Running With the Sheep

OK - so there really is no such thing as "Running With The Sheep" in Daboya (and I'm pretty sure anyplace else in the world!). But there are times when, for no apparent reason, an entire flock of sheep will just go running full tilt. So I'm thinking, OK - maybe it wouldn't be near as exciting as running with the bulls in Spain, but it looks like it would be fun and it would be a whole lot safer. I mean, come on, when was the last time you heard of anyone getting gored or stampeded by a sheep?? I haven't done it yet, but next time a flock goes running by, I just might join them.

Speaking of sheep, they are very different here than those I've seen in the U.S. or other places in the world. No big fluffy wool coats on these sheep. In fact, they look like goats with floppy ears. And I'm darned sure they are not sheared for their coats. For one thing, they would be pretty paltry coats! And, for another, NOBODY in Ghana needs a wool ANYTHING! Not like it's a real problem to stay warm here. Nevertheless, they are very cute. Wonder if I can smuggle one on the airplane.....

I can't remember if I ever talked about what I eat here but since I don't feel like going back through all of my previous posts, I'll just forge ahead. Who knows, maybe my diet has changed since I wrote about it last time (if I did). I do eat Daboya food on a regular basis but also mix in items available in Tamale (2 hr bus ride away) and enjoy REI freeze-dried dinners (thank you Carol and Phyl) maybe once - twice / wk or when I don't feel like cooking. The Daboya food that I like includes lightly fried yam (ajo), jollof rice (shinkafa), banku (made fro corn), TZet (made from corn), FuFu (made from yam), tubani (made from ground beans), and barbequed corn on the cob. Also available in Daboya are packaged spaghetti (talia), tomato sauce, condensed milk, tea bags (basic black), hot chocolate and coffee wannabe powders, canned mackerel in light tomato sauce, and popcorn (at times). You can also buy beef at an outdoor butcher shop and different kinds of fish since we are on a river so fishing is a big industry here. But I tend to stay away from the meat and fish. Fruits and vegetables available locally include mango, pineapple, watermelon, papaya, banana, plaintain, oranges, coconut, tomatos (but they are NOT Jersey Beefsteak Tomatos!), onions, and garlic. Oh - and the ever present pepe (peppers) which I avoid. Hey - I didn't eat jalapenos in Phoenix and I'm not going to eat Ghana hot peppers either. Call me a wimp if you want to. All of the aforementioned foods are available only in season in Daboya.

When I shop in Tamale (about twice/mo), I pick up apples, carrots, lettuce or cabbage, green peppers, potatos, green beans, onions (the ones in Daboya are tiny), canned tuna, corned beef hash (which I NEVER ate in the States), jam (pretty good, actually), raisins, processed cheese, frozen hamburgers, frozen turkey hot dogs, baked beans, pickles, ketchup, mustard, mayo, oats (for breakfast), corn flakes (some Chinese brand!), canned corn, peas, or other veggies, sugar, lemon drops, and household stuff like dishwashing soap etc. Oh - and, although I can buy bread in Daboya, I always buy it in Tamale because I have this incredibly wonderful bread lady - Imama. She always has the best bread. I buy two loaves and she always "dashes" me a third loaf. In addition, if I haven't been in Tamale for awhile, she'll send a loaf on the bus with someone to deliver to me - FREE! We've developed a mutual admiration society and she sends me things she knows I like - green peppers, pineapple, bananas, tomatos - and when I come to Tamale, I bring her fish or buy her stuff in Tamale. She is also my ace in the hole for getting a seat on the bus. She always sells her bread by the Daboya bus so I let her know when I will be going back to Daboya and she makes sure to save me a seat on the bus. You don't realize how big a deal that is until you have tried to battle the crowd to get a seat! People in Ghana are the kindest, gentlest, most helpful people in the world ... unless they are trying to get a seat on a bus. Then it is survival of the fittest... and trust me, I'm not the fittest! So thank God for Imama.

Ok - back to bread. Forget about HealthNut, Whole Wheat, 7 Grain, Rye, Pumpernickel, or most other types. Here you get your choice of white bread but it comes in different varieties. Sugar Bread is my favorite. Has a sweet (duh!) flavor to it and I love the texture. I think the most popular is Tea Bread (no idea why they call it that)which is kind of like French Bread without the good taste. Then there is Special Bread which is suposed to be the best but I don't taste the difference from Tea Bread. I'm sure there are a few others but those are the main ones.

Fortifying my diet (and I mean that in the best way possible) is a whole variety of goodies (Oreos, Peanut M&Ms, licorice, and a whole host of others)provided mostly by my brother Rob, Phyllis, Ed & Alice, N.K. (she knows who she is)and a number of other friends who have contributed over the past two years. I even get healthy stuff in that category like dried fruit, cashews ad trail mix. So - over all, I'd say I have a pretty complete and balanced diet. Aren't you jealous?? Don't know how I'll survive when I get back to the States. Maybe some of my friends here can send me CARE packages.....