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Good evening from a very wet Ghana! I know it's been a while since my last entry but I've actaully been really busy and the internet has been SO rubbish here it's not worth wasting hours on it. I'll try to rememebr what I've been doing in the last nearly two weeks...
Abura Literacy School was amazing, it's a poor school so the kids aren't very clever and don't have nice clothes or lots of materials but the atmosphere was really good all the same. They are all there to try and learn and improve their english and the volunteers who are based there are really lucky as it's defintiely a place where you could feel like you were making a difference. We took them to the library and then helped out with their handwritting and maths, had to actaully use my own brain,well kinda! Unfortunately the kids are off from school for 4 weeks now but when they go back I am going to go there once a week and help out and I'm really looking forward to it.
Ok so that was Tuesday before last and then the rest of the week was pretty normal to be honest (actually can't really remember what I did so we'll go with normal!) Oh, actually, we went out Friday and had a really late one which then meant that the next day when we got up to go to Accra, which is the capital of Ghana and about 3 hours away, so we once again had a lovely bumpy sweaty tro ride but this time all slightly hungover and it started off with a lovely preacher man telling us how much God loves us, always nice to hear! Arrived in Accra and it is SO different to Cape Coast! Accra is hectic, noisy and busy and CC is chilled and very small in comparison. We looked like tourist from the minute we got there, as we all had rucksacks, so you're an easy target for the hawkers on the streets selling you anything from a belt to a bottle opener to a Ghana flag! Our first port of call was the Osu food court which is where you can get western food liek pizza's, chicken burgers etc. I had an amazing Pepperoni pizza which was well worth the 2 pound! Then we went to our hotel (loosely speaking!) It actually wasn't that bad but it most certainly wasn't like home, even home here! I HAD MY FIRST BUCKET SHOWER! This is when the water's off and you don't actually have a shower but just chuck water from a bucket over yourself instead. Everyone here is actaully really jealous as they have them pretty much all the time as their water is often off but the water in my house is always on and we do actually have a fairly decent shower, thank the lord most of you will know what I'm like with my showers!
Ok so we went to the Teaching and Projects Abroad monthly party which was in the evening and involved a quiz, I thought I'd put myself up for the quiz, being the competeitive type that I am, I knwo you can't believe it but I am lol! Well what a mistake that was, firstly it took forever and the bloke in charge took it SO seriously it was unreal, then we actaully weren't really very good and finally it involved eating fufu which is as gross as it sounds! Its made from ground cassava and other ranodm ingredients but tastes like wallpaper paste would taste, of nothing but has the most horrid texture! Jess, Will and I wimped out and forfited but Dave was a trooper and managed quite a lot before gagging when we then made him forfit! We actually managed to come second overall but were some bored and thirsty by the end of it we didn't care! Then came the best bit, the free food and drink! As much punch and beer as you could drink - heaven! After the party we went to a club which we all assumed would be like a bar or something - oh no it was MUCH MUCH better than that! It was actually like stepping in to a club in London, we were all SO excited it was hilarious. There were leather sofas and wooden floors and the toilets were fantastic! It may seem odd to mention the toilets but when you're here and you get used to the toilets and then go in to a nice one it is such a little treat (lol Kat!) The next amazing thing that happened was that we were presented with a free bottle of Smirnoff for the table as they knew one of the blokes we went with, I had a lovely vodka and coke and my night could not have got any better! The people here are fantastic as well which of course helps, there are obviously ones who I get on with better than others but overall everyone's cool.
Sunday involved going a finding a nice breakfast which we managed without a problem and then we went to Independence Square which there are pcis of. Then was the Cultural Centre not actually really anything to do with culture but more of a massive market, it was really good though and we had such fun looking round all the stalls and buying things like jewellery that we don't really need but want anyway! Accra was really good, and I'm planning to go back there for a week with two of the girls, but I love Cape Coast more. It's just so much more chilled and the pace of life is a lot slower which suits us all!
This week has been an odd one, Monday was a brillaint night, we all went out for one of the girls last night's and danced non-stop whcih is good because out here it's acout the only exercise we get apart from walking! Then Tuesday I was convinced I had malaria (Chloe, I think you're hyperchondria was rubbing off on me lol) I had a really bad head ache and was really hot even though I was inside under the fan. It went by the next day though so not sure what it was really, maybe just too much partying and not enough sleep but it has to be done...
I've been fine since and have had a lovely few days and afternoons with one of the girls, Veronica, who's orphanage I went to on Thursday. It was really good as it was her leaving party and she bought them all new shoes as well as food and drinks for lunch. When you go to the orphanages or schools you realise that some people here are actually really making a difference and it puts my placement to shame! At least I'm teaching in South Africa I guess.
Yesterday we went to the beach in the afternoon as it was the start of the 4 day beach stint for us.....OH YES!! It was really nice as Veronica and I stayed until about half 5 and it was nice and quiet and not as hot, quite often here we jsut sit and look out at the sea and realise actaully how lucky we are and how beautiful it is here, ok enough cheese, please pass the bucket! Today we went to Elmina Castle which was similar to Cape Castle and used during the Slave Trade then we went to Elmina Beach Resort to catch some rays and chill. Tomorrow we're going to church, I know don't faint I'm going to church on Easter Sunday even after I said I'd never go here again! I think I need to give it a second chance and what better time to do so, plus we're then going to Coconut Grove Resort after!
Think that's you all updated, if you've managed to read to this bit give yourselves a pat on the back, you deserve it even I've nearly dozzed off on the keyboard!
Much love as always and can you all please write me nice emails informing me of your current affairs, ok maybe I should rephrase that but you know what I mean...... xxxxxx
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