Another Day in Ghana + pics.

Almost every day in Ghana is unlike every day of my prior lives (i don't know why i say 'almost every day'..hedging my bets...it's silly..every day is unlike every day of a pre-Ghana life!!!!..)

Today (Saturday)..slept badly because i have a streaming cold...a cold in Ghana..yup, doesn't happen that much but it happens..and i know exactly how i got it...Teaching/tutoring on Thursday. Mawusene was sniffling and coughing and i should have sent her home but i didn't. And at this point in our CompSci class they all need lots of individual attention. And i probably have no resistance to West African cold viruses.

so i have a cold..the coughing, spluttering, sneezing variety...nice...get by on tea and chicken soup? Hmmm, oh yea, no propane..tho word has it that it will reach the region 'soon'. Can hardly wait.

Not going to run...bit pointless..i feel fairly awful and i'm ahead of my 2011

'goal' mileage. (yup, at my age..)

I do decide to go down to the beach and walk a little after taking as many drugs as i can find and end up showing the faith/solidarity by hauling on nets for a couple of crews. My ulterior motive is, i suppose, that they will feel entirely comfortable with me taking pictures of them. I want close-ups of the surf wrestling as they bring in the end of the net...and i want the faces as they survey the catch..these days you can see the disappointment, the quiet anger..

then, back to the 'house' which isn't a house..two rooms, a well, and a mango tree in a compound..and no, doesn't feel like home.

eat something..cold, drink lots of water, shower, etc..then do my weekly laundry, and wash the dishes accumulated since the last time i washed them.

pretty hot today..in fact very hot..and it hasn't been. I read for a while outside...i always read..i read 3+ hours a day...i'm trying to burn off my cold..it won't make a difference, and drugs won't either..i'll be better in 2-3 days, relax.

Then i pop up to the market in Anloga..and take some more market pics..attached. I like the market very much..it's unique, it's fascinating, it's friendly, it's very colourful and it's noisy!!!! AH, that's what my pictures lack..they don't capture the sounds!!!

Not grating, not disturbing...just constant cries of hawkers, wandering through the marketplace with 'stuff' to sell on their heads.

At this point in time, i'm a generally accepted and recognised market buyer..there's the lettuce lady; the egg lady; the bottle of Pastis guy!; the general store(front) where i go for staples-OK, my staples-ready for this??...Lucozade, juice, ginger snaps..and i make them guess what i'm buying today; the old tomato ladies...no, it's the ladies that are old, not the tomatoes!; and, of course, the Togolese bread ladies..now up to four every market day..and they compete for my custom..now i have a "4 x mini-baguette plus one 'sandwich' with avocado" habit (every market day)..i'm a addict! and they all love the 3 or 4 Ewe phrase i drop on them...my favourite is 'ga mele asinye o'..they all love that (me too)..it means ...i have no money!!! and it's generally true!

And I run into people..who'll hail me variously...Kofi or Yevu are pretty much it..no-one seems big on 'riccardo'. But they're happy to see me...i'm integrated..just another Ghanaian shopping in the market.

Hot today, i hide in the shade and take pictures..better than usual, i think. I'm more relaxed..during the week, i feel then that i have to get back to the Library, etc.

Then back 'home', wander over to buy my 'diet' Coke...no, it isn't actually a 'Diet Coke'..it's just that a Coke while i read under the mango tree is my regular tipple after 'work'.

Still feeling crappy, but relaxed too..i was very good yesterday..sorted through all my notes, memos,lists, etc and put them tidily in a couple of binders.

I wander down to the Library- recognise that, increasingly, every 'wander ..to' is a pantomime of greetings with children of all ages..i don't know why but they'll rush out to do hi-fives ...oooh that hurt so much!!!...or shake hands or jump up and down or sing 'yevu, yevu..your mama swims out to meet troopships..' or whatever it is they are singing. I really am a shoo-in for dog-catcher in this town at the next elections.

I like working..why is that, richard? ...and today i'm preparing for next week's classes/CompSci..an Intro to PowerPoint ...and Excel

..and now home to blog, to eat a cold sandwich..but the bread is so good,

So ...the attached pictures seem better..see what you think.

I never had a day in my life quite like this..and for a day with a shitty head-cold it was pretty fun.

baci e abbracci