HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS!

As busy as we all are we must remember to take time out to enjoy life with family and friends! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

HOLIDAY DINNER

Spinach  stew

PUERTO RICO

Flying in to SJU!

El Yunque National Rain Forest

Mofongo!

El Yunque National Rain Forest

El Yunque National Rain Forest

Hotel rooftop

Brunch

Brunch

Hotel rooftop

Old San Juan

Lunch

Brunch

GALAS

West African Health Foundation Gala

 

 

When the White Coat Comes Off!

From exclusive gated communities and pricey high rises to broken down taxis and risky cut throat drivers, we have been through a wiiiiiiiide range of experiences during our first few days in Accra, Ghana! This week was business as usual; we put on our white coats every morning and made our way to Korle bu Teaching Hospital where we took our place as integral parts of the medical teams. We rounded on the medical wards, assessed patients, worked in outpatient clinics, attended lectures, and took in all the differences between our experiences as med students in Accra versus our experiences as med students in the states. But once the white coats came off we really did our best to explore the city if Accra!

Eating lunch at a friend's house. Can you believe this was only for 3 people lol.  From left to right: shito (pepper made with dried shrimp), fried rice, corned beef stew, jollof rice, waakye (pronounced watch-ay). Fried chicken and grilled fish are not pictured.

Our taxi broke down...twice, not the same taxi either. You have to respect the hardworking attitude of the people here. They do the best with what they have to provide for their families!

Gelato...Tasted like fresh strawberries!

Akua on a Friday night.

Me on a Friday night.

People were doing a dance called the Azonto. If you haven't heard about it, google/youtube it. I guarantee you that it's entertaining. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=azonto

Me at the med diner on campus. Apparently, the students were not satisfied with the food options they had on the hospital campus so the student government built a restaurant space and leased it out to a food vendor to run the restaurant. I had a rice dish called waakye with chicken.

Med Diner

Our church, Lighthouse Chapel International, has it's main branch in the town of Kaneshie. The branch is called the Qodesh.

Us with one of our Bishops (2nd from the right), Bishop Sackey.

-XOXO

Ohemaa, Mimi

Welcome! Akwaaba! Atuu!

Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Osu-Accra

 

Three different ways to say the same exact thing… WELCOME to Accra, Ghana! This triad of greetings really depicts the diversity, integration and movement of people within and into the city of Accra from surrounding towns, surrounding countries and even surrounding continents! 

The city of Accra itself is assorted with different tribes, customs beliefs and dialects, however the official language spoken- that is the main language taught in schools is English. The face of Accra is changing as businessmen and women set up shop in the peaceful nation filled with opportunity and a growing economy and a relatively stable political atmosphere to boot! We have learned that amenities in Accra are easily accessible and there is something for everyone! 

Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Osu-Accra

Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Osu-Accra

Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Osu-Accra

East Legon -Accra

East Legon -Accra

East Legon -Accra

Lighthouse Chapel International Church- The Qodesh- North Kaneshie- Accra

Me on our friend's balcony in East Legon -Accra

Quick Facts about Ghana:

History: Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence.
Government:  Democratic. This is an election year.
President: John Atta Mills
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Size: 238,533 sq km which is slightly smaller than Oregon
Population: 25 million people in Ghana, 2 million live in Accra
Weather: tropical; warm and dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone

Akua on our friend's balcony in East Legon -Accra

Thanks be to our Father in heaven for keeping us safe as we explore Ghana!

XOXO- Ohemaa, Mimi