Hey everyone!
Below is what happened on the rest of the Northern trip, but first a thought on the Manhiya Palace Museum tour- I just wanted to note that the idea of preserving physical artifacts simply for the fact of having them is a very Western way to approach things. So, in a way it made sense that the majority of things preserved were from imported cultures. The Ashanti have a strong tradition of oral history, and that is much more difficult to encapsulate in a museum. Though it would be interesting to try! Anywho, just wanted to put that out there for contemplation. Moving on!
Gwollu con't:
Gwollu is a village in the northern most part of Ghana. There are remains of walls there that were built to protect Gwollu and surrounding communities from slave raids. Our group met with the chief and elders of the village first before being taken around to the ruins. We were welcomed in the traditional way, with "water" (or, rather, pito- a drink brewed from millet) served in kalabash cups. We visited the wall remnants, crocodile ponds, and then ran across the border into Burkina Faso for about 2 minutes. The change in countries was only marked by a change in the material used to make electiricty poles- wood in Ghana, and cement in BF. It is always interesting to notice how arbitrary country boundaries can be, particularly because the etnic group that resides in Gwollu, the Sisallah, are found all over Burkina Faso and hardly at all in Ghana. A strange thing that occured during this trip was discovering a tall, scandinavian looking man from Vermont named Adam who accompanied us throughout the day. He is a peacecorps volunteer, there as a business advisor for Gwollu's less than a decade old tourism development project. If anyone is interested I have more to say about our interactions with Adam, but will not go into it here.
Day Four- Visit to Sankana
Sankana is another place where there is physical evidence of resistance to slave raids. There are caves very near the town, and during the time when raids were prominent lookouts were posted at the highest points to watch for dust. Dust clouds in the distance meant the raiders were coming (they used horses to get around), and when they were spotted a horn was blown to warn the residents of Sankana and surrounding towns that the raiders were very near and to seek shelter. There was enough space in the caves for everyone, and most able men would stay out to fight the raiders while women would run between the caves and homes to bring food and water for those hidden in the rocks. Sankana does not advertise as a place for tourists to visit, so the whole atmosphere of this trip was entirely different from the one at Gwollu. After being taken around the rocks to look at the caves and hearing about the history of the place, our group had a meeting with the Sankana Chief and elders. We were again welcomed with kalabash cups full of pito, and then had a very interesting an moving question and answer session with the large group of people assembled there. At one point Sara asked them how the people of Sankana were affected when the slave raiders were successful, and the response was that they were affected in every way imaginable. It was a very powerful moment.
Day Five and Six were when we went to Mole National park. In a later blog, when I have time, I want to write a very detailed Elephant encounter experience, so later on look for that.
Day Seven- We chilled in Tamale and planned for our Independent Study Projects, or ISPs.
Day Eight- Tamale to Kumasi, visit to Kintampo Falls
More traveling- this time with a stop at Kintampo Falls. They were beautiful to see, and a few people took a dip (I was not among them) at the base of the largest fall. It was an interesting place to be because there were about 20 to 30 slightly inebriated Ghanaian and Indian young men sliding down the rocks, splashing in the river, and randomly bursting out into song. Our group of Americans made quite an impression, and were drawn into pictures/had our pictures taken with/by random people for a good 15 minutes. Then we had to grab lunch and get on the bus for Kumasi, some of us lamenting not being able to stay in the water for longer and some of us relieved to be out of the chaos.
Day Nine- Kumasi- 2 lectures and CNC
We had two lectures this day on Art in Ghana and visited the Center for National Culture in Kumasi... not a whole lot to say about this day.
Day Ten- Kumasi- Day ten entailed a visit to a Carving "Village"- basically there were a cornicopia of stalls filled with carvings of all shapes and sizes. With each vender promising you a good price and commiserating with your student status, it is difficult to not be overwhlemed and make some poor decisions. I walked away with a small museum collection's worth of carvings. I'm not really sure what I was thinking. I wish I could say that I imagined purchasing a 2 1/2 foot long mahogany crocodile shaped mancala board named Jafar, but I can't. Dear friends and family- if you don't know how to play mancala, learn fast: I see a Ghanaian themed mancala party/tournament in your future. You have been warned. Also, it was pretty apparent that I got ripped off incredibly at a few places. Imagine my disappointment when, thinking I had just bargained my way to a sweet deal, the merchant I'd been interacting with tells me I've "done well", offers me a free bracelet, and proceeds to carry my small treasure trove to the bus for me. Oh, well. You win some, you accidently vastly overpay for others. Thus is the world of bargaining, at least for me. Leigh is the most ruthless bargainer I have ever met- the sellers would grumble as they handed over her purchases and were always happy to see her leave the shop. No one offered to carry her things to the bus for her, though, so... conclude what you will about how both of our tactics are fostering Ghanaian-American relations. (I must mention, however, that Leigh's bargaining skills were a valuable asset during the purchasing of Jafar, so I am indebted to her and her savvy ways.)
Day Eleven- We returned to Cape Coast.
Ta daaaa!
My next blog will be about my trip to Benin and will be up later in the week. Today is the official start of our ISP time. For the next four weeks we are all on our own academically. We are in charge of conducting a research project that will culminate in a 20-40 page paper. My project is investigating enslavement as tourism and will focus on the transition of various sites from community places to tourist attractions. That's about as far as I am, so I have a long way to go. I'll be in Cape Coast for the first two weeks of my ISP time, and Accra for the last two weeks. Here goes nothing!
Time update: 5 weeks from tomorrow I head back to America. I'm determined to make the most of the time I have left.
Love and miss you all!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Hello, everybody! I arrived in Cape Coast Wednesday after my 11 day trip to the north. I am happy to be back- we were in a few very large cities, so Cape Coast feels like a tame and welcome alternative to the chaos. Here's an account of the trip!
Day One- Trip to Kumasi, visit to Manhiya palace, visit to Bonwire
We left Cape Coast at 9 in the morning, armed with ample snacks and a sense of adventure. We hit Kumasi, the second largest city in GHana, about 4 hours later. After a quick lunch, the group took a guided tour of the Manhiya Palace Museum, the resisdence of the Ashanti kings for most of the 20th century. So far in Ghana I've been on some fairly odd and confusing tours, but this definitely takes the cake. Our guide was an old man with a bizarre and slightly creepy chuckle, that was usually followed by some nervous twitters or, in my case, a spontaneous and confused sputter that forced me to turn my head or physically remove myself from the group. The entire tour through the palace was a strange exhibition on all the ways the West infiltrated the Ashanti kingdom (the exception being the building itself, which was supposed to be a gift to the royal lineage from the British, but the Ashanti king refuse to live in it until it had been paid for by Ashanti money). We learned who was the first king to be Christian. We saw various king's imported work desks and gifted teapots and (my personal favorite) an Israeli manufactured fridge from the 50s that, our guied opened to demonstrate, still works! Cue guide's chuckle and our entire group's confusion as to why we were being shown an old Israeli fridge in the middle of an Ashanti palace in the middle of Ghana. We were shown the different chaise lounges each of the three kings who occupied the palaec used, as well as the guns their ancestors used to spread the Ashanti kingdom into present day Cote D'Ivoire and Togo. It was the largest kingdom in this area of West Africa for a long time, until the British began making inroads into their territory. Some artifacts were great to see, like royal clothes and drums over 100 years old- unfortunately pictures weren't allowed. Three other odd things to note:
1- our guide kept randomly pulling out books on Asante culture from drawers and cabinets whenever we went to a new room. They are the very books in our tiny SIT library that I had used on my last research paper. Halfway through the tour the guide revealed himself to be the author of said books, and that he would be willing to autograph any copies we purchased at the gift shop. Well, I'm sure. It makes me hesitant to cite that particular source again, but just because he's a little bizarre isn't reason enough to discredit his research and years of learning. I accepted long ago that most history majors are a little left of center, right Dad? :)
2- There were seven carved wooden fairly realistic statues throughout the palace. I about had a heart attack when i walked into the first room with them displayed- they weren't as creepy as Madame Toussaud's wax figures, but they're a close second. They depict each king that resided in the palace and the Queen Mother that ruled with them. The 7th figure represented Yaa Asentewa, the Queen Mother responsible for starting a war against the British when they demanded, after capturing and exiling the king, that they be brought the Golden Stool, a very sacred Ashanti artifact. The story goes that Yaa Asentewa's response was, "Tomorrow ghost widows will receive husbands," meaning that they were going to war, men would die, and women without husbands in the afterlife would marry them. Our guide told one of the blond haired, blue eyed Dutch tourists on the tour with us that she looked like a younger Yaa Asentewa. Cue guide's laugh and my need to walk from the room. He also told Nordia that she reminded him of a Queen Mother that he knows, and perhaps one of her ancestors was a Queen Mother. I tried to treat our new royalty accordingly.
3) The guide told us the secret to making sure that another woman wouldn't steal our husbands, other than being a good cook and keeping a clean house, was to change our hairstyle every three months. Then our husbands will think that they are with a new woman every three months and they won't be tempted to stray. Now, why didn't I think of that? Call me old fashioned, but I had always planned on marrying a man that was committed to me because he was in love with me- talk about plans flying out the window! Ladies, spread the word! I've discovered the fool-proof secret to a long and happy marriage!
When the tour ended our group continued our Tourist excursions in Bonwire, the birthplace of Kente cloth. Beautiful cloths lined the walls of a large, open workshop, the center of which was criss-crossed by the long looms that Kente is woven on. Each design means something different, and I got to sit down and try my hand at weaving, but I felt the familiar disappointment associated with when one first attempts a new skill only to find that, alas, God has not blessed one with the innate and magical ability to inexplicably and artistically produce Kente cloth (see also: hip hop dancing, slam poetry, soccer, and that brief stint in my high school Chess Club). Sigh. Onwards and upwards.
I wish I could say my trip to Bonwire was all colorful, meaning steeped Kente and weaving lessons, but it wasn't. Those pesky members of that secret society of Tourist Pesterers that seem to be present at almost every major and minor tourist attraction on the globe have found their way to Ghana as well. The members of my group spent about a half an hour positively surrounded by Kente/souvenir/postcard sellers, fighting our way to quiet corners where we could study our Kente options in peace. I managed to escape with only one of my purchases stemming from guilt and pressure, and so felt pretty good about the whole thing. Everyone was relieved to get back on the bus, and thus ended our adventures for the first day.
Day Two- 4 am trek to Wa
This day consisted of rolling out of bed, grabbing our bags, and loading the bus by 4am. We were heading to Wa, a 7 hour trip north, and we needed to beat traffic out of Mumasi. The rest of the day consisted of sleeping, eating, and card games. Next!
Day Three- Visit to Gwollu
It was about a 3 hour drive north, 2/3rds of which was on unpaved road, to get to Gwollu.
This is all I have time to type at the moment, but I promise to finish the Northern trip soon... er, after I spend the next week in Benin. Sorry for taking so long, but I hope this holds you over!
Day One- Trip to Kumasi, visit to Manhiya palace, visit to Bonwire
We left Cape Coast at 9 in the morning, armed with ample snacks and a sense of adventure. We hit Kumasi, the second largest city in GHana, about 4 hours later. After a quick lunch, the group took a guided tour of the Manhiya Palace Museum, the resisdence of the Ashanti kings for most of the 20th century. So far in Ghana I've been on some fairly odd and confusing tours, but this definitely takes the cake. Our guide was an old man with a bizarre and slightly creepy chuckle, that was usually followed by some nervous twitters or, in my case, a spontaneous and confused sputter that forced me to turn my head or physically remove myself from the group. The entire tour through the palace was a strange exhibition on all the ways the West infiltrated the Ashanti kingdom (the exception being the building itself, which was supposed to be a gift to the royal lineage from the British, but the Ashanti king refuse to live in it until it had been paid for by Ashanti money). We learned who was the first king to be Christian. We saw various king's imported work desks and gifted teapots and (my personal favorite) an Israeli manufactured fridge from the 50s that, our guied opened to demonstrate, still works! Cue guide's chuckle and our entire group's confusion as to why we were being shown an old Israeli fridge in the middle of an Ashanti palace in the middle of Ghana. We were shown the different chaise lounges each of the three kings who occupied the palaec used, as well as the guns their ancestors used to spread the Ashanti kingdom into present day Cote D'Ivoire and Togo. It was the largest kingdom in this area of West Africa for a long time, until the British began making inroads into their territory. Some artifacts were great to see, like royal clothes and drums over 100 years old- unfortunately pictures weren't allowed. Three other odd things to note:
1- our guide kept randomly pulling out books on Asante culture from drawers and cabinets whenever we went to a new room. They are the very books in our tiny SIT library that I had used on my last research paper. Halfway through the tour the guide revealed himself to be the author of said books, and that he would be willing to autograph any copies we purchased at the gift shop. Well, I'm sure. It makes me hesitant to cite that particular source again, but just because he's a little bizarre isn't reason enough to discredit his research and years of learning. I accepted long ago that most history majors are a little left of center, right Dad? :)
2- There were seven carved wooden fairly realistic statues throughout the palace. I about had a heart attack when i walked into the first room with them displayed- they weren't as creepy as Madame Toussaud's wax figures, but they're a close second. They depict each king that resided in the palace and the Queen Mother that ruled with them. The 7th figure represented Yaa Asentewa, the Queen Mother responsible for starting a war against the British when they demanded, after capturing and exiling the king, that they be brought the Golden Stool, a very sacred Ashanti artifact. The story goes that Yaa Asentewa's response was, "Tomorrow ghost widows will receive husbands," meaning that they were going to war, men would die, and women without husbands in the afterlife would marry them. Our guide told one of the blond haired, blue eyed Dutch tourists on the tour with us that she looked like a younger Yaa Asentewa. Cue guide's laugh and my need to walk from the room. He also told Nordia that she reminded him of a Queen Mother that he knows, and perhaps one of her ancestors was a Queen Mother. I tried to treat our new royalty accordingly.
3) The guide told us the secret to making sure that another woman wouldn't steal our husbands, other than being a good cook and keeping a clean house, was to change our hairstyle every three months. Then our husbands will think that they are with a new woman every three months and they won't be tempted to stray. Now, why didn't I think of that? Call me old fashioned, but I had always planned on marrying a man that was committed to me because he was in love with me- talk about plans flying out the window! Ladies, spread the word! I've discovered the fool-proof secret to a long and happy marriage!
When the tour ended our group continued our Tourist excursions in Bonwire, the birthplace of Kente cloth. Beautiful cloths lined the walls of a large, open workshop, the center of which was criss-crossed by the long looms that Kente is woven on. Each design means something different, and I got to sit down and try my hand at weaving, but I felt the familiar disappointment associated with when one first attempts a new skill only to find that, alas, God has not blessed one with the innate and magical ability to inexplicably and artistically produce Kente cloth (see also: hip hop dancing, slam poetry, soccer, and that brief stint in my high school Chess Club). Sigh. Onwards and upwards.
I wish I could say my trip to Bonwire was all colorful, meaning steeped Kente and weaving lessons, but it wasn't. Those pesky members of that secret society of Tourist Pesterers that seem to be present at almost every major and minor tourist attraction on the globe have found their way to Ghana as well. The members of my group spent about a half an hour positively surrounded by Kente/souvenir/postcard sellers, fighting our way to quiet corners where we could study our Kente options in peace. I managed to escape with only one of my purchases stemming from guilt and pressure, and so felt pretty good about the whole thing. Everyone was relieved to get back on the bus, and thus ended our adventures for the first day.
Day Two- 4 am trek to Wa
This day consisted of rolling out of bed, grabbing our bags, and loading the bus by 4am. We were heading to Wa, a 7 hour trip north, and we needed to beat traffic out of Mumasi. The rest of the day consisted of sleeping, eating, and card games. Next!
Day Three- Visit to Gwollu
It was about a 3 hour drive north, 2/3rds of which was on unpaved road, to get to Gwollu.
This is all I have time to type at the moment, but I promise to finish the Northern trip soon... er, after I spend the next week in Benin. Sorry for taking so long, but I hope this holds you over!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Flat Stanley Pictures!
I am running out of time (what else is new???) but I figured out how to get some pictures up. Matt, I don't know if these will work or not for Flat Stanley because the files are so small (it was the only way I could get them on the internet at all because the connection is so slow here- e-mailing multiple files was out of the question). Please send me an e-mail letting me know if these are OK or if you would like me to try e-mailing them again... we'll see!
Anyway, the following are a small sample from the trip so far. A long blog will be up in the next few days detailing my adventures in the north. Enjoy!
Kakum National Park, one of three rain forest canopy walks in the world
Anyway, the following are a small sample from the trip so far. A long blog will be up in the next few days detailing my adventures in the north. Enjoy!
Kakum National Park, one of three rain forest canopy walks in the world
Kwame Nkrumah's masoleum behind his statue and a pot with the emblem for Ghana's 50th anniversary of their independence
Sitting at a weaving loom that isused to weave Kente (pronounced ken-tay) cloth in a workshop
in Bonwire, Ghana, the birthplace of Kente. Kente is a long
tradition of the Ashanti people of Ghana, and each pattern
has a different meaning. Some patterns are so special that
only the kings and queens can wear them!
A crocodile in a low lying pond.The water is so low because it is the end of the dry season
in Ghana. (Alex- Ghana is very near to the equator, so they don't
have seasons like we do in Minnesota. There are two rainy
and two dry seasons in Ghana.) There were A TON of
crocodiles in this pond, but they were all hiding except for
this guy. The crocodiles in this particular pond eat fish
and frogs, and I was told by a local from the town of
Gwollu, where the pond is located, that these crocodiles
don't eat humans and that the children of the village even
pull on their tails as a game- yikes!
Gaston in an elephant footprint
DK, our guide through the park, looking for signs of an elephant trail in the afternoon of the first day in Mole
Gaston and I with an elephant in the background, the morning of our second day in Mole
A closer look at the elephant. Not long after this picture was taken, he charged my group- twice! It was pretty thrilling. Yay Ghana!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Are you going to Takoradi?
Transportation in Cape Coast is rather interesting. There are thousands of taxis that are constantly driving up and down the roads. If you're going to town, you flag down a cab, hop in, and get off where you want to the tune of about 35 cents, or pesewa. Taxis are definitely the most common form of transportation for getting around town. The majority of the cars have a religious phrase, usually in Fante, on the back windshield. Sometimes they are unintelligible English, like "Culture" or "Great Paul" or "Touch Me Jesus Still". For longer trips, one takes a trotro. A trotro is a 15 passenger van that one can travel in for at least over an hour for less than a dollar, or a cedi. At the junction of the road I take to school and the main road the school is on, there are usually several trotros driving pask. The main road leads to Takoradi, which is where the title of this blog comes from. Almost every morning I am yelled at from a man leaning out the open door of a trotro, "Where are you going? Takoradi! Takoradi!" Or sometimes, even, approached by someone and asked bluntly, "Are you going to Takoradi?" Leigh, Sara, Nordia, and I, who walk to school together, are always confused by these people. Do they see a clear group of foreigners and think that they MUST be going to Takoradi? What's so great about Takoradi? Is it Ghana's hidden Shangri-la? I'm currently not going there, so I suppose I'll never find out. Leigh and I are tempted to one morning respond, "Yes, we ARE going to Takoradi! What a coincidence!" Or, in response to the hundreds of rapidfire "Where are you going"s, we would like to say, "I don't know! I was thinking about Accra, but Kumasi is supposed to be nice, right? (then, yelling as they drive away) WAIT, WAS THAT AN EXISTENSIALIST QUESTION?!"
Tomorrow I leave for the North of Ghana. I'm going to see Bonwire (the home of Kente cloth), a carving village, the slave resistance walls in Gwollu, Mole national animal reserve (moneky and elephants! yay!), a leather market, and several other things I'm forgetting about currently. My internet access will be spotty whilst there, but expect an extended entry around the 25th of March.
If you have any souvenir requests, now would be the time to make them!
Love and miss you all!
Emily
p.s. Alex and Uncle Matt- My e-mail is acting a little wonky right now, so I wanted to give you a reply on here- Of course I will do Flat Stanley! Keith, Deb, and Christina did that for me when I was in elementary school when they lived in California. I can't find a color printer here, so I think the photoshop option would be best. I'll use my tiny llama, Gaston, as a Flat Stanley place holder for now. I will send you some pictures upon my return from the north. I hope that's soon enough for the assignment! Take care!
Tomorrow I leave for the North of Ghana. I'm going to see Bonwire (the home of Kente cloth), a carving village, the slave resistance walls in Gwollu, Mole national animal reserve (moneky and elephants! yay!), a leather market, and several other things I'm forgetting about currently. My internet access will be spotty whilst there, but expect an extended entry around the 25th of March.
If you have any souvenir requests, now would be the time to make them!
Love and miss you all!
Emily
p.s. Alex and Uncle Matt- My e-mail is acting a little wonky right now, so I wanted to give you a reply on here- Of course I will do Flat Stanley! Keith, Deb, and Christina did that for me when I was in elementary school when they lived in California. I can't find a color printer here, so I think the photoshop option would be best. I'll use my tiny llama, Gaston, as a Flat Stanley place holder for now. I will send you some pictures upon my return from the north. I hope that's soon enough for the assignment! Take care!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Packing List Woes
During the first week here I realized that I am the only person who followed the packing list handed out by S.I.T. almost to the letter. A couple of the girls went above and beyond, and even have some shirts they haven't worn yet, which seems hilarious to me. The slightly ridiculous nature of the situation was brought to my attention when one of my fellow expatriates asked me, "Do you wear skirts all the time because you're religious?" Talk about being at a loss for words. I literally only have one pair of pants here, and I save those for hiking. I do have a pair of shorts, but they're not modest enough to wear around town... well, modest enough for what is polite in Ghana. Silly Emily, why didn't you bring capris? A sensible pair of clam diggers, anything that would not give the impression that you're a practitioner of Orthodox Judaism. Which I guess I shouldn't worry about because people don't quite seem to openly recognize that there are other religions that people practice other than Christianity, Islam, or some form of traditional African religion. Anyway, my clothing situation is fine. I just get jealous when I see someone in a shirt I don't recognize, when my wardrobe choices are what I wore yesterday, the day before, the day before that, or the day before that. The moral of the story is that I need to get more dresses made. Stat.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
This is to be the mother of all blogs. Before you begin, grab a cold beverage, set aside a fair amount of time, and be prepared to be transported into random happenstance, colorful characters, and puzzling, but hilarious, interactions.
I'm back in Cape Coast for the next week, continuing lectures about the African Diaspora, specifically many different aspects of the slave trade. I have already learned so much, and I can't wait to continue my education and delve even further into the subject. The learning environment is interesting here because I am the only history major on this history centric program. Have I mentioned this before? I can't remember. I will talk more about the other people with me here later on. Anyway, here goes nothing-
Who's the Boss: There are four main people in charge of the group while we're here, and three others that we see more intermittently. All of the adults we come into contact with on a regular basis have some interesting day jobs, personal lives, and quirks and I hope you enjoy reading about these kooky, but extremely competent, men and women.
-Uncle Eric: Uncle Eric is the Academic Director of the program and a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast. He is extremely thin and wears large, seventies type glasses, which is appropriate, I suppose, because he also wears seventies style slacks quite often. When Uncle Eric sits down he is shorter than the rest of us. He has rather long legs, but the shortest torso I think I have ever seen. He is very nice and intelligent, and makes us all feel very comfortable. He sometimes makes odd sound effects when telling us stories. For instance, he said that he used to smoke, but whilst in the U.S. studying, he and his roommate bet each other that if the other one smoked, the guilty party would have to buy the victorious party the most expensive thing that they wanted. Since neither of them had any money and would be shamed forever if unable to follow through, it was a rather effective way to quit. But the way Uncle E chose to describe this plan's success was to say, "Neither of us had money, so..." and lift up his shoulders in a pronounced shrug, wave his hands, and make a high pitched "hnn" noise a couple of times. This was met with confused looks from all of us, but he seemed convinced that he had explained himself sufficiently, and changed the subject.
-Uncle Ebo: Uncle Ebo is our very mild mannered, laid back Program Coordinator. He sets up all of our visits and we visited his house very often whilst in Komenda. He seems amused by our energetic group, which is good because patience is sometimes key when we're being a bit loud. Uncle Ebo is 50, and is married to Ama, who is 24. We were all a little shocked when we discovered this, but were quickly charmed by Ama's caring and energetic nature. They met one night after Uncle Ebo's first wife left him, and Ama began to help him care for his young children. The rest, as they say, is history. I felt incredibly at home in their house, and I am very happy to have made good friends with Ama. Uncle Ebo is with us all the time, coordinating (duh)
lectures, giving us cool bags of water (called sashays), and indulging our requests to be driven around Accra in the SIT bus. Thanks, Uncle Ebo!
-Aunty Lydia: I'm not really sure what Aunty Lydia's job title is. She is an assistant, I suppose. She is in her mid twenties and sets up our snacks during our lectures and helped me when I needed to get to the hospital. I haven't quite bothered to find out what Aunty Lydia's job description is because she doesn't seem too keen on the lot of us. She always answers our questions, but is not particularly friendly or warm. Aunty Lydia might be the only adult who I don't have an interesting tidbit about, unless you count the growing frustration at the lack of chocolate spread at snack time, despite assurances that it is coming, and the mysterious way none of us have had mail for the past three weeks when 5 of the 7 us claim to have been sent things all over a month ago, so... Valentine's day in March! What a shame.
-Aunty Gifty: Aunty Gifty is the homestay coordinator. She and her husband own an arts compund (where we had a dance workshop) and a television station called Coastal TV. It is the regional station, and I see Aunty Gifty interview various community members (i.e. the president of the Cape Coast Lions Club) from time to time when my host family decides to watch her station. Whenever someone mentions seeing her on TV, she always exclaims with a laugh, "Oh! Did you? It must have been my twin. Did her hair look like this? No, it must have been my twin."
-Aunty Naana: Aunty Naana used to be the Academic Director of the program. She was involved with SIT for 13 years, but recently was promoted to Vice Chancellor (or, President) of the University of Cape Coast. This takes up much of her time and she, therefore, has only been able to meet with us a handful of times for lectures and discussions. She is incredibly intelligent and poised, which is only right for the first female Vice Chancellor in Ghanaian history. I can tell when she visits that she misses the program, especially because she tries to visit as often as possible. I would love to be like her someday. If I grow up and have half as much class as she does, I will be lucky. She is also Uncle Ebo's sister- what a crazy thing to discover two weeks into the program!
-Aunty Albi: Aunty Albi is one of the Fante instructors. She is plump, energetic, and colorful. She played a prominent role in my boil tale, and says crazy things when we mess up like, "Emily! Leave Ghana fast!" One day I will just walk out the door after this comment, which will probably throw her into fits of laughter which she will end by saying, "10,000 stars for you!" She also teaches at a local all girl high school.
-Aunty Anouwa: Aunty Anouwa is the other Fante instructor. She is statuesque and beautiful. She has amazing style, and we constantly drool over her creative and stunning clothes. One day she tried to tell us a story about how she was incredibly self conscious and insecure growing up because she was so tall and skinny and just wanted to be plump and not stand out (my friend Leigh quietly quipped, "Says the most beautiful woman in Africa"), but then she won a beauty pagaent and began to see herself differently. She was trying to tell us to be happy with who we are, and that confidence is the most beautiful part of any person, but the advice fell a little flat on my short and stout ears. Also, Aunty Anouwa might be the richest person in Ghana. We went to her house for snacks and a movie after the Fante Final and were shocked to discover that the parking garage type complex we could see from the main road was not an apartment building, but her entire house. Her TV is the size of a mini cooper and she had our tiny party catered with meat pies and donuts and spring rolls. It was a slice of heaven, to be sure, but left some of us wondering about the reasoning behind owning a house that size for a family of 5 and in an area so struck with poverty.
Accra:
We've been back from Accra for four days now. I spent this weekend at the beach, doing laundry (by hand... part of which I then left out on the line to be soaked by last night's random, but welcome, thunderstorm), reading and researching for a paper I have due this Thursday. American Idol, Season 6, may have been slipped in there, too. But back to Accra. What a busy place! The traffic there was crazy, and people stand in between the shoddily formed lanes of traffic, peddling everything from plantain chips to electrical converters to chocolate to soccer balls to maps and many other random things in between. It's like being plopped down in the midst of a roving Best Buy/Supermarket/Toy Store/Bakery... convenient, at times, if one's hungry, and fascinating, always, as the sellers balance most of these things on their heads whilst weaving amongst cars- it does seem a teeny bit dangerous, though, to my American eyes. I suppose one would develop a knack for it, with time.
-Food- I had my pizza. And a burger. The burger wreaked havoc on my digestion system, but it was definitely worth it. My Aunt Chelle asked of what the Ghanaian diet consists. Red meat exists here, but chicken and fish are the mainstays of Ghanaian meals. Some type of chicken or fish is accompanied by rice, either steamed or fried, or plantain, boiled or fried, or yam or cassava or some combination of carb/starch, like fufu. Fufu is a starch ball made from cassava that has been pounded by a huge stick in a mortar. Ghanaians love fufu, and it is eaten in a soup with a meat. Don't you dare eat it with a spoon, though, or chew it. Grab a chunk with one's fingers, dip it in the broth, and let it slide down the hatch. My two favorite Ghanaian dishes are Groundnut Soup (or, peanut butter soup) with chicken and Red Red, which is a bean stew served with friend plantains. I am served these two things at least once a week by my host family. Mmm... I'm hungry!
-Mall- There is a Mall in Accra that we visited. It was like visiting capitalism Mecca... I felt incredibly giddy and literally skipped when I saw a book store. And the food court. Air conditioning, movie theater, and shops upon shops. It was like being transported to a different world... it is definitely the most racially diverse place I have been since coming to Ghana. I felt like a super big bronyi... but one must take comfort where one can.
-Museums- While in Accra we visited the National Museum, the W.E.B. DuBois center, and Kwame Nkrumah's Masoleum. The museum was ok, the DuBois center was very informative, and the masoleum was beautiful. Kwame Nkrumah lead Ghana to independence in 1957, and was elected their Prime Minister in 1951 whilst in jail. He was in charge until 1966 when overthrown by a military coup backed by the CIA... America simply thought that Nkrumah was too powerful and influential in the African stage to be allowed to remain in power. It is definitely an odd feeling to hear that one's government was responsible for the removal of a nation's national hero when one is in said nation, surrounded by monuments to said hero. Is it hot in here, or is it just me? Eeee...
-Shai Hills- Shai Hills is the nearest nature reserve near Accra. I saw some Baboons (yay!) and hiked up one of the 8 hills. It was about a 45 minute hike all the way to the top, where we then climbed some crazy rocks and descended into a cave through its roof. The hills used to be inhabited by the Se people until the British government ran them out of town in 1892 based on rumors that they were practicing ritual murders in their seclusion.
Random Things:
-Princess Tyra- Princess Tyra is the Ghanaian movie that we watched at Aunty Anouwa's house. It ended up being 4 and a half hours long, and only being the first three parts. Part four isn't out yet, and she wasn't even sure if they were going to be making one. It was pretty awful, and the sound track consisted of four songs. Oh, boy.
-Independence Day- This friday was Ghana's independence day. I missed the parades around town because of lectures (an unfortunate oversight on SITs part), but I went out with Leigh and my host dad later on. Mr.Kum was decked out in a huge Obama t-shirt, a Yes We Can hat, and an american flag handkerchief. Talk about feeling like you're on display! It was fun, though, and Mr.Kum is a silly dancer.
What's Coming Up: Northern Trip
Next Sunday I am heading up north, but I promise to update before then. Miss and love you all!
I'm back in Cape Coast for the next week, continuing lectures about the African Diaspora, specifically many different aspects of the slave trade. I have already learned so much, and I can't wait to continue my education and delve even further into the subject. The learning environment is interesting here because I am the only history major on this history centric program. Have I mentioned this before? I can't remember. I will talk more about the other people with me here later on. Anyway, here goes nothing-
Who's the Boss: There are four main people in charge of the group while we're here, and three others that we see more intermittently. All of the adults we come into contact with on a regular basis have some interesting day jobs, personal lives, and quirks and I hope you enjoy reading about these kooky, but extremely competent, men and women.
-Uncle Eric: Uncle Eric is the Academic Director of the program and a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast. He is extremely thin and wears large, seventies type glasses, which is appropriate, I suppose, because he also wears seventies style slacks quite often. When Uncle Eric sits down he is shorter than the rest of us. He has rather long legs, but the shortest torso I think I have ever seen. He is very nice and intelligent, and makes us all feel very comfortable. He sometimes makes odd sound effects when telling us stories. For instance, he said that he used to smoke, but whilst in the U.S. studying, he and his roommate bet each other that if the other one smoked, the guilty party would have to buy the victorious party the most expensive thing that they wanted. Since neither of them had any money and would be shamed forever if unable to follow through, it was a rather effective way to quit. But the way Uncle E chose to describe this plan's success was to say, "Neither of us had money, so..." and lift up his shoulders in a pronounced shrug, wave his hands, and make a high pitched "hnn" noise a couple of times. This was met with confused looks from all of us, but he seemed convinced that he had explained himself sufficiently, and changed the subject.
-Uncle Ebo: Uncle Ebo is our very mild mannered, laid back Program Coordinator. He sets up all of our visits and we visited his house very often whilst in Komenda. He seems amused by our energetic group, which is good because patience is sometimes key when we're being a bit loud. Uncle Ebo is 50, and is married to Ama, who is 24. We were all a little shocked when we discovered this, but were quickly charmed by Ama's caring and energetic nature. They met one night after Uncle Ebo's first wife left him, and Ama began to help him care for his young children. The rest, as they say, is history. I felt incredibly at home in their house, and I am very happy to have made good friends with Ama. Uncle Ebo is with us all the time, coordinating (duh)
lectures, giving us cool bags of water (called sashays), and indulging our requests to be driven around Accra in the SIT bus. Thanks, Uncle Ebo!
-Aunty Lydia: I'm not really sure what Aunty Lydia's job title is. She is an assistant, I suppose. She is in her mid twenties and sets up our snacks during our lectures and helped me when I needed to get to the hospital. I haven't quite bothered to find out what Aunty Lydia's job description is because she doesn't seem too keen on the lot of us. She always answers our questions, but is not particularly friendly or warm. Aunty Lydia might be the only adult who I don't have an interesting tidbit about, unless you count the growing frustration at the lack of chocolate spread at snack time, despite assurances that it is coming, and the mysterious way none of us have had mail for the past three weeks when 5 of the 7 us claim to have been sent things all over a month ago, so... Valentine's day in March! What a shame.
-Aunty Gifty: Aunty Gifty is the homestay coordinator. She and her husband own an arts compund (where we had a dance workshop) and a television station called Coastal TV. It is the regional station, and I see Aunty Gifty interview various community members (i.e. the president of the Cape Coast Lions Club) from time to time when my host family decides to watch her station. Whenever someone mentions seeing her on TV, she always exclaims with a laugh, "Oh! Did you? It must have been my twin. Did her hair look like this? No, it must have been my twin."
-Aunty Naana: Aunty Naana used to be the Academic Director of the program. She was involved with SIT for 13 years, but recently was promoted to Vice Chancellor (or, President) of the University of Cape Coast. This takes up much of her time and she, therefore, has only been able to meet with us a handful of times for lectures and discussions. She is incredibly intelligent and poised, which is only right for the first female Vice Chancellor in Ghanaian history. I can tell when she visits that she misses the program, especially because she tries to visit as often as possible. I would love to be like her someday. If I grow up and have half as much class as she does, I will be lucky. She is also Uncle Ebo's sister- what a crazy thing to discover two weeks into the program!
-Aunty Albi: Aunty Albi is one of the Fante instructors. She is plump, energetic, and colorful. She played a prominent role in my boil tale, and says crazy things when we mess up like, "Emily! Leave Ghana fast!" One day I will just walk out the door after this comment, which will probably throw her into fits of laughter which she will end by saying, "10,000 stars for you!" She also teaches at a local all girl high school.
-Aunty Anouwa: Aunty Anouwa is the other Fante instructor. She is statuesque and beautiful. She has amazing style, and we constantly drool over her creative and stunning clothes. One day she tried to tell us a story about how she was incredibly self conscious and insecure growing up because she was so tall and skinny and just wanted to be plump and not stand out (my friend Leigh quietly quipped, "Says the most beautiful woman in Africa"), but then she won a beauty pagaent and began to see herself differently. She was trying to tell us to be happy with who we are, and that confidence is the most beautiful part of any person, but the advice fell a little flat on my short and stout ears. Also, Aunty Anouwa might be the richest person in Ghana. We went to her house for snacks and a movie after the Fante Final and were shocked to discover that the parking garage type complex we could see from the main road was not an apartment building, but her entire house. Her TV is the size of a mini cooper and she had our tiny party catered with meat pies and donuts and spring rolls. It was a slice of heaven, to be sure, but left some of us wondering about the reasoning behind owning a house that size for a family of 5 and in an area so struck with poverty.
Accra:
We've been back from Accra for four days now. I spent this weekend at the beach, doing laundry (by hand... part of which I then left out on the line to be soaked by last night's random, but welcome, thunderstorm), reading and researching for a paper I have due this Thursday. American Idol, Season 6, may have been slipped in there, too. But back to Accra. What a busy place! The traffic there was crazy, and people stand in between the shoddily formed lanes of traffic, peddling everything from plantain chips to electrical converters to chocolate to soccer balls to maps and many other random things in between. It's like being plopped down in the midst of a roving Best Buy/Supermarket/Toy Store/Bakery... convenient, at times, if one's hungry, and fascinating, always, as the sellers balance most of these things on their heads whilst weaving amongst cars- it does seem a teeny bit dangerous, though, to my American eyes. I suppose one would develop a knack for it, with time.
-Food- I had my pizza. And a burger. The burger wreaked havoc on my digestion system, but it was definitely worth it. My Aunt Chelle asked of what the Ghanaian diet consists. Red meat exists here, but chicken and fish are the mainstays of Ghanaian meals. Some type of chicken or fish is accompanied by rice, either steamed or fried, or plantain, boiled or fried, or yam or cassava or some combination of carb/starch, like fufu. Fufu is a starch ball made from cassava that has been pounded by a huge stick in a mortar. Ghanaians love fufu, and it is eaten in a soup with a meat. Don't you dare eat it with a spoon, though, or chew it. Grab a chunk with one's fingers, dip it in the broth, and let it slide down the hatch. My two favorite Ghanaian dishes are Groundnut Soup (or, peanut butter soup) with chicken and Red Red, which is a bean stew served with friend plantains. I am served these two things at least once a week by my host family. Mmm... I'm hungry!
-Mall- There is a Mall in Accra that we visited. It was like visiting capitalism Mecca... I felt incredibly giddy and literally skipped when I saw a book store. And the food court. Air conditioning, movie theater, and shops upon shops. It was like being transported to a different world... it is definitely the most racially diverse place I have been since coming to Ghana. I felt like a super big bronyi... but one must take comfort where one can.
-Museums- While in Accra we visited the National Museum, the W.E.B. DuBois center, and Kwame Nkrumah's Masoleum. The museum was ok, the DuBois center was very informative, and the masoleum was beautiful. Kwame Nkrumah lead Ghana to independence in 1957, and was elected their Prime Minister in 1951 whilst in jail. He was in charge until 1966 when overthrown by a military coup backed by the CIA... America simply thought that Nkrumah was too powerful and influential in the African stage to be allowed to remain in power. It is definitely an odd feeling to hear that one's government was responsible for the removal of a nation's national hero when one is in said nation, surrounded by monuments to said hero. Is it hot in here, or is it just me? Eeee...
-Shai Hills- Shai Hills is the nearest nature reserve near Accra. I saw some Baboons (yay!) and hiked up one of the 8 hills. It was about a 45 minute hike all the way to the top, where we then climbed some crazy rocks and descended into a cave through its roof. The hills used to be inhabited by the Se people until the British government ran them out of town in 1892 based on rumors that they were practicing ritual murders in their seclusion.
Random Things:
-Princess Tyra- Princess Tyra is the Ghanaian movie that we watched at Aunty Anouwa's house. It ended up being 4 and a half hours long, and only being the first three parts. Part four isn't out yet, and she wasn't even sure if they were going to be making one. It was pretty awful, and the sound track consisted of four songs. Oh, boy.
-Independence Day- This friday was Ghana's independence day. I missed the parades around town because of lectures (an unfortunate oversight on SITs part), but I went out with Leigh and my host dad later on. Mr.Kum was decked out in a huge Obama t-shirt, a Yes We Can hat, and an american flag handkerchief. Talk about feeling like you're on display! It was fun, though, and Mr.Kum is a silly dancer.
What's Coming Up: Northern Trip
Next Sunday I am heading up north, but I promise to update before then. Miss and love you all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
