Since almost 4 weeks I'm back in Germany! My first impression when I arrived in Frankfurt and at home were: Wow, its so quiet everywhere (I realized what it means to have houses which are noise insulated), so less people on the streets, the same for cars...
I was happy to see my familiy and friends and I appreciate it a lot to have my own appartment after some weeks of living with a family...

Then I had to study for my last last exam (on the 25.09.2009) and now I'm enjoying my free days before I will start with my diploma thesis this thursday. (I'm kind of excited).

Well I had a really great time in Ghana and I'm happy that I had the chance for all these experiences! I'm sure I won't forget it and I hope I can tell a lot of people how it was... and I hope at least we can all live and appreciate it more all the things we have, starting with gouvernmental help, health insurances, sewage treatment, ... ending with washing mashines etc.

Last Saturday we had an African Party in our appartment! It was really nice! Most people were dressed up in an African style (Ghanian style, Rastafari, Tuareg...) and I also cooked a Ghanian disch (Okra-Stew) and I believe my friends enjoyed it a lot. I was quite amazed, how good it was at the end ;-)
Here are some funny pictures...

And I've also uploaded some more pictures from Ghana.

Hey all,
so, my bags are packed and I am ready to leave Ghana... My last hours here started... I had a really good time, especially the last week when I was travelling again :-) And well, now I have to say good-bye Africa! It's always hard to say good-bye and always so mixed feelings: its sad to leave and I'm happy on the same time to come home... I will reach Germany tomorrow morning and go straight to Ulm, I will be in Stuttgart I guess around Friday/Saturday.

Liebe Gruesse und bis ganz bald!
Eure Verena

Hey all!
I hope, you are all doing well! I still enjoy being here in Ghana!
I'm working everyday like putting measurements into the computer, driving around (yes, even I drove here in Accra)... incredible and really funny to drive here with all the traffic and the way the people are driving here (every space is used, and you can't imagine how they make the left-turn...). Monday and Thursday I helped to premark some potholes. One worker brushed the dust away, one marked the holes, my supervisor took the measurements and I wrote it down... Well, I enjoyed being outside :-)
Tuesday and Wednesday after work I went to a hairdresser and well, I have now an africn hairstyle:

And I tell you, it was really not fun because it hurt a lot... But finally after 4 hours it was over and now I guess its the first time that my hair is longer than my shoulders :-)
I also uploaded some other pictures...
Now its weekend again and I guess I will go to the beach on Sunday (I've been there only one time so far, I can hardly believe)... and I already start wondering where the time is passing... I'm here since almost 8 weeks! And I wanted to extend my stay here for some more days, but now I found out I have to write my last exam on the 25.september, so I will fly back on the date usually planed (15.9.).
Well, that's it for so far! Of course I could talk for hours about all I see here and all the experiences, the work... :-)
Take care and enjoy live!
Verena

Yes, its true! I finally started “working”. But first of all: HERE are some pictures from my trip through Ghana! Of course I have many many more, you can imagine it was very hard for me to DECIDE which pictures I will upload :-)

My internship is in a road construction and maintenance company. Well, I am not totally happy with this work, as its not really related to my studies. Perhaps I should have started to search something on my own when I arrived here in Ghana and realized that there were some problems with the work (for example there is the GTZ here or a department called Environmental Protection Agency...). Well, then I just took the chance to travel around and I guess, now its just too late to organize something else. "Only" about 5 weeks are left! I guess I could really spent more time here, like half a year or so! But don't worry, I will come back end of September (one last exam and begin of my Diplomarbeit in Oktober). But who knows when I will come back to Afrika!!!

In the first sentence I wrote "working" as the work which I do here wouldn't be accepted as work in Germany :-) But I really do the same as my supervisor :-) His name is Nii, he studied Civil Engineering and is now a supervisor in the company. I will tell you about our daily work: Metting at 7.30am on the yard of the company, saying Good morning (in Twi written: M'aakye, spoken: Maatsche) to everyone. Singing and Praying at around 7.45 for about 10 minutes... Then slowly some workers are going to start loading their trucks. I'm sitting together with Nii in the office and we wait for the foreman (Vorarbeiter of every group) to give us the papers with the measurements. Every group has a truck and they go out (at around 10-11am I guess) to repair potholes in streets. The foreman are measuring each repaired pothole and these are the measurements. Nii and I take them and put them into a laptop in his office (no intranet, no internet, nothing)... In excel the squaremeters of repaired potholes are calculated. We print it out and once in a month there is a report with the measurements and pictures of the potholes before and after the work! We drive a lot throughout the day: We drive to the worksites and watch, if the workers are working... For me this feels not really comfortable, as Nii and I stand around watching while the others are working (everyone has to do one thing, one driver, one who carries the shavel, one for the wheelbarrow, one is the bitumen sprayer etc...). And once in a while we drive to the Department for urban roads where we bring the report. It is copied there and they (gouvernment) are checking again if the potholes are repaierd and then finally the company gets some money... Everything takes here really a long time... its incredible! I guess in Germany no one would be paid just for driving around the whole day... On Thurdsday for example we drove to the department. There we had to print out something, but we didn't have enough paper with the head of the company, so we had to drive all the way back, get some paper and drive there again... and you can't imagine how much TRAFFIC there is in Accra! AWFULL!!! On Friday I even had to sign a paper with measurements what we have taken (for a company who lays pipes for telecommunication next to roads and our company has to seal it afterwards)... Well, for me its really interesting to see, how work is done here and how a company is working... And at least I have some things to do, more than some other students who are sitting around the whole day...

Ok, thats it so far I guess. The last weekend I just enjoyed being "back home" in my house and room! I played UNO (heisst jetzt Solo) with the neighbour kids and I met Bridget, a Ghanian who is married to a kolleauge of Jesko. We met at Pia&Jeskos Wedding and it was really nice seeing her here!!!
Next weekend I will go to Tamale, to meet Mac-Patrick there. As I was ill the last time I was in Tamale, he will now show me this place :-)
Take care and enjoy the summer! I heard in Stuttgart its quite hot :-) I'm always happy when we have clouds here :-)
Liebe Gruesse!
Verena

Yes, finally I’m back in Accra! I had a really good time the last two weeks! Its unbelievable, I’m now in Ghana since 4 weeks and I still enjoy it a lot...
I finally left Bolgatanga last Friday. Together with Mac-Patrick (the one I’ve met and who showed me all the nice places around Bolga) I went to Tamale where he works (at the moment he is on holidays). Unfortunatelly I didn’t have the chance to see much of Tamale, as I got ill (the first time by the way). I felt really not good and after I went to see a doctor he found out, that I got Salmonella... Well, after two days of rest and some drugs it was luckily over.
As Mac was so nice to me and took care of me while I was ill, I took him with me to the South (he never traveled before just for fun). With a night bus (12hours), a spoiled wheel at 2am, a noisy TV in the bus,... we finally arrived in Accra and went directly to Cape Coast. I didn’t like this city and the people there a lot (I guess to many tourists and visitors around) but the tour in the old cape coast castle was very interesting but unbelievable. The slaves arrived here (from long foot-marches from the north...) and were kept here before they finally were sent into ships to the “new word”. We walked into the slave dungeons (so small, for so many people, no light, no circulation, no toilet,...). The people did everything there (eating, sleeping, toilet,...) and you can imagine a lot didn’t survive the days there! We didn’t walk on the floor, but on a 50cm high layer of old blood, food, excretions,... I didn’t feel well there, as you can imagine!

Monday evening I finally met Anne and Malte!!! Was soo great, to see them here!
On Tuesdsay Mac and I went to the Kakoon-Nationalpark to walk on the walkways (Haengebrucken, 40m above the ground). Was a nice experience and we were more lucky than Anne and Malte (who couldn’t enjoy it that much because of all the people there)...
Wednesday and Thursday we spent together with Anne and Malte in Koforidua a very nice, friendly and relaxed city. We did a nice hiking tour to some waterfalls, a cave... On the way back was no taxi coming so some farmers took us on their vehicle . On Thursday we went to my “paradise”: A beads (pearls) market!!! Anne and I enjoyed it a looot  After 1,5hours it was enough (no money left, smile) and we went to the CRIG (cocoa research institute of Ghana) to discover how the cocoa grows, is harvested, fermented, dried,... and what nice byproducts they are just starting to make out of the leftover (from the empty shell and the water who comes out during the fermentation). Did you know, that alle the beans are fermented bevore they are dried???
On Friday we went finally back to the bussy capital! Its incredible, all the vehicles and the traffic around here! The afternoon we spent at the Art Centre, we did a little drumming session... And we were surprised how expensive the food is in some Restaurants in Accra (like 3times as in restaurants elsewhere). On Saturday we accompanied Anne and Malte to the Airport! They should be back in Stuttgart by now (and both have to start working again today).
I was really happy that they came to visit Ghana (and me) and I think, they enjoyed it a lot!!!
Now I also looked forward to be “home” again, no more backpack,... and I have my own room, I know the area,... and I can eat again at home or in the cheap chop bars (Anne and Malte preferred to eat in restaurants, but I guess, I’m already more used to the food here and the way they prepare it in chop bars... and well, I only got sick once (where I’m not exactly sure from what it came)).
I was supposed to meet Kafui (organiser from IAESTE) today at 9am. I went to his house and finally we went out at 11. I saw the office of the company (road mainenance) and I will meet my supervisor later in the afternoon and I hope that finally finally I will start working tomorrow!!! Can you believe it??? I can only believe it, when it will be tomorrow! But well, thats the Ghanian way of living!!!
Ok, you will get news from me and the work soon and also some pictures!!!
Liebe Gruesse!!!

Hey all!
Its nice, that so many people are reading my blog! I can't describe all what I've experienced since I left Accra! But it is soooo great here and I'm really happy! Everything is fine and I only have good experiences! So no worries at all!
I won't describe everything now, but just a few insights where I was and what I saw:
Trip with the other IAESTE-students: Monkey-Sanctuary: feeding monkeys by hand, dead monkeys are burried on a cemetery. Mole-nationalpark: Elephants 30m away from us, monkeys, antilopes, beautiful landscape, Crocodile-pond: live chicken were feed and I was sitting on a crocodile!!!, we crossed the border to Burkina Faso for a picture. Now I am still in Bolgatanga, a very nice city in the north of Ghana! I met some guys here who I know from Accra, so I am NOT alone Mama! Don't worry! The landscape here is sooo great, you can't believe that! Due to the raining season everything is green, no forest (Steppe beginnt), but a lot of single trees (Baobabs!!!) standing around... I've seen small villages (because there is no mass-tourism they show you around everywhere), I've climed half naked (only trousers) in some rocks to meet a care-taker in a shrine... very impressive! Animals are sacrificd and the shrine (in fact a kind of cave) takes the blood in order to help people what ever they come with (health, money,...). Beautiful sights from the rocks down to the whole Volta-Valley. Oh well, I can't help but being constantly amazed (from leo). And I've met so many nice and welcoming people here, some are rastafari and I guess I like their way of live :-) And I'm getting better in dealing with all the people (mostly guys) who want my number and who want to marry me!!!!!
2 days ago I went to a former slave-market which was unbelievable... how and why were and still are some people so cruel???
Tomorrow I guess I will leave the north and because Anne didn't feel very well, Anne and Malte didn't come up north so I will meet them finally somewhere in the south! My work is (as far as I understood and hope its true) set, which means I can finally start working when I come back to Accra, after meeting Anne and Malte...
Ok thats it for now, somehow pictures will come, as soon as I'm back in Accra I guess!
I hope, you can all enjoy your summer (how is the weather???). By the way, two days ago it started to rain in the afternoon and it was finally the first day (except from the bus with a too cold air-condition) that I didn't feel hot here :-)

Gaaaanz liebe Gruesse an alle!!! Und danke fuer eure Kommentare!
Verena

As promised, I've uploaded some new pictures ....

This will be the last message for a few days as Kafui organizes a trip for all IAESTE-members. Tomorrow we are going to Kumasi where we will meet also the other students, who are working in other citys than Kumasi. Together as far as I know we will go with a bus to the North of the country… I don’t know much at the moment, but I guess, we will have lots of fun and see some places (Tamale, National park) on our way. I will be back in Accra I think on Monday and then probably I will go with Anne and Malte so I don’t know when it will be the next time I have internet access… So don’t worry, if you don’t get news from me for a while…

Tonight I guess I will experience a different night as usual. As you know, I normally go to bed quite early (I guess the latest was 10.30pm) but tonight I will join the other three white guys and some Ghanian friends for a reggae-night at Labadi-Beach!!! I’m already a bit excited how the nightlife here will be…
But also yesterday when I came home late (Francis picked me up from the place where the other three students are staying) there was so much traffic and there are still a lot of people on the road, selling food etc.

The other night I cooked the Spagetthi Carbonara and I also showed them, how we are eating them (with spoon and fork) but not everyone could eat it like that, because we were 6 people, but in this house there are only 3 forks . My mum could hardly believe this, but here you eat almost everything with your right hand and with a spoon, but no fork or knifes (we only have 3 knifes to cook).

As I’m now still at home most of the time, I have lots of discussions with Daniel (brother of David, my guest-father). He has lost his job and is at home most of the time, helping Francis,… It’s very interesting to talk with him. He always says that Ghana is a very rich country, as it has a lot of natural resources (Bauxit, Gold, Alluminium, Oil) but there are too many corrupt leaders and they don’t have enough people with knowledge so often now, when investors are coming they somehow don’t manage to make good contracts so most of the money they get by exploring the natural resources doesn’t stay in the country! And that’s really a problem! But hopefully the future looks better as they build more and more universities (they only had 3 for the whole country). When a lot of people are well educated, its harder for leaders, members of the government to tell the people what ever they want and people don’t believe everything but can distinguish what is right and wrong and when they are lying! I hope, Daniel is right! It would be really good, if some changes will come (but I guess that will take quite a while). In my opinion they should really start to build a better sewage-system, sewage treatment plants and an efficient garbage collection. I can only hope that when more people are better educated then they also start thinking about their environment! Of course, there are a lot of people who have to worry what they are going to eat so they don’t care but most of the other people, who are not suffering that much they just don’t care and throw everything just away (you can see empty plastic bags from the drinking water, shopping bags,… everywhere), not to mention all the car cleaning (right next to the ‘river’), and all the contamination from old engines, fridges,…

Ok, I will leave it for now! Take care and have a good time!
News latest in about two weeks or so...
Liebe Greusse aus Accra!
Verena

I hope, you are all seeking for news from me... :-) Here they are! And the next time I go to the internet cafe, I will also upload some new pictures!
With Francis I went to Central Accra on Friday (which was also his birthday I found out by coinsidence). I saw the ocean (quiet, peacefull place), the independence square and the Makola Market (oh wow!!!sooo many people, things to buy, noises, colours,.........). But it was great!! And I was happy when we returned to our quiet area :-) I had a nice lunch with Francis (Fufu with goundnut (=peanut)soup and goat meat) and of course, we ate out of one bowl and with our hands... Was really good! I can't complain about the food at all, I really like it! And I always look, how Francis prepares the dinner, so I hope, I can cook some of it back in Germany :-)
Saturday and Sunday I spent with my white friends who are also doing an internship with the IAESTE organisation. We didn't go to Kumasi (which was the first plan) because Bill didn't feel good as he ate something veeeery spicy, where even Ghanians be careful with it). So he stayed at the house and we others (Linda from Hannover, Sebastian from Switzerland and me) went to a Beach yesterday! Oh it was soo great, seeing the ocean, swimming in it :-) We had to ignore some rubbish on the beach and some plastic bags in the water, but it was ok! And it was the first time I tried to Surf, but it was really hard and so far it didn't really work, but I hope, I will have the chance to try it again and we had lots of fun in all cases! Sebastian also lent the surfboard to some kids and teens and it was very funny, he and all the black people around him :-) It looked like an old surf film from the 70s if you know it (Sebastian told us about it) where also a man brought a surfboard to Ghana and the same happened... and also the kids searched for wooden-boards etc and took them! Was really nice!
Although we spent almost the whole day there, we didn't really have a lot of time to relax and sleep, as always someone came to say hi and talked with us :-) And I even got a bit sunburned, although we were hardly in the sun and just in the shadow when we were outside the ocean... So hopefully my skin will get more brown soon, so perhaps I don't attrac as much attention to me as it is now :-) Yesterday was also the first day, when I saw a lot of other Obruonis (that's how they call us and means "white man").
And well, today is Monday, but I am still not working! Don't ask me why, Kafui the organiser called me but I didn't really understand the problem... I still have hope, that I will start working soon!!! But I don't get bored here! And I also go out alone now, its not a problem at all!!! And if it doesn't work with the internship for now, than I can join Anne and Malte, my two friends from Stuttgart who are coming for two weeks (starting next Saturday) to travel in Ghana!!! :-) And hopefully at least afterwards I can finally start working what I really want to do!!!!!

I bought all ingredients to prepare some spaggetthi carbonara for dinner... I hope, my family will like it!
This morning, I helped a neighbour friend (Fredrica) who came to wash lots of close... It really takes much more time to wash all the cloth just with two buckets full of cold water and soap! So enjoy your washing mashines!!!