The Grandparents Cometh

''Skip to the part where I get jelly beans.''

There comes a time in a young person's life when they must leave the nest and find their place in the world. Sometimes, the nest comes back to them -thus went the visit of Mr. O's parents to Ghana.

When Mr. O was a student, his parents were not the most eager to join him at the university campus. But now with fine digs, a vehicle and Little Miss, Grandpa and Grandma anxiously awaited their first trip to the continent.

Mr. and Mrs. O also anxiously awaited their arrival, as they packed plenty of goodies from the homeland, including car parts and various cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan) - all ridiculously expensive in Accra and often of inferior quality.

Grandpa and Grandma took quickly to life in Accra, trying the chop bars, going to Makola Market for fabrics with a tailor and commissioning their own artwork: a giant wooden crocodile/oware board. Grandma wanted something for the garden and clever Grandpa realized that it could hold a dozen beer bottles for gatherings.

Both handsome AND handy.

More importantly, they enjoyed traveling throughout the country immensely, by car, plane and pirogue. They soaked up the beaches, ventured (alone!) into the massive warren of Kejetia Market and went on walking safari at Mole in the North.  This also got Mr. and Mrs. O out of the house as well . (More stories to come)

Most importantly, they got to bond with Little Miss, who took great delight in Grandma and Grandpa (especially their secret stash of jelly beans). For Little Miss, the family unit in Accra is very tight and while regular skype calls keep her memory of extended family relatively fresh, Mr. and Mrs. O still are not sure how she processes them in her head. At least they will be fresh in the mind when the family returns home for the summer. Until then, the eternal summer of Ghana continues.