Day 40

This is a poster for a funeral, very common when someone of any standing dies.

This is for the former Regional Director of Education, whose funeral is tomorrow.  Today, his body will be taken from the morgue to the family home, and tomorrow the funeral will take place, either in the family home, or more likely (since he is high profile), a church.

Day 41

The Afrikids centre in Sirigu, where I live and stay when I’m working there.  I’ve really enjoyed the chance to live somewhere a bit more rural a few days a week, and though my Frafra needs some serious improving, I’m really enjoying having a go!

Day 42

A little odd today – fans!  We don’t have AC in our VSO houses, and though some offices have AC, ours certainly does not!  It’s amazing how much whirling the warm air around can cool you down!

Day 43

Another little luxury – my trusty ipod and speakers… a Godsend at times.  I’ve discovered podcasts fairly recently – Dave Gorman, Intelligence Squared, Freakonomics, Answer me this – makes you feel a little closer to home.

Day 44

Just when I thought it was stating to get hot again… all of a sudden the Harmattan returned.  These pictures are from an early morning walk last week – very hazy and the sun looked very pale and white.  Though the Harmattan is not everyone’s favourite time of year, it’s much better than the hot season to follow.  Colleagues think it’s “cold” just now, until I start explaining what a Scottish winter is like!

The other photo is for you Dad – a lady carrying a sewing machine on her head!!

Day 45

This is my electricity card. Every 6 weeks or so, it needs fed.  When the power goes out, you put it back in and use the reserve and in the meantime top up.

Power is pretty constant here, though there is a rumour that we’re running out of electricity so power will be off from 6pm-11pm until it rains (much power is hydro here).  Or perhaps 7am-11am.  Or perhaps it’s just a rumour…

Day 46

Funerals

Being in Ghana does make you more aware of your own mortality.  I was at the funeral of a friend’s brother, a Head Teacher in his 30s (I think), my friend’s younger brother.

As is tradition here, he had a burial not long after his death, followed by a funeral a few months later.  Funerals can be years and years later sometimes, if the family has to save up and the person who has died is a chief or other important person in the community.  Thomas’s burial and funeral were Catholic, but often funerals are very traditional affairs, with war dances.  As Thomas was a young man, the funeral was more sombre.

In this picture, you can see my two colleagues in their funeral attire.  She is wearing funeral colours (blacks, reds, browns), though many people just wear their best clothes, whatever colour they may be.  He is wearing a smock – which is best described as the Ghanaian equivalent of a kilt!  (I know people don’t often wear kilts to funerals or work, but it was the best description I could come up with for an American friend who didn’t know about kilts!)

Day 47

Sangria!!  On days when I’m not drinking beer, Sangria can be the drink of choice – nicer (in my opinion) than the boxed wine we get, and cheap too at Ghc3.50 a carton.

Day 48

One of my best friends in Ghana… my faithful (normally!) dongle.  No, it’s not high speed broadband, and takes 10 times as long to download a podcast than it does at home… but boy does it make life easier!

(the faithful MTN screen)

Day 49

I am really going to miss brilliant moments like this one when I come home… You’re sitting outside in a spot, watching the African Cup of Nations… and a herd of cows saunters by!!

Day 50

I’ve discovered the West Wing.  It’s great!

Day 51

I must admit, I had an idea in my head today, but couldn’t work out what photo would capture it… so I snapped my trainers.

Generally here, people are fit.  On Saturday night, we were carrying a grate of drinks back to my house.  After struggling with it between two people (not me… I was carrying Jordan), Tina (a Ghanaian friend) lifted it on to her head and carried it all the way to my house.  Often, although people  struggle to get things on and off their head, they can carry incredibly heavy things.  Children here aren’t obese or overweight.; adults cycle or walk massive distances.

Exercise is embedded into the way of life here in a way that it really isn’t at home.  People come in all shapes and sizes, but the only people who are very big are the “big men” – who are normally men who’ve done very well in business so are wealthy and won’t have to do hard, physical work.

So, maybe I don’t need a car when I’m home… bike anyone?!

Day 52

We ran out of water on Saturday night, just before the hoards turned up for the party.  Oh dear.  We have a polytank which is filled with water from the mains.  I’m not sure why it ran out on Saturday – someone seemed to have closed the filling-up-the-tank tap, but the mains had been off for 5 days so we may well just have run out.

We had some stored in big buckets in the bathrooms and the kitchen.  Today we asked Godwin to collect some for us, and I picked up some water sachets at the shop (I carried it on my head!!)

Water sachets are very useful  - clean water, very cheap.  Unfortunately, they are also very bad for the environment, and litter a lot of the surroundings.

Day 53

Happy Burns Night!

I organised a Burns Night party at ma house on Saturday nicht… which also coincided wi the most recent Ghana fitbaw game.  So, a wee bit late, we had a Burns shindig.  Several Ghanaian friends came along, as well as the VSOs. 

Yam, cabbage and onion soup – a little like a Scottishy potato soup

A wee bit a’ haggis and tatties – everyone had a wee try

Shortbread, tablet, millionaire shortbread (thanks Hannah) fae puddin.

We had a wee bit o’ Scots (Selkirk grace), some Scottish music and dancin. 

 Sampling haggis

Havin a few wee drinks

Scots decor

 Scotland

Introducin the Yank tae haggis

Puddin'!

Day 54

Christmas haribo – courtesy of Olke – thanks very much!

Getting mail is so very nice here – a Christmas card, a letter or a wee parcel, they have been very much appreciated – thanks!

Day 55

Things you need to take on a night out in Ghana:

Insect repellent – either DEET, or Skin So Soft – not clinically proven to repel bugs but if it keeps away Scottish midges then it’s good enough for me.

Head torch – necessary for finding your way down a dark road, or to find a urinal in the dark (both boys and girls use “urinals” in Ghana…!)

Toilet roll – see above

Hand gel – see above x 2 – for cleaning hands after toilet visits

Day 56

Ghanaian wildlife

This little lizard was stuck in a bucket.  I’ve come to like lizards and geckos – they eat insects and I don’t mind them scuttling around the house.  I’ve done a fair few lizard rescues over the past two years, including several trying to get them out of a bath when they’re stuck.

Day 57

Ghanaian bureaucracy

This is one of my schools. Across the road is a new school building for the school. It is very nearly finished. It has been in the same state for a long time. The contractor has “gone somewhere to finish something”, leaving the school unfinished.

Another school is in a similar state. Their building is completely finished… but the district assembly hasn’t handed it over yet. They’ve been waiting since September… and are still waiting.