Wednesday afternoon, I am home from work due to orders from the doctor to rest for 3 days. I had visited him on Monday due to a number of symptoms that could have been malaria. To appease Maya and to ensure it was nothing, I went and got some tests done. The results: all negative. Clearly my body just hates me! Anyways, not sure what was going on with me but after sleeping for 15 hours on Monday night/Tuesday, I felt much better. Wednesday I worked from home.
All of a sudden Kersten comes into the kitchen from her office. She tells us that she just received a call from her friend Paolos. He produces a reality tv show called People and Places that focuses on tourism in Ghana. Essentially they follow Obrunis around as they do touristy things throughout Ghana. He was looking for a couple of people to attend the Ghana vs. Namibia game the following night. The catch: they would have to be a part of the show.
So AK and I agreed to do it. Why not, a free game was involved! Paolos came to the house to meet me and that night called and asked if I could go film some stuff shortly. We went to the field where the Namibia team was scheduled to practice, but they were a no show. So we filmed it as if we showed up and their no show meant they were scared.
Next day: plans change. Of course. We will no longer be going to the game as they are saving that for the following episode. We will be going to the Fan Zone instead that night and filming some stuff around the stadium with all the merchandise. Are we still interested? Sure why not.
AK and I are picked up around 3:30pm to head to the stadium. We go and get interviewed by a DJ spinning some music. We look at some merchandise as if we're interested. I get to interview some Cameroun fans and translate their answers. Then it's off to have a beer and watch some of the Guinea vs. Morocco game before we head to the Fan Zone. Once we arrive, we are filmed walking into the Fan Park, after the goal, and as we leave at the end of the night. All in all absolute hilarity. It is fairly staged, the camera did not simply follow us throughout our experience, so that was really nice. We determined what we would say each time before we shot and then improvised from there.
We still have to record our diaries at the studio soon. When the show is complete, we were told that we would be able to get a copy. I can't wait...It's going to be hilarious.
Chow Boyyyy! (Warrior cry) Go Blackstars Go! Go Ghana Go!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
A Typical Day in the Life of Ama - the Ghanaian Sonja
A friend pointed out to me that I have been good recently at uploading pictures (check out the side Pictures tab - there are a TON!) but that I have not been very good at writing stories about my time here. I therefore decided that I will make an effort to describe more about life in general here starting with a typical work day in my life in Ghana.
A Typical Work Day
*Please note times tend to vary as I enjoy sleeping until the last possible second…
6:30AM Wake up
6:35AM Soak head, add gel to control the humidity frizz!
6:45AM Breakfast (usually bread/toast & groundnut paste - similar to PB)
7:20AM Brush teeth
7:30AM Head to “bus stop” and pick a tro-tro. Depending on the morning, this can take some time because we need to wait for the first one that has space for both Maya & I. Once in the tro-tro, we pay the mate. Some days this is quick, other days we have to haggle over the price because some assume we don’t know what it is and try to charge us more.
8:00AM Arrive at Tema Station, a tro-tro station bustling with activity. There are vendors EVERYWHERE again -- see last entry about attempted clean up of Tema Station. We have to swerve around a ton of people carrying things on their heads or selling things on the floor.
These include:
- boys selling handkerchiefs
- boys selling sunglasses off large boards
- ladies selling fruit such as oranges, papayas & pineapples
- fan ice vendors which are ice cream sold in plastic bags which you tear out a corner and suck the ice cream out. Flavours are fan choco (taste like fudgesicles), fan ice (taste like Dairy cream ice cream), and fan yogo (taste like strawberry frozen yogurt)
Walk ~25 minutes to CUA House. On the way pass:
- 2-3 men with mics and loud speakers preaching (I am really going
to miss my hearing thanks to them…it’s already starting to go)
- TONS of the same vendors selling on the street as well as the same beggars
- little children dancing to music
- many MTN/other company phone card stands selling units
- newspaper stands that sport OUTRAGEOUS titles (think National Enquirer). Titles include: “Woman gives birth to fish” & “10 tips for hot sex in 2008”
- a market place
- people sleeping on the sidewalks
We cross the road 6 times and are usually running to avoid oncoming traffic (how it’s done here).
During the walk, we use our handkerchiefs repeatedly (mine are often new because I can’t seem to keep one for the life of me. I place them on my lap and lose them to the tro-tro floors or the ground when I get up). It is quite warm by 8am in Accra and humid!
8:25AM Purchase 4 pure water bags (500mL sachets of treated water sold for ~$0.05 CDN which you tear the corner out of and drink from) from the vendor right across the street from CUA House, an elderly woman who has an adorable grandson who is terrified of Maya & I.
8:30AM Walk towards CUA House and greet everyone we pass saying Good morning machee) and asking how they are (etisen) and how the night was.
Walk up the flight of stairs to CUA House and greet Jackie (Receptionist)and anyone else found in the reception area.
Get the key to our office. Greet Mama Cate & Ernest in their office, if they have actually arrived by this point.
Go to our office. Turn on light, fan, and 3 outlets. Then start up our shared computer and hope that it won’t die that day due to the viruses transmitted from USB keys used at Internet Cafés.
8:40AM Try to find enough work to sustain us through the day. Letters, memos, etc. typed up on the computer usually involve consulting one another so that neither Maya nor I die of boredom.
Greet people as they enter our office during their rounds around the office when they arrive.
1:00PM Lunch Break.
Lunch is usually one of the following:
- Fried yams & pepe (spicy salsa-like sauce)
- Rice & stew with chicken
- Banku & pepe
- Roasted plantains & ground nuts
- Red red (fried plantains served with beans)
- Occasionally we have dessert: pineapple, oranges or fan chocos
2:00PM Sometimes our friend Edmund, a former YSC member & president, will stop by our office in the afternoon. He is the brightest, most motivated young Ghanaian I have met. He is involved in the fight for children’s rights, educating and preventing child trafficking. He also has a radio program on twice weekly and works at GBC (Ghana Broadcasting Company). He will certainly be working for the UN one day.
Duties throughout the day for Maya & I include:
- making photocopies (or since only the main photocopier works most of the time, going to ask Festus - Head Administrator - to make photocopies)
- type memos requesting stationery, supplies, funds, etc.
- create the Youth Savings Programme Newsletter
- create pamphlets & handouts
- call YSC Supervisors
- get everything proofread & approved by Mama Cate & Ernest & make changes accordingly
- school visits where we address an assembly students for 5 minutes each and speak to them very briefly about the importance of saving and current HIV/AIDS prevalence rates and the need for them to change their behaviour
Sometimes there is Lights Out and the whole office shuts down for the duration and just sits around chatting or sleeping.
Many questions about life in Ghana are fielded through Archie aka Mr. Acheampong who was our main contact person at CUA prior to our arrival in Ghana. He is fabulous and if he doesn’t have the answer, he usually finds it for us quite promptly.
4:30PM Shut everything down & walk back to Tema Station to “pick” a tro-tro back to Labadi Polyclinic, which is a minute walk from our house.
Purchase fruit, water, or bread on walk to house if needed.
5:30PM Arrive home. Ring bell to be let into the Compound. Chat with roommates about our days.
6:30PM Dinner. Most often we eat out due to the fact that it is cheaper than trying to prepare it ourselves and risking left overs spoiling in the fridge if there is a power outage.
Favourites for dinner include:
- Banku with stew (next door)
- Rice & stew with meat & boiled egg (next door)
- Burgers (a five minute walk from our house)
- Tawala Beach: Rice & chicken, beer (5 minute walk)
- Eggs, toast & beans (prepared at home)
- Pasta chalked full of vegetables (prepared at home)
If we are missing North American or Continental dishes, we travel by tro-tro into Osu which takes about 10 minutes and can get Italian, Lebanese,Chinese, French, etc..
7:00PM If wireless internet is working, check email, chat, surf web. Play games(scrabble). Watch movies. Read.
9:30PM Shower. If water is out, bucket showers.
10:00PM Bedtime or retreat to bed to read, chat on MSN, or watch a movie
A Typical Work Day
*Please note times tend to vary as I enjoy sleeping until the last possible second…
6:30AM Wake up
6:35AM Soak head, add gel to control the humidity frizz!
6:45AM Breakfast (usually bread/toast & groundnut paste - similar to PB)
7:20AM Brush teeth
7:30AM Head to “bus stop” and pick a tro-tro. Depending on the morning, this can take some time because we need to wait for the first one that has space for both Maya & I. Once in the tro-tro, we pay the mate. Some days this is quick, other days we have to haggle over the price because some assume we don’t know what it is and try to charge us more.
8:00AM Arrive at Tema Station, a tro-tro station bustling with activity. There are vendors EVERYWHERE again -- see last entry about attempted clean up of Tema Station. We have to swerve around a ton of people carrying things on their heads or selling things on the floor.
These include:
- boys selling handkerchiefs
- boys selling sunglasses off large boards
- ladies selling fruit such as oranges, papayas & pineapples
- fan ice vendors which are ice cream sold in plastic bags which you tear out a corner and suck the ice cream out. Flavours are fan choco (taste like fudgesicles), fan ice (taste like Dairy cream ice cream), and fan yogo (taste like strawberry frozen yogurt)
Walk ~25 minutes to CUA House. On the way pass:
- 2-3 men with mics and loud speakers preaching (I am really going
to miss my hearing thanks to them…it’s already starting to go)
- TONS of the same vendors selling on the street as well as the same beggars
- little children dancing to music
- many MTN/other company phone card stands selling units
- newspaper stands that sport OUTRAGEOUS titles (think National Enquirer). Titles include: “Woman gives birth to fish” & “10 tips for hot sex in 2008”
- a market place
- people sleeping on the sidewalks
We cross the road 6 times and are usually running to avoid oncoming traffic (how it’s done here).
During the walk, we use our handkerchiefs repeatedly (mine are often new because I can’t seem to keep one for the life of me. I place them on my lap and lose them to the tro-tro floors or the ground when I get up). It is quite warm by 8am in Accra and humid!
8:25AM Purchase 4 pure water bags (500mL sachets of treated water sold for ~$0.05 CDN which you tear the corner out of and drink from) from the vendor right across the street from CUA House, an elderly woman who has an adorable grandson who is terrified of Maya & I.
8:30AM Walk towards CUA House and greet everyone we pass saying Good morning machee) and asking how they are (etisen) and how the night was.
Walk up the flight of stairs to CUA House and greet Jackie (Receptionist)and anyone else found in the reception area.
Get the key to our office. Greet Mama Cate & Ernest in their office, if they have actually arrived by this point.
Go to our office. Turn on light, fan, and 3 outlets. Then start up our shared computer and hope that it won’t die that day due to the viruses transmitted from USB keys used at Internet Cafés.
8:40AM Try to find enough work to sustain us through the day. Letters, memos, etc. typed up on the computer usually involve consulting one another so that neither Maya nor I die of boredom.
Greet people as they enter our office during their rounds around the office when they arrive.
1:00PM Lunch Break.
Lunch is usually one of the following:
- Fried yams & pepe (spicy salsa-like sauce)
- Rice & stew with chicken
- Banku & pepe
- Roasted plantains & ground nuts
- Red red (fried plantains served with beans)
- Occasionally we have dessert: pineapple, oranges or fan chocos
2:00PM Sometimes our friend Edmund, a former YSC member & president, will stop by our office in the afternoon. He is the brightest, most motivated young Ghanaian I have met. He is involved in the fight for children’s rights, educating and preventing child trafficking. He also has a radio program on twice weekly and works at GBC (Ghana Broadcasting Company). He will certainly be working for the UN one day.
Duties throughout the day for Maya & I include:
- making photocopies (or since only the main photocopier works most of the time, going to ask Festus - Head Administrator - to make photocopies)
- type memos requesting stationery, supplies, funds, etc.
- create the Youth Savings Programme Newsletter
- create pamphlets & handouts
- call YSC Supervisors
- get everything proofread & approved by Mama Cate & Ernest & make changes accordingly
- school visits where we address an assembly students for 5 minutes each and speak to them very briefly about the importance of saving and current HIV/AIDS prevalence rates and the need for them to change their behaviour
Sometimes there is Lights Out and the whole office shuts down for the duration and just sits around chatting or sleeping.
Many questions about life in Ghana are fielded through Archie aka Mr. Acheampong who was our main contact person at CUA prior to our arrival in Ghana. He is fabulous and if he doesn’t have the answer, he usually finds it for us quite promptly.
4:30PM Shut everything down & walk back to Tema Station to “pick” a tro-tro back to Labadi Polyclinic, which is a minute walk from our house.
Purchase fruit, water, or bread on walk to house if needed.
5:30PM Arrive home. Ring bell to be let into the Compound. Chat with roommates about our days.
6:30PM Dinner. Most often we eat out due to the fact that it is cheaper than trying to prepare it ourselves and risking left overs spoiling in the fridge if there is a power outage.
Favourites for dinner include:
- Banku with stew (next door)
- Rice & stew with meat & boiled egg (next door)
- Burgers (a five minute walk from our house)
- Tawala Beach: Rice & chicken, beer (5 minute walk)
- Eggs, toast & beans (prepared at home)
- Pasta chalked full of vegetables (prepared at home)
If we are missing North American or Continental dishes, we travel by tro-tro into Osu which takes about 10 minutes and can get Italian, Lebanese,Chinese, French, etc..
7:00PM If wireless internet is working, check email, chat, surf web. Play games(scrabble). Watch movies. Read.
9:30PM Shower. If water is out, bucket showers.
10:00PM Bedtime or retreat to bed to read, chat on MSN, or watch a movie
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