Day 14: Sunday, 24 January 2010 - My new home in Bolgatanga
on Michelle Currie (Ghana), 05/Feb/2010 19:47, 34 days ago
My first day in Bolgatanga, or Bolga as it is known locally, was one of unpacking, resting and getting to know my new housemate, Christina.Christina is from Ireland and has been a volunteer since November 2009. Her placement is for one, or possibly two, years. She is a primary teacher by profession and is working as a Teacher Support Officer (TSO) in the same Ghana Education Service (GES) District where I will be a Headteacher Teacher Support Officer (HTSO).The house we are staying in is large, with five bedrooms. It has a walled garden which has Paw Paw and mangos growing in it. The lawn’s not too great though!There is a large living room (which for security reasons houses both Christina’s motorbike and her cycle), a long hallway, and a large kitchen that in estate agent speak “has potential”.For those of you that obsess about such things, you will be pleased to know we have a flushing toilet (in fact there are two in the house as Christina’s room has an en-suite) and the shower is in a wet room.I am getting used to the cold shower in the morning, and at the end of a hot and sweaty day it is just what you need!My bedroom is a nice size, and yes I did tidy before taking this photo!The bedroom even has its own baby gecko to eat those unwanted insects! This little chap (he is about two inches long) is often seen on the walls, but this is him on the ceiling above my bed. Fortunately, he seems to have a good grip so there should be no falling on me in the night! My biggest concern is that unlike the larger geckos in the house (they grow up to about 7 inches) that stick exclusively to the walls and ceilings this little fellow often walks across the floor. So far it is only its quick movement that has stopped him being trodden on.My only complaint about the house is that the central heating appears to be stuck on the very high setting, as it has yet to fall below 29 degrees in my bedroom!