My First Solo Adventure

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It has been a quiet week so far. This past weekend I didn't go anywhere (I barely left the dorm, actually) but I needed some rest/relaxation so I was happy with it. I just slept in and read at the library (a gorgeous building) and hung out with my one Ghanaian friend (a "fresher," freshman, named Daniel who is taking a theater class so we met in the department- note however that he is not a theater person, so I am still on the lookout for people who know the difference between a par and an ellipsoidal) and watched The Last King of Scotland on a friend's laptop. But that's my little International Students Hostel bubble that I'm living in. As for adventures in the outside world, Friday was awesome:

I decided ahead of time that I was feeling very comfortable and a little adventuresome, so after our first group meeting of all those who work with Joshua (the eight-year-old autistic boy I am working with), I went off on my first solo adventure. My friend Annaemieke (pronounced Ana-me-ka), from California the other international student working with Joshua, gave me directions to Kaneshie Market in Accra (a little past Circle- one of the larger trotro stations). Now, trotros are a crazy but fairly efficient form of privately owned and operated public transportation. Basically, you buy an old van with usually a nineteen person capacity (the seats are like plush benches with an end seat that folds down blocking the aisle so you can make maximum use of space) and find a mate (someone to open and close the van door while yelling out the name of your destination over and over so that "Madina Old Road" sounds like "Madina Olulululu" in addition to collecting the fare and telling you when to pull over to drop people off). Trotros often break down and they always look a little treacherous, but I haven't had an problems so far. It's quiet an experience visiting a trotro station/stop because there's so much noise from the mates calling out their destinations and, for us foreigners, it can be hard to tell what in the world they are saying.

Anyway, I got directions from Annaemieke, made a friend named Ivy who put me on the right trotro (she put me on one where I was going to have to transfer at Circle, then found another going straight through, came and got me, and put me on that one), and made my way to the market. Kaneshie market is a four story yellow building with a huge open air market inside. The first floor is all fresh vegetables and meat and things (including live chickens). The second floor has buckets and kitchen supplies and prepackaged foodstuffs. The third floor was all fabric. I think the fourth floor might also be fabric, but I didn't make it that far (I kept getting turned around because the stairs between floors didn't line up and the market was huge). I think I might have been the only obruni (white person) but I didn't get hassled much since it's a local market and doesn't rely on tourists like the places that sell more expensive (or at least more souvenir-type products). I talked to people here and there but mostly just enjoyed wandering around by myself. I bought some jewelry, three forks, a vegetable peeler (that I unintentionally bargained for and got for 50 cents cheaper- go me!), and some cloth. 😊

On the way back, I couldn't find a trotro going to Legon so I went to Circle (bought two plates-finally- on my way into the station) and got stuck there for about forty minutes waiting for the trotro to fill up. Fortunately, I wasn't in a rush and was seated between two very nice women so I had a good time. One of the women bought oranges and gave me one. And they would explain what was going on when things happened in Twi (my Twi is growing but very slowly, and I have a lot of trouble with pronunciation) so it was much more fun with them there to help me.

The oranges at the trotro station, a perfect segue to another interesting aspect of life here: the sellers on the streets and carrying things on your head. Everywhere you go in the city or along a main road, there are people selling things. Water is sold in little plastic packets (500ml) for five pesewas (5 cents). Plantain chips are everywhere. People sell chocolate and apples and bread and dishcloths and maps and clocks and windup toys and every other odd little thing. And they often carry them on their heads. I've seen a man walking around with a big suitcase balanced on his head. I've seen a girl younger (or at least smaller) than me walking up stairs with a little refrigerator (like the ones in the dorms at home) on her head. It's actually a lot easier to move things that way, if you can balance it. I've only carried a bag of water sashes (about 35 of the 500ml sashes) on my head, but it definitely distributed the weight easier than when I try to hold it in my arms. But back to the streets- especially during rush hour you can see people just walking up and down the rows of cars selling odds and ends (mostly snacks, I think). From what I understand, they are mostly people from the North who can make more money selling down in the South than they can in the agricultural North.

There is a large North/South divide here. The lifestyles are very different as the North is agricultural villages mostly and the South is more industrial/ dependent on trade. I've only been up north once (our trip to Kumasi and then Mole National Park a few weeks ago) but my friend Daniel is from Upper East (the most northern part of the country along with Upper West- they border Burkina Faso) and has been a good source of information on that part of the country (he also taught me and my friend Susan how to cook omo tuo ne nkatee kwan- rice balls and groundnut soup- on our day off Tuesday for first day of Ramadan). It was pretty good. I'm going to add vegetables to the leftovers and have vegetable groundnut soup for lunch today I think. I've been cooking a lot for me (and borrowing friends pots/frying pan- I need to go back to the market and buy my own things; I've actually been cooking enough to warrant it). I'm going to miss being able to walk out my front door, cross the street, and buy fresh produce from the night market when I'm back in the states. Here I just buy what I need fresh on a day-to-day basis.

Another good transition point (learning to cook from Daniel)- Daniel doesn't believe in evolution (his father is a pastor- for the record) and apparently that's not uncommon here. The religious element is actually quite remarkable (for a liberal suburban girl from MA like me). The trotros and shops mostly bear religious names like "He Lives" and "When Gods Says Yes Ent." People are much more likely to ask if you believe in god or what your religion is here than they do in Massachusetts. Preachers have been known to come into lecture halls before lectures to proselytize (not in any of mine, but some friends had a guy encouraging students to trade in condoms for bibles) and a preacher with a bullhorn outside of a dorm at 6am is a daily occurrence.

I had hoped to travel to Togo this weekend with Annaemieke but it didn't work out for her and I found out Monday that I have a class field trip to the National Museum on Saturday, so I'm going to have to actually renew my visa by the 10th rather than just leaving/reentering the country. I don't know what I'll do this weekend yet, but hopefully I'll do a day trip or find something good to do locally. I'm trying to push myself to get out and see things so I don't just stay in the dorm every night watching The Office or Arrested Development or Desperate Housewives. (Only on occasion, I promise, but still...)

All in all, I'm safe and sound and missing fall at home (and all you lovely people) and looking for my next great adventure.

Oh, and Adwoa (the seamstress) finally returned with my dress and peacock pants (the fabric has peacocks) last night, so I'm thrilled about having some new clothes! 😊

All my love,
Anna

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