13.7.06
Well, today has been your average Sogakope day, with a little extra French flair thrown in. I think last night I just went home and read some of Gloria Steinem’s book, which is good so far.
This morning I got up early and did wash. I started around 8 and got done around noon..it was pretty intense. As far as I can count, I washed:
8 pairs of underwear
2 small towels
4 big towels
3 bras
4 tank tops
10ish shirts
4 pairs of jeans
1 pair of overalls
1 skirt
2 pairs of pajama-ish pants
So..that was the major part of my day. I then ate a PB&J (it was kind of ghetto, admittably) and went to “work.” I read a picture book of the Amazon that was sometimes in French, played solitaire, met two very strange men who seemed to know me but whom I didn’t know at all, and read a Goosebumps book. I read the Goosebumps book just because I remember how totally into them we were as kids, and now that I re-read one (Monster Blood, if you wanted to know), I see why-every chapter ends with a cliffhanger that turns out to be something totally normal. And then there was a big twist out of the end that seemed more like an excuse to end the book than anything else…anyway, it was funny. Then I went to the seamstress and dropped off fabric-green embroidered fabric to make a “dress” (a top and skirt) and then the brown and pink batik I got a few weeks ago to make just a skirt. I was hoping to have at least one done by Sunday for church, but they told me to come back Monday or Tuesday. And, by the way, it’s only about $2.50 to have a dress made, plus the cost of fabric, which is about $2 a yard for really nice stuff. I love Ghana.
This evening I drank some soy milk at a local bar (yes! Another discovery!) and came here for dinner. (The French was added at the local bar, where the French teacher from Mauwli JSS was having a drink, and so we spoke French for a while, but I suck at speaking, and he talks fast with an accent. So it was hard.) I was going to make spaghetti tonight the old-fashioned way, but I decided that after four hours of wash and a nice sunburn that I should take the night off. So I ate really good fried rice. The cook (I forgot his name but we know each other in that casual acquaintance way) tried to save me about 5,000 cedis by not giving me a receipt..how sweet! I told him I needed a receipt though, and since restaraunts and hotels have to write receipts with taxes added in, I basically paid 5,000 for a receipt. It’s strange how some things work here.
And now I’m here. I think maybe I’ll call Cass tonight or read or do something equally lazy. Maybe I’ll play spider solitaire on my laptop and listen to music..oooh, exciting! Hope you are all having fun. Also, my e-mail is down, and that’s lame. Tell “the Excite Mail Team” to get its act together. Kthanksbye!!
[edit] also, i was eating and watching tv here at cisnero's, and i saw--you won't believe this--an african version of double dare. you know, the old nickelodeon where families do really stupid stuff to like..win a trip or something? yeah..it was totally a double dare ripoff, and it was so fun to watch. thought you'd all be happy about the old nick show legacy in africa.
This morning I got up early and did wash. I started around 8 and got done around noon..it was pretty intense. As far as I can count, I washed:
8 pairs of underwear
2 small towels
4 big towels
3 bras
4 tank tops
10ish shirts
4 pairs of jeans
1 pair of overalls
1 skirt
2 pairs of pajama-ish pants
So..that was the major part of my day. I then ate a PB&J (it was kind of ghetto, admittably) and went to “work.” I read a picture book of the Amazon that was sometimes in French, played solitaire, met two very strange men who seemed to know me but whom I didn’t know at all, and read a Goosebumps book. I read the Goosebumps book just because I remember how totally into them we were as kids, and now that I re-read one (Monster Blood, if you wanted to know), I see why-every chapter ends with a cliffhanger that turns out to be something totally normal. And then there was a big twist out of the end that seemed more like an excuse to end the book than anything else…anyway, it was funny. Then I went to the seamstress and dropped off fabric-green embroidered fabric to make a “dress” (a top and skirt) and then the brown and pink batik I got a few weeks ago to make just a skirt. I was hoping to have at least one done by Sunday for church, but they told me to come back Monday or Tuesday. And, by the way, it’s only about $2.50 to have a dress made, plus the cost of fabric, which is about $2 a yard for really nice stuff. I love Ghana.
This evening I drank some soy milk at a local bar (yes! Another discovery!) and came here for dinner. (The French was added at the local bar, where the French teacher from Mauwli JSS was having a drink, and so we spoke French for a while, but I suck at speaking, and he talks fast with an accent. So it was hard.) I was going to make spaghetti tonight the old-fashioned way, but I decided that after four hours of wash and a nice sunburn that I should take the night off. So I ate really good fried rice. The cook (I forgot his name but we know each other in that casual acquaintance way) tried to save me about 5,000 cedis by not giving me a receipt..how sweet! I told him I needed a receipt though, and since restaraunts and hotels have to write receipts with taxes added in, I basically paid 5,000 for a receipt. It’s strange how some things work here.
And now I’m here. I think maybe I’ll call Cass tonight or read or do something equally lazy. Maybe I’ll play spider solitaire on my laptop and listen to music..oooh, exciting! Hope you are all having fun. Also, my e-mail is down, and that’s lame. Tell “the Excite Mail Team” to get its act together. Kthanksbye!!
[edit] also, i was eating and watching tv here at cisnero's, and i saw--you won't believe this--an african version of double dare. you know, the old nickelodeon where families do really stupid stuff to like..win a trip or something? yeah..it was totally a double dare ripoff, and it was so fun to watch. thought you'd all be happy about the old nick show legacy in africa.