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.