Medamfo, etesen? Eye? Nyeme Adom!!
First, I'd like to thank the Turner family and the Wilson County Baha'i's, Aunt Linda and Uncle Mick, Tracy and Mom and Dad for sending me packages and money! It means alot to me! And it was nice to get some artificial flavoring and preservatives in my body! :)
Second, can you believe it's been over 7 months since September 3rd, 2008?! I sure can't! It feels like just yesterday that I was packing my bags for West Africa!
Here's part two of the questions you asked me to answer!
What kind of fruit do you have in Ghana?
Ghanaian fresh fruit is absolutelly awesome! Bananas, oranges, mangos, papya, pineapple and these things Junior and Kwasi call "white mans apples"-which taste exactly like a green apple Jolly Rancher- are my favorites. And what's best about it is that it's cheap. You can buy 60 oranges for 3ghc (2.17$), 22 mangos for 1ghc or 6 bananas for about .20ghc. Also, ripe plantains are good. And what's even better than the price is that it keeps you regular-if you know what I mean-, but sometimes a little to regular. While i've been in Ghana (my appologies to the people who find it odd to talk about your bowel system!) I've either been constipated or had diarrhea, it's two extremes and they both suck. Either I'm going constantly or I'm thinking to myself "Dude, you have fufu in you from 5 days ago!". It's one or the other. That's why I keep a bottle of fiber and a bottle of anti-diarrheal on my bed head board so I can be prepared for anything. I always keep Junior and Kwasi updated on my bowel movements and always blame both constipation and diarrhea on the fufu (Its the cure to all complaining: "It's because of the fufu!"), which in return I get "Rich, you always say it's the fufu!". Sometimes the most thinking I'll do in a day is whether I will or will not go to the bathroom! haha. I'll end with a quote from Lil Donkor aka Junior: "Ha! White people don't fart? You don't know Rich! When he farts, it knocks me down!"
Is witchcraft very prevalent in Ghana?
It is very prevalent. I find it a bit comical, but at the same time very sad. I find it funny because pretty much everyone believes in it. And when I try to explain that in America there aren't any witches or that we believed in witches in the 1700's but it was all a mistake, I get "Well, there just aren't any in America." But it's sad because good people get labelled as witches and sometimes get shunned. For example, the next door neighbor is supposedly a witch. Though when I've talked to her, she was very sweet. Luckily, I don't think they kill witches, they just send them to a special witch pastor(which is another story). I can remember one day Junior and Kwasi coming home from school and telling me that a pastor came to their school and told the whole school that there are over 30 witches at their school, I cringed when I heard that. And the African and Ghanaian movies just back up the belief in witchcraft when they constantly put it in the storylines. And then of course if you don't like someone, you can just go to a witch doctor and put a curse on them. But like I said, it's sad because alot of good people are "witches", but I think witchcraft is a signature trait of a third world country.
How is your Twi?
My Twi is getting better, or I guess I should say "Me ti Twi kakra.". I regret not trying harder when I first got here to learn. But latelly I've surprised myself with what I'm able to say. When I bought phone credit a few days ago, I spoke totally in Twi to the lady. It wasn't hard Twi, but it was still Twi. It seemed to impress her. I can understand it more than I can speak it, which coincidentally means I can usually only understand the insults: "KWASIA!", "JIMMYPAA!". I do try and use my Twi just to let people know I am make an effort.
What chores do you have to do?
I try to pull my weight around the house. I do enough sitting around that I usually try and find work to do. The chores I do on a daily basis include sweeping, cutting (casava, plantain, yam....I just sliced open my finger for the first time in 7 months, I was pretty proud), starting the fire for cooking, putting away dishes and on some days pounding fufu. Once a week I go to the garden with Kwasi to dig casava, weed grass (which usually turns Ghanaians heads), help clean the bathroom, and of course I clean my own room and clothes. And with the new addition of 1,200 chickens, I've been helping in the coupe. I'll help Kwasi give out food, water and clean the dishes and keep the coal on fire. I enjoy helping with the chickens other than the raunchy smell and stepping in the chicken poop. And eventually Ill get to eat Chi-boms.......egg sandwiches! And I'll help out with other odds and ends. And of course I'll help Junior and Kwasi with their homework, which isn't a chore, though it can be a pain explaining things to them!
Tell us a funny story about your brothers!
Oh, the stories I have to tell about Junior and Kwasi! I'll give you a really cute story about Junior. I'll give you the background to this conversation. Anytime I give Junior anything(food, pencils, q-tips, etc.) he always tells me "God bless you Rich! God will give you plenty money!". I always got a kick out of that, then I started thinking about what he was saying and eventually told him that I didn't want money, but instead good health. I told him that I didn't think that money could buy happiness and explained why. So now when I give him anything, he'll tell me "God bless you Rich! God will give you the good health!" Now to the conversation. Kwasi was reading a book I recently bought for him, while me and Junior prepared to play football:
Rich: Yen ko bobo! (Lets go play football!)
Kwasi: Dabi, I'm reading. (No, I'm reading.)
Rich: Kwasi, you're a smart kid! You keep reading and get good grades so you can go to the university! Then get a good job, get a wife and make lots of kids, and make lots of money!
Kwasi: Oh, I will do, I will do!
Rich: But you know, I don't think money can buy happiness?
Kwasi: What?
Rich: Junior, blah! (Junior, come!) Junior, what doesn't money buy?
Junior: Happiness!
Kwasi: Yes it can!
Junior: No it can't! Because when you die, God doesn't want anything but you! Only you go to Heaven! Nothing else!
Rich: Hahaha! Junior, wah ya dia! (Well done!)
I had not told Junior anything other than that I thought money couldn't buy happiness! I got such a kick out of him saying that. The funny things kids say! I'll miss my brothers so much!
