Building a Community Center in Ghana

I think what I am beginning to enjoy most about Ghana are the little things, for example:

1. Heavy traffic and some light shopping.

As traffic inches through Accra, people walk up and down the spaces between the cars. On top of their heads rest boxes, bags, and bowls filled with all sorts of items. Everything from phone cards to bags of cold water to soccer balls can be purchased from sales people going car window to car window. Strange as it might seem, people do actually buy from them, and after all, who really wants to stop at a store after a long day’s work? This just seems so convenient. The best part, in addition to watching the sellers jog next to the vehicles as traffic picks up and the bargaining continues, is that when they cross in front of moving cars that nearly run them down, they glare angrily at the drivers like they are the ones out of place.

2. Death by fan, death without fan.

While my room might be equipped with an air conditioner, my room is certainly not air conditioned! Instead, I have all the frosted glass window slats open and a fervent hope for a breeze. In an attempt to manufacture said breeze, I have decided to use the ceiling fan. While it does create a nice, comfortable breeze that makes you almost forget it is 100° and 80% humidity outside (I am making those up, I really have no idea), it also makes a terrible clicking noise that becomes a threatening squeal every now and then. Said fan hangs directly above my bed. I am scared to death it is going to come crashing down with whirling blades of death and end my pleasant jaunt in Ghana. On the other hand, if I turn it off, it will become stiflingly hot in my room and I will likely die of humidity suffocation (not a real thing, I know, but all the same…).

Whirling blades of death or fictitious forms of heat suffocation? I think I will go with the blades of death.