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Published: June 10th 2007
Life in the village as the Ghanians say is 'sweeeeeeeeeeet'. My family is really great. My mum Mary is the funniest woman. She can't speak english very well but she laughs all the time with this deep shrill laugh. She finds us hilarious and is always saying 'my daughters i am your ghana mummy. I will cry when you leave. The 5 kids are all great too. They are so helpful and good most of the time.
School starts at 8.00 and goes until 1.30pm. I am often escorted so school by a squealing mob consisting of the majority of the villages children. There are occasionally fights over who will carry my stuff and who will hold my hand. After school we arrive home to cooked lunch. Mary loves us to eat and gets very upset when we dont finish her food. The foood is really really nice but she serves us alot.
After lunch the rest of the day is free. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays if we havent gone away are spent either playing clapping games, dancing or playing soccer with the kids in the village or walking to other villages and visiting some of the other antips. walking to other villages is always lots of fun. Each new village we see is exciting because they are all so different and there is always such a hub of activity wether it is a funeral: which is not a time to mourn but a time to celebrate and the streets are filled with drunk men and woman dressed in red and black dancing and singing often with tamborines and trombones, or a group of children doing handstands and backflips to gain or attention or even villagers talking to us.
After we get home we are usually dragged up to our villages market place, by this time it is dark and we dance with kids and adults alike. It is hard to see people in the dark and i can always hear 'Madam, Adjoua, Kate' but i hardly ever recognise the face as i cannot see who it is. The first night we went to the markets Essy, a girl who sells pies at our school and is absolutley hilarious dragged us up and made us dance. Before we knew it we were surrounded by about 80 faces all screaming 'obruni dance' and clapping. Then they all joined in. The music is actually really cool.
When we retire home we are followed home by a mob of children - i sometimes feel like the pied piper. Our courtyard is alive with dancing, clapping games and tricks. When we want to go to bed our doorway is surrounded by a squealing mob 'goodnight madam goodnight madam'.
Essy often takes us on walks to visit some of her friends. There are occasionally arguments over whos going to cook us dinner and whos house we will eat it in. As we eat with our hands we often get quite messy. Essy insists on washing our hands and faces for us. She is also always buying us little treats such as toffees and mangoes. She is a very kind and funny girl. On Tuesday we were dragged through Achiase the next village up from us. We weaved through peoples houses, backyards and over log bridges. Each group of people we passed happy to greet us. On our way back this funny old woman was chatting to us. She said something i didnt understand to Essy in Twi, next thing i knew she had grabbed my breasts and was squeezing them. Essy and the group of old ladies then hystericall started laughing. As we walked away i asked Essy what they had said. One lady had asked wether i was a boy or girl. The old lady then said 'She is a girl, can't you see her breats'.
On wednesdays we have 'Obruni Meeting'. This is where all the obrunis from the area congregate at one of the local drinking spots. Its sort of on the street and sitting down waiting for everyone to arrive is pretty exciting. Its comforting being surrounded by people speaking only English. Its also exciting watching people arriving and walking up the hill towards us as if people havent had their hair braided or had extensions attatched they are wearing new ghanian clothes. Its pretty funny. The main topics of conversation are weekends away, teaching nightmares, host families but mainly bowel movements. haha its pretty funny.
On Thursdays we negotiate our way through Swedru Markets. Initially these were very chaotic and people tried to rip us off. However when we begin talking in Twi and use or African names everyone is really friendly and bumps down the prices. There are many exciting things to buy. The fabric is amazing and dresses can be made very cheaply. There is alot of beaded jewellery, shoes, sunnies, belts, food and lots of 2nd hand clothes. Think crown street and divide the price by about 70. haha.
Ghanian people are constantly happy. sometimes you will see a family residing in a deralict house in rag like clothes. The women will be laughing pounding Fufu while the children play and the men chat. Even people hawking with very heavy loads upon their heads will be smiling and laughing. My Mum said to me 'In Australia the money is plenty'. I explained to her that is Australia even though the majority of Australia is priveliged and some people have alot of money people are not always happy. Money does not buy happiness and trivial problems can sometimes feel so serious. The lifestyle is also very fast paced taking a toll on the quality of life and priorities. In Ghana everyone is relaxed and happy. Ive worked out why. When you don't have much the smallest thing will bring such happiness. Sometimes we cannot work out why we are so happy. We will sit down at a restraunt and simply be able to order a sprite and be overcome with such happy thoughts and be really content with life. Its strange how happy i am.
There have been some rough times, these include being sick with gastro for almost a week, my camera breaking, unavoidable travel hick ups and uncontrollable kids. However the positive times definently outweight the negative times.
We only have 3 weeks left with our families and the thoght of leaving our family, our school and our village is very sad. Travelling will be amazing but i am so unbelievable happy with our placement.
Time is ticking so i must be offf. I hope that everyone is doing well and would love to hear what everyone has been doing. lots of love
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mary davis-mumsy
non-member comment
what a great story of your new home life
Darling-think I enjoyed this blog the best-you have learnt what is important in life-happiness is elusive and often inexplicable but when it occurs run with it and enjoy it when it does-simple family love and belonging are so important-it sounds to me that the Ghanians have their priorities so in the right place-you will miss them all enormously-I am so grateful to your mummy Mary and her family....lol mumsy who misses u lots but is happy that your experience is so amazing.