I went to the market again today because I had to pick out fabric for my traditional African outfits. I am pretty excited to see how they turn out! The market went as usual . . . I have caused some problems in the market for Janet because people see me with her and assume I have given her lots of money so they won’t bargain as low with her . . . kind of funny. At the market you can get EVERYTHING literally like anything you need including a husband!! This older man selling oranges decided he was going to marry me and then we could go back to the states together. He was joking but proceeded to announce to about 30 people around us that we were getting married and everyone should look at his new white wife (As if everyone wasn’t already staring at me!!). I kind of want to take some pictures in the market but I feel it would be a little awkward. Imagine walking through Wal-mart and having this random person taking pictures of you and groceries in the store . . . um I would be pretty creeped out!!! So I think maybe next time I will go and have Pearl take pictures of me with some of the vendors that we go to every week because some of them remember me.
After market we went to the seamstress so I could pick styles for my outfits and be measured. There were so many to choose from!! The outfits are supposed to be done by the end of this week so I guess I will see how they are then.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday July 10, 2009
I learned how to do laundry today. The machine has an open top and you have to put the water in yourself. After it spins you have to take each garment individually and rinse it in a bucket. After everything is rinsed, the clothes are placed in the other side of the machine that spins them, then they are placed on the line. Surprisingly it was faster than the machines in the states, but it was more work and you have to wait a while for the clothes to dry. I went to work and then had my first night out. Pearl, Philip Jr., and I went out to dinner and ice cream in this area of town that “never sleeps.” It was however pretty empty due to Obama’s arrival that night. It is interesting to see how another country reacts to a visit from our President in comparison to foreign leaders coming to the U.S. Roads are shut down, people gather, flights are delayed, hotels are closed . . . honestly it is pretty ridiculous. Obama comes for less than 24 hours and people’s lives are totally disrupted. People couldn’t get to their homes because of traffic/road closures, women were going into labor and couldn’t get to the hospitals, etc. In general people were really excited for Obama’s visit but frustrated by the traffic and road closures. City “beautification” has also taken place due to his coming such as road repairs, weeding, and the white-washing of the castle which people appreciate but are frustrated that these things don’t happen regularly.
Tuesday July 7, 2009
I got up pretty early today to meet Frank’s group at the airport, however they ended up being almost 3 hours late. It took a while to get everyone situated on the bus and then we headed to the mountains for breakfast/lunch. We went to a guesthouse where we ate and then continued our trip to Kumasi. Along the way I saw plenty of the giant snails being sold on the side of the road . . . apparently they live in the surrounding jungle. After an hour or so we made it to the hotel which was pretty nice. We ended up getting there much later than expected so Philip and I stayed the night at the hotel in order to ensure that everything at the church building site was prepared for the group. Frank’s group consists of about 16 people and they were all pretty tired so they had a chance to rest and shower while we headed out to the build site. It was really interesting to see the way they build . . . nothing like in the states.
Later we headed back to the hotel for dinner then I went to bed pretty early.
We had breakfast early the next morning and then everyone went to the build site to work, but everything wasn’t prepared as it should have been. Upon leaving for the airport the day before I didn’t know if we were going to be staying out in Kumasi, but if we were to stay, we were going to leave early the following morning. This didn’t happen however and we ended up spending several hours at the build site where I was completely useless in my flip-flops and capris!! I felt so terrible just standing around while everyone worked!! During the time with this group I did meet a couple of great girls who I hope to keep in contact with when I return to the states. I also met a baby kitten, a few goats, and a little puppy named Skipper who kept getting in everyone’s way. I was able to help make lunch (PB &J) and we left soon after that to return to Accra. On the way home I saw several random dirt piles which I found out are ant colonies and they are HUGE!! Like 3 feet tall or a little more. It takes years for the colony to grow and it continues to grow as long as there is a queen. The dirt from the these piles is especially good for making the mud houses in that region because the ants refine the sand which allows for a very strong structure . . . in case you didn’t know. I worked for a couple of hours when I got home and then was done for the day.
Later we headed back to the hotel for dinner then I went to bed pretty early.
We had breakfast early the next morning and then everyone went to the build site to work, but everything wasn’t prepared as it should have been. Upon leaving for the airport the day before I didn’t know if we were going to be staying out in Kumasi, but if we were to stay, we were going to leave early the following morning. This didn’t happen however and we ended up spending several hours at the build site where I was completely useless in my flip-flops and capris!! I felt so terrible just standing around while everyone worked!! During the time with this group I did meet a couple of great girls who I hope to keep in contact with when I return to the states. I also met a baby kitten, a few goats, and a little puppy named Skipper who kept getting in everyone’s way. I was able to help make lunch (PB &J) and we left soon after that to return to Accra. On the way home I saw several random dirt piles which I found out are ant colonies and they are HUGE!! Like 3 feet tall or a little more. It takes years for the colony to grow and it continues to grow as long as there is a queen. The dirt from the these piles is especially good for making the mud houses in that region because the ants refine the sand which allows for a very strong structure . . . in case you didn’t know. I worked for a couple of hours when I got home and then was done for the day.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Exploring!!
Sunday July 5, 2009
I didn’t write about Friday because I was so tired after staying up and watching Fast & Furious 4 with the older kids. Anyways I went to work and we had devotions with everyone in the office which was interesting. I worked on a few different things and Philip, Abraham (the other man that works in the office) and I met to make a schedule for the month and discuss what needs to be done to prepare for upcoming seminars. ICM is basically responsible for organizing several seminars all throughout the country so there is a lot to do. I will be doing some traveling to a different region of the country at the end of the month for 3 days and on Tuesday I will also be traveling with Frank’s group after we pick them up from the airport. Before watching the movie, the entire family had a devotion to together at the house. . . I think they do it every Friday.
I have some corrections to make to my previous posts. First of all what I thought was a spout on the little bags of water was actually just a hole you bite in the plastic. . . my bad! And the little specs bugs are actually ants. So they seem to have the smallest and the largest ants I have ever seen. Another observation that I can’t believe I forgot to mention is the way people carry things here. Most people don’t have cars and therefore walk everywhere so they carry things on their heads!! Well the women do. Now that I think about it I have yet to see a man carry anything. And they carry heavy things. . . like REALLY heavy at least 70 or 80 pounds! And the women also take cloth and wrap it around them and their babies to carry them on their backs. Why we don’t do this in America I don’t know. It makes complete sense. The baby is touching you so they are happy and they are strapped to your back so your arms are free. Genius!!
On Saturday I got up and went to the market with Janet, Philip Jr., Pearl, & Karen. /the market is on Wednesdays and Saturdays so it can get pretty crowded. Apparently Janet is usually the only one that goes in (When I say in I don’t mean inside) but Pearl and I joined her while Karen and Philip Jr. waited in the car. It is an open air market where there is tons of food and spices and anything else you can imagine being sold. Everyone called me Obruni (white girl) and would ask how I was and that was about it. Everyone also stared. . . like really stared at me which was a little awkward but it gave Pearl and I something to laugh about. Before we started shopping Janet got a carrying girl. Basically you pay them to carry all of your stuff. . . on their heads of course in this like tub thing. The market was pretty neat. Definitely not something I would want to do all of the time but something that has to be experienced. It is crowded and smells pretty bad in a lot of areas because they have smoked whole fish everywhere which is used in a lot of sauces. People are trying to squeeze through these tiny areas and there are guys with these big carts that will try to come through that yell “I go! I go!” and let me tell you they go!! They will seriously run your ass over!! I quickly learned that if you hear “I go” to move out of the way!! There were also live snails like the size of softballs. I couldn’t believe it!! Apparently they are pretty expensive. There were all sorts of little live sea creatures to buy too like crabs. We didn’t get any of that stuff but bought tons of other things and this little lady carried it all on her head all throughout the market for like 2 hours probably. Anyways it was so heavy that by the time we got to the car she and Philip Jr. both had to lift it and then when we got home Dennis and Philip Jr. both had to carry it into the house and these boys are not little.
After market, we all went on shopping adventure because Karen had Prom that night. It was the first time her school had done it so we had to find a dress and shoes. American girls would not be able to handle this kind of shopping. The shops typically only have one size or maybe two in each style and Ghanaian women tend to be bit curvier but Pearl and Karen are both very thin. Needless to say it took a while to find a dress but it was fun shopping and seeing different parts of the city. We were gone for quite a while and had these little doughnut things to snack on at the side of the road that were really good. People also walk around selling coconuts that they will put a hole in so you can drink the juice then they will cut it up for you to eat. Pretty freakin great!!!
After we found everything we headed back to the house and made fufu which is a project. First you have to cook cassava for a couple hours as well as some plantains. After you cook it, you have to pound it into this dough mixture with this giant mortar and pestle. (I have pics of this so you will see!!) I did some pounding for a while but my arms got tired pretty quick. The boys are the ones that usually do the pounding and Pearl scoops the mixture from the edges to the middle. I know if my brother was pounding something with a huge stick I would never put my fingers near it but apparently they do it about every week!! You eat the fufu with a spicy soup. . . super spicy soup that has meet and veggies in it. The base for the soup is chilies, onions, garlic, and ginger so you can imagine how hot it was.
Once we finished lunch Philip, Mama Essie, and I went to the mall to try and find an ATM and a phone for me. People go through cash like crazy here so finding an ATM with money in it was a challenge!! We never found one at the mall that would work but it was interesting to see the mall. We later went to a bank and I got money and we stopped to get Mama Essie a treat from the store. We ended up getting ice cream, Lays, and peanut butter.
On Saturday I wore long pants all day. Previously I had worn skirts. Saturday night I went to bed with several bites on my legs. How this happened I am not sure. I was outside a little more than normal, but not really at dusk or the evening. Apparently they flew up my pants and started chomping away because they are grouped together on a couple spots on my calves and on my ankles. Bummer!! They itch like crazy and I guess it’s time to break out the repellent!
Sunday morning I got dressed and went to church which everyone dresses up for. Most women wear traditional African clothing to church which hopefully I will own by the time I come home. There was a wedding at church so that was neat to see. It kind of took place like in the middle of the service and they didn’t take anything out of the service so we were there from 9:30 until 1:00. . . quite a while. You would not believe the way people dance in church it is so cool. Most of the songs weren’t in English but it was still interesting to see/hear. The sermon was done in English but there was also a translator for those that only speak Twi. The wedding was similar to those in the states but the wedding party also consists of a little groom and bride which I need to ask about but basically it was two little kids dressed like they were getting married in addition to the flower girls, bed man, and maid of honor.
I didn’t write about Friday because I was so tired after staying up and watching Fast & Furious 4 with the older kids. Anyways I went to work and we had devotions with everyone in the office which was interesting. I worked on a few different things and Philip, Abraham (the other man that works in the office) and I met to make a schedule for the month and discuss what needs to be done to prepare for upcoming seminars. ICM is basically responsible for organizing several seminars all throughout the country so there is a lot to do. I will be doing some traveling to a different region of the country at the end of the month for 3 days and on Tuesday I will also be traveling with Frank’s group after we pick them up from the airport. Before watching the movie, the entire family had a devotion to together at the house. . . I think they do it every Friday.
I have some corrections to make to my previous posts. First of all what I thought was a spout on the little bags of water was actually just a hole you bite in the plastic. . . my bad! And the little specs bugs are actually ants. So they seem to have the smallest and the largest ants I have ever seen. Another observation that I can’t believe I forgot to mention is the way people carry things here. Most people don’t have cars and therefore walk everywhere so they carry things on their heads!! Well the women do. Now that I think about it I have yet to see a man carry anything. And they carry heavy things. . . like REALLY heavy at least 70 or 80 pounds! And the women also take cloth and wrap it around them and their babies to carry them on their backs. Why we don’t do this in America I don’t know. It makes complete sense. The baby is touching you so they are happy and they are strapped to your back so your arms are free. Genius!!
On Saturday I got up and went to the market with Janet, Philip Jr., Pearl, & Karen. /the market is on Wednesdays and Saturdays so it can get pretty crowded. Apparently Janet is usually the only one that goes in (When I say in I don’t mean inside) but Pearl and I joined her while Karen and Philip Jr. waited in the car. It is an open air market where there is tons of food and spices and anything else you can imagine being sold. Everyone called me Obruni (white girl) and would ask how I was and that was about it. Everyone also stared. . . like really stared at me which was a little awkward but it gave Pearl and I something to laugh about. Before we started shopping Janet got a carrying girl. Basically you pay them to carry all of your stuff. . . on their heads of course in this like tub thing. The market was pretty neat. Definitely not something I would want to do all of the time but something that has to be experienced. It is crowded and smells pretty bad in a lot of areas because they have smoked whole fish everywhere which is used in a lot of sauces. People are trying to squeeze through these tiny areas and there are guys with these big carts that will try to come through that yell “I go! I go!” and let me tell you they go!! They will seriously run your ass over!! I quickly learned that if you hear “I go” to move out of the way!! There were also live snails like the size of softballs. I couldn’t believe it!! Apparently they are pretty expensive. There were all sorts of little live sea creatures to buy too like crabs. We didn’t get any of that stuff but bought tons of other things and this little lady carried it all on her head all throughout the market for like 2 hours probably. Anyways it was so heavy that by the time we got to the car she and Philip Jr. both had to lift it and then when we got home Dennis and Philip Jr. both had to carry it into the house and these boys are not little.
After market, we all went on shopping adventure because Karen had Prom that night. It was the first time her school had done it so we had to find a dress and shoes. American girls would not be able to handle this kind of shopping. The shops typically only have one size or maybe two in each style and Ghanaian women tend to be bit curvier but Pearl and Karen are both very thin. Needless to say it took a while to find a dress but it was fun shopping and seeing different parts of the city. We were gone for quite a while and had these little doughnut things to snack on at the side of the road that were really good. People also walk around selling coconuts that they will put a hole in so you can drink the juice then they will cut it up for you to eat. Pretty freakin great!!!
After we found everything we headed back to the house and made fufu which is a project. First you have to cook cassava for a couple hours as well as some plantains. After you cook it, you have to pound it into this dough mixture with this giant mortar and pestle. (I have pics of this so you will see!!) I did some pounding for a while but my arms got tired pretty quick. The boys are the ones that usually do the pounding and Pearl scoops the mixture from the edges to the middle. I know if my brother was pounding something with a huge stick I would never put my fingers near it but apparently they do it about every week!! You eat the fufu with a spicy soup. . . super spicy soup that has meet and veggies in it. The base for the soup is chilies, onions, garlic, and ginger so you can imagine how hot it was.
Once we finished lunch Philip, Mama Essie, and I went to the mall to try and find an ATM and a phone for me. People go through cash like crazy here so finding an ATM with money in it was a challenge!! We never found one at the mall that would work but it was interesting to see the mall. We later went to a bank and I got money and we stopped to get Mama Essie a treat from the store. We ended up getting ice cream, Lays, and peanut butter.
On Saturday I wore long pants all day. Previously I had worn skirts. Saturday night I went to bed with several bites on my legs. How this happened I am not sure. I was outside a little more than normal, but not really at dusk or the evening. Apparently they flew up my pants and started chomping away because they are grouped together on a couple spots on my calves and on my ankles. Bummer!! They itch like crazy and I guess it’s time to break out the repellent!
Sunday morning I got dressed and went to church which everyone dresses up for. Most women wear traditional African clothing to church which hopefully I will own by the time I come home. There was a wedding at church so that was neat to see. It kind of took place like in the middle of the service and they didn’t take anything out of the service so we were there from 9:30 until 1:00. . . quite a while. You would not believe the way people dance in church it is so cool. Most of the songs weren’t in English but it was still interesting to see/hear. The sermon was done in English but there was also a translator for those that only speak Twi. The wedding was similar to those in the states but the wedding party also consists of a little groom and bride which I need to ask about but basically it was two little kids dressed like they were getting married in addition to the flower girls, bed man, and maid of honor.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Getting Settled
I can’t believe I am saying this because I know I am going to regret it, BUT I have yet to be bitten by a mosquito. I haven’t used any repellents, nets etc. and have not found any bites. I know I previously mentioned they were bothersome but there are actually these other teeny tiny bugs everywhere. They are like little specs but they are all over and get into/on everything. I am pretty positive I have to have eaten a few hundred by now!
Today I got up and went to work after breakfast. I don’t believe I have ever gotten ready without a mirror before until today so that was interesting. I didn’t think to bring one but putting on makeup here would be pretty pointless as would doing my hair since it is so humid. I did discover that I have used curling/straightening irons for so long/often that I don’t need a mirror to straighten the front of my hair which was a pleasant surprise!!
At work I compiled a bunch of photos from various conferences and seminars and am working on putting captions with them so pages of the photos can be included in this booklet used for trainings. I will continue to do administrative work and do to conferences and seminars where I will be interviewing participants among other things.
Last time I went abroad I found that people seemed to be more interested in my everyday life than the big things that I did so here it goes. I have my own room and bathroom complete with shower, toilet, & sink. Before I left I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into as far as living conditions but luckily I do have electricity, running water, flushing toilet, etc. so that answers a lot of people’s questions regarding my living situation that I didn’t previously know. At this point I am only drinking bottled water that has been filtered and purified because Philip wants to have me ease into just the filtered water which is what everyone drinks here. It actually comes in these little bags with spouts so that is different. As far as food goes I have had amazing pineapple, bananas, and watermelon. I also had this really good fruit juice mixture that is from South Africa. The food has been similar in many ways to that in the states. Rice, pasta, oatmeal, bread, crackers, etc. The only difference would be the spices probably. I have had stew (Yes Mom with chicken) and it was tomato based with other vegetables in it and was a little spicy but good. Tonight we had Jala (I need to check the spelling) which is a rice dish that tasted similar to the stew. We also had chicken once again on the side and I am not dead yet so I think I will be fine for all of those who were worried.
I ended the night watching TV with all of the older kids. Like everywhere else in the world they have a bunch of American channels which is a little sad to me but what can you do. We watched the Cosby show, Friends, and a Michael Jackson video. Bed time!!
Today I got up and went to work after breakfast. I don’t believe I have ever gotten ready without a mirror before until today so that was interesting. I didn’t think to bring one but putting on makeup here would be pretty pointless as would doing my hair since it is so humid. I did discover that I have used curling/straightening irons for so long/often that I don’t need a mirror to straighten the front of my hair which was a pleasant surprise!!
At work I compiled a bunch of photos from various conferences and seminars and am working on putting captions with them so pages of the photos can be included in this booklet used for trainings. I will continue to do administrative work and do to conferences and seminars where I will be interviewing participants among other things.
Last time I went abroad I found that people seemed to be more interested in my everyday life than the big things that I did so here it goes. I have my own room and bathroom complete with shower, toilet, & sink. Before I left I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into as far as living conditions but luckily I do have electricity, running water, flushing toilet, etc. so that answers a lot of people’s questions regarding my living situation that I didn’t previously know. At this point I am only drinking bottled water that has been filtered and purified because Philip wants to have me ease into just the filtered water which is what everyone drinks here. It actually comes in these little bags with spouts so that is different. As far as food goes I have had amazing pineapple, bananas, and watermelon. I also had this really good fruit juice mixture that is from South Africa. The food has been similar in many ways to that in the states. Rice, pasta, oatmeal, bread, crackers, etc. The only difference would be the spices probably. I have had stew (Yes Mom with chicken) and it was tomato based with other vegetables in it and was a little spicy but good. Tonight we had Jala (I need to check the spelling) which is a rice dish that tasted similar to the stew. We also had chicken once again on the side and I am not dead yet so I think I will be fine for all of those who were worried.
I ended the night watching TV with all of the older kids. Like everywhere else in the world they have a bunch of American channels which is a little sad to me but what can you do. We watched the Cosby show, Friends, and a Michael Jackson video. Bed time!!
I Made It!!
God decided it was time for me to meet Philip (the man I am interning for/living with) at around 10:45 a.m. after a long wait for baggage. It was so great to meet him and I can already tell he is a really great person. We headed to the house in his truck and chatted while I took in everything. There are a ton of street vendors which reminded me of Jamaica a bit. The people here are very friendly and very attractive. I went to my room and unpacked a bit and then met the whole family. There is Philip (Dad/Country Director of Ghana for International Christian Ministries), Janet (Mom), Philip Jr. (25), Pearl (23), Dennis (20), Karen (15), and Mama Essie (9). They are all awesome and I will have to write about them later because I am really tired but first some First Impressions.
1. There seems to be a big mixing of classes and some people have HUGE houses. . . like Hollywood big houses.
2. It is super humid, but I was prepared for that.
3. Most people dress pretty similar to people in the US and I am wishing I would have brought shorts and tank tops because they would have been appropriate. Oh well.
4. There are lots of lizards, like giant lizards that are multicolored (Pic coming soon)
5. I have no idea what God has for me here in Ghana but I have decided it is something pretty big.
6. The people here are pretty.
7. The fruit is excellent. I had the best pineapple ever today. . . really no joke even better than Hawaii. I also had an excellent banana. As someone who eats tons of fruits and veggies this is pretty exciting.
8. Just driving around you see tons of Christian advertising for various things. It is everywhere!!
9. I am super excited to be here!! But mosquitoes suck!!!
1. There seems to be a big mixing of classes and some people have HUGE houses. . . like Hollywood big houses.
2. It is super humid, but I was prepared for that.
3. Most people dress pretty similar to people in the US and I am wishing I would have brought shorts and tank tops because they would have been appropriate. Oh well.
4. There are lots of lizards, like giant lizards that are multicolored (Pic coming soon)
5. I have no idea what God has for me here in Ghana but I have decided it is something pretty big.
6. The people here are pretty.
7. The fruit is excellent. I had the best pineapple ever today. . . really no joke even better than Hawaii. I also had an excellent banana. As someone who eats tons of fruits and veggies this is pretty exciting.
8. Just driving around you see tons of Christian advertising for various things. It is everywhere!!
9. I am super excited to be here!! But mosquitoes suck!!!
More Struggles
The next morning I got up at 2:45 a.m. got ready and took the shuttle to the airport. I did not get to the airport 3 hours in advance but I did get there at 3:50 a.m. to already find a line at the special services counter. **I am typing this in my bed and just had the biggest ant I have ever seen crawl next to me!! It had like spider legs!!!** Anyways I got through that line in about 40mins (The counter opened early) and went through security no problem then waited for some kind of food place to open. I sat for a while ate something and then it was time to get on the flight. Well it should have been except that the little scanner thingy was broken so it took forever to get boarded aka late departure. We finally pulled away from the gate only like 10 minutes late then just sat for a while (In my past experience this has never been good). The pilot came on and told us they were troubleshooting something that wasn’t working also known as the plan was broken. We headed back to the gate after having sat in the plane for about an hour got the gate and after about 20 minutes the plane was no longer broken. . . From then on the flight was pretty good. I slept some mostly because I was tired and frustrated and once again pissed because the volume didn’t work in my row for anything the whole trip. Having never flown Delta I was unaware that many people choose the airline just for the individual TV you get. My neighboring passenger informed me of this because she is one of those people. At this point I would like to remind everyone not to fly Delta!!
We arrived at JFK over an hour and a half late so of course I was stressing about missing my flight (Again). I arrived just in time to go to the restroom and then to my gate which I found had been changed. I made it there to find the flight boarding meaning no food for me. Everyone got on this plane rather quickly which was pretty surprising because it was a 777, however for some reason this plane departed late as well. We headed for the run way and then a storm started and then it stopped and then the wind shifted and then we sat and sat and sat and sat some more and changed runways and sat some more til the point they even turned the movies on for us. We continued to sit for about 2 hours. Super fun. At this point I began reflecting on how understanding I had been the previous day with knowing God had me miss my flight for a reason but now I was getting confused. Luckily I sat next to this really cool guy (No not like I want to date you cool).
So before I left Waco my African Studies professor had told me that Obama was suppose to be in Ghana when I was there. No one could confirm this for me at home but yeah he is definitely coming here in two weeks and I know because I sat next to one of his secret service agents on the plane. This of course was really awesome for me because I have considered working in similar fields. He was really interesting to talk to because he has worked for secret service for like 10 years and done tours all over the place. He also worked for the state department and gave me some interesting insight into that agency. Anyways he and his fellow agents are here in Accra preparing for two weeks before Obama’s arrival.
Flight went pretty well. TV worked. I slept quite a bit which was a pleasant surprise. I guess I am getting more accustomed to sleeping on planes. We hit some turbulence at the end but had a great landing in Accra just a little over an hour late. Delta still sucks!!
We arrived at JFK over an hour and a half late so of course I was stressing about missing my flight (Again). I arrived just in time to go to the restroom and then to my gate which I found had been changed. I made it there to find the flight boarding meaning no food for me. Everyone got on this plane rather quickly which was pretty surprising because it was a 777, however for some reason this plane departed late as well. We headed for the run way and then a storm started and then it stopped and then the wind shifted and then we sat and sat and sat and sat some more and changed runways and sat some more til the point they even turned the movies on for us. We continued to sit for about 2 hours. Super fun. At this point I began reflecting on how understanding I had been the previous day with knowing God had me miss my flight for a reason but now I was getting confused. Luckily I sat next to this really cool guy (No not like I want to date you cool).
So before I left Waco my African Studies professor had told me that Obama was suppose to be in Ghana when I was there. No one could confirm this for me at home but yeah he is definitely coming here in two weeks and I know because I sat next to one of his secret service agents on the plane. This of course was really awesome for me because I have considered working in similar fields. He was really interesting to talk to because he has worked for secret service for like 10 years and done tours all over the place. He also worked for the state department and gave me some interesting insight into that agency. Anyways he and his fellow agents are here in Accra preparing for two weeks before Obama’s arrival.
Flight went pretty well. TV worked. I slept quite a bit which was a pleasant surprise. I guess I am getting more accustomed to sleeping on planes. We hit some turbulence at the end but had a great landing in Accra just a little over an hour late. Delta still sucks!!
Don't Go Delta
My parents and I went to LA on Sunday night to ensure a timely arrival at LAX on Monday morning. We got up early after very little sleep because as usual I did last minute packing, and headed to the airport which was pretty crowded. I finally got through the check-in line only to find that I had to go to the “special services” counter since Ghana requires a VISA to enter the country. You would think this is something they might tell you in your itinerary, but they didn’t. This “special services” line happened to include a variety of people including those who had missed flights and had to reschedule and therefore moved extremely slow. There were a lot of people who were missing their flights due to waiting in this line and I soon became one of them. Passengers on my flight were actually called out of line to be processed, but it was about 5 minutes too late. The Delta lady who was “helping” me was extremely rude and constantly told me that I should have been at the airport 3 hours in advance not two for an international flight. She then informed me that the “special services” counter did not open until 4:15 a.m. and that I should plan on being at the airport tomorrow at that time to check-in and be at the front of the line. Seeing as how my flight was at 6:20a.m. I m not sure how being there 3 hours early would help at all if the counter wasn’t even open??!! So basically I was pretty pissed I had missed my flight, the other 2 leaving for NYC (Where I was going) that would be in time for my connection were full so I had no choice but to wait for tomorrow. Sucky deal!!!
So rather than spending Monday flying, I spent it in LA because Mom had her surgery on Tuesday so the parents had to go home and I stayed at the hotel for another night by myself which Mom was not happy about at all!! It was actually pretty relaxing except that I felt sick all morning. . . I am guessing from a mixture of stress and anger.
So rather than spending Monday flying, I spent it in LA because Mom had her surgery on Tuesday so the parents had to go home and I stayed at the hotel for another night by myself which Mom was not happy about at all!! It was actually pretty relaxing except that I felt sick all morning. . . I am guessing from a mixture of stress and anger.
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