Surprise

Well first of all I should say sorry to anyone who follows my blog because it has been pretty inactive for awhile. I have no real excuse but hope all is going well back home and that everyone is getting ready for an exciting year.
I have some big news I am engaged!!
Yes it is true I have found my wife after many years of somewhat searching the time has come I can't really say how I know only that God works in mysterious ways. Mary the woman who completes me is not only my love but I truly believe my soul mate. Well I can go on and on about how happy I am but the important thing is that I am happy I hope those of you out there are also happy for me. Um lets see Mary is three months my senior a Ghanaian if you haven't figured that out, she has a degree in environmental studies which is right up my ally and I don't really know what else to say except that I know when you meet her or rather I should say if you meet her since it is not the easiest thing in the world to get a US visa nowadays. I will put some pics up at a later time but just know that I am happy and that life is good. So that is my big news and the update on my life. Keep it real.
Peace, Love and all that good stuff
Austin

Christmas

So last Christmas was my first white Christmas and being at home with family was a beautiful thing. The interesting thing about this time of year is that it is the dry season but also the coldest time of the year with the wind blowing almost constantly. Now I enjoy this very much because I know that after the wind dies down during late January and February it is dry and hot!!! So naturally you enjoy the wind while you can and it is a good feeling to cover up at night. I can't help think about the fact that here and back home everybody is getting a little cold with stuffy noses and sore throats. We call this a cold but here it is called Cahtah ever one either is sick with Cahtah or Malaria. I can fortunately say that I have never had Malaria but do suffer from some small Cahtah. Its nice to look at these little similarities and the differences that take place knowing that no matter what we choose to call something it still affects us in the same way. Life is funny in that way the important thing to remember is that really we are all the same, yes individually we are different but deep down we are the same.

pics

oh why

So I have been a volunteer for two years now and I keep getting similar questions to why I chose to extend for another year. Ranging from why and how or even what but really everyone has their own reasons for the things we do and truthfully I am not finished with Ghana yet. It may seem strange that even Ghanaians ask me some times how I can live with no electricity but again I have to say that I enjoy the people and sometimes the silence not to mention the stars at night. When you don't have lights for example you live your life in a more natural way that follows the cycle of the sun, going to sleep when it gets dark and waking when the sun rises is a very refreshing way to live and I suggest it to anyone who wants to try even just for a week. We sometimes get to distracted with all of our gadgets and forget what life is really like without computers and Ipods. It is not that it is boring at all but you may have to face the reality of evaluating yourself a little more than you are used to doing. This I believe can make anyone a better person so try it sometime.

Peace, Love, and all the Good stuff

Austin

Greetings

When I think about how easy it is to just greet someone with either a wave, head nod, shout out, and so forth it says a lot about our culture. I know southern hospitality is well known such that you wave to people passing in a car that you might not even know again this helps to define the character of southerners. So when I look back at the past two years that I have spent in Ghana I can't help but notice that greetings are everything. Not only do I greet the same people three times a day but I ask about their family and work. This goes a long way when I need help from a complete stranger and I greet them in their language as a foreigner they show me the respect that I have given them by helping me in turn. It is not just the greeting but rather how you greet someone that can have a lasting affect. For example when you greet a Chief you humble yourself down remove your shoes and show respect to the authority they have. I would pull my hand back to my chest after shaking hands to show respect to Muslims and really anyone. Then there is the finger snap which if pulled off successfully can gain you the most respect of anyone man or woman in Ghana. A proper snap can grant you access to some of the most private places. My point is that by following a cultural practice and showing that you are understanding can be immensely useful when working with people or just living with others. So try it out next time you meet someone greet them in such a way to show you care ask about their family even if you don't know them see how doors will open for you.

Peace, Love, and all the good stuff

Austin

It is one thing to just visit a country but to live somewhere requires an ability to just accept that we are are just human and truly at the root of every problem is some thing human. It doesn't mean that we can't solve it the thing is that we need to accept that we are and have been a problem. Then we can move on to changes in behaviors that could improve our predicament. We are are all here together so lets just start acting like it and work towards a better future. I know it sounds so utopian but the thing is that we don't have to have such negative impact on this planet thus on ourselves since we are dependent upon the Earth for life.


Peace

Rain?

Oh the rainy season where are you why do you come and then go away without a drop lightening all night yet never a quenched throat. Oh the woes of desertification. But besides that all is swell.


Peace Love and all the good stuff

Austin