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Hey,
This is my first blog! Finally made some time to do it. Its going to be pretty hard to describe what this place is like. Ill try and gave you a small taste, firstly I am staying just outside Accra in a place called Asahaley with what seems like a quite well off family but we still have to go to the toilet in a hole in the ground out in the shed out the front, which for some reason the kids like to play next to!
There are 3 other volunteers; Pete (44)"the Lobster" (as hes always burnt), David (24) and John (25) who left this Sunday. All are really cool guys and great to be around. My host family are really awesum; Mr Botwe, the classic crazy fat old african man, Mrs Botwe, who caters for our every need, Patrick, who is like a second mum to everyone always worrying about us, there are loads of people around and they all make us feel really welcome. In the house there is also a little girl called Irene who is just adorable and always wants some attention and to play with her.
Ghana really is a totally crazy place where they say they are 200 years behind the UK, at first i thought that couldnt be true but after just over a week i think it probably is. Accra is the capital but is not like a normal capital, is really just a large polluted and overpopulated shanty town. Having said that though it is still a wonderful place with everyone being so friendly, especially the local kids who seem to treat us white people as kings. They are always shouting "Abroni" which means "white man" and waving whenever we go past. Loads come and play games outside the house when we go outside, they are so excited about everything and are so easily entertained.
The "football academy" that i am coaching in is also slightly different from your average academy at home. We arrived at the pitch to see that it isnt actually a grass pitch but actually a dirt pitch that all the other locals also play on so is completely uneven. Having said that the lads that are there playing are really good guys. We have 3 different age groups: under 14's, Under 17's and the over 17's. Are some really talented players and they all hang off your every word which is great. There are loads of them with over 30 coming every session. Now about the sessions...the over 17's session is at 6-9...am! the others coming from 3-6 pm. The first team in the over 17's played their first pre-season match on friday and won 3-0 against a team in the division up which is great. They are in the 3rd division as they have entered for the first time this year and with the players they have they could easily make it to the Ghanain premiership.
So far ive only been on a few trips. We went into Accra centre on monday in one of these crazy buses they have out here called "tuk tuks" which are like old broken down vans rather than busses! They can cram over 20 people inside. Once we got into Accra we went into this market which i cannot even possibly describe, was just a dingy crowded dirty market that just went on forever. Also been to Lake Volta which was gud, caught some rays on the boat and then finally yesturday went up to the beach which is an incredible sight, the most picturesc view ive ever seen.
Oh and also just to add to the crazyness we go out most nights for a few drinks but not at a normal bar, we go down the gas station. Which is literally a gas station which next to the pumps has a bar, is the most insane thing ever!
Anyways yeah will do anouther thing soon,
Hope everyone is ok and getting ready for Uni and all,
See you soon,
Ben x
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