Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Ghana and her signs
One of the things i always notice is the wonderful signs ... today on the way to the Office we photographed them!!
Wednesday Child
Funny i have always believed that i was born on a Wednesday! ... according to Google, September 22, 1955 was a Thursday ... but i was born in South Africa so maybe it was a day earlier there or something...
Anyways i have always felt like a Wednesday child... so today was propitious...
For one thing i actually slept in today... all the way to 6:30 am .... must have been that football last night... all that running up and down the field tired me out!
So i only had time to do some zazen (meditation) ...no yoga. My meditation here is sitting with that feeling of 'dammed if you do, dammed if you don't ... sitting right in between the two which i have come to see is .. living life in a creative way. As soon as we try and pin down and make solid one thing life is thrown out of kilter. Here in Ghana there is a real feeling that it is 'God's Will' but in a living way, not a giving in way. Rita, one of the Beaders was singing the other day that 'God will find a way'.. in this lovely, light voice that was pure faith.
Delicious shower... delicious breakfast ... a nice surprise, Christianne told me Shoko had been up quite late last night 'cutting ' my Stamp!!! I went to inspect it ... and it looks great! She tells me the Batikers will start my original batik today! I knew it was a propitions day...
And then my fellow volunteer, the one from the Empire, announced she would walk with me to work...
We set off chatting... it was fun to show someone the ropes (after all i had walked to the Office before!!)
And it is actually a very nice walk... we were a tiny bit red faced when we arrived but i had my hat on which helped a lot..
This hat is quite beautiful. The last time i walked in, the sun was beaming down on me and i was wishing i had worn a hat even though mine was quite floppy and useless when ... lo and behold!! ...walking towards me was this man with about 20 straw hats on his head!!! I knew at once he was a walking hat store and felt no shyness in asking him ' How much is a hat?' ' 10 ghanas...' he replied sweeping them off his head and displaying them before me like a deck of cards ... I inspected them carefully and chose the one with two stripes of wine and black... handed over the equivalent of $6 and sailed off shaded by my new hat!! Wow, brings window shopping to a whole new level!!
Anyways back to Wednesday...
I was quite pleased and excited today and told Luki, the head Batiker, that Shoko had cut my stamp and to come and tell me when she would start the batik. She told me it would be after lunch and she would come and get me.
I was busily into my beading, with a design that i really think, finally, is one i will present to Lady Volta when Priscilla came and said there was someone to see me!!
Oooh! Feeling quite important i flew down the stairs and it was my stamps that were supposed to have been delivered yesterday... (i found out they had searched high and low for me, my directions should have been the old BNI building ,,, live and learn) The stamps were quite exquisite (if you like that sort of thing) ... Unfortunately, there were some mistakes in the spelling in one but he was totally ok about taking it back and getting it fixed... it is fun doing business in Ghana!!
Then the electricity went out...
No problem except we had brought in a lunch that was frozen... thinking we would micro wave it... Christianne had gone off to Accra to pick up a new volunteer so had left us to our own devices...
Again no problem ... we went out foraging in the Market ... and found bananas! The most delicious bananas ever...
After lunch i spied Shoko teaching the Seamstresses how to make an elephant... it was an adorable scene.. i will include photos... these women totally love Shoko because 'she is the one who teaches us new things', they told me!
And then just a bit later Luki summoned me.. she was going to begin my batik. I had been in and out of the batik room all morning like an expectant mom and now it was going to happen...
It is so funny... i have felt this funkyFrog idea was sort of something to do... not something i could actually make a success of (except at around 2:30 am and we can have Wild ideas during those hours ... can't we?) ... but somehow this afternoon the seriousness and dedication these women put into that batik made me think i can do something with this! The first moment she put the stamp down and the frog appeared i felt funkyFrog was born...
Every person in the place came to inspect the batik and told me it was beautiful ... 'funky frog' they murmured. And seeing it there in that place with those women ... I was really touched.
I want to make a go of this somehow.. John (i have already introduced him: my brother) says something like this is done one step at a time. Today was a step... a very good step.
And in the midst of this excitement, my son Etienne called ... my phone was ringing... and it was him. He has a knack, this son of mine, to be there at the most wonderful moments..... encouraging me and telling me ' That's great, Mom!' ... and today he was there! It is funny how important it is to tell someone you love about these momentous occasions...
I couldn't talk to him on Skype ... no electricity, no internet ...earlier I had tried to talk to Stephen (my baby brother) but the iPad was running out of juice so we made a date for Friday!!) ... but i had a long, lovely talk to Etienne on the phone.. i put in the plug about Ghana needing an Ecologist... :)
I told Etienne all about what was going on and said i had to get back to the batiking. He totally understood .... And the batiking was going very well except suddenly, Luki sprayed hot wax over her arm ... which was extremely painful ... she is a very tough young lady but this reduced her to tears ... i made her laugh though as i insisted she drink an orange pop saying ' She had had a shock and if my mom was here she would give you a cup of tea but the best i can do is an orangeade...' Neverhteless i think the icecubes and this sugar really helped her... (i felt bad as it was like my frog bit her...)
... eventually the wax was completely applied and the fabric was folded up ready for the next step which will be tomorrow... i won't be there but Shoko has promised me she she will take a photos at all the crucial moments...
The electricity still hadn't come back... so the office people were milling around because they couldn't work on the computers ... The craftsmen were still able to work though!!! hmmm!!! ... Even the seamstresses with their manuel sewing machines ... the batikers doing everything by hand.. same with the beaders!!! ... is technology so great and all powerful???
When i am with these people and they are working there is such a feeling of peace ... Each group has their dance , choreographed by what they are doing... the rhythmic stamping of the batikers, the steady drone and rustle of the seamstresses, the flying fingers of the beaders ... above all; their concentration... with the covering buzz of conversation..
Women at work...
What a pleasure to be part of it.
Cathy and I walked home. The street were a beehive of activity ... Was there a slight tension? Ghana was playing again that evening ... and the electricity still wasn't on!!
We were really hungry that night ... and supper was plantain and another red sauce with beans... i will get the recipe and name on Monday ... it was yummy!!
It was during suppper the electricity came on ... and just awhile later the neighbourhood erupted in a roar! WE don't have to watch the game, the neighbourhood lets us know: Ghana scored!!!
Apparently it was a draw 1-1 for Ghana and Guinea!!
A propitious day for all!!
And tomorrow is Bead Market Day... i kind of feel like i will be playing to win tomorrow! i feel ready, prepped and psyched!!
(Louise, The orange on the car means this is a private taxi... there are taxis you can flag that you share with other people if you are going in the same direction as they are going ... or you can actually hire a private taxi that will take you straight where you want to go ... that is the meaning of the orange ... thanks for asking : it made me learn something!!!)
Anyways i have always felt like a Wednesday child... so today was propitious...
For one thing i actually slept in today... all the way to 6:30 am .... must have been that football last night... all that running up and down the field tired me out!
So i only had time to do some zazen (meditation) ...no yoga. My meditation here is sitting with that feeling of 'dammed if you do, dammed if you don't ... sitting right in between the two which i have come to see is .. living life in a creative way. As soon as we try and pin down and make solid one thing life is thrown out of kilter. Here in Ghana there is a real feeling that it is 'God's Will' but in a living way, not a giving in way. Rita, one of the Beaders was singing the other day that 'God will find a way'.. in this lovely, light voice that was pure faith.
Delicious shower... delicious breakfast ... a nice surprise, Christianne told me Shoko had been up quite late last night 'cutting ' my Stamp!!! I went to inspect it ... and it looks great! She tells me the Batikers will start my original batik today! I knew it was a propitions day...
And then my fellow volunteer, the one from the Empire, announced she would walk with me to work...
We set off chatting... it was fun to show someone the ropes (after all i had walked to the Office before!!)
And it is actually a very nice walk... we were a tiny bit red faced when we arrived but i had my hat on which helped a lot..
This hat is quite beautiful. The last time i walked in, the sun was beaming down on me and i was wishing i had worn a hat even though mine was quite floppy and useless when ... lo and behold!! ...walking towards me was this man with about 20 straw hats on his head!!! I knew at once he was a walking hat store and felt no shyness in asking him ' How much is a hat?' ' 10 ghanas...' he replied sweeping them off his head and displaying them before me like a deck of cards ... I inspected them carefully and chose the one with two stripes of wine and black... handed over the equivalent of $6 and sailed off shaded by my new hat!! Wow, brings window shopping to a whole new level!!
Anyways back to Wednesday...
I was quite pleased and excited today and told Luki, the head Batiker, that Shoko had cut my stamp and to come and tell me when she would start the batik. She told me it would be after lunch and she would come and get me.
I was busily into my beading, with a design that i really think, finally, is one i will present to Lady Volta when Priscilla came and said there was someone to see me!!
Oooh! Feeling quite important i flew down the stairs and it was my stamps that were supposed to have been delivered yesterday... (i found out they had searched high and low for me, my directions should have been the old BNI building ,,, live and learn) The stamps were quite exquisite (if you like that sort of thing) ... Unfortunately, there were some mistakes in the spelling in one but he was totally ok about taking it back and getting it fixed... it is fun doing business in Ghana!!
Then the electricity went out...
No problem except we had brought in a lunch that was frozen... thinking we would micro wave it... Christianne had gone off to Accra to pick up a new volunteer so had left us to our own devices...
Again no problem ... we went out foraging in the Market ... and found bananas! The most delicious bananas ever...
After lunch i spied Shoko teaching the Seamstresses how to make an elephant... it was an adorable scene.. i will include photos... these women totally love Shoko because 'she is the one who teaches us new things', they told me!
And then just a bit later Luki summoned me.. she was going to begin my batik. I had been in and out of the batik room all morning like an expectant mom and now it was going to happen...
It is so funny... i have felt this funkyFrog idea was sort of something to do... not something i could actually make a success of (except at around 2:30 am and we can have Wild ideas during those hours ... can't we?) ... but somehow this afternoon the seriousness and dedication these women put into that batik made me think i can do something with this! The first moment she put the stamp down and the frog appeared i felt funkyFrog was born...
Every person in the place came to inspect the batik and told me it was beautiful ... 'funky frog' they murmured. And seeing it there in that place with those women ... I was really touched.
I want to make a go of this somehow.. John (i have already introduced him: my brother) says something like this is done one step at a time. Today was a step... a very good step.
And in the midst of this excitement, my son Etienne called ... my phone was ringing... and it was him. He has a knack, this son of mine, to be there at the most wonderful moments..... encouraging me and telling me ' That's great, Mom!' ... and today he was there! It is funny how important it is to tell someone you love about these momentous occasions...
I couldn't talk to him on Skype ... no electricity, no internet ...earlier I had tried to talk to Stephen (my baby brother) but the iPad was running out of juice so we made a date for Friday!!) ... but i had a long, lovely talk to Etienne on the phone.. i put in the plug about Ghana needing an Ecologist... :)
I told Etienne all about what was going on and said i had to get back to the batiking. He totally understood .... And the batiking was going very well except suddenly, Luki sprayed hot wax over her arm ... which was extremely painful ... she is a very tough young lady but this reduced her to tears ... i made her laugh though as i insisted she drink an orange pop saying ' She had had a shock and if my mom was here she would give you a cup of tea but the best i can do is an orangeade...' Neverhteless i think the icecubes and this sugar really helped her... (i felt bad as it was like my frog bit her...)
... eventually the wax was completely applied and the fabric was folded up ready for the next step which will be tomorrow... i won't be there but Shoko has promised me she she will take a photos at all the crucial moments...
The electricity still hadn't come back... so the office people were milling around because they couldn't work on the computers ... The craftsmen were still able to work though!!! hmmm!!! ... Even the seamstresses with their manuel sewing machines ... the batikers doing everything by hand.. same with the beaders!!! ... is technology so great and all powerful???
When i am with these people and they are working there is such a feeling of peace ... Each group has their dance , choreographed by what they are doing... the rhythmic stamping of the batikers, the steady drone and rustle of the seamstresses, the flying fingers of the beaders ... above all; their concentration... with the covering buzz of conversation..
Women at work...
What a pleasure to be part of it.
Cathy and I walked home. The street were a beehive of activity ... Was there a slight tension? Ghana was playing again that evening ... and the electricity still wasn't on!!
We were really hungry that night ... and supper was plantain and another red sauce with beans... i will get the recipe and name on Monday ... it was yummy!!
It was during suppper the electricity came on ... and just awhile later the neighbourhood erupted in a roar! WE don't have to watch the game, the neighbourhood lets us know: Ghana scored!!!
Apparently it was a draw 1-1 for Ghana and Guinea!!
A propitious day for all!!
And tomorrow is Bead Market Day... i kind of feel like i will be playing to win tomorrow! i feel ready, prepped and psyched!!
(Louise, The orange on the car means this is a private taxi... there are taxis you can flag that you share with other people if you are going in the same direction as they are going ... or you can actually hire a private taxi that will take you straight where you want to go ... that is the meaning of the orange ... thanks for asking : it made me learn something!!!)
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