February 11, 2010
John has boils on his head. We took him to the clinic a few days ago. There was a huge thing on the back of his head, and we didn’t’ know if it was a spider bite or what, but they are boils. So we got him pills for it. Also, Co-Joe will be getting his vaccinations tomorrow so that is good to know. Elvis called Ester to make those arrangements.
For today, even though I had talked with Bertha about our deal that I will let her borrow my phone at night so she can have an alarm clock if she will wake me up around 6. But it didn’t happen today, so I will let her use my phone from home for the alarm because she didn’t go to school today because she didn’t get her chores done. It is so sad how the school system works sometimes. Even though a child might be late, they don’t go and learn because they will be beaten hard for being late.
I woke up at 6:40 and headed to the House and helped the kids eat and dress and then washed a lot more clothes. After clothes, we left. Co-joe is such a help and a burden though. He loves to help us wash but a lot of the time he will place clean clothes in dirty water or dirty clothes in clean water. So it is hard but we have to teach him not to do it, but pulling him away and letting him cry about it. Co-Joe has figured out that when he cries, he gets everything he wants. So the volunteers and I are now only picking him up when we think it is healthy. Because he cries about everything and then stops when you walk to pick him up. He is so cute, and we love him so much, but he has learned the crying game.
After that, I came home and learned how they cooked oatmeal. I usually will just heat water and then add oats to the bowl and then water and then wait. But they cook it together and boil it for 15 minutes. It takes awhile, but I am glad that I will be able to do it myself because if I am hungry, I can now eat.
After eating, I went to the clinic. The clinic was great. It started out as usual. Aunti Mary wasn’t there so she might think I didn’t come again, even though I did. I took vitals. I saw a girl with such bad rashes, a lady with elephantitis. Her hand was huge. Not from usual swelling but from that disease. Then I took a BP of a lady at the first time I tried it was 190 over 120 which means she should be having some kind of heart attack or hypertention. But when I read that, I did it again and got the same thing. I was so excited that I knew how to handle her in an emergency if it came to that. I would pop out my nitroglycerin and let her sit and calm down. But I had the other nurse check because I had never seen anyone with that before. She looked at me like “are you sure it was done right?” and so she checked and it was 190/120. It was crazy. I then left around 11 and did my washing and started making bracelets. I bought yarn to make bracelets to sell or a fund raiser when I get back. It will be cheap to make, cheap for people to buy, but really helpful to the kids.
I then went over and interviewed Theresea. She did a great job. I hope it turns out well. I also ate 3 PB and J sandwiches.
We then went up to the house. I helped with homework. It was fun working with Angolina. Angolina and Emanuel are our newest children and they don’t speak English very well and are not literate either. So we teach them every day how to read and write and speak English. So it is fun to come up with lesson plans and teach them and see them improve. We then got a group picture together. I had to hurry to jump in the picture and got in front because it was the easiest open spot, but now I feel bad because I am in front and like I look like a sore thumb. But oh well!!!
We then left the House to go to Elvis’s place around 4:30 to watch Madagascar 2 and have Fanta and homemade popcorn with the kids for Theresea to say goodbye. It was very good and fun.
Tonight, I am going to eat Ken Key which I have heard in like banku, mashed maze and something else. By choice, I don’t like to eat fufu or banku, but I will eat it if it is required. So I didn’t know what Ken Key was when I asked for it. But I guess I should try everything!!!
Later, I will pack for tomorrow. We will be leaving tomorrow at 6 or 7 in the morning. Taking a bus to Accra, saying good bye to Theresea as she heads to the airport. Then Annika and I will travel to the Volta Region.
So I just took my dinner and Ken Key is exactly like Banku. It is just sold alongside the roads. The stew had the fish again mashed in it. I think my face showed it because Mrs. Incoom asked if everything was okay and in the past, I told her that I don’t do well with fish, that I don’t like the smell. But I guess I needed to say it straight, like it makes me nauseous and I don’t like it. So she got a pepper stew instead, and I tried to finish it as much as I could. The fish just smells like it was rotting. Which, I guess one thing they do for a lot of the fish is put it in salt and let it rot for two weeks, so maybe that is why. I don’t know but I hope that I didn’t come off as rude. She said I didn’t and that she understood. But I will also get rice later.
So I am officially 33.3% along the way for this trip. I am feeling at home for sure!!! I love it. There are good parts and bad parts of days but at the end of day, it was always a good day now!!!
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