...and could have so easily have been the worst. You see, two appointments came up at the same time on the same day. Neither movable. I needed to visit a school – If I succeeded it would be third time lucky, the previous two times had been very disappointing; the observation had been cancelled; first due to exams being written and the second time due to a meeting of the Ghana Science Teacher Association. I find it amazing that exams are written within ‘teaching time’ and meetings are dropped on teachers at the last minute - they are expected to drop everything (literally) and go. Classes are left without teachers and either sit or do work which has been left on the board. If meetings have been scheduled it’s pertinent to double check before you turn up in case something has happened as diaries do not seem to be used here so no one is ever sure if they have double booked. So you see I couldn’t forego this to make the meeting at the DVLA for my licence, my other appointment…. But it’s for my moto licence!!! So you see my predicament. After much discussion with other vols regarding the best possible way forward it was decided I would go into school earlier than planned to check the meeting was still happening and if it was, swap the agenda around to enable me to leave the school as early as possible to get to DVLA for the licence. If DVLA were to actually go ahead we knew a wait would be in store and the likelihood was that no one would have finished at DVLA by the time I arrived at 12. In any case; the worst case scenario was that neither appointment would come into fruition, best case one appointment would, an outstandingly good day would mean both appointments made were achieved and a superbly, super, splendid day would mean not only would both appointment made be achieved, but both would have a positive outcome.
My meeting at the school was still on when I arrived shortly before 8am; I was able to rearrange the agenda and was due to visit at 9.30 that morning. I first shared my ideas for some workshops to see if they would be appropriate strategies to share with teachers here. The ideas seemed to go down well. On the way to the lesson observation the teacher asked if he could use the yellow cube (a teaching resource I had brought with me) to use in his plenary (end session) for the lesson we were already 10 minutes late for, so he could evaluate the children’s learning. ‘Yes of course’ I said thinking, ‘clearly a well-planned lesson for one which was about to be observed… but at least he wants to find out if they have learnt anything’. He had already told me he had no practical to do for this lesson on Electronics as there was not enough equipment in the school. Once we arrived at the lesson he spent the next 10 minutes writing the questions to place on the sides of the cube relating to the lesson. He had already dismissed my pre prepared ‘generic plenary questions’ as they weren’t about the lesson – I didn’t have time to explain ‘generic’ so I went with what he was comfortable with (… small, small steps…) The lesson consisted of dictation, copying from the board and lecture style activities (I’m surprised I didn’t fall asleep) and LED’s were called ‘Leads’. Then he got out the yellow cube, looked rather excited, said they were going to play a game and proceeded to bring up one child at a time to the front to throw the cube, read out the question rolled and answer it. After the third child had stood up and about eight minutes later I am afraid I had to interrupt ‘Master’ I said - I couldn’t hold back any more; at this rate we wouldn’t finish till 3pm. I suggested the students throw it to each other but they were only allowed to throw it to a student who hadn’t yet had the cube. I stood up, got them clapping, praising and helping each other when they got stuck. They were laughing, clapping, INTERACTING even. I even reprimanded two boys who were asleep at the front (in my usual don’t mess with me again if I’m in this classroom with a big smile on my face kind of way) and made sure the ‘girl child’ (all 4 of them, there were 40 in the class) were being included. GOD IT FELT GOOD to be back in the classroom.
I left feeling high but not prepared to be in any way hopeful for the next appointment… After all DVLA part 3 was about to commence for the 3rd time… previous experience told me not to get my hopes up. On arrival via a taxi ride with a harassing, god fearing, preacher of a taxi driver things had been going so well at DVLA that the other vols were all nearly through the system, just one to go and 3 driving licences done. My papers went in to be inspected, stamped and verified. I didn’t do an eye test, I was simply given 20/20 vision for the first time in my life. I did as I was told, gave the DVLA boss my mobile number, smiled like a good solomea (making a mental note never to pick up an unknown caller) and then sat down waiting for the next stage in the busy, bustling, standing space only waiting room. It was about the time when I was mid conversation looking at the TV and thinking that I was sure I had seen that Nigerian movie on the coach on the way up to Bolga, when, just like in a cartoon, power outs. I actually heard the power stop in slow motion ‘geeerrrrrwuuum’, the TV fizzed to a white blob in the middle of the screen and then turned black. The lights flickered then turned off. Everything stopped; people stopped moving, pens stopped scribing. The room fell silent…. That is apart from me; shouting, no less, ‘OOOHHHHH GGGOOODDDDD!!!!!’ As a lone white woman amongst a bunch of deeply religious black men, I wouldn’t recommend that reaction… ever. Engage brain Eloise, engage brain. It was about this time that I was deeply happy something that day had at least gone well but yet chastised myself for putting the school before the licence as surely getting the moto was going to offer more impact long term... I mean, I was actually going to be able to visit schools outside Bolga... if I had one. Eloise became ‘Moods’ repeatedly telling myself that I was not going to get my hopes up, then the power came on. Oh the joy! Even the Ghanaians whooped at that one. Shortly afterwards I got passed on to the next stage, the final stage, the licence print out. I was fifth in line and made sure every Ghanaian man knew I knew I was fifth in line and every Ghanaian man arriving after me knew the solomea wasn’t going to be jumped…. Queue jumped that is. Given recent experience; a great move, given hindsight; bloody stupido.
Power outages happened approximately every 20 minutes after that (there had been none in the morning). That is about the time it took the one measly licence printing machine to reboot itself after the power outage, before being forced to shut down again, in fact sometimes less. This coupled with the fact it had only just been fixed due to the power outs, the wait was excruciating. And I say again: GEN-ER-A-TOR …get one. Then a Kenyan vol who had just got his licence started ‘helping’ by buttering up the licence printer lady to get the solomea in more quickly claiming I had to get to Zabilla where he lives, a town about a 40 minute ride away, hence the urgency. Shortly afterwards he left me to it with the guide from VSO who, as lovely as he is, isn’t the most outspoken person. By this time it was getting on for 3pm. I suggested we call it a day, Eid was at the weekend, a long Bank holiday weekend was to follow and closing early from work on the Friday was inevitable. He wasn’t having it. And before long I heard ‘Froment’ being called and I was pulled and squeezed into the cupboard (read: office). The door didn’t close quickly enough and I couldn’t look. I just heard the commotion and the word ‘solomea’ being flung around a lot. I sat down, held my head in my hands and my head hung low. I couldn’t have felt worse. My face was mud. A black man had just used my white skin to get me somewhere faster than the black skins. As much as I hated this (and when you see the photo on my temporary licence you’ll see it was not my finest hour, the stress shows in my face), I was so grateful to the VSO guide for getting me in and out by 3.30pm before Eid along with everyone else I practically hugged him once we were free of the queue. I was bowing a pathetic apology as I came out of that cupboard to pass the men I had myself just jumped. It was close, so close to not being that positive result. Have to go through the whole damn thing again in 3 months for my full licence. But with two positive outcomes under my belt in one day it was The Best Day In Ghana So Far which culminated in celebratory vodka on the roof terrace with fellow elated vols. A Superbly, Super, Splendid day.
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