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Second update
Finally got some info I can work with, and a few names to interview! This should be very interesting, and make for a balanced interview pool for my thesis I guess. I?ll disclose more details on a later time though, so be patient.
I?m getting to live the city life here now, instead of the more rural life I had in 2003 here: what a difference!! Much intenser, faster, en it?s an attack on your senses in a way. Walking the streets that are full of cars that don?t have exhaust filters for one ? I?m confident the air in my country is many times cleaner than the stuff I?m breathing here, that?s for sure. My nose is clogged most of the time, and it?s pretty clear that it?s not the winter weather that is the cause, lol?.then there is the habit of just burning your debris on the street, it happens everywhere, all the time. And of course the open sewer, I?ve taken some pics of what I?m describing here, so check my photoblog (www.blowkick.com/kickpics) to see what I mean. I haven?t been able to take my camera out much yet, and in Accra that might not be the smartest thing to do anyway. But I?ll try to get some more snapshots up later this week as well.
I?ve been eating pizza already, and tonight I?m invited for sushi?so much for foreign food, hahaha! I won?t be eating this all the time though, but I guess it can?t hurt. Hooked up with a bunch of volunteers here, a nice group of young people just like me, and we?re having fun, even though I realize I?m somewhat of a foreign element in the group. My accomodation is extremely minimal, but it?s all I need for now really. Not too many mosquito bites as yet, this might change later though.
Yesterday Ghana lost it?s game against Brazil (totally unfair IMO, the second goal was offside, and there were more dubious decisions from the refs). I watched it in a big tent @ Blue Gate, which was really cool?never seen so much energy in people for a football game!! Madness I?m telling you, but an experience that tops anything I?ve seen in Holland so far. After the game we went for some food at the Osu Food plaza, where you can get pretty much any Western and Oriental food at reasonable prices (think $6 for a big ass pizza, and you get the second one for free), even though that is still very expensive here (I can get a good takeaway @ $1,50, and eat a good plate of rice @ $2.50 in an upmarket restaurant).
On our way to the place, we ended up in a big procession, people drumming, dancing, singing ? celebrating even though they lost. But the atmosphere was a bit tense, and there were one or two upstarts in the crowd (at some point someone threw out some money and everyone took a dive to get his part). I got grabbed by a big mama who slammed her crotch into mine and gave me an instant case of the blue balls, but then another grabed me from behind and started dancing with me, and the hands went right into my pockets. So I diverted her from my money, but she persisted, and eventually I pushed her off rather roughly. Too bad, but maybe not as dissapointing as being blamed for Ghana?s loss as being a white man (the ref was white too), and getting sprayed with something that I hope was just bad looking and smelling Coke, and getting shouted at ?Go back to your country white man!!?. Too bad, but nothing really serious all in all?.
One last thing: one of the volunteers was robbed with machetes last week, so I?ll have to be careful while I?m here. Not that they use them to cut your head off, they rather use it to cut your bag?s carrying belts and snatch it, but it might just as well be used for something else. So I?ll try to never take my backpack with me when going out after dark, unless I really have to. Other than that, this city is remarkable safe, even by European standards: on my first night I was wandering the streets and hooked up with a few young guys, who I meet regularly now.
Allright, I?m gonna keep it at this for now, but expect much more of course?
Pepijn | Yao
Check my first pix @ www.blowkick.com/kickpics
Finally got some info I can work with, and a few names to interview! This should be very interesting, and make for a balanced interview pool for my thesis I guess. I?ll disclose more details on a later time though, so be patient.
I?m getting to live the city life here now, instead of the more rural life I had in 2003 here: what a difference!! Much intenser, faster, en it?s an attack on your senses in a way. Walking the streets that are full of cars that don?t have exhaust filters for one ? I?m confident the air in my country is many times cleaner than the stuff I?m breathing here, that?s for sure. My nose is clogged most of the time, and it?s pretty clear that it?s not the winter weather that is the cause, lol?.then there is the habit of just burning your debris on the street, it happens everywhere, all the time. And of course the open sewer, I?ve taken some pics of what I?m describing here, so check my photoblog (www.blowkick.com/kickpics) to see what I mean. I haven?t been able to take my camera out much yet, and in Accra that might not be the smartest thing to do anyway. But I?ll try to get some more snapshots up later this week as well.
I?ve been eating pizza already, and tonight I?m invited for sushi?so much for foreign food, hahaha! I won?t be eating this all the time though, but I guess it can?t hurt. Hooked up with a bunch of volunteers here, a nice group of young people just like me, and we?re having fun, even though I realize I?m somewhat of a foreign element in the group. My accomodation is extremely minimal, but it?s all I need for now really. Not too many mosquito bites as yet, this might change later though.
Yesterday Ghana lost it?s game against Brazil (totally unfair IMO, the second goal was offside, and there were more dubious decisions from the refs). I watched it in a big tent @ Blue Gate, which was really cool?never seen so much energy in people for a football game!! Madness I?m telling you, but an experience that tops anything I?ve seen in Holland so far. After the game we went for some food at the Osu Food plaza, where you can get pretty much any Western and Oriental food at reasonable prices (think $6 for a big ass pizza, and you get the second one for free), even though that is still very expensive here (I can get a good takeaway @ $1,50, and eat a good plate of rice @ $2.50 in an upmarket restaurant).
On our way to the place, we ended up in a big procession, people drumming, dancing, singing ? celebrating even though they lost. But the atmosphere was a bit tense, and there were one or two upstarts in the crowd (at some point someone threw out some money and everyone took a dive to get his part). I got grabbed by a big mama who slammed her crotch into mine and gave me an instant case of the blue balls, but then another grabed me from behind and started dancing with me, and the hands went right into my pockets. So I diverted her from my money, but she persisted, and eventually I pushed her off rather roughly. Too bad, but maybe not as dissapointing as being blamed for Ghana?s loss as being a white man (the ref was white too), and getting sprayed with something that I hope was just bad looking and smelling Coke, and getting shouted at ?Go back to your country white man!!?. Too bad, but nothing really serious all in all?.
One last thing: one of the volunteers was robbed with machetes last week, so I?ll have to be careful while I?m here. Not that they use them to cut your head off, they rather use it to cut your bag?s carrying belts and snatch it, but it might just as well be used for something else. So I?ll try to never take my backpack with me when going out after dark, unless I really have to. Other than that, this city is remarkable safe, even by European standards: on my first night I was wandering the streets and hooked up with a few young guys, who I meet regularly now.
Allright, I?m gonna keep it at this for now, but expect much more of course?
Pepijn | Yao
Check my first pix @ www.blowkick.com/kickpics
Sounds like you're having a great time. What exactly are you doing there? Your thesis on what?
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