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7/17/07

I am home (my mamma’s house) as a matter of fact I have been home for about a month now…my brother came to visit at the end of may for about 2/3 days - we went to cape coast, medie (the village), the market, osu…we definitely fit a lot into the time that he was there… he really enjoyed himself

He was so proud of me and it made me feel really good and actually see what we were doing there which was living and integrating into the society…

While he was there my throat started hurting and by the last day I had a serious fever…I got sick and after he left I went to the hospital…they said well we don’t see any malaria parasites or typhoid but your blood looks just like malaria…so he said that he would treat me for malaria and upper respiratory infection….the fever would not go away and I kept feeling worse so we went back to hospital and then they gave me malaria injection and some medicine (pills) for malaria that were so strong that … well lets just say that they were VERY strong…then greg got sick same fever and stuff …by this time we were calling home for prayer…and honestly afraid…the docs treated him for an upper respiratory infection –they saw no malaria or typhoid..and then changed my medicine from the strong stuff…so by the end I ended up taking 3 diff types of malaria pills and the injection that I received ….then adom got sick…fever and they really didn’t want to test him for malaria or typhoid because they figured it was an upper respiratory infection so they gave him augmentin and fever reduction medicine and sent us home….well his fever would not go away…it was terrible I think up to 104 well by this time it is time for greg to leave to return back to the states…the plan was for him to leave in june and adom and I would leave in july…and that is a whole diff story…to make it short…they (british airways) told him he couldn’t leave until he found the paper ticket bcus when his ticket was issued it was an e ticket but when he initially traveled someone (british airways employee) switched it to a paper ticket and even though they knew it had not been used he still needed to find the paper one and if he didn’t then - well he cant travel…sooooo he couldn’t travel on his appointed date …the next day we went to the dr’s office who owns the house we were living in and just had him run tests on all of us…come to find out adom had malaria and greg had typhoid….so he gave adom an injection and some rectal pills ….that he HATED…and gave greg some cypro for the typhoid and for me well some augmentin to completely remove the upper respiratory infection bcus I was still coughing….from there we went to the airport thank GOD that we found greg’s paper ticket in my bag and greg was off…. Well by this time I am realizing that adom is no longer in school…I am finished with my research…in all actuality my research could have continued for …well forever but inside of myself I was finished….and we were just spending money-that we really didn’t have…so after and through much prayer I went and changed our ticket and left the following Tuesday after greg left…..i had been missing this place for a while as those of you who have been reading my blogs know….i actually didn’t tell adom until we were about to go to the airport and he was so excited … he did express concern about seeing his friends in Ghana and I told him that we would have to go back and visit…it was a looooong flight and when we arrived in U.S. we were met with several delays concerning our connecting flights…but God was faithful in bringing us home…we ended up traveling for about 24 hours to come back…gruesome!!!

When the plane touched down on u.s. soil everyone on the plane started clapping and adom looked at me and I had tears in my eyes…what’s wrong mama he said…I just told him that God brought us home….i had begun to feel somewhat trapped there and missed my family and childhood home so much
The airport was another battle within itself just imagine…I had 7 bags and no help…all of the skycaps were busy and none could come and help me so adom and I fit all of our bags onto a push cart and wobbled our way through…it was very interesting to see all the people and attitudes…I was literally in a daze just trying to take it all in…on one hand everything felt extremely familiar but on the other I felt in quiet shock …the funny thing is when I was trying to manage with all of our bags there was a Ghanaian there and he smiled and said to me you see we are in america now it’s not like it is in Ghana where someone will come and help you or you can pay someone a couple of dollars and they will help you …here you have to pay a lot of money and no one wants to help you…I was kind of surprised that he actually thought that I was a Ghanaian but then not really, I mean I am right? Mmph Ghana was kind of mean to me maybe she was angry with me for something that I did …deep inside I think that maybe she didn’t want me/us to go back to U.S. but the more I thought about it I realized that coming back is my right…my birthright and that I cannot be denied that…God saw us through and if it had not been for prayer, fasting and faith maybe we would not have made it…I later found out that while I was sick another fulbrighter got sick with what sounds like the same illness only her fever got up to 105!!!!! Just recently I found out that 2 other friends of ours got sick with malaria around the same time that we were ill and one almost died and that one of the co-founders of ONEAFRICA located at cape coast…a guest house started by African Americans who moved to Ghana 17 years ago from Brooklyn died …Nana was hit by a tro tro in a hit and run….

I cant begin to tell you how all of my experiences in Ghana made/make me feel …I do feel like it has all been surreal and very spiritual and well let’s just say that I cant explain it to you and leave it at that…maybe I could dance it…dance has always been my medium of expression anyway…what I cannot say with words I tend to dance better…that way you can feel me and what I am saying…

Once we arrived I took a long shower/bath the combination of the both has always been very therapeutic for me (try it) and adom took a bath….with a tub full of water …instead of a bucket bath ;-) we then went to bed at least I thought adom went…he actually stayed up all night he was enjoying all of the cartoon channels…and he stayed up all night watching cartoons…

Being back has been interesting to say the least … I was surprised to see that mc donalds still had the same $1 menu…some things may never change ;-) surprisingly everything seemed to be pretty much unchanged …

Funny how so many people feel like Africa is this terrible place where so much bad can happen and honestly this is actually true….but the truth is life can be challenging wherever you are…when I got back I heard of all the flooding in texas and also about a man who was shot in the chest while driving on the freeway… no evidence of where the bullet came from his truck just swirved a little and then it came to a stop and he was the only one in the vehicle…I also heard of a texas a & m girl who apparently broke up with her boyfriend and he couldn’t handle it and asked to see or talk to her or something and ended up killing her and bar b que-ing her body for like two days on two grills on his balconly…he lived in an apartment complex and his neighbors noticed the smell…

I don’t regret going because I feel that the trip was supposed to happen…what I have gained is a stronger knowledge and affirmation that faith is something that you can take with you wherever you go and when all else fails God will definitely see you through as He did for us…so I don’t feel that taking the safe and comfortable route in life is best…rather I feel that whatever the passion is and purpose is burning inside that will not allow u to sleep at night is the very thing that you should pursue …. No matter what the costs and risks are…after all it is your reason for being here –on earth- right?

What’s next for me? I really don’t know…as you may have guessed many people have suggestions …which is good …but understand I have been working since I was 15 and I know how to go and get a job just because I need one…now is the time to do what is right and to move in the right direction … therefore that is what I am waiting on…

Peace blessings and love….thank u for being on my journey with me…at least this part of it…I know that there are many who have journeyed quietly and some who have let me know that they were with me every step of the way….

Now I am healing … day by day I am healing and still learnin and still laughin and still lovin and by the grace of God still LIVIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Angel…please continue to check back for updates

full circle

May 27th


Life has been for the most part good….don’t get me wrong we have had our share of issues concerning money, health, schooling, and of course other. But at the end of the day I am in Africa with my family and what more could we ask for? We are literally laughin, lovin, livin, and learnin TOGETHER!!! I can honestly say that we have definitely had a real African (Ghanain) experience ripe with all of the above - mentioned problems… can I honestly say that a person who has been in Africa for a couple of weeks or months but NEVER got sick…malaria / typhoid / etc or had to deal first hand with their child being sick did not have a real experience in Africa?…no I cannot because as I mentioned earlier - my Africa is not your Africa and yours is not mine but each individual experience IS Africa

Can u really say u know or have “lived” in a place if u have not had to deal with issues such as health and hospital politics…food security, home safety, etc?

I think u can because you have the experience of living there while not having to deal with those issues … and this is a valid experience…if you are familiar with Houston, Texas it is almost like the experience of living in River Oaks as opposed to 5th ward…..both are Houston

Often times I look at some of my counterparts / others who have come here to live, study, experience and wonder why in many cases my experience has been so different…. I mean honestly so many people have come here and have not had malaria, food poisoning, or had to deal with the utter FEAR of their child being sick…or even issues of money…. The other day I was having a conversation with Greg and I told him that in no way do I feel like I am threw/finished with Africa….in fact I feel that our relationship is just beginning…..( I want to work in and with MANY different countries/continents) but I have always had a longing and special place in my heart for the whole continent of africa…MAMA Africa…

we haven’t done much traveling aside from Cape Coast…..and Adom and I went to the North in the beginning….we actually got caught up in the living of it all … we really just lived in africa…I have not been back to the U.S. at all…in 8 months ….I miss my home there sooooooooooo much but as I was telling Greg, after this experience I feel that I know the REAL- I mean what its like to really just LIVE here and not be a tourist…and even still I feel blessed knowing that there is yet a level of pain, loss, suffering, fear that I have not experienced here…in fact as many would see it I am rich and truely blessed and honestly I am …

Adom is no longer in school here…we finally pulled him out when he told his father that he had officially been “caned” he even had a slight red mark on his behind. Well we had just had a BIG issue with his teacher because he pushed/hit Adom while Adom was sharpening his pencil and he wanted him to sit down……call us crazy but we don’t want teachers and others at the school imposing physical discipline on our child…I once met a grown man with horrible marks on his back from when he was caned as a child…no one can argue the intellectual level of the youth here….they are pushed very hard academically and they do very well however the question is ….. is the success from caning???????? We…greg and I - have no problem popping Adom and disciplining him physically….we don’t abuse him but when it is necessary we do pop him and we talk to him and explain why….better to pop him and explain to him why he needs to stop running around in the street then to pick him up off the street after being hit by a car……still it is hard to explain to head masters and teachers here that we feel that we can pop him but you cannot pop him….it doesn’t make sense because it does take a village right? Well I wonder how much of this is left over relics of European colonization….i cant say that I have extensively researched the topic so I really don’t know…I have talked to others who have and they say that I am right….well wherever it came from we don’t believe in it as a means of educating our youth…and at the end of the day we are both teachers and so are our mothers so maybe we just might know a little something….

Well even though they didn’t seem to understand, they did agree and so it was agreed that if there ever was an issue the teacher would call us…I think he was upset because the whole hitting/pushing incident was brought to the attention of the principle and he got in trouble…..the incident that broke the camel’s back was when the teacher allowed another teacher to come into the room and cane adom among other children and did not say a word (like don’t cane this one) and since we had just recently had a big issue…discussion…about the whole thing we knew that he knew better….soooooooooo…..we were upset and greg in particular was very upset……let’s just say that I had to hold him back some from both adom’s teacher and the teacher that did the caning…..dont get me wrong we didn’t feel like adom was going to die but it was now on principle…..you don’t pay school fees to have your wishes disregarded…not to even talk of the day that adom’s teacher refused him and some other children lunch on the basis that they were talking … he even made them stay in the classroom by themselves while he went and ate, or the time that he (the teacher) was locked out of the classroom by another older student (I guess it was a joke) but the students in adom’s class were locked in and the teacher got angry and caned all of them save adom this time…or the fact that after we had the first big discussion the teacher kept saying to adom … you see why did you tell your mother that I hit you that time…..


So you see we were by this time fed up and greg was on some other manhood stuff…it was a big stink and it all happened on the last day of class before the break so adom did not return after the break and he will be missing about two months of school ….we have been working with him at home and having more of what we call “family fun days” adom LOVES them and has begun to ask for them by request


We have had several talks with adom and among each other as parents and I feel that we handled the situation right…the more I live and heal from childhood experiences I am convinced that we cannot always control what happens to us but what is extremely important is how we as parents handle what may have happened…

I performed MUSU … a dance about slavery, along with the national dance company of Ghana at Elmina Slave castle in cape coast…..
The name of the performance was reflections… the purpose was to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, passed in the UK in 1807. For those that may have read my previous blogs you may know how much I was looking forward to the experience…I mean really, performing a dance with the national dance company/ghanains …about slavery at the slave castle….well I was so excited and it was a wonderful experience from the very first rehearsal til the performance….i must say however when we arrived at cape coast and approached the castle I was a little put off…they had re-painted the entire castle…white….it looked so clean and I felt that maybe they should have just left it the way that it was…. Even when you walked into some of the dungeons you could see paint buckets in the corner… before the performance I thought we would perform it in one of the dungeons but to the contrary we were on a stage inside the castle with full lighting and everything….because I was performing I didn’t hear any of the speeches but I heard that many people were disappointed with what was said…

Something like they shouldn’t have to pay reparations and we shouldn’t blame Europeans or white people because we also participated in the slave trade and that he also said that there is no need to apologize


Aside from the disappointments the whole experience was nonetheless wonderful…the National Dance Company of Ghana was wonderful to me and my family….extremely gracious and such a pleasure to work with…I feel that I have made some permanent friends in them

Sometime after MUSU I was asked by National Dance Company to set a piece on them, they had already wanted me to set a piece before I left which we had begun working on but now they wanted me to set a piece for the Ghana Music Awards in like 4 days….soooooo we worked hard and finished the piece, I was happy with what came out of it and just at the last minute because of politics they did not want to perform the piece, apparently the people who commissioned them did not want to pay what they were worth…I mean they are known as the black stars of Ghana as far as dance is concerned and they are the only government supported professional dance company in Ghana…so if you want to commission them to do anything you better be prepared to pay for their professionalism, they day before the performance we found out that we wouldn’t be doing it and while my family and I were watching the show live we saw that another group did it and I cant lie I kind of felt like both the promoter and the national dance co. lost out…..but truth is truth and if they start accepting jobs for less than their worth then this will become their standard

By now there is a ban on drumming in accra which is ga (a tribe) land….during this time every year the ga people have a festival in which they perform certain rituals and they like for their land to be quiet which means no loud music and no drumming…it has been this way and everyone respects it…so the NDCG (dance co) are taking a break and so am I …..

While having a relaxing day around the house one day in which we planned on doing absolutely nothing aside from cleaning Greg went out to get some water and fresh fruit and things for breakfast wellllllll when he got back home I saw that his hands were full and saw a great opportunity to tickle him since he couldn’t do anything and he being the committed person that he is refused to dropped his bags and instead tried to run and this made me tickle him even more at any rate he kind of went/ran into the doorknob which is like an oval only very pointed at the end and the thing went inside his arm and came out making two…two holes !!!!!!!!!!!!!! he had to slide the thing out of his arm…….and he almost passed out…by this time I am freaking out and shaking and feeling like the poltergeist devil child incarnated ….i ask the stupid question do we need to go to the hospital and he calmly sits on the couch and says yes we need to go to the hospital…..i am now thinking we have no money and I ask where should we go and he says somewhere decent……I am going to have to get stitches-which I kind of figured but didn’t want to accept…… wrapped his arm, put ice on it and we left…just as we were walking out of the gate we saw our landlady and she came with us…just so happens that she knew a friend in accounting at Nyaho Hospital…what we didn’t have she billed until later……we were very blessed he got four stitches and now his arm is healing really well….he never blamed me and was very calm throughout the whole ordeal…. I had to call his parents and tell them what I did to their child!!!!!!!!!! They were real cool though…at least I think ;-)

Sulley my teacher is back from the U.S. and there are many students at the Dagara Music Center…where we used to live…about 40 or 50…so I have been going out there some and working with them but it is also rainy season and I really just want to stay in the house and chill with my family……I will be leaving soon and time to wrap things up

Oh by the way….i started my locs again ;-) can u believe it? 7 months ago I cut them in an effort to allow only truth to show and stop hiding behind my hair……I miss really miss them and honestly I feel that I have learned so much and have definitely accomplished my task so I have started them again…a sista here did them for me and all she used was aloe vera which was cool I really like it ….. while I had my locs before I basically maintained them myself and I used everything from coconut water to honey to shea butter but I never used aloe vera…it is literally like a natural gel…..so I have come full circle and how ironic with two months left I would loc again…

This life I am living never ceases to amaze me

Laughin, lovin, livin, learnin

angel
sorry i didnt proof read, please have patience....almost lost the whole thing trying to post it ;)

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April 22nd 2007


My deepest apologies for not writing sooner…I have honestly been somewhat avoiding writing. I really don’t know how to write my experiences anymore without being completely and utterly honest and honestly I don’t know if I want to do that. So much and I mean literally so much has happened since I last blogged … how can I put it into my own words without offending anyone, or should I just log the events that occurred…kind of like I have been doing…well I have decided to speak my mind


The reality of being born in a place that was not your home and everyone made sure you knew it….while many in America are from other places I don’t think it is exactly the same. Actually you were never told where your home actually was, specifically… only a mention of a continent that is actually the second largest continent in the world. A continent consisting of 53 countries with people that make up more than 800 ethnic groups- each with it’s own language, religion, and way of life.
Imagine the longing and desire that you may have just to go and visit the place – not really knowing what part of the place you have come from - or maybe even to go and actually live in the place that was your home and the home of your people. To some this may sound like a typical story heard over and over again and sadly it is. Ever since I was a child I have dreamed, longed, desired, and purposed to come to Africa. Now since I am a mother I resolved early on that as a mother I would not allow my son to only receive the history lessons that are taught in school … I would encourage ALL mothers to on some level - do the same…. I decided that I would make sure he knew more than I did and by the grace of God he is now having a long term, first-hand history lesson. After all his name is ADOM – an Akan name meaning simply…by the grace of God…so it is extremely fitting that he would not only taste, see, and smell, the land where his name comes from but also that he would see the land of his ancestors. However unfortunately just as many of our ancestors have realized … home has changed and is not the same. Kind of like my grandmother’s house in Mississippi…and how I longed to visit it recently after I had not been there for so many years. I looked forward to her schedule of everyday home-cooking…..every-meal…something healthy and good….only to be met by my grandmother who naturally having advanced in years telling me “you know you gone have to cook” I think she saw how crushed I was and she didn’t make me cook – but the statement along with her physical state of being let me know that things had changed. The same can be said of Africa … many of us of African decent long for a place, scent, smell, taste of home that we do not get in America and when we get there we are met with not what was or what was missed but what is new and in many ways broken. Africa is like a beautiful, powerful, awesome animal that has been wounded. When you left her she was beautiful and awesome…powerful beyond measure…unconquerable….however, when you saw her again-she wasn’t the same…though she was still as beautiful as ever she has now been wounded….with broken limbs and blood and her injuries now affect the way that she deals with you.


Much has been done and much has to be done in the way of healing. Not only talking and complaining about a subject matter, but actual work to heal. Our people here are hurting just as in other places. Maybe one of my major faults is that I am an emotional person and maybe this can also be a positive. I know that it definitely affects my perspective. Upon arrival in Africa we (Africans in the diaspora) are received in varying ways. We receive every response from a heartfelt and deserved welcome home to requests to pay school fees, marriage proposals, and requests to sponsor people to the U.S. After being here a while you learn that all is normal and whether it is morally correct is definitely debatable.

Sadly for those of us in the African diaspora coming home reveals several truths and on the same note several un-truths. Depending on where you have been born within the diaspora you may be viewed a certain way. For those of us born in America in many cases we are called white. Not only have I been called obroni (white or foreigner) in Ghana but on one occasion I was also called “white woman” this presents a question of whether I consider this an insult… The answer is no and more importantly and ultimately YES…No I do not consider that an insult because I do not hate white people nor any other race for that matter/ you cannot control how you are born or what race you are when you are born….but you can control your behavior and actions after birth, this includes all races-- but in light of the struggles that I have had to endure - my brothers, my mothers, and my grandmothers have had to endure and my ancestors in America as well as in Africa along with other countries in between have had to endure yes I do consider that an insult. I am not white. I am African American. When I go back in my mind to where I grew up and I look at my counterparts, the stark reality is that not many of us have made it to Africa. Honestly some people don’t have any desire to go and others are not able financially. Still others are caught up in jobs and family lives that do not allow them the freedom to go. But for those of us that do make it to Africa it is a wonderful feat. So much so that some of us kiss the ground upon arrival or collect the dirt just to salvage the moment. Even others are met at the airport by welcoming crowds that play traditional music and dance welcoming us home.

I recently had a conversation with a brother born in Jamaica. He recognized himself as an African and of course others as well that have been born in other places because of slavery …he said that once he was a part of a program that had contingents from Africa, Jamaica, and U.S. they would once a year meet in South Africa and he said that every year the participants from Jamaica and Africa would rough it and stay among the others living there but the American contingent would always stay in a hotel. He also said that he had a conversation with one particular African American brother who he thought was “conscious” he said that late one night in comfortable conversation the African American brother said Yeah I am an American first and an African second. Naturally the brother from Jamaica was offended. But this brings up a very interesting perspective, while I could never imagine myself saying something like this …. Have many of us worked out where we stand or where we fit in?????? the brother from Jamaica also said that though African Americans are from Africa he feels that maybe because they have been exposed to the culture and conveniences of the western world that this causes culture shock when African Americans come to Africa to live or visit.

A couple of days ago I asked yet another Ghanain why they call us (African Americans) white and I was surprised to get a different answer this time. Usually I am told well it is because of your dialect or because you are a foreigner. Well this time he got kind of quiet, laughed and said I don’t think you really want to know. And of course I said yes I would like to know I have been asking several people. The natural response is to assume that the reason is because of a lack of education and that maybe they just don’t know!!! Well he said no, Ghanains are educated and they know that you are from Africa but he said many of you that come here ….you act like you are above us and like you know everything so if you feel like that then we will call you obroni…I guess some of us are receiving treatment based on other peoples mistakes….. I am still thinking about it all…..of course I didn’t have enough time to process it when I had a conversation with a white friend of mine about the subject matter. He shared with me that while I may not know when exactly my ancestors came from Africa he knows that his ancestors came early 1900’s from Germany. He also acknowledged that while he knows when his ancestors came and from where he wouldn’t go back there today and try to live as though he never left. He said that many African Americans that he runs into here are very angry and as I said well I can understand why…thinking that of course they are trying to process everything ….. he went into a little more detail saying that after talking to them they reveal that all they eat is American food … they don’t eat any local food, they are always complaining of the expenses when they wont eat any local food …. I got the feeling that he was saying that they just didn’t feel comfortable and were not really willing to change their ways of life to adjust to life here….

now so much can be taken from both of these conversations but at the root of it all I am sensing that number one I am extremely personally interested in the experience of the African American in Africa and that while in many ways it is, it is not always the romantic homecoming that some portray it as……with that being said it is also true that my Africa is not your Africa and that your Africa is not someone else’s…….it is completely possible to have different experiences in the same place and then also take away different things from the same place while still taking away some of the same….. this blog was hard for me to write and partially because it will not finish….i have 3 more months left and I have taken on a new research project that could easily take the rest of my life….in addition it would require me to travel to other places in Africa as well as other places to get accurate experiences………

Back to the animal that was wounded and is no longer the same ….maybe what we miss is not the same - and home is somewhat uncomfortable………while here I have been so uncomfortable to the point of tears while in other instances I have never felt more comfortable…….

How was my homecoming…it was good and bad, I was welcomed and also treated like a stranger….I do know that I have a greater sense of appreciation for our culture in Africa and in the U.S….specifically culture that existed in my neighborhood where my mother has lived for 32 years….we have and had so much culture….I used to think we had none


More to come on this topic…..I just really wish we could talk honestly about our experiences

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still laughin, lovin, livn, and learnin

3/14/07



Valentine’s day was wonderful! Greg and I both decided not to buy each other anything and then we both surprised each other with something. We spent the night teaching Adom old dance moves…can you believe Greg even broke out the break dancing skills. Adom seems to be developing his own unique dance style which of course makes me proud- he used to call it freeze dancing and whenever he came to one of my dance performances he would give his own little impromptu freestyle improv- jam session out in the lobby. I never really knew if I should be proud or tell him to sit down or be still. Being proud of course won out. He was literally amazed when we saw Savion Glover perform at FSU I am glad that he is finding his own little voice in all of his involvement in my world of dance. I could go on forever talking about my crumb snatcher but I know that you really want to know about Africa and so I will get to the subject at hand. Africa has been very kind to me and my family. We really like where we are living. I am enjoying working with the National Dance Company of Ghana. Towards the end of Feb. I had the opportunity to take part in a collaboration between African Footprints – a dance company from South Africa – and The National Dance Company of Ghana. David Matamella came and set a piece on NDCG to be performed live along with African Footprints at the GLOCAF awards. I WAS IN IT!!!! I had the opportunity to perform live on t.v for all of Africa and guess what????????? The president was sitting right there watching the whole thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got to perform for the president of Ghana!!!! Wow. I know your next question is … what in the world is the GLOCAF awards. Well this is the Confederation of African Football (soccer) or something like that and it is sponsored by GLO. Basically it was pretty huge. We were the opening act. I met some wonderful people from South Africa and learned about some huge differences and made a good contact with the guy who set the piece. It was a wonderful experience that literally brought me to tears as I watched all of the other performers I thought to myself how blessed I am to be experiencing all of this. The Soweto Gospel Choir was there and they recently won a Grammy….you should definitely check out their cd. The rehearsal process was interesting after being in grad school and the dance company there I had almost forgot how the energy of a group changes once a guest choreographer comes in and believe me Africa is no exception… I loved and learned every minute of the whole process. Adom and Greg came and watched/recorded the dress rehearsal and we took lots of pics. The night of the show they watched me on t.v and they were both very proud.

I am still working with the group out in Medie but I don’t get to work with them as much as I would like to. They mostly work on the weekends and since I have been rehearsing everyday the weekend is usually my time with my fam to unwind. I have come to realize that we just may not get a chance to do everything that we would like to. There is soooo much to do here in Ghana and if you live a liafe anywhere near normal then this means that you are always busy.

I have been allowing my hair to grow…don’t ask me what my next move is in the hair dep…I’m still considering a mowhawk ;-) watchout!!! Right now I am wearing long braids….. my trip to Africa would not be complete if I did not allow these talented sisters to braid my hair at least once. My hair is not long at all and still natural – no perm – and they caught my hair and braided every strand…….I LOVE IT AND I have been getting so many compliments….. it’s amazing the different responses I get depending on my hairstyle…. People do judge books by their cover and they also treat books by the way that the cover looks. When I had my locks people seemed to have the utmost respect for me always speaking and smiling and giving well wishes…… when I cut it and wore it VERY short they guys seemed a little more aggressive and flirtacious…then for a brief moment I did small locs like the beg stages of locs….how they start them here in Ghana. … then it was the same, people (mostly guys) speaking and yelling out rasti!!! Now that I have braids so far it seems that people are curious….. I get a lot of stares and smiles from the men, compliments from the women…..maybe I should try the Mohawk here and see what happens!

We are also in the process of celebrating Ghana’s independence which is a BIG thing! 50 years of freedom from British colonial rule. Kwame Nkrumah was extremely influential in the declaration of independence on March 6, 1957. To celebrate there was a huge ceremony attended by many people from Ghana and all over the world. We had plans to attend a concert at the beach but as fate would have it yours truly was sick from the night before. As a family we started celebrating independence early….we were so excited and so we went to the trade fair the day before ----- there were vendors from all over Africa, it was WONDERFUL --- and then we went to Osu and I ate fish…… that fish had me sick the following day…. I though I had malaria (the devil) or typhoid…so we took another trip to the hospital…this time we went straight to the lab and I was tested for both and thank God both were negative…..so we went home and I took some cypro (for stomach bacteria) and we just chilled….i was disappointed that we didn’t hang on the big day bit it really is a year long celebration…and it also made me think of not only how far Ghana has come but that in Ghana we still have a long way to go because I was not the only sick person on that day….some had malaria, typhoid, or other diseases that are prone to this area and cause problems for many.

Back to the celebration…Jesse Jackson was here along with other delegates from the U.S. The U.S. gave Ghana $50 million dollars a couple of days after the 6th. This is the first installment of a total of $547 million coming from the U.S. to Ghana over the next 5 years. The U.S. hopes to help Ghana in the area of rural banking and exporting of farmed goods….this is all in an effort to boost the economy…… I am amazed and when I look on MSN and other sights where I see international news I don’t see any news of it…


The weekend before the jubilee celebrations we went to the W.E.B. Duboise Center ( he spent his last days living here in Ghana) as we walked up we heard music and guess who it was? King Ayisoba and his whole group rehearsing for their show at the beach on March 6th. So we ended up getting a personal concert and after they finished Greg and I were discussing if it would be appropriate for Adom to walk up to him and ask for a picture and we looked up and Adom was already over there shaking one of his friends hands. So we went over and let me tell you this guy has a wonderful spirit….very calm, humble, peaceful, and friendly energy. Adom sang “I want to see you my Father” for him and he sang along with him…..remember I told you that this is Adom’s favorite song? So we all took pics with him and we basically had a wonderful day.

Adom is doing well in school. We are still not happy with the school but at the end of the day he has about 2 ½ more months there….he is learning a lot also…if something unbearable happens then I will remove him and he can sit the rest of the time out. He seems to have many friends at school though and we actually found a love note that he wrote to some girl along with other notes to his friends that said that they were going to beat the girls up on “our day” Our day is a day usually at all schools here at the end of the term when the children do not have to wear their uniforms and they wear whatever they want (they usually all wear western clothes) they play all day and dance and listen to music. All of the children are talking about what they are going to do on our day and what they will wear. We have finally finalized our leave date and we will leave mid july….i have to find a school in the U.S. for the crumb snatcher and he is looking forward to all the family we left at home. I must admit that before I came I actually thought that I would have wanted to move here (remember I visited in 2005) But early on I realized that I really wanted to go home…even though I am a traveler by heart and home for me changes but it never truelly changes because it will always be at my mamma’s house and I cant wait to go back to my mamma’s house.

still laughin, lovin, livin, and learnin

shani

sorry so long

2/7/07

I must begin this blog entry with a heartfelt apology for not touching base in sooo long…. I know many of you check every day to see if I have blogged even though you don’t ever let me know that you read them I know I have many fans out there ;-) oh by the way, Curry I think I may have found the person who can make your shirt but I would like you to send me your other measurements as well because she made me a nice comfortable simple dress that I think you might like as well……I cant remember are you a dress person?

At any rate it has taken so long because there have been so many changes in our lives. In January I had the opportunity to attend a political party meeting of the NPP (New Patriotic Party)

Sulley put together a dance group consisting of dancers from all over the Accra area to perform at the political party meeting. The meeting was in Koforidua which is about 45 min to an hour from Medie. We left early in the morning and when we arrived I was amazed. There were so many people there and everyone was in such high spirits. Everyone and I mean Everyone had on red, white, and blue. I learned that these are the colors of The New Patriotic Party (NPP). It was so weird to see people from Africa wearing the same colors as the American Flag. Most people were wearing traditional African attire in red, white, and blue. I even saw kente in red, white, and blue. It was really an enlightening experience. I learned that the purpose of the meeting was for the party to choose a new flag bearer. I was amazed when the vice president showed up and I was almost moved to tears when the president showed up. I had no idea that I would see the president on that day. It took forever for the meeting to start and I was trying to get back to meet Adom and Greg at a birthday party in Osu. The group that Sulley assembled would be performing dances from every region. The group performed wonderfully and the president clearly showed his approval as he watched them dance. I was situated with all the press members and I recorded the whole thing.

After they performed we left to return to Accra and I went to Osu for the birthday party. The party was for Gina’s (my friend that I mentioned earlier) daughter. At the party Gina’s mom told Greg and I about a house that her sister had for us to possibly rent. Within a week we went to look at the place and we really liked it and we moved. So now we are staying at Atomic Junction. We are in a 3 bedroom – 2 bathroom house and our neighbors are missionaries (a couple with a 7 year old daughter) from Nigeria. We miss Medie but we are also happy to be out of the village and closer into the city. We are literally right down the street from The University of Ghana. I have begun going to a traditional class there every Friday. Adom has his own room with bunk beds and the beds in the room where Greg and I sleep are literally 2 queen size beds put together. I really like the place and look at it as a definite answer to our prayers. I still work with the dance group out in Medie and next week I will resume working with the girls at Adom’s school. Everytime I go to pick him up one of them run up to me and grab my arm saying Auntie Auntie and it warms my heart in such a way. I will set a piece on them that they will perform late July at the end of the term ceremony.

Oh I forgot to mention that my teacher Sulley is no longer here, he left mid January for the U.S. he will be teaching at 5 Universities there. Initially we were trying to plan for me to go with him but it did not work out that way. Before he left the owner of the house where we were staying in Medie – Bernard Woma – came from the U.S. for the holidays. He attends school at Suny Freedonia. He teaches there as well, he also runs The Dagara Music Center out in Medie. Well he took me to The National Dance Company of Ghana and re-introduced me to Sister Grace there and from there I began working with the company. I sometimes lead the warm up in the morning and before I knew it I was learning Musu. Musu is a piece from their repertoire that was choreographed by Nii Yartey, who is now teaching at Swarthmore College. The piece is about slavery and it will be performed at Elmina…the historic slave castle in Cape Coast. I am so amazed and thankful that they have invited me to perform it with them. From day one Yaa Yaa (the rehearsal director) told every1 not to speak to me in English and to only speak to me in twi – so that I will learn…. And some people actually took him seriously. So I am learning a dance and literally it is… run, stop, sing, jump, dance, do this combo, pick this up, scream, go off stage, come on stage and everything in between. I don’t even have time to wonder about anything and I am lovin every minute of it. What a wonderful experience! Before I came to Africa and all while I was growing up I have always felt a sense of not knowing where I came from or not REALLY knowing my history. Now I am somewhat at a halfway point in my time here and I feel more than ever in my life confirmed as to my history, who I am, and where I come from. So far I have heard it best described by a guy who moved here 7 years ago from America. Check out www.info-ghana.com. African Americans are a tribe … a tribe that came from Africa. Now I will be performing a dance about the story of how slaves were taken from Africa and I will be performing it with Ghanaians and I will also be performing it in the actual slave castle that still exists. Just visiting the slave castle is an overwhelming experience. So much feeling remains there, wow I can only imagine what it will be like to perform it. I am humbled at the thought of it all. Oh Greg has been coming to all of my rehearsals and he even got on the stage and took part in my warm up. At first he was just doing it on the side where no one could really see him – he was trying not to be seen and trying to see at the same time. Oh my goodness I could not look in that direction or anywhere near that direction, or else I would start laughing… the look on his face was just too much. The next day he was up on the stage doing my warm up. On this day I wanted things to move a little faster and I didn’t change my plan because he was doing it … he did a good job of trying to keep up even though his legs wouldn’t straighten completely…. I led the whole warm up without hardly looking at him because if I did it would have been all over. He even had a role in Musu…but he had to abandon it –even though he didn’t want to - because it really would have taken too much of his time and he needs to focus on other things while here.

Just recently Adom developed a slight case of typhoid…. Had he not been immunized for it I am sure it would have been worse. I also got some food poisoning and had to be admitted to the hospital for one night with an i.v. drip. I cant even put inot words the pain that I was in. My whole life I have never had food poisoning and I never knew my stomach trying could hurt so bad. I still don’t know what it was that I ate. But now more than ever I am to watch what we eat.

Aside from the recent sickness things have been very well here. Every day Adom asks when we will return to the U.S. I have purchased a calendar so that he can keep up. Next month Ghana will be celebrating 50 years of independence and I learned that Oprah did a show about slavery that still exists in Ghana. (Some parents sale their children in a certain fishing community for money) and the people that they work for treat them horribly. People in government and other organizations have done work to get the children back to their parents and also give the parents money and supplies to help them take care of their children. I believe poverty breeds desperation and enables people to do things that they would not normally do and think in ways that they would not think. President Carter was just here campaigning for guinea worm – Ghana has a huge problem with guinea worm particularly in the north. There is so much work to do here it is hard to decide where to start. But the key is to get involved somewhere.

My midpoint thoughts:

*allow your heart to be tender
*when you see injustice don’t try to repay it
*find some way of helping – no matter how small
*do your part at your level
*don’t just talk about things DO SOMETHING
*don’t ever feel like the sky is the limit GO HIGHER!!!
*appreciate what your creator made in you
*establish a personal relationship with your creator
*give something to your creator everyday


************************************************************************

The Storm is Over Now

It all started when we all went to Kanda so that Greg could get his hair braided. There was a lady at Max Mart with a style that he liked and so after much negotiating (which is a completely different story) we went to her house so that her sister could braid his hair. Well once we got there Adom was playing his game boy and seemed to be fine and getting along with the other children there. Only 30 minutes earlier he began complaining of headache, neck pain, and tummy ache. He was also running a slight fever. Adom had to urinate like 3-4 times within 30 minutes. He also began crying and his fever quickly began to rise (I had a thermometer in my purse)… Greg by now had a huge afro (we had all taken the braids down and she was about to wash it) I looked at Greg and said we need to go…so we took a cab to 37 military hospital. Because we are not from Ghana we had to pay more for the services. They make you purchase a identification card 150,000 then lab work 40,000 then back to see the doctor (cost may vary 0 – 40,000) well I was terrified and on the brink of tears….we did not budget for sickness – it was the weekend and we needed to go and get more money on Monday… funny these things never happen when you expect them to or when you “plan” for them to. Since it was the weekend they only tested him for malaria and then he had to have several other tests on Monday including a stool and urine sample that we had to collect ourselves and bring back on Monday well the report came back that Adom had indeed caught malaria…that dreaded demon … we then had to go and purchase the medicine, eat dinner, and make the 1-2 hour trek back to Medie from Accra….. when the pharmacists said 190,000 for the malaria medicine I thought I was going to scream …we really didn’t have it….I mean the money we had was enough to make it through the weekend but not enough to handle a bout of malaria …we decided to go to a different pharmacy across the street and sure enough the medicine was cheaper…if I remember correctly it was about 70,000…they told us to give him the medicine with food so we had to wait until we got back out to Medie….we couldn’t buy food in town because it was too expensive and like I said we didn’t budget for malaria. Well we got on the tro tro and headed back out to Medie. The traffic was horrendous!!!!! It got so bad that the driver turned the tro tro off. Adom was sleep and now his fever was up to 102, I didn’t know what to do but pray….Greg and I prayed together, somehow we got out of the traffic and out to Medie – we fed Adom and gave him his first dose of medicine. I kept giving him Tylenol and so by bedtime his fever was down and Adom began checking his fever himself. We even joked that it was 99. Well later that night his fever came back with a vengeance, 102.9. Greg and I woke up gave Adom a cold shower, popsicle, Tylenol, fanned him (it is hot here) and prayed long and hard…..WOW fear really set in deep – like what am I doing here and maybe it’s time to leave. Adom seemed to pretty much have his wits about him but definitely effected by the whole ordeal. The fever eventually came down and things slowly got better from the next day forward. I am so thankful for the prayers of many people back at home. We all had a real good laugh as Greg collected Adom’s stool sample and even took pictures of it. Adom seemed amazed that he actually caught MALARIA and from time to time felt the need to tell random people.

Things died down a little after the malaria scare and the group had a performance at the American Ambassadors house here in Ghana. This was Greg’s first time seeing me perform here in Ghana. It was wonderful. My two favorite men sat in the audience and watched me with huge smiles on their faces. Sulley even got Greg and Adom up to dance and they both did very well, they made me proud. My birthday was coming up and we were trying to decide how to spend it. At first I didn’t really want to do anything but at the last minute I decided you know what? I am not spending my birthday in Africa doing nothing!!!!! Even though that in itself would be doing something ;-) at any rate we decided to go to the beach and spend the night at a hotel. The rates were surprisingly higher than we thought. And contrary to what we thought the hotel rates were even up for negotiation so we ended up getting a family room ( 2 rooms that are joined together) for 920,000. Adom had his own room…not sure how much he liked that idea though… he fell asleep in the room with us and then Greg took him into the other room and as he was taking him he said Adom woke up and murmured “where is my mother?” he said he told him it’s alright lil daddy you sleeping in here tonight…and Adom said “I want to be comfortable” and Greg told him “you will be” you think he might be spoiled ? just a tad? ;-) earlier that night we walked out on the ocean which was right behind the hotel, then we got in the pool for a bit, and had a nice dinner and watched some locals dance and commented how alike people are whether in Africa or America. The next morning we had a nice breakfast and rested for a while and then got in the pool again and had some beers. A friend recommended this new kind of beer to me called Gordon’s Spark and it is soooo delicious – so I had a couple of those and Greg was drinking Star. Adom had a ball and really appreciated the break from being out in Medie. We then checked out of the hotel and headed to Osu to meet a friend for lunch. Our friend Gina was getting her hair done so we spent time with her family and had lunch as we waited on her. We had a good time and Adom was playing with her children. He really enjoyed himself because there was 2 birthdays going on and the restaurant had inflated a jumper. So we had a good day chillin out with friends. The next day we headed back to town to go to Max Mart in order to change a game that we got Adom for Christmas that was not working…. We didn’t have an opportunity to eat the night before because the eating place was closed in Medie. So I was dehydrated, hungry, and weak. An opportune time for me to get malaria right? Well just as we were sitting down to eat I began feeling really weird. I can’t even explain it only I knew something was wrong. I felt like all of my blood was rushing through my body or like something was rushing through my body. My heart began pounding like almost out of my chest and I literally began shaking. I thought I was about to pass out and it was a good thing that I didn’t. I got up and started walking around and said I need to go to the hospital. Ironically we were right across the street from the hospital – the same as when it happened to Adom. Even though we were right across the street I couldn’t walk, we had to take a taxi and of course the taxi driver took advantage of the lazy, sick Americans who did not want to walk across the street. He was trying to charge too much and Greg was getting angry – I mean like about to have a flashback and go postal on him angry. I told Greg let’s just take the taxi and may God have mercy on him for trying to take advantage of this situation. Well after arriving at 37 AGAIN and having to pay 150,000 for an identification card again and having to go to the lab again for a malaria test … I was told that yes I indeed had stage 1 malaria. I almost didn’t believe the guy because he said that the test would take 30 minutes and he came back in 10 with the test results. Also I didn’t have a fever or sore throat or any of those symptoms only feeling “weird” I tell you it was the scariest thing. I thought I was about to pass out or die or something. Greg and I laugh about it now but when we were at the restaurant and I was about to pass out I looked down and we had a bag from something that we had previously bought and it said something in twi but one of the words was die and I said to Greg , “why does that say die am I going to die?” and he was like no baby you not gone die … lets just go to the hospital. Well after the lady told me I had malaria I pulled out some malaria medicine from my purse that I had purchased when I first arrived here in Ghana. I bought some for me and some for Adom because we are so far out in Medie and may not be able to get to a hospital soon. I showed it to the doctor and she said that it was good and that I could take it so I just filled a prescription for amoxicillin that she gave me in case I had a respiratory tract infection. So I began taking the medicine and feeling better. Still I was not too happy about the fact that I would have malaria for x-mas but I felt soooo good that I caught it early and was treating it and that it could have been worse. Christmas went well…Greg and I woke early and talked…… We gave Adom 2 game boy games for x-mas and he really liked them. We spent some time out here in the village including the night before when they had a big party at the local bar…I felt like I was at the speak-easy or something…..we all went me, Greg, and Adom…..there was all ages there and this is when the research got good…..watching all those people dance as if no care in the world…at any rate later on x-mas day we went to Gina’s house for dinner. It was really nice and this family has really helped us out in sooooo many ways. It has just been a blessing to know them. Gina’s mother cooked Turkey, ham, pork, beef, mac and cheese, broccoli, home made mashed potatoes, rice, yams, plantains, salad, rolls, and other things that I cant even remember. Wow it was wonderful and made me feel x-mas like what I am used to at home. We began talking and relaxing. Gina is a very inspirational person to me. We always seem to have philosophical discussions when we are around her…. She doesn’t allow stereotypes to dictate who she is or her actions. She has taught in many different countries …she was teaching here for a while and now she is going to Holland to teach autistic children. Her parents are Ghanain and she was born in Europe and raised in Canada. At any rate we began talking with her and because her car had trouble that night we ended up spending the night there. Adom didn’t have any problems with that … I think he likes one of her daughters or maybe even both. Well as we were talking I began feeling weird again…this time the fever set in…I was freezing cold, I felt constipated…and just plain old sick……I began taking Tylenol but it did not work and through the night I kept having to pee and my condition just got worse. Well by the morning I was really ill with a fever of over 38 celsius. I didnt know what was going on….I was taking the malaria medicine so I felt sure it could not have been malaria. I thought maybe the hospital mis-diagnosed me or something. Maybe I had typhoid or some weird “other” well as fate would have it Gina’s mom was planning a visit to her ill brother in Nsawam and Gina’s uncle was also a doctor in Nsawam where they were going. They said that we should go with them. By this time I was feeling so bad I was in a go with the flow state of mind….. but Greg and I did pray and were hopeful that my condition would change. On the way to the doctor I saw a tro tro that said on the back long life and it made me happy… I also saw another one that said “THE STORM IS OVER NOW” and this also made me happy. By the time we arrived at the doctor’s office my fever was even higher and the doctor had me suck on asprin and he looked at my throat and said he saw some slight tonsillitis he also had me have another malaria test and a typhoid test as well. The typhoid test came back negative but the malaria test came back positive and I had progressed to stage 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The medicine that I was taking was not working at all!!!! I could not believe it. The doctor asked me if I had a problem with having the injection and I said no and now I know why he asked me because the shot hurt like…. well let’s just say the people outside heard me screaming. Those shots really hurt but surprisingly it was like I could feel the medicine killing the parasites and my headache went away. I felt slightly woozy from the shots. He also gave me some more malaria pills to take and told me not to take the amoxicillin – he wrote me a prescription for augmentin gave me appetite pills, asprin, and throat lozenges. He didn’t charge me anything for his services and told me to come back on Thursday to retest. Things were slow but pretty much up hill from there. I went back on Thursday and as we got into the cab guess what song was playin? The Storm Is Over Now…. The malaria test showed no malaria and he had me continue the rest of the pills to be sure. I felt a sweetness in Africa that I had not previously felt … I was angry with her before… for more reasons than I can list on this blog and the significance of the song … the storm is over now extends beyond my malaria….Africa and I have reconciled and I truely believe that things are going to get better from here…we really need to get out of Medie though…


By the way I have come to realize that my life is truelly in God’s hands …. I thought I had planned for malaria (I had already bought medicine) and was ready but when it came down to it … it was truelly a miracle and blessing the way I was healed

Talk later

Still laughin, lovin, livin, learnin…
angel



Today is Jan 2, 2007….the new year passed quietly. New year’s eve we went to church and enjoyed the service here in Medie. The message was what will you shout for in 2007?
After my and Adom’s illness we began to pay more attention to when, how, and what we ate and we have been getting more rest. At midnight we were all sound asleep in the bed. I was awakened by the sound of pure joy coming from the church right outside of our gate where we are living. The people were shouting, laughing, singing, dancing, praying and playing instruments. I tried to wake Greg but it was no use. The next day we just rested around the house. My family called and it really meant the world to me. My mom called and as soon as I answered the phone I yelled “happy new year!” New Years is usually spent at my mom’s house with food, drinks, and just fun. This is when I usually let my hair down. My auntie called me also and it made my day. Our spirits had to be communicating because earlier that day I vowed to call her once I got some units. I miss her dearly…our conversations. I miss America and things that I never thought that I would miss like Walmart, Target, and my little relaxation technique of taking a bath and a shower at the same time….you should try it. I like to just sit there and let the hot water fall…this is when I think, contemplate, meditate, and pray. I also miss just laying around at mom’s house and my son and my nephew running around the house, bouncing off the walls, playing video games, and eating whatever I cook for them. My cousin asked me if I wanted to come home. Even though I miss home and with Adom and me getting sick I still feel that I have to complete my reasons for coming here which I shared earlier is not just about the dance…honestly I don’t know what it is about……I have learned sooooo much by just living here, just existing. Everything is a lesson and experience has been my professor. Funny some people refer to here as home and I feel them to a certain degree. I mean what is home? A familiar face, comfort, I feel these things here but really nothing can compare to my mama’s house and my mama….we have been in that house since I was about 2 months old….threw it all…my parent’s marriage and divorce…my mother having a stroke, my father dying, and soooooo oh so much more. I grew up in that neighborhood and no matter where I moved to I always would come back and stay home for a while…. I know the people there and they know me…….it’s almost like our own little village…Almeda Plaza….if anyone different…a foreigner …..walks down the street we all look, wonder, and ask who is this person, of course we feel like we are supposed to know everyone who enters into the neighborhood…and now all of us are adults and we have had children and the funny thing is all of our children look exactly like us….and when they are outside playing I feel like I am looking at us outside playing…and they seem to hold the same grudges and beliefs as their parents….interesting…very interesting…..at any rate I am full …full of emotion….I know that things are about to change here….we have outgrown village life, served our time, we need to find another place to live….soon we will have different experiences. Adom will begin in grade level 1 soon which will be a challenge for him…he has changed so much….wow he will be a different child when we return. Adom and I are planning a slumber party for him and his cousin/brother/best friend (lil rick – my brother’s son) they will stay up late, play video games, order pizza, and eat ice cream…he’s trying to negotiate a inflatable jumper also…. At any rate it will be nice….I haven’t been dancing much, nice to take a break, but I miss it so… it has been really nice having Greg here…growing and experiencing things together…our family is getting tight…I am blessed

Laughin, lovin, livin, learnin
shani

brief hello

12/10/06

I can definitely feel a shift of things here. If ever going somewhere foreign to study and if it is at all possible I recommend staying there at least 6 months. I get the feeling that people are able to keep up a fairly decent front for about 3 months; I am sure even longer. Maybe the change is the presence of a man (Greg). I am sure that I was different to people when it was just Adom and I. I welcome his presence and feel that it was much needed. It has been wonderful for both Adom and me and Greg. Last week he had his official welcoming ceremony. Some guys that he met came and sang and basically did a little performance. It was some guys from the same village as King Agysoba (sp) he sings “I Want to See You My Father” maybe you could try to google him. He is a WONDERFULLY pure singer here. I love his music and so does Adom. The guys were from the Fra Fra tribe and they played this guitar made from a calabash…it was nice. Greg and I met with Adom’s principle and he said come what may he will move Adom to level 1 next term. (Adom was taking exams all last week) Greg and I have both observed that the transition from KG to level 1 will be a challenge for Adom but it is one that he somewhat needs. Academically he will adjust quickly but the children in level 1 actually go outside and they play ROUGH and they are actually playin….man it is serious. We had dinner with a lady who used to teach there and she gave us all the negative inside stuff about the school….she quit by the way. All things considered we may keep him at the school and Greg is planning on spending the first day of level one at the school with Adom. FYI caning is still an issue in Ghana … very much an issue. I don’t want him to have any SPECIAL attention but don’t want him to be beat either….well enough of my mother issues … the good Lord and everybody else knows that I can on all day on mother issues ;-) at any rate Saturday was really nice … Greg, Adom, and I took a nice walk to the Hare Krishna church in the village and we had a nice little tour and we all the questions that could come to our minds and then they gave us reading materials….it was really a nice experience and I have newfound respect for the Hare Krisna’s and honestly all of the other religions that I have studied since I have been here…. In my opinion the study of the religious practices that exist here in Ghana have a great deal to do with the study of the dances here… Which by the way my studies have definitely become intertwined with every day life …. I am somewhat disappointed with the line that I have drawn between work and life …. It’s a beautiful thing to have the two co-exist but also somewhat tricky. All the same it’s what I’ve prayed for so I am blessed. After we left the Hare Krisna church we walked to the next big village along a beautiful road…we passed about 2 small villages. It was really nice and quaint but definitely a long walk by all standards in the heat. I would guess it was about 6 to 8 miles there and the same back.

Today was my first day dancing since I came back from the north….man I was tired the WHOLE time….. I didn’t expect that… but it still felt good to dance…it really effects me when I don’t dance and not in good ways. Goodness the lights just went off AGAIN I must admit at first I was a real trooper but this light off situation is starting to get to me…it is so hot at night … I am up fanning Adom and making sure he does not get too hot ….

I hope I have not complained too much. Ghana is a beautiful place with wonderful people…


This one was short but I didn’t wait as long to write so I wanted to do a brief update
Laughin, lovin, livin, learnin
angel