Covid 19 fall out

 Hello everyone who is checking the blog.

I have indicated to Bishop Abraham that the Canadian Government has a Level Three Ban on travel so I am staying in Canada for the time being. 

During this time of much unknowing I have learned how to post videos on Utube and then give folks the Utube address so they can be seen. I plan to use this when away as I think it will give a fuller picture of life in Ghana. I am covering an Interim at St. Michal's where I was last summer. Their next rector starts December 1st. So time will tell what happens next for me. I wish everyone to be safe and healthy.

Peace  

Betty 

LAST NIGHT IN QUARANTINE 14/14 last night for blog

Packing up to return to Hamilton, I do not think that I really understand the closed down nature of all the communities. I need to experience it with Tanya giving instructions in my ear.
I have internet and cable hooked up Wednesday. and my car gets an oil change on Friday, my exciting entertainment for this week.......   .........     oh boy is this ever going to be a test
Thanks to everyone who takes a peek at this blog, I hope it has some information, some craziness, some boring stuff, and perhaps a laugh of two. HAVE A GOOD SUMMER!!!!!

He has risen indeed, alleluia! 13/14

Service from Christ Church Cathedral with Bishop Susan and the Primate Linda Nichols, well done.
I exchanged Easter Greetings with several in Ghana, Bishop Abraham is well and staying home on orders from the President. They seemed to be in a waiting pattern as to what comes next with the virus.

Resurrection cross from Trinity.St. Paul Port Credit

And a nice Easter Bunny visit.from next door

Holy Saturday 12/14

I got a call today from the Dean in Wiawso where I was assigned to the cathedral. He says that so far there have not had any virus. Great news! I hope it stays negative. Life there is continuing as a result. School and church are closed so kids are bored and parents are at their wits end I would think. I miss everyone but I needed to do what I needed to do. Hopefully I can return in November.
I am counting the hours till I get out.    Can’t wait

9/14. The days are marching on

its Holy Week, can’t believe it! Usually as a priest, worrying about having a study in Holy Week, the Blessing of oils at the cathedral and reaffirm ordination vows, washing of feet followed by the question by Jesus “you could not stay awake” in the garden, then Good Friday remembering the walk down  the Via Delarosa to the Place of the Skull when the curtain ripped from top to bottom, trying to put some words together to celebrate HE WAS RISEN!!!!
In real terms this year the topics this week consists of food, tv, Internet, reading, knitting and looking out the window. The 14 days forces me to think more intensely what do each of the days in Holy Week mean to me above and beyond the frantic nature of being the priest organizing for others.
I think that is the big take-away from the shut down of my life, what does different aspects of life mean to me.   wow... big discovery to be letting this time away from regular life lead me to self reflection mmm very interesting

8/14. Of quarantine

Bored, knitting, eating, not much more

So busy, forgot to blog. . Oopsy 7/14

What can I say, it was Palm Sunday, being a priest... busy on this special day when Jesus was celebrated far and wide which caused great nervousness with the powers that be.
 I did remember another Easter week that was unusual.
I was in India, Easter week in 1990. I sat through a series for Holy Week on board benches (really rough on the butt) thinking I needed to suffer to appreciate Easter. My friend Dr Beverley Booth ( a paediatric nephrologist from UCLA ) working at Christian Medical Centre where I was,  we had planned to travel on Good Friday up into the Himalaya Mtns to celebrate Easter. We stayed with theCoordinator  of the Presbyterian missionaries in India, Beverley was working under him.
Easter morning comes and no Eucharist. WHAT says I! He says “you Anglicans and the Eucharist”
Many of the Protestant denominations had joined to form the Church of North India ( cheaper to manage administration) The clergy at this church was presby and he announced there would be Eucharist next Sunday. I was going to be back at CMC so he just shrugged.
 So in my remembering of that Easter this year will join my very unusual Easters
On another topic, I feel well, bored but I got some knitting yesterday so I will plod along while watching CNN for their dissection of the situation in the world.
I pray everyone stays well.

Update on 5/14

My bag was found and delivered to Hamilton, yea yea yea

It’s only 9c ..... very cold on day 5/14

So solved the cold feet issue .... sucky socks to the rescue

4/14

When having a shower is the highlight of one’s day, a little sad.

Day 3/14

Well, practical tasks of life moved to the top of the to-do list,laundry, dishes, make the bed
I had to buy a new cord for the computer while away which resulted with its plug not appropriate for Canada... needed an adapter but I am in quarantine, so I found one at Staples and Arthur offered to pick it up.   Perfect adapter, works like a charm.

                                                                   

  To this

Day 2/14

Eating foods I have not tasted for months is very delicious. Watching tv programs on cable, salad as part of meals (I do not eat salad when away), so far boredom has not set in but it is only day 2.

Trip epistle con’d

on plane in Accra, off to Yaounde Nsimalen international airport in Nsimalen Cameroon for. 90 minute stop to take on more Canadians trying to get back.After 4 hours many were wondering what was going on. We never really heard officially but heard words like quarantine, bags off plane But no one left and we took off to Addis Ababa Ethiopia. I hope we can get off the plane - the four hours in the same seat in Cameroon were a test. Yes changed planes, same company Ethiopian Air and a much larger plane 587 passengers were boarded. And now off to Dublin Ireland. Have no idea why????
I sleep for 1 or 2 hour snatches, feel like crap but there is no option. The Dublin stop is to switch crews and back in the air for another few hours to Toronto.
Toronto looked good from the air, after landing, Immigration etc one of my bags. Did not show. SO fill out forms and get ride to Mary Ellen’s house for 14 days of quarantine. Unlimited wifi, cable tv, sucky food and warm clothes - life does not get better.
Thanks for all the prayers and concerns as this return adventure ended well.       Peace to all
I usually do not write once back but will keep posting for my 14 day quarantine.

Back in Toronto

will write more later, lost a bag but otherwise life is good

Airport trip - epistle as I am bored

330 am  got taxi, off to airport following Bev and her husband (they are from Montreal, I know her as she is a Past President of the chapter of DKG Sorority in Montreal) travelling through the streets of Accra, streetlight 50 to 75 feet apart, through low end real estate, then industrial buildings, then higher end lreal estate with street light 25 feet apart, the bigger lights, boulevards, curbs at edge of roads,(fancy area of town), then bigger lights, tall hotels, and blvd signs every 10 feet with ads from banks, phone companies and red lights atop buildings, now near the airport.
Line up to enter, there is no other people except this charter by the Canadian govt, I was told the airport opened especially for this charter as it had been closed completely because of the virus. ( I bet that cost a pretty penny and that is why my ticket price was so high)

Got a ride in a wheelchair( ordered ahead) thank goodness as the walk would have been very long
Wait till 530 to get processed and get boarding pass, no line as the air port is empty except for this charter.
now 545 and need wait till 7 am to board at boarding lounge, no stores opened, no eateries open, I have one slice of bread and half bottle of H2O. I will live but just barely lol

Waiting

620am   plane had arrived  .....  thanks be to God

7am on the plane in my seat 

DC Royal Guest House

it 545 am, just got to hotel where I will stay until 3 am tomorrow and then off to airport, see corner of bed, looks like a great place to land

Dressed for travel

Returning to Canada Monday

Government organize a flight for Monday 8 am with Ethiopian air, $5000.00 for one way ooopsy but what can one do. Visa is wonderful. Have no idea the route or when arriving in Toronto
So it is sad to leave like this, not saying good bye to many, 9 hour bus tonight to Accra and going to a hotel for tomorrow and then 4 am be at airport on Monday. ,I figure I will sleep on Wednesday. Lol
Going to finish packing, not bringing anything interesting back

I understand...

That the boredom barometer must be at a all time high around the world, at least it is in my house.
What to do ,when all the little jobs that one can not get to, are done. I visited the bishop today at Bishopscourt. It strikes my funny one as he comes in with a shirt half undone, jeans and blue rubber flip flops on. I love seeing the person behind the purple shirt. This visit was the high lite of my day. Thank you Bishop.
The virus is increasing numbers here with many folks still out and about. What a state of affairs.

Closed

KLM states border closed for two months.
So here I stay. I am going to find a course on line to keep me busy. Wifi  my most value possession.

Feels like a rainy day at the cottage

temp is 26 c, rain comes and goes on the roof, not much sun, tv connection comes and goes, cool breeze in from the window, nice nap in pm, life can not get better...can it.  Even though the world is going to hell in a handcart with isolation, fear of contamination, loss on the stock market, stuck with kids 24/7 in the house, the good news is creativity to get worship on line, songs sung from the apt balconies in Italy, neighbours checking on neighbours for the first time, governments hopefully realizing they alone do not have the final word,
I had a great day with rain on my tin roof.

Have not done this in a while

hydro off 6 hours so phone, computer and phone running out of juice. Hydro comes on and I run around like a ninny to plug everything in for fear it goes off again.
You can tell I am bored. Sitting at home trying to not go mad.  Lol

Two things

1. The Wayward Shelter on my veranda is used again last night while it rained

2 Defrosting a fridge - remember that activity?????
I never plan to do it but when the hydro is off for a couple of hours I get out a knife and wooden spoon. I kept throwing the ice  out the back door and had to tell William what I was doing.

  the whole back wall of the fridge part is a solid block of hard ice. It was a little tricky to not put the knife through the wall to pry it off, I am quite impatient. It came off as a slab all over the floor, oopsy, William just washed it.





frying pan in the freezer to collect the ice

NAMING CEREMONY

I was invited to attend the Naming Ceremony for Dean's granddaughter. she is almost 3 months old and today is officially getting her name. Daddy picked the name of his mother which the baby mama agreed. "Mame Adwoa Birago Ntiamoah" Quite a handle eh!
There was an introduction with scripture read and some comments from the Dean, the Venerable Gabriel prayed, then Dean took the baby and had a conversation with her that no everything is as it looks. They symbolize this with two liquids water and a soda. this explanation includes both liquids are given to the baby on a spoon.
Then there are more prayers and n opportunity to donate for the baby. (here they do not have showers before the baby is born). I learn cultural expectations bit by bit. As I looked around and it dawned on me that everyone  was wearing white. I realized that I need to get a white outfit with sparkly adornments to be appropriate. oopsy, today I was not in white.

Dean with baby and the liquids

Folks watching and we got a take away lunch when leaving

Lambs resting in the afternoon shade of my veranda

let me now just clean your ear 

GARBAGE

GARBAGE is an issue here that is not dealt within a ecologically effective manner. Garbage is everywhere, piles two stories high are not unusual at the side of the road with goat trekking back and forth on the hill side, fires burning on the pile to reduce its size happens as well, PCB's floating into the air from the plastic  bags that seem to multiply overnight.

this is just beside the path to the school

along the path

this is how to get rid of garbage, I think this is what William does with mine, 

I actually do not ask as there is no other option except to burn it outside the house

well if you know me at all, COCA COLA is my drink of choice, this does not change 

regardless of where I live, so 

I drink coke from a plastic bottle here as the local coca cola is packaged in plastic bottles. This results in many many bottles to dispose of and I started saving them as I know bottles are reused often here.

today I found someone who makes SOBOLO  or SOROL (in the Caribbean) 

a drink made from Hibiscus tea leaves who can use the bottles.

YES !!!! success in recycling in my small way

all those tasks that you will get to....some day

Well being stuck in the house makes those tasks seem to be weighing heavier every day.

The sheer curtains in my bedroom dragged on the floor.

just dragged an inch or two and I looked at them every time I was in the room, I was going to take them up at the top as the bottom had design and scallops on the edge but I never got around to do it

Now I am staying in the  house, I have not choice but to fix it.

turning the header over once solves the issue. No excuse as I do not have anything much to do. Could not find my white thread for a couple of days, asked where to find white thread, none at the corner store, trader next to my house had lots.

start to sew the header and realize this was a very large task, of which my lazy gene came to the surface, there must be a faster way, if I had a sewing machine, one zip along would be sufficient, stitch witchery would do the same with one swipe of the iron but nothing here like that.

THE STAPLER came to the rescue 

success in a timely manner and the curtains do not drag on the floor any more

my lazy gene was satisfied.

tata.....

what to worry about?

??? the Virus - I guess I could worry about the virus or getting sick or returning back to Canada or 

the door bell rings and I have 8 women plus a baby standing on the porch declaring 'they have come for a visit" and I invite them in to the 'Parlor' but they enter through the hall door as I never answer the Parlor door.

THE PARLOR

so everyone gets a seat, I offer water but they had a drink when visiting next door to see the Deans new grandchild.

So why are they here ' to pay me a visit"

then the conversation tells about the Society of the Good Shepherd which they all belong to while Mother- Deans wife translates for me as some can not understand what I am saying. so the topic leads to their projects and I was told that they do not have projects. So I explain how many groups in Canada design a project or projects for s year and work on gather what is necessary for the project to become a reality. I went Creche to reality.  My favourite topic here is 'thinking outside the box' which is a new concept for many here. School is taught using memory work mostly. So I challenge them to think of ways to raise funds for the new Creche.  Then they announced they wanted to leave. I took a couple of pics and off they went.

I must admit I sometimes worry about being socially appropriate when visitors come, as there is a very formal protocol when entertaining here and I hope that I manage to meet most of the expectations. 

 Later I hear Trudeau laid down the law about people returning/coming to Canada. I think that I will just hole up in my house (I bought two large packages of toilet paper so I am good for a while)  Tanya told me that the shelves for toilet paper were  empty so if you need some, I can sent a roll or two your way/

Here are the women plus baby, Mother is on the right end of those standing

                                                       

Sophie wanted to have one of her alone, so here is the pretty lady

COVID-19

trying to sort out ,what to do,

Damages from war

three: two from last night with a new buddy this morning 

success !!!!!!!!

They came Back,,,,,,,

SO.   Final battle of this universe,,, my shower
                                          **********.    RAID.  *********

It was WAR

Go for a shower and there is a bug, size of a nickel and I did not want to share the shower with it.
So, got the hose and full spray to wash it down the drain.it would go down but come back up. So douse it down and it came back several times. Then a buddy, same bug variety, joined the war, on the other side of course, so trying to flush both down the drain. Did not work, they both would come back. Got the heavy artillery, the plastic soap dish and would try to smash them but in the beginning my aim was off, I improved so that I actually hit the dam bugs and I hosed them  down the drain.
Now there are a lot of bugs of various types and sizes here so day by day they take turns appearing. Last night I did not want to share the shower, no way, so I declared War. I think the amount of energy to rid the shower was probably a lot but in the end I did have a great shower!

Traditional wear Friday

so I joined the tradition, |I only learned today about using the timer when taking a selfie,

I am slow learner

this is an "only in Ghana" happening

It became dark, the clouds opened up and the rains came ... ok nothing to unusual until I heard this screaming out the front

A family of goats are taking shelter on my porch, a Billy goat with a beard of course, a mama and two smaller ones, I think are offspring, I am not really too learned about goats and their habits and their behaviour especially when it rains. The one I named mama,  has not shut up for five minutes since the rain started. Occasionally the billy goat gives her a shove but the yelling continues. they are sitting now right outside my front door so to take pics I started through the window, then I opened the window to get a clearer shot. So the family is resting on my front door mat, waiting for the rain to stop, 

it continues to rain and mama on the left continues to yell

               

Billy Goat with his beard, two offspring, one behind and one on the other side  of him 

with mama, closest to the camera, continuing her appeal for the rain to stop     

ok I should not whine

DW tv station out of Berlin is back, I am a happy camper again. I am easily pleased   :)

Celebration continued

marching past the 'review dais': school, police, army, fire and trade school advertising their schools,                                                                        here are a few

Anglican student receiving the top academic award in the country 

                                                                                                   Precentor delivering the opening prayer

                                                    a beauty queen with tiara and sash introducing the Key Note speaker

 Traditional Dancing

CELEBRATION OF COUNTRY INDEPENDENCE

Ghana celebrating its independence.

Politicians, cultural leaders, religious leaders, school children, police, army fire departments all gather to  march and dance and have music to mark their 63rd anniversary of Independence.

I have been listening to the including local school practice their drumming, morning and afternoon for weeks  to participate in the parading yesterday.  Now I hunch the drum will be put away until next year (tbtG).

Paramount Chief: (head of the area chiefs), beside him is the Commandant of Fire Services) I whispered to her "good for you to reach the top being a woman"

...   back to the chief

very decorated chair (he probably brought it with him), footstool, cushions at back and seat, gold decorated sandals, jewelry includes a ring and bracelets while wearing a very elaborately decorated traditional cloth worn somewhat like a toga

this man crept along to adjust the Paramount Chief's pillows.

he is called the Linguist, he speaks for the Paramount Chief who does not speak at all in ceremonies

 Now here are the Sub Chiefs,
sitting while holding their staffs with their their individual Totems on top all finished in gold.

Reviewing the troops in the back of a pick up: 

police chief, President Representative and Local Politician 

for the first time there was the camera in the sky - a drone with a camera

INSTALLATION OF 15 LAY CANONS

For the first time in this diocese there were Lay Canons named. Yesterday was their Installation at the Cathedral. Pomp and Circumstance abounded. Here the Lay Canons have robes, like a decorated cape. I had a comment from a Lay Canon in the Niagara Diocese who rebuffed the robe "No way for him"  so 3.5 hours service in the am and the same in the evening, a way to fill a Sunday

                                                              Dean seated in the centre

         In the picture you will notice that the women are required to wear a hat..... mmmmm

I am complaining...

Tv station DW out of Berlin is my favourite channel followed by one out of Paris.
In Sunyani I stopped getting DW and was upset so I got another tv server that had DW . The laugh was on me as it was in German.
I get my tv dish set up here and got my favourite channel back until today.
It’s gone again. So now I am 😪👿😾

SYNOD 2020

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were occupied with Synod.
It is interesting the sameness between synods regardless of where they take place, the difference is the lack of automation that exists here.
Collation of Synod materials   

collating by hand, no fancy machine taking over the task

Size of synod quite different from Diocese of Toronto, 115 participants here

there were some additional  formalities , clergy wear cassock for all meetings, 

during worship services, surplice and stole and all archdeacons and canons sit, in support, behind the bishop while he is chairing the meetings, Registrar is a lawyer from Kumasi in full regalia

                                                   
                 this is Isaac and myself
It is interesting being the obvious stranger in the group with many people reluctant to sit with me for meals, Isaac was the brave soul who sat with me at each meal so we are now friends, exchanged phone numbers to call and check on one another. Isaac called the next day to ask how I was. He has a simple phone so I connected with his priest who could get a                                                                  photo printed for him
                                                                                         

.