Wed. May 27th, 2009:
I gave Rose my comb. She needed to comb her Tina Turner hairdo. I say, "What? A hairdresser with no comb?". She's heading to Mankranso for a conference of local hairstylists, an association. She shows me her membership book, 100 beauticians from around the area will be there. Nana and I drink tea, Auntie Bea and Mr. Atta are back and have tea. Mr Atta is heading back to the cocoa farm for a week. It's still and quiet now. Nana makes fried plantains that are tasty. Yesterday, Rose gave me a pineapple and today a mango. I have rice today with 2 hardboiled eggs, some beans and pepper stew, 1 cedi, 10 pesewas worth. Yaw Sarpong and Kwaku Baah draw for awhile. I finish reading "Waiting for Godot" today. Yaw Sarpong draws flags of the world. Now, Yaw Gyamfi and Sadick are drawing. The match between Barcelona and Manchester will be on in one hour.
Sunday, May 31st, 2009:
Walked to Potrikrom with Kwaku Baah, Yaw Bimpe, Sadick. Also to the little village after, very small with old clay bldgs held together with wood boarded frames. Saw a couple of beautiful birds, one long billed like hornbill, slender. Yaw said people eat it, doesn't look like much meat. Many nests along side of road, weavers' nests, A field with large cut-down trees, Bea's maize farm, Orange citrus farms, a boy holding a long stalk of sugar cane, photos of ant hills, redbrown, medieval-like castles, other worldly. When we returned, sounds of many boys chanting, we go outside, see them holding a cardboard trophy cup. Vincent had made it. Took photos of the boys and then Vincent holding the cup in celebration of Barcelona's victory.
Thursday, May 28th, 2009:
Walked to Alliance Fancaise in Kumasi, lots of plantains, vegetation, lowlands, old railroad, green plots within the city, sellers of pottery, furniture makers using cane and wicker, police station, big fancy hotels, banks, nightclubs, lots of traffic, taxis beep always asking me do I want a lift, I'm a walker.
At Alliance, Dorothy Amenuke's Reception. Dorothy greets me. She's all dressed up in nice batik. Her show is sculptures primarily made of various fabrics. The show's title is "Fluid flow through woven screens" Titles of some of her works are: "Weaving the Woven", "Security 1", Transparency, In the Nest 1. It's a great turn out. Many artists are there and I talk to them. I meet Bernard Akoi Jackson from Nubuke Foundation, Atta Kwame, Pemela Clarkson. Pamela Clark introduces me to Amara Hark, Mary Hark's daughter, also from Minnesota. She's here for SaNsA.
Sunday, June 7th:
Sandra under the table, Yaw drawing from the bldgs book, Kenny Roger's at the Spot, loud music on Sunday mornings, "you've got toknow when to hold'em, know when tofold'em", hwe-behold, akyiri-beyond, anoma-bird, looking up Twi words, Margaritaville is playing now. Yesterday, at Lincoln School. Young men hanging onto cars and vans, driving fast, shouting, raucous, packed vans, like a college football game. Ghana plays in Mali tomorrow and think is related. I find out it's for a funeral in Manhyia. We pass by and it's a wild party with young people in the streets and acting crazy, lots of drinking. The guy next to me explains a little bit. This is for a young person's funeral. A send off. Like an Irish wake.
Electricity out, can't watch Ghana vs. Mali. Read Joyce's play, "Exiles".
Monday, June 8th:
Waoke up 6:40am, painted backs of paintings, doing collaged dirt pieces. Made tea, no bread at the little neighborhood store, reading Neruda's Tyranny from 1st Residence. Alittle boy looks at me throught the screen, Richmond? Auntie Bea stops by, says she's going to the farm. Rose took Sandra to school. Nana's at the farm. Neruda: "...a wound as confused as a new being/encompassthe stubborn root of my soul/biting the center of my security."
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009:
4:30 call to prayer, azzan from two different mosques. Then, right away, another loud speaker starts blarring. I hear, "halleluah", "halleluah". The loud, harsh non-stop talking goes on for a long time in the wee hours of the morning. I asked Yaw what was that about. He said it's the "Romans". The Catholics in the village have a loud speaker and were preaching. The Radio news in Twi is also played over the loud speaker during the day. I read Andrew, the Peace Corps volunteers old Smithsonians, May 2006. Copernicus Publishing "Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, 1543, sun at center of picture, "The scorn which I had to fear on account of the newness and absurdity of my opinion almost drove me to abandon a work already taken. The Catholic Church censored in 1616. The church saw the fork as an evil instrument, the devil's instrument. The fork has only been commonly used in the past 200 years or so. Mount Rushmore's 1st American Indian Superintendent, Gerald Baker. Defender's of the Black Hills, environmental group, Charmaine White Face, Lakota, "We all hate Mt. Rushmore. It's a sacred mountain that has been desecrated." "It's like a slap in the face to us--salt in the wounds--as if a statue of Adolf Hitler was put in the middle of Jerusalem." Late 1930s, Chief Henry Standing bear conceived Crazy Horse's Monument. DADA: WW1 "Hugo Ball wanted to shock anyone who regarded 'all this civilized carnage as a triumph of European intelligence', collapse of culture of rationality that prevailed in Europe."
June 10, 2009:
This morning at Star Oil, I met a Ghanaian from Coon Rapids, MN, James. He's lived there for 10 yrs. He's a realtor. He gave me his number and said call him anytime. His fiance, Comfort, works at Star Oil. They will be married in July and then she will go to Minnesota in the winter. I will probably see them Minneapolis.
Thurs, June 11, 2009:
I just me t Harry from Belgium, owner of the Smooth Jazz Spot in Bantama in Kumasi. He has been here since 95, runs a gas company, married to a Ghanaian with 2 kids. He said to call him if I need anything. Irene and Daniel work at the sopot. I'm drinking Castle Milk stout and eating Goat Pepper Soup, nice and hot and spicy. 2 pieces of goat, 50 pesewas a piece, thick skin, bones, sinus clearing soup, good with beer. I just bought Daraprim, a malarial preventative, taken once a week, 50 pesewas a pill, nice breezes, colors and signs everywhere, I'll go back to the Ashanti Gold Hotel this evening for a SaNsA talk. A tree wraps around a post of the bar, a lower limb has been cut, American Idol is on the T.V., then FIFA Confederation Cup Chanpionship. Thurs. night, intense rain storm. After Smooth Jazz, went back to Culture Center and met Fiona. She's doing her PH.D from Britain, researching the first Brits account his encounter with the Ashantis.
Sunday, June 14th, 2009:
Watched the boy's soccer match. Five children gathered around me, Abena with her soft, musical voice, Rita, Abena's 2 yr. old bro Ebenezer, and a couple other's. Adwoa was walking by and limping. She stepped on a nail. Her nephew, Clemont, was helping her. She had a tetanus shot and medicine.
Sat., June 20th, 2009:
At Spot, south of the STC bus station. Crowd of Ghanaians in back area drinking Apeteshi, the local brew, watching the Ghana, Sudan match. I'm in front and get some skewers of goat with onions and pepper seasonings, and then I head back to watch the match. Milky white Apeteshi, the local brew, 65 pesewas, in a little glass. My neighbor say's to me, "You are invited". I already had my Castle Milk Stout and thank him. Everyone standing up and shouting when Ghana scores. Ghana wins 2-0.
Sun, June 21, 2009:
Ji, an artist from South Korea, comes up to the village. Everyone's happy to meet her. We have tea and cookies and she looks at the children's art. She plans on coming back on Thursday and drawing portraits of some of the people. She gives me blank postcards for people to draw on which she will collect later. We walk around the village, teak leaves, bamboo in the distance by the fish pond, Nzongo, the old part of town, the brown and yellow govt. school, lines of teak trees.
Monday, June 21, 2009:
Laundry this morning, chickens walk by, cloudy overcast, people walking by, greet me, amused by the obruni. Nana helps me. I make tea and sit down to write. Yaw Sarpong stops by and draws and then Nsiah Kwame stops by. I show them the postcards for Ji and they draw on those. A little black and white bird lands out front. It has a long, black, forked tail. It just fluttered by again.
transplan, migratory, rooster crows, echoes,
calls, chants, prayers, soft sounds of cars
on the Sunyani Rd. with radio voices, radio beats
in between the crows, the scratching of pens and
colored pencils, aroma of Chelsea tea, the brown table,
ripped screens, Andrew's big leafy plants, hot water,
hazy sky, wet red ground, soil.
Mr. Addo said one day that during rain storms,
children will be out looking for gold specks
in the streams and they will pick up little gold
flakes and pebbles. He talked about the Japanese
being here working on rice projects but also
looking for gold. Two Americans as well were
looking for gold. The Japanese were concerned
Andrew the peace corps volunteer was looking for
gold and had a device to watch him.
Auntie Bea said last night that for Sunday funerals,
people wear black and white; for Saturday funerals,
they wear black adinkra cloths.
Yaw Owusu stops by, draws his palm line on a
postcard for Ji and also another drawing for her.
Two of my paint brushes I find in the corner of
my room. Both were used to apply vegetable oil.
Maybe the mice dragged them there to lick them off.
Yaw Owusu explains that about one week after death,
people gather to hear when the funeral will be. It could
be one month after or four months after. Forty days is usual.
One week after the death, there's mineral water, coke, fanta
but no alcohol, only the family. Can bury the person one or
two weeks later. Don't touch person's things for 40 days.
Sitting outside with little Sandra on my lap,
breezy, sunny, Becky, Mary, Sandra, Kwaku Baah playing
jump rope with tied bark strings. A young man walks
by with a rooster in his grasp, the two wings pinched
together. The rooster is quiet, staring. Little Sandra
repeating words after me, "1,2,3, A, B, C, Kwaku Baah"
Two young women by little store to the east, one doing
the other's hair.
Friday morning, June 26th, 2009:
A man and a little girl walk to the neighbors house.
The man goes into the gate. There are two lizards
on the wall. The little girl looks like she is
trying to catch a lizard. Then, I see a hen with
seven chicks come out. The hen and chicks walk to the
the corn shed and the man in red sports pants and girl
shepherds them. The hen and chicks hide under the
corn shed while the man and girl walk around the
corn shed trying to get them out.
Ama cleans her room. Auntie Bea and Nana are talking.
Two school girls stop by and ask me, "How are you?"
Kwame and Adwoa stop by to draw, Kwame 6yrs?, Adwoa
4 yrs? Adwoa's using the side of her colored pencil,
filling in a large area with red. Pat comes by and
draws. Brazil beat South Africa last night. Ama
tells me Michael Jackson died.
Thurs, July 2nd, 2009:
Doing laundry today, Rose helping me, Adwoa and Clement
stop by. Rose tells them Nana Boakye, the chief moved
her from in front of his place to Nzongo, the old part
of town. I eat rice, an egg, beans and stew this afternoon,
one cedi. The woman preparing my food has two vertical scars
on each side of her face. The Ashanti have one horizontal scar
on the left cheek. A girl helps her interpret what I want.
Little Sandra walked over this morning by herself, so I picked
her up. She was wet. I carried her back to her mother. Kofi
and Cece came over to draw today. Cece draws houses, almost
circus-like tent structures/shapes. Kofi's had jagged lines,
interesting abstractions. I read magazines this afternoon,
Peace Corps mags, Newsweeks from 2005-2006. It's about 5pm
now. Screams from Mary. Her friend swinging her, playing around.
The sheep are heading back to their house. They stop to eat
some of the greass. Yaw Owusu stops to visit. Mary
and her friend are now drawing.
Friday, July 3rd, 2009:
I saw my first female tro-tro mate(conductor)in Abuakwa today.
Her head and shoulder were sticking out of the side window.
Her arm gesturing the "Where are you going?" sign; open hand
facing upward and rotating. She was shouting out the names
of the towns and villages auctioneer-like that the tro-tro
was heading to.
Sunday, July 5th, 2009:
Moringa and Lipton tea, tea bread, reading Rilke,
Agya and Kwaku drawing, now another boy comes
by and draws a house. Across the way, Mary is
washing naked sandr's butt, dipping her hand
into a black bucket of water. Another boy
comes into draw.
obontain-to town
went to the market, bought kwadu (bananas,
looked around in the market, saw Yaw Owusu next to
Kontua tree (Calabash tree, took photos, talked to
people, visited Yaw's two places, one room at his
family's shares with junior brother, sleeps at
another room that he rents, big furniture, curtain
dividing room, bed area, t.v. in living area,
also his mediation room,
bought rice, stew, egg, fish for 1 cedi
walked around trails after stopping by Meleama's.
Walked down to the fish pond through rice paddies,
palms, flowering teak trees, Eleven boys with me.
They swam in the river, jumping around and having fun.
Monday, July 6th, 2009:
Walked across the Dunyani River, high water,
wooded planked foot bridge, bamboo forest,
hundred nests, round nests, weavers?, yellow
birds. Walked along the washed-out gravel road,
rice and maize along the way, palm, cocoa,
farmers going to and fro, baskets, bags on their heads,
machetes, Wallentig (rubber) boots.
Walked back to town and bought fish by Yaw
Owusu's house. His nieces and nephews under
the tree at the house playing a board game they
called "Lood", similar to Shoots and Ladders.
Met Yaw's mother, peeling cocao yams. We bought
dried Tilapia fish for 2 cedis, a good amount.
Stopped by his sister's, pregnant with second
child. She sells bread, on Mondays and Fridays
in the afternoon is the freshest, tea bread,
sugar bread, butter bread.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thursday, August 20, 2009
May 15th-May 23rd, Adugyama,Biemso I and II, Ntensere, Ghana
May 15th, 2009:
I go back to Naa, the healer, around 5:00 pm. She tells me I need to bathe first because she'll put medicine on for the night. I go back around 6:30. She asks again if I want the cutting, but I say the massage is good enough for me. She presses her thumbs into my tender spots and applies the medicine, shea butter, mud, and herbs. She wouldn't tell me the specifics. She tells me to come back in the morning.
May 16th, 2009:
I go back to Naa's in the morning with Yaw Bimpe and Kwaku Baah. There's a shoe repair shop along the way. It has a large painting of a scary doll's face that looks just like Chuckie. Underneath is written, "Child's Play".
Naa isn't around when we get there. Her son is bandaging a woman's leg, her entire leg in white bandages. Women and girls are getting water at the well in the courtyard, metal basins full of water. The rope with knots takes the bucket down for more. The girls spiral their long fabric and place it on their heads. They help each other place their basins on top.
Many People waiting for healing and to get their wounds attended to. Old women in brightly colored clothes, interesting wrinkled faces, a chubby baby in her mother's arms, another woman trying to get her to smile.
A soldier and another man escort a woman to the healer (Naa's son). Naa's son has a deep lined face, big smiles and is cheerful. He removes her guaze. Her entire arm is swollen. She has a brown powder, "Ghana medicine", on her arm. She winces and is in pain. Naa's son jokes around with the water carriers and applies a hot towel, steaming hot. She's in very much pain now and the men hold her. He tries to straighten out her arm and begins to apply another bandage.
Next is a little girl, maybe 9 yrs. old who has arm trouble as well, her right arm around the elbow and above. He applies the steaming towel. She turns away wincing. Her mother holds her.
Finally, Naa comes in talking to people along the way. She has on a balck crocheted hat. She asks how I am and invites me to the room, the dark, blue-walled room, cerulean blue with a blue halogen light. She takes the medicine and rubs it into my lower back pressing with her lower thumbs, massaging in the mud like substance. A few minutes later she says I'm done and I put my shirt back on. She says come back again in the evening and jokes again about me taking her to the U.S.
The boys and I take off for a long walk to the village of Beimso II(two) about 2 miles away, Yaw Bimpe, Yaw Gimpfi, Sadick, Kwaku Baah, and Daniel Owusu. Green, Catholic cemetary, tile photos of the deceased on white, tiled, bed-like gravestones. Yaw Bimpe says, Auntie Bea's mother is buried there. A plaster, angel sculpture in honor of one of the dead, green growth, red dirt road, water carriers pass us on the way to the stream. incinerator chimney, beehive bricks, dump filled with plastic bags, broken wicker baskets.
Tall trees stick up along the way, lilipads, plantains, a rice field with mud packed low barriers, churches, farmers in the field. A few women are eating and invite me to join them, they wave, pass the stream, a young man is helping a woman fill her basin. She has green plants, leafs floating on the top as she walks up the steep incline. A couple taxis pass us. More people along the way, maize, orange citrus farm with casava on the side of the road. Yaw Bimpe says it's the assemblyman's of Adugyama. He's rich.
Get to Biemso II,on the outskirts, a secondary school with world map mural, meet people in the village. They're surprised to see an Obruni. They ask me where I'm going. I say I'm just walking around. A drunk man tries to talk to me. He's smoking, rare to see in Ghana. Children run to the road. A rasta man with dreads is on the side of the road and we greet each other and shake hands. Then we turn back to Adugyama. We sprint a little bit. I haven't sprinted in a long time. Then stop at the secondary school and the boys play on the trees. They drink some water from the stream and invite me to do the same, but I decline. I take photos of the tall trees sticking in the air, remnants of a powerful empire, the rainforest.
Sunday, May 17th:
6:20am, I hear country music coming from the local spot, "One Day at a Time Sweet Jesus" is playing, different version than I've heard before. In the morning, country music. I buy eight bananas, fried maize donuts. Yaw Bimpe buys rice in Nzongo, chicken wire screen around rice shop to protect from flies. We pass by the big baobab tree. Yaw Bimpe says that even if you cut this tree it will not fall down. It is like a ghost tree. People cook the leaves and eat them.
Later, I see Kwaku Baah and Sandra running around the front of the house, then Nana. I see goats run under the corn shed. Then I see one of the little goats has a bucket around its neck. They're trying to catch him. There are several goats running together. I go out and take pictures as they chase the goat. Awhile later, I hear a goat squeal and then Ama laughing. A man helped them catch the goat.
Monday, May 18th, 2009:
Laundry this morning. I hand wash my laundry.
I try to do it myself, but Rose won't let me. She looks on, sees my lack of technique, bemused and probably dumbfounded. She gets her pretty salon assistant to help me. I try to stop them saying I can do it myelf but they won't listen.
I use So Klin detergent and Key Soap, a bar of soap that's advertized everywhere. I also use little blue ultramarine rock-like bleach that you rub into another bucket of water. My Key Soap is very small and Rose argues with me to get another. I say I can still use it one more time. She's about to get her assistant to buy me an new bar for 30 pesewas, so I go to my room and get my extra bar. Her assistant uses that one. I use my little ready-to-break-in-two one. People pass and are curious about me washing my clothes. They laugh and I greet them. This happens every week.
I make tea for Rose, laborers, and myself. Children stop by, 3-4 kids and little 2 yr. old Sandra. They draw and I tell them to stay quiet. I paint in the back by Nana's door. Goats and chickens hang out. One goat brings its head by the wall and watches me, two horns twisted brown and black. The goats occasionally get chased out of the house by the dog. The chickens walk around my art drying on the ground. The kitten walks on my painting, looking for food. The girls show me their artwork and leave. another boy stops by, Daniel Owusu. He wants to draw. He's a neighbor and his family seems to have very little. He likes to draw cars, strong geometry with dark lines, like his brother's. He draws his car. Another boy stops by, Kwame Nsiam. He draws large shapes that look similar to a shirt. Daniel finishes his car. I encourage him to draw more, so he draws an elephant below the car. I snap their photo holding their artworks. They enjoy looking at the photo on my camera.
Little stubs of colored pencils on the table,
my yellow plastic cup of Chelsea tea,
Nana's large tin cup, Sadick is drawing the space shuttle,
Auntie Bea eats plantains and stew. Yaw Owusu is reading a
Newsweek magazine, Istanbul,
no water for the past few days,
many people walk to the wells to fill
their buckets and basins. On the way to Naa's,
one well, two spickets, two lines of plastic buckets
waiting there when the well opens. Another well is
next to the Baobab tree.
The neighbor does her laundry, bent over, standing up
scrubbing 2 roosters and a hen eat next to her from
a charcoaled pot. Twi in the air from Yaw and Bea,
clear skies today. Last night, heavy rains loud
flickers of lightening like paparazzi.
I walk around the village, take photos of a couple of
children playing " store and dress up". I make spaghetti
with onions, garlic, olive oil.
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009:
Little after 7am, waiting for a tro-tro to Kejetia, G-circle
Naa's grandson stops by and says "hi". A man walks up to me
with his little daughter. She has curly hair, a little thin,
almost with a bald spot in the back and one gold earring. I ask how old she is and he says, 3 months. We talk a littl bit. The girl's mother is buying rice. The girl looks at me intently. I keep waiting for her to cry. Some little children have been freaked out by the ghost-like Obruni.
I get on the tro-tro and look at all the beautiful trees along the way, the farm fields, palms, plantains, pass through Mankranso, we zip by the customs used for trucks, further, police stop to check registration and tro-tro license. We get to the toll booth, many women are selling things, fried donuts (bofrotu), bread, green apples, PK gum, eggs,and many other snacks. Take the back road, I'm happy, more greener fields. I notice a large bug on the collar on the driver, about 2 inches with long antennae, scaler, with claw pincers. my neighbor notices it as well, so I take my pen and try to flick it off of him out the window. The bug hangs on with its pincers but crawls on the sleeve where the driver flicks it out of the window.
Friday, May 22, 2009:
Took tro-tro to Ntensere this morning, by the big rock/hill I like so much like a Chinese landscape painting. We walk a couple miles along the road through a little village and get to the monastery, Benedictine Monasstery of Monte Oliveto. The church is pagoda like. We're looking at it from the road. A man motions for us to come in, big dome, chairs at the back, little prayer areas/vestibules, paintings of St. Bernard of Tolomei, founder of Olivetan Congregation, St. Francis of Rome, patroness of Olivetan Cong. We went out back. Francis, the monk says only three monks are there now. Some people are in a side bldg getting ready to pray. He says every Friday people from neighboring villages come and pray. We meet the Superior/Director, Francis Kumi. He explains that the other monks, 14 or so are in Bologna, Italy, their sister monastery. An Italian architect built this monastery. He shows us a room for someone to go on a retreat for 2 days. He offers us a ride to Abuakwa, but I say I like to walk and look around and thank him. Yaw and I stay in the church for awhile, lots of bird sounds. Before Francis left, I say how much I liked the rocky hill on the Sunyani Rd. He said the church wanted to build there but it's a military zone. Nice wood on the ceiling, teak? Dark, webs and birds' nests in the dome above, quiet, peaceful, listen to the people praying, the birds. We go out front and Francis gives us a tour. We see the garden, an eight inch snake, baby snake, is in ourway and Francis, the monk, takes a brick and while we are conversing smashes the snake, big gash. Their garden has corn, tomatos, po po (papaya), carrots, onions, cabbage. They have large plastic tanks of water, laundry room, kitchen area, nice greass, brush/shrubs trimmed with the letters BMMO, Benedictine Monastery of Monte Oliveto, a grotto for baby Jesus and Mary. The director, Francis said he just came back from a retreat in Assisi, Italy. He's fluent in Italian.
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009:
brushing my teeth, 7am, a girl in a skirt with a little white, clear bucket of water in one hand, a little whisk broom made of palm reeds in the other, cleaning a yellow bucket used for carrying water. She circles the yellow bucket, dousing it with water and wisking it with her broom.
Yao Bimpe and I walk to Biemso I today, another village on a different road from Biemso II but fairly close. Red dirt road, grave, maintined well, pass by the newly built hospital on the edge of Adugyama, looks large. Go by a little cemetary, beautiful trees, flowers along the way, large, lone trees, palms, coconut, mangos, maize, many taxi pass us, then SUVs, Mercedes, nice cars. Yaw saysthere's probably a funeral. A woman with ground nuts (peanuts) on her head and a man selling belts and watches catch up to us. She says, "Andrew", and I tell her I'm Daniel, Andrew's friend. Yaw and I both buy ground nuts wrapped in newspaper, 20 pesewas each about 20-30 shelled peanuts. Took photos of lone, large trees, lush greens, remnants of rainforests farmed and parched by people, people and planted, cutting, sawing, burning, transplanting, decanopied, ripped off, church concrete at the edge of Biemso, painted by Senior Wisdom.
At Beimso, big funeral, many dark Adinkra cloths, took pictures of old catholic shrine, meet neighbor, Kofi's grandmother. She's happy to see us. Just as the funeral was getting under way, people enter, many women in green tops, red canopy, tents with nice chairs. Yaw says this is a very weathly funeral, ther person who died was rich. A pick-up flies past us with four men in the back. Look like military garb and I see a gun. As soon as the truck stops, 5 guys jump out with their rifles and guns and give chase. One guy runs by us, looking between the bldgs. They head down the hill and people are all stirred up. Some go and watch. I want to find some kind of cover in case there's a big shoot out. Things calm down and we walk further down the road. We see them bring in the casket, a Methodist funeral. A little ways down the road, we see the pick up that brought the military guys, no markings. Then, the guy with a uniform, the driver, I presume begins to walk toward us. He has the air of someone in power and gives a slight smile. I smile in return wanting to ask him what's happening, but thinking otherwise. Yaw overhears the people say they were after "stealers" and they caught them.
Back in Adugyama:
Mr. Addo stopped by. We talk about the usefulness of aid organizations. He says 2 Peace Corps volunteers were at his school when he was young and really influenced the students. Talked about how Andrew, the Peace Corps volunteer here, really motivated farmers to try different techniques. One farmer with a fish pond is now raising pigs.
Kids stop by to draw. I do my painting in the back, dirt, charcoal, and vegetable oil. Agya joins me. He did four paintings, children watch. Sandra and two or her friends painted a couple paintings. Later in the afternoon, a big group of kids all drawing and hanging out, having fun
I go back to Naa, the healer, around 5:00 pm. She tells me I need to bathe first because she'll put medicine on for the night. I go back around 6:30. She asks again if I want the cutting, but I say the massage is good enough for me. She presses her thumbs into my tender spots and applies the medicine, shea butter, mud, and herbs. She wouldn't tell me the specifics. She tells me to come back in the morning.
May 16th, 2009:
I go back to Naa's in the morning with Yaw Bimpe and Kwaku Baah. There's a shoe repair shop along the way. It has a large painting of a scary doll's face that looks just like Chuckie. Underneath is written, "Child's Play".
Naa isn't around when we get there. Her son is bandaging a woman's leg, her entire leg in white bandages. Women and girls are getting water at the well in the courtyard, metal basins full of water. The rope with knots takes the bucket down for more. The girls spiral their long fabric and place it on their heads. They help each other place their basins on top.
Many People waiting for healing and to get their wounds attended to. Old women in brightly colored clothes, interesting wrinkled faces, a chubby baby in her mother's arms, another woman trying to get her to smile.
A soldier and another man escort a woman to the healer (Naa's son). Naa's son has a deep lined face, big smiles and is cheerful. He removes her guaze. Her entire arm is swollen. She has a brown powder, "Ghana medicine", on her arm. She winces and is in pain. Naa's son jokes around with the water carriers and applies a hot towel, steaming hot. She's in very much pain now and the men hold her. He tries to straighten out her arm and begins to apply another bandage.
Next is a little girl, maybe 9 yrs. old who has arm trouble as well, her right arm around the elbow and above. He applies the steaming towel. She turns away wincing. Her mother holds her.
Finally, Naa comes in talking to people along the way. She has on a balck crocheted hat. She asks how I am and invites me to the room, the dark, blue-walled room, cerulean blue with a blue halogen light. She takes the medicine and rubs it into my lower back pressing with her lower thumbs, massaging in the mud like substance. A few minutes later she says I'm done and I put my shirt back on. She says come back again in the evening and jokes again about me taking her to the U.S.
The boys and I take off for a long walk to the village of Beimso II(two) about 2 miles away, Yaw Bimpe, Yaw Gimpfi, Sadick, Kwaku Baah, and Daniel Owusu. Green, Catholic cemetary, tile photos of the deceased on white, tiled, bed-like gravestones. Yaw Bimpe says, Auntie Bea's mother is buried there. A plaster, angel sculpture in honor of one of the dead, green growth, red dirt road, water carriers pass us on the way to the stream. incinerator chimney, beehive bricks, dump filled with plastic bags, broken wicker baskets.
Tall trees stick up along the way, lilipads, plantains, a rice field with mud packed low barriers, churches, farmers in the field. A few women are eating and invite me to join them, they wave, pass the stream, a young man is helping a woman fill her basin. She has green plants, leafs floating on the top as she walks up the steep incline. A couple taxis pass us. More people along the way, maize, orange citrus farm with casava on the side of the road. Yaw Bimpe says it's the assemblyman's of Adugyama. He's rich.
Get to Biemso II,on the outskirts, a secondary school with world map mural, meet people in the village. They're surprised to see an Obruni. They ask me where I'm going. I say I'm just walking around. A drunk man tries to talk to me. He's smoking, rare to see in Ghana. Children run to the road. A rasta man with dreads is on the side of the road and we greet each other and shake hands. Then we turn back to Adugyama. We sprint a little bit. I haven't sprinted in a long time. Then stop at the secondary school and the boys play on the trees. They drink some water from the stream and invite me to do the same, but I decline. I take photos of the tall trees sticking in the air, remnants of a powerful empire, the rainforest.
Sunday, May 17th:
6:20am, I hear country music coming from the local spot, "One Day at a Time Sweet Jesus" is playing, different version than I've heard before. In the morning, country music. I buy eight bananas, fried maize donuts. Yaw Bimpe buys rice in Nzongo, chicken wire screen around rice shop to protect from flies. We pass by the big baobab tree. Yaw Bimpe says that even if you cut this tree it will not fall down. It is like a ghost tree. People cook the leaves and eat them.
Later, I see Kwaku Baah and Sandra running around the front of the house, then Nana. I see goats run under the corn shed. Then I see one of the little goats has a bucket around its neck. They're trying to catch him. There are several goats running together. I go out and take pictures as they chase the goat. Awhile later, I hear a goat squeal and then Ama laughing. A man helped them catch the goat.
Monday, May 18th, 2009:
Laundry this morning. I hand wash my laundry.
I try to do it myself, but Rose won't let me. She looks on, sees my lack of technique, bemused and probably dumbfounded. She gets her pretty salon assistant to help me. I try to stop them saying I can do it myelf but they won't listen.
I use So Klin detergent and Key Soap, a bar of soap that's advertized everywhere. I also use little blue ultramarine rock-like bleach that you rub into another bucket of water. My Key Soap is very small and Rose argues with me to get another. I say I can still use it one more time. She's about to get her assistant to buy me an new bar for 30 pesewas, so I go to my room and get my extra bar. Her assistant uses that one. I use my little ready-to-break-in-two one. People pass and are curious about me washing my clothes. They laugh and I greet them. This happens every week.
I make tea for Rose, laborers, and myself. Children stop by, 3-4 kids and little 2 yr. old Sandra. They draw and I tell them to stay quiet. I paint in the back by Nana's door. Goats and chickens hang out. One goat brings its head by the wall and watches me, two horns twisted brown and black. The goats occasionally get chased out of the house by the dog. The chickens walk around my art drying on the ground. The kitten walks on my painting, looking for food. The girls show me their artwork and leave. another boy stops by, Daniel Owusu. He wants to draw. He's a neighbor and his family seems to have very little. He likes to draw cars, strong geometry with dark lines, like his brother's. He draws his car. Another boy stops by, Kwame Nsiam. He draws large shapes that look similar to a shirt. Daniel finishes his car. I encourage him to draw more, so he draws an elephant below the car. I snap their photo holding their artworks. They enjoy looking at the photo on my camera.
Little stubs of colored pencils on the table,
my yellow plastic cup of Chelsea tea,
Nana's large tin cup, Sadick is drawing the space shuttle,
Auntie Bea eats plantains and stew. Yaw Owusu is reading a
Newsweek magazine, Istanbul,
no water for the past few days,
many people walk to the wells to fill
their buckets and basins. On the way to Naa's,
one well, two spickets, two lines of plastic buckets
waiting there when the well opens. Another well is
next to the Baobab tree.
The neighbor does her laundry, bent over, standing up
scrubbing 2 roosters and a hen eat next to her from
a charcoaled pot. Twi in the air from Yaw and Bea,
clear skies today. Last night, heavy rains loud
flickers of lightening like paparazzi.
I walk around the village, take photos of a couple of
children playing " store and dress up". I make spaghetti
with onions, garlic, olive oil.
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009:
Little after 7am, waiting for a tro-tro to Kejetia, G-circle
Naa's grandson stops by and says "hi". A man walks up to me
with his little daughter. She has curly hair, a little thin,
almost with a bald spot in the back and one gold earring. I ask how old she is and he says, 3 months. We talk a littl bit. The girl's mother is buying rice. The girl looks at me intently. I keep waiting for her to cry. Some little children have been freaked out by the ghost-like Obruni.
I get on the tro-tro and look at all the beautiful trees along the way, the farm fields, palms, plantains, pass through Mankranso, we zip by the customs used for trucks, further, police stop to check registration and tro-tro license. We get to the toll booth, many women are selling things, fried donuts (bofrotu), bread, green apples, PK gum, eggs,and many other snacks. Take the back road, I'm happy, more greener fields. I notice a large bug on the collar on the driver, about 2 inches with long antennae, scaler, with claw pincers. my neighbor notices it as well, so I take my pen and try to flick it off of him out the window. The bug hangs on with its pincers but crawls on the sleeve where the driver flicks it out of the window.
Friday, May 22, 2009:
Took tro-tro to Ntensere this morning, by the big rock/hill I like so much like a Chinese landscape painting. We walk a couple miles along the road through a little village and get to the monastery, Benedictine Monasstery of Monte Oliveto. The church is pagoda like. We're looking at it from the road. A man motions for us to come in, big dome, chairs at the back, little prayer areas/vestibules, paintings of St. Bernard of Tolomei, founder of Olivetan Congregation, St. Francis of Rome, patroness of Olivetan Cong. We went out back. Francis, the monk says only three monks are there now. Some people are in a side bldg getting ready to pray. He says every Friday people from neighboring villages come and pray. We meet the Superior/Director, Francis Kumi. He explains that the other monks, 14 or so are in Bologna, Italy, their sister monastery. An Italian architect built this monastery. He shows us a room for someone to go on a retreat for 2 days. He offers us a ride to Abuakwa, but I say I like to walk and look around and thank him. Yaw and I stay in the church for awhile, lots of bird sounds. Before Francis left, I say how much I liked the rocky hill on the Sunyani Rd. He said the church wanted to build there but it's a military zone. Nice wood on the ceiling, teak? Dark, webs and birds' nests in the dome above, quiet, peaceful, listen to the people praying, the birds. We go out front and Francis gives us a tour. We see the garden, an eight inch snake, baby snake, is in ourway and Francis, the monk, takes a brick and while we are conversing smashes the snake, big gash. Their garden has corn, tomatos, po po (papaya), carrots, onions, cabbage. They have large plastic tanks of water, laundry room, kitchen area, nice greass, brush/shrubs trimmed with the letters BMMO, Benedictine Monastery of Monte Oliveto, a grotto for baby Jesus and Mary. The director, Francis said he just came back from a retreat in Assisi, Italy. He's fluent in Italian.
Saturday, May 23rd, 2009:
brushing my teeth, 7am, a girl in a skirt with a little white, clear bucket of water in one hand, a little whisk broom made of palm reeds in the other, cleaning a yellow bucket used for carrying water. She circles the yellow bucket, dousing it with water and wisking it with her broom.
Yao Bimpe and I walk to Biemso I today, another village on a different road from Biemso II but fairly close. Red dirt road, grave, maintined well, pass by the newly built hospital on the edge of Adugyama, looks large. Go by a little cemetary, beautiful trees, flowers along the way, large, lone trees, palms, coconut, mangos, maize, many taxi pass us, then SUVs, Mercedes, nice cars. Yaw saysthere's probably a funeral. A woman with ground nuts (peanuts) on her head and a man selling belts and watches catch up to us. She says, "Andrew", and I tell her I'm Daniel, Andrew's friend. Yaw and I both buy ground nuts wrapped in newspaper, 20 pesewas each about 20-30 shelled peanuts. Took photos of lone, large trees, lush greens, remnants of rainforests farmed and parched by people, people and planted, cutting, sawing, burning, transplanting, decanopied, ripped off, church concrete at the edge of Biemso, painted by Senior Wisdom.
At Beimso, big funeral, many dark Adinkra cloths, took pictures of old catholic shrine, meet neighbor, Kofi's grandmother. She's happy to see us. Just as the funeral was getting under way, people enter, many women in green tops, red canopy, tents with nice chairs. Yaw says this is a very weathly funeral, ther person who died was rich. A pick-up flies past us with four men in the back. Look like military garb and I see a gun. As soon as the truck stops, 5 guys jump out with their rifles and guns and give chase. One guy runs by us, looking between the bldgs. They head down the hill and people are all stirred up. Some go and watch. I want to find some kind of cover in case there's a big shoot out. Things calm down and we walk further down the road. We see them bring in the casket, a Methodist funeral. A little ways down the road, we see the pick up that brought the military guys, no markings. Then, the guy with a uniform, the driver, I presume begins to walk toward us. He has the air of someone in power and gives a slight smile. I smile in return wanting to ask him what's happening, but thinking otherwise. Yaw overhears the people say they were after "stealers" and they caught them.
Back in Adugyama:
Mr. Addo stopped by. We talk about the usefulness of aid organizations. He says 2 Peace Corps volunteers were at his school when he was young and really influenced the students. Talked about how Andrew, the Peace Corps volunteer here, really motivated farmers to try different techniques. One farmer with a fish pond is now raising pigs.
Kids stop by to draw. I do my painting in the back, dirt, charcoal, and vegetable oil. Agya joins me. He did four paintings, children watch. Sandra and two or her friends painted a couple paintings. Later in the afternoon, a big group of kids all drawing and hanging out, having fun
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