Recycling please!

For the record, if you don’t want to hear me get on my environmental soapbox, then skip this post. I’m giving you fair warning. Still with me? Okay, good.

One of the things I love about NYU is that the school takes the challenge of being “green” very seriously- you can recycle all plastics, metals, and papers, and can compost food waste. Ghana’s environmental and sanitation difficulties offer a startling contrast to how easy it was to be “green” at school.

For starters, it’s downright difficult to find a trash can in public. This means that a lot of trash ends up on the ground, with the most noticeable item of litter being the plastic bags that contain drinking water. The trash can accumulate on beaches and in the open sewer system common throughout the city- these sewer canals, maybe about a foot wide, sometimes with grates or other coverings and other times open, also often appear to have stagnate water, and are even used as a urinal for guys to pee in public. I don’t think I’ve seen a recycling can since I’ve been here. At work, there’s not paper recycling that I’ve seen.

One positive environmental trend I’ve noticed is that many drinks come in glass bottles, and I’ve seen empty bottles get collected afterwards into a crate, perhaps to be reused in some way. The use of glass bottles might help keep beverage prices low- a bottle of soda is typically cheaper here than an aluminum can of soda.

So please, if you are reading this post in a part of world that does have easy access to recycling, take advantage of it! Okay, I'll get off my soapbox...for now.

And the crowd goes wild...

Could you hear that sound last night? It was the sound of all of Ghana celebrating after an amazing game against the U.S. This time I showed up early to a popular Ghana sports bar to sit outside and enjoy the game (actually got to sit down!). Here are some highlights:

-Me and a few other Americans in the crowd bravely standing during the US national anthem. I expected the Ghanaians to stand for theirs, and I would have stood as well, but they didn’t stand. Maybe it’s just an American thing.

-The huge video screen projecting the game cut out around minute 6 (cue massive discontent in the crowd), so I missed seeing the first goal, but it was back up running a few minutes later- potential riot avoided.

-US scores a goal and the crown goes…completely silent. Guess that’s better than massive booing.

-Ghana wins, and this random Ghanaian guy grabs me and lifts me up in the air in celebration. Being there for the win was a great moment.

At the risk of being told that I hate freedom and all that American stands for, I’m super excited to see Ghana go to the next round- they’re the only African team still in, and it’d be awesome for them to take the whole thing. Go Black Stars!

Reflections after a month in Ghana, and no, I still haven’t tried Banku or Fufu

It’s hard to believe that about a month ago I hopped on a plane to come to Ghana- it feels like so much has happened since then, and I’m not even at the half-way point yet. Regardless, it’s a good time for reflecting on my trip so far.

Lesson One: It’s okay to indulge in some familiar comforts…

Adjusting to a living in another country can be difficult enough, and even though it’s good to immerse yourself in new things, there’s nothing wrong with letting yourself have a little taste of home. For example, dairy really isn’t big here, and can be a little pricey, but depriving myself of cheese for 2.5 months, when I love it so much, would probably not accomplish a whole lot. Sure, I would be VERY thankful for cheese when I got home, but it’s possible to be thankful even while still indulging in some cheese here I think.

Lesson Two: …but don’t isolate yourself in a “Western Bubble”

It’s totally possible to only take taxis, frequent only the mall and foreigner hotspots, and avoid Ghanaian food entirely- but if that’s the case, then I sort of wonder what’s the point of coming to Ghana in the first place. In the end, I try to have a balance of the familiar and the new. Plus, you never know what new “favorite things” you’ll find (like plantains with hot pepper sauce!).

Lesson Three: The journey is always better with friends

When I first arrived, the hardest part was not having any travelers with me to share in the experience of adjusting to a new culture. While family was just a phone call away, it’s not the same as having somebody there with you. I’ve been really fortunate to meet a lot of law students, who, like me, are new to the country, and up for having some adventures. We share our frustrations and our thoughts about living here. They are a huge source of comfort and sanity for me here.

Lesson Four: Some things (including office dynamics) don’t really change across cultures

There really are things that can be universal, that no matter where you go, someone in your position is going to experience, whether it’s men trying to get your phone number or the interactions of coworkers trying to meet deadlines, finish lots of projects, etc.

Lesson Five: Be prepared

Okay, I know that’s the Boy Scout motto, but it definitely holds true here. For example, the rains here can get fierce pretty quickly, and after a disastrous walk home, I’ve learned to bring a plastic bag, and an extra bag, and an umbrella with me just in case. Today I wore sneakers to work- with a dress (fashion horror!)- since it was raining and muddy (don’t worry fashionistas, I changed into sandals at work). If you have stuff to do on the internet, be prepared mentally for it taking 4 times longer than it would at home (or even worse!) so that you have the patience to go through 3 emails in half an hour (the internet difficulties partly explain why I haven’t updated this blog more often).

One more note: Saturday is the US v. Ghana soccer game- should be an interesting weekend to be an American in Ghana!

This weekend I went to Volta, an area a few hours east of Accra by bus. The pictured above is me in front of the lower falls at Wli waterfall, before going through a really intense uphill hike to the upper falls, which were very beautiful and made the hike totally worth it.

Also, you can see me and some of my Canadian-friends-found-in-Ghana in some dresses we bought in Hohoe (pronounced sort of like Ahoy), where we stayed for the weekend.

On Sunday we took a tro-tro from Hohoe to Ho (say that 5 times fast!), and toured the village of Helekpe, where we saw some weaving and drumming. The young man pictured above learned how to weave years ago, and he works the loom with his hands and feet- it was amazing how quickly he could move the spools of thread back and forth. Puts to shame the pot-holders I would weave as a kid on my little square plastic loom.

Tro-tros!

Up to now, I’ve sort of mentioned tro-tros, but it’s about time to give them a fuller explanation. A tro-tro is a passenger van commonly used for public transportation. Common features:

-Maximize space! Each tro-tro may have 3 to 4 rows of seats, holding 3 to 4 people per row. Also, seats fold out into the narrow aisle, so if somebody in the far corner of the back row has to get out, well, then a lot of other people have to get off, then get back on to accommodate that person.

-One person drives, while another person operates the sliding side door (and often the side door has problems closing), collects money from passengers and yells out to pedestrians what direction we’re going in.

-It’s great when the tro-tro has a sign on the dashboard, because sometimes it’s hard to tell where they’re going, and you have to get used to the different locations. For example, the location “Circle” (referring to Nkrumah Circle) often turns into someone yelling what sounds like “Circ Circ Circ Circ”.

-Riding in style: Some tro-tros are decked out with flags or other flair inside, or even ultraviolet lights. Many have some sort of saying written on the back window, usually a religious saying.

-Hold on tight: driving in Accra can be crazy, and vehicles seem like they’re always trying to gain that extra inch and get that much further ahead. The amount of honking is insane, and I think a lot of it is warning honks to alert anyone one around you to watch out, here I come!

Up to now, I’ve sort of mentioned tro-tros, but it’s about time to give them a fuller explanation. A tro-tro is a passenger van commonly used for public transportation. Common features:

-Maximize space! Each tro-tro may have 3 to 4 rows of seats, holding 3 to 4 people per row. Also, seats fold out into the narrow aisle, so if somebody in the far corner of the back row has to get out, well, then a lot of other people have to get off, then get back on to accommodate that person.

-One person drives, while another person operates the sliding side door (and often the side door has problems closing), collects money from passengers and yells out to pedestrians what direction we’re going in.

-It’s great when the tro-tro has a sign on the dashboard, because sometimes it’s hard to tell where they’re going, and you have to get used to the different locations. For example, the location “Circle” (referring to Nkrumah Circle) often turns into someone yelling what sounds like “Circ Circ Circ Circ”.

-Riding in style: Some tro-tros are decked out with flags or other flair inside, or even ultraviolet lights. Many have some sort of saying written on the back window, usually a religious saying.

-Hold on tight: driving in Accra can be crazy, and vehicles seem like they’re always trying to gain that extra inch and get that much further ahead. The amount of honking is insane, and I think a lot of it is warning honks to alert anyone one around you to watch out, here I come!

Amanda meets World Cup Fever

I have a confession that could get me kicked out of Ghana- I’m not a big soccer fan, or a huge sports fan in general, for that matter. Don’t get me wrong, events like the World Cup are wonderful, but I doubt I’ll be watching that many matches on TV. Even so, it’s interesting to note how World Cup fever has taken over Accra.

First, it seems like there are no limits to the place where TVs are to watch soccer. Road-side bars- check. Little stalls food- check. Even in the midst of trash piles and utter poverty, you can find a TV and lots of people crowding around captivated.

My dad commented that when they show the game on TV, you often hear a buzzing sound in the background. The culprit- terrible noisemakers. One kind I’ve seen around here are long plastic horns that are really annoying when blown into your face. But even worse are these little plastic ones about a few inches long, that sound like a combination of a baby crying and a duck. Whoever came up with them should be sent to Antarctica.

The picture above is a celebration in my part of Accra after the Ghana win on Sunday. UConn, where I went to undergrad, had a reputation for celebrating sport victories, I don’t think it compares to the collective joy and festivity in the air of Accra after victory for the Black Stars. Go Ghana!