Time Flies

In some ways it feels like we just arrived in Accra yesterday, I cannot believe how quickly the days and weeks pass.  One of my weekly outings is called Ladies Who Tea - hosted by a different lady each week, and it has been an incredible way to meet other women from many different countries and really network.  I love it!  

Last week we took a group picture - it varies each week!  

This Friday night we attended a wine and cheese event at a friends house and then went to dinner with some other friends at a very nice French restaurant in the neighborhood.  Le Tandem is the name - I had to date the best food I've eaten here at a restaurant, salmon, au gratin potatoes, etc... It is like two worlds here all the time.  The 'I'm definitely in Africa world' and the 'I forgot for a second I was in Africa world' - still feels bizarre to me.  All of it.  :)
On Saturday I did some more adventure seeking with my shopping buddy Jen. We hit the local mall, some local handicraft shops, and another 'tourist trap' art market.  The Art Market was FULL of literally the same things over and over again, and the vendors harassed us to come see their shop, buy their wares, to the point of exhaustion.  I hated it and will likely not go back.  Here are a few pics of our out and about.......

This local basket maker has been around forever, making baskets near the large handicraft shop - riding this crazy bike.  :)

Couldn't resist these two - in training for carrying items on their head?  I don't know but each time I took their picture they would ask to see it and then laugh hysterically at themselves.  Precious!

This is the 'pose' I got after they saw themselves the first time.  

Locals playing soccer - this is a sight you see all the time, playing anywhere, anytime

I also attended the PTO brunch for Chases school - I can't get my videos to download properly - but you should know we were entertained by fabulous African dancing and drumming the entire time.  :)  I met a few other moms with second graders, some parents of kids Chase had already been talking about - He's always talking about the kids in his class, and every name is so different and so not American, and he says them with such ease.  Those are the moments Brett and I smile and say 'he doesn't even really know how cool it is'....he is LOVING his school and that makes us very happy!

Beads Beads Everywhere Beads

A couple of my friends and I took a little jaunt this week to TK BEADS - a bead production facility.  Ghana, and many places in Africa, are known for their jewelry, beading, etc... This particular location is one of the closest to us so we decided to check it out.

Beads here are all handmade using broken glass and bottles - recycling at its finest.

Clay molds are used for each type - colored dye is added to clear glass and beads are cooked and hand painted with designs; colored glass beads have nothing added and are made in many different shapes.  

Glass is crushed into very fine powder before being put into molds....

Africa mold and star mold

 Cooked in clay ovens

hot glass out of the oven

making the bead holes while it's hot

 And then the beads are cleaned up with sand and water  - turned into something so beautiful!!

Each of these sweet people we met play a part in creating such beauty......

Our tour guide and sales girl - a HOOT!  So happy to do her job - many lessons to be learned folks!!

in charge of the blue beads

prepping beads for painting

hand painting designs

putting holes in hot beads

making clay for molds

Stringing the beads

This was my first experience since living here where I felt an overwhelming flood of emotion......you drive up to this 'production' facility and again, it is like NOTHING you expect.  Life here is so RAW and from an outsiders perspective - HARD.  Yet, they are living their life with such JOY.  They were so HAPPY to share their craft with us.  The young kids at work was especially hard for me, but again, it's one of my first times viewing it with my own eyes.  In a different way than kids on the street, begging, which is also common here, these young kids were working - helping their family provide.  I held it together this time - but this outing has been vivid in my thoughts ever since.  It was AWESOME!!!  I loved every second of it - I cannot wait to go back!  I should say, too, that we all came home with a fantastic assortment of beads......again, pictures do not do it justice!  I wish you could all be here to witness it first hand!

Experiences are always made better when sharing them with friends!!

These cuties let us snap their picture on the way out......

I continue to be fascinated at life here and not in a glamorous, fancy way but in the raw way that I mentioned before.  It continues to be nothing like I expected or imagined - in all the good ways and hard ways.  I'm still processing it all in my head but I feel at peace and happy here.....it is such an easy place to love!

(Disclaimer: there are things I do not love - like brushing my teeth using a water bottle every day, but it is a very small inconvenience in the grand scheme).  

First Day of Second Grade

The day started a little rough - Chase was very nervous but came home loving it (as I knew he would)!  It's going to be a great year!  He played 'Skittles' at recess and also learned that no English is spoken in French class......

First day in International School 

Drew wants to go too

Gabriel from Italy is our new buddy

Louisa is another new friend

Miss M - I am about to leave at this point and you can see the fear in his eyes.....trying to keep the brave face.

I had a day out with friends after and while we were having coffee, peacocks were hanging out next door and came to visit us - including this little baby peacock with his mom.  The first day of school is complete - we can all let out a sigh of relief.  :)

It's like Christmas in August!

Last week on three different days we received parts of our shipment of goods.  Oh happy days!!  Let the sea of boxes and trying to find a place for everything begin!  Only a few more crates to receive -   hopefully we'll see those this week!!! It's a bit overwhelming after living without it all for so long (was nice) - does make you wonder what in the world you need it all for?!?  I am, however, very grateful for my Keurig!!  I have missed my coffee!

Good Eatin'

I do the same thing everywhere I go.  Talk to people, ask lots of questions, listen, and take notes.  They know - they've done it - they lived there (here) before me.  And then I see for myself, make my own assessments, and hopefully have something to share with the next inquisitive person.  I do an equal amount of seeking things out on my own - but this weekend we patronized two local eateries recommended by friends.  Chix-n-Ribs, owner comes from Chicago - ribs, burgers, wings, (we also had a Snickers shake).  It was good - the first 'fast' food we've had here.  

But THEN - we had brunch at the swankiest hotel in town, The Movenpick.  I didn't even try to take pics of the hotel (will save that for another time) but let's just say it is FABULOUS!!!!  The brunch is fancy and not something you experience every day.  It will be a very nice place to revisit when we have guests, or just need some rejuvenation.  Our favorite parts (really it was all my favorite) was the coconut milk served straight from the coconut, and the huge dessert bar - to include cream puffs shaped like swans and chocolate cherry mousse.  Another perfect touch was the band that serenaded us the entire time.