September 11, 2011
I have arrived in my Kumasi homestay, and everything is going great so far! My homestay mother picked me up yesterday afternoon. She is actually a grandmother, who is strong, beautiful, and just awesome. She came up to our group and introduced herself to everyone, while I was secretly hoping the entire time that she was my homestay mother. And she was! We live in an area of Kumasi called Boukoum. I'm not sure of the spelling yet, but the pronunciation is correct. The area is much different from Accra. One interesting thing about Kumasi is the great influence of Islam. In Ghana, the farther North one moves, the more Muslims generally live in the cities. There are Mosques everywhere in Kumasi, and a lot more Arabic writing around. I even can hear the call to prayer from my homestay! The one thing I really do like about Ghana is how noisy everything is. I fell asleep listening to chatter, goats, drumming, and singing. This morning I heard a gospel choir, and currently I can hear music that resembles a marching band. In Kumasi, there are also trees, grass, and open spaces. Our house is very large, and much more open to the outdoors. Whenever I eat meals, I eat on a back porch that is beautiful and completely open to the air. Boukoum has a large quarry for stone, so I think a lot of the jobs here are in that industry. Becca, another SIT member, and I live within walking distance from each other and will go to school together. I think we are within walking distance, but I will have to wait to see on Monday for sure.
Yesterday, my homestay mother showed me my room, which has a huge bed and is very big! Then we walked over to a restaurant/bar in the neighborhood. I met my homestay mother's daughter, brother, granddaughters, grand nieces, and general friends. We had some Guinness and Star together. This was probably my favorite time thus far in Ghana, because everyone was cheerful and happy. The weather was beautiful, and it was very nice to relax. My homestay mother is named Auntie Margaret, and her daughter is Julie. They looked at pictures of my friends and family, and were really excited to hear about my life in America! This was a really welcoming experience. Julie thought my dad was really attractive, and told me that she wanted to come to America to marry him! This morning when I woke up, she called me daughter and reminded me of how much she liked my dad, hahaha.
On the walk home, I met many more of Auntie Margaret's friends and family. Her granddaughter, Anita, who is 10, walked me home as well. Anita taught me a song in Twi before dinner! I want to write it down with her sometime today so I can remember the words. Anita has an older sister named Evelyn who also sat with us. Auntie Margaret's house is beautiful! She has a large gate on the outside, which actually keeps the goats in! She has many many goats wandering all around the house. Yesterday, Anita let me hold a baby goat. This was such a cool experience! The goats wander outside of the compound but know exactly where they sleep and get fed. One of the goats is pregnant, so maybe I'll even get to see some newborn babies. At my homestay in Accra, I was used to be awakened by roosters in the morning. Here in Kumasi, the goats woke me up! They kind of squeak at one another, and I heard one of the mothers looking for her two babies.
Yesterday for dinner, I had plain rice with spicy red sauce, chicken, and salad. Auntie Margaret kept telling me to eat and eat and eat. She said she never wants me to go hungry, which definitely will not be a problem in this house. I really like having a more motherly homestay mother. She loves to hug and fuss over me, and she constantly calls me her daughter. It's nice to have someone taking care of you, especially when you are so out of your comfort zone. This morning I got to sleep in, and I ate spicy sausages with eggs and bread for breakfast. I also had black coffee, Nescafe instant. This was a nice surprise because I have been missing black coffee a lot recently! The only downside to my meals is that I eat all alone. People walk by and chat with me, and Auntie Margaret checks on me, but I am usually alone. The Ghanaian culture, especially in urban places, seems to not eat meals together very often. I do miss American meal conversation, as well as just sitting at the table after the meal is finished.
Auntie Margaret is a very interesting woman, and I'm excited to learn more about her. She has a farm with cocoa and many other things, but says it is too far to travel to with me. She raises goats, and has a very large family. She said that she was married when she was 19 but divorced at the age 22, and because of the stigma with divorce, has not remarried since. She is also very religious, and is taking me to a Methodist church in her neighborhood. Yesterday we were talking about snow, and she said she spent time in London and Germany, where she was able to see snow for the first time! I think she will have great stories to share, and I'm excited to speak with her more.
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