Good Day!

My fun adventures in Ghana continue! Here are some entries for this week:

1)     Welcome Home to Kumasi

2)     Wrapping Fresh Boy

3)     The Curse of the Antoa River

4)     The Mystery of Ghanaian Bathrooms

5)     The Golden Stool- Kings, Museum, Culture Center, Sword in Ground

Feel free to leave comments and email my blog site to your friends. You can sign up to automatically receive emails whenever I post a new blog entry (see option on the right side of the screen). Also, I will begin fundraising for the West Africa Aids Foundation Ambulance Fund starting early next week. Email me if you are interested in getting involved or giving donations.

Enjoy!

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1)     Welcome Home to Kumasi

Well, getting to Kumasi was quite the adventure as well! Let me start off by saying that Ghana has a lot of imported things, and all of their vehicles are imported. I felt like I was riding in luxury in the big coach bus. The seats were twice as big as normal seats and even reclined and had a footrest. However, we did wait about 3 hours before even getting on the bus.  Arriving in Kumasi feels like returning home (homeland, home, that is).  I am staying with K and his family. His parents are so sweet! Also, a family friend, cousin, and his nephew also live there. Part of what makes a home in Ghana feel so warm and inviting is the strong family dynamic. There are more people to love in an extended family and each person of course brings their own dynamic outlook on things.

His Dad asked me how did I see Kumasi compared to Accra. Accra is a big city, bustling with activity and Kumasi is the homeland. Also, everything in Kumasi costs fractions of the amount you would pay in Accra. Transportation is a lot cheaper and trotros are a billion times easier to catch in Kumasi. I always feel so much warmth, laughter, love and support when I am with a Ghanaian family and so I always connect Kumasi with these happy feelings. And it’s true, if you are a guest in a Ghanaian family’s home they will certainly overfeed you and make sure you have the best, freshest, tastiest food ever! Everyone in the neighborhood knows everyone. The community is very close-knit.

I certainly felt like a Queen, laying on my bed under the round-shaped mosquito net. Everything in the room was pure white, and there was a dreamy feeling that came over me. Life is so good here, it feels too good to be true! It feels like the sweetest dream has actually become reality.

All of the food was amazing but I must say that the chilled pineapple for dessert was THE BEST PINEAPPLE I HAVE EVER TASTED IN MY LIFE! Wow. Over the weekend, I also had pasta with tomato stew and steamed fish; peanut soup with fufu, beef, fish, and mushrooms; pasta with apples; eggs, buttered bread, tea with cream, and salad with fish for breakfast; yams with my favorite vegetable stew for dinner; the list goes on. I learned that there is a particular way that Asantes eat fufu. First off, you have to eat with only your right hand in the bowl (no utensils are used when you eat fufu). Apparently I was eating it the wrong way because you are supposed to swallow fufu, not chew it. Also, you are not supposed to chew fufu and meat at the same time (I love to mix my food so I was not very enthusiastic about this rule). You have to “cut” the fufu in the blow, meaning you break a small piece with your fingers under the soup before you lift it to your mouth. My friend stood over me and watched me eat, which I did not enjoy. However, now I can say now I know the right way to eat fufu!

I know this is pretty random, but I must say, the roosters are so confused here! They start cock-a-doodle-doo-ing as early as 4am and they continue to make noise throughout the afternoon.  They are very strange. I also woke up a lot to the sound of loudspeakers around 4am because the Muslims get up very early to pray.

Something else unique about Kumasi is the way people bargain.  I was looking for kente cloth, which is usually around 100 Cedi for 3 pieces (long enough to make over 3 dresses). When I was in the store, my friend told me not to say that I would look elsewhere to find a better priced product. He was talking to the store owner, saying that he used to live near him and that they might be neighbors or family friends. People in Kumasi will give discounts if they think of you as family friends or close neighbors. There is so much to learn about culture in Kumasi!

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2)     Wrapping Fresh Boy

I am so fond of Fresh Boy, I had to give him his own chapter! He is 8 years old and is in second grade in a private school (if you know my cousin Stephon, he certainly reminds me of him). He never fails to impress me with his fluency in both English and Twi. We were watching a Ghanaian movie together in English, and he would describe the scenes in Twi, until he eventually asked if I could speak Twi. I told him I was taking a class to learn it but I certainly couldn’t understand that much yet. I love how I was being tutored by an 8-year-old!

Fresh Boy loves to dance.  K told me a funny story about Fresh Boy’s antics. On his first day of class at his new school, Fresh Boy lined up with his grade after an assembly.  As usual, the teacher played a drumbeat and all of the students began to march in line back to their classrooms. However, when Fresh Boy heard the beat, he jumped out of line and started to dance and boogie! Haha Fresh Boy is just like his uncle—fearless, outspoken, never shy, and loves to dance!

Fresh Boy is also very sweet. I thought it was absolutely adorable when I told him I was going to brush my teeth, and he came into the bathroom with me to brush his teeth at the same time! Aww! I wish I could do that everyday. I love how close-knit the family is.

One night I got a dose of the ultimate Ghanaian experience—lights out, no water, and pouring down rain. However, it really didn’t matter what the conditions were around us because we had such a blast! I was sitting with Fresh Boy and the rest of the family in the living room and we were all crowded around one lantern. Fresh Boy and I started playing the “Shadow Game” and I was making huge monsters with my hands.  I would make my shadows eat him and he would start giggling and rolling all over the place! He would then make shadows back at mine, and his shadows would eat my shadows. We even added in a storyline, dialogue and sound effects! I think we must have played that game for hours. I didn’t even realize I was sweating from moving around so much. We had so much fun! I will never forget that night in the dark.

Wrap the Baby! Now that was certainly a Kumasi highlight.  For a while now, I always wondered how Ghanaian women managed to wrap their babies on their backs so well. The babies are always so well supported and the women have their hands free to carry tons of things. I was really lucky that K’s cousin showed me how it is done! As you can imagine, Fresh Boy is pretty big but he was the closest person we had to a baby’s size. I managed to wrap him on my back, but he was so big! He actually just held onto my waist with his legs so he wouldn’t fall backwards when I stood straight up. The pictures are hilarious! I am going to post them on Facebook and I might put some on the blog too (if my internet ever decides to work). Good times, great times with Fresh Boy!

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3)     The Curse of the Antoa River

** This description may be considered graphic, viewer discretion is advised**

The Antoa River is very powerful. The belief goes that if people are cursed by the river, they will begin to develop a large belly and swollen limbs.  They will die if they do not perform the necessary sacrifices.  Many local people are afraid to even visit the river and have no interest in going near it because they are afraid of its powers. We had a guide show us everything and explain the process.  We walked along the dirt road for over 25 minutes before we got to the river.  Along the way, I saw people walking with pans on their heads and the pans each contained a live chicken.  When we finally got to the river, everyone removed their shoes behind a wall, then walked up to the ceremony.  There was a line of about 15 men and women holding chickens by their legs or wings.  There was a chief in charge of the river and he was directing the sacrificial process.  Another man stood by the river’s edge and he held sharp knives.  The smell of fresh meat and blood was overwhelming. The smell reminded me of a dissection lab in biology or in animal science classes (eww).  The procedure started with the cursed person washing his/herself in the river with their clothes on.  Next, the man by the river’s edge took the chicken and sliced its neck with the blade and let the blood drip onto a rock.  Then, he tossed the dying chicken into the river and it flapped around for a while.  After a while, it began to slow down and it stopped flapping entirely.  He picked it up and cut the limbs and head off and tossed the pieces into a pile.  He also poured Schnapps (libation) onto that same rock he dripped the chicken blood on. The people all said a chant in unison, and then the sacrifice was complete.  The next person online proceeded with the same ceremony.

I was surprised to see that people brought their young children with them.  The children stood in line next to their relatives.  I was also surprised to hear that some people had to pay up to 100 Ghana Cedi as a sacrifice for the river.  However, I was happy to find out that the chief would use the money to pay for the school fees for children in high school and for young men and women from the village who wanted to attend a university.  I also found out that people overseas could also be cursed by the Antoa River.  For example, if a person curses you and you are in the United States, you can send a close relative of yours who is in Ghana to break the curse for you.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the chief and other important people eat the chickens that were used in the sacrifice, so they did not go to waste.  As a former president of the Animal Rights Club in my high school, I certainly did not approve of the way they killed the chickens.  They could have killed them in a different way so that they did not have to suffer and flop around with blood dripping out of them.  But anyway, it is what it is. Different cultures have different practices and I am glad I got a chance to take a glimpse into the belief system of some Ghanaians.

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4)     The Mystery of Ghanaian Bathrooms

One time I was instructed to take my shower, but I wasn’t sure quite how. I entered and saw the buckets placed in the corner, as expected. However, I was confused when I did not see an actual shower. Under closer inspection, I noticed there was a drain and a showerhead in the far right corner, but no shower stall or shower curtains. The toilet was in the left rear corner. I closed the toilet lid and took a warm bucket shower. I think I probably splashed water all over the entire bathroom, since I am so used to having a shower stall. Either way, I am very grateful for the hot bucket showers I took in Kumasi. It felt so amazing and relaxing. I can’t believe I haven’t taken a warm shower since the first day at the hotel.

Another example of bathroom confusion occurred when I was on a trip with my study abroad CIEE program. We went to a small rural town to buy carvings. I asked to use the restroom and I was led to a small restaurant. They led me to an interestingly shaped cement wall. The wall only came up to my waste, and it shaped like a maze. When I walked inside of the maze, I noticed three holes the size of a ping-pong ball. Ladies and gentlemen, that is your “toilet”!

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5)     The Golden Stool- Kings, Museum, Culture Center, Sword in Ground

I learned a whole lot today! First, we went to the Palace Museum and I learned all about the Golden Stool and the belief that falls onto the lap of the next Asante King.  I found an Asante symbol I really like called Funtumfunafu and it is a picture of two crocodiles heads that share the same stomach, yet still fight over food.  It is a really cool symbol and I am looking for fabrics and jewelry that have this symbol on it. If I ever decide to get a tattoo one day, I might want to use this symbol because I like its meaning and design. It represents unity and diversity.

Next, we went to the Cultural Center and I got a few small gifts for my family. Then, we walked through the hospital to get to the famous site of the sword in the ground. It is believed that the person who can remove the sword will be a very important person in Kumasi (I forgot the exact description but I will get back to you on this). Muhammad Ali and other famous people tried to remove the sword in the past to no avail. Now, people are no longer allowed to try and pull the sword out of the ground. Supposedly, there was a curse that was causing the people who tried to pull the sword out to die.  Very interesting. After that, we went to a traditional Asante funeral. It was incredible to see men and women adorned in layers of traditional funeral cloth.  The close friends and family to the deceased wore red cloth.  The people who went to the same church as the deceased wore white, and all the other guests wore dark brown and black.  Even the chief from that village attended the funeral and performed a ceremonial dance and greeting.

There is so much to learn in Ghana and in Kumasi and the best way to experience life here is with a close friend and their family.  I am very grateful that I met K and that he has welcomed me into his family.  He has shown and taught me so much in the past month.  All of the fun, laughter, and experiences have been priceless