Sophie's Adventures in Ghana

The final countdown

2007-06-03T05:50:00.000-07:00

Well, the countdown has begun. Only a handful of days left before my Ghanaian adventures come to an end. I will be boarding my Lufthansa flight on Wednesday evening, and after what promises to be an absolutely lovely 24 hours in transit (oh, how I loooove intercontinental travel, especially 8 hour layovers in the middle of the night), I will be back in Montreal on Thursday afternoon. I’m feeling quite the range and mix of emotions at the prospect of leaving Accra and coming back to Canada. Though incredibly excited to see my family and friends, I’m also very sad to be saying goodbye to all the amazing souls I have been fortunate to cross paths with while in Ghana.

I’m also expecting to experience some serious reverse culture shock on the way back… How strange it will be not to have random strangers reminding me of my skin color on the streets, no groups of rabidly affectionate children jumping into my arms to welcome me back to the neighborhood every evening coming home from work, no chickens running around in the gutters, no goats eating trash on the side of the road…How I will miss the colors, the smells, the life, the music, the heat, the constant bustling of Accra, trotro drivers shouting out their destinations over the buzz of traffic, tiny shops scattered all over the streets, their shelves spilling over with cans and beauty products and displays of artificial hair for brading, women with babies on their backs and elaborate displays of jewelry or fruit perched atop their heads. How I will miss the pace of life, where no one rushes, where everyone takes the time to greet each other, to eat, to sit, to wait, to watch, to listen without worrying about the million other things they ought to be doing instead. And above all, how I will miss the people, at times annoying (the Don Juan de Tuna types most particularly) but above all friendly, curious, open, funny and so very kind.

What an amazing experience it’s been…and how I will miss this place.

But I must also admit that amidst all this nostalgia, I’m still excited to come home, to see you all --oh faithful hominid subjects-- and to share with you my many stories, memories and pictures over a yummy steaming latte.

And in the meantime, there are four more days to take full advantage of. As has been the case for the last two weeks or so (which also explains the blog-silence of late), the next moments promise to be full of activities, goodbye visits, eating out, being treated to copious amounts of Ghanaian cuisine, dancing, walking about and making my peace with my impending departure…finding solace in the resolution that I will be setting foot back here sooner than later.

So my darlings, I send you my last greetings from mostly sunny albeit increasingly rainy Ghana (the rainy season is well on its way) -- and I look forward to catching up with you soon…in person!

Much love to you my precious
Sophie

ps: dont have time to explain the pics, but I still wanted to include them...a brief overview of the last few weeks...I look forward to sharing the details (and lots and lots of other pictures) upon my return

You can run but you can never hide

2007-05-11T02:15:00.000-07:00

Few of you know this about me, but in a past life, I sold knives. Okay, it wasn’t so much in a past life as it was during my teens (which does feel like another life at times…thank goodness!). But the knife selling part remains true, a slight blemish on my otherwise saintly existence (as my parents emit a snort of amused skepticism). It was the summer of my seventeenth birthday, and hungry for independence (and more importantly pocket money), I decided to look for a job. My friend Marc-Antoine who had worked at a placed called Vector Marketing (in retrospect the name itself should have served as a warning) recommended it to me, while also recommending me to the big boss at this said marketing company. So it is that with absolutely no experience under my belt, and what was most probably a bizarre haircolor and style (as my parents emit a sigh of relief that this phase has finally passed), I headed for my first interview. I don’t remember how it went exactly, but I guess I didn’t too badly since I ended up getting the job (mind you, I would realize subsequently that pretty much anyone capable of doing the penny-cutting demonstration (yes, our scissors were that strong!) stood a significant chance of being hired at Vector Marketing).

And so it is that there and then, I became the newest bright-eyed and bushy-tailed Cutco knife salesperson on the block. As the oracle (aka my mother) had forewarned, Vector Marketing turned out to be a lot more like a cult or a pyramidal scheme than it was a marketing company… It came complete with a philosophy centered on motivational posters (the kind that feature people reaching the top of a really high mountain just as the sun rises), monthly motivational sales meeting in Cornwall, Ontario, and recruitment of potential clients through personal connections and snowballing (or door-to-door harassment for the more ambitious ones). Oh and you had to buy your own demonstration kits too and supply your own pennies to cut through for the demonstrative climax.

Basically, as a Vector Marketer, I went around with my kit under my arm and visited family, neighbors, my friends’ mothers and my mother’s friends to share with them the magic of Cutco kitchen, sewing and/or fishing and hunting knives. There were different sets, different colors of non-rusting allied-metal cutting tools, sold exclusively through Vector and varied enough to satisfy the modern day woman who no longer has hours to spend chopping up vegetables for the evening stew, the avid boar hunter or anyone inclined to want to cut pennies with a pair of scissors (let me tell you it’s a pretty popular party trick…especially after a few martinis). Basically, Cutco offered a knife for everyone in the family, from little cousin Timmy to Aunt Matilda to old Grandpa Bubba. And to ensure continued motivation of the troops, Vector marketers were paid on sliding-scale commission whereas the more you sold, the more you earned.

Realizing pretty quickly that I wasn’t cut out (no pun intended!) for this type of career, I ended up cutting (insert drumroll here) my Cutco career pretty short, lasting all of one month. Mind you that month proved enough to require me and a significant number of family members, neighbors, friends’ mothers and mother’s friends to receive medical attention for cuts of varied intensity (those knives were sharp and I have the bagel-cutting scar to prove it…which, by the way, required six stitches). Having disliked pretty much every moment of my Vector Marketing experience, it was with an incredible amount of relief that I gave my resignation to our head knife-guru and closed that chapter in my life. There were recurring nightmares and periods of high anxiety, but after a few years I finally managed to make my peace and let it go.

Until yesterday, that is. I had come to meet an amazing American HIV/AIDS activist/educationalist/researcher at his home in a suburb of Accra, and after a lengthy chat, ended up being invited for supper with his partner and their son. As we were putting away the dishes in the kitchen, I saw something that made my blood run cold. There, tucked away on the counter stood a block of wood with the Cutco label proudly emblazoned into it, seven of those familiar knife handles sticking out inconspicuously (I would recognize them for miles…after all, I’ve been using the knives from my demo kit for the past 10 years!)

I’m not sure what it means and how it came to be, but somehow, Cutco knives had managed to follow me all the way to Accra. Stumbling upon these mementos of a not-so-distant past I wanted to forget, I produced a small screech, and asked my gracious hosts how they had come about these damned objects. It turns out that their nephew—bless his soul—was also indoctrinated into the Church of Cutco, and apparently brought a few family members down with him. They too cut themselves and bled bitter Cutco blood in their kitchens, and it is with a few tears in our eyes that we showed off our war-wounds and exchanged battle stories. It was painful, but ultimately cathartic, as facing a past trauma often is. I guess it’s true what they say, you can run from your past, but you can never really hide from it.

Now how can I possibly follow up this anecdote (quite reminiscent of a Seinfeld episode might I add…whereas essentially, it’s a blog about nothing). Well I guess by letting y’all know that things are and continue to be well. Research is coming along wonderfully and I’m getting pretty excited at the idea of coming home, digesting the experience and writing up my dissertation (once a geek, always a geek). I’ve been spending some quality time with my peeps, and even finding a bit of down time here and there to indulge my newest addiction to Harlequin novels (and I’ve totally cracked the code such that I feel ready to become a romance novel writer if things don’t work out too well with the whole PhD thing). I’m really sad to see my time in Ghana running out, but also really really excited at the idea of coming home, seeing my beloved family and friends again and walking in the streets of my beautiful Montreal with a latte in my hands (as lattes are the only items that I’ve truly really missed when it comes to edible/drinkable stuff). But there are still four weeks left before the regal return of the Baboon Queen to her kingdom and faithful hominid subjects…and a busy four weeks it promises to be, with lots of research tidbits to finish up, goodbyes to make, social shindigs to attend and to organize and of course, [insert valley-girl accent here] shopping to do! I will miss Ghana terribly, but I am also pretty sure that I’ll be coming back here sooner than later. After all, if the Cutco incident has taught me anything, it’s that nothing is really ever over for good in this life… there’s always room for an epilogue.

I miss you all my lovelies.
Philosophically yours,
Sophie

Ps: J’ai hate de vous revoir mes poulets!!!!!!

For your viewing pleasure...

2007-05-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hello my precious

Hope this latest entry finds you all well. I must announce from the get-go that for unforeseen political and personal reasons, I have decided to launch into a boycotting-of-the-blog campaign. No, in fact --and in all honesty— it’s just that I haven’t really felt inclined to write as of late. Nothing serious or personal though...but a bit of a dry spell when it comes to blog-related inspiration. So instead of letting words speak, I’ve decided to (take the easy way out and) devote this latest entry to an almost entirely pictorial rendition of my adventures.

Suffice it to say that I am well, though it is with mixed emotions that I realize I only have one month left here in Ghana. Still, I can’t wait to see you all as I have and continue to miss you so very much!

I’ll be back soon with a more comprehensive chapter.
Until then, take care my darlings,
A bientot mes poulets!

The way to a woman's heart...

2007-04-16T03:05:00.000-07:00

Is through a can of tuna? I have heard of and at times even been offered the more traditional tokens of love in the form of flowers and chocolates and teddies (of the bear and neglige kind), but a can of tuna? Well, this is what happened to me yesterday, as I was buying some juice at a kiosk in a tro-tro station. A man came up to me and asked me whether I was that girl who worked for the Peace Corps, to which I replied in a yeah-like-I-haven’t-heard-that-one-before-manner, “no, you must have me confused with another obruni.” Not at all discouraged by my sly remark, the man then proceeded to explain that he wanted to become my “friend” (of the more-than-just-friends kind) and offered to buy me a can of tuna as a testament to his undying love. I politely refused. Surprised that I would decline such a heart-felt proposition, he then offered to buy me a hard-boiled egg. The charmer! Of course, I was almost tempted to accept because hey, he certainly merits a few points for originality, but reason triumphed over emotions (and/or sense of humor), and I bade farewell to my Don Juan de Tuna, continuing on my merry way with the firm conviction that I had just lived through a wonderful introduction to a blog entry.

Strange seduction techniques aside, all continues to be well. I had an amazing time at the beach last weekend. After an uneventful and surprisingly rapid tro-tro trip, Melinda, Chantal and I arrived at the Safari Beach Lodge on Friday afternoon, meeting up with Jacques, Gislain and Brad who had come in the day before. Though the girls left on Monday, I extended my stay until Tuesday, heading back to Accra with the boys. I was thus treated to four full days of complete and absolute decadence, gorging on James’ incredible cooking, frolicking in the waves and reading magazines in a hammock…all of this done in the company of my lovely friends. The lodge remains as I had remembered it, a little piece of paradise overlooking a breathtakingly beautiful ocean and it offers some much needed peace and quiet after the craziness that is the Ghanaian capital.

It was rather hard to come back to Accra, might I add, and I suffered through another painful bout of beach withdrawal. But a week after the fact, I am now healed and fully reintegrated into my little routine, which is good since there isn’t that much time left for me here in Ghana. With only seven weeks to go, I’m seeing the end fast approaching and realizing that I still have quite a few things that I want to accomplish before heading back to Canada. So the next little while promises to be quite busy, with work and interviews to do for my research, a few projects to finish up for SWAA, some extensive shopping to complete and of course, some more quality moments to be had with my friends in Accra. Though I am very happy here and I know that I’m going to miss Ghana a lot when I leave, I’m also starting to feel pretty excited at the idea of coming home and seeing my family and friends again. How I have missed you all!

But for now, there are more adventures to be had and more strange Ghanaian cruising techniques to be discovered.

So until next time my darlings, I wish you all the best and send you much love from sunny Ghana.

Gros bisous mes poulets
Sophie

About the pictures, in no particular order: the postcard-perfect sunset at the Safari Beach Lodge, Gislain and I after a hard day at the beach (I just want an excuse to show off my tan...apologies to all those snow-bound folk in Montreal), a picture that my sister took a while back at the 37 tro-tro station (where the man tried to seduce me with the can of tuna), an adorable little girl when we climbed Adaklu mountain, Elizabeth, Melinda and I after conquering the said mountain (see, it is steep!), an apple-seller on the street

And they called it puppy love…

2007-04-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

You must be curious to find out what could possibly lead me to disrupt the otherwise peaceful balance of my blogging schedule and dare to both miss a Friday and post on a Wednesday (oh my, the sacrilege!). Well, my darlings, the answer is clear and simple: I am in love.

We had met a few months back, but it’s only over the past few days that our relationship has really caramelized into something more serious and meaningful. His name is Alfred. He’s originally from Mexico, and was living in Canada before coming to Accra. He’s cute as a button, smart as a zipper (?), loves food and has the most beautiful big brown eyes you’ve ever seen. Sure, he’s also in a relationship, but I don’t really mind because I’ve also gone and fallen head over heels for his significant other, Philomene, equally as charming and beautiful. We’ve been spending our days and nights together, watching movies, cuddling and just enjoying each other’s company. Now before you go and start getting all these crazy (and possibly dirty) ideas, I should probably specify that the object(s) of my affection are four-legged (each) and probably weigh a whopping combined total of 30 lbs, if even. They are Jacques and Gislain’s chihuahas, though I’m considering staging an elaborate dog-napping scheme, such that they will in fact become MY chihuahas.

Their friend Brad visiting from Ottawa, Jacques and Gislain have set off on a cross-Ghana caravan tour, leaving a mansion and two precious little creatures to be cared for. Being the generous and giving souls that we are, Melinda and I volunteered to take on the daunting task of house/Chihuahua-sitting. Sure, it’s not easy, but someone’s gotta do it. And so it is that since this week-end, we’ve left the comfort of our little rooms and grimy under-stocked kitchen to settle into a two-storey/three bedroom complex, complete with pimped-out kitchen, washing machines (bye-bye buckets!) and entertainment room (large television, huge DVD collection and even an X-box, though the estrogen levels in my body prevent me from fully appreciating the excitement of this latter gadjet). Add to this the loveliest, most well-behaved, low-maintenance and affectionate puppy-dogs, and you end up with something quite close to heaven (Belinda Carlisle was right).

And the worst part in all of this, is that after a strenuous week looking after their luxurious home and charming chihuahas, we get to go and meet up with Jacques, Gislain and Brad at the Safari Beach Lodge. Yes, the same Safari Beach Lodge where I rang in the New Year, under a starry sky overlooking the ocean, belly filled with James’ amazing Texan fine-dining (yes, apparently there is such a thing). We’ll be going from Friday to Monday, though I am considering offering my services as bucket-laundry-woman (I’ve developed quite an expertise in the last months) and staying there permanently. I’m sure my parents and supervisory committee will understand.

So needless to say that life is and continues to be rather sweet. And for the cherry: my itchy-skin-sister Pamela has given me some hardcore cortisone cream to treat my leprosy, and I am a few scabs away from being completely rash-free! If it weren’t for those fifteen pounds I’ve gained since being on the Accra-Beach diet (pretty much the anti-thesis of the South Beach diet), I’d be pretty excited at the prospect of spending the weekend parading around in my bikini.

So my lovelies, I will be back in touch next week with a full report of my beach-side adventures.

Until then, I send much love from this little piece of heaven on earth.

Gros bisous mes zoiseaux xxx
Sophie

Feel the Burn

2007-03-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

Note to self: Hiking in Ghana hurts. It hurts on a number of levels. First, though it may not be Sulfur mountain, or the Three Sisters, or Brokeback mountain as for that matter (and god knows I kept my eyes open for a stranded Heath or Jake along the way…better yet both…), Adaklu mountain is pretty damn steep. Sure, it’s also beautiful and covered in lush vegetation and crowned with some impressive boulders at the top, but above all, it’s really really steep. Combine this with the fact that I have not been swimming, nor walking very much as for that matter, and that my measly little yoga routine thrice a week is the only think that has kept my muscles from fully atrophying in Ghana, and you end up with the perfect recipe for a sore obruni. And sore I was, not only during the said hike, but for a good five days following the ascension.

Oh, and did I mention that it’s really hot in Ghana? Yes, my lovelies, now add searing noon-sunshine, tropical humidity and 35degree weather to the steep mountain and inactive jello-body and voila, ‘tis the story of my weekend hiking adventures in the Volta region. The worst part in all of this is that just as we had plugged through the first third of the hike, up to a small village in the mountain, sitting on a bench for a good hour panting and sweating profusely, we saw a few women go by, flip-flops on feet, baby on back and log or heavy basket on head. They had come up the same way as we, ridiculous boot and backpack-wearing mountain conquerers, and somehow had barely broken into a sweat. Put us all to shame. Well not all of us actually, because Elizabeth has been going to the gym in Accra and was thus able to merrily prance up the mountain. Meanwhile, the three whiny stepsisters struggled to drag themselves up a never-ending 45degree incline, cursing and tripping along the way. Partly out of envy, partly for revenge, and partly because I think it’s quite witty, I nicknamed her Sporty Spice, a label I intend to use from now on. Ha! Sticks and stones (and big ass mountains) may not break your bones, oh but for the bitter pain of being associated to mediocre pop stars from the 90s (plus Sporty Spice was like no one’s favorite!) Ha, fit Elizabeth, take that!

All right, bitterness and burning muscles aside, we had a lovely weekend. Though painful, the hike was wonderful and allowed us to sit at the top of Adaklu mountain and overlook the vast expanse of the Volta region, in all its green freshness. We stayed in a really nice hotel, complete with pool and rooftop restaurant/bar, where we ate some yummy food and celebrated St-Paddy’s day in style (ie had a great excuse to drink beer). And I must admit it was quite nice to escape from Accra and enjoy a little getaway with the lady-friends…good for the body (okay maybe not) and certainly much appreciated by the soul.

And so it is that sore-legged but otherwise unharmed, I began another busy week, filled with interviews and other exciting research-related endeavors. I’ll spare you the details though, because I don’t feel a blog is an appropriate place to discuss such matters (ie I’m lazy and I don’t feel like talking about my work right now). Suffice it to say that all is on track, that I’m feeling inspired and motivated, and ready to take full advantage of my last two months and a half in Ghana (how quickly time flies).

There will be no lady-getaways this weekend, no crazy treks up a mountain in oven-like temperatures. Instead, there will be eating and drinking with friends, and some good ole fashioned lying in bed reading the last Harry Potter book while gorging on Kingsbite chocolate. What more can a girl ask for, really? A Jake or a Heath might be nice, I guess...or better yet both ;-)

I miss you my darlings.
A tres bientot
Sophie

Death to the Sinus: A poem in four parts

2007-03-16T02:48:00.000-07:00

Forgive me friends, for I bloggeth inconsistently. It’s certainly not from lack of interest or things to say. Quite the contrary, I’ve been itching to get back to ghanagogo for a few days now (and I mean itching quite literally seeing that my body has been and continues to wage an ongoing war with an invasive heat/eczema rash…but on that charming note I digress). It's not that motivation has been absent, but rather that various obstacles have come to stand in the way of my blogging escapades...and so dear readers, please allow me the honor of listing them off to you, in no particular order:

-I’ve been busy: Quite suddenly and somewhat out of the blue, I’ve been hit by a major tidal wave of activity and stress. I’ve had many meetings and interviews for my research, projects to accomplish for SWAA, not to mention all that domestic stuff that also contributes to keeping a young lady’s calendar full. I’m certainly not complaining because this indicates that my work is progressing and that I might indeed be able to write a dissertation somewhere down the line. But it also means that hours devoted to more leisurely pursuits have been radically reduced (and as my fellow grad students will attest to, any other scenario would be quite worrisome indeed. What? Free time? Is that Latin or something?)

-I’ve been sick: In addition to my full upper body rash (which I’ve affectionately and perhaps not so politically correctly come to refer to as “my leprosy”), my poor organism has been assailed by yet another unidentified bug. It might have been a throat infection, which turned into a cold, which turned into a sinus infection, but it’s hard to keep up with the body’s many states in a context where at least a third of my time is spent feeling a tad bit off. I guess this mild respiratory infection should come as no surprise though, seeing that I inhale massive quantities of sand, dust, exhaust fumes, burning plastic fumes (plastic recycling…who needs it?), pollution and other foes of the sinus on a daily basis. Nevertheless, I must admit that I’m starting to get a bit sick of these constant infections. Quite literally. And to wonder whether there is such a thing as a sinusectomy…

-I’ve been celebrating Ghana’s 50th birthday (which may also have contributed to my body’s demise, though well worth it ultimately). Last Tuesday and Wednesday were national holidays, and so we had plenty of time to take advantage of the many festivities happening throughout Accra. Melinda and I went to Independence Square on Tuesday morning, for a parade and a presidential address. We didn’t see any of it though, cause with 10,000 bodies present… well, need I say more? But it was absolutely amazing, because our morning was spent in an incredibly festive atmosphere, with thousands of shiny happy people proudly displaying their Ghanaian reds, yellows and greens to mark this symbolic event. I felt like I was part of history. And best of all, Melinda and I were fortunate enough to spend our morning with Tim and 25 kids from the primary school where he teaches, making the whole thing only that much more exciting and magical. They were so happy to be there and to have us with them, lavishing their obruni guests with endless hugs and songs and smile after smile. Absolutely precious.
Amazing atmosphere and company aside, after a few hours in the heat, in the sun and in a massive crowd, Melinda and I had shrivelled up into cranky old raisins, ready to hold up the nearest supermarket to steal their stash of ice cream. It was time to go. Not particularly interested in experiencing incarceration in Ghana (Midnight Express anyone?) we opted for a more legal approach to thirst and hunger quenching, grabbing a bite to eat at a local fast food joint. After a well deserved --if not necessary-- shower, we met up with Tim and Mercy to head over to an afternoon BBQ at Laurence and Florent’s house (some CUSO friends). We relaxed in their lovely garden, drank a few beers, ate a bit of goat, and did a bit of salsa (Mercy kindly taking it upon herself to teach us the basics). And to finish off our lovely (but tiring) golden jubilee day, we headed over to Country Kitchen for some yummy Ghanaian grub, which in all its fried and oily goodness was exactly what our bodies needed before crashing and sleeping for a good ten hours.

-And finally, I’ve been traveling (okay, not really, but I’m traveling later on today, so I’m using this as an excuse to segue into my conclusion). Yes, the time has come again to escape Accra for a couple of days and so it is that Melinda, Elizabeth, Tracy and I are venturing off to the Volta region for a bit of down time with the lady-friends. E and T are in charge of itineraries and plans so I can’t really divulge much information as to the what and where of the weekend. But I do know that Saturday we’re hiking on a mountain (okay maybe more like a really tall hill by Rockie standards) and Sunday, we’re visiting a waterfall. Aaaahhhh….nature, fresh air and no burning plastic…my sinuses are quivering with excitement!

So my darlings, on that note, I bid you adieu until next week, when I look forward to filling you in on the details of our merry adventures in the Volta region and of what promises to be another hectic and productive week.

I miss you all and send you lots and lots of love. (No hugs and no kisses though, as I may very well be contagious).
Sophie

Busy Bees, Jubilees and Boring Blog Entries

2007-03-02T09:49:00.000-08:00

Howdy y’all,

Well, I’m certainly not feeling as inspired as I did last week, so it looks like it will be a short and possibly boring entry today. My sister (aka the Baboon Duchess…what, she started it!) long gone, it’s been back to reality for me. And as is usually the case when one returns from a holiday, the transition has been a bit rough. First, I suffered from an acute case of demotivation accompanied by symptomatic chronic procrastination. The condition soon mutated into a serious bout of questioning and reconsideration, with a severe and rather painful attack of what’s, why’s and what for’s. In addition to these more esoteric aches, I also came down with some strange unidentified physical ailment (not malaria though I tested for it twice). The latter kept me in bed for a few days with fever and the worst headache of my life, which no amount of advil seemed capable of numbing (watch as I get sued by Wyeth). Oh, how I have suffered!

But thankfully, this is all in the past. My post-vacation and Eve withdrawal symptoms slowly subsiding, I have been able to reclaim my (mostly) content, motivated and headacheless self. Which is good because I had a pretty busy week, attending a workshop on access to justice for women and children on Monday and Tuesday, followed by another workshop on female condom promotion on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday were devoted to taking care of business in all its forms and formalities, and writing extensive notes about the said workshops. And so it that another Friday evening has rolled around, bringing with it the promise of rest and relaxation (and I think I need it seeing that my brain hurts and that my capacity to focus long enough to write an adequate blog entry seems to be seriously impaired.)

And what about my social life, ask you eagerly oh faithful subjects of my regal baboon self? Hmmmm…where do I begin? On Monday, I went to bed at 9:30, Tuesday at 10, Wednesday I watched a few episodes of Lost (I’ve started season two) and then Thursday I watched some more episodes of Lost (that show sure is addictive). As you can see, it’s not because one is living in Ghana that life is that much more exciting! I’m certainly not complaining, but just trying to infuse a bit of reality into the imaginings you may have of me sitting under the palm trees by the ocean, sipping Pina Coladas from cracked coconuts with little paper umbrellas in them. Nope, even Baboon Queens have routines…and it’s not cause you're writing it in Africa that your blog will be that much more titillating.

I am hoping that by next week, I will have some more exciting news to share with you…I believe this is quite likely since Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of Ghana’s independence (and btw, Ghana was the first African country to achieve independence), a momentous event which has been causing quite the stir in the country. There will be parades, presidential addresses, music, dancing and a civic holiday on Tuesday and Wednesday to allow everyone to partake in these celebrations. I’m not sure what I will be doing exactly, but regardless, I am still very happy and fortunate to be here to share in this important occasion.

So on that note, I’ll finish my blog entry by wishing Ghana a very happy 50th birthday and encouraging you to do the same. Please feel free to send gifts in the form of jewelry, size 8 women’s clothing, gossip magazines, chocolate and cd’s to my mailing address….I’ll make sure that they end up in the right hands (hihihi….)

As always, you are in my thoughts.

LoveLoveLove

Sophie

Ps: Being the novice blogger that I am, I didn’t realize that I needed to moderate comments to be able to see them or for them to be posted on the blog. So my apologies for totally ignoring your comments for the past months, and rest assured it's not personal, it's purely incompetential!

Pps: You may remember last week's discussion of a certain long-legged Angelina (not to be confused with the Brangelina Angelina...watch as I get sued again!). Well she seemed to arouse in you quite the powerful emotions (alas ours is an arachnaphobic society) so I thought I might go ahead and post a lil picture of our sweet furry friend for your viewing pleasure. You can't really tell her size from the picture (and god knows neither Eve nor I were going to get close enough to put a ruler next to her), but if I was using my pocket knife as a weapon against her possible attacks, well it should give you an idea...when's the last time you met an insect that was of stabbing proportions?

The Return of the Baboon Queen

2007-02-23T03:18:00.000-08:00

Oh my, oh my…it’s been three weeks, and a busy three weeks at that….where is a poor bloggerette to begin? At the beginning, I suppose, which happens to be where I last left you, three weeks ago already…

So flashback to Friday, February 2nd : The sun is shining, birds are chirping high up in the coconut trees and two young ladies are stuffing their belongings into rugged backpacks…preparing to embark upon a journey of epic proportions. All right, now flash back even further to when I was just a simple and unpretentious blogger, not some electro-Homeric wannabe, and let’s stick to that tone to fastforward back into the present. (Btw, I’ve been watching season 1 of Lost, which Gislain so kindly lent to me from his collection, probably not realizing that it would create permanent damage in my ability to think/write linearly).

But I digress…Eve and I had an amazing time traveling through Ghana. So busy, and incredible and unforgettable and momentous, that I don’t even know how a blog entry –however long it ends up being— could ever give justice to our incredible adventure. But fear not, dear readers, I will still give it a try.

So we embarked upon our first (and by no means last) trotro on Friday afternoon, heading West on the road to Cape Coast and dropping at Emkumfie junction, where we picked another car that brought us to our final destination for the day: EkumfieAkra. Those of you familiar with Ghana may wonder what two tourists like ourselves would be doing visiting this tiny village at least 20.5 miles off the beaten track. Well of course, we had some dancing to do! And dance we did, in front of the whole village not to mention all the kind guests who had traveled from far and away to attend Tim’s grandfather’s funeral. Oh, and my sister and I were not even accorded the comfort of dancing in front of everyone together, no no…we each had two turns, dancing ALONE, in front of everyone as we were forced to interrupt an actual performance by a troupe of (real and highly talented) dancers. So yes, Friday evening embarrassment aside (the video must be destroyed at all costs), we had a lovely time. Tim’s family welcomed us with endless kindness and generosity, making sure that the poor lil’ rhythmless obrunis be properly lodged and fed (and then fed again, and again) during their stay in Ekumfie. It was a lovely time, as funerals usually seem to be around here, and we felt truly blessed to start our journey with a taste of this typical and flavorful slice of Ghanaian existence.

After extensive goodbyes on Saturday afternoon, the time had come for the Wertheimer sisters to grab the second round of trotros, and head over to the next destination: Cape Coast and Elmina. After the duress of village life (aka showering from a bucket under the starry sky and sleeping on a foamie…oh my, the suffering!), we decided we had earned a bit of a treat (anything to justify our decadence, really). We headed to a beach resort a few minutes outside of Elmina--complete with white sandy beach, swimming pool, and outdoor restaurant under a straw-thatched roof. But contrary to what you snow-bound folk might imagine, it was not really the beach which was the main source of interest during our visit in the Western coastal area, but the forts, much more somber and sad in their tone. Indeed, the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles are two standing reminders of a rather dark and shameful part of human history, that of colonialism and the slave trade. We visited both of these impressive structures, where the large and spacey quarters of the Europeans overlooked the beautiful blue ocean, and where right underneath, in complete darkness and squalor, thousands and thousands of African slaves were cramped together in unfathomable conditions, as they awaited their turn through “the door of no return,” a small opening leading to the trans-Atlantic ships. Quite humbling, if not gut-wrenching at times, and certainly an eye-opening experience, one that leaves you feeling everything but neutral. Might I add that it was also slightly troubling to spend our days visiting these architectural testaments to human inequality and suffering, and heading back to our lavish resort in the evening, to go take a dip in the pool overlooking the ocean. I also made the mistake of reading Jamaica Kincaid’s "A Small Place" while we were in Cape Coast and Elmina, and though I recommend this powerful inquiry into the links between colonialism, globalization and tourism to absolutely everyone, I don’t necessarily recommend it when one is on a “tropical vacation” (cause it certainly puts you back in your place as a tourist). Tourist/obruni guilt aside, our visit to Cape Coast and Elmina was fascinating and we fell under the charm of these quaint towns bursting with history and culture, and overlooking an ocean of the bluest blue.

But there were other adventures to be had, and so it is that after a few days on the coast, it was time to head inland, to Kumasi, at the heart of the Ashanti Kingdom. After a long and exhausting trotro ride (try six hours with thirty people squeezed in a decrepit mini-bus), we arrived in the evening and settled into our room at the Pine Executive Lodge, which actually sounds much fancier than it is. Our first day was spent exploring Kumasi, a lovely town with one of the largest markets in Ghana (and btw, large does not equal spacey…so claustrophobes please abstain from visiting said market) and much more greenery than its cousin to the South (Accra). The following day, we hired a friendly taxi driver to take us around the Kumasi area, where one can find Ashanti shrines, Kentey cloth weavers (the Ashanti and much brighter equivalent of the Scottish quilt fabric in that patterns denote different “clans” and stories) and a butterfly sanctuary (where we strolled through the lush tropical forest.)

Our bags a bit bigger and bit heavier (there is good shopping to be done in Kumasi and surrounding area ;-), we grabbed a North-Bound trotro, in the direction of Tamale. Rather than subjecting ourselves to an eight hour trotro ride straight to Tamale, we decided to break up our journey with a stopover in Boabeng Fiena, a taxi ride and then trotro ride away from Techiman (aka really far in the middle of nowhere). And quite thankful were we ultimately to have taken this diversion, as it ended up being one of the many highlights of the trip. Why, ask you? Well, it so happens that Boabeng, in addition to being a charming little village in the middle of nowehere, is also a monkey sanctuary. There are two species of monkeys living on site, the colobus, forest dwellers with beautiful black and white coats, and their cousins the monas, forest but even moreso village dwellers. Indeed, these sneaky little monkeys live in (relative) harmony with the villagers, not at all afraid to come up to humans or go into their houses to steal fruit and vegetables. We were able to see entire families (the females had just had babies which they carried wrapped around their stomachs) engaging in their daily routines a few feet away from the fascinated and trigger-happy (camera trigger, that is) tourists that we were. So adorable, and so very incredible to see these creatures within touching distance (thankfully, we were both able to control our monkey-petting urges).

We spent the night in a small lodge on the outskirts of the village, where we ran into my friend Roxanne who lives in Accra and her visitors from Quebec who were also spending some time in Boabeng. A strange but certainly happy coincidence, and so it is that we had a lovely meal of rice and pepper sauce in the middle of the Ghanaian wilderness speaking good ole fashioned Quebecois (Taboire que ca fait du bien!). We also made another friend in Boabeng, unforgettable Angelina, the biggest spider I have ever ever seen in my life, with a body the size of a quarter and black legs at least 4 cms in length! Yikes. I don’t normally have a fear of spiders, but Angelina was more like a cross between a spider and a small octopus, and it so happened that she was hanging out in our room, right above our net-free beds and this, right at bed time. So it is that bravely, as I brandished my pocket knife ready to use it, Eve and I proceeded to move everything from our room into the next room, away from Angelina and her long, delicate (possibly hairy…but I didn’t get that close) legs. Strangely enough, even though we had changed rooms and set up the net, I didn’t sleep very well that night, waking up on a few occasions convinced that I could feel something large and possibly hairy crawling on me…

It was therefore tired but nevertheless happy that we left Boabeng and headed back to Techiman to grab the trotro for Tamale. The ride was long though quite interesting in that the landscape is very different in the Ghanaian North, much dryer with red sand, baoab trees and thorny bushes stretching out endlessly towards the horizon. We arrived in Tamale in the late afternoon, and settled down into our accommodation, a guest house/school established by a Cambridge-trained priest who has been living in Ghana for thirty years, which offers courses on cross-cultural relations, a library and an incredibly flowery garden. Alas, we did not stay in Tamale for very long, as we had a bus to catch the next day heading in the direction of Mole National Park. After yet another ride on a seemingly endless unpaved road, we arrived in Mole shortly after the sun had set, having no idea what our eyes would see the next day. Mind you, the family of warthogs ruminating noisily outside of our window as we unpacked did give us a vague idea. It was feeling like children on the eve of Christmas that we settled into slumber for the night, eagerly awaiting our 5:45AM wake time (I never thought I would use the words 5:45AM and eager in the same sentence). Why, ask you, were we getting up so early? To go on a walking safari, of course! Mole is one of the only places (if not the only place) in Africa (and the world, I assume) where you can actually walk in the game park. Armed with a rifle (that he thankfully didn’t have to use) our guide led us through a minute portion of this wild wonderland, where we were able to see antilopes, warthogs, guinea fowl, a crocodile and above all ELEPHANTS!!!!! Mole Motel overlooks two watering holes, and this being the dry (and hot hot hot) season, the said watering holes are one of the main hang-outs for the poor overheated elephants. So not only did we have a chance to walk next to the watering holes as the elephants bathed and sprayed each other with their trunks, but we were also able to admire them from above, on the terrasse adjacent to the hotel pool. What beautiful creatures, so big and yet so tranquil…almost zen-like in their aura. To complete our of Ghanaian fauna adventures, we were also able to see a massive quantity of baboons and green monkeys, as they descended upon the pool area of the hotel to drink (from the pool…that just has to break at least a few health and safety regulations) and steal scraps of food under the dining tables. Though I was nearly attacked by a baboon (I was standing in her way chatting up a fellow tourists, so it was my fault really), I was beyond delighted to see these visitors descend upon the hotel property and treat it as their own. I guess that ultimately, only a few genes and ownership of VISA cards separate the paying guests from the non-paying guests at Mole Motel.

We spent two full days in Mole, though I would have stayed on forever in this incredibly peaceful (okay, apart from the baboon ruckus) stretch of the Ghanaian wilderness. My sister mentioned I could always run away with the baboons and become their queen (which is such a sister thing to say!), and though tempted by her proposition time eventually came for she and my regal baboon self to leave Mole. Alas, that time also happened to be 4AM in the morning, because for some reason, the only bus that leaves Mole to go back to Tamale does so before sunrise, and is packed to the brim with people standing in the alley and a driver gingerly honking away, which is really a lovely way to get sucked back into reality after a few days in safari paradise. But hey, we got to see elephants from a few metres away, so we can’t complain, really. Plus, the early start allowed us to arrive super early in Tamale, and though we wasted a portion of the day napping in our room (because who the heck wakes up at 3:30 anyways?), we still got to visit the town for a few hours. And so it is that feeling tired but certainly fulfilled we enjoyed our last night in Tamale, which also happened to be the last night of our trip. Though tempted by the idea of a 17 hour bus ride (this is if the bus doesn’t break down and traffic is good), Eve and I decided to splurge and buy ourselves two one-way tickets on Antrak Air (not the most comforting name, but oh well) from Tamale to Accra. And so within one hour as opposed to 17, we were back home in Accra, ready to enjoy our last days together.

Because no tourist experience is complete without some material possessions to immortalize the experience, we did some shopping. We also paid a goodbye visit to Tim’s family where his mother treated us to her famous Fufu (the best Fufu in Accra, as I like to call it) and went for supper at Tante Marie’s –a lovely Ivoirian restaurant-- with Melinda, Jacques and Gislain. On Friday afternoon, the time for goodbyes had alas arrived and it was with much sadness that I saw my sister off to the airport so she could board her plane and head back to the bitter Canadian cold. I’ve been missing her terribly since (try spending three full weeks 24hours/day with someone and then suddenly stopping) but at the same time I am also very happy we had a chance to embark on this incredible adventure and to discover together a small portion of the rich and vibrant country that is Ghana.

Since, I have been getting back to my work, which is always a bit of a challenge after a holiday. But with little over three months left before my return to Canada, let’s just say that I am feeling the noose tighten, and so there’s not much time to wallow in end-of-vacation self-pity. So yes, my darlings, ‘tis my long report of the past three weeks. It’s been busy, it’s been amazing, it’s been incredible and unforgettable. Needless to say that I’m itching to come back and show you all the pictures we took! But in the meantime, the few samples posted above will have to suffice.

I miss you all and think of you often.
Sending you much love from (still/always sunny and warm) Ghana.
Gros bisous mes cheris xxx

Sophie, Queen of the Baboons

Even bloggers get the blues

2007-02-02T02:07:00.000-08:00

Forgive me friends, for I bloggeth not last week and it is equally possible that I bloggeth not in the coming weeks. I guess part of it is that sure, it's Ghana and that certainly adds a certain flavor to my routine, but it remains a routine nonetheless. Some have said that routines can cause major writer's block for the novice blogger, and though I'd like to believe that this isn't true, I do however feel it appropriate to accord myself the occasional week of scriptural laziness here and there.

But above all, the main excuse to these shorter and scarcer entries...my sister, of course (it's always much easier to blame things on others, no?). She arrived on Sunday evening, tired but in one piece. After a few days visiting Accra and allowing Eve to get accustomed to the Ghanaian heat...comparable to being in a pizza oven at times, we are now ready to embark on the exciting Wertheimer sister adventures. We leave later this afternoon, heading West towards Cape Coast and Elmina (with a stopover in Ekumfie for funeral #2 with Tim's family...I hope they don't make us dance in front of the whole village again). Then, it's Kumasi, followed by a few days in Mole Park, with a hotel terrasse overlooking a watering hole where one can see antilopes, boars and yes, you guessed it ELEPHANTS! (How cool is that...) We should be coming back to Accra around the 14th of February, just in time for Valentine's day and most importantly National Chocolate Day (which for those of you who know Eve and her love of all things cocoa, is probably one of the happiest days on earth.)

I will try my best to post an entry or two during our travels, assuming that this little adventure will go far by way of curing my blogger's block (aka laziness). In the meantime, I send you much love from sunny Ghana and wish you all the very best.

Gros bisous mes cheris xxx
Sophie

The art of the fifth-of-a-bucket shower

2007-01-19T10:37:00.000-08:00

Hello my peoples,

I warn you from the get-go that I am in a bad mood today, and that my customary Friday blog entry may be:

-shorter
-less enthusiastic
-boring
-closer to an extended whining-rant than anything else

Why, ask you, am I in such a bad mood? Sure, the hormones may have a lil’ something to do with it, but the main reason really is the fact that we don’t have water, that we don’t know when water will come back, and that we are unsure what measures will be taken to rectify this situation (oh, and the “we” is not used as the royal we, but as in my roomies, myself and all others who live on our housing compound). Though we had a shortage earlier this week, we were living off of our tank for a few days. The plumber has confirmed that the said tank is now officially empty, none of the taps are working and basically, we are screwed. Melinda and I have 2 buckets and a half left to last us for god knows how long…and this must cover all our water needs, from personal hygiene to food preparation and of course flushing (a whole half bucket down the drain in one shot which means flushing is reserved only for “emergency” situations). We’ve mastered the art of the fifth-of-a-bucket shower, but still, we’re going to end up running into problems quickly if something isn’t done. Mind you, I must specify that this is not particularly unusual…for instance Liv and co. have been living without running water for the past three weeks. But unlike us, they live in a very busy neighborhood where they can hire children to go fetch them buckets. Acquiring water will be a much greater challenge here in Labone, as has been the case for two of Melinda’s co-workers who live close by and have been sans water for four days (and still haven’t found alternatives, other than showering at the gym, that is).

So this has basically become my main concern –if not obsession-- and quite a source of stress over the past 24 hours. I even dreamt of water buckets last night (almost like that scene in Disney’s Fantasia where Mickey borrows the Wizard’s wand and it turns into this domestic disaster of spilled buckets and mops). All that to say that you don’t realize how very dependent you are of this precious resource until you lose it altogether. Mind you, stress and frustrations aside, I do find this to be a very eye-opening experience, which has not only made me realize how valuable water really is, but also how much water I waste in the space of a day (I mean, the fifth-of-a-bucket certainly doesn’t compare to a nice long shower…but it still does the trick).

Water concerns aside the week has been very busy and productive. I had about 7 meetings with various organizations and groups, and so in addition to the meetings themselves, spent a good deal of my days writing up notes at the computer. The research is coming along really well and I feel like I have made huge strides since coming back after Christmas. I had been told by fellow expats that it takes about two months before you really start to get into the groove of things with work…which has indeed proven to be the case for me (and I thought I was special!). Social activities over the course of the week were kept to a minimum (my nerdy half once again starting to take over my social half in the ongoing battle of bookworm vs. butterfly) and consisted mostly of visits to the Trust Hospital, where poor Elizabeth was brought in on Monday with stage 4 malaria. For those of you not too familiar with the lovely disease that is malaria, is the highest score and hence the suckiest version (it works a bit like the Richter scale). Thankfully, the quinine drip worked its wonders, and she was released earlier today, feeling much better and ready to regain her own bed for the remainder of her convalescence.

With the whole water-shortage thing, the next few days will have to include much dining out (very hard to cook and do dishes without water…which is certainly the highlight of the whole experience). I’m going to check out a pizza joint close by with Melinda, Jacques and Gislain tonight (mmmmm….pizza), tomorrow hanging out with my new friend Mercy (a fantastic young woman I met at Salsa nite last week) and then Sunday, we’re hitting Osecan for the day, an amazing terrasse right on the ocean where hours can easily be spent chatting and sipping beers while watching the waves role in. Unless water comes back, there will be no laundry for me this weekend (good thing I’ve been buying clothes lately so I have enough to last me for a while without having to do any washing…amazing when you find something that excuses both excessive shopping and dining out!).

So yes, tis my report. On Sunday, there will be one week left before Eve’s arrival…and so excitement levels are building (though of course I hope we get water back by then lest poor Eve be faced with a smelly sister and a dirty place to stay while in Accra). On that note, I ask you to please turn off the water tap when you are brushing your teeth this evening, and send a few good vibes the way of Ghana Water Services, such that Sophie be able to return to her usual cheerful and positive glass-half-full (of water) self (!).

I miss you all very much.
From Smelly-Sophie

Vulgar Vultures and Other (Mis)Adventures

2007-01-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

Hello my precious,

Has a week really gone by? Are we really Friday? Huh? It’s been a good week though, as far as I can remember. I got lots and lots of work done, including some fascinating meetings at local NGOs which have given me so much food for thought I feel like my brain might implode at any time now. Mind you, I’ve been writing notes about one of the said interviews for the past five hours…so this may also explain my advanced stage of brain-decrepitude (and will also explain why my blog entry may not be too too long today.) Indeed, with the holidays behind me (and another vacation looming near with Eve’s impending arrival), let’s just say I’ve decided to dive into this research process head on. That’s not to say that there’s only been all work and no play…quite the contrary, amidst all of this brain stimulation, a good deal of activity has also been happening on the social side of things.

First, my new roomie arrived last Saturday, so we spent a good deal of the weekend hanging out. As I mentioned in my previous entry, her name is Melinda and she is French, though she has been living in Montreal for the past few years, and is hoping to eventually become a full-fledged Quebecer (or Canadian…depending on what side of the fence you’re on...). But above all, she is a really cool and friendly woman, and it’s been quite the delight to get to know her and to share my incredible knowledge of Accra with her (all is relative, right…so to her novice eyes, I appear quite the expert!). We spent all of last Sunday together, visiting Lucy who overfed us with her delicious chicken stew and rice, and then being treated to a yummy steak dinner at Jacques and Gislain’s --a mere three hours later (certainly not enough time for my stomach to rebuild its appetite, but I am part Albertan after all and find it hard to turn down a good T-bone (and again, all my apologies to the vegetarian readers out there!))

On Monday, in order to congratulate myself on my first day back at the office (any excuse is good really), I did a bit of shopping at a local thrift store (ie a big pile of clothing in the middle of the street) and then headed over to Tim’s house. Again, I was fed massive quantities of food, by his mother this time, who also doubles as an excellent Ghanaian chef in her family time. I really can’t remember what happened Tuesday evening, but Wednesday, on the other hand, is forever etched in my mind. Liv invited us out to Salsa night, a weekly happening at the Coconut Regency Hotel. Hundreds of young Ghanaians and obronis gather together to chat, have fun, drink, and above all, dance some salsa…which is apparently quite popular here. Of course, it was cool to see couples dancing and twirling around to some sweet Latin sounds, but the best part came when every single one of the two hundred bodies or so on the dance floor broke out into what appeared a highly choreographed and coordinated line dance! Yes, my darlings, believe it…line dancing in Accra! Needless to say that my inner Albertan was incredibly amused and secretly delighted to witness this, though I didn’t actually join in, as I was much too interested in watching the whole thing from afar. But I do plan to go back next week, and the following, and the following…as I certainly understand why Salsa night is so popular with young Ghanaians…what a riot!

Yesterday evening was spent (hand)writing research notes by candlelight (not cause I was trying to be romantic with myself but because we had our 12 hour power outage which takes place every five days now) and before I knew it…well, here we are, Friday evening. In addition to the customary weekend activities of laundry, cleaning and sleeping, the next few days also promise lots and lots of time spent at my computer working and writing notes, and then congratulating myself for my good behavior in the evenings. Tonight: Sushi at Monsoon (yes, you can actually get Sushi in Accra, and having tried it once before, I can say that it’s pretty damn good!), tomorrow, not sure yet and then Sunday, some pool-time and a good home-cooked meal at Mark and Pamela’s house. They are a Canadian couple that I met earlier this week. They moved to Ghana with their two teenage daughters a few months ago and live a few doors down on my street. Needless to say that I am quite looking forward to a Sunday family dinner in their company (sure, it’s not my family, but still) and some time spent communing with their sweetly still (and chlorinated) pool-water.

Yup, so that’s that, really. Though my week seems like a blur at the moment, and it’s taken me quite some energy to draw up this report, I do know that it was a good one and that all is well on my side of the screen. And to top it all off, I saw vultures mating on a coconut tree on my way to a meeting at UNAIDS this morning…which in all my juvenile humor, I found to be extremely amusing (well…I mean, is there anything that could possibly be more unappealing and unsexy than two of those awful-looking birds getting it on?)

So on that charming and imaged note, I bid you farewell, adieu, auf wiedersehen and goodbye, until next week that is, when you can read more about Sophie’s fun-filled adventures in Ghana!

I miss you lots
Bisous mes cheris
Sophie

Surviving Beach Withdrawal

2007-01-05T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hello My Darlings !

Well, the first post of 2007 and I must therefore begin by wishing you all a very happy new year filled only with the goodest and bestest things in life (who needs grammar when you’re trying to make a point!). It seems like an eternity has passed since I last wrote, though it’s really only been eight days…But a busy eight days no less. Amazing how fast time flies when you’re sitting on a beautiful beach doing absolutely nothing!

So yes, the new year adventures were a success. Gislain, Elizabeth, Tracy and I left early Friday morning to go West, where life is more peaceful indeed. The drive was lovely, complete with air conditioning, beautiful scenery, loud music and even a Mr Freeze to start it all off (Gislain and Jacques loaded up a container with some good ole Canadian produce before heading over to Ghana). I don’t normally eat Mr Freezes, but in the 30+ weather and with a vacation looming on the horizon, I don’t think that frozen blue-flavored sugar juice could have tasted any sweeter. After about five hours watching incredibly lush and green scenery go by, along with occasional towns and villages, and catching quick glances of the ocean, we arrived safe and sound to Safari Lodge…or a little piece of heaven as some might like to call it.

The brainchild of a friendly Texan couple, James and Angela, the lodge has only been open for a few months. It is simple yet elegant, with eight small room/chalets complete with a bed (mosquito-net included…which is good cause in addition to mosquitoes there are also these really really really big spiders that seem to like to cuddle up to warm bodies during the night), wooden furniture and oil lamps (as this is also an electricity-free venue). In addition to the small chalets, there is a huge outdoor dining room, where we were fortunate to taste an array of sumptuous dishes over the course of the long weekend. Indeed, it appears that James is not only trained but extremely gifted in the culinary arts, and so it is that my incessantly expanding tummy was treated to some of his amazing concoctions from baked brie to fish tacos to ostrich steak (my apologies to the vegetarian blog-readers). There was also a steady supply of beer, wine and even little cocktail drinks on hand (none of them served in coconuts alas) and so by no means did I suffer from dehydration over the course of my stay. Important things to keep in mind when traveling in tropical regions.

And of course, to top it all off: THE BEACH! The Safari Lodge property stretches across a beautiful sandy beach, with coconut trees all around and fishermen’s boats in the distance (incidentally enough, our suppers were quite often delivered fresh from one of these boats). The current can be strong, such that it is advised to remain pretty close to the beach at all times. This being the case, I still managed to spend a good portion of the weekend in the water, enjoying the waves with a boogie board or sans, and at times swallowing a good portion of the ocean through my nostrils (nothing like a good gulp of saltwater up the nose to make one feel on vacation!). Of course, braving the ocean is a tiring activity, and the rest of the weekend was therefore spent on a beach towel or chair, reading books or just listening to the incessant lull of the crashing waves. It is accompanied by this soothing background melody that we rang in the New Year, at 10:30 as opposed to 12 cause by that point, everyone was tired and ready to go to bed (it can be quite draining to spend a day doing nothing on the beach!). There was champagne, sparklers and even fireworks (that Jacques and Gislain had brought from Accra) to complete the festive event. A few of us also went on a late night turtle hunt (not hunting literally) as it happens that ‘tis egg-laying season for beach turtles, and they seem to favor this coastal area. We saw marks in the sand and the carcass of a dead turtle (which was more sad than exciting really) but alas, no sea turtle or little babies breaking out of their shells. I don’t know if this is a good omen or a bad one…or an omen at all, but I’m sure there’s some superstition somewhere about seeing or not seeing sea turtles at the stroke of midnight on the 31st of December. I’d like to think either way it means 2007 will be a good one.

Mind you it didn’t necessarily start off on the best foot, since in addition to being violently separated from the Safari Beach Lodge on Monday morning (we had a long way to go before Accra, after all), I developed a strong case of sinus infection (I blame it partly on the ocean-up-the-nose). It was therefore in bed, congested and feverish that I suffered through beach withdrawal for a few days, drowning my sorrows in Kingsbite chocolate and various DVDs borrowed from the Jacques and Gislain collection. With the help of some friendly antibiotics, lots of bed rest and intensive cocoa-therapy (hey, why not…they do offer such treatments in spas after all!), I was feeling better within two days. And having taken advantage of all my excuses, it was time once again to get back to work. The process has not been too painful, might I add, and I feel more motivated and excited to get back to it than anything (proof that I am still very much a dork and/or doing exactly what I need to be doing.) I haven’t been back to SWAA yet, since we re-open on Monday, but did manage to have a meeting with an organization yesterday, and to spend the rest of my time writing some notes, brainstorming and sifting through my documents.

I hope to do a bit more over the course of the weekend, while still finding some time to celebrate my newfound health. Tonight, we are doing drinks at a local “terrasse” (aka tables and chairs set out on the sidewalk). Tomorrow, my new roommate is arriving…a young woman by the name of Melinda who is French but has been living in Montreal for the past years (it’s a small world after all). I met her briefly today, and she seems really nice…so I look forward to getting to know her… and doing so in French, which is always a pleasure! Sunday, I will go spend some time with Lucy and then maybe pay a visit to Mrs. Field as I am very much looking forward to visiting with her again.

I must admit that I am not unhappy to see the holidays becoming a thing of the past, as beach relaxation aside, it did prove slightly painful at times to be so very far from my family and my friends during this period. And with January officially started, the countdown has also begun in preparation for Eve’s arrival, scheduled for the 29th in the evening! I can hardly wait to finally see my big sister, and to have a chance to share with her this incredible place where I’ve been so fortunate to spend the last months.

Well, my lovelies, I hope that your holiday season proved relaxing and enjoyable and again, I wish you all the very best for this New Year.

I miss you all very much and send you my warmest salutations from chilly Ghana (the Harmattan has descended upon us…making the air slightly (very slightly) cooler such that some Ghanaians walk around in tuques and jackets… Somehow I still manage to sweat profusely in a t-shirt and skirt…a testament to the fact that everything --including weather-- is indeed relative).

Gros bisous mes cheris !
Sophie

A Very Happy New Year!

2006-12-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

My Lovelies

Well Christmas came and went, and I am still not 100% convinced that we are in December. Even hosting my first Christmas eve supper with my roomies Ranjith and Nao didn’t manage to convince me… maybe in part because it took place in the garden under the Christmas palm tree, and as opposed to the more “traditional” Turkey and potatoes, we served mutton biryani and lentil curry. Even my habitual Christmas cold (apparently chest-cold bugs thrive as much in the cold Canadian winter as they do in Ghana’s tropical climate) didn’t manage to fool me, though it did convince me to lie in bed and take advantage of my time off work to rest and relax amidst painful coughing fits. But now, I am all fixed and ready to partake in the second round of celebrations, namely New Years on the Beach! My bags are packed and I anxiously await tomorrow morning, when Gislain and Jacques will wisk me away to the Safari Lodge for a good four days of lounging around in the sand and taking the occasional dip in the ocean to cool down from all that sunbathing exertion. Though it’s tough to spend the holidays so far from home, at the same time, I can’t complain too much because…well, I get to spend New Year’s Eve on the beach! It will be nice to escape Accra for a few days too, because even though I really do love this city, the constant movement, traffic and crowds do get a bit heavy from time to time.

I’m afraid I’ll have to keep it very short today, because I have to run off and meet Tim in a few minutes. But I did want to post a little something to tell you that I am thinking of you and missing you all a lot, and above all to wish you A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2007 bring you much love, friendship, joy, health, success and all those other good things.

I will be back in touch next week with a report about my exciting beach adventures, and hopefully a few pictures too. In the meantime, I wish you all the best for these last days of 2006 and for the New Year that is upon us.

Much Love
Sophie

Snowy/Soapy Accra

2006-12-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

Hello my darlings!

My, what a week! The countdown to Christmas has begun, and I still haven’t accepted the fact that we are in December. Even the snowy Accra weather hasn’t manage to convince me. Snow in Accra, you ask. Yes, doubting Thomases (since we’re on a Christian theme this week), snow in Accra! It appears that Koala --one of the big expat grocery stores in town-- caters to more than just nostalgic tastebuds. In addition to setting up numerous (plastic) Christmas trees in their windows, they have also installed a strange “snow”-making contraption on their premise. Blowing small droplets of foamy soap into the Accra night, this machine manages to produce a fairly convincing effect. (If, of course, you disregard the sweltering heat and people walking around in shorts, skirts, t-shirts and camisoles). It’s quite lovely actually (albeit rather absurd) and it was with great delight that Liv and I discovered the magic of snowy Accra, and proceeded to stand under the said machine for a good five minutes, missing our cold Canadian winter for a brief moment in time. (And as a side note, I don’t recommend opening your mouth to let the “snowflakes” fall onto your tongue.)

The Christmas party for Orphans and Vulnerable Children didn’t manage to convince me either of the impending Holidays, though it did prove to be a lovely event nonetheless. The week was thus filled up with various party-related preparations, many hours spent in traffic to go secure this, reserve that and a unforgettable adventure to Makola Market to do some shopping for toys, candies and cookies (after all, what Christmas party would be complete without!). Sure, one might say that as the biggest market in Accra and probably one of the busiest places in town in terms of people and stuff, any trip to Makola proves memorable. But a mere week before Christmas day, the venue becomes even crazier. People everywhere, sifting through piles of clothing and cloth on the grounds, merchants and shoppers walking around with huge baskets and boxes of goods on their heads, the tiny alleys in the market bursting with colors and bodies trying to squeeze through the shelving units packed with toys, beauty products, pots and pans, food, jewelry, shoes…everything you ever needed and then some! An incredibly rich but also tiring experience, and one I certainly wouldn’t recommend to the agoraphobic blog-readers out there.

And so it is that after three busy days of running around and getting things done, the much anticipated December 21st finally arrived…Though we had scheduled the event for 10am, in true Ghanaian fashion the crowd only began to arrive at 11:30. By that time, we had managed to set up the chairs and canopies (to protect our young guests from the searing Christmas sun), to fetch our catered food and to prepare gift bags containing toys, candies, exercise books and pens. The Dj had also finished setting up his booth, namely a cd player, mixer and microphone attached to a series of loud and often gritty speakers. We had some sweet Ghanaian Hip-Life music to greet our guests and to accompany us throughout the event. Refreshments in the form of minerals (aka Coca-Cola and company softdrinks) were served after the opening prayer (as every event in Ghana begins and closes with a prayer) and these were followed by games. The signing and dancing competitions were a big success, though the same cannot necessarily be said of our musical chair experiment, which left the toddler participants looking rather confused, and even led a small boy of two to erupt into violent bawling…oops!

I will send out an email with additional information about the party and a powerpoint presentation full of pictures (since I took well over 100), so I’ll abstain from writing pages and pages about in on my blog, though I easily could. But all that to say that a few technical glitches aside, this celebration proved quite the success. Everyone, from our tiny guests to the kind adults who accompanied them, seemed to have a lot of fun, to appreciate the yummy food (fried chicken and rice), the gifts and the festive atmosphere. I felt so blessed to be taking part in this event and to have a chance to put my obroni dance moves on display to a group of amused children. So please expect a more elaborate email report to make its way to your inboxes sooner than later…but in the meantime, know that your incredible generosity was put to good use and met with much joy and delight. Thank You Thank You Thank You, from the bottom of my heart!

The end of the Christmas party also ushered in vacation time for me, and so it is that I now stand in front of a two week abyss, where time will surely disappear into a vacuum of sleep, merriment and socializing. The process was put into motion yesterday evening, with a meal at Maquis Tante Marie’s, a wonderful restaurant owned and operated by a woman from Cote d’Ivoire, who cooks up some mean West African cuisine (and faithful to my Ghanaian diet of meat and fried stuff, I had chicken and fries…Again, I’m not particularly surprised when my coworkers keep on reminding me that I’m getting fat!). I went with Ranjith and Nao (our new roommate from Japan who works at the UNDP), Elizabeth as well as Gislain, Jacques and Janis, the newest additions to my roaster of expat friends. I had met Gislain and Jacques, two francophone New-Brunswickers, at an event organized by the Canadian High Commission (where Gislain works) when I had just arrived…but it’s only two weeks ago that we reconnected and started hanging out. But thank goodness we did, because they have proven to become great friends already, so kind and fun to hang out with. And Jacques is an amazing cook, something Elizabeth and I discovered last week when we were treated to a meal at their home, complete with freshly-made pasta, a desert to die for, and a green salad!!!! (my first salad in two months…as my dietician mother cringes!) They have the cutest little chihuahuas too, Alfred and Princesse Philomene, possibly the most well behaved and sweetest dogs I have ever had a chance to spend an evening carrying in my arms…Truly precious! And so it is with much excitement that I look forward to our New Year’s escapade, since Jacques and Gislain (and Alfred and Philo) have kindly invited me to accompany them and their good friend Janis to the Safari Lodge (hmm…not the most original of names), a beach resort four hours away from Accra. We leave next Friday, early in the morning (but not at 4:30 thankfully) and will proceed to spend a good three days right on the ocean, relaxing, eating and probably drinking a bit too (hey, it’s important to stay hydrated in this hot climate!) I am so excited and will of course be thinking of you all and wishing you were with me as I dip my feet into the Atlantic ocean under the starry Ghanaian sky to ring in 2007.

But in the meantime, there are other activities to be enjoyed…including a day with Tim and his family tomorrow, a Christmas Eve potluck at Liv, Elizabeth and Tracy (their new roommate)’s house on Sunday, and then Christmas day spent with my dear and kind friend Lucy, the director of the support organization for positive women where I spent a week earlier in the month. We’ll start the day off with a trip to church (when in Rome...) and then prepare a yummy X-mas meal. Though I will certainly miss my family and friends dearly as I partake in this first Christmas-time away from home, at the very least I will be spending my Ghanaian holidays in good company.

So yes, this is my report. It’s pretty long this week, partly because I have so much to say and also to make up for last week’s pitiful entry. I will post another one next week prior to leaving for my New Year beach escapade (I know I know, tough life!) but in the meantime, I wanted to wish you a very very happy holiday season. May the next days be spent in the company of loved ones and enjoying all of life’s pleasures (sleep, food and drink especially!) I miss you all, continue to think of you often and send you much love and joy in this festive season.

A bientot et Joyeux Noel mes cheris!
Sophie

About the pictures: Finally, some visual illustrations of my African adventures! They are a somewhat random assortment of images...a couple from the party yesterday, a couple from my funeral adventures with Tim's family in Ekumfie (hence the dark clothing), and a couple from the AIDS march two Fridays ago (including one with Tim...the one where we are both wearing yellow and he looks dreadfully serious.) It takes a good deal of time to upload images onto Blogger, but I'll try to add some more as soon as I can.

pps: please pardon the ugly layout...blogger is not design-friendly apparently!

Chicken Fried Brain

2006-12-15T11:07:00.000-08:00

Hello my darlings!

I warn you right from the get-go that I will keep it short today...my brain is completely fried, and I doubt that I can muster up the energy to write more than a few paragraphs, if even. I spent the day at a wonderful event, put on by my good friend Lidvina, a CUSO volunteer working at judicial services here in Accra. For over two months, she has been preparing today's event, a workshop on women and children's access to justice. With various stakeholders present, from NGOs, to ministries, to lawyers and judges, we were able to examine a number of interesting issues pertaining to women and their recourse to the law (and/or lack thereof), issues which feed quite directly into my academic field(s) of interest. In addition to delivering a short short presentation on the intersections of HIV/AIDS and legal issues, I was also assigned the prestigious title of notetaker, so basically proceeded to scribble in my notebook for a good 10 hours. And so it is that my hand is now sore, as are my eyes and come to think of it, my brain too.

Otherwise, I had a good week, dedicated to planning the upcoming Orphan and Vulnerable Children Christmas Party (quite a catchy name, don't you think?) On that note, I wanted to take this blogging occasion to thank all of you for your incredibly generous support, which will allow us to host a fantastic event for about 100 children plus their caretakers. There will be music, dancing, food and gifts for everyone...a lovely celebration for these little souls who so very much deserve it. I have been really touched by the support I have received from my peoples back in Canada, and I cannot begin to express to you how grateful and thankful I am.

All right, I think that's it. I feel like I am trying to extract juice from a dried up, shrivelled little fruit, and so I assume it is probably better to let my brain rest for the remainder of the evening, such that I can return to my blog more inspired than ever before. Nevertheless, I still wanted to post at least a little something, cause I certainly don't want to let you down, of faithful Friday readers. I will try to return to ghanagogo over the course of the weekend, fill you in on additional details about my week and maybe even upload a few pictures cause I think this blog needs a bit of color!

I miss you all.
Much love,
Sophie

In the Company of Women

2006-12-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

Hello my precious,

Well, 'tis Day of the Blog again today, and as seems to be the case every single time I add a new chapter to this thing, I must begin with an exclamatory sentence: What a week! A wonderful week, an inspiring week, a moving week, a week spent mostly in the company of women, which I must admit (and no offense to the male-identifying readers out there) feels pretty damn good after all the male attention I have been being granted as of late! Now where do I begin...

Upon my last post, I was lamenting my early morning start the next day, which indeed ended up taking place (4:30!!!!!), and which I ended up traversing unharmed (though a tad bit baggy under the eyes). It's certainly not something I would repeat too often, but it was more than worth it. Before sunrise, Tim and I hopped on a trotro, and headed towards a small village by the name of EkumfieAkra, where his mother is from and where her family was burying one of their uncles that Saturday. The journey was not very long, two hours at most, but allowed me to enjoy some of Ghana's beautiful scenery, its lush greenery and little villages of straw-roofed huts. We met up with Tim's father at one of the highway's intersections, to grab the second trotro for the day, an experience that I will never forget.

Though trotros are seldom in a very good state, with cracks in the windshield, pieces of metal held into place by string, and the seats often revealing more stuffing than upholstery, never have I seen, let alone embarked, upon the trotro we took to get to EkumpfieAkra. Decrepit doesn't even begin to describe it. Everything --from the ceilings, to the floors, to the benches (and they were'nt even metal)-- was covered in flakes and bubbles of crispy auburn rust. The exhaust pipe seemed to emerge into the vehicle itself, such that a thick blueish smoke filled the suffering car, even moreso when the poor thing struggled to climb a hill, coughing and stalling a fair share along the way. I still don't understand how we made it to the village. Everyone seemed quite amused by the process, laughing and mocking the driver along the way, which only contributed to making the experience that much more amusing. After our journey on this cadavre of a car, we arrived in the village, to be greeted by Tim's mother and her family. We did the rounds, going to salute everyone, including the uncle-who-is-no-more, housed in one of the most colorfully decorated rooms I have ever seen, walls covered in shiny material and bright plastic flowers. After a delicious lunch of Auntie Elizabeth's (Tim's mother) delicious Banku and fried fish, we (and the hundred other guest attending the event) headed to the cemetary to pay our final respects. The cemetary is located under the palm trees, right next to the ocean, so we stopped along the way to dip our feet into the salty water and drink a freshly macheted conconut. Disrespectful, you may exclaim...not at all! I had been told that funerals are quite the festive occasion, and indeed this one only but confirmed the strange rumor (strange for a Westerner, that is, where death is approached in such a different manner).

The remainder of the afternoon was spent relaxing, chatting, and then hitting the dance floor, set up especially for the event. As seems to be customary at these functions, the poor obroni that I am was not spared a chance at public ridicule, and was invited to come and dance (alone) in front of everyone...which I did wholeheartedly, because after all, if you can't laugh at yourself, and have a hundred Ghanaians laughing at you...life just isn't as much fun! I arrived back home at 9 and headed straight to bed (after a good shower, of course...lots of dust and sweat and exhaust fumes to rinse off), delighted with my day. What an adventure and spent in the company of the loveliest of people...Tim, his mother and father and all the rest, such kind and friendly folks!

On Sunday, I woke up late (I had a four-hour night to make up for!), did some reading, and then proceeded to head over to Mrs. Field's house, to deliver some books on behalf of my friend Linda (who was staying with Mrs Field when she was doing her PhD research in Accra.) Linda had spoken fondly of her host, but frankly, I never even imagined that she would end up being such a character! An incredibly feisty, funny and foul-mouthed seventy-eight year old Ghanaian woman, happy to share her incredible stories, her pictures, her jokes, her swearwords and her beers with this newest visitor. I had planned to stay an hour at most, and ended up leaving in the early evening, rather tipsy and absolutely amazed at the mere existence of this rambunctious and lively little creature. Such a precious and unique woman! Needless to say that I look forward to visiting Mrs. Field again sooner than later, and will also take this occasion to thank Linda for asking me to deliver her these books!

Monday brought about the start of a new work week...not at SWAA though. Instead, and as had been agreed upon with the president and other members of SWAA when I arrived, I headed over to my old hood (around Madina market), to one of their partner organizations. The latter provides women who are living with or affected by HIV with a place to get together, chat, and work on different income-generating projects, like beaded pin making and mushroom production. Lucy, the president and founder of this group is one of the kindest and most thoughtful souls I have ever had the privilege to meet, so dedicated and passionate. The other women proved to be just as kind, welcoming me into their group and making sure that I was well fed, occupied and looked after during my time with them. The timing proved most wonderful too, because they were preparing for a (slightly delayed, but who cares!) World AIDS Day walk on Friday (today). So my week was spent taking part in the various organizational activities, accompanying Lucy on endless trotro rides (as you know from my first posts, Madina is faaar, especially when you add Accra traffic to the equation) to go deliver this, visit this person, pick up this letter, so on and so forth. I savored every minute spent in the company of this woman, and sometimes wished for even more traffic just so we could sit and chat, or even just sit in silence, a little bit longer.

I was also given the task of making forty placards to be carried during the march, a job I was more than happy to accept seeing my love of all things drawing-related. So I spent a good portion of the week inhaling permanent marker fumes, while writing "Spread Love, not HIV," "Use Condoms Always," "Talk to your friends about HIV" and other lovely little HIV/AIDS jingles, while the women worked away at their pins, chatting, laughing and gossiping along the way (I understood only a fraction of it but feel confident in making these claims...if gossip isn't universal than I don't know what is!).

Today was another early day for me, waking up at 5:30 to go help with the set up for the march. It started about two hours late (pretty much everything starts two hours late here, so not a suprise, really) and proved to be an immense success. We gathered a crowd of 70 people or so, and proudly carried our banners, distributed condoms (male and female) and raised awareness to the sounds of our brass band escorts. We covered quite a bit of ground, and this in the heavy late-morning sun, but I didn't even see time go by, dancing away and enjoying every minute of yet another festive and fun-filled event spent in the company of wonderful people.
(I took lots of pictures and will make sure to add a few to the blog as soon as I can.)

It was feeling very inspired, moved and so very blessed and fortunate that I grabbed my Friday trotro and headed home...to change into my weekend attire (and out of my gross "I've been dancing on a busy street in the sun and sand for four hours"-clothes) and make my way to Sharpnet, where every Friday I have a date with Blogger, and the family and friends who take the time to read about my incredible adventures in Ghana. Though I did not want this week to end, and look forward to going to visit my new friends next week, and the week after, and the week after that, I must admit I need a bit of rest! And again, the weekend promises to deliver it, with no big plans other than the customary laundry, cooking and an evening out tomorrow, most probably a girl's night with Lidvina, her roomie Eliizabeth and Laurence (to conclude my own personal women's week!)

Oh no, I have run out of time! Wow, I was particularly chatty this week. Well, I guess it figures, with all the inspiring people I met and experiences I took part in over the past seven days.

I will thus have to put an end to this newest chapter in my Ghanain adventures, not even taking the time to proofread (so pardon any mistakes or grammatical blunders), but certainly taking the time to tell you that I miss you all very much, and send you much love from sunny and oh-so-lovely Ghana.

A big big hug
Sophie

The early bird gets the worm

2006-12-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies!

Back again for the most recent chapter in the fun and worm-filled adventures of Sophie in Ghana. (False advertising though, cause I remain worm-free, as far as I (and my intestines) are concerned.)

Yet another week down and yet again I am left to wonder where it went and what exactly I managed to accomplish in the course of the past seven days...

Last weekend was good, very relaxing and uneventful for the most part. I did my laundry (part of Sophie's little routine in Ghana and a recurring theme in the blog, along with the worms, of course), spent some time lying in bed reading Middlesex (an amazing amazing novel that I recommend to everyone) and stuffing my face with some of that lovely Kingsbite chocolate, made from 100% authentic Ghanaian cocoa, so rich and so yummy (and then I wonder why those extra pounds are finding their way onto my body...). On Saturday evening, we headed to yet another ocean-side club (I know, I know, tough life) for some drinks and dancing. The band treated us to some lovely melodies, but a group of very (very) persistent rasta-men rendered it rather difficult to enjoy the dancing portion of the evening. Though we made it quite clear that we were not interested in their company, they did not seem to get the hint. They insisted on trying various tactics, asking endless questions, dancing too close all the time, and a particularly ambitious one even attempting the "grab-from-behind-and-grind" approach, met with very little success might I add (unless you consider a quick escape, an outraged "don't do that" and nasty look on my part successful). Sunday was spent exploring Accra and doing some food shopping. I found a little book kiosk along the way where I purchased two relationship advice books by Nigerian love guru Praise George (for my research, of course!). Read through them that same evening and was treated to an array of slightly useful, at times offensive and definitely amusing advice and information. And for all of you who were wondering, the number 1 mistake made by single women: "You fail to look good" (direct quote from George, P. "21 Mistakes that Single Women Make." Lagos, 2005).

Before I knew it, Sunday evening rolled around and then it was Monday morning...and time to get back to work after yet another fun-filled weekend. The week proved to be quite busy, with lots of meeting scheduled, a few things to do around the office and hours and hours spent taking notes and trying to make academic sense of all the incredible moments, experiences and encounters that fill my days in Ghana.

Had a few social shindigs too, including a lovely cocktail at the Canadian High Commissioner's residence in honor of Madame Michaelle Jean's five-day visit to Ghana. A lovely evening spent on the commissioner's well-manicured lawn, rubbing elbows with Canadian diplomats, expats and volunteers, and enjoying free drinks and best of all a huge cake decorated as the Canadian flag and ice cream drizzled with authentic Canadian maple syrup (so yummy, I had to have two servings!). On Tuesday, I met up with Tim, whom I hadn't seen in at least a week, and treated him to his first meal at a Chinese restaurant (yes, it is true that you can find absolutely everything in Accra). My guest being new to the art of Chinese cuisine, I ordered in the more neutral palette (cashew chicken and veggies and tofu) and though hesitant at first, he ended up quite liking it, even managing to polish up the plate of chicken. We also visited with his (always lovely) family along the way, as well as Mr JB, the director at the school where Tim teaches. This kind albeit slightly untactful man greeted me with an enthusiastic "wow, you've gained weight!." Thanks Mr JB, I hadn't noticed! I can't recall what happened on my other evenings, but they probably involved copious amounts of food (another important leitmotif both in my Ghanaian experiences and my blog renditions of them!).

Which brings us to today, Friday December 1st. Though it's World AIDS Day today, it's also National Farmer's Day in Ghana, which means that offices are closed and everyone stays home. So I spent the day doing some work in the safety of my lovely little room with the big big bed, finished up my weekly laundry load in less than two hours and ate some more Kingsbite chocolate to congratulate myself on this new record. Tonight, I am meeting up with Lidvina and Ranjith for supper at Sunshine Cafe, an Indian restaurant I hear is quite delicious. There will be no drinking by the ocean though, because tomorrow I have to get up at 4 o'clock (yes, that's 4 o'clock in the morning!). Tim has invited me to attend his uncle's funeral in a town two hours from Accra, an invitation I was more than happy to accept (and I had already said yes when he mentioned at what time we would be leaving...). I assume that Sunday will be spent sleeping in and recovering from the inhumane waking experience of the previous day...and then who knows? I guess you'll have to read about it next week as the newest post appears in Sophie's worm/food-filled blog.

So to give my usual physical-emotional state recap, I am still happy, still (very very) well-fed and still loving my time in Ghana. I feel really good here, more relaxed, less tired and healthier than ever (which is strange, because as a Canadian travelling to Ghana you expect everything to go wrong with your health, not the opposite).

Of course, I miss you all (still, always) and continue to think of you, my sweet poor souls trapped in a cold and Kingsbite-free world. So on that note, I send lots of sunshine, authentic Ghanaian cocoa and love your way.

A bientot mes cheris!
Sophie

My watermelon initiation

2006-11-24T02:48:00.000-08:00

Greetings my darlings,

Time again for my weekly blog update...

So when we last "spoke" (I guess I am the only one doing the speaking in this case, but you catch my drift), I was getting prepared to enjoy another exciting weekend in Ghana, which as it very much turned out to be. Though I had planned to take a leisurely Friday evening to cook, read and maybe even do a bit of writing, I was coerced by Ranjith and the gang into going for supper at a nice little Jamaican bistro by the name of the Green Turtle. Jerk chicken and a couple of beers later, we decided to continue the festivities at a club that Laurence (une quebecoise) and Florent (her boyfriend) are quite fond of. And I can see why. Not so much a club as a huge outdoor terrace, we spent a good four hours dancing under the stars to the beat of Ghanaian High Life, possibly one the most danceable musical genres out there. Laurence and Florent also gave me my official Ghanaian initiation, which consisted of a visit to a small booth in the back of an alley where I downed a glass of Alamo, one of the local alcohols. When asked what is used as the base ingredient for this alcohol, Laurence replied "n'importe quoi qu'on trouve dans le champs", loosely translated as whatever happens to be in the field at the time of harvest. Hmmmm...Well, regardless, that potion certainly did the trick, warming the throat, loosening the dancing muscles and lingering the next day in the form of a mild but persistent headache.

After a Saturday of laundry, rest and Alamo recovery, I was able to spend Sunday with Tim, the dancers and their German guests. We hopped on a mini-bus that took us to Akosombo, a town a few hours away from Accra right on Volta lake. We visited the dam responsible for providing most of the electrical power in Ghana, where we learned that levels have been quite low this year...thus explaining why we have power outages for 12 hours every five days or so (you get used to it pretty quickly, though the food in the fridge doesn't always adapt as easily). It was a nice day, and I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to step out of Accra and begin seeing the rest of Ghana...a process that I look forward to pursuing over the next months, particularly when my sister arrives for her 3-week visit at the end of January (Eve, j'ai trop hate!). The landscape was beautiful too, lush vegetation, hills with strange rock formations at the top, and the biggest man-made lake in the world, tempting in the seering afternoon sun until you start thinking about the possibility of bhilariose (aka worms under the skin). Speaking of worms, the day alas turned a bit sour when a piece of watermelon was ingested on the side of the road, along with the little bacteria it contained, thus leading to my first case of food poisoning. It lasted 24 hours and other than some digestive upset and lack of energy, was quite tolerable. And I tell myself that it was bound to happen at some point or another, so after this weekend, I feel that I have been fully and completely initiated!

With Monday spent in bed reading a romance novel that the girls at work had lent me (a Harlequin selection of four Christmas-themed stories) and recovering from the watermelon initiation, I was able to get back to work on Tuesday. On that front, things continue to go well. I had a few meetings this week, did some reading and as most of you kn0w, some emailing for the Orphan christmas party I have been assigned to help coordinate. (On that note, thank you for your kind replies to my plea for help in fundraising...and don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions or need any information).

Oh, and I finally got to go to my reggae party on the beach that I had so been looking forward to! Following a lovely potluck supper at Lidvina's house on Wednesday evening, we headed over to Labadi Pleasure Beach (actual name), where every Wednesday evening, reggae music is played right on the sand, right under the stars and overlooking the waves, to the delight of grinding and girating bodies. As expected, the experience proved a very enjoyable one, and one I look forward to repeating at least a few times during my stay (though of course, the Thursday wasn't as pleasant with only five hours of sleep under my belt).

And here we are again, another Friday, another fun weekend on its way. I'm not sure what my plans are quite yet, but they will probably involve a night out for supper and dancing, as well as some further exploration of Accra during the day.

I am still happy, still well-fed, and loving every minute of my stay in Ghana (okay, almost every minute). I do miss you though...and wish you were all here to enjoy the reggae music under the stars and to share in all these incredible experiences with me.

From Ghana with Love,
Sophie

ps: Following a few questions and complaints, I have changed the function on my blog for comment posting, such that now anyone --not just registered members-- can post their comments. Sorry about the previous limitations...still figuring out this whole blog thing.

Happy, well-fed and worm free!

2006-11-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

Hello my darlings

I cannot believe that a week has gone by since my last post. How quickly time flies, and yet how different the pace of things here in Accra. I walk much more slowly, it takes me much longer to cook, to get ready in the morning and to accomplish anything really. I sleep much less than I do in Canada too (I actually wake up at 7, which some of you will know is unheard of for me at home!). Yet somehow, some way, the days keep on running away on me such that I wake up, blink and the sun has already set. Well, I guess it's a good sign, how quickly time is flying...proves that I'm certainly not bored!

Other than confused and distorted perceptions of time, all is well. This week proved a very productive one on the work front. I had five meetings/interviews with local organizations involved in HIV/AIDS and women's related issues, all of which ended up being very interesting and inspired me to write pages and pages and pages of notes. I continue to enjoy my time with SWAA very as well, getting to know the wonderful staff a bit better every day and familiarizing myself with their projects, partners and members. The last meeting of the year for members and the executive committee took place on Thursday, and was quite the experience. The turnout was the biggest they'd ever had, and so imagine about 80 women, men and children squeezed into a room made for a 40 person capacity, max. As a result of this, I had to share my seat with a lovely little 6 yr old girl by the name of Cherie, who spent the meeting holding my hand and drawing in one of my note books, a wonderful addition to my aesthetically monotonous research notes. As seems to be customary when I attend meetings here in Accra, I was given the chance to stand up in front of everyone, introduce myself and say a few words...I think everyone was quite entertained by my pitiful attempts at expressing my gratitude in Twi... with 80 women, men and children breaking out into loud spurts of laughter. Rule 3: the obroni must not take him/herself seriously when attending meetings in Accra!

So work is good, my health continues to be good (still no worms...I wonder if I'm going to keep you updated on my worm status in every blog entry) and in general, life is good...very good. I feel like I am settling into a nice little routine here, figuring out the city and how to get around within its sinuous, crowded and unidentified streets, where to get the best price for mangoes and bananas, and knowing which streets to avoid if I don't feel like talking to one of my many many "friends" (the ones I was complaining about in my last entry! I have made a couple more since, might I add). I have also been blessed to meet an array of truly wonderful souls since my arrival, whether my peeps at SWAA, my dear friend Tim and his entourage, my roommie Ranjith, or Lidvina, a young woman from Toronto who is working on a CUSO project surrounding women and legal issues in Ghana. Moments spent in their company certainly help to ease homesickness and loneliness, though this is not to say that I don't think of you all often and miss you just as much!

Hmmm....I seem to feel rather uninspired this evening, and I'm not sure why exactly. After all, every day here is full of endlessly new and enriching encounters, sites and smells...is it perhaps that I have drained all my writing energy scribbling crazy research notes throughout the week? Or perhaps is it the Whitney Houston music blasting in the speaker right behind my head. Speaking of music, I was treated to my first live Ghanaian band last Saturday evening...and at a terrasse by the side of the ocean to boot! I danced a bit (to the amusement of the crowd, constituted primarily of Ghanaians) and just marvelled in a state of perfectly sober euphoria (okay, I had a few beers, but still) at the shere luck I had to be there, under the stars and by the ocean, listening to some damn fine "high life" (a local style) on a really bad sound system that didn't even matter.

This new weekend promises to be just as lovely...with more exploration of Accra tomorrow with Lidvina, the evening spent at another terrasse, still by the ocean though, and an adventure to a town a few hours away on Sunday, with Tim, his dance troupe and their german guests.

So yes, tis my report for this last week. I am happy, well-fed (in fact, I think I am gaining weight...though people had predicted I would melt with the heat...the latter seems to do little against the sheer power of Ghanaian cuisine...a very yummy combo of fried stuff, carbs carbs and a bit of meat on the side! I cook and make sure to get my recommended servings of veggies and fruits, but still).

Though I am really loving my time here, from the meetings, to the time at the office, to the weekends spent at the beach listening to live reggae...I still think of home often, and miss you all very much. I hope that all is well with you, that you too remain worm-free and that you're getting used to the cold cold cold while I continue to grow a little bit less obroni with every day that passes under the seering Ghanaian sun (not to rub it in or anything).

Bisous mes cheris, je pense a vous
Sophie

The curse of the highway chicken

2006-11-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Hello my darlings,

Back with the newest chapter in my adventures...Have just completed my first week at the office, and though I must admit Im not necessarily unhappy that its Friday,Im also pretty excited at the idea of going back in on Monday. The fulltime staff at SWAA (small group, we are five including myself) are a lovely bunch, all very friendly and fun, and always willing to help guide the often incompetent obroni that I am (though they also take the time to laugh at me in the process!) The work itself has been a bit slow for the first week, but overall helpful...consisting mainly of reading documents on HIV in Ghana, chatting with the staff to familiarize myself with the organization,and making some phone calls to begin arranging meetings and appointments. This last component can prove rather frustrating at times, in that telephones are not always answered (and there are no answering machines), and commitments hard to come by. Call back tomorrow, call back next week, call us later when the president is in. But regardless,I already have a few meetings planned for next week, and continue to feel confident that this research thing will work itself out (most of the time, that is). Plus, I feel like every minute contributes in some way or another to the process, teaching me something new about Ghana, its culture(s) and people(s). My brain has become a sponge, soaking in every little detail...and it feels quite pleasant!

On the social side of things, things are also well. Beyond the wonderful staff at SWAA, I have been meeting lots of interesting souls...like the lovely hairdressers who work at the World Braids Centre in front of the office, who seem to have taken a liking to the newest Obroni in town. People keep on chatting me up in the streets or on the trotros (the minibuses), curious to know where Im from, what Im doing here, for how long. Granted, in some cases, this attention proves a bit frustrating in that it seems to often come from very persistent men who seem ready to admit their undying love after three minutes spent in my company! I already have at least seven phone numbers of individuals I will probably (most probably) not end up calling, and propositions of free hairdressing, visits to Ghanas hotttest attractions, so on and so forth. Its not even flattering really, because it just happens so often you cant help but wonder what the motivations are behind this unrelentless attention.

The cold is gone and the health good (still no worms under my skin!), and I continue to enjoy myself immensely and to count my blessings for being able to take part in such an incredible experience. There is always something new to see, from the beautiful fabrics sold in wood barracks on the side of the streets, to the countless chickens wandering the streets, even on the busiest of highways. The people are so friendly and helpful too, they really know how to make an obroni feel welcomed (okay, sometimes a bit too much...read the overbearing admirers)

I have a nice weekend ahead of me too...tonight, a relaxed evening at home cooking and chatting with my roommie.Tomorrow, a day with Tim, a wonderful guide when it comes to discovering Accra and Ghanaian culture and Sunday, some laundry (I do it by hand in buckets so it counts as an activity in itself) followed by a bit of beach time with a few friends I met yesterday who are working at CUSO in Accra (the beach...and to think that there is snow in Calgary...sorry, I should not be rubbing it in, thats just mean!)

Thank you for your lovely emails and posts...I will try to reply to them personally sooner than later. But in the meantime, know that I think of you often, that I hope that all is well and good on your side(s) of the screen, and that I miss you all very much!

Bisous
Sophie

The new obroni* on the block

2006-11-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

Hello my lovelies

(*disclaimer: I still havent figured out how one spells obroni (aka white one), but since it's a word that seems to appear more often than not in my daily encounters, I will take the liberty of using it in a possibly mispelled form!)

So yes, here I am again, writing from Accra and still finding it hard to believe that I am actually here. A lot has happened in the past few days, so much so that I find it hard to know where to begin.

First and foremost, I guess, is the fact that I have now relocated to a new neighborhood, by the name of Labone. It is very central, close to the Osu area where all the other obronis hang out, where one can find anything from a pizza parlour to a bank machine to a big grocery store called Koala where they sell chocolate, cheese and even gossip magazines from Europe and the States (not US Weekly though...thus hindering the maintenance of my addiction...what, don't judge, it's for research!!!!). It certainly doesnt have the same feel as my previous hood (I do really feel like a tourist now) and it was certainly with much regret that I left the lovely Tettey family, but it does end up making me only twenty minutes away from work as opposed to 120mins. The new room is great, in what I can only describe as a small-sized palace, with a view on a beautiful garden and a bed so big it could accomodate a small family (and I must thank Alana here for the contact!). I share the kitchen with a man by the name of Ranjeet, a doctor working at the UN who is originally from Sri Lanka. He is lovely and seems very eager to help me adapt to my new environment. I do miss the constant hustle and bustle of my previous area, which felt much more "traditional" or at least much less bourgeois than this one, but I guess in the long run the proximity will make it worthwhile.

Today was also my first day at work, which went quite well, as far as I can tell anyways! Of course, there was the minor "incident" in the morning, whereby I cockily embarked upon my trajectory to work, only to realize that once in the area, I couldn't find the office. I had to call Betty, the coordinator, to tell her I was lost, and she sent over the driver to come retrieve to stupid little obroni at a store somewhere pretty far away. So much for first impressions! Well, everyone had a good laugh about this, myself included...if I've learned anything in my short time here, its that one cannot take 0neself to seriously when one is obroni. So yes, finally safe and sound within the SWAA offices, I sat down with the coordinator and we mapped out my schedule for the next few months. It looks like I will be alternating between time at the office, and time in the associated organizations, such that I get the chance to partake in less bureaucratic and more "grassroots" type of activities. I am more than happy with this arrangement. And amidst all of this, I should have plenty of time to go off on my own for meetings and other research-related endeavours.

The rest of the day was spent perusing various documents produced by the government body responsible for the AIDS response in Ghana, to familiarize myself with the situation and what is being done, at least at the national level. I even managed to make my way back home without getting lost!

So I guess that sums up the major points, really. I seem to have come down with a bit of a cold, which renders things a bit unpleasant, but still tolerable though. My head hurts, my nose is runny and I feel rather tired, but I tell myself that things could be much much worse (after hearing all those stories of worms under the skin and the other tales that somehow people feel they need to share when they hear you're heading to Africa!). Seeing my sorry physical state, tonight will be a calm evening. A bit of cooking at home, followed by an early meeting with my beyond-king-sized bed. Tomorrow is another big day at the office, and I do hope I can kick this cold sooner than later.

I continue to enjoy my time in Ghana, though of course the move means readapting to a new environment. Life will be very different in this new context, much closer to what I am used to in Canada in terms of food and amenities, probably (or certainly) more expensive too. But as long as I try to keep off the beaten track on the weekends and to limit my consumption of coca-cola to one bottle a week (mind you, you can find that stuff even in the furthest and most remote village), I should be okay.

I see that I only have 8 minutes left, and I have yet to check my five email accounts (not sure how or when that happened...they just seem to multiply on their own), so I should probably end it here for now. So until next time, take very good care one and all, and know that I am thinking of you and missing you all very much too.

Bisous
Sophie

First post from Accra!

2006-11-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

Hello my pretties

Well, I have arrived in Accra! After a long and fairly uneventful journey with a stopover in Frankfurt, I finally arrived in Accra, Saturday evening at 6. The heat was not as bad as I had expected coming off of the airplane, though the airport rather intimidating as has been predicted by those who have taken the journey before me. Thankfully, my host was quick to find me as I left the comfort of the airport...and so it is that I met Vincent, Dr. Tettey's brother. He loaded my four bags (yes, I overpacked but the kind air canada woman let my extra kilo or so slide) into his car, and off we went to Ogbojo, where he resides with his lovely family. The house is very nice, and I have my own little guest house to the side, complete with a big room, living room, kitchen, bathroom and even a television and phone. The neighborhood is very nice and everyone very friendly, though it is rather far from Accra's center and where I will be working.

Since settling in, resting and getting used to the heat and the new environment, I have been discovering Accra, an amazing city that words will never be able to describe adequately. It is very very very busy, with constant bustling, coming and going and neverending traffic jams. This explains in part why it takes me 2 hours on average to get from home to my organization (oh, and this is one way!) As had been repeated to me many a times prior to arriving, Ghanaians are extremely friendly and welcoming. They do not hesitate to help a poor Obrowni (white person) in need, while also taking the time to chat, find out where I am from, and laugh at me on too, but all in good fun. The culture shock is really not that bad, and I feel like I am settling in very fast, learning the ropes, meeting people.

I was also fortunate to be in touch with a young man by the name of Tim for about 8 months prior to finally arriving, with email correspondences and occasional telphone calls. We had been really looking forward to meeting each other, and as expected the reunion proved absolutely wonderful. He is incredibly nice and interesting, involved in various volunteer work in addition to his jobs as a primary school teacher and PR person for a dance troupe. Tim has taken me under his wing, showing me Accra, introducing me to his workplace, his lovely and warm family, his incredibly talented dance troupe and his friends. I feel so very fortunate to have such an amazing friend right upon arriving. I've also run into a few Canadian souls, including Aaron, a friend from Calgary who is doing an internship at the Ghana AIDS Commission. He has been here for two months already, so has a chockfull of good advice and tips for a novice expat in Accra like myself! We will be meeting in a few hours to attend a small party at the Canadian High Commission, so more meetings with Obrownis are on the horizon!

And finally, the principal reason for my stay...work! It promises to be quite an experience and one that I am truly excited and happy to be embarking upon. I met with the president, vice-president and coordinator of SWAA (The Society for Women Against AIDS in Africa) where I will be volunteering for the next eight months. They are absolutely lovely and very excited to have me here, a feeling that is more than mutual. In addition to helping them with fundraising and media relations, I will also be spending time in some of their sattelite organizations, all of which are committed to empowering women and children infected or affected by HIV. I seem to have landed in a group of African feminists too....which is so exciting!

Otherwise, the food so far has been delicious, the heat more than bearable (I even managed to exercise today sans air conditioning) and the experience a complete feast for the senses. Everywhere beautiful colors, new sites to see, new smells to inhale (sometimes good, sometimes not so good...read exhaust fumes and the non-refrigerated meat section at the market!) and wonderfully kind people to meet. It has only been five days or so, but I am fully ready to announce that I love Ghana! I am very happy to be here, to be taking part in such an incredible experience where I feel incessantly stimulated, challenged and inspired.

Of course, I miss you all and think of you often too...but I think that this stay in Accra will go by in a flash at this rate!

So yes, this is my news. The body is well (still tired though and a bit sunburned too) the mind is well and I am happy. I will be getting a cell phone soon, so will be sure to send out my number asap in case you feel like dropping a line (with calling cards, its quite cheap). I check my email every few days and the connection is quite quick so I will try to post new chapters as often as I can.

Until next time, take good care, enjoy the cold weather (ha!) and keep on keepin' on
Kisses
Sophie

24 hours to go

2006-10-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

Less than 24 hours, in fact, and off I go far far away from Montreal (and Calgary) towards my new (albeit temporary) home: Accra, Ghana. I still have lots of things to take care of, to print out, to finish putting in plastic bags, to finish putting in envelopes, to finish typing...the list goes on. Meanwhile it's almost midnight, my eyes are tired and I have a long and possibly painful journey ahead of me, with two eight hour flights and a lovely little stopover in Frankfurt starting at 1am Montreal time. Frankfurt airport floor, prepare to have a tired Canadian sleeping on you soon.

All right, well that's all I can muster up by way of inspiration and eloquence for the evening. This is is why I will also abstain from sending out the link to my blog prior to arriving in Accra...feels like the first post should be a little bit more poignant if I want to keep the crowds coming back for more.

On that note, and if anyone ever ends up reading this first post, more to come soon...