! It's a poor community but poor doesn't make it unsafe. I come from Los Angeles where poor might equate with Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-46660372134515405992019-07-13T10:09:00.000-07:002019-07-13T10:09:30.876-07:00THINGS I KNOW
It's July 2019 and I have come back to Saint Lucia...the place where this blog started during my two years with the United States Peace Corps. This is the place I call my second home. It's been nine years since I left. I was concerned I may not feel I belonged anymore, but I shouldn't have.
One thing I miss is having the time to reflect on small bits of my life and write Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-10424975874713999972019-07-13T09:16:00.000-07:002019-07-13T10:48:15.299-07:00PERU 2017<!--[if gte mso 9]>
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Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-33539789718296677612017-08-08T10:37:00.000-07:002017-08-08T10:40:35.136-07:00... and then there is one
John and I
are sitting on the couch listening to music, talking and generally enjoying the
soft breeze through the screen door.
It’s June 1971. I heard someone
knocking on the door and got up to find a woman with my cat, Rover, in her
arms. “Is this your cat?”
Just the
week before we were living in a duplex in Inglewood. It was a small one bedroom near Inglewood
Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-18089097573565441862016-04-01T12:03:00.000-07:002016-04-01T12:03:19.264-07:00Bounded Awareness
Making an exit is a process. I
am focused. I whisper to my granddaughters, “I’m leaving now”. Ava looks at me with an understanding gaze.
I am careful when picking up my keys from the crystal bowl on the
table. I ensure there is no noise. This is an art. Slowly I open the back door so no creeping
could be heard. Success!! My focused Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-39984796652521830122016-03-22T13:02:00.002-07:002016-03-22T13:02:17.506-07:00The Doorway
Words in a James Taylor song ring
true at unexpected times my life …”Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it will
turn your head around”. Today was one of
those days. I woke to a cold
morning. An uncommon cold snap has
crossed the city. Laying on my king
sized bed and under the warmth of my down comforter I procrastinate, just
briefly, to start my day. This is a
Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-15938572313805909062015-08-22T23:18:00.001-07:002015-08-22T23:18:36.569-07:00Clinton, Illinoios
Everything
is green. There are many corn fields
on each side of the road as far as one can imagine. And then there it was. A sign that read “Welcome to Clinton”. Nearby another sign boasting a population of
just over 7,000 people. In the thirties
there were under 6,000 people.
Clinton
was founded in 1835 and named after DeWitt Clinton, an American Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-74218775805300941812015-08-19T20:36:00.001-07:002015-08-19T20:41:04.635-07:00Route 66
We
woke early in the morning, gathering our things, sharing a bathroom and talking
about the events of the day ahead. It’s
Saturday morning and we are on our way to Clinton, Illinois, but first a short
trip down part of Route 66. There
appears to be only one problem. We don’t
really know how to get to Route 66.
We
stop at a gas station for gas and I declare, “I will Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-73783252615363470962015-08-17T22:16:00.002-07:002015-08-17T22:16:43.084-07:00Chicago
Time passes quickly. There is so much to do. There are children to raise, jobs to go to,
and errands to do. My dad died in 1979
and my mom left us in 2008. I have two
sisters; one in Washington DC and one in New Jersey. I often see Janyn, the youngest. We have travelled together on several
trips. She met me in Saint Lucia and
Ghana. We recently Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-16533526474577134112015-06-06T23:42:00.001-07:002015-08-17T23:12:27.962-07:00It’s Impossible to Make a Bucket List
I
keep meaning to write a bucket list. The
trouble is the only time I think about bucket lists are when I’m doing
bucket-worthy things.
By
bucket-worthy, I’m not talking about a country I want to visit. To me a bucket-worthy line is more specific
than that. The problem is that I’m not
sure I would have known to put them on the bucket list until after I’ve
accomplished Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-43833838103894362522015-06-06T23:35:00.003-07:002015-08-13T07:57:17.301-07:00NOLA
Alligators, Oysters, Music and Culture
As Janyn and I pass through the streets lined with hitching
posts, I comment, “It doesn’t feel like I’m in the United States”. But we are. We are in New Orleans.
The buildings are ornate and old. Some architecture has a French flair and
Greek Revival. Then there are some
buildings that beg the question: how they are Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-37338325598805710192014-10-16T03:19:00.000-07:002015-07-12T17:16:01.627-07:00Ghana is a Wrap!Akwaaba, Me din de Amma. I know slightly more Twi, but not too much more. I am called Abruni and don't mind. My sandals are a bit worse for wear and my backpack has held up through another country.
Accra seemed overwhelming during my first few days, but in just a short time I learned to navigate the streets with ease.
Once again I became comfortable withKaren's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-625582768019317042014-10-12T11:48:00.001-07:002015-07-12T17:15:49.597-07:00My Top TenHere is my Top 10 List of things I have learned about Ghana. It was a much longer list that was trimmed down to be manageable. There is a lot to know about this country and its people.
10. Funerals
recognize a person’s worth.
9. In the "olden times" women who had ten or more children were not expected to participate in communal
labor. Consequently, big Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-83470901881420392702014-10-08T15:10:00.000-07:002015-07-12T17:15:34.352-07:00The Ntonso ExperienceToday we are going to Ntonso Village, about an hour from our hotel in
Kumasi. Ashley packs a backpack and says,
“Let’s just take one. We can share
mine”. This is her home-turf and she feels a sense of responsibility for us. We head downstairs for
breakfast.
We have the time today and so we plan to take a TroTro; a small van
used for public transportation. It is more funKaren's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-2339447254521686682014-10-05T10:00:00.000-07:002015-07-12T17:15:17.127-07:00YOU ARE OLD AND SHE IS FAT
I returned from Kumasi a few
days ago. I’m finishing my last couple
of classes. Janyn left a few days ago
and there is only a short time until I leave as well. As I reflect on this trip, I am in my room
with an open window. It is raining. An event for a California woman! There is thunder and lightening. It reminds me of the storms in Saint
Lucia. Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0Kumasi, Ghana6.6666004 -1.61627090000001776.4142724 -1.9389944000000177 6.9189284 -1.2935474000000178tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-65647052506879265982014-10-02T07:47:00.000-07:002014-10-02T07:47:09.640-07:00Up Close and Personal
I am teaching tonight. Marketing.
I need to be home by 3:00 to be ready for the 5:30 class, although my
students are on Ghana time. No
self-respecting Ghanaian actually gets anywhere on time. I have one punctual student; she is Israeli.
Once again, efficiency is
important so we do the only sensible thing: hire a taxi for the day. I cannot imagine doing this in Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0Jamestown, Accra, Ghana5.5341312 -0.213915100000008355.5183267 -0.23408510000000834 5.5499357 -0.19374510000000836tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-32175831106712145312014-09-30T04:35:00.000-07:002014-09-30T06:29:52.498-07:00HISTORY, CRAFTS, AND FRIENDLY STRANGERS
Janyn and I have planned a
busy day. There is much to pack into the
few short days she has here. “I think we
should take a taxi.” Janyn quickly agrees.
Taxi’s are cheap. TroTro’s are
more fun. In the end taxi’s are more
efficient and save time. Our backpacks
are loaded with water, nuts and other essentials.
We are on our way. Matthew, the security Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-82869603018153416502014-09-28T10:20:00.000-07:002014-09-30T06:29:52.537-07:00The Black Stars
It’s difficult to understand the people without
knowing something about their history.
When I was in Saint Lucia, I had a lot of time to read books, research
the National Archives, talk to my village friends and chat with elders sitting
on their porches and smiling while telling stories of the “olden days”.
I don’t have enough time here to reach the depth of
knowledge I would Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-92005540775813568202014-09-20T03:43:00.000-07:002014-09-30T06:29:52.549-07:00A Brief Intermission
I am taking a short intermission break and will leave you with E.T. Mensah's Ghana Freedom. I am going to experience some of the many things that Ghana has to offer in the next week. This country has so much to see and I will only sample a few of those things during my time here. This song was written in celebration of Ghana's Independence from the British. Ghana Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-18107735364009282852014-09-19T08:06:00.000-07:002014-09-30T06:29:52.491-07:00THE STRATEGY OF MONEY
For one reason or another,
money in foreign countries intrigues me.
I wrote a post on Eastern Caribbean Dollars when I lived in Saint Lucia
and I’ve been thinking about this post for some time now.
Inflation in Ghana is rising
and people are complaining that the money they make doesn’t keep up with their expenses. The conversion rate to one United States
Dollar is 3.59GHS.&Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-79314734677180806092014-09-16T06:57:00.001-07:002014-09-30T06:29:52.531-07:00SUNDAY MORNING
It echoes in my ears,
“Karen, are you passing?” My response
would always be the same. Stop to say
hello and confirm that, yes, indeed, I am passing through the village. I purposely would take the long way
home. It was one of my favorite times to
unwind in Saint Lucia. Things were on
Saint Lucia Time and one never just passed without walking up to a porch for a
few Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-59304663696313805532014-09-14T07:17:00.000-07:002014-09-30T06:29:52.505-07:00GERMAN CULTURE, KEBOBS AND AFRICAN MUSIC
It’s Friday
night and I can hear them downstairs.
While I’m working on my courses, the party has started. Ken runs upstairs and sees me. “Would you like to go over to the Goethe
Institute? Carolyn and Dwight are coming” It took me just a moment to
say, “yes, I can be ready in five minutes”.
I know there is music
tonight as I was there this afternoon for lunch Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-12520172395380726692014-09-12T12:49:00.000-07:002014-09-30T06:29:52.471-07:00Grass Cutters
written for Ava
and Mia at their request
It seems long ago since I
wrote to Ghana Peace Corps. I sent an
email in July when I found out I would be teaching in Ghana. I thought it would be interesting to locate a
volunteer and visit a village. Peace
Corps emailed me and said they would post a notice in their newsletter. I left in August and there had been no
response.
Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3104953111593493285.post-54733442704393812772014-09-11T12:37:00.000-07:002014-09-30T06:29:52.502-07:00PAN AFRICA!
It is mid-morning and time to
explore the immediate surroundings here in the Cantonments, an upscale
community and the place that I call “home”. I call Ashley, a Peace Corps Volunteer who I
hooked up with recently.
A few minutes later we are walking
the short distance to the Du Bois Memorial Center for Pan African Culture. I’m anxious to see the center as I Karen's Planethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14739690276334685162noreply@blogger.com0