Soo what have I been doing lately?

I went to Techiman. Joe and I went and it was definitely an interesting endeavor. The Permiculture Institute actually has two sites. One is next to a volunteers’ site, where we were going to stay the night. The other site is where they grow the mushrooms, and is about an hour away. So we arrived in the afternoon at the site without mushrooms, and after Joe purchased a ton of Moringa seeds, we went to the place for mushrooms. The sun was starting to set as we left to go to the second place, which means things were kinda interesting. I get pretty nervous travelling at or after dark, for obvious reasons. (If the reasons are not obvious to you, it is because being white in Ghana means being seen and looked at, literally everywhere you go, therefore making you an easy target for criminals.) I didn’t really think we would have a problem but still a little nervous. Anyway we didn’t run into any trouble, and the taxi driver who drove us to the mushroom growing spot waited for us to be done and drove us all the way home. It was super convenient for us, something that doesn’t normally happen, but I paid extra for it. The reason paying extra was worth it is because the mushroom compost bags were wayyyyy heavier than I expected. I bought 30 bags. If I tried to lift the bag I got it about an inch off the ground. I thought I could carry it on my head if only I got it up there, but thankfully Joe could lift it and was a good friend and carried it for me. So I carried his bag of Moringa seeds, which was still heavy for me. Travelling in Ghana can be pretty annoying but travelling with a bag I could not lift was even more annoying. Thankfully people here and always willing to make a quick cedi by carrying things that are too heavy for you. The mushroom compost bags are now in my room, incubating for just a couple more days until they are ready for the cropping house.

Today I had to give a presentation to the new education volunteers. I had been preparing for it all week since I got back from Techiman. I am the Eastern Region representative on the Gender and Youth Development committee, and very close to the place where they train new people, so I am the one who goes and tells people about the committee. The presentation was in our old homestay community, where we stay for the first few months being in Ghana. So of course I had to go and see my old family. It was awesome. The kids there recognized me and came running to meet me. They even remembered my name. And my family went nuts with how well I could now speak Krobo. My mom doesn’t speak English so it was difficult to connect with her when I was staying there. Today I could say pretty much anything I wanted to tell her about my site and how things are going there. It was really nice. I also upheld the Ghanaian tradition of buying something for them when I went to visit. I wasn’t very prepared, not knowing I would be going there at all, so I made do with some cookies from a shop near their house. I told them about the mushrooms though and that I would bring some for them soon. I couldn’t stay for long because I was heading to Kumasi for the GYD meeting, which will take place tomorrow. They were so happy to see and and entertained by all the Krobo I knew, I could see that they didn’t want me to leave. They told me I had to come back soon and spend the whole day with them. So once I have some mushrooms I will do just that. At the time I was leaving all of my favorite kids were following me around, so I bought them some bubble gum before I left. Since I don’t see them very often I think it was okay. Normally I don’t buy things for people, and especially if they ask me to buy something for them. I want to discourage people from asking people that they think have money to buy things for them. I try to encourage them to work hard to get things.

SOooo now Im here in Kumasi. Tomorrow we will have our meeting and talk about projects to work on this year. Yay!