a day in the life...
Friday was any normal day as a student at the University of Ghana. I danced in my nasty white tee and spandex shorts in the hardwood, unairconditioned dance studio for an hour, learning how to gracefully cut off my "enemy's" head with my "sword" by my 50 year old dance instructor. Then I took a trotro home, showered and packed very quickly, to make it back to school to take yet another trotro to the Volta region of Ghana for a drumming and dance festival. We ended up needing a second trotro since there were too many of us, so we waited on the side of the highway. my friend and I lay down to take a nap (yes, on the side of the highway), and a funeral procession walked by, all wearing matching black t-shirts that said Rest In Peace with some man's face on it, and they told us we were "very nice girls." We got to the village (Dzodze) that night and walked around for a bit, grabbing some dinner (fried yam, egg and rice). We then spent the night sleeping on the floor (actually, I got to sleep in two chairs pushed together cuz I'm small... yeah!), and pooping in wooden holes in the middle of the "bathroom" floor. We awoke to roosters crowing (LOUDLY!) and drumming already starting at 6 a.m. No running water, so we brushed our teeth with bottled water and went out to greet the day. Some neighborhood kids were already drumming, and when they played one song a bunch of our oburonis knew the dance, so they danced for the village. We then went out to the main road and watched the king being carried on his palanquin, complete with a HUGE umbrella over him, an entourage, and a man walking behind with a wooden doll in his hand that "moved" the king forward, as well as taking in all bad energies that were directed to the king. We arrived at the main market place, turned into durbar grounds, and watched more drumming and dancing (some by us again)... including Sohu and Atsiabegkor, both of which I know how to do! It was African-style hot, so I got burned, but it was nice anyway.
Then I managed to pull a wincer. Some SUVs came driving in and men in suits got out the car. They started walking around, coming over to my side of the festivities first. I didn't know what was going on since the entire program was being emceed in Ewe, but I do know that suddenly people were standing, and I wasn't, and some man in the entourage was pulling me to my feet with a displeased look on his face. We shook hands with random dudes in suits, and one said to me, "Very beautiful." At least he wasn't mad. Turns out it was the vice-president of Ghana. Oops. I felt so rude, even though I clearly didn't know what was happening or who he was. *winces*
And I ate 7 soya kabobs.... mmmmm.....
Sunday I went to Kokrobitey beach (so hard to get to, but worth it). It was peaceful, beautiful, and full of Rastas like any good beach should be. I bought a ton of jewelry.
Ay-ya-yay.....I'm late for my second drumming class of the day. Life is good here.
I'm beginning to realize that the more music I learn here, the more I realize how much more there still is! There is no way I'm going to be satisfied by the time I leave. It would take years of studying here to get all of it! But seriously, I can see why Steve Reich (my favorite composer... check out "Clapping Music") came here to study too.
Love everyone.
Then I managed to pull a wincer. Some SUVs came driving in and men in suits got out the car. They started walking around, coming over to my side of the festivities first. I didn't know what was going on since the entire program was being emceed in Ewe, but I do know that suddenly people were standing, and I wasn't, and some man in the entourage was pulling me to my feet with a displeased look on his face. We shook hands with random dudes in suits, and one said to me, "Very beautiful." At least he wasn't mad. Turns out it was the vice-president of Ghana. Oops. I felt so rude, even though I clearly didn't know what was happening or who he was. *winces*
And I ate 7 soya kabobs.... mmmmm.....
Sunday I went to Kokrobitey beach (so hard to get to, but worth it). It was peaceful, beautiful, and full of Rastas like any good beach should be. I bought a ton of jewelry.
Ay-ya-yay.....I'm late for my second drumming class of the day. Life is good here.
I'm beginning to realize that the more music I learn here, the more I realize how much more there still is! There is no way I'm going to be satisfied by the time I leave. It would take years of studying here to get all of it! But seriously, I can see why Steve Reich (my favorite composer... check out "Clapping Music") came here to study too.
Love everyone.