Sometimes, Things Get Rough...

Today was one of the most frustrating days I’ve had since coming here. I’ve been sad and homesick sometimes, but this was the first time I’ve just been angry and felt out of control.

1. I’ve been trying to obtain a packet of readings for my history class since last week. It was supposed to be ready (copied and bound) by Wednesday, so I went there that afternoon, and the readings weren’t ready. I went back this morning (because we were having an open-book test at my 9:30am class) at 8am and was told that they were out and I should come back in the afternoon. Luckily, the test didn’t happen because not enough people had been able to get the readings.
2. I went to the CIEE office today to see if the package my parents sent had come yet. I got a slip of paper that said to go the post office in Accra to retrieve it.
3. While in the CIEE office, one of the women who works there informed me that I (and 2 others in our group) are not actually registered with the University of Ghana and do not exist in the computer system. The International Programmes Office had told her that day. And I have until Wednesday to re-register. This process involves going to the Registry building (which has to be like a 40 minute walk from my room, UPHILL) and finding a specific woman and telling her that I need to be re-registered. I’m not sure what “re-registering” includes or how long it will take. But, then I have to walk BACK to the other side of campus near my room to the International Programmes Office to tell a woman there that I’m now re-registered.

So, after all this news, I went back to the History Department to pick up the readings around 3pm. I asked the woman in office if I could get the readings for my class. And she mumbled something, and I asked her to repeat it. She said that the man who does that isn’t in and could I go and come back. “What time?” I asked. And she said in 30 minutes. So I just walked out and had a little breakdown outside the office, out of frustration and disbelief that things which should be so easy are so difficult. I walked to the bank to get 1 cedi bills in exchange for my 10s (since no one ever has change, it’s easier to pay for things with 1s). I made my way back to the History Department, and the man was in, and he had me put my name on a list to get the readings and told me to come back tomorrow to pick them up.

This whole combination of things happened to me today, and tomorrow I will tackle the re-registering process (Also, I’m not sure how this happened, since I registered a month ago with the rest of my 45-person group and got an ID card and everything.) and hopefully get my history packet. Then, I think Wednesday, or shortly thereafter, I’m going to venture to the post office.

I think there are some social rules with which I am not familiar. This whole “run-around” thing is bringing me down, but I wonder if there is anything I can do to make things run more smoothly. I’m trying not to take it personally, but it sometimes feels like since I’m a foreigner, people are not trying to help me. But I’m sure I’m just frustrated and that’s not really the case. These things should be so easy to do though! I’m just having trouble understanding why they are so difficult and taking so long.

Also there’s no water today.