Adieu Again

By the end of this week, I will finish up teaching at Etoile Royale which has been an interesting learning experience for me. I've survived the fifth and sixth graders and they seem to have survived me.
Once again, the time is approaching for my return to the US while Jim continues his important work here in Tamale. By following our passions, we set our priorities. And by helping others, we truly help ourselves - in Ghana, the US, and wherever life takes us.

Wedding - Ghanaian Style

A few hours ago, we returned from a beautiful wedding of one of the young physicians at the hospital. The cathedral ceremony began at 9 AM and the reception followed about three hours later at the VIP room of the soccer stadium. At a conservative estimate, it looked like over 500 guests were in attendance with drinks and food for everyone. Both bride and groom were originally from the Upper West Region of Ghana (where Jim first worked in the late 1970s). The Dagaare women from that area were in full strength with traditional songs and dances and I couldn't resist joining in and having my turn at being lifted up into the air in the midst of their circle. Of course, the stunning Ghanaian dresses were a real treat to observe. One large group of family/friends had purchased the exact same navy blue/lime green print material for the occasion and it was so interesting to see the variety of dress designs - V-neck, scoop neck, short sleeves, sleeveless, childrens' outfits, matching purses, etc. - made all in the same fabric. The bride's dress was actually a pretty, beaded, white strapless gown very similar to western bridal wear, and the groom wore a western style light beige suit with a burgundy and white pin-striped shirt and burgundy patterned tie. The guests, however, were a mixture of both African and western fashion with most of the women in the typical fitted style that shows every contour of the body. While appearing to be poured into the dress, the magic of a few well placed slits or flared panels in the lower skirt, allows one the mobility of not only walking or dancing but climbing onto the back of a motorcycle as well. Among my favorite outfits were those of the bride's parents. Her father wore the traditional weaved smock of the Upper West and her mother's matching blue and white dress was accented by a gorgeous gold headpiece. Pictures to be posted at a future date.
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Importance of Ironing

Having laundry done in Ghana is a perk - cleaned and pressed. The soaps are strong (perhaps too much so for those having sensitive skin). With the constant accumulation of dirt and dust, we marvel at seeing all the stark white shirts, dresses and uniforms.
Ironing is a "must" and actually for a very good reason other than to obliterate wrinkles. When clothes and linens are dried on a line, the tumbu fly may come along and lay eggs in the material. If the items are not ironed, these eggs can be embedded into the surface of a person's skin and can later result in the development of an infestation of worms - definitely a situation to be avoided. Everything is ironed!

Comings and Goings

Our Canadian friend, Nancy, stayed with us last weekend. After working for several years in Ghana with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), she is now doing short-term assignments in West Africa for a German non-government agency (NGO).
Mmathuba and Rick plan to leave Ghana by the end of 2010 as Rick's three-year project with CIDA comes to a close. They will also do some traveling between now & then visiting family both in Botswana and Canada and I shall miss my "gal pal" here in Tamale. Yesterday, however, Mmathuba managed to introduce me to yet another local "find" before she left. At the end of a typical dirt road, we approached a little salon complete with massage services and a host of other beauty treatments. Passing on the massage, we did indulge in pedicures. So, along with bright red toenails and a recent purchase of a multi-colored ankle bracelet, at least my feet are in great shape for the wedding to which we are invited this Saturday.

Daily Doings

My friend, Mmathuba, shows me all her choice spots for various foods & household items, colorful cloths and handmade crafts.
Adam regularly stops by the house, his bicycle laden with a heavy bag of produce from his garden - usually cucumbers.
Hamzah is always hard at work in his tailor shop, currently making two shirts for Jim and a tablecloth for me.
Sylvia, Fadila and Mary continue to sew and sell at COLWOD while Margaret creates batik designs and runs her own little store.
I finally threw caution to the wind the other day and hopped on Margaret's motorcycle (with Sylvia taking great joy in snapping a series of photos with my digital camera) - a much more pleasant ride than being squeezed into a shared taxi with five other people.
Jim is as determined and diligent as ever as he tries to learn and speak Dagbani. In addition to the standard greetings and stock phrases, he sometimes manages to conduct actual conversations.

Renovations and Growth

Tamale appears to be growing with building and renovations seen all about town. Many sites remain only half completed but even with the slow pace of Ghanaian life, changes can be observed. "Sparkles" restaurant/bar, near the crafts market, now has a thatch roof which covers a large open terrace while "Gidipass" has added an a new indoor air-conditioned seating area to their open, outdoor tables. Of course, a most important and long-awaiting renovation is that of Tamale Teaching Hospital. Having been under discussion and debate for over twelve years, the hospital is supposedly still on track for a brand new facility. Meetings of administrators, architects, contractors and physicians continue to take place and one can only hope that all their efforts will eventually come to fruition.

Seeing The Plus Signs

Easter Sunday Mass, with the beat of rhythmic drums, full-bodied voices in song and Ghanaian women wearing vivid colorful dresses of varying styles, was a beautiful experience. At the Offertory procession, gifts were especially plentiful. Among them: yams, bread, eggs, a twelve-roll package of toilet paper, water, and a fairly hearty-looking chicken (feathers and all which one of the altar boys graciously grabbed by the neck and carried off to the sacristy). Collection time, as always, was accompanied by lively music while row by row, parishioners walked, sashayed, danced and sang their way up to the baskets to drop in their weekly contributions.
Two other "positives" to note: 1) a new, little convenience store just a few feet from our house where one can easily purchase bottled water, juices, soap, etc. without having to cart these things back from town, and 2) our reliable, strong-flowing shower which continues to be one of the few things that happens to really work well in a house built by questionable contractors.
Always something to be thankful for....

31st Wedding Anniversary

On the 31st of March, Jim and I celebrated 31 years of marriage! Before we wed in 1979, he did reiterate that he planned on returning to Ghana one day - after having just recently spent two years there from 1976 to 1978 (practicing medicine and avoiding the state of marriage at the same time). I guess I didn't take him too seriously but here we are, and doing fine. I'd love to know the reactions of our beloved parents - Rose and Jim, Mildred and John. Somehow, I think they'd adapt well - especially with the ability to communicate (when local electrical power allows!) with cell phones and internet.
Godwin prepared a special chocolate cake to commemorate the occasion, while Jim and I, along with our good friend, Kris, enjoyed a delicious vegetable pizza with cold drinks at the "Jungle Bar." Congratulations from our kids back home were also very much appreciated!

Languages Galore

Since I am teaching English and French to students here in Tamale, I was interested to know what language(s) they generally speak at home. In addition to English, responses included not only the Dagbani language of the local Dagomba people, but many spoke Dagaare which is used by the Dagaati tribe of the Upper West. In addition to these two, ten others (Twi, Frafra, Mampruli, Hauza, etc.) of the various 75 plus languages and dialects spoken in Ghana popped up in my survey.
And now, like most devoted and conscientious teachers, I am absolutely ready for spring break!! The rambunctious Fifth and Sixth Graders are a challenge in themselves but combine that with trying to discern their soft-spoken accents with a bit of a decrease in hearing on my part, and the work is certainly cut out for me!

Teaching at "Etoile Royale"

Am able to start a little volunteer work after all at Etoile Royale, a grade school which has classes up to Level Six. I began yesterday, teaching French and English to the two upper grades and will continue next week until their spring holiday begins on April 1st. Even after the break, I should still be able to work for a couple of more weeks before returning to the US. Grade Five has 21 students - 10 girls, 11 boys and Grade Six has 20 - 4 girls, 16 boys. The Director of the school has emphasized the importance of basic polite conversation needing to be learned and re-enforced with the students. Ghanaians, by nature, are extremely courteous in their actions. However, possibly because the local language of Dagbani (or that of another tribe if the family happens to come from a different area) might be spoken at home, many children are not proficient in expressing themselves with a full English sentence. So, in addition to certain grammatical fundamentals in reading and writing, an immediate goal is to develop some good speaking skills both in English and in French. That should keep me busy for a while - not only with actual classroom time but with preparation of materials.

Teaching and Telephones

Am working at the Abe Halperin School with children around nine years of age who have difficulty with reading. Usually, I take four or five students at a time from their regular classroom and we sit under a large tree to practice a few language skills. The going is occasionally slow but I'm hoping that at least a little extra emphasis can't hurt. Unfortunately, my timing as a volunteer teacher is not the best; exams are being given in a couple of days and a long spring break is to follow. Will try to check on the holiday schedules of other schools in the area as well.
Visited one called Etoile Royale yesterday afternoon and maybe after their break, teaching there may be a possibility. On the way home, Jim and I grabbed a taxi and I unknowingly left my trusty cell phone in the cab. When I discovered it missing later in the evening, we called my number from Jim's cell and amazingly, a kind and honest gentleman answered - our taxi driver from a few hours before. As providence would have it, he turned out to be the father of one of the students in the Abe Halperin School and we made arrangements to meet at 7 AM this morning to reunite me with my phone. I know Someone is watching over me.

Interesting Visitors and Resident Dust

The daughter-in-law of our friends, Bill and Patricia, who are physicians here in Tamale, was here for a visit last week and lectured on psychiatry at both the medical school and at the hospital's weekly conference. Erin practices in Great Britain and provided students and staff with an interesting and informative discussion.
Ian, a gentleman from Scotland, was also visiting our area - involved in a project which oversees child labor regulations. Here in Ghana, this specifically involved children panning for gold and other minerals.
The winter Harmattan wind is over but the air remains dry and dusty. Newly washed floors and any other surfaces are quickly re-covered with a brown layer of dirt. Rainy season not expected much before May.

Spelling Bee and Books

With Jim sure to get busy soon with his medical work, I'm trying to make my own contacts toward being productive. Walked over to a nearby school close to our house and asked to speak with an administrator about volunteer teaching. Found the Headmistress standing under a tree in a large, open area where hundreds of students were assembled in a big circle ready to begin a spelling bee. Great photo-op (but of course I hadn't taken my camera) as the sea of blue uniforms was divided into four separate groups - Blue, Red, Green, and Yellow - for the scheduled competition (the Green team won!). Rounds one, two and three were French words while rounds four and five were the local language of Dagbani. Nice to learn that although English is the language of choice for instruction, all students in this particular school are being exposed to French as well. For a few years, the teaching of French in Ghana had evidently diminished but there is now a renewed interest which seems practical since Ghana is surrounded by such French-speaking countries as Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin. The school is co-ed, private, and ages run from pre-school to fifteen. There is also a day-care for children one year and older. I have a meeting set up for 8:30 tomorrow morning to discuss possible options for me.
Meanwhile, my good friend, Ann, sent us a much appreciated box of wonderful paperback books which I picked up at the post office later in the afternoon - a terrific assortment which will keep us well entertained for quite some time.

Hot, Hot Weather, Slow, Slow Internet, And Still Smiling

We have a couple of rooms with an air conditioner in our home but walking around town during the day can be pretty hot. Dripping with sweat, I somehow managed to literally peel myself into a bathing suit so I could check out a new swimming pool at a nearby hotel - only to find the murky, green water "unusable." Quelle surprise!
Internet access has been disappointing too. Very slow and quite sporadic.
And yet, there are those other little things which manage to tip the scale in the other direction. When we gave our night watchman, Mumuni, a small gift of figs, dates & apricots from Egypt along with a photo of him which I had taken last October & had developed before leaving the US, he laughed & laughed, jumping about and clapping his hands in joy and appreciation of possessing a printed picture of himself. It may have made his day but I know it certainly made mine.

Family Vacation in Egypt Then Jim & Cyndy Return to Ghana

Amazingly, all four of our adult children joined Jim and me for a special family vacation in Egypt. Midst the city of Cairo, the pyramids at Giza, and the beaches of Sharm El Sheikh on the Red Sea, we celebrated Jim's birthday in style. Following the kids' return to their jobs in the US, Jim & I thoroughly enjoyed a beautiful cruise on the Nile where we were truly in awe of the ancient tombs and temples once covered by sand for thousands of years and now standing in all their splendor.
So, from barely being able to depart the States in the middle of a Nor'easter blizzard, I now find myself in the 99 degree F temperature of Ghana's hot, dry season. Jim & I arrived in Accra on March 14 & continued north to Tamale this past Monday, March 15. On Tuesday, he was warmly welcomed back by so many people at the hospital - on the wards, in the OR, the lab, in various departments, and of course in the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic. My welcome greeting at COLWOD rivaled his at the hospital. Screams, bear hugs and kisses can't help but make one feel right at home.