Last entry: Africa through the senses

This will be my last entry and I am transposing something that I wrote while traveling. It can be an overwhelming experience to be in Africa simply because, in the words of Christopher Guest in Spinal Tap, everything's on a volume of 11. I broke this phenomenon down in terms of the senses:

Sight:
It's like an incredibly rich art house movie everytime you look out the window, both in rural and urban settings. We never got tired of looking, and staring was acceptable for the first time in my life. People wanted to check us out, and this gave us the tacit permission, without hostility for the most part, to check everyone out too. That was probably one of the most enjoyable parts of visiting Ghana, the permission to look without getting scolded.
The soil was rich everywhere, whether it was more of a brown or red red as you went to Kumasi and farther north, and every color, especially green was so saturated.

Smell:
In the rainforest we were introduced to a natural pesticide tree, and indeed there were no mosquitos as we walked about. This was called the perfume tree, and this natural sort of incense-like smell combined with wood smoke made the air often smell...like Africa. It was true whether we were in Kumasi or in rural parts of Ghana. Africa smells different. I have a carved wood mini-coffin here at home along with Badie dye soaked Adinkra stamps and the smell lingers in my house.

Sounds:
The number of languages you hear in a day are numerous, and though English is taught in schools, most folks prefer their language of origin. It was oddly comforting to sit somewhere and let different languages flow around you. Though I have travelled in the past to countries where I don't speak the language, this time there were so many levels of mystery that I was content to just be, and take in what I could.
Many people did talk with us and made us feel welcome. "Akwaaba!" is the Ghanaian (Twi?) word for welcome. Several people, from all over the country said, "Tell people about us"--so I'm telling.

Taste
Just like a mango in Boston does not taste like a mango in the Carribean, so it is for many tropical foods in Ghana. We had bananas that were just--deeper--tasting and of course the mangoes and pineapple were daily and out of this world. I coaxed a recipe or two out of Talk True and will be trying some things out on my own here, like Porto-Poto and Red Red.

Touch
The first thing that comes to mind is the amazing clay workshop we took at SWOPA in Sirigu outside of Bolga--though I have described this already, it was amazing to see how these women would use clay, hands and skill to create their pots.
It's also worth noting the resourcefulness with which folks conduct their lives. For example: I saw tires used in a number of different ways, from shoe tread to roofing and fencing. There are no paper towels, you use and re-use rags. Our disposable lifestyle is in great contrast and worth reconsidering.

Intent
Growing up in a Deaf household, I understand how sometimes you think you are speaking the same language, when in reality you are not on the same page at all. Similarly, even though you and someone else might be speaking English, your conversation might not go in the direction you anticipate. Similarly, not every idiom or experience translates from one language to another. Sometimes you just have to let it go.

Though I am sure it will take years for us to absorb all the lessons to be learned from our trip to Ghana, it has been an amazing summer. Thanks for sticking with me as I sorted it out electronically. Be sure to check my other blog, "...and the rest of life"

http://andtherestoflife.blogspot.com/

for stories on my mother's transition to Boston and the letting go of her house and my childhood home. Until the next time,
Kathleen