Building blocks

Gosh a lot has happened since I posted last, I have met new people, started work, suffered from a horrendous bout of food poisoning, attended a festival out of town, been to parties, danced salsa. It is fair to say that Accra is starting to become home, sure it will take time but I think I am starting to get to grips with the city, people in my street are starting to stop calling me ‘obruni’ which literally means white man and have started asking me, where I am going, what am I doing etc. I have got to grips with simple things like hand washing bed linen, learning that the world stops for a football game, using the public transport system, and filtering water, killing cockroaches, ignoring massive spiders, jumping over open sewers on the way to work….

I feel so blessed with my apartment and with my flat mate Julia, who has certainly introduced me to the more practical elements of living in Africa so I am going to try to post some pictures of my apartment for all to see, I guess you can imagine my life here a little more...

Work is slow at the moment, just getting to grips with it all really so I’ll tell you about my weekend for now. On Saturday 5 of us went to this place out of town called Aburi, it is a small town in the hills outside of Accra famed for its beautiful botanical gardens. We decided to Tro Tro it there for around 30p each, this meant cramming as many as possible in to a clapped out mini bus with no door and driving over un paved roads…we got there sweaty and excited for the gardens….the gardens (which are probably in the top 10 places to go for the tourist!) were less than spectacular but we arrived just as a tribal celebration was starting! It was fantastic, all the chiefs from the area attended in full costume, the local people were dancing and drinking it was just brilliant! On Sunday I attended church with a Pastor I met at the disability meeting (the one where the rasta kept singing in the middle of the meeting!) it was quite a way out of town but was based on a project for street children, it was great to see the good work they are doing there and to meet some Ghanaian women (quite a hard thing to do!).

I am meeting people, it is hard not to here. Everyone greets you as you pass, many, many ask for your phone number, needless to say I am very selective (lord only knows what they do with it!). I am trying to build a social life….I attended a running club last night which was great fun, we ran 7k and then stood round in a circle while they drank beer and sang songs etc (it may become a Monday night regular!?).
So life continues as I am sure it does for you! Thanks for all your emails – keep them coming! xxxxx