The weekend.....

I hate doing these blogs on my phone. There should really be an auto save on here.

Saturday.

This weekend was the Cape Coast festival, and I figured that it was going to be similar to the Elmina one....but just in case it was something completely wonderful, I decided I would attend. We were told by everyone in the office that the processional started at 8:00. Now, I have been here for 17 weeks, and I should have known better. We got up bright and early and took a taxi into town. We went to the market area, where we figured there would be lots to see. Well...at 8:00 it was completely dead. We decided that we would just take a seat at a "spot" right on the road and have some water. We were enjoying our time just people watching, but then people started coming up to us. You are at a complete disadvantage when you are sitting, because you can not just walk away.

There was an older man who just kept telling us that he did not want to speak English. I just kept thinking that if he didnt want to speak English, then he should stop talking to us. Problem solved. Then there were the men, who carry small, yet annoying drums around with them, and they will walk upto people and bang the life out of them until the people pay them to go away. Well.....they didn't know who they were dealing with when they tried this trick with me. I grew up with a drummer in the house, and then I was friends with people who tap tap tap all day long. The group of men came around me, and I didn't even flinch. Jokes on them.

Eventually we got up and moved to a different spot, where we ended up sitting for a few hours. It was a very Ghanaian afternoon. We just sat on a stoop and watched the world go by. Eventually, they processional started, and it was pretty hectic and unenjoyable. oh well.

Getting out of Cape Coast was a nightmare, because we decided to leave before the festival was over. We pushed through the crowd, where I swear my life flashed before my eyes multiple times. Oooo I will not miss that!

Sunday.
I actually slept in a little, and read yet another book. Then I went to the gym, but creepy gym man was there, so that didn't last very long. I ran, and then literally jumped off the treadmill and went back to the house.

I am dog sitting, and Sunday is bath day, so I gave Pepo his bath outside, and he was so good. He just stands there and let's you scrub him clean.

After doing a little more reading, we went over to Judys house to watch a movie. Remember when she was telling me about that girl on crack, and people getting shot? Well....guess what movie we watched. For those of you interested in Nigerian fims, its called Cry of a Virgin. Seriously, its going to be award winning.

While we were watching the film, Judy brought out fufu for us to eat. We all had to man up and eat as much as we could. But the last few bites I took were a bit of a struggle to get down. After we finished our food, Judy had to run down to the shop. When she returned, there were two white women with her. Imagine the surprise when they thought they were about to enter into a proper Ghanaian house to look at some products, and when they stepped in the door....4 white people watching a movie. Their faces were priceless! They just looked at us and kept asking what we were doing there. We just kept saying that we lived next door, but they still didn't get it.

When we got back from Judys, Ellen was washing blood of the porch and told me that Pepo had been in an accident. I was an instant train wreck and started crying my eyes out. Apparently, someone came to take him for a walk, he went after some other dogs, got away from the leash, and was hit by a car. He is fine, but he had a cut on his head. The vet was called, and Peop needed to get three stitches on his face. (In the process he flipped his head back, and broke the vets glasses) It was the worst moment of my entire time here. I still want to cry when I think about that night.

Pepo is loved by all. Not only were Ellen and Appiah sitting with him, but Judy, Eli and her son, and Wisdom from the offce came over that night to sit with us while we were waiting for the vet to come, and while he was being sewn up. They were just as concerned about him as I was.

I did not sleep well at all that night.

Monday.

I was glad to see that Pepo was his normal self in the morning. Just with some ugly stitchs above his ugly wart.

We went back to the village of Ajumako to work on the dog leashes, and braided necklaces. When we arrived the workshop was not open, and none of the women were there. This was frustrating, seeing that we had called them as we were leaving the office to tell them that we were on the way.

The truth finally came out, that the key was lost. Then, the most insane thing happened. The doors to the workshop are double doors that open in the middle. When locked, there is a LARGE padlock on the outside of the doors. Somebody thought that if they removed four random bolts from the door, then they would be able to open it. Ummmm.....hello? What about that large padlock in the middle and the bolts on the other sides? Clearly, this did not work. They removed the bolts and it was as if nothing had even happened. DUH! Then, as if that was not bad enough, a man just picked up a large rock and started hitting the lock. Pieces of rock were flying everywhere!!!!

Eventually, a few women showed up, and we just started to work on the porch. All day we stayed on the proch, because the key never showed up. They remembered the weave that we had showed them last time, and overall it was a successful day.

Peace. Love. God Bless Pepo.