Day 41 (thursday)

Woke up this morning feeling pretty good so I decided to change it up just a little bit and had coffee and noodles (similar to the cheap ramen but so much better). I watched France 24 for my usual checkup and watched the live speech by Aung??? which was very motivating (the speech was great but the motivation and the passion were beyond that. She was also receiving a Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded 20+ years earlier. Perseverance is a powerful tool!). A short time later, Lisa called to make sure that my journey went safely and to check that all was well. She is still feeling a bit sick and didn't sleep well, fortunately she was able to stay close to work this time. I wrote a little bit (this writing I speak of usually pertains to this blog and sometimes to my observations) and had some lunch (bean stew and rice). Gladys let me borrow an external hard drive that had some movies on it but initially the only one I could find was Harry Potter and the half blood prince (not too bad, brought out some of my inner geek). I wanted to get out for a bit so I went to gates to get some cerevita and another loaf of bread. I really love the walk so I walked both ways but before I left the gates area, I went in for another trim (not to worry, Alex, no beards were harmed in this trim).  On my way, I also had a beautiful experience, a mother goat and two babies were wandering along the street and one of the babies strayed.  It began crying and the mother and second baby stopped and listened to the crying (they were only separated by some bushes) and immediately turned around and ran to the other baby.  I just thought it was wonderful to see (I videotaped it but it cut out just before the mother turned around).  I got home and decided to try and make pancakes similar to the ones Maureen made the other day, nope, epic failure...I ate it all but , well let's just say it wasn't quite the same. There wasn't really anything on tv and overall it has been a pretty low key day. Tomorrow I will think about my options and look at maybe going to the gym on campus (which I just sort of found out about). There are no soccer games on today (it's really hit and miss with what they play and kind of a bummer). I was killing some time by surfing and listening to music and will listen to more of my book. Scratch that, I ate another combination of beans and rice and cozied up and watched Zombie land, touched base with a few people, and listened to more music.

Day 40 (wednesday)...half way there!

Just a small pile of lawn mowers.

Kweku, waking up as I gave him my sandwich.

A sweet little girl observing me as I was doing the same of her at the junction just before I got home.

 

Woke up this morning at a decent hour, right around 5, and had to get up so I could get ready and realized that the power was off, just in mine and Maureen's room, meaning that the manager had to get more credits for power. Although it started raining, I was absolutely ready to visit Bekwai again. I waited for some time (I began to assume that Lisa wasn't going to come because it started to get late. The previous time she came before 7 and now it was well after that. Apparently she thought she informed me that she would be later when she called last night but that must have been after her credits expired in the middle of our conversation). I was preparing to lay back down and get some rest and just as I was getting comfortable, Lisa called and was ready to meet up. I packed some food and water and set off (Maureen insisted that she help flag down a tro tro for me to make sure I got to the right place). I met Lisa at a hospital nearby as it was closer to her place and on the way. I waited for a little while with no real way to get a hold of her (my phone was out of credits) but enjoyed this new part of town and just observing the surroundings. I saw a street kid (homeless youth) eating some food that had been spilled on the street (keep in mind it's mostly dirt and loose gravel). There were several flies on this child and his clothes were dirty, torn, and literally hanging by a thread and he was just crawling around some bushes in the middle of this intersection (like a round-about) and it was almost as if he didn't exist. I waited for Lisa and then a tro tro pulled up and the guy hissed at me and waved me on, I declined and then Lisa poked her head out so I boarded and we started the adventure. It was a terribly exhausting journey to get there, it was long and the roads were rough (we had to take several side streets as the main roads were jammed) and the space was crammed (she does it 2 times a day 5 times a week but now has a place close to work). We finally arrived and we were both very exhausted and could have used a rest but we set our things down and started making the rounds. I observed her facility and monitored some students taking a practice exam which comprised of fairly simple questions and essays. It was interesting to see the improper use of grammar in some of these questions (I know, mine isn't great here either) that the teachers were using as examples (the teachers aren't entirely qualified and are sometimes leading them in the wrong direction (they take tests in English so they are required to practice that way). A short time later I decided to visit the infirmary but couldn't find Rahaman (I was going to inquire about helping out around the facility and to check the progress on the painting of the buildings). I walked down and visited with Kweku, he was super happy to see me and screamed out my name (just abruni) so I went to his quarters and we both sat down on some unstable benches (he couldn't speak english so I just sat with him for awhile...we just seemed to understand each other) and I gathered he was hungry (this wasn't similar to having someone begging). I learned Lisa was staying in Bekwai for the night so I would have to make the journey alone (which ended up being interesting and very time consuming), I was getting pretty hungry but just before I left I decided to visit Kweku one more time and give him my sandwich (he was sleeping and woke right up when I called his name, he tried to get up but I suggested he didn't need to...he was soooo happy, it was really nice) and he said thank you and good bye. I made the journey home and a man on the first leg spoke to me during the trip (I bought him a bag of water and he was very thankful) and he helped me get a car to campus (it was much nicer to take a taxi rather than a tro tro so I didn't mind spending a few extra pesoas). I walked around for a bit thinking that things looked familiar (I realized the campus is bigger than I thought) and realized that I wasn't sure which direction to go. I had to ask a couple people how to get to where I needed to go (originally the person I asked pointed me in the wrong direction) but eventually made it to where I needed to go. I was super exhausted but walked across the campus to the soccer field and waited again for a car (I wasn't up for walking this time, I found the perfect amount of change sitting on the bench to hire a taxi home). I got home, ate, talked with Gladys (a friend of Maureen's and staying in her room for a couple nights) who was over to prepare for an exam being held on friday. She headed to campus and I headed to bed.

Day 39 (tuesday)

The showers (falling out of the wall) at the facility.

I can't always post "good" pictures...this is one of the toilets that the females use (it's safer for them to squat because of various infections they are more prone to).  Pretty sad.

Me and Modesto, the warden, in the room that they've designated as the cooking room...their stove is on the ground (they're able to maintain the flame without firewood but rather surrounding the pot with saw dust).

The stove...it's a pretty cool system.

They get to use current equipment.

Me with some of the girls making beaded jewelry.

 

Woke up feeling refreshed, which was a nice change of pace as of late. The sleep aid works for me I guess. I woke up once in the middle of the night, as I usually do, and then back to sleep and up before 7. I made some coffee and watched the news and some old soccer matches and Maureen made some pancakes (they were more like crepes) but they were actually really nice (sort of bland but a wonderful change of tastes in the morning). Yesterday Ernest said he would be picking me up and would be at the house between 830 and 900 which, according to previous encounters, means probably just after 9. I was still watching tv at 8 and thought about getting ready and out of nowhere I hear Ernest. He came ready to go just after 8 telling me we needed to leave so I hurried to the bathroom and took a quick shower and had to hurry and get ready. When I asked him about the timeframe he specified the previous day, he just said “oh, I did?” and then said that he called the phone (still not sure I buy it entirely) and that he got some message. We left and Maureen joined us as she was going to the campus for some work and eventually worked our way there, taking a different route than yesterday but one that took a little bit longer. We arrived right at 10 (which is the time that we all agreed on so it turns out, Ernest being early was a good thing) and the Warden was sitting out under a tree awaiting our arrival. We spoke for quite some time doing the typical Q and A, he was very informative and elaborated on the questions quite a bit. After just over an hour of speaking with him he took us on a tour of the facility and I absolutely fell in love with the facility (it had more than its fair share of bad conditions though). I was surprised to find a man so passionate about persons with disabilities and, as I learned, one of a very rare breed that cares at all about them (this population is definitely where my heart is). I got a great chance to meet a lot of the residents and observe them in their trades (shoe making, bead making, dress making etc) and I also got to see the conditions with which they live. I also met some of the staff and they were all very gracious and welcoming. I bought a little something and was prepared to get a little more but then it started pouring rain so I helped them clean up their things and pack up to go back inside. We grabbed a tro tro without having to wait too long but I got stuck in the middle of a seat (let's just say they aren't made for tall people) and a woman got on and kept moving over and giving me stern glares when I couldn't move. The adventure continued and my knees felt every bump in the road. As a random tidbit of information, I stated previously that there is no legitimate waste management service nor is there any recycling per se. Most of the garbage, as i've noticed in my travels, ends up in the streams or are pooled into big piles and burned (the smell is pretty overwhelming) and really good for the environment (as are the vehicles with no types of emission checks...black, billowing smoke all over the place). Before we got to our intended destination, traffic was at a standstill and so we got off and decided to walk. Every couple of minutes we would take refuge under a canopy from a storefront. We made it home finally and Maureen was asleep (all the while forgetting to do the things she intended to do and still hasn't fixed her phone [which has now been out of commission for over 2 weeks] and many people have apparently been trying to reach her) so I would wait to eat. I decided to take a ride to a part of campus so I could withdraw money and then stop to get a few things from the store including a box of water. As I was approaching my destination I still hadn't gotten my change, although it wasn't much the cashier on the tro tro was trying to cheat me and when I asked about the fare, the guy just pretended not to understand me but when I was more stern with him and simplified it to “you owe me 5 pesoas!” he smirked and gave me my change (I won't be cheated again or try my best not to be). I walked back to the house and watched some kids playing soccer in a dirt field behind a school and by the time I made it home, Maureen was in and out of the kitchen. She had been preparing a few dishes to last throughout the week (again, she is leaving for Accra tomorrow and won't be back until sunday evening). It will be sort of lonely around the house but I will make the most of my time for sure. Tomorrow I will be revisiting Bekwai and spending the entire day with Lisa. Dinner (fried rice) was good and my bed looked comfy...sort of. Hope I can get some sleep because tomorrow is going to be a long day.

Day 38 (monday) aka the old man's birthday. Love you pops!

Hard time sleeping again and my back hurts, i'm not entirely sure what the plan is today other than I know I'm going to Edwenase to the rehabilitation center. I'm not sure what time someone is going to pick me up or who is (Maureen said that Kwadwo was trying to get in touch with someone else, other than Ernest [as he had an interview for graduate school] to take me. I had suggested that the time in the day that we went wasn't a big deal and that the last time I went, the warden wasn't even up yet but none of that registered with her.). I listen to books on tape and am now not even grasping the message but a good sleep is hard to come by these days (i'm not entirely sure why, perhaps its the temperatures or something else). I got up for coffee and for one of the first times, there was no hot water prepared (not a big deal at all, just kind of surprising) so I will make a sandwich and have some water. A small kink in my neck and a moderate headache and decent back ache won't deter me from my adventures today, I'm 100% ready and dedicated to do what I came here to do, I can complain about those ailments when I get home, there's not enough time to do that here (and, I know, people suffer through worse everyday). I watched France 24 to catch up on world news and then helped Maureen with her internship applications to UNICEF. There were some minor corrections that I suggested but overall the application was pretty good (makes me think that I need to be doing a lot more). I got ready shortly before 10 as that was the time Ernest would be done and stopping by to get me. I laid down for a bit and was chatting with Maureen and then I decided to grab the phone (it was dead) to see if anyone had called. A short time later, Kwadwo called and asked if I was in Edwenase, haha, then he suggested that Ernest would come by and get me to take me there (that was the plan already), I was thinking that I would just go tomorrow. We set off for Edwenase and it was quite the adventure. We went through kejetia market to find a connecting vehicle and it was chaos all around (as per usual) and then finding a vehicle that was going where we needed it to go was tough and even when we found one people were fighting each other off to get on so we waited. We got to the rehabilitation center and I saw the warden sitting out in the same place talking with a couple of other people. We approached him and he wasn't too excited to see us (and not prepared). He suggested that we were disrespectful last time by just leaving and because we didn't call to let him know (even though our schedule said we were to be there this week) he wasn't prepared to meet with us. He didn't seem to want to comply at all but I was able to calm him a bit and agreed to meet him tomorrow, at his convenience. We will be heading there tomorrow morning and plan to be there no later than 10. Sort of a wasted trip but i'm absolutely glad that I can still get the information. As for now, I am completely exhausted and my headache persists quite strongly. Started watching the England v France match and the power went out just after England scored...I told Kukuah that we were going to miss France scoring (sure enough, they did!). The lights came back on a while later and we got to watch the rest of the match. It started raining pretty hard and we thought that the power would go out again (it flickered a couple of times but stayed on). Maureen had to catch up with some friends so I didn't have access to the internet for the rest of the night (I was able to see my dad today to tell him happy bday, so glad that this is possible). The next match wasn't being shown on tv so I had to check with Cookie because she was following it on the internet and listening to it on the radio (I couldn't really follow it because all the stations were being broadcast in twi). For the next couple of hours I just listened to some music and another book (this time it is: To the Lighthouse.). I was pretty tired but restless again so I decided to use some help in sleeping.

Day 37 (sunday)

Got up a couple times and out of bed shortly after 7. Also realizing that the roosters from next door start their morning calls at around 5 in the morning...sometimes ok but mostly annoying. Maureen was setting off for church, I decided not to join her this time. I had my oatmeal and coffee and finished up with some of my observation writing. I began watching some TED talks which were very informative and beneficial and took notes on them. Maureen returned a short time later and prepared a nice salad and we ate it while we watched tv. We went back to our rooms and I listened to my book. It's becoming common, and comical, to hear Amofa belting out the tunes (he's always in the common room or his own room which is right next to mine [window to window anyhow]) and I don't mind it but it sounds like sick birds chirping hysterically. A while later we decided to eat a late lunch and I watched some of the Euro (Spain v Italy) match. Originally Amofa looked only at one station which wasn't playing so I went to my room for a few but when he left, I bolted to the common room and checked the other station which was playing it so I watched the remainder (most of the first half I had to use credits from the internet to watch it online so i'll have to recharge it tomorrow) of the match on tv. The next match wasn't being played on any of the stations so I was kind of bummed about it but I was a trooper and watched Adventure 2 (yeah, starring the Rock) but it was really the only choice...better luck next time. I took the lightbulb from our shower and put it in my room (we were told that the uncle was out of town [convenient, no doubt] and that we are responsible to replace it because there weren't any on the premises and the uncle usually buys them in bulk. I feel like it should be the responsibility of the property manager to take care of those things...Maureen sided with me and we decided not to buy a new one based on principle [not to mention it was too late and a sunday]).

Day 36 (saturday)

Woke up a couple times again, this time probably because I had a hard time falling asleep because of the smoke smell in my room. Went to use the restroom in the middle of the night and realized that the water is off, got out of bed just before 7 and it still wasn't on...I have to go soooo bad, it's starting to hurt. The coffee and hot porridge aren't helping either. It's ok, everything turned out fine, I woke up the property manager (Amofa) and he switched the tanks and turned the water back on, SUCCESS! For the most part of the day I was reading (listening to books) and relaxing. I got up and went into the common room and saw that Ghana was playing their second World Cup qualifying match against Zambia. It was a pretty unmotivated effort by Ghana and they lost 1 – 0 (Zambia is the current African champion). I came back to my room for a short time and decided to make some more food (bored hunger is a killer) so I boiled some water so I cold finish the cerevita. I used a towel to hold the pot while I stirred it around a bit and was bummed when then cereal smelled burnt. It turns out the burning smell wasn't the cereal at all, it was, in fact, the towel that had lit on fire. I swirled it around and the flame didn't go out (duh!) so I quickly put it under the faucet (glad the water was on). I'm so good in the kitchen. Most of the rest of the evening I spent to myself as no one else was around and Maureen was crying a bit (when I inquired about it she didn't really respond and needed to be alone for a bit...then she stated that she just has a lot on her mind and her leg hurts). Just before I was going to set off for bed, her light bulb burned out as she was preparing to read so I took mine out and put it in her room. I was a bit restless but eventually worked my way to sleep.

Day 35 (friday)

Just my brunch...so tasty and pretty healthy too!

Some interesting "knock offs" I saw at the store.

Woke up a couple times in the night but finally got up around 7 (seems kind of late) to fix some breakfast. Coffee and cerevita and I felt like a champ. Maureen was up marking the rest of her papers and then prepared a nice little breakfast plate with a salad and some bread, very tasty. I spoke with Lisa this morning to ask whether I could accompany her for a day in Bekwai to visit and offer some assistance to the places I visited last week. She happened to be not going in today and was buying some materials for the students so we agreed that I would join her next week. I listened to more of the book and just sort of relaxed, wrote a bit and was preparing to go to town in the afternoon. We left for town to take Maureen's phone in to get fixed (the screen is broken) and she's been putting it off for a couple weeks now. When we got there she was informed that she needed to charge her phone before the guy would work on it (why he couldn't do it is still beyond me) so she would need to bring it back another time. Afterwards we visited the place where I originally bought my modem so I could learn how to “bundle” with their service (turns out that you can only do that in 15 and 30 cedi increments). They tried to get me to buy the 45 cedi package (good for one month so long as you're not downloading anything, he says) and I told him that i've been here for just over 30 days and i've spent 80+ cedis and have only had just under 2 weeks of service. I've had them recharge it and still don't have service and i've added some...they couldn't explain anything to me (I also later found out from an off duty employee that their internet service is actually not the best...glad I know that now) other than buying the 45 cedi package and bundling it (Maureen was with me to make sure I was understanding everything) and telling me that I had paid too much (no s*&$). We walked around some shops and ran into some familiar people/vendors from before. Nothing was really jumping out at me so we moved along. We walked around town for a bit and Maureen insisted on showing me another store that I hadn't seen, I obliged, and it was like a new D.I. and an old sears meshed together. I also wanted to point out some slight differences in brands, for example, they are MAN trucks not MACK trucks and it is Sammy the Sailor and not Cap'n Crunch...just thought it was kind of funny.  We grabbed a couple food items and began the journey back through town and trying to find a tro tro back to one junction and then to ted junction. We stopped and grabbed some of the ground nut candy from before and then headed home. We grabbed some red plantanes just before home and then got in. I was pretty exhausted so I laid down and listened to my book for a bit. Maureen took a much needed rest while I watched the Poland v Greece football match. Jellof rice tonight and tomato stew was a nice end to the day. I sat and listened to the rest of my audio from last week and took some notes and will refine the rest this weekend. Maureen insisted that she light some mosquito papers for my room (my legs are riddled with little red bumps, in fact, i'm trying to figure out what I could make out of connect the dots with the mosquito bites) and it was a bit overwhelming and kind of gave me a headache. She came back a few minutes later and turned off my fan and said that the smoke was really pretty bad and then said that she hadn't tried it before and probably wouldn't try it again (I was an experiment today).