Bad News

Sorry to all you fun people who read this blog, but I had forgotten how much the photo partof this blog application sucks. I just added 26 photosto the post titled "MY NEW HOME" (if you haven't seen the photos, go back and check them out, they're nice.) However, getting them positioned and stuff took an HOUR! So no more. I will be uploading photos via facebook and I will attach a link. Just click on the link and I will whisk you away to see photos. You WON'T need an account or password, either. These albums are open to the public.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

In that vein, check out the photos about Farmer's Day, which I talk about in my post "The Council of my Underwear."

Your weekly dose of irony

I feel like I have let my readers down. Try as I might, I never seem to have my camera ready at the right moment and I am reduced to verbally explaining all the funny visuals I see almost daily. I know a picture’s worth a thousand words, but really, I’m doing my best…




Driving along the road, Mus and I saw this beautifully painted sign. There were all sorts of animals on it, including monkeys, and in big letters it said, “Protect our Wildlife.” Directly behind the sign, not 10 feet from it, is a stand where people sell wild game, including monkeys that were skinned and field-dressed and smoked on a stick. I desperately hope that next time I can get a picture of this.





The other day in the market I saw a t-shirt that said “Jesus is Coming! Quick, look busy!”




Today driving down the road I saw a large cargo truck. On the dashboard were all manner of junk store decorations; tinsel, plastic flowers, plastic toys stuck to the dashboard- none of which is unusual here. The one interesting addition this particular truck featured was a 30 in stuffed Tigger, which was hanging from the rearview mirror via a rope tied around its neck. Yes, sadly, Pooh’s best friend dangled there, his feet well above the dashboard, his head lolled to one side.




In our new lodgings in Accra, the owner has two dogs who sincerely would like to rip our faces off. The most aggressive of the two has a bark like a Rottweiler and regularly charges me- he hasn’t actually bitten us yet, but he’s trying his best to scare us off.

The vicious killer’s name? Peace.





And here’s a few funny things I did manage to get photos of…

No, it's not just the angle... This Mini Bus is actually named "Hank U Jesus." Doesn't that sound like something really obscene?

This crappy mini-bus has a funny name, as is evidenced by the below close-up of it's rear...

Have you heard the one about me Cohabiting with the Nuns?

We have some new digs in Accra! They’re really nice- the house is right next to Mus’s parent’s house. The lady is really nice- she’s letting us stay in an old abandoned room for free for now. It's really nice, andMus's parents, amazing people that they are, spent two days cleaning it andkaming it really nice for us.

The reason she’s doing this is because Mus’s family plans to all move in herewith her eventually. They’re really excited about it. She has something of a guest house behind her house, and the guesthouse has 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom, all separate from the main house. Last year Mus and I were going to rent it, but the tenants she already had extended their stay. Now though, that we know how cheaply she will rent it, Mus’s whole family wants to move in- right now they have a tiny one room apartment, which is why they don’t have space for us. They are really close to this lady, and everyone seems really excited and happy about the arrangement.

So we’re just staying here in this extra bedroom the few weekends we’re in Accra until the current tenants move out of the guest house, so Mus’s family can move in.

So the old saying really is true- when it rains it pours! Last year we couldn’t find accommodations to save our lives, and ended up bunking in the living room of Mus’s house. (The landlady was so kind to let us stay, since it was her space and not part of the space rented to Mus’s parents.) And we actually had another accommodation lined up for us this year, but the plan fell through due to a divorce between the landlords.

And there’s actually a funny story about how we got this room here. Yesterday, Mus and I arrived and his parents started talking about our new accommodations. I couldn’t understand all that was said, but I did catch the words “Nuns” and Jessica. For the life of me I could not figure out waht our apartment and nuns and I all had in common.

Turns out, the owner of the house had a dream about being chased by something sinister, and these Caucasian nuns were helping her escape, and she was very bewildered and grateful for their kindness. Before they left her, they told her that I would be coming and asking for a place
to stay, and that she should let me live with her. And get this, THE VERY NEXT DAY Mus's parents approached her about letting me and Mus stay in her house. She told Mus's dad that she had been expecting him, and then told him about the dream.

Talk about fate, man!