Thankful and Hopeful

Already looking forward to our return to Tamale, we are preparing to depart for the one-hour flight to Accra on Sunday where the week-long annual medical meeting of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons is to take place. Tuesday, Jim is presenting a lecture on the Prevention of Aspiration of Foreign Bodies. He certainly has had plenty of experience surgically removing all sorts of small objects that patients - primarily young children - have swallowed (coins, groundnuts, etc.). At the end of the week - a flight to the US in order to be together with our family for Christmas.
Living with a number of inconveniences does not in any way diminish the absolute "PLUS" factor of life in Tamale. Sometimes I think I have to be outside of my usual comfort zone in order to better experience what I would otherwise be missing. I am very thankful for the special friendships that have grown here and am ever hopeful that one can find true happiness anywhere.

A Night To Remember - One For The Books!

The rainy season was supposed to have been finished on this late November evening, but a torrential Ghanaian downpour decended from the sky with a vengeance. Lying in bed under our mosquito net, somewhat ill at ease hearing the thunder and lightening, but enjoying the unaccustomed coolness in the air, I think of people living in houses much less sturdy than ours - dirt floors and mud huts constructed with materials very likely to collapse under the heavy drenching of rain.
Then, BOOM!!! A deafening explosion much too close for comfort. Within minutes, Abdulai, our night watchman, runs into the house screaming in Dagbani to get out (no translation necessary from the level of panic in his voice)! Smelling smoke, enveloped in darkness, and having been sleeping "au naturel," Jim pulls me from the bedroom, through the hall, into the living room and towards the front door. As I plead to no avail for some clothes, and Abdulai and the watchman from next door are yelling at us to get outside, we jump into the driving rain.
The decrepit looking electrical meter box on the exterior wall of our house is the culprit. It now hangs limply in its disintegrated form.
Someone hands me Abdulai's old, gray sweatshirt to hold in front of me as we slip and slide hopping over the muddy gravel in our front yard to seek shelter in the house next door. There, Jim and I are given some clothes, a glass of juice and a bed for the night. Power is out, but we are alive and well and all the better after a few good laughs.

Colorful Contrasts on a Sunday Morning

Leaving the house around 6:45 AM, we hail a taxi on the Bolga Road. Already in the back seat is a young mother with an adorable little boy of about nine months old fastened on her back. After the usual Dagbani greetings, she asks me a question in which I happen to recognize one word - yidana - which means husband. Pointing to Jim & then to her baby, the message and realization comes across that Jim had recently taken care of this child at the hospital. Smiles all around because the boy had recovered after having been seriously sick with an abscess.
Passing through the center of town, one sees the bustling Sunday clothes market in full swing. Mounds and mounds of used clothes are laid out for potential buyers to sort through and inspect for purchase.
Alighting from the taxi near the vicinity of the hospital, Jim leads the way via his back road shortcut to the "Blessed Sacrament" chapel on the hospital grounds. For several minutes, we are walking on a litter-filled dirt road covered with discarded plastic bags and other debris, and in the next we are seated at Mass midst the beautiful sounds of a youthful choir singing and swaying in their burgundy colored robes.

Variation To My Daily Routine

Am considering future inquiries for teaching again when here for a longer stay, but for the time being, my days have generally been occupied with the household chores of marketing, preparing meals, etc. Our house guest returned to the US, so other than some entertaining of friends, I'll basically be cooking for two for a while.
A welcome variation to my usual routine is to sometimes accompany Jim to the hospital either to attend a lecture or to help him with some clerical tasks. With the recent building renovation, he now has his own small office space complete with desk, computer and A/C. This little oasis provides me with a pleasant place to hopefully assist him in some way or to simply do my own reading or writing.
Jim's "To Do" list is a mile long and constantly growing with the care of his patients taking top priority. Between making rounds, seeing consults, trying to accomplish the necessary preparations for the Operating Room, performing surgeries, overseeing the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic, lecturing medical students, being available for emergencies, arranging a weekly medical meeting and dealing with daily staff frustrations/problems, his day is more than full.
On the way home, we struggle with the Ghanaian system of banking at the SG-SSB, then manage to stop at the market to pick up some eggs, vegetables, pineapple, and Pau Pau.

Wooden Bakery & Coffee Shop

Took a short walk yesterday to investigate the new coffee shop that opened nearby. Set back from the Bolga Road, the Wooden Bakery is pristine in its appearance with no less than six young Ghanaian employees standing outside waiting for potential customers and another six inside doing the same. All are outfitted in a freshly minted uniform - black slacks, light yellow shirt with "Wooden Bakery" stitched on the upper left side, a crisp cocoa brown apron and a semi-pouffed chef-style hat to complete the ensemble. Over a delicious cafe latte, I perused their menu of pastas, salads, sandwiches and pizzas - any choice guaranteed to be ready within a few minutes time (we'll see...) according to the Lebanese manager. Pastries are flown into Accra from France and then transported up north to Tamale. Looks like it will be a popular spot and as it happens, a short walk from our home. Nice addition to the area!

Dinner For Six

Two physicians, Mark and Karin, and an ICU nurse, Kathrin, all visiting Tamale Teaching Hospital from Germany, came to our home for dinner Wednesday evening. So, along with our house guest, Dr. Norman, Jim and myself, dinner for six. Made an eggplant parmesan casserole, a dish of mashed yam with a tomato/green pepper topping and a cucumber salad. Also picked up a tasty vegetable pizza at the nearby Tacorabama restaurant. Dessert consisted of my second attempt at oatmeal cookies in our ever-challenging oven along with some vanilla/chocolate ice cream. Entertainment was provided by successfully opening the South African wine brought by our guests. Our locally purchased cork screw immediately broke apart on contact with the bottle, but pliers and a screw driver retrieved from the garage managed to do the trick.

Back Home in Tamale

Getting reacquainted with the joyful singing and drums at Mass and learning more than ever to be on high alert navigating the chaos of taxis, bicycles and motor bikes, we are at home in Tamale. Boiling water for drinking, thoroughly washing all vegetables and fruits and once again sleeping under the protection of our mosquito net all become comfortable routine.
Renovation of the old Tamale Teaching Hospital and the construction of its new building are very impressive. If only the problematic lack of water could be resolved and the crucial importance of ongoing maintenance be recognized.
Dr. Andy Norman, a GYN from the US, is staying with us for a couple of weeks. His area of expertise includes performing the life-changing procedure of fistula repair which provides enormous relief from the damaging injuries resulting from prolonged and complicated childbirth.
Sunday lunch with some friends at the Gariba Lodge brought the exciting news of a brand new Lebanese coffee shop opening down the road. Since this new establishment appears to be the only one of its kind in town, it's definitely on everyone's "To Do" list.

Rendez-Vous in Accra

Overdue for my return to Ghana, I arrived 2 Nov. 2013 with Jim meeting me in Accra. The capital city is becoming more familiar and as long as Jim has his trusty map, he is able to use the local Tro-Tro system to get us anywhere. Piled into the typical Tro-Tro, an often well-worn van carrying twenty-odd passengers scrunched together, public transportation is both inexpensive and efficient.
A room at the University For Development Studies Guest House provided a convenient and central location for getting around. An interesting tour of old Accra, given by a German Art History grad student, was a highlight of our stay. By climbing to the top of the old light house, we were treated to a panoramic view of the city and picturesque fishing harbor.
Then, as unlikely as it would be for Jim to take me dancing on a Saturday night in the US, he nevertheless learned of a live hit Ghanaian television show called "Music, Music" being taped at TV3's nearby studio. As we discreetly attempted to sit at the back of the audience, the director waved and ushered us up to the first row right in front of the cameras. I was the lone white lady dancing with a crowd of gyrating Ghanaians.
The next day, we took a Tro-Tro about 30 km outside of Accra to the peaceful Aburi Botanical Gardens and the pretty Akwapim Hills. On the way back to the city, we visited Ghana's only senior school for the deaf in Mampong.
Early Tuesday morning, 5 Nov., found us on Antrak's one-hour flight up north to Tamale.