The craving for American food has already hit the next level. I’m craving chocolate cake like a mad woman, so I want to go ahead and put in my request for a very large chocolate cake (preferable the whole thing for me) when I return home. Also, anything with a lot of cheese in it would also be nice. There’s no cheese here! It’s crazy!!! I’ve made it to the two-week mark successfully, but I can’t believe these past 14 days have gone by so quickly. I’ve seen so many new things, and I still have ¾ of the trip left to go! It’s gonna be great!

Eight of us traveled to Bojo Beach again on Sunday. It was another relaxing day with a warm sun, huge waves, chicken and sausage kebobs, and a 5 cedi plate of French fries. We got to the club house just in time to see the Black Stars of Ghana score the winning penalty kick against Serbia in their first World Cup match! Let me just tell you…the sheer joy, excitement, and pride exhibited on the streets of Ghana after this victorious win is nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Even my fellow Cameron Crazies would have been outdone by this crowd (and we all know that’s saying a lot since we basically almost set ourselves on fire when we beat Carolina/win the National Championship!)! It was just crazy. Fans had painted themselves red, green, yellow, and black and proceeded to parade down the streets of Accra with those obnoxious horns everyone hears on TV, screaming, and just general chaos. We saw one man, and literally 60% of his body was hanging outside of a car that was speeding down the street!!! People were undoubtedly under the influence of some kind of drug, and I was a little worried that someone might actually get hurt; but in the end, all was well and we were all as excited as we could be over Ghana’s big win! We had dinner at Town and Country, a restaurant right around the corner from the Telecentre (Sunday is our big eating out day!). I ordered Red-Red, a traditional Ghanaian dish of fried plantains, beans, and friend chicken. You’re supposed to use the plantains as the “dipper” for the beans, if you will. I think the goal is to use your hands as much as possible and get as messy as you can without scaring the people at the other table. I went against the traditional eating methods and used my knife and fork in the proper American way, but the meal was absolutely delicious! I’m pretty sure the beans were black eyed peas with some kind of red pepper sauce mixed in. I’m not the biggest fan of fried plantains, but they were also very good. And the friend chicken was good, too! We stopped by a little supermarket around the corner on our way home, and I grabbed an individual serving of vanilla ice cream and some apple juice (yes!). Then we called it a day. I think the food we ate today was the best I’ve had so far. I could still use a piece of chocolate cake, but I guess I can wait.

We examined about 50 patients at the outreach clinic today (Monday). It was such a long drive up a winding mountain to the Church, and I wasn’t feeling to good for a while but we eventually made it back alright. This group of locals was very gracious to everyone, and all of the cataract surgery referrals were very willing to answer questions for the research study. My study is supposed to be identifying female barriers to cataract surgery and how Unite for Sight can get women better access to care. However, I have noticed that women are represented more at outreaches and at the clinic for surgery than males. I wasn’t expecting this at all, and I will be taking more data throughout the time I’m here, but that’s what I’m seeing so far.

I’ve had a lot of time to be by myself while I’m here, whether it’s during the long car rides to and from outreach, to relaxing by the shore at the beach, to lying in my bed before I go to sleep. I think part of me still hasn’t realized that I’m in Africa! I’ve been here for two weeks, and I’ll be here for seven more! I’m so thankful for this opportunity to see another part of the world and to take a step back from the daily worries of being a Duke undergrad. Life is so much bigger than college, or what internship you get, or your GPA, or your starting salary as a pediatrician or an investment banker. We live in so much luxury and excess in the United States that we don’t even understand how little we actually need. To return to the topic of food, I was very concerned about my diet when I first arrived in Ghana. I wasn’t sure if I would like the local dishes, so I felt like I should eat every meal that I enjoyed as if it were my last! Sometimes we get lunch during outreaches, and then sometimes we don’t. On those days when lunch is not provided, I cherish my Fiber One bars and my fruit snacks as if I won’t be eating for weeks when in reality I just have to wait a few more hours until dinner. Even though I know I’m overreacting to my “hunger” pains, sometimes when I’m here I feel like I’m eating just so that my body can function and survive, rather than because I’m bored or because the food is just so good. When I’m at home, I really don’t think of eating as the way to make sure body has energy and can keep working. I really don’t need three plates of collards, two servings of macaroni and cheese, and an extra large slice of sweet potato pie to keep my body working (in fact, all that food probably does the exact opposite!). I eat it because it’s available and it’s SO good! This isn’t exactly a profound concept, but it’s something I’ve thought a lot of while I’m here. I am so careful to not waste any food because I feel like either myself or someone else may really need it to make it through the day. It’s definitely a different way of thinking. Momma, I don’t want you to think I’m not eating at all here, so you don’t have to send two boxes full of food over here. I’m OK!

Tomorrow’s another outreach day. I’m thinking that one day I’ll do a mini documentary of a day in the life of a Unite for Sight volunteer and then post it for you all to see! I’ll let you know when it’s coming!