I am here.

There are sooo many stories and pictures, which I will be posting, but here is my first update.

I arrived in Accra on Monday night and it was similar to the feeling I had in Cuba and in Senegal. The sight of palm trees, roads and homes at night are similar, though distinct, images in my memory.

That night we went down the street to a place called Duncan's bar which sits below the JHR office. We bought some water and some Guiness. It was nice to just chill on the street and see things as we got settled in.

When we got to the house, we saw that it was spacious and without running water. My bathing has been with a bucket of water and my washcloth. It's cool though. Rest has been good, though early mornings and late nights has me napping in the afternoon.

On the first morning, I woke up with it being hard to believe that I am here. I still have that feeling, though it is not as dramatic.

Over the past few days I have been going around with the JHR group, a bit by myself and with family of friends from Canada and seeing the city. It has been extreme in that I have been in ghettos and I have been in a mansion. I have been on foot and eating traditional foods and I have been in a BMW M5 and in clubs where they were pouring Alazay and Hennessey like it was fruit juice. Just to let everyone know, I wasn't drinking it or getting caught up, jsut because it was there.

One of the nights, I was rolling with my friend's cousin who is a music producer and a budding land developer. There was an entourage of about 12 people with him (mostly from the US and along with his brother and his cousin) and they decided to go to a strip club. I was with them, but I did not go inside. They urged me, saying that there was a VIP room without strippers, but I insisted that I did not mind chilling outside; that was a decision that ended up being very interesting. The owner of the club (who is also a pimp) came up to me (as did the bouncer and a few other people) to ask "why don't you want to come inside of my establishment / the strip club?". I explained that it is the principles that I have, and that I can feel God's guidance in my heart showing me not to go in there. I spoke of God's grace in my life and His protection, and that I know better. They actually all understood and respected that. I felt God speaking to their hearts too.

Since I have been here, people have been really good to me, taking me to dinner and looking out for me. A lot of people look at me as 'Abruni' (meaning white man / they call foreigners that). I have thought about this a lot, but I will get into it later. Even people that I am developing friendships with call me 'Abruni'.

Yesterday, I flew from Accra to Tamale...that has been the largest difference. Tamale in the city looks like Accra with less cars and more motorbikes and scooters. But off of the main road, it is country. I am looking for my own place and I am staying with the station manager of the radio station that I will be working at. He lives in a compund that has his whole family there. They each have there own room. There are goats and chickens walking around. There are very few lights, and the people don't speak too much English. It is the first time that I have felt, kind of, by myself. All of the JHR group is now spread out. The other person from JHR in Tamale does not have a cell yet, and she didn't call me (I actually gave her the wrong number).

I am being taken care of by the station staff, but I just met them yesterday. We communicate, but sometimes I don't understand, and vice-versa. I feel God's peace though, and I am growing.

I am learning some Dagbani(don't mind the spelling):

Desba is good morning
Entre is good afternoon
Ana-Woola is good night

to all three you reply

Naaaaa

when they ask how I am i reply

gwobeana

In Twe, a language in the south, I was taught two sayings:

Aka-mi-so (i love you)

and

baoaboa (i want you to have my baby)

Note: I learned those because I heard a song I liked and I asked what they were saying, I do not plan to use those phrases...funny, that those were my first words in Tri.

Today, I will look for a place once the car that broke down yesterday is fixed.

Until then...