This is LONG overdue, but here is the link to the winning video/song from the song competition. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diMXC5RcH74
Travel update coming soooon...
Monday, February 1, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Sorry it has been ages since my last post, i wont even attempt to make an excuse, because i dont have one. Things have been going really well! I am currently in Israel, visiting my brother, sister-in-law and nephews. Its really nice to be here. The weather at first was a tad shocking...coming from 90 degrees, i guess anything below that, where i dont need to use a sweat rag is shocking! On Wednesday, I am heading to Egypt to meet my friends Andrea and Halley- we all met in Ghana last time around, and it will be so nice to all travel again together! Andrea is living with me in Ghana now, and we actually just moved into a super rad place together! And Halley lives in the US, so we all will be meeting in Cairo on Wednesday.
I moved out of my old place, as i learned that i am paying WAY too much, so a co-worker of mine told me about an empty 2 bedroom house right near hers, that were looking for tennants. So within a matter of days, it was ours! When we first saw the place, there was not much in it and the walls were not painted. The manager told us all the renovations that they were going to do, before January 1st (move in day), but as both Andrea and I have lived here for quite some time, we didnt get too excited. We were just hoping for a bed and a fan for the few nights that we would be sleeping there, before heading to egypt.
So Jan 31st, new years. It was...interesting. Last time i was here, i was a student, so i did student things. And although i just graduated... sometimes i feel like i have taken 10 steps forward. For example, for new years, Andrea and I went out with a friend of mine and some of his friends to this super nice italian restaurant. Andrea and I were by far the youngest, not married, nor employed! So as the octupus, fancy meat, cheeses and sparkling wine started streaming in for the appetizers, we knew we were in for a longgg night, and a hefty bill, which indeed it was. And after one too many conversations where i had to explain my job, we left and went dancing until 6am...we had to make up for dinner!
We then had the wonderful task of moving the next day! It was actually quite smooth, and after bargaining for taxis to ta
ke all of our stuff, we were on our way to our new place. When we arrived, we were completley shocked! They painted everything, put in new beautifully carved wood doors, beds, a closet, big kitchen counter, sink and wood cupboards! And then the landloard told us that they were going to get us living room furniture, a table and chairs for our front porch and
a washing machine! We asked him to repeat himself about three times, as there could be just no way way he was going to get us a washing machine. We said, you mean to wash your clothes? Thinking that he was refering to something else, but no, he actually meant to wash your clothes! The question now is, if it will actually come, but even if it doesnt, we are so happy with our new place, and are already feeling sad about leaving...even though we dont know when that is! The vibe there is just so great, and it will be really nice to have our own place for just us (as my old place i only had a room, and i shared the rest of the house with other people who lived there). And this place is on a compiund, so there are a a bunch of other students who live right near us, who all seem really nice and welcoming!
Work is going very well too. As i mentioned that song event we had in probably all my previous posts, here is a link to an article that I wrote about it :
http://pathwaysghana.blogspot.com/2009/12/launch-of-winning-songs-changing.html
This website is the organization Pathways of Womens Empowerment. They are an international research and communications programme that links academics with activists and practitioners to find out what works to enhance women’s empowerment. CEGENSA (who i work for) in linked to the West Africa hub of Pathways.
I am in the midst of editing another article that I wrote on this same event for Ghana`s national newspaper, the Daily Graphic. This one is more indepth and has more of an analytical focus. So once that is done, i will share it with y'all.
I will be MIA for the next few weeks, but i will be back in Ghana in February, and I promis to post more then!
I moved out of my old place, as i learned that i am paying WAY too much, so a co-worker of mine told me about an empty 2 bedroom house right near hers, that were looking for tennants. So within a matter of days, it was ours! When we first saw the place, there was not much in it and the walls were not painted. The manager told us all the renovations that they were going to do, before January 1st (move in day), but as both Andrea and I have lived here for quite some time, we didnt get too excited. We were just hoping for a bed and a fan for the few nights that we would be sleeping there, before heading to egypt.
So Jan 31st, new years. It was...interesting. Last time i was here, i was a student, so i did student things. And although i just graduated... sometimes i feel like i have taken 10 steps forward. For example, for new years, Andrea and I went out with a friend of mine and some of his friends to this super nice italian restaurant. Andrea and I were by far the youngest, not married, nor employed! So as the octupus, fancy meat, cheeses and sparkling wine started streaming in for the appetizers, we knew we were in for a longgg night, and a hefty bill, which indeed it was. And after one too many conversations where i had to explain my job, we left and went dancing until 6am...we had to make up for dinner!
We then had the wonderful task of moving the next day! It was actually quite smooth, and after bargaining for taxis to ta
ke all of our stuff, we were on our way to our new place. When we arrived, we were completley shocked! They painted everything, put in new beautifully carved wood doors, beds, a closet, big kitchen counter, sink and wood cupboards! And then the landloard told us that they were going to get us living room furniture, a table and chairs for our front porch and
a washing machine! We asked him to repeat himself about three times, as there could be just no way way he was going to get us a washing machine. We said, you mean to wash your clothes? Thinking that he was refering to something else, but no, he actually meant to wash your clothes! The question now is, if it will actually come, but even if it doesnt, we are so happy with our new place, and are already feeling sad about leaving...even though we dont know when that is! The vibe there is just so great, and it will be really nice to have our own place for just us (as my old place i only had a room, and i shared the rest of the house with other people who lived there). And this place is on a compiund, so there are a a bunch of other students who live right near us, who all seem really nice and welcoming!Work is going very well too. As i mentioned that song event we had in probably all my previous posts, here is a link to an article that I wrote about it :
http://pathwaysghana.blogspot.com/2009/12/launch-of-winning-songs-changing.html
This website is the organization Pathways of Womens Empowerment. They are an international research and communications programme that links academics with activists and practitioners to find out what works to enhance women’s empowerment. CEGENSA (who i work for) in linked to the West Africa hub of Pathways.
I am in the midst of editing another article that I wrote on this same event for Ghana`s national newspaper, the Daily Graphic. This one is more indepth and has more of an analytical focus. So once that is done, i will share it with y'all.
I will be MIA for the next few weeks, but i will be back in Ghana in February, and I promis to post more then!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Taxi Drivers
I find taxi drivers here so frustrating and irritating, that I am designating a post to them.
Top 5 annoying things taxi drivers do:
1) Honk repeatedly at you, as if you didn’t hear them the first 10 times as they were approaching you.
2) Make hissing/kissing noises to get your attention….or if they are parked, will say "hello?" "hello?" "hello?" about 5 times until you look over and shake your head no.
3) Picture this. It is a busy road, with cars driving in both directions. I am trying to cross the street and am halfway. Then a taxi will be passing and will slow down to see if you want a ride, but really all he is doing is blocking the road for me to cross, loosing the small window of opportunity to cross the road.
4) When I am standing at my house gate, knocking to be let in, and a taxi driver across the street is stopped, honking at you….I AM TRYING TO ENTER MY HOUSE!!
5) When I am standing at a tro tro (bus) station, waiting for a tro tro to get to my destination. There were generally be a few taxis there as well, and many times the driver will approach me, in a crowd of many people and ask where I am going. He then will say something like ‘come, lets go’. I am just standing there, waiting for a tro tro to get home, just like everybody else.
I think about these things way too often, and because all this anger is bottled up it then pisses me off even more. Last night I actually said, ‘fuck you’ to a taxi driver. I couldn’t help it. I was just walking to buy minutes for my phone and the driver was super insistent and obnoxious. He kept saying, ‘come on baby’, which made me furious, and then it just came out. ‘FUCK YOU’.I was shocked with myself. He didn’t seem to care as he started laughing hysterically. So not as satisfying as I would have hoped. I guess this would be categorized as one of those 'ridiculous' (hence the blog title) moments.
Sometimes I forget how much I stand out. Sometimes I just wish I could just walk freely and not have people assume that I need to take a taxi everywhere I go. I think many people think "obrunis" (foreigners) are totally incompetent. Like we aren’t able to take a tro tro, or that we deserve better or something. Many times too, when I am crossing the road (often at busy intersections), someone will stand next to me and when there is a clearing, they will say, "ok now"…as if we don’t have busy roads or traffic from where I am from and have no clue when the right time is to cross.
Top 5 annoying things taxi drivers do:
1) Honk repeatedly at you, as if you didn’t hear them the first 10 times as they were approaching you.
2) Make hissing/kissing noises to get your attention….or if they are parked, will say "hello?" "hello?" "hello?" about 5 times until you look over and shake your head no.
3) Picture this. It is a busy road, with cars driving in both directions. I am trying to cross the street and am halfway. Then a taxi will be passing and will slow down to see if you want a ride, but really all he is doing is blocking the road for me to cross, loosing the small window of opportunity to cross the road.
4) When I am standing at my house gate, knocking to be let in, and a taxi driver across the street is stopped, honking at you….I AM TRYING TO ENTER MY HOUSE!!
5) When I am standing at a tro tro (bus) station, waiting for a tro tro to get to my destination. There were generally be a few taxis there as well, and many times the driver will approach me, in a crowd of many people and ask where I am going. He then will say something like ‘come, lets go’. I am just standing there, waiting for a tro tro to get home, just like everybody else.
I think about these things way too often, and because all this anger is bottled up it then pisses me off even more. Last night I actually said, ‘fuck you’ to a taxi driver. I couldn’t help it. I was just walking to buy minutes for my phone and the driver was super insistent and obnoxious. He kept saying, ‘come on baby’, which made me furious, and then it just came out. ‘FUCK YOU’.I was shocked with myself. He didn’t seem to care as he started laughing hysterically. So not as satisfying as I would have hoped. I guess this would be categorized as one of those 'ridiculous' (hence the blog title) moments.
Sometimes I forget how much I stand out. Sometimes I just wish I could just walk freely and not have people assume that I need to take a taxi everywhere I go. I think many people think "obrunis" (foreigners) are totally incompetent. Like we aren’t able to take a tro tro, or that we deserve better or something. Many times too, when I am crossing the road (often at busy intersections), someone will stand next to me and when there is a clearing, they will say, "ok now"…as if we don’t have busy roads or traffic from where I am from and have no clue when the right time is to cross.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
My address
Some people have asked for my address, so here it is:
Alison Roadburg
The Center for Gender Studies and Advocacy
University of Ghana
Box 862
Legon, Accra, Ghana
Alison Roadburg
The Center for Gender Studies and Advocacy
University of Ghana
Box 862
Legon, Accra, Ghana
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Song Competition Launch Event
Just a brief update on the popular culture event we had last week. It was great! Just a reminder, CEGENSA (who I work for) in collaboration with a group called Pathways for Women’s Empowerment held a song competition in April, seeking submissions that change the stereotypical role of women in popular music. The idea was to use the music industry as an outlet for change, trying to represent women as key members of society who hold roles outside the domestic sphere and whereby they are not merely sexual objects dancing in the background of videos. Anyways, the winner of the competition was awarded a music video, which our staff were in, but the previewing we had the Friday before the launch event, I was not seen at all…which believe me, I was relieved. I’m not a spotlight kind of girl, so I was quite satisfied to not be seen. The launch itself was great, and there were performances of poetry, the Ghana Dance Ensemble, speeches from various head figures of CEGENSA, Pathways and the VC of the University of Ghana. The three winning artists then performed their songs, and the first place video was shown. Throughout the entire evening, one of my co-worker sons, who is about 8 years old, was sitting with me and was extremely intrigued by my camera. I showed him how to use it, and mistakenly put the strap around his neck, and that was it. I luckily got it back in one piece, but before I knew it, he was walking all around the room, taking pictures of audience members, shoes, people’s watches and the floor…he was short after all. And then his younger brother came over, who was not as gentle. He was grabbing at it, wanting to be like his brother, but there was no way I was going to hand over my camera to this 4 year old. And then the video was shown. So while juggling with these two boys, and trying to glance up at the screen, I see my bright white face alone singing on the massive screen. I knew they were doing some editing from the day before when I had seen it, but I was not expecting to see myself singing along to ‘As Long as You are a Woman.’ So classic. And then the guy next to me says, ‘Oh that’s you!!’, ‘yes, yes, it sure is." When the event came to a close, I was speaking with Ama, my co-worker who I adore, and the mother of these two boys, she approaches me and said, "Oh, they were worrying you weren’t they??" Saying this as if she had been watching me fumble around awkwardly with them the whole time, and secretly loved it!
Monday, November 30, 2009
"You're Invited"
I thought I’d skew away from my standard self-indulgent posts to comment on a practice here that I have been taking note of recently. Whenever people are eating, they invite those around them to join in. They will say, ‘you are invited’, and the others will then thankfully nod. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone actually accept this invitation, and dig into the food, but it is a mere formality to be polite. Its kind of like how we say, ‘how are you’, and the other person generally responds with, ‘I’m good, thanks’. No one actually ever says how they really feel. "Oh, I had such a crappy day…"You’d never be able to get anywhere if we actually told people ‘how we were.’
So I totally know this is a practice, and I normally am pretty good about inviting those around me to share my food, but sometimes it slips. The other day at work, being one of those days, I was called out on it. I was told that I should bring this practice back home, so my way of doing that is to post about it. I guess im latching onto this blog more than I had initially thought!
A great example of the necessity of this practice was in a taxi yesterday. After bargaining for the price for about a minute or so, and after having agreed upon a price that was 3 cedis (the currency) lower than his asking price, we were driving along and he invited me to his food. So not only had we just gotten into an argument, had he tried to rip me off big time, and I obviously sneered and rolled my eyes at him for treating me like I just walked off the plane a day earlier, he still invited me to his meal! Another example was at gym the other day. I was listening to music, running away and in my zone, when I was interrupted by Chris (the trainer), to say, "come let’s eat." I graciously declined, and began thinking a lot about this custom. I tried to picture this ever happening at gyms in Canada, and I simply could not. We are so use to an environment where people are always in their ‘zone.’ Campuses, subways, busses, streets and gyms, people are listening to headphones in their zone, and if they are not listening to headphones, they are still in their zone. When we walk around, we have strict places to go, people to meet and things to buy. We have an agenda for every aspect of our lives (or at least I do!) and we work furiously to accomplish this. The pace of life is different here, and although it takes some time to adjust to, you just have to adjust. People walk slower here, even if they have somewhere to be. And then I notice myself, speeding by people on sidewalks, even though I am in no hurry at all. Students on campus here seem way more relaxed and less…manic. Often I see obruni’s (foreigners) walking around campus with their Ipods glued to their ears, and I hate to say it but they look really foolish and out of place. They are walking around alone, madly swiveling their thumb around the dial, and I can’t help but think to myself, we ought to invite people in more often. When I think of McGill’s campus (especially during exam time…), it is the complete opposite. Pretty much everyone has white cords coming out of their heads, speeding from the library to class to get more coffee…myself included. Im not saying this is ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’, but when I am so far removed from that kind of environment, its hard to not to think about alternatives. Now, I know this is the standard, ‘no hurry in Africa’ type argument, and I don’t mean to be so cliché, I swear, but the whole idea of inviting those around you to join you, got me thinking.
Alright, im off to the immigration office as i realized that my visa expires today....and i dont really want to be deported just yet.
So I totally know this is a practice, and I normally am pretty good about inviting those around me to share my food, but sometimes it slips. The other day at work, being one of those days, I was called out on it. I was told that I should bring this practice back home, so my way of doing that is to post about it. I guess im latching onto this blog more than I had initially thought!
A great example of the necessity of this practice was in a taxi yesterday. After bargaining for the price for about a minute or so, and after having agreed upon a price that was 3 cedis (the currency) lower than his asking price, we were driving along and he invited me to his food. So not only had we just gotten into an argument, had he tried to rip me off big time, and I obviously sneered and rolled my eyes at him for treating me like I just walked off the plane a day earlier, he still invited me to his meal! Another example was at gym the other day. I was listening to music, running away and in my zone, when I was interrupted by Chris (the trainer), to say, "come let’s eat." I graciously declined, and began thinking a lot about this custom. I tried to picture this ever happening at gyms in Canada, and I simply could not. We are so use to an environment where people are always in their ‘zone.’ Campuses, subways, busses, streets and gyms, people are listening to headphones in their zone, and if they are not listening to headphones, they are still in their zone. When we walk around, we have strict places to go, people to meet and things to buy. We have an agenda for every aspect of our lives (or at least I do!) and we work furiously to accomplish this. The pace of life is different here, and although it takes some time to adjust to, you just have to adjust. People walk slower here, even if they have somewhere to be. And then I notice myself, speeding by people on sidewalks, even though I am in no hurry at all. Students on campus here seem way more relaxed and less…manic. Often I see obruni’s (foreigners) walking around campus with their Ipods glued to their ears, and I hate to say it but they look really foolish and out of place. They are walking around alone, madly swiveling their thumb around the dial, and I can’t help but think to myself, we ought to invite people in more often. When I think of McGill’s campus (especially during exam time…), it is the complete opposite. Pretty much everyone has white cords coming out of their heads, speeding from the library to class to get more coffee…myself included. Im not saying this is ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’, but when I am so far removed from that kind of environment, its hard to not to think about alternatives. Now, I know this is the standard, ‘no hurry in Africa’ type argument, and I don’t mean to be so cliché, I swear, but the whole idea of inviting those around you to join you, got me thinking.
Alright, im off to the immigration office as i realized that my visa expires today....and i dont really want to be deported just yet.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Hi all,
So I have been getting a ton of pressure to update more. I think many of you think my life is way more exciting than it actually it. But I will try to fill the void. Work is actually great! As I mentioned in an earlier post, it was slow at the beginning, and although I expected as such, it was hard to deal with. I spoke with the professor (head of CEGENSA) about getting more work and she was super responsive. And I am now overloaded! The main thing that I am working on is research for a sexual harassment project. I have been given loads of data to analyze, and I will also be conducting interviews with students on this topic as well. We are also in the midst of planning an event, which is next weekend, which will present the winning song from a contest that presents women from a positive light. The idea is that the majority of songs that are played in Ghana (and around the world…) present women as either sex objects or as wives. CEGENSA is striving to change this image, which is why this contest took place. The winning artist will not only receive an outstanding ovation in their honor by the wonderful CEGENSA and guests, but they are also being awarded a music video to accompany the song. The song is obviously about women, and a major element of it is representing some of the influential African women leaders, both past and present. There is a photo in the office of all the CEGENSA staff, and the video producer wanted to emulate the photo. So last weekend, we all were to dress in white and we stood in a formation similar to the photo ( and I obviously got the spot of the previous white intern…). We all had to learn the chorus, and sing along with the artist. Needless to say, it was hilarious. One girl asked if we were allowed to dance, and the producer replied with a stern ‘no dancing’, but he let us sway and move our hips, phewf! Haha
Earlier this week, I made a visit to the Buduburam Liberian refugee camp where I use to live/work. When I was about to leave last time, there was a beginning push to clear out the camp. The UN had essentially left years prior, yet there were still thousands of Liberians living on the camp, with no assistance. Life was tough for sure, but unfortunately many people had more stability in Ghana than they did in Liberia. So as I was saying, when I was on my last month in the country, the Ghanaian army had a mission to clear out the camp. This involved raiding the space and searching everyone for UN issued ID cards. People fled into the bushes and those found without a card were put into jail. The UNHCR then re-emerged and gave people the option to either repatriate to Liberia or reintegrate into Ghana. For weeks there was a strong UN presence, checking people’s ID cards, and if they had one, they were eligible for the free transportation back to Liberia. Sounds great. I then learned that a very large percentage of people did not have a UN ID card, because the UN was only issuing them when they were still working on the camp – prior to 2005. This being said, way too many people arrived after 2005, meaning they were technically living there illegally, and were therefor not eligible for the free plane ride home. So now what? That’s the question. This whole process is now over, yet there are still so many Liberians living on the camp.
I did not mean to just give you all a whole rundown of the situation, but once I get going on this, its hard to stop. But where I was going with this is that I went back to the camp this week to visit some of the people I use to work with. I think when I lived there, I was so jaded with the whole situation, that nothing really phased me anymore. But now, I am living in Accra, in a great house, and im working at the University, with the upper crust of society. This being said, traveling back to the camp was a real shock. It seems as though nothing has changed (and I mean how can it? There is no money and hardly any assistance from the outside). Walking around as a foreigner, I scream wealth, luxury and abundance, which is a feeling I hate. My old colleagues are great people, with great intentions, but I just don’t have the time, money or patience to put towards the camp. I went there that day to visit, but I was immediately asked to lead workshops on the weekend and support (financially) their projects. I came back to Ghana for myself. As selfish as that is it’s the truth and I need to stand by that. The work environment that I am in now is so great, and being back on that camp reminded me of that. The staff here treat me as an equal, and never single me out for having money. That being said, they are a very lucky percentage of the population. But it is just so refreshing to be working for a place that actually gets shit done! They have the resources, support, experience and ideas to really generate change. And that is so exciting. Walking through the camp, so many people remembered me. It was nice to see old faces, but at the same time, just walking around brought back some not so great memories. It sounds so awful to vent about how much I hated it there, as it was still my ‘choice’ to be living there. I always had the option to go into town for dinner, shopping etc, yet I am the one complaining. This time around, I think I just need to separate myself from the camp, as there is really nothing that I can do. The problems are so huge in scope, and really the only thing people need is a serious change…which I simply cannot bring. Yes, doing workshops are no doubt beneficial, as the lack of education is a serious problem, but I am not really prepared to spend my weekends on the camp, presenting workshops on topics that I googled the day before.
Sorry this post is so long! I have yet to find a happy medium! So things in general are pretty good! I’m surprisingly busy and at the end of the day I am so exhausted. This is really the first time where I have a 9-5 job everyday. Its great! I love that I can come home at the end of the day and have no work to do! Ahh the joys of no longer being a student. But my life is beginning to reflect one of a 45-year-old. I go to the gym in the morning, go to work, buy groceries, meet friends for a drink, make dinner, and am in bed by 10:00. And do it all over again the next day. I’m only 22! Scary, I know.
Hope your all is swell!
P.S. The power is off right now (‘lights out”, as it is called here), so we are sitting around the office listening to gospel/sappy songs about love and Jesus…so great!
So I have been getting a ton of pressure to update more. I think many of you think my life is way more exciting than it actually it. But I will try to fill the void. Work is actually great! As I mentioned in an earlier post, it was slow at the beginning, and although I expected as such, it was hard to deal with. I spoke with the professor (head of CEGENSA) about getting more work and she was super responsive. And I am now overloaded! The main thing that I am working on is research for a sexual harassment project. I have been given loads of data to analyze, and I will also be conducting interviews with students on this topic as well. We are also in the midst of planning an event, which is next weekend, which will present the winning song from a contest that presents women from a positive light. The idea is that the majority of songs that are played in Ghana (and around the world…) present women as either sex objects or as wives. CEGENSA is striving to change this image, which is why this contest took place. The winning artist will not only receive an outstanding ovation in their honor by the wonderful CEGENSA and guests, but they are also being awarded a music video to accompany the song. The song is obviously about women, and a major element of it is representing some of the influential African women leaders, both past and present. There is a photo in the office of all the CEGENSA staff, and the video producer wanted to emulate the photo. So last weekend, we all were to dress in white and we stood in a formation similar to the photo ( and I obviously got the spot of the previous white intern…). We all had to learn the chorus, and sing along with the artist. Needless to say, it was hilarious. One girl asked if we were allowed to dance, and the producer replied with a stern ‘no dancing’, but he let us sway and move our hips, phewf! Haha
Earlier this week, I made a visit to the Buduburam Liberian refugee camp where I use to live/work. When I was about to leave last time, there was a beginning push to clear out the camp. The UN had essentially left years prior, yet there were still thousands of Liberians living on the camp, with no assistance. Life was tough for sure, but unfortunately many people had more stability in Ghana than they did in Liberia. So as I was saying, when I was on my last month in the country, the Ghanaian army had a mission to clear out the camp. This involved raiding the space and searching everyone for UN issued ID cards. People fled into the bushes and those found without a card were put into jail. The UNHCR then re-emerged and gave people the option to either repatriate to Liberia or reintegrate into Ghana. For weeks there was a strong UN presence, checking people’s ID cards, and if they had one, they were eligible for the free transportation back to Liberia. Sounds great. I then learned that a very large percentage of people did not have a UN ID card, because the UN was only issuing them when they were still working on the camp – prior to 2005. This being said, way too many people arrived after 2005, meaning they were technically living there illegally, and were therefor not eligible for the free plane ride home. So now what? That’s the question. This whole process is now over, yet there are still so many Liberians living on the camp.
I did not mean to just give you all a whole rundown of the situation, but once I get going on this, its hard to stop. But where I was going with this is that I went back to the camp this week to visit some of the people I use to work with. I think when I lived there, I was so jaded with the whole situation, that nothing really phased me anymore. But now, I am living in Accra, in a great house, and im working at the University, with the upper crust of society. This being said, traveling back to the camp was a real shock. It seems as though nothing has changed (and I mean how can it? There is no money and hardly any assistance from the outside). Walking around as a foreigner, I scream wealth, luxury and abundance, which is a feeling I hate. My old colleagues are great people, with great intentions, but I just don’t have the time, money or patience to put towards the camp. I went there that day to visit, but I was immediately asked to lead workshops on the weekend and support (financially) their projects. I came back to Ghana for myself. As selfish as that is it’s the truth and I need to stand by that. The work environment that I am in now is so great, and being back on that camp reminded me of that. The staff here treat me as an equal, and never single me out for having money. That being said, they are a very lucky percentage of the population. But it is just so refreshing to be working for a place that actually gets shit done! They have the resources, support, experience and ideas to really generate change. And that is so exciting. Walking through the camp, so many people remembered me. It was nice to see old faces, but at the same time, just walking around brought back some not so great memories. It sounds so awful to vent about how much I hated it there, as it was still my ‘choice’ to be living there. I always had the option to go into town for dinner, shopping etc, yet I am the one complaining. This time around, I think I just need to separate myself from the camp, as there is really nothing that I can do. The problems are so huge in scope, and really the only thing people need is a serious change…which I simply cannot bring. Yes, doing workshops are no doubt beneficial, as the lack of education is a serious problem, but I am not really prepared to spend my weekends on the camp, presenting workshops on topics that I googled the day before.
Sorry this post is so long! I have yet to find a happy medium! So things in general are pretty good! I’m surprisingly busy and at the end of the day I am so exhausted. This is really the first time where I have a 9-5 job everyday. Its great! I love that I can come home at the end of the day and have no work to do! Ahh the joys of no longer being a student. But my life is beginning to reflect one of a 45-year-old. I go to the gym in the morning, go to work, buy groceries, meet friends for a drink, make dinner, and am in bed by 10:00. And do it all over again the next day. I’m only 22! Scary, I know.
Hope your all is swell!
P.S. The power is off right now (‘lights out”, as it is called here), so we are sitting around the office listening to gospel/sappy songs about love and Jesus…so great!
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