Back to Africa- again
Well, I have now been back for over a month and still not
gotten around to writing anything before now.
I guess I should also look back over the weeks before I left for the
summer, but that really was too far away.
I have surprised myself by how much I was looking forward to
being back here. I still don’t think I
am feeling about it in terms of being home, but I certainly feel quite settled
and sinking back into the groove of life here.
I was looking forward to coming back to Accra for the
weather- I am loving the days here at the minute, very little rain, warm, a
great breeze, mainly sunny but with a bit of cloudy shade and very little
humidity. It is a fantastic time to be outside and to enjoy being here.
I also enjoyed being able to catch up with all the people
here when I returned, and it was down to one of these, Prosper (or Douglas)
that I found myself at the Mepe Festival on August 4. It really was a once in a lifetime
experience! Well, for me it was a once in a lifetime trip, it actually happens once a year in the village of Mepe about 60 km outside of
Accra. All the people who come from the
village return to their homes, the chiefs of the five main clans are all
present and parade through the town dancing, singing and playing music. It really was a mad throng of people with an
incredible vibrancy, joyousness and volume.
Different clans wear different color outfits and one group even seemed
to be eating their headdresses, which on closer inspection where created using
pineapples. 
I am not sure who found the spectacle more
entertaining. Me being able to watch the
parade and be completely surrounded by all the singing, dancing, color, noise
and the pushing throng of people or the townspeople who seemed to think I was a
real embodiment of one of the evil ghost spirits they were driving away. Quite near the front, and accompanied by
drummers, where two men dressed as white, evil characters- a personification of
everything that is bad. So, to have a
real white, ghost, spirit present was a reason for a photograph. I felt like a minor celebrity as about 50 people
whipped out phones and cameras to capture the three of us- two in costume and
me.
I am assured that this is a remembrance of the battles they
fought to claim and settle the area even before the British appeared on the
scene. This is about inter-clan and tribal victory; the colors they wear
representing the role their ancestors played in the local history, and nothing
to do with the Europeans. Which makes my
presence a little less strange; I’m not sure how much less, but a little less.
Other than this, school has started again and I am loving
being back- catching up with everyone and meeting new people, seeing the school
grow and develop; but that does mean everything has been busy, busy, busy and
weekends have started to fill up and become a time for mundane chores and relaxing. Then again, nothing here can be mundane…
there are always the traffic, the fluctuating power, the interesting smells and
the never-ending mosquitoes to keep you on your toes.
