Merry Christmas from the Bruni

Merry Christmas from the Bruni

So, much for writing an entry every few weeks. It has been crazy busy the past month or so. Lots of travelling and work. I have been trying to get this development plan finished so I can move on to doing some physical planning. But the sucker just won’t die!
As to my health, I am 100% cured of malaria. I recovered completely about week after my last entry. It is sooo nice feeling healthy! As to the response to your question, the malaria parasites that I had in my body will never return. They are as dead as door nail. However, if I get bitten buy a mosquito again in Ghana and the ant-malaria drugs do not work, I could get a new strain of malaria parasites. Lets hope not.

It is now the dry season and the weather has changed from hot and humid to dry and relatively mild. In the morning it is actually cool. Well, not so cool that you need a jacket but definitely not hot. There hasn’t been any ran probably for almost a month. Fortunately, the water is still running at my place but I expect to take more bucket showers in the future.
So, I have written another long entry. First there is travelling and then a few observations. Enjoy (as it says on the coca-cola bottle).

Kumasi Fort

On the Saturday of November 3, I went to Kumasi to visit the Kumasi Fort. It was originally built by the British to control the city. However, now it is a military museum for the Ghanaian military. It has some interesting exhibits from World War I and World War II. The Ghanaians fought for the British against the Germans in Togo in WWI and the Italians in Ethiopia in WWII. Funny how the colonial powers would get there own colonies to fight each other.
Toon’s Belgium Hotel (i.e. teachers’ accommodation)
That evening I travelled to Tanaso to visit my friend Toon from Belgium. He is volunteering at a school there and lives with an American and a Ghanaian. The American is trying to set up a computer server for the school. Toon’s place is like a hotel with five bedrooms but only three people. So, the other Europeans who are part of his program often come to stay for the weekend so they can get some time away from their Ghanaian families that they are living with. That evening a total of seven of us stayed and enjoyed Toon’s hospitality.

Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary

The next day Toon, Sarah (Swiss) and I went to Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary. I had stopped there with Victor previously but only for a short time. Now we were going to go for a hike around the reservoir. I guide took us around and it was a great hike through the jungle. We did not see very many animals with the exception of a giant squirrel (no Toon, that is not a small monkey) and a black cobra snake (cool). I guess that the wet season is not the best time for seeing animals. The sanctuary felt like walking through the atrium in the Calgary Zoo.

Along the way we saw two guys with incredibly long bamboo logs on there heads. They were from the local village and cut down the logs. In turn, the warden was giving them heck because they are not allowed to take anything from the sanctuary. He let them off this time.
The highlight of the hike was the "bamboo celebration". A celebration indeed. In this one area were hundreds of bamboo trees with a clearing in the middle. Inside you felt like you were in a bamboo cathedral. It was simply amazing! Even the benches were made out of bamboo.

Asenemaso Traditional Shrine

On our way back to Toon’s, we stopped at the Asenemaso Traditional Shrine. The shrine was quite small but had interesting carvings on the outside. It was also painted red/brown at the base and the rest was white. The man who showed us the way called on the caretaker to open the place up for us. The lady wanted to charge us $10 to go in, which is an absolutely ridiculous amount in Ghana. We got her down to $5 for all of us and I offered to pay as it was my idea and I was only one not a volunteer. There was really not much to see inside but a small alter where the priest used to place his sacrifices. There is no longer a priest as most Ghanaians have converted to Christianity or Muslim.

Go Kotoko!

I took the next weekend off to rest. However, I did catch one more match between Kotoko and Sportive. It was high flying action, let me tell you. There was no holding back by the players and if someone got injured, they were limping off the field. None of this diving stuff. Kotoko was behind 1 – 0 but came back at the end to win 2 – 1. The crowd loved it. Sam (the engineer from the office) and I went to the match. It was interesting to watch the commentators yelling the play-by-play through their mobile phones for their radio audience.

Cape Coast

The weekend of November 18-19 was a trip to Cape Coast and Elmina with Lia and a couple of her friends. Cape Coast is the home of the Cape Coast Castle which the Swedes started in 1653 and later the British captured in 1665. The castle is one the many slave forts that were built along the coast of Ghana. Back in the day African tribes would bring captured prisoners to the castle and sell them to the British as slaves. Now the castle is a World Heritage Site and is extremely well preserved. We were given a tour of the building and shown the women’s and men’s cells. There was even a tunnel from the men’s cell to the "door of no return" where slaves were to go through in order to board the ships to the new world. We also went through the museum they had.

Considering all that happened there, the place was rather solemn. There were very few tourists and often the only sound was the waves hitting the rocky shore. With its white washed walls, the castle almost seemed like a monument in itself to all those who were enslaved.
The rest of Cape Coast was really interesting. It is quite urban with lots of old colonial buildings. There is even a very unimposing "London Bridge" which crosses a creek. On one hill is Fort Victoria and another was Fort William. We went up to Fort William and got a great view of the town. The Fort is being used as a light house/tourist site. When we were there the caretaker was drying his laundry on one of the old cannons. At night in Cape there is good a vibe going along some of the streets with night food vendors and drinking spots. The street food was yummy!

Elmina

From there we went to Elmina. Now if there is any place that is a postcard picture, it is this town. There is a lagoon where the fisherman bring there colourful boats to mourn and unload their fish. There are the beautiful beaches with white sand and palm trees. In the background is the biggest and oldest slave fort in Ghana: Castle St. George. Also, on one hill is Fort St Jago which was built to protect the Castle.

Castle St. George was established by the Portuguese in 1482 but later captured by the Dutch in 1637. This Castle is huge and imposing. There is little solemn feeling here as the castle is under renovation and there were a lot more tourists. We were given an interesting tour of the place by a very informative guide. The "highlight" of the tour was the cell where unruly slaves were put and left to starve to death. The tour guide put us all in the cell, closed the door, and then said "alright, see you on Monday". Is it right to laugh when you are at a former slave fort?

So, I was thinking of what a slave had to go through. He/she was first captured by an opposing African trip. In turn, they were marched to one of the forts along the coast. If they survived the march, they would be sold to the Europeans. The Europeans would then put them in a large dark sell with other slaves where they would have to wait about six weeks. If they survived the wait, they would be put on a boat to take them to the new world. If they survived the trip, they would be forced to work at someone’s plantation. And this person was the lucky one?! Crazy world.

Traditional Wear

The President of Ghana has decided that all government workers should wear traditional clothing at the office on Fridays. It is quite a spectacle with the women in their extremely colourful dresses and men in their tie and dye/batik shirts. People at the office have been bugging me to buy traditional wear for myself. So, finally I went with my friend Sammy (the engineer) and picked out some material. I got seven yards for $8. Then we went to a seamstress and she made four shirts out of it, for $3 each. When I wore it to the office, everyone was commenting on how good I looked, ha, ha.

Go North

Lia, the other Canadian intern, come up with the idea that we should take a week off work and visit the northern city of Tamale. This city is well known for being a well planned. Since we were already going to Tamale, we thought we should go all the way to Bolgatanga first, back down to Tamale, and then to Mole National Park.

The Bus Ride from Hell

Bolgatange (or Bolga for short) is one of Ghana’s most northern cities and very close to Burkina Faso. The plan was to leave Saturday in the morning from Kumasi and meet Lia there. I had heard that as you go north, the climate and vegetation changes from humid and jungle to dry and savannah. I was all excited about this bus trip because I would be able to see the transition along the way.

The State Transit Commission (STC) is known to be the most reliable. Of course, being Ghana, the bus is an hour late. Ok, no problem, what is one hour. So, we get going about 11am and we are on the road. I’ve got a prime window seat, a Star Wars magazine from my mom, and the Bradt guide ready for getting descriptions of places. Hmm, why is the bus circling Kumasi? Why are we now at the STC workshop? Oh, the bus has a mechanical problem…great.

So, we all disembark. Fortunately, the workshop is also a stopping point for other STC buses and there is a place to eat and rest. I go and get some lunch in the hopes that upon finishing the bus will be fixed. Nope. Not until FIVE GRUELLING HOURS LATER the bus is finally fixed. Why they did just get us another bus is beyond me (this a bit of foreshadowing by the way). The most of exciting thing during the wait was watching the Muslims praying at their set required times.
So, it is about 5pm now and we are on the road. Of course, by six it is dark and you cannot see anything. We reach Tamale and guess what? The bus breaks down again. Who would have predicted that? Fortunately, there is a STC yard nearby and the driver goes and gets us another bus (again, why not in the first place?). It is about 1am and we end up waiting an hour along the road. Finally the bus rolls up, we unload and reload the other bus and get going to reach Bolga at 4:30 am. 17.5 hours later we have arrived. I let Lia know and one of her friends came to meet me. And the funny thing was the length of time it took me to get there was not that big a deal; it was the disappointment of not seeing the countryside.

Bolgatanga

Bolga reminds me of Devon, Alberta, Canada. It is flat, has a highway cutting the town in two, and the centre of city is offset to the east. If you haven’t been to Devon, I guess this does not help. Bolga is also extremely dry, hot, and brown. However, it does have a very relaxed atmosphere. The highlight is the bike lanes along the highway. The lanes are really popular with the locals and you have to be careful to not get hit.

Bicycles are an important mode of transport in the north. So popular that southern Ghanaians call bicycles "Busanga Volvos". The Busangas are a trip in northern Ghana who is known to use bikes as their mode of transport.

The main purpose of going to Bolga was to see Lia’s friend Rachael. Rachael is Canadian living with two other Canadians and a Dutch girl. Ella and Rachael are working with CUSO.
After sleeping in, the first day was pretty chill. It was even more chill when we went to Roots for coffee. This is a Ghanaian hand craft store which was started by a Ghanaian-Canadian. His Rasta-man brother is now running it. Ella and Rachael are friends with the Rasta-man and he was very Rasta with his dreads and bright coloured clothes. I ended up buying a few things from his shop.

The next day was off to Tamale but before we went we stopped at the straw basket market. Not only were there straw baskets but also straw hats, fans, and bags. Lots of great stuff for affordable prices.

Tamale

Do the transport problems ever end? It all starts with Lia, myself, and on other guy in the back of a tro. There is the necessary amount of room for all of us. Then some guy is approaching us to sit. In the end, four of us are expected to squeeze in the back of this metal box on wheels. Along with being very squished, the tro ends up breaking down three times before reaching Tamale. We arrived though in the end.

Next was the search for a hotel. We went to one place and it had to be of the worst I had ever seen. There was half a toilet seat, a big curve in the middle of the mattress, and very drab walls. It was clean and very cheap though. Thank goodness we decided to leave. We ended up at the International Centre for Cultural Studies (TICCS) which had to be the best hotel I have stayed in Ghana, for the price. The hotel had a beautiful garden, a jungle bar, a library (for university students), and even a swing! So awesome. The rooms were also very clean and the beds comfortable.

Tamale is bigger than bolga and has more vegetation but is still flat. Tamale also has bicycle lanes along the side of the main highway. The amount of bicycles, scooters, and motorbikes reminded me of Taiwan. Unfortunately, the scooters and motorbikes take to using the bicycle lanes which can be hazardous.

The city has a very interesting design. At the centre of the city are the STC station, the taxi/tro tro station, and the market. A road circles the centre and from there roads radiate outwards towards various destinations in Ghana. The city is looped by several sets of ring roads. There we even parks for people sit. The city felt very well organised and relatively clean.
A number of very large mosques were built around the city (there is a large Muslim population in the north). The historical centre of the city appeared to be at the chief’s place which behind looked to be the original community buildings with round walls and thatched roofs. Some have called this a slum but we walked through it and while old and run down, the people seemed not to be in too bad a situation by Ghanaian comparisons.

The following day we went to the Municipal Assembly in search of the physical planner. Our timing could not have been better. When we arrived, we met with the planner and found out there was a meeting on the subject of beautifying the city in time for the African Nations Cup football championship. He invited us to stay for it and it had to be one of the highlights of my internship.

The meeting was to talk about the progress on the beautification project. In addition, an architect was presenting his digital 3D model of how Tamale could look after the beautification. The architect was from Tamale, studied in Britain, worked in the US, and was friends with the mayor. There were proposals for treed boulevards, fountains, garbage bins, billboards, new buildings, street signs, and entrance features. It was so refreshing to see people actually thinking about how to make a city inviting and comfortable in Ghana.

Afterwards we had lunch with the planner. We learned that a lot of the good planning that has happened in Tamale has been not because of strong enforcement (they have practically no building inspector) but because of good interventions and great vision. Examples:

• The city had a made a Physical Development Plan in 1970 which laid the foundation for the shape of Tamale today.
  
• A past District Coordinating Director had done his thesis on bicycle lanes and had insisted that they be incorporated in the highway running through town.
  
  USAID assisted with putting in services (roads, water, electricity) into a new community BEFORE any house was built. This is unheard of in Ghana from my knowledge. The initiative helped attract people to the area and they built their houses as per the subdivision plan.

We were invited by the architect to a reception in the evening. In the end, the reception was being put on by a hotel owner in recognition of the mayor’s recent marriage. There was a buffet, drinks, speeches, and dancing. It was a great time but hard to talk about planning with the music so load. I am such a geek.

The next day we went to the physical planner’s office and read the 1970-85 Physical Development Plan. It was an extremely interesting read and provided the explanation of how the city was laid out. The plan policies have never been updated; however the planners use the maps as basis for drawing new maps of the city. They were just completing an update and it was interesting to see a greenbelt planned for the city. Sadly, they plan on expanding into the greenbelt once they have used all the land within the current boundaries.

Afterwards, we went to the Tamale market in search of the Gonja cloth weavers. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the weavers we found by the people who take the woven cloth and sew it into smocks which are traditional clothes in the north. The smocks looked like Mexican ponchos but without the hood.

On the Thursday, we were to go and see the Canadian Governor General who was in town and having a luncheon. However, after letting the High Commission know our plans they telephoned us back to see we were not invited and to stay away. Thank you Canada. So, instead we went to Mole National Park early.

Mole National Park

Lia and I got on the afternoon bus for Tamale to Mole. The first hour was fine but then the tarmac ended and we hit the dirt road. That had to be the most bone jarring 3 hours of my life. However, we got there and surprisingly with no breakdowns. The National Park had setup a hotel on top of a large escarpment where we ended up staying. The place had a restaurant, a pool, and a beautiful view of the park. Our room was not bad but there was an ant problem and you still had to have bucket showers. So, not absolutely luxury but great overall.

In the morning of Friday, we went on the scheduled guided tour in search of animals and specifically elephants. Before we walked down the escarpment the guide, in his kaki outfit and armed with a rifle, gave us instructions on what to do and not to do around the animals. There was also a strong hint that at the end he expected a tip.

So, off we went. At the bottom of the escarpment are a couple of watering holes where the elephants are known to have a drink and bath. No elephants so far. However, we did see a variety of types of antelope, warthogs, and birds. After sometime the guide got a call on his cell that the elephants had arrived. We dashed over to where they were. Wow! What a site. I have seen elephants in the zoo but these creatures looked incredibly majestic with the morning mist and in the savannah. There were two of them walking along and taking their time to eat. We could only get within about 50 metres of them. The guide was very happy because he knew that he was going to get a big tip.

We went on a second tour after some Dutch girls spotted four elephants in the pond below the escarpment. They rushed and got a guide. In that case, we got within 20 metres of three elephants bathing in the water. There was also another in the bush near by. Lots of pictures to be had.

That evening Lia’s friends Rachael, Ella, and another girl showed up. They had taken a cab from Tamale and were covered in red dust from the road. It was hard to recognise them, ha, ha.
In the evening we also went with a Canadian couple for tour in their truck. Lots of antelope, warthogs, and birds again but no elephants. It was fun sitting in the back with people from the US, Austria, Holland, and Canada. A weird site was seeing the warthogs and baboons sharing a meal at the local garbage dump.

The rest of the time at Mole was spent by the pool or at viewing platform drinking cheap beer. I think this was the first real resort I had ever been to. It was a total bruni party with all these random travellers from all over the world. There were some US army guys visiting the park also. I overheard one saying "you had to keep your seat belt off just in case someone through a grenade into your vehicle". Wonder what tour of duty that was.

Even at the hotel there were animals. The warthogs were eating grass. Monkeys ran by your door. The craziest event was a baboon that came right up to the swimming pool. At first everyone was very fascinated. That changed to concern when it tried to run off with a couple of peoples purses. Fortunately, when we stood up in protest it got frightened and ran away.
Larabanga

On Saturday, Rachael and I decided to go to Larabanga to see a famous mosque. The only way to get there was by biking six kilometres along a dirt road. So, we got on our one speed Busanga Volvos we rented from the hotel and made the trek.

No one is quite sure when the mosque was built but I guess the villagers are stuck on 1421. The mosque was one of the oddest but most interesting buildings I had ever seen. It is a mud-and-thatch mosque, with a rectangular floor plan. What makes the building interesting are these I-teeth like shapes situated along the length of each wall. Wooden beams also jut out periodically as the building gets higher. The mosque is not especially large but it has this imposing feel. We were not allowed to enter the mosque but we did see the Imam and witnessed the call to prayer.
Larabanga was interesting for its set of mud huts that the villagers live in. However, it seemed like a relatively poor place with dirty children running around in their underwear and most people with holes in their clothes. I guess the village had depended on the animals in the park for food. However, since it was a protected area, the only source of income now seems to be tourism and perhaps some agriculture.

The Trip Home

We boarded the bus at 4am on the Sunday. The trip back took me 16 hours two buses and a tro tro. Fortunately, Lia and I never encountered any breakdowns or late buses. It was nice to see the countryside during the day. The land changed sharply when we crossed the Black Volta River. In the north were deciduous trees and grassland. The villages had round mud huts with thatched roofs. These huts were connected by mud walls to form a compound for each family. The agriculture in the north was primarily rice, cotton, and yam. Also, the people typically leave you alone up north. It was like another country. As we moved south it was back into the jungle with rectangular mud huts, palm, plantain, and coco trees, and a lot of obruni cat calls. Ahh, welcome back home.

Physical Planning

So, I told you how there are two different types of planning in Ghana: Economic Planning and Physical Planning. Well, economic planning appears to be the rich kid. Right now, I am working with the economic planner and we have three computers, gas money, and lots of support from the big bosses. People see this office as important since it coordinates all the local and internationally supported projects within the District.

Physical planning on the other hand has no computers, no gas money, little support, and often no money to even draw subdivision plans. And sometimes there is not even a building inspector to ensure that the plans are being followed. To show how little support there is, this coming year, the office has been given ZERO dollars to draw plans.

However, I do not understand this lack of interest in physical planning. This office is one of the top generators of local revenue through the registration of plots and the provision of building permits. And it could be making even more money if more plans were drawn, more building inspectors were hired, and people were educated about physical planning. It was suggested by the physical planner that 30% of development in urban areas are not registered in the office and 50% in rural areas. Wow!

Ok, ok, maybe I am just going off because it is so sad to see my profession so not respected in another country. However, if the Assembly wants to wean itself off of national and international contributions, they are really going to have to start supporting this office. With good planning you get high land values. With high land values you get high property taxes. With property tax money you can build your communities.

And there are all those other issues with a lack of planning. Why are garbage dumps being put by rivers? Why is a gasoline storage area next to a guy selling meat? Why is there poor drainage? Why are the roads all over the place? What is going on!
There is my planning rant for the evening. Hope you enjoyed it.

Indiscriminate Defecation

I think that is what I am going to call my next punk band. Hmm, I guess I have to learn an instrument first. Anyway, yes, I found the phrase indiscriminate defecation in a planning document I was reading. It is a bureaucratic way of describing the common site of people free-range urinating and crapping in the street or bush. Guys will just whip it out in the middle of a busy street and piss in the gutter. I have also heard stories of women with skirts just spread their legs over a gutter and doing there business.

So, what is the deal? Well, there is a real shortage of toilets in this country. The problem stems from the fact that many houses and commercial buildings do not have toilets in them. Even if the house is supposed to have a washroom, it will often get turned into an additional room as families are so large. Or, the septic tank will get full and the family does not have the money to get it cleaned out.

To combat the problem, public toilets will be built in the community. But in turn, no one is willing to clean them. So, a caretaker is appointed to charge a service fee to be used for the cleaning of the toilet. Well, then people do not want to pay so they go back to the street or bush. Vicious cycle.

I have to say it is nice to be a guy here. I try to find a toilet when I need to relieve myself. However, when worse comes to worse, there is always a wall or tree. Doing a number two though can be sometimes worrisome, especially with the threat of the runs. I really worry I’ll be caught some where with no place to go. At work, I have to access to the toilet using the golden guy held by the big bosses. And it is literally the golden key. Guess they don’t want anyone dirtying their toilet.

The overall message: Toilet paper, do not leave home with out it.

Garbage, Garbage, Everywhere

Along with a shortage of toilets, there is a shortage of garbage bins, garbage trucks, and garbage dumps. So, people just randomly toss their garbage everywhere; in the street, in the market, in the bus station, in the gutters, etc. The most common piece of garbage you see are the black plastic bags that people are given when ever they purchase something. I heard that one African country has banned the bags. Sometimes you see unofficial dumps located in places where no one else is willing to build…like along waterways. Nice. Fortunately, most tourist sites have garbage bins near by.

In Konongo, I only know of one actual garbage bin and it is at the District Assembly building. So, I do my best to get my garbage there even though it is two taxis away. The alternative is, according to the locals…behind the mango tree….yes, that is the unofficial dump near my place.
However, there are times when you have to just do as the Romans do. This is especially when you are travelling. You could just carry the garbage with you but it maybe another day or two before you find an actual garbage bin. So, off it goes on to the ground. It was painful the first time…so painful. The poor whales.

Friendliest People in the World?

One Australian I know described Canadians as being "horribly friendly". And I have to admit, we are pretty nice people. Of the people I have met before going to Ghana I found that Canadians and the Irish were the friendliest. Well, expect that one Irish guy when he drank…get off the cider! Inside joke with my museum hostel friends.

Ghanaians. Wow! These people really cut the cake (do people say that?). As soon as they see you it is what is your name? Where are you from? Where are you going? If you look slightly lost they will direct you and even sometimes take you where you need to go. They will fetch water for you, carry your food basket, and carry you groceries even if you say it is not necessary. They are always offering their food to you. You say hi on the street and you often get a big smile and a hello in return. There is often an invitation to ones home. It is truly amazing.
Of course, this makes it difficult to tell the difference between someone who is just trying to get something out of you and someone who is genuinely interested in helping you out. However, you learn that most of the people trying to rip you off hangout at the tourist sites and the taxi/tro tro stations. But exceptions aside, most Ghanaians are great.

Give me, Give me

While Ghanaians are friendly, some will be asking for things. Do you have money for me? Can I have your number? Can I have your address? Can I have your e-mail address? Can you be my friend? Can you be my bother? Did you bring anything back for me from you trip? Can you help me to get a visa for Canada? Can you help me get into university in Canada? It gets tiring coming up with friendly ways of denying these requests.

Safety First

I think I mentioned before that Ghana is a safe country to live in. But let me reemphasis it. For example, not one bruni has told be that they have been involved violent incident. With the exception of the odd scuffle, I never witnessed anything in terms of violence. And with the exception of an evening in downtown Kumasi, I have never felt unsafe walking home in the dark. Of course, there is violence here and I have heard in the news of armed robberies and vigilante justice. And in any country, it is never good to let down your guard. However, for all the wrap that Africa gets in the news about violence, Ghana is not one of those countries.

IT without Borders

So, practically ever computer in the office has a computer virus. And the funny thing is that they do not even have internet. The viruses get around by saving themselves onto your memory stick (or pen drive as they call them here) and infecting the next computer you insert it into. It is as if my memory stick is a digital STD. The computers do have antivirus but a lot the time the virus definitions are outdated. Fortunately my computer’s antivirus is updated enough that it can clear my memory stick. They really need IT without Borders here.

The Bradt Guide

This guide was written by Philip Briggs and is the only English guide to Ghana. I am aware of a German guide but I don’t read German. So, every bruni you meet will have this guide with them. What does the Bradt Guide say? Do you have you Bradt with you? Can I borrow you Bradt? It is like we are all part of one big giant book club.

Philip Briggs is a funny guy. Unlike Lonely Planet, which tries to be overly objective, Mr. Briggs just tells it like it is. And with the exception of the bus times, the cost of anything (inflation is 10%), and some maps it has some extremely accurate descriptions. There is a lot of amusing information such as the following description of first Tamale and second Takoradi:
"Hot, flat and quite incredibly dusty: first impressions are less than flattering, unless you’re a homesick construction worker".

"While one recent letter characterising the city centre as a rat-infested, smelly dump does seem unduly harsh, the reality is that the city is of interest primarily as a well-equipped staging post for forays to more inherently attractive places."

Did I mention that Mr. Briggs is British and a birder? Ahh, that explains it.

The Search for Shaving Cream

One day, I noticed that I was running out of shaving cream. So, off I go to the market in search of some. Nobody sells it!?! But how is this so? The Ghanaian men I see all have shaved faces. I find out that most men here using something called shaving power. You just put it on your face, leave it there for a few minutes, and then whip the hair off. However, the label has all these warnings about not using it within 24 hours of the next application and not mixing with other products. My guy friends have told me that sometimes it causes a rash. I think the stuff is like Neat. Why I know about Neat, I do not know.

So, I am thinking the women must shave here and use some kind of shaving cream. Well, guess, what? The women do not shave their legs in Ghana. In fact, guys find hairy legs quite attractive.
I end up resorting to using suntan lotion which actually worked find. In Kumasi, an Irish girl took me around and showed me where to get some. It is nice having Bruni stores in Ghana.

New Friends and Neighbours

So, I have some new neighbours in the other unit of my duplex. There are two guys doing there National Service in Konongo. There is no military service in Ghana but those who have graduated from university are expected to spend a year doing service for the government. Joe and Sam are their names and they are doing a GPS survey of the existing community structures in the District. Really a good bunch of guys and we often hangout. When I am in a good mood, I will take them out for drinks. The whole $6 for two rounds does not really break the bank.
Also, there are two Ghanaian women leaving in the next door complex to me. The have recently graduated to and hang out with Joe, Sam and I.

Then there is Baraka who is doing her National Service under my boss Victor. Victor does not know what to do with her, so has assigned her to help me with the development plan. Along with doing the odd work I give her, we have some amusing conversations about Ghanaian life.

Another Cultural Lesson

In Canada, when a person accepts your invitation to buy them a drink, it is the understanding they will accompany you to the selected establishment where you will be purchasing the beverages. In some sense, you are paying for the company of your friend.
In Ghana, the same invitation could lead to different results. For example, it was my friend Sam’s birthday and I was planning to treat him and our friends at a drinking spot. I decided to invite my boss along. He stated that he was too tired to join us but could I bring him back a Coke and a Malta for him. Sounds pretty rude right?

Fortunately, Lia had told me of a similar story of her offering to buy lunch for her boss. She too had thought that if he accepted, he would come to the establishment with her. Instead, he said he was too busy but could she bring back lunch for him.

I guess the explanation is that I am offering a gift of drinks and where and when you enjoy those gifts is not of concern. So, I was disappointed that Victor was not coming along but I decided not to protest. His request was completely normal Ghanaian.