Nine months, two homes
Sloppy Joe Sunday
Together with the semester students, we attended Legon Interdenominational Church this morning. After the service, Tracy took photos. Many of the students wore dresses sewn from fabrics they purchased up country.
Afterward, we hosted a lunch that included a massive batch of sloppy joes. Many students were thankful for the American food. Samuel (social historian at the Institute of African Studies who served as a cultural interpreter during January) and his family joined us for a time.
If all foods are acquired tastes, sloppy joes are no exception. Samuel’s family's reactions were mixed. Samuel enjoyed it, but other members of his family were less enthusiastic.
The semester students “start” their classes tomorrow. And, Mark and Catherine head back to school tomorrow. Back to routine for all.
—Matt
Settling in for the Semester
The semester students have been on campus for almost a week, getting ready for classes. They participated in the university's international student orientation program this week, along with students from more than a dozen other schools, mostly from Europe and North America. Classes “start” Monday, but only six of fifteen Calvin students have completed the registration process. You can’t enroll in classes that have not been “mounted.”
This morning, we smelled smoke at the flat. Now, it is not uncommon to detect the stench of smoldering grass and wood in the air, but it was particularly noxious today. Turns out, the fire was in Commonwealth’s garden (lawn), less than 100 feet from our flat! I guess the only surprising thing is it didn’t happen earlier with only 50 drops of rain since our arrival. Amost all vegetation is brown and dry.
Funny thing was, nobody seemed troubled by the burning garden! We observed several pedestrians who paid no attention whatsoever to the flames. The Hall porters acknowledged they knew about the blaze but didn’t know who started it, or why. One wandered (slowly) to the steps to investigate. “Probably someone had some stuff to burn.”
In a parched environment, it's not a brilliant move to start a fire on a windy morning. But, thankfully, the fire got only slightly out of control. (We saw some shrubs burst into flame. We should have removed our sandals!) As of this evening, you can still smell smoke, but the fire has burned itself out. There appears to be no significant damage.
—Matt
Funny Skies
In the US, Catherine would have called today a “non-uniform day.” At International Community School, it was “hat, favourite colour, and sports day.” Students were encouraged to wear their “best colour.” Catherine wore an Adidas shirt and the Michigan State hat she got for Christmas. I snapped a photo as she drank her mid-afternoon coconut.
Yesterday, I wrote about Tracy administering the semester program. Today, Catherine took a photo of the professor working in her office at the Institute of African Studies. On their walk home, Tracy and Cathering got a snack at Coffee Cue: a baked bean sandwich and a vanilla milk shake. The sandwich was, reportedly, tasty.
Weird happenings in the skies today. On the way home from school, Mark snapped a photo of Harmattan dust occluding the sun. Later, as we drove to dinner near the airport, we saw thousands of bats in the sky.
—Matt
The Banality of Everyday Life
6:00 Breakfast
6:45—8:15 I drive Mark and Catherine to their respective schools
15:00 or 16:00 (depending on the day) I pick up Catherine from ICS
15:30 or 16:30 Tracy returns to the flat
16:00 or 17:00 (depending on the day) I pick up Mark from Roman Ridge
15:30—18:00 Homework
18:00 Dinner
18:30 Pack backpacks and lunches for tomorrow; set out uniforms
20:00 Lights out for Catherine
21:30 Lights out for Mark
In the middle of the day, Tracy administers the semester program and works with students. I often exercise at 8:30 and run errands, do research, or have teleconferences between 10:00 and 15:00.
One thing not yet included in our routine is two evening courses taught by Tracy for the semester students. That begins next week.
After our busy December and hectic move, I’m finding comfort in the banility of everyday life.
—Matt
Beijing?
Several short updates today.
Harmattan has rejoined us. Hazy skies remain the norm, occluding all but the faintest disk of the sun. We know it is dust from the Sahara, but it looks like Beijing! Although Accra is in the tropics and very near the equator (5.5 N latitude), there has been no need of sunscreen to date.
Catherine has become enthusiastic about Sobolo, a Ghanaian cool drink made from hibiscus (bissap) tea and ginger. She buys a 1-cedi bottle daily for lunch.
Our flat flooded today. To be specific, water tanks in the rafters overflowed and sent water cascading onto the 2nd floor verandas and our front and back porches. Fortunately, none of the water entered our living space.
Catherine shows no sign of growing out of her allergy to mosquito bites. She’s the only family member with multiple bites and the only family member with welts. The welts are so noticeable that her teacher asked me about them after school! Catherine decided to try a sleep sack saturated with Permethrin tonight. We’re hopeful that helps. In case anyone is worried, blood tests at Healthline showed no evidence of malaria. Malarone works.
Mark has his first backetball practice tomorrow at Roman Ridge.
—Matt
Still Life: Mango
The mango is a tropical fruit, and Ghana is a tropical country. Ghanaian mangoes are extraordinarily juicy and sweet. We have been enjoying them almost daily since our arrival. Tonight’s mango was especially good, and I took the opportunity to compose a still life photo in the late afternoon sunlight of our kitchen.
Of course, this makes me think of Mango Groove, my favorite South African band. During my previous sabbatical (2009), Mango Groove released their previous album (Bang the Drum). As it happens, they’re releasing another new album soon (Sing The Beloved Country), and I’m beyond excited! For the second album in a row, I’ll be in country around the time of release. Perhaps I’ll be able to check an item off my bucket list: attend a Mango Groove concert. Bonus points if the venue is Kirstenbosch Gardens.
The name of the upcoming album is a play on the title of, arguably, the most famous South African novel, Alan Paton’s Cry the Beloved Country. I’m eager to hear how they connect the album to the novel, if at all. I allowed myself to listen to the 90-second iTunes preview of the new single “Faces to the Sun.” Once. It sounded great, but I won’t listen again until I can hear the album in its entirety.
After school today, Catherine worked on homework. She wrote her own ending to The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, involving the characters Lucy (as herself) and Tumnus (as a biker named Dude).
Mark played badminton during after-school activities.
Tracy’s students began the process of registering for classes at the University of Ghana. They learned that classes meet only two hours per week and not during the first scheduled week of the term (essentially). One can’t assume that anything in Ghana conforms to North American expectations!
—Matt
Photos from Up Country
I co-directed Calvin’s Interim in Ghana class with Stephanie Sandberg. We were blessed with 23 students who were eager for anything. Prior to departure, I mentioned that “attitude is everything” in Ghana, and they certainly took it to heart. Best best of all, they enjoyed each other immensely. Thankfully, no one got sick.
We enjoyed many new experiences. Our first eight days were spent in Akropong at the Akrofi Christaller Institute where we heard from lecturers who informed us about topics like the prosperity gospel, primal religion, and Christianity and development. From Akropong, we visited Cape Coast, then Kuamsi, Tamale and Bolga. Some of the highlights of our travel included visiting Elmina Castle (the final departure point for 3 million enslaved Africans en route to the Americas), a World Vision site near Tamale that involved a quiz competition between two rural schools and a dance troupe (which we had to join; it’s rude not to!), visting the Chief of Zogga who welcomed us warmly, allowing the women in his village to wrap a baby on the back of one of our students. The final photo shows another student pounding shea nuts with women of a village in Bolga, one of Ghana’s largest towns in the northeastern section of the country.
—Tracy
Electricity update: we had a proper “load shedding” event for about 2 hours this afternoon. The generators at the Institute of African Studies came to life, as promised. (Internet did not return, however.) Less luck at Commonwealth Hall; our flat’s power was out straight through the event.
Routine update: On 6 Jaunary 2016, I wrote that we were in desparate need of a routine. I think we’re starting to find one. Arising at 6 AM no longer seems onerous. Earlier-than-in-the-US to bed is no longer challenging for the kids. Homework is pursued in a timely manner after school. Roads are familiar. With Tracy back, we parents can parallel process some of the evening chores.
Tomorrow marks the one month anniversary of our arrival. Our Ghanian life seems to be settling into a rhythm.
—Matt
Tracy’s Back
We attended Agape House church this morning, where worship services combine Ghanaian musicians, American praise music (all but one song in English), and Southern Baptist preaching that bordered on properity gospel. Although Catherine and Mark enjoyed it, today may be our last visit.
In the afternoon, we prepared the flat for Tracy’s re-arrival. (It wasn’t quite a bachelor’s pad but definitely needed tidying). We visited the Institute of African Studies for unmetered internet. I met my student Addottey to discuss energy issues in Accra. And, we met Tracy and the semester students as they checked into International Student Hostel. Tracy proceeded to a dinner while the kids and I failed in our attempt to FaceTime with Tracy’s side of the family.
As of 8:15, Tracy’s back! (Seen below.) But, she’s quite sick with a cough and chest congestion, possibly caused by ingesting Harmattan dust in the north. Thankfully, there’s no fever. Let’s hope she gets over it quickly, because she has orientation at 7:30 AM tomorrow with the semester students.
—Matt
Saturday Playdate
Catherine’s best Christmas gift of 2015 came from her teacher who asked clssmates to write goodbye letters. Each letter reflects the personality of its writer and is sweet in its own way. She has treasured each message, reading one per night since our arrival. Catherine recently opened the last one, providing the opportunity to commemorate with a photo. Thanks, Mrs. Stegehuis!
In this family, homework (almost) always comes first, and both kids had work to do this morning. Catherine worked on spelling and a communities project covering family, school, and church. Mark worked on mathematics and chemistry. He awaits the correct history book.
After homework, Catherine invited twin friends Khezia and Charles for a playdate. They arrived at about 2:30 and worked through Lego, Scrabble, and Monkey in the Middle. Mark joined for Scrabble, serving as referee and scorekeeper. When I brought the kids home, I met parents Charles and Emma who are as lovely as their children. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to be together beyond the routines of school.
On the way home, Catherine and I stopped at the Accra Mall to have dinner, buy groceries, and top up Vodaphone and SurfLine.
It was my first time driving home from the mall in the dark. I made a rookie mistake, driving down the row of parking spaces that leads to eastbound Spintex Road; not the way home. Not a big deal, but Spintex Road has a toll, and there is no place to turn around for miles. Fortunately, I was following a motorcycle who showed that it is possible to turn left (westbound), seemingly realizing, as I did, that turning right (eastbound) would lead to many problems.
That left turn was a big mistake.
Turns out, the road is one-way going right (eastbound). The motorcycle driver didn’t care, as two-wheel vehicles drive the wrong way all the time. But a four-wheel car is another matter, and I was quickly shown the error of my ways by dozens of gesticulating taxi drivers lining the road. And two police officers, who pulled me over, demanding to see my license. Seeing I was not a Ghanian, they demanded my international driving permit, which I pulled from the glove box. Unsatisfied, they repeatedly said “And so you have offended!” and “Why did you drive the wrong way on a one-way street?" Apparently worried that I was completely clueless, they climbed into the back seats (Catherine and I were in the front) to “help,” saying “We show you the way home. We are here because of you!” I apologized repeatedly, insisting that I knew where to go, that my only mistake was a wrong turn in the dark, and that I could drop them wherever they wanted. As I drove, they asked twice “Don’t you have anything now to help a brother?” They told me to let them out of my car on the far side of a large truck on the onramp to the northbound road home. As I did so, I produced 20 cedis and went safely on my way.
Nobody got hurt. I didn’t get a ticket. I didn’t have to pay a toll. I didn’t have to turn around on Spintex Road. The officers chastened me. It’s a mistake I’ll make only once. And, they seemed satisfied with my donation. At age 49, did I just pay my first bribe? Or was 20 cedis the simplest route to an optimal outcome for everyone, avoiding the nightmare of the Ghanaian court system and its bureaucracy?
—Matt
Skype
After school, we all went to the Institute of African Studies, and Catherine Skyped with her class back in Michigan. Together with her teacher, I organized the 30-minute session around questions that were asked of and by Catherine. The students in Michigan were well prepared with questions printed on 3x5 notecards. Each student walked to the computer to ask their question and patiently wait for Catherine to answer. They asked about weather (it’s hot), food (it’s OK), and fears (few, except for bugs). Catherine's list of 12 questions included: “How much snow is there?” “Who are the new kids?” “Are you working on the Spring Program in music?” and “What are you learning in Math?” Judging by the smiles on both sides, it seems like everyone enjoyed the visit. See photos below.
We blew through another 10 GB of data on SurfLine. It is driving me crazy that I don’t know what is causing our high rate of data consumption. Today, when we got home from the Institute, we consumed 1 GB of data in 7 minutes. 7 minutes! That hardly seems possible.
The weekend is here, and Tracy returns on Sunday. We’re all looking forward to that.
—Matt
Basketball
At 5:19 AM, we experienced our first proper blackout. The electricity was off for most of our morning routine. It returned just as we were leaving the flat (6:45).
Of course, that meant traffic lights were not functioning in the vicinity of the university. In the absence of a traffic cop, several teen boys ran around with palm branches trying to restore what counts as “order” to the intersection (in exchange for a donation, of course). Most, but not all, drivers ignored the boys, with the perverse result of more roadway chaos than if they had not tried to “help” at all.
After school, Catherine and I each bought a coconut again. A machete is used to cut off the top, providing access to the milk. Many people just drink it straight, but catherine prefers to use a straw. The vendor allowed me to take his photo as he used a piece of the shell to scoop the meat.
Mark was asked to play on the Roman Ridge basketball team by its coach today. We suspect that his height may be been a factor in the recruiting effort. Apparently, there is an inter-school league in which the team plays. Practices are every Thursday afternoon. The games should be interesting to watch if he decides to join the team.
—Matt
Ghana Institution of Engineers
Connections and networks are both amazing and humbling. Carl, a parent I met on Mark’s first day of school at Roman Ridge, sent my contact information to his friend Alex. I didn’t know it at the time, but Alex is the Vice President of the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE), the Ghanaian professional engineering society similar to ASME, ASCE, or IEEE. Two of Alex's children are Calvin College graduates. Alex and his family heard about Calvin from Kwame Bediako, former rector of the Akrofi-Christaller Institute in Akropong, the host institution for Tracy and her interim students.
These connections led to a noon meeting between me and the executive leadership of the GhIE at their headquarters, one block away from Roman Ridge School. The discussion was stimulating and beneficial to me, and I trust to them as well. The meeting may lead to an invitation to participate in the upcoming GhIE annual conference in some capacity.
Mid-morning, I visited the International Student Hostel (where the Calvin semester students will stay), only to find that the Memorandum of Understanding between Calvin and the University of Ghana has not reached the hostel. Questions ensued about how many students, how long they’ll stay, and who will pay. Tracy made calls in the afternoon to start the process of sorting it out. Not a moment to soon, for the students arrive (and we get Tracy back) four days hence on Sunday 24 January.
Mark had significant homework tonight, and Catherine enjoyed her Wednesday swimming lessons again.
—Matt
Life Is How You Make It
A few quick updates today.
Catherine was well enough to attend school! In the afternoon, we got another coconut to celebrate.
Mark’s friends at school convinced him to download WhatsApp today.
If Tracy and/or Stephanie create at least one transaction on the Calvin account this week, it will be re-activated. Looks like this part of the saga might come to an end.
Ghanian taxis and tro-tros are famous for pithy sayings and proverbs on their rear windows. We saw one today that summarizes international living.
—Matt
HealthLink
Catherine didn’t feel well enough to attend school today, so we visited the HealthLink clinic in East Legon. The pediatrician was kind and thorough, ordering several lab tests. Fortunately, the results were fine; nothing seems to be awry. The only suspicious reading was low blood pressure. Catherine needs to work harder to keep hydrated. Thankfully, she perked up this afternoon, and I expect she’ll be ready for school tomorrow. The visit to the clinic consumed our entire morning, though.
In addition to hydration, she needs something with electrolytes, like Pedialyte but more palatable. The doctor’s prescription? “More coconut.” (Apparently, there are several health benefits.) So, we stopped at a coconut stand, and Catherine watched the vendor open the fruit with a machete. She enjoyed both the milk and the meat.
There is no shortage of entertainment on the roads of Accra. On the way to pick up Mark from school, we passed a scrap truck. With a little enterprise, a whole lot of stuff can be crammed onto a flatbed. Bonus points to the guy who used the scrap itself to form the sides of his lorry!
Later, while waiting at a traffic light, we witnessed a breakdown on the opposite side of the street. A navy blue Land Rover stopped dead in the worst possible place: a single-lane portion of the road bounded by rather tall curbs. I saw the incident develop and alerted the kids. We watched and wondered what would happen. What would you do if you were stuck behind the broken-down Land Rover?
Every car, taxi, and tro-tro, without exception, made its way up and over the curb and onto the sidewak as the driver fixed the flat!
—Matt
First Blackout
We have always known that blackouts are sure to come; they are a feature of Ghanian life. Today, we experienced our first (very minor) one.
While Catherine and I were waiting to pay at Shoprite, the lights in the back half of the store went out. That was Stage 1. After a couple minutes, all lights went out. Stage 2. There were no gasps of disbelief, no shrieks, no nothing; no big deal. Just quiet. Shoppers had obviously been through this before. After about two minutes of dark, all lights came back on. (Generators kicked in?) After five additional minutes during which the tills rebooted, the store returned to normal activity. We expect more and longer “load shedding” events in the future. Clearly, this was a mild introduction.
Catherine was still feeling a bit sick this morning, and we stayed home from church. But, by afternoon, she was well enough to accompany me to Shoprite. I’m hopeful that she’ll attend school tomorrow. If not, I’ll take her to the doctor.
Late this afternoon Mark took a walk, wandering around campus for a while. Along the way, he took several photos of the flowers he saw. I don’t expect there are too many songs that mention “the bougainvillea.” But, one of my favorite songs does: Paul Simon’s The Coast (lyrics). Anyone know of another?
—Matt
Reading Day
Our outing today was to the EPP Bookstore in the yet-to-be-completed mall across the highway from the University of Ghana. Actually, “mall” is too strong. It’s more like a renovated 4-story building.
EPP is on the second floor. Supposedly, a grocery store will occupy the ground floor in February, and everything is still under construction. The building itself is “dodgy” (my word) and “sketchy” (Mark’s word). The stairs are uneven, the floors seem too thin (and flexible in some places), there are very few customers, the books are dusty, and everything in the store feels unfinished.
The good news is that we bought five books for Mark, which should keep him occupied for a couple weeks. It’s already working. (See photo below.)
As we left the “mall,” I decided to take a different route home, avoiding the bone-crunching dirt road on which we usually drive. We went North on Legon E Road (N4) with the intent of making a U-turn back to the campus. Not so easy! We drove for 15 minutes before I felt comfortable to reverse direction, thanks to the presence of a traffic cop. The Saturday afternoon traffic was horrible. Oh well. Yet another adventure.
This evening, Catherine saw a large (6-inch) gecko scampering along the bathroom wall as she stepped into the shower. My technique in these situations is to cover the gecko with a colander, slip a folder under the colander, bring the folder-covered colander outside, and release the offender. Tonight, when I jammed the colander against the wall, I accidentally pinned the gecko's midsection beneath the collander's rim. I probably broke its spine; it didn’t move after that. Tears! If we advertise that our flat is perilous to geckos, will fewer invade?
Catherine is feeling a bit better, although her stomach remains unsettled.
—Matt
Sick
Catherine awoke in the middle of the night complaining of a stomach ache. This morning, she had a slight fever of 100.0 F, so I kept her home from school.
Of course, I called the school to report her absence. Soon thereafter, Catherine’s teacher (Miss Sarhene) called with much concern, inquiring about her health. I said, somewhat flippantly, “Well, she doesn’t need to go to the hospital!” to which Miss Sarhene responded “Why not?” I, surprisingly, needed to explain that Catherine was, indeed, sick and that I didn’t think it would be right to expose her classmates. Perhaps the Ghanian assumption is that students stay home from school only if they need hospitalization?
Let’s file this next item under “parents are always the last to know.” Apparently, Mark has been arm wrestling his classmates at school. For money! He has won 55 cedis from this activity, nearly enough to buy something for which he has been saving.
To celebrate the end of the first full week of school and because Catherine was feeling better by the end of the day, we went to East Legon for dinner at Pinnochio, a small pizza and ice cream shop recommended by Mark’s school friends. The food was OK, not great. But the quality of the food wasn’t the point, I guess.
At dinner, I posed a question inspired by my friend Kevin: “what single word would you use to describe your experience in Ghana thus far?”
Mark, breaking the rules, said “cultural experience.” He finds it interesting to see how people live and act in another country. Mark also mentioned his history class in which the Cold War and the Star Wars program have been critiqued from a non-American point of view. He’s also amazed that next week will mark the end of our first month in Ghana.
Catherine, also breaking the rules, said “pretty cool.” Specific “pretty cool” things include her school, Ghanian friends, being in a country where we are unique, and the morning (but not afternoon) weather.
I couldn’t ask for better answers!
—Matt
Spot the Differences
My cousin Sue (who is staying in our home while we’re away) sent a photo of our street in Michigan. Can you spot the differences between Michigan and Accra? (1) Snow in Michigan, none (ever) in Accra. (2) Blue sky in Michigan, none (yet) in Accra.
Another difference: generators outside of every building on the University of Ghana campus. C.K. says the university installed them at the end of 2015 as a hedge against “load shedding,” a.k.a. blackouts, from ECG.
At the end of 2015, the Ministry of Power (funny name) announced that load shedding was over. But, shortly thereafter, the Ghana Grid Company refuted the claim. We haven’t experienced any outages on the university campus. But, Tracy (who is now travelling in Cape Coast with the students) has experienced several blackouts already.
The generators, reportedly, have been tested, but not under blackout conditions. Let’s hope they actually work if and when needed!
—Matt
Swimming and Exams
When I went to pick up Catherine (in my New Car!), her class was receiving swimming instruction, and I could watch for a few minutes. All students were excited, but Catherine supposes she was the most excited, because it was her first time. I probably didn’t need to say all that. Her smile tells the whole story.
After a stop at the Night Market and a few minutes at the flat, Catherine and I picked up Mark from school. He, typical teenager, was considerably less excited to have his photo taken by dad. His exams today included Language (easier) and Chemistry (harder).
A piece of good news: the air conditioner in the master bedroom was fixed today. The cause of the problem was a bad thermistor. Ironically, I teach an Instrumentation course!
—Matt
New Uniform
Catherine wore her school uniform for the first time today. I’d say she wore it well and wore it proudly!
—Matt
A New Car!
It’s almost like I won “A New Car!” on The Price is Right. But, it didn’t seem like it would happen.
The first plan was for Michael to pick me up at 9 AM and take me Akropong. I would drive Calvin’s car back to Legon. But, Michael didn’t show.
The next plan was for my student Addottey and I to drive to Akropong. But, he could get to the flat only at Noon, too late to guarantee a return to Accra by 3 PM to fetch Catherine.
I was at the point of saying we’ll try again tomorrow.
Thankfully, Stephanie was coming to Accra for some business, anyway. She was to be driven by someone else. But, Tracy figured out that Stephanie could drive the Calvin car to Accra. In the end, the car (finally) arrived to our flat at about 1 PM.
Over the past week, we’ve gained an appreciation for the daily struggles faced by (too many) people all over the world who walk several miles or are dependent on others for transport to obtain water, buy food, or attend school. It isn’t pleasant. It isn’t secure. And, at times, it isn’t safe.
My Zimbabwean friend, Dominic, once explained to me that poverty is not lack of money but lack of choices. Indeed, we were “poor” in terms of transportation this week. And, as the saying goes, “being poor is expensive.”
With limited mobility, I found that we overpaid for transportation often, being at the mercy of taxi drivers. And, food choices were few. From our location, the Night Market and All Needs store are the only options within walking distance until residence hall cafeterias open. The Night Market has great fruit, but we have been warned to stay away from the meat. And, All Needs lacks beef and chicken; its milk is expensive. Thus, protien was hard to come by. Long term, that’s not good for either child or adult nutrition. And, we had limited choices for entertainment, fun, and self expression. For example, I’m sure the kids would have enjoyed the pool again. But we didn’t have enough time to both swim and walk both ways. And taking yet another taxi ride to reach the pool? We were content to stay at the flat.
None of this was ideal, but we made it through.
My first trip after collecting Catherine from school? The supermarket.
—Matt
Running and Walking
After dropping the kids at school (via taxi again), I went for a long run. Thereafter, I brought Tracy and Stephanie’s paperwork to the bank on my way to the Institute of African Studies (IAS), where I worked most of the day.
Unfortunately, I realized (when I got to the IAS) that I forgot the keys to the Calvin office. Nuts! I had to walk all the way back across campus to get the keys, then down the hill again. A wasted half hour. My core temperature had not come down after the run, and I was very uncomfortable. Note to self: don’t walk the campus three times after a run.
While I was at the office, I learned that our bank responded to my request to add Catherine’s school to our list of available SWIFT recipients. So, I was able to pay her tuition bill. In return, she received her school uniform which she’ll wear for the first time tomorrow.
After dinner, Catherine did some science homework on the couch. Mark had none, because of the exams. He said the math exam was easy, but the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) exam was impossible.
—Matt
Lazy Sunday
Today was a lazy Sunday for us. Apart from worshiping at the Legon Interdenominational Church again, the kids read, we killed a few bugs, we bought some fruit at the Night Market, and generally recharged before the first full week of school upcoming. During the worship service, Mark and Catherine were entertained by a few West African Rainbow Lizards that scampered about.
Tracy stopped at the flat for about 45 seconds, long enough to hand me some paperwork that I need to bring to the bank tomorrow. I guess the bank problems are still not sorted!
The photo below shows Mark and Cathering enjoying juicy Mangoes for an evening snack. (Not sure why they look so much like zombies.)
—Matt
Accounting Systems
In one of the first few weeks I worked at JPL, my supervisor required my attendance at a meeting to learn about the accounting system. When the financial person arrived, his first statement was “accounting systems change behavior.” At the time, I didn’t know how right he was!
In the States, we pay a flat monthly fee for (effectively) unlimited internet access at home. And, in our offices, Calvin provides internet at no cost to us. Our online lives are, essentially, free of per-megabyte charges. However, in Ghana we now live with metered internet. That is, we pay by the megabyte, even for WiFi connections, because all of our packets ultimately flow through SurfLine over the mobile phone network.
During our first week in Accra, we behaved as if nothing were different, and we blew through a month’s data cap in a couple days. Ouch! So, we eliminated online video watching. But, we have now blown through a second data allotment. I’m not entirely sure why, but my working hypothesis involves the fact that Mac OS X and iOS assume cellular data is metered and WiFi is not. The present situation violates that assumption, to our financial pain.
The accounting system has changed. Will our behavior change?
Turns out, yes.
One thing came right yesterday: the (unmetered) internet connection for the Calvin program at the Institute of African Studies has been activated. So, the kids and I walked down the hill to test it, where by “test” I mean “download new games, watch YouTube, update apps, and FaceTime with friends and family.” Catherine, especially, enjoyed chatting with her good friend Lucy. Look at those smiles!
Earlier in the day, Catherine and I walked to the Night Market for groceries. It was a hot trek back up the hill, laden as I was with many pounds of food. Mark did the dishes at the flat.
Between shopping and internet, Catherine completed some science homework, independently. Mark went through his weekly schedule, describing every class to me. He will be participating in the Form 5 (10th grade) exams next week, and Roman Ridge will use his results as assessment information for teachers. But, from what I saw today, he is nearly on schedule for his courses in the US.
One of Tracy’s students (Rebecca) severely sprained her ankle in a roadside gully in Akropong yesterday. Tracy brought her to the clinic which, as it happens, is very near our flat. So, Tracy surprised us with a half-hour visit just ater lunch!
As we walked home from the Institute of African Studies this evening, we saw our first nice sunset, a delightful end to a good day.
—Matt
Star Wash
We’re still figuring out how to get around Accra without a car. Taxis are the way to go, and I’m understanding how to bargain for fares. On the way to Mark’s school today, the driver and I agreed on 15 cedis, a much lower fare than any other driver has offered. When I saw his route, I immediately knew why. He took a “back way” that avoids the congestion of the main highway to Accra city centre. I had seen this route on the Maps app on my phone, but I have been unable to attempt it due to lack of wheels. And, no previous driver took it. The “back way” took only 15 minutes, with hardly any traffic.
After departing Roman Ridge, the same driver took us to International Community School on another efficient route, avoiding several busy traffic lights. When we get our car back next week, these new (to us) paths will reduce school commute times significantly.
At the end of the school day, I took a taxi to pick up a smiling Catherine. She had the first French lesson of her life today. I’m thankful that Mark’s friend Kwame took him home again today, thereby deleting two taxi rides from our budget. Although it is way too early to tell how things will end, Mark summarized his first partial week of school as “fine,” and Catherine declared it to be “good.”
Our flat lacks laundry facilities, so we must take our dirty clothes elsewhere. A close one is Star Wash, down the hill and across the street from CitiVeg. Catherine and I picked up a couple loads of laundry today after school and walked home.
On this Friday evening, everyone is rather tired on account of waking up early (6 AM for the kids, earlier for me) each day. We’ll all enjoy sleeping in tomorrow.
—Matt
Day One for Catherine
This was my first day at International Community School. I walked into the classroom (we arrived early) and saw only the teacher (no kids). The teacher, my dad, and I sat down and had a little conversation about how school would go. Then, in came Paulina and Jesse. The teacher told them to say their names, and they did. Also, they said some things like “you are welcome” and “nice to meet you.” Later on, when the whole class was there, Grades 1 through 3 and 5 through 7 (that’s all classes except for mine) assembled in my room, and we had a conversation about the first day of school. Mrs. Debbie Yeboah (my mom’s former student) came in and asked all of the new kids to stand. There were about four of us. When everybody left, my other classmates told me their names. There was one absent girl who I will meet tomorrow (possibly). There is a set of twins named Charles and (forgot the girl’s name). And Charles (hmmm) has a (how shall I put this) crush on me.
My dad took a picture of Paulina and me. You can see that we have star stickers on our foreheads, because we read a story in a class story book and we had to write the synonym for the words that were highlighted (the key words). The girls and the boys traded papers to be corrected. The boys got three correct and four wrong, and the girls (including me) got all of the them right. So, the girls got … STICKERS! I also learned that I have swimming every Wednesday in the school’s pool.
When dad asked me about my first day, I said it was an “awesome first day.”
—Catherine
In addition to ferrying kids to and from school, Catherine and I took a walk to the Night Market for some groceries. Along the way, we saw ground cover that looks like a small cactus plant. But, the prickers are more like soft brushes than spikes. It is never uninteresting to experience Accra through the eyes of a nine-year-old.
In the photo, Catherine is straddling a cement gully at the side of the road. No need for curbs when the penalty for drifting off the road is undercarriage destruction!
At this point, all gullys are empty thanks to the lack of rain. That will change as the months roll on.
—Matt
Day One for Mark
At this point, we’re all craving routine. We have none. There is no “normal.”
Because our backup car didn’t arrive last night, Mark, Catherine, and I took a taxi to bring Mark to his first day of school at Roman Ridge. We left the flat at 6:30 AM. (Ouch!) Later, he said it was a “great first day.” He LOVED the fried rice at lunch. Catherine and I were invited to watch the Day One assembly. At the end of the day, he was chatting with several new friends.
After our time at Roman Ridge, Catherine and I took another taxi to International Community School. While Catherine took her “easy” placement test, I completed the paperwork for admission. We had a nice interview with the principal, Mrs. Owusu. Catherine’s first day is tomorrow.
Catherine and I spent a bit of time repairing one of the beds in the kids room using nails from C.K.
The backup car arrived today, but not without problems. It died while Stephanie was driving from Akropong to campus. When I went to look at it, the electrical system was not functional. A look under the bonnet (hood) revealed that the battery is not secured to the frame of the vehicle. It had moved such that one of the leads (on the left) is nearly worn through. Moving the battery slightly allows current to flow and the engine to turn over, but it does not start. Looks like this is not a “solution” to our car problem. Our plan is to take taxis to the schools again tomorrow.
On the eve of Catherine’s first day of school, Tracy has departed for Akropong with the interim students. She’ll be away for the next three weeks.
As I said, we have no routine, and we need one badly. Will it ever come?
—Matt
Schools
While Tracy fought (yet again) with the banks, Mark, Catherine, and I went to Roman Ridge School, where we selected Mark’s classes (Math, History, Information Technology, French, Biology, Literature, and Language Arts), came to an understanding about fees, and purchased his uniform. Tomorrow is Mark’s first day of school.
Later, Tracy, Catherine, and I went to International Community School, which looks like a good option for Catherine. It is close to our flat, has small class sizes (less than 12 students each), and has a swimming pool! Catherine will take a placement test tomorrow, and Thursday will be her first day of school.
At dinner, Catherine enjoyed scooping the meat out of her papaya.
Tomorrow, interim students arrive, and Tracy departs for Akropong. She’ll take Calvin’s car, leaving the kids and me without wheels. Pastor Sammy (from near Akropong) had organized a substitute car. What a blessing! But, there is a problem, and it can be delivered only tomorrow at Noon. That means that Mark, Catherine, and I must rely on taxis to travel from the flat to Roman Ridge to International Community School and back to our flat in the morning. If the car is delivered by Noon, we’ll use it to pick up Mark at the end of the day. What are the odds it will all work?
—Matt
African Sky … White?
The dusty streets and deep blue skies of southern Africa are the subject of many songs and poems expressing intense longing for country, home, and family. Two examples are Say Africa by Vusi Mahlasela (lyrics) and African Sky Blue by Juluka (lyrics).
In Accra, there are plenty of dusty red streets. But, blue skies? No. I’ve seen the sky color vary from very pale blue to bright white. You can see this clearly in the photo of Commonwealth residence hall taken from the main street on campus. (The view from the same spot toward the University of Ghana doesn’t show the sky, but provides a sense of the scale of the campus.) Will the skies change as the semester progresses? I’ll watch.
Catherine and I bought a pineapple and three papayas from CitiVeg today. (Note the white sky.) The signs indicate that CitiVeg represents some sort of farmer’s co-op, and it has excellent quality produce. The pineapple was perfect; we’ll try the papayas when they ripen, hopefully tomorrow.
Tracy and Stephanie had another bad bank day. (Again, see the sky.) There was a demand for a word change in yesterday’s “Resolution” letter (“open” —> “re-open”) and a new requirement for a “Constitution.” At dinner, Tracy predicted that Calvin’s Ghanian bank account will not be sorted by the interim class’ upcountry departure on Friday. Will there be a miracle? They’ll try again tomorrow.
Earlier in the afternoon, we tried, without success, to establish an internet connection at the Institute of African Studies. The ethernet cable was dead, with no IT person in sight. We’ll try again tomorrow.
In the morning, Tracy went by taxi with Mark to Roman Ridge, with the goal of completing his enrollment and purchasing a uniform. Didn’t happen. The responsible parties were not on campus today. We’ll try again tomorrow.
The aircon technician didn’t come to campus today. We’ll try again tomorrow. The person who can create a second set of keys for the flat was unavailable. We’ll try again tomorrow. I need a few nails to repair a bed, but C.K. found only one. We’ll try again tomorrow. Stephanie looked in several stores for a good street map of Accra but found none. We’ll try again tomorrow.
I’ll write again … tomorrow.
—Matt
Long Church
We walked to our first Sunday worship service this morning. It wasn’t short. Rather it was about 2.5 hours long. Tracy and Stephanie sat through it all, but I arrived an hour late with the kids, with the goal of increasing our endurance over time.
After church, we visited Ben and Awo for lunch. The food was amazing, and Mark, particularly, enjoyed the rice with beef sauce. We discussed education, politics, theater, energy, and shoes, among other things. By the way, lunch means arriving at 1:30 and departing at 4:30.
Addottey, the Ghanaian Calvin student I’ll be supervising for an independent study project throughout January, stopped by our flat this evening. In addition to discussing his upcoming work, we chatted about his experiences re-acculturating to Ghanaian life after two years away.
Tomorrow’s goal is completing Mark’s admission at Roman Ridge (uniforms, etc.) and making more calls about schools for Catherine.
Here is a photo of the central living space of our flat. All boxes are gone, and most things now have a place!
—Matt
A Day at the Beach
I’ve come to believe that tech issues confound in every country, and Ghana is no exception! I drove the crew to the Accra Mall to recharge our internet connection (don’t have to pay by the GB in the States) and sort out some issues with Vodaphones (personal hotspot is now operational). Stephanie tried unsuccessfully to get her USB dongle working (Symantec Endpoint virus protection interferes).
Back at the flat, Tracy asked me to evaluate cell phones for the soon-to-arrive students. Calvin has a bag full of old phones for this purpose. Unfortunately, some phones had no chargers, and some chargers had no phones. But, I found seven working units, which should be enough to cover interim students who choose not to bring their own handsets.
For an afternoon excursion, we went to Afia Beach Hotel, near downtown Accra, past the turnoff to Osu. After ordering a snack at the restaurant, we made the short trip to the beach. We walked a bit West and looked East, observing several working skiffs offshore. Obviously, the weather was, again, hazy.
Afia is not a swimming beach, due to contaminated water and garbage on the shore. Which is too bad, because it was rather hot for us Michiganders. Regardless, we had a nice walk. Catherine ran in the intertidal zone, but Mark chose to stay at the restaurant knowing that swimming was not an option.
—Matt
Rain
At 6:30 AM, the temperature was 81 F, and I suffered through a 4.76-mile run. I drank two full water bottles upon my return. You know you’re in the tropics when … . While I was rehydrating and the rest of the family was asleep, I had a lengthy and friendly conversation with Faith, an MPhil student studying Mathematics. I learned what to expect for power outages (they are sure to come), about government support for education (not enough), and living at the all-male Commonwealth residence (it can get rowdy).
On the whole, rain in Africa is more welcome and more meaningful than in Michigan, and we experienced our first rain this afternoon. It was unexpected for January. In total, about 50 drops.
Each day brings a bit more progress in our quest to sort out the flat. Catherine and I did more archaeology today. Seems like each “expedition” leads to at least one injury. This time, she sliced her finger on a blade from the food processor we unearthed. Fortunately, it was not a bad injury. One Band Aid and a little Neosporin later, and she was back at it.
We wanted to make (yet another) trip to the store, but almost everything was closed. Instead, we took an afternoon drive past the school that has an opening for Catherine, the clinic that we’ll use if we need some medical assistance, and a bookstore. (As expected, nothing was open.)
Sadly, we blew through our 6-GB data allowance on Surfline, meaning that we have only cell-phone-based internet at the moment. I’ll buy more data tomorrow. And, we’ll be more careful about watching YouTube videos online. (I’m looking at you, Mark!)
—Matt
