Wednesday 13 June 2012

7 Things I Learned From My Internship

During my time at the University of Ghana's Balme Library in Accra, Ghana, there are 7 things I can successfully add to my résumé:

1.      I submitted thesis submissions to Balme Library’s DSpace Collection.
2.     How to scan unbound documents using Inotec’s automatic Scamax M06 Digital Scanner.
3.     How to create a workflow document for scanner use.
4.     I helped contribute to both the Digitization Workflow Policy and the Institutional Repository Policy for the Balme Library, both of which were in draft form.   
5.     How to scan a book using the Atiz BookDrive Pro and BookDrive Mini scanners.  Post-processing of images using BookDrive Editor Pro software.
6.     How to scan microfilm and microfiche materials using the Mekel M200X scanner.  Post-processing of images using Image Mate for Presentation. 
7.     How to scan books using the Kirtas Kabis II automatic scanner.  Post-processing of images using Kirtas’ Book Scan Editor Software. 

50 Things I learned in Ghana

During my month-long stay here in Ghana, there are a lot of things that I have learned.  Here is a list of 50 of them.


1.       Awkwaaba means Welcome
2.       Cars can drive over almost anything, so long as they are driven slowly.  Broken concrete bricks, deep potholes, open gutters, and curbs. 
3.       Pedestrians do not have the right of way in Ghana.  Cars can and will hit you if you are not careful.
4.       Taxi drivers and craftsmen charge Obrunis lots of money because they are Obrunis.
5.       Ghanaians love their food spicy. 
6.       Ghanaians also love chicken and rice.
7.       You can get a sunburn in Ghana, even if you don’t see your shadow and it is completely overcast. 
8.       Red red is made with beans and rice and fried plantains.  If there are no plantains, it is not red red.
9.       “To flash someone” in Ghana means something entirely different than in the U.S.  To flash someone means you call their phone just long enough for your number to appear on your phone, and then hang up.  As Henry put it, “we flash a lot, especially the women.”   Once the woman flashes a man, the man will usually call them back so that the woman doesn’t have to pay for the phone call.  As Daniel put it, “flash me na me were frɛ” or “flash me and I will call.”  We told them that if they were to say this in the U.S., they may get some interesting looks. 
10.   Ghanaians like to barter for their prices.
11.   Do not eat with your left hand. 
12.   Lizards can climb up through bathroom drains and enter your room.
13.   Ghanaians like Coca-Cola as much as the next American.
14.   Power will often go out in Ghana for no reason, and for several hours.
15.   There are church services on Sundays all throughout the day. 
16.   Ghanaians don’t really like to plan a time to hangout.  Setting up a date to do something outside of work is a bit tricky. 
17.   Ghanaians love Facebook.
18.   Ghanaians also love having their picture taken.
19.   “Bra” means “come,” and “bra ha” means “come here”
20.   Littering is, unfortunately, common.
21.   Little kids will try and pickpocket you with their tiny little hands.  They almost always ask for money.  Some little kids are just happy to hold an obruni’s hand for a minute. 
22.   Permethrin is your friend.
23.   Beef is uncommon and difficult to find.
24.   There is no hot water, unless it is boiled. 
25.   Do not drink from the taps.  Only buy bottled water.
26.   It is not uncommon for most Ghanaians to eat all of their food with just their hands.
27.   If you approach any Ghanaian, it is always proper to greet them with their name, and exchange a few courtesies such as how you are and how is your day, before discussing business. 
28.   Obruni is an affectionate term for white person or foreigner.  Ghanaians love obrunis, especially the little kids.
29.   A lot of small businesses (or individually owned market shops) almost always have names such as God’s Time is the Best General Goods or Jesus Saves Fruit Market.  It is also common for taxis to have God’s love or other such proclamations on the rear-window. 
30.   A lot of time there is no toilet paper in restrooms (or washrooms or loos).
31.   Ghanaians are not afraid to ask any question.  They will ask questions that most Americans may find improper to ask on a first meeting, such as “Do you believe in God?” or “Why aren’t you married?”  or any question relating to politics and ethics and your view and stance on them.  It is almost refreshing in a way, but for the first couple times it will catch you off-guard.  They also respect your opinions and do not get mad if viewpoints differ from their own. 
32.   80-90 F and 89% humidity?  No sweat.  It grows on you after a while. 
33.   Chickens and goats roam through Ghana on their own.  No one knows whose chicken that is.
34.   Cow skin is the best part of eating beef….supposedly.
35.   Traffic in Accra Central is worse than traffic probably anywhere in the U.S., because it is so hot, and there is no air conditioning in cars.
36.   Meetings never start on time in Ghana. 
37.   The people who stand in the streets and swarm your car when the light turns red because they want you to buy something they are trying to sell are called Hawkers. 
38.   Keep in the right lane except to pass= Inner lane for overtaking. 
39.   Lizards are like little magicians; you don’t know how they get into your bathroom, and you can watch them all you want, but the second you look away, they seem to vanish.  It’s gross.
40.   People can relieve themselves almost anywhere outside. 
41.   Ghanaians are very nice and welcoming to foreigners.
42.   Tro-tros are scary van rides crammed full of people.  But they are cheap.
43.   When Ghanaian’s propose to someone to get married, usually the engagement is on Friday, and the wedding on Saturday.  The ring isn’t exchanged until the wedding. 
44.   You do not chew fufu or banku. 
45.   The red clay dust gets into everything, no matter how hard you try to seal things up.
46.   They like to keep their keys in the door locks. 
47.   Car horns get used here a lot.  People like to honk their horns at everything, and at nothing.
48.   Saturday is market day and tro-tros are used to transport food from one part of the country to another.
49.   Mah krow means goodbye.
50.   No matter how much you like visiting another country, there really is no place like home. 

My Last Full Day at Balme Library

Kabis Kirtas II scanner
For my last full day, we hit the ground running.  We were able to try our hand at scanning using the Kabis Kirtas II scanner.  We watched Richmond run the scanner again, and then we tried it ourselves.  We scanned a 300 page book, and then worked with the Book Scan Editor software to fix the images.  I think of the scanners I have been introduced to, and worked with, the Atiz BookDriver Pro scanner is my favorite.  It allows for more control over the scanning process, letting you fix errors as they arrive.  It is more hands-on than the other scanners we have been introduced to, which I think I prefer more than the automatic scanning process. 

After working with the scanner, Gifty, Mrs. Adanu, and Henry took me and Amanda out to lunch at the Basement Plus Restaurant which is located on campus.  There, we were able to try fufu, which is similar to banku, but is slightly sweeter (which you can't really taste) and is made from boiled and mashed cassava and plaintains.  Mrs. Adanu also ordered red-red so I could try that before I left.  I definitely prefer red-red over both banku and fufu. 

In front of the library.
After lunch was finished, we went outside for some pictures, and Gifty presented me and Amanda with University of Ghana book bags as a token of their love and appreciation for the work that we did during our time there.  It was really sweet.

Once we arrived back to the library, Henry took a few pictures of us in front of the library, and then offered to help us take pictures with people from the different departments.  He called this his photography class.  We were able to take pictures with circulation, bindery, IT, Prof's secretaries, and Prof.  Taking pictures was a lot of fun, as Ghanaians love having their picture taken. 

After photos were taken, and Henry was tired from taking pictures, we returned to our office to finish the post-processing of the images we scanned earlier with Richmond

Prof
After work, Amanda and I went to a small place called Tickles, which serves beer and food in the courtyard of our new dorm.  We both had a Club Beer for my last night in Ghana.  When we returned to our room, we had another little gecko guy, but he stayed near the top of the ceiling, and Amanda and I both fell asleep quickly. 

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Manic Monday


Small view of traffic backed up in Central Accra
Yesterday at work, the library let us go souvenir shopping!  We don’t have a lot of time after work closes to get what we want to get, and we were planning on going this past weekend, but we were unsure of the plans at the time.  So aunty Gifty let us go to Central Accra so we could buy some souvenirs.  Justice came along with us too!  

Traffic was terrible.  It took us an hour to get to Central Accra, and it should have only taken 20 minutes.  Traffic in Ghana may be worse than any traffic in the U.S. because the cars here don’t often have air conditioning, and the temperature (at least yesterday) was 92◦ F with 90% humidity, and no breeze.  The trip definitely felt much longer than an hour.  

The puppies Amanda and I wanted to take home
Finally, we arrived at our destination.  We paid the taxi driver 15 Cedis, and crossed the street to the craft area.  As we were making our way to the entrance, there were two men holding these two precious puppies.  Amanda and I both got really excited at seeing them, and the two men brought the puppies to us so that we could pet them.  I told Justice I wanted to take one home, and he laughed.  “There are plenty of puppies in the U.S., no?”

It only took us about an hour to purchase our souvenirs, and we walked away with some great deals, because Justice was present and able to help us bargain with the craftsmen.  We purchased our items, and walked back to an area where we could hail a taxi.  

With Justice just after our purchases.
The drive home took far less time than the drive to the craft center, because this taxi driver knew the shortcuts.  Thank goodness for that!  We returned to the library and had been gone for about 2 ½ hours.  We showed our souvenirs to aunty Gifty and to Henry, who both loved what we purchased. 

During our remaining time at the library (about an hour or so), we were able to learn a new scanner that had been set-up over the weekend!  We were introduced to the Kirtas Kabis II scanner.  It is a completely automatic scanner which can scan up to 2,000 pages per hour.  It uses puffs of air to separate a few pages, and then a mechanical arm acts as a vacuum and sucks the top page to the arm, and flips the page.  It uses mirror technology so only one camera needs to be used to take pictures of the pages, and the mirror is rotated/flipped so the camera takes a photo of the opposite page.  It is one of the coolest things I have seen yet.  Kirtas Book Scan Editor Software is used to quickly process post-production enhancements of the images.  This is a really neat scanner, and I also enjoy using this one!