Last minute shopping
The last couple days have been pretty hectic, with packing and moving, trying to run around and get last minute things I need, and trying to read as much as I can about Ghana and Dagbani (the local language of Tamale) before I go. When I was at the dollar store, picking up small gifts for my host family, a specific aisle really hit me hard. I hit up the kids summer toy aisle, hoping to find some mini hockey sticks to bring over, because I have heard they are popular, well received gift to get the kids of my family. And that's when I came across the water toys. Water balloons, water guns, pool toys, those fabric balls that you can dunk and water and then throw like a water balloon, and sprinklers. All of these toys would be completely ludicrous to bring overseas. I can't imagine what it would be like to try and explain to a child that in Canada, we fill up toy guns with perfectly clean water and then squirt each other with it, when they might have walked several hours to get the few litres of water that their family needs for day's cooking. How do you explain the concept of a pool? The average African consumes 15-30 litres of water per day, the average Canadian uses 343 litres/day. That's a ten-fold difference! I guess it just reinforces the idea in my head that a lot here as to change in Canada for change to occur overseas.
It's definitely interesting packing, I find myself questioning everything I am bringing already. I am very conscious to how what I bring overseas will be viewed, and I am scared of reinforcing the stereotypes that I am aiming to break down. For example, when bringing over pictures of Canada, I am trying to bring as many negative (pollution, homelessness) as well as positive and interesting (snowboarding, Christmas, Halloween, friends and family) but I am scared that the positive will be viewed as bragging of wealth, and cause a greater distance between the people who I am trying to become closer with by sharing the differences of our cultures. I hope I do not become too overly critical of every step I make overseas, in fear that I will do more harm than good, but I have hopes that I will relax and be able to take appropriate risks the longer that I am there and the more I get to know my environment.
It's definitely interesting packing, I find myself questioning everything I am bringing already. I am very conscious to how what I bring overseas will be viewed, and I am scared of reinforcing the stereotypes that I am aiming to break down. For example, when bringing over pictures of Canada, I am trying to bring as many negative (pollution, homelessness) as well as positive and interesting (snowboarding, Christmas, Halloween, friends and family) but I am scared that the positive will be viewed as bragging of wealth, and cause a greater distance between the people who I am trying to become closer with by sharing the differences of our cultures. I hope I do not become too overly critical of every step I make overseas, in fear that I will do more harm than good, but I have hopes that I will relax and be able to take appropriate risks the longer that I am there and the more I get to know my environment.