Akwaaba v2.0

Hello all!!

I know it been a while since I was here, but due to being busy with the orphanage, then getting to tired playing basketball, this is the first time I've been able to come to the internet. And of course the first thing I checked was the Rider game, since I didn't get a text telling me what happened from a certain someone...

My trip here was actually pretty good. There were no flight delays at all and I didn't have to rush anywhere, it was nice compared to my last trip. I got to Accra at 7 on Tuesday night. Met the Projects Abroad guy at the airport and then waited for a few minutes to get the other volunteer that was on my flight. We then jumped in a taxi and headed to the office where we could sleep. It was quiz night for the volunteers in Accra, but we were too tired, so we went and hung out in my room and talked for a while. I went to bed early because I had to get up a 3 am to catch the bus to Kumasi. I had done that last time and wasn't looking forward to the bus ride. The bus left at 4:30 and we got off the bus in Kumasi at 9:30.

The ride wasn't too bad actually. When we got off the bus, I was looking around to see if I knew where we were, and right away I knew exactly where we were. I was then picked up by Anthony, the projects abroad guy that lives in Kumasi, and he took me back to Beatrice's house. After a quick breakfast where Anthony asked me how much I remembered from here, we went to the market. And instead of him taking me on induction, I took him, he wanted to see if I new my way around. So when we got to the market I led him around and didn't get lost at all.

It wasn't at all like my first day last year, because this year I knew what was going on and it was more like two friends walking around then having lunch than anything. After lunch, we headed out to the meeting where I called home for the first time. I patiently waited for Gabby, Enoch and Cheif to show up, they work for projects abroad and I got to know them well last year. It was like meeting really old friends. Anthony said that I have been the only volunteer to come back to Kumasi and volunteer. Even though everyone says they will, he didn't believe them anymore. But he said I proved him wrong.

I went to the Kumasi Childrens home on Thursday morning, and was worried that I would not be able to work in the girls home like last time. Due to a situation with another volunteer at the girls home. But I was hoping that Auntie Esther would remember me and let me stay, and she had no problem with letting me stay. I was so happy. I quickly looked around for the girls I remembered, and most of them were there. I asked Auntie Esther about the few that weren't there, and she said that Grace and Tenguay had left, whether to their parents or adopted she never said. I asked her about Adwoa, because she wasn't there either, but she said she didn't remember, so I'm going to have to bring a picture of her and see what happened. I'm kinda worried, because she was my princess and she was not very healthy, and I'm not sure if anyone would have adopted her, but you never know, I'll see on monday hopefully.

I did check in with some of the boys and will have to update the other former volunteers through facebook about what happend to some of them and whether they are still there or not.

I don't really have many pictures yet, I've been just enjoying my time. But I will post more later.

This is from a tro-tro today on the way to the market. The tro ride took probably 45 mins. We were stuck in traffic for ever.

Its weird here because I don't feel like I've left at all, but its been almost a year since I was here last. It feels like I've been here forever and really it hasn't even been a week. I already know that I don't really want to leave this place.

I'll update more later, more about where I live and stuff. I don't want to take all my time on the internet on this post.

Oh, and comment if you want. I love getting comments.

Saskatoon Airport

Hey all, right now I'm sitting at the airport,with my awesome cousin waiting to board my flight to Calgary to begin my journey back to Ghana. I am defiantly excited that I can finally get my trip underway. I'll update you all later. Oh and it's not just my cousin, that whole family is here as well.

Almost Goodbye...

-Malaria Pills - Check
-Ghanaian Visa - Check
-Flights Booked - Check
-Place to live - Check
-Place to work - Check

T-minus 588 hours and I'll be on my flight back to Ghana and I can't wait.

This month is definatly not going to go by fast enough. When I went last year, the whole month before was excited and nervous at the same time. I wanted time to fly and to slow down at the same time. I couldn't imagine being in Ghana. This time around, I want time to go by much quicker than it is. Ever since I found out that I'll be back at the Kumasi Children's Home, I've wanted to pick up and go back now. I don't want to wait the 3 weeks to go back. But I guess I have no choice.

My visa just came in the mail today, that was the last piece that I needed to pick up before I leave. I was only a little worried about it. I put my visa application in the mail the day before the Canada Post lockout, and was trying not to think about it possibly not getting here in time. But it all worked out.

If you don't know, I'm going for 2 months back to the Childrens Home. I was there for 3 months last year and loved it. I'm going back knowing it will be a great time, because Kumasi is a great place, but at the same time, knowing that it will be a different experience with different people. I'm looking forward to seeing the kids at the Children's Home, and looking forward to seeing how they have grown up since I've seen them last.

I'm going into this trip knowing more what to expect, so there won't be as much shock. Although last year I didn't really have any culture shock, I don't know how I managed it. I think I was just so tired and miserable from the more than 2 day trip to get to Kumasi, that I just decided to go with it. I remember it was in the airport in Calgary when I knew I would probably miss my connecting flight in Frankfurt, that I decided that I couldn't control whether the plane would get there in time. I thought that there was no point stressing about it and to just try to not get to wound up about what was happening. I'd say it worked pretty good, especially while standing in a lineup for 2 1/2 hours only to have the guy at the front tell me he couldn't help me. Ahh, good memories....

I'll write more later when it is closer to when I leave, which is on August 1st, if you didn't know that.

PS. The title of this post is the name of a song, can anyone guess who sings it (leave a comment, I like comments). The lyrics don't really work with the post, but I love the song, and the title fits, so I'm leaving it.

One Full Year

One year ago right now, I was on a plane headed to Ethiopia, have a 2 hour layover, then fly to Accra. Wow, time flies. It seems like it was just yesterday when I was saying goodbyes at the airport and jumping on an airplane to fly halfway around the world by myself. It seems a little crazy now. But I wouldn't go back and change my decision to do it, for anything. There was only one moment that I thought, what am I doing, am I crazy? That was just after I arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, missed my connecting flight, then stood in a lineup for 2 1/2 hours, got to the front of that lineup and have the guy say, "Sorry, I can't help you." Ha, that was fun. After a few minutes of asking for help and getting absolutly none, I found a someone willing to help and she pointed me in the right direction and a found the right place to go in about 2 minutes. So thanks, to the random worker at the Frankfurt Airport.

Since I've been home, I've been trying to tell all the stories that happend to me while I was there. I would think I've told everything, but quite often I'll remember something that I haven't told anyone. Just a couple weeks ago, I told a new story to my parents, they were suprised to still be hearing new things.

To be honest, I'm not quite sure why I decided to start another blog. I just wanted to start writing again.  It was a couple weeks ago, when I came home and found that water had came into the basement through my bedroom window. I stood at the top of the stairs and thought, I don't want to go downstairs. I didn't want to see what had happend to my room. My journal, that I wrote in everyday for 3 straight months, and where I put all my little bus passes and all my little papers inside of my journal, was sitting on a shelf right below my window (where the water came in). I didn't want to go into my room, I didn't want to know if that jounal was completely wrecked or not. Finally, I went into my room and discovered that my journal was actually perfectly fine. I'm not quite sure how, the water came in right above where it was sitting, and came down the wall right behind it. I was more happy that it was fine than anything else.

In the past few months, I have spoken about my trip at a few different places. If you know me, you no that I am definatly not a public speaker. But they have gone actually pretty good. I think its because I know what I'm talking about. Might I say I've actually enjoyed public speaking, wow, I never thought I'd say that.

Its funny, at least once a day I will see something or hear something that will make me think of something that happened in Ghana, or something that they have in Ghana. I'll stop, smile, and keep going on with my day. I can't believe its been 9 months since I've had a FanIce, that was the best. I actually had a craving for it today. Ok, maybe FanIce isn't the most important thing in the world, but I couldn't possibly list everything I miss. The list would begin with the girls at the Children's Home and go on from there. I have several pictures of them up on my wall in my room, and as my background on my computer, among other places.

That's about it for now. But stay tuned...

Was that a dream?

As of the countdown clock right now, its been 111 days, 7 hours, 51 minutes and 39 seconds and since I've landed in Saskatoon. Wow, time has flown.

I've gone back and read all my posts that I made while I was gone, hmm, at least now I know that I won't be a writer in the future. I knew what I was talking about, but didn't exactly explain some things very good. Like the term "Obruni" it means white person in twi (the local language). That had become like my second name, and other "obruni's" like myself got shouts at us all the time because we stuck just a little bit. Whether it was just walking in the market, walking anywhere for that matter, or riding in a taxi or tro-tro. You have people that openly stare and point at you. I was suprised that I never actually got too sick of it. 

 What do I miss, well, everything, but more specifically:

- FanIce - the best ice cream 40 peswas can buy
- Water Sachets - 500 ml of pure water in a sachet 5 peswas each. I miss buying it on the street and ripping the corner of one open with my teeth
- Tro-tro's - who wouldn't want to sitting in a mini bus type vehicle that sounds like its going to fall apart, squished beside other sweaty people who you know are talking about you because they say obruni, but that's all you understand. Ahh good times.
- Taxi's - Bargining with taxi drivers who, because your an obruni, think that they can jack up the price alot and you won't know any better. I had one guy try and charge me 5 times what it should cost, needless to say I laughed and walked away. 
- The food - the food was so good. Jollaf rice, fufu, yams, lots of chicken and fice, rice, and stew that I didn't ask what was in it.
- Beatrice - My host mother, she was the best. She was always making sure the volunteers that lived with her were always feeling good. She was an awesome cook and she was always good to answer any questions we had about the Ghanaian culture.
- Alberta, Auntie Ama, and Abigal - Alberta was our cook during the week days, and made the best jollaf rice. Auntie Ama, she is Beatrice's sister that lived with her. She didn't speak english, but I wish that I could've had a conversation with her, she seemed awesome. Abigal, Beatrice's adopted daughter, 2 1/2 years old but she was very smart for her age, I miss her running around the house singing at the top of her lungs, even at 6 o'clock in the morning.
- The girls at the orphanage - They are the sweetest, and cutest little girls you will ever meet. Even though they have no possesions to their name, they are still happy. Even on the days when there toy of choice will be a plastic spoon. Even on the days when they all decide to want to run down towards the kitchen, then cry when I try to herd them back the the girls house. I wasn't very happy with them at the time, since I was by myself, but its all worth it when the come running to you and just want a hug and to be held because they're crying. There was one little girl that I wrote about a bit more, she was the 1 1/2 year old that was really tiny and couldn't sit up by herself or walk. The house mother called her my princess. One of my happiest moments ever was during my last week when I was holding her and she was sitting between my legs on the floor, and I let go and she actually sat up by herself for about 10-15 seconds. I was beyond happy for her, I hope she's doing just as good now as she was when I left. I don't think anyone knows just how much I wanted to bring her home with me and just how much I miss her.

As of right now, I'm working full time, but am saving my money to go back, when and for how long isn't decided yet. But there is no question that I'll be back, and that it will be soon. I bet someone when I was there that I was coming back and that it would be before October 1, 2012, I don't plan on losing that bet.

A special treat for you:

My princess is the second to last girl you see that kind of claps her hands.

Oh yeah, since the Roughriders play in the Grey cup in less than 24 hours, GO RIDERS GO!!

I'm Home...

Hey, sorry about the long wait, but I'm finally updating my blog from home.

I left Kumasi on Sunday the 8th in the morning, with a few tears. Got a bus to Accra at 8 am. The bus ride was not to bad, and I got to Accra at about 1pm. Took a taxi to the airport and had a good 4 hour wait till I could even check my luggage. Finally the time came to check my luggage and I made it up to the gate and waited a bit longer. I spent 9 hours in total waiting in the Accra airport, but it turned out not to be to bad.

The flight left only about 10 minutes late, which compared to my trip to Ghana, was nothing. I got to Frankfurt just after 7 am in the morning local time and my flight to Calgary left at about 9:30. It was easy finding the right gate, and I only ended up sitting and waiting in the airport for 1 1/2 hours, which was awesome. The flight to Calgary left on time, and the flight itself seemed to take forever, but we eventually made it to Calgary.

I got to Calgary after 11 am local time and actually had to pass through customs. The lineup was really long and I figured I wouldn't make my flight to Saskatoon just because I had good luck like that. But the line went really fast and I made it through pretty quick. I had to pick up my luggage and re-check it. It was a good thing for me just so I could see that my stuff actually made it at least to Calgary. It did, and I re-checked my luggage and went to find my gate. I found it and after a quick call home, I sat and waited for about 1 hour before my flight left. Time does not go by very fast when you sit and watch the clock, but the flight eventually left on time.

After the 9 hour flight to Calgary, the flight to Saskatoon felt like absolutly nothing. We landed and because of some other plane in our way, or something like that, we sat on the runway for like 10-15 mins. I actually don't know how long it was for, but it seemed to take longer than my whole trip from Ghana. Probably just because I could see the terminal and knew I was so close to seeing everyone.

We eventually got off the plane and finally seen everyone. It was great to see everyone after 3 months of only phone calls. I had an apple that my Mom brought for me, because I hadn't had one in 3 months and it tasted great. It was about 2:30 pm, when I arrived and after relaxing for a while we went for supper at the Great Buffet of China. There was so much food and although I didn't have very much, it all tasted amazing.

We left Saskatoon and I figured I would crash, because I had been suprisingly not that tired. Well, I made it maybe 5 minutes out of Saskatoon when I fell asleep, and didn't wake up til we turned up the street back home.

Its so nice to be home, but at the same time I miss Ghana so much. When I was still in Kumasi half of me want to leave and go back home. But half of me did not want to leave at all. So it was tough to leave, but once I eventually got going, I was excited to go back home. But now that I'm back home, I want to go back and see my girls. It was really hard to leave them.

Thats about it.

Possibly last post from Ghana

I'm still not sure if I'll get back here to do another post, so this may be the last one. I fly out of Accra on Sunday night at 10:10 pm. And arrive back home in Saskatoon at 2:30 pm on Monday. As long as my flights all go according to plan, and its not like the trip I had to get here.

This whole week has been, its my last...I told everyone I'd be doin that, and I am. Tonight is my last Projects Abroad meeting, I'm really going to miss those guys.

I can't believe it took me this long to remember that you can listen to the radio over the internet. Just on Sunday I found Mix 101.5 website and was listening to that. I never though I'd be happy to hear the Northern Lights Casino commercial.

I'm really going to miss the girls at the orphanage. I was holding one of the little ones yesterday, and asked her if I could bring her home with me. Well, she can't talk and wouldn't be able to speak english anyway, but it sure sounded like she said "yes". She is just over 1 1/2 years old but is really small and can't sit up or talk or feed herself, but, like the house mothers at the orphanage say, she's my princess, lol. I'm definatly going to miss her. Hey, anyone at home wanna adopt a kid, she'd be great. lol. You can't blame someone for trying. In fact I know 11 lovely girls just dying to be adopted.

Alright, that's it for now, I have to leave to go to the meeting. I'm not sure if I'll update this again before I leave. But I will update again when I get back home for sure.