A few more memories before I go...

Turning 29 in Ghana was definitely a step-up from the low-key birthdays I've celebrated in Canada/USA over the last few years...

and in case you haven't detected so far, the reason why is because I was blessed with 2 great roommates who taught me a lot during our time spent together- including how to have a good time and how to give.

Roommate Beth's 24th birthday is so close to mine (January 30) we had so much fun and cake in a week- made me wish Cait's birthday would fall in between somewhere too!

For Beth's birthday, she wanted us to go out to dinner and salsa dancing (not so much my thing, but it wasn't my day) and I actually had a lot of fun!

Then on February 5, I wanted to eat some good pizza (at Coco Beach of course) and maybe go out bowling! But before that, I had to go to work!

And unbelievably so, I share the same birthday as my boss, Ebenezer!! So we celebrated our day together. Yet another cultural lesson was learned that day when Ebenezer came to ask me what we were going to do for our birthdays... I of course told him in a Canadian way, 'don't worry-- it's a surprise! It's our day to relax and enjoy!'

Confused with my strange answer to him, he proceeded to devise his own contribution to our celebration.

See, contrary to North American standard, in Ghana if it is your birthday, it is up to you to treat your guests. So you, the birthday guy/gal pays for everything for your friends/family to enjoy your special day! Interesting, eh?! So in true Ghanaian style, Ebenezer did buy us snacks and Malta Guinness drinks to go with the delicious peanut butter and chocolate (my most favored combo if you didn't know!) cake made by my girls! And the buggers put on trick candles so I couldn't blow the damn things out! And my boss just thought it was a deliverance from God that the candles wouldn't extinguish when he tried! Laughs all around.

So after work, off I went to Teshie Nungua area with my roommates and we met Akiem and Jamal at Coco Beach. The pizza was so delicious and we ate it seaside with the warm, salty sea breeze keeping us cool. It was a night to remember. Then on our way back, the girls and I decided to go bowling for kicks!

I was also surprised when I managed to get to an internet cafe days later at the amount of birthday email greetings I got, and Facebook messages... thank you to all! I knew I wasn't forgotten! It was a very special memory and I thank everyone (especially you, Cait and Beth along with the HAG staff) for making my day so special and one that continues to live in my memory.

I appreciated everything everyone did for me... thank you so much.

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So after doing my tour of the North and some of the 'hot spots' along the coast, I got the notion to go as far West as I could along the coast (near Cote d'Ivoire), and then as far East as I could (near Togo).

On January 25 I journeyed to the Volta region with close pal, Jamal to see his hometown of Keta. Keta means 'sand' and most of the streets in Keta are just that! Streets are covered in sand so walking is a real workout! The beaches there were mostly white-sand beaches, but of course littered with garbage. It is known for its beautiful beaches and lagoon, Keta lagoon being the largest in Ghana.

The town of Keta was nearly washed away by eroding tides 20 years ago, and it has only been partly built back up since then. In addition to rebuilding homes, it has been necessary to replant thousands of lost coconut trees on which the people depend for so much. Recently, the Ghanaian government initiated the Keta Sea Defense Project. Efforts from this venture have helped push the ocean back a bit with a rock wall, and some small strips of land across the coast have been reclaimed. But still the threat of further erosion remains.

But throughout the years, the source of the Keta’s greatest sorrows has consistently been the Atlantic Ocean. It washed upon her shores the very first European explorers and thereafter brought in hundreds more to exploit her lands and people for several hundred years. And it was this same ocean that took away from her shores, millions of her children across its waters to foreign lands where they would become enslaved and be treated as animals, for yet another several hundred years.

This same ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, has also for several decades now been eating away at the town of Keta. We all marveled at the 2004 Tsunami and the scope of its destruction. Keta has been experiencing something similar, only that it has been spread out over decades. It is common to hear stories of people having their entire homes washed away by the ocean. There isn’t a single family in Keta which hasn’t been affected in some way or the other by the coastal erosion. So unbelievably sad.

A however unique experience was going to meet some of Jamal's family members and witness the way they live... very simply and humbly. The food one of his Auntie's made for us, banku (=fermented corn, yum! with Jamal's favorite okro and fish stew) was soooooooo good!! I want some now! African Cup was still going on and I recall the match that night was Cameroon vs. Zambia, (I secretly cheered for both teams since I have many Cameroonian friends and spent a month in Zambia back in 2007!) with people gathered all around tv's that had been placed outside on the street for anyone to watch. I felt really spoiled for having been to see a game live... knowing how far that actually was from the thoughts of those surrounding the flickering tv screens.

The next day, Jamal took me to the border town of Aflao (Togo is the neighboring country) which had a crazy, busy border (the one in Paga was nothing compared to this bustling one). Jamal explained to me that so many people would be coming in and out of this border because of the games for African Cup, that's why it was so maddening (a good place to get robbed too, I might add).

On January 27, Jamal and I went to the smaller slave fort in Keta, Fort Prinzenstein built by the Danes in 1784, later used as a slave dungeon for Africans bound for plantations in the U.S. Virgin Islands, about 200-300 yards from the sea. Fort Prinzenstein is the easternmost of a group of forts along the Atlantic coast of Ghana that has been designated as a World Heritage Property. With Keta being slowly washed out to sea, the fort was one of the first casualties, half destroyed by a serious storm in 1980 while still being used as a prison. See my photo's for a better look.

An interesting part of this castle for me was that the slaves actually made the Fort walls out of sea shells and another natural item (maybe coconut?) that you can actually see from the parts of the wall that have been destroyed and split open by the sea.

Now let's turn to face the West coast of Ghana!

For one last trip, my roommates and I went to visit several of the smaller towns on the way to Cote d'Ivoire. We got as far as Beyin, on our way to the Nzulezo stilt village near Axim.

We left on February 19 from Accra, and I was starving (as usual!) along the way and I saw a woman selling chopped up pineapple in a bag (that she had been carrying on her head) and decided to buy some. Keep in mind it was in the middle of the afternoon and we all know from my blog how fregan' hot Ghana is, so the pineapple was warm (as if it had come off of a hot pizza) *first red flag*. And as I was eating, I ate a chunk that tasted alcoholic/fermented in a way *second red flag*. And the journey towards Agona went on.

So my roommates (not me!) wanted to stay in this secluded, primitively-run lodge along the beach with no toilets, outdoor showers, and in a tent.

I however have passed that adventurous phase of my life, and instead wanted a bed with a/c in the room- but thought I'd give in to appease them. Fine.

At dinner time, I started to feel awful (and the food wasn't that good either so I didn't know if it was that or...) but just kept quiet. Then I wanted to bathe and just go lay down in the tent I was sharing with Cait.

I felt so nauseous from when I laid down, I ended up getting up in the night to get some air (it was so hot in the tent) and I sat at the (closed) restaurant in one of their wicker chairs. Moments later, I couldn't help it and began hurling my guts out (like I haven't done in years) everywhere! Off coconut trees, the sand... oh, yuck!

So I rushed to the outhouse (what shitty timing to be nowhere near an actual toilet) and did the same thing 6 more times if you can imagine!! Oh God, was I ever sick.

Needless to say, it was a sleepless night for me (and Cait-- sorry again Catty!) and I just wanted to go back to Accra... but I also wanted to see the village on stilts. So I mustered up enough... I-don't-know-what, and joined the girls to do the 6-hour travel one-way to get there (including an hour paddling in a canoe since it's the only way to reach this village on water!!).

Beautiful as the canoe ride was through the jungle (though too hot), I just wasn't feeling like myself. But I did get to see the Nzulezo stilt village and meet its people.

Upon arrival at the Beyin Wildlife House, we paid for guides to bring us to the stilt village and began gliding on a narrow watery path through a dense tangle of jungle. As I mentioned, the Nzulezo stilt village is very near the border of the Ivory Coast in the Western Region of Ghana. The entire town, including a school, a church and houses stands on stilts. The original inhabitants of the town came from Mali, the town's chief told us, fleeing conflict. Nzulezo is built over the waters of Lake Tandane. Home to about 500 people, several dozen houses flank a connected platform where all aspects of village life are conducted. According to legend, ancestors of the village were brought to this place under the guidance of a snail.

It was very difficult to tease apart the actual facts from what sounded good to the tourist's ear because one of my own first disappointments when we first paddled up to the village was seeing an older, white man cooking in his house on stilts, which was a red flag to me that this was man-made and maybe he was the 'man'?? And the villagers who spoke no English, French, or even Ghanaian languages like Ga or Twi-- didn't seem happy. They seemed void of... something. Like the way a refugee would, I imagine. Something was off... can't quite pin it down, but I left with quite an unsettled feeling.

Alright, now let's bring it back to Accra for a moment...

as one last outing to the beach with roomies in tow and sister Francisca, we decided to go to Bojo beach, which is just outside of Accra's outskirts. My roommates and I actually went to a popular spot, Kokrobite beach the night before to catch the cultural show- but ended up missing it because we were chopping! So on February 9, we all met and went to Bojo beach to enjoy what would be my last day on the beach. I had so much fun swimming in the ocean waters with the girls- rough as it was... you had to be really careful of the undertow. AND, just for fun I ended up with a serious ear infection in both ears that left me in tears throughout the night's that followed until I went to the Dr. The Ear, Nose and Throat specialist said it was one of the worst infections she had seen and I would have to get it checked out again after reaching Canada (all clear now though!).

The craziest and funniest memory of all that us girls will take from this last trip to the beach (or first for Francisca) was how we got back to Accra. We actually hailed down a big rig truck (see my photo's!) to stop and give us a ride down to the main road because the sun and heat were just overwhelming that day. But the friendly driver actually drove us all the way back to Accra! Imagine, us 4 girls in the cab of the truck with this Ghanaian driver, sitting high above all the traffic... highlight of the journey are words that come to mind when I think back. And laughter for days!

The last short trip I'll mention was one I did with Jamal on the weekend of February 16 to Akosombo area. The Akosombo Dam area is the one that feeds all the water supply to Accra and surrounding area on the Volta River. We stayed our first night in Aylo's Bay where I took a canoe ride with some local boys to the Akosombo Bridge, which was very relaxing since the sun was also gently setting behind the mountains.

The next day we boarded the Dodi Princess cruise, which was (supposed to be) a 6-hour cruise along Lake Volta. There was entertainment, good food and variety of people on board but the views weren't that great as it is Harmattan season (The Harmattan is a dry and dusty West African trade wind. It blows south from Sahara into the Gulf of Guinea between the end of November and the middle of March). On its passage over the desert, the Harmattan winds picks up fine dust particles, so there was this constant fog-like haze everywhere.

We stopped at Dodi Island which was a strange step back in time...

it seemed like everyone from the Island came to meet us as we docked. I couldn't help but notice the striking poverty of the residents of this small island. Immediately, as if on cue, a small child attached their hand to yours and began begging... for anything. I walked up to the top of the island (which was so very dry) to see the other side and there was just no sign of life of any kind.

Those who know of my time in Zambia know of the story I have told of the man asking for a pencil for his children to take to school... well this was another case where the infamous pencil came up! Worst part was, I did bring pencils to Ghana for this specific instance, but they remained back in my suitcase in Accra which did me, nor the young girl any good.

We spent about 20 mins. on the island and that was enough for me... in the end I think it's a double-edged sword. I mean, is it really beneficial to have such a stop on the cruise where the Ghanaians living in poverty on the island have a chance to beg the typical wealthy Westerners for something... anything? Or do you look at it as their only opportunity to potentially 'earn' something? (Retrospectively, I don't know how they get food to the island, or transportation even...) I dunno. All I know is it left an unsettled feeling in my heart.

After departing Dodi Island with a heavy heart, we continued on to see the Dam up close and then head back to where we departed from. When we got close to maybe an hour's reach of the dock, the boat broke down! So a 'rescue boat' had to come and push us back to the dock! Oh Ghana!

Before heading back to Accra, Jamal and I stopped at Cedi's Bead Factory in Krobo (between Kpong and Semanya). It's a pretty neat thing to learn how beads are made- we got to see how traditional, Ghanaian beads are made from the crushed glass- to the forming of the design of the bead- to the firing oven (actually made from the clay from termite mounds). The process begins by melting crushed glass in clay molds, or using powdered "white glass" and powdered colors to make beads with patterns on them.

In one of the photo's above, you see me standing with 'Cedi', the bead guy wearing his most expensive piece... a necklace with beads that are all blown from glass (taking months to make) worth well over he said, $1,000. Nervous as I was to wear it, it made the photo opp!

Some other interesting events I partook in over my last 2 months were: teaching a primary school class on the basics of HIV/AIDS in Ashiyie on January 29; as well as attending a seminar on 'consensual unions' (or as we say in Canada, 'common law marriages') put on by WILDAF (Women in Law and Development in Africa) on February 13; and then the following day partaking in events held at both the Osu Day Centre for HAG & the Accra Psychiatric Hospital's male ward to commemorate National Chocolate Day!

Ghana, the world's number 2 cocoa producer, in a bid to boost domestic consumption of cocoa and chocolate, celebrated its 2nd National Chocolate Day on February 14, 2008 better known to most of the world as Valentine's Day.
The idea is to "emphasize the significance of chocolate and cocoa, in the expression of the spirit of love, gift-giving, health' and to celebrate 'Ghana's enviable position in the global cocoa industry". (http://www.haaba.com/news/2008/02/14/7-91294/ghana-marks-national-chocolate-day.html)

One of the Minister's was expected to come speak at the Day Centre, but sent his associate instead and they handed over a tremendous amount of cocoa products to the elderly under HAG's Day Centre. Director Ebenezer asked I snap some photo's of the event. They had the top chocolatier/chef of Ghana there, the media, delegates from Nestle, Cadbury... and the list goes on. After the parcels were distributed, Director and I went to see how things were unfolding at the male ward at the Psychiatric Hospital (February 14 also marks United Way's Day of Caring and this year the Director decided he wanted the geriatric ward of the hospital that HAG adopted, to be the beneficiary by doing repair jobs, painting, cleaning, etc.)

It was nice to see this different spin that Ghanaian's place on over-commercialized Valentine's Day... it's an authentic idea and I hope its purpose in design, was actually achieved so that it can spread to other nations (especially here in North America).

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Perhaps one of the hardest things I went through in my last months in Ghana was watching yet another person in their 20's lose a parent at too young of an age. My very close pal, Abraham who is just 23 lost his Mom on January 17 from liver failure. He only told me the day before of how deathly ill she was with jaundice and how they were doing all these tests on her to determine the cause.

I was utterly shocked when I went to look for him the next day at work, and his co-worker told me, "Abraham's not here. I learned the Mom died this afternoon".

I was floored. How could this be? How could it have happened just like that?

I went home to inform my roommates and give him a call. He came over later that night, as I guess he knew he had 2 girls who knew exactly what he was going through since Cait and I both lost our fathers in 2004.

The eerie thing is, the girls and I would always say, 'now that we got to attend a wedding here in Ghana, it'd be something to see how they do a funeral here as well'... but we never anticipated it in this way at all.

Abraham's Mom, Florence was buried on February 2 at a seaside ceremony in Teshie Nungua. I was there with Cait, Francisca and Jamal. It was such a personal, touching and moving experience, I had no idea how it would re-open old wounds of mine concerning my own loss. And to have to watch yet another young adult go through it all was almost unbearable.

I was so impressed though at Abraham and his brothers stoic and brave nature throughout it all-- he is quite the special guy.

We went back to Teshie Nungua the following day as well (the way funerals work in Ghana is they can last for just a weekend or even up to an entire week- with the wake and burial being 1 day, and then celebrations of the person's life in the days to follow) to be there for our brother. We ended up taking him out with us that night to watch one of the matches for African Cup on the big screen. It was so good to see him having fun-- even if just for some few moments.

Though it is a bittersweet memory of mine, it did bring Abraham closer to us, in knowing that one doesn't have to go through the deep pain of losing a parent alone. We got to spend a lot of time together and I can honestly say, I even continued to heal myself, through going through all this with him again. And I know through it all, his Mom is looking down on him, his brothers and sister-- so very proud of the wonderful young adults she raised. Miss you bra Abraham!

As always, all any of us ever want is some more 'time'...

it unfortunately it is the one thing that is impossible to retract and even more difficult to accumulate. 'Time' is a funny thing, as it's all we have while here on earth. And it's the very thing so many of us take for granted...

I particularly have no excuse in taking precious time for granted, yet I continue to catch myself getting lost in moments that I could be seizing...

life lessons.

And that's another thing with 'time' is that the life lessons seem to come more frequently to me and have a deeper impact. It's time to make those 'moments'... mine.

So as you can see, my last few months in Ghana were quite emotionally loaded. In looking back, it seems like I lived a lifetime of experiences throughout the 8 months I've been here... and I'm confident that the memories of them will lead me back here one day.

Without a doubt, it certainly was an experience in my lifetime that I'll treasure always.