seldom does one get the opportunity to really step into a world so completely different in such a dramatic way. this is certainly something that makes traveling throughout africa, asia and the middle east so intriguing and gripping -- the uniqueness of the experience, the dichotomy between our lives and theirs, buffered by the underlying sense of ( Read more... )

sorry for my radio silence, live journal. i've done what i always do on these trips -- a lot of writing in the beginning, then the gradual slowing amid sporadic bursts of writing. my travelogues are simply cumulative depictions of my first few weeks in many places. and its not that i havent experienced anything noteworthy (livejournal-worthy?) or ( Read more... )

i could blame ben for my lack in updating over the past few days but its really work's fault. the work has been really intense and interesting, but pretty all-consuming. i'm not used to my job taking up this much head space and seeping into my non-work time. i dont really mind it now that i like the work, but it is unfortunate to be spending so ( Read more... )

I spent my first day off in Ghana the way I like to spend days off generally: at the beach. Today Widsom, Sarah, Sarah’s three year old daughter Jeanne and I set off for Till’s Beach, which in theory is about 45 minutes outside of Accra but with traffic ranges from 1.5-2 hours away. I was happy to finally leave Labone and have a chance to see a ( Read more... )

 i find myself very aware of how non-african this african experience could be if i'm not careful. although i am working with ghanians, embassy culture can create a world where it is easy to clique off, build walls either real or imagined, and socially or hierarchically separate. let's be honest: i am living in a nice house with air conditioning and ( Read more... )

and so life marches on.....another beautiful day here in ghana. i never thought i'd say this, but the weather is so much nicer here than in nyc right now! it is warm but breezy and temperate. the last time i was here, the minute i stepped out of the shower i was uncertain if i was still wet from the shower or already sweating. now the humidity has ( Read more... )

well, i got through my first day at work. it was like most first days -- lots of new faces, names i instantly forgot, uncertainty over what i should be doing, lots and lots of questions. all in all i think i'm going to like it. this isnt my first time working in an embassy, but it is my first time running an office without a safety net. the work is ( Read more... )

 if somebody would have told me when this year began that i would be traveling to ghana not once but twice, i probably would have been surprised (but, knowing me, not entirely shocked). i had no idea when i scheduled my first trip in january that i would return in july! i had started to feel like i wanted to spend more time in africa before my ( Read more... )

my time in ghana is drawing to a close, and i feel ready to get back to nyc and my life with ben. i have so much that i want to share about my time here. this wil have to wait until i am back in the u.s., where i hope to write even more about my adventures here. for now i will say that i am happy with my time here and learned more than i thought ( Read more... )

yesterday morning we made our daily walk to the tro tro stop, which is about a 5 minute walk down a hill to the main road. the tro tro is essentially a chaotic minibus that constitutes the primary form of public transporation here. so far it has been a much, much more reliable method of transportation than the nyc subway system! yesterday morning i ( Read more... )