Freitag, 18. Mai 2012

second post from ghana

today 2 weeks ago i arrived in guabuliga - time to show you some more pictures!

grown women as well as girls wear beautifull, colourfull clothes

in guabuliga, the village im living, it looks like this

the child right on the back is crying because its fearing the white man

we children of guabuliga

the fourth volunteer theresa gets a new haircut

in the evening

some of the elders

me and nyaba

women collecting firewood

there are just 2 cars in the village - a common mean of transport is the donkey car







on the way to the second football match with me as the coach

looking out of the car

returning home with the heroes...we won 2:1

view from our rooftop: firt one of the 2 orphanages, behind the village

direction burkina faso

market

after work beer

kids are always happy to be fotographed

a huge buck - check out the size of the ants on the right side

meeting with hospital staff in our kitchen



he is tired...and so m i! i uploaded pictures for about 4 hours now...have to do something else now!

oh, one more thing i have to tell you. there is a teacher, and she was talking about her husband. he is the oldest person in the village. one of the volunteers met him, and she asked about his age. the man doesnt know, but the people in the village ar convinced that he is older than 200 years!!! we asked more often, but they are really sure about that! i hope one day i meet him, and then you can see yourself on a picture a person older than 200 years...

so, have a nice weekend, philip danke, dass wenigstens eine person manchmal ein kommentar hinterlaesst!


200 jahriger mann

Samstag, 12. Mai 2012

how are you sulminga?

Da subá!

Well, i arrived safely in ghana, after travelling via istanbul (including 15 hours at the airport). In ghana someboy from brave aurora, the NGO for whom i am the project leader in ghana, (www.braveaurora.com) picked me up from the airport and i was living with this big african family for some days in accra, ghanas capital.
I could learn a bit about the country, ate a lot of local food (mostly with my hands – like it a lot!!) and could get some how used to the heat. Also a dog bit me in my toe, the first time in my life. So now im happy i got the anti-rabies inoculation (tollwutimpfung) before going to india…makes me feel better now!
Last Thursday i was supposed to leave with the bus at 8 in the morning to guabuliga, up in the northern region of ghana. But unfotunately the bus was delayed, and left only at 2 pm. As i demanded i sat at the window…but i sat behind the driver, and next to an armed policeman, who was escorting the bus. It seems there have been some robberies some time back. And in the bus i was wondering about the safety, the safety of my seat. And realized that my place was the most dangerous in the bus, because if someone wants to rob the bus they have to eliminate the driver, and the ploiceman…and i was inbetween them. But fortunately nothing happened!
Anyways, the landscape was really nice, the road was sometimes miserable, but mostely ok…and i arrived at 6 in the morning in walewale, where i got picked up by some of the volunteers and the oldest boy of the orphanage.
After a breakfast i started to explore my new „home town“…wow, ist really like an african stereotype! All these round houses, many kids, its hot like crazy, all animals are so thin… i met some of „my“ workers and many oft he kids…


rahema just lost a tooth


rail way in accra


many, many people sell food and drinks on the road


maria, one of the volunteers


thats where i live, its my house


one of thee 2 orphanages "braveaurora" has


on the way to the match


praying before the match


the match ended 1:1, and then we lost after penalties

On Saturday a soccer match took place, and i saw fort he first time the team i am going to coach. The match ended 1:1, but we lost after penalties!  When i came to ghana i had 51,7 kg luggage, half of it jerseys and footballs, donated mostly by my former football club usk elsbethen…thanks a lot!! So now the team needs to improve, and then were ready to play with many different jerseys!
On sunday i went to church in the morning, to introduce myself to the community. The priest sayed that he is waiting for me now every Sunday – but i immediately told him that i will be so busy that i cant make it every Sunday…unfortunately!!!
some of my neighbours...the whole in front is used for burning the rubbish


some village kids


women fetching water


assana, after fetching water in our compound


baobab in walewale, the enxt bigger village, 30 min driving away from "home"


magda and andrea, 2 more of the volunteers

typical houses in the village...it really looks like africa, if you imagine how africa looks!!


one day i met these 4 women...see them in more detail below



Sunday afternoon i met the chief of the village. He ist he law, decides what is ok and what isnt. When you meet him you have to give him some „cola nuts“, probably something between a gift and a bribe?! And these nuts should make you some how high…yet i didnt have the chance to try them.




 those pictures i like a lot...!!!
one of the elderst people in the village, calling the other eldest with his drum for a meeting


while the kids in uganda called me "muzungu", here i am "sulminga"

 it took ages to upload these pics. i have some more, but have to upload them another day. im too tired now!
so hope you are all doing fine, and wish you the best!

sevi

Samstag, 28. April 2012

off to ghana

my dear family and friends...and you other people!

i had a great time at home, but also a very busy time. especially in the last 2 weeks there was too much to do - preperation for ghana. i will start to work in guabuliga, upper east region, ghana, as the new project manager for an austria NGO called "braveaurora". and i will start working on the 1st of may!

i leave tomorrow from munich, have a night at the airport in istanbul and will arrive on monday at 7:35 in accra, the capital of ghana! i m looking forward so much to this...

it was really nice at home, and i am happy that i could meet so many friends from "the old days"... and i am sorry that there are so mny more i could not see! but i will come back to austria one day - or you visit me in "my" country!

this is a snowman, built by my nephew and myself
 now i am already quite used to being around all these white people again. soon my world will be so different... see some faces to understand the difference better!


ok, have to prepare my last things...soon i will let you know more, an even upload some more pictures from austria!

war übrigns super, euch gestern noch gesehen zu haben ladies...und thomas (danke fürs org.!)

bye from austria... and good night


Mittwoch, 28. März 2012

living in austria...

...is alright!
i am back already more than 2 weeks, its nice nice to be back...but its a bit stressfull as well! i am always on the road, meeting many friends and family...!but of course its very nice!

some pictures...for those of you who have never seen snow. i was sad that i missed the winter again...and then very happy that i would still get some snow...but there was not THAT much snow left

even though great, after 2 years with out snow...!


what you see in the snow is from ski and snowboards


helmet for security (should be bigger)


these things are agianst averlanches


 what a view



a lot of snow
 the higher you are up in the mountains the colder it is...and the more snow you have!

snowboarding



röth



i went snowboarding with my friend röth


thats a dark beer...


...and the glasses can be huge at home!


innsbruck - where i studied and lived 5 years


as well


überfuhrsteg in salzburg...where i grew up

again salzburg (salz = salt Burg = castle) tehy used to controll teh salt trade from this castle (and got the salt from the mountains...transported it on the river!)

thats what i saw in linz (an austrian city where i was for my new job)...as you see austria is also dangerous ;)
hope you are all doing well...and many of you i hope to see while im here...but thats only untill the 29th of april...after that i will be in ghana!