5 More Sleeps!

Hello Everyone!
Well, less than a week before I experience my first Ghanaian Christmas!! I can't wait!! Nothing but beach, sun and one handsome and funny man! Prosper and I head for Ho (North East in the Volta region not far from the horiffic flooding in October) to relax and enjoy some time in his native land. I cant wait to get away from the hustle and bustle of Accra! In Ho, you dont need to fear walking the streets at night. You can visit the beach without dodging the ankle-deep waste that is so prevalent throughout the beahes in Accra. And you can travel about without the constant calls from taxi drivers who want to collect some of the white girl's "millions of dollars!" Ha, little do they know how much "obruni" spent to get here!! No millions of dollars in this girl's pockets!!

I hope you all enjoy your holidays!! I am not sure if I will get to post a blog before Christmas day!! So be happy, healthy, and cherish your time with your loved ones!! I will certainly miss mine!! But there will be a new loved one in my family soon!! I will cherish my time with him over the holidays!!

Love You All!
Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Peace,
Heather

P.S. I am feeling much better! I will go for one more blood test next week to be sure there's no more Malaria!

Being Sick in Africa is Not Fun!

Hello Everyone!
You know, one of my biggest fears is getting seriously ill in Africa - the medical facilities in most countries are horrific. Well low and behold, I am being tested here in Ghana. I have been suffering with Type 1 Malaria for the last week and it has been an exhausting experience. Although I have a less serious type of malaria, it still has it's wonderful side effects - chills, fever, diarrhea, headache, and generally not feeling well. I went for a blood test on Tuesday for both Typhoid and Malaria. The only way to determine both of these diseases is a blood test. My test came back positive for malaria. I am shocked at myself, I handled it very well. You have to respect the great number of cases of malaria in this country alone. Millions of Ghanaians face Malaria in a year. I am on medicine and feeling better. But with any illness you need plenty of rest - so I have been neglecting my little darlings a bit this week! I will make it up to them on Monday, when I hand out their Christmas gifts!

I just wanted to reassure everyone that I am doing fine! I have many photos to share with you, so stay tuned! Also, I will snap up plenty of pics of our holiday party on Monday to share with you! I don't look forward to that day - going to miss the little ones soooo much!!

Take Care, and Stay Warm!!

Peace,
Heather

You know you're in Ghana when...

Hello Everyone!
I hope you all are healthy and anticipating the holidays. Christmas in +35 degree heat will be unique, but I am thrilled to experience a Ghanaian Christmas. You know, you learn so much when you live in another part of the world. Language, culture, food, but more importantly, I am living the life – day in and day out! I firmly believe that if you want to experience another way of life, you take it on whole heartedly. If you “half ass” it, you miss out on the essentials of how the people live. I hopped on a tro-tro the other day, and this elderly man was so shocked that a white lady was riding as a third-class citizen. Many whites like to live the high life in Ghana, never stepping foot in the trenches, never getting their hands dirty, and never taking the time to stop and talk to everyday Ghanaians. For me, this is the best part – and WOW, I am learning enough to write a book! And I will! I am also learning “Ewe” – one of Ghana’s 250 dialects! It’s amazing how much you pick up just from listening to the locals speak!
I thought I would educate you a bit more – so here are some more facts about my adopted homeland!!

• It’s not “assume”, it’s “azzoom”!
• To get one’s attention, you hiss! “SSSSSSSSSSS”! There’s no “excuse me” here. In fact, they would laugh you out of the joint!
• Getting around Accra is all about hand gestures. For example, you want to go to “Circle”, you watch for the “mate” (tro-tro’s all have a driver and a mate) who rotates his index finger. Kaneshi, Post Office, Tema, Arena, all have their recognized hand signals. When the mate wants to collect your cash, he snaps! You want to hail a cab, it’s all in the hand!
• If you’re white, you are automatically considered German! And if you’re a woman, you’re either “Sarah” or “Cecilia”. Go Figure!!
• Ghana has the fastest growing cocaine industry in the world. Cocaine trafficking has become a national crisis, and tell me if this is hard to believe – governmental leaders are some of the biggest culprits!!
• The cane is in every classroom in Ghana. Beating a child is as regular and as common as telling a child “no” in Canada. One of those stone-aged cultural norms that this country can’t seem to turn over!
• The price for petrol has become so ridiculously high under Kufour’s leadership that gas stations are forced to shut down at 10:00PM for fear of being robbed by gun-toting thieves!
• You know a taxi driver wants your money when he honks twice! This means, “hey obruni, where ya want to go?”
• You pay 500 Pesewa to use a public latrine! That’s right, you have to pay to sh*t! And you use good old fashion newspaper! You don’t mind the raw rear end after a while!
• The Night Club is an experience in its own! You arrive at 11:00PM and dance and drink the night away until 5:00 in the morning. Once again, you don’t dare venture out late at night for fear of being robbed by those gun-toting thieves. So you jam the packed dance floor until day breaks!
• Ghanaian music is fantastic!!
• It’s not Santa Claus, it’s “Father Christmas”. And unfortunately, he only makes a stop-over to those families who can afford it. But this is Africa, and gifts are not important here – it’s all about family, food and drink!
• Forget all the shopping frenzy on Boxing Day. In Ghana, everyone heads to the beach!

I hope you have enjoyed! Don't let the negative points cloud the beauty of Ghana! This is a wonderful country, but TIA - THIS IS AFRICA!!

Peace,
Heather

Meet My Kids!!

Hi Everyone!
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you all to my beautiful children at Idea and Ideology school in the heart of Accra! Look into their eyes - these are the faces of the nation! I feel truly blessed to be a part of these children's lives!!


RAYMOND is 7 years old and loves Ghana! He draws flags every day. He loves to play games, eat chicken fried rice, and he wants to be a soccer player when he grows up! He also loves to dance like "Mickey J" (Ghanaian term for Michael Jackson!! Absolutely priceless!


SARAH is 8 years old and aspires to be a teacher when she grows up. Her favorite meal is fufu (powdered yam) and light soup, and she loves music!


STEVIE is 5 years old and he loves to color! His favorite story is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? He loves to play ball and eat fried rice!


NICHOLAS is 7 years old and loves to eat fufu (powdered yam) and light soup! He loves to play ball and wants to be a goal keeper when he grows up!


PRINCE MENSAH is 5 years old and loves to eat waatse (beans and rice). He loves to play ball and wants to be a doctor when he grows up! His nickname is "Shadrock"!


LAWRENCE is 6 years old and loves to play ball. He loves to read books and play music! His nickname is "Obolo"!


ERIC is 4 years old and loves to follow "teacha Heatha" around all day! His favorite meal is waatse (beans and rice), and he loves to play games! His nickname is "Kujo"!


JUNIOR is 3 years old and loves to tease "teacha Heatha". He likes to play hide and seek, color, and be michevious!! Little spark-plug!! He will eat just about anything!


PEACE is 4 years old and loves music! She likes to wear dresses and fancy shoes! She loves to play "mom" to all the children!!


BISMARK is 4 years old and loves to smile! You will never see him without one! He loves to play blocks, color and brag about his "big muscles"!! Quite the showman!!


DAVID is 5 years old and loves to read books! His favorite story is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? He loves to play ball, and his favorite meal is fried rice!!


FORGIVE is 3 years old and adores coming to school! She loves to play blocks, color, and read stories! She's a tiny little thing, with a huge smile and a beautiful spirit!!


SERIYUM is 4 years old and has undergone a huge transformation! Before November, he wouldn't speak, and now I can't keep up to him!! He loves to play blocks, read stories, and play soccer! Little character!!

I hope you have enjoyed!! These little characters have become an integral part of my life here in Ghana! I will miss them deeply come the end of December!! I will have to visit often!!

Take Care! Love You All!

Peace,
Heather

Beautiful Faces!!

Hello Everyone!
Just a quick note to let you all know everything's fine here in Ghana! Less text and more pictures of the kids!!

Enjoy!!





















Peace,
Heather

Interesting Facts About Ghana!

I thought you would enjoy a quick lesson on some interesting things that occur in my new homeland! Like I have said before, Ghana is unlike any other place in the world – and I say that with love!
HERE ARE SOME INTERESTING FACTS:
• It’s not washroom, it’s “toilet”
• It’s not near or little, it’s “small small”
• It’s not parking lot, it’s “car park”
•Caucasians, Asians and East Indians are all considered “obruni” – white man!
• Absolutely everything is negotiable. The key word is “BARGAIN”!
• Red clay covers every inch of Accra.
• If you see a funeral procession and the members are wearing white, then an elderly person has passed. White symbolizes the passing of a prosperous and long-lived life. If everyone is wearing red or black, then a young person has passed. Red and black symbolizes bitterness at a life ended too young.
• Corruption is everywhere! The police routinely pull over drivers for no other reason than to look for money. I have seen it a couple times already. But it is evident at every turn – from the corner grocer to the highest powers of government.
• When eating, shaking hands, passing or collecting objects, you only ever use your right hand. Using your left hand is considered a huge insult to Ghanaians.
• Filtered water, liquor and other drinks come in “saches” - plastic baggies that you bite the tip off and drink from. Of course, you can buy the bottles too!
• Ghanaians serve bread in “thousands”. If you like your bread on the thinner side, you say “one thousand”. You get it twice as thick if you say “two thousand”.
• Africa is the fastest growing market for cell phones in the world. In Ghana, a cell phone is more widely used than a comb or wallet.
• Taxis account for over 80% of the cars on the road. And they are as corrupt as they come! Always negotiate a price before entering a cab!
• Asking for your contact information is as common here as it is for Canadians to talk about the weather. It’s just a customary thing to do, regardless if they ever contact you or not.
• Ghanaians are extremely proud about their “freedom”, which helps explain why asking for contact information has become the ordinary.
• Garbage is piled throughout the city. There is no garbage disposal system in Accra, so everything is dumped or burned. Everyone becomes accustomed to the distinct smells of this great capital city.
• One Cedi goes a long way in Ghana! It can purchase you a variety of things: a few rides on a tro-tro, 2 delicious omelette sandwichs, a couple bottles of soda, an hour at the Internet Cafe, and much more!
• Ghanaians have no concept of time! Like I’ve said many times, a minute can take four hours. Here, you just roll with the punches!
• If you’re Canadian, you’re a hit! Ghanaians have very friendly relations with Canadians. The average Joe may know nothing about our country, but they know you’re a peace-loving friend!

I hope I have enlightened you!

Until Next Time, Take Care!
Love Heather

Visit to Buduburam!

Hello to Everyone!
Well, it's already close to the weekend and yet I have not posted last weekend's blog - once again, slow process here in Ghana! But here it is in full detail!

I went out on Friday after school to the Buduburam Refugee Settlement where I will be teaching come January. I arrived at about 4:00 in the afternoon, met up with Alfred, Harrington and Amus, the three young gentlemen who I have been in contact with for the last few months. We wasted no time in meeting some of the children I will be teaching. Brilliant kids! When I arrived, they were having a forum regarding a number of issues, and to hear them speak was motivational. I am serious when I say some of these children have more wisdom then their corrupt governmental leaders. But that is a story I will save for another day!

I have to admit that my experience with the kids was somewhat heartbreaking. Being that these are Liberian refugees, you have to expect that there are going to be some traumatic stories. But to see children with missing limbs is something that you can read about for years, but to witness it is horrific. I have one young girl named Sarah who had her right arm chopped off by rebels during the civil war. What a courageous and beautiful spirit! I have so much admiration for these children! Once again, there will be many stories and personal memoirs to share with you as time goes by.

After my enlightening introdution with the children, the four of us headed to a small restaurant for a plate of chicken fried rice. Know, imagine sitting at home in pitch black trying to collect your rice on your fork and get it into your mouth without dropping it all over the floor. Fun times when it's "light's off". No power in the settlement, no running toilet system - just foul smelling latrines, and 40, 000 refugees wondering the camp looking for a good time on a Friday night. INTERESTING EXPERIENCE!!

The four of us arrived back at my small shack and spent close to 3 hours talking about my new friends horiffic experiences during their country's civil war. I have never felt so moved in my life. It's one thing to read of personal experiences, but to have people sit with you and share their tragedies is something totally different. These are young men who watched their fathers be shot to death, their mothers and sisters be raped and killed, and their villages be burned to the ground. My friend Amus managed to escape the rebels, but he had to walk 36 days through the jungle with hundreds of other Liberians to reach safety in neibouring Guniea. I thought of each of these stories all weekend long. It effects you in a way I can't explain. And these stories need to be told - there simply isn't enough told about Africa!! So I will undertake a bit of journalism come January - I want to document these people's stories and share them with as many people as I can!!

I have posted a few pictures of the settlement - it has been up and running since the start of Liberia's first civil war in 1989. Some of the children I met were born on the camp. They have never even experienced life in their native land. And it simply isn't safe to return for many. You may think as you look at the photos that it hardly resembles a refugee camp. It is well built with solid structures and housing simply because it has been established for so many years. Families have been able to save enough money to build proper houses to shetler their families. Not the typical tin roofed shanty towns you see in most African refugee camps.

The photo of the young gentleman is Alfred, and he is the project coordinator for RESPECT Ghana. A wonderful young man and a gentle soul. He has committed his life to bettering the lifes of his people! I can't wait to spend more time with him and the others I have come to know!















Stay tuned! I have many more pictures to post - providing the power situation here in Accra!

Take Care and Enjoy Your Weekend!
And let's all reflect once again on how lucky we are to be Canadian!! I have always been a proud Canadian, but I become more proud and more grateful each day!

Peace!
Love Heather

Photos, Photos, Photos!

Hey Everyone,
Well, my first ever live reggae show last Sunday night, and what excitement! Such an enlightening experience. I have posted pictures for you to see! The main artist is Jamaican legend Luciano, and is he very popular around the world. It was his first visit to Accra! His music gave me goosebumps! And of course, Prosper wouldn't give up the opportunity to get close to his idol, so he snuck up close to the gate, and low and behold, Luciano jumps the barrier and comes and gives him a warm hug. Unbelievable! He's pictured below in the ball cap and blue and yellow Ghanaian shirt!







I have also added some pictures from our trip to Cape Coast - although it was a very brief visit. Prosper was delivering a political presentation at the University. And a few photos of nights out in Accra! And of course, the both of us enjoying a traditional Ghanaian dish of banku and fish!









And of course, how could I forget my kids! I love them all, but here are just a few photos from the last couple of weeks. I will post more!









Hope you have enjoyed!
Super time, so I better go home!

Cheers,
Heather

A Little Reggae Fun!

Hello,
I hope all is well with everyone! It's been a while since my last posting and I am sure you are all wondering what I am up to. Well, I am busy teaching my little school kids everyday, and I am amazed at how much they are all learning. I have Raymond reading full sentences, I have Sariyum finally breaking out of his shell and communicating with me, and I have a little cling-on in Eric. He follows "teacha Heatha" everywhere!! And he gets very upset if he's not getting my full attention! He's so cute, I could take him home! I will be posting more pictures of them in the upcoming week, including some photos of some of their school work.

This Saturday Prosper is taking me to a live Reggae concert in Accra. Now if you are familiar with Jamaican Rasta music, you will be sure to love this! However, I am a beginner when it comes to understanding this style of music, so I have a lot to learn. I tell you though, I am becoming a bigger fan everyday. You can't go anywhere in Ghana without hearing reggae blaring through the speakers - it's something that connects blacks and whites everywhere in Africa and around the world. The concert begins in the afternoon and continues until after midnight! We'll see how long I last! I will be sure to take lots of pictures to help enlighten you on what a mass concentration of Rasta fans looks like! Should be interesting!

I want to inform all of you that I have an article appearing in the Fort Saskatchewan Record tomorrow (Friday, October 26) that details some of my work here thus far. For those of you who do not have access to this, I will be sure to post the link to the article on the blog. I hope you enjoy it!

All right, it's diner time and I'm hungry, so I better run!

Take Care,
Love Heather

Beautiful Time in the Volta Region

Hi Everyone,
I hope this message finds everyone well! It has been a trying week posting photos from my weekend trip. But I have finally been able to add them to my blog, so I hope you enjoy!

My friend Prosper and I met up in his home town of Keta, on the Eastern coastline not far from the boarder of neighbouring Togo. I made the two hour tro-tro ride into Keta after school on Thursday and met up with Prosper at 6:00 in the evening. As I meet him at the station, he tells me I have to meet some of his buddies, and that the plan is to go to Mom’s for dinner. We went and hung out with his friends, me having my Coke and Prosper having his STAR (Ghanaian beer!). His close friend is a teacher, so I had an awesome chat with him! We then headed to his old stomping grounds to visit his mother. Now you have to understand, on the coastline, everything is fish, fish, fish! I have had many difficult moments contemplating whether or not to try it, and up until Thursday night, I have always decided no. We proceed to wash our right hand and dig into our meal. (In Ghana, you only ever use your right hand to eat, never your left!) I was so reluctant at first; I mean the bloody fish still had the eyes in them. Just little suckers! So after spiting up nothing but bones, Prosper, being the gentleman he is, helps to tear the fish up for me. I grit my teeth and hammer on! I am quite pleased with myself actually. I didn`t gag once!

After our enlightening dinner, we headed to his Uncles house where we spent the night. What an absolute beautiful spot on the sea! The house was a stone`s throw from the ocean and you could hear the massive waves before even setting your eyes on the water. Keta at one point years back was washed away and the entire city became a ghost town. It now holds one of the largest markets in the region. One of the most beautiful sights I have seen thus far!

Unfortunately, we did not get an opportunity to head north and see some of the devastating flood areas in the region. We would have had to travel north about two hours to see some of the worst hit places. We are talking about a path of destruction that has wiped out every single structure in some areas and has killed hundreds of people. The threat now is the development of water-borne diseases such as cholera in the water. A horrific natural disaster that so many Sub-Saharan countries are facing here in Africa. If we return to Keta in the upcoming weeks, I hope to visit these regions and check out some of the devastation first hand.

You will notice the large chunks of rock that line the coast. They are there to prevent the town from being washed away, and these massive rocks line the coast for miles. They go down some 30 feet into the ground. The photo with the tops of our heads cut off was taken by a man who had never seen a camera before – he is pictured with Prosper. So many cool people in Keta, and they have such a laid back mentality that was a welcomed change from the hustle and bustle of Accra! I will return again soon!











I still have many photos to share with you – photos that will help you gain a better understanding of the hustle and bustle I was just mentioning. I will post those photos of Accra soon! And I have a precious blog entry to add of the children playing in my house! You will love it!

By for Now! Take Care!
Love Heather

A Busy Week! - And a Busier Weekend Planned!

Hello Everyone!
Yes, I know - long time since I posted! Sorry about that. It's been a very busy week and I have hardly been home! I have this close friend and we have been hanging out everyday for the last few weeks. Prosper is such a cool friend, and of course, he is highly educated and intelligent, which is all the more reason I love to hang with him! He is a bit of a political animal and he travels throughout Ghana to promote change in the current government. You see, this country is in ruins and no one in the upper echelons of power wants to do anything about it. So people like Prosper need to go and out and make some noise and help change the political wave of this country! I am currently helping him to write a personal documentary of sorts to highlight his experiences with corruption throughout Africa. He has been the highlight of my evenings here - night clubs, trips to the beach - and this weekend, we are heading to his home town of Keta, up in the Volta region of Ghana. It's about a two hour ride on the bus, and from what I hear, an absolutely beautiful trip! I can't wait. I depart after school tomorrow afternoon! I will let you know how it goes! And of course, I will snap up a ton of pictures!

Oh, and this goes out to all my Legion friends - I have been proudly wearing my "Support Our Troops" t-shirt in Accra! I hope you are all doing the same every Friday!

Take Care,
Love Heather

Village Life!

Hello Everyone!

I hope all is well and you are enjoying the start of October! Time flies here, that’s for certain. I can’t believe I’ve been here for only three weeks – it seems like I have been here forever. I absolutely love it! It’s feeling more and more like home every day!

Last Saturday was an eventful day for me! Kofi and I took a long (and extremely bumpy) tro-tro ride out to a remote village to look at opportunities for building a school. I was in my glory out in the bush. We are talking about the most primitive way of life out there. I was told I am the only white person to visit the village, and my white skin and blond hair scared some of the children away. I did manage to get a few high fives from the little ones however, and that of course made my day. A couple of the villagers even asked if I could take them back to Canada with me!

I am just in awe of these people and how efficiently they use the land to live. Resources we take for granted every day are the staples for sheltering their families. I have posted some pictures of the village for you to enjoy! You will be wondering why there are no people in the photos – I elected not to snap away at the villagers because I did not want to scare the little ones even further. Plus, my camera might have looked too interesting to the village elder and I would have had to bargain to keep it!





I will be posting pictures of Accra in the next week. I know many of you have been asking to see the streets and the markets, so I will be sure to post those! It just takes so long to load pictures here in Ghana, so I have to spread the blogs out!

Take Care
Love Heather

Please Join Me in Prayer!

Hello Everyone!
First thing's first – I want to send out a warm hug for all my friends and family in Alberta, because as I understand it, you are going to be getting an early winter. I send you lots of love and warmth from Africa. I wish you were all here experiencing this wonderful land with me!

Second important issue – I am not religious by any means, as many of you know. However, there is a devastating event occurring in Ghana right now, and I want you all to join me in prayer! The Volta region of Ghana is under horrific flooding and many people have died. Over 300 homes have been washed away and hundreds of families are left homeless. You know, I watch the news here as often as I can, and I just thank my lucky stars that I am not a civilian in that region right now. For those of you who don’t know the geographical location of Lake Volta, it is located in the East, approximately 200 miles north of Accra. So although I am not in any direct path of devastation, the entire nation is feeling the destruction. I am yet to know if this will cause further problems with water and electricity. I plan to travel with a friend to his hometown of Ho (bordering the country of Togo) in the upcoming weeks, so I hope we can make a stopover in the Volta region and check out some of the devastation first hand. I want to offer my support to the people and see if there’s anything I can do to help.

I cannot explain this enough - as a volunteer in a third world continent like Africa, you are not consumed just with your mission or project. You begin to care so much for the people that you are always looking at ways that you can lend your support. It is my hope that by the end of my stay here, I have come in contact with as many people as possible and that I experience as much as I can. Sometimes all these people need is someone to listen to their stories. But I tell you, once you have begun to hear the struggles of the Ghanaian people, you feel compelled to act!

Now that I have left a sour mark on your day, I want us all to reflect on how lucky we are to be living in our great country. Yes, we bitch about taxes, but I believe it’s a small price we have to pay to live a life of such luxury. I have always considered myself a proud and grateful Canadian, but each day, I become even more proud and even more grateful!

Love Heather

Wonderful Times with Ghanaian Teachers!!

Greetings from Accra!
I hope you aren’t freezing to death in Alberta. I hear some cold weather is headed your way! Poor you! – It’s absolutely lovely here – the Ghanaians are cold because it’s rainy season, and here’s the white “sista” sweating like never before. To be honest, it’s very comfortable here – you just need to make sure you’re well hydrated!

What an amazing day I had yesterday! Kofi and I hopped on a tro-tro and headed out to his school at 8:00 in the morning. What a school! – Absolutely crumbling to pieces, but what a wonderful bunch of students and teachers! I was so impressed by the way I was treated. I have been asked to come back to the school – I guess I am quite a social hit! Apparently, I am the only volunteer who has brought supplies and has taken the time to visit all the classrooms and speak to the students and teachers.

The school includes every grade – from Kindergarten to Junior Secondary, and Secondary students. And I tell you, I challenge any group of students in the world to outdo these students – by far the best behaved and disciplined students I have ever seen! And what a blast they are to hang around with! I spent most of the time in Kofi’s Math and Agricultural Science classes. These students are 15 – 17 years of age, and what personalities! I love them all! I know I will see these kids as politicians, lawyers, teachers and doctors in the future! God Bless Them!

The school is in desperate need of teaching resources – the younger Forms (grades) really need age appropriate books. They would also greatly benefit from resources for the development of phonics. Currently, the roof of the school is in need of replacement. A couple of the classrooms have been closed down because the roof has caved in. Luckily no one was in the classroom at the time. And often times, the money to replace things comes from the teachers own pockets! I have already dedicated some time when I get home to do some fundraising! I want to make sure these kids have as much as possible to help them learn! They deserve the quality education our children receive in North America!

As I was touring the school, Kofi pointed out the window and showed me the ocean. I was floored! I had no idea the school was mere steps from the beach! One of Kofi’s older students took me for a walk down to the beach! Fishing boats littered the water, as they do all along the coast. It’s an amazing sight. Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera. But when I return for a visit, I will be sure to snap up some pics!

Well, I have a busy afternoon! I talk to my parents every Wednesday afternoon(morning in Alberta), so I will be expecting their call in a short while. Then I have some laundry and cleaning to do. I need to remove the layers of red clay that gets tracked into the house! I’m sure going to miss African clay when I leave. It’s become part of my skin texture!

Take Care
Love Heather

A Day of Traveling About!

Hello to Everyone,
Saturday was a fun day, one of traveling throughout Accra and hanging out with the neighbourhood kids. I headed out early and hopped on a crowded tro-tro to Max Mart and purchased some much needed supplies – pop, a few goodies, some laundry soap, and other household necessities. I absolutely love this store! You can even rent current DVD’s for $2.00. You know me and my movies, I can’t live without them.

I also had a houseful of visitors today, as many of the kids stopped in to play with my selection of toys. Many of the neighbourhood kids come by asking, “teacha Heatha, where’s the soccer ball?” or “teacha Heatha, come and play with us!” How can I say no to these beautiful children?? But let me tell you, I think I have opened a big can of worms here, because now they are going to be at my door all the time! But I love it, and that’s why I’m here! I even had little Mawena drop in Friday night showing me how well she’s done her homework. God, she’s precious!

My bead sensation has taken off like a rampant fire here, and now I have both the children and the adults asking me to teach them. It’s so funny to watch the boys beading because in Canada they would consider it too girly! Little do they know, it’s excellent for fine motor development and hand-eye coordination. So Bring on them Beads!!











I have posted some more pictures of the children for you to enjoy! As teachers, we are to never show favouritism to certain children! I love them all so much here, however, there is one little boys that just melts my heart. For me, Junior is the face of the nation (he's pictured at the top - with his serious face). He has such a unique personality and man – is he cute! He's so young, and yet he takes charge so easily around here, especially with the soccer ball in hand!

Either Monday or Tuesday I will be going with Kofi to his school where he teaches. I want to observe in as many settings as I can here in Ghana! You never know when you may have another chance to learn in Africa! I look forward to sharing this new experience with you!

Cheers,
Heather