"This is Family Business..."

I begin this post with my favorite Kanyezee lyrics. This trip for me has been all about family, literally! I am staying with my family is West Legon, and sharing a room with my cousin Emefa--I am about a month older than Emefa. The research project I am working on here in Accra has to do with Remittances--specifically the life and personal perceptions of family members living in Accra (Ghana) that receive these funds. While driving through Accra... (East Legon, West Legon.. Osu etc.) one does not have to go far to see Western Union, Moneygram or Forex Bureau (foreign exchange bureau). I myself have played the role of West Union, forex etc... carrying with me money to deliver to family members via my KLM flight--and look, no transaction fees for exchange rate hikes! I guess my transaction is part of the million dollar guestimate that must be used when accounting for these Remittance funds... anywayz.. I degress I said this blog would not be about the work I do.. I guess you can read the paper when I'm done :-) if your interested.

Right... family business. Today I attended the wedding of John Afarkwei Hudson- Odoi & Audrey Afrah Boakye at the Accra Ridge Church. Their reception was held at the Accra International Conference Centre. Both the service and reception were beautiful! The couple are Ghanaians who went to college in the US (Maryland). They had been married for a little over 3 years before the wedding took place. They had a civil wedding, but vowed that so long that their parents and grandparents were alive, they would have their church wedding in Ghana to celebrate with all their friends and family. Sure one of their 90 year old Grandmother's was cutting a rug on the dance floor! It was so pretty and it was such a beautiful wedding; it was extremely hot in the afternoon but in the late afternoon a gentle breeze and cold Fanta calmed the heat. As I sat and watched--as I did not know anyone in attendance other than my aunt, who knew the bride and groom and sewed the Maid of Honor's dress--I just saw the love and compassion this couple had for each other, and their homeland, roots, culture. It was great, and really beautiful. I am a hopeless romantic... although I always parade around with my single woman torch. I have fallin' hard and fast for Ghana... the hip life music and the DELICIOUS red red with fried plantains, the BOMB kuntumbre stew with yam... ripe mangos... were an Ghanaian export I cherished in Worcester, but the food here, people and culture are not matched, and cannot beat any replica or imitation! Above all my family! All my mother's cousins etc. live in the U.S. so I see them all the time, and I love that family qt time. Here and now, I feel like I'm "catching up" with my cousin since I left Ghana at 3 years old. I am also catching up with my country. All in all I love it. My cousin moves into campus at University of Ghana at Legon. It's down the street, but I'll miss sharing a room and meals with her whiles shes in her dorm. Peace and love...

Oh p.s. enjoy the wedding video the guy in white was "gittin' it" :-) .

Akwaaba...

...it means welcome in Twi :-)! Everyone has been so welcoming! It's great! I am also trying to perfect my Twi staying here. I even have a Twi companion guide with sayings and expressions I want to remember ( I just write them down, and the book is small enough to fit in my pocket, so I take it everywhere. I am understanding a lot! It's just that my cousin, and family speak English so at times it is hard to get in the swing of my Twi pronunciation, but they are being VERY helpful though, which is nice. Today was my first full day in Ghana, and it was GREAT! Wheetabix in the morning for breakfast, red red (beans in stew) and fried plantain for lunch, dinner we went out to an Italian restaurant/lounge for food and drinks (although there was some nice yam and kuntumbre (spinach) stew waiting for us at home). That was a lot of fun! By we I mean my cousin and her boyfriend, who were gracious enough to drive me around and show me a little of Accra. We went to the Mall of Accra to get a sim card for my phone. I have a Ghana number, so now I am good to go!

The weather is great! Tomorrow I am headed to a wedding with my aunt, although I want to work out in the morning before we go. And next week Monday I am headed to Legon to meet with some professors about my project, the following day I am setting up an appointment so I can meet with a few people at the Bank of Ghana.. well off to bed!

Airport Reflections...

I’m so exhausted right now! Waiting in the Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. No internet so, I will just post this when I get to Ghana. I am so extremely happy right now; it actually makes me want to cry (bizarre right?). Maybe I am excited because I left in the middle of yet ANOTHER large New England snow storm.

Well, when I was in Logan Airport about to board the plane, I was able to get a hold of a Samsung charger to charge my Voda Phone cell phone! It made me extremely sad. When the phone came on, I saw new text messages and a few messages from the family I taught English to in Madrid. It just brought up a lot of really great memories about the whole experience. It just made me think about it A LOT. Why do I find soo much happiness in some things? Examples: A calm moment at the Okrah house (well, that is just rare), nice weather, laughing and sharing with friends. There are sooo many things that can you get you down in this world, and I think TOO many times they are able to frazzle me, shake me and almost break me.

It’s a continual process, but I think slowly Madrid, and Spain helped me shed “some of my foolish ways.” I’ve been praying a lot and reflecting on this journey to Ghana… What I hope to bring back… A good interview sample and interesting findings, but also, great perspective on life…and capturing all the warmth and happiness I can and living that day to day back in the States. I was borderline depressed when I came back from Madrid (hahaha). Looking back at it I can laugh. But that was a good learning experience... I am taking the positive things from Ghana… and using them to guide, my spirit, career and ultimately life. No re-entry depression for me back in the States (I hope).