signing off

back in October, now for a warm summer, I hope
ankle will be better by then

Saw md

good news
One Fracture healing. Second will take longer and be painful for a while longer, can wear regular Shoe and wean off using the crutch

new Betsy

old Betsy had 395,000 km, does not owe me a thing

new buggy

Friday

xray verbal report says there is one break (there were 2 in Africa)  so at this point ??? I do not know, MD referring to fracture clinic, so the future is still pending I suppose
wearing long underwear as it feels very cold here

landed in Canada!!!!~!

left the house at 730 am on Wednesday Adu drove me to Kumasi, 1015 at the Kumasi airport but cant sit inside the aiport, no seating but a big white tent with several a/c units is the waiting room so get 2 young men to assist to get buggy with 2 hockey bags and a large suitcase, the drum and my carry on up and down the curbs (no ramps of course), wait for 315pm flight to Accra, waiting waiting and finally can check big luggage ( I said to the fellow weighing all the big bags are between 16 to 18 kg, he laughed and said maybe my scale was off NOPE all bags within my limits, finally board the prop plane to Accra, I was worried that I would not be able to get my big bags off the rollers but a business man offers to get them, ( he tells that he is Methodist and works for the RC diocese in Sunyani and asked if I knew the RC Bishop, so I reminded him RC don't not take women as priests) anyway he pushed my buggy to the International airport, found the Wheelchair seating and got me comfortable before he went on with his day, By enlarge the assistance through out was great, 

so was travelling or waiting to travel from 730 am on Wednesday to landing in To around noon on Thursday which would be 4pm in Ghana, a little weary to say the least, Debbie picked me up, went for food, and went to GP for 5pm to see about my ankle, Doc was amused with my story, got an xray requisition, new script for pain pills, xray done last night and will get verbal report today some time and new pain pills So bottom line is Doc says the ankle can be made better and a plan can be created once they have a 'decent xray' so still waiting for his call today .. will keep you posted

What a person does to avoid cooking dinner

I did not want to cook my last night so invited folks to dinner at the hotel, good food, lots of laughs, a great evening!       Fr.   Michael, Gifty, Yaw and moi

scary evening

Gifty tells me today that she saw something move in her living room last night, Yaw was asleep, was it a mouse, was it a roach ...  none of the above, she woke Yaw up which in itself was a miracle as he sleeps like the dead, he looks and yells 'its a snake' Gifty calls her neighbour who of course can not find anything, maybe he was afraid too and did not look, Gifty tries Adu but no answer, she calls Adu's friend who calls Adu who was sleeping, Adu calls Gifty and asks ... is she sure, she just kept repeating,,please come, please come. The short version .. it was a small cobra which now has join all other good snakes in snake heaven. She was prepared to go to her brother's if it was not found to sleep, so maybe me find a  4 inch roach is really not a big deal  

Vestry Meeting

I guess everyone feels the same way abut Vestry Meeting and today was that day at the cathedral..I thought I would miss it but alas ...no such luck

I have some pics of the cathedral grounds as it has just had a paint job and looks very nice.

FIRST CATHEDRAL BUILDING NOW CALLED THE CHAPEL

USED FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL AND MEETINGS

- IT FACES THE FRONT OF THE SECOND BUILDING

ON THE RIGHT IS THE EDUCATION OFFICES WHICH HOUSES THE DIOCESAN OFFICE &
ON THE LEFT THE BLUE BUILDING IS THE  ST. ANSELM PRIMARY SCHOOL (100 STUDENTS)
The ground as you see it is a disabled persons nightmare, rock all different sizes and
just higgly piggly in arrangement. .

THE CENTRE BUILDING HOUSES TWO TOILETS AND 

THERE ARE TWO BEING ADDED, ONE AT EACH END AS WE SPEAK 

These four are the only ones on the grounds for use by the school, the cathedral and the offices.

ahhhhhhhhh

a bath at Gifty's is better that a Coke (and you know how much I love Coca Cola)
had bath and supper at Gifty's last nite.

ONLY  4 MORE SLEEPS TILL DEPARTURE

getting a plane ticket

in the past years I could go to the airport in Sunyani (15 minutes away) buy a ticket to fly from Sunyani to Accra. Remember ... when I arrived this time, no plane to Sunyani and I took the VIP bus (a 8 hour ride), so I was looking at the carriers web site which says they are still flying but not every day, go to airport and the guard to access the airport says NO PLANES because of the weather ???? how a sunny day effects flying I do not know so look on web for any plane flying from Kumasi to Accra (2 hour drive from the house to Kumasi) on the web there is an option to order a ticket and one gets a reply on email, last week and this week I filed out the required fields but did not get a response

Today looked for a travel agent to get assurance and a ticket that next Wednesday I will get from Kumasi to Accra, find a Travel Agent (Adu Taxi can find anything) so I tell my story, she advises to drive to Kumasi and buy a ticket but I do not want to drive 2 hours each way to buy a ticket, I think she took pity on me, for what ever reason she called her office in Kumasi and found flights that cost 400 and 500 Gc (rate is 3 Cedis /Canadian dollar) the price on the internet is 180 gc Well I do not want to drive to Accra (9-10 hours on the bus) I pay my money plus 20gc for telephone transfer of the money, when I ask for a receipt ???? big shock as they do not give receipts, after some discussion and Adu reassuring me that this is not a problem I say to him IF I DO NOT GET A TICKET HE WILL REIMBURSE MY MONEY  and he laughs, I mean it but I do not know what he really thinks.

Leave my money and request and get to the car and there is a BOOT  on the front wheel (it is a metal clamp around the wheel so the car can not be driven) It seems he parked in a no parking zone in front of a bank door and the manager was very angry ...  now lots of back and forth between Adu and the ticket issuer, bottom line 100GC to take the boot off or the car is towed, I need to get on with my day so I pay the 100, get a receipt and we go, Adu is so angry but I can continue on my errands.

The good news is that I  got a text that I now have a ticket on a flight at 3pm next Wednesday from Kumasi to Accra   YES !!!!!!!    

SUCCESS IN THE MIDST OF MINIMAL ORGANIZATION AND SYSTEMS

packing in earnest now

all the bags are getting filled as a week today is departure, 

please let there be warm weather at the other end,   ..... need to strive for in the 80's    lol      

right now it is 89f

Sunday visit

I went with Fr. Erasmus to an outstation from the town of Yamfo. He is working to establish a congregation so their resources are quite limited. There is an Anglican School there.

Behind the fence is the classroom for the nursery                                                                                                        children of the school

There is no church building as of yet so worship under the trees using the desks from the school or in a school class room

We went to visit the chief and his wife (both wearing green below) before the service. The surroundings were very humble to say the least indicating the economic level of the village. Later he and his wife came to the service (they are Methodist but when they do not go into to town, they attend the Anglican service) Chief, his wife, Fr. Erasmus, His wife May and oldest son, daughter on mommy's back

this is the inner courtyard of the chief


church is starting     

 drums getting readied

 Fr. Erasmus holding court

Chief's wife singing

Group picture

Fr. Erasmus brings loaf of bread and the woman holding it up caught it when it was tossed

when we were leaving everyone was lining up to share in the bread

 (this is my body broken for you)

quite a moving moment

spaghetti finally

Last night the stars were lined up: the electricity was working, the water had just returned after being off for the better part of 24 hours, so invited again Gifty and Yaw, he had no idea what spaghetti was or how to eat it. but he caught on real fast and had seconds

Chapter 7: TRIP BACK TO SUNYANI

I have mentioned previously that the bus only goes when it is full.
Gifty and I got to the bus by 8am, to get the front seat, a little more room for crutches etc. then we waited and waited, around 930, still waiting
Scenes while waiting: now it was Sunday morning so some stalls were empty like this one

Having a pedicure takes on a whole different meaning in Ghana, a person walks along the street clanging two piece of metal together, announcing his presence 

(somewhat like the man who sharpened knives, walked along ringing a hand bell, 

now you have to be of an age to know what I am talking about)

SO this man is having his nails cuts at the side of the road

 (cleaning equipment between customers ?????? I don't know how or if that takes place)

 

Taxis are the main mode of transport here, both for people and things, there is not much that cannot be put in or on a taxi to get it home

this flexible hosing in the trunk  below is one example

 

I get an idea to buy a third ticket so the row we were in, would be all ours, two seats and the end was a flip down seat, so we did, WELL 'what a to do' about us having this third seat, it became apparent that no one buys an extra seat, one fellow wanted to give money for the seat and was ready to sit on the flip down.... I showed him 3 tickets and said it was mine, another came to the window begging money as we must be rich to buy the third seat, for 16 Ghana Cedis (2.7 GC = 1 Can Dollar) the best money I have spent in a long time, it meant we could spread out, have more room for our feet and bags etc, actually resulting in a more pleasant ride considering the roads have great stretches of no paving, just dirt, dust, and holes with everyone picking their way along to minimize the jarring.

left at 10 am after 2  hours of sitting and waiting

This area of the country is known for its deposits of gold which Ghana therefore having been called the Gold Coast in the past. These days gold is pit mined, just dig down making a big hole leaving the country side looking like blasted holes from dynamite. I am told the law stated that the soil removed is supposed to be put back to leave the land as they found it BUT it does not happen so one can see abandoned pit mine site totally without any greenery all along the road. Much illegal stuff goes on around the mining, bribes for folks to look the other way and foreigners come in and entice a Ghanaian to start digging for gold (Ghanaians do not need a permit or license to mine gold) and then foreigner takes over

 

We got to Kumasi about 3.30pm, 5 1/2 hours, 

We got tickets for the bus to Sunyani, left Kumasi by 4pm only a 30 minute wait, yipeeeeee... (everything is relative remember) then called Adu to meet us near the turn off for Gifty's place which he did, then I arrived at my place about 7 pm.

 When I told people it was a long journey, they all laughed, many have never been to that part of the country because it is so far. 'We must be strong women to travel that far' one said. It is easy to see why people here do not explore their own country, travel is dreadfully awkward, very time consuming and costly for them (many have a wage of 100 to 200 Ghana Cedis a month and we spent each 50 GC round trip, so half a month's salary for some, Therefore no travel and no journeys for vacation) I had a conversation yesterday about vacations, they do not know what they are, they just have time off from work and never go anywhere for R & R. 

We are very blessed in our land called Canada.

The end of this trip for me and Gifty.

The beginning of life's journey for Jemi and Daniel.

Chapter 6: the reception !!!

The reception was held at the hotel where we were staying, handy eh, no it was planned on my part  

the parking lot out front is where the tents were set up

HEAD TABLE WITH THE CHAIRMAN - sitting to my left with blue clerical shirt, Sr. Mavis two to my right with Gifty in between.

bottles of bubbly were sold along with bottles of water and handkerchiefs 

with all the money going to the couple

 MUSIC AND DANCING

ENTRANCE OF THE BRIDE AND GROOM

 - money is thrown in their path to encourage them to enter, see the money dropping from the man on the right - money is for the couple as it is a great expense to put on a wedding 

so gathering money at the reception is a way to assist the couple

 money placed against her forehead 

- see the basin at the bottom right, that is held by the woman who is gathering up the money

some of the girls from the Skill Centre

NEW OUTFIT - blue lace with gold and silver accents , sparkly earrings and gold shoes,            I tell you fancy or what! well ... it is a wedding!

Now Jemi and Daniel are seated and greeting folks

Chapter 5 - The Church Blessing

So, many of us get ourselves to the church, Methodist by the way. It was supposed to be at the Mission House (Rectory) but it could not accommodate the number of people.

Vows said, rings exchanged, blessing given
and the signing the register




         MARRIED NOW

                                                    

   Outside the church greeting everyone

Chapter 4: Bride's house

this will have no pics, it was held at her Uncle's house ... path up the hill to get there and the road to get there was impossible to navigate with a car, as a result I could not get there.
never thought to send Ipad with someone  .........     oopsy brain hiccup

roads are like construction path in Canada,,
 just dirt and ruts where ever and the driver picks his way through using the whole road.
this road is getting concrete drainage ditches whereas up until now the water takes the path of least resistance
 and goes all over

this is where the actual deed, the marriage happens, The Groom's family bring gifts for the Bride's family, cloth, money, household articles (I have to guess in previous times it would include cattle)  and ask for the Bride. Her family can accept or reject the offerings, brothers can say they want more, any combination of rejections, so when the gifts are accepted, then they are married traditionally and many couples just do this and nothing more, I am told the couple has already been to the registry office to check as to whether they have had  been married before (I guess like getting a license in Canada).

Chapter 3: WEDDING DAY -TRADITIONAL WEDDING ...his family house

there are three parts to the wedding  so several  chapters
- Traditional Wedding
- Church Blessing
- Reception
We are up and at relative of Daniel's house by 830am, we meet Daniel's relatives and head of the family

Head of the family is in the middle

Daniel - groom

The ritual when one enters a house as a visitor,

you shake everyone's hand who is in the house, then you are asked...What is your business or the reason for your visit, when you are finished everyone of the house gets up and shakes your hand saying Akwaaba ( you are welcome) then chit chatting and in many cases serving of drinks (no drinks this day)

This little girl is a neighbour, wearing pink sunglasses with the left lens missing but for her it did not matter, she of course was very interested in the white lady but just looked, did not come too close