Back To Schoool

----I tried my hardest not to come to Africa with any expectations. This way I could not be let down, instead just learning and happily accepting things as I made my transition. However one natural expectation I had was that in Africa, I would be exposed to African schooling--especially since I would be taking a class in an African University. Well this expectation was wrong wrong wrong.
----I am taking two classes at Ashesi (the African, private, University). The school is well known for being for the upper class "rich kids" of Accra, and filled with obruni (white foreigners). I knew this, and had no real problem with it, because it would all be new to me, it was an African school, rich or not. The teachers would be Ghanian, some or most of the students would be Ghanian, and the information I would be learning would pertain to Africa. Well I walked into my first class at Ashesi on Tuesday, African Philosophical Thought. The entire room was filled with obruni. Not one native. Well I said to myself, this kinda stinks. Half of the excitement of studying in a African school is that I can easily make friends with (or at least interact with) African students my age. It would also be interesting to see how our ideas and opinions differ on whatever topics we discuss in class. Oh well, at least I would have a Ghanian teacher, thereby a class taught in Ghanian style. ERRRR. Wrong again. In walked Erin Robinson, my African American teacher from Los Angeles. After discussing "Avatar" and the Golden Globes, we talked about Philosophy, and how she would make sure she tried to alter the syllabus to help relate to us (as obrunis) more. Bummmmerrrr.
----Well then Erin Robinson surprised me. She said, I am sure many of you are a little upset to see a whole classroom of obruni with a African American teacher. Well I've gotten that before, and I promise more native students will show up, they're just intimidated by you, and by humanities in general [most Africans study medicine, law, computers, i'll explain in a different entry]. As for me not being a native, I am sorry if that disappoints you. I've actually had American students say to my face, "I didn't come to Africa to be taught by an African American." However I swear that I'll not be teaching you about the United States, and if I do it certainly won't be in a light your used to.
----Man did that shock me. She's a very young, straight forward woman, and I really applauded her for being able to speak to the class like that, addressing us about possible criticisms we could've already formed. I guess it could be seen as insecure, but it was clear that she was confident in herself, and simply addressing the issues for our own assurance.
----So Philosophy seems like it won't be too bad of a class after all, and filled with obruni or not, it'll be a great learning experience.