Monday August 10, 2009: Free Flow

Ghana is the type of country where you would really have to work to get an ulcer. Despite the tough terrain, poor quality of water, the "foreign" factor and a few other things, living and working in Ghana is quite relaxing. People are nice, the food is good, the weather is nice, and things seem to be so much simpler. A guy could get used to enjoying the simple things in life. I know when I get back to the US just as soon as I get off the plane, life as I know it will go to gear "hectic". Things in the US are so rushed and things here, for what its worth are laid back...sometimes almost too laid back.

This past weekend was relaxing in that same right. I have been determined to get some summer reading done so that I am not only more culturally educated but more erudite. After work on Friday, I went to Ghana University in Legon and visited the book store. To my chagrin there was not much there in terms of casual reads. Most of the books there were books for classes and such not general read. I was surprised not to find certain books there. I thumbed through most of the fiction and non fiction and nothing seemed to strike me as a must read. I was rather disappointed, that is until I went to the back of the store and saw some nice ties for 8 cidi a piece. They were nice ties too. So what started as an adventure in buying more books and becoming more learned turned into me asking myself whether or not I had a shirt to go with this tie, and whether the shoes I had here went well with the ensemble.

I left the store with two ties and an irritating feeling that I had come all the way out here and found nothing to read. Good thing I had already went to the book store in the mall and gotten something to begin my late, but rewarding stretch to erudition.

I got home to find Sola-mae heating up the banku in Okra soup with the Guinea Fowl. I had gotten two Guinea fowl from the north. I had them smoked. I love banku, okra and guinea fowl...so it was a combination that really made my afternoon. The guinea fowl is so much more healthy than chicken. It is a small turkey/chicken like animal that is slightly gamy but delicious. In fact, it is so delicious that many of the tribes in the north fought over them. The war was called the Guinea Fowl war. It was a war over the guinea fowl and how someone killed a tribe's Guinea fowl. The war, which was quite interesting, actually ended on a more serious note than it began.

I digress...Back to my eating diatribe: I added some bread to this mixture to "sop" the remaining okra soup with and my slight irritation turned to a quaint smile of satisfaction. After dinner, I had no desire to nap, as the "itis" did not hit me so hard here since I was already moving at a slow pace. I began my reading. I began reading a book called A Squatters Tale. It is about a Nigerian boy once adorned with the finest suits, women, and loads of money who lost it all due to the economic crisis the world is facing and has been left with no other option than following his wild uncle to California to try and live a better life. What he finds in the US is not much different. The story defines character, truth, love, and greed all in one short story. I am quite entertained by the piece.

I am also reading Nelson Mandela's A long walk to freedom. Which illustrates, in his own writing, the issues surrounding apartheid in South Africa. It is a pretty decent balance from the fictional novel about the young boy. Although, I really don't know how fictional it is. Both books began my Friday afternoon well.

After reading for what seemed like 3 hours I grew restless and decided to meet up with some friends. I invited two friends over to eat the remaining bits of the Banku and Guinea Fowl. After we ate, we all played the Ghanaian game of CARDS. A catchy name right? Well it is similar to a mixture of tunk, for those who play that, spades and I declare war. The Ghanaians play it well. They even slam the cards down on the table like many of us do in Spades. The apple don't fall far from the tree does it?

We played cards and then afterwards they took me to an outside hang out spot. Apparently this spot was probably the most happening spot I have been to in Ghana. The music was blasting, the people were crowded around many tables and chairs and the servers were moving from table to table with a level of satisfaction I have never seen. The night began with a few people dancing to the latest Ghanaian and Nigerian hits, and then turned into a heavy dance hall with music from all genres.

After sitting there for a couple of hours I saw a crowd begin to form not far from where we were sitting. Sam, one of the guys I was with, told me that at a certain point this dance group comes and begins doing all kinds of crazy dance moves. I took his explanation as being no different than the dancing I saw already. Boy was I wrong. The guys were in tights and they were dancing and doing flips and eating fire, and eating glass. It was acrobatic stunts times ten plus the "African" factor. It was def. a show. They did stunts with ease, ate glass from people's tables after breaking the beer bottles, and rubbed fire all over their body. It was nothing that I had seen before. I prepped myself to see some really crazy miracles like people turning into snakes and stuff, which actually happens here, but that did not happen. We ended the evening taking one of the guys home. He drank way too much.

That next day I woke up and watched some Ghanaian movies that I had bought. "Scorned" and "Perfect Picture". Both of which had some of the same Ghanaian actors. The films here are interesting. They seem a bit more realistic than ones in the states. I mean, I actually felt like some of these things happen regularly. The films over here are low budget to our American standards, but seem a bit less sensationalized. They are good but it is interesting to see some of the places they go to in the movie and know that I was just there, it is also equally as interesting to hear the birds squawking in the background just outside the spot where they are shooting the film. I bet it is that same bird that wakes me up every morning. It sounds like a bad cough compounded with a flem type gargle. Yeah it's a bit much.

I find myself getting up early, even on the weekends and actually feeling ok about it. After I finished my bed and movies experience I showered and went to meet my friend's parents. My friend Kwabena's mother works here at the embassy and she invited me over for lunch on Saturday. I arrived at their house awe struck by the wealth, artistic design and elegance. Not that I did not expect it, but it was still great to see this really unique style of living. The bucknor's have class that I am trying to get. wow! We had rice balls with Guinea fowl in ground nut soup. This was the best food I had since being in Ghana. I mean, I could have wrapped the stuff up and ate it again even though hunger was no longer an issue. We had some great conversation and I took away some interesting things about Ghana and some more literature.

I left thinking wow, this could really be me in a few years. On the way home I stopped to get a Ghanaian newspaper called the Chronicle, low and behold who do you think is in one of the stories on page 6? Me! They did a small write up on the commissioning we did in the north. It was cool. I kept a copy.

After lunch I headed to the embassy to do some Internet work...emails and face book mainly until I went to an all male bible study group. It was interesting to see how many of the Ghanaian men hold bible study. I learned a great deal and I also realized that much of the Ghanaian cultural tendencies don't go away, even in the midst of God. LOL. They argued there too. But it was all healthy conversation. I left feeling more spiritually energized.

I ended the evening doing more reading.

The next morning I attended church. For some reason I felt a bit more empowered and showy so I wore a bow tie. I wore a black shirt with a gold bow tie. Besides it being very Alpha like of me, I for some reason wanted to feel impressive. I don't know where it came from and why I wanted to go like this to church but I did. In Ghana, you do things as you will. The Ghanaian way..everyday. LOL. Church was quite good and the message was very clear. I had been thinking about God's perfect will vs. God's permissive will for my life. I have been battling with really seeing what God has allowed me to do vs. what he has planned for me to do. Since being in Ghana I have realized more of what God's perfect will is for me. I embrace it more now. Church, this past Sunday, really helped me solidify what God had been telling me all along. He made it very clear in church. Now, the test is, acting on that realization. Faith without works is dead.

After church I went over to a friends house for brunch. Thanks Karis for a wonderful time and conversation. The brunch was great and the conversation was even better. After being here for only 9 weeks now I have been able to articulate, rather clearly and convincingly, the issues of Ghana and Africa. Her father, who is a retired professor of English and literature recommended some books. One was called The State of Africa. It was a 700 page book he lent me and told me to read it by next Sunday so I could return it to him. wow, 700 pages in a week, with work and fun in Ghana? It's tough but I am up for the challenge. In my eagerness to get the book done, I read 150 pages last night. At my pace, I should get it done. I would love to have some further conversation about it when I am done. The book really provides a historical analysis of Africa and how the countries evolved and fought for independence. It really paints a vivid picture of Africa. One cannot truly understand contemporary African politics and culture without reading this book.

After my reading tirade I ate, watched some movies on tv and talked about the Ghana experience with a colleague. Sometimes its good to talk about Ghana with a non Ghaniain. You find things are a bit more frank. Debriefing is good.

Well enough with my long narration of my weekend. Believe me, it was more relaxing than I make it seem in the post. This is my last week of work. wish me luck everyone....evaluation time is coming.

peace out.