I'm in Pokuase, about an hour north of Accra. They are expanding the highway to Kumasi, which means the majority of the road from Accra to here is dirt roads with serious potholes the size of pigs.
Here to conduct workshops on the nature of science for elementary school teachers. And hopefully get a few of them to agree to run Science Clubs as an after school program. Will also make connections at the University of Ghana to see if we can get some faculty and students to help us in the future.
Was planning on staying here 2 days, may be longer.
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Books started: 3
Books finished:0
Rishi Reddi's Karma and other short stories
Luscious characters who's skin you can crawl under (and a few who make your skin crawl). Reddi can access the main chracters' emotional depths through a short turn of phrase here, a pause in thought there. The stories are like very good chocolates. You really want to devour the whole box in one go, but at the same time want to savour each one and make the experience last forever. Good thing is that short stories, unlike their cocoa delicacies, can in fact be experienced again. I'm definitely bringing this one back with me.
Gregg Easterbrook's Paradox of Progress. I'm glad I picked this off the street. Need I say more? Well, I mean I agree with him that it's an annoying fact of human nature and modern life that we are not more appreciative of what we truly have, since as he argues, when compared to 2-3 generations ago, the trendline on almost all counts from stuff to health outcomes to have been positive. And though he seems a bit out of touch, he does spend a chapter on those in poverty. On the other hand, I'm 3/4 of the way through and still waiting for something insightful, waiting for his lecturing to end. (not that I don't agree that being more thankful and forgiving would increase one's perception of happiness). His factoids are useful, but even I'm not convinced...This book makes me realize that I can be a journalist--have a pet theory, find a few factoids or research papers to prove your point, make a recommendation (and some bucks) and walk away. (Seriously, I really only have respect for investigative journalists).
Larry Rosenberg's Breath by Breath. My x attempt or, continued quest (to put it in a Buddhist, non-judgmental way) at understanding and practicing meditation to calm my mind, and to learn to be and be aware. So far so good. Always good to be reminded that it's not always about getting there. Which is how I want this trip to be. I have a guidebook, but I need not visit every place, need not, as Gregg Easterbrook suggests, have the Anxiety of Choice. Yes, I am well aware that picking which resort to visit, whether I should switch from visiting the coast to the lake, are luxurious choices that are highly incongruent with what I'm actually seeing. (I did stay in a crummy hotel when I was in Accra, though they did very kindly send a staff to pick me up at the airport. I truly loved taking the tro-tros. Kind of like the minivans in Hong Kong, except they stop anywhere along the way to pick up passengers and the doors are usually precarious. But they drive just as fast...But if you know me, you know I love taking public transportation of all sorts. I just read about some retired englishman who is trying to set a record in riding different types of transports--including wheelchairs and fire lifts. That's clearly not for me.
(Oh. For those who can't live without an answer--the only reason I need to know that time is that I need to take my malaria pills daily. I'm not on a schedule...until I need to catch my first long distance bus!)
