A Heartwarming Tale

We had a woman come into the office today.  I was braced for her complaints, when she started to tell us a story.  She said there’s a girl at our school named Comfort…but she didn’t know her age or surname.  Melinda said, “Yes…Saforo…she’s in JHS2” (which is about 13-years-old).  The lady replied, “Yeah…she’s the one.  I pass by her sometimes on my way home and give her a ride.  Yesterday, I asked how she was doing, and she started to cry.  She explained that she was getting pressure from school to pay her school fees, but her uncle was the one who paid them (her father died before she was born) and he didn’t have the money.  She didn’t know what to do because she knew she’d have to drop out of school if they didn’t come up with the money.”  Well…this woman went on to explain to us that she was a single mother of three, and didn’t have any extra money herself, but she wanted to know how much Comfort owed so that she could pay her fees for her.  We explained that the school fees are 555 Ghana cedi and the lunch fees are 200 Ghana cedi.  So she paid 500 today and said she’ll return next week with 100 more and the following week with the rest.  Can you believe it?!  She hardly even knows this girl!  Talk about a Good Samaritan…I just didn’t even know how to respond!  I told her she’d be so blessed, but what words can explain gratitude or admiration enough for generosity and love like that?!

I want to dedicate today’s entry to the wonderful kids I met in Mrs. Permenter’s class in Kansas City.  As I was writing this, I thought about two things.  One was the kindness that you showed to a complete stranger - me.  You guys were so welcoming and friendly…I seriously LOVED the time I got to spend with you!  And I’m SO sad I didn’t get the chance to say good-bye to most of you…but hopefully I’ll be back = )  But if I don’t get to see you again…know that you’re a freakin’ awesome group of kids = )  The second thing was how lucky we are in America to receive a free education.  I know many of you wish you didn’t have to be in school, but there are people all over the world who would give anything to be in your place, because they know that an education would be a ticket out for them - a ticket out of poverty, of hunger, of back-breaking work.  So when you’re in school, try to think of it as your ticket.  You’re at a train station and you’re watching all the trains pass through, deciding which one you want to ride on.  If you don’t graduate from high school, that ticket will only let you ride a couple of trains, and they’re probably not going to where you want to go.  With your diploma your ticket will let you ride a couple more, with an associate’s degree a couple more, with your bachelor’s a couple more - and so on and so forth, with each degree expanding your choices of where you want to go, what you want to do, who you want to be.  Hope you guys have a great rest of the year, be thankful for what you have, and know that you’re incredible! (Oh…and treat Mrs. Permenter well! = )

Love Can Move Mountains, Baby (you gotta sing the title today = )

I had a really cool experience today.  I’ve been reading in the Teachings of the Prophets book about how loving of a man President George Albert Smith was, and wanting to be more like that.  So I’ve been praying extra hard for charity - to be able to love everyone I meet as a son or daughter of God.  I still don’t know if I’m in Ghana for a specific purpose or not, but I’ve been feeling like whatever it is God wants me to do or become, it won’t be possible without a deeper ability to love.

So anyways…I got an opportunity to practice today…haha = )  I was in the office alone again, and a couple came in who were visibly upset.  The wife was a little calmer and started talking, but the husband kind of cut in and just started letting me have it!  I felt an unbelievable sense of peace and composure as I said a silent prayer.  I went on to apologize for the misunderstanding and explain our policy.  He was still really upset and continued repeating the same things over and over.  Eventually, he seemed to calm down a bit towards me, but then he started getting really mad at his wife (who was the one who had misread the school’s newsletter and thought she couldn’t send her daughter to school until they paid in full).  It was so awkward being in the middle of this fight, and then I started to feel worried because she seemed scared, so I just felt the words come to my mind, “I know she wouldn’t have kept your daughter home on purpose, so it was an honest mistake, and since we can’t go back and change the past, let’s think about what we can do now to make the situation better”…or something like that.  It was so neat because people have such a hard time understanding me…but they just both settled, and in a couple minutes were thanking me as they left the office.  I was shaking once they were gone…but I also felt so happy!  I just knew that the Lord was helping me to be more understanding, compassionate, loving, and patient than I could be on my own = )

Other than that…the biggest news I have is that there was a huge downpour today, as well as on Saturday…and that’s super unusual because it’s the dry season and it usually rains nada during this time.  But the rain was like Hawaii - came suddenly, poured for like ten minutes, and then totally cleared up.  It made the walk so much nicer though = )  I wasn’t sinking into, and kicking up, the dirt the whole time…it packed  it down so nicely = )

Didn't have any pictures to go with today's entry...so decided to include some random pics.  Took these on the way to the wedding reception last weekend.  It's so interesting here; kids don't wear seat belts and babies don't ride in car seats (of course those are generalizations and don't include everyone).  Papa was on my lap in the front, and a cop passed right by us...and nothing.  I was so nervous, though!  And the other day, I saw a car pull into school and the children just kept on coming out, from I don't know where!  I counted 9 in all!...not including the driver.

So he didn't wanna smile...

So I decided to follow his lead = )

I Don’t Even Know What Hard Work Is

View from my room

I fall asleep each night to the sound of pots clanging and the voices of five amazing women.  I wake up each morning to the sound of pots clanging and the voices of five amazing women.  When I go downstairs each morning on the way to work, I see them working.  When I come home each evening, I see them working.  Even on weekends, coming from and going to church, I see them working.

These women are the cooks for the school, and they prepare lunch and snacks for about 500 students each day, as well as breakfast and supper for the 80 or so boarders.  That means that they’re working at 4 each morning and don’t stop until about 11 each night.  They don’t have days off…and they work through storms, power outages, etc.  What’s even

You can see the screened in "kitchen" in the back left.
Straight back, I believe, is the spigot where they get water.
But I'm not too sure because I've seen them have to carry
buckets all the way around the compound to get water.

 more, they don’t have a cafeteria-quality kitchen, let alone a standard household kitchen.  Most of their workspace is outside, without tables or a sink or most of the other gadgets that you think of as necessary in a kitchen.  There’s a screened-in area with a stove inside, and I’m not sure what else.  They don’t use any pre-packaged or partially prepared foods; it’s all made from scratch.  I don’t know how they do it!

Aunty Belinda was showing me the kenke (sp?) she was making the other day, and she just pulled the ball of dough out of the pot of boiling water with her hands and held it in her palm!  The steam coming off of that thing was major, and I was like, “Isn’t that hot?!”  And she said, “Yes, it’s very hot, it’s very hot!” as she continued to hold it and explain how they make it!  It’s like banku (the food I didn’t like), but Mandy said it’s even more sour because banku is the fermented ground corn and kasava, but kenke is just the fermented ground corn.  Interestingly, it’s cooked in leaves (I think banana leaves), so it’s got similarities to tamales.  I’ve actually noticed a lot of similarities between things they cook and use as ingredients, and things we cook and use for ingredients in Polynesian cooking (even though tamales aren’t Polynesian, so not sure why I mentioned that here, but anyways = )  

This is Dodoa - they have to sift through every
dried bean to get out the rocks and such

These ladies are so sweet and so cute!  I was taking pics of the kids one afternoon, and one of the women, Dodoa, said, “Picture me!  Picture me!” = )  She and one of the other women also told me that they want me to take them back to London with me.  When I told them I’m not from London, but from America, they said that’s fine…they’d like to go there, too = )  They also said they want to marry my brother…but when I told them he’s fifteen, they looked really disappointed, until they asked, “What about a cousin?”…haha = )  I know they were partially joking, especially since they’re married, but it kinda broke my heart at the same time because they said they just want to see and experience something different than the everyday humdrum of their lives.

Anyways…I’m amazed by these women…and needed to pay tribute to them (as well as the delicious food they make! = )

Here's a picture of Princess = )

This is Julius - the kids are just as amazing!
This is their playground, where they do their
homework, where they eat meals...

That's Grace and Natalie - caught her with her eyes closed = )

Princess again - it was so hard to get a clear
one of her because that girl does not stop
moving...haha = ) 

The Simple Things in Life

 Today was very productive = )  Mandy made breakfast for us…so I ran to the little shop next door and bought eggs (4 - that they put in a little plastic bag), a loaf of bread, a HUGE bag of those little packets of water (about 50 were in there for 1 cedi 50 pesuwe!…or about a dollar fifty) and toilet paper!  It’s amazing how much stuff is in these little shops, and the variety of stuff!  Anyways…I also got fresh-baked rolls from the school’s kitchen (which is right outside) and we had the yummiest breakfast!  She said when they cook eggs they always add tomatoes, onions and salt, and sometimes other veggies and spices, too.  And on the side we had Ovaltine…that stuff is SO yummy!  It was like the most perfect breakfast! = )  While Amanda was cooking and breakfast and I was holding Chi-Chi, she fell asleep in my arms; there are few things in life greater…wouldn’t you say? = )

And then I did laundry and cleaned my room and my bathroom.  It’s made me very grateful for how easy it is to clean at home.  I have a, maybe, 5’ x 8’ rug in my room…but without a vacuum, cleaning it turned into a major arm workout and a very long job.  I had to use this little scrubber brush to brush all of the dirt and dust and hair into a pile, and then try to sweep that into a dustpan.  I saw so much dust and dirt flying while I was doing it, though, so I may just have an extra layer of crud in the rest of my room now…haha…but the rug looks great! = )  And since everything is dried on the rack, I didn’t have a towel to use after my shower…but luckily pajama pants make a very good pseudo-towel and even wrap around your hair very well = )

I also helped Mandy go through her shoes that were in storage, cleaning them and sorting them into a “keep” and a “give away” pile.  It was a fun job (albeit very sneezy…haha = ) because she has some awesome styles and colors of shoes…but it was also a very long job, considering it was 59 pairs of shoes!  And that’s not including the 30 pairs in her room!  She was so funny…she was like, “I admit a have a shoe addiction” and she kept saying how crazy I must thing she is, because she didn’t even know it was that many!…haha = )
And then tonight I got to watch Ghana play Mali in the African Cup of Nations.  Mali played really well…but I called a 2-nil game…and sure enough! = )  It’s so cool that it’s like 8 o’clock at night…and a goal is scored and you can hear screaming from every direction, horns honking, people cheering.  Mandy knew the score at the end of the night…and hadn’t watched a single minute of it…haha = )

Unfortunately I couldn’t get Google Hangout or Skype to work tonight…so I missed the family chat = (…but how amazing that it ever works…that I get to talk to every member of my family (who are in Japan, on Oahu, on Maui, in Missouri, and in North Carolina) all at the same time!

Black or White

And I’m not referring to skin color.  Rather, I’m referring to life and how nothing is as simple as it seems.  Sorry…today’s going to be a boring one, but I’ve been doing some contemplating and feel like it’s the time to share.  It’s been interesting as I’ve gotten to know people here better, and started to see some of the layers that we, as human beings, all have; layers that we sometimes try or hide, or maybe it’s just that we don’t flaunt them.  I love that as you get to know people better, generally 1) you feel closer to them, 2) you begin to understand and, therefore, love them more, and 3) you realize how similar we all really are.
But this beauty of human beings and our layers brings with it difficulties.  People are not one-dimensional, so what is being exhibited on the surface is often not indicative of what is going on underneath.  It’s so hard to explain without going into details that I don’t want to go into, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think one of the challenges in this life is trying to understand people when what they say or do is often not really what their thinking or feeling.  What is it that makes us say one thing when we’re feeling another, or not say anything at all when inside we’re screaming?  What is it that makes us get angry when really we are sad, or run away when what we want most is what we’re running from?  I don’t know exactly.  I think a lot of it is pride and fear - not wanting to look dumb or be vulnerable and being scared of what others may think or do if we’re completely honest.  Also, I don’t know about you, but half the time I don’t really even know what I’m feeling, so how on earth can I clearly explain it to someone else?

And that’s what makes life so un-black-and-white.  Human beings are all different, so there’s no prescribed “right” way to handle a situation, even if it’s one you or someone else has encountered before.  And a situation that seems to have a simple solution to one person could be an incredibly difficult problem to another.  Sometimes it’s overwhelming to experience this “gray matter“ - those problems that don‘t appear to have a clear solution.  And sometimes it’s even worse when a friend is going through it, and nothing you do or say can fix it and make it right.

This is one of the reasons why I’m so grateful for prayer, that direct line to our Father in Heaven who loves us and is all-knowing and all-powerful.  It is through prayer and scripture study that I find comfort and peace even when I don’t have all the answers.  And it is through these powerful gifts that I discover the answers that I’m grasping to find.

On a lighter note…today was Friday…which means - FOOTBALL!!!!  Except…right after school I find out the teacher’s meeting that was supposed to be in the middle of the day was moved to 4pm (another reason to be grateful to teach in Hawaii! = )  So…after feeling super bummed…I decided all was not lost and decided to stay and see if we could play after (plus I needed to stay in the office ‘cause I had some keys and stuff for people in the meeting, and people come to make payments and register new students, etc. until late).  Theresa said the meeting should be about an hour…and encouraged me to stay and try to convince the boys that we could still play a good hour/hour-half before it got too dark.  Well…their meeting didn’t end until like almost 6! (although I had a lot of work to do so it wasn’t all bad)  When one of the guys came in after the meeting I was like, “I’m so bummed we couldn’t play today,” and he was like, “No, we’re playing right now!”  So I ran and changed and we played until we couldn’t see a thing!…haha = )  It was so fun!…and we were beat the students for the first time = /  Reminder to be grateful for lights at indoor = )

Just wanted to include a pic...Hannah Montana in Ghana = )

The Goodness of Children

It’s no wonder that the scriptures say, “For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father” (Mosiah 3:19).  I saw so many examples today of the person I want to be someday, and each example was a child.

Pretty much from the second I open the doors to the office at 7, I have parents, teachers, students, and staff coming to ask for this or that (or to demand).  A boy came in this morning, so I greeted him and asked him how I could help him.  He replied, “No, I just came to say good morning” and proceeded to give me a small purple flower!  Talk about thoughtfulness and selfless caring.

During the day, I had such a treat!  On Thursdays, the students get to participate in a “club” for about an hour during the day.  The teachers run the clubs, teaching things themselves or employing teachers from outside.  Theresa (the one who talks in one of the videos) took me around to observe the children, and it was so fun!  Their willingness to try new things, their desire to learn, their humility while learning, their enthusiasm for the simple joys in life - all of it is so wonderful!  Plus it was a first to see African people doing taekwondo…haha…but you didn’t see that in Korea, Lyle…haha ; )

There was one club, in particular, that was SO patient.  There were some problems getting the music equipment for their dance club (they get so excited about it that they’re already asking if it’s happening that week on Monday…when it’s not until Thursday! = )  But instead of getting upset and whining, or running wild with nothing to do…they started singing songs together!  I didn’t get it on video because I had to run back to the office to help someone…but I could hear them from my office singing Hannah Montana’s “Best of Both Worlds”!…haha

During the day I saw a girl be…commanded really…in a rather gruff way to come and get some toilet paper from me.  However, she turned right around and said in the sweetest voice, “Please, Aunty So-and-so asked me to come and get some [shoot…I can’t remember what she called it…not toilet paper though].”  Rather than taking out her frustration on me (I actually don’t even think she was frustrated or spiteful)…she just was so sweet and polite.

After school, Charles (Mandy and Melinda’s 16-year-old “cousin” who lives with their family) was told to take the trash, which he did, clean our dishes, which he did, take these big canister things to the storage room, which he did, go to the little shop thing and pick up some toilet paper, which he did, go and fetch a taxi, which he did - all without complaining!  And then, when he was done and waiting for us to be ready to go, he was playing so sweetly with little Papa - it was so cute!

There was a new boarder that just arrived today, at like 5 o’clock (the reason why Charles had to wait around), and I watched as two girls came over and just started carrying her luggage for her and asking her her name and age and stuff.  The new boarder was really shy and seemed super nervous (understandably)…but the other girls just continued to be warm and friendly.  It was so impressive!

And just a funny side-note - when Theresa was taking me around to look at the clubs, a couple of times, as I was walking past students, they would just brush my skin as I walked by with looks of curiosity…haha! = )

The Food Here Is A-MAH-ZING!

So here's the long awaited food entry.  I've been getting lots of questions about what I'm eating here...but I wanted to wait until I had a pretty comprehensive list.  So I've been adding and adding...and now it's a REALLY long paragraph...but yeah...here's the answer to the question:

Meat Pie (but it's stuffed with a noodle mixture...very little
"meat")

Okay, so I already wrote about jollof rice…which, I think, is still my favorite food so far.  And I talked about the yummy meat pies and “sausage sandwich” (with the chicken hotdog).  But I have eaten so much other delicious stuff (it doesn’t hurt that Mandy is like the best cook ever = )!  They make fried rice…like based on Chinese fried rice…but it’s super spicy and has local flavors like curry, so it’s way better.  I had waakye (pronounced WA-chee), which is rice and beans, and of course it had a spicy sauce on the side, which was really good.  I had fried kokoo (that’s not how you spell it, but I don’t have the right letters on here) which is yellow/sweet plantain with red-red (black eyed peas in a sauce); the red-red was only okay, but I LOVED the kokoo!  I had fried yam spears (like French fries, but with yam - yummier than potatoes in my opinion, but maybe it’s the way they prepare it) and sardines

Waakye and egg, served with "peppeh," the spicy sauce...
and surprisingly it's usually eaten with spaghetti noodles.
The yellow "cheese powder" in the top left is actually gari
(I got laughed at for that one = )...made from kasava.

(and I LOVE sardines!…can’t believe I’ve never eaten them before).  I had a version of coleslaw…again…better than coleslaw I’ve had because it’s not as vinegary and has more types of vegetables.  I had banku…which I didn’t really like.  It’s like this thick paste…kinda similar to fufu…but it’s made with corn and kasava…and it’s got a really sour taste that I just couldn’t get used to.  I had bananas and gha nuts (you take a bite of the banana and then eat a couple nuts - delicious combination!…and their bananas are SO sweet and firm = )  I had local yummy pineapple.  I had strawberry ice cream…haha (good thing I got over more my addiction to McDonald‘s cones ‘cause there are no McDonald‘s here…who woulda thought there‘s a country they haven‘t fattened up yet…haha = )  Mom…I had FUFU!  It was instant…so Mandy said it’s not as good (the real kind takes a long time to make and is very labor intensive because you have to ground kasava into powder using a mortar and pestle)…although I still liked it - but it is SO filling (and

Red-red and kokoo - you can see how oily their food is

she said the instant is nothing compared to how filling the real stuff is…wow!)!  It’s kind of got a mochi consistency…although not quite as connected, if that makes sense.  We had it in goat light soup (it‘s like a huge ball of fufu…and then you ladle the soup around it…and you eat it with your hands…pinching off a ball of fufu and dipping it in the soup - shucks!  I shoulda taken a picture).  Light soup can be made with any kind of meat, but Mandy’s favorite meat is goat’s meat…so she likes to make it with that.  It’s called light soup because it’s light (like thin in texture and not heavy and filling) and it’s super spicy…but good kine spicy = )  And yeah…if you didn’t catch that…I ate goat meat!  Here…meat is always on the bones…so I kinda

DELICIOUS pancakes! = )  Ooooh...with berries they'd be
BOMB! = )

had a hard time getting the meat…like figuring out the parts I was supposed to eat.  But yeah…it’s really fatty and has the same texture pretty much as beef…so I wasn’t a big fan.  The flavor…I’ve heard people describe meat as gamey…so maybe that’s what it was.  Not sure…don’t really know what gamey is…but there was something a little unusual.  I had pancakes…but these are not like pancakes that we have at home.  These are SO yummy…and are slightly sweet on their own…so you don’t need to add syrup.  Their consistency is more doughy (which I love)…kind of like a thick crepe.  I had mpotanmpotan (yam and sweet potato curry) - and it might just be my new fave dish!  It’s got huge chunks of yam and sweet potato

Mpotanmpotan!

in it…so instead of eating it over rice, you cut the pieces of starch and stir them around in the curry sauce.  I think it had goat meat in it, too (off the bone…so it was easier to eat), as well as chicken sausage (hot dog).  I had egg soup…which is like the traditional stew base with egg - sounds simple…but it’s simply delicious!!!!  I had palm nut soup with goat meat…and this time the goat meat tasted better - are my taste buds changing that quickly?!  Palm nut soup is made from the flesh of the palm fruit.  It surrounds the nut or seed…and after they cook it, they smash it and the flesh separates from the seed.  That is used to make the soup - but the fruit is gristly so it’s sieved out and just the flavor and oil (it’s VERY oily!) remain.  I had spaghetti…which is so different than spaghetti at home!  It’s got less sauce…and the noodles are cooked in and

Spaghetti...but you can see the egg and how it's not like
sauce over noodles

mixed with the sauce.  As usual, it’s got delicious heat…and it has scrambled egg in it!...which I absolutely loved!  I had Chinese take-out noodles…haha…but of course they were served with the spicy Ghanaian paste that they eat with so many things (they call it “peppeh,” like pepper).   I had beef palm nut soup with rice…which was actually really tasty, but made me sick…so I think I’m still not a beef-eater.  I had gari and okra soup with fish and goat meat, I believe.  Gari is the powdered kasava that I thought was cheese powder…haha (hey…it was served on my spaghetti) that they mix with hot water to form a dough that is formed into a ball and eaten with the hands.  You take a piece and scoop up the soup it’s in (in this case okra soup, which is really yummy and really slimy) with your hands and eat it.  So far I was

Chinese take-out...haha - of course served with "peppeh"

supposed to eat the banku and the fufu with my hands, and didn’t, so Marian took a pic of me eating this because she said now I’m a real African…haha = )  I hope this entry makes sense!  It’s been added to over a long period of time and I don’t have the patience to go back through and read it all = /  But yeah…the food here is so good!  I really wish you guys could all eat food that Mandy makes - she is such an amazing cook!

Kids eating banku...I ate with a spoon this day...

but I ate the gari with hands this day! = )

This is what it looked like before I devoured it...haha

Some of the SUPER SPICY peppers they use to cook, and
especially to make "peppeh" - the spicy sauce

Look at that incredibly vibrant color!!!!

I'm still mastering the art of biting it open...I still get lots of
plastic in my mouth = /  They've got it down to an art form  = )
Sometimes the bags taste gross depending on where they
were bought from and who's been touching them.

As far as drinks go, it’s so interesting living in a place where you can’t drink the tap water.  That means that there are no water fountains…and getting water has to be a consistent chore…because it’s not like running out of bread or milk…you NEED it!  So far I’ve seen water in a jug (like Menehune water dispensers), in normal bottles, in modified bottles (it’s like a camelbak- ish thing), and in plain bags (where you just bite open a corner and suck it out).  Other than that, it’s been standard juice and soda (although the apple juice I had here was SO good!…like Japanese apple juice = ), except for a drink called Malta.  It’s so interesting!  They said that people who’ve never had it before say it tastes like dirt water…but I actually liked it.  It’s made from hops, so I’m guessing it probably has a beer-y taste.  But it’s carbonated and slightly sweet…and so 

I'm still figuring out drinking out of them, too...haha = )  I
usually just squirt it into my water bottle = )

it’s like a more natural tasting soda to me = )  Oh yeah…and we have powdered milk with our cereal.  I remember mom saying how much she didn’t like it…but it’s SO good! = )  It’s like really creamy…and drinking it warm is delish!

The Camel-bak kine water...I spill it on me every
time I start a new one...haha = /

They have "Dasani" too!

We were driving so I couldn't get the front of the sign...but
this food joint is called WESTEASTERN PALACE...haha = )
I wonder what kind of food they specialize in ; )

A "fast food" place - aka street food

Their freezer...everything in the US is super-sized!

GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!

Kids watching the game (well sorta...it's halftime now)

That’s what they yelled while running around the school when Ghana scored today = )  It’s the Africa Cup of Nations (like the World Cup for Africa) right now…and Ghana played it’s first game today.  It was so fun…we had this TV propped on a couple of computers in the computer lab…and the kids had a tv set on the stage in the assembly hall…and we all gathered around and watched.  I didn’t understand half (or more) of what they said and were arguing about…but it was fun to watch with a group that was so excited and passionate (it was some of the guys I play soccer with, and a couple of other soccer-loving, not in the shape to play anymore teachers and staff…and one random guy I didn‘t know = )

On my way home (it was later than usual because of the game), I passed by a group of kids playing outside…and they just started waving…and ran over to ask my name and say hi…it was so cute!  How fun is that! = )

Mika…what are the chances…for dinner we had ground nut soup (aka peanut butter soup - Mika and Justin were just asking about it because they heard it’s really good…and actually…my mom made some before I left = )!  It was yummy…but I liked mom’s better.  This one was thinner and oilier.  But yeah…for lunch I had street food - jollof rice, fried chicken, and coleslaw!…meaning uncooked produce…and I was fine! = )

I’m Sexy and I Know It

Most big restaurants, businesses, schools, etc.
have these small billboard sign things in front
of them because there's really no other way to
know where things are or find things

Haha…that’s the song I’m listening to right now.  Behind the house, where Chuks holds the events and parties for his business, is a “Comedy Court” every other day.  I haven’t been there yet, but sounds like it’s a Hawaiian Brian’s/sports bar kine deal.  They play football games and music and have a pool table and serve drinks and stuff.  So…there’s pretty much a steady stream of music that I can faintly hear from my room…and can hear clearly from my bathroom and the kitchen.  It was so funny!  The first night I’m in the bathroom getting ready for bed and I hear, “Get Ur Freak On” and “Tonight (I’m Loving You)” and I’m like…wow - the neighbors listen to American music!…and they play their music really loud!  It wasn’t until a couple of days later that I finally learned where it was coming from…haha = )  And the music they play is so bomb!  Like my dream playlist (minus country) - everything from Kelly Clarkson’s “Mr. Know It All” and Beyonce’s “Best Thing I Never Had” to Jason Derulo’s “It Girl” and Flo Rida’s “Club Can’t Handle Me.”  From Bruno Mars’s “It Will Rain” to Pit Bull’s “Give Me Everything.”  From Rihanna’s “Fly” to “We Found Love” and “Cheers.”  I mean…seriously…just like one great song after another…including older songs that I’ve forgotten I love!  Anyways…it’s pretty awesome!

The only thing is, I hear them in the shower, and it’s so hard to refrain from singing.  I’m realizing I used to just sing at the top of my lungs in the shower and in the car…and when no one was home…but now I don’t have a car, someone’s always home…and the walls between our showers are so thin that I can hear them sneeze…haha = )  It’s weird what you take for granted!

Learning Curve

The past couple of days have been a little difficult.  As my sweet, sensitive mother noticed (although I thought I was hiding it well)…I’ve been feeling kind of down.  I remember my student teaching mentor preparing us for our time in D.C., going through the stages of “culture shock” with us.  I don’t remember them exactly, but I think it’s safe to say that I may be coming out of the honeymoon stage, and so I’ve been experiencing feelings of frustration with some things.

Without going into them, I also am learning the truth to that saying, “The more you learn, the less you know”…or something like that.  I’m realizing that a lot of my frustrations have stemmed from lack of understanding…and the more I’m learning, the more I’m realizing that things I’ve been frustrated with have just been due to not knowing enough about the ways and the culture and the people here.
I’m also learning that being here has had a lot of wonderful effects on me.

For one, because things here can be so unpredictable (whether or not we have running water, electricity, drinking water, toilet paper, soap, etc.), I’ve had to learn how to not be so stuck in my routines (and you know how I love my routines…so this has been so good for me!).  Also, I don’t have a mirror in my room or bathroom, and there are no mirrors in the bathroom or rooms at school, so it’s helped me to be less concerned with how I look.  Third, I’ve learned how to be more humble.  Realizing that the way I do things isn’t necessarily the best way, learning that I should listen more and teach less, learning that it’s through the guidance of the Spirit that I’m able to truly make a positive difference.

I don’t think I’m going to leave here going, “That’s why I needed to go to Ghana!”  I think it’s going to be all of these little lessons and changes that are going to be the reason why I needed to come.

I decided to just include some fun, random pics that I've taken = )  Oh...and I added videos to Saturday's entry...forgot to include them when I first posted it

The women here all carry their babies like this...still don't understand how they keep them on...it's amazing!
And usually they're also carrying some huge load on their head!...so incredible!

There are just like tons of goats!  These are just chillin' on the side of the road on a front porch...haha = )

I'm telling you...it defies gravity what they carry on their head!

How cool is this!  Instead of a bell...someone plays these drums to announce recess, lunch, etc.
The best is at the end of the day...I feel like I'm in PCC = )

You find this written all over!...haha = )  I actually saw a guy just peeing on the side of the road.
This sign happens to be right across the lane from my place.

The sun here is amazing (when it's out...the sky is surprisingly gray and dull)!
I love how this kind of looks like a music staff = )

We Love You, Meghan!

Today we had a special fast for my cousin Meghan, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, my Aunty Paula, and the rest of their family.  I just wanted today’s post to be a dedication to her, an amazing cousin that I’ve always looked up to and wanted to be like.  May the Lord bless you to be comforted, uplifted, and strengthened in the challenges that lie ahead.  You will most definitely be in every prayer!

Goin’ to the Chapel

Today I went to a wedding to help Angie, Marian, Melinda, and a couple of other ladies (I’ll be writing more on these incredible ladies soon) serve food.  It was a really interesting experience…and a lot of hard work!  A lot of the things were similar to receptions at home (they were married in the chapel of the stake center, and then the reception was held in the cultural hall…and since we were setting up we didn’t get to see the wedding), but I noticed a couple of big differences that helped me understand this new place a little better (everyday I feel like I learn a little something more…but I’m still so far from understanding!).

The head table and cake table

First, I noticed how simple the room

The centerpieces

was.  The head table was decorated beautifully, but other than that, there were a couple of balloons at the cake table and plates of saran-wrapped nuts on the tables.  The plates and utensils were not paper, even though that’s what I normally see at cultural hall receptions.  As we were cleaning up the food, not a thing was thrown out.  There were some scraps at the bottom of a pan, and Angie took a used piece of saran-wrap to wrap it up to take home (I think the leftovers may have been given to the boarders).  We just have developed some traditions of excess and waster in America that are really silly.  We throw out so much, whether it’s money used on frivolous things, or gobs of paper towels to simply dry our hands.  I am constantly learning ways that I can be a better steward of this earth and the things I’ve been blessed with when I get home.

The food table from one end

Second, as I was serving the food, I think two people said “thank you” out of all 200 or more guests.  And I had noticed that people often don’t say “please” when asking someone to do something for them.  I don’t think this is because they’re rude or impolite…in fact in a lot of ways they are extremely polite.  So many they just don’t put a lot of importance on those words.  Or maybe I got to glimpse what it’s like to be on the bottom.  By this I mean, hierarchically.  It seems to be a very hierarchical society.  I think that’s why pedestrians give way to bikers give way to cars (and little cars give way to big cars).  I think that’s why children submit to adults.  I think that’s why the person serving or doing the “menial” work (the security guard opening the gate at the school, the cafeteria lady getting soap to clean the dishes, the teacher’s assistant coming and asking for medicine for the teacher) is often treated without the respect they deserve.

But yeah…overall it was a lot of fun! = )  There wasn’t a dance = (…but there was awesome African music the whole time with really great beats, and during clean-up I got some people dancing on video = )

The pretty kids at the wedding: Eddy,

Nana (and Papa = ),

and Papa.

This balloon kept him busy for like a hour! = )

One thing this wedding had in common with weddings at home...
the amount of food!

But the actual food options were different...haha = )

Food from the other end if the table -
Lyle...you would've loved it!  FOUR types of rice = )

The newlyweds and some of their friends.
They actually had a schedule on the program of when you were
supposed to go outside and take pictures (like the different wards,
different groups of friends, different family members, etc.).
I loved all of the hats! = )

It was so interesting!  When you don't have drinkable
tap water, you don't have ice.  So the way the beverages
worked was guys went around handing everyone a
bottled water, and then went around popping the caps
off of bottled Cokes or Malts for everyone.  Even the cake
was passed around (they were cut into bite-sized cubes and
put into large bowls and everyone who wanted grabbed one
or a couple).