Autumn in Tamale

With the close of 2017 approaching, our interesting life in Tamale is portrayed in part with the photos below. The special highlight of this particular autumn stay was a week-long visit by our daughter, Beth. Equipped with her new camera and her winning persona, she tried to capture our daily activities with spontaneous interviews, candid observations and the documentation of her dad's important work at the hospital. Her photography is a lot better than mine, but for now here are my amateur pics:

Veronica & Blessing

Philomena & Jovita presenting me with my new skirt.

Thomas & Dr. Bill Turner

Barbara, Director of an elementary school in Tamale with appreciative students.

Working with Paul, French teacher at the school.

Greeting friends in town.

Beth's arrival & lunch at Oasis.

Visiting the local Shea Butter factory.

Archbishop Gregory's home for dinner.

Mustafa, Diana & Mustakim presenting Beth with a Ghanaian dress.

Saying goodbye to Rahi at Melcom's store.

Jim at an aviation simulator session in Tamale.

With Beth in Accra, waiting for our evening flights to the U.S. ❤️

Division of Labor

A little peek into Jim's office on the fifth floor of Tamale Teaching Hospital can't begin to reflect the amount of work he accomplishes each day. In addition to the actual practice of medicine with surgery in the theater and examinations in the clinic, numerous requests and tasks find their way to his desk - procuring supplies, overseeing instrument repairs, mentoring students, etc.

A look into the kitchen at our home in Tamale provides a small glimpse into a portion of my day. A morning trip to the market can result in an assortment of fruits, vegetables, eggs, bread, etc. which then awaits a bit of preparation before even being placed into the refrigerator for subsequent cooking. Produce needs to be washed clean - eggs included. More water to be boiled for drinking. Creative recipes to conjure up from whatever ingredients are available.

Return to Tamale from Tokyo

After a truly memorable stay in Japan, a beautiful country with gracious people, high technology, wonderful food, etc., Jim and I arrived back in Tamale following almost 23 hours in the air with four different flights - Tokyo to Hong Kong - Addis Ababa - Accra - Tamale - ready for a nice, refreshing shower. No such luck! With a few steps into the house, we were met with several blown fuses and NO WATER. Welcome home! The next couple of days involved water delivery, electrician, plumber and PATIENCE.

Offsetting the household inconveniences was a delicious Sunday lunch prepared by our Philippine friends, Catherine and Ely.

Travel Ahead

Barely here in Tamale two weeks, I'm ready to embark on our latest adventure with a visit to Japan! Shopping in the market with Veronica and lunch or dinner with friends at Oasis or Chuck's will be put on hold for a while.

Ready for the heat while venturing to the market.

Enjoying Hawaiian pizza at Chuck's.

Greeting our landlord, Alhaji, and his brother in front of our house.

Dinner at Oasis with Stone, Yaa, Christina and Briana.

Taxi Competition

Just as the U.S. deals with the likes of Uber and Lyft, taxis in Tamale now have stiff competition with locals hailing the new model tricycle called Mahama Camboo or yellow yellow (they come in other colors too). Open on the sides, it will be interesting to see how these vehicles do in the rainy season. The driver sits in the middle front which allows a passenger on both his right and left. The back seat technically holds three, but on the ride I took yesterday, there were three women plus three children in the back, then a teenage boy carrying a load of pipes, the driver and another man in the front. A little less expensive than a taxi, though not by much, the Mahamas weave their way in & out of traffic along with all the other cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses and bikes.

Carrying nine.

Return to Tamale

A few months away found me a bit rusty getting back to working in our Tamale kitchen. Deciding to sauté a nice batch of onions Jim had purchased, I noticed that the contents of the frying pan seemed to be bubbling. Soon to discover I was frying my onions in dishwashing detergent instead of cooking oil.

The house is still standing strong aside from a new leak, broken cabinet doors and holes in the screens.

Distributing new outfits to Basma and Muslim then lunch with dear friends make up for a lot - even the 105 degree heat.

Honest Mistake

Home Sweet Home

Speaks For Itself

Muslim & Basma in New Outfits

Lunch With Jane and Barbara

More Reflections With Photos

As Jim departs for Ghana tonight, I travel to Tamale with him in thought as I get myself medically back on track here in the U.S. Hopefully, I will be able to join him before too long; meanwhile there is Skype, FaceTime, email, What's App - and photos.

Dr. Theo Adjeso and Dr. Mike Damah, both ENT Consultants who are now working at Tamale Teaching Hospital with Jim.

Jane, at her son's new restaurant, Oasis.

Mariama with her brother, Andrew, at the wonderfully welcome Oasis.

Veronica, expert at putting up a clean mosquito net each week.

Taking a selfie with Veronica while we struggle & laugh putting up the mosquito net.

Rebecca and Grace, faithfully working at Colwod.

Lunch at Oasis with Rahi, Musah, Basma & Muslim.

Mona with her husband and baby.

Basma posing in her pretty dress.

Newborn baby who made her arrival in this world just hours after her mom visited us.

Basma and Muslim modeling their new outfits from the U.S.

Farewell visit with Barbara before leaving Tamale.

One of fond memories of our many special experiences shared in Tamale.

A Week To Remember

Life in Tamale is filled with experiences quite different from those in the U.S. The relative inconvenience of sometimes doing without power or water is balanced by a true appreciation when these amenities are available.

A hospital stay here was one thing I have always specifically hoped to avoid, but this past week provided me with that adventure as well. An unexpected episode of atrial fibrillation landed me in the ICU. Fortunately, a cardiologist from Accra just happened to be visiting the hospital and he gave me excellent care. I lay next to a "Saint" for three days in the person of Dr. David Abdulai, a well known and loved physician in Tamale, founder of the Shekhina Clinic which cares for the destitute, and who is now fighting for his life. It was truly a humbling experience.

Triage at the Emergency Room with Jim in the background tending to a bleeding patient while I waited for test results.

My bed in ICU at Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Oasis

Congratulations and best wishes to Andrew Alhassan on the highly anticipated opening of "Oasis" here in Tamale. Upon arrival, one immediately encounters a beautiful, large gazebo encircled by colorful tropical flowers and plants. We chose to have lunch outside at the gazebo, but choosing the interior of this elegant establishment is a delight as well with its tasteful decor of comfortable seating, cozy tables and well stocked bar. A perfect spot for both individuals and groups to meet, chat and enjoy delicious selections from a varied menu. Not far off the main Bolga Road and conveniently close to our home, I look forward to this unique and most welcome addition to Tamale.

Naming Ceremony

Early Saturday morning, we were invited to the "naming ceremony" for the baby boy recently born to Dr. Michael Damah and his wife, Joyce. Also referred to as an "outdooring," this special event welcomes the child into his family and introduces him to the outside world. Taking place at the home, a minister offered prayers and songs along with some words of wisdom. About 100 people were in attendance with several more expected to come and go during the remainder of the day. Food and drinks were in abundance, many enjoying the meal there, while others after expressing congratulations, left with their meals packed in the familiar white, foam containers.