Please excuse my title, but today on our walk back from the office there was a constant smell of poo. The Cape Coast festival kicked off today, thus our putting together of the two events.
I spent the entire day working on "cheat sheets" of all the products. Putting these together is not difficult, as you just automate a contact sheet in photoshop, but organizing and dividing the images takes a bit of time. Then, once I had all of the sheets finished, I had to send them using the worlds slowest internet connection. I swear....four hours later the file was finally sent.
Around 3:30 everyone decided to go check out the opening boat race for the festival. We walked down to the lagoon, and on the way we passed EVERY kind of street food you could ever dream of! There were FanIce bikes every 10 feet, and sausage, rice, polo, candy, doughnuts, and even an ice cream truck! In my mind I called it The Cape Coast SpreE...anyone from L-town knows what I am refering too. However, I believe the CC festival is not only safer, but I am willing to bet it is cleaner. We will be going back on Sunday for the proper festival events, and to eat our brains out!
After work, I stopped by the Shell station to get dinner...FanIce, a tuna sandwich and a diet coke. A real feast around here! :-) we decided to have a movie night at the house tonight. Let's hope its better than the last one we watched, The Dead Girl. It was so strange. There were big name actors in it, but it completely sucked!
Tomorrow...my workshop on quality control. I will be glad to get that over with!
Peace. Love. Festivals.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Did you just throw a chicken carcas out the window?
Monday.
We all went into the office later this morning, because we spent the frist two hours of the work day folding for the coming shipment. I seems like every time I turn around there is folding that needs to be done. Luckily, between the five of us, we knocked it out. My back is still hurting from it. We really need a higher table.
When I got to the office I had a bit more to fold, and then I had to count the items.....I still need 100 more dresses. That's a lot of folding! Once I finished with that, I started doing measurements for final specs, so that my replacement will know what all measurements should be. Hopefully they will really push consistent measurements this year.
After lunch I worked on making a tassel out of scraps to use for a necklace. It was quite a challenge not using sharp scissors. I think I have to go back to the village this week to work with the women on dog leashes, and scrap necklaces. Samples were trickling in all afternoon, so at 4:00 I finally took photos of them. Then I had to load them onto one of the office computers and pull them onto my flash drive, so that I can use Marias computer for a master spread sheet. With my computer being dead....my progress is greatly slowed. It is so annoying!
The excitement in the office today was when we married Xavi off to Suzzy. He clearly had no say in the matter, and due to multiple language barriers, he still may be confused. We all decided the wedding should be in Spain, and Suzzy said that I can be the Maid of Honor....and you all know that I LOVE being MOH in weddings, so of course I will accept the position!
After work we had to stop at the pharmacy to get Pepo some medicine. Just what I need...a sick dog while I am dog sitting. Grrrrreat. I am going to teach him to be a respectable pup while I am in charge for the next two weeks. When we pulled up to the pharmacy, there were a lot of cars in the road....so we did the Ghanaian thing, and just parked off to the side. I swear, not a second later all of the cars pulled away, and then we were the ones sitting in the middle of the road looking like jerks. Tim could not handle this, so he jumped into the drivers seat, and moved the car to a proper parking space.
As I was just taking my malaria pill before bed, I found a rather large cockroach crawling on my lotion bottle. Seeing that my two options were...kill it, or ignore it....I decided to ignore it. The thought of having to smash it and hear it crunch is far more disturbing to me, than letting it crawl about. Let's hope he leaves me alone.
Peace. Love. New roommate.
We all went into the office later this morning, because we spent the frist two hours of the work day folding for the coming shipment. I seems like every time I turn around there is folding that needs to be done. Luckily, between the five of us, we knocked it out. My back is still hurting from it. We really need a higher table.
When I got to the office I had a bit more to fold, and then I had to count the items.....I still need 100 more dresses. That's a lot of folding! Once I finished with that, I started doing measurements for final specs, so that my replacement will know what all measurements should be. Hopefully they will really push consistent measurements this year.
After lunch I worked on making a tassel out of scraps to use for a necklace. It was quite a challenge not using sharp scissors. I think I have to go back to the village this week to work with the women on dog leashes, and scrap necklaces. Samples were trickling in all afternoon, so at 4:00 I finally took photos of them. Then I had to load them onto one of the office computers and pull them onto my flash drive, so that I can use Marias computer for a master spread sheet. With my computer being dead....my progress is greatly slowed. It is so annoying!
The excitement in the office today was when we married Xavi off to Suzzy. He clearly had no say in the matter, and due to multiple language barriers, he still may be confused. We all decided the wedding should be in Spain, and Suzzy said that I can be the Maid of Honor....and you all know that I LOVE being MOH in weddings, so of course I will accept the position!
After work we had to stop at the pharmacy to get Pepo some medicine. Just what I need...a sick dog while I am dog sitting. Grrrrreat. I am going to teach him to be a respectable pup while I am in charge for the next two weeks. When we pulled up to the pharmacy, there were a lot of cars in the road....so we did the Ghanaian thing, and just parked off to the side. I swear, not a second later all of the cars pulled away, and then we were the ones sitting in the middle of the road looking like jerks. Tim could not handle this, so he jumped into the drivers seat, and moved the car to a proper parking space.
As I was just taking my malaria pill before bed, I found a rather large cockroach crawling on my lotion bottle. Seeing that my two options were...kill it, or ignore it....I decided to ignore it. The thought of having to smash it and hear it crunch is far more disturbing to me, than letting it crawl about. Let's hope he leaves me alone.
Peace. Love. New roommate.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Weekend Update
To sum things up....I spent the weekend at the beach (freezing cold), sleeping, reading, playing Perudo, and learning how to play poker.
Peace. Love. Three Weeks.
Peace. Love. Three Weeks.
Friday, August 27, 2010
You had a body in the trunk yesterday....
Friday!
Another week that was flown by...another week closer to my return to the US.
We got pulled over this morning on the way to work. That's nothing new, but today's pull over was one of the funnier ones. The flagged us down, and when the cop came to the window he asked how many people she was carrying in her car. There was five of us, so that's what she said. He then told her that yesterday there was someone in the trunk. (It was actually two days ago) so she told him the truth, that yesterday there was not anybody in the trunk. He said yes there was...we told him that yesterday it was raining, and in fact there were not any police out on the road. But still he insisted that yesterday we had a body in the trunk of our car. Maria played dumb and said she thought it was ok, to which he responded....We don't do that in Ghana, and that next time she would be sent to court. We told him that there would not be a next time.
I placed a few sample orders today, and took a few photos, and figured ouut how to load them onto the office computer. We had two really good laughs at the office today. The first was when Maria sent out an email saying that Xavi knew a lot about nuts, when she meant to say knots...and the second was when a sample of a small bird ornament came in, and the eyes were sewn to the nose. Its so funny looking!
Around lunch time I went for a walk to find the foreign exchange office, which I hadn't been to since my first day here....but thanks to my internal GPS I remembered right where it was. From there I went on a diet coke hunt, and also made a stop at the ATM. By the time I got back to the office I was hotter than heck.
I went back to the house in the afternoon to work on some of the patterns. First I had to sit in a taxi for 30 minutes, and then I made a quick stop at One Stone to say hello to Judy. I told her that we were going to watch a movie at Elis after dinner, and that she should come sit with us. She thought this was a wonderful idea, and she even decided to order a grilled cheese sandwich. She thinks that they are so funny, and I think she just loves the name.
We didn't actually end up watching a movie, because we were all so tired....but Judy did describe in great detail, a Nigerian movie where someone is doing cocaine. She just kept telling us how messed up the girl was, but she was a good dancer, and the everyone got shot. She was so serious while she described it. We all decided we would pass on that film, maybe at some point during this weekend we will get to some kind of movie. However, tomorrow we are hitting the beach!
Peace. Love. Grilled Cheese.
Another week that was flown by...another week closer to my return to the US.
We got pulled over this morning on the way to work. That's nothing new, but today's pull over was one of the funnier ones. The flagged us down, and when the cop came to the window he asked how many people she was carrying in her car. There was five of us, so that's what she said. He then told her that yesterday there was someone in the trunk. (It was actually two days ago) so she told him the truth, that yesterday there was not anybody in the trunk. He said yes there was...we told him that yesterday it was raining, and in fact there were not any police out on the road. But still he insisted that yesterday we had a body in the trunk of our car. Maria played dumb and said she thought it was ok, to which he responded....We don't do that in Ghana, and that next time she would be sent to court. We told him that there would not be a next time.
I placed a few sample orders today, and took a few photos, and figured ouut how to load them onto the office computer. We had two really good laughs at the office today. The first was when Maria sent out an email saying that Xavi knew a lot about nuts, when she meant to say knots...and the second was when a sample of a small bird ornament came in, and the eyes were sewn to the nose. Its so funny looking!
Around lunch time I went for a walk to find the foreign exchange office, which I hadn't been to since my first day here....but thanks to my internal GPS I remembered right where it was. From there I went on a diet coke hunt, and also made a stop at the ATM. By the time I got back to the office I was hotter than heck.
I went back to the house in the afternoon to work on some of the patterns. First I had to sit in a taxi for 30 minutes, and then I made a quick stop at One Stone to say hello to Judy. I told her that we were going to watch a movie at Elis after dinner, and that she should come sit with us. She thought this was a wonderful idea, and she even decided to order a grilled cheese sandwich. She thinks that they are so funny, and I think she just loves the name.
We didn't actually end up watching a movie, because we were all so tired....but Judy did describe in great detail, a Nigerian movie where someone is doing cocaine. She just kept telling us how messed up the girl was, but she was a good dancer, and the everyone got shot. She was so serious while she described it. We all decided we would pass on that film, maybe at some point during this weekend we will get to some kind of movie. However, tomorrow we are hitting the beach!
Peace. Love. Grilled Cheese.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
So...what are we doing this weekend? Beach...or beach?
Thursday.
You would think that after living in Michigan my entire life, I would know to never trust the weather. This morning when I woke up it was cool and raining. I put on a skirt and a long sleeve shirt, and proceeded to work. A few hours later I stepped outside and was hit in the face with extreme heat! I just can't win.
I went to the office this morning, mainly because it was two of the interns last days. I wanted to say goodbye to them, so I split my day into half office, and half house. While at the office, I worked on our digital sample library, answered some emails from a student doing a report, and made a to-do list from the feedback we received this week.
There is a complete toilet paper crisis at the office. For some reason...the office is going through toilet paper at an alarming rate. The solution...leave the kids at home, no more dropping them off at the pool when you go to work. For those of you who know what that means...yes, they use that phrase all the time in the office, even asking age and number of children. For those of you who do not know what that means..just forget it.
After we said goodbye to the girls, I packed up my things and went back to the house to do some pattern adjustments. First I had to sit in a taxi for 30 minutes. So annoying, but I guess 30 minutes isn't too bad for mid afternoon.
On the way back to the house I stopped at One Stone to see Judy and the boys. She had some new cloth set up at her shop and it looked really nice. I stopped to chat with her for a little, but then I went to the house to get my work done. I think that is something I really struggle with here. The people love to just sit and talk, but when I am at work, or when I have work to do, I feel bad taking time away from my job. Oy.
I worked until 6:30 today, because I took a small break in the afternoon for a shower. Finally. Then at dinner Pepo drooled all over me, and the clean feeling was gone. I guess its partially my fault, as I was feeding him my banku. :-)
Peace. Love. Dogs that eat banku.
You would think that after living in Michigan my entire life, I would know to never trust the weather. This morning when I woke up it was cool and raining. I put on a skirt and a long sleeve shirt, and proceeded to work. A few hours later I stepped outside and was hit in the face with extreme heat! I just can't win.
I went to the office this morning, mainly because it was two of the interns last days. I wanted to say goodbye to them, so I split my day into half office, and half house. While at the office, I worked on our digital sample library, answered some emails from a student doing a report, and made a to-do list from the feedback we received this week.
There is a complete toilet paper crisis at the office. For some reason...the office is going through toilet paper at an alarming rate. The solution...leave the kids at home, no more dropping them off at the pool when you go to work. For those of you who know what that means...yes, they use that phrase all the time in the office, even asking age and number of children. For those of you who do not know what that means..just forget it.
After we said goodbye to the girls, I packed up my things and went back to the house to do some pattern adjustments. First I had to sit in a taxi for 30 minutes. So annoying, but I guess 30 minutes isn't too bad for mid afternoon.
On the way back to the house I stopped at One Stone to see Judy and the boys. She had some new cloth set up at her shop and it looked really nice. I stopped to chat with her for a little, but then I went to the house to get my work done. I think that is something I really struggle with here. The people love to just sit and talk, but when I am at work, or when I have work to do, I feel bad taking time away from my job. Oy.
I worked until 6:30 today, because I took a small break in the afternoon for a shower. Finally. Then at dinner Pepo drooled all over me, and the clean feeling was gone. I guess its partially my fault, as I was feeding him my banku. :-)
Peace. Love. Dogs that eat banku.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Give me your bracelet
Wednesday.
Rastas don't drum.
This morning was the batik workshop. I requested to do it at Eli-Emmas, strictly because I wanted to batik with an ocean view. Tim and Lydia, Xavi, Abrmia and myself all took the class together. My batik is so funny. I did a tiny little elephant that says Ghana, with a flower that looks like a clover. I was a lot better at stamping this time! I finally had the right amount of pressure. Actually, everybodys batiks turned out really nice! I was quite impressed. I wish I could just experiment with batik stamping all day long. Hmmmmm I think I should go to Bali/Java to see how it is all really done! :-)
After the workshop I got trapped on Rasta Row. You have to walk along that road, and one of the girls wanted to stop into a shop. We played some random instruments, and the Rasta made up a song. It was an interesting half hour of my life. But as I was sitting there, I was looking at his dreads, and he had really cool beaded bands in them, rather than a fat bead. I am going to hunt one down to put in my brothers hair. It just seems essential if you had dreads.
When we got back to the office my custom made apron and makeup bags were finished. They are so cute! I am still waiting on my yoga bag :-) Maria and I worked on sample feedback, and we sent out a ton of samples to be made! It is going to be complete madness the next three weeks! So many samples, so little time.
At 4:00, Angelina and I gave the quality control team our presentation. We told them that we needed to practice, and due to the fact they are QC...it only seemed right that they listen. I was not at all in the mood to give a presentation, but once I stood in front of the full room, I had plenty of energy. The presentation went over really well. At the end we did a little exercise to see if they were measuring products consistently, and to our (happy) surprise...they were! When I announced that they were doing it the right way they were so excited. At the end of the "workshop" we asked for feedback, and we got some really good suggestions. Everyone had good ideas on issues to bring up, and concerns they have. I'm glad we were able to go over the presentation with the workers, and that they had such a positive response.
I took a taxi home, and actually had time to sit and relax before dinner. Tonight we got to see the new baby kittens! They are 1 month old, and so sweet and tiny. I am a complete cat hater, but these little kittens were just too cute with their big round eyes!
Tomorrow....more samples.
And maybe a shower?
Peace. Love. Kittens inspired by kittens.
Rastas don't drum.
This morning was the batik workshop. I requested to do it at Eli-Emmas, strictly because I wanted to batik with an ocean view. Tim and Lydia, Xavi, Abrmia and myself all took the class together. My batik is so funny. I did a tiny little elephant that says Ghana, with a flower that looks like a clover. I was a lot better at stamping this time! I finally had the right amount of pressure. Actually, everybodys batiks turned out really nice! I was quite impressed. I wish I could just experiment with batik stamping all day long. Hmmmmm I think I should go to Bali/Java to see how it is all really done! :-)
After the workshop I got trapped on Rasta Row. You have to walk along that road, and one of the girls wanted to stop into a shop. We played some random instruments, and the Rasta made up a song. It was an interesting half hour of my life. But as I was sitting there, I was looking at his dreads, and he had really cool beaded bands in them, rather than a fat bead. I am going to hunt one down to put in my brothers hair. It just seems essential if you had dreads.
When we got back to the office my custom made apron and makeup bags were finished. They are so cute! I am still waiting on my yoga bag :-) Maria and I worked on sample feedback, and we sent out a ton of samples to be made! It is going to be complete madness the next three weeks! So many samples, so little time.
At 4:00, Angelina and I gave the quality control team our presentation. We told them that we needed to practice, and due to the fact they are QC...it only seemed right that they listen. I was not at all in the mood to give a presentation, but once I stood in front of the full room, I had plenty of energy. The presentation went over really well. At the end we did a little exercise to see if they were measuring products consistently, and to our (happy) surprise...they were! When I announced that they were doing it the right way they were so excited. At the end of the "workshop" we asked for feedback, and we got some really good suggestions. Everyone had good ideas on issues to bring up, and concerns they have. I'm glad we were able to go over the presentation with the workers, and that they had such a positive response.
I took a taxi home, and actually had time to sit and relax before dinner. Tonight we got to see the new baby kittens! They are 1 month old, and so sweet and tiny. I am a complete cat hater, but these little kittens were just too cute with their big round eyes!
Tomorrow....more samples.
And maybe a shower?
Peace. Love. Kittens inspired by kittens.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Me caga en tu padre!
Tuesday.
My morning started out with a bit of comedy. I was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading my book and eating my bread with jam...when suddenly there was a lot of shouting in Spanish. Pepo went running past...then Pepa went running after him. Then Pepo went back the other way, and Pepa was right behind. The next time the two passed, a chicken was hanging out of Pepos mouth. Maria had to pull the chicken out of Pepos mouth. She said as she watched it land in the yard it was like slow motion. Poor pepo, he just wants to play.
It was interesting in the office this morning without my computer..my backpack was light, I didn't have to wiggle any plugs around...it was actually rather stress free. Except for the fact I had to use the old old old computer in the office that I had to restart 3 times.
Jennifer, one of the batikers came in to the office this morning and gave is all kettle corn. She seriously makes it the best! I am even willing to say that it is better than the farmers market! Sooo good. If I had a diet coke, it would have been a perfect moment.
We picked sample fabrics for products today and it was so overwhelming. There is so much fabric to choose from and it is just so hard to tell what it will look best on.
After work we went out to dinner for one of the girls last nights. We went to a resort that is about 20 minutes outside of Cape Coast. First we were late leaving the office, then we couldn't find Xavi, then we finally got hold of him and he couldn't tell us where he was. So we drove the car down to market to look for him. Maria got out to find him, then we saw him coming so Angelina got out to find Maria....however Maria was only across the street and had actually watched Angelina get out of the car and walk the other way. It was a complete mess. Finally we had everyone in the car.
Maria decided that because we were that far into town that we would stop at the pharmacy to get some things for Pepo. We ended up driving even further into market and we parked the car in the middle of the road. Of course street vendors came right up to the window, and when Angelina was offered movies she told the man that we all hate movies. Apparently he believed her and kept going.
Finally we found our way to the main road and eventually made it to the restaurant. It was so cool! We sat outside and the moon was so bright that we could see all of the fishing boats out on the sea. I had grilled lobster, mashed potatoes and a crepe. It is probably a good thing I didn't know about this food sooner. It was so good!
The drive back to the house was a lot easier, mainly because we were already on the main road, but it is not fun driving at night. It is like everybody drives with their brights on!
Tomorrow I was going to give a workshop, however the seamstresses told us today that they would all be attending a different workshop all week. SOoooooo we decided that we will hold ours next week. The good news is that tomorrow I am going to do another batik workshop! I figured I should try to fit one more in before I go home.
Peace. Love. Lobster.
My morning started out with a bit of comedy. I was sitting on the couch in the living room, reading my book and eating my bread with jam...when suddenly there was a lot of shouting in Spanish. Pepo went running past...then Pepa went running after him. Then Pepo went back the other way, and Pepa was right behind. The next time the two passed, a chicken was hanging out of Pepos mouth. Maria had to pull the chicken out of Pepos mouth. She said as she watched it land in the yard it was like slow motion. Poor pepo, he just wants to play.
It was interesting in the office this morning without my computer..my backpack was light, I didn't have to wiggle any plugs around...it was actually rather stress free. Except for the fact I had to use the old old old computer in the office that I had to restart 3 times.
Jennifer, one of the batikers came in to the office this morning and gave is all kettle corn. She seriously makes it the best! I am even willing to say that it is better than the farmers market! Sooo good. If I had a diet coke, it would have been a perfect moment.
We picked sample fabrics for products today and it was so overwhelming. There is so much fabric to choose from and it is just so hard to tell what it will look best on.
After work we went out to dinner for one of the girls last nights. We went to a resort that is about 20 minutes outside of Cape Coast. First we were late leaving the office, then we couldn't find Xavi, then we finally got hold of him and he couldn't tell us where he was. So we drove the car down to market to look for him. Maria got out to find him, then we saw him coming so Angelina got out to find Maria....however Maria was only across the street and had actually watched Angelina get out of the car and walk the other way. It was a complete mess. Finally we had everyone in the car.
Maria decided that because we were that far into town that we would stop at the pharmacy to get some things for Pepo. We ended up driving even further into market and we parked the car in the middle of the road. Of course street vendors came right up to the window, and when Angelina was offered movies she told the man that we all hate movies. Apparently he believed her and kept going.
Finally we found our way to the main road and eventually made it to the restaurant. It was so cool! We sat outside and the moon was so bright that we could see all of the fishing boats out on the sea. I had grilled lobster, mashed potatoes and a crepe. It is probably a good thing I didn't know about this food sooner. It was so good!
The drive back to the house was a lot easier, mainly because we were already on the main road, but it is not fun driving at night. It is like everybody drives with their brights on!
Tomorrow I was going to give a workshop, however the seamstresses told us today that they would all be attending a different workshop all week. SOoooooo we decided that we will hold ours next week. The good news is that tomorrow I am going to do another batik workshop! I figured I should try to fit one more in before I go home.
Peace. Love. Lobster.
Monday, August 23, 2010
RIP little mac
Monday.
Well my day started out with my computer taking a turn for the worst. I could not get it to hold a charge at all. I tried using multiple plugs, and I twisted and wiggled it around...NOTHING!
This is going to make for a very interesting 4 weeks. I mean, I have email and internet on my phone...but that's only going to do so much for me.
Luckily, I am working on the quality control workshop with another intern, so we were able to use her computer to put together our presentation this morning. We even included some group activities and a pop quiz. It should be interesting....
Around lunch time I set out to find a spice grinder, and I thought I had to go all the way to market to get the one I wanted. However, I found one right beyond wjere I pick up a taxi everyday. Lucky for me, I didn't need to walk all the way.
After coming back from my small shopping mission, I put the finishing touches on the presentation and ordered a few more garments that I wanted custom made. Then I went back to the house and patterned a skirt. We had an A line skirt a few years ago, but the waist band was fat and rather bulky, so I am going to try one with a very very thin band and an invisible side zipper.....we will see how that goes.
We got two more volunteers today. They got married a month ago, and for their honeymoon they biked across France. Now they are here for two years, and they seem pretty cool and really excited to work. It is nice having a lot of people in the house again, even though two will be leaving on Friday. It is always changing around here.
Tomorrow will be interesting....I think I will try my computer one more time, and then I might literally drop it out of the plane on the way home.
Peace. Love. Electronic suicide.
Well my day started out with my computer taking a turn for the worst. I could not get it to hold a charge at all. I tried using multiple plugs, and I twisted and wiggled it around...NOTHING!
This is going to make for a very interesting 4 weeks. I mean, I have email and internet on my phone...but that's only going to do so much for me.
Luckily, I am working on the quality control workshop with another intern, so we were able to use her computer to put together our presentation this morning. We even included some group activities and a pop quiz. It should be interesting....
Around lunch time I set out to find a spice grinder, and I thought I had to go all the way to market to get the one I wanted. However, I found one right beyond wjere I pick up a taxi everyday. Lucky for me, I didn't need to walk all the way.
After coming back from my small shopping mission, I put the finishing touches on the presentation and ordered a few more garments that I wanted custom made. Then I went back to the house and patterned a skirt. We had an A line skirt a few years ago, but the waist band was fat and rather bulky, so I am going to try one with a very very thin band and an invisible side zipper.....we will see how that goes.
We got two more volunteers today. They got married a month ago, and for their honeymoon they biked across France. Now they are here for two years, and they seem pretty cool and really excited to work. It is nice having a lot of people in the house again, even though two will be leaving on Friday. It is always changing around here.
Tomorrow will be interesting....I think I will try my computer one more time, and then I might literally drop it out of the plane on the way home.
Peace. Love. Electronic suicide.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
I'm taking it one meal at a time
Saturday!
We decided that we needed a beach weekend, so in the morning five of us set off for Brenu beach. We go to this beach pretty much every weekend, but tonight we are actually staying here in the houses. They are so cute, with brick walkways, seating on the porch over looking the ocean, big beds, and HOT water!
The ride here was an adventure, as there were five people plus Pepo in the car...who's tail ended up in my mouth at one point. Gah!
We got to the beach around lunch time, so we decided to sit and have something small to eat. Four hours later....we finally put our bags in the room. After we got settled in we sat on the porch and watched Pepo run around and chase after all the sheep. He needs some friends to play with.
For dinner we went to Ko-Sa hotel, where some people we knew were staying. The hotel is not far from Brenu, but we drove so that we didn't have to walk down the beach late at night. We had to drive through a pretty sketchy area to get there, so I was glad to have the car. Ko-Sa was so cool looking...maybe try to google it, because I loved it. There was a huge pavilion out near the beach where everyone sat for dinner, and there were books and games and really cute lanterns hanging all around. It would have been so fun to go with everyone earlier in the summer.
My dinner was kind of crappy. I ordered veggie curry, but it tasted like frozen veggies in a package sauce. No thank you. While eating dinner I decided that I really need to learn another language. Everyone at the table spoke at least 3....I am so NOT cool.
The drive back to the beach was funny, because we were all crammed into the car and Pepo was sleeping on top of half of us. We were the only car driving down the long dirt road and there was some crazy scottish music playing on the radio. It was like a scene out of a movie...it made me think of The Darjeling Limited.
I set a new sleep record and slept until 9 this morning! The room was freezing cold, and I had some very strange dreams, but it was so nice falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the ocean. I think I could have slept later, but I didn't want to miss breakfast :-). I got creative and mixed my nescafe with a little milo and had a "mocha" with my french toast and eggs. The sun was not out very much today, but it was perfect weather to sleep in a hammock on the beach! We all strung our hammocks between the coconut trees and took a nice long nap. At one point I watched a small boy climb all the way up one of the trees and cut off the coconuts. Then he just slid right back down. Impressive!
At one point we tried to go some yoga, but I was laughing so hard that nobody else could keep a serious face, so we all gave up. Oops.
I think that's about it for the weekend. Sorry I can't post any photos....I don't know what the issue is with this blog.
Peace. Love. Dog on lap.
We decided that we needed a beach weekend, so in the morning five of us set off for Brenu beach. We go to this beach pretty much every weekend, but tonight we are actually staying here in the houses. They are so cute, with brick walkways, seating on the porch over looking the ocean, big beds, and HOT water!
The ride here was an adventure, as there were five people plus Pepo in the car...who's tail ended up in my mouth at one point. Gah!
We got to the beach around lunch time, so we decided to sit and have something small to eat. Four hours later....we finally put our bags in the room. After we got settled in we sat on the porch and watched Pepo run around and chase after all the sheep. He needs some friends to play with.
For dinner we went to Ko-Sa hotel, where some people we knew were staying. The hotel is not far from Brenu, but we drove so that we didn't have to walk down the beach late at night. We had to drive through a pretty sketchy area to get there, so I was glad to have the car. Ko-Sa was so cool looking...maybe try to google it, because I loved it. There was a huge pavilion out near the beach where everyone sat for dinner, and there were books and games and really cute lanterns hanging all around. It would have been so fun to go with everyone earlier in the summer.
My dinner was kind of crappy. I ordered veggie curry, but it tasted like frozen veggies in a package sauce. No thank you. While eating dinner I decided that I really need to learn another language. Everyone at the table spoke at least 3....I am so NOT cool.
The drive back to the beach was funny, because we were all crammed into the car and Pepo was sleeping on top of half of us. We were the only car driving down the long dirt road and there was some crazy scottish music playing on the radio. It was like a scene out of a movie...it made me think of The Darjeling Limited.
I set a new sleep record and slept until 9 this morning! The room was freezing cold, and I had some very strange dreams, but it was so nice falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the ocean. I think I could have slept later, but I didn't want to miss breakfast :-). I got creative and mixed my nescafe with a little milo and had a "mocha" with my french toast and eggs. The sun was not out very much today, but it was perfect weather to sleep in a hammock on the beach! We all strung our hammocks between the coconut trees and took a nice long nap. At one point I watched a small boy climb all the way up one of the trees and cut off the coconuts. Then he just slid right back down. Impressive!
At one point we tried to go some yoga, but I was laughing so hard that nobody else could keep a serious face, so we all gave up. Oops.
I think that's about it for the weekend. Sorry I can't post any photos....I don't know what the issue is with this blog.
Peace. Love. Dog on lap.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
You White Woman Rasta!
Thursday.
I feel like it was just Monday!
Random story for the day...a man tried to sell me a watch, and when I told him no, he called me a white woman rasta. I guess it was an insult?
Today was a successful day at the office. I started by working on my favorite spread sheet of samples. I am starting to think that it will never end! While I was looking at the products in the "still considering" category, I decided that I should get some things made for myself. (It was kind of like if you give a mouse a cookie...) I went to look at reject fabric and pulled out the catalog to see what I should have made. I decided on three dresses, two for my mom and one for me, and a polka dot cosmetic bag. Side note...my mother and I will now own matching dresses..cool right?
I must say, I am totally excited for the cosmetic bag! It is going to be cute. This is a major bonus of working in the Cape Coast office. I can have any item made in any fabric I want. One of a kind!
After I had placed my order I went back to work. The flow chart from yesterday was such a hit, that today we made a fair trade flow chart. Now it will be clear to all!
Later in the afternoon a stamp needed to be carved, but the stencil was somehow M.I.A. I found a scrap of fabric with the design on it, took a picture, and traced the design for a new stencil.....then the printer wouldn't work. Annoying! So I went back to the house to work on some patterning.
Tomorrow....I have a lot of folding to do.
Peace. Love. White Woman Rasta.
I feel like it was just Monday!
Random story for the day...a man tried to sell me a watch, and when I told him no, he called me a white woman rasta. I guess it was an insult?
Today was a successful day at the office. I started by working on my favorite spread sheet of samples. I am starting to think that it will never end! While I was looking at the products in the "still considering" category, I decided that I should get some things made for myself. (It was kind of like if you give a mouse a cookie...) I went to look at reject fabric and pulled out the catalog to see what I should have made. I decided on three dresses, two for my mom and one for me, and a polka dot cosmetic bag. Side note...my mother and I will now own matching dresses..cool right?
I must say, I am totally excited for the cosmetic bag! It is going to be cute. This is a major bonus of working in the Cape Coast office. I can have any item made in any fabric I want. One of a kind!
After I had placed my order I went back to work. The flow chart from yesterday was such a hit, that today we made a fair trade flow chart. Now it will be clear to all!
Later in the afternoon a stamp needed to be carved, but the stencil was somehow M.I.A. I found a scrap of fabric with the design on it, took a picture, and traced the design for a new stencil.....then the printer wouldn't work. Annoying! So I went back to the house to work on some patterning.
Tomorrow....I have a lot of folding to do.
Peace. Love. White Woman Rasta.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Fish guts on the door
Wednesday.
I had to take a taxi to work this morning, and as soon as I sat down in the back seat I was smacked in the face with the smell of fish. I held my breath and rolled the window all the way down, at which point I noticed there were fish guts on the door. The smell was so overwhelming that I think I held my breath the entire way to the office. Then, we stopped to pick up another passenger, so I had to move over to the middle seat. The woman got in and rolled up the window! Good lord! I almost lost my breakfast!
We got to the office, and just as I set my computer up...the power went out. We sat around for awhile to see if it would come back on, and I took a look at a few samples. We were then informed that the power would be off until 4;00, so we went home.
Back at the house there was also no power, so I went over to the hotel to work. Around lunch time we decided to splurge and get food from the hotel. We sat out on the patio overlooking the ocean. I had an iced coffee and chicken kabobs. Delicious!
After lunch I worked on the quality control workshop, and made a production flow chart. The flow chart was one of those things that was an after thought....like ohhh it would be nice to have this for a visual. After the chart was made my computer decided to really give up on life. No matter how I wiggled the plug it would not charge at all. That might be the number one thing that I will NOT miss! Gah!!!
Today I went over to Judys house to see a few items that she does not sell in her shop. Of course I ended up getting a few necklaces and a mud cloth bag. Other than more fabric and a drum cover, I think my shopping is almost done!
Peace. Love. Mud cloth.
I had to take a taxi to work this morning, and as soon as I sat down in the back seat I was smacked in the face with the smell of fish. I held my breath and rolled the window all the way down, at which point I noticed there were fish guts on the door. The smell was so overwhelming that I think I held my breath the entire way to the office. Then, we stopped to pick up another passenger, so I had to move over to the middle seat. The woman got in and rolled up the window! Good lord! I almost lost my breakfast!
We got to the office, and just as I set my computer up...the power went out. We sat around for awhile to see if it would come back on, and I took a look at a few samples. We were then informed that the power would be off until 4;00, so we went home.
Back at the house there was also no power, so I went over to the hotel to work. Around lunch time we decided to splurge and get food from the hotel. We sat out on the patio overlooking the ocean. I had an iced coffee and chicken kabobs. Delicious!
After lunch I worked on the quality control workshop, and made a production flow chart. The flow chart was one of those things that was an after thought....like ohhh it would be nice to have this for a visual. After the chart was made my computer decided to really give up on life. No matter how I wiggled the plug it would not charge at all. That might be the number one thing that I will NOT miss! Gah!!!
Today I went over to Judys house to see a few items that she does not sell in her shop. Of course I ended up getting a few necklaces and a mud cloth bag. Other than more fabric and a drum cover, I think my shopping is almost done!
Peace. Love. Mud cloth.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Excuse me....is that Polo on your head?
Tuesday.
I decided to hit snooze a few times this morning. It worked out in my favor because by the time I got up, Maria was about to make real coffee and offered me a cup. Ohhhh the joy of REAL coffee! The smell of it brewing just made me excited to go home.
Pepo was being a little hyper this morning, and I grabbed onto his collar to keep him away from something and he tried to slip out of it. I did not want the collar to come off, so I let go while he was mid wiggle. It snapped back onto him and it got stuck on his face, trapping his ear like a pirate eye patch. It was so funny! We were all cracking up, and he has never looked so confused. Finally we got it off, and he proceeded to hide under the ping pong table.
The first part of the day I had a little energy from my coffee, but that quickly ended. I worked on spec packets all day at the office. I would just draw, and measure all day long. This will take awhile because I would like to have an up to date pack for every item that is going to be used in 2011.
At lunch I took a break and went to the bank.....which just happens to be down the street from the fabric store. I got my money, started walking back, and then thought...hmmmmm, pocket full of money...store full of fabric. It didn't take me long to decided what needed to be done at that point! I turned right back around and went to the fabric store. I stared with six different prints today. I think I will go back every week and get a few more each time. The only negative (or maybe its a positive) is that the minimum cut is 1 yard. So that means today I got 6 yards! :-) We will share it all, ok mom?
We had a small small button hole crisis today, but I think it has been solved. We had to be very serious about it to let quality control know that it was a big deal. However, right after we had the talk with them Thriller came on the radio and Maria and I did the dance. We got one worker to join in with us, but quality control is a tough crowd. Geeze, they can sleep on the couches at lunch, but a little Thriller dance is totally out of the question. I stayed an hour late at work today still doing spec packs, but I was in the groove so it was ok.
Tomorrow we get a new volunteer!
Peace. Love. Cotton.
I decided to hit snooze a few times this morning. It worked out in my favor because by the time I got up, Maria was about to make real coffee and offered me a cup. Ohhhh the joy of REAL coffee! The smell of it brewing just made me excited to go home.
Pepo was being a little hyper this morning, and I grabbed onto his collar to keep him away from something and he tried to slip out of it. I did not want the collar to come off, so I let go while he was mid wiggle. It snapped back onto him and it got stuck on his face, trapping his ear like a pirate eye patch. It was so funny! We were all cracking up, and he has never looked so confused. Finally we got it off, and he proceeded to hide under the ping pong table.
The first part of the day I had a little energy from my coffee, but that quickly ended. I worked on spec packets all day at the office. I would just draw, and measure all day long. This will take awhile because I would like to have an up to date pack for every item that is going to be used in 2011.
At lunch I took a break and went to the bank.....which just happens to be down the street from the fabric store. I got my money, started walking back, and then thought...hmmmmm, pocket full of money...store full of fabric. It didn't take me long to decided what needed to be done at that point! I turned right back around and went to the fabric store. I stared with six different prints today. I think I will go back every week and get a few more each time. The only negative (or maybe its a positive) is that the minimum cut is 1 yard. So that means today I got 6 yards! :-) We will share it all, ok mom?
We had a small small button hole crisis today, but I think it has been solved. We had to be very serious about it to let quality control know that it was a big deal. However, right after we had the talk with them Thriller came on the radio and Maria and I did the dance. We got one worker to join in with us, but quality control is a tough crowd. Geeze, they can sleep on the couches at lunch, but a little Thriller dance is totally out of the question. I stayed an hour late at work today still doing spec packs, but I was in the groove so it was ok.
Tomorrow we get a new volunteer!
Peace. Love. Cotton.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Shop 'til you drop
Monday.
The entire office had a case of the Mondays today.
I worked from the hotel for a few hours today, because I had to send a few files, and the internet is much quicker over there.
When I got to the office I started working on the quality control workshop that I will be holding next week. After only two hours I felt the need for a break, so Heather and I went shopping.
We went over to the Cape Coast castle because there are a number of shops inside. It is a bit stressful shopping there because everyone wants you to come in their store and have a look. We had a plan that we would shop around first and then go back once we knew what we wanted.
I went a little shopping nuts and got quite a few items crossed off of my list...plus two more leather bags. I almost felt bad that I was getting such good deals. But all of these good deals just mean more fabric money :-)
In the afternoon I worked on the workshop, and we got a few new samples in, however I decided that I would hold off on photographing them until I had more.
I did not go to Elis for dinner tonight because nothing really sounded good to me, and I am feeling really tired. Rather than going to Eli's we watched Sherlock Holmes.
Peace. Love. Sleepy.
The entire office had a case of the Mondays today.
I worked from the hotel for a few hours today, because I had to send a few files, and the internet is much quicker over there.
When I got to the office I started working on the quality control workshop that I will be holding next week. After only two hours I felt the need for a break, so Heather and I went shopping.
We went over to the Cape Coast castle because there are a number of shops inside. It is a bit stressful shopping there because everyone wants you to come in their store and have a look. We had a plan that we would shop around first and then go back once we knew what we wanted.
I went a little shopping nuts and got quite a few items crossed off of my list...plus two more leather bags. I almost felt bad that I was getting such good deals. But all of these good deals just mean more fabric money :-)
In the afternoon I worked on the workshop, and we got a few new samples in, however I decided that I would hold off on photographing them until I had more.
I did not go to Elis for dinner tonight because nothing really sounded good to me, and I am feeling really tired. Rather than going to Eli's we watched Sherlock Holmes.
Peace. Love. Sleepy.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
SUNday
Today was a nice relaxing Sunday.
I woke up, listened to my ipod, read a book, drank some coffee and stayed in bed. Around noon I got my lazy rear over to the pool for a few hours of sun. Then I came back and watched a movie before heading down to Elis for dinner.
Tomorrow is back to work!
Peace. Love. Easy like a Sunday morning.
I woke up, listened to my ipod, read a book, drank some coffee and stayed in bed. Around noon I got my lazy rear over to the pool for a few hours of sun. Then I came back and watched a movie before heading down to Elis for dinner.
Tomorrow is back to work!
Peace. Love. Easy like a Sunday morning.
Your official weekend update
Saturday.
I woke up at 3:00 in the morning and could not fall asleep, so I read a few chapters and then was finally able to go back to sleep. Luckily, it was Saturday morning and I slept a little past 8:00....which has sadly become "sleeping in."
I was excited to eat breakfast because I bought tea bread and jam on Friday. It took everything in me not to eat it at 3:00 in the morning, so as soon as I woke up I made coffee and cut a big slice of bread. The tea bread is a little sweet, so the combination of bread and jam makes my brain almost think that I am getting some kind of pastry. Here I think of it as a treat....and home I would think..bread and jelly? Big woop!
After breakfast I read for a few hours because the sun was not out, and it was actually a bit on the cool side. When I finished the book I had started at 3:00 am I decided I needed to get out of the house. Heather and I went "shopping" to all of the little shops along our street. Back in may I had noticed an old snake skin purse at one of the shops, and at the time I asked it was 20 cedi. I didn't want to spend it at the time, but I have been thinking of it ever since. When I went back yesterday it was still there, but I opened it up to find the lining was torn. I asked if she could fix it, and she said she could only rip it out. I really wanted the bag, so I asked how much it would be, hoping to get a discount for torn lining, and she said I could have it for 5 cedi! It was such a good deal that I bought the snake one and a smooth leather bag. These bags are funny to me, because they look more Native American than African.
Eventually we made our way down to One stone and hung out for a while. Judy was busy making jewelry, and at one point grabbed my ankle and attached a bracelet to it. Then ahe bought us peanuts. Have you ever had boiled peanuts? They are pretty good, but the shell is much harder to get off. They laughed at me for not knowing how, and had to show me multiple times.
Most of the time Judy brings her kids down to the shop during the day, and the oldest, Marcus is a little ball of energy. Everyone that drives past knows little Marcus, and he loves the attention. I asked him if he brought any books or games with him, and he has two animal books with him, so we spent the afternoon reading the animal books while I tried to make the correct animal noise.
I went back to the house in the afternoon to read a little more and shower before dinner. We went down to Elis and she must have just gotten a dvd player because she put her tv on the front counter for us to watch something...eddy murphy in coming to America. They loved the movie.
After dinner, Heather and I came back and watched a movie on my computer. Then some serious drama went down with a "volunteer" who is staying in the house for two weeks. I will save that story too tell in real life.
Peace. Love. Eddy Murphy.
I woke up at 3:00 in the morning and could not fall asleep, so I read a few chapters and then was finally able to go back to sleep. Luckily, it was Saturday morning and I slept a little past 8:00....which has sadly become "sleeping in."
I was excited to eat breakfast because I bought tea bread and jam on Friday. It took everything in me not to eat it at 3:00 in the morning, so as soon as I woke up I made coffee and cut a big slice of bread. The tea bread is a little sweet, so the combination of bread and jam makes my brain almost think that I am getting some kind of pastry. Here I think of it as a treat....and home I would think..bread and jelly? Big woop!
After breakfast I read for a few hours because the sun was not out, and it was actually a bit on the cool side. When I finished the book I had started at 3:00 am I decided I needed to get out of the house. Heather and I went "shopping" to all of the little shops along our street. Back in may I had noticed an old snake skin purse at one of the shops, and at the time I asked it was 20 cedi. I didn't want to spend it at the time, but I have been thinking of it ever since. When I went back yesterday it was still there, but I opened it up to find the lining was torn. I asked if she could fix it, and she said she could only rip it out. I really wanted the bag, so I asked how much it would be, hoping to get a discount for torn lining, and she said I could have it for 5 cedi! It was such a good deal that I bought the snake one and a smooth leather bag. These bags are funny to me, because they look more Native American than African.
Eventually we made our way down to One stone and hung out for a while. Judy was busy making jewelry, and at one point grabbed my ankle and attached a bracelet to it. Then ahe bought us peanuts. Have you ever had boiled peanuts? They are pretty good, but the shell is much harder to get off. They laughed at me for not knowing how, and had to show me multiple times.
Most of the time Judy brings her kids down to the shop during the day, and the oldest, Marcus is a little ball of energy. Everyone that drives past knows little Marcus, and he loves the attention. I asked him if he brought any books or games with him, and he has two animal books with him, so we spent the afternoon reading the animal books while I tried to make the correct animal noise.
I went back to the house in the afternoon to read a little more and shower before dinner. We went down to Elis and she must have just gotten a dvd player because she put her tv on the front counter for us to watch something...eddy murphy in coming to America. They loved the movie.
After dinner, Heather and I came back and watched a movie on my computer. Then some serious drama went down with a "volunteer" who is staying in the house for two weeks. I will save that story too tell in real life.
Peace. Love. Eddy Murphy.
Friday, August 13, 2010
TGIF
Friday.
This week went by fast!
Congrats to those of you that knew my last title was from FRIENDS. The rest of you really need to catch up on your trivia. Also congrats to little Olive V for getting a Global Mamas stocking! And yes I know the women who made it. Eli-Emma are very talented batikers, and are two of the original Mamas.
Today a trotro came to the house to pick up Marias bike and take it to Accra. He came at 7:30, so I jumped in and got a free ride to the office. It must have been quite a site to see with me in the front seat and a motor bike in the back.
The work day went by pretty fast today. I was trying to get a spreadsheet in order of the new samples and by the time I re sized all of the photos and put them in, my day was pretty much over! We also tried to figure out fabric combos for a shirt that has three panels on it. Let me tell you...these are going to be some wild skirts! Woah.
In between the fabric choosing and the photo reducing I had my new favorite snack. For less than 10 cents I can get little squares of coconut cake. It is a little on the hard side, but I like to use it as biscotti. Mmmm so good. Also, I received my packages today (thank you Pegs). Do you want to guess what was in them? More Clinique bags! Thankfully that is the last of them! And yes mom, I gave one to Eli tonight.
In the afternoon some people came from an African Trade association, so I got to say a few words to them. Luckly it was only a few words, and then Maria spent the rest of the day with them. I snuck out a little early to go hang out at One Stone (aka my drum guy and jewelry lady) on the way I ran into Ras-T. Once again he was excited to see me, and this time tried to get me to date him. I told him if he keeps tries a line like that again we won't be friends!
While at One Stone I watched a drum being made right before my eyes. Animal skins were laying all around, and fur was sticking up around the drums. Then Judy (jewelry Judy) bought me two oranges. I can hear my family laughing at that one. For those of you who don't really know me....I hate fruit. It is the most disgusting thing ever. I have been this way all my life, and I get along just fine. However, today I found myself in a sticky situation. The oranges were bought for me, kind of like a gift, so I had to eat them. Well...I decided to just suck on them to get the juice out. This method seemed to please Judy, and I got a little dose of vitamin C. I guess it was a win win situation. Then I bought two more necklaces, and placed my request for dark wood on my stool/table that I am praying will fit in my bag. Again, she gave me way too good of a deal. I hung out at the shop for a while, and we talked about eating duck and chicken. Judy told me that she loves to eat duck, but hates chicken because "they jump and shit all over the place" and also because "they eat anything and everything." Valid points.
My plans for tomorrow are still up in the air. I may or may not go to the beach....I will let the weather determine that in the morning.
Peace. Love. Chicken Sh*it.
This week went by fast!
Congrats to those of you that knew my last title was from FRIENDS. The rest of you really need to catch up on your trivia. Also congrats to little Olive V for getting a Global Mamas stocking! And yes I know the women who made it. Eli-Emma are very talented batikers, and are two of the original Mamas.
Today a trotro came to the house to pick up Marias bike and take it to Accra. He came at 7:30, so I jumped in and got a free ride to the office. It must have been quite a site to see with me in the front seat and a motor bike in the back.
The work day went by pretty fast today. I was trying to get a spreadsheet in order of the new samples and by the time I re sized all of the photos and put them in, my day was pretty much over! We also tried to figure out fabric combos for a shirt that has three panels on it. Let me tell you...these are going to be some wild skirts! Woah.
In between the fabric choosing and the photo reducing I had my new favorite snack. For less than 10 cents I can get little squares of coconut cake. It is a little on the hard side, but I like to use it as biscotti. Mmmm so good. Also, I received my packages today (thank you Pegs). Do you want to guess what was in them? More Clinique bags! Thankfully that is the last of them! And yes mom, I gave one to Eli tonight.
In the afternoon some people came from an African Trade association, so I got to say a few words to them. Luckly it was only a few words, and then Maria spent the rest of the day with them. I snuck out a little early to go hang out at One Stone (aka my drum guy and jewelry lady) on the way I ran into Ras-T. Once again he was excited to see me, and this time tried to get me to date him. I told him if he keeps tries a line like that again we won't be friends!
While at One Stone I watched a drum being made right before my eyes. Animal skins were laying all around, and fur was sticking up around the drums. Then Judy (jewelry Judy) bought me two oranges. I can hear my family laughing at that one. For those of you who don't really know me....I hate fruit. It is the most disgusting thing ever. I have been this way all my life, and I get along just fine. However, today I found myself in a sticky situation. The oranges were bought for me, kind of like a gift, so I had to eat them. Well...I decided to just suck on them to get the juice out. This method seemed to please Judy, and I got a little dose of vitamin C. I guess it was a win win situation. Then I bought two more necklaces, and placed my request for dark wood on my stool/table that I am praying will fit in my bag. Again, she gave me way too good of a deal. I hung out at the shop for a while, and we talked about eating duck and chicken. Judy told me that she loves to eat duck, but hates chicken because "they jump and shit all over the place" and also because "they eat anything and everything." Valid points.
My plans for tomorrow are still up in the air. I may or may not go to the beach....I will let the weather determine that in the morning.
Peace. Love. Chicken Sh*it.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thursady...the third day
Name what this blog title is from...I know at least two of you will get it.
Today started out pretty rainy, but it ended up being pretty nice. Maria overslept, so I took a taxi to work this morning. No babies to hold in the front seat with me, but there were two in the back. The ride ended up being less expensive because they finally fixed the bridge. Now the drive to work is all ocean view. No complaints there.
At work I printed out a stencil for a new stamp, and photographed more samples coming in. Then I did more folding for the shipment that is going out in the morning. Ohhhh how I miss the other interns and the extra folding hands. I was slightly frustrated with some batik samples this morning, so I hope the ones I sent out today will be better. I have learned that unless someone is there with the women when they are stamping (like we did earlier in the summer) then there is no way to guarantee the right color and patterns. I got a few electrical shocks today, and there were a TON of tiny spiders on my bag. I did the only thing I could think of, and sprayed antibacterial spray all over it. Then I walked away. Yuck!
I took a real lunch break today and actually left the office for an hour. I needed to get a few grocery items, then I made a few stops to buy a tunic and a print. I have decided that because I only have 38 days left, I need to get my shop on! After work I stopped to see my drum guy...yes Michael, I have a drum guy. I was asking about a small drum that my brother would like, and while looking at the drums I also found some jewelry. I think I am going to try to buy a small table/bench from his shop also. Right now its a light wood, but they told me that they could make it darker :-) just the way I like it...right dad? Basically I plan of pretty much buying his entire shop over the next few weeks.
Maria and I are thinking of trying the beach again this weekend. We heard about Cape Three Points, and decided that if the weather is nice we should give it a try. I think there is even a lighthouse there! It will be just like Michigan. It should be noted that I HATE lighthouses. I was traumatized as a child while on a family vacation, and I just can't seem to get over it.
Tomorrow will be another busy day while I try to get all of the samples in order to send photos to the US. I would normally do this as they come in, but due to the crappiness of my computer I try to only upload the photos one time. Therefore...more work at once.
Peace. Love. Shopping.
Today started out pretty rainy, but it ended up being pretty nice. Maria overslept, so I took a taxi to work this morning. No babies to hold in the front seat with me, but there were two in the back. The ride ended up being less expensive because they finally fixed the bridge. Now the drive to work is all ocean view. No complaints there.
At work I printed out a stencil for a new stamp, and photographed more samples coming in. Then I did more folding for the shipment that is going out in the morning. Ohhhh how I miss the other interns and the extra folding hands. I was slightly frustrated with some batik samples this morning, so I hope the ones I sent out today will be better. I have learned that unless someone is there with the women when they are stamping (like we did earlier in the summer) then there is no way to guarantee the right color and patterns. I got a few electrical shocks today, and there were a TON of tiny spiders on my bag. I did the only thing I could think of, and sprayed antibacterial spray all over it. Then I walked away. Yuck!
I took a real lunch break today and actually left the office for an hour. I needed to get a few grocery items, then I made a few stops to buy a tunic and a print. I have decided that because I only have 38 days left, I need to get my shop on! After work I stopped to see my drum guy...yes Michael, I have a drum guy. I was asking about a small drum that my brother would like, and while looking at the drums I also found some jewelry. I think I am going to try to buy a small table/bench from his shop also. Right now its a light wood, but they told me that they could make it darker :-) just the way I like it...right dad? Basically I plan of pretty much buying his entire shop over the next few weeks.
Maria and I are thinking of trying the beach again this weekend. We heard about Cape Three Points, and decided that if the weather is nice we should give it a try. I think there is even a lighthouse there! It will be just like Michigan. It should be noted that I HATE lighthouses. I was traumatized as a child while on a family vacation, and I just can't seem to get over it.
Tomorrow will be another busy day while I try to get all of the samples in order to send photos to the US. I would normally do this as they come in, but due to the crappiness of my computer I try to only upload the photos one time. Therefore...more work at once.
Peace. Love. Shopping.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Rain and Rock Cakes
Wednesday.
It rained all day long.
When I woke up to the sound of rain this morning I was glad I had a reason to stay in the house. As it turned out, Maria and Heather also decided to stay in the house, and work from home. We spent the first three hours and fifteen minutes of the say folding dresses, and fitting them into their plastic bags for shipping. About mid morning we decided that warm fresh out of the oven rock cakes would be perfect on this rainy day.
We called Eli, and she said that she would gladly make them for us. About an hour later we got the call that the rock cakes were done. It was still pouring rain, but that was not going to stop us. We all walked over (even Pepo) to get the warm rock cakes. I was soaking wet, but they were so worth it! Yummm
In the afternoon we worked on a few different things, and talked about possible color and print options for current products. I am in love with one of the stamps, and I would suggest it for everything! :-)
At the end of the day I made a big decision. Well....I didn't just make it, as I have been thinking about it for at least a month now. I was offered a full time position here at the Cape Coast office, but I have decided to turn it down. It was a hard decision, and for a while I will probably question if it was the right choice or not...but in the end I just had a feeling that I would not be happy here, and that wouldn't be fair to myself or the company. So, I will be back in the US as scheduled in September...
Peace. Love. 39 Days.
It rained all day long.
When I woke up to the sound of rain this morning I was glad I had a reason to stay in the house. As it turned out, Maria and Heather also decided to stay in the house, and work from home. We spent the first three hours and fifteen minutes of the say folding dresses, and fitting them into their plastic bags for shipping. About mid morning we decided that warm fresh out of the oven rock cakes would be perfect on this rainy day.
We called Eli, and she said that she would gladly make them for us. About an hour later we got the call that the rock cakes were done. It was still pouring rain, but that was not going to stop us. We all walked over (even Pepo) to get the warm rock cakes. I was soaking wet, but they were so worth it! Yummm
In the afternoon we worked on a few different things, and talked about possible color and print options for current products. I am in love with one of the stamps, and I would suggest it for everything! :-)
At the end of the day I made a big decision. Well....I didn't just make it, as I have been thinking about it for at least a month now. I was offered a full time position here at the Cape Coast office, but I have decided to turn it down. It was a hard decision, and for a while I will probably question if it was the right choice or not...but in the end I just had a feeling that I would not be happy here, and that wouldn't be fair to myself or the company. So, I will be back in the US as scheduled in September...
Peace. Love. 39 Days.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
i like your chin!
Tuesday.
The weather needs to change around here. I seriously believe that it has some effect on my energy level.
This morning I did not want to get out of bed. I had clean sheets, and it was really cold; which is the perfect sleeping combination.
One of the inters working in the Krobo office came to Cape Coast for a few days to work on a dog leash prototype, and today we went to Adjumako (a small village about 2 hours away) to work with the women on making a sample. We took one of the guys from the office with us, because the women speak very little English. This was extremely helpful, because there were lots of instructions that needed translation.
When we arrived at the village there was only one woman at the office, but eventually more came. One of them kept telling me that she liked my chin. I think that's the first time I have heard that line. We worked in a single room work space that had a nice size porch for the women to also work at. They use singer hand crank sewing machines, and when I asked for an iron they lit the coals. The iron was a true antique. They put hot coals on the inside, and it weighed a ton! These are some of the reasons everything takes so dang long around here. Not to mention my safety scissors from preschool cut better than the ones I used today. Luck for us we were cutting straight lines so I just ripped everything.
We spent the entire day there, cutting scraps, sewing them together, folding them, ironing them....and then finally weaving them. There are about 10 women who work in the office and they picked up the technique pretty quick! It was just very repetitive, and I was exhausted at the end of the day.
Tomorrow I am staying home for at least the first part of the day to do some folding for our shipment next week. I swear, every time I turn around there is another shipment. This time I had the bright idea to bring the dresses home and fold on the ping pong table. Normally I am crammed on a tiny table, or laying them on top of chairs...its a nightmare really. Plus when I stay home I have the added bonus of coffee and my pajamas!
Peace. Love. The village experience.
The weather needs to change around here. I seriously believe that it has some effect on my energy level.
This morning I did not want to get out of bed. I had clean sheets, and it was really cold; which is the perfect sleeping combination.
One of the inters working in the Krobo office came to Cape Coast for a few days to work on a dog leash prototype, and today we went to Adjumako (a small village about 2 hours away) to work with the women on making a sample. We took one of the guys from the office with us, because the women speak very little English. This was extremely helpful, because there were lots of instructions that needed translation.
When we arrived at the village there was only one woman at the office, but eventually more came. One of them kept telling me that she liked my chin. I think that's the first time I have heard that line. We worked in a single room work space that had a nice size porch for the women to also work at. They use singer hand crank sewing machines, and when I asked for an iron they lit the coals. The iron was a true antique. They put hot coals on the inside, and it weighed a ton! These are some of the reasons everything takes so dang long around here. Not to mention my safety scissors from preschool cut better than the ones I used today. Luck for us we were cutting straight lines so I just ripped everything.
We spent the entire day there, cutting scraps, sewing them together, folding them, ironing them....and then finally weaving them. There are about 10 women who work in the office and they picked up the technique pretty quick! It was just very repetitive, and I was exhausted at the end of the day.
Tomorrow I am staying home for at least the first part of the day to do some folding for our shipment next week. I swear, every time I turn around there is another shipment. This time I had the bright idea to bring the dresses home and fold on the ping pong table. Normally I am crammed on a tiny table, or laying them on top of chairs...its a nightmare really. Plus when I stay home I have the added bonus of coffee and my pajamas!
Peace. Love. The village experience.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Week 13
Today is 08.09.10.
My weekend in Axim was not all that I had hoped for. To start off we had a last minute add on to the group, meaning the tiny car was going to be jammed packed. Its one thing to drive for ten minutes or so, but not for two to three hours. Despite our saying how packed the car was going to be, this person couldn't take a hint. Lots of annoying conversations later, one of the girls said that she wouldn't go. Stupid, so one of the other girls and I said we would take a trotro there, so that everyone could go. So princess and tag along got to ride in the car. How does that work out?
Lucky for us all, the trotro was easy and we actually got there before the others. On the first tro I sat in between a business man and a rasta. Just think of what a funny picture that would have been. The rasts and I had bonding time while we sang Bob Marley, but every time he would turn his head I would get smacked in the face with his dreads. I was just grateful that it was the ends of his dreads and not the part with the shells stuck to it.
When we were getting close to the stop he asked where I was going and I turned to him and honestly said, "I have no idea.". Because I really had no idea how to get to Axim. I just head in the general direction, and someone usually helps me out. I then told him that eventually I wanted to go to Axim, so he told me to get out and catch another tro. Two other guys also got out, wearing their matching red polos and aviator shades, and they just kept pointing us along the way, until we found a tro to Axim. For this tro we had to just be on the lookout for signs and jump out before it got to its designated stop.
When we got to the hotel, they had no reservation for us. Of course. So they put a mattress in one room (guess who got to sleep on that!) And put two people in single rooms. The next day Maria and I were upgraded to a big room with a porch, two big beds, and an attached bathroom for the same price. We were happy, but the others became a bit jealous and wanted to use our hot shower. Seriously people, annoying. Nothing is ever good enough. I take a tro, sleep on the floor and now you want my hot water! Let me have something!! The weather over the weekend was pretty crappy. It was cold and there were a few storms, but I did a little reading and coffee drinking.
Overall I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I had a tan.
Today...
The cops in Ghana are a joke. We got stopped this morning, pretty much because we were a car of white girls and he just wanted to chat with us, and ask us if we were married. Maria told him that we were all married because we are old and need to reproduce. Surprisingly he accepted this answer and let us on our way. We didn't even have to slip him a cedi.
Work was....well a typical Monday I guess. Originally I had planned on going to a village to work with some of the women, to create a dog leash from scrap fabric. However, by the time we found leash clips at the market, and the other girl got to the office it was too late to go. Not to mention that she did not have the prototype finished, and I knew that was just going to cause frustrations for everyone involved. I decided to make the executive decision and say that we are going to the village tomorrow. Hopefully things will run smoothly.
I worked on spec packets for all of the products today, sent out samples, got samples back, took photos of samples, looked at possible color combinations, folded small jackets, and dealt with an annoying batik situation. Like I said, it was a typical Monday. I am so tired right now that I don't even want dinner. I just want to sleep.
Peace. Love. Monday.
My weekend in Axim was not all that I had hoped for. To start off we had a last minute add on to the group, meaning the tiny car was going to be jammed packed. Its one thing to drive for ten minutes or so, but not for two to three hours. Despite our saying how packed the car was going to be, this person couldn't take a hint. Lots of annoying conversations later, one of the girls said that she wouldn't go. Stupid, so one of the other girls and I said we would take a trotro there, so that everyone could go. So princess and tag along got to ride in the car. How does that work out?
Lucky for us all, the trotro was easy and we actually got there before the others. On the first tro I sat in between a business man and a rasta. Just think of what a funny picture that would have been. The rasts and I had bonding time while we sang Bob Marley, but every time he would turn his head I would get smacked in the face with his dreads. I was just grateful that it was the ends of his dreads and not the part with the shells stuck to it.
When we were getting close to the stop he asked where I was going and I turned to him and honestly said, "I have no idea.". Because I really had no idea how to get to Axim. I just head in the general direction, and someone usually helps me out. I then told him that eventually I wanted to go to Axim, so he told me to get out and catch another tro. Two other guys also got out, wearing their matching red polos and aviator shades, and they just kept pointing us along the way, until we found a tro to Axim. For this tro we had to just be on the lookout for signs and jump out before it got to its designated stop.
When we got to the hotel, they had no reservation for us. Of course. So they put a mattress in one room (guess who got to sleep on that!) And put two people in single rooms. The next day Maria and I were upgraded to a big room with a porch, two big beds, and an attached bathroom for the same price. We were happy, but the others became a bit jealous and wanted to use our hot shower. Seriously people, annoying. Nothing is ever good enough. I take a tro, sleep on the floor and now you want my hot water! Let me have something!! The weather over the weekend was pretty crappy. It was cold and there were a few storms, but I did a little reading and coffee drinking.
Overall I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more if I had a tan.
Today...
The cops in Ghana are a joke. We got stopped this morning, pretty much because we were a car of white girls and he just wanted to chat with us, and ask us if we were married. Maria told him that we were all married because we are old and need to reproduce. Surprisingly he accepted this answer and let us on our way. We didn't even have to slip him a cedi.
Work was....well a typical Monday I guess. Originally I had planned on going to a village to work with some of the women, to create a dog leash from scrap fabric. However, by the time we found leash clips at the market, and the other girl got to the office it was too late to go. Not to mention that she did not have the prototype finished, and I knew that was just going to cause frustrations for everyone involved. I decided to make the executive decision and say that we are going to the village tomorrow. Hopefully things will run smoothly.
I worked on spec packets for all of the products today, sent out samples, got samples back, took photos of samples, looked at possible color combinations, folded small jackets, and dealt with an annoying batik situation. Like I said, it was a typical Monday. I am so tired right now that I don't even want dinner. I just want to sleep.
Peace. Love. Monday.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Butt bite
Thursday.
Pepo bit my butt.
I declared today a work from home day. I woke up at 4:30 this morning and I could not fall back asleep. I was feeling mentally crappy, and I knew that I would not get much done at the office. So, I made some tea, and listened to my new cd (from a volunteer) and I ended up getting so much done today.
I spent the morning patterning, and the afternoon was spent on the balcony doing illustrations for the spec sheets I will be implementing before the end of the month. At five o'clock I finally decided to shower and change out of my pajamas. I also made the discovery that 5:00 is a good time to shower, because the sun heats the water and you almost get a warm shower. It was nice, because I was really cold today.
After I was clean I went over to the hotel to send a few emails. As I was walking over, two buses of white people drove by. I seriously felt like a wild animal because they all just stared out the window at me. It must have been my cool Global Mamas hoodie that caught their attention....
Today Appiah asked me if I had a baby. I said no...do I look like it? After a few rounds of questioning I realized that he was referring to a photo I have in my room, where I am holing a baby. For a minute there I thought that my weight gain was more than I thought.
Because this post is uneventful, and I will not be blogging all weekend I will answer a few questions!
Katie...here is my reading list:
The year of living like Jesus
The case for christ
Irresistible revolution
Made from scratch
Something Borrowed
Something blue
Baby proof
Murder on the orient express
A dirty job
Water for elephants
Sidhartha
And currently..
The miracle life of edgar mint
Along came a spider
And..Bill Brysons African diary.
I hope to finish those last three this weekend!
I knew that the people I was traveling with were Mormon because of the college they go to in Utah, and because they were talking about how they can not meet with the Muslims, but they can give them a pamphlet on being Mormon.
Yes, there really is 11,400 yards of fabric in the office right now. All just waiting to be batiked.
And....I will have to let you know about Axim after this weekend.
Peace. Love. Sunny days.
Pepo bit my butt.
I declared today a work from home day. I woke up at 4:30 this morning and I could not fall back asleep. I was feeling mentally crappy, and I knew that I would not get much done at the office. So, I made some tea, and listened to my new cd (from a volunteer) and I ended up getting so much done today.
I spent the morning patterning, and the afternoon was spent on the balcony doing illustrations for the spec sheets I will be implementing before the end of the month. At five o'clock I finally decided to shower and change out of my pajamas. I also made the discovery that 5:00 is a good time to shower, because the sun heats the water and you almost get a warm shower. It was nice, because I was really cold today.
After I was clean I went over to the hotel to send a few emails. As I was walking over, two buses of white people drove by. I seriously felt like a wild animal because they all just stared out the window at me. It must have been my cool Global Mamas hoodie that caught their attention....
Today Appiah asked me if I had a baby. I said no...do I look like it? After a few rounds of questioning I realized that he was referring to a photo I have in my room, where I am holing a baby. For a minute there I thought that my weight gain was more than I thought.
Because this post is uneventful, and I will not be blogging all weekend I will answer a few questions!
Katie...here is my reading list:
The year of living like Jesus
The case for christ
Irresistible revolution
Made from scratch
Something Borrowed
Something blue
Baby proof
Murder on the orient express
A dirty job
Water for elephants
Sidhartha
And currently..
The miracle life of edgar mint
Along came a spider
And..Bill Brysons African diary.
I hope to finish those last three this weekend!
I knew that the people I was traveling with were Mormon because of the college they go to in Utah, and because they were talking about how they can not meet with the Muslims, but they can give them a pamphlet on being Mormon.
Yes, there really is 11,400 yards of fabric in the office right now. All just waiting to be batiked.
And....I will have to let you know about Axim after this weekend.
Peace. Love. Sunny days.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Oooooh Sorry-O!
Wednesday.
I should have stayed in bed today.
Actually I almost did, due to me sleeping through my alarm. I blame it on the industrial fan noise. Sometimes I just can not hear the alarm going off right next to my head. The fact that I was up half the night fighting off charlie horses may have had something to do with it as well. Basically, I had a bad nights sleep, to start off a bad (ok not horrible) day.
I woke up with anxiety when I realized that my alarm had been going off for 20 minutes. Then I noticed that my hair was not fully clean, so bad hair day...you know how that goes. And pretty much everyday in Ghana is a bad hair day, so for it to actually have an effect on my mood really says something.
Positive point: I didn't have to take a taxi to work.
When I got to work I sent out a few patterns to have samples made. Then I re patterned a sleeve, and sent that out as well. In between the patterns I had to send out a reminder call to two batikers who still had not come to pick up their stamps. But they finally came for them this afternoon.
I made a quick trip to the bank today, and on the way back to the office I got side tracked by a dress in a store window...that turned out to actually be fabric pinned to the dress form. There is only one shop in Cape Coast that can be compared to the stores in the US. Here it is considered to be high end apparel. They sell fabric and ready made items. This store is well lit,has a shiny tile floor, and wooden hangers. It was my little escape for 10 minutes today. There is nothing like the sound of wooden hangers as you look through the racks. Really, the sound soothes me. In fact it was so soothing that I ended up buying a shirt. It cost about the same price as a large drum, but it looked like something you would find in anthro, so I had to get it.
In the afternoon my frustrations started again. Samples came back and they were completely wrong. Wrong colors, wrong stamps, wrong layouts...you name it...all wrong. I think there was only one that was done the right way. I was super upset about it, but everyone told me that it was ok. It happens to everyone, because the women get a little wild sometimes. They tell you that they understand, but the they just do their own thing. I'm much calmer about it now, so I will end with that.
Oh, also I have to put together a workshop on quality control for all of the Global Mamas. It will be happening at the end of the month, so I have a lot to do before then.
Only one more full day of work until Axim!
Peace. Love. Leg Cramp.
I should have stayed in bed today.
Actually I almost did, due to me sleeping through my alarm. I blame it on the industrial fan noise. Sometimes I just can not hear the alarm going off right next to my head. The fact that I was up half the night fighting off charlie horses may have had something to do with it as well. Basically, I had a bad nights sleep, to start off a bad (ok not horrible) day.
I woke up with anxiety when I realized that my alarm had been going off for 20 minutes. Then I noticed that my hair was not fully clean, so bad hair day...you know how that goes. And pretty much everyday in Ghana is a bad hair day, so for it to actually have an effect on my mood really says something.
Positive point: I didn't have to take a taxi to work.
When I got to work I sent out a few patterns to have samples made. Then I re patterned a sleeve, and sent that out as well. In between the patterns I had to send out a reminder call to two batikers who still had not come to pick up their stamps. But they finally came for them this afternoon.
I made a quick trip to the bank today, and on the way back to the office I got side tracked by a dress in a store window...that turned out to actually be fabric pinned to the dress form. There is only one shop in Cape Coast that can be compared to the stores in the US. Here it is considered to be high end apparel. They sell fabric and ready made items. This store is well lit,has a shiny tile floor, and wooden hangers. It was my little escape for 10 minutes today. There is nothing like the sound of wooden hangers as you look through the racks. Really, the sound soothes me. In fact it was so soothing that I ended up buying a shirt. It cost about the same price as a large drum, but it looked like something you would find in anthro, so I had to get it.
In the afternoon my frustrations started again. Samples came back and they were completely wrong. Wrong colors, wrong stamps, wrong layouts...you name it...all wrong. I think there was only one that was done the right way. I was super upset about it, but everyone told me that it was ok. It happens to everyone, because the women get a little wild sometimes. They tell you that they understand, but the they just do their own thing. I'm much calmer about it now, so I will end with that.
Oh, also I have to put together a workshop on quality control for all of the Global Mamas. It will be happening at the end of the month, so I have a lot to do before then.
Only one more full day of work until Axim!
Peace. Love. Leg Cramp.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
PURE WATA!
Tuesday.
Today was odd.
This morning ants carried a dead cockroach across the floor of the house. Seriously. Also, the ants found my bag of hard candy. I guess I should have eaten it right away, but I was trying to ration my treats out. So depressing.
I had to take a taxi today, and we almost hit a man on a bike. And there was some hair stuck to my bag (I shed A LOT) and some of it blew off and got stuck to the taxi drivers hand. I was laughing so hard! Then on the way home I cut my toe open when I was getting out of the taxi.
I went into the office for the morning today. There were still some women who did not come for their sample orders, so I wanted to be there to explain colors. While I was waiting for the Mamas to come, I started to organize the stamp library. I had a malfunctioning binder that would not let me flip pages, and I had a four ring binder with three hole page protectors. Its small things like that, that make me nuts. Really flippin' nuts!
After lunch I went back to the house to work on patterns. On my way to the taxi I ran into my favorite rasta aka Ras-T. He was so excited to see me, and told me that he thought I flew back. I told him that I thought he quit driving taxis because I had not seen him in weeks. Then we did a handshake with a solid snap at the end. There are different handshakes in Ghana, and my favorite is when you shake hands, and then use your middle finger to snap with their middle finger. It took me a few times to get it right, but I am pretty good at it now.
On the drive home a man tried to sell me some green grapes from his car. Then I was drinking my water bag, and when I went to put the empty pouch into my backpack, the man sitting next to me grabbed it and threw it out the window! I just turned to him with wide eyes and an open mouth, and he laughed it off.
Once I made it back to the house, I re-patterned a skirt, and fixed a dress, and a dog bow tie. Its going to be cute! I actually enjoyed my time patterning today. I had good music, and "coffee" and a quiet house.
I am still trying to figure out why I can not post photos..
Peace. Love. Cape Coast smelled bad today.
Today was odd.
This morning ants carried a dead cockroach across the floor of the house. Seriously. Also, the ants found my bag of hard candy. I guess I should have eaten it right away, but I was trying to ration my treats out. So depressing.
I had to take a taxi today, and we almost hit a man on a bike. And there was some hair stuck to my bag (I shed A LOT) and some of it blew off and got stuck to the taxi drivers hand. I was laughing so hard! Then on the way home I cut my toe open when I was getting out of the taxi.
I went into the office for the morning today. There were still some women who did not come for their sample orders, so I wanted to be there to explain colors. While I was waiting for the Mamas to come, I started to organize the stamp library. I had a malfunctioning binder that would not let me flip pages, and I had a four ring binder with three hole page protectors. Its small things like that, that make me nuts. Really flippin' nuts!
After lunch I went back to the house to work on patterns. On my way to the taxi I ran into my favorite rasta aka Ras-T. He was so excited to see me, and told me that he thought I flew back. I told him that I thought he quit driving taxis because I had not seen him in weeks. Then we did a handshake with a solid snap at the end. There are different handshakes in Ghana, and my favorite is when you shake hands, and then use your middle finger to snap with their middle finger. It took me a few times to get it right, but I am pretty good at it now.
On the drive home a man tried to sell me some green grapes from his car. Then I was drinking my water bag, and when I went to put the empty pouch into my backpack, the man sitting next to me grabbed it and threw it out the window! I just turned to him with wide eyes and an open mouth, and he laughed it off.
Once I made it back to the house, I re-patterned a skirt, and fixed a dress, and a dog bow tie. Its going to be cute! I actually enjoyed my time patterning today. I had good music, and "coffee" and a quiet house.
I am still trying to figure out why I can not post photos..
Peace. Love. Cape Coast smelled bad today.
Monday, August 2, 2010
I'll take a coffee now
The weekend + Monday.
This weekend was nice and lazy, just as I had hoped. Saturday was a bittersweet day, because the remaining interns headed back to the United States. The house is so quite now, but so far it has not been too bad. Then again...it has only been two days.
Saturday I just hung around the house and read all day. Two more books can be checked off my list. Katie, I will tell you all the books at some point :-). Sunday I went to the pool almost as soon as I woke up. Then Maria called and asked if I wanted to go to the beach, which of course I did! So we went to the beach for the afternoon. I did a little more reading while I was there, but in the end I just sort of zoned out and watched the waves crashing onto the shore.
This morning we were all a little late heading into the office, because of a flat tire. That would explain why Marias car has been acting a little strange. Once the tire was changes the car drove like new. Because the car is in such good working order, we decided to plan a little vacation this weekend. We are going to go to Axim beach resort. Google it...its nice!
I got right to work at the office this morning because I am now doing the work of 10. First thing on my list was to send out samples for batik prints. We finally got cloth this weekend, 11400 yards to be exact! Getting all of the sample request slips took longer than I thought, but eventually I had everything done in an organized way.
In the afternoon the batikers started to come in for theor samples. It gets crazy in the office when its sample time. Its nice to have the time go by so quickly though. In between samples, I took photos of garment samples that came in, and I fixed a bag pattern. We have little bags that hold a passport, but the zipper was being put in wrong, and there was not enough room to even fit your hand.
I think that's pretty much my day. I have been trying to post some photos, but something is wrong with my computer or the blog site because I can no longer find the spot to upload. So annoying.
Peace. Love. Had a good Monday.
This weekend was nice and lazy, just as I had hoped. Saturday was a bittersweet day, because the remaining interns headed back to the United States. The house is so quite now, but so far it has not been too bad. Then again...it has only been two days.
Saturday I just hung around the house and read all day. Two more books can be checked off my list. Katie, I will tell you all the books at some point :-). Sunday I went to the pool almost as soon as I woke up. Then Maria called and asked if I wanted to go to the beach, which of course I did! So we went to the beach for the afternoon. I did a little more reading while I was there, but in the end I just sort of zoned out and watched the waves crashing onto the shore.
This morning we were all a little late heading into the office, because of a flat tire. That would explain why Marias car has been acting a little strange. Once the tire was changes the car drove like new. Because the car is in such good working order, we decided to plan a little vacation this weekend. We are going to go to Axim beach resort. Google it...its nice!
I got right to work at the office this morning because I am now doing the work of 10. First thing on my list was to send out samples for batik prints. We finally got cloth this weekend, 11400 yards to be exact! Getting all of the sample request slips took longer than I thought, but eventually I had everything done in an organized way.
In the afternoon the batikers started to come in for theor samples. It gets crazy in the office when its sample time. Its nice to have the time go by so quickly though. In between samples, I took photos of garment samples that came in, and I fixed a bag pattern. We have little bags that hold a passport, but the zipper was being put in wrong, and there was not enough room to even fit your hand.
I think that's pretty much my day. I have been trying to post some photos, but something is wrong with my computer or the blog site because I can no longer find the spot to upload. So annoying.
Peace. Love. Had a good Monday.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)