October Living in Ghana

Blog Hog Spog….what happened to my blog!!!

Oct.3, 2010

Here it is the genius of another month! Wow time is flying by. Everyone I talk to back home implies that they know how hard it must be here because things are so slow. Well, things are slower but indeed my time here is speeding by. Below are a few things I’d like to reflect on.

Ghanaian homes:

I’ve been to two homes. They were both large cement buildings with huge cement fences. Both of the houses I went to were in nice neighborhoods. By nice I mean most of the houses around were large and well kept. All of the roads are pretty much dirt road with all the challenges of holes, stones, etc.. Yes the houses had electricity capabilities. During my stay at both places the electricity went out. It’s a city wide thing that affects every single part of Ghanaian life. (Homes, businesses, universities and schools) The other day while I was sweating and dancing to some African drum beats the electricity went off. It’s really hot and extremely dark when that happens. But back to the houses: They were comfortable places to be. It’s always nice to get out of a dorm and into a “home setting.” The families were very welcoming and hospitable. I was in no way hungry when I left. Let me tell you Ghanaians really love to eat a lot of food and if you’re a visitor you’ll be expected to eat as much if not more. Both times I had difficulties meeting the food challenge! Once I had a dish called Banku which is like a sour dough ball and you eat it with soup. You have to dip the dough in the soup and eat it with your hands I didn’t really like it but I forced myself to eat enough not to be considered disrespectful. At the other home I had (omg where do I begin) fried plantains, rice, rice, and more rice, chicken, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, ice-cream. Oh before that as an appetizer we had huge eat sandwiches. When I frowned in bloating fullness and refused to finish my plate (only because I told her not to give me more and she keep dishing it out) my Ghanaian friend remarked “This is Africa!”  I was just thinking this mean exercise.

Ghanaian Women:

I want to comment on how amazing strong and innovative the women are here. They are the faces you see at the markets selling, washing clothes, in the streets carrying goods for sell on their heads, the teachers, the cooks, the seamstresses, the mothers (carrying their children on their backs as they cook, sell, or sew). I like to think of them as the face of this nation. Everywhere I go I see and meet women sweating and working yet smiling (not always). When I went to a friend’s house she allowed me to help prepare a Ghanaian dish that is essentially rice balls. I have never worked so hard to fix food and I’m sure I was getting the simple version. There are much more difficult dishes like pounding fufu. I’ve seen people do it in various markets. When I see a woman walking down the street with large gallons of water on her head I feel like this is a place of strength. Of course to the women here there is nothing abnormal or super human about their daily routines. They just get up, get out, and get it done. As a foreigner I see it as an image that nothing is impossible and we (Americans, perhaps African American black women) are quick to limit ourselves or accept weaknesses that could be over come.

The University of Ghana:

Oh boy, I have no idea where to begin. Well classes are going well. I have yet to get used to the over crowed lecture “halls” and the chatty students. I’m enjoying most of the actual information but the way the classroom is conducted and structured is annoying. When lights or fans don’t work it’s a hassle to learn. Instead of complaining I try to write and process the experience. Overall, I’m happy to be able to be here and working towards my graduation this May but I could really do without the classes. But hey, at least I’m here.

Performing Arts:

One of the absolute coolest things I’ve done sent my last entry has to be going to a couple of Ghanaian dance performances. They were so very cool! I love the music and the art here. One show included some contemporary African which got a little weird but I’m all down for art. Seeing these shows made me so happy I did not choose to stay in the West to study abroad because experiencing completely foreigner art is awesome. I can’t wait to go to the art galleries and see exhibits that are all African pieces. It’s so rare to see people of color in art museums in the States. I’m taking it all in. Honestly, as far as my art goes a lot has yet to produce its self. I journal a lot but the “artistic” stuff is processing right now. I’m just taking it all in.

Names:

Ghanaians typically have a day name (after the day of the week you were born), a Christian name (thanks to colonization), a name after an important person in their family, and their father’s surname. I’ve meet so many Ghanaians named really western things like Michael, Patrick, Frank, Catherine, to name a few. It’s sort of odd in a way. You just wouldn’t expect that. Names are very important here because they tell where a person is from and give insight into their family history.

I am Tuesday born so my day name is Abena. There are a million people with the same days names because obviously there are only 7 days in a week. Lol. It’s really cool to know that your name has a meaning greater than just the letters though. When my program discussed this I was happy to be able to tell people my entire name means something and I know the history. Camea (my mother’s name and great grandmother Carry Mae) Lona (my grandfather and uncle Lonnie) Osborn (my dad’s surname, from the plantation owner our family traced docs to).

Me:

I’m in good health and good spirits. I get a little tired of eating rice everyday but I’ve been cooking a little bit so it’s ok. Not to mention, African renditions of pizza and burgers are available at a high price. The fresh fruits are nice too. The cleanliness and smells of things here are not on my list of things to adapt to so I deal with that daily. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about a whole lot of things! I will start volunteering/teaching in a local school this week. Guess that’s all for now!!!

See you soon!

Camea