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 :)