To Work I Go!

Ghana is known for its hospitality and friendly, peaceful nature. I find it really improves my day when people take the time to greet me and ask me how I am doing or telling me to enjoy my day. On any given morning when I am going to the office, I greet the maid, the person at the front desk, the security guard, the campus police officer, several women selling food by the side of the road, and any other people who I meet along the way. It helps me start my day off with a positive attitude. I find the walk to work is never the same two days in a row. 

What is consistent from day to day is the traffic chaos and heavy congestion along Madina Road (one of the main roads). I still have not quite figured out how traffic lights work here. Sometimes the traffic will flow in both directions at the same time, sometimes only one direction of traffic has the right of way. I would also argue that traffic signals are frequently merely a suggestion at best - motorcycles will proceed through an intersection even if the signal is red. Almost every morning there is at least one, sometimes three, police officers directing traffic at the entrance to the university (Akpongolo Junction). They do improve the flow of traffic and have helped me a few times cross the road safely. Even though there are pedestrian signal boxes, they don’t work. Ever. So crossing the road can frequently take a while. The black cloud of fumes that rises from the road when the cars start moving is unreal. I would be shocked if any of the cars could pass a Canadian emissions test. I do find it difficult to breathe at times because of the car fumes (and the dust and burning garbage). 

A typical tro tro - broken down by the side of the road

Ghana also has arguably the highest proportion of taxis on the road anywhere. Because I am a female “Obruni”, every taxi driver is convinced I need a ride and always honk or yell in my general direction. I’ve heard conflicting reasons for this. I’ve been told that it is because they assume that Obrunis don’t know the exchange rate and that they can get higher fares. Alternatively I’ve been told that it is because Obrunis generally don’t know what the price of a cab ride is so they can take advantage of our lack of knowledge. As with many things in Ghana, there is the local price and then the foreigner price. Frequently when negotiating for a taxi ride they will propose 15 or even 20 cedis for a ride that should cost less than 8 cedis. What is certain is that constantly having to say no to them becomes tiresome. Frequently I just ignore them unless they are being very persistent. Another fun feature of taxis in Accra is that the drivers never know where they are going despite telling you that yes they know where they are going. It is rare when I take a taxi to a location other than the University or the Mall that they know exactly where I am going. Because of the lack of road signs (among other factors including a lack of house numbers and street names), navigating is mostly done with landmarks or junctions leading to mass confusion about where you are trying to go. Frequently taxi drivers will stop and ask for directions or expect you to know where you are going. This can be frustrating when you don’t know where you are going and neither do they!

The children who I see every morning on my way to the office are very cute. They will wave or yell Obruni or come and say hello to me. One of them even took a picture of me the other day (not really sure why). They are frequently out in the street playing soccer or watching the world go by.

It takes me about an hour a day to walk to and from the office so it gives me time to observe things and interact with people. I even had one of the vendors tell me I was late yesterday (which I was), which I found funny but sweet. I hope I will get more confident in crossing the road and perhaps figure out some of the rules of the road by the time I leave. I really want to improve my Twi so I am able to greet people in the morning in the local language. I’m surprised how difficult it is to get the sounds right. Apparently I have the North American “light tongue” and need to adopt a heavier tongue  to improve my Twi. 

Off to Ghana

The first few days of my adventure was pretty eventful and not what I expected. The 7 hour layover at Heathrow Airport was brutal to say the least. Our plane landed at 2am Toronto time and it is extremely tough to take a nap in Terminal 5 which is extremely busy. I managed to find some sandwiches I liked so I bought two keeping in mind I didn’t know when I would get another non-plane meal. The 7 hours dragged by and despite not having access to free wi-fi, I managed to keep myself entertained by writing in my journal and sitting near the departures board near the Transit elevators and watching people running for their gate as their flights are announced.

I couldn’t believe the high-class shops that were in Heathrow. If you wanted high-end designer items then Heathrow is the place for you! The plane from Heathrow to Accra was pretty empty in the more expensive seats however the economy class was packed (not too surprising). It was really beautiful seeing the Sahara desert from the plane as we flew over during daylight hours. The sand dunes were very clear and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. We arrived in Accra after the sun had set so all you could see was the city lights. As soon as they opened the door of the plane, you instantly knew you were in a tropical country as the air was thick and warm. Despite a warning that collecting your baggage at the Accra airport is a bit challenging, we were able to collect our bags and make our way through the airport. After meeting up with our WUSC driver we got our first taste of driving mayhem in Ghana. Cars were everywhere honking and trying to get out of the parking lot any which way. The roads in Ghana are not very good and potholes are abundant as well as speedbumps being part of every surfaced road to slow traffic down. Within 10 minutes of leaving the airport, we had our first taste of Ghana traffic. The cross-street was gridlock with cars not moving and honking their horns. It is true that people will refuse to give way to one another causing cars to be jammed together and bringing traffic to a grinding halt. Fortunately we were able to slip between some cars and carry on our way. The other main feature of driving in Ghana is a lack of street lamps. In some places there will be street lamps lit, others will have street lamps that are not turned on but mostly streets are not equipped with street lamps forcing drivers to use their high beams in order to see where they are going. We eventually arrived at our hotel, exhausted and ready to sleep. We said goodbye to our driver and got settled in our rooms.

Front of the Suma Court Hotel

Suma Court Hotel was wonderful with clean rooms, big comfortable beds, and private bathrooms with hot water. The following day our little group decided to find the internet to let our parents and loved ones know we arrived safely and to look into buying cellphones. After arriving at the mall, hours after we left the hotel, we found some internet and were directed to go to Circle to find used cellphones. Another long cab ride later, we arrived at Circle. Circle can be summed up in one word - busy. There are people everywhere selling something. We quickly found a vendor that had the phone I was looking for and after Billy kindly negotiated a fair price, I purchased a used phone from him. By the side of the road (something I have never done before). Eventually we made it back to the hotel after dark. It became very clear that geography is not the strong suit of Ghanaians (at least the cab drivers), and that they don’t know all parts of the city, only the area where they typically work. 

Sunday we decided to go to the beach and take a break from the city. The cab ride to Labadi Beach was far less eventful than the adventures of the previous day as the driver knew exactly where we wanted to go. The closer we got to the beach, the cooler and fresher the air was noticeable. In fact, the breeze at the beach made it almost cool! The beach was clean and the only garbage was a few floating black plastic bags in the ocean (apparently the day we were there was surprising clean). The beach was quite an event. There was acrobats and musicians performing along the beach for tips from the audience. Vendors were selling their wares to people sitting on the beach. I really enjoyed the local drumming music and it really enhanced the atmosphere. We didn’t go swimming however it was nice to be somewhere relaxing for the afternoon after the activities of the previous day. One thing that became obvious was that food orders take a very long time to arrive. If your food arrives within an hour you are doing well. Luckily we were in no rush that day. Hopefully I will get to go back to Labadi Beach again. 

Gasland & Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking

As countries around the world begin to explore alternative energy sources than petroleum, natural gas is of growing interest. I must admit I knew virtually nothing about how natural gas comes to be in tanks and canisters. I knew that companies are conducting exploration drilling in the Canadian Arctic to explore natural gas reserves. While mineral and energy extraction in the Arctic is an important issue unto itself, the main focus of my current interest is natural gas extraction in the United States and the implications of this for the rest of the world. This brings me to the documentary by Josh Fox called Gasland. This Oscar nominated documentary discusses the hazards of fracking in the United States and the politics behind this booming industry. The main focus of this film was water and the impact the fracking process and natural gas extraction has on the water supply. If you have read Bottlemania, or if you are interested in issues surrounding safe drinking water, you would probably enjoy this film.

Trailer to Gasland

What is fracking?
Fracking is a method used in deep well natural gas extraction. A combination of over 596 chemicals (80-300 tonnes each time), sand, and 1-8 millions of gallons of water is pumped into a well to break up the shale and ease the extraction of the natural gas. The water used becomes contaminated and of the water that is pumped out of the well, all of it is contaminated and must be cleaned and disposed of. During the lifetime of a natural gas well, it can be fracked multiple times (up to or beyond 10 times). These gas wells are drilled to 8000ft and most water aquifers are around 1000ft below the ground. The big concern is when the well casings leak or when water supplies are contaminated. This brief explanation is very over-simplified and there are great resources available on YouTube if you want to learn more about it.

What frightened me about this whole process beyond the safety issues of the wells and the potential for explosions was how the companies doing the drilling are not required by law to declare what chemicals they use for this process. Natural gas drilling companies are exempt from the Safe Drinking Water Act (1974), which is in place to ensure that drinking water is kept clean from contamination. This exemption is commonly referred to as the Halliburton Loophole which was part of the Energy Bill passed in 2005 by the Bush administration. The Safe Drinking Water Act is in place to ensure that water resources are protected and not destroyed by industry or natural processes. While in some cases, citizens have been able to sue the gas companies and have them provide alternate water supplies (the gas companies will build a large tank and fill it up with water trucked in from elsewhere), however countless other families are left to fend for themselves.

Global Implications
How does this problem in the United States relate to international development? While current attention is focused on the fallout from fracking in the United States, other countries (including Europe and Northern Africa) are exploring fracking as a means to access natural gas reserves. If the United States is the model on which other natural gas drilling enterprises are mimicking, there is the potential for some serious problems. Clearly, there are health and safety issues surrounding natural gas extraction that have yet to be addressed and those with a vested interest in the operation of these drill sites are unwilling to take a critical look at the operation of these facilities. Hopefully before this technology is used in other parts of the world there will at least be independent study of some of these issues. Am I opposed to natural gas extraction? No. If natural gas companies were held to environmental standards and were able to prevent much of the water contamination that is currently happening, I don't see a problem in making use of this natural resource. However, while citizens of the United States can continue to set their water on fire, natural gas drilling is cause for concern.

Another great YouTube clip about Gasland

For more information about Josh Fox or Gasland please visit
website: http://www.gaslandthemovie.com
Facebook information: http://www.facebook.com/gaslandmovie

Short Shorts & Other Fashion Crimes

As the cooler temperatures seem to be behind us for the time being and summer is here, many people are happy to ditch the pants and heavy sweaters in favour of lighter, more revealing clothes. In Canada, most people don't think twice about wearing shorts and tank tops and enjoying the warm temperatures. Despite this, we all have seen people in public that you wish you could give a 'fashion crime' citation to for wearing clothing that is too revealing (among the many fashion crimes we see everyday). While this may not be a reality in Canada, Iran does have Islamic morality officers who ensure that people are dressed 'appropriately' and penalties can be issued for those who do not comply.

Every summer, the Iranian government engages in a crackdown of the dress code of the country. This year,  the IRNA (state-run news agency), cites 70, 000 police officers being sent out into the community to ensure that all people follow the dress code. 

Why spend government funds on enforcing a dress code?

The highly conservative Iranian government has been steadily trying to reign in the more liberal fashion trends that were introduced to Iranian society in the 1990s. This extends beyond more body-hugging attire and cropped pants and includes flashy "Western" jewellery, and tattoos for men which was becoming more acceptable in Iranian culture. But the crackdown on a more liberal country has also affected the education system as University programs, including many social science-based programs like law and human rights, have been eliminated (this development in itself is troubling enough and is a whole separate issue for debate). The Iranian parliament overwhelmingly (almost two-thirds!) signed a statement supporting the rejection of Western culture favouring a more conservative culture.

According to the police chief of Iran, Gen. Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghadam, "confronting those who are not sufficiently veiled is a legitimate demand of the people," which is in keeping with the clampdown on Western influence. Efforts are also being made to shutdown any clothing retailers who are accused of selling revealing clothing. Despite all of this, the article I read pertaining to this fashion crackdown did not cite any official reports about arrests related to improper clothing.

What is banned?

Ensuring that women are properly veiled is a routine aspect of the annual summer fashion crackdown however men are now being put in the spotlight regarding their personal appearance. Men's haircuts have been scrutinized following recommendations to the Culture Ministry by a fashion watchdog group. Ponytails and the much-mocked mullet style are not allowed according to the new dress code. Jewellery is another item that is of high priority this year as women are not allowed to have their necklaces or bracelets visible in public and only men in their immediate family should be able to see these items.

So your outfit is unacceptable. Now what?

As the issue of gender has been on the minds of my fellow INDEV classmates these last few weeks following a fantastic guest lecture about gender and development, whether you are a man or woman makes a big difference when the police questions you about your clothing and personal appearance. Men receive very lenient reprimands for having an inappropriate hairstyle or outfit and are either warned to visit a barber to have their hairstyle changed or to return home immediately and change into an acceptable outfit. Women, unfortunately, are lectured about Islamic clothing and values when they are stopped by police. If they are able to fix their attire on the spot, that is usually the extend of the interaction. If the woman cannot fix the problem, they are arrested and detained until a family member can bring suitable clothing to the police station for the woman to change into. Before being allowed to go freely, they are required to sign an agreement to "not appear in public again like that".

But you are a young, progressive person

Young people in Iran are used to the annual fashion crackdowns which tapers off after a period of time. However, those interviewed for the article have noticed a more serious nature to the campaign this year. If you are a young person living in Iran and you are in support of the political opposition, you could choose to dye your hair. This is one way young people are able to demonstrate their political beliefs without taking huge risks.

Food for thought as I sit here writing this post wearing.... short shorts.

To read the original article, please click on the link: Iran's Fashion Police Target 'Western' Looks, Men's Hairstyles Along With Headscarves

June Update About Ghana

I finally had my tonsils removed June 14th and despite the pain and the frustratingly slow recovery, not helped by a bad reaction to the pain medication, I have had ample time to think about the upcoming placement. The e-ticket has been purchased for my flight to Ghana in September (another reality check, if I didn't already believe that I was going, I sure am now!), and I have started to read some literature about travel in Ghana.
Information is power and in this case, the more I read and get acquainted with Ghana the more confident I am about going. In the last month or so I have run into many people who have either been to Ghana themselves either to volunteer or to travel or who know someone who went and who thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I find it encouraging that I have yet to meet someone who didn't enjoy Ghana.
The first travel book I purchased is a general guide to travelling in Africa and contained a lot of very useful information from what to pack to how to deal with potentially dangerous situations. While I am still nervous about travelling internationally by myself as I have never being overseas without my parents, I know I will manage and I am excited to gain a greater sense of independence and confidence. I think back to all of the amusing experiences my Mom had when we moved to England when I was little as we were all getting used to life in a new country. Simple things like using a telephone of buying groceries were a big challenge and a big success once they were achieved. I am sure I will have my own funny stories upon arrival back in Canada.
Instead of worrying about how I am going to miss my friends and family while I am away, I am trying to focus on the positive and start planning my Christmas trip. The book was useful because it described some of the main attractions in Ghana and things to see.
Cape Coast Castle
Cape Coast is the first destination I was really excited to see. Cape Coast Castle is a restored slave base originally build by the Swedes as a port for the transportation of timber and minerals and was eventually transformed by the British to be the main shipping points for African slaves for over 200 years. The Cape Coast Castle has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been restored to give visitors a glimpse of what the experience was like for African slaves before being shipped to America. The book estimates that between 2000 and 10,000 slaves were shipped from Cape Coast and other ports in what was once the Gold Coast. The Door of No Return and the dungeons are some of the important aspects of the site. As someone who loves history and who doesn't have a significant knowledge about the slave trade, I am excited to visit this site and other similar sites along the Ghanian coast.
Mole National Park & Kakum National Park
If you are going to Africa for any length of time, going on safari is kind of a must. Mole National Park is located North-West in Ghana and, according to my book, is the best safari in Ghana. Mole is home to elephants, hippos, and many other species of wildlife. Kakum National Park is inland from Cape Coast in South-Western Ghana and is home to elephants, leopards, antelopes, monkeys, and many other animals. Kakum National Park has a 300m canopy walk where visitors can enjoy the lush environment. I am most excited about taking a safari trip to be able to see these exotic animals in their natural habitat. I think it is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am not going to pass up!
Coffin Industry - Accra
This is an intriguing aspect of the Ga culture in Accra. The book described how the Ga people lay the deceased in extraordinary coffins, unlike the relatively plain coffins which are customary in North America. Coffins can come in all sorts of shapes and bright colours including fish, airplanes, and mobile phones. This unique aspect of their culture has spurred on a new industry making small replicas of these elaborate coffins for tourists. This would be something I would be interested in and is one of the many unique aspects of Ga culture.
Visiting Old Accra is another adventure I am excited to make. While it is always interesting to see the new parts of a city, visiting the older and historic parts is far more fascinating. Accra was a small fishing town only a few generations ago, before the capital was moved there from Cape Coast. Being able to see the old streets and houses would be quite interesting to fully appreciate the capital of Ghana.

All in all, I am getting excited about going in September and I am no longer as fearful about going as I once was. I am interested in adding other attractions to my list if anyone has any further suggestions for my weekend travels next year.

Secrets of the Superbrands

As I was looking for a new TV show to watch, I stumbled across a BBC produced show called "Secrets of the Superbrands" and I was intrigued. After reading No Logo last semester, I am more aware of the branded nature of our culture and whether it is good or not, it is an interesting phenomenon. The episode I watched was about the fashion industry and looking at how people will pay a premium to have the brand name on the product.

Note: This is only the first segment in a much longer show, rest of the videos are available on Youtube

Ship-Breaking in the Global South

My little brother is fascinated by boats. He has shown me images of the incredible ship-breaking that occurs along the coast of Chittagong, Bangladesh. One of the course readings for this week included a picture of the dangerous ship-breaking that happens along this beach and it spurred me to do some research about this important environmental issue. Below is a youtube video which provides some idea of what working conditions are like at the Chittagong ship-breaking yards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxUGONR9pQw
Well worth watching!