Thursday, April 28, 2011

ant fixes and no water.

We have been out of water for 24 hours.  About an hour ago, half of the house got water back, but it's the half that the kitchen and washing machine are NOT in, so it's not very helpful.  It happened after Jens and I took "showers" with water sachets, too, so it really didn't do much good apart from helping me mop the ant-y balcony...

Per a cousin's suggestion, I've watered the anted plant with soapy water and then I washed off the whole balcony, sweeping all the water down the drain.  However, the drainpipe cuts off three inches off the balcony, and drips onto the balconies downstairs (which bothered the first-floor neighbors; the guard came upstairs to tell me so).  LL is away until May 3 but will sort it out then, perhaps by extending the drain pipe, or by telling the neighbors they need to get used to it and my promising it won't happen often?

The choir performance at the Japan benefit gig is going on despite most of the tenors and sopranos not being able to make it - for once, the altos are the biggest section, which is pretty cool.  I heard tickets are sold out, too.  The downside is that we don't get to stay on after the show because they won't have space for us.  When you think about it, that's pretty ridiculous, not letting the performers enjoy the rest of the show.

I have got to get going to CEPEHRG.  I'm not taking it seriously and I should be.  Ciao, fair readers.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

I Want

I want it to stop being so hot.

I want the internet to be faster.

I want to be able to reassure myself that I can get any job I want.

I want our upstairs neighbor to stop stomping around in high heels on the fake-marble floors at all times of day - last night she got home at 3:30am.  It woke me up.  Click, click, click.

I want a friend who will listen to me unreservedly.  Preferably here, because the internet is too slow to Skype anyone and Google phone calls aren't working from my accounts.

I want my computer screen to just stop being broken.

I want not to be treated like a commodity because of my religion.

I want to have some time when I can tell the repair guys for the windows and bathrooms to come in, when I'm not supposed to be at work or sorting out the curtains or a dining room table or a TV stand.  Or shopping for food, or whatever.  And then some day, have a time when there's NOTHING that needs to be fixed or taken care of or ants killed or leaks or cracks or worries to plague my mind.  I want things to work the way they should rather than being told stupid fixes, like "Oh, this window screen will never fully close on the right side, but the left side is perfectly usable so always do it that way."

I want tacos for dinner.  That wish will at least be granted, because Lara Mart had a special on taco shells last week!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

To-Dos

Jens and I have finally reached a decision on the curtains: we don't like anything the curtain shops here are offering, so we're going to buy local fabric and get a seamstress or tailor to make it into curtains.  The price will be similar, though a bit higher, but it's better to get something we both like for a higher price, than settle for a price that's also pretty high and get something we don't really like.

Both surgeries of mothers went well, for those following that.  As for me, the dentist put some kind of hard paste on the outer surface of my teeth and has 60% solved the problem; I'm coming back in two weeks for a further consultation.  I really hope that next time I don't wait four hours.  I mean, they double-scheduled the 10am slot and the other guy who was booked in at 10 only went in at 1:40.  It's really bad practice.  I'm going back to this guy because I'm now mid-treatment with him, but I won't be back after that.

Easter weekend saw us spend a night at Kokrobite Beach, which is laid-back and quieter than the chaos of Labadi and chock-full of obroni backpackers and volunteers.  We ran into a friend of Aimee's and met a foursome of Norwegians there, one of whom is reading a favorite book of mine.

There are ants in our bedroom!  Jens and I both suspect they came in on one of the plants which we bought on Friday.  They are lovely plants but not worth the anty price.  I've just mopped the floor with vinegar and Vim (a Comet-esque scrubbing powder) and am hoping that will be it.  Each of those is supposed to disrupt the scent-trails they leave so no more will follow.  Next step is giving them cornmeal - apparently they eat it and then it expands inside them... you get the drift.  Also, this means we really need to find a cleaning person soon.  If there's one thing I do NOT want, it's the ants getting to our kitchen.

Jens thinks there's likely not a queen in the flowerpot as they usually stay in the anthills, which would mean this population can't reproduce after their lifespans run out.  And three floors is a long way to come up, on the outside balconies no less.  Still not a theory I'd like to rely on without some proactive measures.

My computer screen's got a pesky loose connection that I thought had been fixed in Dublin.  I have to take it to a repair shop here, which I'm not looking forward to - hopefully I'll be able to tell them there's a loose connection, show them the screen, and trust them to do this one particular fix.  I think I saw a Chinese repair shop around the corner from work; maybe I'll take it there...

Also, we've now got mosquitoes in our bedroom who are feeding on us while we sleep.  We got a zapper light and have been using it for the past two nights, but it's in a corner and not hung very high so it hasn't been effective.

Let the first of the bug woes begin... let's hope they're not bad after this.

Our shipment should have arrived last Friday; we haven't heard from the agent who's taking care of it at the port, because it was Good Friday.  They hoped to get it to us late this week, but we're hoping for next week. It's time to start getting other furniture - a dining room table and chairs, and a TV table!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Changes and transitions

Waiting at the dentist to be seen. Today is a day of appointments all over the world, as both my mother and Jens's are going in for (different) common but significant procedures. I wish them good surgeries, quick recoveries, health and strength.

The last week and a half has left me too preoccupied to blog. We are still without curtains in the big window in our bedroom, which has taken my thoughts up recently (as in, every time the sun rises at 6!). Also I've seen the doctor twice; once to test for infection and yesterday to discuss the results (no infection, hooray). Today I'm hoping a Ghanaian dentist can finally sort out these sensitive teeth where the Irish have failed; I really hope so!

Monday night marked the start of Passover, a holiday of change and transitions. More on that another time...

The coming of April has made me realize how much I miss watching spring emerge from winter. Here, sunshine and warmth are a given no matter what month it is. Even during the rainy season, they get an average of 5 hours of sun a day. My favorite part of the year has always been seeing life come from bleakness as the world reminds me of reasons to rejoice. I miss the lilacs.

If anyone in Accra is reading this, I'd also like to extend an invitation to an event happening 10 days from now, on Saturday the 30th of April. Accragio (my choir) is participating in a benefit concert in aid of Japan, along with many other musicians, magicians and performers. It's at the Mensvic Hotel swimming pool in East Legon. The catch is that a ticket costs 80 cedis (or 150 for a pair), but the consolation is that it all goes to help survivors of the earthquake(s) and tsunami. Come if you can. I've heard it'll be great; the choir certainly will be.

Tonight I am missing a performance of a Chinese disabled people's performing troupe which I think would be inspiring and fascinating to see. Denver has a group like this, I think, and I never got a chance to see it.

Maybe some day...

Does anyone know where we can find cheap but modern curtains in Accra? We are going to look at fabric shops on the weekend after seeing 3 mostly disappointing curtain shops already. It doesn't make sense to pay 15 or 20 cedis a yard for fabric that's not something we love, but at some point I'd like to be able to sleep late in the darkness again!

posted from Bloggeroid

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

I owe an update.  Over the weekend, Jens and I went to Cape Coast and Elmina, a 3-hour drive away, to do some sightseeing and relaxation.  I took hundreds of photos and fully intend to post lots of them.  At the moment I'm juggling going to my volunteer job, staying home for people to come and fix more issues in the house, and having someone come in to make us curtains.  I've decided against making the measurements and trying to do it ourselves.

At the moment, it's time to get going to the office, so I can work for a few hours before coming home for the plumber and door-fixing guy.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Why

Why do the guards ask me for food every day? Don't they get paid?

Why does everyone here assume white people can't walk anywhere or carry anything? Or that they really want to buy the men's shoes, fabric, Mentos, converter plugs or kids' shorts they are selling?

Why did they build open sewers alongside the roads?

Why is it so humid that I'm dripping with sweat at 9am after 3 minutes outside?

Why do you need to respond to strangers in the street who see your skin color and declare immediately they want to be your friend, at the risk of being called rude if you don't? As soon as I use the H-word they say they want to marry my friends from my country - all pretense of friendship gone.

Why is it okay for people to address you as "White!"  As in, "Obroni!  How are you?"

Why - this is absolutely baffling to me - do kids and even adults get such a kick out of one single word exchanged with a white person? Do they go home and tell their families about it? Is it like touching Johnny Depp?

What if I just want to walk somewhere and not get bothered, no matter how cheerful they are?

posted from Bloggeroid

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Rain!

Yes, it rained yesterday for about 3 hours in the morning.  Today seems like it's going to be dry.  I'm feeling better but not 100%.  Thanks for the well wishes.

Yesterday afternoon I headed to check out CePEHRG - the Centre for Peer Education and Human Rights, Ghana.  It's a volunteer-run organization dedicated to upholding and educating the public human rights, HIV awareness, women's empowerment and GLBTQIetc rights.  Hopefully I'll get a paying job somewhere and still be able to volunteer here - they already have tasks in mind for me.  Doing a newsletter, editing written stuff, and doing some in-house empowerment training for the women are on the list for now.

Just saw an ad for a position today at the U of Ghana Legon for a part-time lecturer in academic writing.  I could do that.  Problem is, the deadline was March 31 and I can't get in touch with anyone to ask if they would still accept an application!  Wish me luck here or maybe in the Department of Linguistics!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

feelin' lousy

Since 7pm last night I've been hit by something not great - but not horrible.  First off I know I was really dehydrated by the end of the day, but it's probably something else, too.  Fever and chills, aches and fatigue, digestive woes.  We're pretty sure it's not malaria as the fever is not high enough and I don't feel as bad as they say you do with malaria.  The Internet says I might have giardia, but I'm not going to share what Google search I used to come up with that. We'll see if it passes or not.

It's a real shame, too, because last night we went to the Ethiopian restaurant (yes, the only one, as far as we know).  We started off thinking there would be three of us, then four, then we heard of eight when we arrived - but sixteen came along in the end.  The food was okay, but I didn't eat much and couldn't enjoy it as I was feeling lousy.

Aimee's back from her week in South Africa.  She and Jens are going to the supermarket today - I was planning to, but don't feel up for it now.

April's officially the start of the rainy season, on the calendars.  It's gotten overcast in the past half hour, but not really dark, so I think the clouds are too light for rain.  We need some rain soon, so we can keep getting good fruit!  And, you know, all those non-superficial reasons...

Friday, April 1, 2011

On Shrimp

I'm afraid I might break part of my lifelong commitment to saying semi-kosher, living here. It doesn't sound too hard to avoid shrimp, right? They're very distinctively shaped. Hard to miss. But not when they're ground up for flavoring.

Shito (shee-toh) is a spicy red sauce that Ghanaians use to dip and spice up everything, from stews to fries. And I learned a couple days ago (thanks to a New York Times article on Ghanaian street food) that one of the main components is ground-up dried shrimp.

Kebabs are a popular street food and a quick, cheap snack in restaurants. They're seasoned with kebab powder, and you get an extra heap of powder on the side to spice up your kebabs even more. I've had a look at the ingredient list of one kind of kebab powder in the store. Guess what? Shrimp.

I've already had shito a couple of times, before I knew what was in it. Since then I've hesitated, but I think in the end I'll probably give in. I'm pretty sure I've eaten it already since then, mixed into other foods as a flavoring. As for kebabs, there's no way I'd avoid them. They're cheap, convenient, and tasty. It's impossible to de-season them; they are covered in powder before they're grilled. And maybe they use a different brand of kebab powder than the one I saw in the supermarket.

That's the real thing I have got to come to terms with: even if I avoid things I know have treif (non-kosher ingredients) in them, there's no way I'll be clear of everything. So I think in the end, I'll try to enjoy myself, knowing I'm breaking a rule but also knowing that this is how they do local food here. It's easy to avoid overt shrimp, but the invisible shrimp might just have to pass through my filters. And in this case, ignorance is bliss.