Happy Independence Day

***This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but as I posted one comment yesterday, the lights started to flicker (it means the electricity went off in town, but on the compound we have backup generators), and the internet went out. It turned out to be in God's perfect timing because as I was leaving the schoolhouse, a moto drove up to tell us they needed everyone at the hospital for a lorry (truck) accident with 15 people hurt. That's how things work around here.

**Internet won't let me post pictures tonight.

Thursday was Ghana's Independence Day! Did you remember to celebrate? 51 years they have been broken away from England. It's not celebrated as widely as say the 4th of July. But they have "marches," and most people get the day off. I work at a hospital, so hospitals never get the day off, but we did get out early.

It also happens to be Dr. Faile's-the founder of BMC-birthday! He is deceased, and it is his son whom I work with now. But they have this bust of Dr. Faile senior in front the hospital, and it kind of makes March 6th a more special day at BMC.

Finally, you know like most of the world in Ghana when they list a date they put the day first, then month, then year. So March 6th, 2008 would be 6/3/2008.....and that is also a VERY SPECIAL DAY! Does anyone know why???? I can see Erica rolling her eyes from here.

Christy and I decided to go climb the "mountain." I use the term mountain very loosely, it's much more like a hill. Anyways, it does overlook all of Nalerigu. Christy had brought walkie-talkies, and so we left one back at the house with our cook, Yisah, because he was worried we would get lost or find a waifu (snake), neither of which happened.

We crossed the river that borders Nalerigu, tons of kids were swimming and women washing clothes. Supposedly there are multiple crocodiles in the river, so you won't be finding me swimming there.

I had brought along my newest amusement, a slingshot. I bought 3 at the market for a grand total of 30 cents! I broke two, but someone at the hospital fixed and upgraded it. After a lesson or two from Yisah with candy as ammo, I can finally actually get stuff to fly, now he says my job is to kill a waifu.

There's no real trail to this mountain, so you kind of just weave through fields and aim for the right direction. We didn't have the most fantastic view because the Harmattan, but we plan to go back like on Easter morning.