Akwabaa - You're welcome!!


I have finally made it to an internet cafe and found one with not only power but an internet connection!! I will try to fill you in on the details of my trip so far but so much to tell!! To say that there is a culture schock when you arrive is a huge under statement. It is totally overwelming the heat. the people, the language, the general surrondings ...just everything.


I am now in Kumasi which is where I will spend the rest of my time in Ghana i flew into Accra in typical rainy season style- drenched before i even got into the airport from the plane. I spent one night in Accra then took a 5 hour bus ride to Kumasi on a combination of dirt tracks, roads which are tarmacked well and some with huge pot holes. most of the cars have huge cracks in the windscreens from the terrible roads it makes an interesting ride, the joke is that when travelling on the roads your nodding head head means the answer to every question is yes!! haha


My host family are nice, i stay with Augustina the grandmother, joel and his nephrew Bryce who is 2 and is sister goody who is 16. Bryce is my little friend ive been teaching him english and he is now fluent in animal sounds and actions!!


The school i am teaching in is very different from the ones I am used to. most children have an exercise book and a pencil but with 50 in a class it is hard to provide for them all. The classes are crammed with children and only one teacher. I have only taught the children for the last two days and have taught them some grammar and some comprehension about me!! the children can read well but they don't really understand what they are reading. I have great amusement at reading their work. I have also found is strange the ghanian version of english the vest exmple is beefs!! I was marking this wrong in the children's books and the teacher said that it was right, i explained why i thought it was wrong so he fetched the shool dictionary read it for a while and i only recieved funny look safter that!! oops!! The children are fascinated by my skin colour they shout obruni (white person) at me and mob me in the playground, they all want to touch me and know my name. The children on the stree will shout obruni then 'how are you?' if you respond with anything else other than 'im fine' they are confused. they are taught polite phrases but dont really understand what they are saying. one man stopped me in the street and asked my to hold his little girl, i did and she looked to shocked that a white person was holding her- her dad laughed hysterically!!

To try and describe what Kumasi is like is hard but i'l try. The streets are filled with little shacks made from wood or like storage containers you see on ships, most are covered with advertising for tv companies or vodafone! people seem to live and work in these. Their are some bigger buildings which don't have wibndows usually doors, these are both shops and houses. their are street sellers in front of the shops these people sit there from 3 in the morning til late at night selling things that they cook on the side of the road with little fires- i haven't yet sampled these are my stomach isn't even coping with food from the esturantes or my host mum's. Woman walk around with babies strapped to their backs with clothes and then a towel wrapped in a sausage coil on there head then something usually enormous balacing on their heads!! sometimes they are selling things sometimes just carrying it. the traffic here is insane sooo many cars, all usuaally very old and mostly taxis and tros (mini bus.an cross). the taxis usually have cracked windscreens, no door handles or window opener!! very entertaining! all the people are friednly and want to know about yo, ou have to be carefuly that the conversation doesn't lead into them selling you something that you don't want for a silly price!


My hosts house is very nice, we have running water and a flushing toilet! but more luxious than some of the other volunteers. I haven;t yet had running hot water in ghana but im told such a thing does exisit. We have electricity but this is subject tothe weather, as at the moment it is the rainy season!


I have more to tell you about my travels this weekend but I will finish here for now! thank-you for your messages!! xxxx