Glitches Galore

Not a particularly good day on the Ghanaian home front. Carpenters not showing up for the upteenth time and a flying insect invasion were minor problems compared to the unfortunate result of the electrician's recent "repairs." By his not checking to see that the main power switch was turned off before tackling the tasks at hand, our voltage regulator, water pump, and coveted electric washing machine are now all "spoiled" as the Ghanaians say. Bottom line, they don't work anymore. I like the electrician, Abraham, and one can't help but feel badly for him as well. His usual bright smile is nowhere to be seen today.
On top of the domestic problems, Jim's frustration threshold is further tested by the often preventable inefficiency at the hospital. After surgically repairing a patient's extensive lip laceration (caused by a human bite), the orders he left for the necessary antibiotics to be administered throughout the night were never followed.
Sure hope our traveling visitors are having a better time in Bolga!

Two Young House Guests

Two friends of our children in the US arrived last week. Katie, a medical student in Philadelphia, and Conor, with the Teach For America Program in Baltimore, have livened up our household with their summer decisions to experience a taste of West Africa. They've had an introduction to "town" getting duplicate keys made and shopping for plantain, pineapple & watermelon, and spent Saturday evening relaxing first with a drink at the Jungle Bar then enjoying the ever-tasty veggie and Hawaiian pizzas at SWAD. Both have already spent time at Tamale Teaching Hospital but for the next couple of days, they're off to explore some areas further north such as Bolgatanga, capital of the Upper East Region, and Paga, home of the sacred crocodile ponds. At that point, one is very close to the Burkina Faso border so a visit to Ouagadougou is also on their agenda. Hopefully, a great adventure!

Dealing With Dirt

Trying to keep a clean house in Tamale is anything but easy. The fine, light brown dust from the dirt roads accumulates everywhere, seemingly to reappear within seconds of being wiped away. And this is the rainy season which doesn't even compare to the dry months especially when accompanied by the Harmattan. Somehow, I've managed to be out of the country when this annual dust-laden wind from the Sahara - in January (sometimes Dec.) to March - makes its way across Ghana. I'm told that even with the windows closed and protected with curtains, the rooms are continually covered with the persistent dust that blows in. And yet, midst dirt & dust, avoiding mosquitoes & malaria, dealing with ants, miscellaneous bugs/insects, keeping an eye on the level of one's water tank, and shrugging off a power outage, life is still balanced by a relatively relaxed tempo as people go about daily chores, care for their families, and enjoy many social interactions throughout the day.

Setting Up The Household

Am attempting to add a woman's touch to our home here in Tamale but I must admit that credit for all the basic and important groundwork goes to Jim. Having borrowed an electric drill for the day, he was a man with a mission going from room to room making holes for curtain rod brackets at each window plus extras for pictures and mirrors. In addition to his job at the hospital, he is plumber/electrician/carpenter - a veritable jack-of-all-trades - as he deals with poly tanks, gutters, drain pipes, electrical power and closet shelves. I'm having enough trouble trying to figure out how many yards of fabric I need in order to have curtains made.

Godwin Returns

After about ten days of being AWOL, Godwin, our cook and washer of clothes, has returned. Yea! Actually, except for the heavy load of wet towels and trying to cook in between disinfecting for germs and ants, I kind of enjoyed the challenge of being creative with a cabbage, a few carrots and a can of tomato paste. Nevertheless, it's nice to once again be able to "assist" in the kitchen and have the luxury of taking over on Godwin's days off.
Evidently, he had had an accident with his motorcycle - not while driving but while pushing it up a steep incline after it developed a flat. Somehow, he lost his balance and the bike fell back on top of him, causing a kind of hip injury. For reasons of his own, he opted for treatment in his village rather than at the hospital. From the description, it sounded like his village person made some "adjustments" to the hip area followed by suggested rest and the application of a brownish colored ointment.
Guess Jim will now be easing up on his jaunts to the market.

Vignettes

Tamale - a West African city of over 300,000 people:
Gray, black, white, and brown goats meandering alone or in a group - on the roads, walkways, everywhere.
Bicycles and motorcycles weaving among pedestrians, taxis, cars, trucks and lorries with any resemblance of a one-car length rule non-existent - a one-inch rule (with no exaggeration) being the norm. Pedestrians: beware! - moving vehicles appear to have total right-of-way.
Roadside stands for furniture, metal works, x-rox copies, haircuts, food, electronics, phone cards, tailoring, etc., etc.
Women and young girls of all ages carrying heavy containers filled with the likes of water, food and fabrics on their heads.
Open markets with grains, yams, potatoes, fruits, meats, vegetables, soaps, utensils, clothing and gadgets galore.
This is Tamale - Awakening to the sounds of birds calling and roosters crowing; greeting an early evening usually accompanied by the strains of a Muslim chant in the distance.

Man in the Market

My husband, who was rarely known to pick up so much as a loaf of bread on his way home from work in the US, is now a regular in the market place. He thinks it fun to stop and bargain for mangoes, tomatoes, yams, plantains and beans and consistently surprises me with his latest purchase. Now if I can only get him to peel, disinfect/wash, boil and prepare the above, I'll be all set.

Taxi Update

The taxi continues to be our primary mode of transportation in Tamale although I now have a broader knowledge of its "scope." When hailing a cab on the main Bolga Rd, which is just a few steps from our house, one is fairly sure of entering a decent vehicle, complete with unblemished windshield & operating door/window handles. Not so on the more rural routes. Having decided to visit Regina (Reggie) on the Archbishop's compound, I took my old route to the western residential area of Tamale from the center of town and there I found myself facing the familiar shattered windshield with nary a door or window handle in sight. Also learned, however, that even the Bolga route has its problems. On our way back from a delicious dinner at the home of our Canadian friends, Nancy and Frank, Jim & I jumped into a taxi which thankfully delivered us to our home in one piece. The driver consistently faced the front passenger side window & proceeded to drag race and yell at the vehicle to his right. As Jim tapped the fellow's shoulder, suggesting he slow down, I was ever so grateful to zoom over the last speed bump and get out.

Changing Lives

A team of specialists with the Ghana Cleft Foundation from Kumasi came up to the Northern Region and spent the entire week at Tamale Teaching Hospital performing cleft lip and cleft palate surgery. It was a wonderful opportunity for Jim to scrub in with these dedicated and skillful Ghanaian physicians. Over 30 patients (children of various ages and some adults as well) had their lives virtually changed since individuals with this deformity can easily be considered outcasts in society here. Word about the successful surgeries began to spread into the villages and important, too, was the foundation's "no fee" policy if the patient or his/her family did not have the government health insurance. Without a doubt, this medical team's next visit will be eagerly anticipated and most welcome.

Working Out My Work Schedule

Visited the Christian Brothers compound yesterday and had a nice reunion with my former students. It was decided that I teach a class on Thursday afternoons using the "50 Great Short Stories" paperbacks I brought over along with miscellaneous English language materials generously provided by my good friend at the University of Notre Dame - Professor Noreen Deane-Moran.
Tuesday mornings will be my regular slot helping out at COLWOD in addition to any other times the need arises. In actuality, the young women there are very welcoming and I feel free to stop in even if just to sit & visit.
Thus, one can readily see by the "relaxed" schedule described above, I am left with plenty of time to do "hard labor." And that, as it appears, seems to be my destiny for the moment.
Jim admits now that for some time he has had a suspicion about the possibility of Godwin's departure. And so, those basic chores of marketing, preparation of meals, and doing the laundry - things one automatically & quite easily does at home in the US - involve a lot more time and effort in Ghana.
We did purchase a small washing machine here in Tamale which runs only with a very light load. Having pushed in the start button at 7:45 this morning and seeing that at 10:30 it was still leisurely going through its cycles, I decided to do our towels & sheets by hand. Guess I'd clearly forgotten how heavy a large plastic basin of wet towels could be as I lugged them out to dry in the backyard.

Was It Something I Said?

Well, I tried very hard to work around Godwin and to respect the system he had established - demonstrating a sincere interest in learning how to prepare plantains and beans while emphasizing the distinct need for him to remain "chief cook." However, for reasons not yet determined, he disappeared after being given most of the weekend off and hasn't shown up since.
Today is Thursday, and I've now finished both 1) heating up what he had already cooked and 2) preparing the odd raw potatoes, carrots, cabbage and onions left in the refrig before he left. The adventures of the open market are ahead and the creativity of my Ghanaian cusine is on the line.

Spurt of Social Life

Friday evening at the home of Rick and Mmathuba, we dined on hummus, crackers & wine, sliced beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, a vegetable dish of cabbage, carrots & beans, and even a wonderful salad (salad, alone, takes quite a bit of preparation cleansing the greens with a special treatment mixed in with the water). The piece de resistance was a delicious carrot cake topped with vanilla ice cream. If I can even come close to making a meal like that here, I'll really feel like I've accomplished something. Mmathuba, born in Botswana, and Rick, born in Canada, have lived in various African countries & are now in Tamale for a two-year assignment dealing with food security.
Saturday evening, Susan and Wyatt, both distinguished professors of African history with long-time ties to Tamale, invited us to join them for dinner at their Ghanaian friend's new guest house for goat soup, guinea fowl, jollop rice, fried rice, yams, cabbage, and chips. They live in Louisvillle, Kentucky which has been a "sister city" with Tamale for quite some time. Susan, in fact, has been made a "chief" and comes for about six weeks every year, staying on her palace compound. She is instrumental in providing ongoing scholarships to deserving students entering secondary school here in town.
Sunday was a delightful time spent with the Marshall family from South Africa. Damian works on a mango project outside of Tamale and his wife, Chriss & children, Ross & Emily, are here for a visit. After Mass at the Carmelites, we had breakfast at our house and later, the Marshalls hosted a beautiful outdoor lunch at Norrip village.
Think I've eated a month's supply of food in the past three days but will definitely get back to a more normal routine today.

Perspectives

It was 9:30 PM on Monday evening and Jim was not yet back from the hospital. Godwin had left mashed yams with cream sauce & some fried cabbage rolls in the refrigerator for dinner and I was reading & puttering around the house. Jim, as it turned out, was doing his best to help save the life of a one-year old child who had swallowed an earring which had aspirated deep into the lung. I may sometimes wonder what I'm doing in Tamale but Jim has no doubt about why he is here.