Kids will be Kids... will be kids.

The adventure continues as we headed Northish on a trotro to the city of Nkawkaw (pop 90000).  The trotro ride was a long (yet surprisingly comforatble) 3:30 hours.  We arrived and were picked up by monseigneur Paul, our host.  Nkawkaw is a welcomed change of pace form the hustle and bustle of Accra... though it is still busy, people are less in your your face.  

We're staying in the guest of the local Church, and me being the only male has been given a private room.  It's nice to have my own space - my own little getaway. 

We've met some incredicly interesteing people!!! Auntie Agi works with the fathers at the mission house and has been cooking us fantastic meals (and' we've gotten the chance to help everyday)... I have much much much more appreciation for the work the goes into preparing something as simple as fufu... lots of pounding the plaintain into dough.  A lot of hard work that I found tough.

I'm not really sure what to say so this entry will be scrambeled.  I'm just going to let my thoughts flow out...

I finally got a picture of a lizard... in fact was has become my roomate.  He moved into the my bathroom... he's just very small maybe 3 inches long, and lives in a crack in the tile of my tub... I've named him Ned.  Also, I've adpated qute well to "showering" with a bucket! It's pretty easy... and it's very refreshing with the heat being so hot.  Speaking of weather, we haven't gone a day here withough rain and lightning... but it passes very quickly.  

We have also started our language lessons in Twi.  So far so good, and I am able to hold (simple) conversations with people I run into on the street.  Oh people are still calling us Obruni, which is kinda endearing.  The kids especially.

Speaking of kids, you may be curious about the title of this blog.  After being here for just a brief time, I've realized something... one of life's infallable truths... wherever you are, kids are kids.  We are surrounded by their curiosity everyday, and they love to come a see us.  The other day, we showed them a "high five"... it started with one kid, then two, and before we knew, there was a line up of thirty circling around us getting high fives over and over again.  It made me smile.

Everyone we've met is great!  I've mentioned auntie Agi, there's also Samuel Kofi Ampon, who helps with chores and is teaching me how to speak some Twi (as well as how to handwash laundry!)... then there is Kwasi Obed... one of the cutest kids I have ever met!! he's 13 and is so smart and interesting.  The Fathers are great too! They are helping us along with all our needs.  Also, there is Stephen... I like him very much! He is what I would equate to a custodian in Canada for the Mission house... I had a photo taken with him and we he grabbed my hand (which is a sign of friendship in ghana, good friends walk around holding hands).  it was very touching!

Well I only have thirteen minutes left and I want to upload some photos so I will say Akyre (See you later).  The next blog won't be until half way through my village stay so check in then!

Oh yeah! How could I forget about church! We went to church on Sunday, and me not being very religious, was a little apprehensive...  however, it was so much fun!!! People were dancing and singing and clapping and having a great time! Then they introduced the 6 of us to the entire congregration (we had to stand up in front) ---- 300-400 people!

That's it for now!!!

Cheers,

Matty

PS Well looks like I can't upload any photos... check out facebook under Nkawkaw! Cheers!

This is our final day in Accra and then we're off to Nkawkaw tomorrow on a trotro! 

A lot has happened it the last couple days... I'm not sure where to begin!  The fruit here is amazingly good.  I've never tasted a banana so good... and we found "Sweet one", the pineapple lady... yum.  We visted a few museums and got to ocean today! The ocean is very different then back home... a lot of grabage... and there were pigs and goats, and it was warm (but we didn't go swimming).  We also got lessons today on drumming at the cultrual centre.  My teacher was Anthony, and he's a really nice guy. 

As we are still in the rainy season, we woke up this morning to a torrential downpour and lightning storm.  It was really neat! 

Yestraday we went to Kaneshi Market (the one on amazing race mom and dad with the yellow background and where they finished with the lady with fish on her head.).  It was neat, we walked around for along time.  It's so very strange standing out everywhere I go. 

I'm not really sure what else to share, by the next time I have computer access, I should have a lot more to say! it's only been three days here, and it seems like a lot longer.  Language lessons start this week, and we will be learning Twi.  One word I have learned is Obruni... everywhere we go people shout it... it means white person. 

It's hard to explain all that is going on, but I'm having alot of fun and learning alot.  I'm going to try and upload a lot of photos on facebook, but I'm having trouble, I'll upload one at the monument erected for Ghananian Independence... it represesnts the trunk of a tree and a new beginning.

Cheers,

Matty

FYI - Lizards = Ghana's version of a Canadian Squirrel

Heya Folks,

So I made it to Ghana... after a 20 or so hours worth of travel and no sleep on the plane, we finally arrived yesterday!  It's very hard to explain in words the first few moments of stepping off the plane and onto the runway... the smells... the instant sweat... remarkable.  We were greeted by Aryn and Chelsea (two past particpants) after we made it through customs.  We headed to our hostel in a couple taxis... driving is, well, different here.  It's pretty agressive and I don't know if I could handle it.  We were in the cab for a while until I noticed the spedometer was broken... not that that matters, I was just curious how fast we were going.  We made it safe and sound to the Salvation army Hostel.  It's a nice place, complete with a fan to keep the 6 of us cool during the warm night.  We ventured around quickly, bought some water, then needless to say, crashed hard and slept through the night.

Today we had some great experiences! We got to ride in our first ever trotros!!! Which absolutely lived up to all expectations... they're kinda a van, that fits 15 people in it.  Pretty fun!  We also took at trip around the market for the most part of the day.  For Breakfast we had Coacoa, which went down surprisingly easy.  Oh!!!  We also had Bofruit (spelling?), which is, quite frankly my favourite... essentially a ball of deep fried dough.  SO GOOD!
At lunch we had delicious Watchay (spelling?)... spicy beans, with cassava sprinkling and shito (shrimp sauce).  And now we're at the internet cafe.

So I'm feeling very good about things... I don't have much more to say as I've only been here for a day!  So things are great!  Also... mom and dad, and all you other amazing race fans, I think I saw a place the teams were at in Accra... Africa Link?  Maybe.. it looked familiar.

Alright yall, it'll probably be a while till I write again.  We're in Accra for the next few days, then we head to Nkawkaw where we'll stay in the villages till christmas.  So I'll try and keep ya posted, but will have (VERY) imited internet access...
Oh and the title of this post... we have seen lizards... and it must be real funny for Ghanaians to watch me chase after them to take pictures, it's like someone taking a photo of a squirrel... except they're like super fast squirrels and, ultimately, I have been foiled in any attempt to capture them on film.... alas... it's only day 1... I'll get one.

I miss you all!

Cheers,

Matty
PS... I'm going to try and upload a photo, if it works it's of us in a trotro... if not... just ignore this...

Dear Canada... See you in 6.

So tonight is my last night in Canada!  Tomorrow I jump on a flight to Amsterdam, then to Accra (Ghana).  As I sit here with my folks, drinking one last beer before 6 months of sobriety, I am torn between two extremes.  On one hand, I'm getting very excited to reunite with my group and begin this awesome adventure, on the other I know I am going to miss home so much.... I think it's a healthy balance, though.

Speaking of home, I can't thank everyone enough for how supportive they've been, especially my family.  I spent an amazing summer at home, and the last week has been incredible.  It will be very hard to be so far from them for this long... but I know they will always be there for me and I love them very much. 

So the whole idea about the name of the blog - 'jump*' is our group motto.  It stands for a lot of different things, including many group goals, as well as being personal to each one of us.  It is our commitment to each other, ourselves and immersing fully and giving our all to this wonderful opportunity.

So the next time I write, I'll be in Ghana -- an entire ocean away.  I'm sure it will be very much more interesting then the first couple notes.  I look forward to seeing everyone again upon my return.  Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Matty 

In the Beginning...

So here I sit, one week prior to my depature to Ghana.  A lot of different emotions going through my head; excited, nervous, happy, anxious, and just a dash of scared.  For the most part I feel prepared, both mentally and physically, now all I have to worry about is packing - trying to fit six months of my life into a 39 litre bag.

I've got an amazing group that I'll be travelling with: Jaquelin, Jennifer, Michelle, Rachel and Hannah.  Together we've already been through 5 amazing weeks of preparation all over southern Ontario, which included a 5 day bike trip along the rail trail, among many other amazing.  It's hard to believe we've known eachother such a short time, but I wouldn't want to go to Ghana with anyone else.

So what do I expect over the course of the next 6 months?  Well... I dunno.  And I'm very excited about that.  I've got a rough idea of where I'll be and what I'll be doing, but for the most part it is unknown.  I intend to learn alot and take advantage of this amazing opportnity.  If you're reading this you most likely know why I'm going so I'll keep it brief and short.  If you don't know what I'm doing, check out this website http://www.oneworlded.com/ghana.html

That's it that's all... I try and keep ya posted along this journey so stay tuned.

Cheers,   

Matty