Four walls and a keyboard: Update

Four walls and a keyboard

'I love talking about nothing. It's the only thing I know anything about.' ~ Oscar Wilde

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Update

I keep saying that I'll get better at posting on my blog. Well, one month left to go, and I haven't gotten any better. I blame it on the work and Facebook. It seems that I spend most of my time now reading other people's info on Facebook that I don't update anyone on me! It's funny how internet trends work, first Hi5, then blogging/livejournal, then facebook. People are fickle creatures I guess.

Anyway a lot has been happening since the last posting. Here's the gist:

I am desperately trying to get my work done, but the sad news is that there's now way in hell I'm getting it all done here. I'll be bringing the reports back with me, and I'll be working like crazy to get the booklet done in the last month.

Mom and Dad left back for Canada from a two week visit here. It was great to see them, and I had a blast doing touristy things for a change. The highlights of the trip were:

- Walking through Mole national park, in the middle of the bush, in my bare feet (my sandals were not made for slimy African mud) to see three elephants washing themselves off in the watering hole. THe visit to Mole was also highlighted by a hen laying an egg on Jeanine's and my bed at our guesthouse!
- Visiting Abdallah's parents with my parents. This was my second visit but my parents first, but yet again I was given a pet rooster. Pape, this time I did get pictures. I named my pet rooster Walter, and gave him to my friend Bari. My only condition upon the adoption of Walter was that he become part of fufu and groundnut soup. Abdallah's parents were originally going to give me a goat, but he told them about my dislike of the creatures.
- Dad's desire to try all the different beers made in Ghana, but only ' the big big beers!' Also his love of bananas.
- Going to Kpandai with my parents. Everyone thanked them for coming to visit, it was funny.
- The EPIC bus ride from Kpandai to Accra. We were supposed to take a big bus, but because there wasn't enough passengers they sent a smaller, more run down Benz bus instead. It was the same driver that was drag racing down the highway in another ride I've taken from Tamale to Kpandai. Anyway he had just gotten back from Accra that morning, had two hours to go to the house and had to turn around again. At Lungi we had to stop so they could change a wheel bearing on the vehicle, then we had to drive slowly because the road was very bad and we were overloaded with yams. We got stopped at every police barrier imaginable, and the police had some extra ones set up along the way. At one point past Hohoe we had three barriers in the span of five minutes driving, no kidding! When we reached Senchi we had a flat tire and made it into Accra around two in the morning. We were lucky to get a taxi straight away at the Ashaimun police barrier, to send us into Nungua to drop off luggage at Banahene's. But from Banahene's the driver didn't know where the hotel was so we got a tour of Accra at three in the morning. The driver paid us back for the time by trying to overcharge us for the taxi.
- Cape coast and Elimina were beautiful. We stayed at a beach resort at Elimina which made me feel a tad too touristy, but it was nice to have warm running water again. We got to see the castles, I had the biggest prawns in my life for supper, and got to watch some movies that I hadn't seen.
-THe taxi ride from the hotel in Accra to the bus station after saying goodbye to my parents on Monday. The taxi driver was drunk, and in an attempt to dodge traffic on the beach road, got us stuck in traffic on a side road and hit two tro tros in the process. Twice Bari and I had to get out and push the guy's car to get it going. His battery was bad. After the third time the car stopped we ditched him and got in with a more sober driver!

There's lots of other tidbits, but not much time. TOmorrow I am heading to Salaga to do interviews, I'll be back in Tamale for the weekend, then I'm off to Kete Krachi to do more interviews. Hopefully by this time next week I'll have the content of the booklet finalized!

posted by angelina @ 3:42 AM

1 Comments:

At 12:31 AM, Anonymous said…

whats a tro tro? another taxi?