Google REACH is a three-week intensive program aimed at bringing together innovators, developers, and entrepreneurs with mentors from Google to forge lasting relationships and turn ideas into reality. This year, for HuddleGH - YouTube workshops and consultations, three awesome Googlers +Gaurav Bhogale, +Christina Beveridge & +Ellen Eby spent 3 weeks with me in Accra as REACHstars! Highlights below:

Week 1:

On our way to our first school session at National Film & Television institute (NAFTI)

Attentive students: future filmmakers and media journalists

Always time for a selfie, yep E. A. Gamor - YouTube

Week 2:

Did you know University of Ghana - Legon has gone Google!

Christina Beveridge explaining advertising models on YT

Gaurav Bhogale before his famous ice-breaker "Big Bird Little Bird"

Excited to teach at University of Ghana - Legon

Week 3:

Presenting to a rapt audience at IPMC College of Technology

Do you YouTube? Why not? It is FREE!

Huddles +iSpace Foundation

New big screen +iSpace Foundation just for YouTube videos

Ellen Eby engaging with HuddleGH participants at iSpace Foundation, Osu

HuddleGH YouTube Community 2014

In-between & after all the work we found time to eat, fellowship ("chillop") and we picked up some awards!

Buka - guess who is eating what....

Halloween in Accra!

West Hills Mall Opening #REACHstars

West Hills mall - largest in West Africa

Look who picked up two Google Reach Global Awards - Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor #GamorLegacy

One of the things that I didn't think would be successfully replicated from my metropolitan DC life to Accra every day living was  fast, convenient food delivery. Especially one that was only a phone call away from my favorite restaurants food being sent to my doorstep. Until I found the perfect surprise! One afternoon, while craving for plantain and beans or red red, I decided to try out HelloFood's service for lunch.

HelloFood Office in Osu, Accra

I went online to their snazzy website and looked at the menu based on the local restaurant's proximity to my Y FM office at the Accra Mall. The website interface seemed pretty clear and the options were decent as I could order from East Legon, Kanda through Accra central with promise of delivery under an hour for most locations.

Online ordering service made easy

The delivery guy came through with smiles and decently anxious for my approval as he carried my meal in a polythene bag from Sweet Discovery Restaurant. After a confirmation call about my order, my meal came warm and decently packaged in under the 45 minutes that was advertised, no complaints there.

What I was a bit surprised about was how small the portions came up to considering the cost of my meal (minus delivery discount oh). I enjoyed my plantain and beans with chopped goat meat with relish and a week later, filled out the survey/response for Hello Foods service/Sweet Discovery's good food. Had a conversation with my pocket though, and at the reduced cost of 17.50 ghs (rounded it off to 20 ghs for buddy's tip) I would need a pay increase to patronize the service more. Without the delivery discount I would have been charged 24.50ghs...boss status.

When my salary/pay increase happens I'll be logging on to explore food options to be delivered, especially foods from restaurants I cannot easily gain access to at/from the mall.

If you've been in Ghana over the last decade or so, Kwahu has become synonymous with Easter celebrations. And this year, in true local-turned-foreigner turned-local-tourist fashion, I decided to take a trip where I'd never been: Kwahu oh Kwahu!

This blog post is the second of a series of Eats And Treats where I get to share local delicacies across the world during my travels. See the one about ahaban (leaf) wrapped Waakye and Grilled Tilapia here.

Back to Kwahu:

Our first stop was at the Modak Hotel at Pepease, one of the townships that collective make up the famous Kwahu. From childhood stories told to me, Kwahu has always been known as a golden city where successful traders, merchants who came to Accra went back to build houses that were almost anachronistic to the surrounding abodes. Contemporary, huge gated-mansions in the midst of huts was definitely something remarkable elsewhere outside the major cities in Accra and yet Kwahu's rep was exactly for that and how many of these modern buildings were juxtaposed with sedentary life and huts in villages.

At Modak, I settled for goat meat light soup and fufu and while I used a spoon, my colleague reminded me the most efficient way to drink light soup is to tilt the entire bowl towards your mouth and gulp it down. The soup was really good, I almost lost my appetite when  I realized I could identify the teeth of the goat on top of my meal. I closed my eyes and proceeded to tilt the entire bowl towards my mouth...

Still cautious of the street food, I forgot my handy bottle of pepto at home so I settled on pictures of fried guinea fowl, khebabs & sausages and fried shrimp. More pictures of the street carnival and Sarkodie concert coming soon...

Entrance to the hotel at Pepease

Signage

Chop Time

Goat Teeth

Modak #2

Guinea Fowl

Kelewele and groundnuts

Fried Shrimps

Khebabs and Sausages

From time to time I have friends who ask, how is Ghana treating you? The folks I grew up with, from Faith Montessori School through Presbyterian Boys' Secondary (Presec), have a sly grin and a mischievous look of expectancy when the ask; while those who I met at college in Florida or as a young adult in Washington DC ask in half amazement: this brother went back to the motherland *shaking their heads*... My usual answer is that my time in Accra have been equal amounts of amazing and frustrating on each given day. It always depends on my perspective. Just as frustrating as my first few months in Virginia, orientation days in college at Gainesville, Florida and during my return to the DMV (Washington, DC) as an underpaid, over-employed young professional. And yet, the amazing here is fantastic, and the epic moments of frustration make you want to rip your hair out.

So you know the serenity prayer? I recite it daily. Here's a collection of my most memorable social media/Instagram (@itp85) pictures & posts of noteworthy experiences in Accra #MosquitoClaps

I'll start off with my ordeal in getting a bank account opened:

 This was on December 27th, I got my check book last week (first week in February), and I'm still waiting on my visa debit card.

I had a decent opportunity to record corporate videos for MEST. My first hands-on experience that in a country with strong men and weak institutions, personal relationships matter just as much, if not more than your efficiency as a professional. Even if you're Steven Speilberg, you can't afford to piss your boss off. Especially on the day when your camera falls on company premises....

The EIT (students) and the entrepreneurs in the incubator are amazing, some of my experiences as a contractor, not so much.

I tried to stay away from doing what most people on Instagram with smart phones do, take pictures of food. But I found myself succumbing to the urge to share choice meals of amazing street food in different parts of the capital, here are two of my favorite:

When you find a serious Waakye joint with a line that wraps around the building...nuff said.

One of the most reasonably priced, delicious grilled tilapia joints this side of town.

Till the next post, God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change...