We are still in the process of trying to buy!!!
It seems now that even though the land we are buying is for that village it was registered by a guy next door in the 70's - oh the joy....
However we have been promised it is a small problem and after all this time waiting and deciding to cut our losses and move elsewhere we can once again get a little excited - let hope 2008 brings good news
one love
Saturday 29 December 2007
Sunday 12 August 2007
And so we are home. Home, but not home. It is impossible to describe so I will just explain what we have done for the past month and see if we end up any closer to summing up how we feel.
Well after leaving work we went north as was always intended – our sights were set on Timbuktu. We left on the Friday and reached Kumasi early. Kwame and I wanted to spend the night at the lake – it is a magical place and where we fell in love. It was so important to pour libation and give thanks there. The road however is being rebuilt and after a days of rain we got thoroughly stuck in our trusty Peugeot that otherwise has never failed. The large digger making the road used its huge scoop to push us up the hill – terrifying in the extreme.
However we made it to the hotel and should have let, us, and the car rest. But such good friends were so close and so we went onto sixth village where CK lives. It was wonderful to find him so alive and so well. We have lost eleven leven (he has 22 children with two wives hence the name) and Adjamono (quite the most wonderful old man, ever so wise, and so full of herbal knowledge – before the nonsense he would turn up on the other side of the lake at exactly the point someone got sick – ready to administer aid). But how special to find many friends not gone but so alive and so well.
We got the car back to the Hotel but the following morning learnt the clutch was totally burnt out. To be fair to Bosumtwi it had been slipping for a while but we like to think she just wanted our company for those few days. Our children were dreamed and named here and it was right for them to swim in the waters that were so much a part of our falling in love.
So then we left for north but with so little time left we only made it to Buipe and Kwames home. His family was as beautiful as always – it is a joy to see them together after Kwame was wrenched from them by illness and grew up so far away. They no longer speak the same language and there is pain but what a bond a family is when it works right. It can encompass years of separation, illness, death and pain with love.
On the way back to Accra we bought yams at a village where the lady who helped Kwames mother lived. For Kwame it was the contact with his mother he has so needed since her death. Of course there were tears but what an opportunity to come so close as to be able to heal some of that pain.
Back in Accra we tried to finalise buying land – I would love to tell you about it but as we say we tried – buying land, chiefs, cheating and shitiness but hopefully they will have signed next month and we can start a new blog cataloguing the building etc.
Then thoughts turned to home and days of eating and drinking and smoking with those we love commenced. Leaving on Friday cannot be dressed up in any way – it was simply terrible. We all concentrated upon Nayah because Kwajo was looking forward and Nayah was to lose her constant audience of adoring uncles. No one was more aware of this than they were and there were many many tears. We all left each other at the departure gate in Accra - it was rushed and horrendous and whilst we were all looking at Nayah we did not realise that a boy so looking forward to videos and toys would suddenly grasp the moment so strongly. I fear we all failed his pain because we were having so much hardship with our own.
Kwame was heinously angry – and as a human being who has always death with anger rather than tears I can do nothing but respect this. At this moment it felt like there was only sadness and that we would suspend living and just bear for a year to gather money to build on the land. Neither of us was expecting to find so much love and happiness at home with my family, our house, our life and our friends. Here for just a couple of days and we have seen some of our most loved people – we still have many more to go. Our life here is wonderful and so is our life there. Our pain comes from not being able to combine the two - not from one being better than the other – shame on us for ever thinking otherwise.
I guess for us blessed, blessed love in the end is all there is - no matter where you find it. Thank you for reading this. Ghana we could cry everyday – England thank you for giving us reasons to remember smile.
One love
Bakoji-Hume’s
Well after leaving work we went north as was always intended – our sights were set on Timbuktu. We left on the Friday and reached Kumasi early. Kwame and I wanted to spend the night at the lake – it is a magical place and where we fell in love. It was so important to pour libation and give thanks there. The road however is being rebuilt and after a days of rain we got thoroughly stuck in our trusty Peugeot that otherwise has never failed. The large digger making the road used its huge scoop to push us up the hill – terrifying in the extreme.
However we made it to the hotel and should have let, us, and the car rest. But such good friends were so close and so we went onto sixth village where CK lives. It was wonderful to find him so alive and so well. We have lost eleven leven (he has 22 children with two wives hence the name) and Adjamono (quite the most wonderful old man, ever so wise, and so full of herbal knowledge – before the nonsense he would turn up on the other side of the lake at exactly the point someone got sick – ready to administer aid). But how special to find many friends not gone but so alive and so well.
We got the car back to the Hotel but the following morning learnt the clutch was totally burnt out. To be fair to Bosumtwi it had been slipping for a while but we like to think she just wanted our company for those few days. Our children were dreamed and named here and it was right for them to swim in the waters that were so much a part of our falling in love.
So then we left for north but with so little time left we only made it to Buipe and Kwames home. His family was as beautiful as always – it is a joy to see them together after Kwame was wrenched from them by illness and grew up so far away. They no longer speak the same language and there is pain but what a bond a family is when it works right. It can encompass years of separation, illness, death and pain with love.
On the way back to Accra we bought yams at a village where the lady who helped Kwames mother lived. For Kwame it was the contact with his mother he has so needed since her death. Of course there were tears but what an opportunity to come so close as to be able to heal some of that pain.
Back in Accra we tried to finalise buying land – I would love to tell you about it but as we say we tried – buying land, chiefs, cheating and shitiness but hopefully they will have signed next month and we can start a new blog cataloguing the building etc.
Then thoughts turned to home and days of eating and drinking and smoking with those we love commenced. Leaving on Friday cannot be dressed up in any way – it was simply terrible. We all concentrated upon Nayah because Kwajo was looking forward and Nayah was to lose her constant audience of adoring uncles. No one was more aware of this than they were and there were many many tears. We all left each other at the departure gate in Accra - it was rushed and horrendous and whilst we were all looking at Nayah we did not realise that a boy so looking forward to videos and toys would suddenly grasp the moment so strongly. I fear we all failed his pain because we were having so much hardship with our own.
Kwame was heinously angry – and as a human being who has always death with anger rather than tears I can do nothing but respect this. At this moment it felt like there was only sadness and that we would suspend living and just bear for a year to gather money to build on the land. Neither of us was expecting to find so much love and happiness at home with my family, our house, our life and our friends. Here for just a couple of days and we have seen some of our most loved people – we still have many more to go. Our life here is wonderful and so is our life there. Our pain comes from not being able to combine the two - not from one being better than the other – shame on us for ever thinking otherwise.
I guess for us blessed, blessed love in the end is all there is - no matter where you find it. Thank you for reading this. Ghana we could cry everyday – England thank you for giving us reasons to remember smile.
One love
Bakoji-Hume’s
Friday 10 August 2007
Turning Round
And so thoughts turn towards home. I finish work this week and will be sad to go. It has been educational and the people at the Embassy are lovely without fail – it makes me want to go to Canada. I was offered a wonderful job for August, but such is timing. However, I have the experience of consultancy, working in an Embassy and a good reference all of which I can use when we come back in future.
The dream is delayed, we are coming home. In the short time we have left we are trying to buy the land that the dream depends on – but buying land in Ghana is, to be frank, harrowing. You spend loads of money and time before you have any idea if the land is for sale or not. Secondly horror stories of people taking back and buying your land abound. However, if we can buy it (and pull off all the other little plans aside) the dream will be alive – a lot of work but a lot of hope too.
I am looking forward to my holiday – at the moment we still hold out hope for us all seeing Timbuktu but to be frank just being back in Ghana and out of Accra will be a wonder beyond words. Goodbye traffic and pollution – we will not miss you!
We hosted Ellie, Michael and the stunning baby Anokye as they passed through. Sadly resting from plane flights and settling in meant we saw little of them but we hope to catch up on our way up north. It is wonderful to think that we are all back in Ghana (plus additions) having first met here in 1997 – it’s our anniversary!
It is odd that I set up this blog so as not to annoy friends with round robbin emails as they struggled to work on a Monday morning. However, it seems mainly the only people who have read it have been strangers – many friends have been embarrassed by the whole idea of a ‘blog. Thank you for loving me enough to read it even though its tacky! However, how wonderful to have met and heard from so many people in ‘our’ situation – thank you so much for your friendship and your help in settling us in.
God we will miss Ghana soooo much but what a lot to look forward to at home. Friends, Family, Electricity, Drains, 15 min journeys to work and so much else besides – but not for a second am I kidding myself that we won’t all be devastated. Living in Ghana is so different and so wonderful.
Here in Ghana sometimes instead of saying I'm leaving we say ‘I’m coming’. Well we are coming – in the English and the Ghanaian sense of the word.
The dream is delayed, we are coming home. In the short time we have left we are trying to buy the land that the dream depends on – but buying land in Ghana is, to be frank, harrowing. You spend loads of money and time before you have any idea if the land is for sale or not. Secondly horror stories of people taking back and buying your land abound. However, if we can buy it (and pull off all the other little plans aside) the dream will be alive – a lot of work but a lot of hope too.
I am looking forward to my holiday – at the moment we still hold out hope for us all seeing Timbuktu but to be frank just being back in Ghana and out of Accra will be a wonder beyond words. Goodbye traffic and pollution – we will not miss you!
We hosted Ellie, Michael and the stunning baby Anokye as they passed through. Sadly resting from plane flights and settling in meant we saw little of them but we hope to catch up on our way up north. It is wonderful to think that we are all back in Ghana (plus additions) having first met here in 1997 – it’s our anniversary!
It is odd that I set up this blog so as not to annoy friends with round robbin emails as they struggled to work on a Monday morning. However, it seems mainly the only people who have read it have been strangers – many friends have been embarrassed by the whole idea of a ‘blog. Thank you for loving me enough to read it even though its tacky! However, how wonderful to have met and heard from so many people in ‘our’ situation – thank you so much for your friendship and your help in settling us in.
God we will miss Ghana soooo much but what a lot to look forward to at home. Friends, Family, Electricity, Drains, 15 min journeys to work and so much else besides – but not for a second am I kidding myself that we won’t all be devastated. Living in Ghana is so different and so wonderful.
Here in Ghana sometimes instead of saying I'm leaving we say ‘I’m coming’. Well we are coming – in the English and the Ghanaian sense of the word.
Friday 15 June 2007
Life
Ok so I seem to have ended up drivilling about thoughts and concepts rather than telling you about life here - why? I fear because it has been rather duller than expected. Kwame and I may have thought that by returning to Ghana we would have returned to how things were. This of course is not possible - we have two beautiful children and for their sakes (or so we say) we have contrived to live a more sensible and mundaine existence here.
I have gone to work - a fasinating insight into the workings of an embassy but work none the less. Kwame has been reluctant house husband and that work here is so much harder. Washing is done by hand and is held in such esteme that if the children uniforms are not spotless they are not allowed to go to school. The bins still have to go out except they are called boilers and are packed into the back of the car and driven up a near vertical incline to the 'dump'. Paradoxically this is in front of some of the most grandious houses we have seen. Most people here in our position have house help - something we could really do with.
Also we are living in Accra and Kwame and I are not city people. We do not feel comfortable in the fake gradure and forced fun of Osu. However, to be fair to Osu we have never really been there - I think we do not want to like it. Accra is exciting and challenging there are floods, visable heart breaking poverty and unbelievable bus trips. There is also oppulence in extreme, markets and any thing you could wish for sold to you through your car window. Just the other day we travelled to the market to buy a loo seat - only for me to be offered one through a car window a couple of days later. Reminisant of Colins loo seat dash on a pub crawl many years ago.
Before we have lived in Kumasi which is greener and we have lived off Kwames painting - which is work but his passion for it makes it feel like something different. Of course now the Ga Manste has called an end to the enforced silence in Accra we enjoying drumming sometimes late into the night, there are hundreds of children for the kids to play with and we have more time for each other than at home - if only because telly is so less engaging!! But even so we are an average family - happy and in love but feeling there is something more out there. This weekend though we saw this thing, this possible future and it is devastatingly exciting!!! We are going back this weekend and when we have everything signed and sealed I will send photos - until then its secret!!!
I have gone to work - a fasinating insight into the workings of an embassy but work none the less. Kwame has been reluctant house husband and that work here is so much harder. Washing is done by hand and is held in such esteme that if the children uniforms are not spotless they are not allowed to go to school. The bins still have to go out except they are called boilers and are packed into the back of the car and driven up a near vertical incline to the 'dump'. Paradoxically this is in front of some of the most grandious houses we have seen. Most people here in our position have house help - something we could really do with.
Also we are living in Accra and Kwame and I are not city people. We do not feel comfortable in the fake gradure and forced fun of Osu. However, to be fair to Osu we have never really been there - I think we do not want to like it. Accra is exciting and challenging there are floods, visable heart breaking poverty and unbelievable bus trips. There is also oppulence in extreme, markets and any thing you could wish for sold to you through your car window. Just the other day we travelled to the market to buy a loo seat - only for me to be offered one through a car window a couple of days later. Reminisant of Colins loo seat dash on a pub crawl many years ago.
Before we have lived in Kumasi which is greener and we have lived off Kwames painting - which is work but his passion for it makes it feel like something different. Of course now the Ga Manste has called an end to the enforced silence in Accra we enjoying drumming sometimes late into the night, there are hundreds of children for the kids to play with and we have more time for each other than at home - if only because telly is so less engaging!! But even so we are an average family - happy and in love but feeling there is something more out there. This weekend though we saw this thing, this possible future and it is devastatingly exciting!!! We are going back this weekend and when we have everything signed and sealed I will send photos - until then its secret!!!
Hair Cut
I had my hair cut the other day - it now feels wonderful but at the time....
The lady that cut my hair works in the shop next to Patricks press - she is lovely. As she started to cut my hair she said 'real hair - my first time to cut real hair'. Of course much of the hair here on ladies is attachments - although not all. Even for those who keep 'real hair' it is nearly always straightened. It is a strange and disturbing world in which some white women go to tanning salons or paint themselves orange and - some black women bleach thier skin and avoid the sun.
The skin thing is clearly nuts but the hair concerns me as families like ours in the UK and adults who were the result of such unions have warned me about the hair issue. Bizzarely the world sees many problems for children such as ours - but in reality it would seem that for girls the only real issue is hair. I cannot understand why such beautiful hair - either platted, in a ponytail or left as an afro is considered so ugly. I hope that the awe for dreadlocks, that is natural within rastafari, and Nayahs knowledge of her own radient beauty will help us avoid this hurdle.
So my hair cut in Ghana involved my hair being washed virgorously and then combed up vertical. It was then cut to the same length from mid point in my scalp all over. Actually this has lead to me having the best haircut and hair style I have had in years. After the hair cut product and rollers were put on my head. This smelt and left a hot senstation on my head. The rollers scratched and it felt like my hair was being pulled from my head. At this point I was scared but too scared to talk either. I was blessed with light off - without which I would have been under the dryer before I had a chance to think. It turns out that my hair was being curled so that it could be straigtened. My point that my hair already felt a little bit too straight for me was not accepted. Eventually I begged and the rollers came out and the product was washed off.
What a strange world - Sister Ama cannot understand that I think my hair is too straight and I cannot understand why she puts nylon extentions on top of the beautiful short crop underneath that suits her face so well. Jah has blessed us all - how have we manged to turn it into a curse?
The lady that cut my hair works in the shop next to Patricks press - she is lovely. As she started to cut my hair she said 'real hair - my first time to cut real hair'. Of course much of the hair here on ladies is attachments - although not all. Even for those who keep 'real hair' it is nearly always straightened. It is a strange and disturbing world in which some white women go to tanning salons or paint themselves orange and - some black women bleach thier skin and avoid the sun.
The skin thing is clearly nuts but the hair concerns me as families like ours in the UK and adults who were the result of such unions have warned me about the hair issue. Bizzarely the world sees many problems for children such as ours - but in reality it would seem that for girls the only real issue is hair. I cannot understand why such beautiful hair - either platted, in a ponytail or left as an afro is considered so ugly. I hope that the awe for dreadlocks, that is natural within rastafari, and Nayahs knowledge of her own radient beauty will help us avoid this hurdle.
So my hair cut in Ghana involved my hair being washed virgorously and then combed up vertical. It was then cut to the same length from mid point in my scalp all over. Actually this has lead to me having the best haircut and hair style I have had in years. After the hair cut product and rollers were put on my head. This smelt and left a hot senstation on my head. The rollers scratched and it felt like my hair was being pulled from my head. At this point I was scared but too scared to talk either. I was blessed with light off - without which I would have been under the dryer before I had a chance to think. It turns out that my hair was being curled so that it could be straigtened. My point that my hair already felt a little bit too straight for me was not accepted. Eventually I begged and the rollers came out and the product was washed off.
What a strange world - Sister Ama cannot understand that I think my hair is too straight and I cannot understand why she puts nylon extentions on top of the beautiful short crop underneath that suits her face so well. Jah has blessed us all - how have we manged to turn it into a curse?
The Joys of Paranoia, Self Obssesion and the Inability to Move on From an Incident
Sometimes the world seems to conspire against us. Our car broke down yesterday for the second time in a week. It broke down outside the shop of one of the only people in Accra I have ever had a full blown row with. I am usually quite paranoid anyway so you can imagine me standing next to this shop in which it seemed the entire community had come to watch TV. They were of course specking Ga - a langauge in which I can only say thank you... Later I was asured they were just enjoying a normal night out, I of course was imagining otherwise and had a horrendous half hour.
The joys of paranoia, self obssesion and the inability to move on from an incident.
The joys of paranoia, self obssesion and the inability to move on from an incident.
Tuesday 5 June 2007
dark
So June has come to stay for a couple of weeks and has been teaching at a school in the arts centre in Accra. The kids here are of all ages and have missed formal schooling - here they pass through beginners, intermediate and to advanced before hopefully returning to the formal primary school system. The kids are challenging but I think that June has enjoyed it - and true to form I think she has shaken things up at the school a little!!!!!
We went back to see the crocodiles. The kids loved it but looking back at the pictures I cannot imagine what possessed me to feel calm enough to stand right next to one of these mighty beasts with Nayah in my arms and no wall or fence between us. They say no one has ever been harmed - but still I wonder what possessed me!!!
We also went to the fort at Cape Coast - Kwame did not enter but I visited with June and Nayah on my back. It is as shocking as ever and so it should be 11 milllion people exported and still more dying on the way. Even now parts of west africa are notably depopulated and no wonder. This is the only loss of human life on this massive scale and yet we still do not call it a hallocaust and even in this bi-centenary year it does not get the attention it truly deserves. Slave trade does not catch the horror of the millions who did not make it. Yet more desturbing is the church above the slave dungeon and the school within the complex. The Ghanaian that ran them was the son of an African slave trader and his family honor him till this day. Looking out from the fort the lanscape is peppered with churches and schools. Why so disturbing?
At Junes substandard schoool education may help the kids sell fish better but (without a one in a million piece of luck no matter how clever they are) it will never fundametally change thier lives. They are trapped by global poverty and local class politics. There are vast numbers of highly educated young people with degrees, masters and doctorates who can be seen queuing for work - many have been queuing for years and clamour at the gates of embassies desperate to leave the country. And why not? - nearly all of the education is on foreigners terms - health students take exams on equipment they have never seen and primary schools have "speak English" writ large on the walls. Students learn of nursery rhymes and snow storms. They are told to work hard - that change will come - tragically for most it is a lie.
Within poverty much happiness is derived in the churches where people clamour to give everything they have to the pastor in hope of a better live. When I visited the kids at Junes school they sang hyms at morning assembly with a gusto and enthusiasum not seen in other areas of studying but much in evidence at break time fighting. I turned my face to the wall to hide my tears. The song they sang was "my joy is in heven there is no fight there, my joy is in heven, my joy is in heaven there is no pain there." These childen fallen to the bottom of the pile in a country desperatly trying to haul itself from the botton of the heap into 'middle income status' were looking forward to something. But the thing they were looking forward to was death.
One old sailor sitting outside Elmina Castle called "Elephant Man" had travelled the whole world on large boats. He left the slave fort at Elmina and on his travels saw the wooden strutures where slaves were sold in the Americas. He was invited to cellebrate a childs birthday in the house of one such black man and marvelled at thier cars. Now he has returned to Ghana to enjoy old age looking out to sea. He laughed at Kwames questions on his thoughts of the slave trade and said - park a boat here now and tell them they can go to America - you will see them come. Of course the world has changed but this is the most horendous crime ever committed against humanity and some people here consider them the lucky ones......
(this is hugely dark but it is a dark time of year).
We went back to see the crocodiles. The kids loved it but looking back at the pictures I cannot imagine what possessed me to feel calm enough to stand right next to one of these mighty beasts with Nayah in my arms and no wall or fence between us. They say no one has ever been harmed - but still I wonder what possessed me!!!
We also went to the fort at Cape Coast - Kwame did not enter but I visited with June and Nayah on my back. It is as shocking as ever and so it should be 11 milllion people exported and still more dying on the way. Even now parts of west africa are notably depopulated and no wonder. This is the only loss of human life on this massive scale and yet we still do not call it a hallocaust and even in this bi-centenary year it does not get the attention it truly deserves. Slave trade does not catch the horror of the millions who did not make it. Yet more desturbing is the church above the slave dungeon and the school within the complex. The Ghanaian that ran them was the son of an African slave trader and his family honor him till this day. Looking out from the fort the lanscape is peppered with churches and schools. Why so disturbing?
At Junes substandard schoool education may help the kids sell fish better but (without a one in a million piece of luck no matter how clever they are) it will never fundametally change thier lives. They are trapped by global poverty and local class politics. There are vast numbers of highly educated young people with degrees, masters and doctorates who can be seen queuing for work - many have been queuing for years and clamour at the gates of embassies desperate to leave the country. And why not? - nearly all of the education is on foreigners terms - health students take exams on equipment they have never seen and primary schools have "speak English" writ large on the walls. Students learn of nursery rhymes and snow storms. They are told to work hard - that change will come - tragically for most it is a lie.
Within poverty much happiness is derived in the churches where people clamour to give everything they have to the pastor in hope of a better live. When I visited the kids at Junes school they sang hyms at morning assembly with a gusto and enthusiasum not seen in other areas of studying but much in evidence at break time fighting. I turned my face to the wall to hide my tears. The song they sang was "my joy is in heven there is no fight there, my joy is in heven, my joy is in heaven there is no pain there." These childen fallen to the bottom of the pile in a country desperatly trying to haul itself from the botton of the heap into 'middle income status' were looking forward to something. But the thing they were looking forward to was death.
One old sailor sitting outside Elmina Castle called "Elephant Man" had travelled the whole world on large boats. He left the slave fort at Elmina and on his travels saw the wooden strutures where slaves were sold in the Americas. He was invited to cellebrate a childs birthday in the house of one such black man and marvelled at thier cars. Now he has returned to Ghana to enjoy old age looking out to sea. He laughed at Kwames questions on his thoughts of the slave trade and said - park a boat here now and tell them they can go to America - you will see them come. Of course the world has changed but this is the most horendous crime ever committed against humanity and some people here consider them the lucky ones......
(this is hugely dark but it is a dark time of year).
Monday 21 May 2007
Next month I miss claires wedding and I am gutted about it. It is horrid to miss such special times and even worse as Claire has been telling me about Clare and Pru's beautiful bumps and I may not even get to see them until they have had their babies. We are missing so many peoples special moments and sad times when we should be there for them and the phone is not enough. It is horrible to miss things and such is the life we have - when we are in England we miss people here and visa versa. Kwajo and Nayah of course now face the same problem as Kwajo misses Jack, Unity, Faith and all his other friends but when he gets home he will miss Benty, Kwaku and all the other kids (and Nayah is going to be devaststed to leave her constant supply of besotted and doting Uncles). Most especially I expect they will miss the freedom of going to play with friends on a whim which they simply do not have in England. But now we have a greater appreciation of what we have in England - not least friends, family and the forest. So we miss you all hugely and when we do get back we will miss home here, To have two places to love though means double the number of wonderful people in our lives and now we have two houses for the next few years we can move back and forth more easily. For now we send all our love and very best wishes to those whos special times we are missing. We are trying to concentrate on our happy memories with you and looking forward to the good times to come.
So we are here I sit typing with the sound of eight kiddies laughing and chatting in the background. Kwajo occasionally shouting this is Jungle Book - my favourite shush shush!! They have been playing for most of the afternoon and since Kwame is still in the north it is the uncles who have made a trip up on the roof to collect the balls!
So as you can tell we are settling down nicely I am now "Kwajo Nayah Maamee" and it is lovely to be greeted on your way home at night. Patrick has left for home and Africa is walking him to the top road as is traditional here - I am promised he will return with beer and since we have had light all day and into the evening then it may even be chilled - a holy grail I can chase all around Accra.
We did not make it to the beach today but we are less than half an hour from Kokrobite - nicer than being close to work - especially as I now mainly work from home. So what has at times seemed a rush descion with the house now seems a good one. The drains are fixed and he comes next week to concrete against the rains. It was cheaper than other options and so of course it does have its downfalls - the roads to the area are rough as hell, it is marshy around so there are mosquitoes, the water is not constant and robberies have happened (although on the isolated newer side). However. Roads everywhere can be a problem and at least we don't suffer the noise and worry of pasing traffic for the kids. Mosquites are everywhere (even the upper east when currently it seems it never rains) but we have installed nets and screen doors. In some areas they have no pipe water and even where they do it has not run for a year - so our couple of days here and there pales into insignificance, especially when we have remembered to fill the containers. Robberies are an increasing worry and everyone talks about it - however in compasrion to London the crime is less. If a robber or a stanger wanted to reach here they would drive down a dead end where everyone knows us - friends have come to wait for us and have been questioned in no uncertain terms. God forbid if they did get in they would never get out as robbers here are still routinely murdered (which of course is part of the reason why they carry weapons which makes them so much more dangrous). In addition we leave nothing of value in the house and have installed various bits of bugular proofing.
Amsuingly the lights just went off - horrified at my inability to even light a tilly lamp without getting cross the children quickly dispersed. Ten minutes later I have still failed to light the lamp but the lights have come back on and all of the children have returned. Benty has even brought a load of washing to iron as his house has 'low current'. Daily this beautiful land copes with the kind of disasters that I imagine would have a devastating effect on the UK economy (thinking for example of our inability to cope with snow or 'leaves on the line') but in general I am amazed at the patience and reoursefullness of most people. Kwajo for example screamed because the movie stopped and Nayah because of the dark. The kids just quietly upped and left and off course I was shouting at the tilley light and throwing match boxes. Maybe I am dangerously close to a sterotype and you can say people here are just used to it - but we have been here over nearly four months and that is a long time in the life of a child.
So as you can tell we are settling down nicely I am now "Kwajo Nayah Maamee" and it is lovely to be greeted on your way home at night. Patrick has left for home and Africa is walking him to the top road as is traditional here - I am promised he will return with beer and since we have had light all day and into the evening then it may even be chilled - a holy grail I can chase all around Accra.
We did not make it to the beach today but we are less than half an hour from Kokrobite - nicer than being close to work - especially as I now mainly work from home. So what has at times seemed a rush descion with the house now seems a good one. The drains are fixed and he comes next week to concrete against the rains. It was cheaper than other options and so of course it does have its downfalls - the roads to the area are rough as hell, it is marshy around so there are mosquitoes, the water is not constant and robberies have happened (although on the isolated newer side). However. Roads everywhere can be a problem and at least we don't suffer the noise and worry of pasing traffic for the kids. Mosquites are everywhere (even the upper east when currently it seems it never rains) but we have installed nets and screen doors. In some areas they have no pipe water and even where they do it has not run for a year - so our couple of days here and there pales into insignificance, especially when we have remembered to fill the containers. Robberies are an increasing worry and everyone talks about it - however in compasrion to London the crime is less. If a robber or a stanger wanted to reach here they would drive down a dead end where everyone knows us - friends have come to wait for us and have been questioned in no uncertain terms. God forbid if they did get in they would never get out as robbers here are still routinely murdered (which of course is part of the reason why they carry weapons which makes them so much more dangrous). In addition we leave nothing of value in the house and have installed various bits of bugular proofing.
Amsuingly the lights just went off - horrified at my inability to even light a tilly lamp without getting cross the children quickly dispersed. Ten minutes later I have still failed to light the lamp but the lights have come back on and all of the children have returned. Benty has even brought a load of washing to iron as his house has 'low current'. Daily this beautiful land copes with the kind of disasters that I imagine would have a devastating effect on the UK economy (thinking for example of our inability to cope with snow or 'leaves on the line') but in general I am amazed at the patience and reoursefullness of most people. Kwajo for example screamed because the movie stopped and Nayah because of the dark. The kids just quietly upped and left and off course I was shouting at the tilley light and throwing match boxes. Maybe I am dangerously close to a sterotype and you can say people here are just used to it - but we have been here over nearly four months and that is a long time in the life of a child.
Thursday 17 May 2007
lakeside lazing
so we went fishing on lake volta for Darrens birthday. An absolute idil of rain forest, still water and fish - the rods went down a storm with the locals. And of course we cried and cried and cried. Unbelievable to think he has been gone five years and although the shock is less it is truly hard to realsie we miss him now more than ever. Every time I see Kwajo and Nayah playing and just how in love they are it is impossible to imagine one without the other. Up till now there are moments it is impossible for me to imagine myself with the absense of him.
And so we came back to Accra and the city - light off and other peoples shit coming up through our drains. Truely a country of extreames. Light off means I am typing this in blackness so excuse mistakes. Kwame has travelled north with my first pay check to buy all the things you get cheap in the north. It was terribly exciting to get paid millons and millons and carrying it to the bank in a sack!! July 2007 the money changes though and although the song on telly promises "the value is the same" it won't be the same getting thousands not millons and being able to carry it in a purse!
sorry this is awful as I can barely see the keys and am sweating horribly without the fan - I'm off for a shower - although I doubt there is any water in the tap.......
And so we came back to Accra and the city - light off and other peoples shit coming up through our drains. Truely a country of extreames. Light off means I am typing this in blackness so excuse mistakes. Kwame has travelled north with my first pay check to buy all the things you get cheap in the north. It was terribly exciting to get paid millons and millons and carrying it to the bank in a sack!! July 2007 the money changes though and although the song on telly promises "the value is the same" it won't be the same getting thousands not millons and being able to carry it in a purse!
sorry this is awful as I can barely see the keys and am sweating horribly without the fan - I'm off for a shower - although I doubt there is any water in the tap.......
Wednesday 25 April 2007
names
I met some student's on the beach at Kokrobite the other day. They were from Denmark and African studies students just like my group 12 years ago. It made me reflect a lot upon broken dreams and life's surprising twists and turns. Getting where I am has certainly involved a lack of planning. I am happy but not even close to the person I was going to be!
When I first arrived in Ghana in 1995 I became known as Akos. This means I was born on a Sunday - I wasn't - but people gave me the name and I took it. It made me feel part of things – but of course it just highlighted how much I was not a part of things as I knew so little I took the wrong name. However, it is part of my history and who I am. It seems silly to change it now.
At this time in my life I was firmly 'Sister Akos' to nearly all who knew me and Akos to those older than me. Of course I was also Obroni (white) but generally only to those who did not know me. Now my stature, my age and my children have matured me and I am now known only as 'Auntie', 'Auntie Akos' or sometimes simply as Maame (mother). Now normally the only people who call me sister Akos are impossibly old or huge ladies with whom I am considered on a level. In Ghana all of this is very respectful and I appreciate it. My boss for example is sometimes called Grandma despite being nowhere close to this age – it is simply a sign of respect.
However, my husband and his brothers and sisters could and should still call me sister Akos – not least because they are all older than me. They don't because they are amused at my horror of being called Auntie. It seems you are never too old or mighty (a very nice term to describe larger women here thus not the horror of Evans but rather 'mighty clothes of the mightly lady in store now') for someone to take the piss.
I am pleased at my lasted twi acusition though "please don't call me white. My name is Lotte and I would like to be called Akos'. It has made me feel much more part of the neighbourhood to be greated like everyone else.
For those who asked. The insults in traffic are generally very mild although at one point I did resort to telling a guy his car was ugly and when he still insisted on driving into us I hit it - hard many times. My twi it seems is just a prerequisite to the ultimate miming and gestures that follow.
Tuesday 24 April 2007
Saturday 21 April 2007
21 April
Legend has it that once, a long time ago, a hunter from the great Ashanti nation in Ghana followed a deer deep into the bush and down a hill. Here he found a beautiful lake, with no rivers leading in or out, that was full of fish. He thanked the deer and ate the fish. So a settlement was founded and each year the lake grew and the fish were bountiful. The gods decreed that no iron should enter the lake and everyone obeyed and everyone was happy. This place was called Bosumtwi.
Today Bosumtwi is over fished and ravaged by slash and burn farming. The once bountiful rainforest that surrounded Bosumtwi is crisscrossed with scars of red soil that flow into the lake when it rains. From the peoples talk it seems the rains themselves are changing coming heavier but less often. However, even though it has suffered it is still a beautiful magical place.
Now another legend is growing. This time they say scientists and modern day wise men came following a meteorite star they believe fell thousand of years ago. They come to Bosumtwi and saw not the Lake but the hole – they said where did this come from? A bore was drilled deep into the centre of the lake to find rock samples to answer their question – the villagers who remembered the gods were nervous of their metal boat and their metal drill – but the chiefs had agreed and no one heard them. The scientists drilled.
No one at the lakeside seems to know how this new legend ends. Some say the lake is not from a meteorite. They warn of a volcano bubbling below and waiting to take all. Some say the lake is from a meteorite and full of diamonds or gold – they think people want them to leave so they can take all. It is hard to know how the legend of Bosumtwi will end but it is painfully likely that most answers will bring suffering to the people here.
In somewhere like Bosumtwi I imagine the effects of mining would be devastating. The reliance on the Lake means even limited access to it could have a dramatic affect on the villages. If the water was to become contaminated, as it has at mine sites such as at Tarkwa, it would be unimaginable. At Tarkwa the river was made unsafe to drink and nearly every living organism in it was killed. Horrendous - but with hope - because a river flows and therefore stands a chance of cleaning itself. This is not the case for Lake Bosumtwi
If it is a volcano and it blows up it seems it could come as a deadly cloud of gas. Or maybe, as the villagers seem to expect, things will just stay the same. But as the weather dries and the slash and burn continues around the lake there is another deadly cloud creeping down the mountain. This one is made of the dust eroded from the mountain side and slowly filling the lake in the crater below. There is another water pollutant too as people who have washed in the lake for years no longer use natural soap but turn to the extra cleaning power of ‘omo’, ‘Ariel’ and ‘detol’. Danger it seems is all around.
I have been trying to find solutions for this lake since I first saw its magnificent glory ten years ago. I have watched environmental empowerment workshops, hotels, development projects, education projects, tree planting and much more come and go. I still believe the answer will come but I have to wait for one of the villagers to tell me what it is.
Legend has it that once, a long time ago, a hunter from the great Ashanti nation in Ghana followed a deer deep into the bush and down a hill. Here he found a beautiful lake, with no rivers leading in or out, that was full of fish. He thanked the deer and ate the fish. So a settlement was founded and each year the lake grew and the fish were bountiful. The gods decreed that no iron should enter the lake and everyone obeyed and everyone was happy. This place was called Bosumtwi.
Today Bosumtwi is over fished and ravaged by slash and burn farming. The once bountiful rainforest that surrounded Bosumtwi is crisscrossed with scars of red soil that flow into the lake when it rains. From the peoples talk it seems the rains themselves are changing coming heavier but less often. However, even though it has suffered it is still a beautiful magical place.
Now another legend is growing. This time they say scientists and modern day wise men came following a meteorite star they believe fell thousand of years ago. They come to Bosumtwi and saw not the Lake but the hole – they said where did this come from? A bore was drilled deep into the centre of the lake to find rock samples to answer their question – the villagers who remembered the gods were nervous of their metal boat and their metal drill – but the chiefs had agreed and no one heard them. The scientists drilled.
No one at the lakeside seems to know how this new legend ends. Some say the lake is not from a meteorite. They warn of a volcano bubbling below and waiting to take all. Some say the lake is from a meteorite and full of diamonds or gold – they think people want them to leave so they can take all. It is hard to know how the legend of Bosumtwi will end but it is painfully likely that most answers will bring suffering to the people here.
In somewhere like Bosumtwi I imagine the effects of mining would be devastating. The reliance on the Lake means even limited access to it could have a dramatic affect on the villages. If the water was to become contaminated, as it has at mine sites such as at Tarkwa, it would be unimaginable. At Tarkwa the river was made unsafe to drink and nearly every living organism in it was killed. Horrendous - but with hope - because a river flows and therefore stands a chance of cleaning itself. This is not the case for Lake Bosumtwi
If it is a volcano and it blows up it seems it could come as a deadly cloud of gas. Or maybe, as the villagers seem to expect, things will just stay the same. But as the weather dries and the slash and burn continues around the lake there is another deadly cloud creeping down the mountain. This one is made of the dust eroded from the mountain side and slowly filling the lake in the crater below. There is another water pollutant too as people who have washed in the lake for years no longer use natural soap but turn to the extra cleaning power of ‘omo’, ‘Ariel’ and ‘detol’. Danger it seems is all around.
I have been trying to find solutions for this lake since I first saw its magnificent glory ten years ago. I have watched environmental empowerment workshops, hotels, development projects, education projects, tree planting and much more come and go. I still believe the answer will come but I have to wait for one of the villagers to tell me what it is.
18 April 2007 I Hoped
I hoped to come to Ghana and lose weight - but so far, despite being ill, all I’ve really lost is a breast size. If fat would only go where we wanted it to on our bodies perhaps none of us would mind being fat at all?
I hoped to come to Ghana and learn Twi – so far really I am still the same as I was before. I am proud of my confidence to use the language I only wish I had more language to use in the first place. So far apart from learning many ways to insult in traffic my most useful new phrase has been me nim, which means ‘I don’t know’. Not to be confused with me nim which means ‘I know’. There is a tonal difference - but I am really crap at it so I tend to say it whilst either shaking or nodding my head (and in context because it also sounds very similar to ‘my face’). The astute amongst you may point out that I could just nod or shake my head. But you would under estimate the joy it brings many twi speakers to hear a strange English lady using their language - and the joy it brings me. Here at work I am sometimes referred to as ‘the one that speaks Twi well’. It makes me feel proud. The reality is that I have only managed good morning and then got the response wrong by treating an older man like a child. It seems that so few make the effort that I am appreciated though and so I struggle on. My children move forward quicker although it is harder for Kwajo than Nayah – time will tell, but I hope we are laying a firm foundation for their future.
I am blessed at the foundation we laid their lives on. To move countries and change everything, not once, but twice, is hard for an individual but maybe even harder for a marriage. With Kwame it has only ever been an amazingly wonderful journey - even now when the car is broken and the house submerges when it rains…..
(June PLEASE remember my huge ability to exaggerate – the car will be fixed and big Ga Chief Nana is fixing the house drainage. So when you come there will be others problems but it won’t be these!!! Sorry to be lazy but can you let me have your flight details too…)
I hoped to come to Ghana and lose weight - but so far, despite being ill, all I’ve really lost is a breast size. If fat would only go where we wanted it to on our bodies perhaps none of us would mind being fat at all?
I hoped to come to Ghana and learn Twi – so far really I am still the same as I was before. I am proud of my confidence to use the language I only wish I had more language to use in the first place. So far apart from learning many ways to insult in traffic my most useful new phrase has been me nim, which means ‘I don’t know’. Not to be confused with me nim which means ‘I know’. There is a tonal difference - but I am really crap at it so I tend to say it whilst either shaking or nodding my head (and in context because it also sounds very similar to ‘my face’). The astute amongst you may point out that I could just nod or shake my head. But you would under estimate the joy it brings many twi speakers to hear a strange English lady using their language - and the joy it brings me. Here at work I am sometimes referred to as ‘the one that speaks Twi well’. It makes me feel proud. The reality is that I have only managed good morning and then got the response wrong by treating an older man like a child. It seems that so few make the effort that I am appreciated though and so I struggle on. My children move forward quicker although it is harder for Kwajo than Nayah – time will tell, but I hope we are laying a firm foundation for their future.
I am blessed at the foundation we laid their lives on. To move countries and change everything, not once, but twice, is hard for an individual but maybe even harder for a marriage. With Kwame it has only ever been an amazingly wonderful journey - even now when the car is broken and the house submerges when it rains…..
(June PLEASE remember my huge ability to exaggerate – the car will be fixed and big Ga Chief Nana is fixing the house drainage. So when you come there will be others problems but it won’t be these!!! Sorry to be lazy but can you let me have your flight details too…)
15 April 2007
So yet again sitting and enjoying the joys of light off on a Sunday morning in Gbawe. Kwame is outside learning to string and stretch drums and we are considering yam and sauce for lunch.
Over the Easter break we travelled North to Buipe to see Kwame's brothers. Quite some journey taking 3 days up in the car. Buipe was beautiful and it was wonderful to see Kwames nobel family and to enjoy their hospitality. His brothers have been ill but thankfully are much better now. Country Man had a very bad leg which he left and left just hoping it would get better and not having enough spare cash to go to the doctors. Adamu the oldest brother came to Kumasi and took him to hospital - we are not sure if they were just scared off by the consent forms but they strongly believed the doctors wanted to cut off Countrymans now putrid leg. Adamu carried him home to Buipe where they got the money Kwame had sent from home and treated the leg with local medicine. Thankfully he survived the ordeal. A tragically common story of leaving it too late to get medical atention due to a lack of funds. Sadly whilst the story is common Countryman's story of survival is all to uncommon here. This story holds special significance for us as it was Adamu who saved Kwames life by carrying him away on a bicycle in the dead of night all those years ago. Truly a big brother to be proud of.
The Volta river was a huge shock. It was beautiful but we walked accross it at the old port and never at any point did it come above our 4 year old son Kwajo's waist. Good work has gone on here since they have sprayed against Bilhazia however the level of the river is just shocking. Just 10 years ago Lindsay and I caught the big ferry here to go to Akasombo - now the river is almost gone. The farmers are in no doubt that the irrigation dam in Burkina Faso has made more difference than the rain. However, there was no rain and they were waiting to plant and watching it fall always just painfully out of reach on the horizon.
Here in Accra complaints about the light off abound as do the conspircay theories. However every night in our neighbourhood we see no darkness during light on as all our nieghbours leave thier huge outside floodlights on all night everynight. The nature of light off means that if you leave for work early you can return home to light and appliances wasted as they have been left on all day - of course when you left they were off because the electric was off.
It is scary to think of what may happen here if the dam spoils and there is no electric as people are suffering just by it being limited, As many here say 'Ghana is the Volta dam'. If it happens of course people will suffer and tension will rise - but what then of the relations between Ghana and Burkina Faso? Can a country so peaceful and so proud of its peace continue on this road? I don't want Ghanaian's to think I am cursing them but I do wish the governments of Ghana and Burkina Faso could sit down to find a compromise now rather than struggling to sign a peace later. I am sure they are trying I just prey not too little too late...
Blessed love from this still wonderful place.
So yet again sitting and enjoying the joys of light off on a Sunday morning in Gbawe. Kwame is outside learning to string and stretch drums and we are considering yam and sauce for lunch.
Over the Easter break we travelled North to Buipe to see Kwame's brothers. Quite some journey taking 3 days up in the car. Buipe was beautiful and it was wonderful to see Kwames nobel family and to enjoy their hospitality. His brothers have been ill but thankfully are much better now. Country Man had a very bad leg which he left and left just hoping it would get better and not having enough spare cash to go to the doctors. Adamu the oldest brother came to Kumasi and took him to hospital - we are not sure if they were just scared off by the consent forms but they strongly believed the doctors wanted to cut off Countrymans now putrid leg. Adamu carried him home to Buipe where they got the money Kwame had sent from home and treated the leg with local medicine. Thankfully he survived the ordeal. A tragically common story of leaving it too late to get medical atention due to a lack of funds. Sadly whilst the story is common Countryman's story of survival is all to uncommon here. This story holds special significance for us as it was Adamu who saved Kwames life by carrying him away on a bicycle in the dead of night all those years ago. Truly a big brother to be proud of.
The Volta river was a huge shock. It was beautiful but we walked accross it at the old port and never at any point did it come above our 4 year old son Kwajo's waist. Good work has gone on here since they have sprayed against Bilhazia however the level of the river is just shocking. Just 10 years ago Lindsay and I caught the big ferry here to go to Akasombo - now the river is almost gone. The farmers are in no doubt that the irrigation dam in Burkina Faso has made more difference than the rain. However, there was no rain and they were waiting to plant and watching it fall always just painfully out of reach on the horizon.
Here in Accra complaints about the light off abound as do the conspircay theories. However every night in our neighbourhood we see no darkness during light on as all our nieghbours leave thier huge outside floodlights on all night everynight. The nature of light off means that if you leave for work early you can return home to light and appliances wasted as they have been left on all day - of course when you left they were off because the electric was off.
It is scary to think of what may happen here if the dam spoils and there is no electric as people are suffering just by it being limited, As many here say 'Ghana is the Volta dam'. If it happens of course people will suffer and tension will rise - but what then of the relations between Ghana and Burkina Faso? Can a country so peaceful and so proud of its peace continue on this road? I don't want Ghanaian's to think I am cursing them but I do wish the governments of Ghana and Burkina Faso could sit down to find a compromise now rather than struggling to sign a peace later. I am sure they are trying I just prey not too little too late...
Blessed love from this still wonderful place.
Saturday 31 March 2007
So I have started work and am currently employed in the services of the queen!
There has been some trouble with this site – if you can’t see the pictures or down load it you may have searched for it in which case please try typing in www.bakoji-hume.blogspot.com
We went to the airport yesterday to say goodbye to mum and dad – really sad of course not least because we had such a lovely time. As well as just really enjoying each others company we went on a series of adventures which were appropriately named by Kwajo as follows:
A Snappy adventure:
A stay at a hotel suspended above a lake of crocodiles. Maybe not first choice for those with small kids but actually very wonderful. Nayah chasing them shouting ‘odile’ and ‘snap snap’ was a sight to behold (especially with Uncle Patrick desperately running after).
A Swinging Adventure
A rope walk 40 metres up in the rainforest of Kakum – A truly wonderful adventure. We are going back at the first opportunity to stay overnight on their viewing platform and to walk among the trees and learn about some of the herbal medicines there.
Next we went to Kumasi named by Noonah and Grumpy as the shi*y adventure due to an attack by a contagious sickness bug. It was wonderful to be in the green of Kumasi but hard to see so much change in what was our home. We will be back soon though as we did not plan well and we still have things to take to friends and family there.
Finally after resting in Accra we went to the volta region for a fishy adventure. It’s the first time I have been on the Volta dam and it was most interesting to hear why we have so much light off. We stayed by the river which was beautiful and up in the hills which involved scorpions and straw mattresses but thank god lots of laughter to. We ended up in Germany which is on the edge of the lake. As it was market day boats come in from all over the Volta – truly a sight to behold. Sadly here I lost my first pair of glasses.
So now we are finally reaching some form of normality with work and school. Of course there are still daily adventures including floods. leaky baths and broken cars – my word its beginning to feel exactly like home! We now have a landline if anyone wants to give us a call. 0233 21332642. Of course we will keep updating and let you know how it all pans out.
There has been some trouble with this site – if you can’t see the pictures or down load it you may have searched for it in which case please try typing in www.bakoji-hume.blogspot.com
We went to the airport yesterday to say goodbye to mum and dad – really sad of course not least because we had such a lovely time. As well as just really enjoying each others company we went on a series of adventures which were appropriately named by Kwajo as follows:
A Snappy adventure:
A stay at a hotel suspended above a lake of crocodiles. Maybe not first choice for those with small kids but actually very wonderful. Nayah chasing them shouting ‘odile’ and ‘snap snap’ was a sight to behold (especially with Uncle Patrick desperately running after).
A Swinging Adventure
A rope walk 40 metres up in the rainforest of Kakum – A truly wonderful adventure. We are going back at the first opportunity to stay overnight on their viewing platform and to walk among the trees and learn about some of the herbal medicines there.
Next we went to Kumasi named by Noonah and Grumpy as the shi*y adventure due to an attack by a contagious sickness bug. It was wonderful to be in the green of Kumasi but hard to see so much change in what was our home. We will be back soon though as we did not plan well and we still have things to take to friends and family there.
Finally after resting in Accra we went to the volta region for a fishy adventure. It’s the first time I have been on the Volta dam and it was most interesting to hear why we have so much light off. We stayed by the river which was beautiful and up in the hills which involved scorpions and straw mattresses but thank god lots of laughter to. We ended up in Germany which is on the edge of the lake. As it was market day boats come in from all over the Volta – truly a sight to behold. Sadly here I lost my first pair of glasses.
So now we are finally reaching some form of normality with work and school. Of course there are still daily adventures including floods. leaky baths and broken cars – my word its beginning to feel exactly like home! We now have a landline if anyone wants to give us a call. 0233 21332642. Of course we will keep updating and let you know how it all pans out.
Thursday 15 March 2007
So we have finaly rented a house in an area called New Gbawe - it is near Mallam and Dansoman so I should always be able to find my way home.
Here it is very palatial although not compared to all of the real palaces we could not afford. The area is cheaper and the roads are bouncy. The house compares to home but it is a bungalow and the rooms are bigger. The garden may be smaller but we have plantain and a basil bush - very important for those who know of Kwajo and Nayahs love of pasta and pesto - but of course my home made version lacks pine nuts. Hopefully if this all works you can see it from the images. It has a little green in the back garden where everywhere else was pure concrete and also we could just about afford it - housing is very expensive here.
Today we took a road trip to Atimpokou to get some more stuff for the house. If you have not yet vistetd Ghana I will say shopping here can be a little hit and miss. You tend to drive around and more often than not someone sells you what you want through your carr window. however if you want something specific like a ceratin type of plates and bowls you can find yourself driving for miles as we did today. However the Volta was as stunning as ever and it was wonderful to get out of Accra and into Ghana - I fell in love all over again!
The other thing that this particular type of shopping encourages is impulse buys. Thus Nayah has a hugely anoying mobile with very irritating sounds and music. In a shop I may never have bought it but through a car window. Kwame has a fetching head scarf which does not fit for the same reason. However the best impulse buy yet was Kwajos parrot Buster. Clearly given time to think we would not have fuelled the cruelty and we would have considered returning home in a few months time. However since being released from his cage Buster has blossomed and our house is now his. Patrick will care for him when we are gone. And best of all Kwajo is so chuffed to bits he really is trying hard with his thumb!!!
Next
So we had a birthday party for nAYAH ON sUNDAY (AFTER CHURCH!)lots of friends children and those from the neighbourhood came. we all had a nice time and went to the village to get a goat and a chicken for the occasion. All very traditional and great for the kids to see the whole cycle from back garden to plate. Many probably would not agree with me but since we do eat meat it seems to me the only moral way....
It turns out we all had the early onset of malaria but we still had a good time. Although it meant little was done on Ghana at 50.
Here it is very palatial although not compared to all of the real palaces we could not afford. The area is cheaper and the roads are bouncy. The house compares to home but it is a bungalow and the rooms are bigger. The garden may be smaller but we have plantain and a basil bush - very important for those who know of Kwajo and Nayahs love of pasta and pesto - but of course my home made version lacks pine nuts. Hopefully if this all works you can see it from the images. It has a little green in the back garden where everywhere else was pure concrete and also we could just about afford it - housing is very expensive here.
Today we took a road trip to Atimpokou to get some more stuff for the house. If you have not yet vistetd Ghana I will say shopping here can be a little hit and miss. You tend to drive around and more often than not someone sells you what you want through your carr window. however if you want something specific like a ceratin type of plates and bowls you can find yourself driving for miles as we did today. However the Volta was as stunning as ever and it was wonderful to get out of Accra and into Ghana - I fell in love all over again!
The other thing that this particular type of shopping encourages is impulse buys. Thus Nayah has a hugely anoying mobile with very irritating sounds and music. In a shop I may never have bought it but through a car window. Kwame has a fetching head scarf which does not fit for the same reason. However the best impulse buy yet was Kwajos parrot Buster. Clearly given time to think we would not have fuelled the cruelty and we would have considered returning home in a few months time. However since being released from his cage Buster has blossomed and our house is now his. Patrick will care for him when we are gone. And best of all Kwajo is so chuffed to bits he really is trying hard with his thumb!!!
Next
So we had a birthday party for nAYAH ON sUNDAY (AFTER CHURCH!)lots of friends children and those from the neighbourhood came. we all had a nice time and went to the village to get a goat and a chicken for the occasion. All very traditional and great for the kids to see the whole cycle from back garden to plate. Many probably would not agree with me but since we do eat meat it seems to me the only moral way....
It turns out we all had the early onset of malaria but we still had a good time. Although it meant little was done on Ghana at 50.
Kwajo has a new friend called Bunty who lives opposite. He is a lovely boy and they really enjoy each other - but his english is so good we fear for the twi learning.
We are now all looking forward to mum and dad arriving and me starting work on monday.
Next
An aside for those intersted. There is a tradtional form of fufu eating bowl which is very beautiful it is potted by hand and glazed in beautiful brown, blue and cream. We have always loved these bowls and wanted some for our house. However in the space of fouir years cheap bowl imports from china have had a devasting effect on this industry. after trying for one month we have only just manged to buy soem and we have still not been able to find anyone who is still potting them. Devlopment moves forward apace but I fear so many good good things get left by the wayside. Ghana is not static and nor should it be but it is sad to see these bowls and even the local cloth printing industry which has been strong so devatsed by cheap imports.I do not know the answer but I do know that free trade allows coca cola to make more money in Africa than anywhere else. I wish I did have the answers for the tomato and the chicken farmers. But I don't. I do wish middle class and rich ghanaians would have pride in buying ghanaian produce. But pride seems low and these people are mainly to be found shopping in Koala market and malcolm where cheap chinese imports abound. They seem 'EYE RED' for outside leaving so much here that is good and powerful to wither and die. It seems tragic that even Ghana at 50 celebration pens and flags can be imported. So development moves forward apace and accra looks more and more like anywhere else in the world with a flyover. The development here tuly impresses me - I was shocked to see the growth in the area i FIRST LIVED IN IN 1995. Its heart warming and hopeful I just so wish that more bits of the old Ghana could move forward with the new. They weren't broke so why fix them???
We are now all looking forward to mum and dad arriving and me starting work on monday.
Next
An aside for those intersted. There is a tradtional form of fufu eating bowl which is very beautiful it is potted by hand and glazed in beautiful brown, blue and cream. We have always loved these bowls and wanted some for our house. However in the space of fouir years cheap bowl imports from china have had a devasting effect on this industry. after trying for one month we have only just manged to buy soem and we have still not been able to find anyone who is still potting them. Devlopment moves forward apace but I fear so many good good things get left by the wayside. Ghana is not static and nor should it be but it is sad to see these bowls and even the local cloth printing industry which has been strong so devatsed by cheap imports.I do not know the answer but I do know that free trade allows coca cola to make more money in Africa than anywhere else. I wish I did have the answers for the tomato and the chicken farmers. But I don't. I do wish middle class and rich ghanaians would have pride in buying ghanaian produce. But pride seems low and these people are mainly to be found shopping in Koala market and malcolm where cheap chinese imports abound. They seem 'EYE RED' for outside leaving so much here that is good and powerful to wither and die. It seems tragic that even Ghana at 50 celebration pens and flags can be imported. So development moves forward apace and accra looks more and more like anywhere else in the world with a flyover. The development here tuly impresses me - I was shocked to see the growth in the area i FIRST LIVED IN IN 1995. Its heart warming and hopeful I just so wish that more bits of the old Ghana could move forward with the new. They weren't broke so why fix them???
Wednesday 7 February 2007
Ok so we made it in the end!
The kids have been enjoying the beach and getting used to the fact that everyone tells you off here not just your parents!! They are coping very well with the changes, have really enjoyed the beach and are already picking up a little Twi.
We the adults are doing less well. We have a car (which cost so much I can't belive it - but the duty alone on this import was over 15million cedis...). However the car works and we can always sell it at the end. We do not yet have a job or a house but have been inspired to go into the estate agency business as it is so very mixed up here. We have seen palaces we cannot afford and places we reeally could not put the children - I fear we have seen little inbetween. However we are hopeful of moving in somewhere on Friday and time alone will tell.
Hopefully next time I can write of sitting under my mango tree eating succulent fruit and reading a book as the sand trickles between toes - sadly at the moment it is stress, polution, the harmatan and the city. However within this there is the joy, love and laughter of old friends and the precious little freedoms that Ghana always brings.
So we are happy but waiting to settle - we hope you are happy to.
Lotte, Kwame, Kwajo anjd Nayah (Akos and FoRRRRRReign. I can't wait to find out what our children will beomce)
Blessed love
The kids have been enjoying the beach and getting used to the fact that everyone tells you off here not just your parents!! They are coping very well with the changes, have really enjoyed the beach and are already picking up a little Twi.
We the adults are doing less well. We have a car (which cost so much I can't belive it - but the duty alone on this import was over 15million cedis...). However the car works and we can always sell it at the end. We do not yet have a job or a house but have been inspired to go into the estate agency business as it is so very mixed up here. We have seen palaces we cannot afford and places we reeally could not put the children - I fear we have seen little inbetween. However we are hopeful of moving in somewhere on Friday and time alone will tell.
Hopefully next time I can write of sitting under my mango tree eating succulent fruit and reading a book as the sand trickles between toes - sadly at the moment it is stress, polution, the harmatan and the city. However within this there is the joy, love and laughter of old friends and the precious little freedoms that Ghana always brings.
So we are happy but waiting to settle - we hope you are happy to.
Lotte, Kwame, Kwajo anjd Nayah (Akos and FoRRRRRReign. I can't wait to find out what our children will beomce)
Blessed love
Monday 22 January 2007
Before
This weekend I found the tickets and realised it was time to pack. I began to panic that things were going too well - by Monday I have broken glasses and British Airways are threatening to strike on our flight date. No more panicking.
So we are excited but oddly nervous this time round. Medical staff here normally associate Africa very strongly with death (particularly west Africa) Kwame and I assume an air of sad amusement and point out that many people survive and that people die here too. However, this time round we don't seem to have been able to laugh it all off and Kwame has had to be very brave in front of the kids and have more injections than me.
We are taking anti-malarials - because of Kwajo and Nayah's ages and the length of stay we can only take one type. However this has not stopped the world and its wife having an opinion - especially about the kids.
I fear anti-malarials. I think they can make you complacent and everyone I know who has been seriously blood transfusion ill has been on them. However, after our first stint with Baby Kwajo at four months we have decided to take them again. Of course since the best way is to not get bittern we have spent a stupid amount on super dooper snazzy pop up nets and flashy gadgets that may or may not work. At night the kids will be cocooned in two self erecting tent like things whether inside or out. I bet they hate them - but I bet fear gets us sleeping in them.
It looks like with all this BA business we have plenty of practice time.
Still no job or house when we get there and now no flights.
So we are excited but oddly nervous this time round. Medical staff here normally associate Africa very strongly with death (particularly west Africa) Kwame and I assume an air of sad amusement and point out that many people survive and that people die here too. However, this time round we don't seem to have been able to laugh it all off and Kwame has had to be very brave in front of the kids and have more injections than me.
We are taking anti-malarials - because of Kwajo and Nayah's ages and the length of stay we can only take one type. However this has not stopped the world and its wife having an opinion - especially about the kids.
I fear anti-malarials. I think they can make you complacent and everyone I know who has been seriously blood transfusion ill has been on them. However, after our first stint with Baby Kwajo at four months we have decided to take them again. Of course since the best way is to not get bittern we have spent a stupid amount on super dooper snazzy pop up nets and flashy gadgets that may or may not work. At night the kids will be cocooned in two self erecting tent like things whether inside or out. I bet they hate them - but I bet fear gets us sleeping in them.
It looks like with all this BA business we have plenty of practice time.
Still no job or house when we get there and now no flights.
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