White people, learning Ewe and a funeral

I've seen more white people in Ho than all the times I've been here before.  One guy was wearing a Projects Abroad t-shirt and they seem to be American, athough I haven't spoken to them, just heard them.  They're not quiet.  As Ghana is currently a stable African country it's not surprising that many volunteers are now coming here and it's great that there are more people wanting to help.  They all seem to be in their 20s so I'm feeling a bit of an old fogey.  So far I've seen around 10 of them.  Doesn't seem many but in comparison to the one or two I've seen previously it's a massive increase.

Paid a visit to Vodafone in Ho yesterday to see if I could connect my netbook to their internet in order to re-download virus protection etc.  Been having probs with the connection in Akrofu.  No need for a USB cable they have wireless.  Fab.  Much quicker than what I've been used to so far over here and managed to get quite a lot done in the hour and a half I was there.  Total cost £1.20.  This is where I heard the Americans in their not too quiet voices complaining about mold on the ceiling of where they were staying and how slow it was at the bank.  I definitely agree with the latter.  After several hours of waiting on two different occasions I now have a Barclays savings account over here, where I can put my travellers cheques into and not get charged for withdrawing from an ATM.  Will be much easier in the future, when I can transfer money from home before I fly out.  Don't know why I haven't done this beforehand.  All banks are slow even back home.  At least there's air-con here (with all windows and doors closed).

Forgot to mention in my previous post that Old Soldier has married his late brother's wife.  At the funeral it was decided that he should take care of her and her children.  I did wonder how much input she had into that conversation, but they seem happy together.  She has two daughters from her previous marriage and Old Soldier already had two daughters and two sons - not sure about his first wife, he hasn't mentioned her yet.   All the children are working and living in Accra and he is proud to say doing well for themselves.

Left to right: Favour, Ludia, Kate and Hammond.

I'm doing dictation of sorts with some of the kids in the evening.  Kate is doing well but the other two are having some difficulty.  Part of it I think is my accent and how I say words.  I'm finding myself pronouncing words as they do so they can understand better.  I wonder what my accent will be like by the time I get back.


The kids are also helping me with my Ewe, although it's quite difficult to understand each word when there are several enthusiastic kids shouting at the same time.  Some of the first sentences they taught me were 'be/keep quiet', 'what are you doing?', 'stop doing that', 'stop insulting that person' and 'don't beat'.  I get the impression these are said to the kids quite often.

A guy from the village and a relative of Jackson (everyone seems to be related some way of another, I can't keep up), Nathaniel, has also offered to teach me Ewe.  He teaches many of the missionaries who go to Ho.  Probably the most religious person I've ever met so not sure how it is going to go.  If he just sticks to the Ewe and not go on about Jesus and God then it'll be ok.  That I continually mention I'm not religious, at least not any form of organised religion, is soon forgotten.  They are a very religious people no matter what form of religion it is, whether Christianity, Traditional or whatever.  Jackson and others keep asking me if I'm going to church,  which I reply, 'occassionally'.  So I'm hoping Nathaniel doesn't see this as an opportunity to try and convert someone.  He'll be greatly disappointed, I'll be seriously pissed off and our Ewe lessons will be short lived.

There was a funeral this weekend.  Loads of people descended on the village Friday evening, milling about and paying respects to the family.  Lots of loud singing, drumming and dancing going on until around 5am according to my sleep deprevation.  When there's a funeral in the village most people who live away return for the weekend to pay respects and catch up with family and friends.  A definite hive of activity in complete contrast to the norm.

Listening to Shabba in the village is a bit odd, but then any black rapper/singer from the West is well received here.  They do like Celine Dion for some reason as well.  Over the weekend an S-Club 7 track blared out from the biggest speakers I've seen outside of a concert.  I thought I'd managed to get away from that type of music but unfortunately not, I had a flash back to a Saturday night in Bridgend.

Last year I received a message from Jackson saying his father had tragically died in a car accident.  Very sad.  I've now found out he was greeting another man outside a house just off the road and a car veered off and hit them.  Both were killed and the families are still trying to get the insurance money.  It seems the police are not interested and will only do a proper investigation if given some money.

It is tradition that those paying respects donate money to the family to help pay for the funeral.  The cost of funerals over here is often more than families can afford.  Sometimes someone offers to pay for everything on the off chance they'll receive more money back in gifts from those paying respects with very little going to the berieved family.  Often bodies are kept in the mortuary for months, even up to six months or more, until the family have raised enough for burial.   

On a lighter note I've had a skirt and top made by a local seamstress.  A very vibrant green!  Apparently I look 'very fine' in it and like a proper African lady.  Albeit with some sort of Michael Jackson skin condition.  If I'm accosted and dragged to church on Sunday (joy of joys) I'll wear it.

My usual drinking spot in Ho has disappeared, so after a bit of a wander the other day I found another relatively quiet place that does food, where I can sit unnoticed.  I had fried yam chips with chilli sauce, yum yum.  It is more expensive than buying from street stalls, which have equally yummy yam, but I can sit, relax and have a beer at the same time.

I've been asking about the local drumming group and whether they would mind teaching me how to drum the local Bobobo music.  I bought a drum the last time I was here, which has been sitting in my living room practically untouched since, so will be good to be able to play it properly.  It is currently being used as a DVD/CD stand.

I've also enquired about local herbal medicines.  Curious as to what they use, how they make them and apparent medicinal qualities.  Jackson is doing a final year project at uni on how to extract the active ingredient from neem to help preserve seeds.  No idea what neem is at the mo, will have to look it up.

It has rained a few times the past couple of days which has dropped the temperature from an almost unbearable heat to cooler less sweaty conditions.  Was wondering how much one person can sweat...apparently a lot.  Yesterday it was torrential, lasting only about 20 mins but there was a river of water flowing past the back of the house.  With hardly any drainage system flooding is a definite possibility if it rains continuously like that over a longer period of time.  Last year several parts of Ghana were severely affected by flooding.  Fortunately there were relatively few fatalities and displaced people and not on the scale as is occurring in Pakistan at the moment.

No coughing sheep for a while until last night.  It is now spitting in between coughs, not good.  A decrease in the chicken population seems to be proportional to the increase in goats.  Several explanations could be the reason, some more plausible than others: the chickens have discovered a way of shape shifting;  more goats are being born; due to the funeral catering, more chickens sacrificed themselves for the good of humans; the goats have upped the anti in the war and winning, secretly hiding the bodies; chickens have realised they are no match for the army of goats and their general has gone 'run away! run away!'.

Bye for now.

Sam x