Picture this.. My typical Morning in Accra
This Morning at 5 a.m. i woke up before my alarm. I was excited. These days i am too excited to really sleep ;-) I had a run date. I have been running twice a week in the morning since i got here. Today my very good friend was running with me. I put on my gear, plugged in my ipod, turned it to my favorite new song, Africa Unite by none other than my lil' brother and got to running. In 20 minutes i was at the meeting point and from there we ran down the Ringway, the Accra equivalent of Yonge street. A runners Paradise. As you feet hit the pavement in rhythmic bliss you can feel the breeze coming off the ocean just behind you. If you ever needed incentive to run, this is it. You keep on without a care in the world, and if anyone dared to look close enough they would probably see you smiling. I definitely was.
You can say i live in the city. Osu is the heart of Accra, at least i like to think so. We call the major Osu strip Oxford street, a well deserved name i might add. All the major stores have offices on this strip and there is a whole whack of fast food joints, restaurants and shops on our oxford street. Back in the day, all the hot clubs were in this district too. Yea, Osu, my 'hood. ;-)
After running down the Ringway, we turn into Labone, what used to be one of the posh-est residential area; run past morning star an equally posh primary school into the very new estates. Labone, referred to as L.A. Bone by the very thug conscious Ghanaian youth is now home to the new and hottest educational facility in town, Asheshi University. Its a four year college with an organizational and academic structure just like the North American Colleges. It just graduated it's first set of students and everyone is convinced that it is the beginning of an Ivy League culture here in Accra.
We continue running. We go past G's house, CIDA's offices, Ashiatey's crib, L. A. Bone secondary School, Hinlone restaurant and finally turn into my friends neighborhood.
Accra sure is beautiful in the wee hours of the morning. The sounds of an Accra morning are extremely distinct even to my rusty ears. I can hear the Hausa coco sellers plying their wares, house helps sweeping the yards, see drivers washing their cars, runners like me panting but keeping on, folks bike riding furiously to where i can only imagine and and street hawkers getting ready for another day in the hustle. As we say over here, God bless our homeland Ghana, indeed.
After a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, i get a ride back home. AJ, my nephew, hears me ring the bell at the gate and meets me at the front door. He was drinking his Milo, chasing last night sleep away by vigorously rubbing his eyes with a half smile on his face... "hahaha AJ, i woke up before you" i laugh at him, he smiles that wicked grin that lets me know he is well aware that i went out without him, and walks into the kitchen. A few minutes later, i understand the smile; He has been in my room and hidden my keys and cell phone. I wouldn't have expected less from a 3 year old child who can read upside down, work just about any gadget he touches and insists on listening to his radio program in the morning.
I get him ready for school, lakaa ( Ga for butter him up) him a bit with a chocolate bar, which he promptly pockets "to share with his friends at school" , retrieve my keys and phone form their hiding place and leave the house to drop him off with my mother's driver ( she refuses to let me drive). After i drop AJ off, who barely looks at me as he waves good bye and clutches the hand off a younger crying friend to lead him to class, i make my way to my yoga class...
At Pippa's ( my gym) i lay down on my yoga mat, take a deep breathe and coax myself into a blissful state of relaxation which by the way isnt hard to do. I know my day is going to be packed with meetings and more meetings and i intend on being ready and alert for them.
You can say i live in the city. Osu is the heart of Accra, at least i like to think so. We call the major Osu strip Oxford street, a well deserved name i might add. All the major stores have offices on this strip and there is a whole whack of fast food joints, restaurants and shops on our oxford street. Back in the day, all the hot clubs were in this district too. Yea, Osu, my 'hood. ;-)
After running down the Ringway, we turn into Labone, what used to be one of the posh-est residential area; run past morning star an equally posh primary school into the very new estates. Labone, referred to as L.A. Bone by the very thug conscious Ghanaian youth is now home to the new and hottest educational facility in town, Asheshi University. Its a four year college with an organizational and academic structure just like the North American Colleges. It just graduated it's first set of students and everyone is convinced that it is the beginning of an Ivy League culture here in Accra.
We continue running. We go past G's house, CIDA's offices, Ashiatey's crib, L. A. Bone secondary School, Hinlone restaurant and finally turn into my friends neighborhood.
Accra sure is beautiful in the wee hours of the morning. The sounds of an Accra morning are extremely distinct even to my rusty ears. I can hear the Hausa coco sellers plying their wares, house helps sweeping the yards, see drivers washing their cars, runners like me panting but keeping on, folks bike riding furiously to where i can only imagine and and street hawkers getting ready for another day in the hustle. As we say over here, God bless our homeland Ghana, indeed.
After a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, i get a ride back home. AJ, my nephew, hears me ring the bell at the gate and meets me at the front door. He was drinking his Milo, chasing last night sleep away by vigorously rubbing his eyes with a half smile on his face... "hahaha AJ, i woke up before you" i laugh at him, he smiles that wicked grin that lets me know he is well aware that i went out without him, and walks into the kitchen. A few minutes later, i understand the smile; He has been in my room and hidden my keys and cell phone. I wouldn't have expected less from a 3 year old child who can read upside down, work just about any gadget he touches and insists on listening to his radio program in the morning.
I get him ready for school, lakaa ( Ga for butter him up) him a bit with a chocolate bar, which he promptly pockets "to share with his friends at school" , retrieve my keys and phone form their hiding place and leave the house to drop him off with my mother's driver ( she refuses to let me drive). After i drop AJ off, who barely looks at me as he waves good bye and clutches the hand off a younger crying friend to lead him to class, i make my way to my yoga class...
At Pippa's ( my gym) i lay down on my yoga mat, take a deep breathe and coax myself into a blissful state of relaxation which by the way isnt hard to do. I know my day is going to be packed with meetings and more meetings and i intend on being ready and alert for them.