Freiburg

Zakaria Alhassan, the exchange journalist from Ghana reports about his arrival in Freiburg.

Currently, Tamale, the northern regional capital of Ghana is experiencing harmattan, a cold dry dusty weather that makes the skin dry and susceptible to crack particularly on the lips. It is that time of the year when most people experience crack on their feet that can tear bed sheets. And it is that time of the year when the sheabutter cream made from the sheanut becomes the companion of the people, particularly at rural communities.

This was indeed the weather condition before I left the city for my sojourn to Freiburg, the serene and beautiful city of Germany. Prior to the onset of the harmattan was a very sunny weather with a temperature of about 40 or more degrees Celsius some times.

The temperature upon my arrival at the Frankfurt Airport was different; less than 17 degrees. And not only was the weather very cold but it had just begun raining again on my day of arrival on Monday. And did I shiver? Indeed I fluttered on both legs and hands like a wet chicken. My colleague, Mrs. Julia Littmann who earlier spent some weeks with me in Tamale, finally came to my aid with some warm cloths that she had acquired with her very supportive husband, Andrea.

It is not that I was not warned to carry some warm cloths along but I paid the price for my recalcitrance.

There was an earlier drama at the Kotoka International Airport on November 29 where after the last check-in point at Gate one, a heated altercation ensued between a young man in his possible 20’s and apparently a “Zongo Burger” and a lady and male companion. The latter had accused the former of farting “passing air” at a crowded public place where both passengers to Frankfurt and London were awaiting their respective flights.

Of course I did not hear or smell what they accused the young man of doing, but I certainly did not expect him in his T-shirt and hanging chain to accept the fact that he had engaged in that ungentlemanly act.

But listen to him; “nonsense, I have done it; what do you mean, so if I feel like passing air even in public you expect me to keep the sickness in my stomach. Even in Churches people do it, nonsense!,” the young man yelled.

Some of the passengers, including the suspect’s accusers, finally heaved a sigh of relieve when the former was turned away in his bid to check into the German flight because he was London bound instead.

Upon arrival at the Frankfurt Airport, my colleague and I were welcomed by her husband and a companion, Ms. Lena with a warm concentrated coffee that provided me with some warmth for a short period after spending about eight hours on air.

We were eventually driven by Andrea to Freiburg, a distance of 260 kilometers on a four-lane asphalt road in about two hours thirty minutes. It certainly reminded me of the rough dreaded single-lane Kintampo-Accra road that continue to claim the lives of motorists. When my colleague over heard me murmur to myself that my government should as a matter of concern also make sure that the Tamale-Accra road is designed into a dual carriage way, she asked, “Zak, don’t you think that could claim more lives?”. “Maybe” was all I could say following the recklessness of some drivers back at home.

At lunch time, I tasted my first German food. They call it Spatzle in short. It is made up of liquid flour dough, mixed with some egg, meat, vegetables, berries and spices. I managed it for the rest of the day after gulping a glass of pineapple juice to wash it down.

And for the entire four week period of my stay in this serene, well laid-out and enterprising city, I know I surely will have tasted various German foods for the first time. And frankly, I am already missing my favourite Tuo Zaafi (T.Z.) and Waatche and hot pepper. Do not pity me because I have simply refused to learn how to cook and so cannot utilize the small kitchen attached to my room where I spent the rest of the day to warm myself into the unfriendly and strange weather.