Work and other thoughts

First day of work

On my first day of work in Accra, my boss informed me that I would be travelling to the field in the northeastern region of Ghana to see how fieldwork is conducted and to learn about our overall project. I hadn’t mentally prepared myself to be travelling at all but I packed my stuff and the next day, I was on a plane headed to a place called Bolgatanga. The flight to Tamale airport lasted about an hour, after which we drove 3  hours to Bolgatanga. When we got out of the plane, it was HOT. Like uncomfortably hot. It seemed like the sun was closer to earth in this specific location. On the way to Bolgatanga, I noticed that the villages we drove past were very rural. Many of them had mud huts with very low zinc ceilings. They all had a small market plac,e which probably carried produce and other necessities. We got to Bolga and I was dropped off at the regional office, where I met the two people I would be sharing a house with.

Bolga is also very rural but is a little bigger than the previous villages we drove past. There is one main road which is a two lane highway. The road to the house we would be staying in was a dirt road.  I haven’t noticed too many huts in bolga.

 The house we live in is in a  part of town called “doctors quarters” which has a lot of houses similar to this one. I guess when doctors from other countries come here, this is where they stay. The house is a 3-bedroom house with a small kitchen and small dining room. I live with two other people from school who are here; an OBGY and a nurse.

Day #2

Today was a very productive say. I sat in on some meetings and could actually see some of the work being done. I really enjoyed the thought process of some of the staff. I was given and was able to see things with a brand new perspective. 

I noticed that I am extremely comfortable among Ghanaians, or Africans in general, in meetings. I don’t feel the heavy apprehensiveness I usually feel when in a meeting with western/white/American coworkers. I felt comfortable asserting my opinions and giving suggestions I thought would be helpful. I think this has to do with how respectful/ courteous Ghanaians are. After living in the U.S. for so long, it is so easy to forget that simple manners and courtesy make a huge difference in a person’s day and in the overall functioning of society. Everyone I come across here, whether I know them or not, says “good morning” or offers some kind of greeting. The person also asks how you are doing and you can hear the genuine need, from this person, to know of your wellbeing.  It is comforting. It’s warm. I feel like it sets the tone for my day. In the U.S., we become cold and unapproachable. We are indoctrinated with the notion that being friendly to everyone makes you come across as crazy. Or strange. America sucks lol.

After work, my coworkers and boss went to get Suya and grilled guinea fowl.  We sat at a local bar to eat the suya. The bars here are called “spots” and they are basically chairs and tables that are arranged outside in the open for people to just sit and enjoy themselves. People can also order alcohol at these spots. The suya and guinea fowl were DELICIOUS! The guinea fowl tasted like chicken but it was more savory and better tasting. The suya wasn’t bad. Reminded me of Cameroonian suya a lot. The meat had a lot of fat on it, though. Overall, second day of work was a good day.