Baked Beans, Potato Salad and Beer

Today wasn't as I expected, but most days are that way. Any of you who are really fanatical about lists, getting things done on time, or meeting deadlines, don't plan on spending a lot of time in Ghana. The best laid plans seem to go asunder most days. Not that you don't get anything accomplished, but this is not the goal oriented society as in the US.

Laurene, Cindy and I went to Adum (pronounced a-doom) or the downtown area as Irene is having a birthday this week. Laurene needed to get her a present and fabric was the item. I LOVE to go fabric shopping, especially here. I could fill my suitcases with yards of beautiful fabric to bring home! Colors, designs, textures, it is a virtual haven for fabric freak like me. Then another trip to Opoku for supplies…this is a daily event here.

We caught a cab to Adum and got out in the heart of Kumasi. Saturday, market and shopping day, cars, loud African music, people everywhere and poor Cindy has to herd Laurene and me around in this confusion, making sure we don't fall in the open sewers or get hit by a car. She takes us to fabric stores, I look, touch, feel, and dream of how beautiful these pieces would be made up in a long skirt, or maybe some nice table linens for a very festive table, tote bags, shirts, and I wonder if I can get by with wearing a lab jacket to work in some beautiful bright colored Ghanaian fabric? Okay, no more dreaming, this is serious business. We find a piece of fabric that screams IRENE all over it, so we purchase. I drool, they drag me out. Up the hill to the post office. Not your usual post office as all the boxes are outside, under cover but outside for 24/7 access. Cindy gets the mail for Laurene, and Laurene turns me loose to go 1/2 block to the book store man. Now, first of all, Edward NEVER turns me loose. That spells trouble. I have 1/2 block of total freedom. The book seller man has a great place on the street with a ton of books (literally). Lots of medical books, law books, old Time magazines, old National Geographics. Next to fabric, book stores are my favorite! Cindy and Laurene show up with the Book Store Man himself in tow. We are introduced and he hugs me like we have been friends for 40 years and I haven't seen him in 25! Anyway, this is funny because last night we were talking about him. He has this 'shop' and then his home, which was described as being very nice, very large and full of books. I saw pictures…rooms full of boxes of books! He invites me over to see his house before I go back to the US and that will happen!

Next off to Opoku again. My favorite spice lady vendor has spices for the spaghetti tonite (how did I get stuck cooking 2 nights this week????) so I am pleased. Laurene is in Opoku standing by her tote basket which is on the floor. The place is packed. She reads off the list, Cindy and I run and get stuff, bring it back, dump it into the basket and before you know it, the shopping is done, complete with Chinese toilet paper, which is 3 ply I might add for extra strength I guess. I call Edward who has ended up getting his car fixed all day. He says he will be right there….hummmm, I have heard that before just a few hours ago. While in the check out line there are two abrone girls and I start a converstaion, as usual. They are from Germany and here for a year working in an orphanage out of town. We check out and go outside to wait for Edward. There is a plasic table with chairs we can sit at, so we set our stuff down and get comfy.

Darn, forgot the chocolate. Back into Opoku runs Cindy. Now let me explain something here. If you look up Ghana exports, you will see that cocoa is one of their major exports…and gold. I have yet to see any gold shops or fine jewlry shops in Kumasi (maybe Accra has them all) and chocolate????? We went to three places today and couldn't find a bit! Okay, maybe not a good year for production.

As we waited for Edward, the girls turned me loose again and I walked up the block to the Opoku Wholesale shop. I go in. This is the Sam's Club of Ghana…100 pounds of rice..you got it, 6 pack of Corona (that IS bulk by the way) you got it, Boxes of drinking water, you got it and I think I even remeber a 12 pack of Coke. It was great. I only wish I could get pictures of these places, or you could experience them first hand. It is truly wonderful!!! Really.

Back to the girls. I am sitting with them watching the women with their wares on their heads. Fish, water, fabric, anything you want to buy, it is on their heads. I see a lady walk by with ribs on a tray on her head. My thoughts immediately turn to….KANSAS CITY BBQ!!! Baked Beans, Potato Salad and a nice cold Boulevard. It is hot enough, and my mind drifts. I find myself smiling, thinking of great times with friends, eating ribs, baked beans, potato salad, sigh…no I am not homesick but food sick. Laurene jars me back to reality. "hey Mary, there are those rats you were talking about on your land last week" and she points to the lady and the 'ribs' on the tray. WHAT????? I look closer. Darn she is right, those are road kill grass cutter, flat, hard, and looking like a slab of ribs.

Moral to this day, well, I love Ghana. I love being here, I love being hot, I love cold showers, I love the people. Thus, ribs, baked beans, potato salad and nice cold beer. Things I love and am thankful for each day that God has given me to be here. Each day I learn something, experience something and make a new friend.