Makala Market & Goodbyes

February 5, 2015

Bernice and Girls

Today we went with Bernice to the Makala Market to buy fabric, or textiles as they call it here.  Now this was the craziest place I’ve ever been.  Bernice told us NO pictures, keep our bags or purses in front of us at all times and stay close because she would walk fast.  Bernice is the kindest person but also a business woman, very passionate about her charities and I get the feeling someone you just don’t mess with.

Have you ever walked down the street of NYC when the sidewalks are super crowded and you are constantly bumping people both ways?  Now picture this kind of busy street in literally a two foot width of space with shack type shopping booths lining both sides of this super narrow path, all within a giant maze with uneven rocky cement type floors.  If Bernice had not been with us, I promise you we would have been stuck inside this labyrinth and never been able to find our way out.  It was so insane!

Patti

I so wish I could have had a video camera rolling the whole time.  It was fascinating and unnerving and claustrophobic and so African all at the same time.  Mothers carrying babies on their backs with baskets on their heads, men with entire crates of eggs on their heads all weaving and bumping into us all as we moved and not once holding onto their loads on their heads.  The balance these people have with the goods they carry on top of their heads is unbelievable.  Preacher ladies YELLING through microphones, I mean YELLING to the point my ears hurt.  Raw fish and oysters, vegetables, nuts and anything else you would like to buy.  Toiletries, shoes, fabric, food, clothing, you name it.  In some ways it was like an ancient Walmart in a maze of dark faces, cement and dirt.  We would weave through these areas where one tiny booth would have a sink and a hair dryer and I’m guessing you would call this space a beauty salon and right next to it would be a man selling lobsters or some other shell fish.  Some spaces had a roof and they were very dark and on either side of this narrow aisle which we walked were women sewing with hand cranked sewing machines in what I would consider the dark. Very few of them had any extra lighting.  I often wondered why the hand cranking thing, but after having been here for almost three weeks now, this city has no power more than it has power so human power keeps you working.  Thankfully the temple compound has an enormous generator so we have had electricity most of the time.

Bernice took us to her favorite fabric places…those who would cut for us.  Most of the fabric you are required to buy the whole piece which is 6 yards…a little more than we each wanted since we want to make pieced quilts to remind us of this amazing country. So instead we were able to buy 2 or 3 yard cuts and get more variety in fabrics.  The first booth, however was right next to the crazy preacher woman yelling in the mic and we could hardly shop nor think.  Our goal…finish and get about anywhere we could go away from that noise.  After several fabric “shops” if you can call them that, we took a “tour” through the rest of the market and got a real flavor for the place.  Kitchen stores with baking pans and these cool wood rolling pins with designs carved into them for making cookies.  I couldn’t resist.  I bought three for my 30 cedis (less than $10). 

As we finally weaved our way out and went through the narrow opening that put us back on the street with all the street vendors, it almost seemed as if we’d moved up into more quality shops (and before Makala, I thought these were pretty small and sketchy).  Amanda summed it up perfectly when she said that we had just experienced a place like we will probably never go again.  You could not have gone there without a local guide.  Bernice navigated and directed perfectly.

Rose and helpers

Bernice then took us to lunch at the Noble House, a very good Chinese restaurant (yep...Chinese food in Africa?).  Stanley, one of the Nigerian’s had come with us and he had never eaten Chinese food before.  It was served like we do in the states more family style where you can try all the different dishes.  I think Stanley quite enjoyed himself and there was plenty of food to go around.  We let Bernice take the leftovers home for her family.

When we returned to the temple housing, the others left to walk to another shop close by and I changed into whites and went over to the temple to clean up and put away our tool box and things that needed to dry overnight before storing.  The artwork is hung, most of the furniture is back, the floral arrangements are out and it is almost complete.  They are still working on the Celestial Room and Baptistery areas. It is so beautiful to walk the finished rooms.  The sealing rooms are my favorite where we put up a wide 3 foot leaf design border at the ceiling which matches the carvings in the chairs and decorative paint details in the ceiling.  But honestly, every room is beautiful.  We plan to walk the temple Saturday morning before we leave one last time to see everything complete.

Team USA

Tonight was the farewell dinner.  Rose invited everyone who worked on the temple to be there and most of the locals Ghanaians were able to come. The food was beautiful and it felt like the Thanksgiving meal.  The Nigerians leave tomorrow morning bright and early and we will be leaving Saturday.  The evening was filled with happiness and tons of pictures.  I think Vicky got all her tears out last night and I think mine all came the first week we were here. It’s strange to think that less than three weeks ago we embarked upon a journey that would take us to the unknown and stretch us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually but one we would not trade for anything.  It seems like we’ve been here forever, but at the same time like we just arrived. However, we now will leave with many new friends forever.  I hope we can keep in touch and that we truly will be back in July 2016 for the next phase.  God be with you my dear African friends!

Alicyn