Adwoa

Africa » Ghana » Greater Accra » Accra
September 6th 2005

Published: September 8th 2005

I have been renamed Adwoa! (pronounced Adjua) In Ghana you are named by what day of the week you were born on, so my traditional name is Adjoa Kate. My drumming friend Kofi helped me figure out last night what day Nov. 5th 1984 landed on. I am on U of GHana's campus right now since we had the whole afternoon off and out of no where I just ran into Mike Tongs best friend Steve! He's enrolled in the University and has been here for a month and a half. He is one of 3 while kids I have seen in GHana besides our group. I said to my friend next to me, "oh look there's another white student over there," and then he yelled out "Kate!!" It's so wild to run into people you know unexpectedly on the other side of the world. It was very comforting actually. I'm looking forward to hang out with Steve when I'm back in Accra in November.
Class is going so well. I learn more and more Twi every day. Today in one of my seminars a profesor of cultural geography from the University gave us an intro lecture on the state of the Ghanaian population and economy with a ton of culture mixed in. It was a rather negative lecture expaining how many problems and issues Ghana has to deal with with and all the negative impacts coming from every direction. In the scheme of things, Ghana is better off than the majority of African countries. More on that later.
The academic director, Uncle Yemi and all of the SIT directors tell us to call them Papa, Uncle or Aunti because they said they think of us as their daughters and sons. Papa Ata was the one who helped me get my suitcase back. I am so well taken care of here and I already feel a part of a family even before I've moved in with a real family. I have become really close to a handful of Ghanaian students and my director Aunti Ester. She takes care of me like her younger sister. When I asked her yesterday if she could show me where I could exchange my travelers checks, she told me "Kate Adwoa, I would carry you on my back if you asked me to." I told her that wasn't necesary. Amazing people!
Last night we danced and drummed in a drumming circle with our new Ghanaian friends until midnight which is more like 3 am to Ghanaian people. Life slows down with the sun, but the young people play music and dance most of the night. My new friend Kofi who is a master drummer and travels the world playing at festivals with his band has taken us under his wing and makes it his job to show us a good time every night.
The weather has been perfect. Its 85-90 during the day, but because we are on the coast there is a light breeze all the time. At night it drops to about 78 degrees with a much stronger warm breeze. I haven't worn anything but skirts and t-shirts.
We move to Kumusi on Thursday and I move in with my first family on Friday. I must go, ·I ran out of cedis to buy minutes! I already sold the Internet Cafe woman my phone card to pay for this. Write to me and I'll write you an E-mail back! Love, Adjoa Kate

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