Sokode-de-de, Sokode-de-de...

Okay, let’s recap the last few days...

Wednesday was our last literacy class with the women. That is crazy to me, time has gone so quickly. We reviewed with the women to prepare for their final exam that they will write on Tuesday so that they can graduate on Wednesday.

Petra and I also picked up our Kaba and Slit’s Wednesday. They are beautiful. Pictures to come (we are wearing them to graduation)!

Thursday morning, Petra and I left bright and early for Busua Beach. We were allowed one more weekend vacation before we went home, so we picked our favourite place, crossed our fingers for good weather, and set off for the super long trotro ride to the best beach in the world for one last tan.

It takes a really long time and it will definitely make it seem not worth the ride at all, but here goes:

-Take a 2 hr trotro ride to Accra

-Take a 4 hr trotro ride to Takoradi

-Take a 40 min trotor ride to Agona

-take a 15 min taxi ride to Busua.

All for one day at the beach.

Friday morning I woke up with a swollen face and hard infection underneath my skin. Sounds disgusting right? Looked exactly how it sounds...and hurt about 3 times as much. I was at the beach though, so couldn’t really do anything about it. I recruited a couple of girls from the town that spoke decent English to show me where I could buy some Aloe Vera rub to put on it until I got home. That pulled a bit of the infection out, but I didn’t have Tyelonol with me for the pain, so I didn’t sleep at all the entire weekend.

Friday evening we went for dinner at the Alaskan Beach Resort and they have a nice monkey on a leash there...or so I thought...I went to take a picture of it and it wasn’t looking at me. So I yelled at it. It didn’t like that and lept up, grabbed and clawed my leg and then proceeded to bite my knee. Guess that’s why it was on a leash? Folks, learn from me, do NOT provoke a monkey. It wasn’t tooooo bad of a bite, but it hurt, and freaked me out for a split second...and bled.

This is the monkey; right before he bit me and right after I yelled at him

Saturday we made our long way back to Asamankese. When I got back in the compound, my face was gigantic and all I wanted was some painkillers to I looked at Auntie Joe, gave her half a wave and then marched right by her to go inside and drug myself.

No such luck. She noticed, and right away assumed that a man hit me. Nope, just have retarded skin...She said, “that place, Busua Beach, it is NOT good for you. It gives you pomples.” “No, Auntie Joe, it gives me pimples, and these aren’t pimples. My face is MASSIVE!”

Me, being stupid, picked at them like crazy, figuring that the infection in the inside just needed to come out and then it’d be fine. Again, no such luck. I was in so much pain I almost puked. Lovely eh?

Belinda took me to the pharmacy in town and for 5 cedis (which is like $3.50ish CAN) I got my antibiotics for the next 5 days. I have to take 2 pills, 3 times a day. I think that’s a little extreme, but if it will shrink my face back to normal, I am down. I also got this face cream called FunBact but everyone always calls it FanBat...weird...but it seems to be pulling the infection out in combination with the 3 times a day that Belinda soaks my face with steaming hot salt water...they are taking good care of me. And I am a suck I have realized.

Belinda, soaking me with boiling salt water until I puke

I told the guy at the pharmacy that if these drugs killed me, I would come after him. He looked surprised first, then a little worried, and then he laughed. I am not sure if he thought I was serious or not, but at the time when I said it, I think I sounded pissed because I was in so much pain. I also miiiight have snapped at the cab driver and told him to stop looking at my face when he gave me a quizzical look...pain makes me grumpy I have realized...I was just embarrassed.

this is from this morning (Sunday). It was double the size yesterday evening

This morning I didn’t have to go to church. Auntie Joe wouldn’t let me actually....she told me I looked yucky and that people would laugh at me. Super nice eh? No, but it’s true. I did look gross and puffy and people WERE laughing at me.

Belinda and I bonded over doing laundry and Rihanna playing the background. She helped me do ALL of my laundry. I packed all my clothes except a few in my bags already now so that I only have to wash a few pieces of clothing. Most of what I left out I am not taking back home with me so that I can make it dirty and then NOT have to wash it...smart ehhh?

I also cleaned my entire room to prepare for the new girls to come and for us leaving since this week and next will be super busy.

Junior and Kate

This is Junior, rockin the new Jets tshirt I gave him

I had my last business class today. Anita brought her two kids, Junior and Kate, and Cynthia brought her son, Sharon. Uncle Ernest stopped by to visit AND, this is exciting, he took the day off from elections to come to graduation on Wednesday!! YAY! SO happy.

I also got all my favourite African songs on my computer now too. Azonto, Sokode. Oh the joy.

13 sleeps til home time. Auntie Mary comes in a week from today, the new interns come in a week from tomorrow. This is nuts.

Tomorrow will be super busy. We have to completely prepare for graduation. The exams are Tuesday and grad is Wednesday. Fri/Sat we go to Accra to say goodbye to the Biney’s, Monday we pick up the interns from the airport and then begins our last week here. It will go fast, I am sure of it.

Au Revoir.