nomadic in april

Last day in Ghana

Ghana and i had a boxing match. The judges are still deciding who won. For now i'm calling it a draw. Maybe time will declare a winner. I experienced daily acts of extreme kindness by some, matched by others with a hatred so fierce i thought i'd be sold back into slavery. When i've traveled to other places in the world, i've always felt felt like an observer, for the most part invisible. When i came to africa, my desire, without knowing it beforehand, was to become immersed. On a daily basis i go back and forth between wanting to be invisible, to observe, and needing to be immersed, accepted. I certainly have not been invisible and at times it feels like i'm drowning in immersion. Sensory overload. Too much input to decipher. Culture shock.

For now I must move on to the next country. Here are some random observations on Ghana:

time passes slowly

i love the way women greet another woman they know well. . .a high pitched, Aaaayeeee!

men hold hands (or two fingers) with men. women hold hands with women. only once have i seen a man and woman hold hands.

there are no strollers or car seats. babies and toddlers are tied to their mother's backs with a wide piece of cloth. it was very rare that i saw one of these children cry.

foods i've tried:
gari foto, banku, red red, boiled yam, fried yam, pounded yam and more kinds of fish than i can remember

street goods are sold in plastic bags. to eat, tear a hole and squeeze. water and ice cream are also sold in plastic bags.

women rarely drive. i saw no women driving taxis, tro-tros or buses.

goat meat is a delicacy. bush meat, a wild rodent, is a common menu item.

to Ghanaians, Nigeria is a bad word. all things Nigerian are corrupt. except for "Nollywood", the exploding industry of low budget soap operatic movies from Nigeria that are flooding the West African market. i've seen a few. very funny.

everyone wears chaleywatahs (flip-flops) even chiefs.

typical business name:
"Almighty God Tyre Shop"
"El Shadaii Communication Center"
"Seek Ye Supermarket"

common question:
"Are you Christian or Muslim?"

AIDS awareness billboards and advertisements are everywhere.

a common taxi decal reads: "Drive protected. If it's not on, it's not in." there is an illustration of a bus driving into a condom.

music:
high life
hip life
Celine Dion
lot's of Beyonce and R Kelly

taxi language:
arm up in the air bent at the elbow
hend pressing down to the ground
twist the wrist with the hand pointing up
hand pointing back over the shoulder
honking, fast and short
flashing lights

mosquitos are small and sneaky

i will miss the beaches.