If you come to Ghana long enough, you'll realize how important the idea of marriage is here. And for a number of reasons. First of all, Ghanaians tend to be very religious people and they take marriage seriously. I'm not exactly sure how the divisions go, but the main religions are Christian and Muslim. Also, ideas of marriage are split down the middle. Again, I'm not sure on the proportions to any of this, but many Ghanaians believe in and practice polygamy.
Some of this rubbed off on me. To tell you the truth, since my arrival into this beautifully wonderful country, I've acquired 6 wives. True story. When I go out with any of my girlfriends, it's inevitable that some man somewhere will take an interest in her and start to talk to her. Or police men and border guards will jokingly say to me, "You have two women with you - you should share one with me." To all of these men I have the same reply, "SIR! This is my wife you are speaking to!" as if I'm completely insulted. The funny part about this is that it actually works. The man, whether a random guy or a machine gun-totting muscle-bound law enforcer, will laugh and apologize and let us on our way. The advantage of this polygamy thing is that it doesn't matter how many women are with me - I could say (and I do) that all the women I'm with are my wives and it still works!
I think the best part about all this is that the girls think it's chivalrous of me to offer this service. They don't realize that I only do it in hopes that one day they'll forget that we're only pretending and I can enjoy my rights as a husband. Not really.
The other night at Kokrobite, a beach I frequent, I watched as a girl got hounded by one of the locals. This is extremely typical and 99% the guys are only playfully flirting, whether the girls are interested or not. However, when they are not, it's a little painful to watch - Ghanaian men can be very persistent and don't register defeat very well. I thought about approaching her, offering to her my services as a stand-in husband for the evening, you know, just as a sort of sweet guy thing to do. But I was too sober to pull it off. The thing is, it would have worked. If I was convinced that this girl wasn't enjoy this guy's company, I could have easily walked up to them and act like her husband, and the intruder would have left immediately, leaving me to win the heart of the damsel.
I don't even need a ring. Or six of them.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
General Thoughts
It's been 2 and a half months since my last post. I can't believe it. I'd like to believe my pause in writing was purposeful - something about needing to Know Ghana Better so that I could write more accurately about it. But, even if it was true, this isn't a great blogging philosophy since I believe it's the initial reactions of a place that are so valuable and wonderful to write about. So I guess I've just been plain lazy.
I've been in Ghana for nearly 5 months. Since my last post, Ghana has drastically changed in my mind. Not from good to bad or anything subjective like that, but in the knowing of it. It's changed from being strange, misunderstood, chaotic and dangerous to being wonderfully predictable and comfortable and homey.
It's the feeling I get when I've mastered the tro-tro system, not only in Accra but in all of Ghana. It's knowing where different parts of the city are, never really getting lost and knowing that if I ever was lost, it would only last as long as it took me to ask anyone where I was. It's knowing the people in my neighbourhood, visiting my breakfast lady from whom I buy fresh porridge every morning on the side of the road. Or the fried rice guy down the street. Or the orange lady just outside the hostel.
Yet, it is still difficult for me to talk about Ghana as a whole. I'm always weary about doing this, but I really feel especially uncomfortable doing it here since I've traveled so little in the country. I mean, I've been all along the coast and to a few towns north of Accra but I have yet to experience the far north of the country. I can confidently say Ghana is a hot country compared to Canada. And that it has many Ghanaians in it. But outside of these statements I start to feel awkward.
One thing that I can say, out of my experience of the place, is that every day, somewhere, somehow, Ghana makes me smile. The more I think about this, the more it's true. Usually the origins of the smile are subtle, but it's very unique to here.
The other day, I was riding in a tro-tro heading home. A football game was about to begin in the stadium in downtown Accra and the usual craziness among the Ghanaians was evident - most people being dressed in national colours, bearing flags, yelling etc. I watched how a taxi driver with a passenger cut off another driver who honked his car horn. The taxi passenger rolled down the window, took out this 2 foot horn (the kind you blow into at a stadium for cheering) and started honking back. The taxi and the passenger then started engaging in a battle of the horns while driving side by side, on the way to the stadium. If Ghanaians do get angry, it can't be for very long.
And if I hear another Shania Twain, Bryan Adams or Celine Dion song on the radio or at Karaoke or at the jazz club I frequent on Thursday evenings, I'm going to lose it all over everything. Seriously. Ghanaians have great music and I'd like to listen to it.
I've been in Ghana for nearly 5 months. Since my last post, Ghana has drastically changed in my mind. Not from good to bad or anything subjective like that, but in the knowing of it. It's changed from being strange, misunderstood, chaotic and dangerous to being wonderfully predictable and comfortable and homey.
It's the feeling I get when I've mastered the tro-tro system, not only in Accra but in all of Ghana. It's knowing where different parts of the city are, never really getting lost and knowing that if I ever was lost, it would only last as long as it took me to ask anyone where I was. It's knowing the people in my neighbourhood, visiting my breakfast lady from whom I buy fresh porridge every morning on the side of the road. Or the fried rice guy down the street. Or the orange lady just outside the hostel.
Yet, it is still difficult for me to talk about Ghana as a whole. I'm always weary about doing this, but I really feel especially uncomfortable doing it here since I've traveled so little in the country. I mean, I've been all along the coast and to a few towns north of Accra but I have yet to experience the far north of the country. I can confidently say Ghana is a hot country compared to Canada. And that it has many Ghanaians in it. But outside of these statements I start to feel awkward.
One thing that I can say, out of my experience of the place, is that every day, somewhere, somehow, Ghana makes me smile. The more I think about this, the more it's true. Usually the origins of the smile are subtle, but it's very unique to here.
The other day, I was riding in a tro-tro heading home. A football game was about to begin in the stadium in downtown Accra and the usual craziness among the Ghanaians was evident - most people being dressed in national colours, bearing flags, yelling etc. I watched how a taxi driver with a passenger cut off another driver who honked his car horn. The taxi passenger rolled down the window, took out this 2 foot horn (the kind you blow into at a stadium for cheering) and started honking back. The taxi and the passenger then started engaging in a battle of the horns while driving side by side, on the way to the stadium. If Ghanaians do get angry, it can't be for very long.
And if I hear another Shania Twain, Bryan Adams or Celine Dion song on the radio or at Karaoke or at the jazz club I frequent on Thursday evenings, I'm going to lose it all over everything. Seriously. Ghanaians have great music and I'd like to listen to it.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Sounds Like Ghana
I've never been in a place that I've been so auditorily curious about. It seems like everywhere I go there's something interesting to listen to. I don't know if I would have noticed this without my insistence to travel with my iPod. Although, I do listen to it, I find myself preferring the sounds of Ghana while I walk.
I'm reminded of one of my late night walks home after work. I was on my cell with a friend from Canada, trying to multitask - talk and walk down the dark, pothole ridden dirt road that leads me to my house. There is a section of the road that was sided with tall grass and when I came to it, a symphony of croaks came from what seemed like 2 dozen invisible toads in the grass, so loud that I couldn't continue the conversation except to say, "Can you hear that??? Those are toads from Africa!" My friend was excited to hear it, 8711kms away. Wow.
Mornings have a similar symphonic effect on creatures in this country. I'm afraid I've gotten used to it now, but when I first arrived I couldn't believe how each morning consistently brought two things - the cock-a-doodle-doing of roosters and the crying of babies. Together and loud, as if one group was trying to out-call the other. But really, I think there is one way causality - the babes cry BECAUSE of the roosters, not despite of them. The reason is because I think the internal tickers in roosters here have a wild chemical imbalance - they start being annoying WAY too early. Not at dawn, more like a few minutes after dusk and all night through. So, if I was a baby here, I'd cry too.
My third experience with Ghanaian auditory fireworks happened a few nights ago. It was about 8pm and I was reading in bed. Hearing people of any sort is rare where I live because I live in the middle of no where. My postal address is "Turn left off a dirt road onto a smaller, muddier dirt road with potholes the size of teenage angst. Walk 20 minutes past the fruit stand until you're in the middle of no where (there's a sign). I'm in the house on the left... well, I'm in THE house." So you can imagine my surprise when, while reading, all of a sudden a thunderous cheer, made up of what seemed to be hundreds of people, exploded into the air. For 3 seconds it sounded like a Rolling Stones concert was going on about a kilometer away. Like that, far but not far for hundreds of people screaming. Anyway, I got up out of bed and stupidly looked out the window. It was completely dark by this time and I saw nothing but the dirt road. I couldn't understand what had happened and I actually started doubting what I actually heard... Maybe a quiet car going by playing music? Maybe a swarm of weird people-yelling sounding insects? Until. It. Happened. Again. I read about schizophrenia and I always wonder if I'll get it, and
if I do, if I'll know I'm getting it since many people with early onset have auditory
dilusions but often don't recognize them as so.
So I start thinking how I can get my hands on some Clozapine double
quick to start battling my new-found mental illness until I have an idea - check the tv. I turn it on, and what do I find?
GHANA vs. BENIN football match being aired live from Accra! I couldn't believe it. The city actually ERUPTED with cheering every time GHANA scored - 4 times that evening. It was beautiful - an entire city cheering for their team individually in front of their sets yet together in their alacrity. I'm glad I experienced it. I can't wait to go see a real game. I'll probably have inner-ear damage and won't be able to walk straight ever again, but it'll be worth it.
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!
I'm reminded of one of my late night walks home after work. I was on my cell with a friend from Canada, trying to multitask - talk and walk down the dark, pothole ridden dirt road that leads me to my house. There is a section of the road that was sided with tall grass and when I came to it, a symphony of croaks came from what seemed like 2 dozen invisible toads in the grass, so loud that I couldn't continue the conversation except to say, "Can you hear that??? Those are toads from Africa!" My friend was excited to hear it, 8711kms away. Wow.
Mornings have a similar symphonic effect on creatures in this country. I'm afraid I've gotten used to it now, but when I first arrived I couldn't believe how each morning consistently brought two things - the cock-a-doodle-doing of roosters and the crying of babies. Together and loud, as if one group was trying to out-call the other. But really, I think there is one way causality - the babes cry BECAUSE of the roosters, not despite of them. The reason is because I think the internal tickers in roosters here have a wild chemical imbalance - they start being annoying WAY too early. Not at dawn, more like a few minutes after dusk and all night through. So, if I was a baby here, I'd cry too.
My third experience with Ghanaian auditory fireworks happened a few nights ago. It was about 8pm and I was reading in bed. Hearing people of any sort is rare where I live because I live in the middle of no where. My postal address is "Turn left off a dirt road onto a smaller, muddier dirt road with potholes the size of teenage angst. Walk 20 minutes past the fruit stand until you're in the middle of no where (there's a sign). I'm in the house on the left... well, I'm in THE house." So you can imagine my surprise when, while reading, all of a sudden a thunderous cheer, made up of what seemed to be hundreds of people, exploded into the air. For 3 seconds it sounded like a Rolling Stones concert was going on about a kilometer away. Like that, far but not far for hundreds of people screaming. Anyway, I got up out of bed and stupidly looked out the window. It was completely dark by this time and I saw nothing but the dirt road. I couldn't understand what had happened and I actually started doubting what I actually heard... Maybe a quiet car going by playing music? Maybe a swarm of weird people-yelling sounding insects? Until. It. Happened. Again. I read about schizophrenia and I always wonder if I'll get it, and
if I do, if I'll know I'm getting it since many people with early onset have auditory
dilusions but often don't recognize them as so.
So I start thinking how I can get my hands on some Clozapine double
quick to start battling my new-found mental illness until I have an idea - check the tv. I turn it on, and what do I find?
GHANA vs. BENIN football match being aired live from Accra! I couldn't believe it. The city actually ERUPTED with cheering every time GHANA scored - 4 times that evening. It was beautiful - an entire city cheering for their team individually in front of their sets yet together in their alacrity. I'm glad I experienced it. I can't wait to go see a real game. I'll probably have inner-ear damage and won't be able to walk straight ever again, but it'll be worth it.
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Mosquitos, Malaria and Me
Anopheles Mosquito:
Insects; part of the genus of Mosquito and family of Culicidae. Slender bodies, long legs and wings. In this family, along with most mosquito families, the females suck blood (called hematophagy)which make them one of the most effective disease transmitters known to man. In Ghana, the mosquito's most favourite past time is to transmit Plasmodium, the parasite responsible for malaria. Around the world half a billion people get malaria every year and 1 to 3 million people die from this infection.
I'm researching mosquitoes today because the Ghanaian ones are different than the ones I'm used to in Canada. I spent last summer in Canada living in my tent and being outside almost exclusively and dealing with mosquitoes, especially in eastern Manitoba and northern Ontario, was a daily struggle. I think it's fascinating how mosquitoes are merely a nuisance in Canada and even the thought that they can be a death threat to other people evades most Canadians. But the big difference between the two types which became apparent to me immediately, was how difficult these suckers are to kill. Really, these creatures put me to shame. In Canada, a good portion of my ego rested in knowing that I could one-handedly squash a bug, mid-flight, without even looking - I'm that good, like the karate kid. My ego has deflated since my arrival. These mosquitoes are quicker, smarter, smaller and hyperactive. They bite seemingly without even landing... Even attempts at mid-air assassination go unfulfilled - their speed and directionless buzzing make it nearly impossible.
I have a one-up, though, compared to most Ghanaians. My Canadian body, in an attempt to insulate against the blisteringly cold northern Ontario winters, is hairier than most Ghanaians and I think because of that, mosquitoes don't know what to do when they come to my forearms or shins. They can't maneuver through the jungle like their Canadian counterparts, so I am never bitten there... HOWEVER, that means they go for other parts like the soles of my feet. I don't know how they do it, but they do and it is worst place to get bit. It actually stings.
You may wonder why I'm making light of such a situation. At first, that's all I thought about when these flies were about. Since then I've adopted the Ghanaian frame of mind - do what you can to avoid getting bitten, but if you do, don't get freaked out about it. They are very passive when it comes to this and the thought of getting malaria is more associated with inevitability than fear. Luckily, we live in a country where the medications needed are plentiful, and more importantly, the average Ghanaian can afford them. I shouldn't completely adopt their passiveness when it comes to malaria; after all, their exposure has made them less susceptible and their bouts less dramatic. All I know is that I think I had malaria a few weeks ago and it wasn't fun but that's not going to stop me from walking the beach as dusk.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
In my attempt to revive my blog, I've added the two past group emails to the site. For anyone who I've ever met, they are repeats of what I sent them, but for those random viewers - enjoy.
So I'm at work trying to kill time before I head off to the Canadian High Commission for their monthly social. I guess it's their attempt to bring Canadians who are living in Accra together to meet every 1st Thursday of the month.
I'm adding a link to a video I took of the Wlii waterfalls back in September. I thought they were beautiful and being able to swim in the shallow waters was amazing. The guy who wrote the Brandt Guide to Ghana didn't have fantastic things to say about it and I've since then taken the book with a grain of salt (but it's still very useful, so get it if you're coming). There was a scenic 45 minute walk to the falls were you could pick cocoa fruit off the trees. The seeds that have the cocoa don't have any value without processing, but the white slimy coat over the seeds tastes EXACTLY like jolly ranchers. Crazy Awesome.
I've also been trying my hand in the Ghanaian kitchen. First I'm grinding ginger for a sauce, then I'm tending to groundnut soup, which is one of my favourites. They eat it with rice balls. So good. But cooking all the time! Sheesh! "Man! I feel like a woman!" haha, hey is sexism justified when it's used to add 'random Shania Twain quotes'? I think it is. And I'm the author.
I'd like to tell you about a new aspect to my job that's stressing me out. We deal with refugees and sometimes they come from places where having refugee status is really valuable, like Liberia where there is war and people want to leave, understandibly. So I guess it has happened where people will pretend to be someone else because that someone else has a free ticket out of there (ie refugee status). Ok, so when these refugees come to my office to do health checkups and whatever else, they also need to do an ID check to make sure they are who they say they are and since policy states that the Ghanaians in my office aren't allowed to confirm this ID check (in case there's a conflict of interest), they asked me to do it. So I look at photo IDs and at the refugees to see if it matches up. First of all, it sounds easy, but if you knew how often/drastic women change their hair styles here, you'd know that sometimes it's really freakin hard. Second of all, the reprocusions of my saying that the person isn't the person in the photo are life shattering. It means that the refugee status is revoked and they go back to where ever they came from. Of course, if I get it right, then it's good that I caught them before heading off to North American or Europe. But, the stress involved in a false negative is huge. Luckily I haven't had any close calls. Everyone has fit the bill. I do enjoy the chore though. I get a chance to meet basically every west African refugee heading for the western world for a few moments. And with the childern I try to make light of the situation... Regardless, I can't expect them to be not nervous considering I'm this strange white man randomly involved in their fate. And the children traveling alone... I can't imagine what their lives must have been like until that point. Not only to leave your country and go to another one, but all by yourself without parents. Rough.
So I'm at work trying to kill time before I head off to the Canadian High Commission for their monthly social. I guess it's their attempt to bring Canadians who are living in Accra together to meet every 1st Thursday of the month.
I'm adding a link to a video I took of the Wlii waterfalls back in September. I thought they were beautiful and being able to swim in the shallow waters was amazing. The guy who wrote the Brandt Guide to Ghana didn't have fantastic things to say about it and I've since then taken the book with a grain of salt (but it's still very useful, so get it if you're coming). There was a scenic 45 minute walk to the falls were you could pick cocoa fruit off the trees. The seeds that have the cocoa don't have any value without processing, but the white slimy coat over the seeds tastes EXACTLY like jolly ranchers. Crazy Awesome.
I've also been trying my hand in the Ghanaian kitchen. First I'm grinding ginger for a sauce, then I'm tending to groundnut soup, which is one of my favourites. They eat it with rice balls. So good. But cooking all the time! Sheesh! "Man! I feel like a woman!" haha, hey is sexism justified when it's used to add 'random Shania Twain quotes'? I think it is. And I'm the author.
I'd like to tell you about a new aspect to my job that's stressing me out. We deal with refugees and sometimes they come from places where having refugee status is really valuable, like Liberia where there is war and people want to leave, understandibly. So I guess it has happened where people will pretend to be someone else because that someone else has a free ticket out of there (ie refugee status). Ok, so when these refugees come to my office to do health checkups and whatever else, they also need to do an ID check to make sure they are who they say they are and since policy states that the Ghanaians in my office aren't allowed to confirm this ID check (in case there's a conflict of interest), they asked me to do it. So I look at photo IDs and at the refugees to see if it matches up. First of all, it sounds easy, but if you knew how often/drastic women change their hair styles here, you'd know that sometimes it's really freakin hard. Second of all, the reprocusions of my saying that the person isn't the person in the photo are life shattering. It means that the refugee status is revoked and they go back to where ever they came from. Of course, if I get it right, then it's good that I caught them before heading off to North American or Europe. But, the stress involved in a false negative is huge. Luckily I haven't had any close calls. Everyone has fit the bill. I do enjoy the chore though. I get a chance to meet basically every west African refugee heading for the western world for a few moments. And with the childern I try to make light of the situation... Regardless, I can't expect them to be not nervous considering I'm this strange white man randomly involved in their fate. And the children traveling alone... I can't imagine what their lives must have been like until that point. Not only to leave your country and go to another one, but all by yourself without parents. Rough.
Kebabs and Fish Heads: Email from Oct 14th, 2007
Hello from Ghana!
After a month of living and working here I thought I would send out an update of my life and general Ghanaian observations. Especially since I've done such a wonderful job at neglecting my blog www.GhanaGetchaGood.blogspot.com. It's not even worth clicking on the link – I haven't posted since before I left Timmins, which I apologize for.
Life in Ghana:
Life is GOOD. I feel like I've been here a lot longer than a month, and I mean that in a good way. I feel settled in and in charge of my environment, which is a big deal… Those of you who've lived and worked in a foreign country can agree that the initial independence-destroying helplessness that tends to accompany life in an unpredictable environment can be very unnerving. I have every reason to thank Benjamin and his wife Pearl for the ease of transition. Benjamin, a school buddy from Dalhousie, Pearl and her nephew Moses and I have lived together since I arrived. I think my last message told about me looking for a place to live, but we've decided that living with them is the best idea, which I agree! There's nothing better than coming home to friends to share the details of my day with – and I think they get a kick out of all the situations I get into partly because I'm white and partly because I'm still pretty ignorant about how things work around here. But they have taken me under their Ghanaian wings and showed me the intricacies of their country. I've learned their crazy bus or tro tro system which gets me to work after an hour ride for $0.35. I know how to get a cab and which prices are too much and how to bargain without being rude. And most importantly, Benjamin introduced me to his tailor who's been great at making Phil-sized office pants for wicked cheap.
I'm slowly learning how to cook typical dishes here and my stomach has recovered weeks ago from the change in fare. There's something about living in foreign countries that makes me excited about hard stools. My own I mean… But the food is excellent – spicy and flavourful. I eat rice and plantain and yams a lot along with fish and chicken, mutton and goat. But fish is the most common meat. My breakfast consists of oatmeal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or eggs, which serves nicely as comfort food. There is also a category of food that is similar to a raw dough ball, but less stringy, that we eat with supper - tearing off little bits of the ball and dunking it in okra soup or some other stew-like dish is a local favourite. They tend not to be so popular among foreigners but I don't see what the big deal is. With that said, I should say that my favourite snacks here have been gizzard kebabs and sucking out the eyeballs from fried fish heads! It's what they do here! The street food here is tasty, cheap and relatively clean. They sell mini meat pies and kebabs mostly, along with freshly squeezed orange and sugar cane juice. I should say mostly clean since last night, the guy cooking my kebabs was basting them with a brush made out of plastic bag bits which looked half melted… yum! Plastic! The BBQer was a nice guy though. He spoke a dialect called Pigeon, which I liken to the accent found in Newfoundland. Ghanaians already have an accent that I have a tough time with, so this guy with the accent on top of the accent made my right eye twitch trying to figure out what he said. He said something like "Ay a bye bo kebabs a bobo dee taste good" to which I twitchingly agreed.
It's also great that I have a cell phone which is a great security blanket – no matter where I am I know there are a bunch of people to come to my rescue if needed. Of course, it's also great for getting support from Mom and Dad at home and my new wonderful girlfriend (Hi Erin!) in Hamilton… I'm extremely lucky to have these people in my life. Without them, the experience would be trying instead of enjoyable.
Work
Working on migrant health in Ghana has been fascinating so far. Because of Ghana's developed infrastructure and more-or-less organized government, many West Africans come through Accra before heading off to Europe or North America as refugees or temporary labour. So we work with a lot of people from Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo and more recently Liberia what with the political upheaval there. Our organization, funded mainly through American and European migration establishments, aims to coordinate the movement of these people while ensuring the receiving countries' policies for entry. For example, people from West Africa wanting to go do short-term work in the UK are required to have TB testing before they go and our office provides the clinic.
When I first arrived, a lot of my work was based around project fundraising which I did by writing up proposals and concept papers around different projects the Migrant Health Department could carry out. It was fun and I know how important proficiency in proposal writing is. But when, over the course of a 20 minute conversation with my boss that effectively promoted me from lowly-intern-who-writes-up-proposals to lowly-intern-who-manages-HIV-prevention-projects, I wasn't disappointed. I guess he liked my work. Coordinating people and moving projects forward is exciting and challenging to say the least. I mean, I have a rough enough time trying to find my way to work in this highly unpredictable, chaotic city, so coordinating the spreading HIV prevention information to thousands of people should be cinch...
One of the potential projects I'd be running has to do with the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament. It's like the World Cup, but for Africa alone, and it's being hosted in Ghana – we're expecting thousands of visitors to the country during the three weeks in January. IOM wants me to advertise HIV prevention information at the games, which are being played in four separate corners of the country, by using pamphlets, posters, banners, billboards and radio and TV commercials. It'll be a great opportunity to share this knowledge to a huge group with a variety of understandings of the disease. I'm just wondering how the heck to put up a billboard in Ghana! I'm learning lots, that's for sure.
The hospitality that Ghanaians are famous for has been welcomed and I'm fortunate to be their guest for the next 5 months. It's great to have a place that I can call home for the next little while. But it'll be even better to travel the 8711 km back.
Take care,
Phil
After a month of living and working here I thought I would send out an update of my life and general Ghanaian observations. Especially since I've done such a wonderful job at neglecting my blog www.GhanaGetchaGood.blogspot.com. It's not even worth clicking on the link – I haven't posted since before I left Timmins, which I apologize for.
Life in Ghana:
Life is GOOD. I feel like I've been here a lot longer than a month, and I mean that in a good way. I feel settled in and in charge of my environment, which is a big deal… Those of you who've lived and worked in a foreign country can agree that the initial independence-destroying helplessness that tends to accompany life in an unpredictable environment can be very unnerving. I have every reason to thank Benjamin and his wife Pearl for the ease of transition. Benjamin, a school buddy from Dalhousie, Pearl and her nephew Moses and I have lived together since I arrived. I think my last message told about me looking for a place to live, but we've decided that living with them is the best idea, which I agree! There's nothing better than coming home to friends to share the details of my day with – and I think they get a kick out of all the situations I get into partly because I'm white and partly because I'm still pretty ignorant about how things work around here. But they have taken me under their Ghanaian wings and showed me the intricacies of their country. I've learned their crazy bus or tro tro system which gets me to work after an hour ride for $0.35. I know how to get a cab and which prices are too much and how to bargain without being rude. And most importantly, Benjamin introduced me to his tailor who's been great at making Phil-sized office pants for wicked cheap.
I'm slowly learning how to cook typical dishes here and my stomach has recovered weeks ago from the change in fare. There's something about living in foreign countries that makes me excited about hard stools. My own I mean… But the food is excellent – spicy and flavourful. I eat rice and plantain and yams a lot along with fish and chicken, mutton and goat. But fish is the most common meat. My breakfast consists of oatmeal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or eggs, which serves nicely as comfort food. There is also a category of food that is similar to a raw dough ball, but less stringy, that we eat with supper - tearing off little bits of the ball and dunking it in okra soup or some other stew-like dish is a local favourite. They tend not to be so popular among foreigners but I don't see what the big deal is. With that said, I should say that my favourite snacks here have been gizzard kebabs and sucking out the eyeballs from fried fish heads! It's what they do here! The street food here is tasty, cheap and relatively clean. They sell mini meat pies and kebabs mostly, along with freshly squeezed orange and sugar cane juice. I should say mostly clean since last night, the guy cooking my kebabs was basting them with a brush made out of plastic bag bits which looked half melted… yum! Plastic! The BBQer was a nice guy though. He spoke a dialect called Pigeon, which I liken to the accent found in Newfoundland. Ghanaians already have an accent that I have a tough time with, so this guy with the accent on top of the accent made my right eye twitch trying to figure out what he said. He said something like "Ay a bye bo kebabs a bobo dee taste good" to which I twitchingly agreed.
It's also great that I have a cell phone which is a great security blanket – no matter where I am I know there are a bunch of people to come to my rescue if needed. Of course, it's also great for getting support from Mom and Dad at home and my new wonderful girlfriend (Hi Erin!) in Hamilton… I'm extremely lucky to have these people in my life. Without them, the experience would be trying instead of enjoyable.
Work
Working on migrant health in Ghana has been fascinating so far. Because of Ghana's developed infrastructure and more-or-less organized government, many West Africans come through Accra before heading off to Europe or North America as refugees or temporary labour. So we work with a lot of people from Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Togo and more recently Liberia what with the political upheaval there. Our organization, funded mainly through American and European migration establishments, aims to coordinate the movement of these people while ensuring the receiving countries' policies for entry. For example, people from West Africa wanting to go do short-term work in the UK are required to have TB testing before they go and our office provides the clinic.
When I first arrived, a lot of my work was based around project fundraising which I did by writing up proposals and concept papers around different projects the Migrant Health Department could carry out. It was fun and I know how important proficiency in proposal writing is. But when, over the course of a 20 minute conversation with my boss that effectively promoted me from lowly-intern-who-writes-up-proposals to lowly-intern-who-manages-HIV-prevention-projects, I wasn't disappointed. I guess he liked my work. Coordinating people and moving projects forward is exciting and challenging to say the least. I mean, I have a rough enough time trying to find my way to work in this highly unpredictable, chaotic city, so coordinating the spreading HIV prevention information to thousands of people should be cinch...
One of the potential projects I'd be running has to do with the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament. It's like the World Cup, but for Africa alone, and it's being hosted in Ghana – we're expecting thousands of visitors to the country during the three weeks in January. IOM wants me to advertise HIV prevention information at the games, which are being played in four separate corners of the country, by using pamphlets, posters, banners, billboards and radio and TV commercials. It'll be a great opportunity to share this knowledge to a huge group with a variety of understandings of the disease. I'm just wondering how the heck to put up a billboard in Ghana! I'm learning lots, that's for sure.
The hospitality that Ghanaians are famous for has been welcomed and I'm fortunate to be their guest for the next 5 months. It's great to have a place that I can call home for the next little while. But it'll be even better to travel the 8711 km back.
Take care,
Phil
Group Email from September 19, 2007
Hello Friends and Family... and Moe,
If you've never received an email from Ghana then I'm excited this is the first one... I'll try to make it extra awesome!
Ok so I'm in Ghana. In Accra to be exact - it's the capital city, about 2 million large and on the Atlantic coast of this northwest African country.
What am I doing here?
I don't really know. Half the time I trying to figure out what the heck is going on around me. No, but seriously, I was awarded a CIDA-funded internship that will have me working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) here in Ghana. I'm out here for 6 months and although the details of the project that I'm on are slowly making themselves known, what I know so far is that I'll be working on a project revolved around testing and counselling refugees with HIV. I'm really excited about this because it'll let me put my thesis work on HIV in India to good use. The people in the office are great and have been a great help. So that's what I'm officially doing. Unofficially, I'm checking things out. I plan on doing as much traveling humanly/financially possible. Fun too, having fun is high on the unofficial list. Last weekend a group of us went swimming in Ghana's tallest waterfall!
What's Ghana like?
In a word? Freakin'awesome... It's a new word. After spending 3 months in Bangalore, I had reservations about coming back to the developing world and living in a gigantic, chaotic city. But Accra is farther from India than I could have ever imagined. It's kinda like a more tanned version of Cape Breton because the people here, ALL of them (except for one, more on this later), are so cheerful and helpful and just simply great. There is a fair bit of chaos here, but it's hardly intimidating. I feel like I could only be lost for a few seconds because the first person I ask for help will 100% of the time be helpful. The other day I had an entire bus-load of people help me out by shouting that I had reached my destination! I don't know how they knew where I was going, but they did, and they let me know it! I feel like Ghana is filled with people who'd start dancing if only some music would play. And they're soooo laid back. This morning I was in a taxi with 3 other random passengers (the taxi system here is a little different) when the entire wheel of the taxi fell off. It actually FELL OFF! We were moving along at the Ghanaian speed limit of 10km.hr because of traffic so it wasn't threatening. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation but when the other passengers in the taxi just threw some money at the driver and continued walking, I thought, I guess this happens all the time. It doesn't happen all the time, but it seems like the people here just go with the flow. What? The wheel fell off? Oh well, let's start hiking.
It hasn't been all fun and games though. Turns out, in the evening of my first full day in Ghana, someone broke into my buddy's car and stole my laptop. He and I went into a grocery store in a well lit parking lot and 15 minutes later, the window was busted and my bag was gone. I wasn't impressed but within a few minutes, our busted car was surrounded with concerned people from the neighbourhood. Actually, everyone I've told has been completely sympathetic and concerned with what happened. Even strangers and the police were heartbroken - I couldn't believe it. They take these things very personally and I think it reflects well on what type of people occupy this country. Of course, it's difficult to generalize and there is that one person out there with a sleek iBook that contains the majority of my digital life (but can't get to because it's encrypted), but I get this feeling that I'm surrounded by wonderful people.
For those of you who have followed my bicycle excursion via my blog, I'm terribly sorry about it ending in Montreal... I kinda got busy and still have to finish it. BUT I have a new blog to neglect called
www.GhanaGetchGood.blogspot.com
If you recognize the title from Shania Twain lyrics, that's no accident! It's the world's first Shania Twain-inspired Ghanaian blogsite! YAY for me! So check it out infrequently to get my scoop of this crazy awesome country!
Hope this email finds all of you well.
Phil
If you've never received an email from Ghana then I'm excited this is the first one... I'll try to make it extra awesome!
Ok so I'm in Ghana. In Accra to be exact - it's the capital city, about 2 million large and on the Atlantic coast of this northwest African country.
What am I doing here?
I don't really know. Half the time I trying to figure out what the heck is going on around me. No, but seriously, I was awarded a CIDA-funded internship that will have me working with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) here in Ghana. I'm out here for 6 months and although the details of the project that I'm on are slowly making themselves known, what I know so far is that I'll be working on a project revolved around testing and counselling refugees with HIV. I'm really excited about this because it'll let me put my thesis work on HIV in India to good use. The people in the office are great and have been a great help. So that's what I'm officially doing. Unofficially, I'm checking things out. I plan on doing as much traveling humanly/financially possible. Fun too, having fun is high on the unofficial list. Last weekend a group of us went swimming in Ghana's tallest waterfall!
What's Ghana like?
In a word? Freakin'awesome... It's a new word. After spending 3 months in Bangalore, I had reservations about coming back to the developing world and living in a gigantic, chaotic city. But Accra is farther from India than I could have ever imagined. It's kinda like a more tanned version of Cape Breton because the people here, ALL of them (except for one, more on this later), are so cheerful and helpful and just simply great. There is a fair bit of chaos here, but it's hardly intimidating. I feel like I could only be lost for a few seconds because the first person I ask for help will 100% of the time be helpful. The other day I had an entire bus-load of people help me out by shouting that I had reached my destination! I don't know how they knew where I was going, but they did, and they let me know it! I feel like Ghana is filled with people who'd start dancing if only some music would play. And they're soooo laid back. This morning I was in a taxi with 3 other random passengers (the taxi system here is a little different) when the entire wheel of the taxi fell off. It actually FELL OFF! We were moving along at the Ghanaian speed limit of 10km.hr because of traffic so it wasn't threatening. I wasn't sure what to make of the situation but when the other passengers in the taxi just threw some money at the driver and continued walking, I thought, I guess this happens all the time. It doesn't happen all the time, but it seems like the people here just go with the flow. What? The wheel fell off? Oh well, let's start hiking.
It hasn't been all fun and games though. Turns out, in the evening of my first full day in Ghana, someone broke into my buddy's car and stole my laptop. He and I went into a grocery store in a well lit parking lot and 15 minutes later, the window was busted and my bag was gone. I wasn't impressed but within a few minutes, our busted car was surrounded with concerned people from the neighbourhood. Actually, everyone I've told has been completely sympathetic and concerned with what happened. Even strangers and the police were heartbroken - I couldn't believe it. They take these things very personally and I think it reflects well on what type of people occupy this country. Of course, it's difficult to generalize and there is that one person out there with a sleek iBook that contains the majority of my digital life (but can't get to because it's encrypted), but I get this feeling that I'm surrounded by wonderful people.
For those of you who have followed my bicycle excursion via my blog, I'm terribly sorry about it ending in Montreal... I kinda got busy and still have to finish it. BUT I have a new blog to neglect called
www.GhanaGetchGood.blogspot.com
If you recognize the title from Shania Twain lyrics, that's no accident! It's the world's first Shania Twain-inspired Ghanaian blogsite! YAY for me! So check it out infrequently to get my scoop of this crazy awesome country!
Hope this email finds all of you well.
Phil
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