Here in Ghana, Black Privilege is a thing.
On average, I see two white people per day. The only diversity that exists in Ghana is the different tribes that are represented: Akan, Ashanti, Fante, etc. It is becoming easier to figure out the different tribes, but only very slowly. When someone sees me and another white person at the same time, they automatically assume we are related, "you look alike." Ummm, you mean we have the same color skin? Because that is the ONLY thing I would say is similar.
Black Privilege is manifest in many ways and is typically exact oposite of White Privilege. Black people get MUCH better prices on just about everything from taxi fares to food and wares. I have learned how to fight with the taxi drivers to get a fair price, but it is really hard when the difference is a couple of bucks. It means almost nothing to me, but it A LOT of money to them. When Zak hears that I paid 10 Cedis for something that should have been 5, he gets irrate. But we are literally talking about $1.67 and I just can't fight over it.
Everyone assumes that because I am white that I have a money machine in my bag that prints money at will. I can see how their perspective would make them think that. To me, a couple hundred bucks, while substantial, isn't a life-altering amount of money. However, the equivalent to a typical Ghanaian is food for his family for half a year.
For example, take my experience yesterday at church distribution. Due to subsidies, the price of garments at Deseret Clothing is drastically reduced in Africa. Rather than try to find a way to wash and dry my garments, I took the opportunity to get some new ones. I stopped at an ATM on the way to the temple and took out the equivalent amount of money I would need to buy a weeks worth in the US, a couple hundred Cedis.
I got what they had and they rung me up the total: 26.76 Cedis, roughly 9 bucks. WHAT?!? I thought there was an error. Nope. I told them how much we would pay in the US and the sister nearly fell off her chair. She said that even paying just under 2 Cedis ($0.60) per piece is a trial for most of the saints here.
A few days ago we stopped for some beef kababs. Zak told me to wait while his cousin went to buy them. Why?? If they see you, they will charge us double. Zak says this happens when we are getting a taxi together, but he has no shame in arguing for the buck or two. It's part of his Black Privilege.
One of the other things that is so interesting is how many men want to be my "friend." Some are appropriately friendly, some jump the shark early and ask me to take them to the US within the first three sentences of our conversation. If I lie and say that my Ghanaian husband would not approve, then they say they are looking for a white girl to marry. As if I have access to a whole slew of white girls who want to marry Ghanaian taxi drivers. I am so grateful that I do not have a local number, because I get asked for it ALL the time, by men I have met for like 42 seconds. But never when Zak is with me. Again, Black Privilege.
Ghanaian women will only talk to me if Zak is not around. If they see that I am with a Ghanaian, they give Zak dirty looks and say things like, "what? Ghanaian women aren't good enough for you?" Or, "oh, you have a white girl and now you think you are better than us." If they don't know that I have a Ghanaian boyfriend, they are the happiest and friendliest women. So wierd!
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
The Accra Ghana Temple
This morning I had the privilege to go to the Accra Ghana Temple. It is a small temple that only runs one session at a time. There is no clothing rental, so before I left the States I bought a set of temple clothes and bag to use. On Sunday, I spoke with the Relief Society President and told her that I had a set that I wanted to leave for their sisters to use. The president and two additional sisters started jumping up and down, dancing and expressing great joy! I did not know that it would be so gratefully accepted.
On the taxi drive to the temple, we drove past the beach. The water was pretty brown and there were piles of trash everywhere, but it was it's own kind of pretty.
The temple was wonderful! It is a beautiful temple (as if there is any other kind). There were many who had traveled from Ivory Coast for the session. Since they speak French and there were more of them than English speakers, the session was in French and I wore headphones. One thing that was a bit different that I am used to, the ordinance workers were very liberal with bathroom breaks during the session. No fewer than 5 brothers took a trip to the loo. But I was grateful to have the calm spirit of the temple as I waited in silence.
Since Zak has to go back to the port tomorrow, perhaps I will go for a couple sessions in the morning.
On the taxi drive to the temple, we drove past the beach. The water was pretty brown and there were piles of trash everywhere, but it was it's own kind of pretty.
The temple was wonderful! It is a beautiful temple (as if there is any other kind). There were many who had traveled from Ivory Coast for the session. Since they speak French and there were more of them than English speakers, the session was in French and I wore headphones. One thing that was a bit different that I am used to, the ordinance workers were very liberal with bathroom breaks during the session. No fewer than 5 brothers took a trip to the loo. But I was grateful to have the calm spirit of the temple as I waited in silence.
Since Zak has to go back to the port tomorrow, perhaps I will go for a couple sessions in the morning.
A Weekend in Pictures
I don't recall all of the bits of my weekend, but I have some pictures. So I'll narrate the following:
I went for a walk through the neighborhood by the hotel. I find that walking is the best way to experience real Ghana. There was a funeral going on. They put up these giant banners of people who have "Gone to Glory" and decorate the light poles with black and white cloth. They also celebrate by playing very loud music and dancing. The following morning at 6:30am there was a parade with the loudest drums and brass horns that were the conclusion of the funeral.
I happened to be walking right as the primary school was being let out. They thought I was the coolest. They all shouted, "Abroni!" and shook my hand. One small group of junior high aged boys told me that I was "very white, very VERY white." Truth.
When one says that God is watching down on us, one usually does not mean quite this literally. This was the roof of one of our taxis:
I go to KFC to get over-salted fries, chicken that isn't too spicy, a Coke Light and 30 Mb of free wifi. I get all of this for just under $4:
We went to visit one of Zak's good friends Ahmed, his wife, Aisha, and this cutie, Laila:
We drove past the golf course. There were ASIANS at the driving range! It was beautiful! It could have hosted this year's US Open with fewer complaints.
I had the hotel do my laundry. This is how they dry things. They dry the hotel towels on the barbed wire. That explains a few of those holes.
I went for a walk through the neighborhood by the hotel. I find that walking is the best way to experience real Ghana. There was a funeral going on. They put up these giant banners of people who have "Gone to Glory" and decorate the light poles with black and white cloth. They also celebrate by playing very loud music and dancing. The following morning at 6:30am there was a parade with the loudest drums and brass horns that were the conclusion of the funeral.
When one says that God is watching down on us, one usually does not mean quite this literally. This was the roof of one of our taxis:
We went to visit one of Zak's good friends Ahmed, his wife, Aisha, and this cutie, Laila:
We drove past the golf course. There were ASIANS at the driving range! It was beautiful! It could have hosted this year's US Open with fewer complaints.
Ghanaian TV
There are some truly quirky things about Ghana. One is their television. We were eating dinner and the tv in the hotel dining room was on. They were showing a Spanish Telenovela (soap opera) that had been dubbed into English...using a computerized voice.
A Week of Highlights
Since I FINALLY have some sound internet service (thank you BusyInternet) and I have time, I will do a quick sum up of the last week. With the highlights (and lowlights) of the adventure.
TUESDAY, July 21, 2015
This was the first time I ventured in a taxi by myself without Zak. Zak spoke to the taxi driver in Twi and told him where to take me. I had NO idea where I was going and the taxi driver spoke Twi and French, neither of which I am familiar. The taxi driver pulled up to the LDS church and I thought that Zak was going to meet me there since he knew I would feel safe waiting there. So I paid the driver and tried to call Zak.
The phones are crazy and work only 60% of the time. When I finally got a hold of Zak and told him where I was, and he tried to figure it out. Turns out that the driver was supposed to TURN at the LDS church, not leave me there. Whoops! I sat in the sun and waited. While I was waiting, the stake clerk spotted me and invited me into the AC. Thanks Brother!!
Zak came and informed me that I was not to get out of a taxi until I see my destination or see Zak. Yes, sir!
We went to ZooZoo for lunch and I had "spaghetti with shredded beef" which turned out to be more of a spicy marinara sauce on noodles and a side dish of beef stew. It was bipolar to say the least.
Spero came to pick us up and we were going to go to a radio station where he does a spot talking about health topics. Turns out we were nearly TWO HOURS EARLY!! We arrived at 6pm and he didn't have to report until 7:45. Barf.
Zak didn't have any pillows where he was staying, so we went on a quest. Mine were hard foam, so I was in the market for new ones as well. We found some and bought three for 38 cedis ($13).
Back at the radio station, we waited...and waited...and waited. Zak napped and I played Jelly Splash on my phone. As soon as Spero was done giving his health advice on air, we departed for home. Spero's phone was blowing up with people calling about the show and requesting appointments. Do a spot for health education? Sure! It's basically free advertising.
We stopped at the Shell station, which is the closest thing to a grocery store they have. I picked up some bread and jam. I was hoping for some PB, but nope. I got chicken and chips from KFC adjacent to Shell, and we went back to the hotel. I watched "Cool Runnings" on the local TV.
WEDNESDAY, July 22, 2015
Zak went to Tema to figure out stuff with our container (the first of MANY trips). I was at the hotel ALL DAY. I went swimming and met Nick, a budding entrepreneur, who is starting up a swim school in Accra. We talked about his plan and I offered my advice (thank you for the tax write off!). He shared his VERY doughy spring rolls with me. I took a walk playing close attention not to get lost, read one of my text books for next term and was attacked by killer mosquitoes. Seriously, I am wearing all sorts of DEET and these suckers find a way to chew through it.
Finally, Zak came with his cousin, Yakobo, and we went to dinner at Frankie's on Oxford Road. Oxford Road is a very popular place for shopping and eateries in Accra. I had a hamburger and fries and a COKE LIGHT. I heart Coke Light...a lot. But you can only get it in foreign lands.
We went to our respective lodgings and I watched a movie until I became violently ill. Something at Frankie's was BAD. I was up most of the night. I had sent Zak a text message telling him of my misfortune and he called in the middle of the night also sick.
THURSDAY, July 23, 2015
Still not feeling awesome, we slept in. Zak came at 1pm and arranged for me to have "American Chicken Soup" for dinner. We told them how to make it. We had lunch at the rooftop bar at the hotel. Zak had banku and okro soup (with some rolled up stewed cow hide) and I had an omelet and fried rice.
Zak went for a haircut and I was put in a taxi to go to the British council downtown. I was under strict instruction not to get out until I saw the sign that said "British Council" and Zak told the taxi driver the same. Turns out, the driver didn't know where it was. So he stopped and asked for directions...twice. I thought we were lost, but then there it was. Phew! The hope was that there would be WIFI I could use, but the office had closed just prior to my arrival. Boo! There was plenty of WIFI, but no passwords. SHOOT!
I wrote some until Zak collected me maybe an hour and a half later. We went to the Makola Market, a very large market in the center of downtown Accra. We bought traditional African fabric for $2/yd. I am going to have some traditional African dresses made for me. The market was CRAZY! There is really no good way of describing the mad scene.
We walked past the Central Post Office and went to the office of Cousin Aziz. Aziz has a start-up data processing business. We chatted for a long time before we went back to the hotel. We stopped on the way so Zak could get some fire roasted tilapia and banku. I was anxiously awaiting my "American Light Soup" back at the hotel. Well, the soup was not quite right. There was an add of tomato and LOTS of ginger. But I was grateful that it wasn't too spicy and that they would go to so much effort for me.
I am finding that I don't like to be sitting around. I'm a doer, a planner, a finisher. I see people working and I want to work. Of course, I could work on reading the text for one of my fall courses or look at syllabi, but without reliable electricity to power a laptop or internet access, I feel unable to effectively work. Plus, there is so much city to see and so many people to meet!
TUESDAY, July 21, 2015
This was the first time I ventured in a taxi by myself without Zak. Zak spoke to the taxi driver in Twi and told him where to take me. I had NO idea where I was going and the taxi driver spoke Twi and French, neither of which I am familiar. The taxi driver pulled up to the LDS church and I thought that Zak was going to meet me there since he knew I would feel safe waiting there. So I paid the driver and tried to call Zak.
The phones are crazy and work only 60% of the time. When I finally got a hold of Zak and told him where I was, and he tried to figure it out. Turns out that the driver was supposed to TURN at the LDS church, not leave me there. Whoops! I sat in the sun and waited. While I was waiting, the stake clerk spotted me and invited me into the AC. Thanks Brother!!
Zak came and informed me that I was not to get out of a taxi until I see my destination or see Zak. Yes, sir!
We went to ZooZoo for lunch and I had "spaghetti with shredded beef" which turned out to be more of a spicy marinara sauce on noodles and a side dish of beef stew. It was bipolar to say the least.
Spero came to pick us up and we were going to go to a radio station where he does a spot talking about health topics. Turns out we were nearly TWO HOURS EARLY!! We arrived at 6pm and he didn't have to report until 7:45. Barf.
Zak didn't have any pillows where he was staying, so we went on a quest. Mine were hard foam, so I was in the market for new ones as well. We found some and bought three for 38 cedis ($13).
Back at the radio station, we waited...and waited...and waited. Zak napped and I played Jelly Splash on my phone. As soon as Spero was done giving his health advice on air, we departed for home. Spero's phone was blowing up with people calling about the show and requesting appointments. Do a spot for health education? Sure! It's basically free advertising.
We stopped at the Shell station, which is the closest thing to a grocery store they have. I picked up some bread and jam. I was hoping for some PB, but nope. I got chicken and chips from KFC adjacent to Shell, and we went back to the hotel. I watched "Cool Runnings" on the local TV.
WEDNESDAY, July 22, 2015
Zak went to Tema to figure out stuff with our container (the first of MANY trips). I was at the hotel ALL DAY. I went swimming and met Nick, a budding entrepreneur, who is starting up a swim school in Accra. We talked about his plan and I offered my advice (thank you for the tax write off!). He shared his VERY doughy spring rolls with me. I took a walk playing close attention not to get lost, read one of my text books for next term and was attacked by killer mosquitoes. Seriously, I am wearing all sorts of DEET and these suckers find a way to chew through it.
Finally, Zak came with his cousin, Yakobo, and we went to dinner at Frankie's on Oxford Road. Oxford Road is a very popular place for shopping and eateries in Accra. I had a hamburger and fries and a COKE LIGHT. I heart Coke Light...a lot. But you can only get it in foreign lands. We went to our respective lodgings and I watched a movie until I became violently ill. Something at Frankie's was BAD. I was up most of the night. I had sent Zak a text message telling him of my misfortune and he called in the middle of the night also sick.
THURSDAY, July 23, 2015
Still not feeling awesome, we slept in. Zak came at 1pm and arranged for me to have "American Chicken Soup" for dinner. We told them how to make it. We had lunch at the rooftop bar at the hotel. Zak had banku and okro soup (with some rolled up stewed cow hide) and I had an omelet and fried rice.
Zak went for a haircut and I was put in a taxi to go to the British council downtown. I was under strict instruction not to get out until I saw the sign that said "British Council" and Zak told the taxi driver the same. Turns out, the driver didn't know where it was. So he stopped and asked for directions...twice. I thought we were lost, but then there it was. Phew! The hope was that there would be WIFI I could use, but the office had closed just prior to my arrival. Boo! There was plenty of WIFI, but no passwords. SHOOT!
I wrote some until Zak collected me maybe an hour and a half later. We went to the Makola Market, a very large market in the center of downtown Accra. We bought traditional African fabric for $2/yd. I am going to have some traditional African dresses made for me. The market was CRAZY! There is really no good way of describing the mad scene.
We walked past the Central Post Office and went to the office of Cousin Aziz. Aziz has a start-up data processing business. We chatted for a long time before we went back to the hotel. We stopped on the way so Zak could get some fire roasted tilapia and banku. I was anxiously awaiting my "American Light Soup" back at the hotel. Well, the soup was not quite right. There was an add of tomato and LOTS of ginger. But I was grateful that it wasn't too spicy and that they would go to so much effort for me.
I am finding that I don't like to be sitting around. I'm a doer, a planner, a finisher. I see people working and I want to work. Of course, I could work on reading the text for one of my fall courses or look at syllabi, but without reliable electricity to power a laptop or internet access, I feel unable to effectively work. Plus, there is so much city to see and so many people to meet!
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
A Holiday Monday
July 20, 2015
The phone rang at 7:30am asking what I wanted to drink for breakfast. I went back to sleep. At 8:30 breakfast arrived and I realized that the AC was off...in fact, ALL the electricity was off. I waited for the electricity to go back on, but alas. I fell asleep and woke every hour or so to a hotter and stuffier room. Since the water heater is electric, a shower was no good.
At about 11:30 Zak called; he was shocked that I was still sleeping and I told him that there was no AC so I didn't sleep well...plus, jet lag. Additionally, someone was enjoying morning reefer (that's marijuana) outside my window and I was basically hot-boxing since there was no real ventilation. Well, Zak officially lost his mind with indignant rage because I was so uncomfortable.
He arrived a few minutes later and I was dressed. I met him out on the patio where I was told to pack up my stuff; I was changing hotels. Well, once we had someone let us back in to my room (the keycard automatically resets each day at noon regardless of the reservation--mine was for 16 days), I threw everything back into bags and we shuffled everything down to the taxi.
The new hotel, Mascot Hotel: Experiencing Real Hospitality, was fine and had a pool! Finally, some use for the 8 swim suits I brought. Plus, they run their generator all dey except from noon to 6pm, so I would never have to sleep in hot again. Woohoo!
We dropped everything off and paid for the night (120 GHC - Ghanaian Cedis), which is equivalent to just under $40/night a full $10/night cheaper than the other hotel.
We went to go meet Spero at his office; he is a naturopath by trade. On the way we stopped to talk to this woman who was selling fabric. She was very friendly and asked if I liked fufu. Ummm, no. But she said I had a nice smile and that since I was with Zak she recinded her previous offer to give him her daughter. We brought lots of fabric in our container and are going to take home souveniers of Ghanaian made clothes. She is the woman who will hook us up with a good tailor.
Now, let me just expound upon Spero's medical training; he has NONE. He is very nice and knows a little about anatomy and biology, but realistically tells people to clean out their bodies of "toxins" and eat veggies as a cure for almost ANY ailment. For example, while we were there one of his "assistants" (also, with no medical training) was packaging up a few bottles of concoctions (they looked like green tea) for a patient. Zak asked what it was for and was told that the patient has a stomachache. Zak followed-up with, "so, if she had a headache would she get the sme thing?" Yep!
Spero's clinic is located in the center of one of the large shopping districts. It is convenient for people to stop in, get a "diagnosis" and treatment, and be on their way; fee for service. The entire outfit is cash only, no records, no tax liability, no license.
Zak went to run an errand so I stayed at Spero's office. While I was waiting a woman came in to see Spero. There are clearly no HIPPA laws as I was right there in his office for the entire visit and was eve enquired of my medical opinion regarding the case. Umm, I'm not that kind of doctor. The entire visit was in Twi, which I don't speak, but can understnad a lot of and usually follow a conversation due to sporadic, key English words.
I could tell that this woman wanted another course of treatment for her ailment, but hadn't done what "the doctor" had prescribed initially. Then he asked me if one could fast if they had an ulcer. Ummm, WHAT?!!? Sure, I suppose so. If my stomach hurts, I don't want to put food into it. And since I was fairly certain that there was no science behind the diagnosis, it could have just been a sour stomach or acid reflux, my answer was as reliable as any mother's intuition.
The initial course of treatment was to eat 6 small meals a day, but he wanted her to cleanse her system which required fasting. Relying on my medical training (at least, I am a certified lifeguard and was once a certified EMT), I said, "if a doctor tells you to eat 6 small meals a day, but then asks you to fast for a test or procedure, then that is probably okay." I relied heavily on that "if" and felt okay about it.
I went back to my phone and Spero went on to quote the bible about the Law of the Fast and how if Jesus fasted as a mortal and we are mortal, then we should fast, too. Again, not a lot of science involved. Spero preys on the ignorance of an uneducated people, he treats mostly self-limiting issues with some herbs (a magic solution), and a cost of 100 bucks (which is an enormous amount of money for most of these people).
Zak told me later that the reason Spero asked for my opinion was so that he could tell the patient, "see, even the nice white lady agrees with me," and the patient would be able to tell her family and friends that the doctor AND the white lady said it was okay. Oh, Boy!
I met Zak's youngest brother, Shaibu, while we were there. He lives in Koforidua with his mom and is attending university. He came into Accra to give Zak a debit card for an account he had set up for his Ghanaian dealings. We spoke for approximately 33.7 seconds, but he seemed nice enough. He looked like a younger, thinner version of Zak. We will get to see him, and Zak's mom, this weekend.
Just outside Spero's office is this grand market. Everyone selling fruits, vegetables, water-soaked dried cowhide (they put it in soup and eat it), and all kinds of goods. Women would carry their wares on their heads and their babies/toddlers on their backs. I rarely heard a child cry, and that was only in the hotel when the toddler was clearly tired. Young childrem, maybe as young as 7, also sold goods; many I spoke with indicated that they could not go home until everything was sold. These people really live hand to mouth in the most literal way imaginable.
Spero bought me these things called Tiger Nubs; I have no idea what that means. They are tiny tubers that you chew up, suck out the juice, and spit out. They taste like fresh coconut; I liked them! Their purpose reminded me of American sunflower seeds. You chew on them to pass the time and relax. I also had a FroYo. The yogurt comes in little bags and are frozen. It was quite delicious!
We went to Spero's house for "dinner" (the apostrophes to be explained momentarily). He lives in the West Hills, just west of Accra. It is an up and coming area near the West Hills Mall, the largest mall in all of western Africa including Nigeria. The Ghanaians are quite proud of their accomplishments.
The road to Spero's was like forging through a desert and a jungle. Seriously. He would turn into tall, tall grasses and bushes that went straight up a hill. I thought, "where is he going? Doesn't he know that his late model BMW 323 is not a lifted 4x4?!?" But some how we arrived at his home, muffler and engine still intact, to a brood of very happy kids.
Spero's wife, Raita, was so friendly! She had made dinner for her family; it was a dried fish and giant snail soup with fufu. I cannot express to you how awful it looked and smelled. Zak said that it was delicious....umm, sure it was. As is tradition in Ghana, the men-folk eat first. Once they are done, then the kids and the women eat. I did not partake.
The kids all kept yelling, "Abroni! Abroni!" I didn't know until a few days later that this means, "white person." Apparently, I was a treat to see. Some of the kids had never seen a white person before. I can make any kid's day great by flashing them an Abroni smile and a wave. So cute!
We went to the West Hills Mall to get me some dinner. I was very hungry, but had been promised "Sizzler" so I was holding back on consuming my emergency Clif Bar. Turns out that the Sizzler was really this place called, "New York Sizzler." They supposedly served all sorts of American fare, but when we got there two things collided that would forever change my course.
First, it was the end of Ramadan, a Muslim holiday of fasting. The mall was packed with people eating and dancing. It might be equivalent to a 4th of July parade jubilation. Second, the electricity went out. This is, unfortunately, a fairly common thing in Ghana. There are rolling black outs daily; the only question is which part of the day will have no electricity. With all the craziness, we opted for Pizza Inn. They were out of pepperoni and mushrooms, so I opted for chicken pizza. It was going to take 25 minutes to bake, so we went in to check out some of the stores.
The quality of the stores and the items within the stores was unremarkable, except that the prices were astronomical! For example, a pair of no-name leather flip-flops were $120 and a K-Mart quality polo shirt was $40. Spero wanted to go to a particular store to get some shoes. His request: Payless Shoe Source. I kid you not! The prices were equivalent to US prices, but there was no BOGO promotion, so everything was full price.
Zak, who has been converted to the ways of the Goodwill and very nice, high quality brands, told Spero that he could not stand for $45 to be spent on a pair of fake leather oxfords at Payless. "You could get much nicer shoes at the Goodwill for $6!" I love that guy.
The pizza was "okay," which Zak has learned means "not good" to an American, and he called me on it. He wanted me to eat something that I would enjoy. Frankly, it wasn't very tasty and didn't really remind me of any pizza that I've ever had in the States; Little Caesars would have been more delicious. But I was very hungry and was grateful that I could eat something.
The phone rang at 7:30am asking what I wanted to drink for breakfast. I went back to sleep. At 8:30 breakfast arrived and I realized that the AC was off...in fact, ALL the electricity was off. I waited for the electricity to go back on, but alas. I fell asleep and woke every hour or so to a hotter and stuffier room. Since the water heater is electric, a shower was no good.
At about 11:30 Zak called; he was shocked that I was still sleeping and I told him that there was no AC so I didn't sleep well...plus, jet lag. Additionally, someone was enjoying morning reefer (that's marijuana) outside my window and I was basically hot-boxing since there was no real ventilation. Well, Zak officially lost his mind with indignant rage because I was so uncomfortable.
He arrived a few minutes later and I was dressed. I met him out on the patio where I was told to pack up my stuff; I was changing hotels. Well, once we had someone let us back in to my room (the keycard automatically resets each day at noon regardless of the reservation--mine was for 16 days), I threw everything back into bags and we shuffled everything down to the taxi.
The new hotel, Mascot Hotel: Experiencing Real Hospitality, was fine and had a pool! Finally, some use for the 8 swim suits I brought. Plus, they run their generator all dey except from noon to 6pm, so I would never have to sleep in hot again. Woohoo!
We dropped everything off and paid for the night (120 GHC - Ghanaian Cedis), which is equivalent to just under $40/night a full $10/night cheaper than the other hotel.
We went to go meet Spero at his office; he is a naturopath by trade. On the way we stopped to talk to this woman who was selling fabric. She was very friendly and asked if I liked fufu. Ummm, no. But she said I had a nice smile and that since I was with Zak she recinded her previous offer to give him her daughter. We brought lots of fabric in our container and are going to take home souveniers of Ghanaian made clothes. She is the woman who will hook us up with a good tailor.
Now, let me just expound upon Spero's medical training; he has NONE. He is very nice and knows a little about anatomy and biology, but realistically tells people to clean out their bodies of "toxins" and eat veggies as a cure for almost ANY ailment. For example, while we were there one of his "assistants" (also, with no medical training) was packaging up a few bottles of concoctions (they looked like green tea) for a patient. Zak asked what it was for and was told that the patient has a stomachache. Zak followed-up with, "so, if she had a headache would she get the sme thing?" Yep!
Spero's clinic is located in the center of one of the large shopping districts. It is convenient for people to stop in, get a "diagnosis" and treatment, and be on their way; fee for service. The entire outfit is cash only, no records, no tax liability, no license.
Zak went to run an errand so I stayed at Spero's office. While I was waiting a woman came in to see Spero. There are clearly no HIPPA laws as I was right there in his office for the entire visit and was eve enquired of my medical opinion regarding the case. Umm, I'm not that kind of doctor. The entire visit was in Twi, which I don't speak, but can understnad a lot of and usually follow a conversation due to sporadic, key English words.
I could tell that this woman wanted another course of treatment for her ailment, but hadn't done what "the doctor" had prescribed initially. Then he asked me if one could fast if they had an ulcer. Ummm, WHAT?!!? Sure, I suppose so. If my stomach hurts, I don't want to put food into it. And since I was fairly certain that there was no science behind the diagnosis, it could have just been a sour stomach or acid reflux, my answer was as reliable as any mother's intuition.
The initial course of treatment was to eat 6 small meals a day, but he wanted her to cleanse her system which required fasting. Relying on my medical training (at least, I am a certified lifeguard and was once a certified EMT), I said, "if a doctor tells you to eat 6 small meals a day, but then asks you to fast for a test or procedure, then that is probably okay." I relied heavily on that "if" and felt okay about it.
I went back to my phone and Spero went on to quote the bible about the Law of the Fast and how if Jesus fasted as a mortal and we are mortal, then we should fast, too. Again, not a lot of science involved. Spero preys on the ignorance of an uneducated people, he treats mostly self-limiting issues with some herbs (a magic solution), and a cost of 100 bucks (which is an enormous amount of money for most of these people).
Zak told me later that the reason Spero asked for my opinion was so that he could tell the patient, "see, even the nice white lady agrees with me," and the patient would be able to tell her family and friends that the doctor AND the white lady said it was okay. Oh, Boy!
I met Zak's youngest brother, Shaibu, while we were there. He lives in Koforidua with his mom and is attending university. He came into Accra to give Zak a debit card for an account he had set up for his Ghanaian dealings. We spoke for approximately 33.7 seconds, but he seemed nice enough. He looked like a younger, thinner version of Zak. We will get to see him, and Zak's mom, this weekend.
Just outside Spero's office is this grand market. Everyone selling fruits, vegetables, water-soaked dried cowhide (they put it in soup and eat it), and all kinds of goods. Women would carry their wares on their heads and their babies/toddlers on their backs. I rarely heard a child cry, and that was only in the hotel when the toddler was clearly tired. Young childrem, maybe as young as 7, also sold goods; many I spoke with indicated that they could not go home until everything was sold. These people really live hand to mouth in the most literal way imaginable.
Spero bought me these things called Tiger Nubs; I have no idea what that means. They are tiny tubers that you chew up, suck out the juice, and spit out. They taste like fresh coconut; I liked them! Their purpose reminded me of American sunflower seeds. You chew on them to pass the time and relax. I also had a FroYo. The yogurt comes in little bags and are frozen. It was quite delicious!
We went to Spero's house for "dinner" (the apostrophes to be explained momentarily). He lives in the West Hills, just west of Accra. It is an up and coming area near the West Hills Mall, the largest mall in all of western Africa including Nigeria. The Ghanaians are quite proud of their accomplishments.
The road to Spero's was like forging through a desert and a jungle. Seriously. He would turn into tall, tall grasses and bushes that went straight up a hill. I thought, "where is he going? Doesn't he know that his late model BMW 323 is not a lifted 4x4?!?" But some how we arrived at his home, muffler and engine still intact, to a brood of very happy kids.
Spero's wife, Raita, was so friendly! She had made dinner for her family; it was a dried fish and giant snail soup with fufu. I cannot express to you how awful it looked and smelled. Zak said that it was delicious....umm, sure it was. As is tradition in Ghana, the men-folk eat first. Once they are done, then the kids and the women eat. I did not partake.
The kids all kept yelling, "Abroni! Abroni!" I didn't know until a few days later that this means, "white person." Apparently, I was a treat to see. Some of the kids had never seen a white person before. I can make any kid's day great by flashing them an Abroni smile and a wave. So cute!
We went to the West Hills Mall to get me some dinner. I was very hungry, but had been promised "Sizzler" so I was holding back on consuming my emergency Clif Bar. Turns out that the Sizzler was really this place called, "New York Sizzler." They supposedly served all sorts of American fare, but when we got there two things collided that would forever change my course.
First, it was the end of Ramadan, a Muslim holiday of fasting. The mall was packed with people eating and dancing. It might be equivalent to a 4th of July parade jubilation. Second, the electricity went out. This is, unfortunately, a fairly common thing in Ghana. There are rolling black outs daily; the only question is which part of the day will have no electricity. With all the craziness, we opted for Pizza Inn. They were out of pepperoni and mushrooms, so I opted for chicken pizza. It was going to take 25 minutes to bake, so we went in to check out some of the stores.
The quality of the stores and the items within the stores was unremarkable, except that the prices were astronomical! For example, a pair of no-name leather flip-flops were $120 and a K-Mart quality polo shirt was $40. Spero wanted to go to a particular store to get some shoes. His request: Payless Shoe Source. I kid you not! The prices were equivalent to US prices, but there was no BOGO promotion, so everything was full price.
Zak, who has been converted to the ways of the Goodwill and very nice, high quality brands, told Spero that he could not stand for $45 to be spent on a pair of fake leather oxfords at Payless. "You could get much nicer shoes at the Goodwill for $6!" I love that guy.
The pizza was "okay," which Zak has learned means "not good" to an American, and he called me on it. He wanted me to eat something that I would enjoy. Frankly, it wasn't very tasty and didn't really remind me of any pizza that I've ever had in the States; Little Caesars would have been more delicious. But I was very hungry and was grateful that I could eat something.
An African Sunday Afternoon
THE REST OF SUNDAY
We went to the downtown market with Spero, Zak's good friend, to see a guy about a cellphone. Seriously. The market was fairly dead because is was Sunday, but there were still lots of people selling their wares and foods. They got me some "meat stew" and banku for lunch, but the fire that was on my lips from the stew left me wanting. The Clif Bars that I brought have been very crucial to my subsistance.
We tried to go to the beach for a swim. We pulled up to a hotel on the beach that had a great pool and super patio bar/restaurant. The ocean water looked brown and Zak decided it was too cold to swim. For the record, it was like 80 degrees with a good breeze. So I got some chicken fried rice (FAR less spicy than the "meat stew") and my stomach was full!
We drove around and around. None of the roads have street signs (or asphalt, for that matter) and all look very similar, so I felt like we were driving in one huge circle. My orientation had no guiding point and the jet lag was coming on strong. We were still trying to figure out the cellphone thing. Zak wanted us to be able to text and talk since we weren't staying in the same place. After several hours, I turned my phone on and called AT&T to add international phone service. For $60 I got unlimited international texting, 500MB of data, and $0.50/minute phone calls. Not ideal, but cheaper than some of the options Zak was looking into.
This is a very typical neighborhood in Accra. Please note the dirt road and wild goats.
This is the part of my trip when I learned that there is no such thing as a public rest room in Ghana; you either use the one at your house, the one at your work (if they have one) or the street (which I have, unfortunately, witnessed more than a few times). As a "snobby American" I refused to do the latter and they rushed me to my hotel, where I barely made it!
Spero and Zak went to get me a case of bottled water (no worms or travelers' diahrrea, please and thank you) and a loaf of bread. It was only 7pm, but I was EXHAUSTED! By the time they came back I was ready to bid them adieu, shower and sleep. But because I am nice, and he is paying for the hotel, I let Zak use my shower. The place he is staying does not have running water. You have to fetch the water from a well or large reservoir and take a "bath" in a bucket. He was SO happy to have a shower. Especially since Ghana is hot, sticky, and dirty.
Once they left, I took a shower and enjoyed the AC and had some sugar bread while I watched the movie, Belle, on my laptop. (Shout out to Suzzanne for all the great flix!!)
Let me take a moment to tell you about the virtues of this thing called, "sugar bread." It is a slightly sweet, dense white bread that is freshly baked. Think of it like Grandma Sycamore's velvety, more substantial, posh cousin. You can live quite comfortably on it alone for some time. I will try to take as much back to the States as possible. Apologies to family and friends who live nowhere near Missouri.
The movie was great, but I fell asleep before it was even half over. I woke up around 8:30pm because the electricity had gone out and my room was a stuffy hot sauna. It took about 20 minutes for it to go back on. While I waited I enjoyed some more sugar bread and watched some more of the movie...of course, falling asleep before it was over.
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