Things I still need to write about: my FACE trip, my Togo adventure, the Blue Skies factory visit, VGMA, Cape Coast with Nicole. So many day-to-day wonders that go unwritten about!
I just have to remember the approach of my friend in my TFL training. I wrote a whole notebook of notes, from front to back, and she wrote nothing. When I asked her how, she said that she had been trained to remember what was needed, and the other things will resurface in hre mind when/if they are needed. And if they aren't, what good are they written down anyway? Trust in the memory.
...
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Buduburam Refugee Camp
Leon's sister Brigitte is in Ghana visiting. She is such an angel. One of those people that you watch and just wish you were as powerful as she is, and I mean powerful in the strong character kind of way.
The three of us rose early (6:30am) Monday morning and went to visit the Buduburam refugee camp, a camp that has over 20,000 refugees, most of whom are Liberian. Brigitte's husband had found a tour guide named Jordan who agreed to show us the camp. He also arranged for a group of four women from the community to come and tell us their stories and their needs.
The experience was fascinating and humbling. These people have built a functioning community from nothing. They came to Ghana to escape war, and have built their lives over the last 20 years from hard work and sacrifice.
Some facts about the camp:
It has been around for 22 years, with some of the inhabitants having been there the entire time.
The refugees do not receive Ghanaian health care or education, but perform these themselves.
Many children in the camp have not ever been to Liberia.
On June 30th, they are being given 90 days to leave or integrate before being considered illegal aliens and deported.
They are only allowed to bring 30kg of stuff to reestablis their lives in Liberia.
They will be given $300/adult and $200/child to start their new life in Liberia.
None of the houses they built or infrastructure can be sold or rented, but instead belongs to the Ghanaian government and will be taken.
I was shaken by the experience and humbled by the resilience of the people there. I have written a letter tonight and will apply as a volunteer with UNHCR (High Commision on Refugees) tomorrow. I hope there is some position that I can fill, or some way at all that I can get involved.
If not, I am thinking of ways I can unofficially benefit the community by helping them make decision about what they want to do by communication options to them. There is so much fear and distrust in the community towards Ghana and the UNHCR simply, I believe, because of a lack of effective and clear communication, and the appearance of having no choices.
Ghana has been full of these "aha" moments where I have seen things that really stretch my heart and challenge the pretty-pink-and-blue version of the world that I have in my head.
The three of us rose early (6:30am) Monday morning and went to visit the Buduburam refugee camp, a camp that has over 20,000 refugees, most of whom are Liberian. Brigitte's husband had found a tour guide named Jordan who agreed to show us the camp. He also arranged for a group of four women from the community to come and tell us their stories and their needs.
The experience was fascinating and humbling. These people have built a functioning community from nothing. They came to Ghana to escape war, and have built their lives over the last 20 years from hard work and sacrifice.
Some facts about the camp:
It has been around for 22 years, with some of the inhabitants having been there the entire time.
The refugees do not receive Ghanaian health care or education, but perform these themselves.
Many children in the camp have not ever been to Liberia.
On June 30th, they are being given 90 days to leave or integrate before being considered illegal aliens and deported.
They are only allowed to bring 30kg of stuff to reestablis their lives in Liberia.
They will be given $300/adult and $200/child to start their new life in Liberia.
None of the houses they built or infrastructure can be sold or rented, but instead belongs to the Ghanaian government and will be taken.
I was shaken by the experience and humbled by the resilience of the people there. I have written a letter tonight and will apply as a volunteer with UNHCR (High Commision on Refugees) tomorrow. I hope there is some position that I can fill, or some way at all that I can get involved.
If not, I am thinking of ways I can unofficially benefit the community by helping them make decision about what they want to do by communication options to them. There is so much fear and distrust in the community towards Ghana and the UNHCR simply, I believe, because of a lack of effective and clear communication, and the appearance of having no choices.
Ghana has been full of these "aha" moments where I have seen things that really stretch my heart and challenge the pretty-pink-and-blue version of the world that I have in my head.
Nicolas the taxi driver
Before I came to Ghana, a good friend of mine told me to write every single day, about anything in my mind. I told myself I would, and have not lived up to that at all. In some ways it is unfortunate because there are so many wonderful moments I would like to have written about. In reality though, I wasn't writing because the good times were too many and too long, and the time to write about them would have taken away from others that were still to be made.
Now, nearly everyone has moved back to their home country and I have the time and energy to write about my life here in the past month or so. I want to write about a small moment today that really reminded me of why I love Ghana.
I was going to see my friend Anatu at Labadi Beach, so I grabbed a tro-tro that I thought would take me to her house. Instead, it took me near her house, but far enough away that I still needed at taxi cab. I took the first one I found, directly across from the beach and we started driving toward her house. The road is an undeveloped beach strip. Double lane highway with construction and rubble standing in between you and the white sandy beach and rolling waves. One day, this will be a tourist hot-spot.
My driver's name was Nicolas. As we were driving we saw a car crash that must have happened only minutes before. Nicolas was looking back at the accident and then he looked at me. I could see a curiosity on his face, the same curiosity I see on my dad's face whenever a police car goes by with its sirens ringing. I was not in a hurry, so I said to him, "want to go back and check it out?" He smiled, and agreed.
He stopped the car, and drove in reverse along the ditch until we were beside the accident. We went and looked. There was no injuries aside from both cars, a woman's bloodly lip, and the ruined tro-tro driver's career. After assessing the scene for three minutes or so, Nicolas and I got back into the car and drove on. It was so simple and so human, to be able to stop and experience the moment, even though he was technically losing time and money for doing it. It reminded me also of the tro-tro driver at the station two days ago who stopped his vehicle and got out, ran across the street and helped push a tro-tro that was being bump started. Or the guy who led me four blocks out of his way to make sure that I got where Iw as going safely, and then refused my money for his help. Or the two people in Togo who let us stay in their house all weekend just because they saw we needed a place to stay. This is serious, oh. Life here is free.
I have a lot of reflecting time coming up. Watching all of my international friends leave made th reality of my own departure real for the first time. I can't even decide if I am ready.
Now, nearly everyone has moved back to their home country and I have the time and energy to write about my life here in the past month or so. I want to write about a small moment today that really reminded me of why I love Ghana.
I was going to see my friend Anatu at Labadi Beach, so I grabbed a tro-tro that I thought would take me to her house. Instead, it took me near her house, but far enough away that I still needed at taxi cab. I took the first one I found, directly across from the beach and we started driving toward her house. The road is an undeveloped beach strip. Double lane highway with construction and rubble standing in between you and the white sandy beach and rolling waves. One day, this will be a tourist hot-spot.
My driver's name was Nicolas. As we were driving we saw a car crash that must have happened only minutes before. Nicolas was looking back at the accident and then he looked at me. I could see a curiosity on his face, the same curiosity I see on my dad's face whenever a police car goes by with its sirens ringing. I was not in a hurry, so I said to him, "want to go back and check it out?" He smiled, and agreed.
He stopped the car, and drove in reverse along the ditch until we were beside the accident. We went and looked. There was no injuries aside from both cars, a woman's bloodly lip, and the ruined tro-tro driver's career. After assessing the scene for three minutes or so, Nicolas and I got back into the car and drove on. It was so simple and so human, to be able to stop and experience the moment, even though he was technically losing time and money for doing it. It reminded me also of the tro-tro driver at the station two days ago who stopped his vehicle and got out, ran across the street and helped push a tro-tro that was being bump started. Or the guy who led me four blocks out of his way to make sure that I got where Iw as going safely, and then refused my money for his help. Or the two people in Togo who let us stay in their house all weekend just because they saw we needed a place to stay. This is serious, oh. Life here is free.
I have a lot of reflecting time coming up. Watching all of my international friends leave made th reality of my own departure real for the first time. I can't even decide if I am ready.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
My time in Ghana up until this point has felt heavy.
There is a guy here named Matt. He is also Canadian, from Winnipeg. Matt has a peace about him that I have trouble understanding. On any given day, if you asked Matt how he is doing, he would tell you how happy he is, and how is loving his time in Ghana. He doesn't seem to have any grand ambitions, or at least he is not troubled by his ambitions. He is patient, content. He always has a little smirk on his face that shows how at ease he is here.
At first, that frustrated me. It seemed to me that he was naive. I felt that his simplicity and contentment was coming from an ignorance of the realities of Ghana. I told myself he was peaceful because of the drugs he smoked, or because he didn't have the same concern for addressing the world's problems that I do.
This weekend, though, I had a change of heart about Matt. I spent some time with him and realized that I was reacting so negatively to his peace because I was envious. I don't often feel at peace like that. Even in those moments that should be completely peaceful - on the beach by the ocean, under the sun, just ate a good meal, about to swim in the ocean - I feel a tightness in my stomach. There is something that prevents me from just letting go and being content in the moment.
This feeling tends to dominate my more routine days. When I am at university I am always feeling tense, like I need to learn more, faster. In my interactions with new people and with friends, there is a stress that I feel, like I am responsible for the conversation going well. I get exhausted by it, and my tiredness adds to my tension.
So I made a decision this weekend, that I need to relax. I am here for a short period of time. I won't understand or solve the development problems in Ghana. I won't become fluent in Twi. I won't learn all of the traditional songs and dances, won't read all the African literature, won't learn to cook all the African foods. But I will do some of all of these things, and I am deciding to be happy with what I do learn, rather than anxious about the things that are left unlearned.
I am transitioning from a mindset of having to learn everything there is to know about being Ghanaian, into a mindset of relaxation and enjoyment. I am going to start travelling more. I am going to do more spontaneous and exciting things (like dancing in the rain in my underwear!). I am going to treat my relationships more jovially, rather than the serious nature some of them have.
I hope that this is a lesson I can take with me back to Canada. Life is a journey and it is so important to enjoy the trip. I spend too much time stressing about being unprepared for the destination.
While I also believe that Matt's contentment results in less motivation to act and therefore less action, I also recognize that I am not helping anyone by feeling stressed and uneasy all the time. I am my better self when I am relaxed and happy.
Cheers to a spontaneous and (more) carefree summer! I can't wait. I am excited about life again.
There is a guy here named Matt. He is also Canadian, from Winnipeg. Matt has a peace about him that I have trouble understanding. On any given day, if you asked Matt how he is doing, he would tell you how happy he is, and how is loving his time in Ghana. He doesn't seem to have any grand ambitions, or at least he is not troubled by his ambitions. He is patient, content. He always has a little smirk on his face that shows how at ease he is here.
At first, that frustrated me. It seemed to me that he was naive. I felt that his simplicity and contentment was coming from an ignorance of the realities of Ghana. I told myself he was peaceful because of the drugs he smoked, or because he didn't have the same concern for addressing the world's problems that I do.
This weekend, though, I had a change of heart about Matt. I spent some time with him and realized that I was reacting so negatively to his peace because I was envious. I don't often feel at peace like that. Even in those moments that should be completely peaceful - on the beach by the ocean, under the sun, just ate a good meal, about to swim in the ocean - I feel a tightness in my stomach. There is something that prevents me from just letting go and being content in the moment.
This feeling tends to dominate my more routine days. When I am at university I am always feeling tense, like I need to learn more, faster. In my interactions with new people and with friends, there is a stress that I feel, like I am responsible for the conversation going well. I get exhausted by it, and my tiredness adds to my tension.
So I made a decision this weekend, that I need to relax. I am here for a short period of time. I won't understand or solve the development problems in Ghana. I won't become fluent in Twi. I won't learn all of the traditional songs and dances, won't read all the African literature, won't learn to cook all the African foods. But I will do some of all of these things, and I am deciding to be happy with what I do learn, rather than anxious about the things that are left unlearned.
I am transitioning from a mindset of having to learn everything there is to know about being Ghanaian, into a mindset of relaxation and enjoyment. I am going to start travelling more. I am going to do more spontaneous and exciting things (like dancing in the rain in my underwear!). I am going to treat my relationships more jovially, rather than the serious nature some of them have.
I hope that this is a lesson I can take with me back to Canada. Life is a journey and it is so important to enjoy the trip. I spend too much time stressing about being unprepared for the destination.
While I also believe that Matt's contentment results in less motivation to act and therefore less action, I also recognize that I am not helping anyone by feeling stressed and uneasy all the time. I am my better self when I am relaxed and happy.
Cheers to a spontaneous and (more) carefree summer! I can't wait. I am excited about life again.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Easter in Kwahu
In Ghana, Easter brings a nation-wide paragliding festival that happens on a mountain in the Easter Region called Kwahu. Leon and I decided to go, with our friends Victoria, Sky, and Sol. We didn't know where we were going and we had no place to stay other than my 3 person tent.
On the way to the station in Central Accra, I ran into a guy I know from the dance department and he took us where we needed to go, and saw us off on a tro-tro. Every time I am even the slightest bit lost there seems to be some Ghanaian person that helps me find my way and asks nothing in return. People are so generous with their time here. I know if I asked someone to show me directions in Vancouver, it is unlikely they would take me to the place I was looking for. I don't think I would either...
I had gone out to a party at the Canadian embassy the night before we left, so I had not done my laundry. I had no clean clothes left, so I washed a few shirts in the morning before we left and wore damp clothes when we left. It was nice actually, it kept me cool. I think I will start dipping my clothes in water before I go out.
The road was the worst I have ever been on. It was supposed to be a highway, but there was about a 2 hour section without cement, and with large potholes that forced the tro to drive about 20km/h. The trip that should have been about 3 hours took us about 6. On top of that, the road was all dry dirt, so we were driving in a dust storm for 3 hours. Our hair looked like we had dyed it dark red (the colour of the dirt here) and our clothes were visibly dirty. I won't even describe what it looked like when I blew my nose. And there were kids on the tro too. I was worried for their lungs.
Oh, and my seat in the tro-tro was a fold down seat that had no back except for a broken metal pole that used to support the back. I was sore by the end of the trip. But I forgot all about that as we were driving up the mountain. The sun was just setting, and the sky was starting to become dark, with pinks and purples. There were clouds. It was cooler on the mountain than in the valley. As we drive up the winding road, we had a view of the different plateaus of the mountain, totally forested, with the evening sky as its backdrop. It was so beautiful that I was not even concerned that it was almost dark and we had no place to stay.
We arrived in Mpraezo, the town we planned to stay in. It was hectic. It really was a festival. There were vehicles and people everywhere. Merchants, loud music, honking, flashing lights. It was a bit overwhelming, but I was happy to be swept up in the momentum.
As we expected, all the hotels were full. Leon, Victoria, and I had brought the 3 person tent to sleep in. Sky and Sol were supposed to meet up with friends but their plans fell through as we were climbing the hill. So we were now 5 with a 3 person tent. We decided to split up and search for a place to set up the tent. We went in two groups. Sky, Sol and I went one way; Leon and Victoria another.
We searched for the police station, so they could tell us where to go, but instead we ended up speaking with a man named Kofi, who told us he had a place for us to stay. We got into a taxi together, drove about 10 minutes out of town (yes, I was feeling a little uncomfortable at this point) to find an unfinished building that he said we could stay in. It had a room with a roof and bunk beds, but no lock on the door. There were already clothes in the room. I think someone else was staying there. It was not the best option.
Just at that moment, Leon and Victoria called and said they found a place with an old woman in the town. We hitch-hiked a ride back into town, met up with Leon and Victoria and started the most blessed weekend I have had in Ghana.
The family are among the people I cherish most in Ghana. Esther was the woman that Leon met. She invited us to stay. She is 23 and lives in Takoradi. She does traditional dance, writes her own gospel songs in Twi, and one of the most beautiful women I have met in Ghana - her looks and her personality.
The grandmother is named Charlotte, and she doesn't speak English. Leon and I have enough Twi that we were able to understand and communicate with her. She was very appreciative of that. Her son, who lived in London, had died not long ago. That weekend was his memorial. We found out later that the son was friends with many obrunis, and that our presence that weekend reminded Charlotte of her son. I do not think our presence there this weekend was a coincidence.
Angela was the young daughter. She is 8 years old, in class 2. She is the smartest little girl and so open. Her eyes are wide and bright, they cannot hide their curiosity and imagination. We all fell in love with all of them, but with Angela in particular. She was closest to Leon. It was nice to see him in that role, playing with her. Leon cares for people in a very deep and unique way. I was touched just to watch him and Angela play together.
There were two brothers, the older was named Emmanuel. He took a liking to me, and we played together a lot. He loved to do martial arts moves, and make funny noises like Arlan used to. Actually, Emmanuel was a like a young, Ghanaian version of Arlan. But less shy.
There were other family members too. Paulina, Jocelyne, Kwame, and a few others. They were all so open to our presence.
That night we went out to one of the many stages that had been set up around the town for the festival. We ate kebabs and danced azonto. Wherever we go, if we dance a little azonto, we start a flash mob of kids who want to watch us dance. This night was no exception. We were in the center of a crowd of kids who all dance better than us, and we danced azonto. It was great fun.
We all slept in a living room. In the morning, they prepared bread, Milo, and egg for us. My favourite breakfast in Ghana. We ate with Angela. To our surprise, Paulina, Angela, and Ethel decided to come up to the mountain with us to watch us paraglide. We ended up waiting all day and they never came around to us. They told us to come back the next day. We went home and had homemade fufu with the family. It was so delicious. Leon planned on attending church, so I decided I would go too. By the time the family was ready to go, we had missed the whole service. We arrived at the church as they were taking the Eucharist. We sat down, and they ended the service. Then we left.
That night we went to bed early. I was deciding whether I wanted to sleep or go join the party I could hear outside. I thought about it for a little while and fell asleep. No regrets.
Leon went to church the next morning, while we went back to the mountain. We waited the whole day again, with no success. Come back tomorrow they said. We got a refund instead. They all planned on leaving that night, but I decided to stay. They stayed too, because it was too late. That night was the best of all. We ate yam and sauce and then visited outside.
In gratitude for the weekend, we gave them family a card with some money in it. The moment was the most beautiful of the weekend. I grabbed Charlotte and Paulina's hand and stood holding their hand as Leon thanked them for their generosity in Twi. I have never heard Leon able to communicate such complex thoughts in Twi. It was a spiritual moment of gratitude and giving-back. There was something in that moment that calms me when I think about it. Then Charlotte blessed us in Twi. She told us about her son, about how we are always welcome at her house, and how grateful she was to have met us and shared Easter with us. It was one of those stop moments that I will never forget.
Leon told me after that he had been praying at the same moment that he met Ethel. He was praying that God put an angel in his path. And then Ethel was there. She truly was our angel. The whole night had a magic hanging above it. It was the best part of our weekend, one of the best parts of my time in Ghana. And it did not feel accidental.
Then we danced. We had a dance party, and we all danced in a circle. Some azonto. Some traditional African dance. Some free-style. It was fun and easy and everyone participated.
The night calmed down after that, with us playing little games with paper and rocks and whatever else was available.
At one point, Ethel sang us some of her songs that she had written in Twi. It fit right into the magical atmosphere of the night. Her voice was soft and unsure. It was too beautiful. Then Leon taught Ethel some salsa, and we all danced salsa - badly. I danced with Ethel, and we made up our own spinning dances. It was a very romantic moment.
Finally, Emmanuel and Angela became tired. Sky held Angela in her arms and I held Emmanuel and they both fell asleep. It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend. I went to sleep that night feeling completely content. I didn't care that I didn't paraglide. My time with this family was the best way I could have spent my time.
Then the next morning, as everyone was loading onto the bus to go back to Accra, I decided to stay. I gave them my bags, and stayed in Mpraezo. I was going to go try paragliding one more time. The moment was so perfect. Ethel, Paulina, and Angela stood there shocked as they watched the bus drive away without me. I was happy to stay a while longer with them.
I never did paraglide, because the weather was bad. I have no regrets about my weekend though. It ended up exceeding my expectations in totally unexpected ways.
On the way to the station in Central Accra, I ran into a guy I know from the dance department and he took us where we needed to go, and saw us off on a tro-tro. Every time I am even the slightest bit lost there seems to be some Ghanaian person that helps me find my way and asks nothing in return. People are so generous with their time here. I know if I asked someone to show me directions in Vancouver, it is unlikely they would take me to the place I was looking for. I don't think I would either...
I had gone out to a party at the Canadian embassy the night before we left, so I had not done my laundry. I had no clean clothes left, so I washed a few shirts in the morning before we left and wore damp clothes when we left. It was nice actually, it kept me cool. I think I will start dipping my clothes in water before I go out.
The road was the worst I have ever been on. It was supposed to be a highway, but there was about a 2 hour section without cement, and with large potholes that forced the tro to drive about 20km/h. The trip that should have been about 3 hours took us about 6. On top of that, the road was all dry dirt, so we were driving in a dust storm for 3 hours. Our hair looked like we had dyed it dark red (the colour of the dirt here) and our clothes were visibly dirty. I won't even describe what it looked like when I blew my nose. And there were kids on the tro too. I was worried for their lungs.
Oh, and my seat in the tro-tro was a fold down seat that had no back except for a broken metal pole that used to support the back. I was sore by the end of the trip. But I forgot all about that as we were driving up the mountain. The sun was just setting, and the sky was starting to become dark, with pinks and purples. There were clouds. It was cooler on the mountain than in the valley. As we drive up the winding road, we had a view of the different plateaus of the mountain, totally forested, with the evening sky as its backdrop. It was so beautiful that I was not even concerned that it was almost dark and we had no place to stay.
We arrived in Mpraezo, the town we planned to stay in. It was hectic. It really was a festival. There were vehicles and people everywhere. Merchants, loud music, honking, flashing lights. It was a bit overwhelming, but I was happy to be swept up in the momentum.
As we expected, all the hotels were full. Leon, Victoria, and I had brought the 3 person tent to sleep in. Sky and Sol were supposed to meet up with friends but their plans fell through as we were climbing the hill. So we were now 5 with a 3 person tent. We decided to split up and search for a place to set up the tent. We went in two groups. Sky, Sol and I went one way; Leon and Victoria another.
We searched for the police station, so they could tell us where to go, but instead we ended up speaking with a man named Kofi, who told us he had a place for us to stay. We got into a taxi together, drove about 10 minutes out of town (yes, I was feeling a little uncomfortable at this point) to find an unfinished building that he said we could stay in. It had a room with a roof and bunk beds, but no lock on the door. There were already clothes in the room. I think someone else was staying there. It was not the best option.
Just at that moment, Leon and Victoria called and said they found a place with an old woman in the town. We hitch-hiked a ride back into town, met up with Leon and Victoria and started the most blessed weekend I have had in Ghana.
The family are among the people I cherish most in Ghana. Esther was the woman that Leon met. She invited us to stay. She is 23 and lives in Takoradi. She does traditional dance, writes her own gospel songs in Twi, and one of the most beautiful women I have met in Ghana - her looks and her personality.
The grandmother is named Charlotte, and she doesn't speak English. Leon and I have enough Twi that we were able to understand and communicate with her. She was very appreciative of that. Her son, who lived in London, had died not long ago. That weekend was his memorial. We found out later that the son was friends with many obrunis, and that our presence that weekend reminded Charlotte of her son. I do not think our presence there this weekend was a coincidence.
Angela was the young daughter. She is 8 years old, in class 2. She is the smartest little girl and so open. Her eyes are wide and bright, they cannot hide their curiosity and imagination. We all fell in love with all of them, but with Angela in particular. She was closest to Leon. It was nice to see him in that role, playing with her. Leon cares for people in a very deep and unique way. I was touched just to watch him and Angela play together.
There were two brothers, the older was named Emmanuel. He took a liking to me, and we played together a lot. He loved to do martial arts moves, and make funny noises like Arlan used to. Actually, Emmanuel was a like a young, Ghanaian version of Arlan. But less shy.
There were other family members too. Paulina, Jocelyne, Kwame, and a few others. They were all so open to our presence.
That night we went out to one of the many stages that had been set up around the town for the festival. We ate kebabs and danced azonto. Wherever we go, if we dance a little azonto, we start a flash mob of kids who want to watch us dance. This night was no exception. We were in the center of a crowd of kids who all dance better than us, and we danced azonto. It was great fun.
We all slept in a living room. In the morning, they prepared bread, Milo, and egg for us. My favourite breakfast in Ghana. We ate with Angela. To our surprise, Paulina, Angela, and Ethel decided to come up to the mountain with us to watch us paraglide. We ended up waiting all day and they never came around to us. They told us to come back the next day. We went home and had homemade fufu with the family. It was so delicious. Leon planned on attending church, so I decided I would go too. By the time the family was ready to go, we had missed the whole service. We arrived at the church as they were taking the Eucharist. We sat down, and they ended the service. Then we left.
That night we went to bed early. I was deciding whether I wanted to sleep or go join the party I could hear outside. I thought about it for a little while and fell asleep. No regrets.
Leon went to church the next morning, while we went back to the mountain. We waited the whole day again, with no success. Come back tomorrow they said. We got a refund instead. They all planned on leaving that night, but I decided to stay. They stayed too, because it was too late. That night was the best of all. We ate yam and sauce and then visited outside.
In gratitude for the weekend, we gave them family a card with some money in it. The moment was the most beautiful of the weekend. I grabbed Charlotte and Paulina's hand and stood holding their hand as Leon thanked them for their generosity in Twi. I have never heard Leon able to communicate such complex thoughts in Twi. It was a spiritual moment of gratitude and giving-back. There was something in that moment that calms me when I think about it. Then Charlotte blessed us in Twi. She told us about her son, about how we are always welcome at her house, and how grateful she was to have met us and shared Easter with us. It was one of those stop moments that I will never forget.
Leon told me after that he had been praying at the same moment that he met Ethel. He was praying that God put an angel in his path. And then Ethel was there. She truly was our angel. The whole night had a magic hanging above it. It was the best part of our weekend, one of the best parts of my time in Ghana. And it did not feel accidental.
Then we danced. We had a dance party, and we all danced in a circle. Some azonto. Some traditional African dance. Some free-style. It was fun and easy and everyone participated.
The night calmed down after that, with us playing little games with paper and rocks and whatever else was available.
At one point, Ethel sang us some of her songs that she had written in Twi. It fit right into the magical atmosphere of the night. Her voice was soft and unsure. It was too beautiful. Then Leon taught Ethel some salsa, and we all danced salsa - badly. I danced with Ethel, and we made up our own spinning dances. It was a very romantic moment.
Finally, Emmanuel and Angela became tired. Sky held Angela in her arms and I held Emmanuel and they both fell asleep. It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend. I went to sleep that night feeling completely content. I didn't care that I didn't paraglide. My time with this family was the best way I could have spent my time.
Then the next morning, as everyone was loading onto the bus to go back to Accra, I decided to stay. I gave them my bags, and stayed in Mpraezo. I was going to go try paragliding one more time. The moment was so perfect. Ethel, Paulina, and Angela stood there shocked as they watched the bus drive away without me. I was happy to stay a while longer with them.
I never did paraglide, because the weather was bad. I have no regrets about my weekend though. It ended up exceeding my expectations in totally unexpected ways.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Marriage Proposal
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:
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)