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!