Details in the Fabric of An Experience

Okay I'm going to write a new post shortly... Until then here are a couple of snapshots from Ghana!

I love this! "Julia Bailey; World Traveller" It makes you feel so cool and adventuresome (no matter that everyone else in coach has one too)! By the way, British Airways is fantastic, I'd definitely recommend flying with them.

Come on Canucks, you better shape up! I saw this guy when my group was at Elmina Castle for our excursion and I was trying to explain to him, "This is a sports team where I'm from!" I think he understood...

Literal "details in fabric"! Ghanaian cloth is so beautiful!

Hello! My name is _____________.

New thing: 20 minute blog posts! ... GO!

Hello, my name is Aba Julia and I live in a small coastal town called Saltpond, in the Central region of Ghana, West Africa. I spend my days with my CWY exchange group, my host family and my neighbours, learning all kinds of cross-cultural stuff. My favourites times are visiting my neighbours and learning new skills (like pounding fufu) or new words (like nketse). My other favourite times are when they let me hold the baby, Kodjo Robert, and he smiles and laughs with me. When the really little kids stare and stare at me I like to stare right back into their big brown eyes. Some times I don't like are when we have fish heads and banku for supper, because banku has exactly the taste and texture of homemade playdough and fish heads... well, they're fish heads. That, and when they cane the kids at school or I see rats in the hospital ward where I worked . My other name is obruni... this is what everyone in the street calls as I walk by. It means "white person" and it can be novel and funny or just plain annoying. I am ridiculously blessed and privileged. I am so glad to be canadian.

Your friend,
Aba Julia

Things are not the same.

I have been debating over what to spend my limited internet time writing about for a while now, but I figured, at last, that I just need to write something.  So here it is, no planing this time. And I only have 20 mins left on my internet time!

I miss home more than I ever have before. I love Saltpond.
I want to live the local life. I don't want to go to a five and a quarter hour church service.I love my CWY/SYTO friends. I want another loved one to come rescue me.
I appreciate that my counterpart is who she is. I wish our relationship was so much more.
Being one of the only white people around is interesting and exciting. Having how different I am constantly pointed out is tiring and exasperating.
Working to prevent and control malaria is inspiring. Working in the context of this group... is fairly torturous.
It's easy to be discouraged. There is so much to be happy about.
My local friends are fun. It's tiring to interact with them.
I'm in AFRICA. But is it culturally insensitive to say "Africa" rather than "Ghana"?
I feel restless. I feel lazy.
I want to learn and experience everything. I want to curl up in a ball and go to sleep until I get home.
Is this my privileged way of thinking?  What does that even MEAN? What the heck should I DO about it!?


 Just a few of my daily thoughts.
I will put up some interesting "local flavour" type story soon, I promise. (But is that promoting stereotypes??)

Con amor,
Aba Julia