The Little Things

Since our two house guests have returned to the U.S., our daily routines are pretty much back in place. Jim continues to be a welcome presence at the hospital (the weekly medical conference has grown in attendance) and I plug along with household tasks in between conducting a class at the Christian Brothers compound or manning the front table at COLWOD. A new project I enjoy is preparing calico to be made into colorful wall hangings. After making a particular sketch (animals, trees, etc.) on a large poster-sized paper, I then place a section of calico on top of it and am able to trace an outline on the cloth of the drawn pattern underneath. One of the COLWOD ladies then applies her talented skills with wax and dyes, transforming it into a colorful piece.
Do I miss Manhattan and the suburbs of New Jersey? Yes. But, I can also appreciate the pace of life here and will miss "the little things" when I am back in the U.S. Like the generosity of spirit the other rainy morning when we were waiting for a "shared taxi" to travel to church. A cab going by (in the opposite direction, no less) stopped, its three passengers got out, offered to wait for another one to come along, and insisted we take theirs instead. And the spontaneous greetings of the Ghanaians while one is walking or when entering a building - A maraaba! (Welcome!), Dasiba (Good morning), A gbihira? (Did you sleep well?) Maybe I'll give this greeting thing a try the next time I stroll down Kearny Avenue or ride the subway in the city.