random thoughts from Ghana

The country of Ghana exists of different tribal groups, the one I have gotten a understanding of are the Ashanti people. Many people greet you with their "Akwaaba" welcome saying. I think that one is just for the tourist though as I have yet to hear them use it with each other. Right now is the dusty season or the 'hunaton'(no idea about the spelling) it is big, it is thick, it is dirty, and it is EVERY where!
I have observed the city of Accra and surrounding areas by Tro Tro (mini-vans driven by righteous, full of road rage, young, God-fearing, speed, and natural air conditioner and i swear sometimes high boys).
They are fun, however, hundreds of Ghanaians are killed every week in traffic accidents caused mostly in part, by them.
Today I saw one get stuck while the wheel spun on the dip off the pavement of the main road. I grabbed a piece of cement that had also broken off the main road and told him to put it under the tire...it worked and they drove off with a peel of the tyres and a smile on the face.

I am pretty sure the award for the coolest hair in the world has got to go to Ghanaian women...it is just beautiful the styles and creativity that goes into the hair braids. These girls got mad SKILLZ!

Everyday I feel everything as more and more comfortable but the walks through the market while every successive shop keeper yells Obruni!! will take some more time to get used to. I have figured out how to get the hard core ones to stop grabbing me. I wear a wedding ring and I put it in their face as I yell for my "HUSBAND!"-it gets them every time!

I heard people eat monkey in Liberia...so I am trying to pretend I didn't hear that...

I watched some Nigerian TV last night and I loved it. That had one that was a SITCOM but it was in like tribal setting with witch doctors and tents and all that. Another was a talk show with single mothers talking about their difficulty in life. Giving encouragement to the other single mothers.

Today I sat in a corner shop watching Oprah's Cheers to you episode while finishing my cold Malta so I could return the bottle back to the shot for recycling.
The guy sitting next to me right now is sending those e-mail scams I have been watching him while I am waiting for my exceptionally slow internet to upload a new window. He is taking lots of emails from a unmarked notepad file and sending them out. I leaned over to him earlier and said "wouldn't it be funny if one of those were my email?" ...He just looked at me__________:)

The roasting of Plantines is occuring everywhere, along every street and on the corner of every junction...it must be plantine season.

Straight up I am envious of people who have darker skin...I would love it, its just perfect for the sun and you don't have to feel like an idiot having to put on sun block every day before going out. No third degree burns on the nose, no walking ATM assumptions.
On the other hand my fore fathers could have been stolen from their village sold on the shores of Ghana and shipped to the new continent under much less than economy class conditions. I could be runing for my life with everything I own that fits on the top of my head while dogging bullets in the Congo. Could be getting BEE a job from the ANC government of South Africa. Could have had my legs cut off by neiboring tribes in Rwanda. I could have returned to my "home land" after finally obtaining my "freedom" just to come back to a place that is so strange to me that I must start nameing everything according to what IS familiar to me which is my colonial past, and start treating the locals as I was previously seen as (If you are wondering where I am going with this please see Liberia in your local encyclopedia...and if possible speak with a Liberian, even MORE interesting!)
I could also be THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!

Thank you for taking the time to read my random thoughts...and some not so random. If you can connect any of my thoughts have anything to add to them or and totally random thoughts of your own please don't hesitate to comment!