Day 27 (thursday)

My lunch from yesterday...yummy.

Me and the roommates...from left to right: Elom, Maureen, Kukuah!

 

Got up at 6, again, the usual. Sat around for awhile and decided to gather the roommates for a picture (one of them was not around and another one recently moved out) as one of them was leaving because her lease here was up and the other one was on her way to Accra. So there's a nice picture of me, Maureen, Elom, and 'Cookie' to remind me of the good times. I also got a call this morning from Eugene telling me that there is a football match tomorrow and because I had told him that I wanted to go, he remembered and was happy to tell me about it. Turns out it's a pretty big game and it's the Ghana national team against Lesotho in a 2014 World Cup qualifying match...I am very excited! Everyone was gone from the house and I was just hanging around but I imagine that I will go for a walk again and maybe head to campus. I went down to campus to the atm and walked around again for awhile then went to the soccer field and spent some time there but then it started to rain again so I began the nice little trek back home. I stopped to get a few items then came back home, completely soaked again, only this time I didn't have a towel because I had to use it to soak up a spill from the sink. After I dried off and was able to cool down a bit, I decided to go out again but this time it was for another box of water (aside from coffee and the one can of coke, it has been the only thing that I have been drinking). It's interesting that I love the fact that I'm drinking so much water but bummed about it at the same time...they don't recycle and I've had close to 100 bottles so far. I walked back with it on my shoulders like an '80's boom box, it's a nice little bit of exercise. In the meantime, Maureen was making jollof (earlier I spelled it jellof, as I was instructed) rice and oh man, it was so good. I wasn't really very hungry but I had two helpings of it with a little stew on top. I'm stuffed! Disregard the randomness, but I miss my pooch something fierce, I know it's only been a few weeks but it feels like forever (fortunately the internet [however terrible the service is here sometimes] makes the world a smaller place and has allowed me to see her and talk to her). I also sprayed my room with some mosquito repellant and I may have sprayed a bit too much, I think the fumes are making me a little loopy.

Day 26 (wednesday)

Woke up a few times and never really got a good sleep. Ernest called a couple times around 6 and shortly thereafter but since we weren't meeting up today there was no need for him to come by. I had to go buy more credits this morning because apparently I didn't know how to “bundle” (this system is so terrible and makes absolutely no sense...I figured that if you uploaded the credits on your computer that it would automatically know that it was for your computer [internet] but no such luck...you have to enter a few different screens and plug in a few different codes [that you would never know unless someone told you] before you have sufficient internet access) so I ended up only having about an hour and a half worth of internet before it ran out. Today has been nice so far, the sky is overcast and the temperature is decent, the power is out, and we don't have to do too much. Well, scrap that, the internet apparently doesn't like me, this time I bundled it (downloaded one thing) and browsed for a bit but it ran out on me...definitely only going to be using the internet cafes from now on. The phone is out of credits and Maureen left to meet a classmate, Celine, who called me to get a hold of her to tell her that she couldn't meet up today but there's no way for me to catch her either. Early lunch was good and now I suppose I will shower and then go for a walk somewhere. Scratch that, the water is off too and the house caretaker is not around so I will have to wait on that too...hmmm. Decided to freshen up a bit and go for a walk, the sky was pretty dark but I decided to go anyway...took a tro tro into the middle of campus and walked to the internet cafe at republic hall and just as I sat down, the sky unloaded and then after my hour was done, it let up a little. I decided to walk the rest of the way home instead of catching a ride, the cool air and slight moisture felt really nice...the kids were all just getting out of school so they would all gaze at me and I greeted them with a smile and waved to them, what a great walk it turned out to be (I was absolutely soaking wet though!). I warmed up some leftovers from earlier and rested for a bit but got up soon after and was ready to go again (i'm not quite sure where this energy is coming from but it's kind of cool). Lost some of the energy...and the power, hmmm, what a coincidence. Miraculously the power came on again and the water was finally turned on at 6 pm. Went to buy some credits for my broadband (i've just been recharging Maureen's) and it's not letting me enter the codes...this is really becoming entertaining. So i've tried to put the sim card in the phone and try it that way...it accepted the codes finally but now I need to figure out how to bundle? (still not really sure what that means) before I waste 10 more cedis on this nonsense. Well, I plug it in and it tells me I only have 7.5 credits and I had to use some data just to write a message to the company that didn't even send. Finally laid my weary little head to rest...only to wake up several times throughout the night, still loving it though!

Day 25 (tuesday)

Me and the warden (Rahaman).

One of the buildings that could no longer be used.

Just wanted to provide an idea for the general conditions of the place.

Me and Kweku...what a courageous boy!

The director's (Lisa) office at the vocational school.

Some students in one of the classrooms.

A storage room...the only computers in the facility and maybe anywhere nearby and they don't work.

The sign leading up to the school.

 

Today I woke up feeling pretty good...I was able to get a decent night's sleep (with help). Maureen was already gone by the time I got up but she had warmed some water before she left so it was ready for coffee. I made a pb & j sandwich and then jumped in the shower, and just before I got out, Eugene had arrived. I quickly got ready and we departed on our “journey.” We waited for awhile to get a car to ted junction but finally someone picked us up and took us there. I wasn't sure where we were headed but we ended up at kejetia market, which is where we had to transfer vehicles...we walked around for quite some time and were directed to a few different places who directed us to some other places (all within the market) before finally we found one that was going near a stop where we needed to go. So the adventure started early and certainly didn't stop, the ride was about an hour and a half as suggested, and then we had to try and explain where we were going and nobody knew what we were talking about but were trying to direct us somewhere or to someone else and finally we got someone to take us to the center involved with the department of social welfare (and surprise! It's exactly where we needed to be). The roads leading to this place were...well...less than desirable and many trucks wouldn't be inclined to travel them. We made it to the central destitute infirmary and were greeted by the warden, who had been expecting us. He was eager to tell us everything and whole-heartedly answered all of our questions...he also suggested that he was more willing to tell us everything and show us everything, as opposed to people who come with cameras and public affairs related people, because I was here walking around doing research and was actually interested in the place rather than sufficing some sponsors or people who donate (which I will add, is absolutely crucial). I must add that there are no working phones here (Rahaman has complained to the phone company but they just put it aside), no computers, and no typewriters (which means if they need access then they will need to find an internet cafe and pay for usage and printing...they also don't have vehicles for the facility so transporting a gravely ill resident is sometimes not possible).  From there, I asked him if I could walk around the facility (he immediately jumped in and said I will show you everything, feel free to take pictures). I simply cannot find any adequate words to express how grateful I am (so far this day has been the most humbling and inspiring since my arrival in Ghana) for my abilities...I am tearing up now a bit as I write this but it's the only way I know to express the emotion of what happened next. I saw some of the rooms where the clients stayed, I saw what used to be a dining hall that can't be used because most of the residents can't access it, I saw another room that had completely caved in (they don't usually show that room to people)...and as we were wrapping up our tour I saw another building and asked about it...it was resident rooms and they are nothing but cinder block and cement with open doorways and a cut out for a window with some bars and a screen on it, a bed pad, bed pan, and some very basic belongings. I noticed a person laying down in the room and was hesitant to ask but the warden explained to me THIS BOY, KWEKU, WAS ABANDONED BY HIS FAMILY, WENT TO JAIL AND FELL ILL. HE BECAME IMMOBILE AND EVENTUALLY THE JAIL COULDN'T CARE FOR HIM SO THEY DUMPED HIM OFF AT THE INFIRMARY. JUST 2 WEEKS AGO HE WAS ABLE TO PUSH HIMSELF UP AND TAKE SOME STEPS FOR THE FIRST TIME WITHOUT CRUTCHES. He called out to Kweku and what happened next made my heart hurt a little...KWEKU GOT HIMSELF UP OFF HIS PAD AND WALKED OVER TO GREET ME, I met him halfway, AND SHOOK MY HAND AND ALLOWED ME TO HAVE MY PICTURE TAKEN WITH HIM. THE OTHER 2 WALKED AHEAD WHILE I STAYED BACK TO PUT MY CAMERA AWAY AND KWEKU HAD FALLEN....THE BOY SPENT WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN ALL OF HIS ENERGY TO SIMPLY GET UP AND COME TO GREET ME! UNBELIEVABLE! I've yet to be so humbled. Next we were directed to the vocational technical school (which happened to be for next week's schedule but we decided to visit them today) and the newly appointed director, Lisa, was actually expecting us (I had met her before at the department of social welfare). She gave us some great insight about the place and the abundance of things that were wrong with it. She showed us around the facility and introduced us to many of the students and staff. It was a great experience no doubt. Now it was preparing for the journey (or adventure) back home but we were given some direction of how to do it a little easier. That turned out not to be entirely true. We waited for several minutes and it was scorching hot and no cars were coming our direction so we had to take a tro tro the wrong way to get to a junction where we could get one that was headed the right direction, mind you the spaces are incredibly cramped and not comfortable. Eventually we made it to the gates so I could get a few items and then take a taxi or tro tro home. No such luck, they were pretty much all full so I ended up walking (I actually like the walk) and I was already exhausted so by the time I got home I was ready to pass out. I quickly took a shower and spoke to Maureen for a bit. She was alarmed to learn that all I had for the day was one sandwich and some water. No surprise, she had prepared some food and brought it to me and it was delightful; a nice dish of beans (sort of mashed) with some stew (it ended up being like sloppy joes), some fried red plantains and some avocados. I finished up and then just sat down for a while. It started raining but I was fixing to use the internet and we had to buy some credits so I went walking in the rain and found a place that was still selling them so most of the rest of my night was spent updating the bloggy.

Day 24 (monday)

Where we ended up but weren't scheduled to be there for a couple more weeks.

This little guy was hanging out with us while the warden wasn't.

More friends at the rehab center.

 

Woke up at 6, prepared some water for coffee and made some wheat porridge (used too much salt though, it kind of spilled into the pot), found out Ernest has malaria so Eugene would be around to take me to the place. He got there just before 8 and we left from there. We had to connect several times on different tro tro's but eventually got to our destination (I had a feeling that we weren't headed in the right direction) and it turned out that we went to a vocational rehabilitation center that was on our schedule for later in the program. We decided to try and talk to the warden and see if he would let us talk to him today but he seemed confused by the inquiry. At first he told us no, then he told us that he hadn't any idea what our inquiry was about (suggesting that he hadn't gotten notice of our coming at all) and that it wasn't the right time on our schedule. But he said he would talk to us but he needed to take a shower so we should just sit around for a bit and he would be right with us. Well when he got done, he came out and met with another man and spoke with him for quite sometime...he came back over to us and said he would be right with us but then we saw him get up and we couldn't find him after that so we decided to come home. I didn't realize that I was still so exhausted from the weekend so I warmed up some food and took a nap. I'm not feeling the best today and found out that the place we need to go this week is actually an hour and a half away so it will be very exhausting so i'm hoping we can finish with everything we need by tomorrow. I came to campus for a bit to use an internet cafe and get out of the house and withdrew some money too, now i'm just updating the blog but the service is a bit slow so uploading the pictures has been taking a long time. Was fortunate to run into Eugene when I got to campus so he just showed me where everything was. He also came with me back home because it can start to become a little unsafe at night...very thankful. I took some time settling down and unwinding and then had some food, took a shower and was glad to call it a night, especially knowing that tomorrow would be a long one.

Day 23 (sunday)

That's a normal site to see...there is no real waste management and they don't recycle.

At the beach in Cape Coast the morning we were trying to leave.

I love it!

This one's for Early...otherwise it's just a taxi that brought us to the STC yard.

 

Maureen awoke and politely asked how I slept and I just giggled but she said she slept pretty well. She started getting ready for church and left just before 8. I laid around for a bit and went to the lobby to use the internet then came back and took a shower. I got the voucher and went for the continental breakfast where they offered an extravagant meal (or really just eggs, toast and oatmeal with coffee, tea, or water) and realized that they didn't have oatmeal because they ran out and the toast was just a couple of non-toasted slices of bread so I had to sprinkle some sugar on it to make it sort of pallatable and enjoyed my instant coffee. I bought some water and headed back to the room to write for a bit then Maureen came back and wanted to go to the beach before we left. We ended up back at the Cape Coast castle and the weather was really nice and the water looked really green and pretty. Some kids were doing flips and aerials over one of the old cannons in the sand so I took some pictures (afterwards they wanted money for the show they just put on...everyone wants money for something) and moved on. I enjoyed being at the beach and we just walked along a bit and then there was a group of 5 or 6 guys who were coming down to the beach and the first one wanted to take pictures of my tattoos and they were generally pretty kind except for the last guy...he began yelling (I couldn't understand what he was saying but I knew that it was directed at me) and eventually said that I was terrible and that what my forefathers did to his forefathers was attrocious and kept going on so we just left (that was my first real experience with someone vocalizing that they hated me because I was white). We left the beach and went to the STC station to make sure that we could get a comfortable seat and secure a spot...are you (am I) ready for a much more comfortable ride home? Nope, me either (they decided this morning they weren't running any to Kumasi). Now it's on to figuring out what to do...it's an adventure at the STC yard. We decided to go to Accra then to Kumasi then not then yes scrap that, going to the “short-bus” station. We had a bite to eat at the restaurant near the station and Maureen ordered and I ordered a pizza (I said no thanks originally because it was too expensive then they lessened the price so I felt obligated to say yes) but Maureen got hers and finished it with plenty of time to spare before I even got mine...Loving this! We made our way to the other station to make sure we could get a ride home and when we got there realized that there were only the smaller vans (similar to a tro tro) left and that there weren't too many more going to Kumasi but Maureen decided not to take the “last one” because that was the exact type she was in during her accident. Ultimately another one came and she decided to just take it (I have to keep explaining that my comfort should not be her priority) so we boarded and were in for quite an adventure. As we left I realized that there was finally enough room for my knees but absolutely no room to move around or stand up if I wanted to nor was there anywhere for me to put my head so trying to sleep was out of the question. It turns out that I wouldn't have been able to sleep anyways...the driver was speeding quite a bit and passing often and got so close once that as he went to pass a car (he was right on the guys bumper) there was a big truck in the oncoming lane so he just had to split the gap, narrowly missing either car by mere inches or less! There was no sleep or even attempt to and along the way I saw 2 overturned semi-trucks on the side of the road and 3 or 4 head on car crashes off to the side of the road (all cases just looked like they were deserted) but I never saw any people around them, I also never saw them on the way down to Cape Coast. We got back to Kumasi and took a few taxi's through parts of town I hadn't been to but eventually got home safely. I took a shower and mom and dad (Maureen's campus family) came by and it turns out they had been trying to contact us all weekend and were getting worried (her phone was still broken and turned off). I went to bed shortly thereafter, completely exhausted.

Day 22 (saturday)

A view from Dr. Diallo's house.

A cool painting I saw at the University of Cape Coast.

This is Kate (in the middle) and her sister, whom I stayed with the first night in Cape Coast.

A cool picture as I was leaving Kakum.

The rope bridge at Kakum.

Me just approaching the bridge.

Being eaten by the skull of a jungle elephant.

Just me hanging out with a crocodile, nbd.

A flower I spotted as I was leaving Han's Cottage.

Dr. Diallo's kitchen...just a reminder to LIVE SIMPLY!

 

I finally got a good sleep but my back hurt so much! By the time I got up (I had been up for awhile but just laid in the bed) Maureen had gotten a hold of Dr. Diallo (who I learned was a medical doctor now going through his residency to specialize in radiology) and he wanted to have us over for breakfast so we got ready and went as soon as we could get ready (fortunately we had a ride most of the way). I kept feeling like I was missing something (seems hard considering I didn't bring that much) and sure enough I realized that I left my shoes (how does that even happen?). It was pouring rain which seemed to be pretty common (I guess it is the rainy season). Eventually we made it to his house (it was tucked away so finding it was a little hard. We were graciously greeted by he and his wife and their sweet little girl. His wife made breakfast for us and I came to find that Dr. Diallo shared my love of coffee so we had a good laugh about it. We left for a while because he said he would drop us off at Kakum. We drove around the University of Cape Coast campus while he was running some errands. He took us back to Kate's house (which is on the way to Kakum) so I could get my shoes and Maureen could get the little bit of snacks she brought. Now we were on our way to Kakum (a cool canopy walk [really a suspended bridge which was really just an old metal ladder pieced together with 2 x 6's on top of them] 40 to 80 meters above the protected national forrest where several endangered species call home) and it was really cool once we got there. We started our walk, again because of the weekend and holiday, it was busy but still fun. People were having a hard time with the bridge and some had to quit early (if you had a fear of heights, I could certainly understand it) and because we were there a little later in the day, we didn't end up seeing any animals but the views were amazing! Maureen was super exhausted and all the walking and hiking was starting to make her leg tired (last year she was in a pretty terrible accident where she had to have surgery on her leg) so we sat for a bit. We walked to the main road and quickly caught a tro tro. I can see why Maureen really hates them sometimes, this one was going so fast and I legitimately was concerned. We got to our destination (Han's Cottage) which was a crocodile farm and first decided to have some food. Now we were feeling a bit rejuvenated (meanwhile we had seen several crocodiles in the water nearby) and decided to look around a bit and one of the lady's that worked there let us through the gates while she called to some of the crocodiles and I thought it was so cool and snapped some pictures. We finished our food (and my coffee) and some other visitors had paid the fee to feed them and were taking pictures with it, so I needed to as well. They obliged and I got to touch and sit over the crocodile. It was pretty awesome (I would recommend going if you happen to be in the area). We left and headed back to UCC and Maureen met with an old professor. It was getting dark and I was certainly ready to get some rest at Dr. Diallo's house, NOPE, but I learned that we wouldn't be staying at his place because there was some changes on his end so we walked through campus and bought some fruit and went to a guest house (they paid for our stay). The first two that we went to were completely full and I assumed that we probably weren't going to find a place to stay but the third one we went to had one room left. Maureen was so beyond stressed and tired and her ultimately tough persona was finally starting to break down a little (I've never met anyone who analyzes/overanalyzes everything, she'll be a wonderful researcher and will surely take her time) and she kept struggling to tell me that she was going to try to stay with a friend and come back after church in the morning. I told her it was ridiculous and we would both adequately fit on the bed (she had ultimately been concerned for my comfort) and we did but I didn't get a wink of sleep (she did and the snoring proved it) because I just couldn't get comfortable enough.

Day 21 (friday)

A look at Cape Coast castle from the restaurant.

Above: An actual piece of history (a branding iron used on slaves to match them with their respective boats) that many people will never see (I took a picture and then read a sign that said no photographs inside the museum...oops).  Below: A look from inside one of the male slave dungeons...that was the only source of light and air available.

A look at a passageway from the above picture to another dungeon (all together there are 5).

The original 'door of no return.'

Me standing by one of the original protective cannons.

Just behind the bricks and mortar I'm standing in front of was the original passageway that led to the door of no return.  The shrine you see was built many years later to serve as a reminder of what lied ahead.

A look through the door of no return...unbelievable!

Me standing at the steps where the slaves would walk down to the boats that would ultimately take them to their respective ships.

A plaque to read before entering and before leaving the castle.

This was the door of no return at Elmina castle.

A picture of the slave exit towards their boats...the doors were so short.

Just a shot driving from Cape Coast castle towards Elmina castle.

 

Oh boy, where do i start...oh yeah, just before 4 am.  I woke up a bit earlier than i needed to but we had to be out of the house by around 4:30 so we could catch a bus to cape coast.  We eventually got to the yard and were one of the last people to buy tickets (ironically i was in the back of the bus).  We ended up having to take the mass metro system because all the other options were sold out (apparently there was some kind of holiday today) and oh my was it cramped.  There was very limited space on the bus (3 seats on one side and 2 on the other with an aisle barely big enough to walk through [you had to go sideways]) and several stops along the way.  The roads were absolutely atrocious and there was never a highway (as i know it anyway) and plenty of construction (which i am familiar with) and with a rickety old bus, we could feel every bump in the road (so uncomfortable, i don't know if i made that clear enough).  We finally approached Cape Coast and it was raining pretty hard which was a little discouraging but i was just excited to get off the bus...we finally got to this little town (i figured that we still had a ways to go) and several males aggressively stormed the bus (there was a door near the back right by us) and i was certain that we were getting robbed because they were loud and saying this is where it stops, amongst other things.  We ended up taking a taxi to the castle but were fortunate to take one stop so we could use the restroom (we stopped along the way and half the bus, males and females, got off and took care of business all within sight, and only a few short feet away, of the bus), what a relief (oh, except the part where i almost knocked myself out walking into the room because, as i'm learning, the doorways and ceilings are not really made for tall people).  We stopped into a nice little restaurant on the beach and i could finally have some food and COFFEE!  We sat around for awhile and the weather started lifting a bit so we decided to go into the castle and have a tour...i'm not sure if i've mentioned this before but there is a considerable advantage to being a local (the prices for non-resident adults can be up to 10 times as much and some times more) but there is a break for being a student so whenever you travel bring a student id, it might save you some money.  We started the tour and immediately it was humbling (i was the only white person in my whole tour group) and we started into the male slave dungeon (where people would stay from 2 weeks to 6 months).  The walk down a slippery spiral tunnel led to 5 rooms (up to 150 people per room were kept here) with little to no ventilation and little to no light and no system for restrooms (in fact, there is still some of all of that stuff settled into the stones)...the tour included several other rooms (including the governor's quarters) and a look at the door of no return!  We finished there and took a taxi to Elmina castle (which is the biggest) and had another tour there and it was another humbling experience (on the way to and from, the town was very busy, dirty, and run down and people urinating in the middle of the streets [which isn't really all that uncommon anywhere]) but unfortunately the guide was very boring and seemed to want to rush through the tour.  It was common in both places to be approached by 'hustlers' who want to be your friend and ultimately want your money (as they called it, donations...they'd ask your name then when you were done they'd have something made with your name on it).  We found another taxi and took it to the STC (the bus system we wanted originally) station to book our trip for sunday and waited for Maureen's doctor friend (Dr. Diallo).  We waited for quite some time and called several times and finally Maureen decided to try a friend that may be in town.  Fortunately her friend was in town from Accra (she was an old classmate) and we took a taxi there to stay for the night.  We had some dinner and then i laid down a bit early (i was pretty exhausted and had a huge headache). 

Day 20 (thursday) a 1/4 of the way there!

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Had a pretty rough time sleeping last night, I had some things and some people on my mind so I decided to listen to some brandi carlile tunes and it helped put my mind at ease. I got up and fidgeted with my phone (looking at pictures and playing some of the games) and then got out of bed just before 7. First thing was to check and see if water was ready for coffee (I was sooooo ready for it today!) so I had my cup then came back to my room (I had to use the restroom wicked bad but Maureen is using it and may be cleaning it, she's been in there for awhile and my eyes are turning brown). Turns out she was washing the laundry. She had to leave and was meeting a classmate on campus and I stayed around the house and put together my notes from the children's home. I got a pretty good start on it and decided to take a nap (my body, and my mind, needed it but shortly after I fell asleep the power went out and it got too hot to be comfortable). I got up and decided to stretch a little bit so I could wake up and have some energy. I got back to my notes shortly thereafter and began writing and putting everything together from this past week. There were some interesting things I saw and further interesting things I learned, an appreciation for different perspectives. I spent a few hours typing it all out and making sure that I got everything down that I intended to. I also wrote down a few more questions to add to my list (the beauty in social work research is that things are consistently changing and being challenged so you must be able to change and adapt with those changes, adding and changing things as they come up). After I finished I decided to walk a ways to a nearby market and get some more water (still going through it pretty fast) and come back to the house. Maureen arrived a short time later and we warmed up some food, after the power came back on, for dinner. Today was pretty dull but I still loved writing everything down and I will surely go back to the children's center before I go home. Today's entry will remain short and I am getting to bed earlyish because we are going to head to the bus station early in the morning and will take a short 4.5 hour bus ride to cape coast for the weekend and I am very much looking forward to it.

Day 19 (wednesday)

Live To Inspire!

Walking out of one of the classrooms.

That cute little guy again...he loved me!

I don't remember her name but I captured such a beautiful smile!

A look inside one of the classrooms.

Me, Eddie, and another resident.

 

Slept well and got up early and had some coffee.  Instead of oatmeal porridge, I had wheat porridge and it was actually pretty nice.  Maureen and I were getting ready to visit the children's home one more time and Kwadwo stopped by to check in on us and to see how I was doing.   He ended up giving us a ride half way which was nice to have a little bit of air conditioning. We left to the children's home from ted junction and when we arrived, there was a group of people (I learned that they were from Georgia, most from the university) cleaning up and painting the play area which was badly needed.   I originally wanted to go because I wanted to snap a picture with the younger kids holding little signs (oh my was it incredibly difficult to try and manage all the kids but eventually Maureen and one of the teachers got them calm enough to take a few pictures (it didn't necessarily get exactly what I wanted but it was still great).  We helped take the kids to classes and I got to watch in on some as well (getting them to their classes was quite a chore as well).  I learned that the organizational skills of the organization is less than ideal and seemingly not a priority.  Finally we got them all to their classes and Maureen and I decided to mingle with some of the volunteers (we also met some volunteers from France and one in particular, Fiona, who had just arrived today and will be here to volunteer for a couple weeks before going to Togo for one month to teach French) and spoke again to Eddie (who was beginning to teach some of the Georgians Azuntu [which is a popular African dance]) and another older girl who lived in the home.  We really had a nice time and it was wonderful to see people taking care of repainting and cleaning up the facility (at least the play area).  We left and made our way to ted junction and then home before we warmed up some lunch and took a rest.  I really loved those kids and may go back a time or two to volunteer in some capacity. I took a much needed nap and woke up to the power being out and getting really hot.   Maureen began making dinner a while later as well as the peanut brittle that I loved (it was a bit sugary but still very tasty).   I was able to access the internet from her connection and send some emails and touch base with a few people.

Day 18 (tuesday)

Maureen playing with some of the kids.

Me talking with Eddie about his experiences at the home.

Me and Samira...such a sweet little girl.

Another of Samira...Maureen absolutely fell in love with her!

 

Got up early today but without a midnight interruption so it felt nice.  Definitely had the usual but added peanut butter to it to add some flavor.   I was sitting in the commons area for a bit watching some tv then Maureen came in to say hello.  From that point it was just about killing time since I was going to be picked up between 12 and 12:30.  The time came and I was getting ready to go it alone and just as I was getting up to leave, I got a phone call.   I asked if my ride was still coming and they insisted they were, amongst a few other excuses, and would now be here between 12:30 and 1 (the call I got was at 12:35).  When 1 rolled around and I still had no ride, I began to get a little frustrated and my ride got here shortly after 1:30 (I am absolutely learning a great deal of patience).  I discussed with them how we could more effectively communicate and we seemed to have an understanding (although this is not the first time we've had this conversation).  So we departed and eventually got back to the children's home.  We were told by a friend that if we came closer to 2 that some of the older kids would be getting back from school...that never really happened.   We were able to interact with a group of kids for a few hours and it was pretty nice.  Many of the kids ran up to me and began hanging on me and then started lifting up my shirt sleeve because they were still fascinated with my tattoos.  We played around and kicked a soccer ball around for a bit and then just sat with them for awhile.  Throughout the time today I noticed that there was very little supervision happening and several of the kids partaking in risky activities.  We broke up a couple of petty little fights and stepped in to stop the kids from some of the unsafe behaviors they were exhibiting (oh, I also fell out of a swing and it came back down and hit my head...sounds about right)...kind of surprised that there was so little supervision but that's why I'm here.  Eventually an older kid (he is 18 [he has been living here since he was 10] and he just finished senior high school) named Edward came along and was playing soccer with some other kids and I decided to gather the perspective of someone who lives there so we chatted for several minutes.  He generally liked the facility and said that it was sort of like a big family and that everyone got along pretty well.  Eddie (as he preferred to be called) also said that the lack of lighting, poor transportation, and a overall lack of supervision were things that he didn't like and that he would like to see changed.  Eddie wanted to be an actor and was hoping to go to college some day for graphic design.  He provided me with some good information and seemed to have a pretty good head on his shoulders.  As I finished talking with Eddie I noticed that Maureen was talking with a sweet little girl (whom she fell in love with) named Samira and so I talked to her for a couple minutes as well.   She was very sweet and enjoyed our company.  Eventually we left and Maureen and I headed home, stopping at ted junction along the way to pick up a few items.  Finally we got home (I can't tell you how excited I was to take a shower!) and showered and prepared some dinner (the Alaskan's left some organic wild rice and quinoa).  By now I am just a tad on the tired side but eager to write about my day and my findings.   I will add some to my general observation sheet and then try to get an early sleep.  Well, I was in the middle of chatting with my mom and my connection terminated (surely it couldn't be from overuse, I just f#%^#g recharged it a few days ago...NOPE, my broadband stick had expired!) so I will be without internet all the time. I will now be using internet cafes and the computers at the university (you really have to be careful with your usage).  Bummer :(