Life so far.

So I thought today I would take a break from writing pages of sentiment and talk a little about what I am actually doing here- apart from the challenging and testing of my faith and long and wonderful discoveries of life and self.

I am taking two courses on African history and development at the University of Legon, in Accra. This is the first place Stephen Lewis came in Africa- he lived on campus and fell in love with country and was here in the exhillerating aftermath of decolonization- when Kwame Nkruma's presidency highlighted the struggle for national liberation and freedom from colonial rule. I am here the year after the successful re-election in Ghana's fourth republic. It is the summer after Barrack Obama (who just won the Nobel Peace Prize) visited Ghana at an attempts to re-afirm American-African relations in the 21st Century, when bad aid and courruption, structural adjustment and desease and poverty has ransaked such promising future prospects. I get to see his smiling face everywhere I drive partnered with Ghana's recently and successfully elected democratic leader, Prez. Mills over the slogan "partners for change" or "Akwaaba!" which means welcome in Akan.

Life in Accra has been paterned by the going and comming to school, markets, trying to navigate my way around the bustling city and avoid being pegged as a walking ATM or a marriage proposal. It's also gotten its wonder though- I love watching the strength of the people, esspecially the women, and they joy in the children. The culture is so deep, yet so intermingled with this new thing called development that everyone, it seems, is trying to understand. So much colour and vibrancy amidst the poverty and the noise creates a culture of contrast. But still things seem oddly familiar- people are not that different, you know.

This weekend I got a chance to explore more of the city. We went in search of guitars and some local arts- and when I was walking past the stinky, open gutters I saw a man walking past me and thought "of course the best way of transporting a table is to carry it on your head".

I don't have running water. I do my laundry by hand. I eat boiled eggs and plantain and yams on the road side. I score through markets for traditional fabrics. I am learning that the world is much bigger than I thought. In Canada Autumn is turning everything to cool colour- but here the sun is still blazing hot. After a week of forgiving overcast weather though I'm set to enjoy some more scorching.

Im not sure what else to tell you- I think of you often and thank God for the love he has given me for all of you. Truely, it is remarkable. I hope to talk to you soon, but, until next time, dear friends, Nyame a shro wo.

Love Jenn