apologies all around

I know, I know! This is totally overdue! Like, irate-librarian-taking-away-your-library-card-overdue. And I apologize. So what is going on? Well…

…Christopher and I had a great trip. Here are the picture: http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=36104381. Basically we went to Cape Coast, where we stayed at Nancy’s lovely Nancyless house. While there we went to the slave fort and to Kakum National Park, which has the canopy rope walk dealio. From CC, we went to Kumasi, then Tamale, then Peggy’s house and Paga, where the crocodiles were. Paga is the border town and we saw where the crossing to Burkina is. So, in like 4 days, we crossed the whole country longways. Trotros have never been so fun. After Paga, we went back to my house where we just relaxed for a couple days, then to Tamale and then to Accra. It was interesting being the one who knows what’s going on. Highlights included eating at a nice beachside restaurant on New Years Eve, buying and cooking fresh fish and live crabs from the CC market, eating amazing gelato equally amazing banku in Accra, playing Settlers of Catan with Pegs, the canopy walk and listening to new episodes of This American Life on his much-more-current-than-mine ipod. I’m talking to Christopher now on gchat and we’ve decided he’s going to write up something for me to put here about our trip because, really, let’s be honest, this is a pretty lame description of a cool trip.

… I got strep throat. This time was better than last time, though, because as soon as it started, I hopped right-quick on over to the chemical store and bought some mercifully otc amoxycillan. Done and done.

… School has kind of started up again. We were supposed to have a meeting with the district director of education on the 10th, a day before the official opening day, but it got postponed to what looks like is going to be never. So, some vague teaching has started, but its still iffy. I feel like I’m jaded enough to be very whatever about the situation, though. I’ve started doing what I want to do with the kids, so okay. Yesterday and Monday, I started doing computers with P4s. We just did the normal, here is a computer, try out some basic skills with MS Paint deal, but it’s always really fun. They catch on quickly to how to point, move the arrow around and click (although a few of them mysteriously cannot understand that you aren’t supposed to hold the left click down all the time). We have two working computers, so I take them in in groups of 4. When the first two are done, they are all about teaching the other two how to do it. Students teaching students is always a good thing!

… The Bead Project has started. This past week has encompassed realizing that the grant money had been put into my account (“I have how much money, Leon??”), buying a bunch of supplies (plastic bins, glass bottles, glasses, face masks), teaching the kids – PreJss and Jss1 mostly, although others were around too – how to pound and sieve the glass and fill the molds and attempting the first firing (which didn’t work because the fire wasn’t hot enough, a new oven is being made next week!). It’s all very exciting. The kids like it and other teachers are enthusiastic and interested in the project. I took some pictures of the kids pounding and filling the molds. When I go to Tamale next weekend, I’ll post them. You’ll hear much more about this in the future!

… I’m reading Infinite Jest. It’s mega long and really good.

… I’ve been hanging out a lot a lot with Fataiya and Jamilu. We ate amazing banku last night in the candlelight (lights out at a deaf school is just no good). We go on lots of walks to the dam and to Tongo too. Everyday, I’m glad that I have them.

… My trip home is coming up! I fly out of Accra seven weeks from today! And with going to Tamale next weekend and the bead project, the time will go by fast.

 

Okay, my intertime is finished. I promise I’ll be much more prompt with the next post. Actually, that will be Christopher’s relation of out trip! Get pumped!