Parting Thoughts

A few more observations before leaving Ghanaian soil once again -
Traditional Ghanaian attire easily mixes in with western fashion, but it is the fit of the Ghanaian woman's dress that stands out for me. She seems to be literally "poured" into her outfit, accentuating every curve. I also enjoy seeing a particular group of people wearing the exact same fabric in varied styles of design: long, short, scoop neck, v-neck, cap sleeves, puffed sleeves, tailored suit, floor-length dress.
While the official language of the country is English, the ability of many Ghanaians to fluently speak several foreign languages is truly impressive. Granted, the less educated speak mainly in their own tribal tongue although even they can understand and make themselves understood in a neighboring tribal language as well. The more educated Ghanaians, however, often travel and supplement their studies outside of the country. This is certainly true of many Ghanaian physicians, some of whom begin university and subsequent medical training abroad when they have just completed secondary school. Several years are spent in Russia, Germany, Cuba or China, first learning the foreign language in an intensified, immersion program. Others complete their basic and specialized studies at one of the four medical schools in Ghana, then often participate in a post-graduate curriculum elsewhere. One resulting frustration is after being exposed to state-of-the-art instruments and technology abroad, one returns to the medical facilities in Ghana where this sorely needed equipment is generally not available.
Patience is a required virtue in this country; change and progress can take a long time. By the same token, Ghanaian attributes are in abundance. Her people are peace-loving, friendly and generous - always ready to say "Welcome!" "Akwaaba" here in Accra or as we say in the North, "Amaraba!"

Activity in Accra

Jim teaches at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, so we decided to reserve a room at the new UDS Guest House in Accra for the week. We are here for the annual meeting of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons into which Jim is to be formally inducted (complete with distinguished cap & gown!) as a Fellow at tomorrow's ceremony. While he attends the conference lectures during the day, I enjoy a bit of relaxation at the guest house or peruse the various shops and restaurants on Oxford St. in the Osu section of the city.
This past Sunday afternoon, we were very fortunate to find a performance scheduled at the National Theater, an impressive building constructed by the Republic of China. It was a play called "The Day Dad Came" and was truly a special experience. Basically, the play was a comedy interspersed with occasional songs, that explored the issue of abusive love relationships in a modern setting. It was long (seven or eight acts)! It was sometimes corny. It had one scene in which an old woman turned into an angel surrounded by a cloud of mist. It had religious references, sexual references, and it was most definitely "Ghanaian" in its cultural context. The audience loved it, cheering loudly and laughing throughout the close to three-hour show. Popcorn and free drinks were distributed as we entered. The theater was packed - babies and all - and the periodic crying out of the little ones was nonchalantly tolerated by both actors and spectators. The taking of bows was an absolute delight with each actor performing his or her own style of dance gyration to the music being played along with the shouts and waving of arms in the audience. Finally, the theater manager invited everyone to proceed to the lobby in order to chat with the cast members and have photos taken with them. Unbelievably, the show we saw began at 4 PM with another performance scheduled for 8!

Leaving Tamale, Flying South to Accra

Every stay in Tamale brings unique experiences and this time was no exception. Met interesting, new friends and discovered a couple of tasty restaurants. Of course, there is always something to learn - such as ordering one's food well in advance to cut down the fairly standard two to three hour wait at places like "Mariam," "Samnandzo," or "Luxury." And after less than impressive desserts created by yours truly in the microwave, success was finally achieved by making a delicious pineapple upside-down cake in a covered skillet on the stove!
As we leave the Northern Region via Antrak Airline to spend a week in Accra, I will not miss walking through the dusty fog of the Harmattan wind (and trying to wipe it clean from our furniture and floors), or squeezing into a crowded taxi to town weaving in and out of near-misses with other vehicles, bike riders and pedestrians. Certain images, however, cause me to smile - seeing Jim carefully carrying a black plastic bag containing thirty loose eggs which he picked up in the market after work, and a young girl balancing an actual pyramid of loose eggs perched on a large, round tray atop her head.

Dedication Personified

It is difficult for me to imagine the trauma and number of fatalities seen by Jim and other members of the hospital staff after an accident such as Saturday's horrific double bus crash. Yet, amid the frustrations of an ill-equipped hospital and the lack of efficient systems for handling this type of crisis, many lives were still saved.
The other night, we went to a nearby restaurant with a young American family (originally from Houston, Texas), who live about three hours north of us. They drove down to Tamale so their children, ages 10, 4 and 2, could attend a special week of group education which was set up for families in similar situations throughout the northern region of Ghana. For the most part, the children are home-schooled by their mom who also happens to be a certified teacher in Texas. The dad is an OB/GYN plus pediatrician doing full-time volunteer work in the Baptist hospital in Nalerigu since 2008.

No rest for the weary - for Jim

It's late Saturday afternoon when I thought Jim and I would be enjoying a bit of relaxation combined with stopping in at a "naming of the baby" celebration to which we were invited by one of Jim's colleagues from the hospital. The Muslim naming of a new baby is a joyous occasion which traditionally begins at dawn, consists of the local imam coming to give his blessing and continues throughout the day with food and socialization.
Instead, Jim phoned a while ago from the hospital where he has been since early this morning, primarily having gone in to check on a small child who had been admitted yesterday. However, an all too common scene of chaos took place there soon after his arrival, resulting from a head-on collision between two buses a short distance north of Tamale. Several persons were killed and many others injured. It is yet another example of the frequency of traffic accidents in Ghana. Contributing factors include fatigue of drivers on the long trips between cities, combined with poorly maintained vehicles and roads.

Thanksgiving in Tamale

My microwave-made cocoa cake is barely one-half inch high, but definitely edible with a scoop of chocolate ice cream on top. Presentation is improved by cutting it into more appealing brownie-size portions.
It's Thanksgiving Day at home in the US so the above dessert will have to substitute for my sister-in-law's signature pumpkin and pecan pies. Also decided to forego a replacement for the traditional turkey - Ghanaian guinea fowl - and enjoy a new eggplant casserole recipe instead.
It's of course work as usual here in Tamale and Jim has surgery scheduled to rebuild a teen-aged girl's nose which was tragically destroyed by an electrical burn. Today's procedure is but another step in the attempt to restore an acceptable facial appearance for this young patient.

More Creative Cuisine

My first attempt at making Ghanaian palava sauce turned out OK. Actually couldn't do much to mess it up as the recipe mainly involves adding parboiled "alifu" greens (similar to spinach) at the end-stage of a tomato based sauce. The palava is usually served on top of sliced yams but we happened to have regular potatoes handy instead.
Maintenance is a big problem here in Tamale so when something gets broken, it often takes a long time (and a lot of patience) before it gets fixed. Case in point is our oven which, unfortunately, I may not see operating again before we are due to leave for Accra in December. Therefore, I decided to take advantage of our computer and googled "how to bake cake in a microwave." Thought I better start with muffins and even though they were not able to brown, the consistency was not nearly as rubbery as I had feared. Armed with more confidence, will try my hand at a microwavable cake tomorrow.