My host family

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My family trying out the camera

Take 2

Take 3

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Tina, the coordinator in Accra took us to our placements and to stay with our host families from Accra. Out of the 10 people in my orrientation group, I'm reasonably near 3 people and it is good to have a few contacts. We were all taken together in a taxi and everyone was a bit nervous because it was finally beginning to feel like it was actually happening.

Most of the children in my family were at school, when I arrived but I had a good welcome from my host mother Alice and host sister who is 3. The house I'm staying in is a compound house and so more than just my family lives there. I've got my own room which is a good thing and it is even painted blue.

It is really difficult to work out how many children are in the family and how they are related to each other but I'm sure I will get used to it soon.

The children seem absolutely facinated by my skin and hair and my host sister (Dina) sits on my lap and touches may face and hair.

I'm quite often called by my African name, which I'm still trying to get used to. It usually takes my mother, Alice 4 or 5 attempts to get my attention before I realise she is calling my name but I'm getting better!

I'm also getting used to the bucket shower, which is a corner of the court yard outside, so you sort of stand around a corner with a a bucket, not so easy for washing hair though!

Although there is only an hours time difference to the UK, it actually feels like more because in Ghana everyone goes to bed early and wakes up at 5am. Everything is also very loud, so when everyone else wakes up, it would be difficult not to join them. The tap for clean water is right outside my window and so just about the whole area seems to be passing by in the early hours but I'm getting used to the routine of getting out and about early.

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