An Obruni in Accra

Word got out quickly in Kwashieman that there was an obruni (white girl) living in the neighborhood!  From the second I left my house to venture out into the city I interchangeably heard kids chanting "obruni" in a near singing tone while the men simply said "psssst...psssst" in an effort to get my attention.  It was all harmless but it certainly would have been a treat to be ignored every so often.  It took a couple of weeks to get used to being stared at but I learned to not let it bother me too much!  I actually started to enjoy my walks down Queens Street, chatting with all of the regulars on my way to and from the city! My favorite neighbors (on the right) were a sweet little girl and her grandma, who would always make my day with their smiles!

During my first couple weeks I did a bit of exploring in Accra, testing my skills with the tro- tro.  My experiences on the tro- tro were always entertaining, especially since people laughed at me, the sole obruni, packed into the van.  Although there were quite a few times that I took the wrong bus, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to travel around the city.  Apart from sightseeing, I would regularly go to Makola market to buy $1 DVD's of "LOST", which became my nighttime obsession while in Ghana.

Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park

Accra Mall was another place that surprisingly became one of my "go to" spots.  Now Accra Mall is truly a place of its own.  It is a modern, westernized mall plopped in the middle of nowhere in Accra, which reminded me of one of those home on wheels that drops a house off in a place where it just doesn’t really fit in.  Stepping foot in the mall was the only time when I could easily blend in among all of the other obruni's in Accra.  This mall has everything a westerner could need:  a modern cinema, the fastest possible internet in Ghana (which isn't saying much) with video Skype, large overpriced grocery stores, a food court, clothing stores, and best of all, AIR CONDITIONING!  Needless to say, it was an indulgence to come here every couple of weeks!

As  I began volunteering, the weekends became the time to continuing exploring the area although Sundays were always dead since everyone was at church.  My African Mama, Laura, took me to church while I was there.  I must say that African church is pretty fun! There is a lot of singing and dancing during the service and then a lot of socializing afterwards.  A typical Sunday in Accra was church (which I sometimes skipped), followed by lots of eating (which I never skipped)!

Ready for church with Mama Laura, Desmond, and Deborah

Another great aspect of African church is that it was a great way to meet other locals.  I became friends with a lady named Winifred who was a seamstress that owned a clothing business nearby.  Given that she has family in the U.S., she does a lot of beautiful custom made orders for American women.  I went over to her house a few times, learning how they fulfilled different outfits for their clients.  Additionally, they taught me how to make one of my favorite meals: fufu (a spongy starch) and meat.