The packages I got blew the mall out of the water. I said I don’t need any but people seem to have a hearing problem. Therefore the neighborhood kids got to try American candy and liked it; my 4 closest adult friends got American candy and LOVED it. I thought Mr. Agba was drunk dialing me but he had his mouth full of gum and had just had his first M & Ms. I ate enough to upset my tummy the first day and then decide it was worth it to do it again the next day and the next.
Finally we have a Kente shop here almost completely stocked. They make some really cool products but never have them ready for when tourists come. As I can afford it I’m getting a package together for people back in the US. It’ll probably take about 3 months to be able to afford and get things made. If you have any requests email (nomar2122@yahoo.com) me and I’ll get it to you, especially if you sent a package!
Last week our tourism management team met with NCRC (Nature Conservation Research Centre) and we’re in the running to have them build us a visitor’s centre! Right now we have no good way to absorb tourists, if we got that it would help so much. They want to help but they’re going about it the right way. They won’t just give us the money; we have to accomplish certain goals. The first is to have a constitution written up. We have to edit our first draft and get it to NCRC this week hopefully. The paramount chief is really excited about this and it helps to have his support. This is why I’m here. I know it seems petty but all that GVSU Rowing Board stuff has really helped running the meetings.
Yesterday morning we were to have a meeting at 6 am, a few people showed up at 7 and we decided to have it at 5:30 pm, welcome to Africa. I’ve been having dinner with Mukaila and his fiancé Ayisha most nights and it’s really nice because we have conversations and I feel like I blend in with them and that’s not a feeling I get here. Lunch is still at my restaurant usually. It’s no Arnie’s but it’ll have to do. The yearbook Chrissy sent me made me want to work at Arnie’s again so bad, I miss those people.
The old government is giving the new government a hard time when it comes to filling positions. One night I watched some of the vetting process and it was almost funny. Simple things like spelling errors still happen here at high levels and someone misspelled one of the members of Parliament name on a form and they were trying to have that stop her from swearing in.
On 2 separate occasions’ women over 35 asked for my number this week. The girl PCV’s get it much worse. Julie, my closest neighbor, wants us to get rings but what happens when I meet the German volunteer of my dreams? Anytime I get a letter from a girl Mukaila thinks I’m engaged. He’s pretty worried about me and is probably taking me to the beach for Valentines Day.
I weighed in for the 2nd time since I got here and am up a few pounds to 183, I came in at 197 but it’s good to put some back on. Sunday literally as I hung up the last of my laundry it started to rain for the first time in 2 months. It poured and I did the cliché’ PC thing and went and stood in it.
“The African sun rises on the horizon. How are you this morning?”-I taught Oscar how to text and this is the first one I got from him