Week Ten (10/21/2010) Journal

Saturday Oct. 23^rd 2010, we went to the 27^th annual Bar B’Que festival in Lexington with one of the mentor families by name Ms. Beth Parrot and her husband. This year’s celebration is on the team ‘Racing’ so sand was used to create an artifact of pigs racing with a car as a symbolism of the celebration. We walk around downtown Lexington and saw all what were on display at the festival and other activities, such as life band music performed by some famous artist of this great city. We saw lots of artifacts of pigs which were decorated to signified  that the festival is celebrated in honor of the city’s being the best and extra ordinary maker of Bar B’ Que in the State and the U.S.A. as a whole. There were over hundred thousand people in attendance and lots of restaurant participating in the festivals make all kinds of Bar B’ Que with other dishes from pork.  There was a U.S naval army on attendance trying to use the opportunity to recruit people into the army and I was lucky to participate in one of the recruitment exercise which earns me a U.S naval branded cap.

We were then taken to the mentor family’s house in the afternoon where we had the Bar B’ Que dinner with her whole family, this makes it very interesting to me because it gave us another opportunity to interact with them and share something’s we all have in common.

Sunday, Oct 31^st 2010, was a day set aside in celebrating festival in the U.S called the ‘HALLOWEEN’ signifying the beginning of darkness and also the return of the dead to the earth (saint day) as the believe of some religious denominations. This make people dressed in scary, funny costume and wear mask with the view that should the dead/ghost returned then they are not going to be identified since they looks like the ghost itself.  Children’s were also dressed in these costumes and they move door to door asking for what is termed as ‘trick or treat’ meaning you either gave them candies or they trick you with your courtyard being made dirty by throwing all kinds of stuffs that are used in the celebration.

In my anticipation for the day, I returned home from a Halloween dinner organized by a member from Church of Christ for Akua and me and waited in my room with my candies hoping someone will knock at my door for trick or treat but to no avail. Well it is good to celebrate this as a way of making the children have fun however some religious denominations associated this festival with evil spirit and therefore banned their children and congregation from these fun activities.

Friday, Oct. 29^th 2010, a lady who is a DCCC staff picks up for shopping at Wal-Mart in Thomasville, whilst I went in to do my shopping she was in the car with the engine running and the air conditioning and radio on waiting for me. When I returned, she told me her car just stop running and will not start again, well she at that time it was almost 7:30 pm and darkness was in already and I could not see anything then I remembered I just bought a small flash light so I went to open the hood and allow her start again for me to see. After thorough diagnosis with the knowledge about car I was able to isolate the problem because at that time I don’t have any tool or instrument. I requested she bought a new battery and we went in to get a new battery right from wal-Mart to replace the old one and then the car start without any problem. I was excited about this because this was the first task or problem I have solved alone without any assistance and I’m proud of myself.

Week Nine (10/14/2010) Journal

Thursday 14^th Oct. 2010, my colleagues and I visited the American children’s home in Lexington as part of our community / voluntary service work. We went there to abreast ourselves with the aim and goal of operating such a wonderful house. We learnt a lot after having a about two and half hours of interaction with both the inmates and the managers/ caretakers of the home, the inmates share their experience of being away from home and their aim of being there and we also did the same by sharing with them some of the important cultural differences and they really happy to learnt about how life outside the United States. I was surprised to hear that that the home is not run as a foster home rather as a means of correcting certain misbehaviors of teenagers between the ages of 12-19 years. The home also serves as a training centre where inmates had the opportunity to learned new skills and other stuffs. It was a pleasure and joy for us to share our life with these children to learn about their experiences from their home.

Thursday 21^st of Oct. 2010, we had a potluck dinner at the conference center which brought together our mentor families and other DCCC staff who are in one way or the other helping and supporting us to have a better and refreshing life on campus as well as in America.

There were a lot of foods of different variety which gave us an opportunity to taste new foods from different cultural background. For instance, I ate for the first time a Macedonian food which I like very much and this was prepared by Dr. Irina Petrovska who is  a Fulbright scholar from Macedonia. We had a lot of fun as we interact with each other and the happiest part of was when we have to dance to a song which none of us present was aware of, however it turns out to be a great moment as I was asked to start whilst others follow.

Wednesday 20^th Oct.2010, our instructor in the automotive technology class to us to a manufacturing plant in Thomasville where most of the components of the vehicle specifically the engine is produced.  It was amazing to see how this component are being machined to a precision where you can even imagine how possible could that be happening. The instructor and some of the students could not hold their feeling and they said and I quote ‘I am surprised to see this kind of technology happening right here in Davidson County’.

I also had a lot of fun during the fall fest organized on campus this very day, I had a chance to edit my favorite’s Hollywood actor and replace with my face which looks exactly as if I am the real person who took that picture.

Week Eight (10/7/2010) Journal

Saturday, 9th Oct.2010, I climbed the world’s tallest brick light house, the Cape Hatteras Light house at the Cape Hateras Island of the North Carolina Outer Banks.It has a total of 257 steps and 198.5 feet tall not only was this fun but it was a time for history as we gathered to listen to a historian at the center and also at the museum.

I am very happy when Ms. Rebecca Parker, our history / global leadership instructor climbed the light house because of us; this tells you how she loves her students. The excitement did not end at the Cape Hatteras Light house; we took a ferry to Ocracoke Island it was a real moment of joy for most of us onboard as we took pictures, videos, feds birds (sea eagle) in the air with bread as they followed the boat/ship. The ferry trip remains one of the best activities enjoyed during this historic visit.

Sunday, 10^th Oct. 2010, it’s an open beach day for the seashore of the Cape Hatteras Island; we had a lot of fun at the seashore as we swum, played the frispy game, walk along the coast to see people fishing. I said to myself, I am blessed to swum Atlantic Ocean. In the evening we set a fire at shore and roasted muschmellows with chocolates and sing folks from our various countries. The fire reminds me of my days at the village in Ghana where we set this type of fires to roast peanuts and yam to eat.

Monday, 11^th Oct. 2010, the last day of our trip to the North Carolina Outer Banks was characterized by a visit to the Wright Brothers Memorial and the Lost Colony (fort Raleigh), both on Roanoke Island. At the Wright Brothers Memorial, we had a lecture about the vision of these young brothers in the 1900s which brought the discovery of flying the first ever airplane on the 17^th of December 1903. It’s really amazing to see a replica of the first airplane and its further development. We took pictures as well at their monument and the museum itself.

Monday 18^th Oct.2010, we had unexpected dinner with the DCCC foundation during their annual report meeting. It was unexpected because; the invitation came in 8 hours to time. I was very happy to be at this important meeting but then I did not like the food that was served.