kakra kakra

I think that just might be my favorite word here in Ghana, kakra kakra. It means small, small.  Like meti twi kakra. I know a how to speak a little twi. Or medi kakra.  I eat a little.  But ask me how the work is going here in Ntonso and I will say, kakra kakra. We are moving forward kakra kakra.  (about damn time right?)

 

Anyways, I’m finally a bit excited and happy about the way things are going with the project here.  It’s about the beginning of tourist season and we are going kakra kakra towards the directions of making this destination a five-star stop! (okay, we are still a long way… but a girl can exaggerate to make herself feel better.)  Step one toward making it five-star… actually being OPEN! Check.  We’ve been opened for just about a month now and have received about 65 visitors! I have a feeling now that we have been in contact with some tour guides and started passing out our brochures (Thank you Cal Lu Printing Services! You guys are awesome!) that more will start to come.  Step two, bring artisans to come and work at the visitor centre… half-check.  We have got a calabash carver to come and work at the visitor centre about a couple times a week and upon request when tourist come.  We have kente looms and I think I’m going to start weaving soon! (usually only men weave, but I figure I have plenty free time, so I should weave too!)  We are working on getting others to move, but no luck yet. The only downer part of this whole thing is that we are opened every day because I make sure we are open (not very sustainable, since I will be leaving at the end of the year… and for a month in june, but we’ll see how it goes).  But I do think now that people within the Tourism Management Team see the potential that this place has to generate money for the community they are more committed to making it work. With that being said, we still have a lot of things to work out, but like I said kakra, kakra.

 

(can I get a hoorah!)

 

Mmm, so the other weekend was Easter weekend and although there was no Ho Easter (sad) Easter just might be my favorite time here in Ghana.  Just for the fact that it always includes good friends, good food, and something exciting.  This Easter it was something legen… wait for it… dary! (haha, sorry I’m like obsessed it everything Barney) Anyways, the Ghana Tourist Board puts on a festival in the Eastern Region for the Easter holiday which includes street jams, paragliding, lots of kebabs, and crazyness.  (although, being here has decreased my crazyness… one night there was this music festival that started at 8 pm that we all wanted to attend, but when the time came around we were passed out.  I woke up at like 9 trying to get people to go, but no one wanted to, so I just went back to sleep. I know, I’m uber lame now. Happy dad?)  Anyways, back to the story… so I went paragliding!!! I jumped off a cliff and went up, up, and wayyy up in the air!! I was up there for so damn long that I felt sick at the end. Haha. But it was totally awesome and worth it. 

 

I guess that’s about all for now, we are going to have an all-volunteer conference at the end of the month at an uber nice hotel. (wifi and pool for a week!) There is suppose to be a talent show (I was thinking about playing the harmonica) and a PROM!  So all in all, I’m finally really happy with every day here… so happy that I’ve submitted a request to extend for a third year!!

 

(april fools… or maybe not. It would seem like a pretty good deal though, a year more I get to go home free for a month during the holidays and I get like 10G after I finish! JK, I can’t wait to come home and eat delicious food and go to Vegas! Oh and I guess get a job. And find my Honda! Oh and I guess hang out with all my family and friends!)

 

Okay well, miss you all tons back home… hope everything is going extra fabulous!!

 

 

Also why I kinda love being here… so today I  was walking along and I see a group of kids with tin cans searching in the bush.  They were all on the hunt for something, telling one kid who was under a log about where something was.  I figured that they were finding those flying bugs so they could attach it to a string and play with it.  So I continued on, went to talk to my friend and then started headed back in their direction, but they were off to a new place, looking under a tree… and so I’m really curious now as to what they are doing.  So I peak into their cans and what do I find… lots of snails. So pumba and timon… sometimes I’m a bit jealous of the fact that they LOVE snails.

 

 

 

 

 

ps. internet is being stupid. so i guess i'll upload pictures later. and on another sad sad note... i have a fricken mouse again. and guess what it fricken ate... my blackberry track ball!!!! stupid stupid mouse. but i will get the last laugh.