don't pinch me, i said.

Here's a quick update on the past week for you. I am currently in Koforidua...went to the bead market and Boti Falls (waterfall) today. Both were amazing. Will head back to Ejura tomorrow to greet our new volunteer, David. I will try to get another update on soon about this latest trip. And pictures!

Saturday, October 13

Yesterday was my birthday. Birthdays have always been a big deal in my family. For as long as I can remember, the feeling of waking up on my birthday morning was the equivalent of waking up on Christmas morning. Naturally, I was a little worried that I would be sad, seeing as I’m so far from home. But…I wasn’t sad. I did miss the annual joint birthday party I have with my sister-in-law, Ronda (her birthday is today) but I think we’ll just have to have a big one next year, as she’ll be turning 30.

It was actually a really fun day. It started with a middle-of-the night phone call to my mom. I received a text message at 2 a.m. (my time) from her that just said, “Tried to call.” I was a little confused. But, I remembered that I had texted her earlier in the day (for the first time ever) to tell her that I book I wanted her to send me was here in the library at the house, so she didn’t need to send it afterall. I wasn’t even sure if she would be able to figure out how to read the text, and I certainly didn’t expect her to respond to it. You see, my parents have a cell phone mostly for road trips and emergencies. So, of course, I was ecstatic to receive a message from her. But, then I was confused as to why she was texting now, at 2 a.m. Did it take that whole time for her to figure out how to send it? Or was it indeed an emergency? So, I called her. She had actually received my text many hours earlier - while shopping at Big Lots. She said she was so excited that she almost showed a stranger shopping in the same aisle my text. But, she restrained herself. AND she figured out how to write back. I’m so proud!!! We had a nice conversation in the middle of the night. (Dad was at the annual fishing derby in Molson, strangely enough, without the cell phone)…hmmm.

I woke up to all the boys decorating the house…hanging balloons and garland. They made a birthday banner for me and hung that by the table, as well. Dada prepared a special breakfast for us - toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches. (It seems like my wish for cheese has come true). They were SO delicious! We hung out at home for most of the day. It was a lot of fun. For dinner, we all ate together - 13 of us - for the first time ever. It was crazy, as about 30 neighborhood children stood in the yard and watched us. Apparently, it was quite a sight. It was fun to all sit at the table together…usually the boys eat outside the kitchen, while we eat on the other side of the porch. David made a banana cake, too, and Dada carried a big container of chocolate ice cream all the way from Kumasi (two hours away) for the occasion. It was so good! I had a surreal moment when everyone sang, “Happy Birthday” to me. There were so many people (mostly children) standing around us at the table singing. I felt a little bad, as the boys don’t really celebrate their birthdays as a big to-do. Kwame’s birthday was on September 12. We gave him a gift and made him cards, but that was the extent of it. They went all out for my day. I relished it as a birthday I will never forget.

Today we’re just hanging out. We may venture to Mampong tomorrow, if the internet is back up. It is a long weekend at home…if we would have known earlier about the five days off we would have gone to the bead market in Koforidua. But…it looks like we may skip school again this week (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday), so we can meet up with our new friend Aminu to go to the bead market on Thursday morning. I feel a little bad about missing school again. It will be fun to travel again, and I think after that, we’ll stay put for a bit.

It’s been hot lately. There is a thermometer in the library at the house. Yesterday the temperature registered at 98 in there. Whew! I’m not sure how accurate it is, but it felt that hot. Luckily, it rained shortly after I looked at the thermometer, so that cooled things off a bit.

Oh - the post office. I need to tell you about the post office. On Thursday, Katy, Maaike, and I went to Kumasi to pick up two packages I had waiting for me at the post office. Sometimes, if packages are in a small enough box or in a yellow mailing envelope, they will make it through to Ejura. If they are bigger, they will stay in Kumasi, where I can pick them up. So, until Thursday, any packages I had received had come through to the post office in Ejura. I’d heard that you have to pay a duty for the items in packages that arrive in Kumasi, so I was prepared to pay a little. I had also heard that it shouldn’t cost more than about four Ghana cedis (about four dollars), even for a big box. So…after we finally found the section of the post office where you pick up parcels, I got in line and waited. I’d heard that you can also bargain the price of your package, so I was gearing up to negotiate.

The post office in Kumasi is a fascinating place. I think mostly due to the fact that the postal workers inspect everything that goes through that place. The man in front of me was mailing an envelope of dry leaves full of holes to a university in England (I was nosy). Just leaves. In an envelope. No bubble wrap or special packaging. People were receiving towels, iPods, and toys. Further down the counter, a man was preparing to send what looked like white sea kelp. I don’t know if that’s the correct term, but the green whip-like seaweed that washes up on shore…do you know what I’m talking about? About three feet long? Katy went to investigate. It turned out to be cow tail. The man was cutting it crossways about every three inches, so it would wind into a smaller circle. Right there in the post office. He had a large knife and was just slicing away.

Most of the workers at the parcel office that day were middle-aged men. At first they were pretty dry and official. I received my first package with minimal trouble. I had to open it in front of them, take out the contents and show the men. No problem; two DVDs, some beef jerky, and some candy. I had to pay two cedis. No sweat. Done. I signed a paper and was told to write down my phone number, which I don’t know…the men thought this was pretty funny and teased me. Then I asked about the second package. This was a package of “requests” from my parents. I left many things at their house that I couldn’t fit into my bags…so they graciously packed up the contents, painstakingly filled out a customs report, weighed everything, and estimated it’s value. It was a random assortment of items, including vitamins, pepto bismol, a bracelet, almonds, m and m’s, an extra pillowcase, protein powder, granola bars, a PEOPLE magazine, extra “obruni” shampoo (because we can’t seem to find any here), etc., etc., etc.

So, after about an hour (for real), and a detailed inspection (you try to explain what the protein powder - triple-wrapped in plastic baggies - is) my package was ready to be paid for. They called my name and I stepped up to the counter. Eighteen Ghana cedis, please (about 18 dollars). What? Are you kidding me? I actually said that. Then began the thirty minute debate about why I had to pay nearly twenty dollars for a package full of small items. At this point, all the middle-aged men from behind the counter were gathered around my package, amused at my annoyance. (One was actually thumbing through my newly acquired PEOPLE magazine). They explained that here in Ghana, there are taxes and duties that have to be paid on all items that come into and leave the country. I argued that I only had to pay two cedis for the previous package. They countered that because of the nature of the items in my package, there were different levels of taxes that I had to pay on each item. I told them it was ridiculous to pay nearly half the value of the items just to receive it. I said in America we get our packages for FREE! They didn’t believe me, and I said, “Ampa,” (which means “true” in Twi). They then thought I was fluent in Twi and started talking to me. No, no, no. I only know a few words. Like what? Like OBOLO. The men thought this was hysterical and one of them pinched my arm. I was already annoyed and then he pinched me. So I pinched him back.

I tried to argue that it was my birthday and they should just let me have my package for free. Then they all invited themselves to Ejura for my birthday party. I said, no, my birthday party is now cancelled, because I have no money left. My argument was going nowhere, so in exasperation, I tossed twenty cedis (currency) on the counter, and snatched the magazine outta guy #3’s hand. After all that, man #1 had the nerve to say that if I had a letter stating I was a volunteer, they would reconsider the price.

When I returned home that evening, there was a slip on my bed, notifying me of another package waiting for me at the post office in Kumasi.

Monday, October 15

Five days at home is too long. We are all ready to go back to school tomorrow. Too much time at home with not a whole lot to do. All my clothes are clean. My room is spotless. My eyebrows are plucked, my legs are shaved, I’ve written three letters, and I’ve read an entire book. It’s time to go back to school.

Today was market day. For only the second time since I’ve been here, I ventured to the market. Luckily, Danquah Bernard and his trusty sidekicks, Samuel, Ebeneezer, and Emmanuel accompanied us. The market is a vast, bustling mini-city buzzing with people selling everything under the sun. The goal today was to buy fabric. I want to have some dresses made. Maaike and Katy both had dresses made last week, so it was my turn. We cruised through the aisles and aisles of beautiful fabric. I negotiated the price, (with the help of Danquah), and chose three lovely patterns.

We walked around the market again and were invited into different stalls to take a look at the merchandise. Stainless steel serving dishes, luggage, beauty products, clothing, shoes, food, food, and more food. Katy and Maaike both bought a fried egg. Fried right there on the spot and put into a plastic bag. They were in heaven, I am fairly sure.

Next, we headed to the seamstress’ shop. I looked at poster after poster of dress designs. I chose one I liked and showed the seamstress. She took my measurements. At that point, I had an audience of about 20 people. Us four volunteers, Danquah and his posse, and about 10 other random people who had gathered to see the obrunis go to the seamstress. Even though I’ve realized that being fat here is considered a good thing, I still couldn’t help but grimace a little when the seamstress laughed after each measurement she took.

My dress should be done on Saturday.

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