On The Usual Old Routine

Habit?: I wish it was...

De Botton is spot-on when he writes about how easy it is for people to become complacent and bored. However, as Maistre may or may not prove, it's also easy to combat such boredom. All it takes is just a little bit of effort.
There have been many points in the semester when I have "forgotten" that I was in Ghana simply because I get so used to my routine and the heat and the same smiling faces every day. It is ironic though not surprising that as my departure date creeps nearer I am rediscovering my neighborhood, my house, even the fact that I'm in Ghana

I took a trip this past weekend with some friends to Hideout Lodge, a rastafari paradise on one of Ghana's most beautiful and isolated beaches. It was just what I needed to remind me how spectacular this country is and how much I'm going to miss it. Rain was pouring when we arrived, but by Sunday the sky was cloudless and blue. We ate breakfast on the sand then half of us dashed for the crashing waves and got tossed around like rag dolls in the swell for an hour, laughing every time someone got salt water up his nose or when someone's bikini top would be ripped off. Afternoons were spent reading on lounge chairs or swinging in hammocks and taking walks all the way along the beach with the waves licking our feet. The evenings were wild; our newfound rasta friend Zion Ellis aka Kofi lit a bonfire, pulled his drum between his knees and "sang" as the shadows played on his smiling face. I've never met someone whose mental capacity has been so diminished due to marijuana use, but nevertheless Zion Ellis ( a REAL live rasta!) was the highlight of our trip

Walking along the beach in my bikini feeling the sun browning my shoulders I turned to my friend and exclaimed "[expletive], we're in [expletive] Ghana!" We looked at each other, bewildered.

So yes, I have fallen into the trap of boredom, but I have always made an effort to appreciate and notice the little things that make Accra unique. The sun almost always shines, I say "good morning, how are you!" to at least 10 people on my way to class, the beach is minutes away. When I'm not stressed or sick, it's difficult for me not to appreciate these things and though I often complain about the humidity, the traffic, the Ghanaian courtship rituals and rice, if I sit back and pretend Accra is my Maistre's bedroom there is plenty for me to experience.