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!