Ryan Trinidad

by Ryan Trinidad In Seattle particularly, coffee is a major part of the city culture. But in reality Starbucks coffee flavors are heavily influenced from Ethiopian coffee, buna. And the culture in Seattle is based from faceless days and endless nights. Here in Ethiopia, it is a little different. Buna is served mainly after a…

by Ryan Trinidad The ride back to Africa was long, but incredible in so many ways. The feeling of returning embodies what I learned one year ago in Ghana, Sankofa. Although, our travel time almost amounted to 22 hours, it was all worth it. Ethiopian Airlines has the greatest hospitality I've ever experienced. This was…

by Ryan Trinidad As many of you know, my trip to Barbados came to an early close due to unexpected problems with my health. I want to reassure everyone that everything dealing with my health has been taken care of, and I am back to 100%. With that being said, I learned a lot from being…

by Ryan Trinidad Today I visited the local clinic in the Black Rock neighborhood. With a major climate change and difference in my diet, came some feelings of tiredness and dizziness. I have been having these feelings for the last few days and thought I was just tired because of the heat. But I was doing…

by Ryan Trinidad Barbados is simply beautiful. Pamphlets show off the typical clear blue waters and sandy beaches. But, there is a lot more to this place than brochure regular photos. I've always been interested in bright colors, shapes, and living things. Flowers being all three, here are some photos of just that. (All photos…

by Ryan Trinidad Today we took our first excursion around the island. We planned on visiting St. James Parish Church, Animal Flower Cave, Harrisonʼs Cave and St. Nicholas Abbey Plantation. Unfortunately we weren't able to visit St. James Parish Church because there was a funeral being held. So we went on to Harrison's Cave located in…

by Ryan Trinidad Today was a special day, Mauricio "Mo" Manriquez' 22nd birthday. It's not every day that you spend your birthday in Barbados. Great food, even better conversation, and most importantly a memorable time spent with my group. Happy birthday Mo! Mo's card and cake The group making faces on the way to Cafe…

by Ryan Trinidad Statue of Errol Walton Barrow, Barbados' national hero Today we traveled to Bridgetown, Barbados' capitol city. As we caught what was known to many as a "bus,” I believe many were surprised to see what came next. With Tro-tro experience on my side, I felt right at home and felt nostalgia as…

by Ryan Trinidad Staying at the University of the West Indies (UWI) at Cave Hill is amazing. Aside from the beautiful campus, and matching weather, there are amazing things hidden on campus. With no intention at all, there was an amazing connection between Barbados and Ghana. Even between the Pacific there is a huge connection…

by Ryan Trinidad It still isn't real to me that I'm in Barbados. I never thought that I would make it to the Caribbean, but I am more than happy to be here. The people are welcoming and warm as the weather. It reminds me a lot of Ghana; the people, the houses, the weather.…

by Ryan Trinidad My name is Ryan Trinidad, communications major and diversity minor at the University of Washington. As seen by the posts below, I started this blog one year ago in connection to my exploration seminar to Ghana, Africa. Simply put, the trip changed my life. It opened my mind in a way that…

by Ryan Trinidad This film was created to be a final project for a summer exploration seminar course. Although amongst the creation of this short collection of photos and video clips I realized it was much more than that. The time spent in Ghana was short, but the connections I made with those who traveled…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on August 11) Today is a big day. We have a very special night with our director’s cousin. She has set up a small get together at her home. It’s one of those type of nights where you can’t just wear hoop shorts and a white tee. As you can see from the photos…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on August 10) So today we head to Kasoa early to have our first day of teaching. I’m a little nervous and almost thought about switching to the group who goes into the community. But, then I thought to myself, I don’t want to let down the kids. So all the student teachers go…

By Ryan Trinidad (written on August 9) Today we went back to Kasoa to receive our orientation for community service. There are three groups. One group is teaching students about HIV/Aids awareness, another is going out into the fishing community and raising awareness about the importance of an education, and the last group are teaching assistants. I chose…

by Ryan Trinidad - written on August 8 Tracy getting his hair cut Today we have the option to do whatever we want. No major activities or lectures until 7:30 pm. Greg, Lesley, Tracy and I decide that today was a good day to get our haircuts. Now back home in Tacoma, a nice fade will cost you…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on August 7) Inside the Bonwire Kente cloth store Today we travel to the Bonwire Kente Village. I’ve been waiting to come here since day one. Earlier during spring quarter, when we received our pre-departure presentations, one of our presenters brought Kente clothe. Since that time I knew I wanted to get a whole…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on August 6) Manhyia Palace Museum We all wake up at 4:00 am and prepare to go to Kumasi.  Kumasi is home of the Ashanti people. Until this day the Ashanti people are headed by royalty, and have a King.  We visit the Manhyia Palace museum and learn more about their culture. One…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on August 5) (left to right) Ryan Trinidad, Erica Lane, Cathea Carey with some Ghanian students Community service is one big factor that the group wanted to include themselves with here in Ghana. We travel to the outskirt of Accra and arrive at a small school. It is crazy to see…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on August 4) Ryan Trinidad inside the courtroom at the Judicial Services Building Today we travel back to Accra. We arrive at the Judicial Services building. We learn that the building has not had any major renovations or remodels since it was built in the early 1900’s. You could definitely tell that the facilities…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on August 3) The second installment of our discussion about identity and such is today. Again, the group as a whole has amazing dialogue. Nationality, culture, and ethnicity factored themselves into the conversation and everyone in it. As the discussion came to a close I believe many people came full circle with their identities. I…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on August 2) Today we visit the Liberian Refugee Camp in Buduburum. The main theme for today is to learn more about the war in Liberia and what has resulted from it. We were all unprepared to experience for what we saw next. We were under the impression that the camp…

by Ryan Trinidad (written August 1) While the group is doing the Batik art project I decide to veer off and do my laundry. Our institute does not have washers or dryers. In fact, not many people in general have washers or dryers here. Something that I feel like we take for granted everyday at…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on July 31) KB Burns (left) and Ryan Trinidad on the boat cruise Today we traveled to the Volta Lake in Akosombo. Nothing is new, the traffic here in Accra is no joke. Therefore we leave hours ahead of time, 5:30 am. Waking up at 7:00 am is a challenge to…

By Ryan Trinidad (written on July 30) The entire Ghana group with Dr. K.B. Asante Today was a short day. We only had things scheduled until lunchtime and the rest of the day was free. But the one major thing we had was amazing. We received a very special guest appearance by Dr. K B…

by Ryan Trinidad So like I said in one of my earlier posts, Accra traffic is ridiculous. A 30 minute drive turned into about 3 hours of traffic. Good thing the street vendors don't stop. Anyways here are some photos of me messing around with lighting and exposure in Accra traffic. Enjoy...

by Ryan Trinidad If you know me you know that I am very into art, every kind. I mainly draw, but these past few years I've been really into photography. This post is to showcase my visions with my surroundings, experiences, feelings, and everything else. But in a different kind of view. With this post…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on July 29) Authentic Ghanaian drums Today we have a campus day. The big activity today is a drum lesson. One of the drummers from the first night is actually our instructor. We make our way to the sports pavilion and there are drums set out in a big circle. At…

by Ryan Trinidad (written on July 28) The group before we head into town. Today we have the day to go into Accra. We leave very early, and anyone who is anyone knows that I am not a morning person. Although, with so many things going on I am excited to be up. This time…

by Ryan Trinidad (written July 27) Today we have our boat tour in Bojo. We also have our first ride in what is called a Trotro, which is pretty much a van/taxi.  This is when it gets real. By no means is the Trotro luxury, but I like it this way.  Seatbelts that don’t work,…

by Ryan Trinidad Our living space is beautiful. The beach and ocean is literally part of our dining area. There are geckos on the walls and goats that walk themselves around town. Life is so different here. Keisha said it the best. In America we work to make money, in Ghana they work to live. I haven’t heard…

by Ryan Trinidad We land safely and at that moment I have nothing to say.  Not because my mood is down, but because I am so ready to start my experience.  We get off the plane and the heat hits instantly.  The air is thick, and it is hot.  It’s about 85 degrees, oh and did I mention it’s…

by Ryan Trinidad I don't believe anyone truly knew what was in store in the next 24 hours. As we all arrived to SeaTac Airport (on July 24) energy was low, but I had a certain feeling of excitement. The last few times I've gone to the airport I was never the one who was…

by Ryan Trinidad, Junior Communications Major Why I wanted to go on this trip: When deciding on what program I wanted to go on I wanted to stay true to a few things. One being the overall meaning behind the trip.  The Ghana trip was based on the word "Sankofa". Which translates to going back…

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