Blogs from Kumasi, Ashanti, Ghana, Africa - page 10

One of my favorite commercials in the US is from a few Super Bowls ago, by UPS. It has three guys in shirt and tie in a closed office dancing to "Push It" by Salt 'n Pepa. The boss bursts in, the music stops, and he asks a series of "where is the shipment", "who's handling what," "how much money do we have" type questions. One of the workers checks the UPS tracking system, answers the three questions rapid-fire, and turns the music back on, and dancing resumes as the confused boss leaves the room in a fluster. Fast-forward to last night, and on local TV the same scene occurs, except it's African beats and Ghanaian office workers, but the boss is still just as angry when he burst in, yelling that a shipment arrives the ... read more

Arrived in Kumasi on Sunday afternoon following a five-hour bus ride from Accra. Kumasi is the second-largest city in Ghana, and the capital of the Ashanti, the largest ethnicity in the country, and the namesake of the year 2002's favorite R and B singer. The Ashanti kingdom is not a historic idea, it is a living, breathing thing, as they still have a fully-functioning king and various other dignitaries, as well as a palace right here in town. This might explain the plethora of tourist-friendly masks and "artifacts" in some shops, which are made insignificant with the real shopping heart of Kumasi, the Ketejia market. Like with any large city in an agricultural area, the Kejetia market is just bursting with commerce on the smallest of scales, with sometimes what seems like more vendors than buyers, ... read more

So far in Kumasi I have been working at a few orphanages here, I want to do a lot more, but I am trying to spend my free time preparing for the weeks to come. I met a man here named Osei Tutu we talked for a while and he told me that there were no professional photographers here in Ghana. It turns out that his brother is the King of Ashanti and has been wanting a descent portrait. So right now its still up in the air but I am invited over for dinner next week to discuss this arrangement with the king. I think that it would be a great opportunity as long as it does not interfere with any of my other plans. Friday morning I am going to be taking a ... read more

Recently, I realized something has been missing from the primary school - The LOUD, CONTINOUS sound of children’s laughter. What a wonderful, heart lightening sound. I’ve set aside a few of the “sports items” which were recently donated. Placing them in a basket I’ve assigned one boy to distribute and collect them daily during morning breaks. Oh what a wonderful sound there is when the entire school goes out for “recess”! It now REALLY sounds like recess. I hadn’t really realized anything was missing in the past. They’ve always enjoyed recess and have their own local games that they enjoy and play. But now there is a continuous roar of laughter as they come up with new games and fun things to do together. Though the many “gifts” are not for me personally, I am personally ... read more

I'm fairly new at this but here goes. I work in the construction industry out here in Ghana for almost 2 years. Have done extensive travel in this country in my 2 years here and find that of most African countries this is probably the best across the board, people are extremely friendly and helpful. I will be adding some photos real soon.... read more