With time Ansong has gained more direct contact with lecturers and finds them to be receptive, kind, and friendly, in sharp contrast to the traditional education system in his homeland Ghana which is built on hierarchical respect. Here students are free to ask questions, something unheard of at Ghanaian universities. He also values the style of academic work at the UT. At University of Cape Coast in Ghana, Ansong engaged in pure, abstract mathematics. Here he will have a chance to apply what he is learning during an internship at MARIN beginning in December.
Another aspect of Dutch culture Ansong appreciates is the regularity of bus schedules. This is not the case in Ghana where buses are run by private companies who refuse to send a bus out on its route until the bus is full; hence 'schedules' can vary by hours. Nonetheless the Ghanaian Master's student finds much to miss in his native country: friends, family, and food - especially banku and fufu (made of yams, casaba melons, and plaintains). He is particularly proud of Ghanaian hospitality where people go to great lengths, using all of their resources to welcome guests. If ever you should visit Ghana, he recommends taking in the many forts, castles and game reserves which lodge a wide gamut of wild animals, such as elephants, lions, and chimpanzees. Ansong adds that Ghana is particularly enticing for European travelers because they can easily live on just one euro (~8000 new cedis) a day.
Ansong anticipates returning to Ghana in part due to a sense of responsibility he feels towards his family. His father and mother have worked hard to enable his brother and him to be the first members of his family to earn university degrees. As the eldest son, he seeks to help support his parents and three younger sisters, explaining that now 'the load is on me.'
Teaching math in a secondary school in Kintampo whetted his appetite to help mold young minds. Ansong enjoyed the challenge of making math simple and interesting for teenagers. He envisions his future as a university lecturer. Until then Ansong will continue to relish those Dutch buses that run with such regularity!
Hometown: Buipe, Ghana
Languages: Mo, Gonja, Twi, English
Favorite food: Banku, a corn-based dish
Favorite music genre: Gospel
Favorite football team: Manchester United
Favorite place to be: with his Bible study group
Favorite place in NL: Enschede
Best part about living in NL: simple, unpretentious lifestyle
Worst part about living in NL: the food
Kristin Zimmerman
Joseph Ansong
