TIGO

I was not very enthusiastic to enter last weekend. Leon, who I consider my best friend in Ghana, was going to Togo. He invited me, but due to VISA complications, the Ghanaian government has my passport until the end of April. So I can't leave the country until then.

I thought my weekend would be slow and uneventful. I was so wrong.

On Friday, I went on a class trip to the Volta Region. We were two busses full of theatre students, and I was one of only 4 obrunis. The purpose of our trip was an ambiguous mix of attending a theatre for development play, seeing the community's tourist sites, and practicing being amateur ethnographers, journalists, and academics. Parts were very uncomfortable for me. It felt like parachute tourism, where we come in large numbers and take take take from the community. the Ghanaian students seemed more at ease, and I can see why. I would be much more comfortable doing this kind of thing in a small town in Saskatchewan.

All of that aside, it was an incredible experience. I played with a group of kids who spoke 4 languages, tried stirring banku for the first time, witnessed a host of cultural events (plays, dances, songs, parades, puberty and initiation ceremonies), was hosted by the chief of the village who served us local food (akpele and okro) and some fresh palm wine, went for a walk through the forest to see a palm tree that had 14 heads, said a few words to the crowd about why the day was special, helped cut the cake that was presented to my professor for his birthday, and laughed in disbelief that he was gifted some bananas, avocados, palm wine, and a live goat! (apparently the goat, which was transported back to the city in the storage area under the bus, escaped when we arrived on campus and was found an hour later on the other side of campus!)

That night, I went to a highlighter party at the dance studio and drank some of the palm wine I was gifted earlier that day.

The next morning, at 6:30 am I met my friend Veronica (the Ghanaian woman with the monkey on her shoulders in my photos below) and we went shopping at Kantamanto market downtown Accra. I have never seen such a large market, or so many people and goods in one place. I have to admit that the consumer in me was very excited. I wanted to buy so many things. In the end, I bought jeans, shorts, and a pair of shoes. They are nice clothes, because everyone in Ghana looks nice and all the clothes I brought were grubby travel clothes.

Veronica took me to see her house, which is in a small community about an hour away from where I live. I met her sisters, saw her house, and then went home. We had such a nice time. Over lunch we had a long conversation about love, and the differences between Ghanaian and Canadian understandings of relationships. We really see marriage and partnership in different ways. To give an idea, Veronica said "You can't only follow love. If you do, you will get into trouble and end up unhappy." I thought of all the love songs, movies, books, stories, etc that we have in Canada that tell us exactly the opposite. All you need is love.

I came home, and expected to go to bed. Instead, I ran into two of my friends who were going to see an Italian circus that was in town. Obviously anyone who knows me knows that I can't say no to a circus. So I went. And I am so happy I did. It was literally like you would imagine one of the old, authentic traveling circuses would be. Even the small details like dirty, dusty rugs and limited security and surveillance made it feel real. There were tigers, alligators, snakes, and a kangaroo. They were actually the worst part of the show, because we all knew how they get treated. I felt so inspired after watching it though. The circus always opens my eyes and my mind to the possibilities of humans. We are capable of such incredible things!

Finally, on Sunday after church I went to the largest beach party of my life. Several hundred people gathered at a beach outside of Accra for a campus residence celebration. The whole beach was packed with people dancing. It started raining, just as the sun was going down, but we decided to dance in the rain anyway. It became so dark that you could only see silhouettes dancing around you. Between the darkness and the sprinkling rain, it was the most fantasy-like dancing experience I have had.

I woke up Monday morning wondering how I ever thought my weekend would be boring because I didn't go to Togo. TIGO - This Is Ghana Oh.

Marriage Proposal

Tonight was magical. It was like growing up really fast. A transition point into another period of my life.

My friend Katie is moving back to Canada tomorrow. She is sad, as are we. Tonight we were celebrating her stay here, a going away party at an Indian restaurant in Osu.

Earlier this month, Katie and one of my dearest Ghanaian friends Musah (or Justice) have started dating. They were always ambiguously close to each other, but a month ago Musah came out and openly declared that they were dating. I am happy for them, but sad for her leaving

when the relationship is in such a new and budding place.

So at the dinner tonight, Justice made me sit at the head of the table, and told me I would have the honour of giving a speech in honour of Katie. I was happy to do it. Actually, earlier that day I had had a conversation with Katie about her leaving. She started to cry and I told her the same thing I told Veronica when she moved away: "It is amazing to have loved others and to have been loved enough to shed tears when you leave a place. It shows that your time there was meaningful." I really mean that advice - speaking from my heart.

So I stood up and said just that. Then Josephine came up to me and told me Justice had a surprise for Katie. I announced that there was a surprise, but Justice came running over to me telling me he couldn't do it because she was already teary eyed. I have never seen him nervous even for one moment before and now he was hiding from something he had planned to do. I didn't know what he planned on doing, but I just looked at him, and in a tone that is more assertive than I would expect from myself, I told him to go back to his seat and give her the surprise.

Everyone at the table could feel that something big was about to happen.

He went over to her, gave a short and funny speech about data analysis (an inside joke we have) and then turned to her, pulled out a ring, and proposed. I was awe-struck. We all were. We all asked if it was going to happen in the moments before, but to actually see the proposal caught us all off guard. It was so raw, so unexpected.

I am so happy for them, and hopeful that their emotional closeness overcomes their geographical distance.

It made me start thinking about Wesley's wedding. And about Michael's. And about the fact that I am entering the part of my life where my friends and I will start getting married. This was the first proposal I have seen, but there are a lot more coming up. One day I might even be the one proposing! Tonight was a beautiful and romantic reality check.

Here is a photo of the happy couple, a few minutes before the proposal:

Epic Gospel concert

A few Sundays ago at LIC, I met four people that have become good friends: Akweley, Debbie, Eric, and Akourkor. They sing in the choir at church. I asked them, along with Collins, if they wanted to grab lunch together after church. They said they would (though it was clear that was not their first choice plan, but they wanted to show me hospitality by giving me their time). Despite my protests, they bought me waakye from the night market and we ate it at their house, which is beside Akuafo Hall.

While eating, they invited me to a gospel concert called Evolution 7. I accepted the invitation. As my entire experience would lead me to believe, I expected the concert to be around 3 hours.

It was over 6 hours long.

By the end of the concert I was so tired and hungry that I felt dizzy. It would have been the perfect time to feel the spirit.

On the drive to the concert, Akourkor and I were listening to some gospel music by some famous Ghanaian gospel musicians. As we were parking the car, one of the artists we had been listening to was parking beside us. I opened my door, walked up to him and told him it was a pleasure to see him and that we were just listening to his music. He said the pleasure was his. Only in Ghana.

Coming out of the concert, I was asked if I would be interviewed for TV. I said yes and they interviewed me. It would be the second time I was on Ghanaian television in a week!Today one of my classmates came up to me and told me she saw me on TV. I made it look like it was no big deal. ;)

In Canada, if a concert went on for 6 hours, I would be frustrated. I might even have left. Somehow, in Ghana, it is just like that. No one would have said that the concert would be that long, but I am sure that it was that long all seven years it has been happening. Time has a different meaning here. And I love adjusting to that. It has been a learning experience for me to just be, without knowing how long I will stay or what I will get from the experience. That kind of patience has rewards that are much different from the scheduled life I was living in Vancouver.

Heroes Remember performance night

Three of my favourite people from the show. The two men are the choreographers.

Taste. Such a funny guy. This smile perfectly represents his personality.

After the show, back at ISH.

A bit of unity before going on stage and shooting people...

My nickname in the drama department now is "Commander."

FACE pitcures.

A good example of how beautiful children in Ghana are.

Our hosts in George's village. The man in the centre is his father.

The well about a half mile from the village. This is where all of their clean water comes from. In the morning, kids fill up a 45 gallon water jug for their water for the day.

I was widely hailed as the "Obruni Azonto man."

In Antoa, we listened to old folk songs on the guitar as we ate yam, plantain, and kontomere stew. It was a magical moment.

Pics. Stories to come.

His way of carrying things from the market to home.

Being taught how to drum by some school children who have more rythm than I ever will.

Cameras are very popular in villages. Kids get so excited to see photos of themselves.

The single nicest beach I have ever walked on.

Foot ball in Mankoadze.