Chal-lettes

Back in December when I was at the Ghanaian consulate in Toronto, a very helpful staff member sat me down for a chat about Ghana. She noticed that I was taking up a teaching job at the University of Ghana, her alma mater and was enthusiastic about informing me of the wonders of the place. She had many cherished memories of the campus and was sure I would love my new job. She described the campus and school life in detail, and, when I told her my new job came with housing on campus, she was exceedingly pleased. The campus offered a variety of cute chal-lettes for faculty. In Canada, we would most likely call such housing bungalows, or by the more traditional French pronunciation, chalets.

Anna-Marie and I hoped that a) we would be housed in a cute chal-lette and b) that everyone would pronounce the word thus. To my disappointment when I arrived, no one used this pronunciation and no one suggested that I would be living in one. In fact, I couldn't even locate cute little faculty housing.

All this has changed this week.

First, the head of human resources informed me it was time to move me from the (reasonably) opulent quarters at the University Guest Centre, where, while I have no kitchen, I do have a small fridge and air conditioning. I'm prepared to trade away my AC for a kitchen but will certainly have to purchase a fan. For Christmas Anna-Marie gave me a light and fan combination that plugs into the USB port of my laptop. The fan does kick out a good breeze but with 2 inch blades you do have to be close. I don't think it will be practical to carry my laptop around in front of me as I move through my new rooms.

Second, people around me started saying chal-lette. On three occasions this week I have heard the word spoken, once each by a taxi driver, a student, and a department head. This, I take it, means it will be permissible for me to use the word and that people will understand me.

Third, I am to be moved to one of the campus chal-lettes. My accommodations will be shared with another new faculty member (in History). We will each have our own room and bathroom and will share the kitchen and living room. Photos will follow once the move is made. A quick conversation with the head of HR and I headed off to see the campus chal-lettes.

I present the University of Ghana campus chalets: 

In truth, they range from quite large and well settled to more modest and transient in appearance. My chalet will be at the latter end of the scale. This last photo also contains two real looking dogs (unlike the wild dingoes that dot the campus), that are obviously pets. (Look for the little tiny black dot one third in from the left, mid-front lawn.)