Friday the 23rd

Basically - Wednesday and Thursday were kickass days.


Firstly, I asked the woman down the street who runs a small hairdressing salon and chop (as in meat) shop if she knows of a seamstress. And so she takes me to one of the large compounds on the street. One with awesome 70s architecture and a very neatly manicured lawn (but still no washing machine). There I meet maybe the woman of the house? Or perhaps the house keeper? I'm not sure, but she is a seamstress and she is going to make me a dress (with sleeves and pockets!). Yay! Most importantly, I found a seamstress on campus and she quoted me 45 Cedis (like $30) to make me the dress. But this woman will do it for 8 Cedis. Yay!


After that I went to town, which was a very successful trip. I found the traditional woven fabric they make in this region for a very reasonable price. But I didn't have enough moolah with me. But nevertheless it took a long time to find so that felt like a success. I also mailed my letter. Perhaps most importantly, I found my bearings in the city. I've got the hang of it now. It really bothers me not being independent and not knowing my way around. So it was a great boost to my self-esteem to spend the day in town by myself.


I returned to the vegetarian restaurant I found on Tuesday but it wasn't serving food that day. But I spoke to the owners (2 sisters) and they directed me to their other vegetarian restaurant. They are 7th day Adventist. Like sanitariam. Gosh, this strange religious group are really good for the Jews. Anyways I went there and for $1.50 I had a giant meal of palm nut soup with tofu and fufu (cassava and plantain paste). TOFU! Seriously, made my day.


After the meal I set off on my way home. But conveniently I ran across a supermarket. I felt like all my Christmases had come at once. Look, to be honest, it was roughly the side of a glorified 7-11, but for me it was paradise. They had cereal! And Kirkland products! And OU products! They had a fridge and freezer section (not that I could buy any of that given my lack of fringe and freezer). I purchased very reasonably. I bought instant oats (from America), milk powder (b/c there's not such thing as fresh milk here), brown sugar, cordial powder (orange flavour), laundry detergent , mosquito repellent (I'd already run out), hand sanitizer (yes, they even catered for germophobes) some muesli bars and most importantly COFFEE. I was seriously ecstatic.


But the day got better.


When I got home, after like an hour of being stuck in traffic, all my boys were there, playing music, chatting, eating. They all finished exams on Wednesday so they were in a good mood. Once it got dark a couple of them said to me come along, we are going harvesting. And so we went on a bit of a hike into the local forest. There, armed with machetes (yeah it made me a bit nervous), by torchlight, they started chopping down cassava trees. And then digging up the roots. It was hard hard work. Not that I was doing very much digging - I was designated torch holder. We then had to carry the cassava (which look like giant sweet potatoes) in bags home. It took 2 people to carry each bag.


That was a pretty satisfying experience.


Thursday I got up super early and enjoyed my instant oats and coffee for breakfast. I then had 3 meetings. They were a pretty frustrating experience. The first meeting was with the Telstra of Ghana - MTN. But the marketing manager wasn't in the office. The (male) receptionist wasn't sure where she was. She wasn't in the office. She might have been in another city. She might have been in a meeting elsewhere in Kumasi. But he had no way of finding out because he didn't have her mobile number. Grrr.


The next meeting was with the chief editor for business and financial times. A local newspaper. He voiced some grievances about working with our organisation last year and things that didn't work. But overall he was happy to continue with the partnership. Yay.


The last meeting was a balagan. It was with a media company called footprint. We had to present them with a certificate of appreciation for their support last year and to reinstate the partnership for this coming year. But they weren't answering their phone. On the website it said they were in town (Edum) but when we finally got through to them (after walking across the entire city centre) they had actually moved to an inner city suburb next to the markets. So we caught a tro tro and tried calling again and again to get the rest of the directions. Finally we found them. But the manager was in Accra. And he wasn't going to be in Kumasi in the foreseeable future. Talk about frustrating. So we left the certificate with the secretary and bailed. I was so over it by then.


Conveniently I got home to find the house pumping. The boys were throwing a party. A fufu party. The cassava that we had harvested last night had been peeled and chopped and was being boiled on the fire outside in a giant pot. Sammy had also gone home to his parents house where they grow plantain and had brought a ton back. These were also boiled. Meanwhile, the boys had bought a goat and had it slaughtered as well as some fish. They made two stews, a goat one and a fish one. I meanwhile went to the markets, which was exciting because I went by myself and I had never been there before so I had to find it on my own. But I arrived safely and bought eggplants (which here are cream coloured and egg sized so they actually look like eggs). I also bought 3 eggs (which when boiled have a very pale cream coloured yolk instead of a bright yellow one) and 2 bunches of kontomri (green leafy vegetables). We I returned home I made myself a soup/stew with these vegetables and some tomatoes. Meanwhile, the cassava and plantain had boiled and we put it little by little in the giant mortar and pestle. Like imagine a mortar the size of a toilet bowl and a pestle the height of me. We then took turns pounding the boiled vegetables until they turned into one giant sticky paste. That process took about 2-3 hours. The paste is called fufu. The boys then divided the paste into 3 bowls and ladled out soup into them. There were 3-4 boys per giant bowl (imagine bowls the size of sinks) eating with their hands. B/c of the veggie (by that I mean secret kashrut) thing I was lucky enough to have my own bowl. It was awesome to be eating something that had grown locally (like seriously next door), that we harvested and processed ourselves over a 2 day period. It was awesome that the meat they were eating was from the neighbours goat. It was great that the vegetables in my soup were from people's backyards. All in all it was a deeply satisfying meal.


As for today, I have to go to a hotel to photograph it for promotional material for a conference we're organising. I've also packed for the next 2 weeks, since it will probably not be until the 5th of January, at the earliest, until I return to Kumasi. Luckily there is an American/Chinese girl who is arriving on Sunday in Accra. Hopefully she'll come to Takradi which is where I'll be with Gyimah (after that I'll be off with the Europeans). If she comes then that'd be great coz then I can travel with her (assuming she's not a serial killer).


Meanwhile I met a super awesome person called Bill Graham. He's also a law student and he's applying for a scholarship to do his masters in energy resource law at the University of Western Australia. Meanwhile he's also written 2 books, one a novel and the other a math textbook and he's still working on a business law textbook. He also established a kickass NGO called plight of the child. It helps give resources and teachers to rural schools. Go on their website and donate. Also come to Ghana and volunteer for him/the NGO in a rural school. Also if you are in Perth or have connection in Perth (particularly with the university) let me know because he will need some help finding a supervisor for his thesis and friends in Australia. As for myself - I'm going to try and organise to go and volunteer teaching English and history in a rural school for his NGO in the 2nd week of January. Wish me luck.


We have shabz and then the boys in the house are going to Liberia to do some NGO work over the Christmas vacation (seriously, these Ghanaians are just too cool). On Sunday I'll go to Takradi and then who knows. Meanwhile, my laptop will be staying in Kumasi while I'm travelling around the country. Maybe I'll post something small on Saturday night or even Sunday morning. But for the next 2 weeks it'll just be me and the wide open roads and beaches. Oh and my iphone. So I should be able to email and facebook occasionally.


With that, shabbat shalom.