I Just Whipped This Up

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!