This month we were all able to celebrate the independence day of this beautiful nation we now call home. There were also plenty of other adventures to be had here in Accra this month.
Botanical Garden
The month began with a holiday for all of us as the nation celebrated its independence day. Since Varun finally had a day off during the week, I decided we should all go to the Botanical Garden together so he could see how much the girls enjoy playing there. Sara Gail loved climbing up everything and showing Daddy all her skills. And Abigail enjoyed herself too, especially on the rope course. It was, as it always is, a very, very hot day, especially in this particular park because there’s a lot of sand and not much shade. So, we didn’t stay for a very long visit.
After all that time out in the sun, everyone was hungry! So, instead of making something at home we decided to go out for lunch and try a restaurant that we’ve heard good things about. It was a very big lunch for everyone, and delicious. Plus, the girls and I were treated to some yummy desserts!
It ended up being a fun day out as a family, and a great way to spend the holiday together!
School/Ghana Independence Day
This year, the school wanted to have a big celebration for Ghana’s Independence Day, even though the school was not open on the holiday itself. The last celebration the school was able to put on to celebrate this occasion took place just before COVID-19 arrived in Ghana. So, with the number of cases going down, the school wanted to try and recreate some of that magic and celebratory atmosphere with the children and the parents. This time the school put on a show for each class at different times and on different days, so you were able to attend a performance that only included your child’s class. It was put on in an outdoor setting where social distancing was possible. They had the drum band come to perform; this band comes to the school on a weekly basis to teach the kids the local dances. Each performance began with a welcoming of the “King” and “Queen” who would be in attendance for the festivities. This included an elaborate dance as they were seated for the show.
Once the King and Queen were settled in, the national anthem of Ghana was sung by one of the staff members of the school. I had never heard it before, and I wanted to be sure to share it with all of you. This is my first time putting a video onto the blog, so I hope it works for all of you to watch and hear!
After the anthem, the children were led out under the tent and the parents and all audience members were welcomed, and encouraged, to join their little ones for the song and dance, led by the dance teacher. Varun and I weren’t feeling well for Sara Gail’s performance, so we just watched her with her classmates and their parents. I tried to dance a little with Abigail during her show, but she really isn’t all too interested in this type of dance.
Once the dancing was finished, the children and parents were asked to sit as the King and Queen left the event.
The staff had put out a few exhibits for the children to explore with their parents before heading back to their classes for the day, which included a beading station, where I made a necklace and bracelet with Sara Gail and Abigail, a stall of local jewelry and fabric, and an exhibit of the local foods.
Throughout the entire week the children were asked to wear Ghanaian prints, so I did my best to make sure the girls had enough things to wear. For one of the days, they each wore one of the PJ tops I had made, but no one at the school seemed to notice. I’ll have to be sure to make them new tops or dresses next year! It was a wonderful week celebrating this new home of ours and seeing and experiencing more of the local culture as a family.
The rest of the month was school as usual, which the girls and I are absolutely in love with. They are excited and eager to get to the school every single morning to learn and play with their friends and teachers.
Gymnastics
This month Sara Gail is continuing to enjoy and thrive in her gymnastics class. Even though the bars and balance beams are not taught or even found here, I think the coach is doing a good job teaching the kids wonderful techniques for floor routines. Sara Gail is just so incredibly flexible and absolutely loves learning all these different gymnastics moves!
One of his favorite practices that he includes is pyramids, and Sara Gail is almost always on the very top! She has told me that she’s fallen off a couple of times, but that doesn’t stop her from getting back up. And she will definitely have an opportunity to try out for cheerleading once we do move back to the States one day!
Tooth Fairy Visit
This month Sara Gail had yet another visit from the tooth fairy, though it’s been her first in a while. She’s now up to five teeth that she’s lost!
Sara Gail has specifically requested that the tooth fairy bring her chocolate coins instead of actual money. This time Sara Gail was very generous and wanted to be sure that the tooth fairy brought enough for her to share with her sister, Abigail. So, the tooth fairy complied and brought plenty for both of them!
Salon Visit
By the time March came around, Sara Gail and I were due for a haircut. I haven’t really gotten a haircut here in Accra myself, but the last time Sara Gail got a haircut at this particular salon it went well, so I thought I’d give it a try. I also thought it’d be fun for the three of us girls to get our nails done. It worked out well for Sara Gail, she enjoyed being pampered while she watched her favorite show on her tablet. Abigail got bored with the tablet pretty quickly and was more interested in the new surroundings. It didn’t make for a very relaxing mani-pedi for me, but the girls enjoyed having their nails done. Though, I won’t be taking Abigail back anytime soon.
Sewing
I had some fun this month with sewing; every Wednesday I went to my friend’s house with my sewing machine and the two of us would work on our projects together. I was working on a dress for her daughter’s birthday. I used the same pattern that I had used for the girls’ dresses so that it would match theirs. My friend and I had gone out to the fabric store together where she had chosen the fabrics for her daughter’s dress. And she was making an exact replica of the dress for her daughter’s American Girl Doll, which was another birthday gift for her.
I also decided to make one for Varun’s niece back in India.
I’m still having a lot of fun with all my sewing projects!
Food
We had a lot of different dishes this month, Indian, American, and indulgent! We started the month off with one of their favorite dishes: tacos! I love making all kinds of toppings to put in the tacos, and I made the taco shells from scratch too!
Then, I went a little extravagant and got some salmon for us all. Since it’s not easy to find here, it is quite pricey, but I like to try and make sure that we all get a good variety of each of the meats that I make for us. I decided to try one of my mom’s recipes for teriyaki marinade and some rice and stir-fry veggies to go along with it. The girls were not fans, especially since I used a bit too much soy sauce on the stir-fry. But Varun and I liked it!
Next up was a chicken dish, and I wanted to be a little extravagant again, so I tried my hand at Chicken Marsala. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find the exact marsala wine that’s needed for the meal, but I used a different dry white wine and it still turned out well. The girls certainly enjoyed it!
I also decided to change the girls’ school lunches a little, because Sara Gail has been begging for some different food for a while. I still wanted to ensure that they have at least four different veggies for their lunch, so I make sure to add avocado, tomato, cucumber, and a leafy green to each sandwich. I make it fun for them though, and I use a cookie cutter to make their sandwiches into whichever shape they would like. It’s a bit of extra work in the mornings, and a lot of leftover bread in random pieces, but it's more than worth it to see how happy they are to be having something different and exciting.
Finally, this month I got to treat myself a little bit during one of my coffee mornings with friends. They had decided to meet up at a new restaurant in town called Chocolate Sarayi, which, as you guessed it, has a huge selection of desserts covered in chocolate! That first time I went I made the mistake of getting a chocolate entrée and drink. While it was heavenly and delectable, the chocolate was so rich! I don’t think I can go regularly for my stomach or my waistline’s sake! But it was a great treat on one of my busy mornings out.
Around the House
This month we had our midterm break from school, so we spent most of it at home. Poor Abigail was suffering from a cold the first half of the week but recovered in time for some of the play dates I had scheduled. This was actually the first time that Abigail got to have some of her own play dates with her own friends. Most times it’s been Sara Gail’s friends coming over, and sometimes they have younger siblings who Abigail gets to play with, but Abigail has never had her own friends, without their siblings, come by. The first play date didn’t go as I had expected it to. I hear so much about how much of a leader Abigail is in the classroom, how much all the kids want to follow her and play with her. But, when her first friend came over for a play date, her friend was more interested in playing with Sara Gail. I think it’s because her friend doesn’t have an older sister but an older brother. So, for her it was exciting to play with a girl who is older. She still wanted to see Abigail too, but she was more interested in following Sara Gail around like a puppy dog. Poor Abigail was really upset because it was her friend and she wanted to play with her, and rather than being assertive with her sister, she just got really sad. So, I tried to take Sara Gail aside and ask her to let Abigail take the lead and choose the games that they were going to play. But it really was a difficult conundrum, because it certainly wasn’t Sara Gail’s fault, she hadn’t done anything wrong herself. It also didn’t help that it was her friend’s nanny who was there instead of her mother. In the end, Abigail did get a little bit of quality time with her friend before she had to go. It was a new experience for all three of us, and certainly a learning experience for us too. Fortunately, Abigail had another such play date that week, and it went much better for her. Sara Gail was able to stay entertained mostly on her own this time, playing with her friends outside. When she decided to come in to play, I took her aside to do something with me while Abigail continued to have fun with her friend. It was really great to see Abigail starting to interact and really play with her friends.
The rest of the time around the house was spent together. The girls continue to have fun bonding together, playing all kinds of creative games, both inside and outside the house. They have started playing on the tree in the back yard a bit more, so Varun had to clean up one of the branches to make it safer for them. They waited as patiently as they could for him to finish.
And we still had plenty of time for lazy evenings in front of the TV, but the girls still find a way to be close even if they’re just watching a movie or TV show together.
And, finally, we were able to squeeze in some time together as a family, playing our favorite family game, carrom. I have to say, the girls and I are starting to catch up to Varun’s skills, ever so slowly anyway. I even got within four coins of beating Varun, by sinking the ever elusive and extremely valuable red coin in the pocket!
Well, March flew by for the Raghunathans in the blink of an eye, which officially brings us to three full years of living here in Accra. At this point we all truly feel settled in and comfortable in this new place we have been calling home. While there are plenty of days when Varun and I dream of and long for our resettlement back at home in Houston, we have made lots of friends and a happy life here for all four of us. The girls love their school, teachers, and friends here in Accra. Varun struggles with the demands and travel of his work on most days, but he’s been able to provide us with a comfortable home and life here while he toils away. And he and I have a good circle of friends to rely on and spend our weekends with. I’ve been able to take advantage of this opportunity by creating this blog and my own circle of close friends. I’ll go more in depth into some reflection of our time here in my next post which will be a retrospective of our stay here in Accra. I hope you come back to read and enjoy reminiscing on the last three years in Ghana with the Raghunathan family!
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