I sincerely hope that below are those pictures I promised about a year ago - a few snippets of life in Accra.
also, in the style of Heather Anders on her now world famous website (see the link) I decided I would write about the things I most love about it here. It began because i was feeling guilty after abusing the internet connections and transport when the problem was probably with hotmail - or possibly even me....
The things I most love about GhanaYou are never cold. Ever. Not even when you go for a swim. In the Ocean.
Cold beer, always drunk in the shade of a big leafy tree. Or on the beach.
Chewy kebabs with cold beer
Banku (fermented cassava) and Tilapia (succulent fresh water fish grilled in a delicate lime, ginger and chilli marinade)
Banku and Tilapia at Elamat, our favourite local spot
Kenke (fermented maize) and (marine) fish
The glow of happiness on a Ghanaians face when you tell them you like Ghanaian food
“Caroline” – a pop song from The Congo and my favourite line dance at Salsa club. When I have mastered this I will have achieved total independence of hip and body motion.
Women with plenty bottom on the dance floor (which can be anywhere)
Movie Club at Ian and Katyas
Parties at Ian and Katyas
Ian and Katya
Ghanaians readiness to laugh
Ghanaians readiness to laugh at their plight
Ghanaians readiness to laugh when people are fighting
Ghanaians readiness to calm people who are fighting
The ability of trotro “mates” (Ghanas least educated people) to remember what every single customer gave them and give their exact change when suitable notes and coins become available
Ghanaian respect for people older than themselves
Watching 2 year olds hanging out and playing on the block
Watching babies sleep on their mothers backs
The look of pride when a ninety year old tells you their age
Ghanaian comfort at sitting together in silence. No need for small talk. Its great.
Ghanaian patients who let you write down your findings (upside-down and back-to-front) and collect your thoughts before firing a barrage of irrelevant information and questions (actually they don’t do the last part)
The relative lack of beggars: Ghanaians still look after their families pretty well.
Ghanaian signs
The Ghanaian love of dressing up and “looking fine”. And their willingness to tell you when they think you are
The Ghanaian love of traditional dress
The Ghanaian toga
The Ghanaian love of colour
The Ghanaian preference for Spanish onion because they like the colour. I respect that
The fact that Ghanaian people seem almost impossible to offend
The ability of Ghanaians to seem drunk (friendly and excitable) at any time of the day, night or week
Ghanaian pronunciation of “egglipse”. And their use of it when describing retinal detachments
Traffic jam shopping. Mostly complete junk but sometimes just what you need but could not imagine where to buy. Like superglue. Or a volleyball. Icy cold clean water is good too.
Thunderstorms that go all night
Matts students, especially when they see us carrying anything and insist on taking it for us
Singing along to Ghanaian pop in a tro tro
How well our basil bush grows
Tropical fruit. More specifically mangoes, limes and avacado. Organic and by the bucket load.
Ghanaian service. Actually awful but we love the total lack of attitude or pretension
Learning to pronounce those whooshy, clicky African sounds
Independence Square: part 2001 A Space Odyssey, part Red Square, part purple Maccie Ds golden arches
The Ghanaian handshake - too hard to explain, but it finishes with a mutual click of the fingers. very cool, I promise
The things I most hate about Ghana
Sweating in a trotro
Negotiating taxi fares
The filth
Open sewers
The footpaths and lack of them. Especially if you have poor sight
The beach as a toilet and dump
No cinema
Ghanaian willingness to urinate anywhere except where there is a sign saying “don’t urinate here ¯”
Female urinals. Like the ability to move ones hips and body independently, a skill learnt early in life by young girls and rarely mastered by outsiders. Bring your thongs
The toilet at Elamat
The seeming total inability of Ghanaians to plan anything. Especially when it is your work permit. Or a party
Charismatic churches – they seem to confuse speaking loudly with saying something profound. And they prey on the poor and weak
Men in positions of power. Whilst Australian politicians and bureaucrats would deny they are self-serving and corruptible their counterparts here need barely bother
No free health care
Child beggars
The filth
The sewers
