Ghana be fun...

International Vibrations

To make up for having been very quiet on the blog front over the last few weeks this week has been packed of fun and adventure.  Starting off on Friday night with a Diwali party.  This sounded like a fantastic event, good food, pretty clothes, fireworks, lanterns, interesting company- what a great way to spend a Friday night. I then got to thinking that I am getting old because I spent a large part of time before the party, whilst I was getting ready, thinking, “it starts at 8:30, which means food won’t be served until 9:00…” Looking back… but we live and learn.

Traffic in Accra is something else.  I have never experienced anything quite like it, the roads are often hit and miss as to whether they even count as roads, they are bumpy, muddy and a mish mash of higgledy piggledy streets.  There is, to my mind, no rhyme or reason to the system.  People drive wherever they want, whenever they want, and they seem to create extra lanes or reverse direction of traffic flow at will.  Just because you know you have been on a stretch of road already it does not mean that half an hour later it will 

a. still be there, or 

b. be flowing in the same direction.  

It doesn’t help that drivers seem to have no regard for personal safety, no regard for their vehicle, and very little awareness of the size of their vehicle in relation to spaces and gaps in the traffic.

It was thus with a little trepidation that a convoy of four cars, mainly containing Americans  and Europeans set off for the party, led by a native Ghanaian who was driving in a very un-Ghanaian way, and who was very aware that his boss and his boss’s boss were depending on him to ensure they (and their cars) arrives safetly.

So, a little after 8:00pm the convoy of cars started the journey.  By 8:30pm we hadn’t gotten very far.  The traffic was stop start and despite avoiding and ignoring many road signs, driving the wrong way down the street, and blatantly taking no through roads (which actually were through roads) we were not really a great deal closer to our destination than we had been at 8:00pm.  Given the cultural background of most of the occupants in the cars we were starting to get nervous.  It was after all due to start at 8:30pm.  How rude would we seem turning up so late?

Anyway, arrive we finally did- after a few detours, taking the scenic route and parking, very close to a gutter (I was very glad it wasn’t me driving) at about 9:10pm.  Just as expected the decorations were beautiful, the hosts had on gorgeous clothes, and the lights were dancing prettily.  It was also very empty… come 11:00pm when everyone else was arriving the food was served.  My worry about eating at 9:00pm was blown out of the water; but it was very much worth the wait.  It was amazing.  A variety of curries, naan, samosas, rice…. And great company all led to a very enjoyable evening.  I can’t wait until next year.

Saturday morning was not a welcome alarm call, particularly in view of the late night on Friday, but needs must and school was waiting.  It was International Festival Day!  There were over 40 counties represented in the parade, people often wearing national dress, or having gotten together to organize uniforms for their representatives.   The African nations really outdid themselves in the costume department.  They had such a huge variety of color and pattern, beautiful rich fabrics, I was also very jealous of some of the Asian national costumes too- beautiful kimonos from Japan… next year I am thinking of changing my allegiance based entirely on who has the best costume.  Then a again some of the food was amazing too!

Every country/ area had created a food tent and shared some of their national dishes.  I really wasn’t aware that I could eat that much and that variety of food at that time in the morning, and as people keep pointing out, I am very fixated by food.  Thus, before 11am I had eaten and enjoyed breakfast in Canada, mid-morning snack in South Africa, lunch in the USA, afternoon tea in Great Britain, antipasto in Italy, dinner in Lebanon, dessert in Israel, cheese course in France and chocolate from Belgium.

All countries represented had a flag and a chance to issue a greeting in their native language.  It was the oldest student in school for each country who carried the flag, and with some of the larger groups (149 students come from US Embassy related families) this fell to Grade 12 students; it was fantastic to see the youngest students also joining in with many elementary age students taking to the stage and issuing greetings whilst proudly waving their nation's flag.  Ghana did themselves proud by not only leading the procession but also including a dance number and continued drumming as they left the stage and started the congregation on the field.

I’m not at all sure the “flag running” was planned, or whether one or two too many students had consumed too much sugar in the sun, and just took off running in a large circle with the flags held high, but it led to an effective end to the amazing display of dance and drumming.  Ghanaian dance is as diverse as its music and its drumming, which I have previously pondered. Each ethnic group has their own traditional dances and there are different dances for different occasions. There are dances for celebrations, storytelling, etc and I am sorry to say I have no idea of exactly what I was watching.  I really should make it a priority next week to find out.   

Saturday evening was the turn of the Halloween party!  I have never been to Halloween party quite like this one before.  I am getting the feeling that Ghana doesn’t really do Halloween, and indeed a lot of the expat groups don’t really seem to participate in Halloween either-which could explain a lot! 

For starters, costumes were much of the British house party variety, or at least the sort I remember from growing up.  Very much down the withes, vampire, pirate, ghost route, and very unlike the Halloween in the US where ANY costume counts and those with a clever twist are generally appreciated.   Here- keep it obvious and keep it supernaturally evil.

So, the evening started off as a small house party gathering and then headed to Champs at about 10:00pm.  By day champs is a sports bar, and on a Sunday it serves a good Sunday lunch (well good at the minute, it can be a bit hit and miss in quality).   Even at 10:00pm I think our small group were the first or second people to arrive. The staff had blood-dripping T-shirts on, the decorations were scary and ghost like, skeletons and severed heads hanging from the ceiling, the shots all had appropriately vile names, BUT the soccer was still playing.  In fact the soccer would remain on all night.  Slightly strange in and of itself, but even more weird when they added ABBA, and Michael Jackson over the top, karaoke (not necessarily the same as the song the DJ had playing) and some VERY Ghanaian dance moves.  I have never before seen Ghanaian dancing done to Thriller.

I guess right in the spirit for Halloween was the eclectic-ness of the party.  There was a huge range of people there.  I would guess the majority of them were expats, some in full on costumes, some in face paint, some local Ghanaians who seemed to want a regular karaoke night out and had come in proper going out clothes, and a huge range of ages from VSO groups having a gap year before collage, to Peace Corp having done a few years after collage, to parents, and in one booth some grandparents (or some Peace Corp volunteers in REALLY good costumes.)  It really was the oddest party I have been to in a long time.  Then again it has been a long time since I was dressed as a vampire, dancing (in a way only I can) to The Time Warp and Dancing Queen and drinking Tabasco sauce for a dare.  It was a fun night- and only 365 days until it can be repeated.

The weekend closed in a slightly more staid and calm manner (I really am getting too old for two late nights and one early morning in a weekend- despite ABBAs claims I’m not 17) with book club.  The book had been The particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.  Interesting discussion ensured.  I am pleased to say I was not the only one who was less than taken with the dysfunctionality of it all, and I am also not the only English teacher to occasionally think “I just don’t get it”. 

All in all an interesting, fun and culturally enriching weekend.  Next weekend might have to be something quiet and calm, and with an extra day off, a trip to the beach might be in order.