Closing ceremony and leaving Takoradi

I cried like a baby when I left Takoradi. Actually, I started crying the night before, cried more that night, and cried the morning we left. I’m not very good at goodbyes, but I was super wimpy this time. My heart aches for Ghana and the amazing Ghanaian people.

On the work side:

Our closing day was a very long day (over 10 hours with less than an hour lunch break) but also quite good. Seth from AGI drove in from Accra that morning (he left Accra at 4am). Ananda, Rosa, and I presented our findings and recommendations to the senior management of both companies. They had many nice things to say and were very appreciative. For Multiwall, we achieved all of our goals, and since they acted on our recommendations immediately, we actually made TANGIBLE progress in the month. I wish I could provide all the details, because it is very exciting (and astonishing). Over the course of the four-week engagement, we (this is for both companies, so as not to divulge any confidential details about either company):
* Obtained the financial facilities required
* Improved their profitability
* Convinced a supplier (who drives more than 90% of their total raw materials costs) to reduce their price by more than 15%
* Obtained additional orders
* Identified an input supplier that would reduce packaging costs by 50% while cutting delivery time in half (or better)
* Convinced a supplier to ship raw materials despite the (significant) outstanding balance
* For one client, if they fulfill all the orders they currently have with the materials prices they currently have, their turnover will nearly quadruple year-on-year (highest revenue ever) and their GP (which has been negative for the last three years) will skyrocket to over 30%

Since (in both cases) we had given senior management a taste of our recommendations a week prior, they received it well. For me, the best part was when each of the execs stood in turn to let us know what our engagement meant for them. Kweku said “You have given me a new battery. God bless you.” It was wonderful for us to see how we really did make a difference in these companies (in their finances and in the people) in such a short time. And I enjoyed how God permeated even these business discussions, like when the deputy managing director started out his presentation by quoting Esther (referring to how God puts people in positions for times such as this, as in Esther 4:14).

We all exchanged gifts of appreciation (we provided IBM executive gifts to most of the managers and executives, as well as other people who helped us along the way; they provided us with more beautiful Ghanaian clothes). Then the rest of our team (Carolyn, Kacie, Prasad, Volker, and Yaw) presented the various projects and strategic plan for the Sekondi-Takoradi Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry. This was followed by a presentation from the Chairman, where he shared with us how he and the chamber plan to implement the recommendations made by the IBM team.

After our clients left, the IBM team filled out evaluations and provided feedback and recommendations to Barbara from CDC (cdc.org) about ways to improve the program in the future. In addition, we were asked to type our key accomplishments, after which Barbara provided us with the goals we wrote our very first day in Accra so we could compare and see whether we achieved (personally and professionally) what we had set out to do in the last month. I was happy to see that I accomplished everything I wanted to, including learning a lot, making new friends, enjoying myself, and having fun! This was truly the best experience I’ve ever had in my career at IBM, and I still count myself blessed to have participated. We learned some great lessons, which all of us will take back to our home countries.

Here is an article (entitled The World Is IBM's Classroom) that Business Week published earlier this month about IBM’s Corporate Service Corps:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_12/b4124056268652.htm

Now, on the more personal side of things:

After the closing session, we ate some Ghanaian desserts (yoyi are fuzzy dried blackberries with seeds that are literally as hard as rocks; dzowoe is corn flour mixed with pepper and sugar for a sweet with some heat that creeps up on you; cube tofi is dried coconut and sugar; and nkati cake is kind of like peanut brittle). Caesar was on his way to pick up Ananda, Rosa, and I for a farewell dinner with Multiwall, so I started saying goodbye to the hotel staff and people who I wouldn’t see again before leaving. As I said, I am not good at goodbyes, so I cried. The Multiwall executives treated us to a nice dinner at LagoonSide (I tried guinea fowl for the first time) and thanked us again. It was a wonderful evening with Kwamena, Caesar, Kweku, Kojo, Andrew, and Theodora. Of course, I cried saying goodbye to Caesar and Theodora, but I have beautiful gifts from each of them so I can remember them fondly and often.

Packing was much more challenging than I expected, because I have amassed a lot of beautiful Ghanaian clothes (my birthday, a dress I bought myself, plus gifts from friends and clients). So I finally had to surrender and find a box. I ultimately left behind as much as I could (things I wouldn’t need in South Africa that I could leave with the hotel, like books and games and some toiletries), packed as much as possible into my suitcase, and packed everything else into a box (which I shrinkwrapped at the airport and checked as luggage, since shipping a 10-lb box is over $300). I am not much a “gift girl” but I really am happy with the clothing, scarves, shoes, jewelry, and wood carvings I received as gifts.

The morning that we left Takoradi was especially difficult for me. The hotel staff (even the people who don’t work that early) came in early to see us off. Theodora, who has provided Ananda, Rosa, and me with snacks for the last month), was the first person I saw when I came out of my room, and I cried. She had been at the mortuary until 3am (a relative died the previous week) and opted not to sleep because she knew she wouldn’t wake in time to see us off. She brought a dozen bags of fried plantain chips for our journey, and she hugged and waved us goodbye before heading back to her office (near her home, while our hotel is out of the way). Isaac was also there, along with most of the hotel staff. I cried saying goodbye to everyone, and then we all boarded a bus and they waved us goodbye as we drove away.

On our way back to Accra, we stopped in Cape Coast to visit the Cape Coast Castle (very sad to see the dungeons where slaves were kept, but the area and the sea are beautiful and Eric gave us a wonderful tour). We also stopped in Kakum, but there were lots of school groups there so we never did make it across the canopy, which means I definitely have to go back to Ghana :) When we finally made it to Accra, the Protea Hotel let Volker and me take showers in an unused room even though we weren’t staying there for the night. Ananda, Prasad, and Volker left for the airport first, and I followed. Yaw accompanied me, in an effort to see his cousin (we missed him) and to help me carry the aforementioned box of Ghanaian clothes. Many thanks for your help, Yaw!! I met a South African named Enver, and we spent the next few hours chatting and enjoying ourselves before boarding the overnight flight to Johannesburg.

I was utterly exhausted (emotionally and physically), so I fell asleep (in a middle seat!) before the plane even took off. My heart is aching for Ghana and the Ghanaian people, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity. Next blog will be about my time in South Africa. Hope you’re all doing well!

P.S. here is a snap of Prasad with the African girls:

My (limited) vocabulary in Ghana

The official language of Ghana is English, but everyone also speaks an Akan language. So the Ashanti speak Ashanti Akan (called Twee) and the Fanti speak Fanti Akan (called Fanti), for example. After being here for a month, it’s sad to see how little Twee and Fanti I have learned. But, something is better than nothing, so here are my key phrases from Ghana. Most are Twee but some are Fanti (I’ll try to note which are which, but I might be incorrect.) Please note that they might not all be spelled right. And in terms of pronunciation, “dw” sounds like “j” while “wo” is backwards c that sounds like a tiny “o” and “ky” sounds like “ch.”

Tasha’s Ghanaian Vocabulary

Nyame nhyira wo = God bless you
Akwaaba = Welcome
Maaa akye = Good morning
Maaa aha = Good afternoon
Maaa adwo = Good evening
Da yie = Sweet dreams
Me do wo = I love you (not in a romantic way, but an affectionate way)
Me pa wo cho = please (literally, I beg you)
Me da ase = thank you
Men da ase = no thanks needed (like you’re welcome)
Mereko ma ba = I’ll be right back
Ete sen = how are you?
Wo ho te sen = how are you?
Wo nso = also
Eye = (I’m) fine
Eh kye ri a te = I’ll see you soon
Me hu ana dwo = I’ll see you tonight
Me hu o kye na = I’ll see you tomorrow
Wai ah dia = Well done (Twee)
Embo na edwuma = Well done (Fanti)
Obroni = white person (not offensive)
Obibini = black person (not offensive)
Efua = Friday girl
Kwame = Saturday boy
Kofi = Friday boy
Ekua = Wednesday girl
Kweku = Wednesday boy
Yaw = Thursday boy

Ghanaians really appreciate my efforts to speak their language, so they always smile and are ready to help!

My best birthday ever

I celebrated my best birthday ever yesterday in Takoradi, Ghana. The primary reason it was the best ever is that I received many blessings throughout the day. I woke up to have many wonderful blessings proclaimed upon me, from Theo, Helena, Derrick, and Nana. And the blessings continued as the day went on:

“Look up to the sky and see how beautiful God has made it to look. So today as you go out you will determine to think only the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best. Today by the grace of God you will forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. Today your life, family, and business are blessed. Whatever you touch prospers. You shall hear great news. Today the goodness and mercy of the Almighty God shall follow. And you must live for God alone. Happy Birthday!”

“Tasha, if there is something that you’re dreaming of, then may it all come true because you deserve it all, my dear. Happy Birthday to you!”

“Happy Birthday, Tasha! May God richly bless you so you may live longer, up to 100 years and above.”

“God has a true meaning of the names of His favourites like you, and it is:
T – To the end of the world, God is with you
A – As the eye of God, anyone who touches you touches God and will face the predicaments
S – So precious to God that He uses you to glorify His creation
H – He will bless you on this day and the rest of your 80 years left on earth
A – As you enjoy the blessings, good health, and prosperity of God, don’t forget to thank Him.
Happy Birthday, Sweetness!”

“Your best years are still ahead of you. You are not getting older, you’re getting better. Happy Birthday, T!”

“Happy Happy Happy Birthday. Have a wonderful day. May God give you many many healthy, happy, and successful years. May today be the beginning of God’s great promise in your life.”

Another reason my birthday was the best ever is that I didn’t work much. Ananda and Rosa agreed to work long hours (including part of a holiday and part of a Saturday) so that we could take off my birthday. We worked for a few hours total, and even that was from the lobby of the hotel, so it was very low-key and it made it much more enjoyable for me. Thanks, Rosa and Ananda, for being the best teammates!

The day was full of love, blessings, fun, and surprises. We had lunch with Nana, Kwesi, Charles, and James at God is Love chop bar (yes, that is really its name). I enjoyed the best fufu and light soup so far in Ghana. Helena and Vivian used a stick I found outside to curl the ends of my hair since the salon near our hotel was closed. When Derrick got off work, we met him at the course to golf along the beach and enjoy the wonderful sea breezes.

I was also blessed with a lot of gifts. The morning brought me a card (with a picture of me and my braids) from Nana on my bed, as well as a collection of gifts from Helena. Samson knocked on my bedroom door as soon as he got here to wish me a Happy Birthday and give me a great big birthday hug (he was as excited about my birthday as I was). Isaac texted me and then gave me love when he got to the hotel in the evening.

I received a lot of traditional Ghanaian clothing. Helena gave me an entire outfit (bubu and scarf, necklace, and shoes) as well as a keychain. Samson, Vivian, and Helena helped me get the hair and dress correct:


Then had me sit in a chair like the African Princess that I have been feeling like all month (see the shoes that match?):


And finally here I am with Boakye, Samson, Charles, Solomon, and Helena on my best birthday ever:



Charles and Kwesi gave me a traditional shirt that I wore to dinner later in the evening. We had dinner at Raybow, complete with a cake, singing, and dancing. The cake was actually tasty (banana flavored), but the funny thing is I had to dis-assemble it to cut and serve it. I had to remove the frosting, peel off some ribbon that covered the top and sides, and only then was I able to cut the cake. It was quite fun:


The best part is that in Ghana, when they sing you Happy Birthday, they add a whole verse of "May God Bless you" and then I get to sing back and tell them how old I am. What a wonderful experience for me to celebrate my birthday here.

Many thanks to all my friends and loved ones for their birthday wishes!

Refrigerator or sauna?

The title of this blog is what I told Rosa we had as working climate options earlier this week: outside is like a sauna (it rained so was hot and very humid), and inside our office at Multiwall feels like a refrigerator (cold and dry). I chose the fridge, she chose the sauna, and both of us were happy. It sounds funny that I chose the refrigerator, right? Ghana is changing me for the better, I tell you! I am very grateful to have air conditioning in one of our three client offices, as well as in our hotel and sometimes in a car when certain people (like Kojo and Caesar) are giving us a ride.

I am writing this blog from what has effectively become my living room here in Ghana (the hotel lobby), sitting in a traditional Ghanaian shirt (from Charles and Kwesi), a bracelet from Theodora, cowhide sandals from Helena, listening to hi life music that Nana is playing, and I just killed a mosquito. I am trying to focus on enjoying my remaining time in Ghana, but I know that my time will soon come to a close and it makes me sad :( So instead, I will write about some good things that make me smile.

Before I get to my personal comments, I will make some comments about work, since I realize that I haven’t written much about work lately. We’ve accomplished a lot in a short period of time, and we’re in the home stretch now with the analysis and writing. That means we’re also working later every night as we press forward to conclude the projects. I’ve been doing a lot of writing for the last few days, and my experience editing and writing has come in handy (I feel like I am in graduate school again). In addition to penning some of the sections myself, I am also serving as the official editor for the documents we’re writing. We have been creating pieces along the way, and this week I’ll be consolidating everything into a single thumb drive per client. The drive will contain:
* a document (they boast over 30 pages each) of company background, scope of work, various analysis tools (VMOST, PEST, SWOT, Porter’s Value Chain, etc.), best practices (supply chain, negotiation, financial management, organizational structure, performance management), and recommendations;
* a presentation with the key points of the document, especially focusing on our recommendations; and
* various other files we have created over the last few weeks, like Rosa’s amazing performance and financial management spreadsheet, Ananda’s forensic-quality back-calculation of one of our client’s likely production (since they don’t actually know, and won’t give us any information), and my analysis of where they can buy less expensive glass jars or how much money they can save per sack by negotiating better prices with their paper suppliers.

In all cases, we’re using Lotus Symphony products so everyone can access the files even if they don’t pay for Microsoft Office. We already provided AGI, Multiwall, and West-West with CDs of the free licensed IBM software, as well as the SME Toolkit that was jointly developed by IBM and International Financial Corporation.

We also had a good meeting earlier this week with Opportunity International, taking advantage of the divine connection from earlier in the trip when I met Yvonne and Nash. The ladies I met introduced us to a guy who got us into see the branch manager so we could pitch an idea for a partnership with one of our clients. It went well, and we followed up to introduce the branch manager to our client’s CEO and GM. We finally left the office at nearly 7pm that day, after another long and productive day.

Okay, enough about work, now about life :)

In America, it’s reasonably fair to ask someone, even if you don’t know them well, about their relationship status. For example, when you meet a new colleague or client, you might ask generally about their work experience, family (married? kids?), interests. Not that you would get into the details of their relationship, but it’s not that uncommon to ask the basic question. However, it would not be common to make comments about the person’s physical size. If I see a friend of mine who I haven’t seen in 6 months, and she looks like she’s gained 15 pounds, I would never say to her “Well, it looks like you’ve gained 15 pounds.” And I would never call a friend fat. In Ghana, it appears that a woman’s stature (and in many cases, desirability) increases as her weight increases. So when Kweku saw Theodora and said “Theo, you’re looking fatter than last time I saw you” she was supremely flattered. I remember thinking that if Kweku said that to me, I would NOT be flattered. At the same time, asking about relationships (unless someone is married) is considered very personal. In America, I think it’s more “acceptable” to talk about a person’s relationship status than their weight, and here it’s exactly the opposite.

Anyway, I did laugh out loud yesterday when Theodora insisted on taking my measurements again for another Ghanaian traditional dress. I told her I had my measurements taken (by the same lady) 10 days ago and I am sure they would be fine, but she smiled and told me (in Fanti) that I am fatter now. Instead of taking offense, I laughed out loud in agreement :) The last week, we’ve been eating a lot of food to ensure we have all the Ghanaian food before we leave. We had apa pra sa (a Fanti food that looks gross but tastes amazing – refried maize, spices, fish, and all kinds of goodness rolled into a dough that I got to eat with my fingers), and kelewele (a night food that we only can eat in the day when Caesar makes a special request for us the day before), and tons of fresh pineapple. Plus many groundnuts and biscuits, and paw paw and mango every morning. Ananda, Rosa, and I are on a mission to ensure we eat ALL key Ghanaian food before we leave, so we’re all feeling plumper these days.

This week, we spent a lot of time in the market circle (it’s a HUGE circle, you might just think it’s a large circular road), walking around and running errands and going to meetings. It was wonderful to walk rather than drive it, and the Ghanaians enjoyed pointing out the obronis. We are finally getting good at opening the Voltic water bottles (they are literally filled to the brim so for the first 2 weeks we would spill the water on us every time we opened them). We’re still sharing and laughing and loving. It’s great to learn about my colleague’s home cultures, too, like when Ananda told Rosa and me about Rajnikant movies, where the protagonist can use a knife to split the bullet shot at him and kill the two villains. Sounds like a cartoon to me… We’re enjoying ourselves so much!

One day this week, we (A, R, T) got up before the sun and Isaac escorted us to monkey hill. The funniest part of the day happened before the sun even rose: the groundkeeper (named Isaac, but not our Isaac, so we had two Isaacs with us that morning) told me that my skin (obroni) would scare the monkeys away. So I “hid” my arms behind my body (not much I could do with my face) while he made some amazing monkey sounds without even moving his lips. We saw a big monkey jump at least 20 feet, and Isaac told me that monkeys never fall. As the sun came up, we saw more monkeys. My favorite were the small monkeys that ran very fast and jumped from branch to branch in the trees. They’re so cute! After monkey hill, we still got to work by 8:30am and we worked a long day even though we were tired. Well worth it – thanks, Ananda, for a great idea.

My favorite time this week was Theodora's reaction to our gift. She was astonished and so appreciative, and it was a wonderful reminder that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. And the great news that Fredrica is coming back to our hotel!

Finally, here are three pictures that I should have posted earlier.

Here I am carrying my laptop on my head outside Multiwall. I took my outer shirt off and used it on my head so that I could carry it easier, and the obibinis on the road really enjoyed seeing an obroni carry something in her head:


Here is the Multiwall team (including the smartest, most visionary, and most active 90-year old CEO I have ever met):


And here is the view we enjoyed Sunday at the pool:

My meat is sweet but my memory is not

If I don’t write every other day, I completely forget what we’ve done. The last few days have been very busy, so let me try to remember a few things.

We accomplished a lot of work last week, and we’re making very good progress as a team on finalizing our deliverables. We still have work to do this week, to be sure, but I think we’re in good shape. And I never tire of reminding myself how lucky we are to have a team with vastly different skills.

On Thursday night, we finally made it to Kweku’s wife’s restaurant (called House2) for grilled tilapia and banku. DELICIOUS! We enjoyed mild temperatures, great conversation, excellent food, and Hershey’s kisses & hugs that Erica sent us (thanks, Erica, you’re the best!). Many thanks to Kweku for treating us to such a nice evening. Then Theodora and Barbara left for a bit and the rest of our team went home, so when they returned with several bags of kelewele, Ananda and I had to “take one for the team” and each of us ate (literally) an entire bag of kelewele. Not healthy for me, but delicious.

To date, there is only one traditional/popular Ghana dish that I haven’t had a chance to try, and I hope to have it for lunch tomorrow. I am so grateful for what my family affectionately calls my “garbage gut” because I have tried all the food here and really enjoyed it. The Ghanaians often ask me if I have been sick yet, and they’re astonished to hear all the dishes I have eaten without any issues. I have tried to immerse myself in the culture (food, clothes, language) and it has definitely made my trip wonderful and memorable. Friday, we had garden egg stew for lunch and we burped up mackerel all afternoon so we decided that even though it was tasty, we’re going to say no to mackerel from now on.

Friday was the day for me to wear African clothes again, and I wore my new dress:


The previous one was off-the-shelf and mostly one-size-fits-all but this one was made just for me. I had seen all the beautiful dresses, and Theodora told me she had a seamstress for me. So I drew a picture (and you know I am not an artist) of the dress I wanted, then bought 5 years of material, and we dropped it off so she could take my measurements. A few days later, we picked it up only to find it didn’t fit (Theodora, who is MUCH smaller than me, ordered a dress the same day and opted for the same style I drew. The apprentice accidentally made my dress with her measurements). So we headed back to market circle, and the seamstress (not her apprentice) ripped out the seams, sewed it up, and literally within 10 minutes it fit like a glove. She is very talented, and the total cost (fabric plus labor plus tip) was ~$17. Wow.

We got a lot of work done Friday, then that night we went out with Isaac to a bar that offers billiards and gambling. It was not my favorite place (lots of international folks, smoky, prostitutes toward the end of the evening, and a total “meat market”) but we had a great time anyway. We made it an early night (home before midnight) because we all had to work on Saturday. Robert made us koko (a millet porridge with spices like ginger) and koose (mashed beans fried into a patty) for breakfast, and I think I might have been the only one who enjoyed it.

Our Saturday meeting was with Multiwall, and it went well. Rosa presented her spreadsheet (that integrates sales with raw material requirements with profitability, production reports, and a sensitivity analysis) to Multiwall senior management and they were pleased. On the spot, the CEO appointed an owner for the spreadsheet (which will be given to them as a Lotus Symphony file, since we also provided them with that free software). It was a good meeting, and at the end we presented some IBM gifts that I bought in the US (executive desk clocks, Cross pens, leather portfolios, etc.), which they appreciated. We had lunch overlooking the ocean, and headed back to the hotel for some rest.

Rather than resting in my room, I hung out at the front desk (like always). I know I am leaving soon but instead of thinking about that, I am trying to really focus on enjoying my time here. So I spent some quality time with Charles, Helena, Kwesi, and Samson before meeting our team to golf. This was my second time golfing (ever) and I really enjoyed it even though I am not very good. It is right on the beach, and the caddies make “tees” out of dead grass and weeds, very cool.

After golf, we went to pick up the birthday cake I had ordered for Isaac earlier in the day, and we surprised him with cake and gifts before going out last night. Unfortunately, both places we went for live music didn’t have live music, so I danced with him to a radio song outside a restaurant (gotta love how we just make a dancefloor wherever we want).

Derrick invited me to church a few weeks ago but I already had plans, so I told him that today I didn’t yet have plans. He called yesterday to confirm we were still on for church, so I went with him this morning to Fountain Gate. After church we headed to market circle to see if I could find more fabric (I’d love to get one more dress made if possible before I leave). All the stores are closed Sundays to honor the Sabbath, so there were just a few kiosks open. What a different view of the market on Sunday, versus the other days when it’s jam-packed. Winding through the alleys was fun today even though I didn’t find any fabric. Maybe I can sneak away tomorrow at lunch or something, I hope so!

One our first day in Taadi, I met an Italian guy at the grocery store, and I introduced him to Rosa. She has been hanging out with him and he invited us to his compound for lunch. We ate pizza, lobster spring rolls, and other non-Ghanaian food, swam in his pool, listened to great music, and enjoyed an amazing view. It was a great afternoon, and then we returned home tonight to another dance party. As usual, we got our boogie on. I pretty much decided that for me, March has been a perfect month so far. Someone is doing all my cooking, cleaning, and laundry; I am working in a job that I enjoy; people are gracious; and every weekend I come home to a dance party that I can enjoy without having to set up or clean up. How spoiled am I??

As always, I love Ghana and Ghanaian people, and I don’t ever want to leave. I am getting really good at mixing the hot and cold waters in my hand in the sink; I love the hotel staff; I enjoy all the food; I cherish the peace I have here; Caesar gave us amazing carvings that I adore. The only negative thing is that while I love to chow on Ghanaian food, the bugs love to chow on ME. My legs are such a wreck right now that people actually stop and offer me advice. My right ankle is swollen, itchy, and painful from all the bites it has. And I have bug bites (different types) in strange places, like my hips, inner thigh, side of my hand, and feet. The good news is that I didn’t get any new bites today and I am confident that I’ll wake in the morning to less-swollen, not-painful, and itchy-that-can-be-treated-with-my-gel legs. And when I move to Ghana, I will use the cream I learned about today so I won’t have this problem anymore. In the meantime, it’s nice to know that I am sweet :)

Bugs (a lot) and electricity (not so much)

As anyone knows who has been reading this blog somewhat regularly, I am thoroughly enjoying Ghana. So much so, in fact, that I am trying to figure out how to hire on for an international assignment with IBM in Ghana. This is especially interesting to note given the fact that this week has been more “normal” than the first two weeks of bliss.

This week has been full of work and life, but it has been punctuated with bugs (a lot of them) and electricity (a lack of it). My first two weeks were the honeymoon period, where everything was perfect. I wasn’t getting eaten by bugs, we had consistent power at work and in the hotel, the hotel internet connection worked well, the food was delicious, the people were gracious, you name it.

Most of that is still true, with a few exceptions. Our internet connection has been flaky but still much better than I expected. I am still enjoying the food and haven’t had any issues getting sick. Ghanaians are still great even though I met a few people who wouldn’t be considered my favorite people (as with any group, some are great and some are not). But the notable changes are to bugs and power.

Maybe killing all those ants over the weekend (in self defense, they were biting me all over and I have the bite marks to prove it) ushered in a week of challenges with bugs for me. After making it 2 weeks with very few bug bites, I now feel like a bug buffet. I’ve been bitten by ants, mosquitoes, and a host of other bugs this week. My body doesn’t react that well to bug bites, so even simple bug bites swell, harden, and itch like crazy. I have cream with me that helps calm the itching and swelling a bit, but my legs are so ugly right now that people have commented on some of the larger bites. Luckily, the ant bite marks are fading (including the one on my arm that was so dark it looked like a mole), but some of the bites are in places that aren’t so acceptable to scratch in public…

Anyway, tonight, I had a new bug experience, aside from the bites. I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom when I saw something move in my closet (which, for the record, is NOT in the bathroom). I walked over to the closet to investigate, thinking there was a mouse or lizard on the wall. What I realized, however, was that it was the largest spider I have ever personally seen. I was caught between trying to take a picture (my camera was within reach), calling for help (late, so screaming for assistance wasn’t an option), and killing it. I don’t usually kill spiders. I let them live in my condo as long as they (1) aren’t poisonous, (2) don’t prance about when I have company, and (3) stay out of my bedroom. But this spider was living in my closet, and I didn’t know what kind of spider it was.

I grabbed my camera and tried to take a picture, but it moved further into my closet. Once it was out of my sight, I decided I better call for help to find out if it was poisonous. Given its size, a bite (even if not lethal) would not have been nice for my body. So I walked over to my phone and begged Nana to come help me. He came right away with a long spider stick (okay, I don’t know what it’s called, but you can see it in this picture):


First, I climbed on a chair to see if the spider had moved to the top of the closet. Then, as Nana was trying to convince me to go to bed so we could deal with it in the morning, we spotted the spider. As a native Ghanaian, he was not near as impressed with the size of it. But to me, any spider whose body is the size of a nickel and whose legs are larger than a silver dollar is large enough that I don’t want to have it living in my room. Nana killed it for me and I tried to take a picture, but it doesn’t do justice because some of its legs are curled up since it’s dead and the body is in the pinchers of the spider stick:


Thanks, Nana, for being my knight in shining armor tonight!

The other notable change this week, aside from bugs, has been power. We had consistent power for the first two weeks, and this week has been more challenging. Sunday, the salon was without power for more than 3 hours and it was hot. Monday, we lost power at AGI for several hours and even Ananda (from India) couldn’t take the heat. Tuesday, I felt like I learned the literal meaning of “jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire” when we lost power for hours at West-West (we finally gave up working in the burning hot office and decided to come back to the hotel, but first we got stuck in a stuffy truck that was even hotter than the office had been). Ananda, Rosa, and I have had plenty of laughs this week about heat and lack of power. But it also makes us appreciate even more when we have consistent power, like we do right now :)

So there’s my week so far. Good work with Multiwall and with West-West. Fun times with the team. Delicious food (including palmnut soup and pina colada soy milk today). A super cute new dress (more on that after Friday). Still loving Ghana. Despite lots of bugs. And not as much electricity as before.

Da yie! (Sweet Dreams!)

Interesting company names in Ghana

I am thrilled with my braids, courtesy Diana at Aseda Salon (means “thanks” or something similar) in Takoradi with special assistance from Helena. Today, we were driving and it was wonderful to roll down the windows. With my normal hair, even a ponytail is challenging with the windows down because my hair flies around and gets so tangled and knotted. With the braids, I have no issues at all and am loving the new freedom. I keep writing about Helena, Nana, and Samson, so here are some pictures of us this morning (Helena and me in the first one, Samson, me, and Nana in the second one):



(You’ve seen Fredrica and Isaac in previous posts.)

Our team has been commenting on the names of the companies here. Ghana (at least the southern part) is primarily Christian and they’re very assertive about it. I enjoy it, but I can imagine that it might be a little much for our teammates who are not Christian. Anyway, on the way to lunch today (I had tatale with beans, so good!), I wrote down the names of a sampling of the stores we passed. Some are Christian, and others are quite amusing to me:

Above All Electricals
Who Knows Enterprises
Big Brains Electrical
Time Will Tell Phone Shop
God is Love (market)
Smak’s Daycare
Amazing Grace Beauty Salon
God Did It Fashion
Messiah Touch Motors
Good Shepherd Enterprises
God Has Done It Beauty Salon
The Lord is my Savior Copy Center
Believers Cleaning Centre (janitorial service)
God Is Good All the Time (market)
Praise Bakery
Raincoat Roofing
Goodies
Just Do It Kitchen
God’s Hand Auto Body
Beauty Code Klinik
God’s Grace Fast Food
Rock of Ages Fashion
El Shaddai Electrical
Unique Auto Cooling System
Still God is Good Fashion

Random thoughts of the day:
* Prasad calls photos “snaps” and it’s rubbed off, so we all call them snaps now and it makes me smile
* Pies here are actually what I would call empanadas (i.e., they are meat and not sweet), and biscuits are what I would call cookies (i.e., they are sweet)
* We lost power for several hours today so it got hot in the AGI conference room without any fans, but I am glad my computer holds a charge well
* I am trying to carry items on my head, but it’s harder than it looks (so far, I dropped a box of metal dishes, successfully carried some books, and managed to carry my laptop bag briefly)

Work-wise, we had a good day with West West today. We still have a lot of work to do, but we’re making progress on the personal and professional front. We drive back out to Ayiem tomorrow, so I am going to get some sleep tonight!

Lots of Laughter (plus the funniest thing so far)

If I was going to describe the last few days, the best description for me is laugh-out-loud fun. I am having such a great time here! And as I type this Sunday evening, we’re experiencing the first rain in Takoradi since we arrived. It’s raining hard, and I love the sound but am glad I am in for the night. Here is a recap of the last three days of fun.

On Thursday, we had a very productive day at Multiwall. We started documenting the work we’ve accomplished so far in a 20-page document: current org chart (using Lotus Symphony, which we gave to Multiwall), proposed org chart, SWOT analysis, best practices, etc. It will take us the rest of our time here to finish the work, but we did a lot on Thursday. During that time, Rosa (and her mad Excel skills as a Finance & Planning professional) created a wonderful spreadsheet to automate the fortnightly management meetings we’re recommending they begin. Her spreadsheet gives a comprehensive and logical view of sales, raw materials, production, delivery, costs, profit, loss, etc.

We worked hard and got a lot done, but we also had a lot of laughs throughout the day. Some combination of being tired and just general jovialness had us laughing regularly at things we did and said. It was a very fun day at work, and we all enjoyed ourselves. Also that day, we ate at our favorite restaurant (Lite Bite, which is anything but light) twice. For lunch, I tried lite soup, which was spicier but not any lighter than groundnut soup even though its base was tomato. During the afternoon, we snacked on fried plantain chips and fresh pineapple (as usual, Rosa and I ate a full pineapple in the afternoon). Then, we headed back to Lite Bite for dinner with the rest of the crew to celebrate Rosa’s and the owner’s birthday. At that time, I had the best kelewele I’ve had so far (fried thick ripe plantains with spices, heavy on the ginger). Then the owner treated us to a delicious homemade dessert of cake and ice cream. She had called us earlier in the day to ask which flavor we preferred, and we didn’t pick so she baked a two-layer cake (but the layers were baked together) of chocolate and coconut. All of the food was delicious!


Friday was Ghana’s Independence day (52 years ago they became independent from Britain), and the energy was wonderful. We had a supplier coming in from Europe, so we worked for a few hours even though it was a holiday. We didn’t go watch the parade, but I had watched them practice all week long and I am sure the actual morning parade was really nice. The negotiation with our supplier was, in my view, successful. We got most of what we needed and they got most of what they needed. More interesting than the outcome, however, was the process. Ananda (India), Rosa (Italy), and I (USA) all commented about how different this negotiation was relative to the others in which we have participated. Ananda joked that it took us 3 hours to accomplish what could have been accomplished in 15 minutes. It was a much more personal style and more transparent than others I have seen. I quite enjoyed it, because at the end, preservation of the relationship was paramount. Corporate America would do well to learn something about that!

After our business meeting and lunch, we walked back to our hotel and met the rest of our team to go golfing. Barbara was able to negotiate for us to join the local sports club for GHC5 (5 Ghana cedis) for the month. They have a golf course along the beach, so we headed down there to golf. Ananda negotiated a great rate for us, and 7 of us shared two sets of a clubs and 3 caddies so it was super affordable. If I lived here, I would definitely golf. The course is literally on the beach, and there was a live band on the beach so I was pretty much walking around (in a cargo skirt and flip flops and beach hat) the beach listening to music. And once in a while, I would hit a ball. Shout out to Mario and Cory who ensured that, even though it was the first time in my life I ever played golf, I wasn’t the worst player on the course. We had a great time and played until it was dark, then headed back to our hotel.


The local post-secondary school (Takoradi Polytechnic) had rented our hotel to have a pool party for Independence Day. At 10am, they rolled in huge speakers, tents, and more and they spent the day preparing for a party and fashion show. By the time we got back to our hotel, eager to shower from being sticky and sweaty, the party was in full swing. The gate was closed, but without paying the entrance fee for the party, we entered and looked like VIPs. As we were heading to our rooms to shower, our hotel staff caught us and for most of us, dancing took precedence over showering (wouldn’t have mattered anyway, it was so hot that we would have started sweating again as soon as we started dancing since it was all outdoors with no fans). Volker, Rosa, and I danced downstairs by the pool, upstairs by the hotel, on the balcony by our rooms. We had a fantastic time at the party before finally crashing exhaustedly into our beds when the party was over.

Saturday was the big tour day that Barbara and Isaac coordinated for us. We left early in the morning and returned late at night, making a big circle to see some of the key sights in the Western region. We toured Kwame Nkrumah’s birthplace and memorial, which was especially relevant the day after Ghana’s Independence Day.


My favorite thing there had nothing to do with Kwame Nkrumah, though. At the pool of one of his miracles, these little boys were bathing and they showed off their mad jumping skills for us. Ananda captured this great shot on his camera:


After leaving Nkroful, we drove down a challenging dirt road to Beyin. We literally thought our bus might fall apart, and Carolyn correctly asserted that it sounded like there were tribal drummers on our roof. It was well worth the drive, as Beyin is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. Looking in either direction, you can’t see any buildings, just palapa huts, sand, sun, and ocean. This would be a great honeymoon destination, even though the drive is difficult. Amazing, and these pics don’t do it justice even though Prasad did an amazing job with this photo:







Beyin is near Nzulezo, a village of ~400 people with all raffia houses built on stilts. To get there, we walked for a while, waded through soft black mud and water, and then hopped in canoes. This guy tells a great story about his experience there: http://www.moxon.net/ghana/nzulezo.html
The village was incredible, and has no electricity aside from generators and batteries.














We learned that these people migrated from Mali ~600 years ago and settled here after trying unsuccessfully to settle in the Ivory Coast. They have a primary school and no hospital, but they have a guest house in case you want to stay there. After visiting the village and rowing back (it’s been a looong time since I’ve done any kayaking), I was hungry for lunch and had some delicious kontomire stew (spinach) with ampesi and fresh pepper sauce. Then, we got back in the bus and drove out of the Amansuri wetlands over to Ankasa Forest Reserve, another long drive on a bumpy road, this time with a cockroach running around our bus somewhere. It might have been a warning of a fun bug event that we’d experience in Ankasa!

Ankasa Reserve (http://tourism.thinkghana.com/nature-wildlife/ankasa-conservation) is the largest rainforest in Ghana and it was beautiful. We all wish we had more time to explore, it, but we did see the Bamboo Cathedral and do a nature walk. The Bamboo Cathedral rivals any gothic cathedral I saw in Madrid. The bamboo falls at perfect arches in the shape of a cathedral, and there is a pool of clean water in the middle. I actually used my bottled water to wash my hands so I could dip in and drink the water in the cathedral. The cathedral is too big to be captured by a camera:




Standing in the cathedral, all I could think was that creation really DOES testify to the glory, the power, the creativity, the perfection, the awesome majesty of God.

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20

Ankasa was beautiful, we saw some amazing trees (like above-ground roots, roots bigger than me, etc.). This is a picture Prasad took at my request because standing on a big root I thought I was finally taller than Volker, but in this picture evidently I am not!


The funniest experience in Ghana so far happened at Ankasa. Our guide had a rounded machete that he used for pointing and cutting. At one point, I was walking behind Ananda on a clear trail when I felt thorns (lots of them) pricking through my hiking pants and poking my legs. I was confused about how that was happening, and I heard Ananda asking “What the heck?” at the same time so I surmised he must have also stepped into the same thorns. We quickly realized it wasn’t a bush, but that we must have disturbed a nest of safari ants because they were attacking us. They moved so quickly, that within seconds they were up my pants and crawling to my knees, biting all the way up. We ran away from wherever we were, hollering and smacking our legs (trying to kill the ants before they climbed any higher) as we went. It must have been hysterical to everyone else! When we reached a clearing, we were able to stop but at this point the ants were on my arms, in my shoes, you name it, and biting me something fierce. I had to get them out of my pants, so I ducked behind a tractor in the clearing and pulled my pants down, killing ants as I went. They were black ants, some small and some much larger, all biting me. As I killed them, I saw blood but I wasn’t sure if it was mine or theirs. Once I felt like I had killed the ants in my pants, I pulled my pants up and took my shoes off. There were dozens of ants crawling in my shoes, but they hadn’t yet been able to bite through my socks so I killed them and headed back towards our bus. As I walked, I felt more bites so I pulled my pants entirely off, killed the remaining ants, and called it a day. As we were killing the ants, Carolyn joked “Kind of gives new meaning to the phrase ‘ants in your pants’” and we all laughed. Back in the bus, I was laughing so hard at what we must have looked like running through the rainforest, slapping our legs, and then pulling down our pants.

Proof that it didn’t ruin our day, here I am still laughing back on the bus as we headed back to Taadi for the night:


It was a great day, many thanks to Isaac for being with us. Here’s a pic of our local rockstar/angel:


Today, I spent the morning at church with Kojo and the afternoon at the salon with Helena. The rest of the country was watching the Ghana/Congo soccer game (sadly, Ghana lost in this finals game) while we sat in a salon (no power for half the time) that had chickens pecking around the area outside. After 7 hours and 3 women working on my head, I have a great set of braids. Helena rocks for sticking it out with me while everyone gawked at the Obruni in the salon. She is a dear, and I am so grateful that I met her. I pray in agreement with her for her future, bright and prosperous. After the salon, we had grilled tilapia (head, tail, and all) with some delicious banku from a "restaurant" behind the gas station. Loved it, and at almost 1am I am still full!

Now, I am off to bed for some great sleep before heading back to AGI in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the tasks in front of us.

Good progress with the banks!

[As before, I wrote this last night but didn’t have an internet connection to post]

Highlights of yesterday were seeing a white rooster and a male peacock while taking a walk around the block (maybe a lowlight was seeing 2 different men urinating in the gutters). The crows are beautiful here; rather than being completely black, they have white bellies and chests, so they look kind of like penguins or tuxedo-clad crows. I have also seen two vultures this week. I had ampesi (either boiled yams, plantains, or coco yams – I had plantains and tasted Caesar’s yams) with fried fish and palava sauce for lunch at our favorite restaurant. While reviewing product placement in some of the grocery stores, I ran into Cristina’s husband. It really is funny how many people we see!

Yesterday was the type of day I expected in terms of work environment: working from a room without any air conditioning, intermittent power, no internet. We’ve been so lucky not to have that experience every day! We don’t get cell phone coverage or internet out at West West, but we do get internet access on one computer at Multiwall. And in both cases, we work from an office that has AC (as long as the power is on). Nearly every day, we’re driven to work in a full car (sometimes, 5 of us in a pickup truck, other times 4 of us in a nice car with AC). Overall, much better conditions that I expected, and I am pleasantly surprised.

We knew there would be challenges in our assignments, we just didn’t know what they would be. In one case, our challenge is the client. Despite some impatient and arrogant people, Ananda has proven himself to be a masterful consultant. He’s able to collect useful information even in the absence of data, and we’re all growing more comfortable making decisions with ambiguous (or nonexistent) data. So far, this has been a wonderful experience in every way.

Today we had a very good day at Multiwall. As you recall, we had a goal to gain closure on one financial issue by this Friday, when we have a meeting with one of their key suppliers (it’s a national holiday, Independence Day, but we’ll be working a portion of the day for this reason). We briefly met one of their suppliers today (in town from Scandinavia), and we could tell they weren’t happy to learn that Multiwall had retained IBM consultants to assist with their global supply chain. Our presence, as well as some basic coaching to the Multiwall employees based on our research, reduced the cost on their primary input material by at least 13% in the last week. In addition, the Deputy Managing Director (who is non-emotive) came into our office today with a smile to show that he received an official letter from one of the banks we met last week. We met 4 banks Thursday and delivered official written proposals on Friday, and by today one of the banks had agreed to our proposal subject to review of all the documents that Multiwall needs to get them. We’re still planning to work with the other banks to have some leverage for negotiation, but this was a very good start. Overall, it was great news on all fronts.

Some of the folks were slightly “stand-off-ish” initially, and now that they see we are adding value, they are quite open to us. We can sense that the whole organization has a new energy in the last week, and it’s exciting to see and to know we’ve been a part of that. One of the employees even told us today “Last month, I didn’t even want to come to work. I would come late. And this week I am coming early, and I am excited.” It really warmed my heart to see his reaction and hear his words. I am truly amazed at what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short period of time.

One other interesting lesson today relates to market research. We needed to know total capacity for cocoa processing in West Africa. But we couldn’t access the internet (our CDMA phone had run out of credits, so we needed to re-load it and the accountant was in a meeting), so I ran next door to AGI (Association of Ghanaian Industries) to see if they knew the number. Theodora didn’t know but rather than saying “I don’t know” she said “We don’t have that but let me see what I can find.” Within 15 minutes, she and Kojo were up in our office, ready to drive us over to the West African Mill Company to see if they could get us the data we needed. Kojo is friends with the GM, so we met with him and the COO. We asked some general market questions (because I thought it might me too direct if I just asked the number of sacks they currently need each year). They gave us a helpful view of the entire cocoa ecosystem (including the differences between liquor, cake, and butter). As we grew more comfortable, we asked about their capacity and how they packaged different products (with the intention of gathering an estimate of the number of bags they might need). After 20 minutes of discussions, the GM came out point-blank and not only told us his 2009 requirements, he told us he’d prefer to give the business to Multiwall. It’s great to see that within 90 minutes, we not only had the data we needed, we had a hot lead for new sales AND we had some free cocoa butter as a gift :) Certainly, the internet would have enabled us to find the number we were seeking within 90 minutes, but not the level of detail and additional information we found this way. What a blessing!

Outside of work, things have been great. Rosemond (sp?) is the owner of Lite Bite, which has quickly become our favorite restaurant. She makes delicious food, and I haven’t had a single thing there that I didn’t like. Today, I had fufu with groundnut soup and local mushrooms, yummy! We’re bringing the whole team there for dinner tomorrow night. And, as has been the case here in Takoradi, we were taking a walk this afternoon on the golf course and we ran into Rosemond there playing golf. Taadi is a small town, we’re finding, and it’s quite nice. The air has been humid and hazy this week, so the sun has looked like a full moon with a clear outline in the sky. Very pretty.

Sadly, we also saw a beautiful Ghanaian girl in the market area today, carrying her wares on her head. We drove by (in a nice car with the windows down on the way home from work) and she said “Obruni” as she walked by our car that was stopped in traffic. We’re used to hearing Obruni (like Mzungu in Swahili, it means white person), so it didn’t phase me. But as I went to say hello to her, she finished her sentence and said “Obruni, I wish I was.” I am definitely aware that I have white privilege in the US. And I know that I am blessed to live the life I live in the US. And I am also aware that it is only by God’s grace that I wasn’t born to live in another place and time. But it was still heartbreaking and I wished that everyone living in the US could see and feel so they would know how lucky we are, so we will never take it for granted. And I pray that she knows that God loves her and that He made her in His image and that after He did, He said it was good. And that she is a beautiful girl who need not wish to be a white lady.

Finally, a beautiful picture near our hotel:

Counting my blessings

Instead of blogging about a long work day, large egos, and disrespectful people, I will blog about what was actually a very happy day with some good fun. I have so many reasons to be grateful in general, but here are a few specific blessings about my time in Africa:
* My flights were on-time, safe, and comfortable.
* Our team has good dynamics given the amount of time we’ve known each other and the number of cultures represented. And our small team (Ananda, Rosa, Tasha) has great dynamics and teamwork.
* The box I shipped arrived on time and without any issues.
* I am really enjoying my teammates, the hotel staff, and Ghanaians in general.
* I am excited about the projects that Ananda, Rosa, and I have been assigned because we’re learning a lot and we believe that we are actually making a difference (tactically and strategically) with our clients.
* Today, we lost power at West West 3 different times, but with my new T61 ThinkPad, it had battery power the entire time. The rain outside kept the offices relatively cool and the sunlight kept it bright. [Akosua says they used to lose power every week, but this year it’s only been once a month so far until today.]
* Oops, I forgot my anti-malaria pill last week but no worries since I haven’t yet been bitten by a mosquito.
* Our hotel has air conditioning, as do our offices, which makes things MUCH more comfortable. Even though I don’t run the AC continually, it is nice to come in from hot & humid weather and step into a cooler, drier room.
* The cell phones provided by CDC have been very useful in keeping track of each other, communicating with clients, and making social plans.
* I am really enjoying the Ghanaian food, and it agrees with me so I haven’t even had something as mild as a stomach ache – I feel great!
* The pineapples here are sweet, juicy, and delicious, so I am eating it nearly every day.
* I’ve had paw paw (papaya) for breakfast several times.
* I am very happy with my hotel room, and even happier with the hotel lobby. Honestly, I don’t have any major issues with the hotel or my room.
* The clothes I brought (many thanks to Marti for helping so much!) have worked very well.
* Even though it has been hot and humid, I have been quite comfortable with just a few exceptions.
* I experienced last week a time when the sun was completely shining, not a cloud in the sky, and there was a downpour of rain. Crazy but true.
* I saw a very handsome rooster this morning.
* I am learning a lot about emerging markets, corporate finance, and organizational consulting.
* When I drew a dress today (complete with my body’s actual shape and curves) to show Theodora what I wanted from the fabric we bought at the market on Sunday, she didn’t laugh at my drawing. Instead, she folded it up to take to the seamstress.
* Isaac sent us some hip life gospel music on a flash drive so I can listen to it since we didn’t have luck bargaining for CDs on Saturday at the market.
* I am eating raw groundnuts and they are delicious.
* Driving us back to the hotel after 7pm tonight, I commented that I really like how speed bumps are called “rumble strips” here. Ananda offered that some people call them “Thank you, ma’am”s. I replied “As in, wham bam?” and even the Reverend laughed out loud at my response. When I said “Wow, that was the most inappropriate thing I’ve said in Ghana, and in the Reverend’s truck no less” he laughed even more. I laughed so hard that I cried.
* Since I haven’t been exercising at all, my feet are very happy & healthy.
* The rest of the team is doing a fantastic job taking pictures and is very willing to share, so I am happy to have a lot of great pics on my computer right now.
* Our dance card is always full. Every time we want to eat, play, relax, chat, go to church, go to the beach, see the sights, or anything else, there is always someone eager to accompany us. It’s fabulous!

I could write a lot more (like forest rat being a delicacy, and how it evidently tastes quite good but I don’t plan to try it), but instead I am going to get to sleep at a reasonable hour tonight, since that hasn’t happened in many days.

Finally, not very flattering, but reality… Here is a typical picture of me in Ghana after dancing this weekend. Since it’s literally 100 degrees and incredibly humid, we all (men, women, black, white) sweat when we dance. The Ghanaians (even women) actually just carry sweat rags with them at all times (including dancing, church, shopping, etc.). So here I am at the end of a hip life song – happy, hot, sweaty, hair tied in a knot behind me to keep it off my neck:



Good night!

Is it crazy that Ghana feels like Home?

We had a good Friday at Multiwall, accomplishing a lot. Rosa is still working on understanding all the details of the cash flow and balance sheet. Ananda did a great job discussing some organizational restructuring with the guy who is essentially the COO (though he doesn’t have that title yet). I am starting to write the final document that we’re going to give at the end of our consulting engagement, and I also spent some time looking at global supply for West West. Lunch was fufu with groundnut soup and chicken, which has become my favorite even though I am trying many other foods. Ghanaians continue to be pleasantly surprised at our desire to eat their local food, and I am grateful that I haven’t been the least bit sick.

Here is the girl making my fufu for Friday’s lunch (as usual, pic courtesy Rosa and her photographer’s eye):


Friday is the day when many people wear traditional Ghanaian clothes to work, and I was happy to participate (this pic is with Larry and Fredrica):


Ghanaians were glad to see me in their clothes. We met a banker (who had seen me the prior day in a full business suit), and he was very complementary even though he was actually in a business suit himself. The guys at Multiwall were happy that I was wearing African clothes, too. Here is the office that Ananda, Rosa, and I share:


We left the office at 5pm (the first time all week) and came back to the hotel to catch up with the rest of the group. The youngest son of the President and CEO of Multiwall is young (mid-20s) and he offered to take us out on Friday. We didn’t want him to feel obligated, but he seemed happy to do so. He hosted all 8 of us at his family’s hotel restaurant and then we went to the VIP section at Café de Paris wine bar. As I’ve said before, I am feeling VERY spoiled but I think I could get used to it ;-)

We came home by midnight on Friday because we had an early day yesterday. We left at 7am to go to a traditional Fanti baby naming ceremony. The ceremony was in Fanti and English, and essentially the grandfather gave the baby a blessing and then bestowed his name (the name of the baby’s great grandfather was chosen in this case). The grandfather stuck his finger in water, let the baby taste it, then in Schnapps, let the baby taste it, and did this 3 times while encouraging the baby to be honest and know the difference between right and wrong. Then, we all either sipped from the Schnapps glass or poured out a few drops on the ground while giving our own blessing to the baby. I was glad I learned how to say “God Bless You” in Fanti earlier this week, since it came in handy at the ceremony.


After the ceremony (in a nontraditional twist on this event) the husband presented a special gift to the wife. She bore him 2 daughters already, but this was the first son and it was a very big deal. So after the traditional part of the ceremony, some young men dressed in traditional Fanti clothes came in with drums, a live goat, a basket of goodies (like a cello-wrapped gift basket) and a throne for the wife (mother of the baby boy). They drummed and danced and it was very nice, and the wife was visibly touched by such a display of affection from her husband. He was obviously very grateful that she bore him a son, and she appreciated his gesture. I wondered how the little girls felt, knowing that it wasn’t as big of a deal when they were born. A native Ghanaian woman assured me that even though boys are prized more, girls are also very much loved and appreciated.


After the dancing and presentation of gifts (thankfully, the goat was led away rather than slaughtered there, which I had initially feared), we ate a bounty of food. I didn’t try the goat or some other items, but I did eat some delicious kenkey with okra stew, fried fish, and pepper sauce. I enjoy that even at formal events, it’s completely appropriate to eat with my hands. So I dipped my hand in the water bowl, and proceeded to eat with my right hand (as is the custom). I also tasted palm wine, which was quite refreshing and tasty.

After lunch, the mom and dad started the dancing. It was very hot, and even the Ghanaians were sweating a lot in the shade before the dancing started. The DJ was playing great music so we all danced a few songs, but everyone got so hot that the dancing was short-lived. While I was dancing, at one point, Ananda grabbed me just before I was about to step on a live scorpion in the grass (thanks, Ananda!). After that, we came back to the hotel.

The plan was to rest since we were all tired, but I ended up (as usual) in the hotel lobby hanging out with the staff. Helena just got off work, Frederica and James were working, and Kwesi and several friends joined us (including Kingsley, who fixed all the settings on my new camera so that I don’t have to spend time reading the manual). We had some dance lessons (I taught them merengue and then we practiced) and danced a bit, and even though I didn’t rest much I had energy again.

Kingsley after he fixed my camera:


In the afternoon, several of us went with Isaac (who I have decided is our guardian angel) and two taxi drivers to the market. It’s huge, and the most densely packed market that most of us have ever seen. We can’t take pictures there, but there are tiny kiosks that sell everything (food, fabric, produce, fish, grain, CDs, and anything you would normally find at a flea market or something similar). The kiosks are squeezed together so tightly that they are “alleys” between (no aisles) and the alleys are less than 2 feet wide. It’s challenging because you have to watch in front of you (to see if anyone is coming from the other direction), below you (to make sure you don’t step in a channel that moves water beneath the concrete), and to your sides (to ensure you don’t knock over anyone’s wares). If we hadn’t been with Isaac and Ernest, we surely would have gotten lost. It was a great experience, and even the driving there and back was exciting. Ernest is a great driver, as aggressive as necessary and still safe. While we were in the street on our way to the market, we saw Akosua driving (she’s the chief biochemist at West West), which was astonishing since there were thousands of people there.

Isaac went home to shower, we all showered at the hotel, and I called my mom and sis to chat for a few minutes. Shout out to Shalese for reading my blog every day, and a big congrats to her for getting into grad school! Then we re-grouped to head out for the evening. Isaac took us to one of his favorite places, which I quickly realized would be my stomping ground if I lived here. May’s Spot is an outdoor area with tables and chairs, adjacent to a small restaurant and bar. We had some dinner while listening to a very good live band. When the band starting playing hip-life (Ghana’s traditional hi-life music infused with R&B and hip hop), we got our boogie on :) We were approached by a guy who turned out to be the leader of the troupe we saw performing traditional dances earlier that morning at the baby naming ceremony. Here he is in traditional clothes:


He took the girls to dance and when we were drenched (outdoor dancing, no AC, no fans, no breeze) he grabbed the guys instead. I adore our team! Ananda and Volker made me very proud, as they showed the Ghanaians some new moves that work well with hiplife. We had sooooo much fun and I laughed a ton during the night. (Volker, a 6’8” or so white German guy danced so much he actually had to go home and change his shirt because he was literally drenched head to toe.) Rosa held her own with Kobina Ebenezer (the dancer).

After Volker returned in dry clothes, we headed over to Paragon. This is a local night club owned by Kwame’s brother. Kwame (an IBMer who now lives in Texas, but who lived in NY when I lived there) called his family in advance to let them know we were coming. So Kwame’s nephew Adu met us at the club, let us in, let us tour the building, and escorted us to the VIP area. (Are you seeing the consistent treatment here? I really do feel like a princess.) We danced a bit, but were all tired and had agreed to get home at midnight so the guys could golf and some of us could go to church this morning. We’re optimistic that Kwame’s brother will decide to open Paragon on Thursday night (since Friday is a national holiday) and we can go back to really spend time at the club. Either way, it was very nice of Kwame to ensure we got the royal treatment here in his home town – thanks a million, Kwame!!

Even though I was tired when we got home, I spent some time with Samson at the front desk, talking about life, relationships, and everything else. I am finding that my favorite times in Ghana are chatting with the hotel staff in the lobby, and last night was no exception. I finally crawled in bed, slept ~5 hours, and got up to go to breakfast (since Nana was gone, Samson did the honors of calling me this morning). Ernest was EARLY to pick us up for church (what happened to Ghanaian time?) and when we arrived at church the parking lot was empty. A nice guy there told us that ICGC was in Accra today for an anniversary event, so we called Isaac and got directions to his church, Assemblies of God. Carolyn, Kacie, and I rolled through nearly an hour late, but we didn’t miss the message so there must have been a lot of singing (sad to miss that) and announcements. After service, we were escorted to the head pastor’s office, where Rev Kojo Impraim welcomed us, offered any assistance we needed, and prayed for us. I remember in Kenya that I had never felt so welcome before in a country, and Ghana is definitely giving them a run for their money. I feel so welcome here, by the words and actions of the Ghanaians.

It’s only been a week, and I am already pretty sure that, except for missing family & friends, I won’t ever want to go back to the US after this. Life is slower here (but not too slow), people really value relationships, and I am thoroughly enjoying the change of pace. Even with the longer-than-average working hours we had last week (and being more productive than I thought possible in a short period of time), I feel more relaxed and peaceful than I do at home. I know some of it is that I don’t have the normal chores I have at home: someone else is doing all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other tasks for me, and I don’t have to worry about car or condo maintenance. I also recognize that some people (like Isaac and Theodora) are going out of their way to welcome us and make us feel comfortable because we’re only here for a month, so I know that some of that would be a little different if I lived here. But even if I was responsible for the chores and I didn’t have as much local support, I sense that the incredible graciousness of the Ghanaian people, their obvious heart for God, the faith that imbues this country, and their focus on relationships would still be a marked change from the way I feel in Orange County. All that to say that I am absolutely loving it here, and I am focused on squeezing every possible memory and experience out of my time here (even when it’s at the expense of sleep).

After church, Ernest picked us up (he’s my fav taxi driver since he’s the one who took me to church my very first day here) after buying soccer balls for us at the store. (Isaac tells us most kids make soccer balls with old socks because balls are difficult to find and are expensive, so we’re going to leave the balls that Ananda bought when we go back to our home counties.) While we were waiting for Ernest, we chatted with lots of kids from the church. It’s really nice that they speak so much English, because even when we’re on our own, we can communicate pretty well with everyone.

Back at the hotel, we had 2 hours before Kojo picked us up to take us to the beach (a different beach than last Sunday). Rather than resting, I opted to hang out with the girls at the front desk. Frederica, Helena, Vivian, and I discussed everything from men (of course) to the shape of women’s butts (Ghanaian versus American) to domestic abuse to music. I am so grateful that we’re staying in a 15-room hotel, because it’s been only a week and already I feel like we have a family here loving us. At one point, we were listening to Nigerian music and a woman came in looking for a room while we were all getting our groove on. We had a lot of good laughs this morning.

We spent the afternoon at Funko Beach, which might be the most beautiful untouched (i.e., no resort built on the water) I have ever seen.


There are beautiful palapas (here called Summer Huts) when you want to escape the heat.


The water is warm and a teal shade of blue. The sand on the beach and under the water is soft, and the waves are good for body surfing. The guys played soccer on the beach, Kacie and I helped Rich and Isaac improve their swimming skills, Rosa perfected her tan (and snapped pics of some little ones), and we all had a fantastic time.


Takoradi is a small city (~350K total people between Takoradi and Sekondi, and we’ve been almost entirely in Takoradi), and we don’t know that many people yet since we’ve just been here for a week. However, EVERYWHERE we go, we see someone we know. Just in the last 24 hours, we have seen 6 people:
* Last night at May’s Spot, we ran into Ebenezer
* This morning, the guys were golfing and ran into Derrick
* Yesterday, we ran into Akosua at the market
* This afternoon, we ran into Ato Van Ess and family at the beach
* We also ran into Hevi at the beach
* And we saw Kweku at the beach, too! (The beach is ~22 km from our hotel, so it’s not that reasonable to assume we’d run into all these people)

And speaking of divine connections, tonight I walked out my door to go order dinner and saw two women down below who looked like they were having a nice time. I called out to them to greet them, and we started chatting so I gave them directions to come up to my room (there are no stairs from where they were, so they had to walk around the hotel and come in through the lobby and down the hall to my room). Here is the view out the door of my room:


I chatted with Yvonne and Nash, and I learned that they work for Opportunity International, which is the parent company of www.OptInNow.org, which is a company that I really like and I was just telling Kacie about earlier this week. Yvonne will call me tomorrow so we can chat some more. God is making wonderful connections here in Ghana, and it’s starting to feel like home :)

P.S. Yvan and Sandy, I received #2.