econgirl
  • Home
  • blog
  • Recipes
  • Links
  • Liz's 15 Minute Guides

How to survive a 15-hour STC bus ride

2/7/2011

43 Comments

 
The STC bus is superior to many forms of transportation in West Africa, including the Metro Mass bus, the tro-tro, the Benz Bus, the sept-place, and the one-speed bicycle.  However, it is vastly inferior to Antrak Air, which, as my friends like to call and remind me while I am on the bus, takes 1 hour to go from Tamale to Accra and serves tuna fish sandwiches. My tips for a pleasant trip on the STC bus:

1. Plan for a 15 hour trip; expect the bus to leave 2-4 hours late.

2. Dress for the air con. During the day, the air conditioning will be sufficient from keeping the bus from getting unbearably warm. At night, the air conditioning will be sufficient to cause hypothermia in penguins.

3. Bring ear plugs or headphones. Or learn to love very loud Nigerian movies.

4. Plan what you eat and drink around rest stops.  The bus will usually stop 3 times, each stop about 4 hours apart.  The restrooms get progressively worse as you go north.

5. Lean back. Avoid sitting in front of a grumpy lady who hits you on the head every time you try to recline an inch, despite the fact that her chair is in the lap of the person behind her.

5. Make it a party. Your "friend" calls to tell you he's having a steak dinner with a glass of bourbon? I've got a 1.5L water bottle of gin and juice, and bag of popcorn, so there!
43 Comments

Surveys Must Go!

2/2/2011

4 Comments

 
Picture
In Ghana, large plastic bags, printed with plaid or otherdesigns, are prolific.  The bags arecalled “Ghana Must Go” bags.  I haveasked numerous Ghanaians why they are called this.  They reply that Nigerians call them that, forunknown reasons.  I finally learned thatthe name originates from Nigeria’s political turmoil in 1983, when manyGhanaians fled Nigeria.  They hastilypacked their things in these bags. 

Upon discovering these bags, I decided that they would be agood inexpensive option to carry our surveys, and dispatched the field managersto buy a couple for each of their offices. The tough field managers, who are a sophisticated combination of book-smartand street-smart, came back with bags printed with cartoon bears and cartoonpigs.  Secretly amused, I asked themwhether they thought the print on the bags reflected the seriousness and professionalismof IPA.  The next day a third bagappeared bearing cartoon Mickey Mouse.

The bags held up during the course of the surveying,ferrying blank surveys to the field and completed surveys back to Tamale.  StuffNigerianPeopleLike.com claims a GhanaMust Go can carry a child and his dog for miles.  When I took our complete batch of surveys toAccra, the bags weighed in at 35 kilo per bag, which unfortunately, seems to bemore than a child-dog combo.  My bags weredestroyed in one bus trip to Accra. To add injury to insult, plastic handles onthe bags chafed my palms, which have been peeling unattractively for weeksdespite copious amounts of shea butter.  

The surveys ultimately made it to the data team, whopolitely did not comment on the layers of dust the surveys had acquired duringtheir sojourn through the Northern Region.  The lesson is that while I highly recommendGhana Must Gos for children, dogs, and objects with high volume-to-mass ratios,I do not recommend them for objects with density greater than or equal to adusty IPA survey.

4 Comments

    About Liz

    I have worked in economic policy and research in Washington, D.C. and Ghana. My husband and I recently moved to Guyana, where I am working for the Ministry of Finance. I like riding motorcycle, outdoor sports, foreign currencies, capybaras, and having opinions. 

    Archives

    December 2016
    November 2016
    July 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    March 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    October 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009

    Categories

    All
    Auto Industry
    Behavioral Economics
    Budget
    China
    Conflict
    Corruption
    Crime
    Currency
    Development
    Dollar
    Economic Data
    Economists
    Environment
    Fashion
    Federal Reserve
    Finance
    Food
    Gender
    Ghana
    Haiti
    Health Care
    India
    Inflation
    Microeconomics
    Money
    Politics
    Poverty
    Race
    Rcts
    Reading Recommendations
    Regulation
    Religion
    Sports
    Stimulus
    Survey
    Taxes
    Technology
    Trade
    Travel
    Viewing Recommendations

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • blog
  • Recipes
  • Links
  • Liz's 15 Minute Guides