This is a bit out of order due to the way I took notes, so bear with me.
Sunday morning Aug 14
Well I woke up this morning and my power was out. It actually went out about 4AM and I knew it because the AC shut off and I woke up. Luckily, I was able to sleep a few more hours. Then I texted my department chair, Eric (they call him HOD since he is Head of Department) and Emmanuel (the guy who picked me up who works at the Office of International Relations) to see what the options were if they could help get it fixed. Luckily today is rainy and not super-hot so it was bearable inside my apartment during the day. But at night it’s going to get really hot. I did hear from Eric and Emmanuel but they didn't have any great solutions, but they told me to keep them posted. So, I went into problem solving mode.
A bit later: I decided to stay at a hotel this evening if they didn’t fix it by around four. I'm kind of excited about the prospect of staying somewhere different for the night. They have Wi-Fi and air-conditioning and hopefully hot showers. More to come below.
Yesterday however, John and I went to the store downtown so I could get some more groceries for a longer time as well as a fan and a lamp (two very important things that I think will help my life a lot!). He said we were going to take a taxi so I could experience that. So we did! And it was not terrible! I also told myself I was going to not get stressed out about being in town (there is so much going on, I get overwhelmed). So this time it was much more of a calm experience for me. I went down every aisle of the grocery store to see what foods are actually available so I could make a more informed decision about what I wanted to have at home to make. So today felt really productive and like I conquered sort of my fear of going into town – and still being with John for the taxi venture was nice…baby steps, you know.
When I came back home, I spent the rest of the day talking to different friends from home. It was a great way to spend a Saturday and I was riding my high from all the venturing out we did that morning. It was a really great day of having good conversations with friends. Overall, a really lovely day.
Mon morning, Aug 15
Wow, Sunday was intense. It literally is like a roller coaster of ups and downs and you don’t know what’s coming next. Everything is so unpredictable to me here. The power was out until, I’m not even really sure what time - at least 13 hours but probably longer. As I’m writing this I’m staying in a hotel where they operate on generators so the power could still be out and I wouldn’t know. Here’s that saga.
Apparently, power was out all over campus Sunday, which meant no lights, no AC, and no Wi-Fi. There was no information on what had happened or when the power would be restored. I had no context for how big the problem was. It was very unsettling, though I knew I was safe and somewhat comfortable in my bungalow. However, I was feeling nervous about staying at my place that night, because when the sun goes down (around 6pm) it gets very dark. I stopped in at the Sasakawa Chalets because they seemed to have power and I didn’t understand why (this is a hotel of sorts that is on campus; people stay for long and short-term stays). I decided to stay there for the night. It’s 180GHS for one night (about $20 USD). So I went and gathered up my things and walked over, so relieved to have lights and air-conditioning and hot water in the shower! Well, not five minutes after I got there the power there went out too! I couldn’t believe it. I was at the point of overwhelm because I was sweating to death and I had been so happy to find this place and then all hope was taken away so quickly. What would I do if their power didn’t come back on? Was it time for Plan C? I went downstairs to ask what was going on and the guy said they were going to get fuel for the generators and they would be back soon and it would be fixed. I have come to understand that the time frame of things is not always what you expect here. He assured me the lights would be on soon. Sure enough, after about an hour, they did get fuel and the lights did come on, and I felt so relieved. It was like finally I could relax. So, I stayed the night there and had lights and AC and a hot shower. And to the friends who were in contact with me on Sunday, thank you and bless you! What an emotional roller coaster. But it ended up on a positive note: I got a restful sleep for my first day of meetings on campus on Monday morning!
I don’t know if those reading this are thinking, “Why couldn’t you just stay home? So what if you don’t have power for one night?” Yes, I thought about that too. But all I can say is that if I could find a better place where I felt more comfortable and could relax a bit, I needed to for my own mental health. I’m still within a 2-week window of having arrived here and everything is still so unfamiliar. With time, I’m hoping things like this will not be as big of a deal.
After looking around and feeling more at ease at Sasakawa I’ve decided I’m going to figure out how to move here permanently. This place just has everything I need (including a laundry facility!). It feels more modern and comfortable, and it's a bit closer to my building on campus. The downside is that I'll likely be paying for this. But I think it's worth it. So, more conversations are to come with my department chair and possibly others about moving here!
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