Caffeine and Babies

In the middle of that week, after the funeral, I made my first trip to Max Mart. It is a triple story building that functions as a mall but it's pretty small. They have groceries on the first floor and odd and expensive gadgets and decorating elements above. The one major draw is that the second floor houses what seems to be the only cafe in Accra. It is air conditioned with large tinted windows that face the street, giving the impression that you have literally risen above the city and are looking down over it (there are no hills or tall buildings here). The only downside is that because it's not in California, people smoke cigarettes inside. I joined a group to go get lunch there in the afternoon









Jessica Erica Aaronson (roommate) Ali Jessica again

We got coffee and sandwiches with !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!cheese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! which I have not eaten for roughly two months, unless you count the Laughing Cow cheese-like spread, and you shouldn't. We had a range of discussions ranging from local issues to US politics, but mostly focusing on reflecting on our time here and how challenging it can be. I think a lot of us came to Ghana with the idea that we should suffer great hardships, that we should deprive ourselves of comforts in order to benefit the most from a challenging experience. It was nice to talk about the issues we've each faced, the challenges of adjusting to a new place, and to realize that this is such an intense learning experience because we're constantly immersed in a culture very different from our own. It has nothing to do with access to cheese sandwiches. A few others came and went, but Jessica, Erica and I talked until before we knew it the sun had long since set. We ordered dinner right before they closed, and then caught a tro-tro home.

In other news, a woman comes by the girls' dorm once a week named Jane. She's a seamstress and makes nice clothes and quilts. This is me with her baby, who I later found out is named Joy (I hope Makdisi is reading this...) I just wanted to include a cute picture