My New Home

I really don't know where to begin this post. I have been without internet access for a week now and so much has happened...
To begin with, I am in Ghana, West Africa. More specifically, I am currently in Ho on a weekend trip. I am staying at this fairly westernized hotel called "Chances Hotel" with A/C, a television with 5 channels, and a swimming pool. It is extremely strange to be here, especially considering my everyday lifestyle back in Hohoe (pronounced Ho-whey). Today myself and six of my newest "Yevu" buddies (white people in Ewe) spent the morning in the African Crafts Market in downtown Ho and then came back to lie by the pool and cool off. Last night we dined in a restaurant and I ordered spaghetti. I went back to a chilled room and fell asleep to a horrible American film entitled "Fringe 2". Outside of this hotel internet cafe is a children's playground and a peacock (yes, a live one) wandering around. It is heaven on earth, but it makes me feel sick to my stomach.
Back in Hohoe I live in a compound with 9 other girls. The compound holds only one house, and while humble compared to houses in Canada, it is an upscale home for the neighbourhood we are in--technically we are in "the bush", down a pot-holed dirt road off one of the main highways running through Eastern Ghana. Our program fees pay the salaries of two watchmen, a wonderful cook named Joe, and two domestics--Esther and Mary. We also have an intern supervisor named George and a tro-tro driver named Dela. The program supervisor is Makafui. He is extremely bright, friendly, and has traveled to Peterborough before! The staff are all amazing and have made me feel right at home.
Ghana is hot. The sun is up before 6 and it is perpetually humid. Even the slightest breeze is a blessing. The greenspace here is gorgeous and abundant. Fruit trees, palm trees, thick grasses and flowers grow everywhere. Hohoe is surround by a small mountain range that is absolutely covered in vegetation. Surprisingly, the bugs aren't all that bad. It's the geckos, goats, dogs, cats, chickens, and cows that roam everywhere that you need to watch out for, especially when they choose to make a path along the middle of the street. I was surprised to hear that people here do keep dogs as legitimate pets. Sorry to any cat-lovers, but our feline friends in Canada are seen as a delicacy here and are very likely to be eaten.
The towns here are hap-hazardly layed out to say the least. People build homes where they want to. City blocks are not square, they are defined by the dirt roads and footpaths that run in between the homes and shops. The roads are not named for the most part, although some of the larger roads have names. Many unfinished buildings (really big, potentially gorgeous buildings) appear to have been abandoned or have "To be demolished on (date)" spray-painted along the side. One such building near my house was slated for demolition ten years ago. But alas, T.I.A and things take time to get done. I think a lot of the slow pace can be attributed to the heat. You would have to be crazy to want to move quickly here.
The homes and shops are what most people would likely refer to as "shacks" or mud huts. But these places work just fine for living in and doing business, even if they lack electricity or plumbing. I am actually growing pretty fond of the stores here--unlike Canadian stores they are small, no two items are alike, the shop keeper knows where the products came from, and everyone is willing to barter. You never know what kind of interesting conversation you might find yourself in or what funny item you may discover--Haley, I think shopping is exciting here!
As to the lack of plumbing you are likely wondering how the whole washroom deal works here. At our homebase we have a modern toilet, sink, and fairly modern shower. There is no hot water (but the cold water is welcome after a long day of sweating) and the septic system is not very good. "If it's yellow, let it mellow but if it's brown flush it down" is one of the rules. The other rule is no toilet paper goes down the drain or it might get clogged. We throw t.p. in a waste bin. The toilet is referred to as a "closet", and washroom really means "shower/sink room". When you need a toilet, you ask for a toilet.
In town plumbing is largely non-existent. There are community taps where everyone goes to get water and the sewers are open gutters that line the roads. I have witnessed people going to the washroom at the side of the road into these gutters while people and cars continue about their business around them. Sometimes it smells, but the rain every day tends to wash all the icky stuff away.
Okay, I am heading back to my room now to shower and eat but I will update more ASAP!
P.S.- I love it here :)

On my way!

I took my first malaria pill of many today. I'm waiting to see if my body responds well or gives me horrific nightmares on the plane tonight. I am taking gravol to knock me out, so hopefully that will help. I have three bags packed. One for on the plane that is essentially a mobile pharmacy. One for cargo, jammed full of clothing, sunscreen, soap, books, and more medications. One for Abdul-Malik, filled with a soccer ball, baseball gloves, skipping ropes, a frisbee, baseball cap, and school supplies. I'm also taking syrup to give out when I visit chiefs and the homes of community members (we'll see if this works out-apparently the chiefs usually expect liquor). I still need to purchase a mosquito net-they aren't sold in Canada because the chemical used to treat them (permethrin) is illegal in Canada. I'm hoping I can grab one at the airport. Otherwise I'll get one once I'm in Hohoe.
Aside from packing "stuff" I have spent the last two weeks packing in time with friends and family. I didn't get to see everyone, but almost everyone! My best friend Britt organized an awesome dinner with a bunch of friends for me a week ago. I was so surprised and so happy to see everyone who came! I am lucky to have such a wonderful group of friends- I will miss you all very much!
Well, I am off! My flight leaves in 6 hours. I arrive in Frankfurt, Germany at 8:00 tomorrow morning. At 10:00 I board my flight to Accra. At 2:50 I arrive in Ghana. Can't believe this is actually happening. I will post as soon as possible after I arrive.
Thank you so much for all of the support and kind words! Keep following :)