Differences

Last week when I was chatting with my Mom she asked if we were able to get milk here.  It made me think you would like to see some of the basic living differences between our lives in Bogoso, Ghana and Littleton, Colorado. 

 

 

Milk: We drink it out of a box that has been sitting on a shelf for a long time.  I know you can get fresh milk that is safe to drink in Accra, but not here.  I don't like the taste but will use it on cereal or cooking.  Joshua likes it and will drink as much as I allow.

Yogurt: It also sits on a shelf and doesn't need refrigeration.  I like the taste of the yogurt - even the kind that has no fat.  We have also have it frozen it for a special treat.

Brown Sugar:  I just find the reference to the big "J" in the name fun here.  Christianity is the mainstream religion in Ghana and it shows up almost everywhere. A lot of people like to tell Joshua the story of his namesake from the Bible.  Ghanaians are also amused that we named our dog "Jeremiah" and always ask after him if he is not with me.  I think if I were to tell them he is actually named after a "Three Dog Night" song, there may be tears involved.

 

Electrical Outlets: This is what the typical plug looks like.  There is on "on / off" switch to each outlet.  If it shows red then it is on.  Nobody seems shy about doing their own electric work here.  If you happen to buy a tool (let's say a blender) that has the wrong type of plug, they simply cut off the wrong one and rewire it so it will work. Seems like a bit scary practise to me.  It might be why they have conducted 2 mandatory fire safety classes this month.

 

The Toilet:  It has two types of flush options.  One is for pee and uses less water and the other is for the other.  This is the VERY first thing Joshua wanted to show me about our house.

 

The Bed: This is a picture of our American "king" size mattress on the Ghanaian "king" size bed frame.  hmmmm....  One of there things in not like the other.  We make do with a very, very high bed.