I am excited to be here

So I am moved in and settled ( as settled as one can be in Africa) here in Cape Coast. Unfortunately life has been pretty bland thus far. Well, maybe not bland, just uneventful. The house I am living in is wonderful. Rumor has it, that it used to be a brothel, but those days appear to be over. It is a simple (seriously, simple) house with about 5 or 6 bedrooms, several bathrooms, living room, and a kitchen. I struggle keeping track of everyone, but I think there is about 10 people living there now and 14 starting next week. We have a women who takes care of the chores during the day, and a nightwatchman. The place is actually several kilometers from the office, about a 20 minute taxi ride along a beautiful stretch of palm fringed ocean. My days for the most part have been spent at the Global Mamas office in Cape Coast. This is where the Ghanaian crafts are sold in the store downstairs and upstairs is the "office" where the women conduct quality control on the products and the volunteers meet and work on their projects. It is a fun place to work and interact with the "mamas". My time outside of here has been pretty limited, but I have found a wonderful open air market that is great for adventure shopping, but that may be another story for another time. That is about all for now, I should be getting back to work. Thanks for the comments!

The Global Mamas office and King Street

Alice presenting the "Global Mama of the Year" award at the office

The store

The initial African experience

Akwaaba,
Well, I have managed to successfully make it to Ghana. The stand-by flying worked flawlessly and I actually got the opportunity to fly first class from New York to Accra. I certainly enjoyed the 3 course dinner and fine wine. So the last couple of days have been spent in Accra, which is the capital of Ghana. It has been a great introduction to the country. It is certainly hot and humid, but has been manageable. The days have been spent wondering the streets and testing out the local transport. The people here have been extremely kind and a joy to interact with. There are a lot of characteristics of this place that remind of India. The strong smells of frying food, open sewers, burning garbage, and humid air. Even though these are not necessarily wonderful smells, they do hold some nostalgic value. The main local transport is the tro-tro, which is a variety of different van like vehicles. They are often overcrowded but cheap and a bit adventurous. I haven't had too much time to explore the local cuisine but what I have been shown so far is quite good. Yams are very common, which are served in large chunks and served with a hot sauce, I mean HOT. There is also fried plantains which are wonderful and of course rice. I am certainly looking forward to trying more of the cuisine. That's about the extent of my African experience thus far. Tomorrow I will move onto Cape Coast where I will begin work. I'll keep you all posted as more develops.

Mellow streets around the house

Accra lighthouse

They have crazy traffic here too

A little predeparture reflection

So it is worth a little predeparture reflection before I take off for Ghana. This trip certainly differs from my previous travels to the Indian subcontinent. Instead of being a total vagabond, I will actually be working in Ghana. Although I think I will be able to find many similarities with India, the way I experience the country will be different. I am excited to immerse myself in the country in this way. And of course it is not all about gaining the cultural experience but also applying what I have learned in school in a meaningful way. For me, this is a great way to use my skills and knowledge I have gained over the years. It would take a lot to convince me that my time would be better spent at a multi-billion dollar corporation instead of helping those in need. However, I am not expecting that my time here will change lives. The effects of my work will probably remain pretty subtle, which is fine with me. As long as I can make connections with the people here and know that I applied myself appropriately, then I will be satisfied. The biggest challenge of this experience will be to apply the corporate theories and formulas on a micro level. Even though it may seem like a stretch, I am confident there is a connection. So the next three months should be interesting at the very least. I am looking forward to sharing all the different aspects of this journey with you all.