Blast from the Past....

Found this on my laptop today, written just a few weeks after we moved to Ghana. Made me smile.
(Pic left - the only way to carry a mattress in Ghana!)

July 21, 2006

Am feeling good. I am sitting in our room at Paloma (the hotel which is our home for now) watching Ashes create her own dance styles to the dancehall CD playing – a fusion of Jamaican dancehall moves, Dutch MTV culture and now the newly acquired Afro-Ghanaian moves. It’s funny to watch and it makes me feel good.

After the hectic rush of our first week, this week was great! We are house sitting for a friend for the next four week. It’s in the middle of town and fabulous – roof top garden, unlimited internet access - a bit of home while looking for a home. Ashes got her first ever summer job! She is working down at Busy Internet helping with customer service in general – helping people to log in and use the internet, answering simple questions, helping with re-booting machines etc. We had a very grown up discussion today with her telling me how good it made her feel when ‘ her’ customers were happy. She also surprised me about how much she learnt in the past week about hardware and software stuff. Cool. Spoke to her boss today who told me I was blessed to have a child like her. I believe him – it’s something I have given thanks for. I am so proud of her!

Found a house that we both liked in Tessano and agreed to go for even if it meant traffic! Nice manageable garden and most importantly loads of space for visitors! Four bedrooms, four bathrooms - after Holland any house that has more than one bathroom seems like a luxury! - living room, den, dining room, a study, huge kitchen and plenty of storage space. There is even a two bedroom, one bathroom helper’s quarters separate and at the back of the house. What more could one ask for? After the hassle of real estate agents from hell and houses that look like re-furbished pig sties trust mi, dis one nice fi true J it’s the kind of place I know we will like coming home to and be happy in.

I am also settling in to work. I have to be patient (my vice) and it is so hard. Things are just that much slower. Forget appointments and time – they take on different dimensions in Ghana. As one person advised – adjust my expectations and adapt, just don’t adopt! Sensible words to live by I am sure. My main counterpart from the Ministry of Education is a Reverend (yes, church pastor preaching reverend). So far I haven’t gotten the invitation to church yet, but I am sure in time I will. He is one of those persons who is always busy. Doing what exactly I am still to find out. Will be interesting if nothing else.

That said all is well so far. Few tears and no tantrums from Ashes about leaving her friends which was good. It would be unfair to say that we don’t miss Holland – we do, after all it adopted us (or did we adopt it) for five and a half years. Will see what Ghana holds though – not sure how long we will be here for. Guess only time will tell.