Civilization fix

I'm back on the internet before my Thursday Koforidua visit. I came to Accra yesterday with Casey (my closest neighbor/the other member of Johnny Moringaseed). I haven't been to Accra since I first arrived in country. I' filled with mixed emotions as I write. It's amazing to look around this city and feel as though I'm seeing it through a new pair of eyes. When I first arrived, I couldn't believe how clearly African Accra is. Less than 3 months later, I can't believe how clearly American it is. Last night, I ate a cheeseburger and french fries for dinner. I went with some friends to an American style bar and had a glass of nice wine and smoked a cuban cigar (both paid for by ex pats from around the globe).

A rough chronological description of my trip across the world within Ghana:

5:30am- wake up to Kua making her signature noises. When she yawns, she makes a sound much like a human might make when having a good morning stretch and yawn.

6am- check, water and weed my 100 poly bags (50 store bought black bags and 50 recycled water sachets) to find that 2 have sprouted!! How exciting!! It's been one week and there is already some growth.

7am- After reading small (some Ghanaian English for you. To read a little bit) sit down for tea and biscuits with Dorothy and Stephen. Trade several dozen high fives with Atta (the female half of the pair of twins. In only one week she's gone from crying at the site of me to smiling and high fiving. YES!!)

8am- Collect 145 eggs from the chicken coops behind my house. These coops are built out of wood and bamboo. Each holds maybe 200 chickens. On one side of each coop, there are hinged doors that open into the laying area (I'll explain better when I know more). The 8am collection is incredibly hectic. While carrying a small plastic basket in one hand, I'm pushing chickens off of their eggs in order to collect the eggs 3 at a time while pushing back the daredevil chickens as they try to escape. I've already sweat through my shirt. After collecting, I put the eggs in crates (each holds 30 eggs) and record the number in the daily log.

9am- after reading small, collect 72 eggs.

10am- Casey has called to let me know that we're going to Accra today instead of tomorrow. Collect 45 eggs.

11am- Collect 20 eggs. Check on my poly bags again. Clearly nothing new has happened since 6am but it's fun to see that there are two sprouts!!

11-12- Eat lunch (boiled plantains and a stew/sauce of peppers and fish), discuss a shopping list with Dorothy. Bike 5 kilometers to the junction to wait for a tro.

12-12:15- Sit and drink a cold Coca Cola (SO GOOD!!) while talking to Maku (market woman at the Sekesua junction market. Chat with a man about my work with the Peace Corps as he tells me in detail about the volunteer that taught him science while he was a Secondary School student in 1969.

12:15-1pm- Travel east to Asesewa to meet Casey at his local market. Continue the conversation with the nice man from the junction.

1-1:30- Buy 6000 cabbage, 4000 onion and 5000 tomatoes (that's how you order what you want) from various market women. Ordering and haggling is done in Dangme which is exciting for me as well as the market women who like to see that the Blefono (Obruni in Damgme) can speak the language.

1:30-3- Text other volunteers to check on their mental/physical status. It's odd to go from constant contact to no cell phone reception. Run various errands with Casey as he prepares to leave site for the last time before going to Seattle for a month.

3-6- travel by tro West to Odumase, travel Southeast to Accra. Make a pit stop at the Sekesua Junction to drop off groceries (in my new eco-friendly chico bag) with Maku.

6-7- catch up with the other volunteers at the office. Find interesting books to take from the communal book room. Find some spices in the free box!! This is great since I now have great spices to add to my food while also sad because they're likely left by somebody who went home early.

7-12- travel with some more tenured volunteers into town for burgers followed by an American style bar (Duncans) followed by a swanky American style bar (Monsoons). Monsoons has black and white photos ranging from Humphrey Bogart to Bob Marley to the Beatles. Chat and schmooze with ex pats. The most interesting ex pat is a man named Heta. He's from New Zealand, has been working in Ghana for 5 years as an engineer at a gold mine. We chat about how he spent his 20's working at a ski resort in California and how he is impressed by my decision to join the Peace Corps. This leads to my 25 Ghana Cedi (roughly my weekly pay) Cuban cigar!! Peanuts to him and such a treat for me!!

I feel as though I'm leaving out so much detail but I'll answer questions in my next blog.



I'll likely update more on Thursday. Love you all!!