My last entry suggested that nothing was really going on. I guess I'm just getting used to doing a bit more.
The day prior to my last entry, I went to visit my fellow volunteer Marcus and we went on a great hike to Tsibi, a bead village atop a mountain/big hill. The view was incredible and the beads were some of the best I've seen in Ghana. Another volunteer Chris is working on a sort of tourist book that will help draw attention to artisan villages in the Eastern and Volta regions. It was quite a day but somehow didn't strike me as worth writing about.
Since last week, I've been reading at site, farming a bit in the Moringa field (another harvest molded in the humid air) and feeling surprisingly inactive. When I first got here, if I went to farm, fetched water, watched clothes and helped a bit at the store it felt as though I'd led a full day. These days I'm collecting money for the Village Bicycle Project, dealing with the Hannah situation, making plans for other projects that need finishing, working on grad school essays and still doing all the things that used to make the day feel full. Somehow it's still slow.
This past week, I held our regional VAC meeting at the Kumasi Sub Office. The meeting went well as we had no serious problems in the region. Expecting as many as fifteen people, I got ten kilos of frozen chicken for a BBQ. We had seven people attend but did our best, eating chicken at the slightest pang of hunger.
On Tuesday, the 33 remaining volunteers from my training group will meet at Ada, on the beach down south. We will have our COS conference, discussing how to readjust to life in America while discussing the work we've done and Peace Corps as a whole.
We haven't had an event with all of our training group without the other groups also in attendance. 4 days and three nights at the beach sounds great. I should have pictures and stories to share during and/or after that.
Love to all
Ira
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Little to report
Life in Bormase is going well. Time is flying along and harvest season is here. I spent a full day de-husking maize with Dorothy and Stephen while Paul and John weeded. The bead center is on hold until more sand is delivered.
I've been focusing on business school apps of late. The time is quickly coming and with only a day or so per week with internet access, I want to have updates available when the electricity is there. Cranking away. So little time left, it's hard to believe
GO GIANTS!!!!
Love to all,
Ira
I've been focusing on business school apps of late. The time is quickly coming and with only a day or so per week with internet access, I want to have updates available when the electricity is there. Cranking away. So little time left, it's hard to believe
GO GIANTS!!!!
Love to all,
Ira
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The next episode
It truly feels as though I've been involved in a soap opera for the last week. It doesn't quite live up to the Nollywood (Nigerian Hollywood) movies that are shown on long bus trips but that's only because the week has lacked screaming and juju.
I got back to Bormase one week ago to learn that Dorothy had asked about the Keebler biscuits that had been taken. A word to potential thieves out there, if you want to steal money, don't also steal foreign food and share it with your friends!!! It seems that Hannah stole my biscuits (crackers) and shared them with her friends after taking my 130 Ghana Cedis in proposal money. One day after confronting Hannah about the theft and getting nowhere, we got her to admit that she took my money and my biscuits. However, she only admitted to taking 80 Ghana Cedis. Apparently she stole 80 Ghana Cedis, went to market, bought nothing and came back with 80 Ghana Cedis but can't account for the remaining 50 Cedis that is missing. Makes sense.
On Friday morning, after meeting with Hannah and getting a confession, Patrick, Hannah's father-in-law Samuel (one of the Bead Center carpenters) and I went to Asesewa to buy the lumber for further construction. We bought the necessary lumber and upon learning that nails were overpriced in Asesewa, Patrick and I went to Koforidua to buy iron sheets and nails. By the end of the day, all materials needed for the construction of the frame and roof were purchased and delivered to Bormase.
On Friday evening, after dinner, Dorothy and I went to see Hannah again in order to see her plan for making amends. She refused to admit that she had taken the full amount. The longer she denied it, the more upset I became. This is a woman to whom I've brought money making projects and gifts, only to have her take my money and lie to my face about it. When she told me that she wouldn't steal again, I asked how she planned to earn money in the future she knelt down in front of me, held on to the leg of my trousers and said "I beg, I won't come there again."
She didn't say how she planned to earn money, she doesn't work or farm currently and has had to send the twins to stay with their grandmother elsewhere. I would be happy to hear that she had a plan for earning money or reason for taking the money. I would even be receptive to having her admit that she had taken the whole sum. By the end of the night, Hannah and Samuel agreed to pay the remaining sum within four weeks. Dorothy and I left with not much accomplished. Dorothy has had several hundred Cedis stolen in the past and is quite convinced that Hannah was responsible. Unfortunately, there is no way to prove that Hannah took that money so I will get my money back while Dorothy's hard earned money is still missing.
On Saturday, great progress was made on the construction of the bead center. I played with children, helped when my help was needed. While I was making progress on a very exciting project, I wasn't able to fully enjoy it while this drama was going on. People kept asking my why Hannah stole my money, what would happen to her etc.
Over the next few days, Emmanuel coordinated for the police to come to Hannah's house twice. They came one morning to be told that Hannah was not in the house. Hannah came by our house when Dorothy and Emmanuel were away in order to ask Stephen (back for a visit) if he would beg Emmanuel not to call the police. By the afternoon, Hannah had left Bormase.
The police came the next morning at 5am. I was awakened in case they had to ask me any questions. They didn't ask questions but went to Samuel to question the family about Hannah's whereabouts. Nothing was accomplished.
Over the next few days, Dorothy brought any development to me and chatted about it for a bit. Emmanuel found out where Hannah had gone. A woman in the community knew that Hannah had taken Dorothy's money in the past and knew that the family with whom she stays had known about the money and had spent it with Hannah. The woman who told Dorothy wasn't willing to say it officially because she was scared of what might happen.
The frame and roof of the Bead Center were completed on Monday and Tuesday. Patrick and I walked all around the village in order to purchase a fowl. In Krobo tradition, if you pay to have a carpenter build you a roof, you must slaughter a fowl to ensure that while you've sent their souls up to the roof, that they'll also come down safely.
A group of us poured libations, ate fufu and celebrated the great accomplishment and great addition to the community.
On Wednesday, Dorothy called from Sekesua to have me come to the Police station. I walked my white self into the Police station with all eyes on me. I was told that if I pressed charges, the case would go to trial and if convicted, Hannah would spend from 5 to 25 years in prison. There is no way that I'll press charges!! The whole time, people in the village were talking about how the family should involve the police so that Hannah could spend a night in jail and be released. I'm not sure if my presence made the police pay closer attention to the laws (not being able to imprison people without a charge) than they might otherwise.
This morning, Emmanuel called to tell Dorothy that if the money is brought to me, I should tell Hannah that she and the family now owe 40 Ghana Cedis more for the police fees. I also won't have anything to do with that part. My being robbed somehow put me in the middle of a heated family/village squabble. Nobody seems to blame me or hold a grudge but it's a very bittersweet situation.
The money should be returned by tomorrow and the Bead Center will be completed as planned.
Bittersweet indeed,
Love to all.
Ira
I got back to Bormase one week ago to learn that Dorothy had asked about the Keebler biscuits that had been taken. A word to potential thieves out there, if you want to steal money, don't also steal foreign food and share it with your friends!!! It seems that Hannah stole my biscuits (crackers) and shared them with her friends after taking my 130 Ghana Cedis in proposal money. One day after confronting Hannah about the theft and getting nowhere, we got her to admit that she took my money and my biscuits. However, she only admitted to taking 80 Ghana Cedis. Apparently she stole 80 Ghana Cedis, went to market, bought nothing and came back with 80 Ghana Cedis but can't account for the remaining 50 Cedis that is missing. Makes sense.
On Friday morning, after meeting with Hannah and getting a confession, Patrick, Hannah's father-in-law Samuel (one of the Bead Center carpenters) and I went to Asesewa to buy the lumber for further construction. We bought the necessary lumber and upon learning that nails were overpriced in Asesewa, Patrick and I went to Koforidua to buy iron sheets and nails. By the end of the day, all materials needed for the construction of the frame and roof were purchased and delivered to Bormase.
On Friday evening, after dinner, Dorothy and I went to see Hannah again in order to see her plan for making amends. She refused to admit that she had taken the full amount. The longer she denied it, the more upset I became. This is a woman to whom I've brought money making projects and gifts, only to have her take my money and lie to my face about it. When she told me that she wouldn't steal again, I asked how she planned to earn money in the future she knelt down in front of me, held on to the leg of my trousers and said "I beg, I won't come there again."
She didn't say how she planned to earn money, she doesn't work or farm currently and has had to send the twins to stay with their grandmother elsewhere. I would be happy to hear that she had a plan for earning money or reason for taking the money. I would even be receptive to having her admit that she had taken the whole sum. By the end of the night, Hannah and Samuel agreed to pay the remaining sum within four weeks. Dorothy and I left with not much accomplished. Dorothy has had several hundred Cedis stolen in the past and is quite convinced that Hannah was responsible. Unfortunately, there is no way to prove that Hannah took that money so I will get my money back while Dorothy's hard earned money is still missing.
On Saturday, great progress was made on the construction of the bead center. I played with children, helped when my help was needed. While I was making progress on a very exciting project, I wasn't able to fully enjoy it while this drama was going on. People kept asking my why Hannah stole my money, what would happen to her etc.
Over the next few days, Emmanuel coordinated for the police to come to Hannah's house twice. They came one morning to be told that Hannah was not in the house. Hannah came by our house when Dorothy and Emmanuel were away in order to ask Stephen (back for a visit) if he would beg Emmanuel not to call the police. By the afternoon, Hannah had left Bormase.
The police came the next morning at 5am. I was awakened in case they had to ask me any questions. They didn't ask questions but went to Samuel to question the family about Hannah's whereabouts. Nothing was accomplished.
Over the next few days, Dorothy brought any development to me and chatted about it for a bit. Emmanuel found out where Hannah had gone. A woman in the community knew that Hannah had taken Dorothy's money in the past and knew that the family with whom she stays had known about the money and had spent it with Hannah. The woman who told Dorothy wasn't willing to say it officially because she was scared of what might happen.
The frame and roof of the Bead Center were completed on Monday and Tuesday. Patrick and I walked all around the village in order to purchase a fowl. In Krobo tradition, if you pay to have a carpenter build you a roof, you must slaughter a fowl to ensure that while you've sent their souls up to the roof, that they'll also come down safely.
A group of us poured libations, ate fufu and celebrated the great accomplishment and great addition to the community.
On Wednesday, Dorothy called from Sekesua to have me come to the Police station. I walked my white self into the Police station with all eyes on me. I was told that if I pressed charges, the case would go to trial and if convicted, Hannah would spend from 5 to 25 years in prison. There is no way that I'll press charges!! The whole time, people in the village were talking about how the family should involve the police so that Hannah could spend a night in jail and be released. I'm not sure if my presence made the police pay closer attention to the laws (not being able to imprison people without a charge) than they might otherwise.
This morning, Emmanuel called to tell Dorothy that if the money is brought to me, I should tell Hannah that she and the family now owe 40 Ghana Cedis more for the police fees. I also won't have anything to do with that part. My being robbed somehow put me in the middle of a heated family/village squabble. Nobody seems to blame me or hold a grudge but it's a very bittersweet situation.
The money should be returned by tomorrow and the Bead Center will be completed as planned.
Bittersweet indeed,
Love to all.
Ira
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Groundbreaking developments
One week ago, Patrick came to meet me in Koforidua. We bought twenty bags of cement and twelve galvanized pipes in order to start the construction of Bormase's community bead center!!!
Several members of the bead group came to the work site on Monday and construction was started. Robert Mugabe (not sure why he likes to go by this name) showed up to give instructions and to ensure that the foundation was laid properly and that the pipes were set at appropriate height for the construction of the roof.
School children took shifts collecting sand and delivering it with head-pans and buckets until enough sand was available for the construction of cement blocks. Each child received a pencil in exchange for the work. It might sound terrible that we used the labor of 60 children in exchange for maybe three dollars worth of pencils but in the end, everybody benefited greatly. The children will take arts and crafts time to make traditional Krobo beads. The gift of a pencil was incredibly well received considering that the culture allows any adult to tell any children to do pretty much any chore at any time.
During the day, some of the workers took breaks to look at my MBA school catalogs and ask about the buildings and cars in various pictures. Trying to explain NYC is virtually impossible. A recent Secondary School graduate who studied building technology looked at some of the beautiful architecture at Georgetown University and walked me through how the roof wasn't made out of iron sheets but is made of a different material. Quite an experience.
We also took breaks to play with the various party favor-style toys that I brought back from the USA. Those small enclosed plastic mazes with a ball inside were a hit. Several men would race each other repeatedly, seeing who could get the little metal ball to the center first. Propellers on sticks were flying through the air throughout the day. Everything went great!! Rather than pushing to get work done, I was hanging out with friends while the worked on a project about which they were very excited.
The contractor showed up today to build cement bricks. Tomorrow, Patrick and I will travel with Mugabe to Asesewa to purchase wood for the roof. Construction of the roof will start on Saturday.
When I wasn't working, I turned 27 years old. Cheri came to meet me in Koforidua where we had beer and Fufu to celebrate. We walked a few miles to a small waterfall yesterday and got back to my site to see that some of my American food had been taken from my kitchen. I wasn't too worried about the peanut butter crackers but worried that somebody would go into my space when I was away.
This morning, I double checked my wallet to see that 130 Ghana Cedis of proposal money was missing. We have targeted a prime suspect and taken dirt samples form some footprints in my room and fingerprints from the peanut butter cookie wrappers. Seriously though, we thoroughly questioned Hannah, the mother of Atta and Lahweh. She has a habit of lurking around the house whenever Dorothy goes to market. Several hundred cedis have gone missing from Dorothy's bedroom in the past so she recently changed her locks. I never lock my room but hadn't come across any problems in the past. I've now locked up my house and will see how things stand when I get back to the village.
Love to all.
Ira
Several members of the bead group came to the work site on Monday and construction was started. Robert Mugabe (not sure why he likes to go by this name) showed up to give instructions and to ensure that the foundation was laid properly and that the pipes were set at appropriate height for the construction of the roof.
School children took shifts collecting sand and delivering it with head-pans and buckets until enough sand was available for the construction of cement blocks. Each child received a pencil in exchange for the work. It might sound terrible that we used the labor of 60 children in exchange for maybe three dollars worth of pencils but in the end, everybody benefited greatly. The children will take arts and crafts time to make traditional Krobo beads. The gift of a pencil was incredibly well received considering that the culture allows any adult to tell any children to do pretty much any chore at any time.
During the day, some of the workers took breaks to look at my MBA school catalogs and ask about the buildings and cars in various pictures. Trying to explain NYC is virtually impossible. A recent Secondary School graduate who studied building technology looked at some of the beautiful architecture at Georgetown University and walked me through how the roof wasn't made out of iron sheets but is made of a different material. Quite an experience.
We also took breaks to play with the various party favor-style toys that I brought back from the USA. Those small enclosed plastic mazes with a ball inside were a hit. Several men would race each other repeatedly, seeing who could get the little metal ball to the center first. Propellers on sticks were flying through the air throughout the day. Everything went great!! Rather than pushing to get work done, I was hanging out with friends while the worked on a project about which they were very excited.
The contractor showed up today to build cement bricks. Tomorrow, Patrick and I will travel with Mugabe to Asesewa to purchase wood for the roof. Construction of the roof will start on Saturday.
When I wasn't working, I turned 27 years old. Cheri came to meet me in Koforidua where we had beer and Fufu to celebrate. We walked a few miles to a small waterfall yesterday and got back to my site to see that some of my American food had been taken from my kitchen. I wasn't too worried about the peanut butter crackers but worried that somebody would go into my space when I was away.
This morning, I double checked my wallet to see that 130 Ghana Cedis of proposal money was missing. We have targeted a prime suspect and taken dirt samples form some footprints in my room and fingerprints from the peanut butter cookie wrappers. Seriously though, we thoroughly questioned Hannah, the mother of Atta and Lahweh. She has a habit of lurking around the house whenever Dorothy goes to market. Several hundred cedis have gone missing from Dorothy's bedroom in the past so she recently changed her locks. I never lock my room but hadn't come across any problems in the past. I've now locked up my house and will see how things stand when I get back to the village.
Love to all.
Ira
Thursday, July 23, 2009
I'm Lovin' it!
No, I'm not plugging any golden arches. In fact, I was very happy to avoid McDonald's while in America. I still gained about 12 pounds!!!
Most of my first day back in Bormase was spent sleeping. I didn't realize how tired I was until I woke at 6:30, ate an egg sandwich, napped until 10:45, visited a few neighbors and then napped from a bit after noon until 3:45!!! No wonder I can't sleep at my usual bedtime of 8pm.
Life back in Bormase has been great. Michael and Patience are two new children at the house. They really live next door but after watching 5 year old Michael take care of his toddling sister for long enough, Dorothy unofficially adopted the two kids. They spend the day at our house while their parents farm etc.
Kicking a ball around, playing with bubbles and having incomprehensible conversations with small boys and small girls have been my favorite activities. Handing over earnings from the American bead bonanza was great too. Great thanks to all who helped the cause.
Today, Patrick is coming to meet me and we will purchase the cement for the community bead center. I can't wait!
Love to all
Ira
Most of my first day back in Bormase was spent sleeping. I didn't realize how tired I was until I woke at 6:30, ate an egg sandwich, napped until 10:45, visited a few neighbors and then napped from a bit after noon until 3:45!!! No wonder I can't sleep at my usual bedtime of 8pm.
Life back in Bormase has been great. Michael and Patience are two new children at the house. They really live next door but after watching 5 year old Michael take care of his toddling sister for long enough, Dorothy unofficially adopted the two kids. They spend the day at our house while their parents farm etc.
Kicking a ball around, playing with bubbles and having incomprehensible conversations with small boys and small girls have been my favorite activities. Handing over earnings from the American bead bonanza was great too. Great thanks to all who helped the cause.
Today, Patrick is coming to meet me and we will purchase the cement for the community bead center. I can't wait!
Love to all
Ira
Friday, July 17, 2009
Adaptability
I know it's been a long time. I was in America!! I had constant access to internet and very full days but didn't take the time to write a blog entry. I was amazed at how easy it was to readjust.
Lugging 80 lbs of beads around in a broken suitcase made travel a bit difficult but balancing that with the efficient subway system and comfortable weather and Ghanaian travel is still far more strenuous. Getting the beads to the airport was one of the most physically demanding things I've ever done.
There is no way that I'll be able to summarize my time at home. I guess that's accurate with every blog entry. I can never share everything so I just crank out what comes readily to mind.
Megan and I wandered around NYC for a few days and had a great time catching up. Rob used the flexibility and perks of his new internship to fly from Chicago to New York for a 12 hour visit. I paid a visit to Columbia, met up with my friend Jay and had dinner and drinks with a number of Rob's classmates from Michigan. I was able to get a sense of business school life while getting to try all of the foods and drinks that I have missed so desperately. Staying up until what was 7am in my body even helped get my circadian rhythm back where it should be.
A night on Long Island started the family explosion that would be the next week straight. Steak, wine and amazing talks with a family I've missed very much kept the influx of joy going strong. I even got to play guitar hero (I know it came out well before I left for Peace Corps but I'm behind the times).
Dinners and planning and tennis and dinners and stories and beads and Jan Jan's service and stories and a bonfire.
So much happened in Vermont that I can't even begin to summarize. It was amazing meeting new people while catching up with others. I've finally hit the age at which I marvel at how old my baby cousins have become. A nice addition to that sensation is the realization of how amazing all of my cousins are and have become.
Visits to University of Virginia, Duke, UNC, Georgetown, Camden Yards and many great eateries helped sum up a spaztacular road trip with my Dad.
I caught up with my friend Sara and wandered NYC more. I ate the best steak in the history of the world. I left yesterday afternoon and got next to no sleep on the plane. One of my two checked bags was somehow lost during my direct flight (I must proudly say that after arriving with bags of 68 and 44 lbs respectively, I was able to rearrange to 50,0 and 49.5 lbs with a heavy backpack in one try!)
I'll be in Accra until at least tomorrow. I'm exhausted and need to sleep but I'm very ready and happy to be back.
Love to all
Ira
Lugging 80 lbs of beads around in a broken suitcase made travel a bit difficult but balancing that with the efficient subway system and comfortable weather and Ghanaian travel is still far more strenuous. Getting the beads to the airport was one of the most physically demanding things I've ever done.
There is no way that I'll be able to summarize my time at home. I guess that's accurate with every blog entry. I can never share everything so I just crank out what comes readily to mind.
Megan and I wandered around NYC for a few days and had a great time catching up. Rob used the flexibility and perks of his new internship to fly from Chicago to New York for a 12 hour visit. I paid a visit to Columbia, met up with my friend Jay and had dinner and drinks with a number of Rob's classmates from Michigan. I was able to get a sense of business school life while getting to try all of the foods and drinks that I have missed so desperately. Staying up until what was 7am in my body even helped get my circadian rhythm back where it should be.
A night on Long Island started the family explosion that would be the next week straight. Steak, wine and amazing talks with a family I've missed very much kept the influx of joy going strong. I even got to play guitar hero (I know it came out well before I left for Peace Corps but I'm behind the times).
Dinners and planning and tennis and dinners and stories and beads and Jan Jan's service and stories and a bonfire.
So much happened in Vermont that I can't even begin to summarize. It was amazing meeting new people while catching up with others. I've finally hit the age at which I marvel at how old my baby cousins have become. A nice addition to that sensation is the realization of how amazing all of my cousins are and have become.
Visits to University of Virginia, Duke, UNC, Georgetown, Camden Yards and many great eateries helped sum up a spaztacular road trip with my Dad.
I caught up with my friend Sara and wandered NYC more. I ate the best steak in the history of the world. I left yesterday afternoon and got next to no sleep on the plane. One of my two checked bags was somehow lost during my direct flight (I must proudly say that after arriving with bags of 68 and 44 lbs respectively, I was able to rearrange to 50,0 and 49.5 lbs with a heavy backpack in one try!)
I'll be in Accra until at least tomorrow. I'm exhausted and need to sleep but I'm very ready and happy to be back.
Love to all
Ira
Monday, June 29, 2009
MJ
When I woke up on my last full pre-vacation morning in Bormase, I turned on my shortwave radio and immediately heard the news that the unparalleled Michael Jackson had passed away.
My plan for the day was to help Patrick and his family complete any last bead work that they hoped to send with me to America. For some serious cultural exchange, I got to his house at 8am and Patrick, Lizzie, Gladys and Tetteh sat on the floor stringing beads while listening to every Michael Jackson song on my iPod via portable speakers. Patrick had heard the news and knew the impact but Tetteh and Lizzie had no idea who they were listening to. Naturally, as is all but automatic when listening to Michael Jackson, everybody was bobbing and humming to the music within minutes. What better cultural exchange is there than making traditional Krobo jewelry while listening to music that changed America, race, music and the rest of the world?
When the bead work was complete and my room was packed, I was ready to leave for the USA. When thinking of coming back, I couldn't help but notice that during the first 25 years and three months of my life, I spent about one cumulative month outside the USA. Up until yesterday I had been outside the US for over 21 months straight. I was ready for a shock.
I left Bormase with an unbelievable amount of luggage. Gifts and beads provided most of the weight but I also wanted to clear my house of all items that won't fit in a hiking backpack for post-Peace Corps travels.
The journey to Accra went well, the tro did the work of carrying my luggage. When I got out of the tro with my hiking pack, backpack, duffel bag and Ghana Gucci (we volunteers use this term for the huge synthetic bags you can find in most China towns) I was ready to make the short walk to the office. The walk is the equivalent of maybe five blocks but naturally, it started raining just before I got out of the tro.
I hadn't distributed the weight properly so I had all sixty pounds of beads in the crappy cheap bag that I was carrying like a briefcase. The rain got harder and the stares more confused as I shuffled fifty meters at a time before stopping and standing in the middle of the sidewalk in the rain. I was convinced at the time that this brief five block walk was the most physically demanding thing that I had ever done in my life. Of course that can't be true but I was wiped out and soaked when I got to the office.
I had a fun night out with Gray, Erin, Travis and Marcus (a lucky group of friends to have in Accra) and the next morning was on my way to the USA (re-organizing my 80kg of luggage took some time and bribery).
No sleep, two meals and plenty of movies got me through the eleven hour direct flight with ease. I can't believe how easy eleven hours of travel has become. A few hours at baggage claim was a bit more of a pain but at about 7pm EST, I saw my beautiful big sister Megan for the first time in nearly two years!!! Chatting away felt normal maybe five minutes later.
The two of us were a site with Megan lugging a few bags and myself with a huge broken suitcase atop my head. Fortunately, it's New York City and nobody seemed surprised.
A taxi ride with and Ivorian driver, a walk through Manhattan, a big meal at ESPNzone while watching the Yankees play the Mets (what great timing) a long walk on a 70 degree NY night and a hot shower brought my 22 hour day to an end. Burning eyes, a comfortable hotel bed and no ability to sleep brought me this blog entry five hours later. Who knows that we'll do today but the options are endless and I'm definitely up for it. 20 lb weight gain, attempt number two has begun!!!
Love to all
Ira
My plan for the day was to help Patrick and his family complete any last bead work that they hoped to send with me to America. For some serious cultural exchange, I got to his house at 8am and Patrick, Lizzie, Gladys and Tetteh sat on the floor stringing beads while listening to every Michael Jackson song on my iPod via portable speakers. Patrick had heard the news and knew the impact but Tetteh and Lizzie had no idea who they were listening to. Naturally, as is all but automatic when listening to Michael Jackson, everybody was bobbing and humming to the music within minutes. What better cultural exchange is there than making traditional Krobo jewelry while listening to music that changed America, race, music and the rest of the world?
When the bead work was complete and my room was packed, I was ready to leave for the USA. When thinking of coming back, I couldn't help but notice that during the first 25 years and three months of my life, I spent about one cumulative month outside the USA. Up until yesterday I had been outside the US for over 21 months straight. I was ready for a shock.
I left Bormase with an unbelievable amount of luggage. Gifts and beads provided most of the weight but I also wanted to clear my house of all items that won't fit in a hiking backpack for post-Peace Corps travels.
The journey to Accra went well, the tro did the work of carrying my luggage. When I got out of the tro with my hiking pack, backpack, duffel bag and Ghana Gucci (we volunteers use this term for the huge synthetic bags you can find in most China towns) I was ready to make the short walk to the office. The walk is the equivalent of maybe five blocks but naturally, it started raining just before I got out of the tro.
I hadn't distributed the weight properly so I had all sixty pounds of beads in the crappy cheap bag that I was carrying like a briefcase. The rain got harder and the stares more confused as I shuffled fifty meters at a time before stopping and standing in the middle of the sidewalk in the rain. I was convinced at the time that this brief five block walk was the most physically demanding thing that I had ever done in my life. Of course that can't be true but I was wiped out and soaked when I got to the office.
I had a fun night out with Gray, Erin, Travis and Marcus (a lucky group of friends to have in Accra) and the next morning was on my way to the USA (re-organizing my 80kg of luggage took some time and bribery).
No sleep, two meals and plenty of movies got me through the eleven hour direct flight with ease. I can't believe how easy eleven hours of travel has become. A few hours at baggage claim was a bit more of a pain but at about 7pm EST, I saw my beautiful big sister Megan for the first time in nearly two years!!! Chatting away felt normal maybe five minutes later.
The two of us were a site with Megan lugging a few bags and myself with a huge broken suitcase atop my head. Fortunately, it's New York City and nobody seemed surprised.
A taxi ride with and Ivorian driver, a walk through Manhattan, a big meal at ESPNzone while watching the Yankees play the Mets (what great timing) a long walk on a 70 degree NY night and a hot shower brought my 22 hour day to an end. Burning eyes, a comfortable hotel bed and no ability to sleep brought me this blog entry five hours later. Who knows that we'll do today but the options are endless and I'm definitely up for it. 20 lb weight gain, attempt number two has begun!!!
Love to all
Ira
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