Time is a strange thing here. Thanksgiving has just past and Christmas is on its way. Shopping malls have Christmas decorations, downtown buildings have Christmas lights, and Christmas songs dominate the radio stations but the weather has stayed consistently hot, if not increasing in temperature. What I use to measure time has failed me; the weather is unchanging yet time keeps moving.
Our program joined forces with two other study abroad programs to put together an American (with a twist of Ghanaian) Thanksgiving feast. There was turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry jam, and even pie. There were also traditional Ghanaian dishes and between dinner and desert there was traditional African dancing. It was a good night—truly a Thanksgiving that sticks out among the rest. Being away puts things into a perceptive that I cannot easily see when I’m close; the distance actually clears my understanding. I’m more thankful for my blessings than I have probably ever been.
I must be off to bed; tomorrow we are leaving before the sun rises to go to Benin (my 3rd Africa country).
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Volta Region
There are some moments in life that one knows they will never forget. Moments where a feeling is so strong that it becomes ingrained in the mind like a scar on skin. This weekend was filled with those moments. I could feel the passing time accumulating to build a larger meaning—one worth never loosing.
April, myself, and our Rasta friend named Afro traveled northeast to the Volta Region this weekend. After traveling in a trotro we arrived near Afro’s family village. There we took a motorbike to his uncle’s house. The house was an average…middle class house for Ghana and by that I mean it had several cement rooms with no running water but a well and electricity. There was a small yard with chickens and goats and the bedroom that we were offered had a bed. Not long after we had arrived we decided to check out Afro’s family farm/village which was a 15 minute motorbike ride away. On the farm was cassava plants, beans, corn, and others that I have already forgotten. About a mile into the land we arrived at Afro’s family village section. The land was basically a big circle with huts, most made of dirt, enclosing the center. It was so amazing there. Having had a semester of learning Twi I was excited to put my language skills into action but frustrated when I learned that Afro’s family spoke another tribal language. We met the head of the village and the eldest women, who was Afro’s Grandfather’s second wife. When first saw her she was peeling some sort of nut, sitting topless. When I shook her hand I couldn’t help but notice her thumbs—they were unusually flat. April and I found the place so beautiful and the people so nice we decided we would prefer to stay the night here and have a bonfire. We bought two bottles of alcohols while wood was being fetched for a fire. When the sun vanished, the fire was lit, and the night began. The head of the village did a long toast to the ancestors and then the drinking began. One bottle probably only made it around the circle twice. The fire was huge and there was music being played and the elderly women were dancing and singing. This was an authentic traditional Ghanaian experience, one that no tourist attraction could offer. The celebration lasted well into the night and eventually April and I got tired, especially after hours of traveling, so we were given a bamboo mat and there we lied, right next to the fire on a crystal clear African night. The sky was filled with stars and I remember having this surreal sense of the universe and thinking about ancestors up in the sky as stars and how deeply faith rules the lives of these people. I'm not religious in any sense but that night I felt like something up there was staring back at me, even if I thought it was only a massive ball of gas or alien life from some distant galaxy—I know I was not alone. I fell asleep to the sounds of drums and the slowly dying fire.
We awoke the next morning slightly sore and said our thanks gave our farewells and continued on of journey to Hohoe where the supposed tallest waterfall in West Africa lies. It was about a miles hike to Wli Falls. The water was very cold but felt extremely nice after a hike in the heat. Looking up, I could see tons of bats on the side of the fall. If we had had more time I would have loved to go inside on the caves; friends have bragged how cool it was. Next we traveled to the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary. We arrived at night and all the guest houses were full so we opted to do the “local stay.” We stayed in the room of a local blind man’s house.
The next morning I awoke at 5:30 am to see mono monkeys. It was explained that the local people migrated from the Brong Ahafo area 200 years ago and with them they brought fetishes for monkeys. There it was a taboo to harm the sacred monkeys which protected them when other populations died because of hunters. The sanctuary has over 300 mono monkeys. I saw about 30. I got to hand-feed them bananas. They are adorable creatures and watching them so close up…even touching them, was such an awesome experience. Their hands, the way they eat, the faces they make…are so freakishly like ours.
We made out way back home. The trotro ride was around 5 hours. You’d be surprised how much of Ghana I’ve seen through the windows of trotros. The ride was scenic, with beautiful mountains and lushes greens.
April, myself, and our Rasta friend named Afro traveled northeast to the Volta Region this weekend. After traveling in a trotro we arrived near Afro’s family village. There we took a motorbike to his uncle’s house. The house was an average…middle class house for Ghana and by that I mean it had several cement rooms with no running water but a well and electricity. There was a small yard with chickens and goats and the bedroom that we were offered had a bed. Not long after we had arrived we decided to check out Afro’s family farm/village which was a 15 minute motorbike ride away. On the farm was cassava plants, beans, corn, and others that I have already forgotten. About a mile into the land we arrived at Afro’s family village section. The land was basically a big circle with huts, most made of dirt, enclosing the center. It was so amazing there. Having had a semester of learning Twi I was excited to put my language skills into action but frustrated when I learned that Afro’s family spoke another tribal language. We met the head of the village and the eldest women, who was Afro’s Grandfather’s second wife. When first saw her she was peeling some sort of nut, sitting topless. When I shook her hand I couldn’t help but notice her thumbs—they were unusually flat. April and I found the place so beautiful and the people so nice we decided we would prefer to stay the night here and have a bonfire. We bought two bottles of alcohols while wood was being fetched for a fire. When the sun vanished, the fire was lit, and the night began. The head of the village did a long toast to the ancestors and then the drinking began. One bottle probably only made it around the circle twice. The fire was huge and there was music being played and the elderly women were dancing and singing. This was an authentic traditional Ghanaian experience, one that no tourist attraction could offer. The celebration lasted well into the night and eventually April and I got tired, especially after hours of traveling, so we were given a bamboo mat and there we lied, right next to the fire on a crystal clear African night. The sky was filled with stars and I remember having this surreal sense of the universe and thinking about ancestors up in the sky as stars and how deeply faith rules the lives of these people. I'm not religious in any sense but that night I felt like something up there was staring back at me, even if I thought it was only a massive ball of gas or alien life from some distant galaxy—I know I was not alone. I fell asleep to the sounds of drums and the slowly dying fire.
We awoke the next morning slightly sore and said our thanks gave our farewells and continued on of journey to Hohoe where the supposed tallest waterfall in West Africa lies. It was about a miles hike to Wli Falls. The water was very cold but felt extremely nice after a hike in the heat. Looking up, I could see tons of bats on the side of the fall. If we had had more time I would have loved to go inside on the caves; friends have bragged how cool it was. Next we traveled to the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary. We arrived at night and all the guest houses were full so we opted to do the “local stay.” We stayed in the room of a local blind man’s house.
The next morning I awoke at 5:30 am to see mono monkeys. It was explained that the local people migrated from the Brong Ahafo area 200 years ago and with them they brought fetishes for monkeys. There it was a taboo to harm the sacred monkeys which protected them when other populations died because of hunters. The sanctuary has over 300 mono monkeys. I saw about 30. I got to hand-feed them bananas. They are adorable creatures and watching them so close up…even touching them, was such an awesome experience. Their hands, the way they eat, the faces they make…are so freakishly like ours. We made out way back home. The trotro ride was around 5 hours. You’d be surprised how much of Ghana I’ve seen through the windows of trotros. The ride was scenic, with beautiful mountains and lushes greens.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Millie's Big Backyard
I was able to break away from the busy city life of Accra this weekend. I spent the weekend with my three girlfriends at a beach resort. Kokrobite beach is only about 30km from where I live but it feels much farther. We stayed at a place called Millie’s Big Backyard (check out there website for pics and info: http://www.bigmilly.com).
Millie’s backyard is like a little community of travelers and locals and the atmosphere is very relaxed and welcoming. Friday’s dinner was served buffet-style (adding to the communal feel) followed by a night of “culture.” Culture night consisted of traditional dancing, fire breathers, and all sorts of excitement. Saturday night featured a reggae band and we danced the night away, all the while drinking the local island rum. During the days we spent most of the time soaking up the sun and swimming in the ocean. I remember sitting along the shore being amazed by all the life taking place around me. There was a game of soccer being played on the sand, men were taking fishing boats out, women were walking along the shore selling fresh fruits and jewelry, friendly dogs were roaming about, swimmers were catching waves, and I even saw people pass by on horses. It was a very good weekend. Now I’m back home and it’s time to start cracking down. Final exams are quickly approaching and to say I’m behind on my studies is an understatement; it’s just so easy here to get caught up in other things besides school, in my defense.
Millie’s backyard is like a little community of travelers and locals and the atmosphere is very relaxed and welcoming. Friday’s dinner was served buffet-style (adding to the communal feel) followed by a night of “culture.” Culture night consisted of traditional dancing, fire breathers, and all sorts of excitement. Saturday night featured a reggae band and we danced the night away, all the while drinking the local island rum. During the days we spent most of the time soaking up the sun and swimming in the ocean. I remember sitting along the shore being amazed by all the life taking place around me. There was a game of soccer being played on the sand, men were taking fishing boats out, women were walking along the shore selling fresh fruits and jewelry, friendly dogs were roaming about, swimmers were catching waves, and I even saw people pass by on horses. It was a very good weekend. Now I’m back home and it’s time to start cracking down. Final exams are quickly approaching and to say I’m behind on my studies is an understatement; it’s just so easy here to get caught up in other things besides school, in my defense.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Halloween wasnt so hollow
Halloween has come and gone. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, if not my most favorite. This year there was no pumpkin carving, haunted houses, or trick o’ treaters. I did manage though to celebrate Halloween as any college student in America does: by dressing up and going to the bars. Ghana does not recognize Halloween except for some parts of campus and downtown European-inspired clubs and bars. My friends and I decided we would put on costumes and make the most of it. Two of my friends went dressed up as an Indian and a Cowgirl. I decided I would go as Amy Winehouse. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. My ipod was on shuffle and a song of hers played and I remembered that several people have said I resemble her (whether that’s a negative or a positive is besides the point). So that was that, I would be Amy. It worked out well as everything I needed to complete my costume I had already owned. We had seen advertisements for a Halloween party at this one club we go to (Bella Roma) so we decided to check it out. I wasn’t expecting much. I thought we would be among the few who dressed up but to my surprise the place was decked out in Halloween decorations and everyone was in costumes (and there was candy!). The whole night I was wondering where people got their costumes. There were legitimate costumes, like the kind you can only buy from Halloween stores, and there were tons of very cool (and very creepy mask). I had searched Accra for a place to buy a costume and failed miserably. Most everyone got that I was Winehouse and a remix of her rehab song came on which pretty much made my night.
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