The last couple of weeks, following the major down of malaria, has been a real wavy mix of ups, scattered with a few downs...

Up - The wide range of wonderful visitors that came to the house to see if I was recovering well, and the sheer number of people who called me or greeted me in the street checking on my 'condition' and hoping that I was ok, the sense of love and community care here is just something else!

Down - Feeling good and ready to go, only to realise that actually I've no energy and the malaria was still zapping me down, it was the only thing here that's actually forced me to rest though so I finally got a chance to read my kindle, a small up!

Ups - In the meantime then whilst I was stuck in the house, I decided to teach some geography to some of the children (and one of the mums) using the big map I brought with me that we have pated on the wall - people love it and it generates so much conversation. I've learnt so much even myself!

When finally feeling better, going out on Janices bike, weeeeeeeeeeeeee! Whizzing through the green and yellow grass with my sun dress on, gorgeous colourful butterflies fluttering about everywhere, groceries from market in my basket and ringing my bell, 'Ting! Ting! Nasara coming!'

Random up - Being randomly invited into an old traditionalist man's home on the way home from market, to meet his two HUGE horses, and his oddly white donkey, and to see all of his fetish spiritual gear hanging about the place. Very interesting! We left quick sharp though when the horse managed to escape from his stuffy little room into the family compound (it was a bit like the scene in Shrek where the donkey turns into a huge big stallion) 'thank you Mr. Erm don't know your name, see you next time!".

More ups...

Going to the local spot and ordering Fufu, which is yam squished up and pounded right there in front of me and made with so much sheer manpower I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to using a microwave (!). Seeing how much effort goes into it really makes me enjoy it (and then I sleep like a log for about 4 hours afterwards because it's so heavy!!) yum!

Greeting a random lady on my way to the office, to be told in return 'the community really like you". Wow, that really means a lot to a community volunteer. I just felt bad that I didn't have a clue who she was!

The trip to Mama Laadi's and the football match for the boys (see other blog post)

Receiving yet more parcels from Rocketpost Richardson, Lusciouspost (and almost lost in post) Linda, Happypost Hannah, Ahugfromafarforce Anna, and packetforce Pegi...I just can't believe the number of cards and packages I've received since being here, it's like Christmas every time I get them, I am absolutely spoilt!!! I now have jelly beans, heaps of books for the kiddies, some gorgeous cherry lip balm, supplies of chocolate (scoffed in a second ooops!) and a recipe for no-bake cookies to enjoy, amazing!!!!

Relaxing with friends on a Sunday afternoon.

Seeing the fluttering gorgeous colourful butterflies every day on my way to work.

Down - Missing my nephew all dressed up and trick or treating at home!

Down - Missing the Bolga Halloween party due to recovery time - boo, I had my long black wig and scary outfit ready and everything!

Up that made up for the downs- Chatting to my nephew on Halloween and hearing all about his spooky shenanigans!

Down - Taking Janice to the clinic, and later to the hospital, as she also came down with malaria (!). Luckily not a bad case, but still bad enough to have to lay at home for a week, poor thing!

Up - Helping Janice (when better) to learn to ride the moto I remember when John and Bev did the same for me, and I remember turning exactly the same shade as Janice does (a weird shade of green) when she thinks about going out on the moto!

Up - Getting back into the swing of things at work - slowly but surely, the operational work has crept back in at the office, and now we are back to ten programmes all happening at once, and everyone being pulled in many different directions, it feels like back to normal and I'm actually really enjoying it!

Big down - Making a major communication error in my placement, that led to some serious cultural confusions. It's still after all this time a real challenge for me to understand some of the cultural ways of doing things!

Big bouncy up - Getting out into the field running Peace Building Sensitizations with communities - we are forming peace clubs in 5 communities, and I've got a great role involved in making it all happen. I've learnt so much in the last few days, all about what causes conflicts in the communities, and what people do here to promote and sustain peace. Peace is part of Ghana's identity and Ghanaians uphold it and value it like it's their most precious resource, which in a way it is. But at times like these (pre-election) in a country on the brink of real progress, but with major issues halting it's development (corruption being one frustrating example), as the case in Bawku shows (major conflict in a town one hour from Zebilla a couple of years ago) peace can be very quickly overturned in the blink of an eye. Each community has responded so well to the programme, it's been fantastic. At each one I've gained such an insight, all part of the preparation for the training we will do for the clubs soon, so much fun!

Insane up - Out riding the moto to communities every day again - weeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I LOVE love love it!!!!! The beautiful scenery and the sandy red roads, the wind whipping by (the only time I get to feel any kind of a breeze even if it's a hot one!), I don't think I'll ever get bored of it!

Frustrating down - Trying to get on with some work with some non-World Vision colleagues, only to still be plagued with constant delays and disruptions - staff sickness, days off for funerals, strikes and general 'oh are we supposed to be meeting? I'm not in the office today' (!!) aaaaaaaaaaa.

Homesick down - Missing cosy and fun bonfire night with family at home! (thanks for the pics though dad!)

Ghana life ups...

Getting yet more gorgeous colourful dresses back from the wonderful seamstresses in Zebilla, we are beginning to have a bit of a fashion show at the house now between the three of us!

The beautiful beautiful scenery - I just can never get over how beautiful this place is!

Eating dried mango and fresh coconut from a local tree. YUM.

Entertaining the children with the new (toy) monkey (aptly named 'patience' by one of the kids!) we have somehow adopted into our home - he's an even bigger hit with the kids than we nasaras are. The only problem is trying to peel them away from it when it's time to go, each child somehow seems to fall utterly in love with him!

Bit of a down - Discovering that the teenage boy I'm trying so hard to help keep from going off the rails since his father died is now roaming about town instead of going to school. Between me, the teachers, his siblings and his mother, we've all tried our best to help him, but I realise that sometimes it's time to just let someone make their mistakes and hopefully learn from them their own way - a tough thing to do but at this stage it feels like there's few other options!

Up - Hearing the distant drumming and African hollering under the deep navy sky at night as people start once again to celebrate funerals through the night.

Down - Running out of water - back in the dry season!

Up - Seeing the seasons change all around - all crops now down, animals once again allowed to roam free, and the hills turning from green to brown. The heat has gone UP again, and the days are getting shorter. The leave are falling off the trees like autumn at home, expect here there's a sunny 35degreees backdrop. Bizarre but beautiful.

Luckily the up's are still outweighing the downs; life is buoyant and I'm happily bobbing along on the waves!

With love from Ghana,

Em

Xx