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| The burial site |
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| Puppy Love |
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| Tried some yummy sugar cane |
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| Bojo Beach |
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| Bojo Beach |
About 5 minutes after I posted the last post, waiting for Nana to come, it started down pouring….I'm talking not buckets but more like bathtubs full. Greeeeaat.
Nana and Sandra both came to the hostel. Nana came in a taxi with her driver Isaac. Sandra just stopped by to see how I was doing and what the plan was for the day. Nana, Isaac and I made our way towards Bojo Beach. The rain had subsided at this point. On the way, we stopped by her friends house, Sarah. Sarah's husband is a designer and I think he might make a dress for me…that would be pretty amazing. Sarah joined us and we drove to the clinic build by Nana's auntie. It took us a while to navigate there because of the bad road conditions. Nana and Sarah kept saying what a shame it was that people who build such big houses (this area had some fairly large houses) have the money to spend on the house but don't at least invest a bit into the streets directly in front of their homes. Apparently the land plots get sold before the people start building and then the government doesn't feel obliged to pay for the infrastructure of the roads. This all leads to big holes in the roads around. It doesn't get any easier after a large rain storm.
We eventually made it to the clinic. Nana had one of the workers there give us a tour. The whole place seemed rather empty. The nurses were chilling in chairs or on the beds, the lab person was just relaxing in his chair when we walked in. I was shown the little theater as well where Arthur, Nana's husband, has performed a lot of surgeries. Arthur was/is very active in this clinic and wants to come back with my dad and I to work there a bit. I didn't see a single doctor on our whole tour which might be the reason for lack of patients. Nana was telling me that when Arthur was working there for two weeks, the place was full. I guess once the people hear there is a doctor, they all come in. Nana's auntie, the one who build and ran the clinic dedicated her life to that place. She died about a year ago and is actually buried on the grounds.
After our clinic visit, Nana, Sandra, Issac and I drove a bit further and where then at Bojo Beach. The set up was quite nice. A lot of palm trees and the seating areas under the umbrellas build of natural material. I imagine this beach being so amazing if the sun is really shining! We had to pay 10 Cedis entrance. To get to the actual beach, we had to take a little boat ride across the river. There were actually a few people on the beach playing volleyball, drinking, tanning (which I don't think was extremely successful for them) and hanging out. We grabbed some spots at a table and ordered some food. I had Yam fries and a little side salad. After eating, I attempted to go into the ocean. The water was warm but the beach was a bit trashy and the water wasn't clear at all. I guess I am extremely spoiled from being in Miami a few weeks ago with crystal clear water. I walked in the water a bit and collected some sand and shells for my mom.
We took the boat back to the other shore and then drove to Nana's other aunt's house. A lot of family members where there for the funeral taking place tomorrow. I met cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. Nana, Sarah and I sat outside and chatted. Over the next few hours our group expanded a bit. They had four dogs running around and the smallest called Pieces became my new best friend.
Around 9:30pm, Issac drove me back to Korle Bu and dropped me off at Pablo's place. The apartment was packed with people! They had ordered Pizza and watched Ride Along. Sadly, the almost two giant pizzas left over were all covered in meat….I was so looking forward to pizza. Oh well. I didn't stay too much longer because I was rather tired.
When I got back to my room, Joy was already in bed although it was only 11:30. She got up and gave me a perfume and a book she was giving me as a present to remember her by. So sweet. I asked her how her clinical exam went. She didn't pass. I felt so bad. She was studying so much. She said she had hoped that coming to Ghana would be more objective than in Nigeria but even though she did well with the questions and apparently could answer more than others, some of those passed and she didn't. She told me she has taken this one several times….I can imagine her motivation must fall after every defeat. I think she will definitely go for it again. Her faith will help her cope.
This morning, she left at 5am. She had three girls come help her pack up her things…before 5am….don't know why this couldn't have happened the days before. Oh well. I saw her off and went back to bed. I wanted to sleep again but soon after the yelling started again. It is starting to get out of hand. This time some girl was screaming around because the water wasn't running or something. Seriously people…..take a damn chill pill otherwise one of these mornings I will come out of my room and start yelling at you and cursing you out with words you may have never used before just to shock you out of your unnecessary hysteria.
I packed my things for the weekend and then there was a knock on my door. It was the porter wanting to inform me that the cleaning people would have to come into the room later because a new roommate was coming today. Nooooooooooooo. I had gotten used to Joy but I really don't feel like a new roommate. I had secretly hoped I'd be alone for a week or so. Oh well.
I came to the hospital for OB ward rounds. I didn't find any of my consultants however. I met a resident of family medicine currently in his OB rotation and he told me to go look on the fourth floor. I went there and still didn't find consultants but two of the students in my rotation. I talked to one of them. He was preparing his patient for the clinical exam. He told me the consultants were pretty busy with exams. I wished him good luck on the rest of his exams and headed down a floor to the NICU.
There I introduced myself to the doctor and asked where my baby was since he wasn't in his bed. He told me to ask the nurses. I was sent from one room to the next until I was in the third room and asked for my baby. They showed me where he was. He was looking good, no more oxygen mask! I asked if his mother had seen him yet and the nurse turns to the mothers sitting in the room and points to one of them. I asked if the mother spoke English but unfortunately she doesn't. The nurse offered to translate. I just wanted to tell her that I was the one who had taken care of the baby after the birth and have been checking on him almost everyday to see how he was doing (I didn't necessarily want to have attention for that, I just didn't want to be the creepy white girl that came and looked at her child everyday). She thanked me through the nurse. I am so happy to see that he is doing so well and feeding.
Now I am sitting in the doctor's room waiting for the other students to be done before we head out on our weekend trip. We are attempting to take a tortro to Cape Coast today. Tomorrow morning, Issac will pick up me and whoever wants to join me and take us to the funeral in Winneba. We will experience the funeral and the big feast afterwards before having Issac drive us back to Cape Coast and back to the others. We will return to Accra on Sunday. Sunday night Nana wants to take me out to a club on the beach. I will try to report along the way if possible, otherwise there will be a post on Monday! Have a great weekend and…
GO BADGERS!!!!! Kick Kentucky's butt in the March Madness tournament. This game is personal for me…get the WIN!!!!! ON WISCONSIN!
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