Day 8

Wednesday May 8^th, 2013

We were able to sleep in a bit today which I really appreciated.  Again, crazy dreams last night.  We went to Komfo Anokye teaching hospital this morning.  I ready my marketing on the way.  The hospital is 5 years old and light years ahead of the other hospitals that we have seen.  The doctors were on strike over money issues so the hospital was fairly empty.  At the beginning of our tour the power went out.  They have generators to back it up but for a few seconds the power completely stops.  Having someone on breathing devices seems like this could be very dangerous.  The machines also receive wear when this happens.  They have technicians on call regularly to fix the machines if they do start to act up.  A researcher from Ghana whom lived in UK and heard about Lisa met up with us, Esther.  She saw the work Lisa was doing and wanted to get involved.  She was very friendly and I loved her accent!! We went into the ICU, THE ICU!! So crazy they just let us right in.  There was one patient in there.  The fact that the doctors were on strike really bothered me.  They have a state of the art hospital yet they can’t open the doors to the dying public all because some damn doctors want more money.  You’re a doctor.  Practicing in Ghana.  If you were in it for the money go abroad.  Ghana needs you and they don’t need crap doctors like that.  People are dying and all they can say is ‘people are always dying.’  It really bothered me.  We went into the pediatrics ward and we were able to give toys to the kids.  It was so fun giving away all of the cars the Primary’s gave me.  The kids were so happy.  It took them a while to warm up to everyone but once they did they were so sweet.  Many parents were there and they were just as excited as the kids.  I had so much fun and I am so grateful I could make them smile like that.  After the tour we went out to lunch to las palmas.  I got rice balls with meat.  Now in Ghana it is common to eat with your right hand and wipe with your left.  So my meal came (and they chose my meat) and I ate.  It was a different experience eating with my hand.  The food was so spicy that all of us were sweating bullets.  The meat turned out to be beef but it was still attached to the hide of the animal.  So I had to tear it off and eat the meat.  I also tried grass cutter (basically a rat) and it was pretty good! I love the experiences we are having.  We even got to go to a soccer game today.  It was totally out of the blue we saw Kotoko play which I think I the local regional team.  It ended up being 0 to 0 and rained during a game.  The rain really cleared everyone out of the stands; it was pretty funny.  After the game was called the fans got pissed.  They started throwing their bags of water that explode like water balloons.  When those ran out they threw full water bottles at the referees and the players.  Everyone was so mad.  They really get into their soccer here.  As we were leaving we had our whole group of white people dressed in the exact same scrubs.  The crowd parted and they all stared at us and watched.  The news had announced that since the doctors were on strike they were sending in doctors from Cuba so many people thought we were those doctors.  It was surreal to have all eyes on us like that but it was really fun.  They were all having a tiny riot outside of the stadium but as we walked through a quiet calm passed and people hushed.  It was crazy.  Driving home is always an experience.  We bought some treats form peoples head as we were stopped at lights.  The kids out here just bathe in front of their homes on the streets and they have no problem stopping mid scrub and looking at us as we pass as they stand their buck naked.  Pretty interesting here in Ghana.  Lisa talks of how she feels at piece here and I feel it too.  They are a happy people.  Very religious as well.  Many vehicles have stickers about Jesus on them and many business names have some Christian religious connotation in them.  I love traveling and experiencing different cultures.  I really am so excited we have another couple weeks here.  I am definitely not ready to go home yet.  We are headed up to Mole tomorrow and I am so excited for some elephants! I was able to finish my marketing assignment this evening and get it submitted.  I hope I can get my next two finished early so I don’t need to worry about them the rest of the trip.  It is just a lot of reading but I am really enjoying it.  I know that it is all about what I will be doing with my career so it makes me want to really study it.  I am loving things right now.  I am happy.  Traveling and helping others are the times I feel most content and I am so grateful I can do this trip. These types of trips are things I want to do for the rest of my life.  I feel so happy and at peace and everything just feels so right to me.  Again, I am so grateful.  I’ve again had many experiences to be examples to others by living the standards that I do.  Even Jessica, the Ghanaian from Philly told me today that she just think I am so great.  She thinks I am nice and so cool and just wants to take me home.  I am grateful that living he standards, although sometimes difficult especially swearing, people notice and they respect it and enjoy it.