A Temporary Home
24th July, 2013. 6:56AM in Cape Coast, Ghana
Ive been here for just over a week now and already I feel like I know this place really well, in terms of both people and getting around.
Ghanains have such a welcoming and kind hearted nature, they're always wanting to help you out or be your friend. Whenever I walk down the street, even if its just to the shops (2 minutes from my house) I am sure to say hi to at least 5 people, not including the lady at the shop. And its funny because you wont just be saying a simple hello, you will be asked how you are, what your name is and where you come from. Being proposed to and told 'i love you' is also very common here as well, even many taxi drivers have proposed.
Ghanians remind me of Fijians by the way that they're incredibly helpful and friendly. The dominant religion here is Christianity, followed by the Islamic Religion and then Traditionalists. So there are quite a lot of churches, I was hoping to attend last sunday but my host brother told me that I would have had to get up in front of everyone and introduce myself and say why I was there... I think that would be a little overwhelming for the first week. Maybe next weekend.
My host family is so wonderful, i love coming home to them each day. I still don't know everyone who lives here, its a 3 storey house and I meet someone new who loves here every day. There is even a grandma who lives here and is 102 years old, wow!!
My host mum Milicent, who i just call Ma, works at a shop near our house selling her own food - so I definitely have been loving the food here, shes a wonderful cook. She is very caring but also gives you the privacy you need. From what I know she has two kids, Angela who is a teacher and Joseph who works at a clinic. They are both unmarried and have children. Angela's child's name is Eugene but we call him P.K, he is I think 7 years old. Joe's child's name is also Milicent, but we call her Nana. I have uploaded a photo of her, she is very very sweet. I play with both of the kids lots cause theyre funny and very happy all the time. Only the other day I met another little girl who lives here too, her name is Dorothy Asantua and Im not sure of her mums name yet. She is very very cute, she loves to braid my hair and she is such an awesome dancer! I hope to upload a video of her dancing soon! Another person that I know who lives here is Jeffrey, he is just a friend of Joes who doesnt really have anywhere else to go, his english isnt as good as the others so I dont feel like I know him as well as i do the others but still he is very friendly, we went to watch them play football yesterday.
Volunteers are generally very nice, initially it was 3 of us living in the house - my room mate Brianne, and another volunteer named Greg, but a new guy names Christoph moved in the other day next door.
Greg is from Canada and Christoph is from Austria, they are both really nice and we usually hang out.
Julie from Norway, pronounced Yulia, is my closest friend here. We arrived on the same day and she lives just next door so we see each other every day and apparently act like a married couple, in the eyes of Greg. I really am appreciative of Julies friendship because I feel so comfortable with her and trust her completely.
A girl named Jenny moved in with Julie and she is very kind as well :)
The food here is really amazing, but I think I am very fortunate to have a wonderful cook as a mum for my home.
I just walked Nana to school at about 7:30 AM, came back to hang out with Joe, Jeffrey Ma and another lady whose name I dont know, had breakfast, soon to wash (when the water starts running again) and then catch a taxi to work, stay till 4:30 or 5... depends if i play football or not, come home, play with the kids from the street, wash, eat and then hang out with the other volunteers - very very basic outlay of my general day here. Though the times will continue to fluctuate i.e. the other night i came home at 7 because I didnt want to leave the kids at the orphanage, or i can leave as late as 12 from my place. I really enjoy flexibility of my days.
Every school has holidays this Thursday so this week is mainly cleaning n so on Friday only the orphans will be at my placement, which means about 30-35 people.
To be continued... :)
