Day 17 - Lonelier Peanut Stew w/Lonely Plantains

Hi Ruth! It's lonely to cook without you. Even when you don't like what I cook, it's fun to have you help.

Here's what I made tonight.

From Where in the World is Dad?

1. Buy more okra than you really need from Citi-Veg, because it's cheap.

2. A few days ago, make some rice and some beans that you don't finish. Put them in the fridge. You are living alone for the moment, so they will last you days.

3. Look for some Ghanaian recipes. Ooh! Peanut butter stew - that sounds good and you know where to get good peanut butter.

4. Most of them call for chicken. Huh. You don't know where to find decent chicken yet. You've seen some live chickens running around, but they don't belong to you.

5. Don't eat since the previous morning because you're not dealing well with being so far from your family.

6. Consider just skipping the chicken to see what happens, then find recipe that's vegetarian by design. Oh, hey, it even calls for okra, and you've got plenty of okra.

7. Put some palm oil in a pan. Chop up a red onion and put it in. Cook it for a bit, while you chop up some garlic - six cloves. Just throw the garlic in as it's ready, it's cool.

8. Go put on some Johnny Cash, because it's not like you're lonely enough already. Take a minute while "Cry, Cry, Cry" (the "crying song") plays to compose yourself.

9. Chop up the four tomatoes you bought. You thought the lady said one cedi each, which is like US prices, so you said, "saa?" She explained that each little pyramid of tomatoes was one cedi, which is more reasonable. Also, you got some plantains. Don't forget those.

10. Put the tomatoes in, with some salt (measure 1.5t), sugar (measure 1T), and ginger (eyeball). Slit one of those ridiculous hot peppers and throw it in (unless Ruth is there when you make this again, then skip it).

11. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add a cup of peanut butter, and enough water to make it look like stew.

12. The recipe calls for sweet potatoes, which you don't have. Use butternut squash, which you were surprised to find in Ghana in the first place. But it's all good, because butternut squash > sweet potatoes. Peeling butternut squash is a pain, especially since you only have this really not very good vegetable peeler. But it beats when you did it with a paring knife.

13. So chunk up two of those little butternut squash (probably only one supermarket-size one, for anyone trying to replicate this in the US). Set the whole deal to simmer for a while.

14. Heat up some oil, as well as you can on an electric hot plate. Slice up some plantains and put them in when it seems hot enough. Miss your kitchen thermometer. Miss your wife. Miss your daughter.

15. Slide the plantains in. Work in batches. They're done when they're done.

16. Are the squash chunks tender yet? Nope.

17. OK, when they're tender, the recipe calls for corn. You don't have any corn, but you do have those cooked beans. Beans are... roughly the same shape as corn? Anyway, in they go.

18. Cook for a bit, then stop being lazy and cut up the okra into big chunks.

19. Turn off the heat and stir in the okra, letting it heat through for a few minutes.

20. Serve over sad, cold rice. Eat. Write blog post.

21. Think about how Ruth would probably like the leftover plantains and eggs you're going to have for breakfast tomorrow morning. Hold it together.

22. Hold. it. together.

23. Don't quite hold it together. [Maybe don't read that part to Ruth]

Day 17 - Lizard Sighting!

Hi Ruth!

I miss you.

This morning I went down to the Embassy to meet with the Defense Attache - he's a soldier from the United States who works at the Embassy to help them talk to the soldiers from Ghana. He's only been here about as long as I have, so he didn't have much to tell me yet, but we had a nice chat. He even told me about BBQs that they have at the Embassy on Fridays, where sometimes they even have music! We can go when you're here.

Then I went back to my office and worked, but when I came home, this little guy was in the flat!

From Where in the World is Dad?

I can't wait until you come visit me.

Day 16 - Park

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana. It's raining here, but not as hard as it was at home last night. I'm sorry I didn't call you first thing this morning.

I was thinking about you this morning, though. I woke up to check on the storm and it sounded like it hadn't been that bad - I didn't know about the basement, and I should have called to check. But after I looked at some information about the storm, I went looking around to learn more about what there might be for you to do when you got here.

First, I found this place, which is in the city, but we can go visit some time: the Osu Children's Library (we'd probably go to the first one).

Then, I found someone mentioning that there was a playground in the botanical gardens. So, I spent some time looking at satellite maps trying to figure out where it was - it was hard to see, but I thought I'd found it. So, I went for a walk - in what I thought was rain that was going to stop soon, but didn't, and this is where Mommy tried to tell me about the basement, but I was away - to try to find it. Turns out my guess about the picture was right - there's a part of the botanical gardens about a mile and a half away from here (I can carry you part of the way) where they have a couple little shops, and a small playground, and some picnic tables, and a lake you can walk around. It's not huge, and it looked a little sad in the pouring rain, but the man said that on nicer days the playground gets lots of kids.

Ghana, Day 15 - How Do You Explain "Military Coups" to Your Daughter?

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana.

Keeping a little busy helps me to miss you and Mommy a bit less, so this morning I woke up reeeeeeeal early to go to yoga class. Miss Ann-Marie, Prof. Carl's wife, is teaching it and she invited me to come. It's been a long time since I did yoga - it's a kind of exercise that's mostly about stretching, and comes from India. I think Grampy has done some yoga, and I know Mommy has - maybe Grampy can show you some moves when he comes to visit!

After yoga, I had to work. I read some of the books that I got from the place I went last week. One of the things I'm here to study - and this is a little complicated - has to do with the fact that the soldiers in Ghana took over the country and were in charge for a while. But one of the good things they did afterward, when they stopped making people listen to them, was that they held lots of conversations with people all over Ghana, so they could talk about what upset them about what had been happening. It sounds like this really helped people be less angry, and helped Ghana be the peaceful place, where people aren't worried about fighting anymore, like it is now. So that was interesting to learn.

And now I'm home, and missing you, and listening to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and thinking of Mommy. And looking at pictures of you. Later I'm going to do more reading and listen to Johnny Cash.

Medo wo. I miss everyone.

Ghana, Day 14 - Post Office wo ho

Hi Ruth!

Yup, still in Ghana.

This morning, I had some meetings. Well, I was supposed to have meetingS, but instead I only had meeting. The last time I was here, getting to the Kofi Annan Center took a very long time, so I left very early. But they built a new road, and so there was no traffic and we got there very fast. So, I told the man at the gate who I was there to see, but that I was very early, and he said that he would let the person know and I should have a seat. So I read for a while... and then after more than an hour, the man came back to tell me that the person I was supposed to meet wasn't in town!

Then I went over to the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, where I'll be teaching one day while you're here (maybe you and Grammy and Grampy can meet me at the beach afterwards! The army gets to pick where it has its places - and this one is right near the beach). I talked to the army officer in charge of all the teaching about what I was going to teach.

And then I headed back to campus. I stopped by the Embassy to see if any of the mail you sent me had gotten here yet, but it hasn't. ::Sigh:: But I dropped off another postcard for you and a letter for Mommy. And then, when I got back to campus, I put another letter and postcard in the mail for you, but this time in the regular Ghana Post:

From Where in the World is Dad?

So, it will be like a race! You'll have to tell me which card gets to you first!

Medo wo.

Ghana, Day 14 - Mostly Reading

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana, missing you and Mommy (and Grammy, even)!

Today I spent a lot of time in the library. Like I said, the library here has some books that I wanted to read, but are hard to find at home. Some of them have been worth the trip, and others not as interesting.

Afterwards, I got a call from a man I know, General Agyemfra [Ah-jee-em-frah], who is going to help me find some of the people I need to talk to for my work. So that's very helpful for me! But he is going back to visit the town where he grew up this weekend, so I will talk to him later.

After work, I went out for dinner with Prof. Carl (he's the guy who does a lot of teaching about art and music) and his partner, Miss Ann-Marie. We went to a little restaurant that serves Nigerian food, that I found last time I was here, and that they like because they're vegetarians, and this place has lots of vegetables. It was a bit dark, but next time I go by when it's sunny out, I'll take a picture so you can see it. The restaurant is part of someone's house, and run by the family - and the mom is maybe going to teach us how to cook some Nigerian food some time. If I learn, and it's good (but not too spicy), I'll make some for you.

And then I came home, and thought about how much I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.

Ghana, Day 13 - Meetings!

Hi Ruth!

::Sigh:: I'm still in Ghana. I really miss you. I'm glad you had a fun day with Grammy at story time today.

Today I was working, so there's not as much fun stuff to tell you about.

But, about my day!

This morning, Mr. Nkrumah was supposed to come to look at something in the flat, but he never showed up. But my water is still running, so I can't complain. So I just stayed here and worked until it was time to go to class.

Then, I taught my class. This class is for graduate students (people who have already been to college, but want to learn even more - like I did, and like Mommy will when I get back). So I only have two students. Which is nice, because it means that we can talk about whatever we're interested in, and I don't have to plan a whole big class in advance.

Today, we talked about a dialogue called The Euthyphro. A dialogue is like a little play that you read, and that teaches you something about Philosophy. This one is about a man who is trying to figure out what it is for something to be good. We had a good conversation about it! I can read you dialogues if you like when you get a little bit bigger - I think it'd be a bit complicated for you now (but you are pretty smart!).

Then, I had a meeting. I went to meet a man named Kojo, at a place called the Center for Democratic Development (I know, big name). They're a group that pays attention to what the government of Ghana does, and tries to make sure that they do good things. I talked to Kojo about how things have been with the army here in Ghana (what I'm here to learn about), and I got some of the books they've written about it.

Then I came back to the flat, and met with Mr. Lartey, to plan our trip to see monkeys and stuff! I'm looking forward to it. I miss you.

Ghana, Day 12 - How Did "Peacekeeping Missions Reflect Lessons Learned and Societal Norms Become Sinister?"

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana.

Today, I taught my class again. It's a class about how to know when things are good or bad. It's complicated to teach! But I hope my students are mostly learning and enjoying it. There were a lot more students there today than the first time I taught, because people are still deciding what classes they'd like to take. So I'm sure by next week, some will still be there, and others will be taking other classes.

After class, a couple of the students came to my office to ask me more questions. When you're a teacher, it's always nice when people come to ask you questions, because it means they're interested in learning about what you're teaching. I know I like it when you ask me questions, and I bet you ask your teachers lots of questions too.

Then I came back to my office to read. I'm pretty sure the people who wrote what I'm reading right now are very silly.

I miss you lots.

Ghana, Day 11 - Bug

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana, waiting for you to come visit me soon. Most of my day today was boring (I went to some meetings). But I saw this happy not-so-little bug sitting outside my office when I came back, and thought you'd think it was cool!

From Where in the World is Dad?

PS There was a gecko in the flat the other night! But she ran out under the crack under the door before I could get a picture of her.

Ghana, Day 10 - Johnny Cash

Hi Ruth. I really miss you, and I was thinking of this song. It's a sad song, but I know you like Johnny Cash.



[Adults: no, I haven't been nursing a hangover. Just feeling lonely seeing some families out this morning on their way to Church.]

Ghana, Day 10 - Morning Jog

Hi Ruth! I'm still in Ghana, and counting down the days until I see you. 44 more seems like a whole lot.

Since I showed you my walk to work the other day, I thought today I'd show you my morning jog. I prefer doing my exercises with you, but I have to keep doing them alone so I'll be in shape to do them more when you get here and when I get home!

First, this is the tree that I do chin-ups on:

From Where in the World is Dad?

Then I head out along this road:

From Where in the World is Dad?

Every time I pass flowers, I think about how you'd want to pick them for Mommy.

From Where in the World is Dad?

Today, I headed up the hill, and I pass lots of big termite mounds. Remember the pretend ones they have at the zoo near the gazelles? These are real, and they're huge. It's amazing to think things as tiny as termites (which are about the size of ants) made these! This one must be very old, because it's all covered in vines and plants:

From Where in the World is Dad?

Whew! It's a tall hill!

From Where in the World is Dad?

I took a picture of these flowers because I know yellow is your favorite color.

From Where in the World is Dad?

When I get to the top of the hill, I can see Legon Hall through the trees - that's the biggest hall on campus, and one of the oldest.

From Where in the World is Dad?

And then I turned around to go back to my flat and eat a lonely breakfast without you. Coming back down the hill is much easier than going up!

I miss you and Mommy, but I'll see you soon(ish).

Ghana, Day 9 - These Are the People in My Department

Hi Ruth! I'm still in Ghana. I keep looking around at all the big fields and trees and stuff for you to play in! I hope you're having fun with Grammy - you like learning Twi with her more than with me!

I didn't take any pictures today - I did my exercises this morning, and then I've mostly been working. I was going to go to the library, but it was closed. And I started reading the bee book that you and Mommy got me for Father's Day. I really like it! Maybe instead of keeping teaching you and I should move somewhere and plant a field of thyme for bees like in the picture... Mommy can come with us if she likes.

Since today was pretty boring to talk about, I thought I'd answer Grampy's question and say something about the people I work with.

Prof. Helen is the head of the Philosophy department. She's an American, but she's lived in Ghana a long time (about thirty years, I think). She's been very helpful with getting me set up here, and even lent me some money because my wallet got stolen. She teaches lots of different things, because she's in charge, but she seems to be mostly interested in the philosophy of science and psychology (about how people think).

Rev. Dr. Asamoah is a priest (someone who speaks in a Church) and a philosopher! He's a bit older, and he's pretty quiet, so we haven't talked much. Like me, he mostly teaches about ethics - right and wrong.

Prof. Carl is new, and he's from Canada. He has a shaved head and earrings, like me, so people tease us that we look alike (he's a lot skinnier). He and his wife lived in Cambodia for a while before coming here - she teaches yoga and is a counselor (someone who helps people who are sad feel better, like some of the people Mommy works with). He mostly teaches about aesthetics, which is the philosophy of art.

Prof. Emma, whose full name is Emmanuel, is also new, but he's from Nigeria. He mostly teaches African philosophy. He and I had lunch together yesterday, and he told me about how he's getting married in December, but his wife-to-be won't be able to come here to be with him in Ghana until next summer, but how he's looking forward to having children soon.

Miss Nancy isn't a professor yet, but she teaches here too. I haven't talked to her very much, but she just had a little boy (I think), and she teaches about different cultures, and also logic (which is sort of like math, but not quite).

Mr. Richmond is a graduate assistant - he's been asked to work with me to help me get everything for my classes going well. He's interested in how the mind and language work, and also politics. His friend is also supposed to come over some time to teach me how to make Ghanaian food.

Prof. Ackah is the head of the Classics section of the department. He seems like a nice guy, but he teaches a lot and so I don't see him very much.

And that's about everyone I've met so far! Now I'm going to finish up some work so I can go home and try to make eggplant stew on my own, and miss you.

Ghana, Day 8 - Musty Tomes

Hi Ruth!

Today, I actually mostly worked, and most of it is boring to talk about with you. I made a lot of phone calls, and made some meetings. Then I went to the library:

From Where in the World is Dad?

Pretty cool, huh?

Believe it or not, part of the reason I'm here is for books. I know - we have plenty of books at home! [Non-Ruth readers: she likes to compare my work area upstairs to the massive library in Beauty and the Beast]

But, remember how I told you that there isn't fighting in Ghana now? And there hasn't really ever been lots of fighting, like in Liberia, or Rwanda, or Congo? Well, that's great for Ghana, and makes it a much nicer place to be most of the time (though I really liked Liberia). But because there hasn't been a big war, it means that not as many people have written about Ghana - sad, but true, that people like to write about fighting. And most of the people who have written about Ghana published their books here, so they are hard to find where we live. But the big library here has copies, so I'm here partly just to read some of them and learn more.

Unfortunately, there are very few pictures.

Then I had lunch with Dr. Ani. Grampy asked me to say more about the people I work with, so I'll talk more about him in a bit. But there was this crazy fountain outside the place we ate:

From Where in the World is Dad?

Ghana, Day 7 - Lunch!

Hi Ruth!

When you get here, besides Citi-Veg, maybe I'll take you to Basement Cafe, where I had lunch today [Not bad, adults: The equivalent of about $3.50 for a meal so filling I think I'll be skipping dinner]. They serve lots of traditional Ghanaian food - we'll have to find you something that's not too spicy, as lots of it has hot peppers!

But what I thought you might like was the fufu and banku. Both are sort of like dough, but made from a plant called cassava (which is like a potato), and with some corn for banku. They also ferment banku, which means they let it sit so tiny animals can grow in it, like in bread, and that makes it sour. But! What's fun about them is that they're your utensils! You don't get a fork or spoon; they give you a lump of fufu or banku and you're supposed to make little disks and then scoop up the food with it. It's like eating with play-doh!

I'm not very good at it.

Ghana, Day 7

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana. I'll be here a while, but I'm excited that each day brings me closer to when I see you here!

Today, I thought I'd show you my walk to work from the apartment I'm staying in.

This morning, right out my front door, there were a lot of birds!

From Where in the World is Dad?

These guys aren't normally there. But this morning, there was someone out on a tractor mowing the field, and I bet he was disturbing lots of yummy, yummy bugs for them to eat! So they were following him around.

After I leave, I take the shortcut to the road around the building my flat is in, under this big tree.

From Where in the World is Dad?

Sometimes, there are flowers under it.

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Once I stop to take pictures of the flowers to send to you, I come out on the big road near the flat, which is Barimah road.

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From there, I don't have to walk far before I'm on the "main drag" of the campus, which is J.B. Danquah Road:

From Where in the World is Dad?

And then it's only a little way to where I work, right here!

From Where in the World is Dad?

When I get there, I try to work hard, so I can make you and Mommy proud of me. Then I come back to the flat and miss you. See you soon and love you, medium-sized girl.

Ghana, Day 6

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana.

This morning, I went to the US Embassy. I couldn't take any pictures, because they have big "no pictures!" signs up everywhere. But it was nice, and I met some people who are supposed to help me find fun things to do with Mommy while you're here. Dad is working on delivering dancing and monkeys!

When I got back, I went looking for a place where I was told that you could buy nice fruits and vegetables. They have their own little farm right on campus, and they teach how to be a good farmer and then sell the fruits and vegetables they grow.

From Where in the World is Dad?

I was told that they had very good peanut butter they make themselves, too - because I like peanut butter as much as you do! But they were out. Oh well - maybe next time.

I did get lots of good vegetables! Some butternut squash (that I'm making for dinner), some onions, some very very very hot peppers (I miss you making me spicy fish!), and some little white eggplants that look just like eggs - in fact, here they call them "garden eggs." And I got some tomatoes that I mixed in with my rice and beans for lunch - I miss our tomatoes, but these were pretty good, especially since I haven't really had fresh vegetables since I got here. When you get here, we can go to Citi Veg and you can pick out whatever fruits and vegetables you like! I'll let you know how the melon I got is. The lady asked why I only wanted a small one, and I had to be sad and say it was because I was eating it alone. When you get here, if they still have melons, we can get a big big one.

And I got to speak some Twi to the lady - she was surprised I knew any, even if only a little.

After that, I taught my other class, and then I came back to my flat, and now I'm writing to you and missing you.

Ghana, Day 5 - About Your Mom

Hi Ruth!

I just wanted to say something to you about Mom. I know you and she had a pretty rough time of it getting your second rabies shot. Trust me, we wouldn't even consider putting you through this if rabies wasn't very, very dangerous.

You probably don't quite realize it now, but your Mom is a fantastic person. It is very hard for her to be home alone with you, while I am away. Your Mom loves you very much, but taking care of a small person, for Mommy and me, is supposed to be a two-person job. Mommy wouldn't be there alone with you if she didn't love you very much and me very much.

So, I want this to be here mostly so you can find it when you're older and reading this again - if you read it again. Nothing I talk about doing here, or anywhere I show you pictures of on the wall in our dining room would be possible without your Mommy.

She works a very hard job - certainly harder than mine - and also takes care of you. You're bigger now, but you still need a lot of stuff done. We don't mind doing it, we love you. But usually there are two people to share the work.

She's as lonely as I am, and has to also be brave for you.

Lots of people talk about how great an honor it is for me to have the award that I'm here for, but fewer people are going to talk about how awesome Mommy is for taking care of you while I'm gone.

Every time you get to school to see your friends, make it to dance class, have food ready when you're hungry, get to go to parties, have clean clothes in the morning, have someone to tell you it's OK after the thunder comes - Mommy does that.

When you go to sleep, Mommy stays up and works hard.

Every night while you sleep (until Grammy gets there at least), Mommy stays in the house to make sure you're safe.

If something breaks, Mommy has to fix it. If Rhombus runs away, Mommy chases him.

Since it's still hard for you to talk on the phone a lot, Mommy reads you stories instead of me, even though I miss reading you stories.

I don't miss Mommy just because I'm in a new place. I miss Mommy because she's wonderful, and - just like your life wouldn't be so good without her around, but in a different way, she makes a big part of everything good in my life possible.

I know you're having a tough time, too, and I'm working hard here to try to make sure it's worth it. But I need you to sometimes give Mommy a big hug from me, and tell her she's a great Mommy.

Ghana, Day 5 - Some Good Things [and Some Bad Things in Brackets]

Hi Ruth!

I don't want to make it sound like all I do is sit and miss you and Mommy all day. [Though this is the reality, adults and future Ruth, of travel like this: I come home, alone, and I cook in the dark because I need to get a lamp for the kitchen when I have more cash, and I cook at all because Helen was kind and lent me her electric cooker that I sit on top of my useless gas cooker, because there is a fuel shortage, and I eat rice and beans that I oversalted in the dark. It is very hard to stay mentally healthy when you are away from those you love, and know that they are missing you, too.] If I did, then you and Mommy would not want to come to visit me. And I know you are being very brave and getting your second rabies shot today, and so I want to tell you about some good things.

The weather is nice here. It's the rainy season, so it's very grey, but it's not as hot as it has been at home, and about twice a day we get a nice, gentle rain.

This morning, I found a tree in the field out front of the flat to do exercises on. As I walked towards it, lots of tiny colorful butterflies scattered out of my way.

When I was walking home, I passed a small termite nest, that looked like strange orange-red-brown coral in the grass.

Every night, I hear frogs singing outside.

No matter where in the world I am, I love you.

Ghana. Day 5

Hi Ruth!

Is it really only 5 days? I think about you and Mommy all the time.

Today was my first day teaching, so I wanted to show you my office. But first! I saw a monkey yesterday! Just walking around in someone's yard. He was a bit far away, so I didn't get a very good picture, but I thought you would want to see the one I did get:

From Where in the World is Dad?

My office is pretty nice. This is what it looks like:

From Where in the World is Dad?

But, there are a couple things more important than my desk. When I first got here, I made sure to put some pictures of you up (I don't know who drew the big picture on my blackboard, but it's pretty neat!):

From Where in the World is Dad?

And they gave me a pretty nice day-planner to use while I'm here. So, this morning, when I was missing you and Mommy the most, I filled out my class schedule, up until the most important day:

From Where in the World is Dad?

Right now, like Mommy said, the internet is pretty slow, because they are working to fix the faster internet in my office. But once they do (they promised me soon), would you like to try talking on video some evening when you get home from school? And any night you want, I'm happy to tell you stories on the phone when you get home - I'll even tell them the right way, with no robots.*

Teaching was fun. It's always fun to start a new class, and the students seemed very interested. We went over the syllabus, but then we got into circles so everyone could talk. I'm still a little nervous about teaching here, but starting teaching always makes me a little nervous, even though it's also interesting. And when I'm teaching is about the only time I'm not missing you and Mommy.

Tomorrow I have to go to the Embassy, and I'm going to put a postcard in the mail for you when I'm there. I hope you get the one I already sent soon.

I love you all the way up to the moon... and back.

Ghana, Day 4

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana, still missing you so much.

But one thing that makes me miss you a teeeeeensy bit less is eating yogurt with honey like I do with you at home, and imagining you telling me, "first oil fish, then multi."

From Where in the World is Dad?

Please have Mommy give you a big hug from me, and please give Mommy a hug and a kiss from me.

Ghana, Day 3

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana. I don't have many stories for today - it's raining here, too, and I've mostly been reading and trying to get ready to teach next week. I hope I do a good job helping people learn things.

I did want to say one thing that I know Mommy said already. The pictures I sent are not of a new place where I'm going to live for ever. I could never live away from you and Mommy - I have to be brave enough just be away from you for a little while. This is just the place where I'm staying for a little while, while I do my work here. It's a place where you can stay too when you visit me, but after the winter I'm going to come home and live with you, and I won't be going away this long again unless you can come with me.

Ghana, Day 2 (Afternoon)

Hi Ruth!

I've cleaned up, so now I feel OK showing some pictures of the place to Mommy. Like I said before, it's clean and secure (with good screens on the windows to prevent mosquitoes getting in) but a bit spartan.

This is the sitting room:

From Where in the World is Dad?

And in it, are some books, including one with a present from you on it!

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This is my desk/work area:

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Where I made one small but important addition to the collection on my desk, that I'd packed separate from the rest of my pictures:

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Here's the bedroom:

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[Melissa: Turns out it's got two twin beds pushed up against each other. Misunderstanding the packaging, I ended up with a sheet set for a twin bed, but I'll make sure we have sheets for everything by the time you get here. And I bought an extra pillow so you'd be able to have two. I'll get a cot bed for Ruth and either set it up in the big empty space in the bedroom, or in the living/sitting room for when she's here. If we decide to set it up in the bedroom, I'll look into getting a folding screen so that she/we can have some privacy.]

Here's the kitchen:

From Where in the World is Dad?

And finally the bathroom, where there is a tub!

From Where in the World is Dad?

Ghana, Day 2

Hi Ruth!

I'm still in Ghana. I need to get a calendar so I can mark off the days until I see you, too. I miss you a lot.

Being here in Ghana has turned out to be a lot more like camping than I thought it would be, and I'm going to try to make it less like camping before you and Mommy get here (as much fun as camping sounds at school). The apartment they've given me is clean and pretty big, if a little bit shabby [Melissa: certainly no worse than my apartment in Georgetown, and I'm making a list of cleaning supplies for next trip to the supermarket, so I can keep the place in Melissa-ready order]. They promised me a stove, and I have one, so that's good. But the stove runs on gas - and there's a shortage, so I don't have any gas for it right now. Fortunately, Prof. Helen, my boss, lent me her electric cooker, so I can make myself some food at home (even though, like you, I'd probably be pretty happy just eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all day!). And, there's a water shortage on campus, so my water went out last night. I hope it won't go out when you and Mommy are here, but in case it does I'm going to get some buckets to keep water in from when it's running - you'll probably find taking a bath from a bucket more fun than Mommy will, though! [Melissa: You can probably find the game-theoretic problem with the fact that, when there is water, everyone hoards by filling their buckets rather than just using a little bit...]

But really, none of this is as hard as missing you guys. I can survive for a while eating peanut butter and jelly and rice and beans, but not without talking to you.

Sorry we couldn't video-talk last night. I think my internet in my apartment may be too slow, so how would you feel about talking on the phone most nights for a little bit, and then talking on video once or twice a week when I go to my office? I promise I won't make you skip movie night!

This morning, I got to talk to some people. I had breakfast with Prof. Carl and Prof. Ani, who I'll be working with. And I met Prof. Hudu, who lives in the same building as I do, and teaches about languages - but he'll be moving out in about a week. There are supposed to be two other families living here, one from America and one from Egypt, but they haven't moved in yet. I hope they have some children your age! And I already asked Prof. Helen to introduce me to the man who runs the dance department, so we can go watch them. She said that he might want you to join in!

I also thought I'd show you some pictures, finally (I know, this is the part you've been waiting for). I've only seen one tiny gecko so far, but this is the place where I'm living for a while:

From Where in the World is Dad?

Like I said, it's not bad. But not nearly as nice as home, especially since it has no you in it!

I'll show you some more pictures of what it looks like inside once I clean up a bit - there are still lots of shopping bags from yesterday when I was trying to get things I'd need to live here, like cups and plates. But I'll show you the one little corner I've made a little bit my home for now.

From Where in the World is Dad?

I love you, and I can't wait until you come visit me!

Ghana, Day 1

Hi Ruth!

After a long flight, I'm in Ghana.

Right now, I'm just tired [Melissa: And every time I think too much about you and Ruth, I start to hyperventilate]. So I don't have much to say about Ghana yet. But I wanted to say something about you.

When you were tiny, you used to sleep on my chest, and I thought that was the best thing ever. In fact, I used to get a little bit sad, because I would think about how much I loved it when you did that, and how it wouldn't be too long until you didn't sleep on my chest any more.

And now you're bigger, and you don't.

But...

The other night, the night before I left, I read you lots of poems - because you asked, but also because I wasn't ready to let you go to sleep yet. I told you that I was leaving, and I was going to miss you terribly, and you smiled at me, and put your hand on my face as we snuggled, and told me to be brave. It was exactly what I needed you to do at that moment, and it made me feel so loved, that I thought it was the best thing ever.

On the plane, I got really sad, thinking about it. Because I realized that there wasn't going to be much more time that you were going to want to snuggle with me, and read poems. And there wouldn't be much more time that you were so sweet and straightforward to just smile and tell me - your Dad - to be brave. And I knew I would miss it.

But then I thought back to you lying on my chest, and how I do miss that, but there are so many other things, that I knew I would just have to wait and look forward to the next best thing ever.