An Abundance of People

If there is one thing Ghana has it is a labour force. There are people available to help with literally everything. A lot of a businesses profits must go into staffing.

A good example is security, at the university there are security guards at all the buildings.
You have to check with them before you can enter any building and they will approach you before you even get close. The interesting thing is that once you let them know who you want to see they will walk you to find their department and make sure you stop at the main office. Then a secretary will walk you to their office. The system isn't always the same but you can be guaranteed that someone will be showing you your way no matter how far.

It is much the same in a supermarket, there are workers probably watching for shoplifting who if asked will take you to what you want. They don't just point the way as in most places in Canada, they actually take you there. Then in the smaller supermarkets after you pay for your stuff you go to another desk where they look over your receipt and check it to what you have. Then another guy puts the stuff in a box and a security guard guides your way out of the parking lot.

Parking lots always have attendents with the exception of the Accra Mall (which is just like home except that folks drive through the lot as if they are on the road, fast and impatient). Sometimes there are two parking attendents advising you to park in two different places...VIP parking everywhere.

The tro-tros that shuttle people all over the country are basically vans with seating for maybe 10 but often filled with more people. The driver of the tro-tro only drives...he has a mate who hangs out the window and shouts their destination to attract passengers then seats the passengers and takes their money...it makes for quick stops.

The cell phone companies are making use of the huge number of young people looking to make a buck. They give them Tshirts to advertise the company and drive them around on the back of a flat bed truck with huge speakers blasting music.
I could do a whole blog just on cell phone companies (everyone here has a cell phone and some have as many as 3...I guess if one company is not working they can use their other number)....and they all have super loud tunes...the cell phones volume actually offers a louder volume than those in Canada...and nobody turns off their phone...we heard phones ringing in church and yesterday during our nieces engagement there were a few rude folks answering and chatting away during the ceremony.
I think the cell companies also give free paint to kiosks because the roads are all bright with Red (Vodafone), Yellow (MTN) and Purple (Zain). Tony has MTN and Oliver and I both have Vodafone but we haven't noticed a big difference in service so far. The cell phones don't tell you how many minutes you get for your money they only tell you how many units you have or how much money is left...so you really have no idea how much it is costing you. I know that I called my Mom and chatted for 30 minutes and it cost approx. 5 cedis which is slightly less than $5 so I thought that was fair....this post has lost it's direction...but I hope you find it interesting...I would love it if you register has a follower and comment on my posts...it's nice to know that I have an audience for my babbling.
singing off Jodi