Ghana Day 29

I am officially halfway through my stay in Ghana! We celebrated the momentous occasion with a sending-off party for John and Maddie, who are returning to the states tomorrow. We went to a Lebanese restaurant that was really delicious and sort of reasonably priced (not that I paid – John picked up the tab).

During the actual day I had lots to do as well. Parliament was alright, but rather boring. The MPs spent an hour on one question, and it was more debating whether or not people were allowed to ask follow-up questions than actually debating an issue. And the worst part is the question was framed as, “Can the minister tell us if he knows something,” so it would have been eminently easier to just let the guy stand up and say, no, I do not know that (which he eventually did). The topic of the day was communications (cell) poles and their location in residential areas. MPs are concerned that there might be health risks, but that wasn’t the question that was officially posed to the minister (and so the one he prepared for). They asked what the policy was on placing poles in residential areas. So he gave them lots of legal statutes, and when they wanted to ask about substantive things he wasn’t ready. It was obnoxious.

Besides that there was an update on a couple irrigation works. At least these two places were supposed to be rehabilitated by 2006, and they still haven’t been given over to the farmers. That minister claims end of August is the sweet time, though, so that’s good news.

After parliament I found my way over to the Daily Graphic’s HQ. That was an adventure. The first cab I got it, the guy said he knew where I was going but then obviously didn’t, so I gave him a cedi for his trouble (and to make him ok with letting me and my larger fare go) and got a second cab. That one knew where we were going, and in fact the driver was nice enough so that I compromised my don’t-give-your-number-to-strangers rule (which tends to be a rule that is broken more often than followed). His name is either Frimpong or Frimporg (I heard and sort of recognize the first but I think he might have spelled it for me as the second, so whatever), and he has a 1.5 year old daughter and they live in Accra by Kasoa. He’s not married anymore (if ever) though because apparently he hates the mom, who “tricked him” into having the baby. In any case, I made sure he knew I did not hate my man and he still “wanted to have a white friend,” so that’s cool.

Anywho, I got to the Graphic and eventually got in to see Ransford Tetteh, my editor’s friend. Apparently, he is also an editor – of the state newspaper. So that was definitely a good in. We had a lovely 2 minute meeting in which he told me I could start whenever I wanted as long as I got him an email from my school introducing me (which Barak complied with immediately, so I’m golden). He seemed very nice, and the Graphic is very swank (there was a water cooler in the reception area, and it was at least a two story building!). I think it will be a cool place to send the remainder of my time.

Also, I was told there’s no “editor’s fee,” so I’m saving $125. Very cool.

After that I went to pick up the parliamentary and presidential election results at the electoral commission. The letter I dropped off last week never made it to anyone important, of course, so I hung around for an hour while a couple bureaucrats passed around my jump drive. Mission accomplished, though.

After that I went back, wrote my two stories about the cell towers and irrigation, and hung around for wayyyy too long waiting for the folks to get into town so we could go to dinner.

Altogether, a much fuller day than I’m used to and I’m super tired now. I think tomorrow I’ll probably knock off early so I can fall asleep at a decent hour.