First day in Kintampo without hospital duties.

Another scholar and I woke up at 6:30am to do an exercise class with the locals. It was in a large field that was behind the hospital. So we joined a circle of Ghanaians as the only “obruni’s” or “white people” there.

I’m surprised by how many obese people are in Ghana. They are calling it an epidemic. There are also increasing rates of hypertension and diabetes. It’s fascinating. Dr. Damani says it is because they have been exposed to a Western diet and now fry everything. I can see that. They love to give us mounds of fried chicken and plantains. My stomach is a little queasy today so it hurts to think about!

Before my stomach pains (a normal part of traveling in Africa…) the workout was good! It lasted a little over an hour and we stretched, jogged, did push ups and stairs…did it remind me of a workout class at Crunch gym in Brooklyn, NY? No, not at all. Some moves I’d never seen before and there was clamping and chanting in a local language I couldn’t follow. But it was fun. There was a sense of teamwork and community that make it endearing. Though I still think it would be funny to get an American aerobics teacher in that field blasting music…it would be a culturally insensitive nightmare!