December 20, 2007
Happy holiday season! The group has moved on from the village life (yes, I cried saying goodbye to my family) and is now touring the country. At the moment we are in Tamale, in the north of the country. We will be moving around plenty for the next few weeks, exposing ourselves to the many wonders of Ghana. Today we visited Anfanni children's home that Aryn will be volunteering at in the new year.
I am enjoying myself very much, but Christmas time is a difficult time to be away from the motherland. I hope that all those in Canada can enjoy the snow and the winter activites that I am missing. Sending love from Ghana, Amanda.
November 16, 2007
Well I have been in Ghana for a little over a month now and my life has been forever changed. I have been having a wonderful time. I could not ask to travel with a better group of people. Today I write from Accra, Ghana's capital city. Today the group and I ventured out to take care of some business and in the mean time were bombarded with the crazy traffic, crowded markets, and always interesting sights and smells. Everywhere we go there are people willing to help us.
For the past few weeks I have been living in Asigbekope. It is a place filled with many wonderful people and things to learn. My host is the chief of the village and his extended family. As I am now the daughter of a chief that makes me a princess. Interesting position for me. I also answer to a new name, Oforiwa, meaning first born daughter. I have been given a fabulous brother. His name is Jacob. He is the same age as me, so it is really nice. He and others have taught me to fetch water from the well, sweep the house with my coconut leaf broom, greet elders, prepare meals, and much more. Jacob and I have formed a close friendship and he has shared many things about his life with me. I am a very lucky woman to have met such a kind individual.
There have been struggles. At times the language barrier is very frustrating. Many times differing beliefs and views create very interesting conversations, many surrounding religion. It is very hard to describe what people are like in Canada. At times it is embarrassing to try to explain some of our practises. Life is all about balance.
There are many things that I could write about, but my mind goes blank looking at the buzzing computer screen. Life is what you make of it and what you expose yourself to. These days I am very happy with the choices I have made.
October 9, 2007
After ~16 turbulent hours in a plane (I am not a big fan of flying) we arrived in Ghana. Things have been excellent since landing on the ground. I love it here. The food is wonderful. Lots of spicy things made with peanuts, millet, tomato, cassava, hot peppers, plantains, corn, fish, ginger, okra, etc. Even breakfast is spicy and I am really enjoying that. The people are so kind (for the most part). We landed in Accra and stayed for a few days. While there we toured the local markets, ate foods that I had never imagined before, and took care of a bit of business. Now we are in a smaller village called Beduko, near Ada. We are learning Dangme, the local language, and that seems to be going very well so far. It will be interesting to see how much we can pick up in the next couple of weeks. I feel as though I have been very well prepared for this experience, so much that the transition to life here has been rather flawless. Not many surprises so far, but then again I am still living in the comfort of a home with running water, electricity, refrigeration, soft mattresses, and ample amounts of food. However we are surrounded by people with less and I imagine that will become more "real" after I start to live in the village.
October 2, 2007
Leaving for Ghana tomorrow. This evening my mother cooked a Thanksgiving dinner and my grandfather and aunt Gail came to enjoy. I still have to pack, but I have the things that I have been told that I need. Just a few pieces of clothing and heeps of medicine that I may or may not need. I have a fresh journal and am excited to see what it may be full of in six months time. I am feeling a mixture of emotions. I know that I am leaving this space, this person that I am, and when I return, I will be the same, but there will be a new level of understanding in my life. I have never experienced poverty before, not like I will see in Ghana.
September 17, 2007
Another year and another adventure. Here we go and I will be documenting events and feelings this time for all to enjoy. Since I left the institution of the educational system I have learned many things. I have learned about myself, my relationships with others, and the earth and its happenings. There is certainly much more to learn and I look forward to it all greatly!
Perhaps I should sum up how I got here. I spent most of the winter in Mexico, learning Spanish and living the good life, came back to Ontario, and then decided to go east for the first time. I visited my dear friend Elspeth Payne, WWOOFed at a Resort/Healing centre in Cape Breton (www.cabotshores.com), and went on a two month bicycle trip spreading seeds of environmentalism (www.otesha.ca).
During that journey I applied for a job with One World Global Education (www.oneworlded.com) and now I am preparing for a journey to Ghana, West Africa. I will be traveling with a group of 4 other individuals who also will be writing blogs; Maria Stoesser of Sarnia, ON (mariasinafrica.blogspot.com), Caitlin Currie of Kanata, ON (essentialadventure.blogspot.com), Aryn Otterbein of Saskatoon, SK (gooseisheadingsouth.blogspot.com), and Mark Lanca of Burnaby, BC.
Last week the group went hiking in Algonquin Provincial Park! Fun, fun, fun. We saw lots of wildlife and only got a bit of rain, but it was enough to challenge the group.