Below are the 10 most recent journal entries recorded in Michael Gallagher's LiveJournal:

Sunday, July 31st, 2005
12:05 pm	Week 8 The inevitable close to my time in Ghana has finally arrived. Over the past two weeks, I have done a lot of exploring of the country and as a result of this as well as my work with AIESEC, it has been rather difficult to write in my journal. As such, I will try and cram all that I have seen in this time period into this entry. At the end of Week 6, a few other expats and I travelled by Tro-Tro to a little town called Hohoe. After a brief stop in this town to get a small amount of bread to eat and to use the public washrooms, we hopped in a taxi to the little town of Wli. Before I describe Wli, however, let me first go into some detail about the washroom in Hohoe, as it was an experience I am unlikely to forget. As I entered, the putrid smell of human waste decomposing in the late morning heat hit me full in the face. In the dimly lit area that I walked into, I saw a row of about ten open stalls, some occupied, some not. Outside each stall was a basket filled with pieces of newspaper that had been used in place of toilet paper. As I went into a stall, I noticed that the toilet, if it can be called that, consisted of a circular hole in the ground for defecation with a small wedge cut out at one end of the hole for urination. Excrement was everywhere. After we reached Wli, we hiked through a gorgeous forest to the waterfall, which fell down into a shallow but large pool below. Though I did not bring my swimsuit, one of the people I was travelling with, an American student from Yale University who was researching private sector development in Ghana, was kind enough to lend me his shorts so that I could go under the falls. It was an incredible rush being under a steady gush of water falling from so high above and we all had a great time. We stayed at a lodge run by a German couple in Wli for the night and fell asleep to the sounds of the rainforest all around us. In the morning, we took a shared taxi to Afadjato mountain, which is supposedly the highest mountain in Ghana. Unlike in Canada and Europe, the pathway up the mountain went straight up as opposed to zig-zagging its way up. There are much higher mountains in Canada and Europe, but the view was still good. Despite the fog below, we did catch a glimpse of the village that our guide resided in. After the climb, I was absolutely drenched in sweat. Later that day, we took a Tro-Tro back to Accra. Week 7 went by in much the same way as had previous weeks, with me spending many hours at True Internet Cafe near Kwame Nkrumah Circle, an area of town that serves as a central hub for transportation to almost every part of the city. At the end of the week, however, I took an STC bus up to Tamale in Northern Ghana with many of the same people who I visited Wli falls with. It was here that many of my most memorable experiences in Ghana took place. To start off with, we woke up at about 5am to catch the bus to Tamale at 7am. The bus trip took 13 hours with a small stop near the city of Kumasi, where I ate jollof rice for lunch. Jollof rice is similar to normal rice, except that it appears to be cooked in some form of spicy red sauce. When we reached Tamale, the American Yale student, whose name was Alex, introduced us to a gentlemen he had been communicating with via e-mail. This gentleman was kind enough to take us all on a tour around much of the city and it was at this point that we learned he was a former mayor of Tamale. He later took us to Baobab Hotel, where he was the managing director, and provided us all with free accomodation. He emphasized that we should make this hotel our base during our stay in Tamale and to call him whenever we needed. I do not remember ever encountering such hospitality in my life. It is fascinating to see such contrast between the generosity people such as him and others in Ghana who start a conversation for the sole purpose of getting money. On Saturday morning, we rented bicycles and explored the city. Because Northern Ghanaians are mainly Muslims, we say many gorgeous mosques along our way. The people of Tamale seemed to be more at ease than those in Accra. They seemed to be less in a rush to get places and the shopkeepers, beggars, and the taxi drivers were less intense about trying to get our business. In the afternoon, we travelled to Mole national park on a large bus. However, it could probably be described better as a huge, glorified Tro-Tro. Though it had the width of a school bus that could seat four people comfortably in each row, six people were crammed into each row in this vehicle. The trip lasted for about 3-4 hours. When we arrived at Mole, we immediately changed and went for a swim in the swimming pool outside the restaurant, just as it began to get dark. After dinner and on the way back to our rooms, which were dormitories containing six beds per room, we encountered a group of warthogs munching on the grass right outside our doors. In the morning, we woke up early to go for a tour of a small section of the park. During the first part of the walk, we saw a few antelope and waterbucks. As we neared the waterhole, however, we saw our first pack of elephants. Many of them were bathing in the waterhole, with a few of the younger ones playfighting. A crocodile glided smoothly in the water near the elephants, though our guide said that a crocodile could not kill an elephant, even if it was relatively young. After this, we rented bicycles and travelled down to Larabanga, a little village at the edge of the park, which contains what the villagers claim to be the oldest mosque in Ghana. When we arrived back at the park, the kitchen had closed so we were only able to eat a few scraps of bread for lunch. During this time, several baboons and monkeys strolled through the restaurant and to within 2 feet of us, hoping to steal one of our pieces of bread or our backpacks. Later, we went on an afternoon/evening tour of the park. The time that we saw the most wildlife was ironically beside a small village in the park. We saw numerous warthogs, monkeys, and baboons. As we travelled further around the outskirst of the village, we realized why. We came across a huge pile of litter, which included food, plastic, bags, water satchets, and other pieces of refuse. It was here that we saw many of the monkeys and warthogs eating scraps of whatever they could find. One of the warthogs was scarfing down a black plastic bag when I arrived. What was also fascinating was how unpreturbed these animals were when one of the villagers came into the centre of the litter pile to dump more garbage. I found this interaction both interesting and disturbing. As we went deeper into the village, we saw a lone elephant walk right through the main street of town. The next morning at 3am, we woke up for a bus that was supposed to be leaving Mole at 4:30am, but ended up leaving at 5:30am. As we passed through the little villages with mudhuts on our way to Tamale, many more passengers got on the bus. Later that day, a few of us went to Paga, a village where visitors can come and sit on the sacred crocodiles that frequent the ponds beside it. Julie, my CEED (Cultural Envoy for Exchange Development) partner as well as Louis ended up sitting on one of the crocodiles while I took pictures. The crocodile was attracted out of the pond by a local man who waved two live guinea fowl, which he was holding by the legs, beside the water. This large, scaly beast crawled slowly out of the water and lay on the ground with its menacing jaws open expectantly. After Julie and Louis sat on the crocodile and held up its tail, the crocodile began to get impatient and took a playful nip at the guide who was holding the two birds, who were chirping away nervously. At that point, the guide fed one of the fowl to the crocodile, who promply silenced it with one snap of its jaws. We left as more crocodiles began to appear from the pond and the grass surrounding it. We stayed at Baobab hotel again that night and left Tamale in the morning. We ended up travelling a few hours east of Kumasi to see several Colobus and Mona monkeys at a sanctuary. We stayed the night in Kumasi and travelled to Accra. By the time we got home, it was Wednesday night. This weekend, Louis and I visited Kakum National Park near Cape Coast and walked above the forest canopy along a walkway that was set up between several very tall trees. Though there was not much wildlife except for several gorgeously coloured butterflies, the canopy and all the plants that comprised it were beautiful. We then had a late lunch at a place called Hans Cottage. We ate Red Red, which consisted of beans in a red sauce and plantains on the side. Hans Cottage is situated on a small lake that is also filled with crocodiles. Several of them could be viewed sunning themselves on small islands where several nests were being built by small birds with bright yellow bodies and black heads. One time, we witnessed one of the nests fall into the water and the young baby bird that escaped from it devoured by a crocodile that was waiting in the water close to the island. We arrived back in Accra last night. This will be my last journal entry in Ghana. I hope everyone has had an enjoyable read of this. I may continue this journal for a little bit after I arrive in Canada as part of capturing some of my thoughts as I reintegrate into Canadian society. All the best, Michael (Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 13th, 2005
10:05 pm	Week 6 After almost a month and a half living in Accra, the best description of the city and everything in it is a chaotic blend of modern and traditional life. In some parts of the city you can see paved streets with traffic lights while in other areas, the roads are rough, dirty, and filled with garbage that will remain there for hundreds of years. On the roads, you can see vehicles that have been stripped down to the most basic possible configuration and have broken mirrors and winshields and occassionally, can spot a shiny, new Mercedes-Benz navigating through the traffic. I remember passing by a car repair shop and seeing countless car wheels stacked one on top of the other with many of them looking worse for the wear while others, particularily the BMW and Mercedes-Benz wheels, looking brand new and shiny. Even the advertisements range from words written in paint on top of little shacks indicating the service/product sold within to huge billboards with shiny, sophisticated advertisements for Guinness, Barclay's Bank, and Spacefon-Areeba cellular telephone plans. Development is indeed an uneven and occasionally painful process. The destitute are also widespread here, but one person who significantly grabbed my attention was a little girl about five years old at the Tro-Tro station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle who was desperately trying to make money by shining people's shoes or even ladies high-heels with a mangy-looking cloth. Most everyone she approached simply laughed at her and pulled their feet away from her cloth so that they wouldn't get their shoes dirty. In many ways, she embodied the struggle of so many against forces they can barely comprehend. She will likely never receive education about how to develop a product that people want or how to target her sales effectively, nor will she acquire enough money to make any kind of investment in improving her product before starves to death. It makes me question more and more the notion that povery is simply a choice and that anybody from any background has the potential to succeed in this fast-paced, globalized society we live in. On a lighter note, I was able to visit some botanical gardens just north of Accra. I saw a cactus that was roughly 2 meters tall and branched numerously to form a structure that was perhaps 1-2 meters wide. The plants I saw exhibited so many vibrant colours. Many of the smaller plants took up residence in the branches of the larger trees. On one occasion, I was very fortunate to have seen five caterpillar-like creatures (possibly silkworms) that were climbing up a thin, clear strand that stretched from the ground to a branch on a tree. I also visited LaBadi Beach on the coast of Accra. It was unlike any beach I have ever seen before. People on horseback rode along the sand while countless people swam in the sea. Also, merchants and buskers of all sorts came by the table we sat at, which was one of hundreds stretched out beside several restaurants and bars out along the coastline. I'm now off for lunch, so I will say goodbye. I hope everyone will keep safe, especially after the terrorist bombings in London. Take care, Michael (Comment on this)
Monday, July 4th, 2005
5:08 pm	Correction to Previous Journal Entry After reading more about Live 8, I determined that the concerts are more about raising awareness for the upcoming G8 summit than about charity donations. This is an interesting tactic for this event to take as opposed to Live Aid, in which the main function appeared to be charity. I certainly hope that those at the G8 summit will take this form of public demonstration seriously and generate solutions that can make the global economy more fair for countries in Africa and a place where opportunities are generated as opposed to hardships. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
3:56 pm	Week 5: The Halfway Mark After having been here for exactly one month and one day, I can still say that the amount of items that street vendors in Ghana can balance on their heads blows my mind. I have seen people carry everything from lemons to water to packages of flour and Tampico orange juice on their heads without using their hands. I also saw one fellow balance a box filled with flowers that were about half the size of him. These vendors mostly frequent traffic lights and Tro-Tro stations and try to sell their goods to passengers or drivers in their vehicles. I can also say that I am happy I got my three very expensive rabies vaccines before I came to Ghana. Stray animals, which can include dogs, cats, goats, and chickens roam everywhere. I also heard on the news that dog bites in a city called Tema, which is near Accra, are on the rise. However, most every animal that I have encountered so far in Ghana just seems to quietly go about its business without taking much notice of me. In the past few times that I have been riding the Tro-Tro, I have noticed yet another aspect of Ghana's deeply religious nature. Occasionally, a preacher will stand up in the middle of the Tro-Tro and begin to give a short sermon. After seeing this, it would seem that if any particular individual has the ability to achieve the most widespread communication to the citizens of Ghana, it is the preachers. On Saturday, many of those working for AIESEC in Accra went to a bar and then to a club as part of a farewell celebration for the outgoing national team who will be handing over their positions to a new national team for the 2005-2006 year. A striking difference between clubs in Ghana and those in North America is that it is mostly the MEN who dance, while the women relax and talk. This is completely opposite to the North American style of clubbing whereby the women do the dancing and the men stand around the outside gazing at the women. Also (sorry ladies), African men seem to have North American women beat in terms of dancing ability in clubs. Last night, I also watched a debate about the problem of plastic waste in Accra and other parts of Ghana, particularily involving the disposal of satchets used to hold pure water. The solutions that were proposed included using biodegradable material to make the sachets, educating the public on proper garbage disposal techniques (most people simply throw their garbage onto the street or into the gutters, which can clog the gutters and cause them to back up during a rain storm), and even taking individuals who litter to the police station to give them a 15 minute lecture on littering!! I'm currently in an internet cafe right now where the television is tuned to MTV and the Live 8 concert and it is fascinating to be in Africa while this event is going on. It is excellent that such powerful awareness is being generated about some of the conditions that exist in this part of the world. I only hope that all of the revenue generated by these concerts and the recent debt cancellation will be put to use in the best possible manner to alleviate the immediate suffering that is occurring, but will also help many African nations to structure their economies so that they can provide for their citizens in the long run. All the best, Michael (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 29th, 2005
3:19 pm	Week 4 I traveled up north on the Saturday of this past weekend to the city of Kumasi, where I met with some individuals from the AIESEC local chapter at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). After I arrived at the bus station in Kumasi, I had fufu for lunch at a local restaurant with William, one of the people at the AIESEC local chapter there. After that, we went to the KNUST campus and watched a soccer match between KNUST and the University of Cape Coast. Originally, I believed that the ritual of storming the field at a Queen's Homecoming Weekend football game when the Queen's Golden Gaels won was the craziest thing that a group of spectators watching a university sports game could do. I was wrong. After every single goal, a substantial fraction of the spectators would storm the field to congratulate the team that scored. In addition, the spectators sang cheers constantly throughout the game and played the drums and other musical instruments while watching. It was quite a neat experience. During the evening, I stayed at the apartment of one of the members of AIESEC KNUST. It was a one bedroom apartment, but appeared to be occupied by around 4 additional people. In addition it was not ventilated very well, so the air smelled rather stale and slightly moldy. Luckily, I was able to sleep on the bed as many of the others preferred to sleep on the floor in the living room. However, the washroom was spacious and the shower was handheld and worked very nicely. I also met up with someone from Greece and another person from the United States, who are also doing various things with AIESEC in Ghana. My CEED (Cultural Envoy for Exchange Development) partner, Julie, who is from Quebec, was also there. On Sunday, we travelled to a museum about the Ashante people, which is a tribe that many Ghanaians belong to. It was fascinating to see how many of the traditional customs became mixed with European customs as time went by, especially as they acquired guns, telephones, British currency, and were exposed to the Christian faith. Later, we ate lunch at a restaurant on a lake outside of Kumasi. This week, when I arrived back in Accra, Louis and I uploaded several forms onto our online database for a company detailing the specifications of the people they would like to fill their job positions. I am also preparing a presentation on AIESEC to give to the Canadian Business Association in Ghana. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly. Best regards to everyone at home. Michael (Comment on this)
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2005
1:53 pm	Week 3 On the weekend, I went on a day trip up the Volta river with several people. We were able to see many areas of lush rainforest as well as several routines by local performers who were invited onto the boat. The one I will remember most was done by an acrobatics group. What made their performance so memorable was that one of the group members was a toddler who did flips with the assistance of other members of the group and could also dance, do the splits, and balance on top of another group member's head. I do have pictures, but unfortunately can't upload them right now. Early this week, my first real bout of sickness set in. I felt rather ill later in the morning on Monday, enough so that I had to go back to the house I am staying at to rest. I had an upset stomach for most of the day, which reached a climax during the middle of the night. However, I didn't appear to have a fever, so I likely did not have malaria. Although I know I am supposed to avoid anything greasy with an upset stomach, this was rather difficult, as most every Ghanaian dish that I have tasted has or is cooked with some form of oil. On Tuesday, I also rested and ate mostly bread for my first two meals of the day. Over those few days, I had a bit of time to reflect upon some elements of my experience here. I have been amazed at how many women I have seen selling everything from water to bread to Menthos candies while carrying their babies on their backs using large, folded pieces of cloth. Many of them seem to work well into the night. It is amazing that when many North Americans, including myself, are in vacation in these countries, the impression they get is of how relaxed everybody seems and that in North America, we are busier than everyone else in the world. Some of what I have seen in Accra may contradict this notion. It is definitely true, though, that time has less meaning here than it does in North America and Europe. People are often late for meetings, which doesn't bother me at all because I am prepared for it. In fact, it is somewhat refreshing, as it allows me to take a closer look at my travel guide while I wait. The Local Committee President explained to me that often in Ghana, success is measured by the results that are achieved and not by how much one can do in a given period of time. One thing that I am still trying to adjust to is the fact that because of the colour of my skin, I stand out tremendously and am constantly reminded of this fact. People will often say "Obruni", meaning "white person", to me when passing on the street. Though it is often just a friendly way to initiate conversation or ask me how I am, there are many who use it to beg for money. In many ways, it is valuable for me to experience this as I can appreciate what it means to be singled out as a minority. I'm off for lunch now, but I hope everything is doing well back at home. I heard Calgary had a number of very bad floods. Hopefully the situation will improve. Best regards, Michael (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 14th, 2005
6:35 pm	Beginning of Week 2 Well, a long and relaxing weekend has ended and now its back to the grindstone. However, the weekend was not without its share of fun events. On Friday, I purchased some traditional African formal wear to go to AIESEC Ghana's annual stakeholder dinner in at La Palm Royale hotel. There, I had a wonderful dinner and met several students who were working for various companies in Ghana through AIESEC. Some of the sponsors of the event and of AIESEC in Ghana as a whole were KLM, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Gino tomatoes, and Autoparts Ltd. I was grateful after a week of eating meat and rice to be able to have salad that had been treated in order to eliminate any harmful organisms. On Saturday, I tried a traditional Ghanaian dish called Fufu, which is prepared from Casava fruit that appears to have been mashed into a large, white mass that has soup poured on and around it. It is meant to be eaten with one's hands. However, what I learned halfway into eating it is that you're not supposed to chew the casava, you're supposed to swallow it in one gulp. When I tried this, I nearly gagged because I have always been used to chewing any food I eat before swallowing it. On Sunday, I attended a church service that lasted approximately three hours. Then I toured various parts of the city with Louis, the person whose family I'm staying with. When we arrived home, we found a moderately large celebration occurring in the relatively small lawn outside the house. Apparently, a celebration/ceremony was occurring where a baby was being given a name and my host family had been asked if their front lawn could be used for the purpose. The music was loud but enjoyable, even when inside, and ended at around eight o'clock in the evening. Today, I snuck off to Osu to have lunch at an Argentinian steakhouse. Now before everyone reaches for their rotten tomatoes, pitchforks, and whatever else you would like to throw at me/skewer me with for dining at a non-Ghanaian restaurant, you might like to know that I tasted African antelope for the first time there. It was a very tasty meat, not unlike venison, but is quite a bit chewier and can become a bit tough if eaten in large bites. They also have wildabeast there as well as beef from South Africa. Have a fantastic rest of the day. Michael (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, June 10th, 2005
1:03 pm	End of my first week I have been involved in several activities relating to the AIESEC Local Chapter at CUC over the past week. I worked with the current Vice-President of Finance to customize the AIESEC Canada budget, income statement, and balance sheet for use at AIESEC CUC. I also helped them finalize applications that they will be using when electing their executive team for next year. Overall, it has been a reasonably productive week. One thing that I have to get used to is the heat in Ghana. Almost every day, I have had sweat dripping down my back and any other area that my backpack has come in contact with. I'm hoping my body will adapt to this eventually. In the meantime, I've been drinking as many fluids as I can to replenish any lost moisture. The only thing about drinking a lot of fluids is that I have to go to the washroom much more often. Unfortunately, however there are no public toilet facilities where I am, which means that I have had to go over to an AIESEC member's house and ask to use their toilet. Supposedly, most anywhere on the sides of the streets is fair game for urination, but I have been told I should ask someone where the best part of the street is to do this. I haven't quite worked up the courage to do this, however. Another thing that amazes me is the pervasiveness of the Christian faith in Ghana. I have seen references to the bible almost everywhere. From the "God's Grace Communication Centre" to a Tro-Tro named "The Blood of Jesus" to places like "God's Hand Is In It Catering Services", it is very apparent how intensely religious many Ghanaian people are. My time is just about up at the internet cafe, so I will sign off for now. Have an excellent weekend. Michael (Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 7th, 2005
5:44 pm	Day 4 of my time in Accra, Ghana I arrived at Kotoka International Airport on Saturday (June 4th) where about 10 people greeted me and took me to a bar by the airport for a drink. Then, I was taken to the place where I was to stay. When we travelled to the house at night, I was amazed at how many people that were walking both on the side of the road as well as on the road itself. It was dark when I arrived and a power outage had just occurred that was to last until Sunday evening. I am getting used to the Tro-Tro system, which is how many people travel around Accra. It is like a bus system except that each of the buses are owned by private individuals, there are no maps or schedules indicating any of the bus routes, and the only way that you can determine where the bus is going is to decipher what the bus driver is saying when they call out the route. Nevertheless, with the help of Louis, the person whose house I'm staying in, I have been able to pick up a few things. I have met with several members of AIESEC there, including the Local Committee President of AIESEC CUC and the national team for AIESEC Ghana. So far, everybody has been very friendly. I will send another update soon. Hello to everybody back home. Cheers from Ghana, Michael (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 21st, 2005
8:49 am	The Preparation Phase It's hard to believe that in approximately two weeks, I will be visiting a continent that I last visited when I was 2 years old. My last vaccination out of eight will be given to me this Tuesday and I will be glad when that is over. I still experience a slightly apprehensive feeling about all of the tropical diseases over there, but I am confident that if I practice safe eating habits and use mosquito repellent often, I should be fine. I am excited about my upcoming time in Ghana. Living and working in a nation with many aspects that are vastly different from Canada will undoubtedly teach me a lot about a different part of the world as well as my place in it. (Comment on this)