Some Photos

Now that I've arrived home, our daughter, Beth, is helping me add a few photos to my blog. I hope you enjoy them.

My birthday "boubou" dress - a gift from Jim

In the neighborhood...

In the village...

Again, in the village...

With some of my students

Drying laundry

Some of my co-workers at COLWOD

The close of Ramadan

Prayer, close of Ramadan

At COLWOD

My English class

Making shea butter

Farewells and Future Plans

My nearly four-month stay in Ghana will soon be coming to a close as I fly from Tamale to Accra on Nov. 2. Jim plans to accompany me to Accra where we'll spend the week-end before my flight to the U.S. via Amsterdam which departs the evening of Nov. 5.
As one might imagine, it's with mixed feelings that I leave. While I greatly look forward to being with family and friends, it will be difficult saying "au revoir" to Jim. Future plans are always uncertain but I hope to return to Ghana late in the spring. Meanwhile, our daughter, Beth, will be the first family member to visit the Murphy home in Tamale. She and her Dad will celebrate Christmas together while I join the contingent in the States.
And so, as I say my farewells, I'm deeply appreciative to have been exposed to many new experiences and at the same time realize I have so much more to learn. Africa is a huge continent with its countries very diverse. Ghana, and most importantly the people I've met here, have been my personal and unforgettable introduction to this unique part of our world.

Nurturing Contacts

Last week, a long overdue clinical conference for doctors took place in the hospital thanks to Jim's "behind the scenes" approach to initiate it. Unbelievably, the doctors had rarely met among themselves. Rapport was not good, legitimate complaints were usually ignored, and some colleagues were not even aware of the existence of others. Jim went to each physician in the hospital and telephoned four or five additional ones who work in Tamale but outside the facility to encourage their getting together. He asked two Ghanaian doctors to preside over the meeting and to Jim's delight, they had a great turn-out of eighteen physicians and a resolution to hold subsequent conferences every two weeks. So, although serious problems continue, this event was truly an accomplishment.
Our social contacts are also increasing. The Archbishop has a friend who offered to cook a special meal for us the other evening. She is a Ghanaian now married to an Italian and was back in Ghana "to take care of business." Part of her "business" included an attempt to rent us a house and sell us a car. No such agreement came into fruition but we did enjoy some great pasta!
Recently, we had a tasty lunch at an Indian restaurant with a young man from South Africa who is working on an interesting mango project, and last Friday, a Canadian couple who are finishing an eight year water safety assignment in Tamale had us to their home for a wonderful dinner. We feasted on green leaf soup, pepper steak, mashed yams, and assorted vegetables and we even had the Ghanaian version of ice-cream - "Fan Milk" - for dessert, accompanied by paw-paw fruit and banana cake. Their home was well constructed in a compound of houses built by an Italian contractor several years ago specifically for Canadians working in Tamale. So, midst all the poorly built places, there are definitely a few exceptions. The country, itself, is one of contrasts. Many Ghanaians take great pride in their dress and appearance. Seen on the street or at their place of work, one could easily picture them in New York City of London. Their homes, however, are often spartan and not equivalent to western standards as we know them.
Life here in the north can be especially difficult. Because most of the government allotments go to the south, the northerners often feel forgotten or neglected. Poverty is widespread and yet, the Ghanaians are generally a happy people. They warmly greet friends and strangers alike and are always ready to laugh both at each other and at themselves.

Celebrating the Close of Ramadan

This past Saturday morning, Jim and I went to witness the "Feast of the Breaking of the Fast" prayer commemorating the end of Ramadan. It was held in the recently finished parade grounds in town and attended by literally thousands of Muslims. People streamed in from all sides, and with the women sitting separately from the men, the Imam led them all in prayer. For 30 days, they had been fasting - no food, drink, including water, and no sexual relations- from about 4 or 5 AM to 6 PM. Now was the time to celebrate and since the feast fell on the weekend, Monday was declared a holiday as well.
Sr. Marie-Renee, a Sister of Our Lady o f Africa, who taught the short course on Islam which I attended during the summer, invited us to greet some of her Muslim colleagues later in the day. Because Marie is very active in promoting inter-religious dialogue, she is well acquainted with various community leaders. We first visited the Imam of Tamale's central mosque who had led the morning prayer at the parade grounds. We met in very humble surroundings and chatted for a few minutes while seated on a bench outside his home.
The second visit was to the Imam of a smaller mosque and here we were invited inside the home. Taking off our shoes, we entered a rather large room which had a few chairs, sofas, a bed, and on the walls large posters of prominent Muslim clerics and decorative excerpts of the Koran. The Imam sat facing us on his prayer rug and we conversed for quite a while, - laughing, sharing stories, and speaking about the similarities of the Bible and the importance of recognizing and respedrcting each other's faiths. His English was fairly good but occasionally he used a translator to get his meaning across. Although many Muslims are indeed highly educated, the Imams - those who rise to the high position of the "caller to prayer" - are often purposely not exposed to the education, languages, and culture of the western world. The Imam, however, did take great pride in telling us that not only he, but his four wives and his mother haave all made the special pilrimmage to Mecca.
There was a very wise and peaceful demeanor exhibited by these two religious leaders and they certainly provided one with a more realistic and balanced perception of Islam.

House and Hospital

Further construction has begun on our future rental house so it should be fun to observe how the finishing touches progress. The available tiles were split between a speckled green and a speckled sand so we'll see what design materializes between the two. The "baby blue" basins were already purchased by the owner in Accra so I guess some of my color schemes have already been determined. One error in the builder's judgment concerns the small kitchen sink. Ideally, it should have been a double one since without hot water from the tap, it'd be nice to fill one section with water that has been heated on the stove for rinsing. Oh well, at least they can replace the faucet itself with a higher spigot so we can manage to get a pot underneath. In the next couple of weeks, we'll have to get a stove, some furniture and a few other essentials. Hopefully, the refrigerator that we brought in the container will work.
Jim continues to establish his place at the hospital and each day I am sure his contributions are taking effect. It is a slow process. While some people are very willing to learn, others are reluctant to change age-old habits. The facility, itself, has been sadly neglected for many years and truthfully, my first visit there gave me a strong incentive to try and stay healthy so I wouldn't have to return as a patient. Jim, however, goes faithfully every morning, determined to do what he can to help the Ghanaians and improve conditions. I now understand how important it was for him to accumulate all the medical equipment he could get his hands on in the U.S. before coming over.
The last few days have seemed quite a bit warmer as the rainy season is drawing to a close. I'm told the really hot months are Feb, Mar, and April, - this after the dusty Harmattan wind, which usually comes December through January. In the span of sometimes eight months, there is not one drop of rain.

Finally! Prospects for Housing & a Vehicle

After much searching, inspecting, and advice to be patient about finding the "right" place, we are hopeful that our own housing may materialize in about a month. We've been negotiating with the owner of the house we plan to rent and are to meet with him again tomorrow re: signing of a contract and the purchasing of the materials needed to complete the construction. It is newly built, three bedrooms (visitors welcome!) awaiting painting, the installation of tiles, plumbing and electrical fixtures, etc. It's fairly standard procedure here for Ghanaian contractors or owners to offer a house for rent before it is actually completed. Then they typically request two years rent in advance in order to cover the expenses of the "final touches." We had seen places asking for anywhere from about $150 to $600 per month (with no particular correlation to quality) and were able to get this one for $130.
The purchase of a 2 x 4 Nissan pick-up is also underway but this may take 2-3 months to accomplish. The vehicles on hand now are South African made and it is recommended that we get one that is Japan assembled. Unfortunately, these are "on order" so we'll have to continue to rely on the convenient and inexpensive taxi system for a bit longer.
Although I'm not that anxious to drive a stick-shift midst the bicycles and livestock in Tamale, I would like to get into the house before it's time for my return to the States in November. Not that I don't trust Jim with all those decisions about curtains, furniture, etc....

Taxi Adventure & A Passing Proposal

At my trusted spot for catching the "set rate" taxi ride home from town, I climbed into a typical broken-down vehicle with three other ladies. The driver was probably all of 15 but looked 12 and been suspiciously examining unknown parts under the roof before getting behind the wheel. Two older men proceeded to push us onto the road whereby the young driver unsuccessfully tried to put the car into gear. Accompanied by rumbling sounds from the motor, we jolted & bumped a few feet at a time before consistently rolling to a stop. After about three more failed attempts, my three Ghanaian companions insisted on our getting out and entering a different vehicle. Taxi #2 looked in no better shape, its doors cut up but still hanging on their hinges and we all piled in. After turning off the dirt road & onto the main paved thoroughfare, we had gone barely a kilometer or two when our current driver suddenly stopped and we were forcefully rammed from the rear. Scrambling to get out of the back seat through the one door we managed to open, we joined the crowd which had quickly formed around the two cars. Our vehicle had to be pushed away while the other one drove around the broken glass and eventually left the scene. Thankfully, no one seemed to be seriously hurt, just a bit shaken up and the three Ghanaian women in full voice, - shouts to our driver, shouts to the driver who hit us, and shouts from all the bystanders made for a most interesting experience. Of course there were no officials in sight and after a few minutes, still another taxi came to pick us up, - this one with a windshield so badly cracked that one could just about see through it. The third, however, was the charm and we gratefully made it to our respective destinations in one piece.
Nonetheless, one incident earlier in the day made me smile. An elderly man in distinguished Muslim dress asked me if I would consider becoming one of his wives. Ah, what little it takes to make a person feel good....

Weekend Doings

Am managing to schedule a couple of things I frequently do in the States - like meeting a friend for lunch. Rosemary, a Medical Mission sister and I enjoyed a nice visit at a restaurant called SWAD. Then, on Saturday evening, Jim and I were invited to the home of Bill and Patricia Turner. Both are "retired" physicians teaching at the medical school nearby and running a clinic there. Bill was born in Ghana to a Ghanaian mother and a British father and after being schooled here, he left to study medicine in the UK at age 22 (Wales) where he met his future wife, Patricia. They then practiced in Great Britain for about 25 years and raised two children. Now, they're spending a good part of the year living and working in Tamale. We had a delightful evening with a wonderful dinner of fish and a stew made of yams, carrots, and cabbage followed by the rare treat of dessert - a banana custard.
Sunday afternoon, Jim and I routed through a few more of our cartons which are still housed in a storage container on the grounds of one of the seminaries. So, yea! I have an extended wardrobe and found a few luxury items like mosquito repellent spray and various toiletries. In the evening, we treated the Archbishop (who turned 74 on Sept. 8th while he was traveling in the States), his driver, Nevius and wife, Esther, and Regina, the Archbishop's niece, to a belated birthday celebration at the Jungle Bar. All in all, quite a social weekend!

Flooding

Saturday morning, Jim went with the Archbishop to inspect the damage in the Northern Region affected by recent flooding. The areas they visited had lost some homes and fields of crops but conditions were not as bad as those reported further north and in the northeast where over 19,000 homes collapsed (most built of mud brick) and 90,000 people were left homeless. In the most hard-hit areas, 70 % of the farmlands were submerged and over 10,000 livetock were lost. Many roads were washed away with some districts virtually cut off from the rest of the region. When bridges and roads are destroyed, a trip usually taking 30 minutes could now be six hours.
The floods have brought back the black flies whose bite causes river blindness and people also have to deal with the reptiles whose habitats have been covered with water and which now seek refuge for survival.
After a serious draught, many Ghanaians are indeed thankful for the torrential rains but a deep commitment is necessary to help the unfortunate ones who have been made to sacrifice a great deal for the potential benefit of the rest of the country.

Celebrations of Birth and Death

Mary, one of the young women who works as a seamstress at COLWOD, recently gave birth to a beautiful girl. For the previous two or three weeks, everyone was amazed when she appeared each day at the shop looking VERY pregnant but evidently not yet ready to deliver. Sr. Jacky and I drove over to Mary's compound for the "naming of the baby" celebration and we all took turns having pictures taken with the newly arrived "Fatima." Mary is Christian and married a Muslim (A Muslim man is allowed to marry a non-Muslim but not so for a Muslim woman to marry outside her faith.) so they awaited the Imam to come and offer prayers for the baby and family.
In contrast, Jim was able to witness the funeral celebration (actually the burial) of one of the most important chiefs in this area, - the "Keeper of the Land." This chief had been in power for forty years. A fellow worker at the hospital took Jim on the back of his motorbike to the cemetery where they joined the throngs of people and listened to the gun salutes. A directive also went out that the stores in town should close out of respect. Any left open would be subject to looting with officials conveniently looking the other way. The chief was a Muslim and therefore buried quickly. The third day after his death, special prayers are said and for the next few days continuous drumming and dancing are performed. The seventh and fortieth days are also especially designated.
Christian and "traditional" funerals have a very different ritual and sometimes the families of the departed take quite a long time preparing for the celebration. It is not uncommon for a person to be kept "in the frig" as the Ghanaians say, and buried a month or two after death. Obituary notices often accompanied by a photo are frequently posted listing family members and chief mourners and announcing the place, date and time of burial services and final funeral rites.

The Bank, the Library, and Sparkles

Just when I was thinking I might not accomplish much the other day, I experienced the opposite, - keeping in mind that little things mean a lot.
Jim and I shared a ride into town and as he went off to the hospital, I first photo-copied some papers for my class, then found an internet cafe for an hour. From there, I proceeded to one of our banks in Tamale. The SG/SSB is hands-down a favorite over Barclays. At the SG/SSB, there were people waiting all over the place as usual, some in lines and some in seated groups, and as I was trying to figure out the system, a bank official miraculously noticed (recognized?) me among the crowd and waved me over to his window. From there, he directed me to two other administrators and after a reasonably short amount of time, I exited with a bank draft for Jim to send to the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, a receipt indicating I had just deposited 50 new Ghana cedis, and two brand new ATM cards for use only in Ghana.
My next goal was finding the library which was conveniently in the same general area. It's basically a one-room building containing several shelves of books (most quite old) with eight tables seating about eight persons each, - all of which were filled to capacity. A new library site is under construction across the way and it really looks promising. I paid 10,000 old cedis to register each of us ($1. per person) and just have to return with two ID photos and the application cards "guaranteed" by the hospital where Jim works.
My last stop before heading back "home" was Sparkles Restaurant. Had a plate of chips (French Fies) and a Star beer and felt like I had a good start for the rest of the day.

Being A Teacher Again

Am enjoying being a teacher again even though I meet my class only two hours a week, - from two to three on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are group of twelve African young men who are in the novitiate of the Christian Brothers here in Tamale. They hail from Kenya, the Gambia, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Liberia and Cameroon, all of which have English as an official language except for Cameroon which has French. However, although the schooling in their respective countries was in the official tongue, all spoke the colloquial language of their regions at home, and depending on the level of education completed, their English proficiency varies. The student from Cameroon, for example, is quite proficient both in French and English whereas another student from the Gambia didn't begin his formal education until the age of seventeen. In addition to grammar and basic usage of the language in conversation and writing, pronunciation is an important area of concentration. The Kenyans, especially, have great difficulty with the "r" and the "l" sounds, often substituting one for the other. There are no teaching materials to speak of so I just ad-lib. The young men are very appreciative and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn from them as well.

Daily Do's ad Don'ts

One does have to remind people nicely but persistently to get things done but we've certainly learned not to expect things to happen quickly, much less immediately. Trying to negotiate the completion of a house is but one example.
Always use the right hand for eating, shaking in a greeting, motioning, and giving things to someone. The left is associated with unclean activities.
When beginning to eat, "just eat" without trying to smell the food first which is often a reflex action for us in the West. Here, it is impolite and especially rude to wrinkle your nose at a distasteful smell.
Do try to practice the local language, even if your pronunciation is poor and often unrecognizable to the native speaker. Jim has absolutely no problem with this. Whereas I sometimes hesitate to try and make sure of a correct phrase, he plunges right in and experiments with how ever many expressions he can remember. Some people are convulsed with laughter but at the same time always give him a lot of credit for trying.
Finally, affection is not generally shown in public. So, any thoughts I had of Jim and I walking hand in hand under a Ghanaian sunset are "on hold."

Cross-Cultural Orientation

Jim and I recently finished an excellent one-week orientation course at the Tamale institute of Cross-Cultural Studies (TICCS). This organization was founded by Dr. Jon Kirby, who is a respected anthropologist and a Catholic priest of the Society of the Divine Word. We were twelve participants in all - represented by Norway, Japan, the Congo, Kenya, India, South Africa, the Netherlands, Canada and the U.S. We ate and slept on the grounds of this unique facility and began friendships that will hopefully be nourished well into the future.
In addition to interesting lectures on topics concerning politics, tribal chiefs, economics, health, kinship, religious beliefs and language, we visited a Diviner, a local chief, various tradesmen, and a clinic run by a remarkable Ghanaian physician, Dr. David Abdulai, who ministers to the poor free of any charge. One night we ate fu-fu on the compound of a local village and were warmly welcomed by both elders and children alike. On our last evening, we watched a performance of the Choggu Dance Troupe & had a lot of fun with audience participation. Jim even filmed me "in motion" thoroughly enjoying learning the "moves" of the African steps. This was followed by a fantastic Ghanaian buffet in the garden with a variety of over thirty specially prepared dishes.
The course was extremely beneficial and demonstrated how many Ghanaians who welcome modern development still have one foot firmly entrenched in the traditions of the past.

Getting Things Done - "small, small

Ghanaians have a favorite expression which pretty much corresponds to our "little by little" and that's "small, small," or in Dagbani "biela, biela." English is the official language in this former British colony which, however, is surrounded on all sides by the French speaking nations of Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Togo. And because Tamale is a city, one is likely to hear a sampling of different regional tongues along with the predominant Dagbani. When the Ghanaians talk among themselves, it's usually in the Dagbani language rather than the official tongue. Am looking forward to teaching English to a group of young men studying to be Chrristian Brothers. They come from all parts of Africa and the level of their English varies with respect to pronunciation, general usage, vocabulary and writing.
We haven't gotten into our own house yet (although we're working on a good lead!) but we did obtain our driver's licenses and applied for Ghanaian health insurance as well as a P.O. Box (the latter two still in progress). Everyone is amazed at how quickly we managed to get our driver's licenses as it can supposedly take as long as a year and even sometimes necessitates the long trip to Accra. Three things helped - 1) an introductory letter from the hospital, 2) our US licenses which seemed to offer proof that we could drive, & 3) the fact that Jim managed to produce his ond Ghanaian license inssued back in 1976, - a great souvenir which they unfortunately confiscated when we picked up our newly laminated ones about four weeks later. The Motor Vehicle Agency was an experience in itself - deserving a detailed description at a later date. And so, we're getting things done, small, small.

Small World

It truly is a small world when just the other day, my husband, Jim, and my boss at COLWOD, Sr. Jacky, realized that they had met and danced the night away some thirty years ago in Ghana! Jim was in Jirapa at the time, working hard and avoiding marriage in the late 1970s; Sr. Jacky was a young nun, teaching in Nandam. All the Church-related groups in the area were invited to a big Christmas party in Wa, the capital of the Upper Region and it was there that the two met on that festive evening long ago. Sister even recalled the color dress she was wearing; Jim said he remembered the fruitcake.

Some Facts and Figures

Although approximately 18-20 % of Ghana is Muslim, the city of Tamale is around 90 %. This just learned in a new one-week course I've been invited to attend on Islam. It is taught by Marie-Renee, a French sister, and she is excellent. Besides myself, there are five young seminarians in the class who are studying to be missionaries.
The highest number of admissions into Tamale Teaching Hospital is due to malaria, the second highest number of admissions is the result of Road Traffic Accidents (RTA). It is strongly recommended to avoid being on the road at night. Vehicles are frequently without lights and rules of the road are not well observed.
Ghana has recently introduced their new currency but continues to use the old as well until the transition period is to end in December of 2007. One new cedi or 10,000 old cedis is equal to about one US dollar (a little more, actually). Although it seems fairly easy to just drop four decimal points to go from the old to the new - ex. 500,000 old cedis is equal 50 new ones - juggling both the old and new bills and coins can sometimes be confusing especially when most Ghanaians continue to quote prices and fees in the old currency. For example, an old 5,000 bill is only worth 5 US cents whereas a new 5 cedi bill is worth about 5 US dollars or 50,000 old cedis. This situation, combined with us trying to practice our Dagbani numbers in conversation makes for an interesting exchange of funds when trying to pay for a taxi or a bunch of bananas.

Marketing and a Birthday

Here in Tamale, a city of more than 300,000, open markets abound where one can purchase anything and everything from fresh produce & packaged goods to items of clothing & household appliances, etc, etc. Venders sell a multitude of goods carried on their heads, wheeled with a cart, or from hundreds of roadside stands. There are also specialty shops, a general all-purpose store which ressembles a US dollar store (but which also sells larger items such as stoves) and small supermarkets much like 7/11 convenience stores in the US.
The other morning, Sr. Jacky introduced me to her favorite butcher. He, along with 20 or 30 other men were housed in a long slaughterhouse type of building. All were busy at their individual tables, carving up huge carcasses and preparing their customers' requests.
I also received a practical initiation to bargaining for produce in the open markets from Reggie. Now I have a pretty good idea of what I should pay for a stack of onions or green peppers and a bunch of plantains. What I didn't realize after selecting a number of various items was that Reggie would insist on carrying most of them in a big box atop her head.
Learning something new every day. Simple pleasures mean a lot and one soon realizes what little we need to live well.
Oh, - and I celebrated a very special birthday yesterday at the "Jungle Bar" with Jim, Jacky, Fernand, Marie-Renee (Jacky & Fernand are French Canadian whereas Marie-Renee is from France), Fr. Jon Kirby, and Damian, a South African doing agricultural work in the area. We had a delicious veggie pizza, Star beers and sodas. I wore a traditional bou-bou dress which was a beautiful present from Jim. Was great too to speak with the kids on our cell phone!

religious life in Ghana

We've gone to a variety of church services. Mass in a local parish is quite lengthy, - easily over two hrs with lots of singing, drums & a long sermon. The liturgy, itself, is followed by any number of announcements, special blessings, etc, etc. I enjoy the collection procedure. Rather than passing around a basket, everyone joyously parades up to the front of the altar where large baskets are conveniently placed - all to lively singing with some people even dancing up to give their donation.
One Sunday, we went to a beautiful church built by the Carmelites. Afterwards, we asked to visit with the four cloistered nuns in residence there. We sat in the waiting room behind the iron grill that separated us from their cloistered area & after a few minutes, the four sisters appeared - all so anxious to chat & ask questions. Their rare chance to talk is when they have visitors so they love to take full advantage.
Still another memorable service was a Mass said by Fr. Jon Kirby in a small chapel at the Tamale Institute for Cross-Cultural Studies (TICCS). Attending, were only Sr. Jacky, Jim & myself all seated closely together around a low altar table along with Fr. Kirby. It was a very personal & meaningful experience.
One very interesting discovery here is that whether the Ghanaians are Muslims, Christians, or traditionalists, they share many cultural beliefs such as a deep respect for their ancestors and elders. Conflict between the Muslim majority and the less numerous Christians is not an issue. They work and live side by side and the benevolent Ghanaian nature is apparent among all.

more from our temporary quarters

Jim recently put up a new mosquito net for our bed & its configuration is a lot roomier than the one we had before. Drifting off to sleep is often very pleasant, accompanied by the soft sounds of insects, the Muslim evening call to prayer heard in the distance, and the occasional conversation or laughter of others on the compound. No morning alarm needed either with the cock-crow of the rooster, chirping of birds & the greetings among the goats. This is the setting in which I feel most comfortable. Here inside the Archbishop's compound, in addition to his house, there is a small dwelling for his driver, Nevius, his wife, Esther, & their three children, and another for a couple of his extended family members which is where two of his nieces live. Regina, is his excellent cook & housekeeper & Millicent works nearby at the Youth Center. Then there is a pretty, little chapel attaached to a nice building (just steps across from the main house) with three guest rooms & this is where we have been staying. Our section consists of a large, comfortable sitting room, an alcove for our bed & our own shower/toilet facilities. We even have a small refrigerator. There is a TV too; it gets only one local channel & we rarely turn it on. There is also an A/C but we've never used it. The ceiling fams are fine, at least for now in the rainy season, - except of course when the power is off. Then nothing works anyway (unless one happens to have a generator).
Unfortunately, this type of setting does not seem available for just the two of us as far as more permanent housing is concerned. Some of the religious orders have very nice compounds too. But unless one has their own extended family compound, most homes are by themselves. Some are surrounded by a wall while many others are not. And scattered about too, are clusters of small dwellings which form little villages.
Thus far, we've been using only what we carried with us as the contents of the container are still stored on grounds near the hospital & we have no place to unpack all those cartons yet. Jim will gradually move the medical equipment but the necessary security measures & allotted physical space at the hospital are still to be worked out.
Purchasing a 4x4 Nissan pick-up is also on our agenda as we wade through the logistics of establishing local bank accounts & arrange for the transfer of funds. For now, our main means of transportation is either a hospital vehicle sent to pick up Jim for work (& in which I also hitch a ride to town) or the ever-present taxis that most people use & which we can easily pick up from the house by walking just over 1 Km to a "round-about" intersection. We're told that 80% of the vehicles in Ghana are taxis. Occasionally, we climb into a fairly nice one, but most have seen better days. It's amazing how they're kept running considering the condition they're in. Our friend, Matt Marshall, would do well here with all his taxi driving experience in NYC. Am sure he'd have no porblem weaving among the multitude of bicycles, motorbikes, goats and cows.
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Tamale Update

While Jim is getting the feel of how things are being done at the hospital, our search for housing continues. Some places we've seen wouldn't be too pleasant to come home to after a long day. A few other houses have been almost palatial in size, - the older ones in disrepair and the newer ones, unfinished & often quite a distance from access to town on long, narrow,dirt roads. One of these bigger places might be ideal for a couple of families to share so if any of you are interested in joining us for a shell....Good materials & workmanship in the construction of houses are a bit hard to come by but it is certainly possible as we've seen both where we are temporarily staying & at some of the residences of the religious orders.
The Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa have a residence just across the road from us. Three of the sisters living there are French Canadian so it's been fun being able to use my French. Among these very resourceful women is Sr. Jacqueline who runs a wonderful little shop in town which is housed in a couple of old metal containers once used for shipping. "Collaboration With Women In Distress" (COLWOD) is a charity organization founded in 1995 to help abandoned women. "Through teaching them skills such as tie-dye, batik & sewing, COLWOD enables them to achieve economic independence as well as regain their dignity. Every purchase helps to improve a life." Sr. Jacky is trying to help me as well by inviting me to assist her there when she needs an extra hand. Now if I can only stop shopping while I work! The handbags, breadbaskets, tablecloths, napkins, dresses, etc, etc are all beautifully made in various colorful fabrics. Maybe I can finally learn how to sew too! Hand-run sewing machines are everywhere in Ghana as all sorts of items are created without the luxury of electricity. Irons are filled with heated charcoal when electricity is not an option.
Last week, Jim & I met two young American couples associated with the Lutheran Church who invited us for home-made pizza. One couple lives in Tamale in a nice house (wish we could find a similar one!) with their 18 mo. old daughter & another baby on the way. Paul is an information technologist working on computers at the Ghana Institute for Literacy and Bible Translation (GILBT). Ali is busy running a Ghanaian household & being a mom. Paul is a missionary kid (an MK) who spent most of his boyhood with his parents in Liberia. His mother was recently honored by the President of Liberia. The other couple live about 2 hrs north in a rural village but come to Tamale regularly as Nathan is a bible translator with GILBT. Sarah home-schools their three children, ages 7, 4, & 14 mo. so you can imagine how full her days are. As the men conversed & played with the children, we women set to work on making three of the most delicious pizzas I've ever tasted! Ali uses a recipe for dough & sauce which is handed down from her missionary mother-in-law in Liberia. We had every topping available from mushrooms & onions, to peppers & pineapple. And a nice Ghanaian "Star" beer to go with it!

Ghanaian humor & A Request

Greetings from Tamale!
Have enjoyed your responses to hearing from us although we haven't been able to access them all and that is why we have a request to ask. If you email us, please don't reply from the multiple email we sent notifying everyone of our blogs. That one takes forever to download (much like photos) as it is connected with a number of recipients. Thanks!
The Ghanaians enjoy laughing at themselves as you can see from the following story which was printed in one of the church bulletins when we were in Accra.
Ghana the Land of Our Birth - A man dies and goes to hell. There he finds that there is a different hell for each country. He decides to pick the least painful to spend his eternity. He goes to Germany first and asks, "What do they do here?"
ANSWER: "First they put you in an electric chair for six hours. Then they lay you on a bed of nails for another six hours. Then the German devil comes in & whips you for the rest of the day. That is what will happen to you every day for eternity."...The man did not like the sound of that at all so he moves on. He checks out the USA hell, as well as Russia, UK, and many other countries. He finds out that it's the same everywhere. Then suddenly he sees that there is a very long line at Ghana. Amazed, he asks, "What do they do here?" And to his shock, he is told the same thing as in the other countries!! He was surprised and said, "But that is exactly the same as all the other hells. Why are so many people waiting to get in?" Answer: "Because there is never any electricity so the electric chair doesn't work. The nails were paid for but never supplied, so the bed is comfortable to sleep on. And even better, the Ghana devil used to be a civil servant, so he comes in late, signs his time sheet and goes back home to do his private business!!!" The man says "I LOVE GHANA!!!"

We're getting used to the electricity turning off at any moment, sometimes for the whole day. Luck was with Jim getting a haircut when the barber using his electric rasor had finished about 90% before the electricity shut down. Good old scissors finished the job. Can truly learn the virtue of patience from the Ghanaians. Just wait, and things will eventually happen (hopefully!). Phone contact is a bit sporadic too but we purchased a cell which seems to do fairly well. Have been enjoying nice rice with tomato sauce & delicious fried plantains. May still need some time to acquire a taste for the traditional "TZ" (pronounced tee/zede) made of maize/corn or millet and "fu-fu" made with yams. Both are served with either a ground-nut sauce or stew-like mixture. Dessert is always a wonderful bowl of fruit, usually sweet watermelon and scrumptious mango.
We're in the rainy season. Generally a quick downpour but sometimes quite heavy. The rain is good & much appreciated, - one negative being the mosquitoes it encourages so it's comforting to crawl under our trusty sleeping net at night.
Using the internet -Ghanaian style- is just like it was at home for us before Jim, John, Beth & Steve threatened to stop visiting Kearny NJ until we switched from dial-up to broadband. See? We were simply preparing ourselves for our new lifestyle. Please don't send us any pictures as they take forever to download. Actually, broadband has come to Tamale and we've found a good internet cafe using it when we can get there.
As Ghana was formerly a British colony, English is the official language. However, Jim & I are hard at work trying to learn the local dialect of dagbani. It's a slow but fun process as we try to master the tone and pronunciation. Jim's dagbani rivals his previous attempts to speak French so we often give the Ghanaians a good laugh.

First Week

Exciting to be on African soil for the first time! On Wed, July 11 we were met by a driver from The Good Shepherd Home where we stayed while in Accra. Spent one day at Korle Bu Hospital and have seen various sections of this capital city. First impressions of Ghana include a warm welcome, friendly people, the paved roads filled with cars & congested with traffic and most side roads unpaved, ensuring many interesting bumbpy rides. Local sights include a multitude of road-side stands selling everything imaginable, goats and chickens leisurely crossing where they please, and a mixture of both African and Western dress. Jim blends right in with his usual attire; I have a bit of work to do in getting rid of my subtle beige and olive greens to try instead the colorful Ghanaian prints and fabrics.
Arrangements for Jim's container to be transported up north seem to be in order so we departed for Tamale on Tues, July 17 after spending all day at the airport on Monday only to learn the flight was canceled. No complaints from me, however, as there was a heavy rain in Tamale & some wise person decided it would be best to wait until it subsided. Given the small 15 to 20 seat passenger plane we flew, I was very content to fly in the sun the next day.
We're now staying at the Archbishop's residence in Tamale which is wonderful. Jim is at the Teaching Hospital today and hopes to learn about the status of our own housing. More from the Northern Region soon.....

First blog post - Test One. I'm setting this blog up for my mother, who is venturing off to Ghana in just a few days to accompany my father on his lifelong dream. Isn't she a trooper? I tried to title this blogsite as www.crazywife.blogspot.com but believe it or not, the name was already taken. I guess there are a lot of "crazy wives" out there. Either way, I'm excited to read updates from my crazy (but wonderful) parents as they begin their journey in West Africa. I hope you are, too!
-- Beth Murphy, 24, New York, NY