Day 9 in Ghana

I am very pleased with the way I have been able to adapt to my surroundings in Ghana- that was never my concern. However, I am a person who is very conscientious of my time as well as others' time. As Americans, we are people who value time management because we believe it helps ease some of the simple stressors such as miscommunication and waiting. However, Ghanaian time runs about 30 minutes to an hour later than usual. So if a Ghanaian says, "Let's meet at 9:00am," that gives me time to leisurely get up, prepare a breakfast, and be ready by about 9:30am. Many African Americans joke about such a time existing in the US within their communities as well. A sort of "cultural lateness." However, we still know as Americans that we are "running late." Many times in Ghana this does not exist. And as I predicted, that has become one of my greatest obstacles.
Today has been a good day. I had a brief meeting this morning with Chief about some of the new goals for Sister Cities of Tamale. I can clearly see the intersections between Sister Cities of Louisville and Sister Cities of Tamale, and I am honored to be an effective liaison between the two cities.
Today I ate jollof rice, another one of my favorite dishes in this country. It has a slight kick, which is perfect for me because I can't handle too many spicy foods. Tomorrow, I will go with Mariama (an outstanding cook and overall wonderful woman) to a Ghanaian Baptist Church, which I'm sure will be an experience all in itself. I look forward to it.