Hi. I'm Phil and I'm going to Accra, Ghana for 6 months on a CIDA internship. As of writing this, I have 36 hours before I leave home for good. I haven't started packing. I still have half a dozen documents to fill and send out. I haven't gotten any anti-malarial meds yet, nor have I started the regime. I don't have a place to stay in Accra. I don't know where the office I'm working in is located. And I don't have a clue what I'll be doing at this office, once I find it. Luckily I have a sense of adventure, or else I guess I could be a little apprehensive about the whole thing.
Oh yeah, and what's with the Shania Twain infusion? Well, I'm from Timmins, Ontario and part of being proud of where I come from means being proud that Shania Twain used to live down the street from me (well not really, but Timmins isn't that big, so kinda). And I think it'll be important for me and my readers to be reminded that, no matter what, the things I see in Ghana will always be from the perspective of a Northern Ontarian. Just like how Shania sees things. So it'll be like she's right there with me. A little creepy, but fun too!
200 Days of Ghanaian Observations
Blog Archive
About Me
- Pip
- I'm a northern Ontario fella, soon-to-be Caribbean medical graduate of SABA university and family medicine resident somewhere in the US. Will update this as the details of my life become clearer to me.
Things you can buy from a Tro-Tro in Ghana
- - White Bread
- - Viagra
- - Tummy Toner Machine (circa 1980)
- - Toothpaste
- - Toothbrush
- - Toilet Paper and Facial Tissue
- - T-shirts
- - Soft Toilet Seat
- - Soap
- - Shoes (used or new)
- - Sachet Water
- - Puppies (sometimes vomiting)
- - Plantain
- - Phone Cards of all denominations
- - Pens that, when pulled, Reveal the Map of Ghana
- - Mobile Phones
- - Material for dresses
- - Massaging Vibrator
- - Magazines
- - Machetes
- - Laundry Detergent
- - Kenke
- - Kebob (chicken, beef, gizzard, liver, intestine, oysters stuffed with gari)
- - Jewelry (mostly special gold that rubs off with sweat)
- - Jesus is the Light of My Life Cigarette Lighter
- - Ice Cream - vanilla, strawberry, chocolate (FanIce)
- - Headache and Malaria Medicine
- - Hard-boiled Egg with pepper sauce
- - Hankies
- - Ghanaian Flags of all shapes, sizes
- - Fruit (Papaya, Bananas, Apples, Pineapple)
- - Frozen Yogurt
- - Fried Yam
- - Fried Plantain chips
- - Extra Large Toothpicks
- - Energy Drinks (Burn, Red Bull, Blue Jeans)
- - Corn Bread
- - Colas and other types of soda
- - Clothes Hangers
- - Candy, bubble gum, breath mints
- - Boxer Briefs, of various African prints (men's underwear)
- - Books (Anything from Shakespeare to "Play Me Cool, I'm a Virgin" to Bibles and Dictionaries)
- - Bobble Head Figures
- - Bo Fruit
- - Bikini briefs - lacy, bright yellow, red or black (men's underwear)
- - Baked Cheese
3 comments:
Phil, Joanna just forwarded your (and my!) first email from Ghana. I have a big ol' grin on my face because frankly, you're awesome. Can't wait to read more!
Hey Phi,
Got your email update and am pleased to hear you are there, relatively safe and sound. What a drag about the iBook! I hope you have a wonderful adventure and look forward to reading about it.
Phil,
I am so very proud of you. I am a fan of yours from way back to the Timmins days of course. I now live in BC and am the elder of the two parties that you stayed with in White Rock when you were starting out on your bike adventure acrosss Canada. Did I not tell you that I saw you working in a desolate country. I guess that I will have to tell you more next time that we see each other hahahahaha.
LR
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