My first home

Pillow cases, sheets, and towels all bear this stamp

For the first few weeks I am staying at the University Guest Centre. My room is quite spacious, on the second floor, which everyone considers a plus — safer? free from marauding animals? mosquitoes can’t fly this high? no heel walkers above me? I’ve yet to find out why this is considered better, but it is a great room with both a fan and air conditioning. The first morning I thought I heard a distant drum circle. The second morning I figured out it was the neighbour’s air conditioning unit. But how great is that, a country where even the air conditioners have fabulous sense of rhythm.

I opened the curtains to take these photos and think is was the first time they’ve been opened since being installed. With them shut, when I return at the end of the day, the room is remarkably comfortable. A short blast of the air conditioning and I am perfectly happy. I have, however, kept the fan going through the night.

The room is square, with one corner taken up by the washroom and closet. As you can see, the remaining has windows on two sides. To my surprise, the bathroom has hot water; low pressure, but an abundance of hot water. And it comes from somewhere else. I am more used to the Cuban arrangement where a heater is attached to the shower head, usually with a few barely insulated wires wrapped around the pipe and wandering across the shower. In Cuba, I learned to first step out of the shower and dry my feet before reaching back in to turn off the water. I recall one time getting a shock when my shaved dome accidentally touched the shower head.

On the downside, there is a fridge but no cooking facilities and no electric outlet within reach of the desk, for my computer. But a minute away is the guest centre restaurant with good food (Ghanaian and otherwise), cold beer, and long hours. On each table is a salt and chili pepper shaker. Yum. Breakfast is free and Anna-Marie sent me packing with 12 satchels of Starbuck instant coffee, which beats the locale instant coffee. I’m afraid I’m in tea country.

On route to my office is this 12 foot ant hill

As in other warm countries there doesn’t seem to be any particular commitment to serving drinks hot. A steel pitcher of hot water is put out on a side table with sugar, real milk, and a can of instant coffee, where it is left to cool until empty. This morning I got wise and took over my thermal travel mug. The days will now start with one tea cup of caffeinated instant coffee and a big mug of flavourful coffee, to go.

My office is twice the size supplied by WLU, has a window and air conditioning, and came with a stocked beer fridge. On the latter, unfortunately it has been mistakenly filled with bottled water, an error I will take up with the departmental staff on Monday.

On arriving in the department I was given a ring of six keys. Two open my office, one opens the gate to the second floor, where the faculty unisex washroom is (another key); actually, a male and a female stall with shared sink. The sixth key is a gold skeleton key that no one seems to recognize. 

Blessedly, the internet connection seems to be quite fast.

The display case is where final grades are posted

My office light switch