Music and Worship

Beautiful music and powerful messages from the Bokamoso South African Youth Choir at All Souls Church in Washington. Makes me miss ASC all the more. I'm still looking for a welcoming spiritual place here. 

Motorway

The George Walker Bush Motorway was commissioned yesterday in Accra. Technically, the Tetteh Quarshie Overpass-Mallam Highway, it was renamed for the former US president by former Ghana president John Agyekum Kuffour who was in office when the Millenium Challenge Compact was signed between the US and Ghana.

The motorwaywill relieve terrible traffic congestion for commuters into Accra, reduce costs of transporting agricultural products from the Central Region, and allow easier access to Ghana's only international airport and the port at Tema. 

It has the added benefit of cutting travel time for us going to the beaches west of Accra. Before today, the dreaded "Mallam Junction" was a hot mess of cars, trucks, tro tros, buses, and motorbikes all trying to get into or out of the city, usually in the same lane, all the while dodging the plantain chip and water sellers. A three hour trip to Cape Coast could take five hours.

Happy that my tax dollars were put to good use AND that I get some use out of it. The US flags are a nice touch.

I'm not calling it by its name though.

St Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!

When You Care Enough

For Christine: A Hallmark store in Accra!!! I think of you every time I pass by it.

I'll try to get a better photo!

Afcon Final

Zambia beats Ivory Coast in an almost-never-ending Penalty Shootout. What a dumb way to end a sporting event. The good news is Sam Lloyd won the pool. He still owes me a beer.

When does March Madness start??

Status Update of the Day

"I would like the Harmattan to finish now please. I can only see 30 meters outside our front door, I feel like I'm breathing in through an old vacuum cleaner and my bogeys are 90% orange dust. "

The dust is pretty awful, but the weather is a cool 81 degrees and will get down to about 75 overnight. I'll take the heat.

Trying to find a photo that does it justice.

Stars Gone Out

The Black Stars are out of the Afcon. Sad days in Ghana. Now rooting for Zambia, because if Sam wins the pool, he'll buy me a beer. Of course, I'm holding the money and I was out first so they should all buy me a beer!

Football Update

Black Stars advance! A close call but they beat Tunisia after a rough, elbow-throwing, red card match. Zambia tomorrow. Will be tough.

AND I was one of the 100 million or so who watched the Super Bowl live. Kickoff was at 11:30 p.m. and ended around 3:15 a.m. Almost didn't stay awake but glad I did. Hosted some American friends and a few English folks. Hard game to explain to folks who've never seen this football before.

Email of the Day

"Subject: Rat B@st...

From: Ellen 12:33 PM (3 hours ago)

to O'Connell, nbeardsley, me, R

Saw his shadow!! "



This is the kind of rodent we have here. He never sees his shadow, poor B@st... And, yes, people eat them.

Happy Groundhog Day.

Black Stars Advance

Despite last evening's tie with Guinea, the Black Stars advance to the quarterfinals of the African Cup of Nations.

Not as much fun watching games in an Irish pub with a bunch of white people, as it turns out.