Road Trip and More

A little update on the last week or so...
I recovered from the mysterious bug after a few days of antibiotics and quickly got back into staying busy. I've been preparing bit by bit the wedding cake for Alan's colleague who is getting married in 2 weeks which has meant finding and buying loads of ingredients like 1 1/2 kilos of butter...the woman at the supermarket must have thought I was looking to have a heart attack. So I got the cakes successfully baked and in my friend's freezer since I have no more room in mine. Now I just have to make pounds of buttercream, filling, and make a few more sugar flowers...





We've gotten outfitted for our wedding outfits and will hopefully get them from the seamstress next week. The woman getting married has asked a few people from work to stand in as her family and to wear the traditional Ghanaian wedding outfits. Alan and I will be wearing matching lime green floral lace fabric adorned with rhinestones - I will be in a top/skirt combo and Alan in a pants/tunic/cap combo. I am already smiling inside at the image of us in these outfits and will be sure to take pictures. The fabric is lacy and see through so mine will be lined but she is not lining Alan's because the shirt should cover him. But Alan was clear with the seamstress and said, "if someone gets to see me through the fabric, lucky them!" She was hysterical during most of the measurement taking with Alan's humor.

I have been tending to my herb garden and this week things have really shown progress. My mom sent me packets of herbs and so we bought a whole bunch of pots, soil, and fertilizer and got busy planting. Herbs are not easy to come by here and in fact many Ghanaians have no idea what herbs are because they don't really use them in their cooking. After going around to 5 plant sellers on the side of the road and getting blank looks when I asked about herbs, I decided I'd just have to plant my own. Sometimes I can find mint or basil or coriander but that's about it.




And finally this weekend we got to take a little road day trip out of Accra. Getting in the way of this was our sick car which has been in the shop for almost 3 weeks and every time Frank goes to pick it up, it has more problems and we have to bring it back. When Frank went on Wednesday to pick it up last week, it barely started, the oil light was on and the steering wheel was on upside down...and they called that "fixed?" So we have got a loner car which may become our permanent one. So we got an early start yesterday at 6:30am to try to avoid traffic which can be horrendous even on a Saturday when everyone from Accra is trying to get out of Accra. Frank got us on the road headed for Cape Coast which is about 145 km from Accra and we quickly got stuck in traffic for about an hour. I decided to use the opportunity to snap some pictures of typical Ghanaian signage which often is religious in nature.




Also a common image are religious or inspirational signs on the back of tro tros (the vans used for public transportation here - there are no buses so this is it).


Then about halfway to Cape Coast we had torrential rains which threatened to ruin our trip.

But, luckily as soon as we arrived the rains stopped the sun broke out and it became a steam bath - perfect timing for our 2 hour tour of the fort!

Cape Coast was initially Swedish built and then was taken over by the British in 1665. It became one of the largest holding sites in the world for slaves during the colonial era. The slaves were stored here in unbelievably horrible and cramped conditions until they were shipped out like sardines for the Americas. We were guided through a very informative tour with about 10 other tourists. These are some shots from the tour.


Alan and Frank checking how heavy the cannon balls were.


As the American representative, I had to take my picture with the plaque from President Obama's visit to Cape Coast last year.



As you can see, there is not much beauty to slave dungeons. The tour guide explained that hundreds of slaves would be crammed into these rooms with just a small canal carved in the floor for feces, urine, vomit, etc. to be washed away. But he pointed to a line about 2 feet up from the floor that supposedly demonstrated how much human filth accumulated on the ground. They were fed one meal a day in the courtyard and other than that were made to sit in their own filth for months while they waited for the ship's arrival. They were then led through the tunnels and through a door called The Door of No Return which led right out to the shore of the ocean.

Of course many slaves did not make it out of these cells alive. The woman were kept separately and were often raped by the generals and men in charge of the fort. Of course many of them became pregnant and we were told they were sent to another facility to have their child and then were forced to return to the dungeon without their child.

Now the shore is bustling with fisherman who's livelihood depends on the ocean. We were fascinated to just watch what to the fisherman is just a normal day at work.



After we were drenched in sweat and realized how hungry and thirsty we were, we decided to drive to the next town over called Elmina. It was a picturesque drive along the coastline. We had a nice lunch of grilled fish and chips at a little beach resort along the water and then it was time to make the 3 hour trip back and to try to avoid more traffic!

Overall it was a nice day and I was just happy to see the ocean, expanses of green landscape and to be out of the dirty crowded streets of Accra. We hope to go back another time and spend the night and really get to explore the towns and beaches more but this was a great little preview.

Malaria test - negative!

So as I said in my intro to this blog, I would include stories on our efforts to avoid getting Malaria. And as we've come to learn, Malaria is a real possibility here. We meet expats all the time who have had it during their stay and inevitably, everyone brushes it off as no big deal and they say it's just like a bad flu. Well, I'm sorry...Malaria is a big deal and people die from it all the time although usually it's because they haven't gotten medical treatment quick enough. So we've been told and have decided that the second one of us has any sort of fever, to go to the hospital.

I should preface this story with the fact that we both stopped taking our Malaria medications about a month ago because the one I was taking, Lariam, was giving me crazy dreams and making me feel like I was on an emotional rollercoaster and the one Alan was taking is a daily pill and it's just not practical to have to take medicine everyday for 2 years not to mention the risk to the liver! And after talking to so many expats here, practically no one takes the meds so we decided we would just use precautions like bug spray when we go out at night, and spray the mosquitos that gather at our doorway every morning scheming on how they are going to get into our apartment.




But last week I came down with some sort of stomach bug (sort of the usual travelers' stomach thing you hear about) so I just took it easy and because it wasn't severe and was inconsistent, I didn't think much of it. And by Monday it seemed all cleared up and I was fine until yesterday. I woke up feeling like a train had run over me (feverish, nauseous, stomach cramps, achy, the whole bit) but it wasn't until later in the afternoon when I actually started running a bit of a fever that we got worried. Alan (worry wort that he is) decided after speaking to the clinic at his Guinness plant that I should go to the hospital right away. It did seem a bit excessive considering my fever wasn't that high but like we had told ourselves...at any sign of fever go to the doctor. So after about an hour of driving through traffic to get to the hospital (and mind you, this hospital was like for the rich and famous in Ghana), we get settled in the waiting room. We learn that there is a fee for registering there, a fee for the doctor's consultation and a fee for the lab work and we were just crossing our fingers that we had enough cash on us to cover it (no credit cards as usual). I was quite impressed with the facilities though. The waiting room was very clean and orderly, not too many people, nice artwork...this is what money gets you I guess. I can't imagine the public hospitals look anything like this!

So we meet with the doctor who didn't seem the least bit concerned with my condition and suggested we take some blood. After being shuffled around to room after room I get the blood drawn and learn in about 15 minutes that I am Malaria free (and Salmonella free too!). Still not sure what bug is in my stomach but the doctor said stomach cramps + diarrhea + fever = bacteria in stomach and so he prescribed an antibiotic and that was that. Thank goodness I had exactly enough cash to pay the bill and I'll be off to the pharmacy today to get the antibiotic and hope it kills this stomach cramping fever producing bug!

Scenes from the Road

I figured I would share some photos that I've been collecting of random scenes we see while driving in traffic. Alan and I spend a lot of time in traffic. See below...




This means we've got lots of time to take in the scenery. I find it fascinating to just watch the activities on the street (of course except when I really need to be somewhere and the traffic isn't moving like above).
I never get bored of watching people carry amazingly heavy loads on their heads selling their products on the street. Most of the people selling are women and most of the people have come from northern regions of Ghana where opportunities are limited to make an income.



We pass this monster of a building almost every day. This was the presidential palace for the last administration. It was built by the Chinese for the previous administration in the shape of an Ashanti stool which is a characteristic item in the Ashanti tribe. You can find wooden stools in this shape all over in craft markets here and many are intricately carved or have metal work in them. This "larger version" we've learned is actually no longer in use because the current government does not want to use a structure built by the previous one. It is not even finished inside. What a shame and waste it seems. But it is quite something to look at.



And of course plenty of scenes like this...goats wandering near small shack-like stores mostly selling street food, phone cards, or small grocery items (the Ghanaian convenience store).


This guy has actually gotten quite creative with his store of handicraft items and built his store inside a tree.

Tennis Lessons

In my quest for new hobbies, I've taken up tennis partly because we have a tennis court on the premise of our apartment complex and I'd like to actually be able to use it, and because when I met the tennis coach, Festus, I couldn't resist. He is the Ghanaian tennis coach for the complex and gives all the expat ladies lessons. He insisted that I would be very good because he sees me working out in the gym and so therefore I am "fit." He scheduled me there on the spot for the next day. I think in the beginning at least I was not so impressive and maybe a disappointment to Coach Festus but I think I really impressed him in our last few lessons. We have an hour lesson two times a week and according to him, I've made bigger gains than a lot of the other ladies make in the same period of time (not that I'm competitive or anything). Soon he is going to set up some matches between his students. I really like Festus though...I'm not sure what his coaching skills are like compared to other coaches but he is very supportive and encouraging...usually. One morning when he changed our lesson from 7am to 6am and I overslept and had to run from bed to the court, I performed awfully because I hadn't eaten or had coffee and was still asleep. After making a total disaster of the lesson, Festus said, "some days you are so good and some days you are so bad." Not really the motivating words I needed in the moment but he always gets a laugh from me. I made Alan get out on the court with me the other day to shoot some pictures of my incredible tennis form and skill. Festus says that I must at least look like a tennis pro when I play so we practice my form a lot. Now I just need a tennis skirt...hmmm...wonder if I can find that in Accra...unlikely.

Second Day at Chance for Children

Today I spent the morning at the Chance for Children Drop-In Center which was my second visit to the center. I wanted to see the morning activities of the children. I arrived at 8:30am and the children were already busy with bathing and washing their clothes. They are each responsible for washing their own clothes and laying them out to dry. The coordinator of the drop-in center, Seth, was telling me that when the children arrive they are literally covered in black dirt from sleeping and working in the street. They have to pull up water from a well and then use buckets in the back yard to wash and scrub the clothes before laying them out to dry in the sun. They usually only have one pair of clothes so as they wash, they wrap themselves in towels. Seth told me that they do get clothes donated from Switzerland (who mostly funds the NGO) but within a few days of wear, the clothes are already ripped and dirty. Although the washing is hard work, the kids were playful during it and they actually seemed to be having fun with each other.





They also learn to take care of their personal hygiene. This particular boy was brushing his teeth and was quite proud of the job he was doing so he was excited for me to capture him with a photo.



After the bathing and washing, the kids are allowed some play time and the foosball table is the most popular activity. The boys are quite competitive with it.





After leisure time, came Morals and Hygiene Class which one of the workers, Fred, teaches. I got to sit in on the class today and even though he taught it in the local Ashanti language of Twi, I picked up the jist of things. The reason they teach these lessons is instill Christian values into the children. Fred explained to me that their life on the street has unfortunately taught them to lie, steal, cheat, etc. and they are trying to replace these things with good morals. So they teach lessons from the Bible and Fred tries to relate the stories to their lives. Today's lesson was on why it is important not to curse people. Fred told me that often the children learn from others on the street to curse bad things on people so he was teaching them the value of blessing people instead. He was very dynamic as he taught and the children were quite attentive which was impressive considering they were probably pretty tired. He would ask them questions to make sure they were paying attention and then everyone claps for the one who answers. They sang songs and prayed as well. Then the kids broke for 30 minutes to play more games and then came the hygiene lesson which today covered proper bathing techniques, why not to pick one's nose and skin, and how to cover your mouth when coughing. Fred acted out the lesson so the kids were laughing as he showed them how it is improper to pick your nose.

I was thinking as I observed the kids today how much they seemed like normal children - play fighting, crying when made fun of, not able to sit still for long, etc. - but then when you think about what happens when they leave the center at 4pm, it's hard to comprehend how it is they survive. These children are 7, 8, 9 years old and have no family or safe place to go when they leave. They go work for a few pennies so maybe they can scrounge up enough to eat. What happens when they are sad or someone hurts them? What happens if they are sick? They are completely independent at 8 years old and raising themselves practically. And then on top of it, the estimated number of street children just in the city of Accra is 57,000! It's more than I can get my head around right now.

Next week I hope to go out with the outreach worker on the street very early in the morning to see the children sleeping and waking up and to watch how the staff engage the kids on the street. It should be quite an experience.

God's Work

Yesterday I went for the first time to the drop-in center for street kids that this organization called Chance for Children runs. I am going to be working with the organization on developing several parts of their program and needed to see first hand how the center functioned. I should preface this with what I saw on my way to the drop-in center and mention that I did not take any pictures because it was my first time being introduced to the children and staff and I didn't want them to feel uncomfortable but the staff told me I'm welcome to take pictures if I want so maybe next time. The center is located in a very poor area of town called Jamestown near the water's edge. In parts it looks like a shanty town. But what I noticed most were the amount of young children wandering the streets and working. I saw kids pushing carts and carrying heavy loads on their heads (which you can actually see all over Ghana). They often look very disheveled and dirty and when you consider the labor they are doing and the fact that they haven't probably eaten all day, it's quite disturbing. You start to wonder where their parents are and where do they sleep. And then we arrived at the drop-in center and there these same sorts of kids were. Immediately I noticed laughing, playing, smiling kids and for a moment it could have been a school of some sort. But then, when I look in the corner I saw 3 kids sleeping on the floor on a mat - maybe they were 8 years old - and I realizes they are sleeping because they have probably been working tirelessly and sleeping on a table in some shop or not sleeping at all. Reality sunk in about what these kids are really facing. There are no shelters for them to sleep like in New York and no police officers are making sure these children are appropriately cared for. In fact, no one would probably be looking after them if it wasn't for this center and places like it.

So one of the workers, Fred, gave me a tour and I was so impressed with his level of enthusiasm about the work they are doing there. While we walked around he told me that "this is God's work," not just going to church on Sundays, but actually working with these children. So he showed me their routine during the day. The children come at 8am after a night sleeping on the street, they bathe, they wash their clothes and then lay them out on the grass in their backyard to dry, they can get a hot meal and sleep. They also have homemade foosball and table tennis tables that their carpenter made for them in the backyard. They have little rooms where they learn batiking, arts and crafts, carpentry and then other rooms where they learn basic math and English. As he was showing me around, a man arrived who comes weekly to teach the kids drumming and dancing. Immediately, 5 children bolted for the door to the room where the drums are kept and were banging on it trying to get in. As soon as they got in they scrambled for the drums and sprinted across the lawn to start playing. I have never seen so much excitement and eagerness. What the worker told me is that they expose many things to the children and they watch and see which kids gravitate towards which activities whether it is learning a trade like batiking or maybe going to school and then they foster that. So I watched the children as they had their drumming lesson and then progressed to dancing and I was really impressed as they danced traditional African dances to complicated drum rhythms. Then I was taken upstairs where they have recently opened a girls home. Six girls live there and most attend school during the day. When I was there, the girls involved in a painting activity. They also have a boys home a little outside of the city. These are children that have excelled in their drop-in center and have shown consistency and an ability to live with others. Also...quite an amazing program.

As I went back down to the yard (where I should also mention they are teaching the children to plant and keep a garden), I was pulled over to the foosball table by a boy. Most of the children can't speak English so that was his way of asking me to play with him. He kicked my butt at foosball and laughed at me for how little skill I had. Then another boy came over and so he helped me out a bit. I taught them to high five when they scored and they thought that was pretty neat.

It was an inspirational several hours and I really look forward to going there to spend more time. These children are like little sponges just waiting to soak up learning, play, attention, affection, and basically anything you are willing to give them because they've been so neglected and deprived of a normal childhood. I just hope that I can contribute in some way.

Lesson Learned Part II

Well, I found one of my missing earrings mysteriously in the wrong place this morning and am now totally perplexed and feel like a big idiot. I'm not sure how my jewelry case was ripped and how my earrings wound up dispersed in different places. Maybe someone is playing tricks on me. But I do know that I feel awful for accusing these men of stealing my jewelry and really have no way to make it up to them. All I could do was call their boss and tell him that I found my missing earring and am sincerely sorry for causing trouble and wrongly accusing them. There is a small chance that they did try to take them and and instead wound up ripping the box and the earrings went different places. But, perhaps it was our house cleaner who accidentally misplaced things when cleaning. I will have to ask her. I have been reflecting on the actions I took to make sure that I didn't act too quickly or irrationally but Alan tells me that I did what any person would have done and that it was an honest mistake. But I still feel really bad and am not sure I can show my face in the store for a good long while! However, the "lesson" was still learned and I'm still locking up all my valuables.