Nine months, two homes
32 Hours
The power outage that began yesterday at 7 AM ended today at 3 PM. It was not dumsor (load shedding, rolling blackouts) but a transformer that failed. None of us slept well. And, we lost some food in the fridge, including leftovers, yoghurt, milk, hamburger, butter, cheese, and eggs. (I estimate about 250 cedis.)
Early this morning, Tracy went to the Institute of African Studies (IAS) to take advantage of their generator and internet. (Commonwealth Hall’s generator is still not working due to the ongoing dispute about who should buy its fuel.) I brought all of our phones and computers to IAS to be charged. Less than five minutes after I plugged them in, the generator quit, and IAS became no different from the rest of campus. Powerless. Tracy moved to International House, and I took our stuff back to the dark flat.
We all lost our cool at one time or another, including Tracy who was under time pressure to plan the upcoming trip to the Volta region and Catherine who melted into 30 minutes of tears this afternoon. Tracy remarked that almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong and that the last three days (with sicknesses, power outage, and heat) were enough to make her want to quit and go home. (This from the woman who absolutely LOVES Africa.) Through it all, Cynthia has seen the extremes of our life in Ghana: the fun and relaxation of paragliding and Brenu Beach, the challenges of history, and the hard and demoralizing slog of 32 hours without power. Thankfully, most days are somewhere between.
Tonight, with little remaining food, we went for pizza at Pinocchio, a final meal before Cynthia departs early tomorrow morning. And, Mark went to see a movie with a few of the Calvin students.
I expect that we’ll all sleep well tonight.
—Matt
I Wanted To Give You a Hug!
My day started early with a taxi ride to the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) for the 2016 Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) conference. (Tracy needed the car for errands.) I was not feeling well, having come down with the same sickess that kept Tracy in bed while we were at Brenu beach over the weekend.
Following my meeting with the GhIE leadership a few weeks ago, I was asked to prepare a paper on ethics, faith, and engineering. Knowing that I can speak with authority about only my own faith tradition and expecting that there would be adherents of many faiths at the conference, I found the paper difficult to write. It was a steep challenge to avoid offending readers and listeners while remaining true to my convictions. My effort was entitled “Engineering and faith commitments: A reformed Christian’s perspective.” I took advantage of the parallel sessions, signalling my perspective in the paper’s title, assuming that anyone likely to be offended would choose the other track. Nevertheless, I took the podium in the Gerhard Schroeder Hall with much trepadation. Kofi Annan was looking over my right shoulder; President Mahama over my left. (Not really, only huge portraits.) To make matters worse, seconds before my talk my friend Alex leaned over to say I could expect some questions from Muslims that I would handle well. Gulp.
I stayed within my allotted 20 minutes, took a seat at the “high table,” and braced for questions and discussion. After two moderately-nice comments, a front-row attendee stood and took the microphone. He said (and I paraphrase), “When I saw your title, I wondered whether this was an appropriate topic for this conference. I am a Muslim, and I was concerned that I would be offended. But when I heard you speak and I listened to your words, I wanted to give you a hug! Your paper is exactly the kind of reflection we need on the engineering profession.” What a kind and generous man! Applause followed from the fifty-or-so GhIE members in the room, and I hardly knew what to say. I gave an unmemorable response and concluded by saying that I would be pleased to share a hug after the session. Which we did! Over lunch, I learned that Ibrahim is on the leadership of the Nigerian counterpart to GhIE, and we exchanged pleasantries and business cards. I hope to stay in touch. In a world full of animosity among people of different faiths, our exchange was a moment of grace.
After the conference, I came back to our flat to attend the weekly student dinner. Unfortunately, the power was out since 7 AM. That didn’t deter the students from making excellent burgers! After dinner, Catherine played hand-clapping games with our guests, despite the dumsor.
—Matt
Recovering
After a busy five days in which we saw the Ghana-Mozambique football match, travelled to Nkawkaw, participated in the paragliding festival, stayed at Brenu Beach, and saw Elmina castle, we slowed down today. We’re recovering from the travel. But, we’re also recovering from sicknesses. Catherine is recovered from a small cold. Mark currently has a minor head cold. Tracy is on the good side of a bad cold that curtailed her activities at Brenu Beach and Elmina castle. Cynthia is still fighting an ear infection. Currently, I am the only well person.
Despite our collective condition, Tracy prepared for and taught classes, Mark and Cynthia purchased books, I prepared my talk for tomorrow and went grocery shopping, and Catherine purchased some fabric for a new skirt. Let’s hope everyone feels better tomorrow.
—Matt
Elmina Castle
Our afternoon destination was Elmina Castle. On Tracy’s recommendation, Catherine, Mark, Cynthia, and I requested that Robert be our guide. He wrote the book on the African slave trade.
Our tour began in the courtyard, beneath the governor’s balcony. We proceeded to the dungeons where male and female slaves-to-be were held. We passed through the point of no return to the narrow doorway that led to moored slave ships. Conditions were appalling (little light, little air, little food) with a purpose: weak prisoners are less likely to rise up against their captors. It is estimated that two-thirds of the enslaved failed to reach their destination alive. Those who died in the castle were thrown into the sea with stones tied to their waists. To this day, human bones occasionally wash ashore.
Later, we ascended to the governor’s residence. The contrast couldn’t be more striking. Well-placed windows allowed both light and pleasant breezes to flow through the residence, making even this scorching day bearable. I wondered if there was ever a steeper spatial gradient of the human condition: two flights of stairs separated a colonial palace from slavery.
The lucrative nature of the slave trade made the more than 100 castles and forts along the African coast sites of armed conflict. Roof defences were advantageous, and the Portuguese and Dutch traded ownership of Elmina over several hundred years. Both countries also erected chapels on site. (The Dutch Reformed chapel bears an inscription of Psalm 132.) I wondered if there was ever a steeper gradient of hypocrisy: one flight of stairs separated acts of worship from acts of enslavement and torture.
Today, we were fortunate to return from the point of no return. But many of the three million Africans who passed through Elmina did not. Now, the castle is a UNESCO world heritage site. The Dutch have contributed funds for its preservation, and contemporary chiefs pledged “never again.”
There are so many things to ponder after today: collective responsibility, reparations, the evils of colonialism, and the role of Christianity to name a few. Indeed, a visit to Elmina provides yet another opportunity to reflect on the fact that the effects of slavery are not behind us. And, sadly, we humans continue to perpetrate other evils upon each other.
All those are important, but I left Elmina today with an overwhealming sense of the worldwide scale and unimaginable atrocity of the slave trade. All of which makes me wonder if we, even now, are making similarly horrendous errors in judgment with associated moral failings. If so, what would they be? And, would I have the courage to speak against them?
—Matt
Brenu Beach, Easter
We began today with the Easter service at Legon Interdenominational Church and a trip to HealthLink to address Cynthia’s nascent ear infection. Antibiotics were procured.
After lunch, we departed for Brenu Beach, about 4 hours from Accra, just beyond Cape Coast. We’re staying at the Brenu Beach Resort with Cynthia. Unfortunately, Tracy has come down with a very bad cold. Tylenol and Sudafed are required.
In late afternoon, we played in the surf and relaxed under the plam trees. We took dinner on the beach. A lovely day, indeed.
—Matt
Flying!
To ensure our place in the queue and guard against afternoon rain scuttling our plans, we departed the Ramseyer Memorial Presbyterian Church premises at 6 AM. Destination: the Easter festival at Nkawkaw and paragliding at the Kwahu (Kway-oo) range! Auntie Jemima told us that Kwahu means “go and die,” so-named because warriors once refused orders to fight there. Who would want to “go and die?” This is a rather unfortunate name for the location of a paragliding festival, and it generated some gallows humor on the bus.
Our early arrival meant that we avoided the security queue that formed by 9 AM. And we alone enjoyed the spectacular morning sun on Nkawkaw beneath the mountain. (The site reminded me of the diving venue of the 1992 Barcelona summer olympic games.) While waiting for flying to start, I took several photos of the scenery, the students (Maria, Krista, Olivia, McKinley, and Kallie), Catherine, and Cynthia. From the mountain, we could see the landing site, a football pitch occupied by a dawn match. Security arrived well before flying began.
Take-off requires significant technical skill due to the short, steep, rocky runway and severe drop-off, so Kwahu tandem pilots are some of the best in the world. You don’t sign up for Kwahu; you are invited. They use sophisticated windspeed instruments to guide takeoff decisions. The pilots are assisted by several local boys both atop the mountain and at the landing site in exchange for rides on the last day of the festival.
Flights begin with a short briefing from your pilot. Helmets are donned. Pilot and passenger are strapped together. The glider inflates and rises. Then, when the wind is right, you run as fast as possible off the cliff! Once airborne, the scenery is spectacular. After takeoff, the pilots snap GoPro photos. Of course, Mark’s mom was concerned. But she need not have been. The flight is relaxing, and landing is usually smooth.
After the stress of watching your son jump off a cliff strapped to another man, time for some coffee in a baggie.
In addition to Mark, most of the students flew. I took loads of photos and included the best of each student in the gallery below: Captain America, Sarah, Rebecca, Brooke, Katie, Krista, Abby, Maria, Julia, Natasha, and Olivia. You’ll notice smiles from everyone. All had spectacular flights and safe landings.
I went last, and I appreciate that Bethany took over photography duties starting with Maria’s flight, including this nice shot of my paraglider after takeoff. Blake (my pilot) got a great photo of us with his GoPro camera.
I was the only flier in our group with the courage to take a few photos with my cell phone camera while aloft. Blake caught a thermal, lifting us high above the runway. We glided along the ridge for a time, allowing some fantastic photos of the blue paraglider that took off before us. I snapped a photo of Nkawkaw and a panorama of the entire valley including the Kwahu range. We flew over the town hoping to catch another themal (which never materialized) that would have provided enough altitude to reach a second ridge and its stunning rock face. Thereafter, we focused on a safe and smooth landing at the football pitch.
Through it all, there was music for the spectators: a DJ, a band, and, of course, drumming and singing. About two hours after my flight, rain arrived and cancelled any further activities.
Several of the professional paragliders mentioned that the Easter festival is a favorite annual destination because of its stunning views, excellent flying, and hospitable hosts. We agree!
—Matt
Travel to Kwahu
After picking Cynthia from the airport at 7 AM, we piled into an Institute of African Studies bus for a road trip to Kwahu for the Easter festival. We’re staying on the grounds of the Ramseyer Memorial Presbeterian Church tonight and many of us will fly tomorrow. Paragliders jump (with professionals) from the mountain in the distance beyond the town. We’re concerned about rain in the forecast.
Before dinner, we explored the area around the church, enjoying the fresh breezes and fine views. This area is nicknamed “Little London,” because of its cool temperatures. Catherine snapped a photo of me while we were walking. Two sisters took a walk together. Mr. Afari (our driver) and Auntie Jemima (our guide) enjoyed a break at the school library. Catherine scrambled on the wheelchair ramp.
We enjoyed today and are looking forward to tomorrow.
—Matt
Ghana 3–1 Mozambique
Today’s agenda included attending the Ghana—Mozambique Africa Cup of Nations qualifing match in Accra. We were terribly excited for the match, and several of us wore our Black Stars jerseys. But we almost didn’t make it.
The original plan was for Bart (owner of the Action Boys Soccer Club of the Creating Opportunities Foundation) to purchase tickets a few days in advance. And, for the last three days, a guy from the club went to the Accra Sports Stadium (unfortunate acronym) for that purpose. Not so fast! Tickets were sold only the day of the match (today). The guy who waited in line today didn’t receive the phone money from Bart, so he couldn’t purchase the tickets for us. We would have to do it ourselves. Bart’s tro-tro was supposed to pick us at 1 PM at the International Student Hostel (ISH2), but it was 40 minutes late. We waited patiently. Once on the road, it was a race against time. About 45 minutes before kickoff, Tracy rushed to the ticket window with a wad of cash to procure twenty-five 30-cedi tickets, after which she called me and said “I got the tickets! I got the tickets!” We needen’t have worried so much—the stadium was only about one-third full due to the workday afternoon.
After we settled into our seats, we absorbed the sights and sounds. Of course, there was drumming and horn blowing from the supporters in the opposite stand. (We were thankful to be seated opposite them in the western stand.) There were guys painted in the colors of the flag. Catherine drew Black Stars on Kallie and Brooke’s faces. There were introductions and national anthems (which both Mark and Catherine sang).
Then the game began.
Ghana scored in the fifth minute and led 1–0 at the half. (I got a nice photo of a first-half free kick.) Ghana’s second goal was preceded by a questionable no-call hand ball, but their third was a sweet 15-yard chip over the helpless Mozambique keeper. Leading 3-0 with about half of the final 45 minutes remaining, the game slowed down considerably with neither side expressing urgency. Then, late in the match, Mozambique pulled one back in front of us with a right-flank attack and precise header.
We gathered back at the Action Boys bus for a hot, bone-crunching, hour-and-a-half ride home through horrendous traffic.
In the end, the game wasn’t particularly scintillating, but it was fun nonetheless. The important thing was sharing a cultural event with a few thousand other passionate fans. It will be exciting to watch the return leg Sunday in Maputo and to track Ghana’s progress through the qualifying round.
Many thanks to Bernard (the driver), Coach, and Koller (who waited in line for tickets) from Action Boys for their assistance today. We couldn’t have done it without them!
—Matt
Commonwealth Hall
We stay in a flat at the all-male Commonwealth Hall, at the west end of campus, near the top of a hill that provides nearly the highest elevation in all of Accra. Residents of Commonwealth Hall are Vivacious, Affable, Neighbourly, Dedicated, Altruistic, and Loyal. They’re VANDALS, and Commonwealth is known as the Vandal City, a mini-villiage of 1000 registered and up to three times that many unregistered inhabitants. Their motto is “Truth stands.”
There are many Commonwealth traditions including forbidding women from wearing red, the hall color, on the premises; “charging” (drumming and singing) well into the night (as they are doing this evening); and initiation ceremonies that involve less clothing than is legal (so I’ve been told: I have little interest in witnessing!). Alumni include many current, former, and presumably future government ministers, judges, corporate executives, and journalists.
There is a formal student leadership structure, with elections for the usual offices: President, Vice-president, Secretary, and Treasurer. But there is also a shadow, un-elected, traditional leadership consisting of a chief and sub-chiefs. The chief is a student who doesn’t attend classes and is not to be known beyond his immediate subordinates. Tonight, as I snapped a photo of the charging occurring at the front steps of the hall, I was asked to delete my picture, because the chiefs were in the field of view, even though they were surrounded by many other charging students. (I, of course, complied.)
At their best, the Vandals are strong intramural competitors and campus leaders. In fact, the administration often consults with the formal leadership on campus matters. But, the Vandals can overreach and intimidate as well, a risk when the traditional leadership dispenses its vigilante justice. In some cases, there is tension between the formal and the traditional, such as a recent incident in which students aligned with the traditional leadership damaged property at another hall. The formal leadership was not pleased to deal with the judicial aftermath. (The students involved were expelled from formal residency in the Hall. But with 3000 informal residents, being expelled may have little practical effect.)
On the whole, we have been welcomed by the Vandals and are grateful for their hospitality and our prime location. That we can walk to campus buildings and that Calvin students can walk to our flat are significant benefits to the program.
Thanks, Commonwealth Hall!
—Matt
Familiar
Each new city is unique and requires developing mental maps of a geography, developing a sense of (the) place. This is especially true for an international move.
How do you know you are becoming familiar with a city? Partly, when you are able to get around, when you understand the patterns of movement and travel, when you can correctly estimate the time required to complete unfamiliar tasks. So it was with some trepidation that I set off on a day full of errands.
My tasks: (1) bring payment to Danestrol Auto Centre for Tracy, which I did after dropping Catherine at school. After a very steamy 4-mile run, I (2) paid my registration fee at Standard Chartered bank for the upcoming conference at which I will speak, (3) withdrew some family cash from a campus ATM, (4) picked up family laundry from Star Wash, and (5) exchanged some Calvin dollars at an Okponglo ForEx bureau for Tracy.
We and the Calvin students are looking forward to some exciting experiences in the next few days. On Thursday, we will attend the Ghana-Mozambique qualification match for the Africa Cup of Nations. On Saturday, we’ll participate in the 11th annual Ghana Paragliding Festival.
Thus, I (6) went to Osu to visit the Ghana Tourism Authority to obtain tickets for Mark and me to fly at the weekend.
My trepidation turned to satisfaction as the day of errands (many of which involved unfamiliar activities and places) went off perfectly: no wrong turns, no bad traffic, always in the correct lane and queue, appropriate documents in hand, enough money in wallet, and back to the flat in time to turn around to pick Catherine from school.
I am becoming familiar; a hard-won victory in Accra.
—Matt
Good Friends
The importance of good friends cannot be overstated. They are a precious gift, indeed. And, the Calvin program has several great friends in Accra.
After my disappointment at CFAO motors a couple weeks ago, we searched for different service for Calvin's Mitsubishi Lancer. Friend of the program Michael pointed us to Danestrol Auto Centre and introduced me to Emmanual this morning. (Personal introductions are extremely important in a society that runs on relationships!) Emmanuel noted that all four tires were well past their sell-by date; they had “expired.” After a couple hours, we had new wheels with a complete set of wheel nuts. The car is a little safer now! Thanks, Emmanuel!
For the weekly student dinner, we invited Michael (with family) and another great friend of the program Samuel. Both guests served as cultural interpreters during various portions of Tracy's January-term class. Samuel went with us to Akropong. And Michael will travel with the students to the Volta region in a few weeks. They are precious. They are fantastic gifts to Calvin College and to the students.
All of which raises the questions: how good of a friend am I? are you? We should aspire to be as gracious, welcoming, and hospitable as Calvin’s friends in Accra.
—Matt
Palm Sunday
On this Sunday, we attended the Palm Sunday service at Legon Interdenominational Church. I did homework with the kids and grocery shopping with the students who will make dinner tomorrow.
This evening, we dropped Karen and Cal (see photo) at the airport for their long flight back to the US via Amsterdam. It was great hosting them in Accra!
Tracy read in the Daily Graphic (can’t find the article now) that Ghana’s power barge will be serviced over the next two weeks. That likely means a significant increase in rolling blackouts in the near future.
—Matt
Mama Mia
On this Saturday, we took care of several odds and ends. We all obtained much-needed haircuts at 8 AM. Afterward, Mark went to Roman Ridge for the school bazaar. Then, Catherine went to friend Khadijah’s house for the afternoon and evening. In the afternoon, Mark, Tracy, and I went to Osu to buy a Ghana flag for the flat, Black Stars soccer shirts for the kids and me, a dress for Tracy, and books for the kids. We went to Mama Mia for good pizza before heading home.
Good news about the stink in our kitchen: it has dimished significantly. The time to decompose is on the order of 3-4 days, as my cousin Sue said.
—Matt
DNR
Three quick news items today.
Mark celebrated Black History Month at Roman Ridge school today. No one explained why the celebration occurred in March instead of February. Students mainly prepared songs. Mark played drums on My Girl and Redemption Song, despite having no formal training on the instrument.
One of the features of the Ghana semester program is two-week internships. Students identify the top three NGOs where they would like a placement, and Tracy works to secure positions. Today, she took a trip to Haven of Hope orphanage/school with prospective interns. The visit went well, and the students will work there in May.
Finally, we spent an enjoyable evening with visiting colleagues Cal and Karen at DNR Turkish Restaurant.
—Matt
Sixteen
Mark turned sixteen today. Happy Birthday, Mark!
We had a small family celebration that included dinner at Pinocchio and some time together at the flat. Presents included Manchester United and Real Madrid jerseys. This completes our home-away-from-home birthdays for 2016.
Our kitchen stinks. Really stinks. A disgusting stink. A death stink.
Commonwealth Hall recently addressed a rodent problem with delayed-action poison and chemical sprays. The porter who investigated our kitchen this afternoon suspects that one of the poisoned mice found its way to our kitchen to die. Thing is, we can’t find the culprit, although we suspect it is beneath the cupboards. How long must we put up with this?
—Matt
The Ridge
As I mentioned yesterday, we can now see the ridge north of Accra thanks to clear skies. After dropping Tracy at the Institute of African Studies before Noon, I drove to the highest point on campus (uphill from Commonwealth Hall on the Vice Chancellor’s crescent) to take a few photos. Although you wouldn’t believe it from the image below, the hill (the ridge) was, at most, faintly visible until yesterday.
This morning before school, Catherine opened a month-in-transit package from her classmates in Michigan. It contained several valentines. Thanks to Carlos for sending it!
—Matt
Blue Sky
Accra had a long, strong thunderstorm yesterday morning, and it cleared the air! The dust is gone, and we had a stunning sunrise. It was possible to see to the ridge, and we had blue skies all day.
Not that I was able to enjoy it. The Calvin car has several needs, including additional wheel nuts (some are off), a new antenna, new wiper blades, a new muffler, at least two new tires, a suspension rattle, and re-doing the finish (peeling paint). I was drafted to work on these improvements, so I took the car to CFAO motors for service. Of the entire list and for spending about three-quarters of the working day in the waiting room, I accomplished only ONE THING: new wiper blades. CFAO doesn’t do tires, mufflers, or body work on site. And, they had no replacement antennae or wheel nuts in stock. (6–8 weeks for delivery!)
We’ll try again tomorrow!
—Matt
Contingency
Life in Ghana involves many contingencies. Tonight, dumsor disrupted preparations for, but did not cancel, the weekly student dinner with seven guests: Dr. Grace, Dr. Glenn, Pearl, Michael, Nana, Cal, and Karen. We lit the stove the old-fashioned way: with a match. Eight cups of rice and twice that of filtered water went to the Institute for African Studies where a generator was providing power for our electric rice cooker. Cal and Karen babysat the rice.
in the end, Plan B worked out pretty well! David and Abby did a great job on Philippino and Pakistani food, cooking by our battery-powered bank of LEDs. As Abby said, “we work well together on our separate dishes.” We started dinner only 30 minutes late.
As usual, Mark enjoyed giving Olivia a hard time (about anything) and vice versa, and Catherine enjoyed the company of the students.
—Matt
ICGC
On Tuesday last week, Tracy lectured on religion and ethnicity as a political force in Ghana. A portion of the lecture focused on pastor Dr. Mensah Otabil and the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC). We know that the best learning fuses head knowledge with experience, and so this morning Tracy, Mark, and the Calvin students attended ICGC. After the service, they met briefly pastor Otabil, who, it turns out, sent a son to study electrical engineering at Calvin College. (I never had him in class, so I don’t know him.) Tracy is thankful to interim student Amanda’s father who arranged the meeting.
For dinner, we were invited to Samuel, Diana, and their children’s home for some traditional Ghanaian food. They served yam fufu with a light tomato, beef, and fish soup. I learned how to eat with my hands. (Mark and Catherine had already learned at school: parents are the last to know!. And, Tracy learned up north during interim.) Among other topics, we discussed Samuel’s upcoming fellowship in the Netherlands, our afternoon together in Akropong, recent sicknesses, childhood illnesses, and work. We appreciate their hospitality and friendship.
Funny story: Diana’s grandfather imprisoned Samuel’s grandfather in a dispute over chieftanship in the northern village where they grew up! We introduced them to the idom bury the hatchet, which they have obviously done.
—Matt
Recovery, Homework, and Adenkrebi
The University of Ghana campus is greening after a few rains. Tracy took a photo to show the change.
Catherine is recovering well from her throat infection. This evening, she said it “doesn’t even hurt one bit.”
Mark worked all day to complete his Chemistry and Biology papers and History presentation which he will submit on Monday.
Tracy went to Adenkrebi with visitors Cal and Karen to see Calvin students who are spending the weekend. One destination was the Aburi (“Abree”) craft market. Student Tyler desperately wanted to purchase an exquisitly-detailed, hand-carved fishing boat with 30 fishers, a cockswain, and a forward lookout. At a list price of 250 cedis, Tyler lacked the cash to purchase.
Let the bartering begin!
In the end, Tyler purchased the boat for 70 cedis and four plaid, short-sleeve dress shirts originally purchased at Goodwill. Clearly, both parties were happy with the outcome!
Daniel has hosted and arranged these four-day visits for several years running; this time for three groups of five Calvin students across three weekends. Tracy and students appreciate both Daniel’s generosity and the hospitality of the people of Adenkrebi. Thanks, Daniel!
-Matt
Bitter Medicine
Mark has completed some of the “Mock” exams at school (Literature and English). And, he is nearing completion of two papers (Chemistry and Biology) and a presentation (History).
Catherine’s fever refused to budge for a fourth day (100–101 F), and I saw some white spots in her very red and inflamed throat. So, late this afternoon, I brought Catherine, for a second time, to HealthLink, the clinic across from her school. A blood test ruled out malaria. But, the doctor diagnosed a bacterial infection based on both symptoms and high white blood cell count. We left the clinic with two antibiotics.
Unfortunately, it is bitter medicine, indeed. Catherine had a difficult time swallowing the Zmax, in particular. But, in the end (10 PM!) she swallowed both her pride and the medication. I expect that she’ll feel much better as early as tomorrow evening. Let’s hope so, anyway. That child needs to be in school.
—Matt
Broken Antenna
The University of Ghana installed a gate-and-card system on all but two entrances to the campus in the last couple years. The gates are raising-lowering booms that activate automatically when cars approach with appropriate credentials (a special card affixed to the inside of the windshield).
This morning on the way to drop Mark at his friend Kwame’s house for a ride to school, the tro-tro ahead of me went beneath the boom, the light switched to green, and I moved ahead. But, instead of staying up, the boom came down toward our car. I sped up, but not fast enough. Mark and I heard a very loud “crack” noise but moved along to Kwame’s house. In the rearview mirror, I saw a security guard nonchalantly poke his head out of his hut. He didn’t seem too concerned, because the boom remained functional.
Mark was first out of the car at Kwame’s house and exclaimed, in a Ghanaian way, “ha!” But rather than the expected dent in the roof, we saw that the stubby radio antenna near the rear window was cracked off.
All told, this is a pretty good outcome, seeing as how the sheath on the antenna was already damaged from exposure to the sun and needed to be replaced anyway. I have an appointment for the car on Tuesday, and we’ll add this item to the list of things that need to be addressed.
It’s always something.
—Matt
Sick Again
Not much news today other than the fact that Catherine was sick again today. She can’t seem to shake a fever that hovers around 100 F range.
So, I’ll share a photo of Tracy teaching her classes yesterday evening at the Internatinoal Student Hostel (ISH 2).
—Matt
Sick Girl
Today was supposed to be a back to school day after the Independence Day holiday, except that Catherine was sick with a fever. And when you’re sick, you just want to lay on the couch, which she did with all skill. We hope this is a one-day bug, and she will be eager to attend school tomorrow to participate in the swim lesson.
Tracy taught her classes this evening. The Calvin students complain that her courses (“Politics of Contemporary Africa” and “NGOs and Development”) are their most demanding, but that may simply be due to a difference in pedagogy and independent student learning expectations. Based on conversations to date, professors at the University of Ghana expect more independent learning and content acquisition than professors at Calvin College. But Calvin classes usually demand more critical thinking and application. We’ll see how it all shakes out for the Calvin students at the end of the semester.
—Matt
Mini Golf, Accra Style
This being a holiday, both kids were off school. While Tracy worked, I took Mark and Catherine to Marvels Mini Golf. (See several photos of the uniquely Ghanian hole names, Mark teeing off, a cool figure-eight hole, and the final hole below.) It was a hot afternoon, and the kids enjoyed an ice cream afterward. I had my first piece of decent apple pie in Ghana.
For dinner, Kallie and McKinley made awesome pulled chicken for the students and friend Diane (from Grand Rapids and attends Northwestern University). After the dance competition, Catherine was pretty tired relaxed on Krista’s lap.
-Matt
Independence Day
No, not the 4th of July; the 6th of March. On this day In 1957 (59 years ago) Ghana became the first African colony to gain its independence. Catherine (unhelpfully) noted that Ghana is only 10 years older than me!
President Mahama presided over the official celebrations at Independence Square with an encouraging speech. At Legon Interdenominational Church, a small portion of the service was devoted to the holiday, culminating with an emotional singing of the first stanza of the national anthem. The sanctuary was decorated with the national colors as you can see in the photo below.
Another item for the “parents are the last to know” file: both our children already know the lyrics to the national anthem thanks to school assemblies.
—Matt
The Rain Wants to Fall
Tracy spent the morning at the International Student Hostel overseeing some upgrades to student rooms. After lunch wtih us, she went to her office to prepare lectures for next week.
A few weeks ago, a taxi driver looked in the sky and said “The rain wants to fall.” This afternoon, it was true again. Dark clouds approached from the west bringing high winds and a boiling sky. It was dim enough to require a flash.
We went to Marina Mall this evening, in part continuing our quest to find a good grocery store that is not guarded by corrupt traffic officers. We may have succeeded. We also purchased a toner for Tracy’s office printer and sundries.
—Matt
Field Trip
Several short items today.
The soaking rain earlier this week has brought forth flowers in our front yard.
Tracy and her students went on an all-day field trip with Auntie Jemima as their guide. They saw the W.E.B. Du Bois centre and museum. They also visited Black Star Square where they saw reherseals for Sunday’s Independence Day celebrations, avoiding the the weekend’s crowds.
Both Mark and Catherine had special Independence Day programs at school, and they have Monday off school.
They took an authentic lunch whose meat option was goat, grasscutter, or snail.
For dinner, Tracy, Catherine, and I went to Bella Roma in Osu. (Mark was feeling sick.) We left the flat at about 5 PM and began eating only at 7:40 PM due to a combination of bad traffic and slow service. The atmosphere included low but variable lights. (The intensity varied as a sawtooth wave, which was very disconcerting for Tracy.) Napkins were dispensed from a wooden tissue box. But, the pizza and spaghetti were good. To Tracy's surprise, they gave us a free pizza (for the road) for each pizza we had ordered. (I had seen the sign stating their Friday offer.) So, I guess we have dinner for the next couple nights, too!
—Matt
Bites
Each Tuesday, we get sheets from Commonwealth Hall. Yesterday (Wednesday morning), Mark woke with several bites, which are likely from bed bugs in the sheets. So, we purchased new ones and installed on Mark’s bed tonight. Let’s hope that helps!
—Matt
Rhemassed Ventures
With a broken foot and casted leg, Calvin student Kallie needs a better way to get about. Crutches are too difficult thanks to uneven sidewalks, roads, and stairs. And, the Calvin program has a Friday field trip for which Kallie will need to be mobile.
The solution? A wheelchair!
But, where to find one? Tracy’s call to HealthLink clinic produced a lead to a medical supply store but confusing directions. To improve the chances of finding Rhemassed Ventures, an in-person visit to the clinic with a map was required. (The store is near Hotel Obama in East Legon.) With decent directions in hand, she was off.
But, the store was nowhere to be found. Tracy asked taxi drivers and pedestrians who finally directed her to the store that was, in fact, in plain sight right in front of her. Tracy had assumed the medical supply “store” would be located in a shopping center or mall. Instead, it was a small, free-standing building adjacent to a river, in the shade of a tree, and tucked behind an open-air bed store. Tracy purchased a 600-cedi wheelchair that will help Kallie tremendously.
How many times in life do we fail to see the obvious? In this case, Tracy couldn’t see the “store,” because it was very different from any medical supply store she had ever seen; it was so different from her expectations. The same is true of many things in Ghana. If you want to make the most of it, you need to recalibrate your expectations. And, I don’t think it too much of a stretch to say that expectations are an essential part of how we make sense of life.
Indeed, life is how you make it.
—Matt
First Storm
There has been essentially no rain in Accra since our arrival. But, that all changed today.
A little after lunch, a front with very strong winds barreled through, bringing a six-hour power outage, our longest to date. The wind whipped up a lot of dust, darkening the sky. A welcome downpour led to standing water on our patio.
The dumsor made homework difficult. (Q: How do you research Mahatma Gandhi in the dark, without the internet? A: Tethering.) Thankfully, a previous director purchased a rechargeable bar-o-LEDs that assisted both studying and cooking. The electricity returned at 7:30 PM.
Before the storm, I tried to purchase another month of “unlimited” data online from Surfline. One word: ordeal.
The Surfline site kicked me to ExpressPay which applied two small transactions to my Capital One credit card (less than $3) and demanded that I report the amounts. Thereafter, the cost of the data was charged to my Captial One account. But, ExpressPay said the transaction failed.
At this point, my card had been charged (I could see it online), but I had no data.
Within seconds, I received an email from Capital One flagging all three transactions (the two small ones and the larger one for the data) as potentially fradulent. What to do? I made the reasonable decision to click the “Report a Problem” button and was promptly rewarded with a notice that my account had been cancelled and that a new card would arrive in the mail within seven business days. Hmmm. Not at all what I wanted.
So, I got on Skype and called the 800 number for Capitol One. It took several tries to explain the situation which, by now, involved four entities: Surfline, ExpressPay, Capital One, and me. I was escalated from a call center in (what sounded like) India to customer support in Richmond, Virginia. Capital One volunteered to call both Surfline and ExpressPay (international!). At one point I was calling Richmond on Skype. Richmond was calling ExpressPay in Accra. And, we were all connected on a 3-way conference call.
The second Capital One representative to whom I spoke sorted everything out, walking back from the threat to cancel our cards and saving our account! The reason for the trouble was ExpressPay’s strict fraud protection protocols. The two small charges were a way to verify identity, under the assumption that only you can log in to your credit card’s website. And a final identity verification step was supposed to be a phone call from ExpressPay to me. But, it never happened due to a problem on their end, not mine. Thus, the failed purchase. The Capital-One-hosted 3-way call with ExpressPay was sufficient to release the transaction. In a moment, but an hour and a half after I began, I had a month of data from Surfline.
Nothing is ever easy in Ghana.
—Matt
