So much things have happened since my last entry. Anyway, here is a quick update. My AIESEC internship has been realized. I'm now in Accra, Ghana working for an established consultancy firm as a training officer. My first official day of work starts tomorrow.
Don't ask me why I picked Ghana for my work destination because I sometimes have no idea. I guess the 'crazy' in me just decided to test my limits as a person. (Please don't question that either - it's too late). My flight to Ghana was pretty smooth, no hiccups whatsoever. I transited over at Dubai (yays! Can officially say that I've been there even though it was only about 1 and a half hours). Dubai looks awesome. Would like to work there one day. But enough of lofty dreaming.... I have began my internship proper.
The intern Lisa and the AIESEC coordinator Gideon came to pick me up. Finally got to meet them. Lisa has interned in my company for 8 months and will be going back to Germany in a month's time (So good). My first impression of Accra is that it is damm hot and humid. Temperature was 35 degree Celsius *faints. Though it was not much different from Singapore at it's hottest, air-conditioning is a luxury there. I had to admit that I was slightly perturbed when I beheld my living quarters. It is a small house with four doors looks somewhat dilapidated, with each door leading to a room. My room has a fridge, a ceiling fan, a single bed and pillow (clean bed sheets, pillow cover), a clothing stand and a huge study table with many drawers.
As I had no water, and the room needed sprucing up, Gideon brought me shopping. Honestly, it was the most interesting and worse cab ride ever. The cab had no air-con (expected, so I'll overlook that), the cab-driver was stopped by a policeman who told him that he did not have a license for something. Amazingly, the policeman got into our cab and instructed the cab driver to drive to the nearby police station. Gideon looks nonplussed (Guess it happens frequently) but after wasting 20 mins waiting for the cab driver who was still stuck inside the police station, we got out and took another cab.
The norm is always to bargain before taking a cab. So far Gideon has managed to get a good price for quite a long journey - to Accra mall. But the trip there and back was riddled with traffic jams. We had to wind down the car windows to ventilate the cab but I kept breathing exhaust gas from diesel engines, which gave me a slight headache. Still, better than suffocating myself if the windows are closed.
I changed my money and bought an iron, an electrical fan, canned food, mosquito netting, detergent, cleaning cloths from Accra mall, which looks like a small version of IMM Jurong. Got myself a new telephone number too. We set off for Accra mall around 3 plus pm. We came back to my quarters around 7pm. Most of the time was taken up by the journey.
I was dead tired when I reached my living quarters. Thank God for Gideon who helped me set up my fan and romming for my new SIM card. Surprisingly, even though the water system was down, I adapted well to bathing with scooping cold water from a pail. It's quite refreshing actually. I think my room was damm hot because the door had been shut for quite some time now. But now that I've aired it a bit, it's quite okay. Amazingly, I slept so soundly. Guess I was really really tired.
The sun rose around 5 am plus this morning. For once, I felt quite serene, brushing teeth while gazing at the rising sun. I have already cleaned my room and it can be quite comfortable. I have eaten fried rice for lunch with a colleague at a nearby shack (No kidding). They are going to get me both a resident and work permit for me within the next few days. I'm kinda of looking forward to work actually. Can't wait to see what I'm supposed to do. Am starting to read up on materials.
Glad to say that despite all sorts of feelings, I have survived.
