Ghana Trip - 5 - 2nd January 2009.

Hello everyone!
Hope you all had a great xmas and new year.

I've just read my previous blogs and I noticed many spelling mistakes.
I'm writing this new blog on a Norwegian keyboard so it's not helping is it! LOL.

thanks for all the comments. I appreciate it.
Yeah margaret, theres many things that needs to be changed here. I'll talk about the Presidential Election later on in this blog. Frankie, we ended up missing the old firm! Because they changed the time from 3pm to 12pm! I managed to watch the goal and interviews. The boy in my group is a hardcore Rangers fan so that was really funny. But since both teams are out of Europe now, it's going to get more competitive! I was surprised Celtic won as they've been playing terrible in the past few games. AND it was at Ibrox!!! Also, somebody told me my man MIZUNO scored few weeks ago!?!?! Also, hows the good old Queen of The South FC doing?

Tori, Tori, Tori, Tori. It's so nice to hear from you! Sorry I haven't been in touch as It's hard to access facebook here... The connections are slow. Theres actually more than 1 episodes I can't reveal here! LOL! It's all personnal and it's all on my diary. Like self discovery or life changing experiences.... I'll tell you everything when I get back.

Anyway, theres actually 1 story i can happily reveal here, which well finish the Accra Episode nicely.
So, this story involves drinks, drugs and a prostitute! (Don't worry people! just read on...)

So, we went out. There was still a lot of things I wasn't happy about, like the differences between the rich and the poor, etc. Anyway, we were at this bar drinking beer when this Crack-head approached us. Apparaently he's from a rich family who was disowned by his family for dropping out of University and getting into Crack Cocain. He was obviously not right in the head. He started hassling us but we managed to sort him out. I can't believe someone would waste such opportunity since a lot of Ghanaians can't affored to go to University.
After that, there was a lot of people selling us all kinds of drugs. Since I knew the law (10 years in jail for even a spec of weed) and the health risk (not all drugs are reliable), I steered away from those people. When we were walking to the next bar, this girl came and said hello. Her name was Mable, pretty Ghanaian girl in a sexy top, started chatting to us. Since she was quite sound, few of the boys invited her to join us for few drinks. She came along, holding my hand! At this point, I knew what was going on. But I couldn't think of a way to escape from this setuation. Somebody said it's 15 cidies for 1 night (10 pounds) and i thought "For God's sake....". I would never pay for such services, or even spend a night with someone I don't love. I don't want to talk about this, but I could't be more honest. Anyway, we got to the next bar. The she didn't want to sit with us. She wanted to sit with me. So I bought her a drink and sat with her. I was thinking about the best way to get rid of her, in the most politest way, as you should never offend a prostitute!!!
So, I thought about what to say to her when she started to talk about herself.
She said she owns a shop selling clothes, bags, shoes etc. She's obviously interested in fashion as she had this expensive looking jewery. I wonder how she paid for it...
She then revealed that her dream is to go to New York. She was obviously intelligent as she can speak 3 languages and she went to school. Then she started to talk about Love. She said her boyfriend lives in Germany who wants to come over and see her, but wasn't sure if that was a good idea... She said she believes in love, but hates men telling her they love her (for obvious reasons, she must be sick of it). Then I told her that my favourite quote of all time is:
"The joy in life is not in hearing the words 'I Love You', but being lucky enough to say it".
Then her face lit up with smile, as if she realized something. I adviced her to go with her heart, only do what she believes in. And I also mentioned that New York will come alive if she believes in it. Then she gave me a big hug saying we are friends forever. I don't know why, but I thought that was sweet.

So... that was one of the most bizarre experience in my life, talking to a prostitue...
But I found the conversation beaitiful and inspiring. I felt she had a good heart and maybe I inpired her to do something good in her life.....

After that we went to the most posh night club in Accra. I didn't perticularly want to go, but I went anyway. Inside the club, I felt like I was in UK as everyone dressed like us back home, all the boys looked like Kanye West! They played the same Hip Hop and R & B tunes.... It's funny most of the young people around the world is the same.
There was this 1 guy who was determind to set me up with girls. I just felt out of place and thought "what I'm i doing in Ghana!?" Then I started thinking about why people go out drinking.

To ease our sexual frustrations?
To forget the day jobs and life in general?
Or simply to be noticed or to be found as if you live inside a dark box where nobody can see you?

Whatever the reason, I felt that we are all human beings after all and all the same anywhere around the world. But I didn't want to be the same as them.
I'm here in Ghana to become a bigger person and to do something posotive in my life. Not to get caught up in that culture...

Anyway, sorry the blogs getting a little dark, so I'll finish talking about Accra.

Theres a big Presidential Election happening in Ghana. I support the NDC as they seem to be the best. But theres been a lot of violence and delays... We're supposed to hear the results tonight. Theres going to be a big change in Ghana next year. Hoping that it's going to be good.

So we spent out for the new year in our village. It's getting hot here, it's about 30 degrees everyday. The weather is weird. Sometimes theres no clouds whatsoever.
New years eve was mental. Many kids going bonkers, throwing fireworks at each other, while the adults went to church. In typical Ghanaian fashion, the DJ guy (yes, a DJ in this teenie weenie village, playing from his PC), forgot the countdown, which no body was bothered about. So 11 of us done a count down 3 minutes after the bells... it was funny so it didn't matter.

So......... 42 days to go. The days here is slow, but rewarding.
I love the local kids. They all remember our names, and they look out for us. Some of them are cheeky asking us for money, or even demanding for money!!! But they are all great. I seem to get on with the locals as I started to memorize the local language, Ewe. Johanas, who lives on the edge of the village fed me some FUFU yesterday. That was tasty!
Sometimes, theres moments I can't stand the people in my group (except Hannah, from Lancashire, whos sitting beside me at the internet cafe in Hohoe, she's great!). I realized that we are all completely diffrent people with diffrent ideas and principles. When I get pissed off, I grab my guitar and head off to the woods. I've written few songs & composed many song ideas.
Also, my iPod keeps me going. Last night, I fell asleep to Joni Mitchell...
It's funny how normal everyday things back home becomes more special/useful here.



Anyway, I better go. It's getting dark now. My superviser will tell me off for being late...
(it's takes an hour on Tro Tro bus through rough roads. it's only 20 miles away...)


jamie x