I suppose I shouldn't have been suprised to see a goat in our garden when I got up on Thursday morning! My brother-in-law had been given it along with some yam and tinned fish and meat. It was quite a cute-looking thing but there was no point in getting sentimental as I knew it was destined to become Christmas dinner!
I'm not a vegetarian and also am not squeamish about killing an animal - as long as I don't have to do the killing! I remember as a small child seeing my dad kill a variety of animals for our dinner and he also dressed hens and turkeys at Christmas to sell on the market so I am quite aware where food comes from and realise that is why it is being raised. I do object to the way animals are kept on intensive farms, but that is another subject!
Fortunately the guy who helps us around the house was quite willing to kill it and prepare it, so a couple of hours after it disappeared from our garden, its carcase was hanging in our laundry room ready for preparing the next day.
I can only hope they killed it in a humane way as I still have memories of some teachers in Papua New Guinea setting about a pig with baseball bats trying to kill it for some feast!
I can tell you that the goat tasted great! We had roasted goat leg on Christmas Eve and light soup with goat meat for Christmas lunch!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
Ghanaians can fix it!
Getting things fixed in Ghana seems easy after waiting for a visit from the typical British workman who rarely comes at a time they have promised - usually days from when the problem started and then charge the earth just to look. Here there always seems someone on hand who can fix whatever it is needs fixing.
When we were here in February buying things for the house we bought a washing machine only to find it didn't fit in the laundry room. Off went Kobe to find a workman who returned in minutes, took off the door, in went the machine and the door was back on in no time at all.
Getting a car fixed is just as easy. My brother-in-law had bump in the car and it was only off the road a matter of days before it was reutrned looking as good as new.
There is a downside however as unless you actually stand over the workmen you can never be sure they are fitting the correct part or really know what they are doing. My husband's car had a problem with the aircon and instead of fitting the correct part they botched
up the job with one that was far too powerful and when the engine was idling the car would shake violently and often the engine would cut out so it meant turning off the aircon when we were stopped in traffic - the very time we needed it most! Eventually he had to have it replaced - an added expense to the amount already spent with the first 'repair'.
And this seems to be another problem - you get something fixed only for it to break down again shortly afterwards and then the repair has to be repaired by someone else who had a different idea as to what is really needed.
But for the most part I have been impressed by the speed and efficiency of the Ghanaian workman and their willingness to help.
When we were here in February buying things for the house we bought a washing machine only to find it didn't fit in the laundry room. Off went Kobe to find a workman who returned in minutes, took off the door, in went the machine and the door was back on in no time at all.
Getting a car fixed is just as easy. My brother-in-law had bump in the car and it was only off the road a matter of days before it was reutrned looking as good as new.
There is a downside however as unless you actually stand over the workmen you can never be sure they are fitting the correct part or really know what they are doing. My husband's car had a problem with the aircon and instead of fitting the correct part they botched
up the job with one that was far too powerful and when the engine was idling the car would shake violently and often the engine would cut out so it meant turning off the aircon when we were stopped in traffic - the very time we needed it most! Eventually he had to have it replaced - an added expense to the amount already spent with the first 'repair'.
And this seems to be another problem - you get something fixed only for it to break down again shortly afterwards and then the repair has to be repaired by someone else who had a different idea as to what is really needed.
But for the most part I have been impressed by the speed and efficiency of the Ghanaian workman and their willingness to help.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Plastic Bags
Today there is a discussion in Ghana about the disposal of rubbish which is becoming a big issue as there doesn't seem to be an effective policy. The rubbish that is collected in just dumped into a big hole with no provision made for different types of waste.
One thing that struck me on my last visit to the UK was the lack of plastic bags. Where once everyone had lots of plastic bags around their homes taking up drawer and cupboard space now it is very difficult to find one even when you need one.
How different from here where they are handed out in profusion and the checkout girls look at your very strangely if you refuse one. We have a couple of cupboards full of the things already after only a few months in the country and I have no idea what to do with them.
This week in the budget there was a levy introduced on plastic items but no mention was made of plastic bags.
I only hope it won't be long before there is a charge made for each plastic bag used as was done in Hong Kong and there people started using alternative bags for their purchases without any negative effects on their shopping habits.
Cutting down on the use of plastic bags will have a positive effect on the environment with very little effect on daily life.
One thing that struck me on my last visit to the UK was the lack of plastic bags. Where once everyone had lots of plastic bags around their homes taking up drawer and cupboard space now it is very difficult to find one even when you need one.
How different from here where they are handed out in profusion and the checkout girls look at your very strangely if you refuse one. We have a couple of cupboards full of the things already after only a few months in the country and I have no idea what to do with them.
This week in the budget there was a levy introduced on plastic items but no mention was made of plastic bags.
I only hope it won't be long before there is a charge made for each plastic bag used as was done in Hong Kong and there people started using alternative bags for their purchases without any negative effects on their shopping habits.
Cutting down on the use of plastic bags will have a positive effect on the environment with very little effect on daily life.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Driving
I am getting mentally prepared for my drive to the bank today!
I've never really enjoyed driving and just thought of it more of a necessity and it was quite a relief when I was first posted overseas to leave the car behind. I didn't actually drive again until I returned to PNG in 1994. My partner and I got a small Suzuki and I used to drive down to Lae, an adventure in itself as the route was down a winding mountain track which sometimes became impassable when rains caused landslides and the rivers changed to become raging torrents which washed away bridges and altered their path overnight.
From there I went to Kundiawa and was often seen travelling up and down the Highlands Highway to collect my partner who came for his fieldbreak. Although this wasn't recommended, especially for women travelling alone, I was lucky and nothing untoward happened.
In Porgera, my driving usually consisted of going to the store to stock up once a week, although I sometimes helped on the drive down to Mount Hagen, a 5 or 6 hour drive which enabled us to visit the stores and have a night out at the club.
One of the benefits of living in Hong Kong is the fantastic transport system which is cheap and efficient. I lived above an underground station (MTR) and just by going down in the lift I had access to most places and those I couldn't get to by MTR I could reach by bus, as most of the main routes were accessible just a few steps away from my building.
Now driving has become a necessiby again and if you can imagine any big city at rush hour, that is what it is like going from here to Accra - only worse! Not only do you have to face traffic jams but some chaotic driving practices. The main offenders are the trotro (minibus) drivers and taxis who pull in and pull out of the lanes of traffic with little concern for other road users. Apart from them there are the vehicles which break down causing other cars to have to negotiate them by weaving in and out of the lanes. They always seem to break down at junctions or traffic lights causing even more difficulty.
Many hawkers take the opportunity to ply their wares to the stationary traffic and offer everything from toilet rolls to bottled water. They carry their wares on their heads as they move between the cars and can often be seen running after a moving vehicle to make a sale.
Some times are worse than others and rush hour is the worst. Some people have to get up at 4 am just to make it to work for 8 am. and coming home is just as stressful, so we are lucky that we are not ruled by the clock and can try and plan our visits when the roads are a little quieter.
Well, I can't put it off any longer and need to get behind the wheel and go to the bank. Wish me luck!
I've never really enjoyed driving and just thought of it more of a necessity and it was quite a relief when I was first posted overseas to leave the car behind. I didn't actually drive again until I returned to PNG in 1994. My partner and I got a small Suzuki and I used to drive down to Lae, an adventure in itself as the route was down a winding mountain track which sometimes became impassable when rains caused landslides and the rivers changed to become raging torrents which washed away bridges and altered their path overnight.
From there I went to Kundiawa and was often seen travelling up and down the Highlands Highway to collect my partner who came for his fieldbreak. Although this wasn't recommended, especially for women travelling alone, I was lucky and nothing untoward happened.
In Porgera, my driving usually consisted of going to the store to stock up once a week, although I sometimes helped on the drive down to Mount Hagen, a 5 or 6 hour drive which enabled us to visit the stores and have a night out at the club.
One of the benefits of living in Hong Kong is the fantastic transport system which is cheap and efficient. I lived above an underground station (MTR) and just by going down in the lift I had access to most places and those I couldn't get to by MTR I could reach by bus, as most of the main routes were accessible just a few steps away from my building.
Now driving has become a necessiby again and if you can imagine any big city at rush hour, that is what it is like going from here to Accra - only worse! Not only do you have to face traffic jams but some chaotic driving practices. The main offenders are the trotro (minibus) drivers and taxis who pull in and pull out of the lanes of traffic with little concern for other road users. Apart from them there are the vehicles which break down causing other cars to have to negotiate them by weaving in and out of the lanes. They always seem to break down at junctions or traffic lights causing even more difficulty.
Many hawkers take the opportunity to ply their wares to the stationary traffic and offer everything from toilet rolls to bottled water. They carry their wares on their heads as they move between the cars and can often be seen running after a moving vehicle to make a sale.
Some times are worse than others and rush hour is the worst. Some people have to get up at 4 am just to make it to work for 8 am. and coming home is just as stressful, so we are lucky that we are not ruled by the clock and can try and plan our visits when the roads are a little quieter.
Well, I can't put it off any longer and need to get behind the wheel and go to the bank. Wish me luck!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Great Expectations
We are expecting a big event some time this week - the delivery of my partner's personal effects from Papua New Guinea! He left at the end of March and after languishing on a dock in Port Moresby they finally began their journey a couple of months later before getting held up again in Australia. They arrived in Ghana on 11th November and now we are just waiting for them to actually leave the port, but it shouldn't be long!
It will be like an early Christmas present unpacking all the boxes and then trying to find somewhere to put the things in our house. We are a bit worried about the state of the items as another person who had their things sent from PNG found that most of their goods were mouldy.
It reminds me of some friends in PNG who had sent out a box from the UK before taking up their posting. It took ages for this box to arrive and when it finally did they decided to hold a Box-Opening Party as they had forgotten what they actually put in the box. Everyone duly arrived and the moment of the opening arrived. They found that they had packed lots of toilet rolls - a commodity that was readily available in Dogura!
I just hope my partners things are not as disappointing!
It will be like an early Christmas present unpacking all the boxes and then trying to find somewhere to put the things in our house. We are a bit worried about the state of the items as another person who had their things sent from PNG found that most of their goods were mouldy.
It reminds me of some friends in PNG who had sent out a box from the UK before taking up their posting. It took ages for this box to arrive and when it finally did they decided to hold a Box-Opening Party as they had forgotten what they actually put in the box. Everyone duly arrived and the moment of the opening arrived. They found that they had packed lots of toilet rolls - a commodity that was readily available in Dogura!
I just hope my partners things are not as disappointing!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Hot Showers
It is interesting how things that you take for granted in countries where electricity and water are a normal fact of life become indulgencies where they are not.
One of these things for me in Ghana is hot showers. This is strange, as in the previous places I have lived, and when I was in Ghana for the first time, I never even thought about them and was grateful just to have water and was not concerned about it being hot.
In PNG in my first posting to Dogura in Milne Bay Province we were lucky to have water for most of the year but there were certain times when we would have to make the trek to the river and bathe there as well as doing the weekly wash. This developed into a social event and I loved spending the time with the girls from the school.
In Ghana my water supply was a drum filled by the students everyday and I bathed in just a bucket for over 3 years.
Back in PNG I lived for around 8 months in a bush location and my shower room was a thatched hut overlooking the ravine where the water came, via a pipe, from the local water supply. The views were fantastic but the water was often cold and bracing.
Now here in Ghana we have the luxury of having hot water in our bathroom, but to me using the system is an indulgence as it is hot enough to bathe in cold water, but I look forward to my one hot shower a week, usually on Sunday.
The strange thing is that my partner used to relish hot showers and even in my PNG posting we had a portable solar shower system that you left in the sun and then hung it up and it provided a hot shower when you wanted one. In Porgera in the Highlands were it is cold he had long hot showers every day. Now here he is quite happy showering in cold water and rarely puts the heater on as he doesn't think it necessary.
I have just had my hot shower and look forward to next week!
One of these things for me in Ghana is hot showers. This is strange, as in the previous places I have lived, and when I was in Ghana for the first time, I never even thought about them and was grateful just to have water and was not concerned about it being hot.
In PNG in my first posting to Dogura in Milne Bay Province we were lucky to have water for most of the year but there were certain times when we would have to make the trek to the river and bathe there as well as doing the weekly wash. This developed into a social event and I loved spending the time with the girls from the school.
In Ghana my water supply was a drum filled by the students everyday and I bathed in just a bucket for over 3 years.
Back in PNG I lived for around 8 months in a bush location and my shower room was a thatched hut overlooking the ravine where the water came, via a pipe, from the local water supply. The views were fantastic but the water was often cold and bracing.
Now here in Ghana we have the luxury of having hot water in our bathroom, but to me using the system is an indulgence as it is hot enough to bathe in cold water, but I look forward to my one hot shower a week, usually on Sunday.
The strange thing is that my partner used to relish hot showers and even in my PNG posting we had a portable solar shower system that you left in the sun and then hung it up and it provided a hot shower when you wanted one. In Porgera in the Highlands were it is cold he had long hot showers every day. Now here he is quite happy showering in cold water and rarely puts the heater on as he doesn't think it necessary.
I have just had my hot shower and look forward to next week!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Dancing
My partner and I went out for our Friday night drink at our usual spot - a new hotel on Spintex Road. Last night the live band was playing hi life because there was a promotion for some new beer. If you have never heard hi life then you don't know what you are missing as the beat is infectious and it is impossible not to want to get up and dance.
What struck us was the difference between Ghana and the UK as, unless things have changed in the last 30 years since, here it was the men who were dancing!
I remember my dancing days and then the women danced in a group around their handbags and the men propped up the bar until they were drunk enough to join the women. Last night most of the men there seemed to be supporting the promotion in some way and there wasn't a drink in sight on their table and yet they were up enjoying the beat and dancing together in a totally unself-conscious way and thoroughly enjoying the music.
British men take note!!
What struck us was the difference between Ghana and the UK as, unless things have changed in the last 30 years since, here it was the men who were dancing!
I remember my dancing days and then the women danced in a group around their handbags and the men propped up the bar until they were drunk enough to join the women. Last night most of the men there seemed to be supporting the promotion in some way and there wasn't a drink in sight on their table and yet they were up enjoying the beat and dancing together in a totally unself-conscious way and thoroughly enjoying the music.
British men take note!!
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