Junie's Online Thoughts
Friday, July 11, 2003
The gallery exhibit was weird. The guy wasnt actually dead, and he was Swiss. He donated a bunch of money to the National Theatre, as well as computers, phones, fax machines, digital cameras and over 50 artifacts. The museum directors started over a half an hour late, then the drumming and dancing guy began. A group of folks had already snuck under the special red tape to view the art, others gathered in front of the podium with the hoardes of guys with video cameras. After many lingering speeches by the director, the chief, the board of directors, the swiss guy, they finally presented the swiss guy with some presents (and also his son and wife), they showed off the new fax machine and ceremoniously cut the tape.
Everything was crowded into one section of the musuem---it was mostly terracotta figurines and gold weights or jewelry. Immediately next to this display was an exhibit of pretty good paintings. Soon the waiters arrived with beer, wine and juice. When they came out with trays of strange meats, weird sandwiches and deviled eggs, the Ghanaians mobbed them like they hadnt eaten in six weeks. They continued to do so every time the waiters appeared, nearly tipping them over and knocking over the trays. I cant remember a time where I was more appalled at social behavior....disgraceful. I even saw a group of girls hoarding the food and stashing it in a black plastic bag to take home. I had to get out of there.
We took Erin to the Orangery and ate tasty food. Then we went home. Folks were supposed to call us to tell us where to meet up with them, but they never did.
Today Im feeling mildly sick..my stomach is quite angry with me and my mouth feels itchy. I hate feeling yucky. It makes me crabby and sad. Tonight we're having a nice supper of salad and tofu....I will probably go to bed early if I continue to feel this way. Ive had a loose stomach all week long, but no other symptoms...no fever, no headache, no aches, but I still worry that my intestines wont return to normal. Still full of itchy bug bites too, although Im nearly 99% sure we dont have fleas. It still might be bedbugs or something similar...who knows anymore.
Thursday, July 10, 2003
Hmmm.....let's see. Lasagna dinner went great and the food was awesome. We had six folks in all and everyone seemed happy and full at the end. Today my friend from Heather's village arrived into Accra. Her name is Erin and she wants to stay at our complex. Im trying to hook her up with the landlords, but they were both gone this morning. Tonight there is a show at the National Museum that this peace corps guy put together. Its artifacts that some guy basically stole from the country years ago. He felt guilty, so after he died, he ordered them sent back to Ghana with some money so they could build up the museum and put on a show. From what we've heard, the employees at the museum gave the money away to all the other employees as bonuses instead of putting any of it towards the upkeep of the museum. They are, however, putting on this show to display these artifacts. If I think about the whole situation long enough, I get really mad.....its like, why give money to the head of the museum when it all gets pissed away? How is that helping the culture of the country??? Argh. Anyway, we might go and see the show, then come home to chill. Nothing else going on....
Wednesday, July 09, 2003
Its humpday. Whew. Who would have thought I would need a humpday in Ghana? We're having a lasagna dinner party tonight and Im on the search for cheese. Should be fun. Jeremy is getting a driving lesson from Erin this morning. This is good. Then he might actually use the car.
Thanks to mom and Marta for the last bits of mail.....hooray!
Otherwise, things are fine. Its warm, normal life.
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
Nice weekend. I needed a break...I've been a little stressed out lately. It felt great to sit at the beach, watching the ocean, enjoying the sun, eating good food and reading. Erin and Terry went with us and we all shared a room. It was very fun and relaxing.
Came home yesterday. Watched the first Indiana Jones movie, then cleaned the house. Jeremy and I made a delicious but speedy supper. Then we saw five termites walking around our house. (if I believe what the peace corps guy told me in Amedzofe, the waterfall place, then they were termites.) We have bug problems.
Today is for catching up...emailing...grocery shopping...then dinner at Lothar's. His wife arrives from Holland tomorrow, so I dont know if we will be seeing much of him in the next few days. :) Thats it for now.....
