The cold in Russia was indescribable, especially coming from the humidity of Ghana. I would leave my beer and drinks outside the window - it was better than a fridge. Studying at the University of Moscow was exciting, especially at the time. I became a de facto DJ in the dorms and would play records of jazz and soul music for my friends. We had a small Ghanaian community in Russia and sometimes we would travel by train to Germany and by boat to the UK during the long holidays. I was studying there while America and Russia raced to put the first man on the moon. We had a cultural day and I wore my Kente cloth in the cold. They all appreciated the colorful Kente cloth but it was too cold! After my studies I returned to Ghana and met my wife, Theresa. We then moved to Yugoslavia so I could pursue my PHd at the Josef Stefan institute at Ljubljana, Slovenia, Yugoslavia where I researched ways to reduce the large errors associated with neutron monitoring of radiation damage, which affects the fracture toughness of reactor pressure vessels. PHd was supervised by Prof. Mitja Najzer, who had connections in the International Development Programme, a department within the IAEA. After my doctorate we moved back to Ghana with one child and I worked at the Ghana Atomic Energy Agency as the Neutron Activation Analysis Laboratory Head, where I had previously worked as a researcher. Our Second daughter was born in Ghana before we relocated to Vienna, Austria where I started work as an Inspector at the International Atomic Energy Agency, where we had our son and where I spent the majority of my career. Our home in Vienna has been the longest place I have lived in. It has always been about family and nuclear.

I met Ike at a wedding. He was an expert in nuclear energy. My mother asked whether he was going to bomb us when he came to make his intentions known. We moved to Yugoslavia where he was pursuing his doctorate. Flying into a foreign country was a new experience. Sometimes it was lonely and sometimes it was difficult because I did not understand the language. That affects everything you do. Ike did not understand the language well. He would make up the weather report and say the next day would be mild weather. The next day it would rain. I decided I had to learn the language myself. We were poor students for a long time but eventually we settled well and had our first child. By the time we returned to Ghana, I had learnt the language well, made some very good friends and written a book. We moved back to Ghana and lived in Kwabenya, an area the government had built for people working at the Ghana Atomic Energy Agency. More nuclear men and women. We had married in the Kwabenya church and so it was very precious to me. I started teaching at the Sunday School there as well as teaching full time at Legon Primary. Some of our lifelong friends were made during our days at Kwabenya. We had another child and then Ike was relocated to Vienna, Austria to work at the International Atomic Energy Agency. I remember he had applied for the role but we did not hear back from them for a long time. I kept checking. Then we found out that his boss had received the letter but hid it in his drawer. I do not know why he did that. Ike moved to Vienna in 1984 and I moved with the children in 1985. Vienna was our home for many years - so I have deep roots there from friends, our church community at Grace Church and working as a teacher at the Vienna International School. I taught so many children at Vienna International School. So I have so many adopted children from different nationalities that I am still connected to. I love Vienna; the healthcare, the cleanliness, the food, cafes, the public transport. Our third child was born in Vienna. Three children with three different birth cities with the Nuclear Man.

My earliest childhood memories are staying with my grandmother. My grandmother was strict. She was more serious than my mother. Usually the grandmothers are less serious. That's funny. She would go to different villages. She sold groundnuts, shea butter and essential oils. One time she asked me to go with her. I said no. And then she asked me why. I told her that the last time I had gone with her she had an argument with a lady who owed her money. It was not a lot of money but it mattered to my grandmother. I told my grandmother she was spoiling her name in public. But for me, my grandmother was the best one. Because she would come to school if I said a teacher beat me. And my school was far! And she would ask the teacher why she beat me and she would argue with the teacher. I loved my father. To me my father was the best for my mother and for us. I remember Sunday after church he would make a huge salad. He often took us to the balcony and would ask us many questions like "who is your favorite teacher"? Sometimes he whispered to birds and they landed on his knees. My fondest memory of my mother was the sweets and bread she used to make. She puts the sugar in the pot and turns it into caramel. When she made bread, she would allow us to make our own shapes like a fish. And then give us Kraft cheese to put in and it would melt inside the bread. I really liked it. My parents were very generous. That is something I remember.

Many people lived with us when I was growing up. We had a big compound. We had different types of fruits and vegetables in our house. I remember my father would tie nets under the trees to catch the fruits as they fall. They would not fall to the ground. When they are ripe they fall into the net. Think about it. That's very smart. My father fought in the Boer War, so when he returned he came back with a lot of different fruits and vegetables from South Africa. The house was full of food. We even gave some to our neighbors. That's a big lesson I learnt from my parents and it fueled my love for gardening. I love gardening and eating fruits from my small farm. My parents were Catholics. My mother was very senior in the Catholic church. So when I was born again, she and my dad did not like it. My dad said I had forgotten my identity and my roots. I challenged this. I was learning that as a believer, I was grafted into the family of Abraham. I am Jewish in that way. Those are my new roots. I used to sneak into the bathroom to read my Bible because no one read the Bible in my house. I wanted to join the Scripture Union on Sunday afternoons but my mother said no. My mother was always afraid that someone would kidnap me or something. She tried to make sure our Sundays were busy so I could not go. She would make me cook and cook. It was very frustrating. I told myself one day when I have my own children how I take them to bible study myself.