This week I started working at Metro TV, which is an English speaking news station in Accra, where I am filming live news events and writing stories for their evening news hour. So far, I have been to two ministries, a prison guard panel on HIV and diseases in Ghanaian jails, Parliament, and a UNICEF sponsored event for journalists. The office is in a district called Labone, which is about one hour by tro tro. A tro tro is basically a public transportation van that is very cheap and usually extremely crowded.
I have been fortunate enough to accompany four excellent reporters and learn about what it’s like to be a reporter in Ghana. I admire all of my coworkers, but one in particular, named Frank, stands out to me the most. He is a senior reporter who majored in history and is well educated on world events and politics. He is determined to introduce me to all of the local cuisines, most of which I am not looking forward to trying. He is trying to get me to try cat meat and I’m actually dreading the day he invites me to his home to eat cat soup. I don’t think I’ll be able to let myself try it, but I’ll keep everyone updated on that. Other than that, he has been very welcoming and has already taken me to lunch a few times and to a couple of bars in Osu. It has been a great first two weeks here in Ghana and I’m looking forward to see what else Ghana has to offer me.