Week 10 - Barack Obama comes to Ghana!

During my tenth week in Ghana, I had been scheduled to join the trip to Kumasi organized by our program. But given the current circumstance with Barack Obama coming to Ghana, there was no way I was going to miss out on this event. Deciding to ditch the group trip in an attempt to be part of history, Tharani and I woke up at the crack of dawn in hopes of finding the perfect location to spot the Big BO. We hopped in a taxi, and immediately head to the International Conference Center (ICC) where Obama was going to make a public address.And so the day began. Excited and anxious in the back of the taxi for what the day could potentially bring, I couldn't help but zone out thinking and pondering about the sudden transformation of Accra. Within days prior to Barack Obama's arrival, massive billboards, posters and banners had been erected at every corner of the city. Every radio station in Ghana had been focused on this singular event as Ghanaian citizens called inn discussing political/social/economic possibilities and consequences of the visit of an American President to Ghana. The past week riding in trotro's blasting Ghana talk radio, i was intrigued at peoples concern and superior knowledge of not only local political issues but international issues affecting them also. The city was totally flipped upside down in anticipation of Barack's visit. I remember one day at work walking past a television and noticing a Barack Obama music video chanting "Obama, we love you, OGhana we love you" (while still maintaining the same amount of flash and booty shaking as other music videos lol)!
Snapping back to reality riding in the back of a taxi, I peered out to the street. It was apparent that security had been increased by probably a thousand times than on any other given day. Every 5-10 feet of all the streets we passed, there were police personnel standing heavily armed with what looked like Ak's, hand guns and batons (This is NOT and exaggeration!). The city was covered with an uncountable number of check points. We soon arrived to the entrance of the ICC and to our surprise, we were the first ones there. But it wouldn't take long for the street corners to be packed with Ghanaians and foreigners alike filled with shared anticipation and excitement. After some early frustrations of trying to secure a good location/view point, we finally set up base in front of the Accra Stadium where we waited patiently for several hours for BO to drive by. Every couple of minutes, we would see an entourage of vehicles passing with different politicians in each group. We saw the President of Ghana Prof. J. E. Atta Mills, former president F.L. General Jerry Rawlings, Political Opposition leader of the CPP and others who were unrecognizable to us. With each passing entourage the crowd got louder and more excited for the main event; A view of Barack Obama. But unfortunately, that never came. The vehicle which he was supposed to be in was empty and by the time we realized that he was riding in a different car, BO had already been inside the ICC preparing to make his speech. As others were disappointed, i do not regret our little adventure. We listened to Barack's speech right outside the ICC with Ghanaian locals and from the moment that Barack began speaking all the way to the end, the streets remained silent listening and hanging on to his every word. It was an experience that I do not take for granted and will remember forever.
"We will look back to places like Accra and say this was the time when the promise was realised; this was the moment when prosperity was forged, when pain was overcome, and a new era of progress began." Barack Obama July 12, 2009, Accra, Ghana.

Week 9 - TOGO

No matter what, we gots to go to Togo!

During the ninth week of my trip in Ghana, my Ghanaian Visa expired being valid only for 60 days. This was definitely a problem in need of solving so i began to inquire about the fastest way to process a renewal of my visa. Apparently i could renew it within a day at the Ghanaian embassy in Togo and being interested in seeing Togo anyways, i decided to go! Early Friday morning, the crew and I left Accra and headed to Aflao which is the city just outside Lome, Togo. Upon our arrival, we were met by dozens of hustling money changers who were trying to change our Ghanaian Cedi's into CFA's (which is the currency used in Togo). These guys were walking around with fat stacks of cash and were experts in finger magic making money disappear right before your eyes. The atmosphere of the border was as I describe it, "sheer chaos". Unfortunately for us being caught in the spiral of overwhelming confusion not really knowing the proper conversion rate, we all ended up being severely ripped off by the sneaky money changers aka thieves!

Pissed off and upset about all the money we had lost collectively, we decided to put it all behind us and move on across the border to Lome. As soon as we crossed the border (which couldn't have been more than 15 meters separating Aflao and Lome) it immediately became apparent that we were in a different country. All the street signs, advertisements and posting were written in french, motorcycles (motomoto: The term used in Togo) flooded the streets, and the roads were covered in pot holes and garbage. To make my matters of cultural shock worse, my inability to speak french hindered my ability to communicate with the majority of the Locals. For the first time, I really began to regret all those times that I threw pieces of erasers at people in french class!

Our first destination was the Grand Marche which is the largest open air market in Togo located at the center of the city. The Grand Marche is where you can find pretty much find anything and everything from cloth, food, rat poison, super glue etc. Nothing I encountered at the market really interested me until i ran into a woman who sold bean avocado sandwiches which are served in fresh baguettes! Mmmm how i could go for one of those right now! The Grand Marche was totally an exhausting day trip and after a long day we decided to call it a night.
Early the next morning, we got out of our hotel and decided to go to the fetish market just outside of Lome. This was probably one of the most creepy experiences I've had in Africa yet! Upon entrance into the fetish market you can't help but smell the stench of rotting, decomposing animals. There were heads of dead crocodiles, monkeys, horses, giant turtles, monkey paws, teeth necklaces, and much more. The market is dedicated to the sale of ingredients which traditional healers (Voodoo chiefs) say can make magic charms. The fetish market basically is a voodoo man's shoppers drug mart to put it in the simplest terms. Joseph, a healer from neighbouring Benin, says:

"This place is like a pharmacy for everybody in the world. When someone has a serious sickness and the hospital cannot help, they come here to the fetish market."

After having enough of the creepy fetish market, we left and head to Agbodrafo just east of the capital. Not having any reservations and with no place to stay, the crew and I walked along the beach in search of a cheap beach resort. After walking for some time, hot, hungry, grumpy and tired, we ended up finding the most incredible place. We found a resort called Coco beach resort where we lodged in straw huts on the beach, (a beach which was the most beautiful I've seen in my entire stay here in Ghana and Togo), ate delicious food and devoured coconuts. I know I've said this before in past blog posts, but this place was actually paradise! At night, we sat by the beach, enjoyed drinks with clear starry skies and watched the moonlight glimmer of the ocean waves. The entire evening was magical as I was enjoying the majestic view being surrounded by great company, people who I've grown to love and will never forget (you all know who you are)! This was the close to our weekend as we headed back to Accra the following day sadly saying goodbye to a piece of heaven on earth.

Week 8 - Green Turtle Lodge

Beach Lovin

I've heard of the Green Turtle Lodge (GTL) from the first couple days of my arrival in Ghana but really had no clue what it was all about. Almost all who I've talked to about it praised GTL for its "incomparable beauty". Curious about what makes GTL so amazing, the crew and I decided to check it out on our eighth week. We departed Friday morning on a trotro from Takoradi and headed to Agona. From Agona we picked up a cab which drove us down to the GTL situated right before the little town of Akwidaa. I can't begin to tell you how bad the road was. I felt that the car at any point during our drive was going to break down due to the harsh conditions of the seemingly endless dirt road. After half an hour of motion sickness we finally arrived.....to paradise! The harsh ride was totally worth seeing this secluded beach resort!

The sun was beaming bright, the ocean wind was blowing, and the water and sand for the most part was the cleanest i had seen yet. And just to put the cherry on top of it all, there was a basketball net right down by the beach. I can't count the number of times i had told everyone that "this was ridiculous!" Even more interesting about GTL is it's ECO-Tourism status.
Green Turtle Lodge is an Eco-tourism site which adhere to the principles of Eco-tourism, encouraging guests to be responsible tourists. GTL defines Eco-tourism as Environment and Community Oriented Tourism, abbreviated from ECO-Tourism. I find it fascinating to see an establishment such as the GTL abiding by the principle of "responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and sustains the well being of local peoples" while still maintaining the quality of a five star resort. The lodge is environmentally friendly being powered entirely by solar energy. In addition all the toilets are self-composting and also re-cycle shower water to feed plants. GTL also maintains a commitment to maintaining the local community of Akwidaa as all staff are employed from all levels of the local community. Part of the GTL profits are paid into a community fund which is controlled by a local committee who decided where the money should be spent. Having said all this, I'm sure I've made it clear that GTL is fun you can have without feeling bad about it!

Week 7 - Aburi Botanical Gardens

I'm not really a big Botanical Gardens type of guy but i must admit, Aburi was spectacular. This place carries a rich history as it was founded by the British in 1890 and later occupied by western missionaries. These days, the Botanical Gardens is the main attraction of the Aburi district just north of Accra maintaining its beauty over each passing decade. There must have been over a thousand different plants and trees which were organized in the most incredible fashion. And aside Aburi Botanical Gardens being conveniently located on top of a mountain, the township of Aburi was an absolute spectacle. The street markets were flooded with giant mangoes, cassava roots, maize, yams, plantains, and all other sort of fresh fruits and vegetables. There were children running happily on the street as well as herds of goats, chickens and wild dogs wandering around. The place seemed like a dream to me being so different from anything that I'm used to in Canada. Check out the crew in the garden of sheer beauty!

Tuff Gong Records

"One good thing about music, when it hit you, you feel no pain"

On one of our tours up to Aburi Botanical Gardens, we happened to get a chance to stop off at Rita Marley's Studio! Rita Marley these days lives in Ghana in a town just south of Kofuridua. Many of the Rastafarian's that I've met in Ghana say that they can take me to meet her; who knows, maybe one day before i leave i just might take them up on their offer.

Community Dunks Tournament!

Anywhere and everywhere...we BALLIN!

So you know I had to do it! After meeting a ton of people here at Legon University, a couple of friends decided that I should join their basketball team. Not having any expectation of what this Basketball team or tournament might be like, I decided to go for it. I arrived with my friend Wolf and Tintin to the tournament and to my surprise, this tournament was no joke. The tournament is sponsored by Sprite and Indomie and is TELEVISED on TV Africa every wed! We have weekly games which is aired on basketball TV Program. Each district in the city has a team and I happened to be on the Legon team. The atmosphere was nuts! There was an African drumming group which played throughout our basketball match which really made the whole experience surreal. We won our first game against Nima. Check out our victory pic!

Week 6 - Likpe todome

Caving in the Jungle Deep

Reaching the half way mark of our Ghana trip, the group and I just had to celebrate. And what a better way to do it than to go caving! Saturday morning we arrived at Likpe Todome which is a small village just off the east side of Hohoe, Volta region. We met up with our guide and without wasting anytime, began our journey up the mountain to the Caves. It's becoming increasingly apparent to me that if anyone wants to see/do anything in the Volta Region, there is an implied minimum walk of at least an hour and a half. After walking up the mountain reaching its peek, the tour guide began to tell us the story behind the historical significance of Likpe Todome.

According to our guide and other sources from Accra, many years ago the Ewe people were chased from their homes by the tyrannical rule of an ancient Chief (from the lands that are now Benin). Fleeing further and further, the Ewes finally arrived in a virgin bush, unblemished by the hands of men. There the people began a small settlement. In those days everyone fetched water from the river and did so at the same time. One of those times, members of the majority lineage killed a pregnant woman of one of the minority groups living on the fringe of the settlement. The murderers refused the custom of replacing the deceased with a member of their own tribe and, thus provoked, the plaintiffs began their preparations for war by sharpening stones used in battle. As a result, scouts from the majority party saw this action, known in Ewe as "likpe," and returned with the news of a pending conflict. Cognizant of the fact that they could no longer live in harmony with their antagonists, the Likpes fled to the hills into the caves hoping to once again escape the tyranny of their oppressors. For many years the Likpes lived in the caves on the modern border with Togo. After years spent in hiding, they finally emerged from the caves and founded the first of ten Likpe settlements known as "Likpe Todome" or "Sharping stones from under the mountain" because they came from the caves or "under the mountain." Today Likpe is understood as the people who live under the mountain Todome.
Upon each entrance of the five different caves, our guide explained its purpose to the Likpe civilization. There first cave was the gathering room, the second the bed rooms, the third the dungeon/prison, the fourth the watch tower and the last the the thrown and hide out of the Chief. It was incredibly interesting to find advanced sophistication in the lifestyle of the Likpe peoples who's existance must have dated back hundreds of years ago. And even more interesting was having a chance to meet their descendants of today. All who reside in the village were very kind and welcoming. From our arrival to our departure, I really couldn't help but feel the warmth and acceptance from those who live in Likpe Todome.

Week 5 - Volta Region Part 3

Where the water flows forever..

Our last day may have been the most epic! Bright and early on Sunday, the crew and I met with the expedition guide to go to the upper falls at Wli (pronounced vlee). He warned us that it was going to be a tough hike but in no way did believe a word he said. I figured it be a walk in the park in comparison to all we already had been though the past couple of days. We picked up some water and some bananas and began our ventured into the jungle once again. After 40 min of walking with no incline, we arrived at a cross path where our guide distributed walking sticks. He said to us, "this is where we start".
Still not convinced at how hard this hike could possibly be, we entered onto a path which veered off the initial walking trail. After 15 min, i was drenched with sweat, my legs were sore and my bag seemed to get heavier and heavier. It soon became apparent to me that our guide had not exaggerated one bit! This hike was ridiculous! We had been climbing straight up for an hour and a half with almost no plateaus to rest on. There were large spiders, steep cliffs, fallen trees, slippery rocks and so on. You name anything that could have made this climb difficult, it was there! After 2 and a half hours, we finally arrived to the upper falls and let me tell you, I felt like the scenery was straight out of a movie! Every sore and ache i felt in my body was worth what i was experiencing at that moment. The wind was blowing against my face from the crashing of the water, the splashing sound was calmingly unfamiliar and a cool mist filled the air. Completely untouched by any sort of tourism development, the beauty of this place was indescribable! The falls looks amazing in pictures but in real life, it is out of this world! Chris and I, eagerly jumped into the fresh water (which was drinkable) and climbed the large boulders on the side of the falls. Shortly after, we slowly walked into the crashing water where we had the best shower of our lives. We made it all the way though touching the back wall which was absolute insanity. After spending some time at the upper falls, we headed back to the lodge and head back to Accra. Like I said earlier, probably the most adventurous weekend of my life!

Week 5 - Volta Region Part 2

Moglie is in the building!

Our second day at Volta Region was nowhere near a disappointment. Early in the morning, we left Paradise mountain lodge in Biakpa and headed to our second destination; Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary. And by the way, we rode on the back of motorcycles there just to make it interesting! We soon arrived, and the little town of Tafi Atome was a marvel. There were children and animals running around small mud huts and dirt roads. And to add to the paradise like aura in Tafi Atome, the people were extremely friendly and welcoming. It was like nothing I've ever seen.

After paying our visitation fees, our tour guide bought some bananas and began directing us into the path to see.....MONA MONKEYS! After walking for 5 min, we began to hear some ruffling noises in the jungle, and out of nowhere 3 monkeys jumped and swung from the trees which were 3 feet ahead of us! It was just a free for all after that. We were surrounded by monkeys and were close enough to be able to feed them bananas from our hands! The Mona Monkeys even peeled the bananas from our hands and slowly grabbed banana pieces! They were more human than any animal i have ever encountered in my life. The way monkey's interact with one another I found so interesting that i could have watched them for days without getting bored. It was honestly an experience i wish all who read this could experience!

The story behind this great tourism site is Tafi Monkey Sanctuary (a sacred grove) is a traditional conservation area backed by statutory enforcement in co-operation with local communities. These monkeys are found in a remnant patch of forests, and live harmoniously with local villagers. The monkeys are regarded as gods and as such the natives do not kill them. They are protected by local tradition. Furthermore, this attraction is great for the developed of small-scale tourism in the local communities to enhance rural development. So i think you all need to put this place into your bucket list!

Week 5 - Volta Region Part 1

Indiana Jones got nothing on me!

Probably the most adventurous weekend I've had in Ghana yet! It began on Friday morning at 4am. We left our place and headed to the Volta Region which is on the western part of Ghana. We arrive and instantly the adventure began! Deciding to stay at the paradise mountain lodge the first night, our "heartily" crew really no idea or any expectations of what would lie ahead.
Our Trotro (the transportation system in Ghana) dropped us off at Fume in front of a giant mountain where we had to walk up to get to were we were staying. After walking for an hour we finally arrived and what a beauty it was! Literally the six of us in our group stayed on top of a mountain on our own (other than the people who were working at the lodge of course). Later that afternoon we all decided to take on this so called "nature walk". Sounds easy right...not! We were dropped off halfway down the mountain where a path began having nothing but water, a map, cameras and a walking stick. At first the walk seemed to be relatively easy, easy enough that Chris and Tharni chose to wear flip flops. At the time, I was having an absolute blast! Common, how often does one get to venture into a jungle on their own without a guide. As we walked 45 min into the jungle, the path began to get steeper, more dangerous and incrementally more exciting. At one point Thomas, Chris and I repelled down maybe 2-3 stories down a rock wall to find a waterfall which was a hidden gem of Biakpa.
Everything was going great until we hit a point where the path began to split. One wrong turn can really make a difference. As we walked on, i recalled feeling a bit nervous for we had no idea where we were on the map. The path began to get bushier and bushier, splitting at times into three different paths. My heart began to pound because i knew (although i didn't want to admit it at the time) we were actually lost in the jungle!! The sun was going down and we had no idea where we were; definitely a recipe for disaster. As we hit the one hour mark from the turn of no return, a man with a large machete yelled at us asking "where are you going?". He explained that we had been going the wrong way and we had to turn around immediately. What a relief I said to the others but it soon became apparent that I spoke to soon.
We finally found ourselves on the map and just as we thought we were home sweet home, we ran into another barrier.... a giant mountain with no path to be found. Thomas and I frantically ran up the steep mountain side trying to find anything that resembled a path but clearly there was nothing. We climbed down and collectively came to the conclusion that the best plan of action was to go back to where we began. After maybe a little more than 4 hours in the jungle lost and confused, we finally found the street which led to the lodge! We were finally on the right course home and more importantly, we were not going to have to spend the night in the jungle! And that my friends was our first night...

Week 4 - Cape Coast aka Gold Coast

Tragically Historic

This weekend was a bit different than most in a way where history really hit home for me. We left on Friday evening to see Cape Coast which is situated in south central Ghana and was the former capital city. On the shores of Cape Coast is a mysterious looking castle known as Cape Coast Castle who's history is a tragic one. Just to give you all a bit of a briefing of the historical importance of this place, Cape Coast was founded by the Portuguese in the 15th century, Cape Coast grew around Cape Coast Castle, which is now a World Heritage site. It was converted to a Castle by the Dutch in 1637, then expanded by the Swedes in 1652 and captured by the British in 1664. From the 16th century the city had changed hands between the British, the Portuguese, the Swedish, the Danish and the Dutch. Eventually, the British based their "Gold Coast" operations (as in resource exploitation of gold and other commodities, and the slave trade) in the town until Accra became their capital in 1877. Cape Coast was also more importantly where most of the slaves were held before their journey on the middle passage which was South and North America known then as the new world.
Upon arrival into the town, almost immediately I was hit with a feeling which is still very hard for me to describe. Walking down towards the coastal lines to our hotel, I noticed that the architecture of almost all the buildings were disturbingly colonial looking almost sending me back in time. As we arrived to the Castle to take the Tour, I recall feeling nervous, feeling abit uncertain about what I may see or feel. We entered and instantly this overwhelming feeling hit me. So hard that at the time I was completely unable to speak and communicate to others all that was going through my mind. We entered the mens slave dungeon where allegedly hundreds were left to live cramped in a room no bigger than half a High school basketball gym. These men lived on top of rotting decomposing corpses as well as their own waist with little food or water. To see, experience and sort of understand all of what happened in many of the Castle rooms we visited made me want to vomit! I have never been so emotionally and physically affected by a historical site in my life.I felt as though the spirits of those who suffered within those brick walls were all around me...... but i guess that was all part of the experience.

Weekend Trip - Kokrobite

Having endured a really stressful week, Thomas and I decided to hit the beach... and let me tell you how great of a decision this was! We met the coolest Rastafarian family and the father's legal name was Freeman Jah....you can't make that up! Check them out.

Week 3 - No longer the kid i used to be...

First week of Placement

I must admit that this has been one of the heaviest week's of my entire life. I finally started my internship at the Police Hospital in Osu! Luckily for me, traveling to placement isn't as bad in comparison to some of the others; roughly about one hours travel from Legon where i reside. The first two days would be my orientation and introduction to the various wards of the hospital. Both days began relatively smoothly moving from the childrens ward to the maternity ward and so on. But something towards the end of orientation would happened which would change my life forever.
As the second day of our orientation was coming to a close, we still had one ward left on the agenda.... the mortuary ward! As we walked in, I began to feel nervous for I had no idea what to expect. We entered a dark room where there were three autopsy tables, and you could just imagine some of the horrible things that people have witnessed in this room! As we continued walking down to the office, we were introduced to the Mortuary Director Akosumbo Okai who welcomed us. He discussed with us some of the issues that the Hospital was facing as well as some specifics concerning his ward. Of all the issues he laid out on the table, one thing which stuck with me was the way he described the unsanitary treatment of the bodies due to the wards' lack of funds; being a publicly funded hospital. Morticians are forced to spray RAID (as in the stuff which kills insects) and bleach on the dead bodies because the proper medical chemicals needed are virtually unaffordable.
As we were leaving, Susan our supervisor took us into another room which was more peculiar than the last. As the door opened the first thing that caught my attention were three naked corpse lying on their backs with scars indicating where the morticians' dissections had been made. Just as I thought the worst was over, the mortician opened a white door to the left; and what i saw in that room I feel no human being could ever prepare themselves for! It was a dark fridge which stood 15 meters by 14 meters filled with metal bunk beds covered by wooden planks. There must have been over 300 bodies stacked up one on top of another in no particular organized order. The congestion of the room was absolutely horrifying. The chilled smell of the rotting corpses hit me so hard that I almost puked right then and there! A smell that to this day has hauntingly not left me. And speaking of haunting, one image which reoccurs in my mind constantly sending me to an unsettling state of shock is the image of two dead girls thrown on top of a man whose stomach was in a disturbing state which I will not describe.
My initial thought during the time was as that white door opened, any ties I may have had to my childhood or youth were long gone. I knew that that single moment oddly and sadly enough was my transition to my adulthood. I've seen a lot in my short life of 22 years but never have I ever seen anything like that, and never have I ever felt the feelings that I felt during those moments. But although I can finally say that I have seen what death can look like, and as dark as it may be, I can confidently and optimistically say that the light of life will always shine much brighter! Look at me being all philosophical...

View from my room!

My View from Thomas Granofsky on Vimeo.

Week 2 - "Everyday im Hustlin"

Intensive Course with Dr. Akua Benjamin

Intensive is really an accurate word to describe how my second week in Ghana was like. 9am to 5pm class days felt more like 9am to 12am with all the work that was expected of us. Papers and an hour and a half presentation doesn't seem like much but with limited time, resources and extremely slow Internet, a challenge it surely was. Yet although at the time it seemed like the work and stress would never end, I must admit it was extremely beneficial to my professional and personal development; as cliché as that my sound. The crash course discussed the Ghanaian context of social work, cultural interactions, ethnic diversity, traditions, local/ geopolitical structures, human rights and critical self-reflexivity. It was helpful in really beginning to conceptualize my role as a foreign male intern from the global north in Ghana. Although clearly time would be required in grasping a complete understanding of the complexities of insider/outsider elements in Ghana, the intensive course was a good start.

More importantly, I felt that the course really (and I mean REALLY) helped me understand the harsh realities many Ghanaians face. The intensive course brought me back to my first couple of days when we attended the city tour in Accra. The tour began with a drive through administrative and economic districts, which were scattered throughout different regions of the city. But of all the places we had visited, I recall feeling greatly impacted by our drive through Sodom and Gomorrah - the poorest district of the city. Sonny our tour guide, explained to us that many of the residence that live in Sodom and Gomorrah live in homes, which are no larger than 4 by 4 meters. These homes are built on mounds of garbage, which is right beside a stagnant body of water where the city waste is dumped and accumulated. You can smell the stench of the district from about 5-6 Km away! To see the extreme poverty and unsanitary living conditions that these people were living in was absolutely crushing. I was seeing first hand everything we had read and studied in our course reader. Economic liberalization, IMF structural adjustment policies, Globalization, Hunger and poverty were no longer an abstract theoretical entity for they were now a reality to me more than ever! The only thing I can really say to myself these days is...DAMN!

Laundry

When someone goes on a trip, usually the last thing they think about is laundry. But last Sunday, doing my laundry gave me something to think about. I had ran out of clothes to wear and was in dire need of doing laundry. That afternoon, I walked to the market, bought wash soap and headed to my room. Thinking this was going to be a piece of cake, I threw all my clothes into the tub and started scrubbing. (Yes its true, I hand washed my clothing and it was the worst thing ever!) I was scrubbing for FOUR hours and it seemed like it would never end! The amount of work that goes into hand washing is indescribable and I have never sweat so much in my entire life! To make matters worse, it began to rain outside just as I was finishing up. Not having anywhere to dry my clothes, I put them out on the window thinking I could just put them out to dry the next day. As I woke up the next morning I soon discovered that it was raining even harder than the previous night! I didn't have any clean clothes for two day, I was beginning to smell and sunshine was nowhere in sight! By the time a got a chance to hang and dry my clothes, they had smelled even worse than before I cleaned them. In all of my days here in Accra doing laundry by far was my biggest challenge!!
There are so many things we take for granted in Toronto and having a washing machine is one of them. Looking back and thinking about it now, most of my frustration and sheer inadequacy in the area of hand wash clearly was rooted in my privilege being Canadian. It is overwhelming to think about the fact that the majority of the human population have to deal with this form of washing on the regular. Although I can laugh at myself about it now, most of us really need to stop and think for just a second about being thankful for what we have!

Week 1 in Accra, Ghana

What a week is all i have to say! The life experience encountered in the last week was richer than any I've had in the "bubble city" of Toronto. In comparison to Toronto, it's incredibly different here in Accra, Ghana. Different in its customs, traditions, dialects and more importantly the sense of community! Being so accustomed to Toronto, its a bit of a challenge in complying with differences between the Canadian vs Ghanaian contexts. In many instances, the left hand is a sign of disrespect. People are not allowed to eat with their left hand, shake hands with their left hand, receive anything with their left hand or even wave with their left hand. This sucks for me because I'm LEFT HANDED! More strikingly, the thumbs up in Ghana I've learned means "F#$% your mom" which is the most offensive symbol that can be given to a Ghanaian. This is one of my biggest challenges because the thumbs up is a positive gesture that i give quite often to almost anyone!
In terms of the language spoken here in Ghana, (although English is the national language of Ghana) almost nobody speaks to each other in English! I feel that the only time Ghanaian s use English is when their speaking to a foreigner like myself. Everyone in Accra speaks to each other in Twi. Ive been trying to learn the basics to try to fit in but to be totally honest....i suck!
But if its one thing that makes up for all of the many challenges of fitting in in Ghana, its Ghana's unique sense of community. I absolutely love it here for that single reason! Ghanaian s are among the most friendliest people I've ever met. Everyone in Accra that I've met so far are so willing to give a helping hand. You can talk to almost anyone at any time! I find it really interesting to see that the most snobby people in Ghana seem to be foreigners haha. In Toronto, people in the public wont even look each other in the eye, let alone engage in conversation, but in Ghana it's a different story. There is a such a strong bond the Ghanaian community share which is something I admire and envy as a Canadian.
Ghana is considered a poor country in comparison to the western world when measured in global economic terms by its GDP, GNP and HDI. But in being in Ghana for just a week, I've soon come to realize that Ghana and the Ghanaian people are much richer than westerners hope to ever be. Although the Ghanaian standard of living may be significantly lower, the Ghanaian standard of being; one who loves, cares, and in doing so truly lives is immeasurable in its richness! I came across this quote during a tour of Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois home who is one of Ghana's most influential figures of all time. It reads:

"One thing i charge you. As you live, believe in life! Always human beings will live and progress to greater, broader and fuller life. The only possible death is to lose belief in this truth simply because the great end comes slowly, because time is long." Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois' last words.