A Ghanaian Love Affair

Ask any Ghanaian what they love and their list will likely contain the following:

1. God
2. Football (aka soccer)
3. ... um. Nope, just those two things!

So when the Black Stars, Ghana's national football team, had a game in Kumasi, I couldn't miss it, along with the other 50,000+ fans who had the same idea.

Be Aggressive, Be Be Aggressive

On Saturday night, Andrea, Mallory, and I needed to take a tro tro from the village to Kumasi, to stay with Andrea's Ghanaian friend, Joe.

Apparently everyone had the same idea, at the same time.

A few tro tros came by heading to Kumasi, and Ghanaians would literally push people out of the way so they could get into the tro tro. Before the tro tro had stopped, people swarmed the doors, fighting to get in. They weren't messing around, and there was no way they were going to let 3 obrunis get in before they did. There is absolutely no concept of a line or first come first serve. It's a prime example of survival of the fittest. Haha. I never realized how much I appreciate the orderliness of the American transportation systems.

So after a few tro tros had gone by and we hadn't even attempted to compete with the Ghanaians, we needed a new game plan.

New Game Plan: Be aggressive. And try not to get trampled.

We saw a tro tro come to a stop a little ways down from where we were standing. When we saw people running towards it, we followed suit. Mallory made her way through the crowd of people, and I held on to her backpack, not letting anyone separate us. We finally got in a tro tro! One girl literally jumped over the seat to get in! Whoa! It was only after the three of us all had a seat that we asked if that tro tro was even actually going to Kumasi! LOL Thankfully it was! So we were on our way.

Kumasi at Night
Joe met us at the drop off and took us back to his place. It was one room in a compound house. The other rooms were rented to other people.

Joe's rent per month: 7 cedi!
His electric and water bill: 5 cedi

He had a "kitchen" in the front section with a small set of burners for a stove. No sink or dishwasher though, because there wasn't any running water inside his room.

The next section he had blocked off was his living room, which did have a couch and a television, and two chairs.

A sheet hanging blocked off his "bedroom", which consisted of a bed and a place he put his clothes. Basically his "house" consisted of one room, separated into three sections.

When we got to his house we started watching a movie. This is the first movie I have watched in over two months. I was really enjoying it! It felt good to have the familiarity of watching a movie with friends on a Saturday night.

We were about half way through, and getting to the climax of the whole film... when... the... electricity... went... OUT!

Haha.

So we all went outside, because it was much cooler out there and talked with his neighbors. We used all the Twi we knew, and they loved us! It was about 11 o clock at this point, and Mallory and I decided we wanted some bread. So we took the "torch light" aka flashlight and headed off on an adventure. We didn't get very far until we had a companion on our journey.

One of Joe's neighbors insisted on coming with us, and I'm so glad she did! She held my hand the whole way and made sure we found it ok! Haha. So cute! It's the small, nice things like that that make me love Ghana! I really can't imagine a lady I'd never met before, holding my hand to walk down the road in the United States!

We enjoy our bread and about it isn't long before the power comes back on. Time to finish the movie.

About a half hour later. The power..., take a guess... Yep! Goes out again! LOL

Thankfully it's not very long until it comes back on, and we call it a night.

The next morning Joe wakes up early and cooks us breakfast! (The night before he hand washed Andrea's dress!) Aw! How sweet! I'm not sure an American guy would have jumped on the chance to do these things, but Joe didn't mind at all!

Black Stars VS Benin

On Sunday it was finally time for the soccer match. The stadium was packed with excited Ghanaian fans. The atmosphere was so much fun! There was a band playing and people were dancing in their chairs.

It was a World Cup qualifying match. Our tickets only cost 7 cedi. In the U.S. I'm pretty sure parking alone would have cost more than 7 dollars!

Before the game started a Ghanaian threw water on some Benin fans, and a small fight broke out. Haha. The guy next to me, summoned to police officer to "Go arrest that man!" LOL The guy then told me how the guy who threw the water wasn't representing Ghana in a good light. Aw! I think I met the best people in all of Ghana this weekend! The guy next to me cared about his country, and didn't want anyone to view Ghana in a negative way.

Within the first minute and nine seconds, the Black Stars scored a goal. The crowd went crazy! Wow! I thought it was going to be a great game, with lots of points scored. But in the end, that was the ONLY point scored! Haha.

Throughout the match there were people setting off fireworks in their seats. Seemed a little dangerous... Haha. But no one said anything. Maybe it's soccer protocol or something! LOL

It was great to be 1/50,000 to cheer on the Black Stars and be a little part of all the excitement!

Village Ventures - Mompong

As we entered Mompong, (more of a small town than a village, since there were paved roads, and is the second biggest town in the Ashanti region) our first stop was to visit the Chief.

The company of royalty

"Nana" as all chiefs are called was a character! He definitely didn't take his status too seriously, as he joked around with us, and didn't let anyone leave before he gave them a good teasing. Nana also works as a managing editor for the Daily Graphic, Kumasi branch, and after he learned I was studying journalism, he went into a ten minute speech about how journalism is an "art". Haha. Ooh Nana.

We sat outside with our chairs in a horizontal live, with Nana sitting in the middle in his small throne like chair.

We also didn't leave without eating fufu. There were some kind of intestines in the soup, along with fish and goat meat. Haha. Andrea was quick to say that she doesn't eat meat, and Mallory and I were quick to follow her lead. LOL. So thankfully I was spared the intestines. In the end, I didn't "justify my plate" as Nana kept saying, meaning I didn't eat it all. I think that may be considered rude in their culture, but I just couldn't finish it. Luckily he just teased me, and told Andrea that she needed to "galvanize" or make me stronger so I could finish it all. Haha.

Nana's children and relatives who were around served us, and I wondered if they have to do that all the time for him...

After nearly two hours at the chief's house we left. No business was conducted or plans discussed. I think it was just a formality. Before entering the community you should greet the chief. With my American mentality, the visit didn't seem very productive. Haha. But I guess that's just how things are done here!

Epitome of Education

Accosi took us to the junior high school where the ICT Center will be put and also to the primary school of the area. The primary school was a little shocking. Two of the classrooms were mud hut classrooms, back to back. You would be able to hear everything the class was doing in the other area. There was a small black board hanging in the front. The floor was made of dirt and cracking. About ten small desks filled the room. Children sit two per desk.

There weren't any colorful posters on the wall or goldfish in a tank. No games or gadgets. Outside there wasn't any playground equipment. Obviously no air conditioning. Wow. This school really put things into perspective and I had a little revelation (again) about how much Americans really do have and how much we take for granted!

Meeting the Fam

After touring the schools, Accosi took us to his home to meet the rest of his family. We didn't call. We just showed up, unannounced.

In the United States people might not be so welcoming. But in Ghana, the people don't mind if they are still in their pajamas, if they don't have make up on, or if they have ground nuts all over the floor, like in this case. They weren't embarrassed, even though they had never met us before. They weren't worried about making a good impression, and Accosi wasn't worried that we would judge him based on his family. Wow. It was really neat to see. His family was so sweet and so excited to meet the obrunis.

At the end of the day, Accosi (who is probably in his 40's) took us to the tro tro station so we could catch a taxi back. When we were leaving he literally had tears in his eyes. He said, "This is when I get sad. By the grace of God, we will meet again." Aw! How precious!

Village Ventures - Afamanaso

A dirt road runs through the village of Afamanaso.
Compound houses are dotted throughout.
There is no running water and only limited electricity.

Afamanaso is the community where Planting Technology International (the NGO I am volunteering with) implemented its first ICT Center, or computer lab. This weekend I was able to visit the village and see the fruits of our labor and meet the children who benefit from the hands on computer education they now receive. Currently, only 4% of all Ghanaians use the Internet.

BEFORE

AFTER

As three obrunis entered the community, we were greeted with the excited shouts of from the children. The adults were just as happy to have us.

To spend the weekend in rural villages of Ghana, made my heart happy. The people we met were genuinely nice! I have story after story to tell about the kind actions of others. It was great to get away from the hustle and bustle of Accra with the many brash encounters and be whole heartedly welcomed into a village and be treated with care.

We stayed in a compound house with Andrea's "father" from the village, Mensah. Now a compound house has separate rooms but are all connected. There was a "kitchen" which didn't resemble any kind of kitchen I was use to. There wasn't a sink since there wasn't running water or even a refrigerator.

The bedroom where we stayed was very bare and simple. A bed with a couple of chairs. Small and quait. No decorations or closets filled with clothes, as you might see in the U.S. There was electricity in this house, but I was informed that most of the houses do not have power. A small light lit the room to a dark glow. A melted candle sat on the table for the moment the electricity went out.

There was no living room or gathering area for the house. No stairs to climb to get to the next level. No television to entertain us.

On the first night we arrived, three girls from the village came by to visit. Andrea said they would come by every night when she was staying in the village on a regular basis. One was in high school, one in junior high, and the other in elementary school. When we would ask them a simple question, it would take them a while to respond, if they even did respond. It was like they didn't understand our simple English. Our clear cut questions. Over the weekend I met many people who couldn't speak English at all, which is Ghana's national language! Wow.

The next morning we went to greet some of the elders in the village, including Father Mensah's mother. She didn't speak English. Two high school aged boys were nearby and would translate for us. It didn't take long until she was asking us for bread and money. "Look at my arms." She said. "They are so little. I need more to eat." She then asked us for money to build her a new house and asked us to leave our clothes for her when we left. Thankfully Andrea warned Mallory and I that she would do this, because Andrea said she asks for money everytime she sees her.

Later that day, Saturday, we traveled with Andrea's friend, Accosi, to Mampong where another PTI project is in the works.

Glimpse of Ghana

So Loren was able to upload some pictures onto her blog, which made it easy for me to copy them over to mine! Enjoy!

Our guide, DK, telling us how he prayed more hard for us to see elephants.




Loren and I at a watering hole... waiting for the elephants.



Loren, Bethany, Me, and Johnny with the elephant!



DK was so happy we finally found one!




Why did the elephant cross the road?



Rafiki from the Lion King.



The group with Auntie Janet after our sing along.

So on the way to the hippo sanctuary our driver drops us off on the side of a road, in a random town because he has to go get a part for the truck.
After about an hour, we start to wonder if he's ever coming back!

On that same trip, our truck gets a flat tire!



Dinner in the tree stand.



About 7 am the next morning.

Showing off our stylish life jackets for the canoe safari.

I'm ready to go!

Market Mania

After being in Ghana for a little more than two months, I felt it was time to tackle Makola Market.
Yes. This market is something that has to be tackled. Haha.



One of the biggest markets I have been to, Makola Market is at the heart of Accra.
People, things, sights, smells. Everywhere!
This picture doesn't even come close to demonstrating the size and atmosphere of the market!
Anything you could need... at this market. Like raw fish for example. On display for you to pick the perfect one.

I think if I would have gone to Makola at the beginning of my visit to Ghana, it would have been very overwhelming, but after being here for a couple months I have learned to how deal with the very aggressive salesmen. And hey. If you can't beat them. Join them.

I was a little feisty myself today. Which made it a lot of fun.

Like I've mentioned before the people will just grab you. Hold on to your arm and won't let you keep walking. It didn't take long before I came up with a phrase that I repeated over and over.

"Don't touch obrunis."

LOL. They definitely weren't expecting this! And it did wonders. They would be taken back a little bit. Usually laugh. And always let go!

At one point I was smacking a guys hand over and over and over, harder and harder, until he finally let go. I wasn't taking anything today and was more than happy to dish it out. In a loving sort of way, of course!

Not to mention, I got to practice my Twi!

While they always laughed when I busted out a phrase, it always made them take a few cedis off the price.

My favorites:

Me pawocheo, te so kakra. - Please, take a little off the price.
Dabe, mempe. - No. I don't like that.
Ye fre me Ama. My name is Ama. (Throwing in a Ghanaian name always makes them laugh.)

In the end, I informed a few people that they didn't have to grab obrunis to get our attention, practiced the language, and bought a cute pair of shoes.

Not a bad day!

Holy Mole

Elephants, baboons, and wart hogs, Oh My!

Traveling for literally 30 hours a group of us- Loren, Bethany, Johnny, and I-headed to Mole (pronounced Mo-lay) National Park in the Northern Region of Ghana this weekend.

Now in the U.S. I would estimate this trip to take about 6 or 7 hours, but that's Ghana's Public Transportation system for ya.

We never realized how many people would be wanting to take the 7am bus on a Saturday morning to Tamale (pronounced Tom-a-lay, not like the Mexican food!). We arrive at the bus station, only to find out that both the 7 and 8 am buses are full. Not to worry. We pull out our trusty guide book and look for Plan B. By the end of the trip, we said we were probably through the entire alphabet and on Plan CC.

We went to the nearby tro tro station and found a bus to Kumasi. From there we would head to Tamale, and then finally to Mole National Park. But don't think it was that simple... Traveling in Ghana is not traveling without a few obstacles!

When we get to Kumasi we go to two different bus stations. Both buses to Tamale are full. Thankfully our third option is a success. (Seriously though, Tamale must have more in it than I think. It's a hot spot! Haha.)

We arrive in Tamale at about 10 at night. We need to be at the bus station by four in the morning for the 6 am bus. The guidebook tells us that you cannot buy tickets in advance, so we want to make sure we are there early in order to get a seat.

After checking a few hotels, Loren and I convince the others that at this point, we might as well just sleep at the bus station. We only had about 4 hours until we had to be there...
With a little persuasion they gave in. And the bus station was the place to be! There were lots of people there- sleeping, playing games, eating and selling food -waiting for an early bus.

We figured it couldn't be that bad. I mean, I've done it before, and this time I was prepared! I brought my own sheet to lay on! We found a spot by a group of Ghanaian women and their kids. They seemed surprised that we were going to stay there, Haha and took us under their wing. They told us to keep our bags zipped and close to us. All the important info obrunis need to know!

The next morning we woke up to get in line to get a ticket... but clearly people already had tickets. I don't know how Ghanaians always find out this important information that we just seem to miss! Apparently you could buy advance tickets, and you were suppose to. So again. We were without a ticket. We didn't want to miss the bus, so the driver said we could get on if we were prepared to stand... on a bumpy road... for 5 hours.

After weighing our options, we all agreed we would stand. But thankfully we didn't have to. We took a different means of transportation!

There was a tro tro heading in that direction that we could get on instead. It didn't take long to fill up because so many people didn't have a ticket. Finally we were on the last stretch to Mole National Park.

Mole National Park

We spent the first day relaxing by the pool, which was so refreshing after traveling for so long. It was cool because we could look out into the grassy area on the other side of the pool and we saw a group of elephants from a distance. I figured it would be no problem seeing elephants on the walking safari we were going to take the next morning...

That night we ate dinner at the Staff Canteen there on the site. It had really good and cheap Ghanaian food.

It was interesting because an older Ghanaian woman-Auntie Janet-we met on the tro tro to the park worked there. She took our orders during the day and then went back to her house to prepare the food for our dinner. We told her what time we wanted to eat and she met us back at the park with the food. Can you imagine this kind of restaurant service in the United States? LOL

As we ate ground nut soup and rice balls with our hands, Auntie Janet sat with us and sang The Lion King Song- "In the Jungle, the Mighty Jungle"... you know that one! And of course we sang along!

The next night we had a full sing along with Auntie Janet, singing Kumbayah, the Barney Song: I Love You, You Love Me, The Hokey Pokey, Father Abraham, and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. LOL! Definitely a good time! It brought me back to my child hood days and all the songs we use to sing!

Safari Time

Monday morning we went on the 7 am safari. We saw baboons and monkeys in trees, wart hogs, cobb, and bush back (antelope and deer like animals), but no elephants. I was really surprised since they were so close yesterday.

Our trusty guide, DK, said that they probably got a big drink from the watering hole the day before and had dispersed far back into the forest.



When wart hogs eat they bend on their two front knees. Someone asked why they do that and DK explained that they were giving respect to their food by doing this! Haha! This was his answer, and his only answer. No further explanation needed! LOL That was simply the reason.

Determined to see elephants up close, we went on the 3:30 safari that day. DK was again our guide and before we left, he informed us that he, "Prayed more hard" that we will find elephants. So presh! Of course, he prayed more hard!

But no luck.

However, even though the elephants were no where to be found, baboons were everywhere! They came up to the pool deck and walked around. One even started drinking the pool water.

There were girls having lunch outside and a baboon came and took their bread right off the table while they were sitting there! We saw moms carrying their babies on their backs. Jumping through the trees.

The workers would throw rocks at them to try to make them get away from the pool. They were cool to us, but to them they were just annoying. Kinda like raccoons on a camping trip in the U.S.

DK the Elephant Hunter

The next morning (Tuesday) was our last chance to see elephants close up. We set out for our third walking safari. DK was tracking the elephant through the forest. It was really cute. He would see leaves on the ground and know they had been eating there that morning. He would follow the foot prints until we found more leaves that had been eaten.

Finally. We found an elephant!

DK said that elephants are the 2nd fastest animal in the world! Whoa! I never would have imagined! Maybe that's why DK carried a rifle with him on every safari... Just in case the elephant wanted to race!

It was really cool to see it in its natural habitat. This was an old elephant, according to DK. It had only one tusk, had a large wound on it's front leg, and had a short tail. This elephant had been in a fight. Whoa! I would hate to be caught in the middle of that disagreement!

Hippo Heaven

After a successful safari we packed our things and were on our way. Not back to campus, but further north, near Wa, to a hippo sancutary.

We figured since it took 30 hours to get up there, then we might as well visit what we could, because the odds of us going back were very slim!

17 communities came together to create the sanctuary and protect the hippos in the Black Volta River.

That night the four of us slept outside in a tree stand at the sanctuary! We were roughing it! Especially when it started to rain! Haha.

The next morning we went on a canoe excursion to spot hippos in the river. We saw a few at a distance. We were all pretty much ready to go at that point, haha. So I'm sure it would have been cooler if we had more energy!

Anyway, it was a full trip with lots of excitement. This weekend I am actually staying in Accra. Taking a break from traveling! There are still things in Accra I'd like to do, and this means I'll get to sleep in my bed all weekend... although bus stations and tree stands really aren't that bad!

Have a good day!

Mel

Joke of the Day: Public Transportation in Ghana

-The infamous tro tros of Ghana -

This weekend we wanted just a short trip to get out of ISH, so we decided to go to Elmina and Cape Coast. Not too far away. A few things to do. We'll be back in time for classes on Monday.

Well, anytime you think something is going to be simple in Ghana, think again. Haha.

On Saturday three friends and I head to the tro tro station in Accra. Let me preface this by saying that tro tro stations are always crowded and hectic. The drivers and mates are yelling out where they are going. There are people everywhere. When there are four white kids walking through the crowd it catches peoples attention immediately.

"Obruni, Where are you going?" Is the phrase we heard over and over again. And when I say this, I mean they ask in an abrupt sort of way. Not in a "I really want to help you" sort of way. They just want to know if they can get you on their tro tro instead of someone elses... We know where we are going, so we head straight there.

While we are heading to the tro tro we are walking in a line behind each other and I am in the back of the line. There is this guy asking where we are going and then all of a sudden I feel his hand touching my leg... more specifically my front pants pocket... I look down and he is feeling my pocket to see if there is anything in it that he can pickpocket. This is the sort of thing they warn us about! Where there is a hectic situation and you are thinking about something else...

This really makes me mad! I turn around and glare and him and just yell "STOP!" At the time that's the only thing I could think of! After the fact, I thought of a whole lot of things I could have said. LOL. Next time I will be ready! I just kept turing around and staring at him, after he stopped following me, as in "I know what you were trying to do" sort of look.

So we get to the tro tro heading towards Cape Coast and get on. While we get on, there are several people who get off. I don't think anything of it. My head is still reeling from the pickpocket and I just assume they changed their mind. We wait about a half hour for the tro tro to fill up and the driver starts the engine. We should be off any minute. Then it seems... the driver has a change of heart.

He comes to the back of the tro tro where the four obrunis are sitting and lets up know that this tro tro is no longer going to Cape Coast. Instead, it is going to Kumasi... He literally told us he was being "nice" so he was telling us now!

Nice?! LOL! Isn't that his job? Was he just going to let us get half way to Kumasi until we realized that we weren't going in the right direction? He knew where we were going the entire time but just let us sit there. Ah! Apparently that's why people got out when we were first getting on. This little stunt just added to the frustrations of the morning. By this time I was ready just to head back to campus.

We ask for our money back but he tells us just to go with this other guy and he will take us to a tro tro going to Cape Coast. He asks for our ticket back and we hand it over.

The next tro tro is completely empty! It could take a couple hours until it fills up and we didn't just want to sit there. We look at our guidebook and see that a bus is leaving in 20 minutes from a station down the road so we ask for our money back and another struggle pursues. LOL. Oh this day!

The guy tells us to get back on the tro tro. We tell him we have decided to take a bus and that we want our money back. He asks for our ticket, but we already gave it back to the first guy. As far as we know the guy with our money is on a tro tro to Kumasi... The guy finally gives in and says he will give us 12 cedi back because this new tro tro costs 3 cedi per person. The only problem... we each paid 4.50 on the first tro tro! So not only did the first tro tro decide to change directions and keep our money, he also decided he would go ahead and just make a little extra profit while he was at it.

Finally, the guy that we're yelling at... yes we're yelling at this point, haha gives us our money back and we are on our way to the bus station. In the end we arrive in Cape Coast and have a nice weekend.

Just to add to my good experience with public transportation this weekend we get another bout on the way home.

Monday we wake up early and head to the bus station to get a bus. I have a 5:30 class I need to get to, so it's important we get on one of the first buses. We arrive at 9:30 and are told that the next bus will be leaving at 10:30. Not bad. Wait an hour and we'll be on our way. We ask the lady if we should buy our tickets now, from her, or wait until the bus gets here, as it has been done both ways in the past. She tells us just to wait. So we do. Patiently.

At a little past 11 the bus comes. People start forming a line. With a ticket in their hand. We go to the guy working the line so we can buy our ticket, and he just looks at us and asks, "You don't have one?" Oh man. Of course we don't have one! We're suppose to get it from you!... But come to find out... we were suppose to buy it from the lady we asked... We waited in line to see if there were any empty seats. Go figure, there weren't. The next bus wouldn't be coming for another two hours. We really didn't have this much time to waste. So again, four frustrated obrunis.

We head back into town and go to a different bus station. Thankfully this bus is heading to Accra. It doesn't take long to fill up and we are headed home!

I was considering taking a break from traveling this weekend because I have traveled every week/weekend since I've been here. In hind sight, this would have been a great weekend to forgo! Haha.

It's ok though. I'll just know what to expect when we head north next weekend!

Birthday Celebration Without Cake

Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday to You!
Happy Birthday dearrr Ghana!
Happy Birthday to You!

Yep, that's right. Ghana donned it's birthday suit last Friday.

March 6th, 1957 - Ghana gains independence from Britain
March 6th, 2009 - Ghana turns 52 years old!

Now Independence Day in the U.S. is a big event... Fire works, cook outs, swimming, usually a thunderstorm.

So expecting the day to be a big to do, a group of us woke up early (5am!) and headed to Independence Square in downtown Accra for the celebration. The president was going to be there!

The arena was full of people.

All the military units were present and marched into the arena, as well as a few local schools.
The president gave a speech... I mean I guess you could call it a speech. You couldn't hear ANYTHING! The speakers were not working at all, but no one really seemed to mind... and no one complained.
Most of the people weren't even that excited that the president was there. There was cheering when he drove by, but that's about all. Haha. I was trying to picture if it were Barack Obama who was driving by during an American Independence Day celebration and I'm thinking it would be a very different story.

The event was a lot less festive than I was expecting. Especially because Ghanaians are notorious for having country pride. Honestly, I think the Americans were more excited about Ghana turning - Over the Hill + 2 - than they were. After a short discussion we decided it's because America has 150+ years on them in regards to Independence Day celebrations.... Ghana is still new to the game!

A Ghanaian friend who went with us said that in years past they had gymnastics and dancing and drumming performances, but that didn't happen this year. A few planes flying overhead and cannons being launched was about the extent of the excitement. All in all, I'm glad I went. I was a part of Ghana's 52nd birthday!

But us Americans being Americans, we had to spice it up a little bit... So on the way back to the university, we waved Ghanaian flags out the tro tro windows and shouted "Happy Independence Day" and "Happy Birthday Ghana" to all the people passing by. This got a few good laughs and return cheers! Haha.