...a beachers tidal thoughts...

Long overdue...

2007-08-09T03:40:00.000-07:00

Well I have been ultimately pathetic at keeping up with my blog during the last few months of my european travels. I have had an exceptional 2 and 1/2 months of backpacking through the many different and uniquely wonderful countries of Europe. Now that I am at the end, waiting in a London flat for Monday the 13th to arrive so I can jump on my flight home, I am able to reflect on my favorite, funniest, and weiredest moments of my Euro 2007 Trip.

Favorite country: Ireland, then Portugal, then France, then..... i loved them all who am I kidding!

Best Drink: Munich Beer... absolutely amazing,

Best Dinner: Naples pizza, so good it will change your life!

Best dessert: pain aux chocolat, I was completely addicted to these... very very dangerous

Best out door activity: cliff jumping with new buddy Gary on the south west coast of Ireland! Hiking along the north itlalian coast in Cinque Terre, white water rafting down the Swiss Rivers in Interlaken for my 23rd birthday!

funny moments: getting pooed on, trying to communicate with spanish train personel,

worst moments: running with a full bak pack trying to catch a swiss train! haha, not fun at all...

There is so much more, but these are the initial high lights! I fly home in a few days and cannot wait to give my family a huge hug! it has been a fantastic year so far... and an exciting fall awaits back in the UK!

Picutres to be posted soon!

pleasant portugal

2007-06-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

well it has been far too long since I wrote on my blog, I guess with limited time and a ticking price tag on internet I havenºt had the chance to sit down for long enough to get to my blog!

many exiciting things have happend over the past few weeks. southern France was beautiful and I loved the opportunity to use my long lost second language. I was relieved to see that it came back rather quickly and the locals LOVED that I was able to communicate with them so well! Spain was something else, Barcelona I think was far to hyped up for me... and thus left me feeling dissapointed. Although we did stay at an amazing hostel (Kabul - highly recommend, free dinner!) the city had some highlights but not what I was expecting. Sevilla and Valencia were two smaller Spanish cities we stopped through that I really enjoyed... had a wonderfully spanish feel with beautiful architecture and great food! I have to say though, the Portuguese are by far the most friendly and by lingual bunch of the europeans Iºve meet thus far. The beaches in Lagos were spectacular, and Lisbon and Porto have been wonderful cities to wander, drink coffee and devour delicious pastries! Were heading back to northern spain tomorrow to visit San Sabastian, known for the beaches and party night life, so it should be really fun, but sadly our last beach destination!

Other news that came my way recently was my acceptance to the University of London - Kings College for the Masters in Public Health Program. After receiving the boot from SFU I was really discouraged, but for some reason felt the inclination to look into my own current backyard at uni of London and found a wonderful program and professor. After a stressful and quick application I was accepted and will be starting in the fall! It seems a strange twist of fate that SFU didntº accept although Kings College has a better program, as well jsut the simple fact that I found myself in that particular city in the first place. If I had not been a nanny in London the thought would have never crossed my mind to apply to the University of London. So wether it be fate, coincidence, or pure chance I dont care, Iºm just so excited to have the opportunity to study at such a great school in an area I am certain will be a life long interest.

As usual my time is running short on the computer and must bow out before Iºm cut off. But I miss home terribly and look forward to a now earlier return. As of this morning I will fly home August 13th and look forward to giving my whole family and all my friends a huge hug! As well Iºm really looking forward to days out on the boat wakeboarding and living the beach dream! until next time... cheers

travelling with testosterone

2007-06-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

so its been over two weeks since we've been on the road - and its hard to believe how much ground we covered so far. We started in Palermo Sicily which now seems like ages ago and I ate the most delicious gilato ever. Naples was pretty dirty but tops the list for the best pizza I have ever eaten. Pompei was just incredible and I highly recommend going to Naples just to make the day trip there,

We continued our way up the coast and meet up with Terra in Naples then up to Rome. I loved Rome, although it was loud and crowded the sights were incredible. My personal favorite was the Trivi Fountain - I could have sat there for hours. Then we headed north to Venice which is amazing in person. I loved wandering the streets and canals, definitely a city to get lost in. Then we headed down to Florence to see the one and only David, which was well worth the wait. Florence over all wasn't anything spectacular though - we did climb to the top of the Duomo which gave us a great view of the city though.

Then we had to do the classic euro stop in pisa to get all of our cheezy holding/pushing/licking/kicking... etc pictures with the tower, and then arrived in Cinque Terre that evening. Cinque terre was incredible, one of the most beautiful spots I have ever visited. Although we didn't have great weather we still made the most of 2 full day hikes, one in which we severly got off the trail and were making our way through bushesfor about 20 minutes... i have the scars to prove it, haha. We left on a beautiful afternoon and it was hard to say goodbye. We also ran into some fellow Western kids, some being my frosh from years back and it was great to see them and enjoy some classy boxed wine together.

We headed west to the land of the French and have spent the last few days soaking up the cote dazure sunshine and eating pasties gallore. pain au chocolat... incredible. we walked about monaco looking very poor in the rain, and then strolled the beaches of Cannes, with luckly much better weather.

And lastly I have to say I never thought I'd say this, but i very much miss hanging out with girls. haha. the boys are great, but between the following girls like puppies down the beach and constant poo and fart jokes... i miss a feminine touch. haha, Luckly we have meet some other very nice girls in Nice so that was a good relief.

Were off to Avignon tomorrow to check out Pont du Gard, an old Roman Aquiduct which is a great spot for cliff jumping. Then continuing on to Spain - to the very highly recommended Barcelona. I'm really looking forward to checking out the city and enjoying the night life there too! cheers from the road

grafitti italy

2007-05-21T00:30:00.000-07:00

so we landed in palermo sicily and ended up at the most beautiful spot. our hostel was right along the coast over looking the city and water... spectacular way to start a trip. i still cannot believe how delicious the ice cream, or as they say gillato is here... its simply amazing. the pizza blew my mind, and the beaches and water were wonderful.

after spending two quick days there we headed north to naples. taking a train that goes on a ferry of course.. no biggie. in naples we meet up with terra, ausie daves mit partner in crime and toured around pompei and naples. beautiful and stunning puts it mildly.. pompie was incredible. heading up north to rome today to meet up with pye and say hi to the pope.

if i had more time i would go into muh more detail and picutres, but gotta go catch a train!

but yes... grafitty everywhere here... kinda sad actually, all over monumnets as well,

back luck comes in packages...

2007-05-09T04:02:00.000-07:00

so i've been slightly MIA the past few weeks - things are still busy in London, but slowing down as the last week of work comes to a close. I had a rough few days with bad news and unlucky events. First was the big one - didn't get into grad school. I put all my eggs into one SFU basket and lost, so if anything i've learnt never to do that again. At first I was really upset - what am going to do with my life?? i thought i was the perfect candidate?? then after a few days i realized, i'm only 22 - what am I so stressed out about?? So I have resolved to learn from this application experience and enjoy another year of academic freedom!

For those that know me well I am an obessive planner - and I didn't waist a minute once I found out the reshuffle of my fall lifestyle. I started looking into jobs - but I have to say, a health sci degree on its own doens't get you too far. I did manage to get my old prison job back though! So back behind the bars I will go in september! I was relieved and excited to work at ACCW again - there was never a dull moment and really puts things into perspective - life is never has hard as it may seem. I also decided that perhaps another volunteer abroad session was a good goal to work towards. I have decided to change organizations, purely for a cheaper and different perspective on volunteering. It has come down to a battle between Costa Rica and Peru. The programs in Costa Rica look fantastic, and the idea of spending my days off on the beach surfing?? not too rough,

Overall I had just had a rough week - and I think once you're in that mindset you let everything appear that way. Its a bit scary actually. But I'm happy to say that I'm looking forward to a change of pace. Ever since May 2006 I have been on the go constantly... lived on 3 continents in under 4 months, worked in 3 different countries, survived a tropical disease and come august will have probably set foot on about 15 countries... thats ridiculous.

I leave for Palermo Sicily in a week - viva italia!

the anticipation begins...

2007-04-21T04:11:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks working and living in London have been fantastic. I have really enjoyed the family I'm staying with and have gotten to know the city very well... and I love it. After drifting around from country to city to place these past few months I can honestly say that London is one of the few places that could really feel like home to me. I enjoy the people, the places, and the general vibe in this city - I most definitly have strong british roots that make me feel at home here. It will be sad to say goodbye to the kids and tourist family life, but I have to edmit that running at a faster pace with people my age sounds very appealing these days. The anticipation for Euro 2007 is building!!

In 2 weeks my Ghanaian wing man Femke from Holland is coming to London to visit. She has never set foot on english soil and we jumped at the opportunity to explore yet another city together. I am really looking forward to seeing her and catching up - as well as receiving my long awaited kente pictures! (Kente is the traditional cloth from the Ashanti Region of Ghana, and we all had photo boot pictures taken in traditional outfits, hilarious and very very memorable!)

So the past 2 weeks have been extremely busy, with several visitors to the flat I worked a lot but also saw a lot. Nicole and I took off with the kids on Tuesday to visit Bath, home of the roman baths and Jane Austins old stomping grounds. To put it simply = I loved it. It was beautiful and very classic old english. We went on a walking tour and finished off the day in the bath museum. I loved the architecture and the history you could feel as we wandered through the streets and public squares. Its a great feeling that is scarce if even existant in Canada - we're young! Over all it was a great day but we we're all exhausted by the end.

With visitors over to mind the children once in bed Nicole and I jumped at the opportunity to go out for the evening together. I feel so lucky to have found such a compatible boss - especially through the internet and never having meet preivous to my arrival in London. We decided to check out the Maple Leaf Pub to catch up on hockey and canadian music. The pub was nice, but overall slightly dissapointing. As we left in search of a new location (as the leaf closed at 11:30? why so early?) we stumbled upon... Diago! He was a very friendly bike taxi driver who offered to take us to a great pub for a small charge. Now the reason this is so funny; Jenna is 3 and LOVES the very popular Dora Character from Dora the explorer cartoon series. But she isn't the only star of the show... she has a cousin = Diago! who is an animal rescuer! Now I hadn't had much exposure to recent childrens shows/movies in the last few years but I've now seen my fare share, so when Nicole and I heard Diago we both broke out into the theme song for Diago the animal rescuer. Quite possibly one of the funniest moments in London thus far! But I think its one of those moments that the true hilarity of it was captured in the moment... haha,

Later in the week we decided to check out the royal and well known Kew Gardens. It was pricy to get in, for well not much more than the average beautiful parks that you can visit for free. For any future London visitors this is something you can skip. It was beautiful, and a great way to spend a few hours with the kids as they had a really cool play ground - for the cost of entrace, there just wasn't enough bang for your buck.

After paying an entrace fee for a park we decided to check out the newly fixed up and free public park: Battersea Park. It was beautiful, had a great childrens zoo, and definitly worth while to visit when in London.

We made our regular visit to the Borough Market on friday: picked up the usual garlic stuffed olives (i am actually addicted to them), fresh bread, and some meat for supper. I love just walking through there and looking at all the wonderfully delicious foods! After we went to visit the Pirate Ship. This is another tourist trap that is not worth your time. It was cool to see but lacked info and activities to do on board, and over all a bit of a dissapointment. But the kids enjoyed what there was and definitly we're naturals with the pirate lingo... Arr maighty! We be pirates!

And an extra note I forgot to add in previous weeks - we went to the most incredible sushi restaurant ever. These kids eat sushi which is awesome in itself, but we went to a restaurant with a conveyor belt with all different plates of sushi just slowly passing by... very very delicious,

a sveedish easter

2007-04-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

so this past easter weekend i took off to Stockholm Sweden to meet up with some other fellow europe bound university friends. To get a cheap flight I had to fly through Munich - making my travel much longer than needed, but it was so expensive there it was worth saving on the flight. We stayed in the Gustav af Klint - a hostel in the form of a boat! The first night, after being turned away because some of us were under 23?? haha, (some bars have restrictions and unfortunatly Chris and I we're the youngin's of the group). We finally found this techno dance club/bar and actually had a wicked time trying to keep up to the interesting locals.. Saturday we walked around the city which was beautiful and really clean. Checked out a zoo/museum of old sweden and finished off the night at a few different local bars for some swedish beer. The next day I had a quick breakfast and walked through old town to catch my train back to the airport... it was a very quick weekend, but a nice break from work and a great opportunity to see old friends and of course a small but significant piece of Sweden! And for some pictures...

the harbor

the hostel

The backstreets...

haha cheezy family photo??

I have no idea what this platform and poll was for in old Sweden...

friendliest moose i've ever seen!

creepy soother display?? after speaking to my boss she figured it was a place where all kids give up their soothers... still creepy though, it was basically a soother graveyard...

Ferry ride home...

Phil and his swedish Buddy

Chris rocking out... not quite as good as his moves on the dance floor the previous night! haha

race tracks, dinosaurs and brothers...

2007-04-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

so this past week was really fun - started out monday going to the kempton horse race track to check out some afternoon races! i was really excited as I had never been to anything like it before, and for some reason really wanted the opportunity to gamble on a race. after we got the race card I looked at all the names and sure enough decided to put my money on "king of beers." I found myself getting really into it - the atmosphere and seeing the horses race in person was awesome - and king of beers came from behind to win me 25 pounds!

we also stopped off at the natural history museum which had a great dinosaur exhibit, as well as earthquakes and recycling;

we went to the childrens toy museum and stumbled upon african toys that i recognized from the streets of Kumasi. it was strange to see them behind museum glass... and next to the rediculous toys from our western world. it made me even more impressed with the children of ghana's creativity and resourcefulness;

Went up to visit my little brother Paul at Gilwell Park - it was great to see him and we had a great lunch and caught up after 7 months!

the TUBE!

slides, markets, and wax

2007-03-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

its hard to believe i've already been in london for 2 weeks - time is going by really quickly! more unbelievable is that its been almost a month since i was in Ghana - it seems like another life ago now being in London - such a different world.

So this past week started with stonehenge, which was really impressive to see as well as other historical sites I didn't know very much about. we did a classic morning tea in Lescesiter square and some shopping - which i find almost impossible when i convert our little weak canadian dollar from the pound - ouch! I managed to get out for a run along the thames and definitly felt my lack of exercise the past few weeks... but found a great route to take. friday we went to the tate modern to check out the "slides" which start from the 2nd 3rd and 4th floors... twirling the whole way down. they were pretty cool - and fun. you sitck your legs in a potatoe sack and go for it!

we did another round at borough market - the food there is so delicious... Then Saturday we made our way to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. It was cool to see - but really crowded and with a 25 pound child and backpack makes it a bit of a challenge! But there were a lot of really impressive celeberty and historical figures that were cool to see, and we stumbled apon the Sherlock Holmes house on our way out.

Sunday we strolled through Hyde Park after checking out the Victoria & Albert Museum. Went by Kensington palace (which the tour we had done the previous week was really dissapointing) and sand mary poppins "lets go fly a kite" as jenna got her first crack and flying her Dora Kite.

st patricks in london

2007-03-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

so this past week in london was fantastic - in just 7 days i have seen and done so much! st patricks day here was slightly dissapointing... not quite as big a deal as i had anticipated, but still had a good time going out for a beer with the boss! (who is awesome) today we took a tour up to stonehenge which was really cool to see - but so cold that took away from the enjoyment.

Stonehenge...

picadilly circus on st. patty's sunday for the parade

poppins

2007-03-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

so my first week in London England really coudln't have gone much better. the flat is really nice and in a fantastic location - 15 minute walk to the thames, 5 to the waterloo tube station. the family im living with/working for is great; the mom Nicole is so easy going and fun, and the kids are sweet and really cute. they are really active and every day we take off in the morning to explore a new part of the city... London Eye, St. Pauls Cathedral, Princess Diana Park, James Park, Camden Market, & Borough Market...

the only glitch with pictures is this computer is a mac, and well - its like learning how to use a computer all over again! haha but here are some to peak at..

st. pauls...

at the top of st pauls with jenna on my back...

mr. gavin...

Ghanaian and English Flags blowing side by side - for the celebration of Ghana's 50th anniversary of independance.. from them!

Jenna and I in the London Eye - getting a birds eye view of the city!

London Calling!

2007-03-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

SO... I'm finally in London, After a quick 6 days, yes thats it 6, to convert from developing world Ghana to upper class expensive London. I was desperate to get off the plane, after 3 8 hour flights in under a week i was so tired of airports and plane food! haha, but i'm here and so happy with how things are going so far.

the flat is small, but very cute. and after a recent flood was totally refinished so quite new and clean! i get my own room which is nice, but only has a blow up bed until march 28th... but compared to sleeping in hot weather with a bug net it feels deluxe! the location is amazing.. 10 minute walk from waterloo station and 15 to the water. the family is so welcoming and fun... the kids are full of energy and always entertaining!

Today we went on the London Eye to get a birds eye view of the city... perfect weather made for a fantastic view and great pictures. Then we went up to trafalgar quare and up to James park where the streets were filled with ghanaian flags! there had been recent celebrations for the 50th anniversary - it was so nice to see the flags everywhere, but made me miss ghana.

Either way, great first day and looking forward to many more! I will get pictures up soon - the computer is a mac, and well its like learning computers all over again,

home for a rest...

2007-03-05T21:05:00.000-08:00

I arrived back in Canada today after a 22 hour long 2 plane trip from Accra, Lagos, Frankfurt and finally Vancouver. I have never been so happy to see the rainy clouds of the west coast... it definitly felt like home. But I am also noticing that home doesn't feel the same as it did when i left, and that after my experience in Ghana it never will. The past 2 months have been both incredible and eye opening experience... I can't wait to go back, because as cheezy as I thought it sounded when someone first said it to me "Africa takes a piece of your heart," and now it has a part of mine,

many pictures to come soon... now to my first non-bug net sleep in 2 months!

the mosquitos' got me

2007-02-26T04:57:00.000-08:00

so i've been in Ghana for almost 2 months now and had managed to maintain my health until today. the night mosquitos of west africa got me = i have malaria. I set out for the coast early friday monring with a bad fever and acky muscles, i knew things weren't good, but i wasn't going to let a weak body prevent me from going to Cape coast so i took some meds and actually felt fine the entire weekend. When i got back monday i decided to check it out with the doctors, just to make sure it wasn't malaria... only to find out that it was! He said that a strong immune system and well taken antimalarials i might not have known till i got home. and considering the doctors here are pros at treating it i'm actually happy i found out now rather than in a weeks time back at home! I feel totally fine and now i can say i've had the full african experience i guess!

This weekend, although started out with a high temperature was fantastic! We went to Cape Coast and stayed at the Oasis Beach Resort right on the water. It was full of other volunteers and med students so we had a wiked time. Friday we arrived and took our time checking into the hotel. Then we visited the Cape Coast Castle which was both very interesting and depressing. The Castle was used for the slave trade up until the mid 1800, a place where many Ghanaians and Africans left their home forever. The museum was really well done and very informative. But it did feel strange to be in such an impressive building with such a dark past.

Saturday we went to Kankum national park and did the Canopy walk (desinged by canadians) which was 40 meters bove the forest floor! it was incredible, and even though heights aren't my favorite thing it was so amazing! the tree's and plant life were beautiful (ashley you would have loved it). That afternoon we relaxed by the water and had cocktails with fellow volunteers at night... all in all a great weekend.

So its my last week in Kumasi, then I head to Accra on Friday, and fly home on Sunday evening. My recent decline in health is making me happy to return home, and the thought of running water and consistent electricity is starting to sound really good! i think the thing i miss most though is a washing machine... washing all your clothes by hand is a lot of work!

So i'll be back in canada for a week (march 5 - 11th) then I head to London to play marry popins for a Canadian family in London for 3 months! cheers :)

fishing villages and safaris!

2007-02-18T09:05:00.000-08:00

the past two weeks have been so action packed i dont even know where to begin! things just keep getting better and better here in Ghana, and \i'm starting to feel unhappy about my short 2 months compared to many fellow volunteers who spend 5 or 6 months! there is just so much to see and do, and i really love it here, so it will be hard to say good bye,

so green turtle lodge, just west of Takoradi was amazing! definitly one of the most beautiful, undeveloped beaches i have ever seen. The place was so quiet and clean compared to the city life, so it was a nice break from kumasi. we went on a canoe trip up a river close to a local fishing village; first time we went our guide didn't show up, but we just explored the local village, and had a very nice morning there with the locals! then we returned a few hours later and our guide showed up! haha i've become so accustomed to people showing up late, or never here in Ghana - time has a very different meaning here, but its a nice change of pace from home.

the canoe trip was incredible; the trees grew up along the banks and their brnches stresseched over and down into the water... to the point where we were in a dome of tree's... incredible, so beautiful. i wishi could post pictures, haha when i get back to canada - the internet is too slow here!

this past weekend i went up to mole national park in the northern part of ghana with kate and some other fellow volunteers. it was a bit more pricey than i had expected - but 100% worth it. we went on two sfari walks, morning and afternoon. we saw lots of animals, but of course the most impressive was the elephants! we got so close! as well as baboons, and antilope... it was a fantastic weekend. and when we weren't out walking around the park we were having star beers around the pool hotel which looks over the watering hole... with elephants and other animals bathing and drinking = so amazing!

so i have one last weekend to travel before i head home, and have saved the best for last. kate and i are heading to cape coast - we've been told its one of the most beautiful spots in Ghana, as well it has a very rich and interesting history.

i can't believe i only have 2 weeks left - and i still have so much to do and see! i will definitly have to come back to Ghana some day, as well as visit other counties in Africa! cheers :)

Touring Kumasi...

2007-02-07T05:57:00.000-08:00

the last week i have managed to pack in a lot of local travelling... seeing the best of what Kumasi has to offer. First and foremost it has the largest market in all of west africa, but even though its HUGE its really well organized. All the shoes in one section, another for clothing, another for meat, another for veggies... its a lot of fun to just walk through and look at everything the market has to offer.

Sunday I headed out with Femke (Dutch friend) to Bonwire, the village where the traditional kente cloth originated. It was really nice to get out of the city and experience the smaller village side of Ghana. We got to watch the locals weave the kente - with all the colours and patterns - it was incredible. I also had a hard time resisting all the beautiful bags, etc they placed in front of me and definitly spent too much, haha, but it was really fun interacting with the locals. They are always interested about where you're from, what you're doing in Ghana, and of course if you're married! my fake wedding ring has definitly saved me a few times... basically just allows you to escape without being rude.

Next we went to Bobiri forest sanctuary known for having over 300 species of butterflies and over 200 birds! Ashley you would have LOVED in there! we went on a hike through the forest, and the trees... unbelievably HUGE! it was great, such a great day.

I also started working more regularly at the hospital, and the HIV/AIDS clinic, and I really like it there. The doctor is fantastic, and the nurses are so nice. And its nice to put my education/experience to work in the health setting.

This weekend i'm heading to Green Turtle lodge just west of Takoradi on the West Coast: www.greenturtlelodge.com check it out - it looks amazing! Then I'll meet up with kate on Sunday night! cheers :)

Ghanaian weddings... not for the "faint" of heart

2007-01-31T04:45:00.000-08:00

well this past week was full of 1st's for me! its seems as though i get busier and busier as time passes; meeting new people, going new places, and getting new assignemnts constantly! But its great, and i like the fast pace...

this past saturday i accompanied my host mother to a "womans group" as she called it do to an HIV AIDS presentation. I was looking forward to it, as it was held at the local university and many of the women were in the in health field. When we got there... i realized this was a womens religious group, and the entire 5 hours was exactly like church. I was a little dissapointed, and also just needed a break from the religion activities here: its been a bit of an overload as both my host mother and father as pastors. So by saturday afternoon the idea of going to church all sunday was just too much - so i called my regional coordinator in search of an escape! haha. and that he provided! Mike (RC) had arranged for a few other volunteers to attend a Ghanaian wedding! I jumped at the idea, because i've never been to a wedding... let alone a Ghanaian wedding.

So off i went, i meet a few other volunteers which was really nice - people to talk about your experiences with! The ceremony was going well... the bride hadn't arrived yet but the festivities were in full swing. we were singing and dancing.. when i started to feel, not quite right. so closed my eyes hoping it would pass... only to wake up on the floor in the arms of a fellow volunteer and 10 worried ghanaian faces pearing down at me! haha, i had fainted... because of the heat (it was 36 degrees... outside). i was pretty embarassed.. haha, and a bit shocked because i've never fainted before. But i got some fresh air and water... and managed to get back on my feet by the time the bride arrived. but the rest of the day the families were talking about the "obruni who suddenly fell!"

i'm really loving every day here. there is always a new challenge or experience... and i'm finally able to find my way around the city. There are no street signs and the place is always packed full of people... but i'm starting to become accostomed to the chaotic streets, and might actually miss it when i come home!

I've also made plans to head down to Cape Coast and Mole National park when Kate arrives! I can't wait to do some travelling around Ghana! Until next time! cheers :)

living on Ghanaian time...

2007-01-24T05:18:00.000-08:00

"i want to make you fat" says the host mother... haha. in ghana, it is considered a compliment to tell someone they are fat, as it is a sign of wealth and status. As well, host families feel that if you gain weight during your stay with them... they have taken very good care of you. its interesting adjusting to this cultural norm when in canada/us/westernized countries... its skinny skinny skinny.

the foods here are okay... some of the traditional dishes are a little harder to swallow. the textures and flavours are quite different... but the fruit and freshly prepared food every day is fantastic! The rice dishes tend to be my favorite... they make fantastic sauces, and thankfully my host family goes easy on the spice!

my days teaching at the vulnerable childrens school: "Fiasi" are going better and better. Its amazing how much you can communicate without a mutual language... even with 4 year olds. The older girls are great... and most show so much interest in learning how to type, computers, and other important vocational skills.

This past weekend I went to Lake Botsumchi... which is the largest natural lake in West Africa. It was created my a meteorite (spl?), and is worshiped by the local communities. Of course I was dying to get in the water and swim... and as soon as I did i had a swarm of eager ghanaians asking me to teach them how to swim. It was so much fun; definitly used my previous teaching methods from good old CBSC to teach the children and adults how to float... glide, and some of them were actually swimming fairly well by the end of the day. I had a great time and hopefully will go back once more before the end of my trip.

till next week!

2007-01-19T02:51:00.001-08:00

i have officially been in Ghana, West Africa for 2 weeks today... and it feels so much longer, and yet shorter at the same time. The first few days in Kumasi were both challenging and interesting. my host family is amazing; so welcoming and friendly - so i feel right at home. the only slightly awkward moment arises when the father (a pastor) asks me questions about my religious background. i dont dare tell him i'm not baptized or dont really believe in christianity teachings... but he's an interesting man to talk to. There is a very big religious influence in Ghana - where asking someone what church they belong to is as common as asking what their name is.

my placement so far is going really well to. i work at two schools; an all girls school once a week teaching basic sciences, math, and english. for those who know me well, the fact that i teach english with my horrible spelling skills i find quite hilarious... haha. the other school is for younger children, ages 4-9 who's parents are currently living with or have died from HIV AIDS. they are a special group of kids, and do not speak english. it makes teaching them very very hard - such a huge language barrier, but also so rewarding. Once a week i will do work with the local sex trade workers - doing HIV AIDS presentations, as well going to the hospital to work in a counseling question answer office on sexual health. so a very well rounded experience in terms of social and health work... and I'm surprised at how much i love teaching,

I'm starting to feel more comfortable in my own skin... literally... haha. it was pretty hard at first being so visibly different, but i'm adjusting to it now... and am learning to cope with the amount of attention i get when i walk down the street. until i make it to the office again! cheers :)

Kumasi!

2007-01-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

i made it up to kumasi on saturday afternoon and so far things are going well! my homestay family is really nice, and the city is more traditional than Accra. the placement is going well... only first day though - haha found out ill be doing a lot of teaching and not just health work. getting yelled at all the time is starting to get tiresome... but the kids are adorable and in kumasi they sing an obruni song when you walk by... so that always makes me smile,

I have to run because we're heading home for the day - hopefully be able to post again soon! cheers :)

an obruni in Accra...

2007-01-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

well my first week in Accra Ghana coulnd't have gone much better. my orientation has gone really well, and I only have one day left in the capital before heading to my placement saturday morning. i have nothing but positive things to say about volunteer abroad.. they have been fantastic, and definitly recomend them to anyone who has interest in doing work abroad.

the week started out with a few days taking it easy and checking out the local area... everyone wants to talk to the obrunis in town! haha, thats what they call white people in Ghana = obruni. I'm starting to respond to it as though it was my name - and have never felt they are refereing to me with that term in a negative sense. they are nothing but curious and want to hear where you're from and why you are in ghana. the children especially are very interested and will run up and try to touch your skin and wont know what to make of us pasty white folk! haha, little girls in particular always ask to touch my hair and giggle to themselves calling me yellow...

we have spent the past 4 days doing language and cultural training - and i gotta say, twi/chi isn't as hard as i had initally anticipated. its coming along really well and i'm hoping by the time i head home i'll be pretty fluent! we also spend our days learning traditional Ghanaian dance and drumming. They are both challenging and really really fun to learn... and our teachers are very patient with us "obruni's who can't dance." haha. We have learnt two traditional dances and the drumming that goes along with them... I have to say i love the drumming. The past few days another volunteer and i have just been playing and enjoying the drums whic are hand made by our teachers! yesterday we went to see two of our ghanaian friends dance... and they were beyond fantastic - it was actually unbelievable how talented they were. They sand dance and played the drums, and it was such a humbling experience... they were amazing.

we've also spend days on the beach; cleaning up and looking around. sights included... the crashing waves, children running around, and a mama pig with her pigglets, haha. yes, pigs, horses, and lots of garbage can be found on the beach... so there are only a few beaches in accra you can actually swim at... which i find so painful, because i LOVE to swim! we did make it to a beach for a day of swimming and it was fantastic... but i also learnt that very few ghanaians know how to swim - and are discouraged when they are children to play in the water... mostly because of the dangerous currents along the coast.

I have one last day in Accra for orientation, to work on my twi/chi and learn how to cook two traditional Ghanaians dishes! I'm really excited... cheers till i make it to an internet cafe again!

Here!

2007-01-06T06:03:00.000-08:00

So i arrived in Ghana just over 24 hours ago... after a solid 16 hours in a plane, with no breaks because my layover in Frankfurt consisted of sprinting from one Gate to the next and just barely making my second plane...

But i'm here and its amazing so far, the house i'm staying at is amazing, and i'm loving every minute here so far. i dont head up to kumasi for another week, and will do cultural and language training here for 4 more days. haha my twi is slowly coming along! Everyone here is incredibly friendly and fun to talk to.

i have to run because i'm running out of time on my internet - but hopefully i will be able to update regularly! cheers :)

and.... i'm off!

2007-01-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

after preparing and organizing for a very eventful 2007 I finally start my travels tomorrow! I will be heading off to Accra, Ghana for a week - then up to Kumasi which is 5 hours north of the coast. I will be working with the Africa Hope Foundation of Ghana (AHFOGH) for 2 months doing HIV AIDS awareness work. I'm so excited I can't even begin to express myself properly but I know it will be the experience of a lifetime!

The city I will be living in; Kumasi is in the Ashanti region, home to one of the most well established kingdoms in pre-colonial Africa. It has a rich history and culture and is known for it inviting and friendly atmosphere.

The local language of the Ashanti region is "Twi" - and I'm hoping that my bi-lingual past will come in handy while trying to pick it up. The curency is cedi.. and they will have recently introduced a new "cedi" due to terrible inflation,

Ghana is known for its spectacular beaches, very friendly public, and full of culture and tradition;

Holiday Shinanigans 06-07

2007-01-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

the past 3 weeks have been extremely action packed and busy. chrismtas at home was fantastic and i loved every day i got to spend at home with my family and friends. my holiday break started in Toronto visiting my old roommates and friends from good old University of Western Ontario;

Jennie, Dallas and I invaded Krissies basement for 3 nights... marathons of greys anatomy, hilarious gift exchanges and nights out downtown made for a great time...

Then I was back in BC for just over two weeks. Managed to go boarding up at mount baker with the fam and to Grouse with Ang. A 3 day 2 night trip up to Surrey Lake wich included hockey, snowmobiling (which i had never done before = awesome), making a fire every night to keep the cabins warm, and many bottles of wine... and it was beautiful up there, (more pictures on www.facebook.com)
Grouse

Then New Years 2007 - to bring in the new year we all ended up at Tindles beach place dessed in our best 1920's outfits... (pretty weak, but we did what we could with short time). Serious dance moves were on the dance floor all night... it was a fantastic celebration!

change of location...

2006-12-12T06:43:00.000-08:00

after hearing about potential grad application sabotage through blogs, i realized it would be a good idea to remove my blog address which contains my name... leading schools right to my party and social life history...

from now on my "...a beachers tidal thoughts..." will be at this address...

cheers