I sometimes wonder if the composer of “It’s a Small World” had any idea what that would look like in the year 2008.The world really is getting smaller.Or at least distances don’t feel quite as far.I stopped at the internet café a few weeks ago and found an email from an old friend from Koro.Amagana was my first friend in my village during my Peace Corps days, and a huge help in the work that I did during those two years.It has been some time since he and I have corresponded.When I lived in Koro, it was a one-phone town (when that one phone was working.)Since I left Koro, Amagana has gotten an email address and a cell phone, which make communication a whole lot easier.
When I opened up Amagana’s email I found that he was in Ghana!Again, the world is getting smaller.I sent him my phone number, and with in a few hours we were catching up on families and children and old friends.It was wonderful.Amagana was a 150 miles away in Accra.It should have been fairly easy for us to find a way to meet, I mean the relative distance wasn’t very far considering I live in the USA and he lives near Timbuktu!But my “It’s a Small World” moment vanished when I started thinking about 5 hours in public transportation with two small children.No, the world is still a big place.Technology only fools us into thinking otherwise.
But you know what?I’ll play along with that trick!It feels awfully nice to pick up the phone and pretend for a little while that I am just down the street from the people I love.
We spent last week in Accra.We had only planned to spend three days there, but after Ash missed his flight home from Liberia on Monday, we found out that the next flight wasn’t until Wednesday Night.So we decided to stick around until Friday so we could visit with our friends, and 10 year veterans in Ghana Missions, the Mozley’s.
Accra is almost like a brief trip to the US.Katie even went through a little culture shock when we arrived at the Mozley’s house.She looked around at the Mozley family, and another missionary that was visiting and asked, “Mama, why are there so many Abrunis here?”After several months in Kumasi, the site of white people seems even a little odd to Katie!!
Accra has everything (for a price) that you could possibly want.They have shopping malls and Max Mart (think Walmart but smaller.) They have a bakery run by an American woman who makes real bagels! They have take out pizza and fast food fried chicken.I even saw a guy selling the current issue of “O” Magazine outside of the US Embassy (which by the way is an intimidating, sprawling campus that takes up several city blocks).For those long term expats there are even cottage style attached homes that would fit in nicely in Roswell, GA.
The one Abruni thing I really wanted while we were there was a big bottle of Aunt Jemima Pancake Syrup.We eat pancakes a lot here (which has been good for the kids, but not as good for the grown up Zooks J).When we moved into the Mozley’s house in Kumasi, they left us a bottle of Aunt Jemima Syrup in the frig.I have gotten sort of used to it.And we ran out just before our trip to Accra.So I stopped into the super market to get some.There it was, with all its American packaging:Aunt Jemima Pancake Syrup.As I reached for it I paused to check the price tag.$26 US dollars.Yep.$26 US Dollars.I calmly pulled my arm back down, leaving Aunt Jemima on the shelf for some other expat.Maybe one working in the Coco Industry.I found a recipe to make our own Pancake Syrup.
It was nice to return to Kumasi.It is nice to know that this little house we have been inhabiting for the last two months has begun to feel like a home.
