Ghana week 1!

Howdy all!  I’m sorry for the delay in putting up another post and/or responding to your emails.  I have spotty access to the internet at best. 

So!  Ghana! Yeah! Its cool.  I started work on Monday (kinda.  No one showed up but me so I went home.) and so far it has been interesting.  I’ve gone to an HIV/AIDS support group (all in fante so that was a long 4 hours), on rural outreach, which was pretty interesting, and to two days of Ghana Health Service’s district annual reviews.  The people I work with seem really nice, and they obviously genuinely care about the work they are doing in their communities.  They don’t exactly talk to me much, which I guess is understandable because they mostly talk to each other in fante, which, again, I don’t speak.  They two districts seem to be kinda bickering over me which I don’t quite understand yet given the fact that for a while I wont be much help to anyone.

My home stay is great, Auntie Doris likes to feed me a lot, and what at first felt like extreme bossiness now feels more like the constant advice of a mother (hey mom!  I love you!) and this is starting to feel like a nice safe place to come home to at night. She has two children, Rosemond, and Jude.  They are nice kids, 13 and 8 years old respectively.  Rosemond likes to read and I’ve got her hooked on country music already. Jude apparently likes to talk in class (he is getting a thorough lecture as I type this) and is a sweet little dude if not a little… annoying.  Their house is really nice by Ghana standards and I have a nice little room to myself with an international outlet, a big bed, and that.  I’m even getting good at the daily bucket showers J

I think so far my biggest difficulty has been race based which I really wasn’t expecting, and was likely out of naivety if I’m being honest with myself.  Children follow you and wave, which is fun and cute, however people also point, stare, and openly talk about you in front of you.  While much of it is due to novelty there are also conceptions that whites come here to give out money, and a couple of other not so nice things.  I genuinely miss being able to walk down the street without strangers running up to touch me.  I equate it to being a pregnant celebrity with a slightly sordid past.  People kinda like the idea of you, want to touch you, say whatever they want about you, and recognize you from a distance.  It has made me realize how much I appreciate privacy and anonymity. 

I have been journaling a lot (total success I’d say given my past failures at journaling) and because I have so many things I want to tell you all I think I’ll just take a couple of thoughts out of my journal. 

“I think Ghanaian tro-tro drivers could really get into formula D”

“Deet cannot be good for me”

“Why does it always smell like someone is hot-boxing a car near by?” –later- “It’s trash.  Burning trash.”

“Do you like fish?  Would you like to be buried in a giant pink fish?  Can. Do.  They are sold on the street near my work.”

“Today I made a small child cry.  Evidently I scared the crap out of him.”

“They farm bamboo in rural Ghana and when they are farming it, it smells like freshly cut grass.  Riding through the fields in the outreach truck reminds me of riding to the coast with Dad.”

“How did I not notice that they were passing out Guinness at the meeting today?”

“I think I’ve eaten at least one hot dog every day since I got here.  Definitely unexpected.”

On Saturday we are going to Kakum national park, which should be really fun! And a last minute picture addition that you've all been waiting for!  In order: the view from my room, Ghana health service meeting, crabs, the "shower", the view from the porch. 

Love you all!!!!!!!!!