Junie's Online Thoughts
Thursday, February 26, 2004
This morning I was making an egg sandwich. When I cracked open the second egg, it had two yolks. Thats never happened to me before. Besides being twin chicks, they would have been siamese chicks because the yolks were merged together. Isnt that weird?
Leaving tomorrow for Togo and the Volta Region. Wont be back online until Monday.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Last night was one of those nights where someone should have knocked on my door and given me an award for cooking such a fabulous meal. Black beans with just the right spices, hot salsa, guacamole AND homemade tortillas, folks. I made my own tortillas! Its actually really easy and soooooooooooooo good. One of those meals that are so tasty that you eat and eat and eat and then fall into a food coma, even though youre still so happy. (Leah, when I get home, Im so making you black bean quesadillas with these tortillas. One of the perks of being neighbors, eh?)
Its so hot. I cant stand it.
Thats it for now...
Monday, February 23, 2004
Ooops forgot. Somehow, a bunch of missionaries heard about our complex and decided to stay in the house directly next to ours. I have pretty strong feelings about missionaries...they're the last thing this country needs. How about schools instead? Or wells for the hundreds of communities without access to clean drinking water? Or how about health care for women and children? AId for the disabled? Or any sort of development job that might help a Ghanaian earn enough money to live. Any of these is so much more helpful than some white guy preaching to the citizens here. Anyway, these guys were loud, with strong New York accents. They never left their house. THey just had a few Ghanaian guests and would sit in their living room and shout while reading the bible or debating their philosophy. I very nearly screamed at them a number of times....especially when they opened their mouths about American politics. (A direct quote: "George Bush claims he's been saved. So we support him. He allows Bible studies in the White House, so he's a good guy. We believe the previous administration was evil and corrupt and power hungry." WHAT?? What planet are you from???? Or "All these feminists demand things 50/50. Well, its not 50/50. According to the Good Book, women are beneath men and should obey them." GRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!) Thankfully the boob-heads left last Friday (Hallelujah) and that made me incredibly happy.
We were reading All God's People need Walking Shoes (I think that's the title) by Maya ANgelou. It just made me ponder what a trip to AFrica might mean to an African American. I imagine that there would be both the feelings of returning to their homeland and wanting to fit in and be accepted by AFricans, and also the betrayal by all the Africans who sold their brothers and sisters into slavery to the European and western traders. Its such a loaded experience, and one that I cant truly understand because Im white. There are so many situations I dont have access to, or arent welcomed into because I am not of AFrican heritage and thats difficult sometimes. Ive lived here almost a year, and think I have a pretty good understanding of the culture and people in Ghana. At the same time, I will always be a foreigner here, no matter how much I try, because Im white and an American. Its all very strange, and hard.
Thats all....I just forgot to come back to these two things that I mentioned last Friday.
I woke up this morning feeling nervous. Today's the day I begin the job hunt, and its not something my brain is prepared for in Ghana. Last Friday, the British High Commission advertised an open spot within their visa section...where I would apply. There arent many positions available, and I imagine they will have an onslaught of resumes, but I really think I want it. The pay is great...967 pounds a month (or about $1500) and its only a three month temporary job...exactly what I need. I also dropped off applications at the Canadian and American embassies, but the guards at the front refused to let me in to speak to someone. Who knows if my resume will actually even arrive in the personnel department. Im going to call all three places later this week. I'll know by early next week if I even have a chance for the BHC job...interviews are all on next Friday. I hoofed it today and walked to all three places as well as the Togo Embassy to get a VISA. We're planning on going back to Lome this weekend so I can get another 60 days on my VISA and hopefully have a better time in Togo than last time. My French isnt any better, so chances are slim. But maybe with Jeremy there my luck will change.
I go back at 2:30 to pick up my passport.
Its so hot. Crazy hot. And its only 10:44 am.
Well, wish me luck everyone. If none of these jobs pan out, I have to decide if I want to apply at OPE, a refugee organization run by an American non-profit. Its a good chance I'd get hired there, as their turnover is quite high. THe pay is decent, the co-workers are okay, but the problem is that if hired, I would spend the majority of my time in large refugee camps for three weeks at a time....Guinea, Sierra Leone, Senegal, wherever they're going. While the chance to travel sounds slightly appealing, the thought of being away from Jeremy for a month at a stretch doesnt sound so nice. So we'll see. I need to decide in two weeks and then just do it. The money would be so nice, both to help us in England, and to make a cushion for when we get back to Atlanta. Otherwise, my options are very very slim for employment here.
So send happy good British job-getting vibes my way. Im out.
