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Published: June 10th 2006
Okay, I just had to get to the internet cafe today and let know what's been happening the past 24 hours...I just couldn't even make up the stuff that we've seen. We've started saying "only in Ghana" in reference to their time management, our interactions with the people, etc...but today it was more true than ever.
Pratt warned us a couple of days ago that a funeral was coming to our street and that we should start taking naps in the afternoon to make sure that we get enough sleep. We weren't sure why and then got a REALLY good education on funerals in Ghana. They're more like a renunion and party than a funeral. Ghanaian custom calls for people to be buried only on Sunday so the wake or "party" starts on Friday nights and literally last 48 hours up until the actual burial. People come from all over and sometimes, bodies will be held for months to make sure that the party is big enough and everyone is there. This particular funeral was for a man who had died a few weeks ago. Yesterday around 4:00, they brought speakers taller than me and set them up literally 5 feet from our door in the courtyard outside. They set up a tent and chairs and people started showing up. I don't think I've talked too much about the noise and music yet but Ghanaians like their music LOUD and ANNOYING. Pretty soon they started BLASTING the music and we were told to expect it to last all night and for it to get progressively louder. And it did. We went out in the street for a while and danced with the people but were tired and then wanted to go to bed. The house was literally shaking from the bass. Luckily, the people in my group are REALLY into prescription medication and Lisa let me have a half an Ambien...I got enough sleep to get me through to day thanks to that baby. When we got up this morning it was still going but sadly for them, lucky for us...the power went out around 8 oclock so we got a little peace.
And today got even more interesting.....
We had plans to go to the diamond mines and have some lectures from the Ecologist that we brought to learn about erosion. That all changed when we got a call from our host, Frank Busemtri during breakfast...he is the District Chief Executive for the Birim South District (Akim Oda is a part of that district). He is basically like the mayor for the area that we are in and we are staying in his house (he has about a million). He called and said that he was attending a program on child labor in the cocoa industry and would like for us to make an appearance and then we would go to a very important funeral one town over. We went to the program, had lunch and then made our way to the funeral. We went to someone's house where there were tents set up and a band and food. As soon as we got out of the car, we were offered palm wine out of a huge bucket, you just scoop it out with a wooden bowl and drink from the bowl. It tasted very sweet but was very strong...the dirt floating in it probably added a lot of flavor too. Then we had to walk around and shake about a million people's hand. Everywhere we go, we have to do this and it gets a little tiring but everyone's always happy to meet us so we smile really big and act excited. You never know what you're gonna get when you start meeting people..and today was no exception. We were walking down a line of people that seemed to never end and I eventually came to a old man who was really animated and excited. He kept talking and holding on to my hand...and eventually looked down and my chest and said..."you have very nice breasts." I almost died. I just smiled and nodded and moved on. What the crap. I told Pratt and he said that it is the highest compliment that men give to women in Ghana and means that a woman "will bear many children." And evidently only old men can get away with saying it. Only in Ghana....
And it gets better....
After the "party" we made our way to the actual ceremony. Everyone wears black and red (colors of sadness in Ghana) and there were about a million people there. I've never seen anything like it. We showed up with Frank and I honestly felt like Jennifer Aniston or something. We had to go around and shake people's hands in front of the WHOLE crowd (honestly like a few hundred people) Old women kept coming up to us, asking to get their pictures made, and Pratt made the joke that they probably had about 17 teeth between them. You just had to see it. People were waving and shouting and we sat right up front. Then we were told that the chief was coming in...we all had to stand and he walked by with the royal family and we all shook his hand. A man was up front with a microphone but we couldn't understand a word he was saying. When the chief and his posse got up to the front, a whole bunch of people started pushing and shoving and a FIGHT BROKE OUT!! It was chaos. The people we're with were so good about it and whisked us out of there in like two seconds. When we got to the cars, they explained that the chief in this town had died and the new chief who was to take his place was in disbute, there is a lot of tension about this man who's calling himself chief and evidently the man with microphone introduced him as the chief and that pissed a whole bunch of people off. Frank is actually hearing the case (they take disputes to him) so he couldn't be there while they were fighting because it was some kind of conflict of interest...never mind that we all could have DIED. It was so funny and we were all a little shocked in the car driving home, just didn't know what to say. Pratt said he's never even seen anything like it in the 9 times he's been here.
Anyway, just had to write it all down while it was fresh in my mind. It's been the CRAZIEST day. Think we're going to the market to look at some beads and stuff. Hoping it's going to be a calm night.
I meant to say last time, if you're reading this and want to be added as a subscriber (it'll send you an email when I post a new blog) just send me a message with your email and I'll add you to the list.
Take care...brush your teeth...and enjoy some air conditioning for me.
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Am I going to have to come over there to protect your honor??? I'm sure you can handle it. Sounds like you've having some "interesting" experiences. I miss my little girl. Take care of yourself. Love you.