Junie's Online Thoughts
Friday, January 24, 2003
Whew! Finally got Jeremys bday stuff...part of which is probably melting in my bag right now.
I figure I should probably tell y'all about what is going on in Ghana, since you probably dont hear about that back home. The biggest two news items right now are the public hearings and the price of gas. Back during the 2nd president of Ghana, there was a coup, then a counter coup, then a counter-counter coup lead by J.J. Rawlings. He later turned over the reign to a civilian president (the 3rd). But the president alienated the military, so J.J. lead a coup and regained military control of Ghana from 1981 to 1992. In '92, he was elected as the 4th president until a few years ago when they elected a new president. Currently, there are public hearings about some of the tortures and imprisonments that occured during the time of J.J.'s power. The government wont pursue any legal action, but want to acknowledge some of the atrocities that happened during those 15+ years. Since we dont have a TV and we dont get the paper every day, I havent heard that much about them. But I have heard a few and they are pretty awful. People being thrown in prison without formal charges for five years, barely fed, beaten and tortured, not allowed visitors, then told they have to stay in jail for another five years. Women raped, or with gunpowder and hot peppers put up their genitals and locked in rooms for days to suffer. Its amazing the horrible, horrible things people will do to each other when given a role of power and no consequences.
The second news item is that there was a huge hike in gas prices, more than doubling the price per gallon. (10,000 cedis to 21,000) Just when we figured out fair prices for the taxis, we have to renegotiate...only to have them immediately demand a price three or four times higher than a few weeks back. Even the trotro prices have increased....still cheaper than taxis (an increase of 600 to 900 or from 900 to 1400), but it does make a difference for people who dont earn that much and need to get around. I imagine there will be hikes on lots of things...from the supermarket to the street...anywhere transport plays a role in the product or if they can just capitalize on a higher price.
Otherwise...just having a lazy day. Havent done even a third of whats on my to do list. Jeremy will go back to work on Monday, and I need to somehow recreate my resume this weekend for a meeting next week. Im meeting with the director of the Ark, this nonprofit-ish organization that works on womens rights and abuses. I want to see if I can volunteer for a day or so a week...just to ease into doing something "productive." Im not bored yet, so Im not in any rush to fill every minute of my day. But it would be nice to meet people on my own, and do something officey, and meet real Ghanians. I will keep you posted...
Thursday, January 23, 2003
I have to make a correction from yesterdays blogger. It may have been malaria that jeremy had (from mosquitos) even though the doctor didnt detect any specific malaria antibodies in his bloodtest. The malaria meds seem to be working, so it could have been malaria or it could have been something else. In any case, he feels much better but still took the day off to tend to me and to recuperate fully.
Last night Stacey bought a birthday cake for Erin (on Friday) and Jeremy (on Saturday). The cake wasnt that good, but I ate way too much of the super sweet frosting. Later that night, I got as sick as a dog. Sometimes my body freaks out for no reason when I eat cakes...the same cakes that I can eat without any affect just wig me out every once in a while. So I had these awful stomach cramps and couldnt get comfortable because my gut felt like it was full of rocks. No vomiting, but plenty of running to the bathroom. Finally I got about two hours of sleep, then was up from 3 am until 6 am, crashed for a few more hours, then asked Jeremy to call Vicki, the teacher, to let her know I couldnt come to class today to help. She understood, and I slept all morning. Ate a little oatmeal, had a little broth....still feel a little ooky, but nothing like last night. We looked like the sicky twins walking to Tower today...plugging along SLOWLY down Oxford Street, barely making it here without needing to take a break. Its pitiful. And y'all know how much I hate being sick. Blech. Such an interupption.
Still have no idea on what to get Jeremy for his 30th birthday. I want it to be special, but Im at an absolute loss as to what to buy. Nothing too big or heavy to carry home, nothing too expensive at this early stage of the trip, nothing too functional. Argh.....I will spend the better chunk of tomorrow wandering around in frantic search of something appropriate. Wish me all luck.
Wednesday, January 22, 2003
Poor Jeremy. He got sick yesterday. I had woken up early to go running, and when I got back, we had breakfast. Jeremy was getting ready to leave for Legon to meet with a fellow who agreed to help him organize a day where Jeremy could present his research before we left. I was going to the bathroom when Jeremy said, you have to move, Im going to throw up. It was gross, and projectile, and I wanted to throw up myself. He decided to stay home instead of leaving. (Im so thankful he got sick before he left, rather than on a crowded trotro on the way to the University...that would have been unfortunate.) Later he developed a fever, and a headache and felt a bit achy. So around 2:30, we took a taxi to the SSNIT hospital down the street. There I read, while he was bounced around from place to place. Since he had been to the hospital last year with about the same thing, he already had a SSNIT card. He put it in a box and waited to be called. About five minutes later, they called his name and sent him to another part of the hospital. When it was decided that he should have a doctor consult, he was directed to the cashier to pay 100,000 cedis. (You pay before you get served.) Then he waited for the doctor. When he moved to the doc's office, he relayed his symptoms and was then interrupted by a Lebanese man who had had a mild heart attack and needed the doc's attention. Soon he returned to Jeremy and sent him to the lab room and the injection room, after first paying again at the cashier's desk (150,000 cedis). At the lab, they took his blood from a pin prick to his finger, and he peed in a cup, then moved to the injection room to get a shot in the butt to bring down the fever. The doc called him back to discuss the results. There were no malaria antibodies, but his platelets were low, so he got a prescription for an anti-malarial, a multivitamin and something to help him sleep. Unfortunately, the hospital didnt have the meds, so we went to the pharmacy down the street. (I got to read my murder mystery while waiting...All that remains by Patricia Cornwall....pretty good.)
The pharmacy was fast and easy...and 80,000 cedis later we were homeward bound. Jeremy kept drinking the gatorade/koolaid stuff I bought him, I made dinner of veggie soup, and he rested. Today he stayed in bed all day...felt much better than yesterday, but still sick-ish. He is still a bit warm, but not nearly as hot as the day before. The sleep medicine turned out to be some allergy medicine, but it seemed to do the trick last night. Hopefully by tomorrow he will be feeling better and can return to Legon to meet with the guy whose appointment he missed.
His birthday is this weekend and I have no idea what to get him. I was thinking of getting his portrait done, but its too expensive. Back to the drawing board.....
Monday, January 20, 2003
Wow! What a great weekend! We left early on Saturday (after waiting for the terminally late Nina, who had hooked up with Leon, this tailor down the street, and was acting all secretive about it). Jeremy, Nina, Stacey and myself headed off to Keneshie to shop for fabrics at the market attached to the bus station. Keneshie is kind of like Makola, only smaller. Jeremy hates it, he thinks its dirty, and it is...but no more than many other places in this town. Its more organized here, I think, with different products located on different floors of the Keneshie bus station. There were four floors, with fabrics on the top. Stacey was looking for this really pretty embossed fabric to make a little bubu for her nephews (these muslim style long ankle length shirts and pants). We were just looking. Nina and STacey went nuts and bought a ton of stuff. Jeremy bought some blue embossed fabric to make a shirt and I bought a dress for my goddaughter (Hi, Sydney!) (Her birthday was back in December, but due to the horror stories I heard about missing packages, I decided to just bring her gift home when I come in September.)
ANYWAY, finally we left around one-ish for our destination, KoKrobite, a beach about thirty minutes out of town. Hopped on a bumpy tro tro and we were off. The hottest place to stay is Big Milly's, but they dont list a phone number to call for reservations. When we arrived, we discovered that four bus loads of loud Australians had landed that week and the place was booked. They offered a tent for us, but it was too cold and we were ill equipped for that. Instead, Nina and I found another guest house right next to Big Milly's on the same beach. One room was left with a big bed for 100,000 cedis and the German owner, Dominick, offered to give us cushions for someone to sleep on the floor. We plopped down our stuff, bought a beer and settled down on the beach. Ahhhhhhh............................................. Supper was a feast, albeit a slow one. The restaurant at Milly's was totally overwhelmed with all the Australians so we ended up waiting for over two hours for our food. But I tell ya, when it came, it was daaaaammmmmnnnnn gooooooooood. I had the grilled sea bass (very much like a steak, actually...it kept freaking me out), sweet mashed potatoes and veggies. Jeremy had a good veggie burrito. We stayed to watch the African dancers and then headed to sleep at our guest room. (Jeremy got the floor. The three gals shared the bed.)
Next morning, we watched Nina take dancing lessons on the beach, ate a yummy breakfast of eggs and fruit, then sat on the beach all day. Watched the fishing boats unload their morning catch. Laughed at the goofy local kids. Played a little in the ocean with Jeremy, got a little pink from the sun, ate a awesome pizza at the other veggie restaurant down the road and chilled. It was great. I can totally understand folks who want to buy a little shack and live by the ocean. Sell a few shells and necklaces. Drink a few beers. Have an easy life. How can you possibly be stressed out if that is your life??
We paid, and having spent all of our money, caught a cheap tro tro back to Keneshie, then a tro tro back to Osu.
That night, Stacey offered to make a dinner of crepes. She had brought some flour and sugar to our house before her trip to Mali. However, after she mixed the eggs and milk and flour, she realized that the flour was full of bugs. Orginally, we tried to pick them all out. But when we saw the worms and larvae, we gave up and washed it down the sink. Stephen, who lives in the house with STacey, offered some stale bread, and we had some kick ass french toast. Mmmmm....... Stacey had some Ritz crackers with chocolate frosting....who could ask for more? Spent from a day at the beach, yet totally relaxed, it was a great day/night.
Today I played the devil, and convinced Jeremy to take the day off. Worked out. Walked to Asaasepa, this vegetarian restaurant (they have an equivalent in Atlanta and Chicago...aka Soul Vegetarian...affiliated with the Black Hebrew movement and strict dietary rules, they offer some good veggie grub). This version, although they frequently run out of nearly everything on the menu, is good and CHEAP. We ate too much, drank too much red zinger, walked home and came here. I guess the internet cafes are back up in town, but Tower is under construction so only one of the four rooms is open and its always full. Better to come here where the connection is fast and the place feels like I could be back home.
Its been a good string of days....with lots brewing this week. Tomorrow Im going to check out Pippas, this expensive gym. Rumor is that they offer a free week membership and I want to get some of that action. Wednesday I want to check out a yoga class, Thursday I visit the class to help teach, Friday I am running some books to a friend of Tims. He's left for Senegal for a month and has lent us all of his CDs, books and coveted cell phone!! So for those of you who want to call, we have a phone to use for a month or so. If you want the number, email me, ok? No idea what it costs...probably a few bucks for each minute....pretty scary, but good in a pinch. Thats it for now....
