September has ended...let me tell you

September 3rd

Three months in Ghana. I have been setting up my new home, trying to make it homey and give it that feeling of “mine.” On the cabinet I have arranged several pictures of family and friends, yes NAU you are there too. I made a calendar out of notebook paper, marking special days and labeling months as midway points and as nearing the end, that way when June 2012 comes around I will flip to that month and say to myself “Oh! I'll surely be home in time for Patricia's birthday!”

The power has been out for over 24 hours. It is not so bad, other than the fact that I have paid dearly with a freezer that has been given time to defrost overnight...unsupervised. As I was mourning the loss of my multi-colored blank note cards (which I had left on the floor next to my chair), was attempting to separate the pages of another notebook, and wondering if I had any more towels to clean up the water I wished and prayed for a small feeling of victory to even out this feeling of fail. The victory came in the sound of a snap, a high velocity metal against wood snap. The mouse that ate my bread...the mouse that has been waking me in the night...that bold as brass pooping jerk fell into the temptation of the delicious dab of ground nut paste I left out for him. Bwahahaha. I may have a small wading pool at the base of my fridge, but my bread is a little bit safer tonight.

My newly cemented/repaired walls are begging to be painted. I think during my next trip to Tamale I will research design ideas. I think painting a phoenix or something mythological on my walls might be fun. I am also open to ideas.

I have been trying to familiarize myself with my village. So far so good. I have figured out where to buy bread, eggs, candles, and where the old men tend to loiter so I can remember to turn and greet them as I walk by. This next Sunday I will venture out to the local Catholic church and attend the mass. In a 99% Muslim community, I am not expecting the congregation to be very big...in fact I have yet to see anyone venture toward that building at all.

The good news of the week is that I think I will have many projects when I am allowed to start projects in November after In Service Training (IST). My supervisor wants to write proposals to get grants for more funding for the nutrition center and for the school for orphans. Both buildings could use a new roof and the school could probably use a new floor if not wall repairs as well. The local veterinarian also is looking forward to the day I learn about proposal writing, he wants to appeal to some NGO to get funding for animal welfare and to build housing to keep better control of some of the local animals. Right now the animals wander freely, poo everywhere, and ownership status is a little bit questionable. Even the donkeys run freely when not tied to a cart. I can't wait for the “settling in months” to be over. I am ready to get started and to begin projects. Though today, my inactivity is largely due to the fact that it is raining and I don't feel like making the long walk to the center in the rain only to find that no one is there because it is raining and a Friday (which is generally a half day anyways for the midday call to prayer).




September 24th

Rainy day socks, two year olds, and vodka. Never these things together...well, okay, the vodka and the socks have met....but these are tools of power that one must fear, respect and use wisely. The socks are one of the most awesome super powers I have discovered. The trick with the socks is you have to put them on in earnest, a true desire to wear socks and keep ones toes safe from malicious mosquitoes. Pick your favorite pair, lovingly put them on, even double knot the bow in your shoelaces. When you are ready to go the magic, the awesome spell casting that Harry Potter himself would be jealous of takes place....as you step outside sporting those fantastic socks it begins to rain. This is not just any rain, it is a downpour, a righteous fury that mocks you and your socks. Do not fear, once you have committed yourself back to sandals the rain will drizzle and stop right until you longingly look at those socks and think it might be safe. I tell this tale because it has happened more than once, twice, and even thrice. My socks have a superpower and my toes will never be safe.

I have also discovered another destructive force and universal truth here in Ghana. Two-Year-Olds. No matter where you are in the world or what you are doing, if a child of the age of two attempts to help you with your chores it is guaranteed that you will end up with a bigger mess than you started with. My neighbors Valeria and Assia (sp?) are proof of this. They like to help me with my dishes, which means all my dish water is about to end up all over the veranda and most likely several of the dishes will need to washed and rewashed a couple of times. The other night Assia even was subject to a cold shower of sorts, she wanted to help dump the water another little girl had taken for me and kept pulling on the tub. The dirty water hit Assia full force, cold with a hint of onion. Valeria and Assia are my local favorites. Val is shy but cute as a button and Assia likes to play! She still is young and small enough that I can throw and twirl her around...I get exercise and she thinks its fantastic.

Lastly, I have become a closet drinker. Do not fear my responsible readers, its not binge drinking of the alcoholic variety. My occasional treat to myself is a small portion of vodka mixed with a sprite or fanta. My vodka of choice right now is called “Ninja.” It is cheap...as liquor goes in Ghana (if you visit anything from the duty free store, especially if it is Irish in nature, would be appreciated, I also miss a good glass of wine)...and the name is appropriate for the secrecy I take in my alcohol consumption. The Muslim community at large frowns on drinking, and beyond that it is frowned upon and not wise for a single female to go to the local spot and throw back a few beers. As far as my neighbors are concerned I don't drink and its only some orange colored drink in that cup if I have to venture outside due to lights out (which is often during storms as it gets pitch black around 5pm, Flagstaff dark skies has nothing on us). This is also a good treat to oneself after a day in which you have been asked a bazillion times if you are married and why you are not (this line of questioning is a fun pastime for Ghanaian males and feels extremely awkward). One neighbor has even mentioned that he believes my Dagbani language skills will only improve if I marry a Dagomba man. By the way my American guy friends, it is guaranteed at one point or another I will have used your name and claimed you as either an American boyfriend or husband (depending on the situation and if I am wearing my fake wedding band) at one point during my two years ion Ghana. You think being single is bad in the States, come to Ghana here I am simultaneously a phenomenon and an old maid.

In other news my room is coming along nicely. I have painted some crazy abstract-ish vines and flowers on one of my walls and stenciled in some butterflies on the small wall space between a corner and a door. I am pretty proud of the work, especially since my color options have been limited and in my clever attempt to make purple (mixing the red and blue) I was met with utter failure as red and blue seem to only make black no matter what proportions or mixing order. The black has been useful, I used it to outline the butterflies with the stencil I made with some scissors and notecards (the very ones I mourn because they got wet but did not have the heart to throw them out). I have yet to fill in the butterflies, they look kind of neat as black outlines on the white walls, and with only the abstract vines for company they do not look too out of place. I am still open to suggestions for the other walls.

My neighbor Mr. Lawrence seems like he is going to be my book buddy. He likes to read and has already expressed a desire to trade and recommend books. He is also the only neighbor that thinks calling me by my given name is better than calling me by my newly acquired Dagbani name, though he has already shortened Catherine to Cat and Kate in turn. Oh well =)

September 28th

Turns out I am a crafty person...the illusive craft gene has laid dormant for many years (probably since those girl scout days ended). Without video games to fill the time void I have found that with time and freed up brain power on my hands I can be a very constructive person.

In addition to my walls, which are coming along nicely, I have put needle to thread and hook to yarn. I figured out how to crochet a hat and even managed to make a little crocheted flower to add some flair. In addition to the hat, I turned a “pieces pieces” cloth into a blanket, lined with flour sacks on the back side. I even patched a hole on the sacks with a cutesy shaped patch and hid the seam between the two sacks with a strip of blue cloth. I admittedly stole the original idea of the blanket from another volunteer, but I added my own touches and am very proud of the outcome...that and the blanket is all snugly so I love it. I have also made what I have decided to call “origami purse” as it is made out of one uncut small rectangular piece of cloth. The purse is about the size of a wallet and has a singular pocket ion the inside (thats right origami purse even has a pocket). For a strap I used a bit of rope that was left behind by the volunteers I replaced (braided it looks very nice and will come in very useful if ever I have my new purse I find myself wishing I had some rope. Like a pocket knife, you never know when you might need rope).

I am turning into the Ghana Martha Stuart. Considering my limited resources and lack of a Micheal's I think I am doing pretty well. Ill try to post some pictures on facebook. I know I have also been lacking in that department.

In other news I have commissioned a carpenter to make a couch for me. I ordered the cheapest option available and it should be ready next Tuesday. I will call it my “napping couch” as it will come in handy for that very thing. The napping couch will also be useful and more comfortable than my current plastic chairs if ever I were to have visitors Peace Corps or otherwise **cough cough** =)

Miss you all.



September 30th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!

LOVE YOU LOTS!!!!!