I thoroughly enjoyed Sunday. It was a unique view into Ghanaian life; in this case the middle class of Accra. Dr. Edusei and his family were kind enough to let me join them for church and afterwards, a home cooked meal.
It started with a cab ride to the Ghana Atomic Energy Police Station, the local police station for a research facility. The Edusei’s picked me up and we drove a short way the the church, a massive structure next to the facility named Pentecostal International Worship Center. Being a pentecostal church there was a lot of fire and brimstone but the sermon was solid and enjoyable even.
Afterwards we drove to their home in the hills north of Medina. Their kids were adorable, 3, 8, and 12 years old, they all had lots of questions and the youngest decided I made a good pillow. When we arrived at the house, we had a snack and watched the Olympic marathon. We talked about sports, Dr. Edusei’s favorite subject I gathered, and the kids showed me a bunch of photographs. Their cousin is a student in my mom’s third grade class in california so they decided to explain that branch of the family to me.
Soon lunch was ready, groundnut (peanut) soup with chicken and omotuo (mashed rice formed in a ball). The peanut and spicy chiles with what was essentially white rice reminded me of Thai food. That is to say, it was delicious.
After lunch we watched the backend of some american movie I had never even heard of. We had a good laugh about Hollywood and then I was on my way home.
The whole experience reminded me of one thing, home. A Sunday with church, a good meal, and the family taking in a little news or if a major event like the Olympics is on, watching a little of that. It didn’t feel all that different than if it had been my own family.